19
Top 10 men’s fashion brands … and why …
Which men’s fashion brands are the most popular in the world of style today? With a commitment to excellent design, tailoring and manufacturing, these leading menswear brands will give you a fashion fix for life.
1. Ralph Lauren
A luxury lifestyle brand like no other, Polo Ralph Lauren tops the men’s fashion brand charts (especially in the USA) in male wear. Ralph Rueben Lifshitz (aka Ralph Lauren) did not attend fashion school, but worked for Brooks Brothers as a salesman in the early sixties. In 1967, with the financial backing of a friend, Lauren opened a necktie store where he also sold ties of his own design, under the label “Polo.” In 1970, Ralph Lauren won the COTY Award for his menswear line. Around that same time he released a line of women’s suit that were tailored in a classic men’s style, which was when the first Polo emblem was seen. It was on the cuff of the women’s suit. Ralph Lauren, released Polo’s famous short sleeve mesh shirt with the Polo logo in 1972. It came out in 24 colors and soon became a classic. He also gained recognition for his design after he was contracted to provide clothing styles for the movie The Great Gatsby. The rest is history.
Today, Ralph Lauren is a US-based sought-out brand preferred by many men for its quality, design and chic, high-end fashion. In 2009, Ralph Lauren reportedly had a market value of $11 billion.
2. Diesel
Vibrant, bred in Italy and a firm favorite with men around the world, Diesel’s clothing is aimed at the young adult market, particularly its jeans, but the brand can now be found on everything from underwear to fragrance. Diesel’s innovative approaches to fashion and art includes endorsing young creativity by sponsoring the Diesel-U-Music Contest and the Sundance Film Festival as well as being the first clothing company to market their clothing in video games.
3. Calvin Klein
CK is a popular for its mad style amongst most fashion conscious guys. From sportswear, to denim and underwear, the CK brand is iconic and has made huge strides in the world of designer brands. Think of the fragrance line alone – ‘Eternity’, ‘Obsession’ and ‘CK One’ – each a stand-alone brand in itself. Calvin Klein’s underwear business, promoted in the 1990s with giant billboards showing images of pop singer “Marky Mark” – now actor Mark Warlberg – was so successful that the brand’s underpants became generally known as “Calvins” in everyday lexicon. As of 2008, Calvin Klein’s proceeds stood at $5.8 billion.
4. GUCCI
This Italian brand is a top men’s fashion luxury line which claims a wide share of the global market. The trademark striped webbing on their leather goods has been just one of many clever innovations that have come from the inspirational house of Gucci. Founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci, the brand has gone through a thousand and one evolutions, from fame to shame, from true design to fighting knock-offs and from family roots to deep rivalry. “In the 1960s and 1970s, Gucci had been at the pinnacle of chic, thanks to icons such as Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Jacqueline Onassis. But by the 1980s, Gucci had lost its appeal, becoming a tacky airport brand.” Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter. However a turnaround of the company was devised in the late 1980s and has since made Gucci one of the world’s most influential fashion houses – it was recently named one of the best classic garment dealers in the world and sported an ample $4.5 billion in earnings in 2009.
* Useless fact – Guinness World Records cites Gucci’s “Genius Jeans” as the most expensive jeans in the world. A pair of Gucci jeans that had been distressed, ripped and covered with African beads, when they debuted in October 1998 in Milan, were priced at US $3,134.
5. Burberry Prorsum
Founded by 1856 by Thomas Burberry, a 21-year-old former draper’s apprentice, Burberry Prorsum is today a deluxe British-owned fashion corporation, popular for its clothing, fragrances and fashion accessories. The brand’s distinctive tartan pattern, a type of plaid pattern, has become one of its most widely copied trademarks of all time including the Burberry Equestrian Knight Logo with the Latin word “Prorsum”, (def: forwards) developed in 1901. In 1911 the brand became the outfitters for Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole, and Ernest Shackleton, who led a 1914 expedition to cross Antarctica. A Burberry gabardine jacket was worn by George Mallory on his ill-fated attempt on Mount Everest in 1924. In 1914 Burberry was commissioned by the War Office to adapt its officer’s coat to suit the conditions of contemporary warfare, resulting in the “trench coat”. After the war, the trench coat became popular with civilians.
The iconic Burberry black, white, red and tan check was created in the 1920s and used as a lining in its trench coats. Today, the Burberry Prorsum brand is well-known for using British celebrities in its advertising, including models Kate Moss, and most recently actress Emma Watson, who was named the face of Burberry’s 2009 Fall/Winter campaign. Burberry accrued sales of $1.125 billion in 2009, 25% of which resulted from the American market.
6. Nike
According to Greek mythology, Nike was the goddess who personifies victory and today, the Nike “swoosh” logo is universally recognised as a symbol of “triumph”. Founded in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports by Bill Bowerman and Philip Knight, Nike is the world’s leading supplier of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment with revenue in excess of $19.2 billion USD in the 2009 fiscal year .
Positioned as a premium-brand, selling well-designed and expensive products, Nike lures customers with a marketing strategy centered on a carefully protected “urban fashion” brand image popular in the youth, chav and hip hop cultures, and via sponsorship agreements with celebrity athletes, professional teams and college athletic teams. Nike’s brands include Nike Golf, Nike Pro, Nike+, Air Jordan, Nike Skateboarding and subsidiaries including Cole Haan, Hurley International, Umbro and Converse. In addition to manufacturing sportswear and equipment, the company operates retail stores under the Niketown name. Nike also teamed up recently with Apple Inc. to produce the Nike+ product which monitors a runner’s performance via a radio device in the shoe which links to the iPod nano.
7. True Religion
This fast growing, trend setting and street edgy American premium clothing line, was established in 2002 by Jeffrey Lubell and co-founder Kym Gold when it debuted denim products from their LA base.
Recognized for its t-shirts, western styled shirts, sweatshirts and sweatpants all containing the western vintage feel, True Religion is a premium brand – its jeans can range between US$250–$300. Recently the company has begun branching into new products such as footwear, headwear, handbags, swimwear, eyewear, and fragrance and today they have around 900 branded boutiques and specialty stores in 50 countries on 6 continents. Their 2008 revenue figures came in at USD $270 million and in 2009, True Religion generated world net sales of $311 million.
8. Abercrombie & Fitch
A US bred fashion brand, A&F is a booming men’s garment conglomerate that brought in $3.54 billion in 2009. The brand specifically focuses on casual wear and accessories for a target consumer ages of 18 through 22. With over 300 locations in the United States, the brand has embarked on international expansion throughout various world markets
The brand is today heavily promoted as a international near-luxury lifestyle concept. The company began cultivating an upscale image after the opening of its Fifth Avenue flagship store in 2005 alongside Prada and other upscale retailers, coming up with a fictional dictionary term – “Casual Luxury” – “[using] the finest cashmere, pima cottons, and highest quality leather to create the ultimate in casual, body conscious clothing,” and “implementing and/or incorporating time honored machinery …to produce the most exclusive denim…” This upscale image has allowed A&F to open stores in international locations concentrating on high-end retailing. To that effect, price points in international A&F stores are notoriously almost double the American pricing to promote an international upscale image. While the Casual Luxury “image” is continued, the trademark itself is not as widely used as before. CEO Mike Jeffries calls the A&F image a “movie” because of the “fantasy” that plays out instore. Even some of the A&F clothing is given a story: “You buy into the emotional experience of a movie,” Jeffries explains, “And that’s what we’re creating. Here I am walking into a movie, and I say, ‘What’s going to be [at] the box office today?’” (The Stylemeister: “Hmmm … sounds a bit cheeseball and try hard, Mr Jeffries.”)
9. Dolce&Gabbana
Recently celebrating 20 years of design, the original brand was founded by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, and is more formal and ‘timeless’ than it’s younger, more flamboyant little brother D&G – a slightly more casual line that follows an urban inspiration and attempts to set trends rather than follow them. The design house describes itself as “new luxury, authentic and unconventional – a style that expresses new forms of elegance, presenting itself as a modern classicism” and is known for its geometric and dark approach to fashion.
10. Armani
Ranked as one of the world’s leading menswear brands, Armani is an Italian luxury fashion which has a faithful male following who appreciate the clean, tailored lines of each collection. Giorgio Armani formed his company in 1975, and by 2001 was acclaimed as the most successful designer to come out of Italy, with the business making an annual turnover of $1.6 billion, and a Giorgio enjoying a personal fortune of $5.3 billion. Innovative and future forward, Armani was the first designer to ban models with a body mass index (BMI) under 18. The Armani Privé spring/summer 2007 fashion show was broadcast via MSN and Cingular cellular phones and after LG teamed with Prada to introduce the LG Prada phone, Samsung joined Armani to design the Giorgio Armani phone. Armani designed made-to-measure suits for Christian Bale’s character Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight. Soon, ads featuring “Giorgio Armani for Bruce Wayne” were released with pictures of Christian Bale wearing Armani suits. However, Bale later claimed in a GQ interview that the campaign was produced without his permission.
Armani has established approximately 2,000 stores worldwide with a yearly revenue of around $1 billion.
Other mentionables not on the list are Prada Pour Homme, Harley Davidson Clothing and Ed Hardy – each iconic, each with a distinctive male offering. Get out there, check them ALL out for yourself, you won’t regret the investment.
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Resources:
Annmicha Blugh, Break Studios Contributing Writer, www.mademan.com
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Investor Relations
Better Investing, The Leader in Investment Report: Nike
Burberry Brings Its Luxurious Brand
Fashion Design Schools: Giorgio Armani Profile
Market Research World
Harley Davidson Sets Lay-offs
University of Oregon Investment Group
True Religion Apparel Inc.
www.wikipedia.org
6
Chillax dude … be casual about your stylin’
You like kicking back, you don’t like fussin’ too much with your gear, you couldn’t care less if the world’s haute couture designers and their creations were banned from the face of the planet (except that all those gorgeous models would also disappear from the catwalks …), you pull on whatever looks good and is within hands’ reach, and your wardrobe motto is “keep it simple stupid!”
You’re casual … dude!
Nothing wrong with that … you’ve just got better things to do than obsess about brand, fit and trends. However you’re not 100% clueless about your style.
Your brands are Levi, Worn Free, Swear and Volta shoes, Calvin Klein, Redwing, American Apparel, Abercrombie & Fitch, Armani Collezioni, Nudie Jeans and G-Star Raw.
To keep it casual, just make sure you’re on top of the best pieces to keep that look going:
5
Rock contemporary style, contemporary man!
Are you a man who enjoys fashion forward clad, cool bits and bobs and pimped up footwear? Do you wear brands with a commitment to exceptional quality and do you follow independent designers with distinct visions?
Then you’re a contemporary man!
You’re a guy who sees himself as strong and fearless when he’s rocking trend driven luxe looks from edgy, cutting edge designers! Your wardrobe is filled with a mix of the good old staples and a complementary mix of indulgent and exciting brands like D&G, Mulberry, Ralph Lauren, Timex, Prada, Oakley, Marc Jacobs, G-Star Raw, Belstaff, Fred Perry, Hugo Boss and Vivienne Westwood.
And if it’s not and you long to look, be and breathe contemporary, then look no further. Get these essentials into your wardrobe:
28
Virtual Style: Men’s fashion on Second Life
I was poking around the web today when a very cool site nabbed my attention – An online gallery focused on the fashion of 3D men in the virtual world ‘Second Life’. Talk about stylishly trippin on fantasy.
Apparently SLmen.com is one of the major men’s fashion websites on Second Life, with now more than 3,500 unique visitors per day average (the numbers can rise to 6,000 on days when new posts are published) and an average 400,000 page views per month! SLmen is included in the “fashion planet stream“, which allows even more readers to see each of the post 600 posts published to date. Seemingly impressive numbers …
Each SLmen fashion pic is carefully created by designers living in Second Life, using best practices in photography and lighting in SL, as well as the best poses on the market (model poses can be purchased with SL currency – the Linden dollar – everything and anything’s for sale I guess in a hypothetical universe).
As well, most of the fashion items in the pics on SLmen are available for sale on Second Life and can be bought and tried virtually via a SLURL to the designer’s shop.
And here we were thinking that Second Life and existing in virtual worlds was a dying trend! Not to the apparently 18 million registered account users.
Although the MSP crew is more interested in living in the real world, we must admit that SLmen’s fashion is out of this universe … literally. Take inspiration from it and if you’re game (get the pun?), try Second Life and its fashion world for yourself. www.secondlife.com
7
Real men wear PINK
No matter the season, winter or summer, warm or cold, in order to keep your stress levels down, you need an easy approach to life that always begins with your mindset.
Which should then translate to your clothes. Studies show that wearing light colours is one way of lifting your mood. Gents, there’s evidence to suggest that colours not only have an impact on our mood, but can affect us physically – our internal organs and our nervous systems react to colour.
Get this – The human body is made up of every colour in the rainbow. Our growth, immune system, blood pressure, temperature, muscle activity, alertness are all affected by light rays.
There are two ways of receiving colour:
1. By looking at colour with our eyes and by absorbing colour through our skin. Different coloured lights will affect us as will our clothing – as light passes through the fabric so light waves penetrate our system. The pineal gland is a cone shaped gland located deep inside your brain and is sensitive to light. This gland produces the hormone melatonin, regulating sleep, affecting our sex drive and having an effect on our biorhythms. The amount of light can be affected by changing seasons which can affect your body function.
2. The pituitary gland is a pea sized gland hanging from the base of the brain just below the optic nerve and is affected by coloured light. This is the gland of the endocrine system and it releases hormones directly into the bloodstream, which regulate the control of many of our body processes – our sleep and sex drive, but also our temperature, energy, metabolism, appetite, our mood and our feeling.
So … which colours are for you?
Knowing that we absorb colour through our skin we can perhaps understand some of our natural choice and instincts. For example when we are depressed we may choose to wear black to cloak us from the world as black allows no light onto your skin (whereas white clothes allow all colours of light onto our skin). However we would be better treating depression by wearing reds, oranges and yellows to lift our spirits rather than containing our negativity in black.
Generally clear, bright and light colours are considered positive and they’re great for winter wardrobes because they contrast wonderfully against the drab weariness of the season.
Let’s delve deeper into the meaning and influence on your persona when you wear lighter colours:
Real men wear pink? Perhaps unsurprisingly as pink serves to sooth, calm and nurture it is often associated with the female and all things feminine. However men who wear pink tend to be perceived as pretty bold, and infact exposure to pink can lessen irritation and aggression and offer love and protection. It apparently draws people in and therefore alleviates loneliness, despondency, over-sensitivity and vulnerability and unlike the passion of red, pink represents unselfish and long lasting love. Wearing a pink shirt pink could influence your ability to be more affectionate and loving … it’s an excellent colour (and often instinctively chosen) for developing self-love and security.
Our yellow energy centre is located in our solar plexus and exposure to yellow light can affect our skin, pancreas, liver and our eyesight. Yellow light directly stimulates the brain and the nervous system (motor nerves give energy to muscles). A lack of yellow light can cause fear, instability and shyness. Too much yellow light can cause us to be dominant. A balanced amount of yellow light can keep us alert and engaged, give us clarity and help us make decisions. Yellow represents the intellectual and thought and can aid memory, organisation, and the ability to see others point of view. Those who wear yellow will be interesting, spontaneous people who enjoy challenges, but may also be nosey and enjoy an argument (mental conflict as opposed to physical).
Because yellow is usually illuminated by artificial yellow light inside our homes, it can be too harsh on the nervous system. As a mental stimulant, a soft creamier yellow may be a good choice for an office or study.
Sky blue is a very popular colour for clothes and homes. In fact half of us prefer to paint the inside of our homes blue. Blue helps us relax (the deeper the blue the more relaxing) and expands room size whilst making us feel quiet and protected.
Blue is known to be a cool, soothing and calming colour and it is a fact that blue light can lower blood pressure and acts as an anti-inflammatory.
Blue energy is centred at the base of the throat and affects the thyroid gland, which helps to regulate the body’s energy levels. Blue is apparently able to promote good verbal communication and creativity and stimulate imagination. It is associated with mental control and clarity – a higher part of mind than yellow.
Blue is a colour of peace and trust. It is also the colour of faith and wisdom. Wearing blue is meant to stimulate your artistic, perceptive and sensitive side. You may seek a more peaceful environment and be a good practical problem solver (if a little slow to reach decisions).
White light includes every colour in the rainbow. Its energy centre in the human body is at the very top of the head (sometimes the crown is also associated with violet). Because of its location, white acts on the brain and the nervous system. When focused on white can influence our sense of empathy and unity and is calming.
White is the colour of purity and peace (waving a white flag). White always gives the sense of time and space to reflect, free from clutter thus it is the preferred colour for minimalist interior designers. However high exposure to white can cause a sense of loneliness and excessive vulnerability. Likewise if you wear white, whilst you may be open, positive, and well-balanced individual, you may also be a loner who is yearning for a simple life or looking for recognition. Sometimes people are drawn to wearing white during a period of change.
Grey is the colour of self-reliance and control but as it is also the colour of smoke, fog, and clouds it could represent a lack of clarity, evasion and non-commitment (it is neither black nor white).
So should you jump onto the colours and psychology bandwagon? It’s up to you. The color that you’ll be most drawn to is usually your subconscious mind telling your brain to seek out a particular color for its healing properties. Or, maybe it’s not and there is nothing to it more than just a reflection or absorption of light and the way that our brain interprets it. Whatever the reason, I think I’ll go to my white and tan sitting room and chillax …
19
Best Jeans for Men
Distressed, ripped, tattooed or all-dark and sleek – jeans are now very OK, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, in the office and out of it, as everyday wear in men’s clothing. They’re so ‘in’, that Yves Saint Laurent even once commented that, “I wish I had invented blue jeans. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity – all I hope for in my clothes.”
When it comes to jeans dudes, you don’t have to go super-tight, but at the same time, don’t be afraid of going to a tighter cut than what you might normally feel comfortable in. Slim tapered jeans look great on most men, but if you’re not game, a straight leg or boot cut will function just as well.
Jeans are accentuated best by the shoes you wear (see examples in the image gallery below) and by the top you choose to match the jeans with.
In summer, a simple tee will do, and in winter, try layering – wear a white tee or singlet, a jean shirt (open) and a dark biker leather jacket also open worn over the jean shirt – HOT!
When it comes to designer jean labels, True Religion, Levi, Rock & Republic, Diesel, even JAG, all offer edgy, progressive design inspired by rock & roll and bikers with an emphasis on modern silhouettes and sleek fits. And if you hadn’t thunk it already, the denim industry is a trillion dollar heavyweight that has a finger in every fashion label – and the ad campaigns for denim go through the roof – both in originality and price, as denim marketers try to catch your attention.
Ignore the hype and look for the best deals possible: You can get great specials on jeans (particularly at the end of a season), but without a special, a really good pair can be found for around $140 or so if you shop cleverly. This is not unreasonable, a good pair of jeans should last you a long time if taken care of properly.
Here’s a breakdown of the best jeans styles around and a bit of info on what you should pick for you!
Straight and Loose Fit
Straight jeans are cut the same width from thigh to hip and seem to suit most men, especially those a little heavier all round. Straight jeans also suit the older gentleman because they tend to be more classic and traditional but please, please gents DO NOT TUCK your shirts into your jeans unless you have a waist to die for. Big tums accentuated by tucked in shirts are not flattering at all; instead try a dark, untucked shirt with a u-shaped silhouette to make you look slim.
Loose fit jeans have more room on the bottom and thigh by about an inch. They have a tapered leg but it is a bit looser than the classic cut. Loose or relaxed fit jeans are the most popular for men because they generally feel more relaxed and they allow men to move more and be active.
Boot Cut
Western jeans are a similar fit to classic jeans because they have a slim fitting bottom and thigh, but instead of a normal leg they have a boot leg cut which simply means the jeans are tighter around the bottom of the leg.
Slim
‘Slim fit’ is exactly that – slimming and tapered all the way down from thigh to heel. Suited to the slimmer and muscled man.
Tight & Skinny
A trend that’s been around for a while (and that doesn’t look to be going away that quickly either) is the ’skinny jean’ – a blood constricting fit, cut throughout the leg. Tight jeans are particularly popular with teenagers and young adult males. This generation is currently in the midst of a jeans revolution. Skinny jeans are a part of the younger generation’s culture and way of expressing themselves and making their own fashion standards.
Carrot Jeans
Carrot jeans are for the brave. The very, very strong and courageous. This new, and growing trend made for the trend mad youth market is suited to the daring male fashionista. Apparently a brainchild of the Levi Corporation, the style was “inspired by the Tokyo’s underground subcultures and (is) a fresh attitude to an otherwise tired and drab denim world”. As the name suggests the jeans are baggy around the thighs – sometimes excessively roomy a la harem pants – and taper down to a narrow ankle. Not for me folks, not for me, but if you’re game, please rock the carrot by all means!
And finally, here’s a sneak peek at Mangano’s new denim for men ad campaign. HOT!
5
Dolce & Gabbana Menswear – Spring Summer 2010
It is THE coup de foudre of this fashion season and probably the best ever collection to come from any one menswear designer in years.
Imagine solid colour accented with detailed trimming that is presented in a bold almost brash fashion. Imagine a collection where white becomes the new black and black is presented in new and ever inspiring shades of the hue that you’ve never ever imagined. Imagine bling and sparkles come alive in this the most masculine and geometric of designs to come from the genius minds of Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana.
The collection is sheer manliness; it screams elegant masculinity from the rolled up trouser cuffs (a 20s trend making a truly inspired comeback) to the erstwhile rough and tumble yet elegant jean designs that have become synonymous with D&G and blocky black single button suit jackets that are visual sex on tap.
And we can’t go past the finale – the striped bling-shine, crackin’, fitted tuxedo suit that would certainly leave any James Bond fan and character breathless.
The MSP team is extremely thrilled with this amped, spiffy, cray cray, hoppin’, off da heezie, tight, kick in the pants collection!! Enjoy and if you can afford it get some of these pieces into your wardrobe; namely – a pair of the slim black casual trousers (roll em up for the best effect), a crisp white shirt and white trimmed jacket, a striped suit and that HOT tuxedo jacket. And don’t forget those sleek dress shoes … a must have for any self respecting gentleman!
31
What does Jeffrey Donovan aka Michael Westen wear?
OK dudes, we’ve heard your numerous cries of help and we’re here to render assistance. Many of our searches and requests on the MSP site have been pleas for us to uncover what the heck Jeffrey Donovan wears, on the popular TV show ‘Burn Notice’.
If you haven’t heard of it, ‘Burn Notice’ is a very well written tongue-in-cheek spy caper that’s obviously got a massive (underground?) following and its star, the wry and dry Michael Westen (played by wry and dry Jeffrey Donovan) has become a cult phenomenon. I know coz I watch the show religiously and I love it so much that nobody, and I mean nobody, is allowed to speak to me while its on.
In probably one of the best characterizations on TV today, Westen is the unlicensed private investigator/spy/soldier of fortune who manages to remain highly fashionable, while being consumed by the desire to find out why he has been burnt (i.e. blacklisted as a CIA spy/agent).
Westen is highly trained in various forms of martial arts, such as Sambo, which he uses when pretending to be Russian or whatever other nationality is required to bring about his own kinda loose justice. His cool demeanor and sarcastic tongue gets icier as he battles and outwits an array of mobsters, con artists, contract killers, professional thieves, drug traffickers, sex traffickers, deadbeat dads, arms dealers, kidnappers and war criminals without breaking a sweat in his very cool designer threads.
Here’s a breakdown of his wardrobe. Enjoy and beg us no more!
NB: Westen is a one-woman man and boy are we loving that here at MSP. There’s nothing like a man who’s committed to his woman and not to childish playa antics. Swagger!
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- Jeans – Rock & Republic jeans are a premium luxury lifestyle brand and are apparently synonymous with sex appeal, innovative style, and edgy sophistication. They’re ‘manufactured with the notion that everyone deserves to dress like a rock star.’ Too much pressure, we say. I’ll only wear it if I look good in it, not if I want to channel Jon Bon Jovi. But then again …
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- Sidearm – SIG Sauer P228 (9×19mm) – the official site states it well: (and I wouldn’t want to refute their brand message for fear they send a marksman after moi!) Sig Sauers are the weapons of choice for elite units around the world, and the smart choice for anyone, with a hard-earned reputation for getting everything right – design, materials, precision manufacturing, ergonomics, function, safety, reliability, durability, maintenance, accessories and options (eh … and accuracy! Sheesh …)
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- Shirts – Kenneth Cole – Touted as the designer of “Prada for the people,” Kenneth Cole got his foot in the door of the fashion industry selling shoes out of the back of a forty-foot trailer in Midtown Manhattan. Because parking permit restrictions prohibited him from operating a retail business from his vehicle, he changed his company name from Kenneth Cole, Inc. to Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc., and applied for a permit to shoot a film called: The Birth of a Shoe Company. Cole parked his trailer across the street from the New York Hilton Hotel, and sold a reported 40,000 pairs of shoes in less than three days. Love it bro! KC now designs full ranges of classic, stylish clothes for men.
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- Sunglasses – Next to Michael Westen’s signature Oliver Peoples Victory Polarized Aviator Sunglasses, these BCBG Max Azria Melrose Sunglasses from the “Shot in the Dark” episode of Burn Notice have to be the most asked about shades on sites like seenon.com. Love ‘em. Woah!
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- Suits – Hugo Boss and Armani. Michael Westen has come to personify the Miami laid back, no tie, cool linen suit look. It’s a classic style that is far from James Bond as Obama is to Bush, and for that we are very chuffed. However we believe Westen is reliving the good ol days of Miami Vice a la white linen suits over pastel shirts, except that he gives it more of a noughties preppy feel. Ah well, a man can’t run away from his city’s legacy now, can he?
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- Watch: Chase-Durer Special Forces 1000 UDT – We’re not going to lie. Chase Durer’s Special Forces watch is the ultimate in ultra ruggedness gets, at least on your wrist. These fine precision instruments are found hovering through the United States Naval Academy, West Point and the Air Force Academy. Proud owners include Generals, Admirals, Combat and Commercial Pilots, Fighting Ground troops, and other wanna-bes who seek the sexy power, performance and design of Chase-Durer’s Swiss military precision. Hu-AHHHHH!
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- Boots – Mark Nason. With the brand tagline ‘Rock Never Dies’, these boots kick ass! They’re handcrafted in Italy and have the soul of mega attitude mixed with stylefrom the tips of the signature toes to the distinctive profiles, luxurious hand-distressed leathers and signature dragon detail. They’re designed to complement designer denim and dress casual wear but we say they also look hot mixed up with a classic, designer tailored suit.
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- Michael also has a fondness for yogurt (particularly blueberry) – yorghurt being good “spy food” – full of protein and nutrients and easy and convenient for a spy to eat during a long surveillance. I spy, with my little eye, real style, in Westen!
29
Loose fitting clothes – art or deception?
There are reasons why men wear what they wear. And at Style Power we have looked into the psyche of why we do such a thing. Men will usually wear what they are use to or have seen. But they also wear clothes to purposely look good or bad. (I see you’re perplexed) In this instance, loose fitting clothes are to hide something, and in most cases it’s a body that men don’t feel good in. And this is the reason why in our e-book we unpack the archetypes of men as well as disclosing 3 key body shapes to educate you in what will really look good on you, and more importantly make you feel good.
In a word loose fitting clothes represent, sloppy. Eek. (Unless of course you are a rapper). Choose clothes that fit your body. This might take some experimentation by mixing and matching certain cuts and styles until you find the right fit for your body that is flattering; but it is worth the time.
1
Oscar G doesn’t wear skinny jeans. Oscar G is a real man.
Woopsie!
Oscar G doesn’t wear skinny jeans. Oscar G is a real man.
When Oscar G (a friend of the StyleMeister) posted the following status on Facebook today “ I don’t wear skinny jeans’” he didn’t expect the mad rush of responses. In just an hour, the man had 45 comments of all them giving the man a big nod.
It seems that although we argue endlessly about the ethics of nuclear war, squabble about who killed Michael Jackson and trade blows on Iraq, there’s one thing we all (all?) unanimously agree on – tight, bum squeeze denim is a definite no-no!
See, the bum squeezer only looks great on anorexic female models and some normal chics. The minute real men try and floss in tight jeans they look like human popsicles – their guts and nether parts are suddenly thrown into relief and wait for it … we all begin to question just how comfortable they are with themselves, (and their sexuality) if they’re constantly mincing around in skeletal jeans and tight trousers.
When you’re trying too hard to fit it all in, it doesn’t work and it shows!
So unless you’re a ditsy Zac Efron, The Jonas Bros, an alien from outer space, Robin Hood or an all American baseball player whose being paid millions to wear them, puhleeeesssse avoid the bum squeezer!
Skinny jeans don’t live here gents because Men Style Power is for real men … not posers!
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