By Julie Rath, on Fri Jan 25, 2013 at 8:30 AM ET Do you avoid opening your closet door because you’re afraid a tennis racquet is going to fall out on your head? Sporting goods aside, it’s always nice to have a workable closet. Much of my client work is helping people to streamline and edit their wardrobes; trust me, I’ve seen it all in there…everything from bike pumps and paint cans to women’s unmentionables. And that’s all I’ll say about that! So don’t worry; no one is beyond help when it comes to getting a closet in shape.
Here I am on a recent closet session checking out my client’s go-to navy suit.
When your wardrobe contains only items you actually wear, it allows you to get your day started faster so that you can focus on what you do best – instead of worrying about where the pants to your gray pinstripe suit are. The first step to creating a closet that works for you is to set aside a couple of hours for a closet clearing. Below are 7 questions to ask yourself when considering each item:
1. Is it in good condition?
2. Is it out of style or do you not like the style?
3. Is it relevant to your lifestyle?
4. Does the color look good on you? (to find out what colors look best on you, contact me).
5. Does it fit?
6. Have you worn it in the past year and a half?
7. Do you actually like it?
If the answer to 2 or more of these is “no,” then you can do better, and I’d recommend donating it. And if you’re too busy or don’t have the patience to do this yourself, call in a professional who can get the job done for you quickly and efficiently.
Here’s to starting 2013 with a functional closet that suits your needs.
By Julie Rath, on Fri Jan 18, 2013 at 8:30 AM ET Do you ever get so sick of your wardrobe that you want to toss the whole thing out the window? I often hear that sentiment from new clients – they’re tired of wearing the same boring blue shirt and khakis every day. I don’t blame them. If you don’t work at Blockbuster, why dress like it? If you’re in this kind of rut, now’s as good a time as ever to define a new personal style. Below are eight tips on how to do that:
1) Look for inspiration from celebrities, magazines and style blogs. Earmark looks or parts of looks that you want to try.
2) Try elements of what you like and ask a friend whose opinion you value and who you know will be honest.
 3) Incorporate elements of your personality into your style. Love your Vespa? Wear a pair of cufflinks that pays homage to it. Integrating features of your unique personality into your look will help you feel more comfortable in your own skin – and make it more likely that you’ll actually wear your new items.
4) Go ground up. The easiest, most pain-free first step in a style redo is new footwear – mostly because there’s no tailoring involved, so you can literally walk out of the store in them. There’s something about a great pair of shoes that makes you stand straighter and walk with more swagger.
5) Make sure the new look you select works for your body type. How to tell? Check out your overall silhouette in the mirror. Many of us home in on a certain part of our bodies when checking ourselves out. Try a more macro approach and see yourself as a larger whole. If the overall shape appeals to you, you’ll know it’s flattering.
6) If you’re nervous to try something new, make like Gavin and take it for a test drive to the grocery store. See how you feel when you’re there. No one has to know you’re just going to the supermarket!
7) Try a little at a time. I’ve seen too many closets full of one particular style that the client went whole hog on without realizing that it wasn’t right for him (Western shirts, I’m looking at you!). So pick one to start. If you find yourself going to that item again and again, you’re ready to commit to getting more.
8) Be patient and open-minded when you look at yourself in the mirror. Your eye is used to seeing you dressed in one specific way. The new look might be jarring and take some getting used to – like a new haircut.
Defining your own personal style takes some work, but it’s definitely worth it. Try the steps above, and let me know in the comments how you do. And if you’d like more tailored help with ramping up your look, contact me.
By Julie Rath, on Fri Jan 11, 2013 at 8:30 AM ET 
Peter Elliot Blue
Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to live and work in a city with so many fantastic style resources. But then I go into a store like Peter Elliot Blue, and in short order I’m reminded of how fortunate I am. The flagship Peter Elliot store opened on the upper east side in 1977 — the first independent retailer to carry the line of another young style pioneer you may have heard of, Ralph Lauren. The store has a superb selection (suits/shirts/ties to outerwear to casual clothes and accessories) and is always gorgeously appointed, as you can see above and below. I love how the each pile of pants at left is cleverly wrapped in a belt.
If you haven’t yet seen my Behind the Scenes video, part of it was shot at Peter Elliot Blue. Here I am, browsing before the shoot. The clients in the video couldn’t get enough of the store either — they each walked out with purchases!
If you haven’t been over to Peter Elliot Blue yet, I encourage you to check it out. It’s a true NYC style experience. The store is located at 997 Lexington Ave, at 72nd St.
By Julie Rath, on Fri Jan 4, 2013 at 8:30 AM ET It’s always nice to get a fresh start in the new year. Below are 8 suggested style resolutions to help you abandon old ways and embrace new ones.
 1) Incorporate color. Fall and winter are seasons for dark, moody colors, but Spring is the time to work in some pep and optimism. Try a solid shirt in an unexpected shade like this green above. Keep the rest of the look solid to avoid overkill (or eye strain).
2) Try a different brand. Too often what I see in new clients’ closets is a lack of variety. While it’s natural to stock up if something works for you, think outside the box in the new year, and experiment with new brands. One that I love is Todd Snyder, which now has a website from which you can order directly.
3) Shoe care. An easy way to get right in the new year is to have your shoes refurbished by a good cobbler. My go-to in NYC is The Leather Spa.
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Julie Rath: So Fresh and Clean in 2013
By Julie Rath, on Fri Dec 28, 2012 at 8:30 AM ET  With business casual all the rage in many offices, the pairing of dress shirts and pants is a hot topic. In some ways, this is actually easier than putting together an outfit where you’re considering suit (or blazer and pants), shirt, tie, and sometimes pocket square patterns. But still, based on empirical data (a.k.a. what I see when hanging out in clients’ closets), a lot of people get it wrong. Below are 7 quick and easy points to keep in mind when selecting a business-casual dress shirt and pants combo.
1) Avoid wearing striped pants with just your dress shirt. This tends to look a little “off,” like you broke your striped suit apart and wore just the pants themselves.
2) If you broke rule #1 and are wearing striped pants with just a dress shirt, don’t worry I won’t hunt you down. Just promise me that your dress shirt isn’t striped too.
3) If your pants have a pattern (plaid, windowpane, check, etc.), go with a solid shirt, and vice versa. Otherwise you border on looking clownish. Some fabrics are “tone-on-tone,” which means they have a subtle pattern to their weave, like a herringbone, but are still all one color. Fabrics like that read as solids and are perfectly fine to wear with patterns. See above how, viewed closely, there appears to be a pattern in the shirt, but overall it reads as a solid.
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Julie Rath: No Brainer Shirt and Pants Combinations
By Julie Rath, on Fri Dec 14, 2012 at 8:30 AM ET
There are few things more devastatingly dashing than a man in a beautifully-fitted tuxedo. If you’ve received an invitation for an event calling for “Black Tie Optional” attire, your best option is – you guessed it – Black Tie. Why not take the opportunity to bring out the big guns? I promise, womens’ heads will turn, and the other guys not in tuxes will wish they had opted otherwise. Check out this shot above from a recent photo shoot for my new website (coming soon!). Pretty good, right?
Relatedly, designers have been showing formalwear looks deconstructed with individual items worn as separates (as seen in my Fall style report). This gives you even more reason to invest in a tux as well as some fun and interesting formalwear elements, which will come in handy when you’re faced with a Creative or Festive Black Tie dress code. Below are my top 5 picks for pieces that will help you mix up your evening gear.
1) Acne Velvet Double-Breasted Tuxedo Jacket — Acne made a splash with their fall lineup of swanky eveningwear separates. This jacket speaks for itself, so keep the rest of the look simple and classic.
2) Acne Jacquard Print Pants – These print pants are next-level style at its best. The trim cut calls for a similarly tailored jacket.
3) Michael Bastian Dinner Jacket – For evening wear with a festive twist, I am very much into this tartan shawl collar dinner jacket. The beauty of this piece is that you can wear it formally as shown above with ivory dress pants, but you can also dress it down with a bowtie, denim dress shirt, boots and cords, as seen in this excellent WSJ article on the topic. 
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Julie Rath: Get this Party Started — What to Wear for Black Tie Optional and Creative Black Tie
By Julie Rath, on Fri Dec 7, 2012 at 8:30 AM ET With business casual all the rage in many offices, the pairing of dress shirts and pants is a hot topic. In some ways, this is actually easier than putting together an outfit where you’re considering suit (or blazer and pants), shirt, tie, and sometimes pocket square patterns. But still, based on empirical data (a.k.a. what I see when hanging out in clients’ closets), a lot of people get it wrong. Below are 7 quick and easy points to keep in mind when selecting a business-casual dress shirt and pants combo.
1) Avoid wearing striped pants with just your dress shirt. This tends to look a little “off,” like you broke your striped suit apart and wore just the pants themselves.
2) If you broke rule #1 and are wearing striped pants with just a dress shirt, don’t worry I won’t hunt you down. Just promise me that your dress shirt isn’t striped too.
3) If your pants have a pattern (plaid, windowpane, check, etc.), go with a solid shirt, and vice versa. Otherwise you border on looking clownish. Some fabrics are “tone-on-tone,” which means they have a subtle pattern to their weave, like a herringbone, but are still all one color. Fabrics like that read as solids and are perfectly fine to wear with patterns. See above how, viewed closely, there appears to be a pattern in the shirt, but overall it reads as a solid.
4) If you’re very tall, you may want to break up your height by choosing pant and shirt colors that contrast one another, creating a horizontal line at your waist (see above left). On the flip, if you want to look taller, choose combinations where the colors are more similar in depth and intensity so as to create one long line top-to-bottom (above right).
5) White goes with everything. In fact, the white dress shirt is a wardrobe cornerstone — about as important as, say, a belt or a navy blazer. It comes in especially handy on the inevitable running-late mornings when you need to grab-and-go.
6) A contrast collar shirt is mostly worn with a suit for a Wall Street-y look. But if you’re going to wear it with just dress pants, opt for pants in a dark hue.
7) For specific color recommendations, I like brown pants with pink, light blue, ecru and yellow shirts. And gray pants provide a solid anchor to brightly colored or boldly patterned shirts.
Do you have trouble pairing dress shirts and pants? Leave me a comment or question below. I’d love to hear what’s on your mind.
Images via Mr. Porter and Bonobos.
By Julie Rath, on Fri Nov 30, 2012 at 8:30 AM ET Socks, swords, and a sled built for speedfreaks… What more could you ask for this holiday season? Read on for 15 Rath-approved holiday gifts.
STOCKING
1) Make a quick getaway from your style rut with this wool suiting pocket square ($10). Wear it with a navy blazer or suit, a light pastel shirt and a dark wool tie.
2) For the drink that’s always with you, a stately flask with the Russian coat of arms ($25).
3) Socks are a holiday gift list mainstay, and these Etro Herringbone socks won’t disappoint ($39).
SNAG
4) This cozy wool hat ($88) comes in charcoal, navy and cream, so there’s something flattering for everyone.
5) I always like to look for belts that are a bit “different” to help my clients define their style, and this two-tone leather belt ($180) is an excellent find with its unexpected blue buckle.
6) Silk scarves are dressier in feel than their wool or cashmere cousins, but they do work casually. Try one like this Jack Spade dress scarf ($185) draped simply around your neck when a tie is too much and an open collar just isn’t cutting it.
7) The frequent traveler’s defense against wrinkly neckwear: a tie case ($185), this one from Pierrepont Hicks.
8) Nothing says holiday cheer like swordplay. Make like Napoleon, and open your next bottle of champagne with a Champagne Saber ($189). (Yes, you really can open a champagne bottle with a sword; click for a video play-by-play.)
9) Manly yet romantic, this Etro paisley scarf ($245) can take an outfit from zero to sixty with one swift loop around the neck.
10) For the guy who can’t afford to be unplugged, try Burberry’s touch screen leather gloves ($325).
SPLURGE
11) Form and function come together elegantly with this collapsible beach table and chair set ($495) which folds down to the size of a tote bag.
12) Sophisticated and sumptuous, this Loro Piana suede belt ($500) works with everything from jeans to a suit. And you don’t need suede shoes to rock this — it works just fine with brown leather in a similar shade.
13) Nothing beats a smooth black briefcase for making a smart and stylish impression. This one from Thom Browne ($1850) is a handsome option.
14) For the watch connoisseur, this solid leather rotary watch case ($3720) from Smythson has two Swiss-made rotators to keep his timepieces in top-notch condition.
15) The Snolo High Performance Alpine Sled (price upon request) can hit speeds of over 40 mph on average gradient slopes, and, on top of that, it can be folded into a backpack by collapsing one locking nut. Perfect for the speed demon with space issues.
What’s on your wish list this holiday season?
By Julie Rath, on Fri Nov 23, 2012 at 8:30 AM ET 
Are you ever stuck with what to wear on your feet when the weather turns foul?
Today the sun’s shining in NYC, but recent events prove the need for protective footwear. Below are my top 6 picks in a range of styles.
1) Grenson Spike ($485) — For the sharp-dressed man, these Grensons are an update on the traditional LL Bean duck boot (another solid option if you’re a more of a traditionalist). Don’t be afraid to rock them with a suit.
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2) Blundstone 500 ($150) — These boots were originally made for ranchers in the Australian outback, so they should be able to handle a trek through midtown Manhattan. The water-resistant leather keeps you dry without sacrificing style, and the front and back pulls and elastic side panels make them easy to pull on and off.
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Julie Rath: Give ‘Em The Boot
By Julie Rath, on Fri Nov 2, 2012 at 8:30 AM ET We are very excited at The Recovering Politician to introduce our newest weekly reinvention contributor: Julie Rath, one of today’s leading style arbiters in the men’s fashion industry. (Read her bio here.)
Julie will be sharing fashion tips and advice with our readers, many of whom (mostly the guys — I can see you out there!) are shall we say, sartorially challenged. With Julie’s guidance, perhaps some of our readers can reinvent themselves as fashion icons. Or at least be more presentable in the workplace and out on the town.
Of course this being only a few days before a major election, Julie’s first piece discuss a critical issue in Campaign 2012: the style choices of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. While not as disparate a contrast as Kennedy versus Nixon, Julie’s keen eye offers a unique perspective on the candidates’ differences. Enjoy and learn:
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In this Fall’s battle of reds versus blues, my stylist’s eye is trained on the important issues. That’s right: the Obama-Romney sartorial showdown. Whatever your political inclination or level of fashion interest, the candidates’ style statements have an undeniable effect on how they are perceived by the voters.
One misstep-in-mandals can read as silly and out of touch with what’s current.
Read on for how the two candidates stack up:
Debate Style
 While both candidates keep it ultra-safe and conservative with dark navy suits, white shirts and blue or red ties (which, interestingly they exchanged in the final debate), Obama gets the leg up for his double-vented and shorter suit jacket, well-executed tie dimples, better pant length and overall trimmer fit on his suit. See all that excess fabric around Romney’s shoulders and sleeves? He needs to go down a jacket size.
 Both candidates have a nice build, and a suit that fits like armor will show that off. While Romney looks good in the shorter point collar, I’d like to see Obama mix it up with a more stylish semispread. Also, Obama is smart to wear a slightly high collar to disguise his thin neck.
Everyday Style
 How do the candidates fare when they hit the streets shaking hands, kissing babies, and shooting b-ball? The verdict is pretty much the same: Obama for the win with his flat front pants and better-fitting clothes across the board. On the topic of sleeve-rolling (a common practice among politicians who want to show they’re ready to “tackle the issues”), Romney could take a lesson or two from Obama on how to do this correctly and authentically.
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Julie Rath: Obama vs. Romney– The Sartorial Showdown
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