Latest news with #ChristopherCuozzo
Business Insider
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
5 style mistakes a menswear designer wishes you would stop making
Christopher Cuozzo is a custom suit designer based in Boston whose clients include Karoline Leavitt. He shared his workwear and formalwear pet peeves, including improper buttoning of suits and tuxedos. Cuozzo also said that wearing sneakers with suits is "extremely overdone." What counts as a fashion faux pas can be subjective, but there are some style choices that suit designer Christopher Cuozzo just can't stand. Cuozzo, a bespoke menswear and womenswear designer whose clients include White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, told Business Insider that fashion is an art form like any other. Inevitably, people express different tastes and preferences when it comes to their personal style. "Everybody's going to have their opinion on how something should fit or how something should look, and that's the beauty of it," he said. "Nobody's necessarily right, and nobody's necessarily wrong." That being said, Cuozzo does have certain pet peeves as a craftsman who cares deeply about how a suit is worn. Here are five style mistakes he wishes people would stop making. Mistake #1: Buttoning the bottom of a 2-button jacket If a jacket has two buttons, Cuozzo says only the top one should ever be buttoned. The bottom one should never be closed in order to maintain the proper fit and style etiquette. "One of my pet peeves on a two-button jacket is seeing the bottom button buttoned," he told BI. "It's a massive faux pas. I can't stand that." Mistake #2: Wearing an unbuttoned tuxedo Tuxedos are about as formal as it gets. Wearing one unbuttoned sends mixed messages, especially at black-tie occasions such as weddings. Cuozzo urges grooms and others wearing tuxedos at weddings to walk down the aisle with the jacket buttoned to avoid looking too casual. "It's the most formal day of your life. Please, button your tuxedo jacket," he said. Mistake #3: Wearing a suit with an untucked shirt Similar to an unbuttoned tuxedo, an untucked shirt undermines the formality of a suit, Cuozzo says. "Your dress shirt is untucked, but you're wearing a suit — that's a complete oxymoron," he said. "That would drive me insane." Mistake #4: Leaving stitching in the vents of a suit Off-the-rack jackets typically come with the vents, or slits, stitched closed on the back or sides. Those vents are supposed to be opened after purchasing, but not everyone realizes that. When Cuozzo makes a custom suit, he removes the stitches for the client to help them avoid this style misstep. "We actually don't give the suit to a client unless it's open," he said. "If you go and you buy a suit off the rack, you'll see people wearing it with the vent still closed, and it just drives me bananas." Mistake #5: Wearing sneakers with suits Cuozzo told BI that pairing sneakers — especially high-top shoes like Jordans — with suits is "extremely overdone." "The pant doesn't even fit the sneaker. The tongue is in the way. That is one of my biggest pet peeves," Cuozzo said of the suits-with-sneakers look. "And then, you'll see guys on the red carpet wearing sneakers with a tuxedo, and I'm just like, 'This has gone way too far.'" Cuozzo says that there are rare cases where he'd style a suit this way, such as a more casual suit with a drawstring closure worn with a white T-shirt and clean white sneakers. Otherwise, he says formalwear requires formal footwear to match. "There's just these colliding philosophies where you're wearing a shirt and tie, which tells me you're all business, then I look down at your feet, and you're wearing Jordans. Like, what's going on here?" he said. "Are we going to a meeting, or are we going to a basketball game? You can't do both."
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Karoline Leavitt's designer reveals Trump aide's little-known fashion secrets
The designer behind White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt 's colorful suits has revealed all the secrets about the outfits she wears at the podium - and what she and her husband are really like behind the scenes. Over the past few months, Leavitt, 27, has made a splash in front of cameras while captivating the country as the youngest White House Press Secretary in history. Not only has Donald Trump 's aide been praised for her wits, but she's also become somewhat of a 'White House style icon' as she often wears matching suit sets, designer dresses and different jewelry. And it looks like the man behind some of her stylish suits is Christopher Cuozzo, who makes bespoke men and womenswear, with most of his creations starting at around $1,000. In a new interview with Business Insider, Cuozzo revealed that he first started working with Leavitt and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, 59, in a very natural way. 'Karoline is very friendly with the woman who designed my website. I've been doing custom menswear for a very long time and rolled out custom womenswear in 2024,' Cuozzo told the outlet recently. 'The woman who did my website obviously knew that from building out my website. She made the introduction, and I met with Karoline and her husband the day after Thanksgiving,' he continued. Cuozzo said that after the introduction, he then began making suits for both of them, and has nothing but good things to say about the couple. In a new interview with Business Insider, Cuozzo revealed that he first started working with Leavitt and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, 59, in a very natural way 'Karoline is very friendly with the woman who designed my website. I've been doing custom menswear for a very long time and rolled out custom womenswear in 2024,' Cuozzo told the outlet recently 'I did quite a few suits, actually, some for him, some for her. They were the nicest, nicest people,' the designer divulged. 'Then, when the suits were ready, I shipped them down to DC for them. They absolutely loved them, and both of them have been ordering more ever since.' When it comes to creating suits for Leavitt, Cuozzo said that she's 'not afraid' of wearing color, as has been evident from her outfits. Leavitt has rocked the podium in a bright, 'MAGA-red' suit, a purple pantsuit and other jewel-tones. 'I follow trends, so I have to factor in what's in. I have to factor in the season. I have to factor in the client's complexion and hair color,' Cuozzo said. 'And then, I also have to factor in what the client does for a living, because somebody who is an artist versus somebody who's in media are two completely different clients.' Typically, making a custom suit for Leavitt will take anywhere from four to six weeks, and oftentimes, he will add special details for the client, like a specific lining. He said that typically, people go for classic colors, and Leavitt especially doesn't want anything too busy. 'When she chose red, I was pleasantly surprised. It's my company color. It's one of my favorite colors. It screams confidence...' the designer shared with the outlet. 'She's on the younger side, so she can pull off some of that stuff,' Cuozzo added. The details about Leavitt's outfits come just weeks after she was seen on a rare outing with her husband, Riccio, and their son, ten-month-old Nico, at the 2025 White House Easter Egg Roll. The big day of festivities, attended by President Donald Trump and Melania Trump, includes a whole host of activities for families, like an egg hunt and cookie decorating. Leavitt herself wore a stunning designer, pastel-colored, baby-blue dress for the grand event. Her husband, Riccio, founded the real estate business Riccio Enterprises LLC and currently, he manages beachfront houses in New Hampshire, where the couple is from. According to the Portsmouth Herald, Riccio was living on the streets by the age of 18, relying on friends for basic hygiene. 'When I was 19 or 20, I would call my buddies to go over their houses to watch a game just so I could take a shower,' Riccio told the local newspaper in 2005. She said she was thankful for her Riccio and his flexible work schedule, as he could take care of Nico while she was at work He attended Plymouth State University, and kickstarted his career in real estate after completing a course in 1990. The couple got engaged on Christmas Day in 2023. In October, Leavitt spoke to The Conservateur about juggling motherhood with her fast-paced job. She said she was thankful for her Riccio and his flexible work schedule, as he could take care of Nico while she was at work. 'Leaving the baby every day to go to work, it does break your heart, Leavitt admitted. 'It's incredibly challenging emotionally, physically, spiritually,' she added.
