I leave for Paris in less than 48 hours, and I am beyond excited for this last-minute trip. Many French brands and shops don’t sell/ship outside Europe, and I can’t wait to research those that aren’t available in the U.S. Lots of time will also be spent observing how the everyday Parisian man puts it all together (love me some street style). Some of the shops I’m going to hit up for menswear are Arnys, Tremblay Alvergne, Merci, Pierre Talamon, Rosewood Chaussures, and the pop-up Le Bazar Des Poilus. Where are your fav places to shop in Paris?
A big thank you to The Wall Street Journal for including me in the recent article, Spring Shoes for Men Step Brightly. The piece discusses how men’s footwear is trending toward colorful uppers or soles and “statement” elements like spikes and wild patterns; my advice on how to incorporate this trend into your wardrobe is included at the end of the article.
After speaking with the WSJ reporter, I had an outfit brainstorm, and below I share with you a few specific looks that incorporate Spring 2012′s shoe trends.
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1) A great Spring combo would include a pair of neutral shoes with a neon sole like the bucks, above, from T&F Slack. Pair them with white straight-leg jeans and a denim shirt for a casual night out.
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2) If the shoe itself is brightly colored, like Tods’ royal blue Competition Shoe, go with a dark wash, straight-leg jean, a grey henley shirt and a navy vest.
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3) If neon shoes are too much of a commitment for you, you might dip your toes in the trend by adding color via your laces, as with the Esquivel shoes above. Because the color pop is not too prominent, you can play around by incorporating other colors into your look. Pair these boots with dressy jeans and a sport shirt that has some yellow in the pattern, like the one below from Polo Ralph Lauren. The reason yellow and purple work together is that they are complementary colors, meaning that they live opposite from each other on the color wheel. When used together, complementary colors intensify each other and create a harmonious color scheme.
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4) For a shoe where the detail (as opposed to the color) is the statement, like Jimmy Choo’s “provocative paisley” slippers above, you want to keep the rest of your look tailored and simple. Wear these with a midnight three-piece suit for a posh night out, or for a more casual event, try a medium grey dress shirt and black or charcoal grey pants. The important thing to keep in mind with shoes like this is that they need to be in line with your personality, and wearing them with confidence is key. (As an aside, check out this fun Bond-style video detailing the Burlesque silhouettes hidden in the print.)
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I hope the post above gives you ideas for your own combinations if you decide to rock Spring 2012′s shoe trends. Let me know what outfits you put together!
There’s lots of advice around on how new moms can keep it together fashion-wise after a little one arrives on scene. As a men’s Image and Style Consultant perhaps I’m biased, but sometimes new dads have just as much trouble maintaining a fresh sense of style. The keys are to keep it straightforward and functional, and below are six tips on how new dads can do just that.
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Masculine Baby Accessories
The heading may sound like an oxymoron, but there’s a whole industry catering to hip dads who don’t want to carry around flowered diaper bags. Companies like Diaper Dude and Storksak design bags with these dads in mind: they come in solid dark colors like carbon grey and army green, not to mention in brown and black leather.
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Stylish Functionality
It’s no secret that you need to tote a lot of gear when you have kids. Luckily for the fashion-conscious dad, slim cargo pants are currently on-trend, so these guys can stow some of what they’ll need in those pockets for easy access. I like this khaki pair from Lands’ End Canvas, the black camo’s from Rogue or J Brand’s vintage trooper cargo.
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Dark Matter
The first thing I usually hear from clients who are parents is how easy it is for clothes to get ruined from drips, drools and worse. With this in mind, new dads should look for machine washable clothes in forgiving dark colors.
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Know Your Fabrics
Style-savvy dads can further protect their clothes by wearing stain-resistant fabrics. A company called Nano-Tex has engineered an incredible fabric called Nano-Care Stressfree that literally repels stains; brands like Gap, Levi’s and Eddie Bauer sell clothing made with this technology. New dads can also protect themselves from looking worn out by wearing fabrics that look better when a little wrinkled. Think chambray, linen or flannel shirts and washed cotton chinos from inexpensive stores like Uniqlo.
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Basic Grooming
It can be easy to get lax about haircuts, hair trimming and shaving once the little one shows up, but part of looking good is maintaining these elements of style. Many hair stylists make house calls, making it easy to fit cuts into your busy schedule.
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Stay Organized
When you’re sleep-deprived, you won’t want to contend with a messy, confusing closet. Clean and organize your closet regularly so you can get dressed quickly. And if you need help, call in a professional.
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Most importantly for new dads: Have a clear game plan at the outset. There’s no need to descend to a dad jeans + hoodie combo when you can just as easily put on a casual sport coat and well-fitted jeans – even if you’re just heading to the park. I hope the above tips help, and I welcome your questions and comments!
In today’s video blog, my friend, client and style comrade, Tony Martignetti and I demonstrate how to mix high and low in menswear. We hear about this a lot in relation to women’s style but not as much for men. The idea is to be strategic about your clothing budget, putting your money toward classic pieces that will stand the test of time, and looking to fast fashion stores like Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, Uniqlo and H&M for trendier items. Tony’s custom shirt is from Cego ($125), and his chinos ($58) are from American Apparel.
What do you think? How do you mix high + low?
Tony is the founder of Martignetti Planned Giving Advisors. Tweet him here and check out his weekly radio show here
Many thanks to Lela for featuring us for groom styling on her popular NYC wedding blog. You can read the article here. We had so much fun styling our male model!
Images courtesy of Christopher Duggan Photography.
