Friday Faux Pas: Man Leggings

The trend as of late has been towards the skimmer side of things, with jeans, trousers, chinos, and any other form of pants getting trimmer and more form fitting. The is however a fine line between slim fit and skin tight fit (aka leggings).

This is a thing...please stop this this thing.

I have seen these leggings sprout in one of two circles, the extremely fit and the extremely punk/gothic. The big guys want to show off their newly found quads after a hard leg day while the dark and dismal look to find the skinniest things they can get their hands on. Simply put, the male anatomy is not designed for the only bottom layer of clothing to be skin tight; we have much more going on than women and unless you have a dying need to show off what the good lord gave you, just stop with the leggings. Instead, loosen up a little bit, let the boys breathe! It's OK to have some room in your pants, just make sure the leg openings are tapered properly.

Check in tomorrow for a stylish celebrity influence and next Friday for the next installment of my fashion faux pas!

Threads for Thought: Varsity Jackets

You all remember high school, whether it was a year ago or 30, it was essentially the main building block to who you are now. The same sentiment goes for college, although some of those memories may be a little hazy thanks to your best friend, whiskey. Nonetheless, both of these environments produced a very important piece that has remained a staple in collegiate prep style.

The varsity jacket was meant for exactly what its name infers, members of the varsity teams from football to the band would receive one as a token of their participation. Featuring a felted wool body and leather armed construction, they were emblazoned with school monograms, sports affiliations, and screamed school pride in the respective school's colors. Not to say that they are no longer important in that manner, but these jackets are making waves in the fashion world with big name designers putting their own twists on the iconic classic; luxe materials, company branding, almost as if you were pledging allegiance to a specific designer by wearing it.

With the trend towards separates this fall, a varsity jacket will make a compelling contrast if paired with some suit pants, shirt, tie, and some crispy clean trainers. Or you can throw it on with dark jeans and a shirt, or even tailored sweatpants and a graphic tee; the options are really up to what you feel comfortable with. With your buying decision, find a jacket with a simple color palette (preferably neutral) so you can wear it more often and pair it with just about anything in your existing wardrobe.

J. Crew: $995

Ralph Lauren: $595

Todd Snyder: $199

Check in tomorrow for this week's edition of Friday Faux pas and next Thursday for another piece that deserves your consideration!

Wardrobe Essentials: The Grey Flannel Suit

It's coming up to the day, aka Labor Day, where it will no longer be acceptable to wear your airy linen and cotton suits; full disclosure, this rule is quite outdated and foolish, but it's good to at least be  prepared for when it actually does start cooling down. The cold weather calls for wool suits and outerwear that keep the iciness at bay.

The quintessential winter suit could be debated for a few days before any real answer sprouted, but one winter suit that gives you the warmth you need while giving you a fresh canvas to work with is the grey flannel suit. Distinguished by its heftier, grittier weave, flannel fabric adds dimension to any garment and functions as an extra thick barrier from the elements (wind, sleet, snow, etc). The grey just makes it very timeless due to its neutrality, so you'll be wearing yours for many years to come.

Pair with a turtleneck for extra texture.

Going along with the "timeless" factor, go with something with a flat front trouser and a notch lapel to avoid any dating or seasonality. Same goes with pattern as you should try to go as plain as possible; any striping or plaid should be minimal/hardly visible. This will leave you room to pair the suit with some more lively tones without any clashing. One of the best style moves you can do with a suit like this is to wear it with brown suede; the doubled down texture makes both features pop in an amazing way!

Ralph Lauren: $1295

Brooks Brothers: $1198

J. Crew: $650

Check in tomorrow for a fashion piece that deserves your consideration and next Wednesday for another item that needs to b

Tech Tuesday: Smart Apparel by Ralph Lauren

The U.S. Open is one of the biggest tennis tournaments of the year, and wouldn't it be so clever to launch a brand new active apparel line during the tourney and highlighting it with the ball boys. Ralph Lauren did just that, utilizing a unique silver-coated weave for its new "smart shirts", the court judge can monitor a variety of different vitals for all the ball boys, during play, on an app. It just doesn't get cooler than that, but indeed it does. Word on the street is that the brand plans to integrate this technology into their dress shirts sometime in 2015, and although I'm not sure what you need to monitor while you're at a desk, I'm sure it'll still be very exciting technology. Take heed to David Lauren's recent quote, "Everyone is exploring wearable tech watches and headbands and looking at cool sneakers... We skipped to what we thought was new, which is apparel. We live in our clothes." This is just the beginning!

Check in tomorrow for a style piece that needs to be in your closet and next Tuesday for more exciting tech!

Monday Outlook: Fall Foliage

The same way the flowers begin to blossom beautifully in the spring, so do the leaves wonderfully wilt and wane to change colors in the fall, creating a myriad of mixed warm tones that really make autumn one if the more beautiful seasons next to spring. With spring, there are spring florals for just about everything and the designers have decided to try it on for size this fall.

A great floral shirt example.

Think of all the hues that come with a fall/ winter color palette. Plenty of deep warmth mixed with even deeper cool hues that create a high contrast of complementary colors; these colors set the theme for fall florals or, as I like to refer to them, fall foliage. This toned down version of spring florals will work well to help you transition from summer to fall and be a go to up until the cold of winter when there aren't any more leaves to be found.

And a great example of fall floral pants.

Shirts and print pants are going to be key here, as they will highlight any outfit and help to liven up an otherwise dull palette. The shirt can either be worn on its own as a statement or subdued under a neutral sport coat; try the air tie with that look, major style points. With the pants, if they are going to be wild, then keep the rest of your garb simple so it doesn't look like you're overdoing it or taking away the attention that your new pants well deserve.

Check in tomorrow for some exciting new technology and next Monday for further fashion insight into the coming months!

Week in Review

Here are the links from the past week if you didn't have a chance to see them earlier this week:

Monday: Raglan Outerwear

Tuesday: Denny by Teague X Sizemore

Wednesday: The Trench Coat

Thursday: Elbow Patches

Friday: Croakies

Saturday: Adam Gallagher

Check in tomorrow for some upcoming fashion trend insight and all next week for more tips and advice on style!

Celebrity Saturday: Adam Gallagher

If you go onto Instagram and look up #menswear, there will be a good variety of people that post some great content, one of them includes one of the foremost men's fashion bloggers out there. His name is Adam Gallagher, but you probably know him better by the moniker I Am Galla. He has his own account but you'll come across his content reposted by other male enthusiasts around the world. The man got his start modeling with American Eagle and has since branched off to start his own lifestyle blog with a social following of over 800,000 people. If you're looking to start a blog and need a role model, this guy is the one to follow; I take plenty of notes from him, but can't quite afford his lifestyle just yet.

Check in tomorrow for a recap of the week's topics and next Saturday for another stylish celebrity influence!

Friday Faux Pas: Croakies

You live a semi-active lifestyle and you like to wear your shades while doing it, but they have a problem with staying on your face or when you take them off you don't know where to put them. Some gentlemen (mostly the southern variety) have decided that a viable alternative comes in the form of a neoprene neck sleeve called croakies.

Please don't do this anymore...

Flag down any frat bro or redneck and you're bound to find at least one of them, and you know what, for a trip to the pool/beach or while out fishing, croakies are perfect. They are lightweight and add a little padding for your ears while reassuring you that your glasses aren't going anywhere. But then there are the guys that have the bright idea to wear them when they are getting dressed up for something; I once saw I guy wearing them in a full suit for an interview, needless to say, he wasn't hired. Do yourself a favor and leave your cookies on the boat or with your hunting gear just to avoid any confusion, and if your glasses are falling off your face without them, then you either need frames that better fit your face or to get them adjusted to stay right where they're meant to.

Once again, NO!

Check in tomorrow for a stylish celebrity influence and next Friday for the next installment of my fashion faux pas!

Threads for Thought: Elbow Patches

You may just. Be getting back to school, attending the first class of the semester, and your professor likely has on a tweed jacket; especially if its some quirky course or science class. But look closer at the jacket, see if you can't spot something on the elbow. Are there patches? Then your professor probably knows a thing or two about style this season.

Tweed and elbow patches make a great pair.

Elbow patches were actually a repair to jackets before they became stylish, simply covering a hole that would come about from everyday wear or wear added to jackets that were meant for more strenuous activity, making it a more durable piece. Either way, they are now a nice little touch that come standard on some of your favorite pieces, and in a season where detail is everything, just a little something extra could really put your look over the top!

They look great on a wool navy blazer too.

I don't recommend getting elbow patches on a suit or dressy sport coat, but maybe a trendy sweater or seasonal jacket would be a great touch. And there aren't any real rules on the patches having to match anything, so if you see something you like, grab it up and show it off this fall. They portray a sense of intellect (hence the professor reference) while also alluding to a slight ruggedness as well, so dress it up however you see fit.

Coming to a sweater near you.

Check in tomorrow for this week's edition of Friday Faux Pas and next Thursday for another piece that deserves your consideration!

Wardrobe Essentials: The Mighty Mighty Trench Coat

If you think back throughout history, a lot of stylish pieces were created in response to some conflict. One of the most significant conflicts just so happened to be World War I at the start of the 20th Century, which introduced style staples that still remain in wardrobes today. The most important of these has everything to do with the type of fighting that was happening at the time, trench warfare.

From this was birthed an outerwear piece called the trench coat, signified by its elongated silhouette, as to shield you from the elements from neck to toe (your helmet covered the rest). A trench coat was meant to be durable and pliable so that soldiers could maneuver whatever way they needed without ruining the coat or being constricted by it. Fast forward to present day and, admittedly, you're not going to see people climbing in and out of trenches or trudging through the mud in them, but they still preform the task of keeping the elements at bay.

Superstar, Tom Hardy, knows how to wear one.

The options are practically limitless with every designer out there producing their twist on the classic, but the most coveted brand for a trench coat is British fashion house, Burberry; they made them for the wars then, they make them for you now. Colors? Fabrics? Silhouettes? Lengths? There are too many to really narrow down, but the iconic version would be a waxed khaki canvas with a flannel lining for some added warmth. That being said, you can find them in luxe camel hair cashmere or in the most supple leathers around with no lining or fully decked out with shearling. Tailor your decision to what your climate demands so that you're prepared for what you'll actually experience this fall/winter.

Burberry: $1795

Ralph Lauren: $1495

J. Crew: $995

Check in tomorrow for a fashion piece that deserves your consideration and next Wednesday for another essential style for your wardrobe!

Tech Tuesday: The Best Bike

A lot of you may be commuting in a city, navigating your way around campus, or even looking for another way to save on gas; a bike happens to be the best solution to these problems. With that said, its hard to find a bike that really has it all, but that's exactly what Teague & Sizemore are addressing with their new Denny Bike. I could start with any number of the utilities on this beautiful piece of engineering, but for now, I'll highlight the important stuff. The handle bars double as a bike lock, there is a built in LED for early or late riding, that LED is powered by a rear motor that assists you on inclines, and the front of the bike has a rack for whatever you otherwise cant hold or put in your backpack on the trip. For more, check out the video and be amazed at what technology can really do without having a touch screen.

Check in tomorrow for a style piece that needs to be in your wardrobe and next Tuesday for some more exciting tech!

Monday Outlook: Raglan Outerwear

You all know the t-shirts that are synonymous with baseball, with the white body and contrasting colored sleeves, usually a crew neck. The special thing about these shirts are that the arm sleeve is attached at the neck of the shirt, not the shoulder, making it a raglan tee.

Outerwear? You know Burberry is in on it.

Now take that concept, and toss it in the mixer with outerwear, and you'll have exactly what designers are doing for their fall/winter collections this year. As with the t-shirt variety, the over coats, parkas, any of the outwear varieties, are going to have a very relaxed feel that allows for a freer range of motion  than traditional constructions. It also mean that something more structured will have to be worn underneath, such as a sport coat or leather jacket, to help give the garment some shape and not look so laissez faire.

Notice the stitch line between the chest and the shoulder.

The same rules apply with raglan outerwear as with traditional outerwear, but as I mentioned, you will need something underneath it. Make sure the piece will go well with the majority of your suits, sport coats, and jackets, and you'll be in clear skies; metaphorically though, because its probably going to rain or snow most of the time. With that being said, feel free to play a riskier hand with a trendy item featuring orange or turquoise and see where it takes you.

You can do anything in raglan outerwear.

Check in tomorrow for some exciting new tech and next Monday for further fashion trend insight into the coming months!

Week in Review

Here are the links from the past week if you didn't have a chance to see them earlier this week:

Monday: Avant Bland

Tuesday: Polaroid Cube

Wednesday: Cable Knit Cashmere

Thursday: Pinstripe Suiting

Friday: Slouchy Slouch

Saturday: David Gandy

Check in tomorrow for some upcoming fashion trend insight and all next week for more tips and advice on style!

Celebrity Saturday: David Gandy

For those of you that don't closely follow the fashion world, this figure may not be familiar to you, he is what Kate Upton or Candice Swanepoel of the men's wear world. For those of you that are well versed, David Gandy is the main man when it comes to Dolce & Gabbana, having modeled for them for years in their marketing campaigns and fashion shows. His introduction to the modeling world single handedly shook the foundations of the modeling landscape, altering the norm from skinny to muscular. Nowadays, you'll still find modeling, but he is more visible on red carpets than runways, and the best part about that? You get to see his true style! Suits are his uniform and your takes on this matter are that you need a good tailor so that all your jackets will fit as glove-like as Gandy's do.

Check in tomorrow for a recap of the week's topics and next Saturday for another stylish celebrity influence!

Friday Faux Pas: Da Slouchness

Most of the posts I do on Fridays are in regards to something you might do wrong or an item that you simply shouldn't wear, but I feel that this situation needs some addressing. I have noticed it becoming more and more of a predicament with the men I deal with on a day-to-day basis and even some that I just notice casually walking by.

Would you want to talk to someone standing like this?

Most people don't realize the importance of non-verbal communication and the role that body posture plays in it. The most off putting, unattractive thing you can possibly do is slouch, and it seems to be something that men everywhere are falling victim to. All the designer clothes in the world won't do you any good if you're all hunched over, portraying an unwelcoming and lazy attitude to everyone that notices. I'm no doctor, but I know there are some serious detriments to your health due to bad body posture; the list of bad just keeps on growing. So do yourself a favor, stand up nice and tall, roll those shoulders back, pull that chin up, and you'll notice the difference in your appearance immediately, and who knows, maybe at the end of the day, you won't have that soreness all down your spine.

Be the guy in the middle, not the one at the end.

Check in tomorrow for a stylish celebrity influence and next Friday for another installment of my fashion faux pas!

Threads for Thought: Pinstripes

There are all too many options for suiting out there when it comes to fabric color and patterns; I have highlighted a good few already. One in particular had a falling out in the men's world and was pegged as the "banker's suit" due to its formality, but has recently risen from the men's wear ashes and sprouted anew, the proverbial suit Phoenix if you will.

The pinstripe suit echoes a sentiment of power in the wearer, featuring very distinct lines that create a seemingly narrow silhouette due to the drop in the suit jacket, creating a diagonally inward orientation. Despite this feature, the style dropped off in recent decades, and hasn't seen the same grandeur as at had during the middle of the 20th Century. Seeing as mid-century style is a major player these days, the pinstripe suit is on the rise and is looking to make statements across the fashion spectrum.

Pile on the stripes!

The classic colorway for this type of suit is navy with a white stripe, but you will be able to find many more iterations out there with more eccentric combinations; grey and burgundy anyone? Whatever you decide to go with, just make sure that the stripes aren't too close together; you want there to be a noticeable contrast between the stripe and the rest of the material. Chalk stripes are all the rage in this movement, adding texture to the high-contrast stripe which is always a good thing.

SuitSupply: $599

SuitSupply: $599

SuitSupply: $569

Check in tomorrow for this week's edition of Friday Faux Pas and next Thursday for another piece that deserves your consideration!

Wardrobe Essential: Cable Cashmere

I have already mention and will continue harping on the fact that fall style is all about simple layers and varied textures. Mixing and matching different fabrics is the best thing you can do for the season, but diversity in the way the fabrics are constructed adds even more friction for those would-be gazers.

Didn't know this existed, but Club Monaco makes it!

You're obviously going to be getting your money's worth for all your sweaters this chilly-season, and you better make sure AT LEAST one of those is a cable-knit cashmere. Most companies make them in their own fashion with differentiation coming in the spatial characteristics of the cable feature and unique interweavings that create distinguishable patterns from brand-to-brand. You could technically get any cashmere sweater, but the cable-knit is an iconic piece that will not only add texture to your wardrobe, but will remain a timeless (and effortless) layering item in your closet.

Effortlessly styled, no matter what the color.

Since cashmere swap eaters aren't the cheapest things around, classic colors and neutrals will be your friends in this investment; it may be tempting,but unless you like to wear purple or red, stick to the basics. Another thing to take into consideration is the quality of the wool that you're purchasing; if you don't know much about textiles, just ask a sales associate or use the Google machine, because all cashmere is expensive, but the higher quality, extra fine thread variety will look better and last longer.

According to the Internet, only Ralph Lauren makes cable-knit cashmere.

Check in tomorrow for a fashion piece that deserves your consideration and next Wednesday for another essential style piece!

Tech Tuesday: Polaroid Cube

Its exciting to watch the tech landscape and seeing all of the dinosaurs, former tech giants of their time, begin to reinvent themselves with novel products; before the iPod, Apple wasn't all that innovative. Polaroid is one of those companies that has fallen off their photog pedestal with the advent of digital imagery and improved home printing quality. They recently released a bluetooth-enabled printer that worked with you phone to print off old school, shake it like a salt shaker Polaroids, but that's not what today is about. With everyone, from the everyday man to the wanderlust adventurer, recording practically everything they do, GoPro and other wearable video recorders have exploded exponentially. Polaroid not only caught wind of this movement, they just released a little bit (literally) of video capture technology that may be giving the competitors a run for their money, it goes by Polaroid Cube. Smaller than the GoPro, yet able to record HD video, take photos, features a magnet along with a variety of stands and mounts to be able to stick to anything you want it to, and all this comes in a dainty little package for all of you looking for a little extra flair.

Check in tomorrow for style piece that needs to be in your wardrobe and next Tuesday for some more exciting technology!

Monday Outlook: Avant Bland

Classic and simple will always be stylish, and working simple layers into your look is just another facet of how to style up your fall/winter wardrobe. But recently, designers have strayed away from that, loading up the details to make their product unique or heavily branding their goods so you know its theirs.

A.P.C. might as well be the flagship for Avant Bland.

Now step into the world of Avant Bland, a little movement that transcends the coming season and may actually set the standard across the fashion spectrum for hers to come. In layman's terms, Avant Bland is an emphasis on the quality of a product's fabric, construction, color, etc, while maintaining a very simple form and appearance; think of a basic item like a t-shirt or pair of pants and blow up the luxe factor to the nth-degree. Minimalism is a centric value of Avant Bland design, only altering colors and fabrics, even straying away from patterns, as they might be too branded.

More from A.P.C. with a heavier fall/winter palette.

What this means for the shirt term, is that simpler, higher quality goods will become the epicenter of your wardrobe needs. Long term, it means a drastic shift in the fashion industry; imagine taking away the branding and just having basic goods with higher quality attributes. There won't be any knock-offs or copycats, just low-quality and high-quality with no way to fake it. My main concern is the effect this will have on the denim market as a majority of designers rely solely on their stitching and branding to distinguish their product from others; there's no difference between True Religion and Se7en other than there branding.

The Kanye Shirt is the epitome of the Avant Bland revolution.

Check in tomorrow for some exciting new tech and next Monday for further fashion trend insight for the coming months!

Week in Review

Here are the links from the past week if you didn't have a chance to see them earlier this week:

Monday: Shearling

Tuesday: SnapTrax Snapbacks

Wednesday: Tweed is Good

Thursday: Cocktail Cuffs

Friday: Quit the V

Saturday: Ryan Reynolds

Check in tomorrow for some upcoming fashion trend insight and all next week for more tips and advice on style!

Celebrity Saturday: Ryan Reynolds

Like most celebrities, their start comes at a young age, but the true stars are the ones that manage to maintain that fame in a positive light. Ryan Reynolds is one of such celebrities that has not only remained relevant in Hollywood, but has thrived through a smorgasbord of movie genres. Known for his sharp wit and bad-assery on camera, Ryan Reynolds has been lead to many films, which has led to him landing the real-life role of Blake Lively's husband (lucky dude). And a nice little cherry on top of all this, Reynolds is on a level of style that gets featured in Esquire for any number of things; just Google "Ryan Reynolds Esquire" and you'll see what I'm talking about. If that isn't style influence, then I don't know what is.

Check in tomorrow for a recap of the week's topics and next Saturday for another stylish celebrity influence!

Friday Faux Pas: V-Neck Tees

Right now, in the men's world, there exists an aura of informality and casualness that hasn't been seen in recent times. You can find guys heading to work without a tie or suiting up and throwing on some trainers, whatever the quirk may be, men are laying back and just going with the flow, in a good way.

Don't do this.

When it comes to shirts, there is one that needs to be avoided to avoid looking like a guido douche, fresh off the Jersey Shore strip. V-necks, as if the crew neck tee weren't good enough, are meant to be a bit more cool and comfortable by not constricting your neck; I'm sorry, but if your neck is too thick for a crew neck, you have another problem entirely. If you have any v-necks, do yourself a favor and throw them out or donated them to make room for some nice crew necks. The only time a v-neck is acceptable is in the form of a sweater, as they allow for your shirt collar to open up naturally.

Do this!

Check in tomorrow for a celebrity style influence and next Friday for another installment of Friday Faux Pas!

Threads for Thought: Cocktail Cuffs

You may find yourself wanting to dress up for an occasion but don't want to be the guy that over did it, but you still want to stand out. Everyone has a nice suit, sport coat, tie, shoes, whatever the item may be, they're all quite commonplace in today's world of men's wear. So what's something that you don't see out there as much as other items, if at all?

I forgot to mention, this is the quintessential Bond shirt.

There is a specific type of shirt out there that has a special cuff on it, which may help with the whole differentiation problem, the cocktail cuff shirt. This cuff is the cutaway cousin of the French cuff shirt that makes it much less formal and all the more unique. Unlike the French style, the cocktail cuff doesn't require cuff links; it's just like any other barrel or mitered cuff shirt you own, just with some extra fabric to fold back over.

Simplicity is key with cocktail cuff shirts.

Keep this one simple, solid neutrals or simple patterns that pay some respect to formality, because the cuff is what you'll want people to pay attention to. The arm of your coat will fall nicely over top the cuff (if not, the cuff may be too big), giving the whole look an extra bit of contrast without any extras. The only thing you have left to do is partake in exactly what the shirt was named for, have a cocktail or two and relax!

Check in tomorrow for this week's edition of Friday Faux Pas and next Thursday for another piece that deserves your consideration!

Wardrobe Essentials: Tweed

I have already detailed across the spectrum of my blog that fall and winter is all about texture, all about creating definition with rich fabrics and fine details. There won't be any shortage of options available and the main operative is going to be find the quintessential cold-weather fabric.

Old photo, but still Nick Wooster rockin some tweed.

If there ever was such a fabric, tweed is it, and it can be found in just about any piece of clothing out there. Suits, sport coats, vests, shoes, hats, ties, pocket squares; if its something you wear, it definitely has a tweed rendering. The herringbone tweed is the most common variation, originating in Scotland (good on ya Scots!) and is also the most distinguishable with its high contrasting color combinations and alternating orientation of the weave.

Rich texture all around.

My best advice for your hunt is to get tweed that you're going to wear. There is no wrong choice when it comes to the pattern, but if you simply don't wear vests, then don't get a vest. Traditional tweeds will be wool or a wool blend meaning a higher price point, but that doesn't mean you can't find wool substitutes. On that note, I'm willing to bet that you could find a nice tweed sport coat at your local thrift shop or goodwill, so check that out for a cheap alternative.

Notice the rich color variations in the fabric.

Check in tomorrow for a fashion piece that deserves your consideration and next Wednesday for another essential style piece!