Oliver B. back again with a live model blog. I love it when the opportunity just appears in front of me to show you how easy it is to be stylish. There's no reason to go out and buy thousands of dollars in couture. The things you have in your closet that you aren't sure about can work sometimes. Once again, my blog is dedicated to men's style. But there is a lesson to be learned ladies. Style is beyond genders, races, sexual orientations, and so on. Haven't I always said I only discriminate on the traits that are mutable ... like your clothes?The model for today (He is German by the way, which is why I chose the German title. I thought a nice reference to "Cabaret" would be appropriate as well. I am not just about style, I am about culture. It will do each of you some good to learn a couple of musical references. ) demonstrates just a couple of things. Of course we have already talked about tailoring , so it's a given that the suit is properly tailored to fit his body. Today's blog will move to the tie.
The tie, if you noticed, is a much darker grey than the shirt, with pink diagonal stripes. My model was a bit concerned that perhaps the tie did not go with the suit and shirt. HA HA I say to that! We are in 2009 fashions folks. The rules be damned when it comes to matching ties. In fact, I think the trend nowadays is to do more of a complementing overall look, and throw in a contrasting tie. What I mean by contrasting is something that sets the tie apart from the suit. The suit is almost a background to the tie. That's what I want to see. Don't be afraid to buy bold ties. I don't mean neon; never attribute your neon crappy ties to my advice, or those crazy patterns of hearts and ducks and ish. But I do want to see rich reds, blues, greens. Men shouldn't be afraid of jewel-toned ties. Even this tie my model is wearing is bold. It really stands out against a light shirt, with a white collar, and a black suit. It jumps out at me. And when a tie jumps out, your eyes moves along it, from the face to ... well, you know where ties end ;-). You want to draw attention to the places that will benefit you best.
See, there's a pop in that look. It almost looks like it shouldn't be there. But it is, and I like it. You have to throw some caution to the wind people. Take from this the idea that you should have at least one piece of clothing or an accessory that stands out ... like a woman who wears a white suit with a pair of green pumps. Before you leave your house every day, see if there's one thing on you that could be a stand out article. In fact, I declare that to all who read my blog, the very next day after you read this should be a "Say Something Clothing" Day. All you have to do is pick up something you have that pops, and make it the star of your costume of the day (a little shoutout to Little Edie from Grey Gardens). The rest of your clothes need only coordinate with the star, be the backup dancers to the head showgirl. This will not only teach you not to be so afraid of color, but also how to complement your clothes, instead of worrying about matching. Matching is so over ... let it go.
The next thing I want to put out there is a little something I did at Barrister's Ball last year that I thought worked out well in execution. For those of you men who wear french-cuffed shirts, try to vary up your look by wearing the cuffs outside of your suit jacket. Let my model demonstrate:
Now when you take a look at my model, notice that the cuffs are moved to the outside. He doesn't have the cuff links in yet, so they aren't secured, but as you can see it compliments the white collar on his shirt well. Not a bad look if I do say so myself. I wouldn't show up in it in the courtroom of course. At least not in Georgia. You know how stuffy it is down there. But, in a more fashion-conscious workplace this would be nice.
So, what have we learned folks? We've learned that a good style tip is to pick an item of clothing and make it the star of the your costume. I have said before to try bold colors, but it can also be done with just a simple shift in your look. Something that just stands out. Bold is easy; I want you to work on this. It can be done by wearing black slacks, a black polo shirt, and a tan overshirt (remember Mr. Sheffield from "The Nanny"?). I used to have a corduroy one that went well with that look. It wasn't bright and in your face, but it looked great. Got it? Good. Don't be afraid to send me your style finds. If I see something I really like, I might just put you on the blog and let everyone know why I like what I see.
Now, get out there and get dressed. Here's to style. Cheers!
