“In order for a man to respect himself, I feel he has to care about what he is wearing,” says Aleks as he humbly speaks about how a man’s style reflects him as a person. He then smiles and says, “presentation and first impressions are everything to most people in this world and you never know who will be the person passing you by in the street. For all you know, it could be your next boss. If a man is well dressed and well groomed, at the very least he can make a good first impression. It is what he first says that can change all of that.” He smiles and adjusts his pocket square on his gray peak lapel suit and shuffles through measurements for a Tom Ford suit submitted by a new client.
Aleks Musika, who originally wanted to be a professional basketball player, is currently the Miami Ambassador for Tom Ford men’s suits. Reared in a big family, Aleks is the second to the youngest of four brothers. With plans to start his own line, Aleks fashion consciousness came as a result of something many of us can relate to: hand me downs and teasing. Afraid of being seen in his older brother’s velvet shirt, Aleks insisted to his mom that he not wear it in fear of his childhood crush, Catie, seeing it. As expected, she saw it and he was made fun of by a kid in her class. Aleks tackled down the kid and consequently, was suspended from school. From that day own, he vowed to always be seen in only his very best!
LP: What advice would you give a man who’s looking to build his wardrobe from the bottom up? Where should he start?
Musika: To me, what you have in your wardrobe could be meaningless but it’s all about the fit. There are very, very few men out there that know how to compliment their body type with what they wear. My advice is don’t go out and buy a bunch of stuff to build your wardrobe, yet take some pieces to your tailor, get it fitted to compliment you, and don’t make it too tight. Let’s leave that to the ladies!
LP: Who is your eyes is a style icon?
Musika: Tom Ford by far is my biggest style icon. He has inspired me to pursue my dreams by gaining inspiration from working for his line. There is nothing he does to me that doesn’t work. When looking at his creations, they are so complex, but at the same time brilliantly simple. There is no other designer out there that is able to capture every inspiring stylish decade into one collection and blend them seamlessly.
Not simply a dapper dandy in a suit, Musika wants to also fuel his passion for philanthropy and civic engagement. “With success, I would also like to be a part of the local community by starting a charity that helps clothe children and adults who’ve experienced hardships in life and just need a little encouragement. I’m also exploring the idea of starting a charity involving men’s suits. This initiative would assist anyone who wanted to clean up for an event or an interview, but may not have the funds.”
LP: Your style is so diverse and it seems to be even bold at times. Tell us, what would someone never see you wearing?
Musika: Two things. First, a short blazer. Please gentlemen out there, I know some people may think a short blazer or suit jacket is “trendy” but one old school rule I always stick to is to make sure your blazer covers your behind. Another thing you won’t see me wearing is a belt with a suit. It does nothing but chop the person into two and puts a bulls eye on your waist. Tell your tailor to take your belt loops off. This will make you look like one person, not two. Have you ever thought why everyone looks so slim in a tux? It’s not the bow-tie!
LP: With that being said, what three pieces should every man have in his wardrobe? Why do you think he should have these three things?
Musika: Every man should have a clean, white button up shirt, a well tailored gray blazer or suit, and a nice pair of brown loafers. The white button up goes with absolutely everything and is fool proof with tie and blazer combinations. Just like the white shirt, the gray tailored suit or blazer is limitless. There is no color on this planet that doesn’t match gray. I know this is a personal preference, but I rarely wear black shoes. For some reason, I think black shoes make people look shorter and all black shoes seem to look a lot worse with age when in some cases brown looks better when aged.
After a glance over Aleks’ Instagram page, we find words that describe his tenacity to succeed. Posted about three weeks ago, to date, you’ll find: “Point out the biggest skeptic and I’ll make them a believer. M&F Coming Fall 2013.”
Here at LuxuriousPROTOTYPE, we look forward to seeing this Luxe Gent’s success and covering his team’s take on men’s wardrobing. To contact Aleks for custom suits and shirts email him at AleksjMusika@yahoo.com. Catch up on his latest posts on Instagram at “dailystylebattle.”
-Marquelle Turner
Author
This is such a well written article. Marquelle’s ability to paint a picture with words makes you feel like you’re right there at the interview.
As a stylist, I picked up a few tips from Aleks. Im gonna see how some my suits look without a belt. Great advice.
Amazing read. I really enjoyed learning about Aleks Musika’s personal style.
I’m intrigued by the “belt tip”. I’ll be implementing it into my own personal style. Great writing Mr. Turner.