21 Sep 2010, Posted by admin in Mad Men, 0 Comments Tagged Aspinal of London, Handkerchief, John Slattery, Loake, Mad Men, Pocket Square, Roger Sterling, Shoes, Suits, Three-piece
Week Three – Powerful Dressing; Roger Sterling
Roger Sterling dresses impeccably and consistently in older and sometimes flashier fashions, mixing classic cuts with colours and patterns that suit his bon vivant lifestyle within the boundaries of business wear.
As an old hand in the advertising business and a military veteran, Roger is an understandably crisp-looking gentleman when he dresses for success. The fit of his suits is usually tighter than his fellow Mad Men’s, with higher armscyes (the hole where the sleeve meets the jacket) and less padded shoulders
The most striking feature of Sterling’s wardrobe, of course, is his dedication to the double-breasted jacket and single breasted suits with a vest. There’s more to these outfits: more cloth, more buttons, and more formality as well. Since the effect of all that visual weight can be stifling, Sterling is careful to lighten the suits up with lighter colours or pinstriping on the darker suits. The lighter threads keep him from seeming weighed down by the volume of the suit. His tight fit also helps here, keeping him from swimming in excess fabric.
Sterling is also the only Mad Man who regularly sports peaked lapels. The flaring, upward-pointing style has a dramatic effect, especially in a room filled with men wearing the more conventional notched lapels. Some of his peaks are more dramatic than others – the wider and more flared they are, the more lively they make his appearance, giving a good indication of the hard-drinking party-lover beneath the business suit.
Roger Sterling’s Pocket Squares
Neither Roger Sterling nor Don Draper likes to wear a suit without a pocket square. In the world of 1960s Madison Avenue, the pocket square is one of a very few personalized accents permitted by the business dress code, and they take advantage of it.
Don Draper’s consistent horizontal fold is fantastic characterisation: he wears a pocket square to show that he cares about his appearance beyond simply wearing the minimum requirement, but refuses to define himself by sporting an elaborate and unique style. Roger Sterling, in keeping with his changing ties, different collar styles, and fancy cuts of suit, wears differently-styled pocket squares to suit his mood. At his most formal, he’ll opt for a subdued horizontal fold as well.
Around the office, however, Sterling often folds his pocket square with multiple peaks, creating a very affected style indeed.
We recommend a silk handkerchief from Aspinal of London.
Have a look at our guide: The Pocket Square, to learn about its history and how to achieve the fold illustrated.
The key thing to note is that the style is always changing. Just as with his collars, his suits, and his ties, Sterling is not afraid to shake things up. He’s in charge, he has no one to impress but the ladies, and he has years of sartorial experience on most of the other Mad Men (except the ancient and eccentric Bertram Cooper), and he makes sure that no one forgets it.
Shoes Make the Mad Man
Stylistically, it’s hard to fault Sterling’s choice in footwear. The soles are perhaps a touch thick by 1960s standards, but actor John Slattery isn’t quite as tall as Jon Hamm (Don Draper). In fact, he probably wears lifts inside the shoes as well, strictly for production needs – Slattery is at least two inches shorter than Hamm, viewed off the set. But his choice of plain, black Oxfords with straight-horizontal “bar” style lacing is very professional, and whenver we catch a glance at Sterling’s ankles we learn that he properly matches his hose (socks) to his trousers, not his shoes.
For footwear Tailor Made London recommends a Classic capped oxford shoe, in black calf leather from Loake. They are royally certifed, offering very good quality and value.
Roger Sterling’s Style in Mad Men Terms
So what would one of our image-conscious Mad Men have to say about Roger Sterling, or about any man that emulates his style? First and foremost, this is a wealthy, powerful man with time and cash to spare on clothes that stand out. He’s also business-savvy and a touch old-fashioned – nothing about him is loud or pushes the boundaries of appropriate menswear for the corporate world. When he sets himself apart from the crowd, he does it by paying attention to details (elaborate pocket square folds, etc.) and by reaching back in time for unusual styles (double-breasted and vested suits, peak lapels, dark pinstripes).
How to achieve this look…
Select a slim fitting Three-piece suit with a pinstripe pattern, high armscyes and minimal shoulder padding. We recommend a light thread material in a darker shade, with subtle pin colour contrast. For the lapels; opt for a wider, flared style.
Cloth…
Cloth Code 747075
To get this look now please book a consultation online or by calling 020 7566 0077
Opening Hours are Monday to Sunday 9am to 8pm by appointment only.
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