Your Personality, Your Watch(es)

This represents a portion of my collection; I must say that a watch can make an otherwise mediocre outfit. Those who have been tuning into my blog know of my penchant for Italian style. Italian men are the style world's pre-eminent watch accessorizers. Adding a big, bulky Swiss-Made watch to an outfit adds a powerful punch and catches the eyes of onlookers, regardless of shortcomings in other aspects of your ensemble.

Italians set the standard of a "watch wardrobe" by owning a daytime, evening, and weekend watch to dress-up (or down) other aspects of an outfit. One thing about watches is that they represent one of the more acceptable types of male jewelry, and can make for a powerful accessory for those who are not interested in rings, bracelets and necklaces.

Ideally, those who appear at varied social venues actually need different watches in their wardrobe. I love James Bond, but a diving or sport watch is really not fit to wear at a black-tie event. Poor James wears the same gadget-laden watch on every occasion, and we forgive him on account of the fact that... well... he's James Bond. For those who are not suave secret super-agents, a slimmer, dressier watch is required for evening wear just as one wouldn't wear a wafer-thin platinum watch with crocodile band to the beach.

The best and most desired watches have historically been Swiss or German-made, and can get quite expensive. Those on a budget can find excellent Swiss made watches by Zodiac (see bottom photo) for much less coin than other Swiss watches, but still full of aesthetic appeal (most Zodiacs, including this "Sea Dragon" chronograph, are under $300).

Remember: don't be afraid to go big and chunky, as long as the watch is HOT!

Until next time... Cheers!

-Paul

Standing in for a Necktie

This look is a staple for any man, and I implore you to get comfortable with this look so that you can pull it off with finesse. The look is a cornerstone to minimalism and looks great on any man of style. Let your pocket square stand in for your tie. There are a number of reasons for going sans-necktie; one is the season, and this is a winning spring look. Also, when going to cocktail parties that require a smidgeon of elegance, this look works great. After work dinners (or drinks), casual Fridays... the list goes on. It works.

Try it with jeans, khakis, a suit, odd pants... a navy blazer is a great building block (the navy blazer alone is a wardrobe staple) for this look. Choose a pocket square that compliments your shirt: is this case, both the blue and pink stripes in this shirt are echoed in the pocket square. With a suit, let the pocket square grab the color of a pinstripe or pattern in the suit fabric.

A crisp collar that stands well on its own delivers the appropriate heir of formality to the look. There's really not much needed in the way of instruction: only experimentation, which I will leave to you, my friends. Until next time,

Cheers!

Paul

Suede Shoes trancend Season

Hello again! Today we'll be talking about suede shoes. These used to be referred to as "reverse-calf", which means pretty much what it sounds like: calf leather turned around backwards. Today we call it suede, which sounds oh so much nicer.

The break away from polished leather being the only acceptable measure of shoe decorum in the United States occurred in 1924 during the International Polo matches at Long Island's Meadowbrook Country Club, worn by the beloved rule-breaker, the Prince of Wales.

After much hesitation from retailers and style scouts, not to mention ridicule, fashion arbiters pushed the shoe and by 1932, no well-dressed Brit could finish off a wardrobe without a pair of suede brogues.

The versatility of a suede shoe reigns supreme, being perfectly suited for lighter-shade spring attire and the texture being perfectly complimentary to heavier worsted wool and flannel suits during the winter. Go out and grab yourself a pair!

Cheers,

Paul

Moc Croc Rocks!

Pardon the slightly campy use of titling. It just worked. There is a growing population of sartorial enthusiasts that enjoy "breaking the rules" a bit when it comes to style. I've spoken before about my appreciation of the disheveled elegance so prominent in the Italian principle of sprezzatura, where thowing a little quirk into one's wardrobe by leaving something slightly askew adds to the overall effect of the ensemble.

The slightly "wrong" tie-length, for example, where the skinny blade of the necktie is slightly longer than the front blade... the unbuttoned collars on a button-down shirt... you get my drift. Well here, my friends, is one element of style, one rule that should not be broken. Your belt needs to match (or very closely match) your shoes. This is not really a negotiable rule.

I am a big fan of the clothing of Italian designer Domenico Vacca (http://www.domenicovacca.com/) and his penchant for crocodile (Aligator, actually, but the effect is the same) belts. For those of us without the means to stock our closets with crocodile skin, faux or "moc-croc" works just as well. Pictured is a belt by Trafalgar in cognac, which I wear with my Allen Edmonds Sanfords shown in an earlier post. I love the sophistication of this belt, and the light color is a nice attention grabber.

I have been slowly building upon my belt collection, but I wouldn't be surprised if more and more of them began to resemble the style of this one. I hope this helps. Keep the belts a-matchin'!

Cheers,

Paul

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

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

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