Fashion Meets Function

May 26th 2016

Finding a man who genuinely enjoys wearing business clothing everyday is like finding the sun in Michigan; it happens, but not often enough. All across the world have men suit up (literally) daily in stiff, unbreathable fabrics regardless of the weather or their body type. On an 85 degree day I can’t imagine that they feel anything but discomfort.

Fortunately, newer brands like Mizzen & Main and State & Liberty have recognized this problem, and decided to do something about it.

Mizzen+Main

“We are tradition evolved.”

This motto decorates the top of their “about” page, exemplifying their mission to take the classic business style and fit and push it to the next level to fit the needs of today’s men with today’s apparel technology. There are four major benefits to their dress shirts:

  1. Their shirts are made perfect for an athletic build to help avoid any awkward fits that some other over-tailored shirts might have. There are few things worse than putting on a shirt and having it fit in the torso but not the shoulders or vice versa, so avoiding that problem altogether with a superior athletic fit is great.
  2. The four way stretch material directly supports the athletic fit by helping the shirt to move the same way that an athlete would. The result is an ability to move and stay comfortable all day long without your clothing holding you back.
  3. The moisture wicking technology in the fabric eliminates one of summer’s biggest problems: sweat stains. On a hot summer day, sweat stains tend to shoot your confidence in the foot only a few hours into the day, and they can be almost impossible to do anything about. Luckily Mizzen+Main dress shirts are made specifically to serve you no matter the weather.
  4. These shirts are machine washable. I repeat, they’re machine washable. Dry cleaning is inconvenient and expensive, but not washing your dress clothes often is unavoidable. The material in these shirts solves this problem, and deletes another thing from your to-do list.

While their dress shirts are their first and most popular line, Mizzen+Main also offer a nice variety of polos, pants, outerwear, and t-shirts, so that you can complete your wardrobe for weekend days too. They’re fast becoming a favorite of tons of professional athletes…and pretty much anyone who tries their clothing on.

*this photo is the property of Mizzen and Main

State and Liberty

When the company is created by two Michigan grads you know it’s gotta be good. After becoming frustrated with dress shirt after dress shirt that didn’t fit quite right, the two creators of State and Liberty decided to design the best shirt for people who are athletically built. Their shirts have a great tailored fit, but leave a little extra room in the shoulders, chest, and arms, so you don’t have to stop lifting to fit into them.

*the creators of State & Liberty (this photo is the property of State & Liberty)

There is no shortage to the advantages that these shirts provide, so I’ve come up with a list of 10 reasons you should wear State and Liberty.

  1. They are temperature regulating, which means no more hot summer days at work.
  2. They are odor resistant, so you’ll never have to apologize to the person sitting a little too close for comfort on the subway.
  3. They’re a local brand, so you could stand on the corner of state and liberty while wearing State and Liberty.
  4. They’re wrinkle free, so you’ll look professional no matter what your day has in store.
  5. They have four way stretch to make them comfortable all day long.
  6. Did I mention that these guys went to the University of Michigan???
  7. They are moisture wicking to prevent those pesky sweat stains that happen to the best of us.
  8. Pro athletes are loving these shirts, and that means we should love them too.
  9. They are handcrafted, making them more unique than most of the dress shirts out there.
  10. We sell them! If that’s not enough of a reason I don’t know what is.

*this photo is the property of State & Liberty

These two brands have acknowledged one of the biggest problems in all of fashion: uncomfortable clothing. And then, they decided to do something about it. By combining fashionable and well-tailored designs with functional fit and material, they have created a new style of clothing that is not only professional, but also smart. It’s so smart it’s almost frustrating that it hasn’t existed before this.

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