AmCham Slovakia

The man of today does not have time to go shopping and for choosing the garments and accessories that suit him. Why is important not to neglect this?
It’s more important than many think, as not only are you representing yourself, your business, and your corporation, but you are also showing you belong to a social level. Unfortunately, looking after one’s image is often considered narcissism, metro-sexualism, and when talking about social status – as snobbery. Generally, that’s how it is with people who don’t understand the meaning of clothing. History has shown that success goes hand-in-hand with clothing. It is also true that the successful man doesn’t have time for traipsing from store to store to select from a limited range. This is one of the reasons why we created a concept with a comprehensive range of tailor-made clothing and accessories where you can find everything in one place, saving precious time and avoiding compromises.

Although I already have an extensive wardrobe, it is difficult to find the right clothes that are best for me. Is it important to keep up with fashion trends?
Not at all. The current menswear trend does not reflect fashion trends, but rather individual personal style. Modern men need clothing that is not only stylish in every situation, but also shows the wearer’s personality and his feelings. It must be original. The problem is that many men do not perceive their attire comprehensively as part of their lifestyle and an expression of their personality. They have to wear a suit to work, and therefore they regard suits as a necessary evil. They are missing two things. Firstly, men look their best when wearing suits. However, it should be said that not all suits are equal. One can’t fake quality. This can be seen from a distance. And secondly, even if a man gets out of his suit, all the rest of his clothing should be of the same quality, consistent with his personality, style and social status. Therefore, when you are well dressed, you feel positively about yourself, which increases your self-confidence. Moreover, it leaves a good impression. The inside is in harmony with the outside.

So how do I build my own personal style?
Today, there is a lot of information online on clothing, and many combinations can be found. It is important to note that not everything you like on somebody else will look good on you. And given the great number of personality factors and features, it may even look ridiculous. Many components make up a personal style. Not only social status, job position, lifestyle and hobbies, but also build and personal colors. Personal style means having a consistent, personalized wardrobe; once you shine in a perfect outfit, it is a big mistake to resemble a “gray mouse” the next time. If you want to look like a perfectly-fitted individual in photos, you should approach professionals known for their expertise, experience and results. Our image consultants, for example, have been certified by the worldwide Image Institute since 2006 and thousands of clients have passed through their hands.

What exactly is image counseling and why is it important?
Simply put, image counseling determines the right colors, patterns and cuts so that the result is personalized. The goal is perfect color matching of clothing with accessories and the perfect fitting of clothing that hides a build’s shortcomings and highlights its positive traits. It is a mix of art and alchemy.

Does this mean I shouldn’t try to create my own style without expert advice?
Yes and no. If you have a natural gift for combining colors and garments, we can develop your abilities with a wider choice of colors, patterns and quality of materials than can be found in standard-size menus. However, should you lack this ability, always put yourself in the hands of experts. Everybody should do what they are best at. Do what you do best, and let us take care of your wardrobe. Today, many people feel they understand everything and do not need experts, as they consider themselves to be experts. But if they dig deeper, they would agree with the Socrates’ quote: “I know I know nothing”. Knowing how to dress well and suitably means combining many elements into one. We need to reconcile the social opportunity, quality, color, patterns, cut, structure, accessories, shoes, etc. The clothing realm is sophisticated and every detail is important.

What should I expect from experienced image consultants? What does this process look like?
We always start by analyzing your needs. First of all, we need to know what occasion your garment is for and what clothes you already have in your wardrobe to avoid duplication or to enhance it appropriately. One important piece of information is your social and professional position. Furthermore, we need to discuss what your requirements for clothing, such as wrinkling, easy ironability and wearing comfort are. We then look at color typology and from the color of your hair, eyes, skin, and lips we determine your personal colors. From the color of hair and skin, we start to create contrasts or harmony between accessories and clothing. The facial features, especially those that are dominant or characteristic for you, are used to select the patterns on the suit, but also the accessories. A wardrobe is personalized when it is based on the clothing and accessories in your personal colors.

How is the type of build taken into consideration when selecting a garment?
The build is another important factor. Colors and patterns are chosen depending on whether your build is a triangle, rectangle, oval, pear, bony or rounded. Dark colors slim, and light ones spread. Stripes slim and diamond patterns spread. If you have a slim figure, suits of more distinctive colors and patterns are suitable for you. With larger builds, a one-color dark suit without patterns is recommended, perhaps with stripes. The height and proportions of the torso and legs also play a role. If someone has a longer torso and shorter legs, shortening the jacket results in shortening the legs and vice versa. The strength and slimness of the figure also influences for example the choice of lapel width on the jacket and the width of the trouser flair. When designing them, one has to take into account the whole composition of the character so that the result does not look ridiculous. Even if there are trendy narrow flaps on the jacket, can you imagine them on a large build? The same can be said about the trend of narrow legs. A man of a larger build will not feel comfortable if his legs are restrained in movement. For slim men it is different, as it is better to highlight and copy their slim build than to have the trousers swim on them.

Which part of the male visual is the most important?
All of them. Clothes should highlight the manly character of the build. However, the overall composition should lead the eyes of observers to the main point – the face. Just below the face is a so-called “claw”, which is formed by the flaps of the jacket, the shirt and the collar and tie. The appropriate combination of individual “V” elements can fundamentally change the appearance, thanks to their immediate proximity to the face. It’s not just about color combinations, but also about preserving the appropriate proportions and combining the right patterns and materials for each type of garment. As a general rule, we can say that the color of individual parts of a “V” can either be in harmony or in contrast. For color harmony, the individual shades of each piece of clothing are chosen from the same range of the color spectrum to complement each other and perfectly match each other. A typical example of the color tone-tone combination is a dark blue suit, a lighter blue shirt and a dark blue tie. The result of color harmony is a rather darker appearance. When combining different parts of the garments into a contrast, colors of different color spectrums are used. For example, a combination of dark blue suit, a white shirt and a dark red tie. Contrasting color combinations are brighter.

So the most important part of the “V” is the tie?
Yes, despite the pointless trend of wearing a suit without one. The characteristics of the tie such as its pattern, the color contrast with the other “V” parts, its shape and material, and the method of tying it in combination with the right size and shape of the shirt collar all have the ability to enlarge or narrow the face, enlarge or reduce the shoulders, and ultimately change the overall proportions of a man. When selecting a suitable tie pattern, simple rules apply. As with colors, tie patterns can either match, or be in contrast with the pattern of the suit and the shirt. In both cases, however, the universal rule applies that the size of the pattern on the suit, shirt and tie should be as different as possible. The “V” is made up of three pieces of clothing, so one can combine up to three different patterns. But it is always easier to combine two patterns, and the third part of the “V” is one color.

Once I know the image counseling principles, all that remains is to decide for a particular store or firm to buy clothing and accessories. What are my options?
First of all, make sure that the respective company provides high quality image counseling. This is a necessary gateway to the tailor-made garment manufacturing process, which is then enhanced by accessories to add to the style. However, for the image counseling to bear fruit, there has to be a background. Unlike the others, we are able to produce all types of garments for every occasion thanks to having our own in-house production. We also have the most comprehensive range of quality materials from global suppliers, and stylish accessories from traditional Italian and English family businesses.

However, there are also many shops selling ready-to-wear garments from global and domestic brands
Yes, but their disadvantage is their limited range of quality materials, patterns, cuts and garments. Also, the size range gradually becomes unavailable due to sales. So if you like something, your size may not necessarily be in stock anymore, and that’s tough luck. Or maybe you like the cut, but you don’t like the color. Once again – tough luck. This never happens with Marco Mirelli. The only benefit ready-to-wear brands give is that you can see the garment immediately and if they have your size, you can buy it right away. However, since everything is made ready-to-wear, it is always a compromise, not to mention amateur adjustments to lengths, such as sleeves, when shortened with a button at the bottom of the sleeve. Therefore, to avoid compromises, we have created a concept where you can get dressed in one place for all occasions. However, the decision is always up to you!