Tip-of-the-Day: Lose the super skinny sh-t

A movement starts. Men start wearing their clothes more fitted, in part due to European influences.  More and more men shop for slim clothing, putting new found effort toward looking stylish. Time passes.

A trend starts. Trendsters get wind of this new "tailored" look and, in what seems like a natural progression, bring it to the next level. Slim turns to skinny, and stylish begins to look a whole lot like corny. A trend dies - some men go down with it.

Seriously, fellas, enough with the super skinny sh-t. In particular, ties.

There is nothing more "trying-too-hard-looking" than a tie that can be mistaken for your little niece's fat sneaker laces. At 1" (2.54 cm) wide, neckwear screams "look at me, I'm really cool!".

Your tie, like your clothing, should be slim, not skinny. The difference can be inches, or fractions of inches, but it is crucial.

When it comes to neckwear, try not to go any slimmer than 2.5" wide (2.75"is my ideal width...for now). Sooner or later tie widths are going to swing the other way, along with lapel widths and jacket lengths.

Oh yeah, and proportions are key! While I try to figure out a proper tie-width-to-waist-size ratio, lets just say that if you are a big guy, a skinny tie won't look any better on you than skinny jeans would.

Thanks for reading!

Yours in style,
SB

Tip-of-the-Day: Say NO to designer belt buckles!

We get it. You went to Hermes, or Ferragamo, or Dolce & Gabanna and spent $300+ on a new belt, and you want everyone to know. The irony is, there is nothing that makes a man look more corny (and borderline insecure) than a "I paid alot for this!" belt buckle. Not only does it take attention away from your outfit, but it pretty much screams "fashion victim".

Instead fellas, go with something slim, classic and subtle, like this alligator skin piece by Martin Dingman for dressy occasions:

Or this rough and rugged bridle leather strap by John Varvatos for more casual times:

On a similar note, if someone asks you what brand name a piece of your clothing is, don't be quick to shout a high-end designer's name. It doesn't make you cool. Even if you remember the exact price and the sale associates face, play it cool and act like you don't remember. Modesty is charming.

Yours in style,

SB

Tip-of-the-Day: Beware of the Epaulet Take-Over

There was a time, a couple of years ago now, when it was cool to wear a military-inspired jacket or shirt with epaulets (shoulder straps) on the shoulders. This time is now passed.

It was a trend, and as with any trend, anybody and everybody jumped on the bandwagon and epaulets began popping up everywhere, including stores like H&M and Zara, which means everybody was rocking these way-overused shoulder garnishes. Even more corny was that these straps began showing up where they certainly didn't belong or make sense, including t-shirts, leather jackets and sport coats, all of which look absolutely ridiculous.

Today's tip: stay away from any kind of sleek, modernized form of the epaulet. Unless you are wearing a vintage fatigue jacket or a classic trench coat, or you are in the military/law enforcement, a pilot, or a park ranger, try to stay away from shoulder straps altogether...most of the time it screams "look at me, I'm hip and trendy!".
Yours in style, Style Blogger.

Move On: Plaid Shorts

Again, sorry to my readers for my slacking lately...life has been crazy (i know, i know, no excuses).

While I was on hiatus, I've been thinking of new features for the blog. Apart from taking my first pictures for my "Street Style Spotted" feature where I take pictures of stylish men I come across on the street, I'm also introducing a new feature called "Move On" where I will highlight fads/trends/popular looks that we all need to put away and move on from.

The subject of this first "Move On" feature is plaid shorts. It seems for the past two summers men have been wearing plaid shorts on every occasion possible. Let me be the first to say it: lets retire the plaid shorts (this includes small and big "checks" as well as madras).

It was cool when it first started and only the "cool" stylish guys were doing it...but now every man, their father, and their grandfather has at least one pair. It is no longer unique...and when it is no longer unique (especially when it is a look that is meant to "stick out") it is game over.

Thanks for keeping up, even when I've been slacking. I'm back on a more regular schedule, so keep coming back for your daily sartorial fix.

Yours in style, Style Blogger.