Wardrobe Essentials: The Garment Bag

Its snowing, it's raining, its windy, and sometimes it happens to be sunny. This is the reality of spring weather, being as moody as a pregnant woman until the coast is clear and summer makes her appearance. Figuring out what to wear to be prepared for this uncertainty is one thing, but protecting your clothes is another thing entirely.

Whether its commute to the gym before work in the morning or a full blown business trip, its essential to guard those nice clothes from the outside world, and that job is reserved for the garment bag. Not just any garment bag will do, a heavy duty twill will serve best to remain flexible and protective at the same time with the added convenience to launder it yourself if it gets too dirty.  If that isn't quite suitable for the rigor of your lifestyle, than a leather or nylon option will be available but without the convenience to clean off any built up stink. Seeing that this isn't a piece of your wardrobe, there is no need to get anything too flashy, a simple neutral piece will do just fine!

Louis Vuitton: $4550

Tumi: $395

Filson: $275

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

Tech Tuesday: Ajust Online Shopping

Online shopping has opened up the world of fashion to everyone from the bustling city folks to the wayward countrymen, but the bane of this whole process are the uncertainties of the fit. Footwear is no exception to these concerns, but with the help of some ingenuity and technology that most people already have at their disposal. Thanks to Selma Durand and the first ever Ajust Shoe Template, you can now "try on" shoes at home with just a printer and some scissors. Each template features a foot bed outline for the desired size and then has a instep strip to give the potential buyer an idea of how each shoe will fit. Unfortunately for now, this new process is only a concept, but hopefully fashion houses will catch on to this genius and apply it to their footwear lines!

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

Monday Outlook: Solid Seersucker

There is a big event coming up this weekend that holds major ramifications in sport and in fashion. The Running of the Roses at the Churchill Downs in Kentucky, better known as the Kentucky Derby, which has been a notable venue for all the whose who to show off some serious summer style. Seersucker has been the go-to fabric for the Derby for as long as it has been run, but now its time for a new variation.

Seersucker is most noted for its texture and striped nature that helps to give the fabric depth and much needed pattern where the summer palette is usually lacking. This summer keeps the seersucker coming, but with a new twist, solid seersucker to create a lightweight cotton option for the warm weather months. All the texture will remain as with regular seersucker while substituting a tonal stripe look for the traditional graphic stripe.

Luckily for all the menswear enthusiasts, this fabric will be made in everything from a full suit down to ties, and all of them are suitable to adopt this great trend. My favorite solid seersucker is the navy on navy which remains classic with a youthful edge that you don't really get with the classic look. If you're already set up with a suit, then a shirt, or tie, or trousers will complement the existing wardrobe staple without putting such as dent in the budget. Be sure to get yours before Saturday so you can be the star of whichever Kentucky Derby event you end up attending!

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

Celebrity Saturday: Eric Clapton

If you don't have a clue about music or about who this next guy is, you might very well think that this picture is just a black and white filter on some new band's guitarist. Not so, this is Eric Clapton in 1978, one of the greatest guitarists of all time and as you can see, a timeless style icon. Just like his music, his garb had a certain rugged verve and edginess that was synonymous with the time period, but most other musicians' style seem dated compared to the master. The best part of all this swagger from Clapton is it's second-hand nature; despite all of his talents, he remained a very humble man and was never one to preen, he just walked, talked, strummed, and styled to the beat of his own drum. Sure seemed to work out in his favor!

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

Friday Faux Pas: Buttons Left Behind

Today in Florida, it seemed like the sun was only a few feet away from instantly frying your skin, and the humidity didn't help the cause. Many times the thought came up to undo a few buttons and air it out, but there is a threshold that all men should be privy to with those buttons.

Trying to hard.

Fall and winter brought us the advent of the air tie, or buttoning a shirt up all the way as if to wear a tie. That look will be sticking around for awhile and not to knock the style, but in the warmer climates, it's just not something that can be turned to everyday. Leaving a few buttons undone is more than OK, it is encouraged, but the one too many puts you in a  time machine back to the 70's; even though that's the current trend, there's a reason that look was left in the past. Leaving open the top button is a good look for business casual, two buttons is the sweet spot for most men as it lends to a looser vibe, and three buttons is only reserved for the taller men who need to accommodate their proportions. Anything more than three is either excessive laziness or rampant hubris in your physique, and neither are a good trait to claim.

Effortless.

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

Threads for Thought: Long Hair, Don't Care

For a few years now, the focus for men's grooming has been on the facial hair and growing out that face fuzz to Duck Dynasty proportions. Meanwhile, the top of the head has become more streamlined with short dues that helped to complement the beard, but hey, if E-Trade is predicting the end of beards, then we should be prepared.

In a similar fashion that the facial hair was grown out, so should you let the top of your head cultivate a flowy mane. Letting it all go and getting some length  on your hair certainly isn't a quick procedure, its a war of attrition against your own impatience, but the wait is well worth it. Short hair is convenient, but longer locks allow for more options when it comes to styling; slicking down the sides can give you the same results as a short cut while leaving them natural will give you a completely different look. The battle is long and seemingly undying, so make good friends with a hair stylist to help you develop a long due that will work with your hair style and then get some sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to keep those follicles healthy for growth as long as possible between visits to the salon. Sooner than later, the long hair will come!

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

Wardrobe Essential: The Wide Belt

For the style newbie, a belt is a belt is a belt, and they aren't completely wrong even if there are countless options when it comes to keeping your pants properly on your waist. Some belts are fabric while others are leather or some shiny and polished while others are given a vintage treatment.

One this to consider is the width of the belt, where the skinnier options tend to be dressier and more streamlined, perfect for a suit or other formal ensemble. Today we'll be focusing on the belt that's on the thicker side, that can take the wear and tear of everyday use, that can be worn day in and day out without a second thought. That's where the wide belt is the most useful, acting as a rugged mainstay that will go perfectly with each and every casual outfit that it may encounter.

The great part about a wider belt is all the real estate for detail to be included into the piece, whether its that little bit of extras gator skin or adding a unique whip stitch accent to the edge. Whatever your flavor, this variety pairs nicely with any pair of jeans, complementing the durability of the denim while adding a distinguishable border between your top and bottom. The same belt and shoe matching rules apply to this type of belt, so which ever color shoe you most often wear casually should be the color of belt you're looking for on your hunt.

John Varvatos: $245

All Saints: $90

Ralph Lauren: $65

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