The new cover of French Vogue features the beautiful Karmen Pedaru, but, uh… I think she’s got something on her face.

Look; I know I’m the girl here and this is supposed to be my thing, but I can’t keep up with fashion. ]]>

The new cover of French Vogue features the beautiful Karmen Pedaru, but, uh… I think she’s got something on her face.

Look; I know I’m the girl here and this is supposed to be my thing, but I can’t keep up with fashion. If you need a vivid mental image to drive that point home: I still wear Uggs. With everything. Because those things are the loophole in the rule that says you can’t wear slippers out of the house, and I’ll be damned if I let someone take that away from me.

But you know what? If wiping your face with the towel you just used to check your oil is what’s in right now, then I seriously must have missed a few chapters and I’m totally cool with it if fashion just wants to go ahead without me. As long as someone can let me know when we get to the trend where it’s okay to wear my Forever Lazy to the supermarket. I’ve got a judgmental deli counter employee to whom I’d like to prove a point.

You know, whenever we go clothes shopping, which is usually when our last pair of jeans has finally ripped a hole in the crotch and our T-shirts have all become sleeveless, we do find ourselves wondering, “Hmmmm, what would random strangers on the Internet make of this outfit.”

You know, whenever we go clothes shopping, which is usually when our last pair of jeans has finally ripped a hole in the crotch and our T-shirts have all become sleeveless, we do find ourselves wondering, “Hmmmm, what would random strangers on the Internet make of this outfit.”

Considering that the Internet is a bottomless repository of class, taste, and discretion, it’s a logical question. Fortunately, these hangers will give you the answer.

A Brazilian retailer, C&A, has every item of clothing it sells up on Facebook. If people like said item, they can just click a button and the counter, clearly visible on the hanger, goes up a notch.

Leaving aside, for a minute, that you’re letting the Internet, a drunken sex-crazed beast that generally attaches itself to insane crap like a flying Pop Tart cat or getting kicked in the balls, tell you what to wear, there’s a pretty serious engineering problem here.

Simply put, it’s a lot harder to “unlike” something than it is to like it, and that’s deliberate on Facebook’s part. So as people’s tastes change, they may no longer like that item…but if they even remember clicking that button on Facebook, they’re not going to bother going back and unclicking it, in most cases.

In short, letting the Internet clothe you is a very bad idea, even if Facebook is in charge of it.

Facebook Dictates Fashion [CNet]

It’s a dark day for all male models out there. Their livelihoods are officially in jeopardy, thanks to Prada discovering an endless supply of pretty boys. Namely JRPGs, as evidenced by their latest pitchmen, the cast of Final Fantasy XIII-2.

What you’re seeing above are selected cuts from Prada’s 2012 ]]>

It’s a dark day for all male models out there. Their livelihoods are officially in jeopardy, thanks to Prada discovering an endless supply of pretty boys. Namely JRPGs, as evidenced by their latest pitchmen, the cast of Final Fantasy XIII-2.

What you’re seeing above are selected cuts from Prada’s 2012 Spring/Summer men’s collection, featuring the men, and one woman, of Square-Enix’s latest JRPG epic. Good luck figuring out which one is the dame!

Have you ever seen a fashion trend and thought, “Why?” Well, get ready to say that a lot when you look at this list.

(Hint: The answer *should* be “the author of this post.”)

It’s said that a girl dresses for one of two audiences.

Staring in her closet each morning, a girl decides who she wants to impress that day – other girls, or guys. The girl that ]]>

(Hint: The answer *should* be “the author of this post.”)

It’s said that a girl dresses for one of two audiences.

Staring in her closet each morning, a girl decides who she wants to impress that day – other girls, or guys. The girl that dresses for other girls puts considerable time and effort into looking like she just swung through her closet, Tornado Rex-style, and popped out wearing the artfully layered look she has on. The combination usually includes articles of clothing that guys (a.) can’t identify or (b.) wish we wouldn’t leave the house in (harem pants fall into both categories, for instance).

When she’s dressing for guys? Things get decidedly easier. Snug jeans and a (relatively) low-cut top. Done. Or, conversely, (relatively) short skirt + snug top. Done.

The first group of girls hope to impress other females with their style prowess, each outdoing the next in crazy color combos, jewelry and (clashing?) patterns. The second girl wants guys to think she’s pretty.

For guys, on the other hand, the choice is usually between dressing for themselves or for us ladies. Dressing for yourself means you give the pants on the floor a quick sniff and throw them on with whatever shirt is hanging most(ly) wrinkle-free in your closet. But when you’re dressing for girls? Our reaction gets factored into the wardrobe equation. “All the girls at work make a big deal when I dress up…so I’m going to wear a blazer today.” “My girlfriend said I look cute in this sweater, so I’m going to wear it on our date.” Given the rewards, the choice seems pretty logical, don’t you think?

Of course, taken too far – obsessing over herringbone weaves, pondering the pros and cons of beige versus taupe in an unlined blazer – that’s not such a turn-on. Thankfully, this phenomenon is mostly confined to the hallways of GQ, and to an elite cadre of menswear bloggers, but just a warning to stay vigilant.

Because as a girl who likes talking about menswear, I want you to look handsome. I do. But as a girl who likes being the girl in a relationship, I also want to take longer than you to get ready. And even then, ten times out of ten I’d rather the first words out of your mouth to be, “You look so pretty,” not “You look so stylish.”

But maybe that’s just me.

What do you think? Would you rather your girlfriend dress “stylish: or “pretty?” Whose reaction do you consider when getting dressed in the morning?

Get any good swag for Christmas/Hanaukkah/Winter Solstice? My parents are of the “Here’s some colorful socks and a gift card to J.Crew” gift-giving camp. It’s thoughtful in the, “We know you well enough to know we don’t know what to buy you…but we know where you’d want ]]>

Get any good swag for Christmas/Hanaukkah/Winter Solstice? My parents are of the “Here’s some colorful socks and a gift card to J.Crew” gift-giving camp. It’s thoughtful in the, “We know you well enough to know we don’t know what to buy you…but we know where you’d want to buy it for yourself” kind of way. Usually I’m guilty of carrying gift cards around in my wallet until July before I finally spend them, but not this year. I’m heading back from the holidays with some clearance-priced, self-chosen clothes in my suitcase.

If you’re like me – new “clothes” stuffed in your underwear drawer, gift cards to burn – it might be time to clean out your closet out in anticipation of some new duds. I always do a quick inventory of my closet at least twice a year. Usually my appraisal comes when I swap out my summer clothes for my winter ones (and vice versa), but the post-holiday season is as good a time as any for a little wardrobe purging.

Here’s what to look for:

Clothes that don’t fit



Take any ill-fitting (but otherwise perfectly good) clothes to a tailor. It’s amazing what an inch taken in at the waist, or removing an extra break from a pair of pants will do to an item’s rotation in your wardrobe. 

If that feels like too much work, give those pieces away. You’d rather have clothes in your closet that you actually like, and will wear. Anything else is just taking up room.

Rips, Stains and Tears



First, try to fix the problem. Sew the ripped sleeve closed. Get the stain out. Find a new button for that jacket missing a cuff. If that doesn’t work, throw the thing out. Or make some new rags for cleaning day. Old t-shirts make great rags, especially those with dumb sayings on them from your frat days.

The Forgotten but not Gone



You know that stuff you haven’t worn in six months to a year? Too-light jeans. Blazers that never quite fit right. The sweater your mom brought back from Boca. Look at it. Really look at it. Will you ever? And not, will you wear it if you lose ten pounds, or will you wear it if you get invited to appear in a music video, but will you ever wear it if nothing else in your life changes? If not, get rid of it.

After all this, your closet will contain more of what you actually wear, and less of what you don’t. Meaning you’re finally ready for a shopping trip funded by your well-meaning but clueless relatives.

(This was the most offensive image that came up when I googled “Thanksgiving” …so of course I used it.)

Tomorrow we celebrate….what exactly do we celebrate at Thanksgiving? Harvest season? Landing at Plymouth Rock? Manifest Destiny? Whatever it is we’re commemorating, we’re all looking forward to observing the holiday with ]]>

(This was the most offensive image that came up when I googled “Thanksgiving” …so of course I used it.)

Tomorrow we celebrate….what exactly do we celebrate at Thanksgiving? Harvest season? Landing at Plymouth Rock? Manifest Destiny? Whatever it is we’re commemorating, we’re all looking forward to observing the holiday with a traditional American food binge.

I’m not about to play Grinch and tell you to ease up on the cranberry sauce this year. No way. This is the one time a year you get to stuff yourself in the name of goodwill and peace on earth (or something like that). Instead, below are a few tips on dressing slimmer for a day devoted to hoovering pumpkin pie like it’s your job.

Small Patterns
Big patterns on your clothes make you look – well, bigger. Stick to subtle checks and prints, and keep them away from your widest canvas – which for most guys is their mid-section. Sorry fellas, that means no reindeer sweaters this year.

Monochromatic Clothing
Wearing one color head to toe makes you look taller and skinnier – always a good combo.

Abandon Pleats
Extra folds mean extra volume in the region us ladies like to call our “trouble area,” that is, the hips, butt and belly. Cut out the pleats to cut out a few phantom pounds.

Skinny Fabrics
Skipping extra material helps; so does skipping extra-heavy material. Stick to slimmer knits and fabrics to cut down on unnecessary bulk. So, Cashmere cardigan: yes. Wool fisherman’s sweater: no.

Up and Down, not Side to Side
Horizontal stripes are no friend to a stocky frame. Keep your look on the up and up with vertical stripes. Thin lines draw the eye up and down (rather than across) your body, making it look longer, and yes, leaner.

Lower that Line
A v-neck is a great “having a fat day” clothing option. By now, you’ve hopefully noticed a pattern – elongate lines and draw the eye away from any holly, jolly hefty zones. The v-neck’s low collar does both.

Not too tight, Not too loose
Picture a chubby girl wearing a skintight dress. Got the image in your head? Okay, that shudder you just felt is the same one women get when they see guys wearing too-tight attire. Steer clear. And at the other extreme, ditch baggy duds; they just make you look sloppy. And no, they’re not fooling anyone into thinking you’ve got a six-pack hiding underneath. A good fit covers a multitude of sins, including that six-pack you polished off watching the game.

Happy Thanksgiving!

For those who didn’t dress up as Mario & Luigi last night, there’s a good chance you were rocking the fashion sensibilities of one Nathan Drake, believe it or not.

One of the biggest games of the year finally came out today, Uncharted 3. Explaining to ]]>

For those who didn’t dress up as Mario & Luigi last night, there’s a good chance you were rocking the fashion sensibilities of one Nathan Drake, believe it or not.

One of the biggest games of the year finally came out today, Uncharted 3. Explaining to folks why the series is so awesome is pretty tough, especially since on paper, it’s actually seems somewhat pedestrian.

It’s about a dude, who’s a treasure hunter you see. He’s actually an ordinary guy who goes on all these kinds of adventures, and … Again, it appears hardly groundbreaking. But it’s all in the details and execution. It does what it does exceptionally well. The gameplay is super tight, the narrative is engrossing… it does what it does, with seemingly little effort. Though trust me, there’s a LOT of work involved.

One central key is the star, Nathan Drake, who is in many ways the poster child of what gaming has become. That being a likeable, and more importantly, identifiable leading man who can kick lots of ass, and even spout lines that are genuinely funny, but is overall quite realistic and even relatable. Sure we all want to me Link, and while it’s also impossible to be Drake, aspiring to the latter is slightly more plausible.

And one way is to dress like the guy. Sony most recently, in one of their 900 press junkets for the title, tried putting Nathan Drake’s “half tuck” front and center, at Fashion Week of all things. Here we Jay Manuel (aka one of dudes on that Tyra Bank show where they convince 60 pound girls that they might need to shed some weight), Ben Lyons, whose apparently a correspondent for E! (which I stopped caring about once they stopped running Howard Stern, sorry), and one of the Kardashian chicks…

There was even a runway show featuring just dudes with half their shirts hanging out, along with a “mobile dressing room” that plucked folks from the streets and helped them get hip with gaming’s most current and cutting edge fashion trend.

Sony PR’s machine has also been busy singling out various random examples of assorted celebs also sporting the “look”, including soccer superstar David Beckham and everyone’s favorite scientologist, Tom Cruise…

And here’s a billboard that also part of the “campaign”; not sure if it’s real or not, but I’ve seen wackier things while on the road…

Sorry, but telling the whole world that you enjoy electronic entertainment via some tattered and worn out “ZELDA’S MY BITCH” shirt is beyond pathetic at this point. Especially since other (and better) options exist.

For example, how about this ultra limited edition Space Invaders watch from Romain Jerome?

Sorry, but telling the whole world that you enjoy electronic entertainment via some tattered and worn out “ZELDA’S MY BITCH” shirt is beyond pathetic at this point. Especially since other (and better) options exist.

Limited to just 78 pieces each (to celebrate how it came out in 1978), there are two styles, day and night. The former you see above, and the latter is basically the same except the action is all white, coated in Superluminova. Each is encased in black PVD stainless steel and sapphire crystal, plus they’re waterproof. No word availability or price, but expect them to be fairly expensive (but worth every cent).

Now, if watches aren’t your thing, how about a wallet made out of a NES controller?

Apparently it’s for ladies, but other than the red zipper, I can’t see why a dude can’t sport one. Makes that lame ass velcro wallet with the NES design printed on that you find at Target and places like that. Unfortunately there’s still a slight problem: it’s one of a kind. But I’m sure they can’t be that hard to make yourself (or simply send the woman who made it your spare controllers and like $20).

Swank Limited Edition Space Invaders Watches From Romain Jerome [GameSetWatch] & For the Ladies: NES controller wallet by Brittany Lynch [Albotas]

Though we on the style side get embarrassingly geeked up over clothes, we also appreciate beautifully stylish women. StyleCaster has a great photo shoot and editorial (but you will probably just look at the photo shoot) with model Irina Shayk. The Russian beauty, styled by Emily Finkbender, ]]>

Though we on the style side get embarrassingly geeked up over clothes, we also appreciate beautifully stylish women. StyleCaster has a great photo shoot and editorial (but you will probably just look at the photo shoot) with model Irina Shayk. The Russian beauty, styled by Emily Finkbender, talks about realizing her beauty through modelling and a potential future guys-only concert series. Head over to StyleCaster to see more photos and read up on Gabe’s future wifey.

In the final installment of the series, I tackle the intimate home-cooked meal. Every lady loves a man that knows his way around the kitchen. Make sure you wear something you don’t mind getting sauce on and let’s face it. If you play your cards right, you won’t have your ]]>

In the final installment of the series, I tackle the intimate home-cooked meal. Every lady loves a man that knows his way around the kitchen. Make sure you wear something you don’t mind getting sauce on and let’s face it. If you play your cards right, you won’t have your clothes on too long after dinner anyways.

This outfit will be very similar to what I outlined on the “How to dress casual” post. You’re in the comfort of your own home with that special lady in your life. You don’t need to impress her. She’s already decided she trusts and likes you enough to come to your home for dinner. This is when you can (and should) show her a little bit more of who you are, your personality, and charm.

However, don’t think you can just wear any old pair of jeans and your old tees. Incorrect. You should still make an effort to wear fitted everything to give off the best silhouette of your body in your clothes. When I talk about your silhouette, I mean how your body outline looks. If you wear baggy, over-sized (or just too big) clothing that outline doesn’t exemplify what you really look like. In fact, it makes you look smaller, especially if you’re swimming in your clothes. I’ll detail all this in another post, but my emphasis on well-fitted clothing isn’t in an effort to make you wear all skinny err’thing. I hate skinny jeans, but I do love slim fits that fit my lower half well. It’s all about putting the best version of you in front of the world. You go to the gym in order to be fit and have a body that you’re proud of. Why hide your broad shoulders or chest under a 2-sizes-too-big dress shirt?

Check out the picks below and keep in mind sizing when you’re in the store.

Gap Straight-fit Selvedge Denim – $89

As I said before, I own these pair of jeans and I love them. I got them on sale, so definitely take advantage of the next Gap discount (I get e-mails all the time). I’ve had them since August and I wear them at least 2-3 times a week. Over time, they slowly molded to my body and they’re my most comfortable pair of denim I have. Granted the rigid wash made wearing them the first month or two a bit difficult, but now they’re perfect. The waist has stretch out a little, which makes me think it’s about time for me to soak them. I don’t want to put them in the wash for fear of losing the shape I’ve spent months trying to create.

L.L. Bean Signature Striped Cotton Henley – On sale $29.89

It’s going to get hot slaving over the oven all night. So instead of wearing a cardigan or chunky sweater over top, I think you should layer underneath. Grab this cotton henley from LL Bean and definitely size down. You want your layers underneath to be slim and very well fitting, so your shirts don’t look bulky from the outside. If you get hot, take off the button-up shirt and show off those guns you’ve been molding since you started going to the gym again this winter.

Lands’ End Canvas Heritage Red Chambray – $49.50

I have the blue chambray from LEC and it’s one of the softest shirts I own. You can wear it by itself or pair it with a v-neck sweater/cardigan and tie to class it up a bit. It’s an extremely versatile shirt, one that transcends seasons as well. Looks great whenever. Just remember to buy a shirt that fits well. If you tend to have a lot of blousing (i.e. the shirt gets semi-untucked and there’s a bunch of fabric folds around your midsection) you may want to look into buying a size down. I usually grab a medium and I bought a small in this shirt (I’m 5’7″, 160ish lbs for reference). The neck’s a bit snug, but after a wear or two it felt fine. If you feel it’s too small (or big), Lands’ End has fantastic customer service. They’ll hook you up and get you the right size.

Well, there you have it guys. Hopefully, you’ve gotten some great choices and ideas for outfits to wear to various levels of dates for this Valentine’s Day. Now go ahead and impress your lady with your new found sartorial awareness. Cheers!

An interesting article popped up on Mashable.com yesterday explaining the sudden influx of fashion brands turning up on Tumblr. If you’re not up on Tumblr, it’s a micro-blogging service that’s somewhere between a tweet and full out blogging. It makes it incredibly easy to share content, be it ]]>

An interesting article popped up on Mashable.com yesterday explaining the sudden influx of fashion brands turning up on Tumblr. If you’re not up on Tumblr, it’s a micro-blogging service that’s somewhere between a tweet and full out blogging. It makes it incredibly easy to share content, be it photos, links, text, or video. As fashion is an incredibly visual medium, it makes total sense that brands are flocking to the web site.

Tumblr is great way to focus and define your brand’s identity through a visual medium (not just for fashion, mind you). For example, a brand like J. Crew may post pictures of the Ivy Style and the booming American/heritage trends. Doesn’t matter if they’re J. Crew campaign shots, all that matters is that it represents how the want their audience to view them. The images add a color and texture to the brand’s identity.

The website has already been adopted by the style/fashion community at large. Tumblr fashion director, Rich Tong, says that approximately 180 of the top 1,000 tumblr sites are fashion/style related and more are popping up every day. This holds true for men’s style as well. This is where I was really able to get my footing in the style blogosphere and get involved in the daily conversations. It’s been a great experience growing with the bloggers that were on there a year ago and seeing how new guys keep popping up. Check out my current 10 favorite men’s style tumblrs and let me know if you have one. I’ll give ya follow!

1. How To Talk To Girls At Parties

2. Edwin Hu

3. Nickel Cobalt

4. Put This On

5. This Fits

6. Suits and Boots

7. Most Exerent

8. Noah Emrich

9. Die, Workwear!

10. The Life and Times of C. Benjamin

[Editor's Note: By no means are these final or in any particular order. There are so many others. If you want to get a full list of the blogs I follow on Tumblr check me out on Pleats Are For Lovers.]

Why Fashion’s Top Brands Are Flocking to Tumblr – Mashable

This weekly feature is a round-up, in conjunction with our friend Tim over at CoolMaterial.com of the hot new products appearing online this week. From fashion to gadgets, take a look at your new obsessions.

Part of our jobs is to tip our beloved readers off to cool stuff happening online and one of our favorite things out there is fashion site Jackthreads. They get you exclusive discounts on premium menswear and accessories, up to 80% off on hot brands daily. So ]]>

Part of our jobs is to tip our beloved readers off to cool stuff happening online and one of our favorite things out there is fashion site Jackthreads. They get you exclusive discounts on premium menswear and accessories, up to 80% off on hot brands daily. So we’re partnering with them to provide you, a beloved Guyism reader, with $200 worth of free gear from the site for doing what you’re already doing.

The rules for the contest are pretty simple: You sign up for Jackthreads’ members only shopping club, like the Guyism Facebook page, and the best comment posted on there before end of day Friday wins $200 worth of free stuff from Jackthreads.

Plus, just for signing up for Jackthreads, you get an instant $5 credit and get to skip the waitlist for whatever gear they’re selling.

Simple enough? So get to it:

Step 1) Sign up for Jackthreads‘ daily members only deals
Step 2) Like Guyism on Facebook
Step 3) Post your wittiest or most insightful comment on our Facebook page this week before end of day on Friday 9/24
Step 4) Possibly win $200

This weekly feature is a round-up, in conjunction with our friend Tim over at CoolMaterial.com of the hot new products appearing online this week. From fashion to gadgets, take a look at your new obsessions.

Calvin Klein has finally gotten down on what’s really important in the fashion industry. Klein hired Italo Zucchelli to design a spring collection that included men wearing micro-capes. That’s right all you super villains and magicians reading — your time to shine has finally come.

A lot of guys like to make jokes about how long it takes a woman to get ready. While that’s an annoying female trait, I tend to think that if a lady needs three hours of spackle and crown molding to make her look good, so be it. But this ]]>

A lot of guys like to make jokes about how long it takes a woman to get ready. While that’s an annoying female trait, I tend to think that if a lady needs three hours of spackle and crown molding to make her look good, so be it. But this may be one step too far…meet British retailer Selfridges’ “nipple enhancers,” designed to give women that “I just walked out of a refrigerator but still hate bras” look.

You can see what a woman wearing the nipple enhancers would look like in the above photo. Not to ruin the mystique, but here they are outside of a woman’s body:

Selfridges claims that these accentuate the currently-trendy “natural look” on a woman. The product description says that “from your favorite magazines, to stars gracing the red carpet, women are showing off their breasts with pride.” Somehow, this means women need fake, perpetually hard nipples.

I wholeheartedly approve. Not because I like my women to have enormous pointy nipples pointing at me all the time, almost as though they’re accusing me of a crime. But rather because I can’t bring myself to buy an umbrella rack and I see no better way of showing a woman, “Hey, you’re more than just an object to me” than hanging accessories off her fake nipples. Ol’ charmer Chris, they call me.

Fake Nipples Aim To Destroy You, Boys [Gizmodo]
Nipple Enhancers [Selfridges]

Business Casual has no REAL definition, well, nothing consistent or coherent, which spans all companies terms of appropriateness. It’s the attire, that mid-point in the corporate world that says “I work hard, but know where all the good happy hour spots are.” It’s the blazer without the tie, the ]]>

Business Casual has no REAL definition, well, nothing consistent or coherent, which spans all companies terms of appropriateness. It’s the attire, that mid-point in the corporate world that says “I work hard, but know where all the good happy hour spots are.” It’s the blazer without the tie, the Dockers without the Rockports, the sass without the pretension.

My roommate’s personal style could be defined as business casual, having always felt comfortable in feeling like she could ALWAYS take care of business, if need be. It’s just an example that just because its for work doesn’t mean it’s a wardrobe to scorn.

A business’ dress code is something that must be learned, no two offices are alike. Take the time to observe co workers and what they’re wearing, note their status in the company, and keep in mind, in any situation where you’re an underling …ahem… employee, it’s never bad to be the best (most conservatively) dressed. As all career advisors tell you, “dress for the job you want, not the one you have.”

I think this is one of the more underrated issues perplexing fresh graduates entering the corporate world (given there are still jobs TO get). It poses the question, “I got the job, now how do I dress for it?”

1 The Trusty Sweater
Whether you were expecting or dreading it, the sweater/sweater vest is the all encompassing, versatile, must-have for every working-man’s wardrobe. Using the sweater as a fashion plate, you can mix and match different items while the sweater takes on most of the focus.

Pairing a dark or bright colored sweater with a striped or light colored button down shirt underneath gives that professorial ‘I read books’ kind of vibe. Most (Business Casual as well as others) Women dig this vibe. Just saying.

Knit sweaters, with carefully, not overdone embellishment carry a subtle “I care what I’m wearing” notion.

Commonwealth Utilities adds some hinted flair to the usually blasé gray sweater. The multi-colored lines provoke a masculine yet tailored look. The detail is what makes this sweater so interesting, and a fine example of using the over-shirt-sweater to its fullest advantage. ($220.00)

St. John’s Bay exemplifies the sweater vest; the careful knit cord pattern is not overly femme and reaffirms that professorial gleam. It comes in an array of colors, from neutral tones to a bright red. Very Versatile. ($44)

I really like this brand Merona and desperately wanted to include them in this feature. It’s affordable, looks great and is found almost anywhere, specifically Target and Kohls. This incorporates that sly stripe style with the clean sweater. ($17) At this low price, you can afford to dress right for the job.

2 The All-Purpose Shoe
The thing that makes a shoe really good, and worth it, is its ability to work with many outfits. A shoe should not just be “a work shoe.” A good shoe spans events, looks good with jeans, looks good with dress pants, looks good in the closet.

The Oxfords are really popular right now. Not everyone can pull them off, and not everyone wants too. But what makes them special is that they can easily go from work to play without seemingly forced. Another aspect of the Oxford is that they can tend to make your feet look longer/bigger. Now some men, like this touch of enhance foot size, but if you’re a size 13+, you may give off the impression you could crush small towns with your paws.

Cole Haan makes great shoes. I think I can say that every time I talk about men’s shoes. I really like the color play gray on white on blue is very Spring, very light, and can be worn with a blue suit or blue jeans. They all so come in black, but these gray duds are doing it for me. ($198)

A good Loafer doesn’t have to have a penny adorned on the front; a tassel or look like you went through grandpa’s closet. Ecco reforms the moccasin/loafer into a new, lightweight, leather necessity. It promotes heel and sole comfort, so if you’re on your feet all day THEN going out that night, these shoes will keep you standing. ($140)

3 The Well Fitted Blazer
Personally, there is not much sexier than a well fitted blazer on the back of a man. If on right, it broadens the shoulders, chest and confidence. With a good blazer, you can pull off the nice button down shirt alone (sans tie), with a sweater (vest). Simple works when you have a structured/tailored piece.

The blazer comes in array of textures and colors, rooted in nautical history, a trusty blue blazer will always be a sure-fire. Blazers can be business, or they can be your cool weather jacket, THE OPTIONS ARE ENDLESS.

A first date blazer is golden, wanting to impress without coming off too strong, or that you have the Barney’s floor-plan down pat, pairing a good dark jean and corduroy coat makes this early Spring that much Springy-er.

From Overstock.com “Measurement Guide”:

* The first part of a blazer size is a number; this is your chest measurement or your over-arm measurement minus 7 inches.
* If these two numbers are about the same, you’ll use your chest measurement as your sport coat size. If the measurement over your arms is larger than your chest, use your over-arm measurement (minus 7) as your size.
* The second part of the blazer size is a word or letter; this designates whether the sport coat is short, regular or long, and it may just be the first letter: S, R or L. The letter or word refers to your overall height, but these measurements are flexible.
* Be aware of your overall body proportions and choose the sport coat length that covers your rear end without going any farther. For example, if you’re 5’10″ but you have a long torso, then you may want to shop for a long sport coat.

Short: 5’5″ to 5’7″
Regular: 5’8″ to 5’10″
Long: 5’11″ to 6’2″

Blazer by Theory, exemplifies that classy, clean, no need for a tie, Look. Trim, tailored and modernly classic, this blazer can take you from lunch with friends, to dinner with in-laws. ($495)

Croft and Barrow sticks with the simplicity and class that makes a blazer/sport coat just that. The clean lines and standard colors is a perfect edition to your wardrobe. Seen here with a tie, and buttoned, this jacket can easily go from day to night; unbutton that top button, throw on jeans and Voila! Class. ($150)

4 The Belt
The Man-Belt.

There is nothing attractive about slouched pants in the work place. No one wants to see your boxers/underwear peeking through your white Oxford. There is no situation where you should come into work with a Saggy Bottom.

A belt can dramatically change how a pair of pants fit. A simple cinch of the waist gives the impression to your cohorts that clothes CAN make the man. Looking comfortable and confident in your clothes makes your coworkers, prospects, employers feel more confident in you.

Belts can be cool too. I’d stray from the glaring buckles, bedazzled with sports teams and kitschy one word jokes, and go with the clean black, brown, blue route. The belt doesn’t need to be the stand-out, rather the subtle something that makes you stand-up straight.

Fossil makes really affordable, really good quality goods.. I know them mostly for their watches, but when I saw this belt I literally EEP’d! I will continue to love color blocking and experimenting with color, and this brown leather DURAN belt does just that. Even those small hints of detail (fading color) come across, even if the belt is not the center of attention. ($30)

Hugo Boss is known for Men’s Clothing. They have practically reinvented how men look and care about clothing. This belt is a perfect example of their style and quality. The gorgeous metal against black leather is masculine and really aesthetically pleasing. A good choice for keep pants on, for that moment. ($85)

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In short, most of us, will at some point, or already do, wear Business Casual.

Take it in stride. Love your duds no matter the occasion or style.

The most important thing, in the entire fashion world, is exuding the confidence your clothes allow you to feel. Don’t wear what you think someone else will appreciate.

Trust your gut, because in the end, you’re the one who’s got to wear the clothes.