Mystery Married Style Consultant Revealed!

Tomorrow night is the night for first loves, long loves and those awkward ones where you don't want to call them your love, but you have romantic feelings for that person you've been hanging out with, but are unsure of how they feel. So, you just kind of like them... and hope they like you back. 

source: Emily McDowell

So rare are the days where you get it right on your first try and don't need to learn the rules or games of the dating world. Luckily, there are still modern love stories that are reminiscent of past times with love at first sight and no awkward exes. 

Meet our beloved Style Consultant and Alterations Manager, Karly. 

A sweetheart from the South with a romantic love story to match the tender love that is associated with a Southern Gentleman. 

Her Love Story:

It was her Junior year in High School when Karly began working at the local coffee shop, Convenant Coffee. Her days were filled with making caramel mochas and peanut butter mochas, better than any other place around. A fun after school job with her fellow co-worker, Shane. Shane didn't go to the same high school as Karly and only talked during work while serving strawberry and cream cheese croissants. Karly had a crush on Shane, but didn't know how he felt about her. So, she never made a move. 

Her crush became dormant as she went to college in Nebraska and he remained in North Carolina for his studies. Little did they know, they thought of each other. 

Thank goodness for Thanksgiving and being home for the holidays. All was not lost. Shane asked Karly out over the long weekend and began a long distance relationship by the time Christmas came. After her first year away in Nebraska, she transferred colleges back to North Carolina. Home is where the hear is. Karly knew he was the one once they were together again. 

Shane designed Karly's engagement ring. He carved it out of wax and had it casted before popping the question. 

His Proposal:

"He's a little bit of a joker. I was kind of expecting it but didn't know when. Of course, he wanted it to be a surprise. We went out to dinner as a week late birthday dinner for me. We went to the restaurant where we had our first date in downtown Charlotte. When we got to downtown, there was a really big 7 - 10 story parking deck. There are spots everywhere but he continues to go up to the roof deck and then we have to go all the way down for dinner. There was no one else for the top 7 stories, it was completely desolate. After dinner we walk around and I'm wondering if he was trying to lead me somewhere. But it begins to rain. So, we go back to the car. We get to the car and tries to start it but it won't start. I thought he was joking but it really wasn't starting. He went to the front of the car, under the hood to check the engine. He sends me to the driver seat to try starting it again and still nothing. He has me come around to the front of the car to help him. So, I walk over to look under the hood and then he got down on one knee. 

He set up the whole thing. He pulled something out to prevent it from starting so I could help him with the engine and just put it back in afterwards so we could get out of the rain. He had a cheesy song mix prepared for our ride back. Everything was wedding related, it was really funny. Some of the stuff was really nice but then there were some horribly corny ones" 

Shane and Karly's Wedding Picture

It only took Shane two years to propose with a walk down the aisle eight months later! By this coming May, they will have been married for a solid four years. 

Their Secret:

Karly and Shane have similar personalities and balance each other out in different ways. Also, they are both really creative. They like to make their gifts for one another instead of defaulting to buying something. It keeps them constantly thinking of one another and new ways to keep things exciting. 

And they're living happily ever after...

Voted "Best Of" The Knot's 2012, 2013 & 2014

Interested in designing your husband-to-be's suit for your upcoming wedding? Have the perfect suit in mind for your wedding day but can't find it anywhere? Want all of you groomsmen to feel special with their own custom suits? Thinking of saying "Thank You" to the father's of the bride and groom with a custom suit? Contact a style consultant at weddings@9tailors.com. 

The Suit Essential

Rental suits are awful. You pay money to borrow something that you will wear for a few hours without any guarantee you will find the suit you’re looking for or that it will fit your unique body shape. One of our clients has pointed out; “the worst part is having to return it the next day while nursing a hang over”. Thankfully, 9tailors is giving away a custom tuxedo for the holiday season, up to a $550 value!

To enter, Like us on Facebook and Intsagram. Leave a comment on our pages when you’re done. We will be choosing the winner on 11/30/2013.

Although not every man needs a tuxedo, every man does need to own a suit. It is a staple that says, “I am a grown adult”. If you haven’t already seen the time-lapse transformation video of Jim Wolf, a homeless veteran, on YouTube or Gawker, you must.  Not only does a suit give you confidence, it gives off smart impression. You never know when an opportunity may arise. I cannot tell you how many times someone has called 9tailors in a panic seeking out a suit for an interview the next day. Our guest bartender for our Bourbon Tasting Event, Brother Cleve, has 8 suits. He wears them for everything and explains it best,

“I own 8 suits, including a tuxedo, a seersucker, a sharkskin and a Nehru/Mandarin styled suit I had tailored in a shop in Singapore’s Little India neighborhood (a shop with a Desi owner and a Chinese tailor).

People react differently when you show up at an event, be it a musical one or a cocktail party, wearing a suit. You stand out from the casual crowd, and maybe it gives a certain presence in a room. I favor hats as well, often of the porkpie variety – I always loved that style when I was young and looking at photos of jazz artists from, say, the 1950s. In the 90s when we were out at night wearing suits and drinking cocktails in stemmed glassware – things that had fallen out of favor over the 20 years beforehand – it was a statement. We weren’t salesmen who were still out after a long day working; we were revivalists just trying to bring back the ‘good life’.

By Wayne Valdez
Brother Cleve in 1981, post-punk days

I’m happy to see the return of the classic look of the well-tailored suit, presented not as retro but as a contemporary. To me it says, “I’m an adult” to the world. We live in a society where everything has become depressingly casual, where people think nothing about going out to the store in their pajamas, or to a top restaurant in a t-shirt and shorts. Our goal in our band Combustible Edison, back in the 90s, was to bring back a return to the ‘fabulousness’… we were ex-punk rockers wearing suits (from the thrift shop, for sure) and drinking cocktails and playing lounge music. It had a certain irony to it, but we ended up influencing people in Hollywood and on Madison Ave, which helped bands these days photographed wearing them, including my current band, The Singhs.

source: carthrottle
Still from Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' "Thrift Shop" music video featuring Wanz 

My least favorite trend, for a couple of decades now, is the continued use of brand names on clothes – I really don’t care what store you bought that t-shirt at and I don’t need to see everyone as a walking advertisement for mass market stores at shopping centers. It’s a fake status symbol that means nothing. It’s all part of the dumbing down of society. We’ve been reduced to being walking billboards, and paying to be so!”

You do not need 8 suits in your wardrobe, but you can absolutely build up to it. Start off with grey suit and a navy blazer.  President Obama sticks with the basics, "You'll see I wear only gray or blue suits", he tells Vanity Fair. They are the most versatile to swing for every occasion and you automatically look like a sophisticated gentleman who knows what they're doing. The darker the grey suit is, the more formal it is.

source: penelopesoasis
A simple navy blazer completely transform an outfit

source: redcarpet-fashionawards

If you haven't started your adult wardrobe and need a suit, now is the perfect time! For the month of November, Movember, we are having a 20% off suits and separates promotion. Don't wait until the night before your big interview or your own wedding (it's happened, 1 week is the closest phone call we've gotten so far, 1 day for a guest of a wedding) to get your suit. 

Interested in starting off your suit collection? Need to add that essential navy blazer? Want to take advantage of our 20% off November promotion? Contact us at info@9tailors.com

Warm Up with Winter Coats and Bourbon

Bourbon. Whisky. Scotch. Who really knows the difference? 'Tis the season when brown liquors enter our systems to warm us from the cold, harsh climate of New England (except that it is wonderfully warm right now for Movember).

Mark your calendars because on December 5, Brother Cleve, Boston's most influential bartender, will be pouring you and your friends glasses of Four Roses Bourbon and teaching you all about it. You'll also have a chance to preview the 9tailors custom winter outerwear and coating. This is a free event so, drink, relax and cozy up with a glass of bourbon.

Bourbon Tasting & Winter Coat Preview

9tailors Boston Showroom

December 5

6:00PM to 8:00PM 

Email: info@9tailors.com to RSVP
**Due to space constraints, there is limited availability. If you send us an RSVP, you must receive a confirmation email to attend.**
**Limited to 1 guest per RSVP (you + 1 guest)**

More about what you'll be drinking....

Did you know? scotch and bourbon are types of whiskey based on where and how it is distilled. Bourbon's distilling details are so fine and intricate, there are legal standards for a bourbon to be born. What makes a bourbon a bourbon? Federal law includes but are not limited to, 

• Must have been made in the USA
• At least 51% of the grain used must be corn
• The maximum distilled strength is 160 proof and must be bottled with the minimum strength of 80 proof. When it is barreled for aging, it cannot be more than 125 proof. 
• The whiskey must age in a virgin charred white oak barrel
• To be a "straight bourbon", it must age in the virgin barrel for at least 2 years with no added coloring, flavoring or spirits. It must remain pure. 

Four Roses Bourbon is celebrating their 125th Anniversary, dubbing 2013 the Year of the Toast and was awarded American Distiller of the Year for its third year in a row!

source:  bourbonblog.com

More about the man...

Stay tuned for next week's post introducing you to the ever-dapper, Brother Cleve! The man responsible for Boston's cocktail scene.

source: Bill Brett for the Boston Globe

Want to stay up to date with 9tailors events and promotions? Contact us at info@9tailors.com

Interested in a suit? How about 15% off a shirt with that?

Howdy, Gentlemen. Here at 9tailors, personal style is most paramount to all of our Style Consultants. We work with our clients to achieve a personalized look that will reflect your individual taste through your garments. If you're already a client, you know this well. Another thing that we hold in the highest regard? Coordination. What to do with a custom suit when you don't have a custom shirt to go with?

*Offer only valid on one shirt $100+ when purchasing a full-priced suit. No combining with other discounts. 

How do you like 'dem apples? Email a Style Consultant at info@9tailors.com to book an appointment for your exclusive styling sesh.

Graduate in Style- Vol III

Step 5: Now that everything is organized and you've got a list of what you need, time to shop!

For virtually any work atmosphere and for both genders, dress shirts are always acceptable if not a work staple. But that doesn't mean that your dress shirts need to be boring! With over 700 fabric samples and dozens of style choices, you will never look exactly the same as that guy next to you while wearing a shirt from 9tailors. Your shirt will be made to order to fit your body, your lifestyle, your budget, and your taste.

Book an appointment with 9tailors today for either yourself or as a gift for your graduate, and let us know how we can help your transition be smooth sailing!

Pretty soon we will be doing a series of "Best of Boston" shopping. Do your want your favorites to be featured? Leave a comment or send us an email about where your go-to spots are in the Boston area!