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Rock the Rep Tie!


Hey guys!

Rep ties were originally designed to show one's affiliation with an Ivy League school. Each school had a tie that was like a unique coat of arms, symbolizing years of heritage and tradtition. Today, rep ties have become a stylistic staple, able to throw a quirky "prep-school" vibe to an otherwise conservative ensemble, or to playfully dress up jeans when worn with a dress shirt.

Many tie-makers design rep ties now that may or may not have any school "ties" (pun intended), but that definitely amp up a wardrobe. Have a few in your collection. I personally think that rep ties work best in transition seasons, such as spring and fall, so now is the perfect time to break one out! Pictured is a more dressed up example, but you can dress one of these ties down just as easily to bring out the colors in a pocket square or socks.
Have fun!

Cheers,
Paul

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Put Your Best Foot Forward!

Hi there!



Today we'll be talking shoes. Brown ones, specifically. American men seem to be somehow enslaved to the black shoe, taking something that God created for weddings, funerals, and court appearances and allowing it to envelope everyday life. It's not enough that we're already all too quick to give up our individuality to embrace conformity in these tough times, when being a by-the-book little soldier is the surest way to
keep a precious job as unemployment rates climb; now we allow our footwear to furthur drain our creative nature as well!

Black is... well... black. Always has been. Always will be. Brown can be chocolate, chili, mocha, almond, cognac, whiskey, cocoa, cafe, espresso, mahogany, rosewood, tan, caramel... I know I've omitted plenty but included enough to make my point. Brown shoes can be as important a part of your outfit as your tie or your pocketsquare! They go with any color suit (except for black), and have as many hues as the air has aromas. Black shoes are an anchor. A safe bet. Unimaginative. Boring.

In Italy, where style oozes from the pores of nearly every man woman and child, black shoes are a wedding and funeral accessory. Well dressed men are almost always shod in brown shoes. Let's break away from the matrix for a while and pop a little bit!

For those just getting started, start with a chocolate brown and work your way to lighter shades. Pair the shoes with a grey suit to start (until your comfort level allows you to adopt other colors), keeping the color pallette neutral. I understand that it can be hard to break the black shoe habit. Start small, but by all means, give it a try (Just make sure to match your belt to those shoes)!

(pictured: Allen Edmonds "Sanford," in Cognac)

Cheers!

Paul

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Shade from the Sun


Welcome back!

There are some things that can be skimped on or found for an amazing deal here and there. There are things that can be thrifted and tailored and still look like they were made just for you.

Today, in fact, I am wearing a brand new cashmere sportcoat that could have only been mixed in with somebody's thrift-store offering by accident. I don't know how it got given away, but I found the same jacket online- with a retail price in excess of $700, the five bucks I paid for it seems a drop in the bucket! We get lucky like that every once in a while.

One thing that definitely falls into another category all together are your sunglasses. You'll never find a handmade pair of Italian sunglasses at a thrift store. Shades that have been made with such high-quality crystal and polarized to protect and assist one's vision are an indispensible accessory that one literally wears across one's face.

Someone can tell almost as much about you by the lenses that reflect his face back to him when he talks to you as he can by reading your soul through your bare eyeballs. Your choice in shades says a lot about who you are.

I don't care who wants to argue with me, but the best sunglasses are made in Italy. Italian-made Ray Ban sunglasses have been iconic eyewear for years. As for me, I love my Persols (pictured), which literally means "for the sun" in Italian. Steve McQueen wore Persols. Jack Nicholson wears Persols. They work for me. The frames are crafted by hand in Italy and every edge that comes into contact with one's skin has been rounded to feel smoother than a bar of soap. It's like wearing a work of art on one's face. And I think we all deserve that luxury!

I'm not saying to go out and rack up a couple hundred bucks on a credit card to get some svelte shades today. But save up for a good pair. Do some research into the brands and styles that you like. Try on a bunch of frames at a Sunglass Hut and see what looks best on your face. Your eyes will thank you, and you'll feel better all over.

Just remember: the Italians do it best.

Cheers!

Paul