Q & A with Form and Function

It's been awhile since we have created a post. But we're back with a little question and answer session. We have asked each other about what motivates us about fashion, music, culture and life in general. Enjoy

What goes through your mind before you get dressed in the morning?

Nathan Colombo: It is 100% dependent on my mood in the morning. Sometimes I wake up in a t-shirt and jeans mood. And some days I might wake up in the mood to do selvedge denim, walking boots, and a quilted shooting jacket. I think that’s why a lot of people see me as very eclectic. I can’t say that I look like the same guy day in and day out. However there is genre of dress that I try to stay within.

What was the defining moment that sparked your interest in menswear?

Ryan Parsons: My interest in menswear has grown over time. I think it originated in high school when our basketball team had to dress up on game days. That's when I started to take in interest in dressing well which was followed up by paying more attention to brands, fabrics, textures, etc.

What images do you use as inspiration?

NC: Ya know, I don’t think there have ever been certain images that have inspired me. I’m sure that somewhere down the line I subconsciously took notes on what some of the blogs were putting in there “street snap” articles. But I don’t think I’ve ever said to myself “I’m going to try and look like that.” For the most part, my environment and mood influences the way I perceive certain things whether it be fashion, food, etc. I would call it “self- inspired.”

What influences you to dress the way you do day to day?

RP: My dad has always told me "you can never be overdressed." I've always looked up to him for his professionalism in not only the way he dresses but the way he carries himself. I've always tried to keep that in the back of my mind when I get dressed in the morning. I've also been influenced by my colleague Nathan. He's shown me that, in a society where a man isn't supposed to care what he looks like, it's more than OK to take pride in expressing yourself through dress. 

NC: The reasons for the way I dress are many. But if I had to narrow it down to what makes me want to be the way that I am, it would be that I enjoy immersing myself in culture. A good base for experimenting with different culture is to dress accordingly. For example, some mornings I might wake up in the mood to listen to the Dead Kennedys so I’ll throw on some ratty old jeans, all white pro ked high tops, and a dirty old t-shirt. Then, for the rest of the day I’m able to maintain that same feeling that I woke up with. What you wear is always a great start to becoming more familiar with certain subcultures.

Why do you think it is important to value being well dressed?

RP: I've written about this before but if you value being taken seriously in any facet of life, you need to dress appropriately. Along with being able to hold a one on one conversation (particularly with older generations), the importance of dressing well is one of the most overlooked aspects by our generation.

What did you dress like growing up/have you always cared about the way you look?

NC: Growing up I was heavily influenced by music when it came to dress. I can still remember getting a red canvas pair of air force 1’s when Nelly’s song came out. But I think my experimentation with different styles of dress started with my parents being relatively strict. In middle school I was big into metal and punk rock so obviously I wanted to dress accordingly. But my parents weren’t about to have a 6^th grader walking around with a slipknot t-shirt on so I was forced to find different ways to be different and luckily that landed me in the high fashion culture. A strange transition, I know, but nonetheless, I was in 8^th grade rockin’ Lacoste, Burberry, etc. Once high school came around I was definitely a hypebeast. 100+ pairs of sneakers in every color under the sun. Wearing what were considered boutique brands at the time. ALIFE, Mishka, BBC, Triumvir, The Hundreds and so on. But by the time I graduated I figured it was time to grow up a little and that’s how I got to where I am now. Thank god.

What non-fashion related images or people inspire your style?

RP: This is a tough question to answer because so many different people are now associating themselves with the world of fashion. The recent rise of luxury rap headed up by Kanye and Jay-Z and now thanks to the dress code you see NBA guys are taking pride in what they are wearing (I still think NHLers are the best dressed athletes). But a few people that come to mind are Daniel Craig from the last couple of James Bond films and the members of the Rat Pack. Whether it's 007 shooting guys in the face while wearing a Tom Ford custom tailored suit or Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. shooting pool and smoking cigarettes pre-show in rolled up oxford shirts and fedoras. They all bring a sense of class, ruggedness and simplicity. 

Do you think you've inherited your sense of style?

NC: Absolutely not. I still get strange looks from family who aren’t used to seeing stacked selvedge, rolled pants, lunars with no socks, high top walking boots, 5 panels, Stetsons, etc. My style is definitely 100% naturally aspirated. Although I will say that my grandfather taught my appreciation for quality and functionality in clothing to me.

Do you think music plays a part in the way you dress?

RP: Music plays a larger part than I ever thought it would. It doesn't influence me in the fact that every time I listen to Kanye I want to go buy Margiela, a Hublot and $2,000 Nikes. My outfit and the music I listen to kind of coincide. When I'm in the mood to listen to The National or The Avett Brothers I'm probably going to put on a pair of Levi's, boots and a field jacket. 

What's the best advice you've ever gotten about style?

NC: “Act like you’ve been there before.” It wasn’t really advice given about style, but I think it applies very nicely. An example comes to mind. When WVU played Gonzaga in the NCAA tournament last year, a friend of my dad invited us in to one of the luxury suites with a couple of other families. I wore a nice blazer, jeans, and white oxford with a WVU baseball cap. When we got there I got a couple of strange looks and innocent jokes made about the fact that I was so “dressed up.” But the fact of the matter was, we were invited to a nice event with a group of very successful professional adults. Was I trying to impress anyone? Not in the slightest. But I want to be taken seriously. Kids wear t-shirts and sweats to stuff like that. I’m not a kid anymore. I’m an adult and I expect to be treated as such, and a good way to convey that message is in the way that you dress.

Who is your biggest menswear inspiration?

RP: I admire the Woost-God himself Nick Wooster more than anybody involved with fashion because when you look at what he's wearing every day, you can tell he just doesn't give a shit what people think. When it comes to more practical style, just watch this. Team Americano for life.

How is the mental process of perception different for those interested in menswear?

RP: My interest in menswear has really come on strong in the last two years. I've really started to pay closer attention to the new trends while also trying to come up with a look of my own. With this interest, I've been admired for the way I dress. But in the world of college athletics, most of my peers are just wearing sweats and t-shirts every day so I also get a lot of "why do you dress up so much?" But like anybody else, if you really care about it, no one can sway that interest.

 Getting away from fashion, what inspires you daily?

NC: Definitely the ability to wake up in the morning and be who I am. It seems simplistic, but it's true. When you are very confident in the way you look, dress, and carry yourself, it’s a lot of fun to live out your day. 

RP: I think having the opportunity to travel and experience different places and people growing up has inspired my entire outlook on life. Different cultures and styles intrigue me to no end. I try to branch out of my own personal bubble and experience different things. In the end, it's all about the relationships you build.

In today's society, how do you think men our age should carry themselves?

NC: Once again, like they've been there before. One of my biggest pet peeves is that guys think of dressing well as some kind of novelty. It is not a novelty to me. It’s who I am. I live every day by the same code of “ethics” and carry myself as such. I think once people start to realize that dressing well on a regular basis is “who you are” you will get a lot less jeering and a lot more respect. With the respect comes imitation. And we all know what they say about imitation.

RP: A man should act like just such, a man. Do what's right, don't do or say anything unnecessary and stand up for yourself. It's simple.

Do you think the art of being a "man" is slowly diminishing?

NC: I actually think its starting to make a come back. But like I said before, I’m afraid its becoming some kind of novelty like “oh look at me I’m drinking bourbon and have a mustache,  I’m a MAN.” That’s not what being a man is. Being a man is being well respected and admired by others for the way you carry yourself both socially and aesthetically, not some passing fad that will eventually dwindle away. It IS who you are, not SOMETHING you are.

How important is music to you?

NC: Extremely. It sets the mood to every second of my life. I almost always have it playing in the background whether driving around or hanging at home. I usually choose to listen to music over watching television. I feel as though I get more out of it.

Where do you draw your love for music from?

NC: Ever since I was young, around 4^th grade, music was always very important to me. I remember having Coldplay’s “Rush of Blood to the Head” on cassette when I was 10 and just being excited to be in a situation where I could listen to it. Long trips in the car, free time to play in the basement, I’d always have it on. Music has always been something that is very tangible to me. It makes me feel such strong emotions whether good or bad. And that in itself is enough to push me to always discover new stuff. To maintain that familiar excitement of having something new to listen to and explore. 

RP: I was on the drumline for my middle school band. That's where I really started to care about and respect people that make music. I think it's one of the most creative and expressive things anyone can do. One of my fondest memories as a kid is waking up from my Sunday afternoon naps to the sound of my mom singing and playing the piano to the tune of "Lord of the Dance." Her brother also plays guitar in a big time cover band in Florida. 

Explain your outlook on the importance of being well-versed in all areas of life.

NC: I think having a general knowledge in a variety of categories is extremely important. Being able to slide into any situation and not look ill informed or out of the loop will provide you with the ability to thrive in any social situation you’re put in.

What's the best advice you've received in regards to being a man in the 21st century/ can you give your best advice to a young gentleman.

NC: Basically to be as raw of a version of you as you can be. And by raw I don’t mean like intense. I’m referring to just laying it all out there in regards to who you are aesthetically, creatively, socially, etc. If you don’t feel like going out every weekend and partying, that’s totally fine. If you do want to, then go for it. If you want to wear Yohji Yamamoto and listen to A$AP Rocky, don’t be scared to. Dedicate yourself to something. Hone your identity into something that you can be proud of and that others will respect and admire you for.

RP: I think Nathan hit the nail on the head. Growing up I've always been taught to treat people with respect. In turn, I've learned that being respected is just as important. But in order for this to happen you must do things that people will respect you for. Go forth with confidence, admiration and inspiration and you will make yourself and others proud. 

Best,

Form & Function

What Do You Do?

Sam and I were just talking, what would we do if we didn't play music? What would we say we did? What do you say you do? Back in high school it was sports. That was what took up the majority of our time. But once college, and real life started, what was it that we did? Nothing, was the answer. I remember my freshman year, spending hours in bed, staring at the ceiling thinking, what do I do? Whats my thing? I find school, given the appropriate topic, interesting. But can you really hang your hat on that? When someone asks you what you do in your free time, can you honestly say, study? You and I both know you don't spend an average saturday afternoon studying. It's not a realistic hobby to have honestly. I'm a big believer in the saying "To much free time breeds trouble." I think a worth while trade is incredibly beneficiary to someone. It just so happens that playing music, a childhood dream of mine, clicked with me. And I've been blessed with the fact that it also clicked with my best friends. It creates and unmatched feeling of self worth. Richard and I mulled over the idea, the other night, that theres something that everyone is the best at. Whether it's underwater basket weaving, or playing the piano, you are great at something. The trick is finding that something, and sticking with it. I think that finding a hobby and becoming immersed in it let's someone broaden their horizon and becoming a much more productive member of society, even if your hobby isn't necessarily beneficiary to society, it creates a mindset of productivity that easily translates into things that are productive and do benefit you and others. For instance, I've almost completely abandoned watching cable television. Although that seems trivial, I spend my free time studying music theory, styles of play and other things music related. Whether its actually sitting with my banjo or guitar, or just plugging in to a new album on my computer, the time is spent learning and developing new skills or ways of thinking, not wasting away time watching stupid, inane television shows. Hobbies make you want to get out and do stuff and develop good habits. It's just a cause and effect situation. It's not a coincidence that after having picked up the hobby of playing music that I find myself waking up early on weekends, or studying harder, or exercising more. I think that the effort of trying to better myself in one department (music) translates into me wanting to better myself in other departments. Studying, health, etc. So I urge you. Find something you love, and stick with it. Find others that love it. Develop a sense of community. Do something that makes you feel productive, and you will actually become, productive. The thought of being able to teach my kids something that I've spent a lot of time learning is awesome. Be able to pass something down. Create a tradition. This will unlock doors and opportunities that you never thought possible before.

Best of luck,

Nathan

Everyone Needs a Place to Get Away

If you usually read this, as I'm sure you don't, you might have picked up on the fact that most of my writing gets done late into the night. That's because late night is where I "get away." Not necessarily a physical place, although that is helpful to have, but more or less a state of mind when you can finally exhale and let your mind wander. I purposefully try and fill my day with as much as I can just so that I can unwind in a profound way at the end of the day. Christmas break is great but waking up in the morning with nothing to do starts to eat away at you after a while. As a person, you need to fill your days with purpose. When you wake up in the morning with things to do, it gives you something to look forward to. And those oh so sweet moments of final relaxation at the end of the day wouldn't be possible without 12 good hours of productive activity. 

Let me set the scene for you. At the end of a long day, I'll fill a big mason jar up with some ice water, make a bowl of shisha, get on itunes, set a playlist, plug it in to my Bose wave radio, and just let my mind wander in to the late hours of the night. I'm reporting live from a cabin deep in the mountains of WV right now and kicking back after a long day of skiing and exploring, with my typical relaxation ritual is all I need to feel good. I think everyone should have a place they can go to or a activity they can do to let themselves unwind. Luckily I have both a place and an activity. And even better it's with all my best friends. Ryan we wish you were here lulz. But seriously, Tom was reading us some Albert Einstein quotes last night. I'm usually the anti quote because I can honestly say, that other than family, I don't look up to anyone. I'd rather me inspire me. But about the quotes, they struck a chord with me a little bit. Mainly because Albert Einstein, who some consider a pillar for academia and the modern learning system was extremely adamant about using your imagination. I wasn't paying that much attention but the gist of them was that without the ability to use your imagination and let your mind wander, you become stuck in a rut of repetition and you end up only knowing what you've been taught. This is where letting your mind wander after a long day comes into play.  Most of my ideas, both the extremely stupid and unrealistic, and ones that have stuck and shaped who I am today have come from long hours of just silent thinking with some music in the background. For those who haven't given this a try I strongly recommend it. And on that note I should probably get some sleep.

Let your mind wander.

Nathan

A Life of Quality

When I agreed to walk-on and play basketball at a division 1 school, I knew I was going to have to make some big sacrifices in my life. The biggest sacrifice I had to make was not being able to spend much time with my friends and family. This really starts to hurt most during the holiday season when I get to come home for just 4 days at Christmas. No big time Thanksgiving meal at home with grandparents and friendly neighbors. No New Years Eve parties at one of the biggest party school's in America which just so happens to be my hometown (I know it sounds appealing but it's actually not so I'm good). Nothing except basketball, school, basketball and more basketball.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that since I don't get to spend every waking moment with the people I care about most, I've started to cherish my small allotted window with them more and more. So to get a little less sappy and a little more to the point; the shit that me and my friends do is awesome.

Since I'm not around much during the school year, I'll take you through a summer day in the life of Clark, Tom, Charles, Sam, Ryan and Nathan. We live very different lives than the average college student. And you're about to find out how.

We're all starting to grow the hell up, so most all of us work during the day to make the money that we spend ever so frivolously. After our work days are over, we will normally meet at Nathan and Tom's place down by the river. It's a townhouse, not a van (RIP Chris Farley).

As we unwind from the day, we'll usually start up a hookah while Charles, Nate and Sam play their guitar, banjo and bass respectively. The rest of us will complain and crack jokes about their poor renditions of The Avett Brothers or Mumford and Sons, but inside we're actually jealous that we're not as good as they are.

Once the first hookah of the night is finished, we'll figure out where we want to have dinner. If there's a game on we might choose to go to one of Morgantown's many famous sports bars. When I come to town, one of my favorite places to go is a wine and cigar shop that serves dinner on Friday nights only. I get the blue cheese burger with a side salad and some tea.

After dinner, we will head back to Nate and Tom's. Depending on the night, we will either have hookah and beer or cigars and coffee. Sometimes we'll play poker, sometimes we'll play video games. But two things remain a constant and that's good music and good conversation.

A well-informed, relatively intelligent, thought-out conversation is a rare thing with people our age and that may be one of the worst things to happen to this generation. I wouldn't trade my iPhone for a date with Miss Universe but the art of conversing with another person had most definitely been hurt by technology.

Once the clock hits about 1:30am we start thinking about having our final meal of the day. This meal is a no doubter. We get in the car, turn on some ignorant rap and head to the finest chain restaurant North Central West Virginia/South Western Pennsylvania has to offer, Eat-N-Park. Many out of towners and logical people alike ask the question, "Shouldn't it be Park-N-Eat?".... Our answer: Yes, it should. But shut up.

After we're served by our favorite waiter Robert (literally the nicest guy you'll ever meet), we'll go our separate ways and do the same damn thing the next day.



Nathan here, Ryan called me out of the bull pen to write the second half of this so here we go. Ryan gave you a great representation of a night spent in town so I'll cover what we consider a great night out of town.

I think one of the greatest ways to unwind and catch up with friends is to take an unnecessarily long drive to somewhere out of town. He covered a typical night during the summer, so I'll cover a typical out of town occasion during my favorite season, the fall. Trips out of town are generally a result of a week of monotony and a desire to get out of the house and do something. It usually starts with one person suggesting the trip.

Most spur of the moment trips are centered around a good meal. Although now that I think about it, most everything we do is centered around a good meal. Anyways, we all pile into either my truck or my parents Denali and head north to Pittsburgh. Before leaving, two things must be established, where are we going to eat, and where are we going to let it all digest as we smoke a cigar and relax. If it were up to me, we'd end up eating at a small gourmet restaurant in the suburb of Mount Lebanon, Il Pizziaolo.

It takes a certain level of intellect to appreciate this kind of dining. Its nothing overtly extravagant but it's far from cheap. To someone who doesn't appreciate it they may say, "$19 for pizza with no toppings? That's outrageous." You'd be right if it were actually just pizza, but it's not. It's a carefully crafted work of art who's creation began early that morning when the workers began to heat the giant wood fired copper oven that sits in the back corner of the main dining room. When you take that into consideration, you can taste the quality in every bite. That's no bullshit. Everyone I've ever taken there agrees immediately.  The patrons are always well dressed. The presentation of the food is always simple but very refined. And the service is top notch.

After finishing dinner and taking a refreshing walk back to the car in the cold fall air it's time for the second leg of the trip. It's a bit of a hike but it's well worth it. As we start towards the actual city of Pittsburgh, we get closer to my outright favorite place to grab a drink and cigar. North Side's Executive Cigars. A modest, nondescript hole in the wall that rivals anywhere I've ever smoked. When you walk in, the smell of cigars already past their first third leads you to a back room full of big leather chairs, TVs, tables full of every kind of whiskey, beer, etc. and usually a group of regulars gathered in a circle shooting the breeze or deep in concentration, focused in on a movie that they picked to watch for the evening.

As you open the door to the back room everything stops. In a good way. The movie pauses, everyone stands up, steps away from their chair and introduces themselves, shakes your hand, and asks your name as well. The owner usually comes out to greet you and asks if he can get you something to drink. It's a great feeling to have people genuinely appreciative that you chose to patronize their shop. After finding a place to sit, being given a remote to your own TV, and lighting up, you can put your feet up and truly relax. It's honestly a hard place to leave. I mean who wouldn't wanna just hang out there all day.

About an hour later, it's time to reluctantly head home back to reality.

Yes we take fun trips, eat at good restaurants and  but the core to a fun trip or an entertaining dinner is good company. Our definition of good company is surrounding yourself with people you admire and respect. As we frequently do, here's a quote to sum things up.

"Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than in bad company."
Booker T. Washington


Ryan & Nathan

Appropriate Finals Apparel

Look like hell.
Nobody gives a shit.

Nathan

A Reflection

So I spent the last couple nights watching Rick Alverson's new film The Comedy. Seeing as how it had one of my favorite comedians, I guess you could call him that, Tim Heidecker in it I expected it to be a Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie-esque film. Boy was I wrong. A word of warning though, only take the time to watch this if you have to capacity to look past what is actually going on on the screen and think about the underlying meaning. So let me set the scene for you. Basically, the main character is an aging hipster living on a boat and hanging out with his other aging hipster friends in the hipster capital of America, Brooklyn. Sounds like a hilarious ABC sitcom right? Wrong. The movie is a jumble of scenes containing Tim, the main character, and his friends just doing stuff. I'm not being vague here, it is literally what they do. Just stuff. Theres very little dialogue and of the dialogue that there is it doesn't pertain to the last scene or the scenes to come.

I sat there in disbelief that a movie could be so scatterbrained and seemingly nonsensical. But since my rental time on itunes was dwindling I figured I could at least finish it. I was glad I did. Once the film ended, I laid back on the couch and started to break down what I had just spent an hour and a half watching. It finally dawned on me. The whole film is an example of how people become trapped in current fads and it leads to the ultimate demise of their existence if they fail to eventually mature and break away. The example in the movie is that of the hipster. A culture predicated on expensive taste without having really worked for any of the money that they so frivolously spend. And such a vehement denial of what is socially and culturally acceptable that they eventually become alone and miserable because society has left them behind. The main character's inability to mature lands him in a situation where he just wanders through life with no purpose or direction.

It got me thinking. Let me start this off by saying this is not me scoffing at or passing judgement on the lifestyles of others, but purely an opinion of mine. It seems to me, that these days, kids have lost the ability to treat life like a chess game and think multiple moves ahead. The adoption of the mindset of the here and now has become the most popular philosophy of all. It seems as though no one thinks an action has any kind of bearing on what happens next. I'll present a relatable example here. It's astonishing to me how many kids I see going to class wearing the "West Fucking Virginia" shirts. If you go to WVU you're more than familiar with the drama surrounding this topic. I mean, how are you supposed to make intelligent conversation with you're professor while wearing a shirt that so obviously displays your rock bottom IQ? Do you think you'll ever get a break on that test question that could have gone either way when you approach your teacher looking like that? Thats just one example. This principle applies everywhere. It goes back to the movie. People, especially kids, become so immersed in this, you can't judge me, I don't care what you think, mentality that they get left behind wondering where time went and why everyone around them has excelled and they're still playing pool at Shooters on a Tuesday night. Don't get me wrong. Being yourself and having a sense of  identity is one of, if not the most, important thing a person can have. But this practice of pushing the envelope has become a game of who can "out-ridiculous" the next guy. College is probably the most pivotal 4 years of you're life. It almost completely dictates what you will be doing until they bury you. It's a scary thought I know. But it's unavoidably true. My only advice would be to have a little bit of forethought. Look ahead. Think to yourself if trying to shove your "I don't care what you think to a point of embarrassment and insanity"in the faces of others, is really worth the price you may potentially pay. People often tell me that I act like I'm 40. I'm ok with that. Kids think of maturity as some kind of miserable hell where life becomes repetitive and boring. But it's not. Trust me, I'm not the pinnacle of maturity. I mean I'm 21 years old and I still laugh until I cry over a good fart or something. It's all about being able to tell when to dial it back and act appropriately. Alright well thats enough for this evening. I hope I got my point across as clear as would have liked to and I hope no one takes offense to this simple observation. It's just something thats been on my mind for the last couple days.

Nathan

Knowledge Darts About Footwear

Back when And 1 was to Streetball as Nike is to Oregon football and you were rocking those clever Big Dogs tees like it was your job, you were probably more worried about what clever song lyric you were going to put as your AIM away message than what was on your feet. But those days are over, so here come some knowledge darts about footwear.

Shoes can make or break an outfit. It's remarkable how much I catch myself looking down at someone's feet to see what they're wearing. You really can tell a lot about someone by the type of shoes they have on (and if they take care of them.)

One essential to have in rotation year round are a pair of white canvas low top sneakers. Converse all-stars are my personal go-to but you can't go wrong with Pro Keds or Jack Purcells. These are all inexpensive and are always a timeless casual look.

Another style that looks good year-round are any of the shoes from the Nike Lunar series. My favorite sneaker as of late is the Nike Flyknit (seen on Olympic athletes at the medal ceremonies in London.) This is also a time where you can add a bit of color to your outfit.




Steer-clear from big, chunky sneakers like the Air Force One or basically any type of Jordan. Those things suck.


During autumn and winter months, you really can't go wrong with a suede brogue or desert boot. You should always have a pair of brown and black boots available to you. Unlike sneakers, keep it simple and toned-down with the colorways. It's never a bad thing to invest a good chunk of cash into a nice boot. We recommend looking at Red Wing or Frye.





Nathan talked me into a pair of black L.L. Bean boots this past summer while we were in D.C. and I couldn't be more thankful. For only $100 I got a durable and good-looking pair of boots that I will wear for at least the next 4 or 5 years.


As we start to grow out of our fratty boat shoes (some earlier than others) and Hush Puppies, we'll start to purchase real dress shoes made for real men. There are plenty of do's and don't's when it comes to dress shoes, but here are a few tips to get you started:

Match your shoes to your belt. They don't have to be identical colors but if you EVER want to be taken seriously, don't wear a brown belt with black shoes and vice-versa.

Always keep them polished and structured. Invest in shoe trees to keep the shape. Quick tip: if you don't have shoe polish handy, use the inside of a banana peel.

Consider the colors. Black dress shoes look good with just about any color suit. But when you're thinking about going brown remember this quote from a good buddy of mine Brad Howe, "wear dark shoes with a dark suit."


Typically, a high quality leather dress shoe is a pretty big investment for a young man. But it's also a very important investment. Here are four styles that you should chose from when purchasing a dress shoe.

Oxford:



The first dress shoe a man should purchase. Should be black and include a toe cap. Can be worn to funerals, job interviews, business meetings. Very versatile.

Wingtip:

This shoe adds a bit of personality and flair. Wingtips, otherwise known as brogues in the UK, are not as formal and can be paired with dark jeans or a suit.

Loafer:



Otherwise known as the official shoe of my dad, a loafer is a low-cut, slip-on that can be worn both casually and formally.

Monk Strap:



This is without a doubt Form & Function's favorite style right now. Switch it up with these if you're really feeling like a menswear head. You can get them in single, double or even triple strap.



Remember, don't ruin your crispy fit with struggle-wear.



Ryan