Sock appeal

Recently, I like a number of other gentlemen in the fashion world have been looking for ways in which to spice up my current wardrobe assortment. I stumbled across the topic of this blog entry while vacationing in Spain. My friend and I went over this young woman's house where she was hosting a gathering of her friends. While in the company of these wonderful people, I noticed the socks of a young gentleman while engaged in casual conversation. At first I overlooked them, then it hit me, how mundane the life is of the man whom only wears those traditionally boring white crew socks that you get $6 for $10 @ any local store. The ones that give off no character when your socks happen to show. The ones that when an individual sock is lost, it can not be placed with another lost sock because there is no replacement. I have since gone out of my way to find rather inexpensive ways to accomplish this goal.
Places that I have gone that seem to have the best bang for your buck are H&M, Banana Republic, and J.Crew. I recently purchased 5 pair of socks @ H&M over the past weekend. Take a look and tell me what you think. If you have places to go to get interesting socks that are out of the box, please include in your post.

Thank you kindly,

Casual Fridays

What does a man wear on casual Fridays? This is the long awaited question that no one has really ever answered. I myself have taken advantage of the treat of casual Fridays by partaking in the oh so casual jeans, tennis shoes, and tee shirt trend. Now before you, the reader, get all judgmental on me, I will have you know that Monday through Thursday, my wardrobe competes with many top level executives in the big city of New York. However my drop off for "Casual Fridays" is rather drastic. I have long wanted to be that guy who wore loafers and v-neck sweaters over button down shirts. However those looks seem so staged to me, as if the person wearing them is putting on a production of what they saw in last months Esquire magazine. Which I might add is rising on my short list of magazines that actually help the men of today put it all together.
Which look do you deem as the appropriate outfit to wear on Casual Fridays? Please leave a posting describing your thoughts on what is appropriate casual friday attire.

Still waiting.....

I have been onto several websites in the past couple of days. I have searched high and low to try and identify those websites that provide some in depth knowledge as far as what to buy, where to buy it, and how I should look in it. These days we are looking for guidelines into the ways and wonders of mens fashion, and all we get is crap. No one is concerned with helping men step out of the box with their dressing styles. We are more geared towards what the trends are in womens, and hope that later on down the road this trend somehow translate into mens clothing.

My take on it is that although womens fashion may be the catalyst by which fashion moves, shakes, and breathes. Mens fashion should not take up a back seat. We should be our own agenda.

Confidence

I receieved an anonymous post which stated the below insert. I however beg to differ

"What makes a man well dressed? I'll tell you; its one key component. Have you ever seen a man that you thought was just so clean? His jacket tailored to reveal a waist line...His slacks hugged the buddox just to the appropriate degree, but not to close becasue no one likes the nut huggers....His tie has the perfect cute little dimple...and in that rare instance that he had to lift the side of his shirt you noticed clean white crisp underoos that said I smell delicious...haver you seen this man, I have. I digress in excitement. However, my point is we have all seen this man, but by the time you reach home you didn't remember the details of that mans ensamble. You didn't remember if the socks were blue argyle or orange stripes. A week later, you can't remember if the man was wearing a suit or a kelt, but your mind says, "he was a well dressed man." The reason he's a well dressed man is the key component. That man had CONFIDENCE, and he wears that confidence as the most important component of his outfit. With confidence a man can convince you he is a well dressed man in his payless shoes, Express suit, and swatch watch. Trust me I have seen a man in a Hugo boss suit with a Patek Phillipe on his wrist only to turn and break my neck for the man in the Stacey Adams suit (don't know the name brand...thats my point exactly). All a man needs to worry about when he leaves the house is....."Did I get my confidence?"

I believe that confidence is the "X" factor. You can not measure or equate the amount of confidence worn by a particular individual. Nor can you soley assume that it is confidence that made that particular gentleman stick out in your mind over the finely tailored suit or garment. My point is that no matter how much confidence a man exudes, he must still step up to the plate, meaning he must fine that suit, that outfit that brings out that confidence. I have watches many of modeling shows and it seems that they all speak to a woman looking her absolute best even while draped in a paper bag. Bologna! You show me a person in a paper bag who can exude that confidence, and I'll show you a person waiting to change into something more appealing to their tastes. Bottom line is that your confidence should not border on the the price tag of your garments. I get that point, but to say that confidence is the only ingredient needed to make a well dressed man, is incorrect

Shopping Experience @ Phils 1908

Today I had the pleasure of walking into a store that I have never been into before and walking out with the mindstate that I will soon be doing some quality business with this store.
The store I am referring to is "Phils" 1908 on 989 Third Avenue @ 59th Street, in NYC directly across the street from Bloomingdales. If you blink you will miss it if traveling by cab, however on foot you can not miss the well displayed street store front visuals of quality tailor made garments.
Upon walking into Phils, I was properly greeted by a gentleman who took his time in explaining the workings of his price points and turn around time on custom made garments. I myself am not ready for this step into the top notch realm of gentleman's fashion, however, I love the idea of playing around with the notion of a future need.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear that custom made garments at the location started @ $895 for custom made super 120's fabric suits. The only additional cost would be the choice of linings to insulate the inside of your jacket. This if you dont know is a steal of a price. I am curious to know how itis that he is able to afford that price, being that he stated the suits are made in Italy. But in any case, I will cherish the though of one day puschasing that custom made suit from Phil. A beautiful business relationship in the making.

Fashion Basics

I often run into this problem where I feel like one of three problems seem to arise at the worng time.

#1 My underwear of choice just do not seem to meet the expectations that they once did, when I first bought them. Meaning, for purposes of clarification, they no longer hold you properly in all the right places, the colors are beginning to fade, and lastly, the elastic around the waste band and thighs, if you wear tighty whities or boxer briefs, start to give way.

#2 I seem to either misplace, throw away or somehow neglect to collect the right foot of a once paired set of socks. This happens to everyone, I dont care who you are and how rich you have become. Everyone one of us has fallen victim to the washing machine sock monster. which seems to eat that one foot of the pair of socks, which leaves you with a misc. drawer of sock hopefuls, that one day the will be rejoined with their loved ones. lol okay enough of that.

#3 Only for those people who have some underarm sweat gland issues like myself, the notorious yellow ring in the armpit of a perfectly otherwise white undershirt.

Now this last one really upsets me, because no matter how good of a washer that I think I am, it is inevitable that all my shirts will one day meet this fate.

So I have proposed the following. Suprisingly so, this tactic will be really easy to accomplish.

If you are like me, then you hate to spend money on those things that you really need but can do without. And what I mean by do without is this. I will spend an extra $100 lets say on a nice pair of jeans or shoes because they are on the outside and readily seen by all. However basic furnishings, i.e underwear, socks and undershirts, are those items that we feel we can overlook in efforts of making other things look better.

I offer you this advise. Try purchasing a single pair of quality socks once a month. What I mean by quality is a pair of socks that would normally cost you about $10 buy themselves. I would try to stay away from the 3 for $X packs because there you are getting quantity and not necessarily quality.

Secondly, try to buy a pack of Tee shirts and underwear once a quarter. What I mean by quarter is this.
1 year = 12 months
3 months = 1 quarter.
Therefore you are constantly rotating your supply of fresh furnishings to your mix, not wearing that lucky pair of draws that you " got lucky in " 2 years ago.

Thirdly, find out what brands fit you the best and what color compliments you and stick with them. For me, my woman likes me in all black. I also find that Calvin Klein underwear tend to have the best fit. However me being the frugal shopper that I am, I try to find these items on sale at various times throughout the year, so that I can pick up more for my dollar.

Some good places to look for these items are during father's day promotions. Everyone, I mean everyone will have a sale on these items during this time.
Stores you should try for designer discount underwear are
Marshalls
Tj Maxx
Ross
Lohemanns
Century 21 (east coast)

Some brands that you may find are to your liking

Calvin Klein
Jockey
X-ist
Polo Ralph LaurenAlways remember to buy your size. There is nothing worse than a pair of undergarments that are too small. Your entire day will have a bad start and duration if you make this attempt. And never buy something too big just because it is the right price. undershirts are made to provide you with that extra layer of protection for most often sweat glands and body oils. They are made to fit to your body. Underwear are the same way, too much clothe in those areas creates an uncomfortable feeling and most often irritation. Stay away from extra big undergarments.

NEXT TOPIC IS THE BOW TIE. CAN THEY BE WORN @ WORK?

COMING SOON !!!!!!!!!!!

Yes gentlemen, and gentlemen. By popular demand, and innovative thinking, I will be bringing to you the first free online how to guide on men's personal styling. My first topic will be the neck tie. Since I have noticed that an overwhelming majority of my readers have logged onto this site in efforts to find out how to tie and create that perfect look for their next tie. I have taken the liberty to take it to the next step and give a step by step instructional video on the process.

Please try this @ home.

I will then begin filming more issues and topics based on the requests and questions that I receive from the site itself.

As a blueprint I feel the first 2 topics will be "How to tie a neck tie", and second "What type of Tie should I buy". Please log on for more updates.

Great Value $4 Great Deals

I have found some great deals on Macy's.com. Today and tomorrow are their "One Day Sale" days and everything in the clearance pages are an additional 25% off.

Now I myself consider myself to be a forcaster when it comes to Fashion and shopping. I tend to not jump into the trendy styles of the moment. Instead I wait for a more economically reasonable time when those items are @ a more affordable price. This works for me in 2 ways.
1.) It prevents me from jumping on the fashion breakdowns ie. Von Dutch.
2.) It keeps my account and self control on a tight leash.

Besides who am I kidding. I am not the guy who will set the next trends and styles. But I am that guy who will take that trend, funk it up and expand on it, in a classic gentlemen type of flavor that will remain timeless.

So with that said. Here are my top website picks of the day. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Far Gone

Gone are the days of simplistic everyday sneakers. So long to the days when I would go to my neighborhood Footlocker and look for the 2 for $89.99 special promotions. I have now seen the light and it happens to be,,,,,,,,. BETTER LOOKING SHOES... lol thats right, all I want is better looking shoes. Something that everyone in your neighborhood would not have the savvyness to go and copp. Something that you cant buy 2 and 3 pairs of because there are limited quantities. Something that if you put them on Ebay, the mother of all shoe shops, you would actually make a profit rather than give them away at a loss. I am tired of the mundane, trite, ways that I try to stay in this box called safety. why not step out, and with a fresh pair of kicks that will make a statement.

Brown shoes

I have seen this done before. I have even tried it a couple of times myself. However the likelyness of pulling this one off is slim to none if you do not know what you are doing.
My topic today is brown shoes on a grey/ neutral palette. Now imnot talking about any color of brown shoes. The more rich in color and texture, the more chance you have of passing the look off like you tried to do it, vs these are the only good looking pairs of shoes in my closet. The higher quality of your brown shoe gives you the results in the end. A good starting point in terms of quality would have to be kenneth cole. A staple amongst young professionals who are not going to spend that prada and zegna $$$ on shoes, yet want the look of sophistication.

Examples to come....

What's your signature

So today I was having a conversation with my woman, and she mentioned that she finds a man with a signature really attractive. Now being that this is "Love" day, I could have gone ballistic and start inquiring who she is talking about,haha, but i just sat back and listened to what she had to say. In her explanation she said that a man that can be identified day in and day out by what he wears can be viewed as attractive. Depending on what he trademark/ signature is. I then started to reflect on what I felt my signature was, only to realize that I do not have one. I am so all over the place, that I do not tend to cater to one particular look. Now I would say that I am versatile, and willing and able to adapt to many different looks. Which to me correlates to a variety of classic variations of elegance, but that could just be me. Lol. However that may not be the truth. Every man, check that, every person should know that one thing that makes them look and feel their best. It could be for instance
Hairstyles
Shoes
Cuff Links
Coats
Scarves
make up
Color
Dress shirt
patterns
ETC

The point is that there is such a vast number of items to choose from, my suggestion is that you pick one and make it your own. Do it the best, so that you may and will be known for it.

Dress pants resurrection

So like I said in previous postings, "Denim is Dead", denim is down trending, and people are tired of looking like one another. Now women, and men in the know, are opting out of the premium denim market, and looking for something more out of the box that identifys their personal taste in fashion.

more to come......

B I G HATZ

So my topic for this week is big hats. Im talking about big new york style baseball caps. Not the type that your granny wears once a year on easter sunday. Im talking about the 2 sizes to big new era baseball caps that every youngyan has on is the city. I have been here only a week and a half, and already the contagious spirit for me to go out and replace my already fitted and molded New york Yankee blue cap has crossed my mind. Be it that I have a rather large head already, i would think that the sizes that i would have to choose from would be limited. But not here in good old NYC. I quickly found a size in Champs that would allow me to fit right in to this oversized NYC, and american society. Where wearing your clothes really big is the popular trend amongst the youngsters of the nation, I find that the way they wear their hats may actually present a better look all around.

Tips on the way to buy a B I G HAT.
- take your head size and add at least a 1/2 inch. meaning if you wear a 6" cap, you should at least buy a 6 1/2
- make sure that the brim of the cap flows straight across your forehead. there can be no breakage in your brim. this shows proper fitting.
- anything with NY on the cap is a best seller. LA is also a good alternative.
- make sure it is New Era, they pretty much have a monopoly on the industry. although there are other cap companies. very few have the fit and look of the New Era.
- look for the best price, because in NYC the trend is to wear your hat 2 sizes to big, the prices here are much more than those in LA, starting at $31.99 in many places

"Well Dressed"

What makes a man "well dressed" compared to any other man in this world? So this is the question that I am presenting to myself for this upcoming spring season. What makes a man more well dressed than the next man? Is it his ability to put together an outfit that no other man could have fathomed? Or maybe it is the ability to step out of the socially mundane box of fashion, and experimenting with what makes you happy while wearing the garments of choice. I have found that the most intense outfits that I have put together are the ones that were spontaneous. Which sucks because I find myself late to several functions a year, because because of this indecisive behavior. So that brings me to the reality that my outfits must be pre meditated with a momentary spoontaneous twist.

Fashion Vs. Quality

So now I have decided to share some of my newly found knowledge with regards to the world of finer time pieces. NO Bling Bling, just pure elegance and sophistication. The type of time piece that only a gentlemen, or a classy lady would be able to identify.
So with that, I will step out first into the world of "High End" fashion watches. These watches consist of your
- Gucci
-Armani
-Bulova
-Movado
-Etc
These watches are signs of status, however they are only functional in the realm of being flashy. they present the observer with a quick glance into what is on the wrist of the person wearing the jewelry. These types of watches are only good for one thing, looking good. and if that is your purpose for the watch, then you are on the right track. However, with the dollar being so hard to make these days. and every investment that you make today, being a viable money maker tomorrow, I just see the fashion watch as a "waste of time and money". These watches have a life span, most often quartz movement, and face plates that often get scuffed up and scratched.
therefore, my feelings are that if you are going to spend this kind of money on a watch you should really look into one that you can reinvest with if you decide to upgrade.
So with this knowledge of finer watches, I have myself ventured out into the watch world only to find out how expensive "class" is going for. Watch retailers are a rip off, so just looking at the sticker price in big chain franchises can give you a false impression. I find that online watch retailers are a better way of finding out what a watch is really going for. Some examples are
www.worldofwatches.com
www.ewatches.com
www.overstock.com
www.watchplanet.com
etc
Some brands that may interest the new buyer are Hamilton, Corum, IWC, Tag, Fortis, Formex, and Oris. These brands start in and around a $1000, and go into the upward 5 and 6k's. I feel this is a legitimate leap into a realm that will not dramatically effect your pocket book, however having the ability to increase your pocket book via casual conversations with high level people in the industries of your choice.

(side note. This article was slightly thrown together, and is more of a work in progress. This also is not intended to damage the name and reputations of any of the aforementioned brands, just a personal opinion of the writer.)

Facial issues

So I have come to the realization that your face matters more than a nicely tailored garment. More than an expensive pair of shoes. More than a shiny luxury car that you step out of in front of the most posh restaurant. Do you know why this is? Your face does not go away, you can not take it on and off, it stays with you, and is your representation, sometimes without you even knowing it.
With that in mind, I have taken a new approach on life when it comes to my face. I have been on the hunt for the best Men's facial products around. I have for the moment settled on Clinique skin care for men. In this I have the exfloliation scrub, the face wash and the moisturizer. Very basic, yet very effective. I can see the difference in my face when I go lapses without that facial TLC.
What products are there out there for men to use?
Good question, I have seen Nivea with a mens line, also Lab series for men I have heard is pretty standard. I found that Neutregena really drys out your face, however if you have really oilly skin then this may be the product for you. You can always go with the clear and dry if nothing else tickles your fancy, However my suggestion is that you do your homework.
The old cliche goes that "you never get a second chance to make a first impression". I agree 100% get it right the first time and keep your face up to par.

Lost in time

As if today's generation does not have enough of it. I have the feeling that we are now choosing to ignore it. We are opting to leave the arm jewelry designed for keeping track of time at home, or better yet in the stores, and using other forms of technologically advanced devices to determine the sun's alignment. My first observation has come from the female gender. More and more I am noticing that women are wearing watches less and less. Nowadays it is more popular to see a woman with more fancy arm braclets and wrist chains than a classy time piece. I have also inquired as to why that may be. The most popular response is that why wear something bulky on my arm when I can just look at my cell phone when I need to. Thats right, the cell phone is becoming that all purpose one stop shop for convenience. Today a cell phone can do everything from call someone, send emails, access calendars, listen to music, surf the web, establish style and credibility, and also TELL TIME. Companies are adapting to the trends of this young generation. When Apple is making ipods that can fit into your chapstick pocket of your 5 pocket jeans, then you have to know that cell phone companies are not too far behind. My next prediction is a commercial with an Ipod so small that it can fit into your nose. Mark my words it will be seen. Paris hilton will be the one advertising it. LOL. Back to the real topic at hand. Why is this? Watches dont depreciate, let me clarify, fine watches, quality watches, rolex's patek phillipe, etc, watches do not depreciate, so why not invest into something that will not change in the next 6 months. Most often cell phones are like computers, every six months they are out of date. Someone has come up with something smaller and better. More sleek and trendy. So why then are we so misguided to believe in this trend.
I feel men to be on the opposite spectrum. The bigger the face of the watch the better. For a man the watch is a status piece to those whom care. It separates the men from the boys. A finely made guess collectin watch, compared to a Daytona Rolex. Big difference. A Marc Ecko bling bling watch, or a Cartier. These examples are drastic, however my point is clear. Men are more likely to use these items as a way to move up the ladder to a more elite status.
Bottom line is that, with "time" all trends change, I mean think about it, we have gone from telling the time with sticks in the sand on the beach side, to having automated devices tell us the time at leisure. From classic men wearing chains on their time pieces, to men wearing watches big enough for for an entire room to keep track of time.
Maybe its time to understand what you are doing with your money, and reevaluate what we are doing with our time, and ways in which we tell what time it is.

White Tees are PlaYed

XL to XXXXXXXL, and all that mess between are all played. I understand how the originator of the trend started it because it allowed young kids an opportunity to express themselves through their wardrobes without implying any gang affiliations. However the "trend" "phenomena" has gone too far. There is no originality anymore. Everyone has stuffed themselves into this mundane cliche of a dress code. Pro Club is to blame, if you ask me. White tees, blue jeans, brands of choice, rocawear, seanjohn, enyce, akademiks, etc, and air force 1's. This particular outfit last 4 seasons 365 days a year. Any suburban mall is guilty of possesing at least 5 of these an hour on average with a slight variation. One guy may wear a cap, the other a dew rag, another has corn rows, and the other has a fake "jesus piece" from the mall mobile silver cart, lol. This style is killing my eye sight. Knowing how the inner city youth are truely the trend setters of todays fashions, I wonder what trends they are looking towards when it comes to dressing themselves on the daily basis. Take a chance to be different, dare to be set apart, you will find that you leave much more of an impression on others.

Billy White Shoes

Gone are the days of complex shoe patterns and metallic designs. Nowadays men want their shoes to make a simple statement. Clean cut, sharp outfit, and pure white tennis shoes are no doubt the triple treat, hat trick, three peat that every man should ascribe to. This look is so versatile within todays fashion world. It can be dressed up with some nice premium denim jeans, a novelty tee shirt/ Collared sportshirt and sportcoat. And Conversely dressed down, or more casual with a nice suit. The white tennis shoe phenomena transcends across the fashion worlds, from couture runways to hip hop concerts, the pure addition of a pair of fresh whites is priceless.

Denim Is Dead

With the growing popularity of premium denim designers and manufacturers, it was just a matter of time before those in the know would break away from the mundaness of the pop culture, and start dressing like the true sophisticatos that they are. My thoughts are that no matter what happens, premium denim has put a stamp on todays wardrobe. It has opened up an avenue in todays fashion that men were not capable of driving down in years prior. However today the avenue is far to overcrowed, much like the much hated 405 fwy in los angeles. Therefore, those who navigate these streets called fashion, need to find side streets and short cuts to reach the final destination of originality and creativity, much sooner than the mass public. And finely tailored slacks would be my first option of choice.