Preakness Men’s Style feat. Earle Bannister

As a master tailor at the Quinntessential Gentleman, Earle Bannister knows a thing or two about men’s personal style. Earle is a constant source of style inspiration for me and I was proud to feature him in a post on men’s Preakness style. I asked Earle to share his thoughts about race-day style, his look for this year’s Preakness, and his style in general. I hope you find his style as inspirational as I do.

“Race-day style really brings out the peacock syndrome in me. It’s a time to be a dandy, to be revered, and to be aspirational. When I choose my race-day outfit, I select a pair of shoes, a suit, or a hat that I have been waiting to wear and then build my look around that item.

“A few days before the event, I usually have three or four complete looks selected from head to toe. I need to let them marinate and then I will make subtle changes. The day before the event, I will have two winners ready to go, and then the morning of the event I make my final choice.”

“The three piece suit I selected for the Preakness is a cream, french navy, and tangerine plaid silk and wool blend. I had this suit made to update my wardrobe. I needed a great sportcoat, a great vest, and pair of ‘in your face’ trousers to help round out my closet. Individually the three pieces coordinate well with other two piece suits, sport coats, and trousers in my wardrobe. However, all three together make a great statement for the Preakness.”

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“Plaid suits have been all the rage in Europe for the past few seasons. It’s time to bring that style to Preakness, USA! My hat is made of recycled paper—go figure—that I found in an accessory store at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. I made the pocket round from a silk scarf I found at a second hand store. The black and white pinstripe shirt was another thrifted find. I added a white collar and french cuffs to the original button down collared shirt to turn it up a notch.”

“I would describe my style as unpredictable, with well appointed accessories and furnishings, a basic traditional color palate, and traditional silhouettes. I am a big advocate of standards and traditions in mens fashion. I enjoy finding treasures in my travels and incorporating them into my wardrobe. When I get dressed, I really love the reveal. I like details that aren’t obvious and only come into focus upon closer inspection.”

“The Preakness allows us to pull out those special pieces in our wardrobes that may have been collecting dust since our last fashionable event. Or it can possibly cause us to run out to find a few special accessories or furnishings to polish our look in a new way. The perfect hat, sunglasses, walking stick, cufflinks, pocket watch, footwear, socks, gloves, sportcoat, trousers, pocket square, or bow tie, all fall into that category.”

This Look: Plaid three piece suit by Quinntessential Gentleman Custom (similar here), Striped shirt by Quinntessential Gentleman Custom (similar here), Bow tie by Southern Proper (similar here), Pocket round by Quinntessential Gentleman Handmade, Flower lapel pin by hook + Albert, Hat by Capello (similar here), Sunglasses by Alexander McQueen, Vintage watch cufflinks by Ravi Ratan, Silver watch by Klaus Kobec (similar here), Walnut calf wingtip dress boots c/o Allen Edmonds (Dalton)

You can check out my Preakness look here. And thanks, as always, for reading.

Stylishly Yours,

He Spoke Style

Photography by Rob McIver Photo.