The Proper Attire

There is only one stylish accessory that is a must for your nighttime activities ... a fashion forward couture condom.

I have found this fantastic website where you can get premium, luxury protection. The brand is PROPER ATTIRE. Proper Attire condoms are thin, premium, lubricated sheaths that are worn on the penis during intercourse. They are created especially for the fashion-conscious woman who values style and top-notch quality. Unlike any other condom brand, every element of Proper Attire condoms has been inspired by the world of fashion, including chic packaging created by fashion designers. With six fashionable styles: Basic; Color; Dots; Sheer, Taste; and XL; these condoms are a safe yet fun and fashionable way to make sure you are fully protected.

According to a Planned Parenthood Federation of America [PPFA] spokeswoman, Proper Attire is its own corporate entity, but the condoms were designed—and are now sold—with the express purpose of raising funds for PPFA’s reproductive healthcare programs. Launched in late 2007, Proper Attire products are geared to women, specifically club-going twenty-and-thirty somethings.

In a world where more and more people are having unprotected sex, it's nice to know that the fashionable people of the world are being looked after. And believe me when I say ladies that these condoms do not disappoint. With designers such as Alexander Wang, Jeremy Scott, Christian Siriano (of "Project Runway" fame), and even Isaac Mizrahi, designing the packaging, these will be the most chic items in your handbag. Be sure to order yourself some tonight.

I believe my tip for tonight's episode of "The Fine Print of Barebacking" is that barebacking was so 40 years ago. Many of you younger people out there may have missed the 80's, but I didn't. I remember what it was like when HIV was a death sentence. A number of beautiful, fashionable people did not make it out of the 80's. Halston is one name that still hurts to this day. We lost an amazing designer, and stylish presence. But we don't have to lose any of you to the disease. It's as simple as, well, putting on a condom.

My best accessory when I go out at night is the perfect-sized glove for my love. Make it yours too.

And there you have it. When you decide to take your man candy home, be sure to carry the proper attire; it's required for entry. And remember my tip for tonight, Fashion + Safe Sex = A Do

Here's to style. Cheers!

Il Nero ha Esotismo e Sensualità

Buona sera tutti. This is Oliver B. Styles with an important public service announcement. Tonight’s airing of The Fine Print:  We're Calling "B.S." is on playing the race card. And while I rarely play the racial game, I do like to honor those that have played their hands beautifully and benefited our world at the end of the game. Amazingly, the world of fashion has taken up the cause of battling racism … and showing the world the beauty that comes in color. My post tonight is in praise of a particularly dutiful servant of the fashion industry.

 

How many of you out there read Italian Vogue? I’m guessing here in the United States not many do. Well, as much as I adore our American leader, Anna Wintour, at Vogue, she has certainly faltered on race relations in the magazine. Faltered? I'd dare to say failed. Surprisingly the celebration of color has now thrice come from Italian Vogue.

 

The July 2008 issue featured only black models, photographed by Steven Meisel, and the articles pertained to black women in the arts and entertainment. The magazine decided to showcase black models in response to anger caused by the disinclination of fashion magazines to display black models on their covers. Instead of the issue not selling as predicted due to a disinterest in black models, it became the highest selling issue of Italian Vogue ever, and has run out of print twice, which marked the first time in Condé Nast (the publisher of such gems like Vogue and GQ Magazine) history that the magazine reprinted an issue to satisfy demand.

 

In July 2009, BARBIE scored a starring role in Italian Vogue's most iconic edition, the Black Issue, as the magazine styled the iconic doll in a collector's supplement. This was an incredible play by Italian Vogue. To make the iconic American symbol of beauty all shades of Black, and just as beautiful as the White Barbie, was a stroke of genius. Barbie has been a mirror of the times for 50 years and continues to reflect the trends of the day. And the trend now is “My Black is Beautiful.”

 

Italian Vogue has even taken to adding to their website a Black Beauty page. It has the new fresh faces of Black models, style tips, and so on. All-in-all, it has been the Italians who have been better to race relations than the land of the “Melting Pot.” And this should be pointed out and celebrated.

You want “racy” fashion? Just go to Italian Vogue. It has all the race you’ll need. I myself have felt more beautiful to Germans than Italians, but that’s me.

There you have it. The Italians have played the race card, and proved that although it has been completely unwarranted, most of the world feels that most of the world won’t accept Black beauty. And even after that was disproven, most of the world still feels most of the world won’t accept Black beauty. So this race card play was completely justified, and we all won from it.

Sorry tonight wasn’t a style tip, but I’ll end my blog with a special tip based on tonight’s show: The greatest style in the world comes from diversity. If you can’t mix Abercrombie with Phat Farm, Miu Miu, or even Carolina Herrera, you’re a lost soul in the fashion world. Find yourself in other cultures and you’ll find the kind of style that transcends the ignorance of the world.

Here’s to style. Cheers!

She Ain't Haute, He's My Diva

Tonight on The Fine Print: We're Calling B.S. the hosts, Bryan and Seterria, will be discussion gender identity. Interestingly enough, I am here to talk about gender identity in fashion. Bryan and Seterria are discussing the black and white view of gender in the United States. It’s strange to me that we still see gender so rigidly these days when the very styles we wear are a reflection of the blurred lines of male and female. On my segment, "Habeas Couture," I will share my latest style tips, and allow you to draw from it what is male and female style. On my blog I have done this many, many times. You want proof? Just look back to the following posts:

• Wednesday, August 27, 2008
  The "Man Bag"

• Sunday, August 31, 2008

  Hail to the Queen! Her legacy lives although she no longer breathes.

• Wednesday, October 1, 2008

  Victor / Victoria: Fall 2008 Menswear 

• Wednesday, October 22, 2008

  Pink Posse? Think Pu**y 

• Monday, January 12, 2009

  Mantyhose: An Interesting Frontier

• Sunday, April 5, 2009

  Gentlemen's Couture ... Anything Women Can Wear, We Can Wear Better

Once again, I have been called upon to sound the alarm of gender confusion in the fashion world. Contrast is always vogue, and mixing the gender boundaries in clothes has been in style even as far back as ancient Egypt (did we forget that men and women wore makeup and wigs?). Let's get started.

Trending this season for men is the muscle shirt. No, not the tacky tanks of the 80’s … we’ve all moved on … the plain white short-sleeve Henley from Velva Sheen. This shirt is trending because as men are more concerned about their bodies, they are also more concerned about showing them off. This shirt is about male cleavage. The pecs and arms must be displayed with a Henley. This shirt shows enough to let people know you’re a man, but covers enough to let them know you’re a gentleman. Sound like a familiar saying ladies?

In addition guys you have the option to add some color in your wardrobe. Red and yellow and pink and green, purple and orange and blue. I can see a rainbow, a pretty rainbow, pretty on your shoes. That’s right. Laces are interchangeable for a reason; they get boring. So why not splash up your step with a variety of colored waxed cotton laces. New York’s Hook and Albert offers two pair for $14. Pick up all the colors and spice up your style. This color concept also works for your socks, ties, and pocket squares.

Ladies I always have a tip or two in my bag for you. Hats! Hats, hats, hats for career girls. The fedora has come full force into women’s street style. Whether it’s short shorts, or a well-tailored Chanel suit, the fedora has made its way as women’s ultimate fashion accessory.

Jumpers, overalls, and jumpsuits are the big thing for women too. Farmhand and blue-collar chic are the looks of the day. Get into denim overalls--slim fit, or a bit baggy, it all works. Just be sure to belt your outfit if you need some shape to it.

Even hair has left the building … more women are choosing shorter boy-cuts that focus on the face as the beauty. And now more men find their beauty in growing out their hair. Anyone else see a Samson and Delilah moment here?

And there you have it … gender-bending style tips from your favorite gender-bender. Be sure to catch me on The Fine Print: We're Calling B.S. for my segment, "Habeas Couture." Come for the fashion, but stay for the issues. Visit the show's website at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thefineprint

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go be a man for a minute and get some motocross jackets … they’re made for dirt and grit … but also a night on the town with my favorite accessory: a Brit (the latest foreign import to U.S. style). Gotta go.

Here’s to style. Cheers!

America, the Beautiful

O say can you dress by Oliver B.'s brilliant advice,

What so proudly you should all hail at the country's belated anniversary?

I am here tonight to talk about American independence ... and how to celebrate it with your upcoming fall fashions. I know it's a bit early for fall advice, but the sooner you get your wardrobe before the season starts the better.

The message from our leader Anna Wintour, ladies, is to go big! If you're the kind of woman who likes to blend in the background, fall will not be the season for you. We're Americans people ... we want bold statements of personal style.

Ladies, fall is going to be a tornado of audacity. Vogue is calling this trend "hyperfashion." All of the pieces will be exaggerated, pushed to the nth degree. Shoulders are eighties-wide, hair is windblown, and lips are the reddest of red. Being chic is not about simplicity, it is about the bold, the flashy, the costume of the day!

The stage was set for fall after the May 7th "Met Gala." For those of you unaware of this event, it is a night of daring choices as we celebrate the work of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. This year did not disappoint.

Shock and awe flooded the red carpet event as fashion took on the fall season with extreme eclecticism. And this extreme will even spill over into the office style as well. Greed is good again ... at least in your wardrobe ... the eighties-influenced power wardrobe out now is sure to being back one of America's biggest and boldest eras of fashion: neon colors, bold leathers, and minimalist planes of the purest colors (it's hip to be square again). It's all back!

And men ... America is about equality. So I am here for you too. Your boldness is in three words: red, white, blue. Raise the flag in your wardrobe, and mix and match these wonderfully American colors. Shirts, ties, and blazers can all be mixed with these colors ... many already have in their patterns.

And our greatest American export: the preppy look. Break out your cardigans, your boat shoes, and your red chinos. But don't forget our all-American country boys: "Only the greatest country in the world could turn underwear into the national uniform. Nothing says red-blooded American male like a T-shirt ..." The simplest male looks are going to beat the rest of world over the head and announce we're back, and we're in charge! And since nothing is more American than denim, be sure to hit the stores and buy some classic Levi's (well-fitted) and put away the Jersey Shore bedazzled jeans.

And there you have it. Be proud to be an American, and show it big and bold on your backs with hyperfashion. O say does that American couture yet inspire awe, o'er the land of the audacious and the home of the bold? I sure hope so ...

God Bless American style! Cheers.

No One Should Suffer For Fashion?

I am happy to report that you all must love the advice I give to you because my blog now has over 8,000 views. But I am not here to talk about myself, as interesting a topic as I am. Tonight is more serious. The Fine Print is discussing a very serious and relevant topic: domestic violence. And tonight I want to talk to you about the fashion industry’s role in desensitizing us against this violence.

Recently, a Bulgarian fashion magazine called 12 published an editorial containing nothing but portraits of models with horrific injuries. There are models in this beauty spread with Black Dahlia-style Glasgow Smiles, models who've been strangled, models who've had their earrings and facial piercings ripped out, and models who've been mutilated with acid. It's all special-effects makeup, but it's still been considered sickening by the public. And it's hardly the first of its kind.

Fashion is about shock. Shock makes beauty, shock makes art, and shock makes dollars. But is this the right way to do it? Violence for profit?  The history of fashion is rife with depictions of violence against women. Photographers in the industry have a particular fascination with bloodied, bruised, or dead models, whom they often depict in sexualized positions. Even the great Halston, whose clothes I adore, was guilty of portraying violence against women in his store windows. Striking examples of the depiction of women as sex objects who deserve to be battered are often found in advertising. In the late 1980s, for instance, many fashion ads featured women who were abused, bound and gagged, or in body bags. Mainstream magazine fashion layouts featured women pulled along by corset ties, their necks in choke collars; trussed and restrained in straitjackets and straps; blindfolded; and sometimes stuffed in garbage bags. A recent Glee star has done a photo shoot where she has a black eye, and appears to be in the process of being abused with an iron. The photographer, Tyler Shields, states on his blog where he’s hawking 100 limited edition photos of the shoot, "Even Barbie gets bruises." Can you imagine?

These kinds of images are nothing new. Seeing women shown as the victims of implied male violence — or victims of any violence, frankly — in what is an overwhelmingly female industry, in magazines that are overwhelmingly run, written, and edited by women, should be troubling to us all. Why does fashion still think it's "edgy" to portray women as objects to be beaten and killed?

Fashion has an enduring fascination with depictions of women as the victims of violence in part because we live in a culture where roughly one-quarter of all women experience violence at the hands of an intimate partner during their lifetimes. Fashion reflects the culture at large, and ours has a lot of work to do. Thank you Jenna Sauers for your efforts to bring this to life.

So tonight, my best style tips is to salvage your beautiful faces and bodies ladies, AND gentlemen. Abuse is not glamorous, not a time to sell makeup, and certainly not something to be celebrated sexually in editorial ads. There is nothing classier than walking away from someone who doesn’t value your beauty enough to ensure that you come to no harm by their hands. Get out, move on, and look head to toe beautiful when you do it.

And there you have it. For more style tips follow me on Twitter @OliverBStyles, and read my blog at oliverbstyles.blogspot.com. Don't forget to take a look at the archives of The Fine Print, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thefineprint. Take care of yourself people and thank you for enjoying my work as much as you have.

Here’s to feeling safe in your couture. Cheers!

Semper Fashionable

Good evening everyone. This is Oliver B. Styles, your destination for the best style tips. Tonight "The Fine Print is discussing self-defense. Well, I am here tonight to teach you how to defend yourself from tacky taste. Let’s get started.

The fashion trends of the last few years have been predominantly light … bright colors, skinny jeans, and makeup for all genders. One specific style that still rocks the runways in my eyes, and allows for a tougher image, is the military look. Everything from the officer overcoats to steel mesh undershirts, designers like Gauliter, McQueen, and Burberry are incorporating these staples into their lines. The question is how to take this look from the catwalk to the sidewalk. The key is to play down this look by infusing statement pieces with classic pieces for a simple effortless fashion creation.

The combat fashion style is often seen in coordinated with the gothic black boots and shoulder detailing on jackets. The bad boy form is a hot trend in guys’ fashion, especially the British grunge band look. Pairing ripped trousers or jeans with clean cut, pressed button up shirts and ties, military jackets with shorts and boots, or classic pants with cut off t-shirts are great combinations for someone looking to introduce these looks into their everyday wardrobe without going too far off their personal taste. Remember, subtly is everything.

And women there’s a military look for you. While I find that it looks better on the men, many military jackets and boots have been incorporated into women’s fashion. The cuts are shorter and more form-fitting than menswear, so you forget it’s military wear. But it is and it can look great … instead of going grunge with your military pieces, I say go elegant. Pair a military jacket with Parisian and bohemian styles … leggings, lots of bangles and your favorite studded Louboutins. Ooh maybe even add a red lip for pop, and just pull the hair back in a simple ponytail. Well, I guess there is a lot you can do with this look ladies.

And there you have it … defend yourself from tacky taste by arming your wardrobe with military wears. This has been your Fifth Avenue Neighborhood Watch Captain helping you take back the Catwalk. For more style tips follow me on Twitter @OliverBStyles. I’m waiting for you.

Here’s to style. Cheers!

Fashion Maketh the Drug Dealer

Good evening everyone, and welcome back to my blog. It's great to be back after a bit of an absence. I am still giving my wonderful tips on "The Fine Print: We're Calling B.S." on BlogTalkRadio. But as I stated before, I will continue to share those tips right here with you in print on my personal blog.

Tonight's show is on the drug trade. It sounds like a topic I should not be giving style tips on, but even drug dealers run a business. And in business you have to look it to be it! That's what brings me here tonight. I am here to share my best style advice to those of you "in the game." Let's get started.

First thing's first, the jeans. You can't be a good street corner pharmacists without making sure you have jeans that are stylish, expensive, and comfortable enough to outrun and duck the 5-0. You want a jean that is loose fit because it is made that way, not because you bought it 6 sizes too large. Stop by your local department store and visit the Levi's section. This American classic is made for running, jumping, swimming, looking good, and anything else you can put a pair of jeans through. They are built to last ... which is why Levi's has remained an American staple for so long. And boys, sagging is out. It's another hazard in your way from getting away. Buy jeans that are low rise, and they'll sit just low enough to keep you out of the prisoner look.

And that brings me to underwear gentlemen. Boxers are out. Who wears those anymore under their clothes? Boxer briefs are your friend. You'll need the support when trying to hurdle fences. Andrew Christian makes some very supportive underwear. That package is more important than anything you are trying to sell so take care of it.

And finally, every dealer's favorite topic ... jewelry. Men I say go big or go home. But I would add if you go big, go real. Fake is easier to pull off in small doses. The larger you want your bling to be, the more you had better spend on it. I would never buy my drugs from a man wearing a large medallion with cubic zirconium stones. If he looks cheap, I'm sure his product is cheap too, and I only do the best. This is why I recommend TraxNYC. This company is headquartered in NYC in the Diamond District. They have a special line of hip hop jewelry. Artists like Ludacris, Drake, Akon and B.O.B. have purchased from this brand. Look them up, they have everything a dealer needs to show the world he's making paper.

And those are my tips for tonight. Success in any business is all about how you look. You speak for the product until someone actually buys it. Take a look at yourself right now, would you buy your product not knowing whether it's good or not simply by looking at you? If not, then head to the store right now and change up your wardrobe before hitting the streets tonight. Just remember that the more you look like a prisoner, the easier you are to spot to end up there.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter @OliverBStyles, and continue to check out my blog. Leave me a comment or a suggestion for more style tips. I am glad to be back, and I'm sorry I couldn't handle the Rod Daily episode. My future husband is just going to have to wait a little longer to meet me. Thanks to Bryan, I at least have a standing date in the future. You're a nice guy ... no matter what Seterria and I say behind your back.

I'm gonna go have a drink now. Here's to style. Cheers!