There aren’t many strict menswear taboos these days, but an age-old adage holds firm: the better you understand the rules, the better you’ll look when you break them. That’s one reason why Coleman can watch Domingo it Nice in a raised collar, while the rest of us will probably look like a brother or – in the best case –College dropout-Era Kanye.
domingo, fresh from closing Excitement and the premiere of michael And Disclosure Day, is sitting as the guest host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! And this week, in addition to maintaining the monologue like a champ, he’s taking the opportunity to take his late-night host style to dazzling new heights. After a master-class-worthy demonstration of how to look chic in jeans and a white tee earlier in the week, Domingo’s latest lesson highlights the advanced art of popping your collar without looking like an ambitious Miami realtor.
PG/Bauer-Griffin
Domingo’s fit, which comes almost entirely from Polo Ralph Lauren, includes a Harrington jacket, a graphic polo, some senior cord-inspired shorts, a madras ball cap, and a pair of oxblood loafers. While this look is based on Ivy style basics down to the white crew socks, there’s no mistaking Domingo for a member of the New York Yacht Club. Instead, their new-school preppy fit pays homage to the silhouettes, fabrics, and connotations of classic East Coast style while remaining firmly within the realm of 21st century fashion. It’s a riff, and a perfectly executed one at that.
What makes it work is that each piece, by style or design, draws from the preppy canon while adding a contemporary wink. It is a ballcap made of madras, a fabric traditionally used in sports coats and shirts; This golf jacket has rolled up sleeves, and most importantly, it has a popped collar. If Domingo wore khakis, a lumpy lemon-yellow V-neck sweater, and a pink polo with a turned-up collar, he would look like a guy in a preppy outfit. However, in this case, thanks to Lauren’s finesse with the ivy iconography, Domingo’s effortless aura, and the matching tones of the polo and jacket, he looks totally in his element.
Proceed with caution for anyone wishing to follow Domingo’s example. While it’s true that you need to understand the rules to break them, it’s equally true that the secret ingredient to every innovative fit is the ability to make it look effortless.
