Q: I see you have women’s Cole Haan shoes for fall, which is great. Why is it that some Cole Haan shoes fit me and others don’t? I’m usually a size 7, but in some styles, a 7 is too tight.    
(TF, in-store)

A: Ah, feet. Every one of ‘em different, sometimes on the same person.

The reason you’re having trouble with fits is due to the ‘last’ of a shoe. All better shoes are built on lasts, which are shapes of feet, traditionally made of wood.

These shapes are made to accommodate different kinds of feet, allowing for such variances as a high instep, or a very narrow foot or heel.

As many kinds of fittings issues as you can think of, so there are lasts to accommodate these issues.

As you already know, one needs to try on each shoe because use of a different last, even within the same make, confers a different fit.

So, find a last you like, and stick with it.

Q: I read lots of men’s magazines, but I don’t always believe what I read. In your opinion, how much shirt cuff should show under a jacket?  (DJ, via email)

A: There is a standard here that almost all men’s wear people in the know will tell you.

A sport jacket is casual by name and nature, so the amount of shirt peeking below your cuff is entirely up to the individual. One may even have one’s sleeves rolled up under a sport coat, so do as you please here.

On the other hand, more formal jacketing attire, such as blazers and suit coats, have stricter rules. On these jackets, the sleeves should hang just above the point where wrist meets hand, no longer nor shorter. The shirt beneath those jackets should be showing one-quarter to one-half an inch of shirt sleeve, no more, no less.

Q:  Just wonder what the fashion is today for hemming suit slacks....with cuff or without a cuff?    (SS, via email)

A:  Dress and suit pant bottoms are currently plain, meaning no cuff.

Cuffs are usually used on pleated pants to give weight to the extra volume of clolth used in pleated fronts. Today's styles are usually plain fronts, and so cuffs aren't needed. Cuffs are also used  to give weight to light fabrics such as linen, regardless of the trouser front.

All that said, some fashionistas/hipsters will wear cuffs when no one else generally does, just to stand out and make a statement about their own sense of style (think: Peewee Herman).

As part of that, today we're seeing roll ups on jean and slim fit chino bottoms for both men and women. This maybe a precursor to the general return of cuffs to plain front pants.

Keep your eyes on it; you heard it here first.

Q: I have a dark blue blazer with metal buttons. Would it better to have them changed to non-metallic for a better non-navy look? CS, via email

A: In answer to your query, let me give you two short histories of this iconic garment, the blazer.

Blazers are thought to have originated aboard HMS Blazer when the Captain had his crew lined up for a review by Queen Victoria. The crew were said to be wearing their reefer jackets, which are double breasted, heavy wool jackets worn while 'reefing' the sails in inclement weather. As it's cold working on the deck of a ship, the skipper had brass buttons sewn on the jackets' sleeves to prevent the sailors from wiping their noses there. Why brass? Because brass doesn't rust at sea. Thus, was born the Navy Blazer. This is less in reference to the ship, and more to the colour, which is called Navy blue.

Wait, there's more.

Blazers, the original garment, were red coats worn at a certain rowing club at Cambridge University in England. It was called a blazer jacket because they were a blazing colour: red. These didn't have brass buttons of course; they had normal buttons, made of horn.

Today the most common blazer colours are navy and black, and a variety of button choices are being offered. This summer, I'm stocking a Hugo Boss blue blazer that comes with white buttons. This is a very cool look for summer, but won't really work year round.

By the way,metal button sets a blazer apart from a suit jacket; you know someone isn't wearing a suit jacket with the wrong pants.

Having said all that, the most common button now is a plastic button, made to appear as horn, in a colour that is near to the colour of the fabric. This means a bluish button with a blue blazer, and a black button with a black jacket and so on.

So to finally answer your question, if you want an authentic look for an iconic garment, leave the metal buttons on. If showing an historic look is not important, or you're not really fussy on the metal, take 'em off and sew on what you like.

Most of what you've just read isn't commonly known, so it won't matter at all to anyone but you. And it's your jacket after all.