Tech Tuesday: Next Level Luggage

For some traveling is a breeze, and for the other 9 out of 10 people, its a complete nightmare having to carry bags, go through security, and rush to the plane. Many companies have taken measures to ease the stress for the average traveler, but few have worried about the baggage that is being carried around. Trunkster, a new company in the middle of crowd source funding, has taken a new approach to luggage that will make commuting that much easier. The zipperless design along with a few key design features such as its built in scale and all important USB port charging station that will alleviate an otherwise unpleasant experience. Happy travels!

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

Monday Outlook: Burgundy and Blue

Color combinations are a dime a dozen when the weather allows for more than one or two layers. One of the more popular movements going around are monochromatic styles that harness the power of one color in multiple shades, but that doesn't mean color combos are out.

Another popular trend this season happens to be burgundy, and combining this color with another classic hue, navy, will make for a stunning duo. One quick look at a color wheel will reveal that blue and red are complementary colors, which means greater contrast and more depth for any cold-weather outfit.

Burgundy and navy present an easy combination because they are both classic tones that will last in any closet, they are subdued in nature as to not draw too much attention, and chances are both are probably already in your wardrobe. When sticking to just the two colors, its best to have one predominate the outfit with the other being used to highlight; accessories and lighter layers are essential for this. The other option is choosing to layer in lighter neutral tones to add some further depth, breaking up the darkness and creating a chic high-low effect.

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

Threads for Thought: Brogue Boots

As is the case with pants during the winter, there comes a time when the footwear options seem to repeat themselves, no matter how many options at your disposal. Boots are a clear cut choice along with other chunky, rugged styles that provide a solid base in the not-so-nice weather, but what happens when an occasion calls for a dressier facade.

Brogue boots combine classic sensibilities with the solid foundation they need to take on the most inclement weather. Brogues, especially the more streamlined options have been reliable dress options for years, and by adding a 4-6 inch shaft to the ankle, the classy piece is transformed into a multipurpose footwear choice. Even after the cold has subsided, these boots can be style unlaced with jeans or biker pants for a sophisticated high-low look that is sure to turn heads.

Allen Edmonds: $425

Grenson: $330

Topman: $90

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

Wardobe Essentials: The Holiday Sweater

The time of year is here for bundling up, but the same old drab of solids and stripes, even the occasional argyle, gets old after a few weeks. Combine that with the lack of sun-supplied vitamin D, everyone is bound to get a little cranky!

This is where we begin thanking the lovely Shetlanders for devising a nifty breed of sweater that can liven up any sweater situation and also embrace the holidays in the best way possible. Fair Isle sweaters are knitted in a way that allows multiple color fibers to help create the intricate details that denote this genre. As with Tweed, another Shetland innovation, these sweaters are rugged and meant for long-lasting wear and keeping the cold at bay.

This style does lend itself to a high degree of seasonality, being truly acceptable for maybe two months of the year, so there are two ways to look at purchasing one of these dandy sweaters. The high road, or splurge, means looking for a model with the softest cashmere while staying exceedingly classic in appearance so it will be stylish from year to year. Then there is the year-by-year road that allows for more creative designs; possibly lower quality material, but the ability to change the look is a major plus.

Burberry: $595

Ralph Lauren: $225

J. Crew: $118

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

Monday Outlook: The Man Bag

There's too many things that the average man uses every day that he can carry just in his hands and pockets. Notebooks, tablets, laptops, lunch, whatever the case may be, there has come a merging of the men's and women's accessories world.

The day has come where men need to have an everyday bag with them, a carry all that will hold all their goods during their commute. Its hard to narrow down one specific type because each guy has different needs; the health-nut might need a duffle between work and the gym while the bike messenger needs a backpack. And with the mindset of this being an everyday bag, there's no reason not to splurge on something that will last for years to come; luxe leathers, rugged fabrics, and unique details that show some pride. It is one thing to follow trends on this one, but it is more important to find a classic piece that won't fade with the times or be dated come 2015.

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: Western and Wild

Tuesday: Le Labo Cologne
Wednesday: The Cord Suit

Thursday: Wide-Legged Pants

Friday: Too Much Sock

Saturday: Christoph Waltz

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

Celebrity Saturday: Christoph Waltz

Quentin Tarantino brought this Austrian actor from the German film and TV landscape and showed him to the world with Inglorious Bastards. And since, we've seen Christoph Waltz in everything from mind-bending dramas to gut-wrenching comedies and everything in between. His on screen presence and tact in delivering his lines have made him a force to be reckoned with, and that's not the only thing his fellow colleagues need to be worried about. Waltz happened to bring some impeccable European style with him on his journey to the states, combining modern fits with classic colors and patterns; this guy should be the face or at least in the next marketing campaign for Thom Browne.

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

Friday Faux Pas: Too Much Sock

In the effort to differentiate, men have turned to alternative measures of fashion in order to individualize themselves. Funky ties, uniquely patterned shirts, and so on, but there seems to be an issue with one particular item.

Incorrect. Conservative suits and shoes don't mix with playful socks.

Socks. The norm was the plain, conservative, single colored dress sock, which is admittedly boring but still not without merit. Then came in the patterned variety, with stripes and argyle or polka dots and plaid, still not all that bad. But then came in a few companies that pushed the envelope well beyond unique and into the realm of absurdly tacky. High-contrast colors combining to make radical designs that ultimately detract from any good that your outfit was doing in the first place; that should be a fashion sin! Rule of thumb is to have your socks play off of another part of your outfit so that it adds to the look; the only exception are socks that are meant for special funds or occasions, in which case, wear them sparingly.

Correct. Casual look with casual, toned down socks.

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

Threads for Thought: Wide Legged Pants

For years now, the trend in men's pants has gotten slimmer and more tapered, to the point where there's no more cloth to take away. Now the only means of innovation is to widen things up.

As the seasons go through there little chronological progression through the decades, they reach the late 60's and 70's. Among all the styles that sprung from the groovy days, one that spanned across all was the wide bottom pant; it went so perfectly with those platform shoes. But now they are being more refined, in a way that still maintains the flattering nature of a slimmer fit trouser while adding a nonchalance and an airy nature to any look. Because they are wide-bottomed, the fit is crucial, with the waist and seat needing to be absolutely perfect and the leg falling naturally straight, otherwise its just another pair of un-tailored pants.

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

Wardrobe Essentials: A Corduroy Suit

Since the average man is expanding his horizons of comfortability with new style, so have designers in being able to produce great new items that further push these horizons. Sport coats made of sweater fabrics, shirts in lightweight suede, to suiting fabrics combined with leather on a classic pair of shoes.

Now, corduroy isn't a very radical fabric option; its one of the best cold weather fabrics out their and an excuse to wear cotton during the colder months, but it's usually not reserved for a suit. Say no more, as the whole menswear spectrum is embracing the corduroy suit, from luxury boutiques to The Gap! The most exciting part of it all are the range of colors that are out there, which allows for more adventurous tones than the run of the mill tan.

To that point, one of the greatest qualities of corduroy is the effect it has on colors, adding a luxurious depth that brings a dull shade to life while elevating the brighter ones. Fit is key, as it is with any suit, but corduroy calls for a more tailored fit to take down any heft that the fabric innately has. One way to mitigate this characteristic is to get a fine wale cord, taking the suit from 70's IBM cube warrior to 21st Century neophyte.

Faconnable: $1525

Brooks Brothers: $1298

Burberry: $1290 (Jacket $995 & Pants $295)

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

Tech Tuesday: Le Labo Solid Cologne

It's understandable that after going through the search for a fragrance, the average man tends to stick with the winning spritz for a long time. Not much has changed in the way of fragrances, and for that matter cologne, since the noses started putting the fancy smell inside the fancier bottles. But before all these sprays and aerosols, men and women carried around perfume boxes that essentially over powered their body odor. Le Labo is a perfume boutique in New York City that offers a full range of scents and conventional applicators, but their latest innovation, solid perfume. Using a combination of wax and oils, they have managed to neatly package their fragrances in a neat metal, on-the-go packaging. Just apply the scent as if it were a stick of deodorant or chapstick, and smelling like a million bucks in no time.

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

Monday Outlook: Wild Wild West

When all is said and done and history looks back on 2014, it will be dubbed as the return of the mid-century American rebel gentleman. Military inspirations, from ground forces to aviation, and all the way to road warrior biker sensibilities; it is a grand time for menswear.

The last piece of the puzzle falls west of the Mississippi and dates back much further than the 1950's, but the important fact is the look had its rebirth during this period thanks to the film stars of the day. Western style is based on rugged versatility and durable functionality, for all the things that the west demanded; wrangling, riding, and salooning. John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Gary Cooper, the list goes on for all the super star bad boys of the day that made the style so cool.

There are so many possibilities when it comes to western style! Fringe, bolo ties, denim work shirts, beat up jeans, and a full range leather goodies. The fun part will be mixing in these items with the more refined part of a wardrobe, mixing suiting with that bolo tie or swapping out a sport jacket for the hardier fringe jacket. Even a neckerchief can add some western feel to a look when tied the right way, just make sure to stop at one or two pieces for the look to avoid looking like a man lost in time.

Check in tomorrow for some exciting new tech and next Monday 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: Monochrome

Tuesday: HP Sprout

Thursday: Bright Wallets

Friday: Chunky Dress Shoes

Saturday: Andre 3000

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

Celebrity Saturday: Andre Benjamin

Musician, Actor, and Designer? Not many people can chalk up those credentials in a lifetime and fewer still can claim that they were successful in all three endeavors. Well that is exactly what Andre Benjamin aka Andre 300 has under his belt and he hasn't even reached 40. His true style shone brightest as the front man for Outkast, combining American preppy and British dandy to create a truly unique look, which fueled the inspiration of his own brand Benjamin Bixby. Andre feels and lives what he wears and is comfortable with the clothes he puts on, that's what should be taken from his look, the confidence in everything and especially in style.

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

Friday Faux Pas: Chunky Dress Shoes

Footwear is up there as one of the most involved decisions that a man can make. There are so many styles and brands, not to mention the non-universal sizing of shoes, but there is a certain style that with great certainty, should be avoided.

Enough of this...

Dress shoes are a specification reserved for a sleek elegance that resonates with the rest of the attire that they go with; smooth lines, minimalist construction, and classic silhouettes. Some designers have taken it upon themselves to try and change this mainstay and bad results. Those lines are being thrown off by adding chunky soles to the bottom of shoes that would be best fit on a pair of rugged boots. There is nothing wrong with chunky soles where they are meant to be, but dress shoes do not fall into this category, unless the plan is to go for the 70's platform look.

...stick with sleek.

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

Threads for Thought: Lighten Up Your Wallet

There is plenty of change going on in the men's landscape, shaking up the norms across the board from clothing to accessories. Take the briefcase, for example, being scraped down to its bare bones and then recreated in fantastic new colors. 

That is no different for that culmination of leather in your back pocket holding of your financial goodies together. Its time to lose that dull black or brown version (especially if its a tri-fold) and work into the great new options out there. Don't go as far as matching a wallet to a briefcase, that's just foolish, but getting a wallet that instills some pride and excitement every time you go to pay the bill. And its okay to be over the top, its not a shirt that's going to look tacky after wearing it three times or patterned sport coat, its a wallet that comes out every once a while. Whether its a cool leather or a unique detail, make sure its memorable.

Gucci: $420

Ted Baker: $49

Herschel: $30

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

Tech Tuesday: HP Sprout

The mouse and keyboard were the norm for interfacing with a computer, then came the touch pad, but that seemed to lack in total interaction immersion. Remember the Bamboo Pad? That changed things, then the iPad made it all mobile, and then the recent Windows Surface perfected the total package. HP decided to revert from the portable and recreate the desktop in the same way that tablets did for mobile. Featuring a two screen interface, coupled with an overhead digital imaging camera, the new Sprout allows the user to meld the physical with the digital, opening new horizons for the creative process in every imaginable field; this is going to have a profound impact on the fashion design community once its adopted.

Check in tomorrow for an essential style piece for your closet and next Tuesday for more exciting tech!

Monday Outlook: Monochrome

Being all mathcy-matchy isn't necessarily a good thing, coordinating different pieces together or trying matching patterns and colors together. Unless its perfectly executed, it ends up looking too "try-hard" and less elegant than it was supposed to.

Monochrome is the exception here, having similar colors playing off of each other to create a subtle difference between each piece within an outfit. Echoes of this trend came through this past spring in light pastels and in summery whites, but now the look is having its turn with some darker tones. Neutrals seem to have taken the forefront of this trend, with olive being the champion of the group. That's not to say that olive fall colors won't work; burgundy or orange can easily take this look over the top.

With the last two colors, execution is absolutely key, otherwise there's a risk of looking like a wine spill accident or a giant orange respectively. Neutrals are the perfect introduction to the monochromatic look, as the availability is there to layer in the pieces without too much shopping involved. Now the idea here isn't to match the colors together, but to provide subtle differences in shade as well as texture to make the look develop some texture like every other cold-weather look.

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: Workout Threads

Tuesday: The Indestructible Watch

Wednesday: Houndstooth

Thursday: Branding

Friday: Button Down Dress Shirts

Saturday: Marlon Brando

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

Celebrity Saturday: Marlon Brando

Sticking with the badasses from the good ole days, we arrive at yet another American actor by the name of Marlon Brando. His most prominent role actually played him as a mobster in The Godfather, but off the set and in his many other roles, he perfectly portrayed the prototypical road warrior rebel. But the best part of his style was that he wasn't afraid to mix things up; an aviator cap with a moto jacket or a western motif with a cravat. Its nice to introduce a little mayhem like that into a look, the juxtaposition really sets everything off. It may take some time developing the image of a menswear expert, but once its established, try doing just the same thing, mixing and matching pieces from different genres of style.

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