Fashion Forward #15 - Addicted To Brogue

If you've ever worn a good pair of leather boots you'll know just how empowering it is and how that solid first step can set the tone for the rest of your day. A lot of the past Fall/Winter runway shows featured solid boots and one in particular, the Brogue Boot, was more popular than the others. I am a big fan of the perforated look (brogueing, or perforating the surface of the shoe originated with the purpose of allowing water inside the shoe to drain out when the wearer crossed wet terrain) and I am glad more and more boots are manufactured using this technique.

A nice pair of Tricker's Brogue boots can be found at OiPolloi.com

Fashion Forward #13 - Badge of Preppiness

Appliques, patches, crests, badges or decals are decorative surface applications of fabric that adds dimension and texture to the background fabric. The term derives from the French word appliquer (and the Latin applicare) that means to join or attach. While its early use was most likely to strengthen worn areas or serve as a patch over holes, appliqué developed into a creative art form used by many cultures over many centuries. (Scribner Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, Volume 1)

Nathaniel Vanderbilt Archibald, wearing the Vanderbilt Family Crest on his jacket

The resurgence of Prep culture and its increased visibility on the runways has brought back wearing crests and patches on one's belonging. It has been customary for old families to display their family crest on suit jackets (as is portrayed by Nate Archibald, a member of the Vanderbilt family on Gossip Girl) as well as Prep School and Ivy League Alums to don badges and patches from their alma maters on suit jackets, sweaters, shirts, duffel bags and nowadays even on their laptops.

Rugby is one of the handful of designer houses that has been reinterpreting preppy elements and bringing them to the general public.

True Prep author, Lisa Birnbach states that being preppy is no longer a distant, veiled and often misunderstood way of life, non-preps becoming ever more fascinated and acquainted with it than when her Official Preppy Handbook came out in 1980. As such, preppy paraphernalia is at an all time high in popularity, and sewing or gluing a preppy crest or badge on one's possessions is one easy way of adding that so desired preppy element.

Chest badges are amongst the most popular.

Placement-wise, there aren't really any rules, however, many of the appliques I've seen were placed very similar to monograms, either on the left chest-side or on the cuff of the shirt, rugby or sweater. With bags or other accessories we truly have freedom of expression, and even going over the top with the number of crests, the sizing of badges or the discordance of colours is acceptable.

A clash of two worlds, the jeans jacket and sewed-on the crest, make for an interesting combination.

Most new appliques are iron-on nowadays, however, many machine-washes or dry-cleaning the piece of clothing can make the glue wear off. The safest and more vintage-looking option is still the sewed on look but if your needle and thread skills are lacking here's a guide to help you stitch an appliqué on successfully

A different assortment of badges and crests, ranging from school-inspired to nautical

You can find some of the appliqués featured above at these different online stores:  

• New York Design Shop (definitely my favourite)
• Family Crest
• 1FerretTreasures
• Laughing Lizards

Fashion Forward #11 - Ubiquitous Ties

Studying in a campus that is so reminiscing of Oxford or Cambridge, I often think how much alike my campus is to some other American staples, Disneyland or The Cheesecake Factory to name a few. Though all originally set out with the intention of becoming genuine replicas of European Universities in the case of the former two and a mix of European architecture and eclecticism for the latter two, the end product is a travesty of the original, a mere façade, veneer of vanity.

Saying that you're too busy with school to care about how you look is NOT an excuse!

The universities that are models for the American Universities, as well as many prep and boarding schools within the US still enforce some form of dress code. While many people think uniforms are means of torturous uniformization, they are nothing like that. Uniforms were first designed as a means of distinguishing students of these schools from other people living in the cities adjacent to the universities and moreover to hopefully instill school pride in the case of recognition of one's association with the school. The lack of uniforms, or in the least, of a proper dress code has brought the American student population down to the realm of exaggerated "je m'en fiche-ism". Take a walk through some of the more prestigious university campuses in the U.S. and what you will see will be nothing less than an incongruous image between the architecture that is meant to evoke high values and aspirations of academic excellence and the fleece-pant and hoodie wearing student, whose school pride sums up to nothing more than some bouts of pride during football or basketball season. What is worse is that whenever anyone tries to be more fashionable, without a preset purpose, or just for shits and giggles, as a friend of mine described it, the rest respond unfavorably and most times it's part of a defense mechanism rather than disapproval of sartorial choice.

Just putting on a navy jacket, a shirt and a tie is not even that much of a change yet it has prompted many questions like: "Oh, what's the occasion?"...well does there have to be an occasion for someone to put on a tie? The answer is No! it doesn't have to. With a resurgence of the traditional Ivy League Look, now more than ever, donning a tie in any combination uplifts your entire look and adds that special feeling that you took  a few extra minutes to get ready in the morning.

Ties come in a huge variety of colours, fabrics, cuts and patterns, however that will not be the topic of this post. What I would like to focus on instead, is the versatility of a tie, one of the few accessories that men can play and experiment with when dressing up. While there are many combinations, some of which I might not have thought of, here are the ones I think are worthy of your attention.

1. The T-Shirt and Tie

The most casual of all combos is wearing a tie, loosely knotted over a t-shirt. Though it's not exactly my personal style I have seen many guys don it in European clubs. If you decide to try it out just make sure your tie is on the slim side and not too somber looking (no wool). What's also popping up more and more these days are t-shirts that already have a tie attached permanently to them or one is just drawn on.

2. The Short Sleeved Shirt Combo

Also on the more casual side, wearing a tie with a short sleeved shirt is a funky and hip way of adding originality to your look. It's great for a summer in the city and if your work place permits it, a great summer office look. Same rules as above with regards to choosing a suitable tie.

3. Simple is not necessarily lazy: The Shirt and Tie

Now I'm pretty sure most of you are hyper-familiar with just wearing a shirt and a tie in the office or for events where a sports coat/blazer would be overkill. The rules of slim-ties apply here as well and please do tuck in your shirt. If you find there's some extra stuff hanging out, either think of something else to wear or put on a sweater to cover it up (read below). If you're not a big fan of short-sleeved shirts but you find your long-sleeved ones to be a little stifling in the summer, you can always roll up your sleeves stylishly (remember, rolling too little or too much over the elbow is not the right way to do it). 

Shirt, tie and jeans all by Dolec & Gabbana. Shoes by Calvin Klein Collection. Tie bar by Paul Stuart.

For the more daring of you, suspenders are another accessory that can enhance the almost bare look of a shirt and a tie. Keep the suspenders simple and do go with the ones that use leather tabs to attach to the pants rather than clip-ons. The Topman suspenders I introduced to you a while back make a great addition to any look

4. Wearing Vests is Tré Cool: The Tie and Vest 

Of all the casual appearances of the tie, its combination with the vest is probably the most wide-spread. Often hipster teenagers and metro guys going out are seen wearing a tie and a vest. Almost any vest works whether it was originally part of a 3-piece suit or is a fluffy down-vest.

5. Layering Up - The Rugby and the Tie

As fall descends upon the northern hemisphere and the weather gets chillier in the mornings and evenings, just a shirt won't be enough to keep you going so the art of layering comes in handy here. A simple way to keep warm is to add a rugby shirt over your shirt and add a tie for panache. Since we are no longer able to see the tie, whether or not you're wearing a slim or wide tie is of no importance anymore. A way to get creative is to step outside your tie-knotting zone and try a different knot each day, depending on your shirt's collar. You can always roll up your sleeves to complete the look and please do not forget to not pop your collar. Rugby.com has a nice selection of Rugby Shirts.

6. It's Getting Chillier, Break Out the Sweater: The Sweater and the Tie

As the temperatures plummet and a thin rugby shirt is not enough anymore, a cardiganm or sweater is a welcomed substitution. This is one of my favourite combinations as I am a big fan of sweaters, especially shawl-neck sweaters, although you can wear any type of sweater, even v-necks and crew-neck sweaters

7. Bring in the Blazers and Sport Coats: The Tie Meets the Jacket

The cherry on top, when it comes to layering is adding the final touch, the blazer, sports coat or jacket in our case. Whether you choose to wear your coat over the shirt directly or doubly layer it with a sweater or rugby is up to you as well as choosing the jacket to top everything up.

8. The Suit

Last but not least, the outfit your probably associate most with wearing a tie, the suit, will never loose its appeal and whether you're a fan of the double or single breasted suit or of peak or notch lapels, you'll still be wearing a tie to it.

I really hope you've enjoyed our little incursion into the different ways you can incorporate a tie into your daily wardrobe and that you will try to go out of your comfort zone a little next time and wear a tie. There wil definitely be some people who will ask you what the occasion is and it will get annoying, but you know what.. you feeling great is all that matters at the end of the day.

Tie Tips

- Avoid wearing clip-on ties or bow-ties, they are unproffesional.

- The front point of your tie should be just long enough to touch the waist of your pants.

- Your tie should be darker than the color of your shirt.

Fashion Forward #10 - 4-Looped Belt

If you've been reading any of my posts you know by now that I am a big fan of any form of innovation when it comes to men's fashion. Browsing around Summer Is A Verb, I saw a picture of a belt the likes of which I had not seen before, and luckily there was a direct link to the manufacturer's website.

Wiley Brothers, founded in 1999, is an American-based leather handcrafts company specializing in leather belts and accessories. The "Classic 4-loop Hoof Pick Belt" is their signature product and is inspired by folding brass hoof picks used by all types of equestrians.

The 4-Loop belt retails at $145

While there is plenty of variety when it comes to Men's Belts buckles, I will never say no to something new that works and is appeasing to the eyes. The 4-Loop Belt's buckle is hand-stitched to bridle leather and hooks into one of four loops. The 4-Loop Belt is available in Black, Dark Havana, Mahogany and Light Havana and in sizes 26 to 42.

Fashion Forward #9 - To Summer Is A Verb

I borrowed this logo from the awesome blog Summer Is A Verb

Indeed, 'to summer" can be used as a verb and nowadays many a people frown when it comes up   in conversation. While it is indeed tightly bound to the Prep world, a degree of snobbishness and the whole summering in Nantucket habit, I like to use it just for, as one of my dear friends likes to say, "shits and giggles" to gauge my friends' level of abhorrence to the expression.

A gorgeous family on a beach on Nantucket

To come back to the idea that brought this famous Preppy Handbook mème into my mind, August, the month I consider to be the pinnacle of all summer gaiety and debauchery, is upon us and I realized I did not talk about summer accouterments at all.

Grown up in Europe, my image of swimwear was, how can I put it, dimensionally curtailed?! Though not as huge a fan of Speedos as was in my childhood, my opinion on size when it comes to any kind of shorts stands. The beaches of America are sadly laden with over-sized, monochromatically afflicted swim-tents. Even GQ saw the problem rising and decided to say something in one of their 2009 summer issues.

GQ featured a couple of guys that had some size problems with their swim trunks in June of 2009. What the sad part is is that so many guys with great bodies choose to hide them in these over-sized ugly board shorts, instead of showing off their hard work in the gym to the rest of the beach. If you've got it flaunt it is almost appropriate in this case.

Though it is a tad late on the summer timeline, here are a few swim trunks that veer away from the all too familiar and sometimes boring solid swim trunk. Summer is about being spontaneous and ebullient, so why not show your inner happiness through what you wear on the beach!

1. Ralph Lauren Molokai 6" Floral Trunk - Jacobian Floral - $59.99; 2. Parke and Ronen - Chilmark Bikini - $90; 3. Ralph Lauren Molokai 6" Floral Trunk - Blue Paisley - $59.99; 4. Lilly Pulitzer - Capri Trunk - Daquiri Pink - $90; 5. Parke and Ronen - SSI Sunset Ivy 4" Swim Short - $95; 6. Parke and Ronen - NDM Navy Del Mar 4" Swim Short - $95

I really hope all of your summers have been nothing short of amazing and I am looking forward to transitioning with you all into Fall, my favourite season!

Fashion Forward #8 - I'm Seeing Double Vs

Clothing Brigade is a new online store I've grown very fond of. With a motto that spurs its buyers to "Shop Independent(ly)", the exquisite collection of items found in their online racks is sure to please you. While I am most excited about their jeans and accessories collection, I would like to present you with a reinvention of the ubiquitous V-neck Tee. Most fashions events that I attend see me bemoaning the lack of originality and innovation in men's lines, which, despite the inherent lack of options that comes with designing Men's clothing, is not an excuse for unbridled rehashing of the same boring shapes and forms.

Wrath Arcane - Double V Tee
  $49

I like how they not only added a second skin to the simple V-neck Tee but also spiced it up with a little bit of asymmetry

Fashion Forward #7 - Brace Yourselves

Suspenders (Am. English) or how they're most commonly referred to, Braces (B. English), have been popping in and out of style for the past century. While originally designed so that the higher-cut trousers of that time wouldn't fall off, suspenders have become more or less useless in the age of low-cut pants and belts. Nonetheless, suspenders have nowadays made their way into mainstream fashion as more of a fashion statement rather than a practical accoutrement. Though they are considered underwear by the most purist of dandies and fashionistos, suspenders have broken out of their "always covered" shell and are now worn in full view, having become a part of different cultural scenes.

Browsing  TOPMAN.com , I happened to come across this Off White Vintage Tip Braces, which although not traditional due to their clip on rather than leather tab mode of attachment, I still find quite appealing.

Off White Vintage Tip Braces, $30

If you do fancy wearing suspenders or braces, whichever your favourite word for the might be, remember that wearing both suspenders or a belt is considered a faux pas!

Fashion Forward #6 - Pay What It's Worth ?!

Pay What It's Worth is the only store of its kind in the world that I know of. While other retailers use Outlet Malls and Factory Stores to make use of surplus items or garments which do not pass quality control, Malcom Frontier uses this website to give the customer unparalleled choice with regards to cost. Any amount the customer wishes to pay will get them the item! 

Quoting the website itself:

How much you pay is totally up to you. Before you decide you should consider the defect or reason the bag is being offered here. Then consider how much use and enjoyment you’ll get out of your bag. Keep in mind that, despite some small issues, these are still high quality Malcolm Fontier bags designed to be the perfect sidekick to your modern on-the-go lifestyle. Maybe you’ll decide on $50, maybe $75, or $100; any amount will get you the bag.

NOTE: certain measly amounts may come with an unexpected and long lasting feeling of “I’m a cheap bastard” guilt.

Products offered by PWIW

I highly recommend you take at a look at the products offered on PWIW as you will find the defects are mostly always negligible or the items were just produced in surplus quantities. I am quite positive you won't ever find a $1 bag anywhere else!

Fashion Forward #5 - Slim on the Inseam

Summer is upon us and what better way to be fashionable and avoid the torrid heat than sporting  a shorter and slimmer than usual (see Fashion Forward #4) short?! It's definitely not a new trend since it was popular a little before my time in the 60s and 70s and is slowly resurfacing.

While that-which-shall-not-be-named is present in two of these photos, I would like to think it was all part of the photographer's artistic vision and therefore ignore it. What I would like everyone to focus on is how good and natural short shorts look on these guys! Even Sean Connery, as James Bond wore them and we all know Mr. 007 is a stylish gentleman.

While it is still harder to find shorter shorts at larger retailers, there are a few shops out there that only sell short shorts. One of the companies I like the most because of their simplicity and affordability is California-based YiMPS, whose motto is funnily "There is glory in short shorts".

YiMPS is a new company and so far only offers two short designs, both featuring a 4 inch inseam:

The Original Fit

Vintage-style men's corduroy shorts with a roomy hip and leg fit. Length is mid-thigh (4 inch inseam). This fit is perfect if you have a bulkier or a more muscular physique. This design comes in sizes 28 to 38 and retails online for $41.99.

The Slim Fit

Vintage-style men's corduroy shorts with a slim hip and leg fit. Length is mid-thigh with a 4-inch inseam. This fit is perfect if you are lean-bodied and going for the hipster look. This design comes in sizes 28 to 34 and retails online for $37.99.

Tips

- While sporting the short short is in itself a more difficult task for the average man who is more or less guided by mainstream society, my personal recommendation would be rid yourself of leg hair, at least whilst wearing short shorts. Not only will this help define your leg muscles better, but will also fend off any captious observers that would rather find fault in looking at your bodily hair than at your bare legs. 

- Keep in mind that your thighs might be of a lighter complexion than the rest of your leg if you have no exposed your thighs to the sun at all. A few sessions of sunbathing, artificial sun-tanning or some home-applied self-tanner will quickly remedy this issue and ready yourself for a great short short wearing experience.

For more on short shorts there's always MenShortShorts.blogspot.com

Fashion Forward #4 - Lucky Number 7

Embedded photo courtesy of Rugby RL

As global warming only gets worse and temperatures rise worldwide, the weather is ever more permissive for wearing shorts. And the timing could not be any better, as it seems designers have finally gotten their sanity back and have returned to the original pre-2000 short pattern.

Runway looks should always be taken more as an exaggerated indicative to the trends of the subsequent seasons rather than "here's what you should wear" looks

The 80s saw the apex of short inseam shorts and no man was ever ridiculed for showing too much skin. Why exactly men began feeling emasculated by short shorts will always be a mystery, probably connected to why starting with the year 2000 and peaking around 2005-2006 inseams have gotten longer and longer, giving birth to monsters such as the over-the-knee cargo short. Luckily the exact opposite has been happening since then on the runways and I am glad to see that shorter inseams are cropping up in stores.

Please donate or burn any such shorts that are in your possession. They do not only scream of slacker and lack of self-confidence but are also down-right ugly and useless, just like they're longer brothers, the baggy jeans. Seriously though...do you have that much stuff you need to lug around in those over-sized pockets?

My personal favourite inseam length, and I know many other fashion bloggers would agree, is 7 inches, give or take half an inch, measured from the crotch down. Avoiding any and all 7-inch jokes and puns, this inseam length, also called a rise, provides sufficient coverage of one's thighs, yet is not too long for comfort and sartorial benediction. I am happy to report that European men, who are most always more brazen than their American counterparts, have adopted the shorter inseams quite well:

Lots of Kudos to these Swedish guys, including the middle one, bravest of them all. Also notice the absence of leg hair which is a definite must if you plan on wearing shorter shorts (check out the tips in the Slim on the Inseam post)

There are a few simple rules when it comes to working around the 7 inch inseam:

- Men with a more muscular build, whose thighs are thicker than the average man's should not opt for anything shorter than a 7 inch inseam unless he wants to give off the gym vibe

- Men who are a little on the shorter side should definitely avoid anything longer than 7 inches like the plague as shorts with long inseams make one look even shorter than he is.

- NEVER and I do plead that you listen, go with any short that passes the middle of your kneecap. Not only does it look bad but it also restricts movement and pretty much negates the purpose of the short pant. If one is however going for the Capri look then that's a different story and the former should be ignored.

Rugby.com posted a brief guide for lengths of board shorts and swim wear which also is quite applicable to any other shorts, swimming or not.

Here is a short clip from the New York magazine, featuring NYC-based stylist Charles Manning and his view on short shorts.

Designer Spotlight #1 - Spy on Henry Lau

The world of fashion as we see it revolves around four urban centres: New York City, London, Paris and Milano. What most of us fail to consider is that fashion does not exist only in the Western World and that many designers bring innovation into fashion on the other side of the world, in the urban centres of Asia.

Henry Lau of SPY HENRY LAU is one of Hong Kong's most prolific and talented up and coming young designer. His style is a mixture of both western  and autochtonous, eastern, elements which compared to the entrenched  cuts, styles and materials of western fashion is a much welcomed breath of fresh air. Modifying what have become the dull standards of fashion design, Henry Lau reinvents classic garments by adding superfluous shawl necks to t-shirts, playing with asymmetry in button placement or relocating collar tabs in shirts. My only big peeve when it comes most any Asian designers and their clothing is that they seem to have the impression that all humans are of one size and that their clothes should therefore be sold in only one 'free-fitting" size. While Henry Lau's website mentions that he would like to expand his customer base to Europe and the United States, I would like to offer him the friendly advice that he should look into building garments in different sizes if he wishes to succeed on these markets.

Here are my favourite Henry Lay items which you can purchase here.

1. Loose Sarouel Pants - $102 ; 2. Shawl Collared Checked Shirt - $102 ; 3. Stylish Plain Shirt - $90; 4.  V-neck Tee with Tie Scarf - $102; 5. Stripe Shirt - $90; 6. Cropped Length Check Shirt - $77; 7. V-neck Knit - $103; 8. Shorts with patchwork details - $90   

Fashion Forward #3 - Just Wearing My Blue Suede Shoes

Suede also Suède  (pronounced swayd) is short for Suède gloves, from French gants de Suède, gloves of Sweden, from Suède, Sweden. It has now represented as a type of leather that has a soft napped surface or any other fabric made to resemble suede.

In 1955, Carl Perkins wrote and recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" at the Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. This original recording is considered one of the most significant and groundbreaking American songs of the 20th Century. As you may know, a young newcomer named Elvis Presley recorded his own cover version the following year. 

Quote from Epauletshop.com

Blue suede has been heralded as this Spring and Summer seasons' IT trend and I can definitely attest to its veridicity. Even here in my little corner of Europe where trends take some time penetrating into, I have begun to see more and more guys and girls donning the blue suede shoe. The Style forums have featured a lot of detractors that recognize the visual value of blue suede but fail to see its practicality in daily style. 

Well I am here to tell both them and you that blue suede is definitely here to stay and wearing it can be done in a very natty and easy manner.

What has become a trend for European men, as far as I can tell, is matching the colour of their shoes to their top item of clothing, but always the same shade or if an appropriate shade was not available, using a non-coloured item instead. While it is harder to do this with some of the more eccentric shades shoes come in nowadays, blue suede shoes can be so easily matched with either a nice blue blazer (wool if it's winter, cotton or chambray if it's summer), a V-neck sweater and even a nice v-neck t-shirt if you're wearing a more casual/summery blue suede shoe.

For the more adventurous of you fashionistos, you can try matching the blue suede with another colour. When it comes to what kind of pants you're wearing, I'd recommend either a dark blue/raw denim pant (straight or slim cut of course) or doing what the very fashionable Italian fella did in the picture above and go with a white pant, preferably without a bottom cuff. In some rare occasions, if the opportunity arises you can match a darker shade of blue suede to a dark suit pant such as the gentleman below.

In the case of picking a top to go with your blue suedes, always remember to check the colour wheel to determine what the best match would be for your shade of blue. Generally, the complementary and the triad colours are the best matches, however in the case of blue, I find that it's generally best to stick with just the complementary colour, orange (much like the shade of the Vespa above). If you do like to use some contrast, depending on the specific shade of blue the appropriate matching colours range from greenish yellow to purplish red.

Here is a compilation of some of my favourite blue suede shoes, which now come in great variety.

1. Alden for Epaulet Navy Suede Perkins Chukka - $425; 2. ACNE Delhi Suede Lace Boaters - $467; 3. Opening Ceremony Suede Desert Boot; 4. Closed Distressed Boot - $321; 5. A.P.C. Blue Suede Boots - $330; 6. Gordon Rush Royal-Blue Suede Chukka Boot for Saks Fifth Avenue - $495; 7. Emerica Reynolds  Blue Suede Cruisers - $59.99; 8. CAR SHOE Suede Tie Loafer - $372; 9. Dolce&Gabbana Navy Suede Shoes - $500; 10. Supra Vaider High Blue Suede Skate Shoes - $74.99

Last but not least, suede in general is very sensitive and blue suede isn't any exception. I would rather say blue suede is more delicate and sensitive than other naturally occurring coloured suedes. 

Here is a video on how to care for your suede:

You can purchase a Suede Care Kit from Amazon.com. It features a Suede Protective Spray, a Suede Cleaner Concentrate, a Suede brush and a Suede Scuff Eraser for only $10.85

Fashion Forward #2 - Contrasting Bow-Ties

Sruli Recht is the embodiment of the free-spirited artist. He is Israeli-born, Australian-educated and now lives in Iceland's capital, Reykjavik. His works are always original and slightly otherworldly, breaking the gender barriers and reaching out to the essence of creation and beauty.

One of my favourite pieces from his collections and also my favourite bow-tie is his Contrast-Trim Bow-Tie. Having talked about how much I love contrast trims before, you can imagine how excited I was to see that someone thought up adding a contrast trim to such an entrenched accessory.

Contrast Trim Bow-Tie, available in indigo and sandstone - $55