XOP Blog

The Heat Is On Wedding Season is in full swing as we've entered Spring - And if you so happen to live below the Mason Dixie, that means heat and humidity. This means being conscious of choosing the right suit for hot weather. One of the biggest things I've witnessed around these parts ( Richmond, Virginia) are many gentleman dressing, sans the jacket. If you happen to be attending a wedding - the jackets and ties are usually first to go after a couple rounds of libations. Why do most guys ditch their jackets? Climate & Construction Heat and Humidity...

A little retrospective essay on how my current collection came about.... Some phantoms haunt us for a lifetime. The moans and shrieks ever present, yet dwindling in volume as the sand shuffles down the funnel. The photo pictured above was "OC Day" (OC is pepper spray, fyi. It smells like hot sauce and burns your eyeballs like the flames of hell ) during the police academy. It was a grueling 7 month  program that allowed me to bond in some of the most unlikely situations, with 29 other law enforcement hopefuls. I had been living with my father as I went...

*Some Things to Note* - if you look closely at my shoulders, they appear to have large "peaks". Not to be confused with stiff shoulder padding typical of american and english suiting. If the top of the shoulders protrude out and there is a bulge in the sleeve....the suit is too tight. Bunching at the button closure is also another sign of a suit too small.  The picture above was taken during summer of 2009. I had left my miserable job in richmond, packed up a large suitcase and decided to head back to the city that I loved…with absolutely...

*odd shawl lapel h&m jacket, slim fit shirt, bright red paisley rayon tie w/ equally luminescent pocket square*- circa 2008 Before I begin, some things to take note of in the photo above: A) my jacket is fastened while sitting down, B) my jacket has a lapel(shawl) meant for formal wear, C) my tie is loose, D) said tie is bright red paisley with a matching pocket square, E) Bunching in the chest and across the shoulders. As X of Pentacles continues to grow, I’ve decided to bite at “Throwback Thursday”  for sake of exposure and education. Everyone starts somewhere. A great...

Over the years I've noticed a common practice in my hometown of Richmond, VA ( aside from foregoing putting a dimple in neckties and eating that god awful Pimento Cheese). People don't wear pocket squares in their suits!!! I feel naked without one. Naked and cold. Like the feeling you get when you forget your phone. Or forget to take your Adderall. This day is gonna suck. For me, a pocket square is a very minimal, yet essential detail. GQ would agree. Traditionally worn in 100% silk with patterns or in 100% Linen; They have served their owners well in tying together...