Although Angel Ramos and I have only met a few times, we’ve always seemed to have something in common when it came to styles we liked.

Angel wears slippers a lot, and has more of a tendency towards bright colours and patterns. The overall image is perhaps louder. But there are a lot of similarities too: tonal dressing, black, cold shades of brown. And overall an emphasis on casual chic, with polo shirts and roll necks rather than printed ties and pocket squares. 

Angel is the co-founder of 18th Amendment, a brand in New York that grew out of his previous tailoring enterprise, Angel Bespoke. I haven’t tried the clothes, so can’t comment on them, but perhaps that’s the next step. It was certainly lovely talking to Angel for this, the latest in our series of ‘How to dress like’ articles.

This series counts as a Guide on PS, within the category of Style that you can see in the menu above. Perhaps have a look at a few others you might find interesting, including ‘The Essentials’ and ‘Summer’.

After all, it was only a couple of weeks ago that several readers said they didn’t realise there was a Lookbook section to the site. 

 

 

Outfit 1: Simple

Angel: “I love this outfit because of its simplicity. It’s something a modern-day gent could see and feel they could wear: not something they’d feel only someone in the industry could pull off. These are fresh tones, and it looks modern. 

Off-white is such a favourite colour of ours – it’s literally in every season. It’s been a go-to for me for years and something I pair with everything. Here I’m wearing an off-white polo from our Fall/Winter MTO collection with a pair of medium-grey high-twist trousers, in our normal full fit and higher rise, and a pair of slippers, which is typically my go-to as well. 

When it comes to this ideology of simple dressing, I say having the proper knitwear is crucial. The proper polo paired with trousers can look just beautiful – sometimes a jacket just isn’t required. 

 

 

Outfit 2: Black

I love this dark-toned ensemble (coat, knit and trousers are all black) because regardless of what the world of menswear says, I think black is absolutely chic and modern. Black in my opinion has been rather stigmatised in menswear, despite being embraced by high fashion. 

When I started in the business more than 10 years ago I also abided by the law of “black is for weddings and funerals” but the more I built my own world aesthetically, the more I liked its elegance and wanted to show it in ensembles that were not just formal. 

I particularly like using black alongside bold patterns, as with the jacket here, rather than just wearing black suits. It’s also worth remembering that as a bigger guy it really does flatter you. 

The sports jacket is my all-time favourite, in an exploded Prince-of-Wales fabric. I grew up with a mom that was a seamstress and dressmaker, and she would reupholster furniture in our house with bold fabrics, like this one. I’ve always liked to pay homage to her. 

The other things I’m wearing are our house version of a chesterfield overcoat (we named it the Lucky Coat, after Luciano) and a pair of classic flannel trousers in Fox cloth.

 

 

Outfit 3: Tonal

“This outfit was a full look from our 2020 Fall/Winter MTO collection. Camel overcoat in our house interpretation of a polo coat, rust-tweed sports jacket, with none other than the off-white polo and some flannel trousers. 

Tonal looks like this have always been a favourite of mine because they’re so clean and easy to do. And it’s simple to swap the jacket for a bolder one when you want a real storyteller piece. Tonal also conveys a level of elegance and chic that seems to go well with my personality of being insanely outgoing and gregarious. 

Looking at it now, this outfit reminds me of a proper Autumn in New York. The tones recall a drive out into the Catskills, still of course smoking a proper cigar. 

 

 

Outfit 4: Checks

“This is probably my second favourite sports jacket! It’s a Highland tartan that contaings absolutely stunning tones of cream, camel and red. It’s something I often reach for in the Fall and Winter. Here I paired it with a black cashmere turtleneck, and my favourite winter trousers: 590 grams of proper flannel from Fox in a medium grey. 

I think this outfit shows how I tend to balance bold jackets with simplicity elsewhere. You need to allow the jacket to tell its own story, not competing too much with everything else. Or put another way, I want to embrace boldness while not feeling like I’m just trying to look like a clown. 

Although, I don’t consider off-white trousers to be bold and often wear them with bold blazers like this. It’s become my go-to trouser every season in the collection. It’s my personal pair of sweat pants, lol. Some do grey trousers with everything, we do ivory. 

 

 

Outfit 5: Brown trousers

“I love the idea that you can take something classic and iconic, and modernise it. Like the navy blazer with gold buttons. 

Many gents think it’s something only their granddad wore, but it’s great with a light-denim shirt like this linen and cotton, chocolate-brown linen trousers and my favourite Belgian loafers. This is our classic navy travel blazer, in a high-twist wool. It’s brilliant, it just goes with everything.

When it comes to brown trousers, I personally think you can pair them with several shades of brown, black (depending on the season) and pattern if that’s something you’re into. 

Brown trousers for me are more of a Spring/Summer thing, so I wear them with other shades of a brown or a natural slipper. It does also look great in colder weather, with for example a black oxford shoe; that’s just something I tend to wear. 

eighteenthamendment.com

 

 

Photography: Milad Abedi, Robert Spangle and 18th Amendment

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Ralph

The stupid posing with the cigar ruins the effect for me, unfortunately

Julien

Agreed, it might sound harsh but I was half expecting him posing with a lambo and a glass of whiskey when scrolling down the article. I enjoyed the article on Jamie Ferguson much more than the “alpha man” attitude that permeates these pictures.

John

While i too am not keen on the cigar, i assume Angel chose photos that represent who he is, including clothes, pose, accessories, location etc. Given that it is a ‘How to dress’ article (not a sales lookbook), i think he should chose whatever combinations of those he feels best represents his style, so i have no issue with it.

Ralph

Fair comment John.

Speaking from a Western cultural perspective, we seem to be so obsessed with “authenticity”. Or at least I perceive that I am. When I see someone smoking a cigar and wearing stylish menswear, I immediately draw a link to those ridiculous adverts that companies seem to churn out – you know, chiseled men smoking cigars, drinking whisky and chatting to attractive women. Thus the photographs of Mr Ramos seemed less authentic to me.

However, upon reflection, he may well enjoy cigars and this may be part of what gives him pleasure in life. Or the look may be totally inauthentic and just done for the photos – but really – who cares? Even being inauthentic does not invalidate style.

Christopher Grate

Did you ever think that it might just be possible that he is an alpha male? If so, and that’s authentically who he is, projecting your distaste for how he presents himself to the world really does nothing but showcase your inability to accept others who are different from you. It’s this very attitude, also showcased by Paul’s comment below, that has turned off young minorities like myself from diving into the culture of menswear. Far too often we have images of prim, proper, and (from our cultural standards) non masculine white men shoved down our throats-there’s so few representation of people who look or carry themselves like us and it subconsciously makes us feel like this culture is and never will be for us nor accept us.

While I’m mature enough to look past it, I’ve talked to many minority men who have shared this perspective on menswear and have expressed it as a reason why they stick to streetwear. Though I don’t particularly resonate with the images of the man featured, I applaud Simon for featuring them. We should accept and celebrate all men and their expression of menswear and life.

Christopher

That could certainly be the case. It does show how are personal experiences shape our perspectives. Given, I’m speaking from an American minority perspective and based off conversations with other young minority American males my take above seems to be a large reason why they stray from menswear and resonate with streetwear much more. Probably a discussion too intricate to have via texts.

Paul

Being that this is the PS blog, Simon, I still question seeing the glamorizing of smoking, whether cigars or cigarettes. I understand there are historical associations here of men from another era, but it simply turns me off from blogs about menswear altogether. I have no problem with his decision to smoke, but showcasing it on a prominent blog like this? No thanks.

Jim F

Do you do yoga Paul?

joshgtv

Well put. Plus one.

F. Xavier

Honest question: Is it stupif for you for any particular reason? Sometimes we pick things because they remind us something we have experienced. In my case I found no issue in posing, at the end it’s about the clothing.

Pat

Angel is part of a cool little tailoring hub on Christopher Street we’ve got going on now in NYC. Might you be interested in trying J Mueser or Castelberry too Simon?

David

Hello Simon,

I have an inquiry regarding the length of the jacket. I’ve been noticing brands like Lardini, Tombolini, Boligoli is offering jackets that have a length that is inch or two short while their lapel gorges are up high. Is it a trend for italian brands? What effect does such cloths have for the wearer and what is your thought?

Robin

A good segway into the richness of the PS site.
I’ve been reading this blog for about 8 years (maybe longer) and forget about the links you’ve put.
They are really encyclopaedic in the information they hold.

On the specifics of Angel Ramos’s style I note the trousers are a regular length , as opposed to slim or tapered, a style I’ve never understood.
As someone who prefers a tapered trouser leg I find regular cut trousers to make the legs appear thicker and even cause a shortening effect on height.

As a guide generally what dimensions of width at the thigh, knee and hem do you prefer on your trousers ?

Peter Hall

I really enjoy this type of article. I hate the term handrail, but I do find lookbooks are a huge aid to raising personal style. Much of this (tonally) is achievable . Not 100% with the big checks, but the rust tweed sports jacket is a thing of beauty.

Is 590 grams a particularly heavy weight for trousers,Simon?

David

I’ve heard it said that trousers this heavy shouldn’t have pleats, because the fabric is too thick for the pleats to lay flat. Do you think it’s a valid opinion?

Anonymous

Would you then refrain from having pleats on heavier weight flannels?

Anonymous

I suppose 20oz might be good for NYC winters, particularly if you’re going to be outdoors for long.

Ian A

I once enquired with a tailor about trousers in this weight and he snorted at me that it would be “like wearing a nappy”.

TT

Putting the #menswear poses to one side, I enjoy the writing.

I hope we have more of this (either from yourself or others). The perspectives hit the comments I discussed in previous articles and gives some more food for thought about how/where/why particular pieces are worn.

Anonymous

Sorry to say, but I am not a fan. Some of the outfits seem a bit too contrived and affected; giving a “trying hard to be cool” vibe.

Be that as it may, I do enjoy your coverage of such – to me – oddball dandyish style.

Gary Baldy

I agree with your comments. The brown trousers make the blazer look a bit scruffy. to me. The choice of tartan for the jacket was odd as there are so many better ones that he could have picked. The polo coat, however, looks great and is the only piece that I would wear.

Prince Florizel of Bohemia

What an interesting post! I have a question regarding Angel Ramos built. It feels slightly inappropriate to ask such a question, however, it concerns the way clothes fit and what impression they create. If I saw all the pictures expect for the outfit called Simple, I would say that Angelo is of much heavier set then he might be. In this particular picture, he appears to be trim and athletic, whereas other images suggest much more imposing, heavier impression. Would you say it is the pictures or his clothes (eg. broad shoulders on his coats)? I’m inclined to say it’s his haircut and especially beard style.

Anonymous

Totally understandable not to comment on his physique, but I think there are a couple of interesting topics here which would make some really good articles.

One is dressing for the “bigger guy”. Not necessarily fat, but just for the man who has a larger/broader physique. I myself have such a shape (broad shoulder, larger legs), and the past decade or so of skinny tight fashion has made it more difficult to find RTW clothes that look elegant and timeless. It seems like the only things that fit without restricting movement, are baggy and triple pleated garments, making me look like I am a sloppy dress or just anachronistic. Of course this would not be an issue if I went bespoke, but unfortunately that is still out of my financial reach.

Another is, now that the tides are starting to slowly turn against the tight look, advice on how to wear fuller cuts while still maintaining a timeless elegance. Fuller clothing like Hollywood top trousers and the items sold at Adret seem to be the coming rage, but I fear that, if take to an extreme, that look will also come off just as inelegant and fadish as the tight look of the past decade.

I hope my points make sense.

Valentine Hayes

His style fits his personality. Isn’t that what we all should strive to achieve?

JB

Nice to see this series continue.

I think Angel dressed quite well, the proportions of jacket and trousers in the latest collection especially looks really nice. Trousers are wide and full, but not in a costumey way.

I’m not a huge fan of the cigars and the Negronis either, but it does seem like it’s something he genuinely enjoys rather than just poses with.

The only thing I can find a bit silly is super heavy flannels, heavy overcoats mixed with slippers and no socks (not shown here but on other places).

Should you want further suggestions of guys to feature, I’d love to see and read a bit more on this topic from Agyesh Madan and his way of dressing tonal. Tommaso Capozzoli of course and also Buzz of the anthology.

JB

I’d thrown in Yasuto Kamoshita too come to think of it.

And the first outfit here really shines for me, good knitwear and tailored trousers makes such a difference. It’s definitely my go to recommendation for guys wanting to upper their game without going for suits or even odd jackets.

John

If the guy wants to have a cigar and drink whiskey, more power to him. I think he looks fantastic and the tailoring isn’t stuffy and boring.

Emerging Geni3

I’m with you. Who cares. It’s legal. Just calm down and let him enjoy his vices.

David

Angel refers to himself is a “bigger guy” in the article so I guess there is no harm in referring to him as such.
Bigger however doesn’t necessarily mean fatter and from these photos I would say he is thick set. I have a similar physique and it does pose a couple of challenges which, if you get wrong, can make you look like a nightclub bouncer.
Angel skilfully avoids these traps and his clothes are tailored correctly.
Although I wouldn’t wear a lot of the things he does, I think he’s got great style and they look absolutely right on him. They speak to his personality which for me is the whole point.
Two looks I really like are outfit 1 and outfit 5.
Outfit 5 provokes me to encourage Simon to visit the traditional gold button blazer.
There are few items in a man’s wardrobe that can look so good if done well and be such a faux pas if done badly.
Angel does it well – what thinks Simon ?

David

I know where you are coming from and given the adventures you sight, I can understand your reticence but neither are what I am talking about.
There is something achingly cool about a blazer that has the perfect cut, is in the perfect blue and which has absolutely the right buttons.
Bizarrely, ‘Harold Tillman’ and ‘Lincroft’ got it right in the ‘70s with their off the peg offerings and, although their cuts doubtless look a little dated today, their aesthetic would probably hold up.
I saw a Euro type walking down Bond Street not so long ago who had completely nailed it – a beautiful dark blue single breasted brass buttoned blazer with absolutely the right relaxed cut. White shirt. Mid blue jeans and suede tasseled loafers – sans socks.
Sartorial perfection – so simple but so difficult to do and it certainly helps if you have a tan !

Nick

I agree this series is very good. Even if some people find this is not their style it touches on very interesting style points. For example the tartan jacket is great, I think it’s very American though and probably wouldn’t work in Europe, reminds me of jackets I’ve seen in Paul Stuart.
I also notice that the black/navy coat he is wearing looks like a guards coat? Yet Angel makes it look appropriate in a more casual setting. I was wondering what you thought of guards coats with more casual elements?

Josh

I actually love the looks here, and I only qualify that because the other commenters seem to have been deterred. I think it‘s pretty clear he‘s having fun with the poses, particularly with his most consistent accessory: the cigar. Smoking unnervingly and undeniably has that rugged, old school appeal still when captured in fashion photography. Ethan Newton immediately springs to mind for channeling a similar vibe.

I’m struck by how a lot of the outfits are quite standard, reliable looks from the classic menswear canon, but small twists give them the edge of the personality. The slippers, the shades… Plenty of inspiration here for me; many thanks, Simon and Angel

Josh

Final thought: he must absolutely burn through slippers living and working in NYC…

Max

Like the shots! Outfit 4 & 5 are beautiful in terms of balance imo. Jacket length and trouser cut. Classic yet modern. I see a very slight taper and he appears to feel very comfortable in his outfits. The loafers compliment it nicely. Something I see in Simons post “a hot and formal evening in florence”, although it is different in many aspects. As for the checks, I think a darker skin tone makes it easier to wear them like this. Great photo! Thanks for the article!

Mark

Simon, I really enjoyed this post. The opportunities to wear sports jackets and suits are narrowing where I live and having more exposure to visual resources provides me with inspiration, both to use what I have more creatively, and steer my purchases in a more cohesive style direction (textured fabrics, colder palatte, more tonal looks,). More value for money than, I just bought these cool gurkha pants on a whim, but they really don’t work well with my other clothes, so there they sit.
Ethan Newton and Bruce Boyer have quite different looks but I appreciate both without wanting to be a clone of either and I am glad to have been exposed to them. I had never heard of Angel Ramos but appreciate his style and even his poses, whether they are affected or reflect his personality, a pleasant contrast to a stiff model pose. I look forward to even more of these personal mini-look books.

S.H.

Hi Simon,

Like others in the comment section, I too enjoy this series for inspiration and as an opportunity for self-reflection. You once mentioned looking through old images and illustrations for inspiration. To that end, have you observed any elements in the way Mr. Ramos dresses that has inspired you to experiment in certain ways?

Andreas

As Angel is a friend of mine I am slighly biased. He dresses with an ease and carelessness which only a few other manage. One part is the cut – comfortable. The other is confidence. He wears what he loves and that shows.

All the best
Andreas

Robert

Hey Simon-

Great post. Nice to see coverage of small artisans this side of Atlantic. I rather like the look.

This morning at 6am I read your post, looked at the high resolution images and clicked the provided link checking additional offerings and pricing. I also checked out your “Look Book” (which is great and no I wasn’t aware of it). All in the span of 30 minutes.

Growing up in the 70’s I had a monthly issue of GQ. That was it. Can you imagine? About 10 pages of “looks” excluding the ads (which were plentiful). Uomo Vogue and Vogue Hommes weren’t even available outside of Europe and NYC. Small artisans weren’t covered.

Add in that I can now quickly query Simon Crompton across the pond regarding the quality of almost every artisan covered compared to another in his universe and get a response in hours.

Your younger readers have no idea their good fortune. It’s just insane. Great stuff Simon.

Initials CG

Spot on Robert !

Jonny

I’m really glad you wrote this article. I think Angel has fantastic style, even though, as many have said, I wouldn’t personally wear a few of the pieces – but he’s not me, and he looks great.

I was a little surprised to see this on the front page this morning, as I do sometimes associate PS with a more understated style.

Considering you felt Angel was right for this series, would you comment on whether you’d consider Karl-Edwin Guerre a contender for a similar piece?

Jonny

I do understand where you’re coming from, and upon re-thinking, I can see how Angel’s dress is more understated than I’ve previously thought.

I think the oversized eyewear probably plays a big part in the association with flamboyance, and the beard could influence this perception fairly heavily as well.

Other people have commented on the #menswear branding regarding the cigars etc, and I would also say that would also be very relevant to how one comes across. I suppose maybe it’s more of a case that the whole lifestyle package as presented via his IG/company branding is less understated, even if many of the clothes are.

Dante

I don’t at all know Angel personally, but I get the sense that the cigar shots are a little bit tongue-in-cheek, as is much of Jamie’s work. There seems to be a self-awareness that stops me from being turned off by the whole aesthetic. I also think his combinations are really interesting and relevant — especially as he says, for those who aren’t in the industry.

The one part element Angel doesn’t talk about which I wish he did: those sunglasses. To me, they draw the line between the “Autumn in New York” looks from the quasi-rapper looks. While I could never pull them off, they’re perfect for Angel and what he’s going for. Curious if you know more about them Simon?

John

Hi Simon,
At first sight, one might think that Angel has just spent some time pondering and honing his own style, with no implication on how we – let’s say PS readers – dress everyday. With respect to what we could learn from him, I guess the most important thing is what he said about oufit 4: “I think this outfit shows how I tend to balance bold jackets with simplicity elsewhere. You need to allow the jacket to tell its own story, not competing too much with everything else”. This is relevant not only to Pitti-Uomo goers!
John

William

What are your thoughts on velvet slippers for spring/summer wear? And in particular, how to combine black velvet slippers with more casual summer looks and colors…what color trousers “work” with black velvet slipper? Or for that matter, what are your thoughts regarding other types of fabric slippers, such as kilim loafers, for spring/summer?

Nathan

Hi Simon,
Thank you for this nice paper. Would you have any references for the sunglasses ?
Thanks !

Frank

I understand why some may reject the presence of the cigar. It is indeed an overused marketing trope in #menswear. That being said, I happen to like an occasional cigar, and evidently Mr. Ramos does, too. I see nothing wrong with the inclusion of the cigar here.

As for the clothing, outfit number 5 is the winner for me. I love a good navy blazer, and the combination with the dark brown linen trousers and denim shirt is a wonderful look.

Matthew

I can’t imagine why anyone would want to name anything after Lucky Luciano – a vile murderer and prostitution racketeer – very questionable decision.

John

I don’t think the smoking in any way detracts from the article – Im an adult, and if I want to smoke I will do so. I don’t want to smoke, and seeing someone else smoke will not change my mind. It adds some aesthetic complexity to the images, and conveys personality. Great job.

The photos look really good (Milads photos always do), and I think I need to try the black on PoW myself.

Keith Taylor

Outfit 5 really stands out for me, and it makes me want to resume my search for the perfect pair of chocolate brown linen trousers. I’ve got a navy hopsack jacket from Hartwood that’d be perfect with those pants, but finding brown linen in just the right tone is a pain in the balls.

Mark Ayling

Dear Simon:

Thank you for this excellent article about Angel Ramos. Fascinating as always.

I have a question for you regarding Angel’s outfit 5. I am English, but live in Washington DC, and will be dining outside on Saturday the patio deck of a nice Spanish restaurant. The dress code is smart casual. It should be sunny on Saturday and 21 degrees.

I was thinking of wearing an outfit similar to Angel’s outfit 5, pairing some brown trousers I have (from a suit, cotton in dark khaki, but nearer tobacco brown) with a navy blue blazer, and likely a blue striped shirt, or perhaps a chambray shirt, similar to Angel’s. From the photo I cannot see the pocket square Angel is wearing with his outfit.

My question is regarding my choice of pocket square. Can a wear a brown pocket square with this outfit? I have just purchased a couple of pocket squares from Gieves and Hawkes, one plain brown and one brown with a “sea horses” motif.

The brown pocket square would coordinate with the trousers, and not pick any color from the blazer or shirt. I know that sartorially a gentleman cannot have a pocket square matching exactly with a tie, but I am unsure if there are any rules regarding coordinating with trouser colour but not shirt or jacket colour.

Simon, please let me know your thoughts. I would value your advice as always.

Keep up the great work with Permanent Style!

Warm regards,

Mark

Hal Roach

gigar smoke takes away from what you are trying to achieve in two photos.the rest are fine.a picture tells another.no socks is a cheap way of the understanding.three of the photos are fine.loose the smoke and add the socks…..then we can enjoy the clothing.

JK

I don’t understand why people have an issue with the cigar. The article is about clothes and his style. I smoke although I wish I didn’t for health reasons. I wouldn’t expect people to refuse to work with me for choosing to smoke.

MLS

Bravo!
I thought it was weird and amusing to read comments that focused on the cigar as opposed to the great clothes. I didn’t get offended by the creativity in the shoot and act like the herd and complain because that is what is expected by the PC community.

Paul

Focus people… That is one seriously stylish guy. All you cigar haters can puff off ?
A wonderful and inspiring post amongst many other gems, thanks Simon.

Kenneth

Good afternoon….i agree with the comments about smoking the cigars…but his attire is impressive…