The CEO of Robert Talbott sees no excuses for bad fashion.

In his airy office with views of the Monterey Bay, Bob Corliss shows off his favorite jacket. The Robert Talbott CEO loves his blue, barely-stretchy jacket, an item he describes as durable and good for travel, wearable with jeans or nicer trousers. A ruby-colored square of fabric pokes out of the pocket, a signature Talbott look.

Corliss’ office is above a clothing factory, where 110 employees stitch shirts, ties and neck squares off Highway 68 on a tree-studded property. (Robert Talbott, which got its start in Carmel Valley in 1950, also fabricates clothing in Europe, Canada and China, but all the neckwear and about half the shirts are still made locally.)

“When this company started, we made one thing: a tie. Now we are a destination for a man who needs to get dressed,” Corliss says.

This is fine clothing, made with quality fabrics – you can tell just by touching them – sourced mostly from Europe. Talbott styles are categorized according to three types of dresser: The professional, the entrepreneur and the connoisseur, or fashionista.

In drawings on Corliss’ desk, they all look similar – trim trousers, short jackets and Talbott’s signature neckwear. Corliss most resembles the entrepreneur, with a short jacket and fitted slacks.

Corliss, who grew up in Germany and Spain and didn’t own a pair of jeans until age 17, offers this simple rule for shopping: “I have to like what I’m buying.”

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Weekly: What’s the best-dressed event on the Monterey Peninsula, and how does Car Week stack up when it comes to fashion?

Bob Corliss: You want to see the best fashion show in the world, go to the Kentucky Derby.

Is California as well-dressed as New York?

We’re casual for sure. There’s definitely a luxury lifestyle here so people don’t shy away from price points.

People tend to have a more active lifestyle in California, and they are migrating toward our trim-fit line quicker here. The northeast is more sophisticated; it’s dressier.

When your career started 30-plus years ago in athletic attire, could you have imagined the fashionable direction athletic clothing would take, with Lululemon and the like?

Was I surprised? Not really. I see the change every day.As the baby boomers started to age, an active lifestyle became more and more important. That whole trend was defined as ath-leisure, being able to wear something to the gym and wear it on the street.

One way sports has influenced fashion is the technical nature of fabric.

This jacket has a little bit of give to it. Fit, wearability, a lot of those things started in sports.

How far ahead are you thinking about what the next trend will be?

We’re almost done with Fall 2015. There are color projections a year or so out; the great danger is you miss a color.

Our inspiration is the Monterey Peninsula. Although our product is sourced from everywhere in the world, our palette is sourced from the rich colors we see every single day.

How long can I keep wearing a piece of clothing?

As long as you like it.

I shouldn’t say that. I probably should shoot myself.

But as long as you like it, it fits good and feels good – that’s part of the rationale for buying good stuff.

If I don’t want to spend $200 on a shirt, what’s one item worth investing in to help elevate an entire outfit?

Socks are becoming a fashion statement for guys. Ties have not enjoyed a robust environment the past few years, but we’re starting to see a bouncing off of the bottom in neckwear. Accessory garments in general can dress an outfit up. The pant defines a look as well.

Your generation, and this is not meant as a slam – there really wasn’t a lot of emphasis on fit and style. There’s no logic that says you can make something inexpensively without a good fit, and make it anywhere near equivalent what a high-cost, high-quality material and proper coloration of the fabric would be.

The number-one rule today is the same as it was 10 or 50 years ago: It’s very difficult to overdress.

But you can very easily be underdressed, and there is a direct correlation between the way people perceive you and the way you perceive yourself when you look in the mirror in the morning.