paul stuart:

paul stuart shoes:

i think this brand has basically figured out exactly how men's shoes should be. their mantra: "our goal has never been to be the biggest, only the best."

whether or not they are in fact the best isn't entirely relevant, but what is important is to look very carefully at each and every shoe shown below. they represent the perfect proportions of men's shoes. the brown monk strap shoe front-and-center is the maximum amount of pointiness that a man's shoe can handle before it enters into wicked witch of the west territory. the cap-toe oxford at front right is how squared off a guy's shoe should ever be - very thin, very streamlined, and not really even square. also, every shoe below is a high quality leather with solid leather soles. if you don't have the 500 dollars in spare change lying around to spend on one of these pair, then use the shoes pictured below as a pretty solid guide to how your next pair should look.

more punching up your style for pennies:

below are two more outfits that gq has recreated from designer brands. the price comparison is to show that dressing nice is within the reach of even the impoverished college student.

first outfit:

gq's remake

for the outfit above:

jacket, $99.99 - target
button-up shirt, 14.95 - h&m
foral print tie, $20 - topman
jeans, $49.90 - uniqlo
boat shoes, $90 - sperry topsider

total: $275

total runway cost for band of outsiders outfit below: $3,720

runway original

second outfit:

gq's remake

for the outfit above:

suit jacket, $159, and pants, $89.90 - zara
dress shirt, $27.90 - forever 21
tie, $16 - topman
perforated leather sneakers, $118 - kenneth cole
total: $411
total runway cost for dolce & gabana outfit below: $3,720

runway original

punching up your style for pennies:

gq's bite this style:
so the very stylish folks at gq got together and replicated some of their favorite looks from the fancy pants runway shows in paris and milan. the results surprised me and i wanted to pass on a few of my favorite selections.

the idea is simple enough: replicate and improve upon the latest and greatest in men's style - but at a fraction of the cost and only using brands that are widely accessible.

gq's remake

the two examples of these remakes that i selected were especially chosen for gq's ability to not just mimic, but to improve upon the look they were seeking to replicate. the above look from gq breaks down as follows:

sports jacket, $280 from topman
shirt, $128 from j.crew
chinos, $30 from target
belt, $18 from h&m
flip-flops, $18 by havaianas
total: $474

below is the runway model. im only giving the price of the clothing because i have no idea how much it would cost to obtain a tanning booth for just your head.
total runway cost for dsquared² outfit: $2,940

runway original

i like the next look because it is simple and combines pieces that are versatile, like the jacket that works with a tie but would look just as good with a t-shirt and jeans. also note how much better fitting the pants from the gq picture are, length and taper are critical.

gq's remake

so here's the breakdown for gq:

jacket, $320 from kohl's 

shirt, $15 from forever 21 

tie, $15 from the tie bar 

pants, $160 by banana republic 

sneakers, $50 by converse

total: $560

and here's the cost for the look pictured below:

total runway cost for jean paul gaultier outfit: $3,000

runway original

every so often, investing in a good pair of shoes or a suit is completely worth the money to look just right, but men's style can get a little pricey. using brands like j.crew, h&m, or stores like target can really help keep things reasonable.

texture:

texture is the perfect way to add variety into what you're wearing. to pull it off, wear what you are used to wearing, like simple shirt and tie combo, but with a little more texture. a lot of good style comes from pieces born out of necessity, like say the linen shirt above which is the perfect breathable fabric for summertime, but the fabric also has a unique texture that adds depth and interest to what you're wearing without looking like you're trying too hard or peacocking.

the basic idea then is not just to wear something with texture because it looks different, but to find your texture in something with a little bit of history. a good example is a denim work shirt, corduroy, or the tartan tie below. all have a rich texture that attract your attention, but also were once useful. which is cool.

one of the best ways to inject a bit of texture and depth is with a good tie so here's a few good suggestions. the one above is a rough shantung silk tie from drakes, and below is a woven silk tie from etro.

tartan (plaid) was originally a fabric used by scotish clans to identify themselves, each clan using a unique plaid design. after it was banished in the 1700's by the england in an attempt to control the warrior scots, it became a sign of rebellion. above is a thick woolen tartan plaid tie from alexander olch - it's my favorite tie i've ever seen.

 

man cave:

a good relationship with solitude marks a well-rounded man. to me, few things match the weight of a backpack on my shoulders as i trundle along a lonely trail. or the feel of a worn-out solid mahogany guitar neck, late in the afternoon when i'm home early and given a few hours to clean out the corners of my mind. the group of fine gentlemen that came up with the idea for cabanas understand the principles of a man's required solitude perfectly.

personally, my ideal man cave is a lean-to built from old bricks and solid oak planks; filled with leather armchairs, plaid, nautical books, and a wood burning stove. until i can reach that level of craftsmanship this is where i have my sights set. the cabana is basically a small lockable shed, but most importantly, it's separate from the house. set a latter against the side and the roof is solid enough to put a small coal grill, a chair, and a telescope - perfect for sorting out life.

the skill of layering:

i found this killer park & bond article about how to layer (not generally a manly subject), so here's the basics of how a manly man should comfortably accomplish layering. of the examples they showed, i threw in the three that i felt looked stylish while still securing and defending the highest standards of manliness. they explain:

it’s not science, but there is an art to creating a look that’s both fashionable and can flex with the weather:

1. you’re creating a look that’s designed to adjust with the conditions, so make sure that each piece can stand on its own.

2. that said, with a great layered look the sum is greater than the parts. so when it comes to color, it's best to go for shades that complement, rather than contrast.

3. if you are inclined to throw in a contrasting color, however, make it's the first or third of your three pieces, not the middle one.

4. the key to the monochrome look: differentiate with thickness and texture.

5. finally, we’re talking spring/summer here, so keep the fabrics light.

wilderness is a necessity:

i'm moving to honolulu. 
a few years ago, after moving back to utah from living in southern mexico for two years, i came to a devine moment of enlightenment - with the first crisp fall wind heavy on my brow, i hunched my shoulders to the oncoming icy season and realized 'there are places with no winters.' i had never not had winters growing up in utah, but in mexico, the coldest night i had experienced in two years was just below 65 degrees. when the chance came to earn a living in hawaii, i unreservedly shed the four seasons in favor of two.

but....

even though i don't like the winter and look giddily forward to settling down to my warm sea-side beach bungalow, i have one reservation: there will always be a small slice of myself churning deep down within the nucleus of a man - drawing up the blue prints for a small mountain cabin built upon a rock, in the middle of a river. a part of me will always be plotting an escape route that looks very similar to the picture above, but without houses or people nearby and accessible only by a hand-crafted teak canoe. i believe i will always miss the mountains, lakes, evergreens, and the wilderness in the rockies.

“thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity...”

--john muir 

 

justin's breitling:

only in the past few years have i become a watch guy. i used to just check my phone, and only started wearing a watch when i found a timex field watch with a nato strap that i thought looked neat. ever since then, when i go rappelling or forget to wear a watch, i constantly check my wrist and don't like relying on my phone or my skills at judging the sun's distance from the horizon.

my brother-in-law, justin, always swears by breitlings and i wasn't ever convinced. that was until i saw these two vintage breitling watches being sold by park and bond. the simplicity of the top time (left), durability of the navitimer (right), and 60's era vintage combine artfully. i'm officially a serious breitling fan. thanks justin.

je veux:

a few things i would like:

ray-ban clubmasters. 
these shades combine just the perfect amount of pilot, vintage, and collegiate style. i bought a pair of clubmaster frames for my regular prescription glasses about 3 years ago before i saw all the hipsters scooping them up - i thought my grandpa would get a good kick out it because he owned some clubmasters for years when he was a business school professor. when i did buy them, the salesman called his ray-ban rep all excited because he'd won a bet; apparently they hadn't moved a single pair of those frames until i had walked in and gotten nostalgic. now, i keep considering swapping out the prescription lenses for some dark shades like the ones above.

woven belt. 

just like the very affordable one above from target, except maybe with a brass buckle. i think that woven leather belts have a classy look to them, especially the simpler braided belts with a deeper brown color. great with jeans, shorts, or suits.

green knit tie. 

specifically this green because it's just green - not light green, not dark green, not blueish green - just green. also the green knit tie looks killer with something simple like a striped blue shirt and navy suit. the only thing to avoid with a knitted tie is a thicker width or poor quality.

bolder socks & brighter boat shoes:

bold and patterned socks are now basically an essential element of men's style, and this summer, the brighter the boat shoes, the better. here's how to pull it off: if you want to go for bolder socks and brighter shoes, go easy on the rest of what you're wearing. i like the look above, but if it was worn with a patterned shirt and colored pants it would feel a little too m.c. hammer-esque for my style. i'd stick to some clean dark jeans, and a neutral colored shirt. less is more here, and the simplicity of the shirt and jeans make the red shoes and colored socks stand out in a good way.

stylish old guy:

this guy....

sometimes i'm not entirely sure about how to dress myself - a lot about style is subjective, changing, or just weird. but i do know that when i am an old weathered man, i want to look like this guy....

aside from maybe the ruffled blue shirt top right, every single thing this guy is wearing is simple and classic. the style looks good without anything in particular calling attention to itself. the cut, fabrics, and colors of everything here reflect a refined masculinity. also, the beard and obvious swag of this man make me want to spend my final years living on a wooded beach of the puget sound, crafting a wooden dinghy to take to sea.

gun in hand:

"i'm feeling like rappelling battle creek or upper falls this week" says my wife. this is my woman, she knows me, encourages me, and joins me in all of my hairiest plans.

my wife, erika

me

about a month ago, my lovely wife rolled over and read me a line of text; claiming that it explains me exactly. i almost shed a tear:

"poor rip was at last reduced almost to despair; and his only alternative, to escape from the labor of the farm and the clamor of his wife, was to take gun in hand and stroll away into the woods..."
-- washington irvine, rip van winkle

a man needs a woman who knows him, and knows his adventures. a man needs to marry the woman who knows him, and joins him on his adventures. also she should encourage him to grow a beard - this type of woman makes a man more of a man.

thor's & che's timepiece:

rolex submariner:

a few weeks ago my wife took me to the new rolex store in salt lake. sadly, it was not to shell out five grand for a fancy bracelet that tells time. but it was nice to feel the heft of my personal all-time favorite watch: the rolex submariner. i think there's value in quality and history. like donning the wrist of thor heyerdal, the norwegian anthropoligist who sailed across the atlantic ocean on a sailboat he made from weeds, or che guevara who overthrew two governments and literally wrote the book on revolution - both done wearing the rolex submariner like a sir.

while at the store, the attendant told me about the submariner, explaining that in his short time working he had already had a farmer and a plumber come in to service their submariners. the farmer's watch had been in the family and on the farm for two generations. the plumber loved his rolex because it was the only watch that remained unaffected by him pouring industrial-grade acid onto the watch. manly quality, good style, and history - basically the perfect combination for anything in men's style.

taking back the wedding, the attendee:

attendee:
cheers to you for not having to be in the bridal party. as an attendee, you actually get to soak in the subtle wedding details, eat the food, truly mingle, and steal a few dances without photographers snapping away and a whole crowd of spectators watching. the ceremony is for the bride and groom, but the reception and luncheons are for the attendees. that being said, showing up in your shabbiest plaid and ruddiest pair of jeans doesn't cut it.

my wife carefully anticipated our wedding and we had an incredible time meeting well wishers and friends without having to stand in a wedding line. i truly felt relaxed and part of every aspect in our wedding - cheers to her for being amazing. this is uncommon, however, and the attendees normally enjoy themselves more than anyone else present. as the attendee, your night should be carefree and pretty enjoyable; since your night is planned for you, dress like you had extra time to think about what pants you'll be wearing that day.

jacket or blazer: dress depends on the wedding, but if it is akin to 95% of weddings here in utah - outdoor reception and no stated dress code - then i would say ditch the jeans, and sport a jacket. a jacket is nice because you can dress up almost anything. to make sure the look isn't sloppy, fit is the key - no boxy jackets with massive lapels, paired to baggy chinos.

suits: suits are always great for weddings. feel free to lose the tie or rock a pair of sneakers - this isn't church, it's a wedding reception. here are a few more casual suit options. if the invite does dictate more of a formal attire, then try here.

shirt and tie: nothing's as simple and easy to pull off as a button-down shirt, chinos, and a tie. for extra swag, try tying your own bow tie. again, don't forget that with pants and shirts, slim fitting is the key - not skinny and restrictive - slim.

taking back the wedding, the groomsman:

groomsman and best man:
if you are the groom and can't decide how to dress the crew, consider the following advice by josh thoreson, style editor at park & bond. when asked about the groomsman of his own wedding he explained: "I'm not compelling my guys to wear anything specific. I've just asked them to keep their attire in the same color as mine, and their groomsmen's gift will tie it all together. I think many modern wedding parties follow this kind of program, at least on the men's side."

here's an example: say the groom wears a black suit like the one above to the left. the groomsmen could all be wearing darker grey suits and then for the groomsmen gift, the groom gives them all ties that look good with his. sharp, uniform, yet natural.

know here and now that you, the best man, and your groomsman don't have to wear the same thing, nor match each other perfectly, leave that to the bride and bridesmaids if they so desire.

if you are a groomsman or best man, in most cases you'll be wearing a like-colored suit and matching ties/boutonnieres/shirts. if that's the case, make sure you're suit is slim and tailored, even if it's not your favorite suit (odds are after you get it well tailored, it will be). if you are in matching shirts, consider getting yours fitted. if you are just told to stay within a certain color scheme, pre-approve what you are wearing, and keep accessories and details to an absolute minimun. the only one that should stand out in the pictures is the groom, you should look nice, simple, and very sharply dressed but not overdone.

you've already promised and vowed to not rent a tux at your wedding - good - but then your college roommate is getting hitched and his bride-to-be has her heart set on the groom and groomsman renting black tuxes with black shirts and pink ties. as best man or groomsman, your in charge of making sure the groom looks good, so:

first: try and talk him off the ledge - remind him that choosing his own attire is well within standard groomal rights.

second: if he jumps, and goes for the tux rental, jump with him - he's your friend and what you wear is always second to that.

third: go make battle with the tux rental shop - a few summers ago, i was chosen to be a groomsman, and we were all going to be wearing tuxedos. when i went to get mine at the rental shop, the the store manager measured me and said, 'you're a 42, but your arms are long, so maybe a 44 long or a 42 extra long.' i asked him for a 38 regular. he gave me a flat look, remeasured, and reiterated his previous statement - 44 long or a 42 extra long. after this went back and forth for awhile, he gave in. the 38r was not too small, maybe even a little boxy, but it did hug my shoulders and fit closer to how it should. lesson being: you are at least entitled to a tuxedo that fits your shoulders properly - but even if you will be wearing pink on black on black, wear it all with pride, because whining looks even worse than the tuxedo above.