camo:

camo:

camo is inherently manly - literally designed to make man one with nature. but much like floral prints which technically can also help you blend into your natural surroundings, it's best done artfully, and with great moderation.

here's my take on the pattern, unless you've nailed the whole nick wooster trend, stick to accessories - a well placed watch strap, socks, or a cardholder - they're a more subtle nod to camouflage without looking to serious. i could never rock a camo blazer, but the subtle take on the tie below from the-tie-bar/nordstroms looks great; it's different, yet not too loud. 

the idea is still keep all those well dressed mannerisms (tailored suits, narrow ties, simple accessories and patterns, leather bottomed shoes, etc.) but also to adapt an attitude of 'yeah, i still pretty much dig tanks.'

je veux:

je veux:
in the spirit of christmas, i wanted to highlight a few things i would ask for were my wife to be much richer. i've also included a few items that a not very expensive at all.

as mentioned before, men tend to be simple, unidirectional creatures. when we settle in on something we like, we will like it for a very long time. this is why a man can get away with the same hair style for the better half of a decade, and why men have knives, watches, or other trinkets that are handed down from their fathers or even grandfathers. this is also why the best gift to give a guy is probably already in his closet, just in need of an update.

grandaddy's pocket knife by roark.

speaking of rock-solid, heirloom quality man gifts, nothing beats this knife. true - there are better knifes with cutting edge steel or laser sharpened ceramic blades. there are knives that easily attach to climbing harnesses, and have assisted opening blades that snap open and lock into place with military precision. but this is a classic knife meant to slip into your pocket at all times. the roark knife is made from brass and rosewood for a timeless look - perfect for whittling, opening boxes, or the occasional bear fight. 

simple, classic kicks.

i feel like sneaker design for guys peaked a few decades ago. things have gotten too complex, and too many guys are wearing marathon-grade running shoes with every outfit because they don't feel comfortable enough to rock a pair of brogues to work. luckily, a few brands like new balance, puma, and nike are dusting off the old classic looks and infusing the design with their best shoe-making tech. the result: a simple, comfortable shoe with clean lines that goes great with jeans, tweed sports jackets, or even the right suit. they look even cooler the more you wear them, and tend to last forever.

the minimalist's manly wallet.

i hate wallets. and i especially hate those massive tri-fold, overstuffed, 26 card holding, 4 interior pockets, mound-like wallets that some guys own. research has actually shown that those wallets can cause back, shoulder, and neck problems. gents, there is no need to carry every receipt, every gift card, or especially those punch cards where after your 10th hot dog at the gas station you get a free dish of nachos. only women are allowed to carry a leather pouch full of useful stuff - they call it a purse. simplify. minimize. whipping post's picker's wallet is perfect for the trick: 3 cards, some cash, and a guitar pick for woo-ing the ladies. 

bonus stocking stuffer: a can of picks.

because the washing machine slowly eats all of your picks, and this has to be the coolest way to replenish the stock.

je veux:

thanks for the support. i've decided to keep writing.


je veux:
in the spirit of christmas, i wanted to highlight a few things i would ask for were my wife to be much richer. i've also included a few items that a not very expensive at all. this list will be spread out over a few posts.

tip for giving a guy a gift:

my taste is hopefully growing up and starting to settle into its own sort of style. i believe that as boys grow into men, they develop their own personal style, and in lieu of branching out into different styles, they explore their own style much deeper. this is, in my opinion, for the best. this is also why the perfect gift to give a man is probably already in his closet - nearing tatters. i read a little quote from mrporter.com that said that the trick to getting a man a good gift is to give him something that he already has, but maybe slightly upgraded. a few great examples are below.

a good shirt, maybe with a bit of heritage.

from j. crew, the thomas mason® archive for j. crew slim shirt in 1905 tartan. tartan is the original english way of saying plaid, and the 1905 stands for the year that this plaid pattern fabric was produced. this is not simply a great looking plaid, it has some heritage. to quote from j. crew:

originally produced over a century ago, this pattern was brought back to life by our design team after visiting the british shirt maker's archives in italy. after combing through their library of over 200 historical prints (some dating back to the 1700s), we hand selected this plaid for its standout pattern, which feels just as fresh today as it did when it was first designed. recreated exclusively for us with the same attention to detail that you expect from thomas mason, this limited-edition plaid can only be found here at j.crew. slim fit—a trimmer version of our regular fit that's cut more narrowly through the body and sleeves.

there probably has not been a solid 4 day stretch in the past half-decade where i haven't worn a plaid. on the other hand, i don't tend to shell out $168 for a shirt on my own. the shirt is classic, plaid, perfectly cut, and probably something i'd already be wearing every other day - the perfect gift.



a new watch.

i need a new watch. but not another cheap one to add to my bone-yard of dead watches that look cool, have survived countless adventures, but aren't worth the price of fixing. for some reason, i want a watch that i can one day give to my son. something hardy and solid, that looks good on a mountain and under a suit sleeve.

with a watch, there's a lot to consider, but at least know these two terms: quartz and automatic. quartz is cheap and easy to make, and keeps the most accurate time. automatic is powered by the movement of the wearer and requires no battery, but does need good upkeep. in my opinion, automatic watches have more heritage and work better for heirloom pieces winning my preference. others may disagree. i have three watches that i feel match me:

bell & ross vintage 126

steinhart nav-b uhr 44 automatic - picture from worn&wound.com

panerai radiomir black seal

three pitfalls in purchasing an expensive watch from gq:

1. too sporty - "there's a difference between a sporty watch and a sport watch. yes, you can wear a canvas-strap timepiece with a blazer. but no, you don't want to wear a rubber, wrist-contoured watch that tracks your time in the half mile with your gray flannel business suit." - gq
2. too big - "is the size of your watch compensating for something?" - gq
3. too ostentatious - "what's more pretentious than a guy in a sharp suit, crisp linen, and a three-figure tie with a giant watch that lights up and is guaranteed to a depth of 660 feet? it might still be ticking there, but the wearer won't. it's like a 200-mph speedometer: the sign of a dick with too much cash. sport watches are for sports, or at least wearing sports clothes. phase of the moon? useful for lunatics, perhaps. the month? if you can't remember that, a watch won't help. the time in milwaukee? i'll bet it's miller time. the truth is that your phone or a $50 watch can do what the $50,000 watch can, and you don't have to worry about it. but a nice slim gold watch—that's a gent's proper jewelry." - glenn o'brien, gq

a new jacket for the mountain. from norrøna.

i found out about norrøna a few years ago and was hooked. the norwegian brand is all business. nothing extra, and no sacrifice for quality. i already have too many shells, fleeces, and softshells, but that's not the point. i don't have this softshell. i know it's a weak argument, but i'll always be in the market to buy a new jacket for the mountain or the sea.

norrøna cuts their jackets very narrow, tapers the sleeves, and cuts the arm holes high. perfect for mobility, looking sharp, and most importantly keeping your jacket out of your gear.



more christmas wish-list next.

father's day:

how to give a gift to a man:
ladies, here's how to buy the perfect gift for a man - buy him something that he already has, but something nicer that he hasn't splurged on for himself already. the best place to look for a gift for a man is in his closet, because men don't like to be made over or given something totally new, just updated or classed up a bit. if you're still at a loss, here's a list of unique things he may not have that any guy similar to me would deeply appreciate on father's day:

log:
yep. a big slab of a european white birch log. but here's the trick, it's designed to be a highly portable bonfire that lights with literally one match. the log is kiln dried, very easy to carry, and burns for up to 2 hours on its own. great for beaches, camping trips, or when a father just needs to go out back and mull over life decisions.

bag:
guys need bags to put there stuff in too, but the predicament is how to successfully carry a bag and still carry your masculinity as well. the best way to stay away from murse (man purse) territory is to think along the lines of an indiana jones satchel used to carry out that golden idol and outrun the massive boulder. tough leather or canvas bags are timeless, sturdy, and carry a hint of the same manly indiana jones swag that men appreciate.

here's the idea with men and bags

tie:
can't ever have too many ties, but to class things up avoid fat and skimpy silk ties with novelty phrases like "super dad" all over them. they're fun for a minute, but remember that dad needs to go back to work when the weekend is over, and a slick good-looking tie always helps with tackling mondays.

all of these ties are available here  at park & bond

grill:
i couldn't resist this one. it's only $35 dollars from weber grills, and almost nothing tops the flavor of charcoal or the feeling of cooking your food over red coals. that's the place where a man develops his own special method for spicing and cooking his meat - that's sacred territory.

swedish teepee camping trip:
if you've got several thousand dollars in loose change, consider camping in scandinavia. this adventurous get-away from dalsland is located in the western end of sweden among the vast archipelagos and deep viking-esque mountains. the activities offered are very manly - you sleep in a swedish teepee, fish in a river off a canoe, eat some down right amazing swedish food, and to top it off you pan for gold in the nearby river. not bad eh?

spruce the suit:

a suit is probably one of the more versatile elements in a man's wardrobe - it can be dressed up or down, and if the jacket is cut right then it can double as a blazer or sports coat. i picked three things that i've seen some guys pulling off to reinvigorate their suits during the summer months.

1. sockless, loafer, and the pant roll.
sockless is huge; if your shoes are high quality and you feet are clean, there won't be any smell and you won't ruin your shoes. sockless works best with a nice dress shoe like a loafer or a slim leather bottomed lace-up. i don't always like to roll my pants, but on a cotton or linen suit, it seems to look pretty nice.
note: to pull off sockless style or the pant roll, the suit pant must be heavily tapered like the image below - extra fabric will kill the look.

2. swap dress shirt out for slim, updated polo.

travel and leisure magazine just slammed utah for its obsessive use of polos and ranked salt lake city as the second worst dressed city in the united states. to successfully wear a polo, think less of abercrombie & fitch, and more of this picture below. a good polo needs to be trim, very-well fitted, and almost retro-looking without big letters or logos. then throw a suit jacket over it.

3. add color.

one of my darker suits is a very light-weight wool that's perfect for warm weather, but sometimes wearing a black suit with a dark tie just looks like you're cooking yourself in the summertime no matter how breathable the fabric may be. if you have a darker suit that fits too perfectly to only wear when its colder, then just add a little color with the accessories to keep it looking current.

je veux:

blue canvas vans. 

the leather tongue, maroon laces, and brass eyelets contrast against the navy blue canvas. kind of old school, kind of new school - but it all works very well when put together. i like the juxtaposition.

red chambray shirt. 

i guess in all honesty, there isn't a chambray work shirt that i've come across that i haven't wanted. something about plaids, denims, and chambrays get me every time - probably because plaid, denim, and chambray shirts were born out of necessity and function.

rolex milgauss. 

clean lines, rock solid durability, and rolex's reputation for outstanding performance hightlight the basic make-up of this watch. but the lightning bolt second hand, minimalist look, and black pvd nato strap are what keep me constantly looking up this watch.  

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.

 

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.

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.