The Westwood Homeless

Right so this must be the new way designers are showing off their ranges, because if you put all this stuff together for your daily outfit, you’d be looked upon as some homeless duff. Right? So, in viewing these pictures, you can see that the consumer would more than likely say, “Ok, I love the belt on that look, and maybe the shoes on this look” but all in all, is it a piece-meal collection or one peppered with utter genius?

“Last night the press release for Westwood’s menswear collection, for Milan Fashion Week, declared: “Perhaps the oddest of heroes to emerge this season, Vivienne Westwood found inspiration in the roving vagrant whose daily get-up is a battle gear for the harsh weather conditions . . . Quilted bombers and snug hoodies also work well in keeping the vagrant warm.” Yes. The homeless.

Of course, in the candy-colored world of Vivienne Westwood, homeless people are all young with great bodies, high cheekbones and flawless skin, and they all have super-styled hair and brightlycolored clothes. And sometimes they’ll walk around in big goofy hats or even teddy bear heads!

Darlings, you just can’t write about it! Well….I just did.

SO – we all know that inspiration comes to artists in various forms, but for a high level designer such as Vivienne Westwood to be inspired by the homeless means there has been a scary increase in percentage of these forgotten people. So if that is the case, and she is riding the dusty coattails of these people; then every piece sold from the collection, should have a percentage donated to the homeless. Our belief is if the influential are going to take something from the homeless who have nothing, then something should be given back. Agree?

2009; The year that was, well almost.

As you ponder NYE disasters and adorably futile resolutions…(but hey, they sounded good at the time), take a moment to reflect with the Stylemeisters on the year that was like a rabbit staring into headlights. I’d like to think that we were eating cointreau dipped carrots at the time, but I’d be lying. We’ll catch you at the gym, next week.

Life is life, as we will possibly sigh when we reflect on our personal journeys of 2009. Will next year be better? Will it be much of the same, will we get it? Or will we just move along with the tide? This year for some has been an absolute disaster and for others total bliss. But life is not without her disappointments or victories. We’re hoping there have been more victories than disappointments.

Our Style E-book is filled with reasons why we all need a little help with our personal style. Not all of us are born with the ability to match colours, or shapes and styles. Believe me, I’ve seen some freakin’ disasters! Our E-book is a thorough read, covering styling tips for the absolute essentials in a man’s wardrobe and is accompanied with the importance of dressing from the inside out. And we’re not talking about the ever-popular Calvin Klein’s. We’re talking about how you speak, how you sharpen your decision making, your accountability, your attitude, your self-preservation and your problem solving. Believe it or not fellas, women will be able to sniff this out like choosing the right perfume for her at the Jo Malone or Chanel counter! It is almost instant when she senses something that’s not quite right…for her. So if you’ve got love on the calendar for 2010, or you have that gorgeous gal in your sights already; best you get to our E-book www.menstylepower.com

We  at our Style HQ are passionate about searching deep within the male spirit to bring you to a profound realisation of what YOUR life is about. Men are more prone to depression, anxiety and fear these days due to the instability of the workplace, and their lack of belonging and fear of failure. We seek answers for you and have case studied people, books, situations and have talked to a lot of men and women who are at a cross road in life regarding their personal style and what they are attracting and what they’re Not.

Style is a key attraction to what you want in life, and we want the best for you! Dress sharp, feel good, brush your teeth.

Happy new year. We’ll be seeing you soon.

Vampires and their Hair

Quite unknown and obviously youthful, Kristen and Robert have exposed their real-life relationship which obviously has developed from their silver screen tension. Clearly Robert Pattinson is the heart-throb of nearly every teenage girl on the planet. And included in this group are Gen X and Baby-boomers who are happy to reminisce on such days when innocence of a first love flourished. Robbie has by-passed the Hollywood code of conduct and rule book, to draw in his co-star with chivalry, gentlemanship and respect. Wow – those are words not used nearly enough in the media these days, but the question remains…are they here to stay or are we going to have another Rihanna and Chris Brown saga?

Pattinson is to me, very uncomfortable in real life. He’s shy, awkward and with his angular face washed of the Vampire makeup of the alluring character Edward Cullen, the dangerous predator disappears and the true person remains. Feeling comfortable in your own skin must be one of the most difficult life lessons, and yet many of us blokes don’t get it until we’re starting to get that salt and pepper look on top and we give in. Oh well, youth has eluded me so I may as well just accept my look. Yes! Do that! But do it now.

The Vamprish style has always been controlled by black. Black isn’t a colour, it’s a shade. So it will sit well on anyone. Because the pupils of our eyes are complimented and the composition of this shade brings focus to the face. The timeless look of this style is in the fusion of loose fitting jeans, ties, vests and tailored jackets. Absolutely no jewellery. The best palette is charcoal, grey, deep blue, black, metallic and white. And as for the hair – that ‘just got out of bed’ look is the go.

Let’s talk about Sex-eee-ness…

We’re never ready for that electable feeling of manliness that can creep into our groins when traipsing home from the boxing ring in sweaty Lonsdale’s and smelling not far from an abattoir. But you’re feeling good. Damn Good.

And we’re never expecting the moment when you’ve fully serviced yourself in the shower, sung few tunes of Sinatra or T.I. in the foggy mirror before towelling yourself off like you’re whipping numchucks around your body like your 5pm Ninjitsu class. You hear that Dolce and Gabanna suit calling your name in the next room so you mince on in, as if it’s to be greeted by the girl of your dreams cascading down your pillows. But once dressed, you feel like a garbage bag of beer bottles.

So what is it!

Blame hair loss, even bad lighting – nothing can prepare you for this cruel dichotomy. And what’s even crueller is – Men who possess an innate manliness tend to do the least worrying about how they measure up to the very mystery of sexiness.

So let’s firstly establish one thing – Sexiness has nothing to do with Sex. It’s inextricably linked to sex as a concept but totally separate from the act. Yes fellas, we’ve all head it before, feeling sexy is a state of mind and sex starts in the brain. If you can get into her head – it’s done and dusted. But let’s get back to you.

Despite the preoccupation with sexiness; it gracefully transcends age. You may be feeling threatened by those Gen-Y’s with their uber-cool ‘off the clock’ magnetic pull of every 25 year old kitten that you’ve got your eyes on, but fear not my friend, sexiness has a lot to do with posture, voice intonations, dress code, smell, dimensions of your ‘Guns’ and owning yourself, more than you think. It’s about being at home in your skin and having a healthy dose of Ego (not one that you park in your garage every night).

So, if you’re wanting to hear more about sexiness, how to attract a women through your style, your dress, your tone of voice; we’ve got the e-book for you!

Brace Yourself!

Nothing is amusing or frivolous when it comes to Style. Fashion on the other hand, being a very different concept, allows the ‘fashionistas’ to frolic and dance through materials, designs, carrot top jeans, fluros and more (while I’m somewhat snickering on my sleeve over being told by a trend setter that carrot top jeans were here to stay – not!) but back to Style; no, there’s nothing amusing. It’s a serious business fellas. Because it is the outward and very public expression of YOU.

Now, if you’re in a panic during this financial crisis over the cost of designer and high quality items, then fear not. Because focusing on Style allows you to stand quite still, while Fashion creates a drunken mess, Style cleans up on integrity and class.

So accessories. Braces to the Brits, suspenders to the Americans and Caps to the Aussies…we all have a very distinct signature piece per country. The Stylemeisters suggest that you have a good look at the signature piece that you want to bring into your Style. For example -  John Galliano is very ‘pirate orientated’ and Karl Lagerfeld holds his trusting fan. You cannot separate the one from the other. So gents, start your engine in this crisis and lend an ear to what is comfortable and familiar and like second skin to YOU.

In the meantime, we’re loving the reintroduction of braces. It was considered a while ago that braces were unnecessary and outdated, but thanks to a few savvy designers, they are back. And they’re looking good.
The braces are no longer humbly a mere functional item concealed behind a jacket or blazer. They are bolder and more eye-brow raising than ever. And we like it that way. Braces may have been closely associated with clowns but they were never seen on fools. Braces these days have changed shape as you’ll see in our image. Non-conforming and loud, they do not whisper timidly anymore. So when buying a savvy pair, avoid one thing – Donald Duck figures and the Disney family.

Confidence to look good!

It's time to find the best YOU!

Clothes make the man. We say it over and over in our E-book. If you don’t believe me, take a close look at the women who stare you up and down when you walk through the street. A-huh, they are checking you out. And since the first impression is your external architectural style-map (because they haven’t had a moment to sit down and listen to your incredible take on world politics) this is what you’ll be judged on. Or think back to that pang of jealousy you felt the last time you were sitting in a pub with some mates, downing a Leffe Blond Belgium Beer (now that’s a nice one) and you saw an impeccably dressed guy walk into the pub and immediately command the attention of the room. Your jealousy was scoffing sentences in your head like, ‘humph, so what he looks like Brad Pitt with his Armani suit on. It’s probably fake. Who cares, I don’t. I’ve got $1mill in the bank and I’m driving a Maserati. Twit, if he thinks he can walk in here as if he owns the place’. Ha – I’m laughing as ten years ago I probably did that! But back to the topic at hand. You want to be that guy! You want to command the attention of the room. You want to have every head turn to you when you walk adorning your Prada suit. Right?!

We have created an E-book that we’re pretty chuffed about because it’s covering so many topic to bring the best man out in YOU. When you’re not sure what to ditch in your wardrobe, or what pieces to invest in for your new ‘look’, then we have the most classic, and edgy tips for you. We know that women have been driving and dominating the fashion scene for decades, and now, more than ever (in this time of instant gratification), we need clarity and simplicity. Don’t get dismayed with advertisements screaming ‘buy me, buy me’…we know you’re confused. So we went to work, late nights, sleepless nights (Well that was Style-meister) to help you out. You don’t need to blow your savings budget to upgrade your wardrobe. Take it one step at a time. We know when you feel good about your appearance, you’ll naturally project confidence.

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.

Pull your socks up!

We all make fashion errors now and again, but some fashion mistakes made by men are never forgotten. Back in the late 18th century to make a mistake in fashion was almost unforgivable, and those who witnessed your mistake did not want to be seen with you, so they would not invite you out on their next occasion. They saw it as a lack of knowledge and to dress badly was evidence that you were ignorant towards social graces. We may have more liberty today to wear clothing as a form of expression than acceptance, but we are still judged harshly for our fashion faux pas.

Now a man’s finances may inhibit him from buying something that he really wants, but that should not affect his dress sense or grooming skills. The one title that a man does not escape from is that of a shabby ho-bo.

A big no-no in fashion for me is wearing “Socks with Sandals”… Scrolling through my catalogue of fashion images I came across a very high-end designer who is determined to avenge the socks with sandals look. Unless you’re living in Italy and the rest of your garment is Versace I don’t think you can pull this one off. I understand that when it is chilly outside we all dream of the warmth of the summer sun, but wearing socks with sandals doesn’t make the seasons change any faster. If you want to wear sandals this badly, move to the Bahamas. In fact, the Stylemeister is there right now sipping on a little pina-colada. Hey dude!

Stunner-Esque Shades

Coming out of the fog and concrete jungle of LA is a meticulously designed sunglass label called Dita. Not only stunningly hand-made in Japan, the high grade materials of this masculine design lets the frame compliment the features of the wearer. The founders, who were friends since grade school, have a love for design and photography so it’s a powerful combination for this stylish vintage inspired eyewear to take ground in the sunglasses market.

A selection of gradient lenses gives you a seductive peak as to who the wearer is glancing at. Gray, tortoise, burn brown and black are favourites of this polarized stunner-esque eyewear and the frame sits powerfully on your dial with its straight-across bridge design.

The frames are titanium and you have a very cool selection of the hardware/divots choosing either antique silver or 12K gold plated. And no need to worry about that red dot on either side of your snoz when removing the sunnies ever so slowly; the nose is rubber padded as to eliminate this embarrassing aftermath. Send in your script and Dita will fit the lenses for you. What great service!

Kanye West Rocks Denim!

Denim Locked Down

Denim is quite simply the most universal fabric of all time. And the innovation around it today, with great speed to market, allows your guys to pick and choose what you like. But are you choice fatigued yet?

There are literally thousands of great brands and labels out there; blackened and blue denim; colour washes, neutralised palettes, sustainable fabrics, power stretches and stitch detail. It’s an enormous range to comprehend.

However you can pick up great jeans at the $100 to $200 mark; just remember to pick a great fit for your hips and NO sagging beltlines gents – it’s sad, bad and shady.

Our pick brand; All in One, who’re starting to use metallic threads in the detail and quite frankly, if you’re going to be paying US$400 for a pair of jeans, make sure people know they are liquid gold!

WORD! Rumour has it Kanye West recently met up with bosses of clothing firm Religion in Shoreditch, to possibly launch his own line of credible, yet prestigious, denim designs. Religion has developed as a trendy label among celebs and Kate Moss and Sarah Harding are big fans of the line. Can’t wait to see the man with the golden voice try his hand at Jeans Locked Down.