Many may not realize it, but DC men know how to get dressed; for every ill-fitting zoot-suit there's an impeccably tailored slim-cut suit. Whether to hit the boardroom or the funk club, classic Washingtonian suiting is like an exceptional shot of whiskey - best neat with a kick and smooth once it's down. And just as with whiskey, quality and style matter, particularly when it comes to suits. Attention to detail and fit are what differentiate the savvy men. When your suit is serious, people take you seriously.
That's why when the team from the custom suit company Indochino reached out and asked me to help them launch a pop-up in DC, I was happy to! I made sure their ultra-friendly Social Media Manager Lenny met everyone who might be interested, and offered to do a shoot with their team and some DC style influencers. Last night we met up at Chez Billy in Petworth, a DC institution in one of our more classic neighborhoods, and did a fun editorial shoot. Their team partnered up with DJ Saul of iStrategyLabs and Paul Bierne of Manshion and we all sat down for some whiskey, steaks, and a photoshoot. Is there any other acceptable way to have a laid-back, stylish shoot? Nope! Afterwards, we reconvened for beers at my favorite beer spot, Churchkey, and chatted menswear, Vancouver vs. DC, and how Lenny used to be a roadie. ;)
Check out the snaps below, and their awesome pop-up at 918 F St NW (the Living Social space) to check out their suits and order a custom one of your own - they'll be there March 2 - 10.
Here's your behind the scenes photo - empty steak plates, whiskey, and perfect menswear (with a cameo by painter Martin Swift, who was assisting on the shoot).
The final group shot - a little bit of whimsy, and a lot of style.
Indochino allows you to customize the inside of your jacket, so obviously I had each guy show me theirs - and loved this classic movie reference.
I also made the guys pair up and make up secret handshakes together, having never met before. While the cocktail in advance helped, they did an awesome job making up ones that were really fun.
In typical start-up fashion, the first conversation of the shoot was about how zesty everyone's socks were. I love the unexpected colors and patterns that guys feel comfortable including in their looks through their sock choices!
Whimsical patterned jacket lining, with a side of sass.
DJ included his Twitter handle on his custom suit monogram, which I loved.
Then we noticed that three of the guys were wearing the same style of shoes, so we did a happy feet seated dance-off.
Chris is extra tall, so we told Lenny to hop up on a chair to level the playing field a bit!
And to wrap up the night, THIS HAPPENED. YOU'RE WELCOME. ;)
As you can see, we had a blast creating some super DC-centric style during our shoot! Hope to see you all out while they're in town so you can get your stylish suiting on. Cheers!
