Photographic Spotlight #2 - Rinze van Brug

Rinze van Brug began his love of art at a young age. With inspiration from movies such as BEAT STREET and WILD STYLE Rinze's artistic approach blossomed. Drawing and then graffiti were the first methods of expression for Rinze and he worked commercially while in Amsterdam creating art murals for stores and restaurants while continuing his personal art as well. At 19, Rinze purchased his first Macintosh computer and began exploring new programs such as Painter, which allows users to develop their own art work in a much shorter time span. Learning these computer programs escalated the extent of artwork Rinze could achieve. Able to finish projects in one hour that would have taken weeks, Rinze was able to explore new genres of art.

During art school Rinze excelled in graphic design and photography graduating to enter the advertising world. At Ogilvy he worked with clients such as Philips, Canon, Mercedes, Red Bull, and many other Fortune 500 companies as an art director. To work through his ideas with clients he would sketch out pictures of how he wanted the photography to look and, in doing so, realized his calling was photography and design.

Much of Rinze's inspiration comes from music that helps him to continuously mold his personal style. With new music consistently hitting the scene Rinze utilizes the fusion of music, life and art in his photography. Rinze has worked with high end fashion companies and at Fashion Week, as well as portfolio work and editorial, to documentary and integrated art styles. Each photograph shows Rinze's ability to capture the moment, the pose, or the scene as he brings each photograph to life.

Channeling the 90s

The 90s preppies had it going right....everyone else sadly did not!

E pur si muove

Etiquette #1 - Emily Post

Proper etiquette and behaviour is what has kept our society from disintegrating into chaos. While most people learn the basics growing up, it takes a little more effort to acquire mastery of the more delicate issues. I have created this series of posts to be able to share with you the etiquette points I think are most important and applicable to our generation and what better way to start the series than a vintage video of Emily Post herself:

With this occasion, I would also like to point you to the new Etipedia on EmilyPost.com, one of the most comprehensive online resources when it comes to manners and proper etiquette.

Celebrity Style #2 - Zachary Quinto

When it comes to the 31-year-old Pittsburgh native, less is always more. As the skull-splitting Sylar on Heroes, Quinto induces terror with a single stare and on the red carpet he sports narrow suits and skinny ties. I would go as far as saying that Zachary Quinto brought the hyper-virilized look back. His stuffy yet manicured eyebrows and sexy stubble prove that you don't have to give up your perceived masculinity in order to look great!

Describe your look growing up.

I was basically sporting a Spock do back then -- it looked like I had a bowl haircut. I remember wearing braided belts, khaki pants and suede bucks. Very J. Crew. I went to a private Catholic school and wore a tie every day. I like to think my taste is more refined now.

What's your style today?

It's pretty laid-back but metropolitan. I always try to do something a little different, while being straightforward and definitive. I wore a navy blue Jil Sander tux with black lapels to the Golden Globes. And I like Alexander McQueen, who brings a sense of adventure to clothes. It's understated but tangible.

Did you ever have any fashion obsessions?

I used to love Miami Vice. I went through a serious phase where I walked around dressed like Don Johnson: linen pants with an oversize blazer and no shirt. But I was, like, 10.

Zachary Quinto and fellow Star Trek hottie Chris Pine in a candid photo-shoot

What's the biggest splurge you've made?

I don't splurge. I guess buying a house would qualify. But my lifestyle remains the same now as it was a few years ago -- in terms of where I go, what I do, who I do it with. I still buy clothes in the same places. I love to travel, so after the first season of Heroes I spent a month in Europe. But I was traveling on trains, carrying my backpack.

You seem to know who you are -- what's something you'd never wear?

I can't stand pleated pants. They're not sleek or streamlined. I like order and simplicity. Pleats are, like, why?

Do you have a favorite scent?

I use China Musk oil. And I've worn patchouli since high school. I know it smells like dirty hippies. But it's like cilantro -- either you love it or you don't.

                                                                                                             MSN Lifestyle Interview

Fun fact: Zachary is the only person in history to appear on the cover of Entertainment Weekly two weeks in a row!

No feature about Zachary Quinto could be complete without this hot clip from So NoTORIous.

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!

How It's Made #4 - Esquivel Shoes

The more time I spend in the USA the more I am impressed with the quality and craftsmanship of locally-made items, despite being quite biased due to my European upbringing. I talked about the Alden shoe factory a while back and now I want you to introduce you to a west-coast, California-based Luxury Shoe Manufacturer: Esquivel.

Even though Esquivel markets these marvelously finished pairs as Women's shoes,  there's nothing that I see that would make them unwearable by men. 

The following video is a slideshow of stills taken during the making of Esquivel shoes:

The Esquivel website does not feature an online store, however Esquivel shoes and boots can be purchased at Endless.com

There's just something I love about green leather

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

Photographic Spotlight #1 - Lisa Loftus

Photography is one of the most widespread forms of expression of our times and starting with this post I would like to acquaint you with some of my favourite photographers from around the world. Some of them are famous , some like to focus on only one theme, but be the best at it, while some like to capture beauty in any form and shape.

Lisa Loftus is a NYC and L.A. based photographer whose work encompasses everything  from fashion to day-to-day life and through her photos she is able to capture the energies and soul of all of her subjects  in a fascinating manner. Pictures do speak for themselves though and I give you but a couple of my favourites:

Designer Spotlight #2 - Indochino

Having left this series on an Oriental note in the last post in this series, I would like to continue as such and introduce you to Indochino, a Shanghai based company that focuses on made-to-order clothing. What sets them apart from other similar companies is that they do not only offer suits and shirts made to order but also winter coats and vests. Prices are also quite affordable ranging from $299 to $499 for their made-to-order suits and $79 to $99 for their shirts.

What I like most about Indochino, from what I can gather from their website at least, is that they put their customer's satisfaction first and that they run a very smooth operation from the time you place the order online till your item of clothing arrives at your doorstep in one of their very nice Indochino boxes. Indochino has summarized their process of making a suit jacket from start to finish in this short video:

A funny fact that Indochino prides itself with is that they are the only designer to feature a 40-character long monogram on the inside of their jackets.

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.

Celebrity Style #1 - Taylor Lautner

Taylor Lautner, werewolf extraordinaire, teen heart-throb and this year's "Zac Efron" has been getting a lot of hype lately due to the whole Twilight series shabang. While his acting might be questionable, his looks are definitely not. It takes a lot of work from any guy to get into such great shape and a lot of people have picked up on the dumbfounding effect his good looks have on everyone else. What prompted me to look more closely into Taylor Lautner and his style was GQ magazine's doubly featuring Taylor in its pages in less than a year. The editors at GQ are always in tune with what's hot and what's not and it seems like they are milking this baby right when its ripe (kudos GQ).

Even though he was not even 18 during the first GQ photoshoot, Taylor's look could easily pass as that of an aspiring YUPpie between the ages of 22 and 25. I for one love fitted shirts and the choice of model could not have been better. Taylor is a very photogenic guy and what's best is that he reminds you of a really nice guy who you could easily get along with, unlike some of the snottier looking male models out there.

Taylor Lautner wearing the slim-fit shirt like all men should, sans billowing and overflowing oodles of superfluous material. 1. Shirt, $40, by H&M. Tie, $135, by Salvatore Ferragamo. Pants, $195, by Boss Black; 2. Shirt, $325, and pants, $540, by Dolce & Gabbana. Belt by J.Crew. Watch by Raymond Weil; 3. Shirt, $325, by Ralph Lauren Black Label. Tie, $125, by Conference of Birds. Pants, $195, by Boss Black. Cuff links by Dolan Bullock. Watch by Raymond Weil; 4. Shirt, $395, by Dior Homme. Tie, $165, by Dolce & Gabbana. Jeans, $315, by Prada. Tie bar by Thom Browne New York; 5. Shirt by Spurr. Tie by Band of Outsiders; 6. Shirt, $600, by Trussardi 1911. Tie, $120, and pants, $755, by Michael Bastian. Boots $825, by Dolce & Gabbana. Tie by The Tie Bar. Watch by Paneral.

Now that he is finally 18 and all of us boys and girls that are of age can now rejoice for not thinking illegal things, Lautner came in for another photoshoot with GQ, previewing some of the Fall 2010 trends this time.

The black and white photography combined with a rehashing of so many vintage elements produces a cool and refined look. 1. Coat, $3,718, and pants, $745, by Louis Vuitton. T-shirt, $25, by A|X Armani Exchange. Boots, $795, by Burberry; 2. Suit, $895, and shirt, $225, by Calvin Klein Collection. Tie, $125, by John Varvatos. Shoes, $595, by D&G. Tie bar by The Tie Bar; 3. Reversible jacket, $595, sweatshirt, $98, and pants, $295, by Polo by Ralph Lauren. Boots, $1,500, by Ralph Lauren. Socks by Wigwam; 4. Sweatpants, $275, by Simon Spurr. Sneakers, $580, by Neil Barrett; 5. Coat, $2,370, turtleneck, $640, pants, $630, and belt, $235, by Gucci.

Now that we've looked at Taylor and how good he would look in stylist picked clothes, I'd like us to take a peek at Taylor's personal style:

Taylor likes to take on the casual approach to most situations and by that I mean jeans and a t-shirt or a flannel shirt however he can definitely pull off a slim suit better than most actors in Hollywood. 

For a man, or should I say an 18 year old teen, Taylor is definitely on the rightest of tracks when it comes to fashion and if perchance he strays away, I'm sure there will be someonewho will call him out

Hair and Grooming #4 - Million Dollar Hair

How many times have you wanted to cry out FAKE! when watching a shampoo commercial, thinking no hair on earth could be that smooth and shiny?!

The truth is, hair like that does exist and getting yours to look more just like it is not rocket science. The reason our hair looses its natural shine and becomes dull and lackluster is mainly air pollution and over-usage of hair styling products. The outer layer of the hair follicles has the ability to bind to chemicals and oils, so anything from alkali metals from hard water to harsh chemicals present in the urban environment air can get bound to your hair. On top of that, prolonged sun exposure and alcohol-based hair products contribute to drying out your hair which combined with one not using a conditioner can really damage your hair.

Following these three steps guarantees your hair will become healthier, shinier, smoother and any other positive adjective you can think of.

1. Remove muck and build-up

Before going about to hydrate and moisturize your hair the most important step is setting down the foundation which is restoring your hair to its natural state, free of all extraneous pollutants.

To do so, mix 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar with 1 gallon of distilled water and store it in a bottle in a cabinet or the refrigerator and used every couple of weeks to remove gunk. To use it, wet hair with warm water, or shampoo and rinse as usual. Then pour 2 cups of the vinegary mixture over the scalp and let mixture saturate the hair. Finish everything up with a cold-water rinse. Your hair should now be clean and free of pollutants.

2. Moisturize

Harsh chemicals in the air and washing your hair too much can rob your hair of essential oils naturally secreted by your scalp.

While it is true that regular moisturizers and other professional products like hydrating serums are effective, there are a couple of home-made hair masks that work just as good and give you the confidence that no unwanted chemicals come into contact with your hair. One of my favourite hair treatments is an Olive oil Avocado mask.

Bubbi from Bubzbeauty.com has already made a how-to video of the same recipe I use:

- 1 ripe avocado, mashed

- 2 egg yolks

- 2 teaspoons of olive

One other easy hair treatment is putting plain real mayonnaise into your hair, covering it with a shower cap and warming it up, either by placing hot towels around your head either by blow-drying the cap for a longer time to favour deep moisturizing  

While some of you out there might think these remedies don't apply to you because you have oily hair you're not quite right, because the over-secretion of oils by your scalp can be indicative of a couple of things, a pH imbalance at the skin level being one of them. These treatments help restore your hair to is natural state and as long as you avoid applying too much oil to the roots of your hair there shouldn't be any oily problems afterwards.

3. Bring out your natural colour tones

Depending on your natural hair colour there are a few things you can do to bring out your hair's natural highlights.

Boil one quart of water and add the following to the boiling water:

- For brunettes, a handful fresh rosemary sprigs (bruise by crumpling in your hand)

- For blondes, a handful of dried chamomile

- For "orange tone" redheads a chopped-up carrot

- For "berry tone" redheads a chopped up beet

-  Remove from heat, let steep for 10 minutes after which filter the mixture by puring it through a fine colander or a cheesecloth.

- Shampoo and rinse your hair as is your usual routine then put the warm colour-enhancing mixture into your hair and let it saturate it. 

-After 5-10 minutes rinse with cold water.  I usually reapply the chamomile tea over and over again until I am done with the quart of liquid

Having personally used all of the above treatments I highly recommend them so that you too can have smoother, shinier and healthier hair

How It's Made #3 - Suits

Suits are one of the staple items of a man's wardrobe and unless you've had the privilege of having a bespoke suit made, you may not be fully aware of the amount of work that goes into making a suit, even if, as is the case in the video below, the process is highly automatized. Next time you think a suit you see in a store is way too expensive, think again and come back to watch this video.

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