Guest Post: Men's Attire at the Milonga

Courtesy of Morguefile.com

A guest editorial from the Sharp Tanguero mail bag - a tanguero shares his thoughts on men's attire at the milonga. 

"If ladies take the time to dress up for a Milonga, men should as well. I’ve seen a well known couple dance. Both beautiful dancers, she was nicely dressed while he was wearing torn jeans and a cut-off t-shirt at a Milonga. It did not look good at all.

"Here is my suggestion for the men. Go online or where ever and buy a nice pair of tango shoes if you don’t already have a pair. Select what ever pair you like. Take the tango shoes to the Men’s Wearhouse. Ask them to help you find a nice pair of slacks and shirt that will look good with your shoes. You can also accessorize by adding a nice belt, braces or suspenders or even a tie or a vest. The folks at the Men’s Wearhouse are really good at this. You can have a pair of slacks and a couple of shirt and accessories that you can change and make it look like you have different outfits.

Hope this helps. By the way, I don’t work for the Men’s Wearhouse. But I do all my nice clothes shopping there and I have always been satisfied with my purchases. They will even tailor your clothes to fit you just right, therefore making it more comfortable. I am not good at selecting good outfits so I let the experts do it for me. "

Editor's note: By the way, you can find style advice online from Men's Wearhouse here. I am also a big fan of the Men's Wearhouse as I've had great luck with the service and finding my husband's and several friends' clothes there. For expert help with tight budgets, Central Texas tangueros can also go to Second Looks men's consignment stores (2 locations.)

Tanguero Trend: Vests

I'm seeing a trend in tangueros near and far: vests. I must admit, I'm diggin' it. Vests not only look sharp, but when you can't change shirts (or you're out of shirts to change into), vests can save your look. You may not feel cool and collected, but you'll look it. Yeah, I know they make you hotter - but (imo anyway) they also make you hotter. You dig?

Now that orange tie is another matter entirely. . .

Dance-forums Men's Clothing Thread

Just a quickie - there's a great thread going on men's clothing, keeping cool, and wicking fabrics here: http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=36465

This forum is a terrific resource for tons of tango information and tips, so sign up while you're there and get in on the conversations!

Ozwald Boateng - Why Style Matters Video Series

(Thank you to Limerick Tango for posting about these videos!)

Episode 1:



Episode 2:



House of Boateng Episode 3 - Ozwald and His Son

Catch a glimpse of the personal side of Ozwald Boateng and his son. In this clip, Ozwald stresses how important it is for his son to know what his father does.

How to Tie Neckties & Bow Ties - Video Tutorials

How to Wear a Tie:



How to Dimple a Necktie:



How to Tie a Half Windsor:



How to Tie a Full Windsor Knot:



Tie a Bow Tie:



How to Clean a Necktie:



For the truly industrious - How to Sew a Necktie:

Welcome to The Sharp Tanguero!

"In the milongas, male attire asserts the values of tradition, concerned with good manners (care as opposed to sloppiness), and with class. A milonguero's wardrobe is a noticeable monetary investment. As a matter of fact, many milongueros are blue collar workers, small shopkeepers, salesmen, or white collar workers in low positions, and a good number of them are retired or unemployed. Their jobs rarely require of them to wear ties and jackets. This is an investment that they make for the purposes of the milonga." -- Marta E. Savigliano, Nocturnal Ethnographies: Following Cortázar in the Milongas of Buenos Aires

After I started the section called The Thrifty Tanguera, I started getting comments and emails from tangueros asking when I was going to have tips and recommendations for them. While I don't have much experience dressing men for tango, I do have some experience dressing men generally. So in this section, I will do my best to get information, resources and suggestions that could be useful for the sharp dressed tanguero.

Feedback, suggestions and stories would be greatly appreciated, especially as I try to build this page up.