So, we have stuff. And we like our stuff and we don't want to be without our stuff. Not that we're necessarily stuffy, but we like having it with us sometimes. Sometimes the stuff is money, the phone, maybe an iPod, a book or an e-reader, perhaps an umbrella, a camera, keys, the list goes on. Since nobody likes to have stuff in their pockets (I believe that 73% of the success of smart phones can be attributed to this fact) sometimes we need a little more space to put our stuff as we are out and about.
Today we turn our attention to bags of various sorts. For men who are students or of a certain part of the workforce, a bag is a must. Kind of like shirts, different bags are each, respectively, better for one situation than another bag is for a different situation: sometimes you feel like a more casual look and other times a dressier look is more desirable.
One thing that ought to be said, is that there are more options out there beyond the backpack. Don't get me wrong: I'm not a backpack hater. I like backpacks. However, sometimes a backpack is a little too big for my needs or it's a little too casual to go with the other things that I'm wearing (i.e. a suit). Next time I'll talk a little more about different kinds of bags, their strong points, and their shortcomings.
For the time being, let's just say this: Although it is not the case everyday, sometimes I want to take a little more than my pockets will carry; and I don't think that I'm alone in this. Whether it be for travel, a day downtown, the commute, or school, sometimes that extra place to carry things does just the trick.
Wear it well.
Adam
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Fashion pet peeves
1. Wearing tennis shoes with skirts. This can be such a tacky look. And it makes you look like you are trying to be comfortable. If you are trying to dress nicely, go all out. It is worth it. Even if your feet hurt at the end of the day from your heels.
2. Yucky running shoes with nice jeans and a dressy shirt. It totally wrecks the whole ensemble.
3. High heels are only attractive if you can walk in them. If you cannot walk in them, either practice or get rid of them. Otherwise you end up looking foolish hobbling along. Trust me.
4. Don’t wear an overwhelming amount of jewelry. Sometimes more is just more.
Do you have any fashion pet peeves?
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Dresses
Over the past few years, I have really grown to love dresses. During the early 2000's, when I was in high school and junior high, I don't think that dresses were really popular. I remember wearing lots of solid and print skirts, but almost never wearing dresses. I can't even remember owning more than one or two. But in the last 5 years or so, dresses have become a normal mode of dress. I love them. They are easy to wear, comfortable, cute and can be dressy or casual. Here are a few different styles to consider (please note that this list is just a basic break down and not an exhaustive list of dress styles):
The Shirt Dress: This is a lovely style on most women. It is a less feminine style, but still promotes an hourglass silhouette. This style looks particularly good when belted.
Anthropologie.com
The Wrap Dress: First designed by Diane von Furstenburg, this style looks good on most women. It is attractive for slender females, but can look great on voluptuous women as well. It is good at hiding flaws and emphasizing good points. Do not wear on windy days.
The Maxi Dress: A recently revived style, and now a fashion statement often comes in knits and cottons. Depending on the type of dress it can look superb belted or with a scarf. A light knit jersey is great in the summer and a heavy knit sweater dress is a cozy addition to the wardrobe in winter.
Boden.com
Boden.com
The Shirt Dress: This is a lovely style on most women. It is a less feminine style, but still promotes an hourglass silhouette. This style looks particularly good when belted.
Anthropologie.com
Nordstrom.com
The Maxi Dress: A recently revived style, and now a fashion statement often comes in knits and cottons. Depending on the type of dress it can look superb belted or with a scarf. A light knit jersey is great in the summer and a heavy knit sweater dress is a cozy addition to the wardrobe in winter.
Anthropologie.com
juliettehogan.com
The Sun Dress: Perfect for a springtime picnic with a little cardigan or cropped blazer. Fun with sandals, strappy heels or espadrilles.
Nordstrom
Nordstrom.com
The Shift Dress: A classic look that always makes me think of the 1960's, Jackie Kennedy and Christmas parties. I love this look. The best length on this dress hits a little above the knee.
Nordstrom.com
Boden.com
Boden.comWednesday, October 12, 2011
The King
I am not sure how to introduce this post. One of my fashion passions is historical fashion. I love find where trends come from and how history, politics and other factors shape fashion, and thus the birth of this post (FYI, I am not talking about Elvis. This king is a non-singer who did not wear gold pants).
This last year, I took a class where I was asked to write a detailed research paper on something relating to France, women and fashion. I picked Paul Poiret, a remarkable and fascinating fashion designer whom you have probably never heard of. Not surprising. Paul Poiret was a famous fashion designer before WWI. He was terrifically talented and designed amazing things like this:
(The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
And these.
(The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
(Les Robes de Paul Poiret)
Poiret began his career by working in several very successful couture houses (Worth & Doucet), but because he was rather high and mighty, and didn't get along too well with the owners of the couture houses and ventured off on his own (He had flamboyant taste that didn't mesh well with either of the houses aesthetic).
He was a man willing to try almost anything. In an age where corsets and bustles were in vogue, he designed loose Persian-looking clothing. He almost single-handedly (with one or two other designers of his time) phased out the corset, an undergarment that had been a staple in the woman's wardrobe for the past 400+ years.
He had real dramatic flair and a great deal of his designs came from a performance by the Ballet Russe. Unfortunately he had a tough time adapting to the conservative fashion right after the war and his house went bankrupt in 1929. His brilliance remains, however in some costume museums and his ridiculously pompous autobiography "The King of Fashion" (by the way, he picked this name out himself).
Next time you are planning on wearing something boring to a party, think of Paul Poiret, and go for something flashy.
(Vogue Fashion shoot inspired by Paul Poiret)
This last year, I took a class where I was asked to write a detailed research paper on something relating to France, women and fashion. I picked Paul Poiret, a remarkable and fascinating fashion designer whom you have probably never heard of. Not surprising. Paul Poiret was a famous fashion designer before WWI. He was terrifically talented and designed amazing things like this:
(The Metropolitan Museum of Art)And these.
(The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
(Les Robes de Paul Poiret)He was a man willing to try almost anything. In an age where corsets and bustles were in vogue, he designed loose Persian-looking clothing. He almost single-handedly (with one or two other designers of his time) phased out the corset, an undergarment that had been a staple in the woman's wardrobe for the past 400+ years.
He had real dramatic flair and a great deal of his designs came from a performance by the Ballet Russe. Unfortunately he had a tough time adapting to the conservative fashion right after the war and his house went bankrupt in 1929. His brilliance remains, however in some costume museums and his ridiculously pompous autobiography "The King of Fashion" (by the way, he picked this name out himself).
Next time you are planning on wearing something boring to a party, think of Paul Poiret, and go for something flashy.
(Vogue Fashion shoot inspired by Paul Poiret)Sunday, October 9, 2011
Masculine Sweaters
(photo from starsjournal.com)
Sometimes a man hears the word sweater and he thinks, "Sweaters? Those are for preppies and Bill Cosby. Nothing against Bill Cosby, but..." True, true: Mr. Cosby's refined tastes in knitwear are not for everyone; but that doesn't mean that his are the only sweater tastes out there. Afterall, don't tough sea fishermen also wear rugged sweaters? I think that most of them do. Especially during hurricanes when they have to kill sharks and hold their boats together with their bare hands.
Different Styles
This first one is a simple V-neck that you could wear with any kind of shirt underneath for a casual look or with a suit.
(image from zara.com)
This one is almost like a thick jacket. It is a little more rugged looking, nice for a cool evening in the mountains.
(image from zara.com)
This one is also more on the rugged side, but this one is a hooded pull-over. Good and casual.
(image from hm.com)
This last one is a simple cardigan that can be worn over a tee-shirt or over a casual button-up shirt with a narrow tie.
(image from express.com)
Concerns
Sometimes we might be a little hesitant to wear a sweater because it can make us look a little bit thicker through the torso: this can be true. Depending on your body type, this could be a good thing (for those of us who could use a little extra body mass or for those who are of a more athletic build, this could make you look all the more muscular). If you are concerned about that, you could consider wearing an open jacket over the sweater or wear the sweater open, like a jacket. This can take away from the round parts by drawing attention to the lines created by the opening of the sweater/jacket as well as the line between your shirt and trousers. Similar to this:
(image from zara.com)
Whatever you choose, a sweater can be a very versatile piece in your wardrobe that you can wear with a variety of other tops and bottoms. They are generally a bit more expensive than most shirts, but they are a nice in between to have when you want more than a shirt, but less than a jacket or coat.
Cheers!
Adam
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Like a rock star.
Sometimes I'm classy. Sometimes I'm academic. Sometimes I'm a rock star.
All three of these aspects of my personality effect how I dress. But since we'll have lots of time to talk about #1, and since #2 is boring for most, let's look at #3, shall we? For it is this part of me that makes me hum The Ramones while I brush my teeth. It's that part that makes me wish that I could rock it like Freddie. It's that part of me that keeps join a band my Plan D in life. Sometimes, we all need something like that.
I'm thinking that it is a safe to say that most of us, at one point or another, have looked at some musician and said to ourselves, "Man, that guy looks epic." The goal of this post is to help you figure out how to look in the mirror and say, "Man, I look just as epic."
Over the last few years, there have been a few groups whose music I have really gotten into and whose style has really altered my own. Here are just a few:
Brandon Flowers
The Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers has a style that I have come to love and appreciate. Sometimes it's a little extravagant (but, hey, he's a rock star), but at other times it's spot-on rocker classy.
The above picture was a look of his that I loved and wanted to recreate. To do so, I grabbed my once black jeans, a slim fitting white dress shirt with an interesting collar, and a black vest that I once bought on an impulse. I wasn't sure as to how it would look, but in the end, I was rather pleased with it. Here's how it turned out:
Matt Bellamy
Matt has had an interesting transition from a goth-punk look (wholly unfortunate) to a cleaner, hipper look. In the last few years he's worn a v-neck t with a red suit, he's worn some sweet jackets, and other classy, yet eccentric looks. Here's a favorite (he's in the middle):
The alternating black and white is clean, classy, and a little flashy. I love wearing black and white, so this inspired a few looks for me. Here's one:
It's not always about copying what you see; but about taking certain elements that you like and incorporating them into your style. I don't expect you to go for the same looks that I go for, but you shouldn't be afraid of looking for inspiration from new places (i.e. the bands that you listen to). If some of the looks are a little bold for you, that's not necessarily a bad thing; sometimes a little boldness is what you need. White pants!
Looks from other favorite bands
Here are just a few other people from bands that I like. Just to inspire...or not. Take what you will.
Nick Valensi from The Strokes
OK GO
Rooney
Go find something that you like, use what you have to make it work for you, then stage dive off of your cubical at work. Why? Because you're wearing the pants for it.
Cheers!
Adam
(photos from www.muse.mu, www.okgo.net, www.last.fm/music/Nick+Valensi, www.brandonflowersmusic.com, www.rooney-band.com)
All three of these aspects of my personality effect how I dress. But since we'll have lots of time to talk about #1, and since #2 is boring for most, let's look at #3, shall we? For it is this part of me that makes me hum The Ramones while I brush my teeth. It's that part that makes me wish that I could rock it like Freddie. It's that part of me that keeps join a band my Plan D in life. Sometimes, we all need something like that.
I'm thinking that it is a safe to say that most of us, at one point or another, have looked at some musician and said to ourselves, "Man, that guy looks epic." The goal of this post is to help you figure out how to look in the mirror and say, "Man, I look just as epic."
Over the last few years, there have been a few groups whose music I have really gotten into and whose style has really altered my own. Here are just a few:
Brandon Flowers
The Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers has a style that I have come to love and appreciate. Sometimes it's a little extravagant (but, hey, he's a rock star), but at other times it's spot-on rocker classy.
The above picture was a look of his that I loved and wanted to recreate. To do so, I grabbed my once black jeans, a slim fitting white dress shirt with an interesting collar, and a black vest that I once bought on an impulse. I wasn't sure as to how it would look, but in the end, I was rather pleased with it. Here's how it turned out:
Matt Bellamy
Matt has had an interesting transition from a goth-punk look (wholly unfortunate) to a cleaner, hipper look. In the last few years he's worn a v-neck t with a red suit, he's worn some sweet jackets, and other classy, yet eccentric looks. Here's a favorite (he's in the middle):
The alternating black and white is clean, classy, and a little flashy. I love wearing black and white, so this inspired a few looks for me. Here's one:
It's not always about copying what you see; but about taking certain elements that you like and incorporating them into your style. I don't expect you to go for the same looks that I go for, but you shouldn't be afraid of looking for inspiration from new places (i.e. the bands that you listen to). If some of the looks are a little bold for you, that's not necessarily a bad thing; sometimes a little boldness is what you need. White pants!
Looks from other favorite bands
Here are just a few other people from bands that I like. Just to inspire...or not. Take what you will.
Nick Valensi from The Strokes
OK GO
Rooney
Go find something that you like, use what you have to make it work for you, then stage dive off of your cubical at work. Why? Because you're wearing the pants for it.
Cheers!
Adam
(photos from www.muse.mu, www.okgo.net, www.last.fm/music/Nick+Valensi, www.brandonflowersmusic.com, www.rooney-band.com)
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