The "Costume of the Day" Look

Oliver B. here, back in full force with another blog. My inspiration for tonight's blog is a brand new movie out that I just can't get off my mind.

Grey Gardens is a new movie out on HBO about the Edies--Big Edie and Little Edie. This is a great movie on the mother/daughter duo that stole our hearts and minds in a 1975 documentary. As the aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Onassis, these women made headlines when it was revealed that the one-time high society combo were now living in squalor, with mounds of garbage coating their dilapidated mansion in East Hampton. If you haven't seen either the original documentary or the new movie, you must see it. You've never seen anything like it.

But the most talked about thing in the movie is not exactly the Edies. Since the release of the 1975 documentary, Little Edie's fashion has been a hot topic. How a woman with nothing created such a beautiful, and creatively original style concept, still puts designers in awe to this day. A lot of the fashion that have hit the runway have been inspired by Grey Gardens.

Why? Just take a look at it. Start with the head wraps of Little Edie. She used sweaters, shirts, heavy towels, etc., and tied them with simple pins and a brooch. But the placement of the brooch,

and the way she pinned the scarf down without showing that it was pinned pulled off the look. The head wraps never moved on her head, but what you see is a simple tie. She was definitely good at presenting a good costume although underneath was quite a production.

Her clothes were very good. As many designers have stated, her clothes were combinations of different garments that she fashioned so well, you weren't sure of the numerous layers she was actually wearing. She was able to seamlessly blend patterns that, although contrasted, in the whole complimented each other to create a pretty beautiful look. As one costumer from the movie said, "Little Edie used what she had to make a very specific style for herself. We spent hours thinking about how she manipulates clothing. She is a genius draper of fabric. The things she wore on her head had a lot of weight -- sweater vests and heavy towels. How did she drape them so beautifully with only one pin? She also had this incredible sense of how to mix patterns. You would never know she had 10 pieces of clothing on."

Little Edie became quite an inspiration as you can tell from the many designers who were inspired by her. Designers such as Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Isaac Mizrahi, and even Nick Verreos from Project Runway owe her some credit for their designs. The sketch above is from Nick Verreos. Very bohemian, don't you think? There's a sad beauty behind the look. Through sheer necessity, she used what was on hand, but because she was a stylish woman, made it work as best as she could, and transformed herself into a daily character in her "costume."

I think the one lesson you should take from this is that style doesn't have to cost. Use what you've got. If you have an old brooch lying around, put it to use. Repurpose the things that are in your closet. You may be thinking they should be thrown out, but Little Edie would have an entire outfit from everything you'd throw away. Think about that the next time you go to the closet and think "I have nothing to wear."

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

"Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you ... Anything you can be, I can be greater. Sooner or later, I'm greater than you."

Welcome back kids! Yes, I know. Oliver B. has been missing in action for quite some time. In my defense, fashion has really been predictable lately, and I haven't been as inspired as I usually am. Jewel tones are still hot; chunky jewelry is still hot; patent leather is still hot. I can only comment about it so much before I am as repetitive as the fashions are. So, I needed time to find my inspiration. I am happy to report that I have found it. I call it Gentlemen's Couture. It is the hautest trend going on right now. You've seen it on the Jonas Brothers (who I think are the best fashion forward males I have seen in a long time), and even Justin Timberlake (who has made the top ten most stylish list in the Bible, GQ). The classic styles of a GQ man, vamped up for the modern androgynous high fashion runways, and paraded on the sidewalks of urban cities. I love it! The more we blur the lines between the gender fashions, the better fashion becomes.

Just take a look at what's hitting the runways these days. Isn't it all fierce? The lines are clearly designed like women's clothing, but there is still a manly quality to it.

Just enough girl to be fashionable. I must say that the white jacket on the second model is right up my alley. And the bag on the last model is a glamour choice as well. Good stuff I tell you.

It is the modern male. The metrosexuals have paved the way for quality products in men's clothing. I remember the days when all we had were basic Levi's and suits. How the world has changed, huh? Now more and more lines are designing better clothing for men than women. Has the power shifted in fashion? Do the men dominate now? I have read in magazines such as Women's Wear Daily that more women are venturing to the men's sections of store for better bags, jewelry, and even clothes. The intricate details on clothes are found more in the men's lines than women's. I've notice that women's clothing is now bordering on the overly flashy, tacky, "Jersey" look I always hated. Poor women. Sucks to be you right now, right?

I guess that's all I really have for you right now. Just a quick little blog to let you all know I'm alive and keeping my eyes on the trends. But remember, my blogs are not about trendy, it's about stylish. I report a few flukes here and there that jump out at me, but overall I want my readers to learn what it means to have style, not be trendy. After all, fun fur was trendy once, but pearls are stylish. See the difference?

It's good to be back people. Here's to style. Cheers!

Mantyhose: An Interesting Frontier

"Dude, I got a run in my mantyhose. Fuck!"

From construction workers to athletes and businessmen, the male populations have found a passion for pantyhose, claiming they wear the hosiery for support, comfort and aesthetic purposes. Luckily, there are now pairs made specifically for men so that they don't have to ravage their wives’ or girlfriends’ dressers to nestle into a pair of nylons.

According to an MSNBC article, European men have been sporting hose for several years, but the trend has been slow to catch on in the U.S. (It is important to note that the trend has no connection to men who wear hose to cross-dress, since they prefer to wear pairs that are more feminine.) The "mantyhose" is also part of a larger trend of nontraditional men's underwear designed to lift, sculpt and suck in that beer belly — from the "mirdle" (man-girdle) to Australian designer Equmen's Core Precision Undershirt, touted as the "Spanx for men." A small group of male pantyhose enthusiasts from America, Canada and Europe even set up a Web site, the U.K.-based e-mancipate.net, "to speed up the mainstreaming process of male pantyhose" for men all over the world.

I realize that many of you out there are a little taken by the fact that men are wearing hosiery, but I say get over it. For those of you who have been studying your fashion (and reading my blog), you are aware that the trend these days is to blur the lines of gender and sexuality. This is just another step in that direction. Let us not forget that there is man makeup, man bags, and so on. As we move further into a new day, more fashion trends such as this will come about. Whether you like it or not, mantyhose is here to stay.

What is my personal opinion on the subject? I don't like the idea of pantyhose on a man for any reason, support or not. Something just seems off to me about it. I am a James Bond kind of guy ... well-groomed, but still ready to whoop ass when necessary, and lacking in real sensitivity. James Bond don't do no damn mantyhose.

I will say though, if a man is going to wear mantyhose I would prefer that they look like these photos in them. The better you look in something, the more likely people are to forgive what you wear. I can certainly forgive nice legs like these. You should too.

The lesson we should all take from the mantyhose is again that fashion is a reflection of society and where it's headed. I have been saying for years that the future will blur the lines of sexuality and gender. Before long, those boundaries will be a thing of the past. Fashion is reflecting that by creating clothes that are can be worn by men or women. I think we should all just embrace the change, and help it along. That way, there's less of a chance that the blurring will be done badly. I have already seen mantyhose in purple, so there needs to be more fashion conscious people watching this trend to steer it in the right direction.

Here's to style. Cheers!

GQ-Suit-Lookin' Boy

I am glad that everyone enjoyed my last blog with a live model. It was a new thing I thought I would try so that you can see the real deal fashion ... live and in person.

I have a new present for you: another live model. Unfortunately, it hasn't been a female yet, but I think we can all agree that men need the most work with clothes anyway. So, my roommate Michael will be my model today as I dredge up an old blog. We all remember my blog many months ago on finding the perfect suit for men.

In my September blog, "Most men's suits just don't suit me ...," I provided some simple rules to turn any man into a GQ man. At the time, I didn't include photos in all my blogs so that you could see what I'm talking about. Now, thanks to my model, I have something to show you all.

I just happened to be walking upstairs to my room when Michael walked out of his room to the bathroom to check out his suit. He recently purchased a suit at Bloomingdale's and had it tailored there. The suit caught my eye, and it was perfectly tailored for him. I was impressed. So much so that I snapped a couple of shots for a sequel blog.

To refresh your memory ( for those of you who will not go back to read the entire blog), here's a summary of the tips I gave:

1. Fabric

There are only three basic fabrics to choose from, so no need to go any farther unless you are an advanced dresser--wool, polyester, and cotton (yes, there are cotton suits being made).

2. Pants

The waistline of your pants needs to be at a comfortable fit. Pants should sit comfortably on the waist, just above the hips. As far as the hem of your pants, pant length should reach the heel in back and allow for a break in the front.

3. Shirt

The sleeve length needs to be exact. Stop wearing shirts too big for you. Remember that this is your "good suit." Everything should fit just right.

4. Jacket

The suit’s jacket needs to fit easily across your stomach in order to appear professional. It should not be overly tight, but rather allow for some play when the jacket is buttoned. A two-button suit is an American classic.

5. Colors

Black, charcoal, gray, midnight blue, brown, tan, slate, do you see where I'm going guys? These are colors that work. This suit must be multi-functional.

Now, taking all these tips as a whole, let's take a look at how it works in real practice. Here's Michael:

And here's to style. Cheers!

Diamonds are a bland girl's best friend.

Inspired by a friend's recent engagement, and aversion to diamond engagement rings, I thought now would be a good time to address that. Spring will be coming soon enough, and marriage proposals will be the talk of the town. Why not get a jump on ideas now for that special someone in your life. I will be giving my top tips for finding an engagement ring.

Tip #1: Know Your Fiancee.

I would certainly say this is the first and most important tip I can give you. Is your fiancee a ring girl? Does she want an engagement ring, or a down payment on a house? I know this will shock many of you, but not every woman wants a ring. I know you may want to lock her down and make her your property by putting a nice stamp on her for all men to see. But, maybe ... just maybe ... what will make her stick around is knowing y'all will have a roof over your heads.

Tip #2: Diamonds Are Forever, But Not For Everyone

First, let me say I love diamonds. I think a flawless six carat rock will make me marry dang near anybody. However, diamonds are too typical people. Not every girl wants one. Know this now. Is your fiancee a diamond girl? Or is there another stone she always wears, or that she just finds more beautiful. I, personally, am a sapphire guy. Deep, blue, sapphires. I love them ... and I think they are the most gorgeous stone around. My mother loves garnets. So, in our cases, a diamond wouldn't work for us. Besides, I find diamonds a little tacky nowadays. They clash with most fashions, unless of course you dress like Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl every day. Do you? Well then, think of another stone. Diamonds are not the rarest stone around, so the price of them doesn't actually correspond to their supply.

Tip #3: Dare to Design

This is my favorite tip. If you really want to blow her mind when you present her with the ring, think about creating a ring that she's never seen before. Designing your own ring can be a great way to provide that unique touch to the ring that makes it that much more special to her when she gets it. A special tip from me to you is that I like to visit Van Cleef & Arpel's website to look at their engagement rings. They have a great selection of rings, and their designs are usually quite unique. I like to use them as a starting point and then add something more catered to my desires to the ring (in my head), and bam, you have an outstanding ring that is your own creation.


Take a look at this ring, the Couture. I love how it's designed to look like the diamond is like a button. Now, I am not a fan of the classic circle cut diamond, I like a rectangle more. So, my spin on this is to take the center diamond, make it a rectangle cut sapphire, raise it a little, and the loop can stay. It still looks like a button, but just a rectangular button. And the sapphire throws it off just enough to make you look again at the ring. It reminds me of this shirt I had once. It had wooden buttons to it...oak I think. it was so different than everyone else was wearing people talked about it the whole semester I wore it.

In this case, I think the diamonds really make the sapphire pop more once you see it together. But you get what I'm saying about a simple revamp. You can look at a number of rings to get ideas. Piece things together. Just don't do the pear-shaped diamond with a gold band. It looks hideous, and there's a reason Carrie threw up when she saw it on Sex and the City. I would too.

Tip #4: Befriend a Jeweler

If you're looking to save a little money, it might be nice to get to know a jeweler now who can make you your creation at a fraction of the cost. You can buy the stones wholesale at a much cheaper price (allowing you to get bigger stones wink wink), and even take your old gold jewelry (or platinum, whatever) and have the jeweler melt it down to make the band. There, you can have a gorgeous ring made that doesn't break the bank. I do have a jeweler in my back pocket should I ever lose my mind and go the marriage route. I have a design in mind, I can get the stones cheap, and I'm sure I can swing a good price on the white gold needed for the band.

Any of you can do it. My brother took my mother's old gold jewelry--that had broken but she never threw away--and had it melted down. He bought a garnet stone (her favorite, and had a ring made up of all her old jewelry. She loves that ring and wears it all the time. She'll tell anyone about how her son made a ring for her out of her old jewelry. And I will admit the design of the ring is great for her ... exactly her taste. The same thing can be done for your fiancee. Go for it.

Tip #5: Men get engaged too!

That's right. It ain't all about you honey. Men are on the other side of the engagement, and sometimes they want a ring too. Sometimes, more so than the woman does.

This tip is really just to make you all aware that it is okay to ask the guy to marry you. And if you do, give the boy a freaking ring. Don't ask him to marry you then demand he go out and spend thousands on a ring for you. Get him something! Nowadays, men's engagement rings are become a common thing. They are truly more unique than a woman's ring. Take a look at this one I found:

Not bad, huh? Certainly an interesting way to go. Break with tradition. Put your stamp on that man. Hell, the gays have been putting engagement rings on men for a while now. Don't let them have all the fun. Besides, maybe a nice engagement ring will get the guy to stop wearing his tacky class ring all the time. Those things are ugly ... just ugly. They are bulky, ugly, and should be kept in the box it came in. I hate those things, and men buy them as big as they can get, don't they? That's a whole other tangent I shouldn't get on. Let's just say putting that ring on HIS finger instead is a cost saver, and takes care of several accessory problems he may have. It's win-win.

LOL ... here's to style people. Cheers!

A special gift to my readers ... thanks for visiting my page.

This posting is a milestone for me. This is the first time I have ever done a blog using a live model to demonstrate the look. I’m excited about this one.

What I have done is put together the latest trend for men’s style … and I have a great model to put it together. Each picture is a piece by piece aid in pulling off the look.

This look has graced everyone from Justin Timberlake, to Zac Efron, to Pete Doherty, and so on. Lots of celebrity men have tried this messy chic look, and it’s a good look. I highly recommend it as a fallback look for an evening out. Now, you at home can make it yourself with just a little bit of advice from Oliver B. Styles. So, let’s get started putting this together.

The first thing you should start with is a pair of jeans. Black jeans with a bit of gray bleaching have been used here, but explore whatever color you like. This is strictly the basics here. You will also need a contrasting shirt. We have a very light gray shirt to contrast against the black. If you have light blue jeans, maybe a dark shirt. Don’t forget a belt. My model is wearing a very simple belt. With the look completed the belt will draw your attention to the crotch … which is where you want the attention sometimes ;-).

Now we can throw in the vest.
Notice that the vest doesn’t match perfectly with the jeans. It isn’t supposed to. Remember that fashion is no longer about matching. It’s about complimenting pieces that create an overall look. Write that down.
We are on to the tie. The tie is important. It makes the look more evening. Without the tie, it’s more of a casual day outfit. You want to tie a single Windsor knot to the tie, and leave it hanging. It must hang just at your shirt’s opening. The shirt should have the top button and the next under it undone. So tie your tie to that point. It should look like you were wearing the shirt and tie all day, done perfectly, and are now undoing it a bit to relax on your way out. If it helps you to get it right to do the shirt and tie completely, then relax it a bit, then go for it. I'm much more meticulous about things so I am pretty good at making things look sloppy without starting off correctly. But if that's not you, start clean, and work your way into the mess.

Ah, the 60’s! Dean Martin, martinis, and terrific hats. This hat is classic:In fact, I saw Sean Connery wearing this hat in “From Russia with Love,” and a similar one in "Goldfinger." To take this 60’s classic to the 00’s, cock it to the side, or wear it more up to the back of your head ... kind of like Boy George used to wear his hats in the 80's (yes, that is back, I promise you). My model demonstrates the cocked to the side look. I find that the "cool guy" (whatever that means) wears the hat cocked. The more artistic, sensitive at times guy, will wear it in back like Boy George. Don't knock it either way, it looks good.

Alright, accessories. You know I love accessories. Because this is a more rock, celebrity look, this is rock accessories that break my general rules of over accessorizing. You will need a nice watch, and rings. Take a look at my examples:



My model is wearing a Guess watch, and for a semi-expensive good watch, I recommend them for the men. The rings have been strategically placed on his hands. I am not aware of what store they came from, but you can find this style of rings even in kiosks in an airport, so don't worry about the search. Any guy who has rings will have some of these stashed away from his cool Lorenzo Lamas biker fantasy he had when he bought the things. I have three. That would be the way to do them. Yes, I am that particular about the placement of the rings. He had on another one and I made him take it off because it didn’t look right. Anyone who knows me knows I am meticulous, even about the unorganized look ... I know, I'm anal. I can't help that, but I can help you look less sloppy.

To finish it off, there are shoe options.


The top is the dress shoe and the bottom is a biker boot. If you are going to an evening party, use the dress shoes, and tuck in the shirt. If you’re going to something more casual, like a night out at a bar, try the boots and untuck the shirt. My model is going with the tucked version, so dress shoes it is. And there, you have a stylish, and versatile, look.
Simple, isn't it? Most of this stuff can be found in the average guy's closet, and he has no clue the treasures in there. Instead he always picks up a dorky t-shirt and torn jeans for every occasion.

And there, my first blog with a live model is done. Let’s all thank my model for his participation in my blog. Does it look good?

Damn, I'm good. Here's to style. Cheers!

House of Deréon/Deréon: Two different fashions. Don't get it twisted.

Like many of you fashionable people out there, I have not been a fan of Deréon clothes. You know them when you see them. Flashy, ghetto fab clothes on the racks of stores like Macy's or Dillard's, or your local ghetto fashions store. I hate it. I find it tacky, and a waste of child labor.

But what I was made aware of recently is that there are two separate lines with the name Deréon. There is the House of Deréon, which is run by Beyonce and her mother Tina. Those clothes I can actually appreciate. The line are nice. It's a good combination of the 40's, 70's and modern era. This is the right line to look too. Of course there are a few mistakes, like the lace dress, but overall they are brand new in the fashion world, and every designer makes mistakes. If you want proof, look at Ugly Betty. You've seen her clothes, right? It's a known fact that all of her clothes are designer couture. The stylist for the show intentionally finds the ugliest pieces of designer collections for Betty. Yeah ... so I can certainly forgive a lace dress from a newcomer.

The other line, the one people are most familiar with, is Deréon. I don't like this line.

This is the tacky, flash-filled disastrous line. I was interested to find out that Beyonce extended this line in collaboration with her sister, Solange. Why am I not surprised by this? That child's taste does lean more towards the ghetto fabulous, and slightly "scoochie," as Jamila calls it, styles. She just doesn't have Beyonce's more polished appearance. That is a shame because I would say Solange is more high fashion than Beyonce in her looks. Beyonce is typically beautiful. Solange has a beauty through several flaws ... which is a recipe for high fashion modeling. But lord her taste in clothes do not match up. And she proves with her own line of clothing with Deréon. Most of it is a hot tacky mess.

So, that is pretty much the extent of this blog. I wanted to make clear that my ban against the clothing line is directed at Deréon, not House of Deréon. That does work smoothly with my feelings of the two leaders of both lines. I find Beyonce to be a classic, and yet innovative dresser, and her line follows suit. Solange is a hot mess, and her line follows. So, if you have the money, check out House of Deréon.

Here's to style. Cheers!