Why classic American clothes will always be in style
Posted by Peter Manning on
Fortunately, men’s style doesn’t fluctuate much. That's good news for all of us, because it makes getting dressed each day a lot easier. I purposely started Peter Manning NYC with a foundation of basics: jeans, chinos, button-down shirts—all based on a traditional American style that was born in the 1950s, with icons like James Dean, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. Slim but not tight, masculine and wearable. With a great foundation, it's easy to build a versatile wardrobe. We always start with these building blocks, and we focus on fit first, followed by design.
Take our corduroys and field jacket, for example, both recent additions that have been embraced by our customers because they are timeless items that we have re-imagined and re-developed to fit shorter guys better. We don't ignore fashion trends, but believe if you stick with the classics, you'll always look great. Of course, you should feel free to have fun—we love spicing things up with some colorful pants or fun socks, or dressing up jeans with a blazer and pocket square. Just make sure things don't clash—one bold color in an outfit is usually enough. And most of all, make sure things fit—you shouldn't be swimming in your clothes!
Everything we have developed at Peter Manning (and yes, we know you want more!) is designed to work well together. Customers are always asking me what goes well with what, and I tell them it all goes well together—that was my intention—I want to make things easy for guys (and their wives or girlfriends!). All of our clothes are classic American staples that are easy to pair and that will never go out of style. We are working on suit separates now, for example, which will be based on this same classic American style, but re-designed for the not-so-tall guy.
Stick with (proper fitting!) classics, and we promise you'll always look good!