Get racy with OntFront’s casual street style

Dudes, start your engines! If you love fast cars, this new men’s collection, ‘Shift Gear‘, will tickle your racing funny bone.

Beautiful black, stream-lined cars and lots of horsepower was the inspiration for Amsterdam-based OntFront’s fifth collection’. The menswear label, which prides its self on designing for the bad boy and the gentleman, takes on a streetwise approach that they call “sidewalk tailoring” with clean cut yet hardcore designs that emulate a fast city life.

For their fall/winter 2010-11 offering, head designer Liza Koifman drew her inspiration from the world of street racing and night life: “I’ve always had a love for the aesthetics of car design. Spyker, Lamborghini …The aerodynamic lines and forms of fast cars are the basis for this collection of OntFront.”

The 68-piece collection, which consists of jackets, t-shirts, jeans, shirts, and unique blazers, is primarily made with dark colours like asphalt and car tire black, with highlights in red and eggplant colour. The Italian and French imported materials are high in quality being both ‘water resistant’ and breathable.

We love the OntFront aesthetic, pity the label’s only available in The Netherlands and China … when, oh when will they find a distributor Stateside & Down Under?

To get a peek at more from OntFront visit www.ontfront.com.

Oh, and watch the launch video for the collection right here – quirky, yet quite engaging! OntFront – the \”ShiftGear\” Fall/Winter 2010-11 Collection Video

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 …

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!

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!

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!

You don’t need to be Royalty to have a Tailor!

It’s downright unseemly to have a tear in the crotch of your trousers right? So where do you go to mend this? Is there a service where someone can stop by your place to give you what you want in terms of fashion attire? And not just any attire; we’re talking custom made suiting and tailoring.

In Miami, USA, an absolute veteran has moved into his own field of providing custom made suiting and tailoring right in the comfort of your own retreat.
He knew he could lower the price of custom made suits by eliminating the retail overheads and use his contacts to access fabric mills in various countries. The Stylemeisters like him already!

The masked hero, sends out an army of his highly trained reps to men’s doorsteps to measure shoulder widths, arms lengths, torsos, waist size and more, to tailor up a magnificent suite for your body. He then ships your specs to meticulous tailors in Hong Kong who make your power suit within weeks. So who is this genius? We’re talking about Enzo Sartori.

Enzo is a perfectionist when it comes to fitting the right suit to your body shape and size. He’s also passionate about the right fabric for your attire. The secret mills that he sources his product from also make suites for Calvin Klein and Valentino, so you are getting a super deal!

The Stylemeisters are very pleased to see the return of the suit. It seems that disposable fashion is starting to wane and the nostalgic days of old are returning with chivalry. You don’t need to be part of the Royal lineage to have a tailor, all you need is a mobile phone to call Enzo and sit back with a cognac and cigar for your perfect suit to arrive.

I’m a Pant’s Man – fit em’ well please!

There is soooo much out there on the www, that it’s a given you’re going to miss something. So the Stylemeisters beat their chests when they come across such a find.

Bonobos is fashion ‘man-speak’ at its best, and if you know your world animals (and not just think you’re one in the bedroom) you’ll know that the Bonobos is one of the most amazing creatures on Earth, a peace loving, communal living, and (yes, we know!) sexually promiscuous Great Ape that possesses nearly all of modern man’s better traits. The polo & trouser Bonobos company know that these beautiful creatures are in danger so they donate money with every sale and new customer that buys their product.

Bonobos employ intelligent, empathetic people who provide exceptional customer service, free shipping, easy returns, and overall a fantastic experience. No Markups, No Sales Pitches. Why? Because they hate shopping too. They also dislike bad service, retail music that is too loud, and dressing rooms that are too small. Worst of all, the Ninjas at Bonobos hate losing time shopping when you could be doing better things like – beating your chest like a Bonobos! So now, you can experience the ease of online shopping on ‘your time buddy!’.

So who are these ninjas, the stylemeisters ask…
Bonobos was created in 2007 by Brian Spaly and Andy Dunn while they were roommates at Business School. As legend has it, Brian began altering pants for himself using a girlfriend’s sewing machine until Brian and Andy’s friends liked the pants so much that they demanded pairs of their own. They started Bonobos to solve a simple problem: men’s pants just don’t fit well. They’re either too tight to be comfortable or too baggy to look good. By innovating in a few key areas, we’ve developed a fit that looks and feels great for a wide variety of men.

We love em!

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 Style 101 for Men is for real men … not posers!