Whether you are recently engaged and looking for ways to outfit your wedding party or on your way to earning a fashion design degree,  you might want to read up on the latest trends in wedding apparel. This article should provide some ideas for styling your groom on the big day.

• Timing – When deciding on attire for a wedding, the groom should take the time of day and the location into account. According to “GQ,” if a wedding is before 7 p.m., the groom should wear gray striped trousers, a gray vest and an ascot or cravat in white or black. If the wedding is after 7 p.m., the groom should wear a white tie and tails. If you would like to save a little money, the groom can wear a rented tux, but he absolutely should not choose a pre-tied tie.
• Location – If you are planning a semiformal or location wedding the attire can be slightly altered. For a semiformal occasion, a groom can get away with a dark suit with an off-white or white shirt and tie. If it is a beach-themed or destination wedding, the groom might consider a khaki or white suit. 
• Comfort – After following the general rules of style, the groom should make sure to get a suit or tux comfortable enough to sit, dance and move about in for the entire night. The suit should be comfortable and hang well – buttoned or unbuttoned – and it should be measured and fitted to the groom months before the wedding and again a week or two before the big day. Also, unless you plan to shed your shoes for some bare-footed tango, grooms should make sure to choose a shoe with an excellent grip.
• Fit – Grooms will want to keep their body type in mind when choosing a suit or tux. A wider-set groom might want to wear a flattering double-breasted suit. For shorter fellows, the jacket should be free of distractions and match the pants for an allusion of a taller frame. Shorter guys might also consider vertical striped pants, coat or shirt to add length. Tall grooms should consider wearing a dark color on top with lighter color on the bottom to reduce height. As far as accessories, the groom should consider the colors of the bride’s dress and the colors of the wedding party. He might want to choose a different colored vest or tie than the other groomsmen to set himself apart.
• Grooming – Those guys out there with shower-and-go hairstyles might want to consider spending a few extra minutes on their mane for the wedding day. For a fast and naturally-styled do, style hair with fingers while blow-drying, then add a few dabs of a quality pomade or wax. Those that want to have a beard for the big day can use any leftover pomade to keep the beard looking sharp as well. Guys should also consider filing and moisturizing the nails a bit, so hands don’t look unsightly in wedding ring close-ups. 

To read more tips on how to dress for the big day, check out this great collection of popular marriage blogs. And if all else fails, grooms will always look classy and dapper in the standard black tie, white shirt, single-breasted suit.

Source

“Details” (2012)

Personal Tailoring at Tom Murphy Menswear

In December 2011, the new Personal Tailoring Collection was launched by Magee Menswear. Personal Tailoring by Magee has been around for a few decades now but recently the front end that has been revamped to give the consumer a better and more valuable ‘personal’ experience which is facilitated by the retailer.

The Made to Measure service at Tom Murphy Menswear has the Magee Personal Tailoring Collection at the core of its offering. According to Tom Murphy ‘The new Personal Tailoring service being offered by Magee is expansive and innovative. The range of fabrics on offer is vast and everything is covered from the finest weights in pure new wools to more traditional heavy weight materials. The customer can basically design his own suit with optional buttons, linings and collar felts. This leads to a feeling of empowerment and input into the design process on the part of the consumer which adds to the feeling of personalisation’.

This personalisation of the design of your own suit is what makes the process so different to just going in and buying a suit off the rack. At a cost that is not prohibitive (it is usually about 20% more then a good quality ready-made suit), you can basically design the suit yourself. As well as this the other obvious benefit in a suit that is personally tailored is the precision of the measurements. All shapes and sizes can be accomodated and a perfect fit is always guaranteed.

So if you are interested in getting a Made to Measure suit by Magee, get into Tom Murphy Menswear and let one of their expert tailors get their measuring tapes around your waist. The whole process takes about half an hour and your suits will be ready for collection within 5 weeks.

Tom Murphy shows how it is done with a crisp white shirt and bright red tie

Picking the right shirt for a suit can be a tough proposition. The best advice we can offer is to make sure the shirt sits effortlessly and elegantly inside the suit. The first and most important thing to get right is the colour of the shirt. The neutrality of a white shirt means it goes with virtually any colour suit. It is the tie that presents the  challenge when it comes to putting a white shirt inside a suit. A tie that is similair in colour to the suit is often a smooth and suave combination. Think dark navy spotted or patterned tie with a crisp white shirt for an elegant, easy look.

Another option is to go for a bright contrasting tie with the white shirt inside the dark suit. A red tie stands out like nothing else inside a grey, navy or black suit.

Eddie O Sullivan wears plain blue shirt and bild stripe tie

Not everybody wants to take the simple and some might say unimaginative option of the white shirt. Certainly light coloured suits are not generally good with white. Depending on the exact shade,many neutral tones lend themselves better to hues of beige, cream or ivory.

For a dashing executive like look try putting a bengal stripe or a bold coloured chalk stripe with your suit. Do not however, make the mistake of putting a stripe shirt inside a stripe suit as you will look like a zebra with a poor dress sense.

For a stronger,bolder look that suggests you are a high powered business man you could add a white collared stripe shirt to your wardrobe.Again if the main body of the shirt is a stripe try to keep the tie reasonably plain.

For an adventurous twist on the white collar striped body shirt you could try a gingham check with white collar.  Indeed the gingham check is generally a piece of sartorial attire that potrays a certain sense of gentlemenery standing. Classic blue or lilac ginghams put themselves forward as indicators of your business like status like no other shirts.

Another thing to bear in mind when picking a shirt for a suit is the type of occassion you are wearing it for. Gighams, Bengal stripes and white collars with contrasting bodies are all shirts that have a business style to them. Shirts for special occassions like weddings can be more vibrant or daring. Colours like purples, fushcias, pinks, lemons are more acceptable.Materials for occassional wear can be a bit more quirky and satins and silks can look really well.

Upper end of patrick street,cork

With Christmas fast approaching, we thought it might be an idea to give a few hints and tips about shopping in Cork.Needless to say we have a little bit to say about our own place of work as well.

The premier destination for shoppers in Cork City is Patrick Street. Historically it has always been the main thoroughfare through Cork, going back to the time when it used to ferry people and cargo up the river and through the gate of the Queens Old Castle. Patrick Street boasts the presence of all the top shops in Cork City. On the upper end are a lot of the international chain stores such as Debenhams and Marks and Spencer. Ireland’s most prestigious department store Brown Thomas is located here as  at the junction of Patrick Street and Winthrop Street. Across the road on the other side of Patrick Street is Easons book and stationary store and some womens’ clothing stores such as Awear. As you make your way up to the other end of Patrick Street you will pass a lot of womens clothing retailers such as Warehouse, Claire’s Accessories and Oasis.

There are four side streets that branch off Patrick street.The first of these is called Winthrop street and features a few nice cafes and jewellery shops.If you fancy stopping for a quick refreshment try the Long valley pub which is famous for its twin combos of toasted sandwiches and pints of the black stuff.As you move from he upper end of “Pana”as it is affectionately known to the lower end you will pass Cook street and Marlboro street neither of which has anything much to offer.The best and most shopper friendly of these side streets all of which lead on to Oliver Plunkett street is Princess Street.The main entrance to the old English Market is here as well if you would like to sample some of the delights of cuisine a la Cork.

It is at this point that a couple may want to split up, as Cork’s answer to Saville Row lies in wait for the discerning male shopper. After the turn off for the Old English Market you will come to Cork’s finest tailoring house, Tom Murphy Menswear.

Tom Murphy Menswear is one of Cork’s oldest menswear clothes stores and the signs of its significant history are there for all to see. All of the buildings along here escaped the burning of Cork by the Black and Tans, so the charm and character of these historical buildings still remains intact.They really are worth visiting as they retain the charm of a bygone era.

Inside Tom Murphy Menswear and some of the other traditional tailoring house  nearby, you will see a blend of the contemporary with the traditional. The merchandising of the stock is neat and the range on view is sharp and sophisticated. As you travel from the compact casual department, up the narrow winding stairs(it is the original staircase) you will pass by lots of old photos of Cork from 120 years ago.

Everywhere you go in this store history will greet you.As you make your way up the stairs old photographs of celebrity shoppers from times past catch the eye.The enormous  celings and Georgian windows give a huge impression of space and point to a style of architecture that belongs to another era.

If you have time and can ditch the wife for a good hour or so why not pop into the suit department and enjoy the experience of sifting through the endless array of ready made suits.If you are after something a little more bespoke ask Tom or Michael to show you the made to order collection and they will get cracking with the measuring tape.Whatever you are after and whether you come to look,observe or buy I am sure you will enjoy the experience of visiting Tom Murphys in the heart of Cork’s shopping district.

Buy him christmas clothes online

It has reached that time of the year again when women come flocking into our shop looking for inspiration as to what to buy the men in their lives for Christmas. We thought it might be a good idea to give a few pointers in the right direction, as many of ye good female folks tell us it is impossible to know what to buy for your boyfriends, husbands, fathers etc…

We are also noticing that our online customers are having the same dilema and are not quiete sure what to buy from our website.We are a contrary ole bunch,us men,but there is nothing like a bit of good clobber to get us smiling again.The value that  out there online is great and if you are looking for some guidance we thought we might give you a hand.

Sometimes a gift voucher is the best option. However if you don’t trust your man to select something tasteful and trendy (which many of ye rightly do not) then park that option, unless you plan on accompaning him when he goes to town to do his shopping and use up the voucher.

A sensible purchase for Christmas is a nice warm, toasty jumper that will keep him warm over the festive season. Forget the loud, strong stripes and diamond patterns which represent the fasion of a bygone era and go for a plain, solid colour which are back in vogue again. A Christmas bestseller for us in always the Tricot Marine chunky jumper which is available in navy, red and blue. These jumpers are 100% wool and made from extra thick yarns which gaurantee your man will be all snugly and cosy over Christmas.

If he does not like a heavy jumper then go for something lighter from the Kellerman range which like Tricot Marine are designed and produced in Ireland.

These jumpers are a little lighter but there is a good palette of colours to choose from in both v and round neck.

If the man in your life has a wardrobe full of jumpers then perhaps a shirt in a gift box would make an ideal present. Our range of Andre casual shirts are always popular at Christmas and come in button down or regular collars. This season the Andre casual range comes in special presentation boxes which saves you the bother of having to gift wrap them. For the ultimate present get him a matching shirt and jumper from this range and get 15 quid off (which you will surely pass on to him and tell him to use it for a few pints at the weekend)!

With the recessionary onslaught continuing it is posible that your budget might not stretch that far however. Our Accessories Collection includes scarfs, cuff links, stud buttons and mens armbands which all come in gift boxes. The prices of these items make them very affordable and ideal gifts.For some more ideas for cost saving gifts visit the accessories page on our website.

Please remember that the option is there to have your present gift wrapped.

Matching shirt and jumper

Our Nomination for best Internet Start Up Company

First of all,apologies to all our regular blog readers as it has been a while since I have updated our weekly blog.It has been a very busy couple of months for me personally and my blogging duties have been neglected.I am hoping to get motoring again and keep you all updated on the riveting goings on and happenings in the world of mens fashion and clothing.Well maybe not quite the world but at least what is happening down here in Cork.

Since I last blogged a few interesting things have been happening.Firstly our company was nominated for best Irish internet start-up company of 2011 by the Irish internet association.Unfortunately we did not win the coveted first prize but it was a great honour to be the only representative from the fashion industry.We recieved great exposure from the nomination and I am sure it will lead to even more recognition for us.The publicity we recieved from the nomination led to a lot of extra ciricular work for myself.I appeared on a few radio programmes talking about the use of technology for small businesses and have to say i thoroughly enjoyed the experience.As well as that I was honoured to be asked by Social Media Ireland to give a presentation on the use of video to increase brand awareness amongst small businesses.The picture is included below.

Our online business is continuing to develop and it has been an absolute pleasure to see orders coming from all over Ireland and international countries as well.A recent article on the well known website Silicon Republic featured an article on us recently and genererated more publicity for us.This is what they had to say about us.
Online menswear store proves fashionable overseas

A Cork-based online menswear store that launched last April, www.tom-murphy.ie, has already had orders from overseas, including from Bolivia.

Its founder Tom Murphy said the site specialises in selling men’s suits, shirts, ties and shoes online and believes there is no other site like it in Ireland.

“We also offer an online made-to-measure service, where people have to wait eight weeks for a wedding suit of their dreams to be produced,” he said.

“It is early days yet but we have already made quite a few sales. We have sold suits to customers around Ireland and we have had sales overseas, as well. We sent an order for a couple of suits to Bolivia. We also have recently done a made-to-measure suit for a customer in the US.
Massive international potential

“We feel there is massive potential for an Irish menswear store to reach into other international markets, and the Irish-American segment is particularly interesting. We try to give a unique online service based on what the independents do best — service and quality”

For more of this interview,you will be able to get it on the Silicon Republic Website at this link

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/start-ups/item/18943-online-menswear-store-prove

Tom Murphy giving presentation on the use of video for business in Radisson hotel

The type of wedding shirt depends on the style of suit that is chosen. If you are wearing a classic morning tails or Price Edward suit with a cravat, then the obvious choice is a classic wing collar (similar to the type worn with a tuxedo) or the more contemporary Victorian wing (also called French Wing). The colour of the shirt should either be white or ivory depending on the colour of the bride’s dress.

Another factor that should determine the colour of the shirt are the waistcoat and cravat you choose to accessorize the suit. If you are wearing brown, cream, beige or tan shade then an ivory shirt is a must.

White shirts look crisper inside silvers, greys and numerous others. The Victorian wing is increasingly becoming the choice of wedding shirt for wearing with traditional classical groomswear. Its high-swept back and long wide wings really accentuate the style of a self-tie cravat. Some people still prefer to wear a necktie with tails, and if that is your choice, I would recommend a normal Kent collar shirt in either white or ivory. It is essential that the collar and fabric of the shirt is well finished and a 100% cotton texture is preferable.

With the recent upsurge in the popularity of the normal day suit, there are more and more people choosing a normal white or ivory Kent collar. It can be nice to wear a slightly cut-away collar, which will show off a well-made Windsor knot more effectively. One other factor to consider is the fit of the shirt. Most manufacturers offer a slim fit model now and, if available and if your body shape permits, it is the recommended choice.

When it comes to picking the right shirt and tie to go with a suit there are a number of things to bear in mind.

First and most important is selecting the right colour shirt to go inside the suit. The tie is best left to the end after the appropriate shirt is chosen.

A white shirt is always a sensible, albeit, predictable choice. White goes inside black, grey and navy suits seamlessly and often gives a crisp, sharp, and sleek look to a suit. If you feel a little underwhelmed by a plain white shirt you could always go for a herringbone or twill pattern to add a bit of excitement. The great thing about a white shirt is that it can be teamed up with all sorts of ties, because it has a neutral shade. Purple ties are very much in vogue at the moment and look well inside the primary suit colours of black, grey and navy. Navy suits always respond well to red or blue stripe ties while black and grey suits can be more effective with silver or lilac stripes.

Another coloured shirt that is traditionally very popular is blue. Plain blues or twills fit nicely inside a grey or navy suit, although this shade is never to be put under a black suit. It should be relatively easy to pick a tie to go with a blue shirt inside a navy suit although it might be a little trickier to get the grey right.

Brown, beige and tan suits generally respond well to cream and ivory shirts. A matching cream tie or a striped beige club tie can be the best way to finish off the look.

One final bit of advice is to always make sure the fit of the shirt matches the silhouette of the suit. In other words if you are wearing a slim suit then the shirt should be neat fitting as well. There is nothing worse than to see a lovely fitted suit accompanied by a baggy loose fitting shirt.

wedding shoes

There are two fundamental choices to make when choosing the shoes you will wear for your wedding. The first is the style.

Slip-on shoes are en vogue again and there is a huge array of options when it comes to formal mens slip-ons. Do remember that you will require an extra half-inch in trousers length if you are going for the slip-on option. A leather shoe is a must but if you feel more comfortable with a rubber sole, then that is fine. The only time that a casual shoe should be worn with a wedding suit is if the suit is linen or cotton, or if the wedding is taking place somewhere with a really hot climate. Beach weddings would be included in this category. A less formal shoe is perfectly acceptable in those circumstances.

The most popular shoe style that is worn with classic/morning wedding suits is the lace up black brogue. The classic round-toe brogue is traditional but elegant enough to make any wedding suit look smart and sophisticated. If you were going for a more tailored contemporary suit, then I would recommend a more pointed narrow type than the brogue. The long slender toe of Italian style shoes are perfect is this is the case.

A long slim shoe with a slightly pointed front is more suited to the silhouetted and narrow lapels of the slim fit suit. These suits tend to have narrower trousers bottoms so they can make wide fitting shoes appear clunky and awkward. They are particularly suited to narrow ended trousers

I couldn’t wait for this long weekend to come, finally a break from Tom Murphy Menswear. On the 28th of May the 30th Anniversary of Slane took place. Thin Lizzy played 30 years after headlining the first ever Slane music festival, their song “The Boys are Back in Town” got a great reaction from the crowd. Elbow also put on a great show with their songs “Grounds for Divorce”and “One Day Like This” really got the crowd going. The grey skies over Slane that threatened to rainover the course of the whole day, the hype about the champion’s league final between ManchesterUnited and Barcelona which had the attention of many fans or the death of the bands Uncle Cleo a few days before the show couldn’t dampen the moods of band or the crowd. The atmosphere around the arena was electric. Around 8-30pm the headliners, Kings of Leon took to the stage with a huge applause from the crowd. Slane castle erupted when they opened the gig with one of their most famous songs “Four Kicks”.

The Kings of Leon played for over 2 and a half hours, this being the longest gig they have ever played. With every song they played the crowd got more into it. With the news of Barcelona hammering United it was turning out to be a great day all around for myself, I even started a rumour that the last song of the night was going to be “You’ll Never Walk Alone” just to rub a bit of salt into the wounds of every united fan. The band played 25 of their songs and stopped, we all thought it was over and the whole of the Slane crowd broke into “Ole Ole” followed on by another Irishgreat, “We All Dream of a Team of Gary Breens”.

Caleb the bands lead vocals singer walked on to the stage on his own and explained he was going to sing a solo version of the bands song “The Runner” in memory of his uncle Cleo who was very close to all of the bands members and had died two days before the concert. The emotional performance touched the whole crowd and got a standing ovation when he finished. Caleb was then joined by the rest of the band to play three more songs as their encore which was “Manhattan”, “Use Somebody” and their last song was “Black Thumbnail”, at the end of the song the whole of Slane castle was lit up with a firework show. With a turnout of over 80,000 and 29 songs played it’s no surprise that the Kings of Leon labelled the gig “the most memorable show of their careers”. The bands high spirits were further highlighted by them posting a video of them hosting a dance off after the show in their hotel suite.

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