Men's Matters Archives | Page 9 of 25 | Blueprint for Style

Bottoms

Shades of Grey

Most men don’t do color (I know we’ve talked about this before, right?). C’mon ~ just try something new and more colorful…and I’m not advocating or even pushing for a full-on lime and cherry striped suit with a lemonade tie but, try it out in doses. Here are the levels and you can pick what’s comfortable for you: toe-dip: bright shoes {people notice your shoes especially if they’re juxtaposed against a neutral navy suit or camel slacks waist-high wading: bright

2012/05/23

Bottoms

I’m Gonna Get You (Seer) Sucker!

Brooks Brothers invented seersucker in the 1920’s to American’s who needed a material that could withstand the summer heat ~ the smooth and puckered texture provided more breathability and prevented the fabric from sticking to the skin. Aren’t you happy you can be cool with seersucker?! Bonus: the word “seersucker” is derived from the Persian word “shir-u-shakar” which means “milk and sugar,” relating to its smooth and puckered texture. (thanks for the cue Brooks Brothers) Now to wear seersucker and

2012/05/21

Footwear

More Shoe Sh*t

Learning is a lifetime experience….or in this case, a weeklong experience! A few more cool sole-ful facts: The two most common types of dress shoe construction are Blake and Goodyear. The former involves stitches that go directly through the outsole, insole, and upper directly underneath the foot. This results in a shoe that is less waterproof but also far sleeker. Goodyear construction, meanwhile, uses a welt, which precludes the need to stitch through the insole and upper and makes the shoe

2012/05/18

Footwear

How-to Winterize Your Leather Shoes

Why you ask? Because winter is gone and before you put up your shoes for next year, prepare them for a long summer’s rest in four easy steps: ensure leather-soled shoes have been well-oiled to resist seepage spray. it’s doesn’t discolor but it requires multiple applications and will eventually lead to some cracking of the leather (if the spray has silicone) polish. get a water-repelling cream wax. note however that beeswax darkens the leather and can take some time (but

2012/05/18

Footwear

Men’s Sandals

Or Mandals ~ you need a pair for summer {not Tevas, or flip flops}. But you knew that too, right? Keep it simple, make it leather, and get either one of these {click the pic}: I’m sure I don’t need to say it but, these sandals do not come with pedicures so make sure to get one of those too!

2012/05/16

Footwear

Shoe Sh*t

If you learn how to take care of your shoes, you can high step your way to just about anything….. There are two lacing systems: criss-cross and bar; bar is more formal and criss-cross works best with sneakers and deck shoes. The Spaulding Leather Company coined the term “loafer” in the 1930’s Unless you’re headed to pre-Civil War function, the toe box of your footwear should be more rounded, not square. But you knew that, right?

2012/05/14

Bottoms

$700 Denim

These PRPS NOIR Barracuda denim jeans are $682 at Matches. What makes them special and worth $682? PRPS has perfected weekend denim They’re straight-leg, classic rise They’ve been distressed, whiskered, and faded Still not getting it? Neither are we….

2012/05/10

Footwear

Not-So-Creative Sneaker Choice For Men

The answer is Converse. It’s the answer because guys don’t want to spend money on “new & hot” items, they love what they know {and what works}, and they like ‘easy‘ {I mean that in the most respectful way possible}! You can go lots of places to get Converse, so here’s some solid advice for purchases even if they’re not Converse: Get a pair of white sneakers….for weekends, yachting, company BBQs Get a pair of dark sneakers….make sure they’re canvas

2012/05/09

Men's Matters

Men’s Shirts For Under $100

That’s easy because you need them ~ for spring and summer, you can do cool plaids, polos, or henleys. We found lots of great options for under $100 at Piperlime (my new favorite store for casual guys stuff…) These are the shirts that will work all weekend, for your vacations, under sportcoats, alone…and even look good on your girlfriend in a pinch ~ easy, stylish, put together but not too much!

2012/05/07

Footwear

Worn In But Not Worn Out

There is a pointed difference between ‘worn in’ and ‘worn out’: worn in is your favorite tee that fits, doesn’t have holes and just looks like it’s traveled a few miles while, worn out are the sweats you wear around the house with holes in unmentionable locations and a waistband whose glory days have come and gone {let them go!}. Today we look at worn in weekend footwear: oxfords and loafers. Saturdays, weekends and vacations are about relaxation, and there’s

2012/05/03

Men's Matters

Don’t Get Played By Plaid

It’s doable and tell me this contemporary plaid blazer with collarless shirt isn’t HOT! Wearing plaid doesn’t have to be professorial, geeky, loud, or stuffy. Gucci under the guidance of Frida Giannini has flourished and while this particular combination may be out of your price range {blazer, $2,350 and shirt, $510}, consider the possibility that plaid is a new classic. Here’s a Gucci Prince of Wales check blazer, ASOS Slim Fit check blazer, or Peter Millar Vespa sportcoat that captures the

2012/04/27

Bottoms

Club Monaco for Men

Not only has Club Monaco finally created an e-commerce site, but they’ve bolstered the men’s section. First, a few ground rules: they do casual and dressed up casual they do slim to medium-build men very well (huskier types….not so much except for the tops) they do muted colors and earth tones That said, here are some of their best looks for March, April & May ~ find some inspiration to add a layer, throw on a different style tee, or

2012/04/24

Furnishings

Mobile Men’s Fashion

Recently Conde Nast Traveler did a piece on 11 mobile stores to visit and we were intrigued…and now fully engaged! Last week, we highlighted Bootleg, a women’s footwear shoegasm in Austin, TX. This week we checked out Aetherstream out of San Francisco, CA ~it’s kinda like the SWAT team of Aether’s bricks-n-mortar outfit. Aetherstream features tailored, technical lifestyle apparel for men. It’s weekend and outdoorsy gear that is anything but grungy ! more rugged individualist. We haven’t been inside but

2012/04/23

Men's Matters

It’s That Time of Month…

What were you thinking?! April is the month to purchase rain gear. Move quickly before April showers are gone, sunshine is hear, and prices go up along with the mercury! go high-end with Burberry London go with fun colors by Helene Berman get edgy with black leather by Romwe go classic with J.Crew go all-out and throw caution to the wind with Dsquared2 Either way, hop to it and search for what you love. Guys we didn’t forget about you

2012/04/21

Bottoms

6 Things We Want to Share This Week

The summer Olympics are three months away but, Ralph Lauren unveiled his Olympic and Paralympic designs this week that consisted of all white with red & blue accents. They are available at Ralph Lauren for purchase. Not to be outdone, Stella McCartney released her summer Olympic designs for Great Britian’s team ~ the first time a fashion designer has been given that honor {GB’s look better!} Kehinde Wiley {pictured above} is a New-York based artist whose claim to fame has been streetwise

2012/04/21

Bottoms

Gents~ F** The Spring Cargo Pants Trend!

Yeah I know what you were thinking…I was saying “funk the spring trend!” as in funk it out and don’t stick with the ordinary. This spring’s trend include cotton and shiny double-breasted suits, striped sweaters, white pants (as always), suede wingtips, bomber jackets/trenches/parkas, and cargos. Today it’s all about cargos…. they’re on the comeback they’re more fitted/slim the pockets are more forward-facing they’re available in more colors {than the traditional olive/khaki} they’re still everything casual…except Our top five picks {based

2012/04/18

Men's Matters

Rimowa Luggage for Your iPad

This is strictly for the fellas…. Rimowa luggage is this German-made indestructible stuff that’s been around since 1898. Their stuff is no-frills but sleek (albeit a tad pricey at $280), and they now make protection for your iPad! It’s got their signature grooved design, can take a beating and still deliver you in style. You know you’ll buy two or three others that will add up to more than this one ~ so just take the plunge once. This is the

2012/04/13

Furnishings

The Way a Man Dresses

I was in deep thought this weekend when I came up with this thought ~ it’s the way a man dresses in his down time that truly shows you who he is and what he’s about. During the day, it’s all about the “uniform” ~ whether that’s a Brooks Brothers suit in a law office, a Fedex polo for deliveries or, an American Airlines uniform if you’re a pilot. So what differentiates the dapper don for the everyday joe is

2012/04/09

Furnishings

Men- STOP Playing Like You Don’t Love Fashion!

Here’s what I have to back it up….according to NPD Group: men’s apparel sales are one of the brightest spots for retailers right now men’s apparel sales increased 4% last year to $55.71 billion driven by…. tailored clothing (up 22%) dress shirts (up 14%) neckwear (up 34%) {but not men’s jeans [down 1%] or woven shirts [down 8%]} Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue men’s fashion directors all say men’s apparel sales are trending nicely and making the biggest bounce

2012/04/06

Men's Matters

Sayonara Simon Spurr

It’s so long to Simon Spurr at Simon Spurr. On March 16th, amid thinly veiled references of longstanding agreements, Simon Spurr and Judd Nydes, co-founder, simply released a statement saying the ‘fashion love affair was over’. Spurr will remain the creative consultant for Tommy Hilfiger. You say, “So what?!” Well for now it means nothing since all the major shows are over and technically it could continue to mean nothing if none of you even buy the brand (it’s expensive).

2012/04/04

Footwear

What’s Black, White & Textured All Over?

Only the hottest trend for men’s fall footwear ~ herringbone! Right now, it looks hot (literally) but Royal Elastics, Creative Recreation, PF Flyers, and Puma are the trailblazers. We love it because the texture of the herringbone provides that extra bit of ‘oomph‘ to your dark denim or black slacks. Were you looking for something to rock on the weekends that is still casual but sets off your black sport coat, or something to wear to date night so you

2012/04/02

Fashion

Men’s Style Tip

No longer does wrinkle-free mean uncool. If you travel then you know how difficult it is to get off a Transatlantic flight and still look fresh {not to mention a trip to Africa of the Far East}; and not everyone has the pleasure and comfort of traveling in business or first class. If you’re like me, you’ll need to be ready to hit-the-ground-running when you land. The answer is wrinkle-free and the best brands to ensure you look like a

2012/03/28

Grooming

“The Bomb” Men’s Consignment Store

“The Bomb” isn’t the name of the store – that’s Ina – and it’s in New York City. And actually there are six locations, so know which to go to for what: NOHO at 15 Bleecker Street is for men and women SOHO at 101 Thompson Street is for women NOLITA at 21 Prince Street is for women NOLITA at 19 Prince Street is for men CHELSEA at 207 W. 18th Street is for men and women UPTOWN at 208

2012/03/24

Men's Matters

Go High-end Webster or Go Target

We just got word that The Webster in Miami is doing a designer collab with Target. This collab, due out in May, will feature a collection in which everything is under $50 (hello!) and while it likely won’t be the same stuff from Milan Vukmirovic‘s super high-end Miami hot spot {they carry Balmain and most of their shoes run 4-5-6-$700+ bucks!}, we’re almost assured the $18 Havaianas will be! This store is for you if you want ‘uptown boy meets city

2012/03/22

Bottoms

Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Pants For All!

This isn’t rocket science but every man needs an appropriate selection of trousers. What are they? We went to Zara to see if we could find everything we need and , lo and behold, we did! dress slacks, $59.90 ~ they’re meant for meeting the parents, a museum outing, a cultural event, a swanky guys dinner chinos, $59.90 ~ they’re meant for a feeble attempt at dress up, a casual dinner at a friend’s house, Saturday chillin’ jeans, $79.90 ~ wear

2012/03/16

Our Blog

News, Articles & More

Shades of Grey

I’m Gonna Get You (Seer) Sucker!

More Shoe Sh*t

How-to Winterize Your Leather Shoes

Men’s Sandals

Shoe Sh*t

$700 Denim

Not-So-Creative Sneaker Choice For Men

Men’s Shirts For Under $100

Worn In But Not Worn Out

Don’t Get Played By Plaid

Club Monaco for Men

Mobile Men’s Fashion

It’s That Time of Month…

6 Things We Want to Share This Week

Gents~ F** The Spring Cargo Pants Trend!

Rimowa Luggage for Your iPad

The Way a Man Dresses

Men- STOP Playing Like You Don’t Love Fashion!

Sayonara Simon Spurr

What’s Black, White & Textured All Over?

Men’s Style Tip

“The Bomb” Men’s Consignment Store

Go High-end Webster or Go Target

Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Pants For All!

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