Friday Faux Pas: Button-Up

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Casual is always cool, and some would call it the center of the nonchalance that is in full force in the menswear landscape. But, as with anything, moderation is crucial with the details; they're what set you apart and also show that you know what you're doing.

Please stop.

One of the biggest missteps in the casual corridor is leaving too many shirt buttons undone, flashing off too much skin. There is no "fine line" rule for how many buttons should or shouldn't be used on a shirt, but that's because there's not much real estate to work with at only 7 buttons. Treat an unbuttoned shirt just the same as a v-neck tee (the deeper, the douchier) although the less buttons in this case, the more an asshole you become. 2 buttons undone is the sweet spot for sporting the casual vibe without being "that guy" showing off all those chest follicles, so follow suit.

Much better.

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

Threads for Thought: Tie Belt

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Ties happen to be one of the most important accessories in the sartorial ways of menswear, being the focal point of most of the street styles that pop up throughout the Internets. But from the streets to the office, they tend to only be worn as prescribed, around the neck and in a crisp knot.

Let's inject a little laissez faire and creativity into the normal structure of the everyday garb and use the tie for something other than a tie. Instead of your collar, turn to your belt loops and use the old mainstay to hold your pants up. Everyone is used to seeing a simple strip of leather or cotton or at the very most, a needlepoint, so subbing in a tie will change the game tremendously. A tie with a simple pattern calls for another part of the outfit to have some print or texture with a more complex tie requiring basic pieces to pair with. It's a style move that can upgrade a look in the same way that a silk scarf would, but none of us seem to take advantage of it; major style points for tying the knot a little off center and askew!

Check in tomorrow for the next installation of my fashion faux pas and next Thursday for another fashion piece that deserves your consideration!

Wardrobe Essential: The Croc Belt

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CLICK HERE FOR THE SURVEY!!!

Accessories don't make the man, but they sure as hell make him all the more interesting, and the importance of choosing those accessories wisely cannot be overstated. Some of these accessories are fleeting, some are seasonal, and then some are meant to last in your closet (practically) forever; guess which one a croc belt falls under.

When is the last time you really looked at you belt/belts? Any of them with even a little bit of use will reveal that belts really take a beating, and that a sub-par leather is doomed to tear and deform before you have time to find a new one. Croc leather is unique in that it is extremely durable while remaining very pliable, meaning there couldn't be a better option when it comes to belt leather. Just a little cherry on top of all the utility it brings to the table, croc skin is also a badass detail that gains a gorgeous patina as the years rack up. The first one in your collection should be the same color as the shade of shoes that you wear the most; precedent suggests black, but even though every man should have black shoes, doesn't mean they get worn as much as a pair of tan penny loafers or brown brogues.

Ralph Lauren: $1750

Allen Edmonds: $395

J. Hilburn: $275

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

Tech Tuesday: The New Post-It Note

Hey readers! I will be attaching a quick little survey for you to fill out in the next couple of posts. I only ask for your participation once, but I'm looking to make some changes and want to get your feedback! Thanks for reading!

CLICK HERE FOR THE SURVEY!!!

Sticky notes and dry erase are the backbone of innovation and new business in this ever-changing competitive landscape; visiting any young, agile company for a testament of that fact. But when is the last time either of these mainstays received an upgrade themselves? In a cutting-edge world, there needs to be an update for the methods in which future ideas and businesses are planned out, and thankfully Magnetic is heeding the call. Using stable static technology pioneered by the team at Tesla Amazing, this media has the ability to stick to any surface reliably and consistently without losing it's sticking power. No more tacks, magnets, or adhesives, and better yet, one side serves as normal paper for permanent note taking with the reverse side having dry erase functionality. The new concept is still in the initial funding stages, but they plan to produce typical post-it note sizes to full boards and everything in between! Certainly an exciting evolution with some very exciting possibilities!

Check in tomorrow for a style piece that deserves your consideration and next Tuesday for some more exciting tech!

Monday Outlook: Loud Prints

Traditional wisdom suggests keeping ensembles simple in terms of pattern and layering and combining them to create a unique contrast and depth. But with the 70's inspiration rocking this season's style motif, it's time to shake up the mainstays.

The only way to keep up with all the playful plaids and strong stripes is to incorporate some pattern, the kind that really goes above and beyond the call of duty. We're not talking about micro floral print or pin dots, this is going to be the reintroduction of those loud-mouth patterns like animal print or art deco facades. All will stand out from the traditional patterns and will accent all the solid pieces in your closet too.

Due to the fact that this trend is very rambunctious, its best to stay away from that leopard print suit or Hawaiian pants; although fun, these items will come off gimmicky in a couple months and dated in a year or two. With that said, bottom layers and accent pieces will be key in this movement, as will accessories to pair with your existing wardrobe. And raiding the closet, finding some throwbacks would be wise, but tread lightly as pieces from the 70's are very distinguishably from the 70's.

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: Lightweight Outwear

Tuesday: House Account

Wednesday: Find Your Barber
Thursday: The Bold Plaid Suit
Friday: Put Some Sleeves On It
Saturday: Fonzworth Bentley

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

Celebrity Saturday: Fonzworth Bentley

Its often the super stars that get their due when it comes to people noticing their style, all the free swag and photo shoots certainly make it easy to fuel the spotlight. So its especially exciting when a less known figure gets some face time, like Fonzworth Bentley. The origination for his fame came from music in the early 2000's with artists such as Kanye, Andre 3000, and Usher. Since then, he has maintained his presence author and TV figure in shows that were centered along the lines of men's style. In terms of his own look, all of his work with Outkast must havve rubbed off on him because his gentleman dandy aura is on par with likes of the king, Andre Benjamin. His recent appearance at P. Diddy's White Party a few months ago is the nail on the head of tonal preppy, and should be noted for your attempts at the same this Spring!

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

Friday Faux Pas: Put Some Sleeves On It

The gym should be part of the normal routine, not everyday, but most days so that we all don't turn into slobs or unappreciative "god gave me this" types. There is something liberating about working out and pushing your body to the limit, but all is done in the proper attire.

You're not him...

However, a translation error must have occurred as some have confused proper gym attire for cut-off shirts and tank tops. It may very well have been the popularization of physical fitness in the 60's and the rage of body building brought on shortly after; Arnold may not have worn sleeves until he was asked to wear a leather jacket for The Terminator. The appeal of showing off the hard work and staying cool during a workout is all well and good, but it doesn't outweigh the cons.

Same workout, significantly less douchey.

For you specifically, no sleeves means exposing yourself to direct contact of skin to germ-surfaces, and at a time where flu and cold abound, now's not the time to be sharing in that nastiness. On the other side of the coin, after your skin has touched the aforementioned surface, it's most likely leaving behind a puddle sweat for the next unfortunate participant. But set aside the health issues, you also run the risk of looking like an absolute douche, not to mention being a flexing selfie away from total assholery. Do everyone a favor and wear sleeves, short or long, just make sure they're present during your workout!

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

Threads for Thought: Suited in Plaid

Suits are like a man's coat of armor, protecting him from any and all, preparing him for the battles of the day or night ahead.But as we know all too well, not all suits (of armor) were created equally, some are made for the board room while others are devoted to some much needed preening; we'll be covering the latter today.

What most are dubbing the return of the golden age of menswear this spring, the 70's in your face kind of style that left a clear impact on the style world. A quick watch of American Hustle or even X-Men: First Class will show just how loud and badass men's style can truly be. The main proponent of this era was plaid, more specifically, the plaid suit; incorporating multiple shades in one piece sure makes it easier to pair with bold patterns.This spring, they are back in full force with designers peddling everything from blown-up Glen Plaid to exotic tartans and checks.

This is not the time or place to get a suit to add to your weekly rotation, a suit that replaces a mainstay in your closet, these suits are statement pieces. There is so much wiggle room when it comes to plaid, but to simplify the whole decision process, one element of the pattern needs to be loud. So if the plaid is huge or there is a strong color woven into the fabric, it has to be a noticeable feature that will really have people turning there heads to get another look.

Etro: $2860

Suit Supply: $599

Topman: $495

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

Wardrobe Essential: The Go-To Barber

Most times, Wednesday posts are reserved for clothing and accessories, things that need to be in every man's closet. But something has gone overlooked that is something, or rather someone, that should be at average Joe's disposal.

Most times, your hair is an after thought in the whole style process, but it should be first and foremost. There are few things that are more quickly notices than a man's hair, so why not make the best statement possible and get a haircut from a trained professional. There are three things to consider when picking out the right barber; knowledge, price, and availability. Having someone that not only knows the current hair trends, but also knows which ones your hair can pull off is a invaluable. Of course, you have to be able to foot the bill every month when its time for a cut, so if the price is wrong, you won't go in consistently enough to get the right results. And lastly, this guy or gal, the one with all the skills for just the right price is no good to you if they aren't available when you need it, making it important to set up a regimented relationship that you both can rely on.

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

Tech Tuesday: Shopping with House Account

It's no secret that the nature of retail is changing as department stores have less of what you're looking for and the bigger fashion houses become to mainstream. Boutiques are turning into the focal point of fashion world due to their eclectic assortments, which are usually handpicked by some fashion savvy owners. The only issue is finding, and on the same note, the regionality of these boutiques limiting their availability and exposure to the masses. Instagram can only do so much in showing potential customers exciting new merchandise, so a new app called House Account looks to bring the boutiques to you. Boutiques simply take and post pictures on their page and users from anywhere can view, talk to, and shop them all on the same app. It's still far from the unique boutique experience, but its as close as technology can bring us at this point. All you need to do is register and you'll be on to boutique discovery in no time.

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

Monday Outlook: Lightweight Outerwear

It may be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but come this time next month, you'll be wondering where all the snow went and why all this rain is dampening your day. Unfortunately, the outerwear that gets you through the winter and fall is not the same kind that is going to be suitable for the spring.

Instead of reaching for the insulated, heavy coats that couple to keep out the elements and the cold, begin the search for their lighter spring cousins. The first step in this trend is cutting down the construction of garments, staying in line with the unconstructed craze that we've seen with suits and sport coats. But to add to these efforts, designers have begun experimenting with non-traditional fabrics such as silk and parachute material to name a few; all waterproof by nature without all the added weight from treatments.

Think about the outerwear that's already in your closet, and then figure out what is missing or what needs replacing. Varsity jacket and parka already there, find a new bomber in a silky smooth suede or if that trench coat is getting a little ratty, then update to a walking coat in a lightweight denim. Easy enough, but color is key, and its important to make sure that your new piece (or pieces) can help to transition into fall with the help of some layering; shades of white will be bold, blues will be on-trend, tan will be safe, and everything in between will be nice and flashy.

Check in later tonight for some exciting new tech and next Monday for further 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: Pastels

Tuesday: Swyp Away

Wednesday: Cargo Pants
Thursday: Ikat
Saturday: Nick Jonas

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

Celebrity Saturday: Nick Jonas

Its quite hilarious what puberty does to people; look at some of the actors from the Harry Potter series as a testament to how they all developed. Today's celebrity falls into that same category, starting his career with his two brothers as a boy and has since flourished in his new solo act as a man. Nick Jonas has really exploded on the scene, taking music by storm with his new album, but most importantly in the realm of style. In any of his outfits, it looks as if he might be the embodiment of the current menswear landscape of refined relaxation and elevated nonchalance. His most recent spot came in the pages of GQ, demonstrating the versatility and importance of having a double-breasted suit. Heed the call!

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

Threads for Thought: Ikat

Playful patterns and airy colors are all the rage in the spring and summer, in a pseudo-celebration of the return of the sun. Of all the patterns available out there, few can be credited with having more hands-on work than this next fabric.

Ikat, at least nowadays, is referred to as a pattern but is rather a product of a specific dye and weave method that creates a unique look that can't be achieved any other way. By dyeing the yarns before they are woven into a fabric, they naturally become askew, adding texture and a little extra character to whatever the piece may be. What makes it so great for the spring are all the colors that are easily combined into one fabric without any of them bleeding and blending; plus the whole look is very southwest, synonymous with warmth and the sun.

As with any fabric option, Ikat will be available across the style spectrum, which means plenty of options to choose from. Colors will abound as well as the actual scales of the pattern, but incoprating too many color families into one piece is a risky move that also won't play too well with as much of your wardrobe. The introduction to Ikat begins with the shirt or even a tie as they can both be toned down by one another, just don't pair the two together. The advanced move is the blazer with the pattern out in the open, but make it easy on yourself with an indigo as it will go with most anything spring.

Wings + Horns: $156

Vans: $55

Soludos: $48

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

Wardrobe Essential: Cargo Pants

It would seem almost a certain faux pas to pair a sport coat with anything but a flat front pant or jean, but looser rules and the elevated nonchalance of the modern man has reinvigorated old styles with new ways of styling them. These pants, however, wouldn't fall under the "classics" umbrella for the average man.

Cargo pants are exactly what men were told not to wear at the turn of the century and now they are back in full form. And along with the aforementioned relaxation of men's styling, cargo's are now more wearable with even more of your wardrobe. The fit should be as slim as possible to counter act the preconceived bagginess of these pants and the pockets should follow suit; how many pockets is a character call that you're going to have to make on your own. Seeing as these are going to be the pair that carries you from season to season, a versatile neutral will go a long way to match with a majority of your wardrobe, both current and in the future.

Ralph Lauren: $120

Jack Spade: $100

J. Crew: $50

Check in tomorrow for a fashion piece that deserves your consideration and next Wednesday for another style piece that needs to be in your closet!

Tech Tuesday: Swyp

The most formidable foe for any crisp look and clean lines for the average man happens to be the same thing that carries all the ways they can cover everything from their morning cup'o'joe to the nightly bar tab. Although there isn't much in the way of innovative wallets, technologies are out there to try and make it a little less packed. Swyp, a new payment technology, is looking to eliminate the clutter inside your wallet by electronically combining all of the plastic stuffing inside into one card. Alongside a phone app and a crisp display, its easy to manage and pay with all your cards, and all neatly packaged in that ever-so-nice metal feel. And with security at a premium, this card is prepared for the future with integrated microchips and has measures to protect your valuable information from attack on both the app and card. The only problem is that you'll have to wait until its release in the fall, but Swyp is available for pre-order now!

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

Monday Outlook: Pastels

When it comes to style, many things factor into what is actually stylish and fashionable, but one of the biggest happens to be color. And its not just the color itself, the saturation and depth both play a role as well.

Oily, rich colors fall in place with the fall and winter to pair with the the darker neutrals that accompany the seasons. So when the chill begins to diminish and the snow begins to clear, pastels will rule again, adding a lightness to every look this spring and summer. These washed out colors are everywhere, from sport coats to shoe laces, and the best part is there are no wrong turns in terms of color or pattern.

Stripes? Solids? Plaids? Patterns? They all work wonderfully as long as the colors suit you. Just thinking of all the lightweight clothing options should get you excited to pair these colors with seersucker, tan, and bright blues when it comes to suiting. Even still, since pastel hues are very light, they tend not to dominate or clash with each other, so they can be best friends in the same look with a shirt, tie and square combo; really test the waters with this trend!

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: Monochromatic

Tuesday: Photos by Prynt

Wednesday: Black Sneaks
Thursday: Joggers
Friday: Spending Your Refund

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

Friday Faux Pas: Spending that Refund

The new year has come and gone, and that can only mean that tax returns are front and center. If you're a good little boy or girl, you've probably already filed by now and for the rest, you will be filing at some point in the not so distant future (sorry to burst that bubble).

But one major problem that happens when getting back copious amounts of mullah is the urge to spend it on something. Anyone that sells anything claims to have deals going on just around this time to help influence your buying decision, but beware f the sneaker nature of retail. This is a rare first-person cameo, but I work in retail and I'm around enough brands to know that stores of every pay-scale have sent back their fall and winter sale goodies and are looking to push new product down your throat.

Be smart, sit on that refund till the summer rolls around.

It may seem like this urge to splurge will never die down, but withstanding this little storm will lead to much more satisfaction down the road. 10% off now is going to seem rather wasteful when in about two months, designers will be starting to put some real discounts on resort and spring collections to make room for summer merchandise; we're talking actual discounts that are going to make some sort of difference in the grand total. Getting more bang for your buck is always fun, so do yourself a favor and save your refund.

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

Threads for Thought: Joggers

Blending the lines between sportswear and active wear has been the trend for the past couple of years as the men's landscape becomes casually elevated. This melding of styles has led to a unique style of pant that combines two of your favorites, chinos and sweats.

This new genre is dubbed the jogger pant, using the same fabric that you might find on that favorite pair chinos and attaching an elastic band to the bottom to ensure a tapered look; other optional features include a waistband tie seen on pretty much every pair of sweatpants. At first glance, they will look exactly like khakis, but a second take will reveal the a sporty, casual vibe that will complement any look. It's important to recognize just how casual joggers are and to pair them accordingly; meaning these do not mix well with a tuxedo jacket, but sport coats are still game!

J. Crew: $75

Volcom: $55

ASOS: $42

Check in tomorrow for the latest installment of my fashion faux pas and next Thursday for another fashion piece that deserves your consideration!

Wardrobe Essential: Black Kicks

There is never going to be a sneaker to replace the all white kicks; they are just way to crisp and clean to not be at the top of the fly charts 100% of the time. But white gets dirty and not to mention there needs to be some other options in the shoe trunk to supplement squeaky clean game.

Black has always been a popular color when it comes to covering your feet. Going back to the getting dirty argument, they stay cleanly longer than any other shoe and they work to add some weight to the bottom of any outfit; hence why black is such a popular boot color. And when it comes to the detailing that plagues most shoes, black acts as a masking agent to make them look just a sleek as any white pair of sneakers.

Usually combining blue and black would be considered faux pas, but as more celebrities and fashion idols start to pair the two together, the less shriek-worthy it becomes. What this means for you is combining black with the inky indigo of early spring and the juxtaposition of the gravitas of the sneaker combined with airy colors and fabrics latter in the season. The materials used to make them doesn't really matter as long as they are black, the rest is all personal preference; although, the leather variety has a nice shine to them.

Acne Studios: $380

Nike: $75

PF Flyers: $55

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