Fall Forum ... Come one; come all!

Hello everyone. As we approach the fall season, I have decided to open up dialogue once again with everyone so that they can ask whatever question is on their minds about fall style.

I enjoyed the last open forum, and am hoping to find some inspiration in this one as well. As I have stated before, I am getting a little bored with fashion these days. It all looks the same now, and that wouldn't be so bad if the bulk of it looked halfway decent. Nowadays most people look sloppy and out of place. Then the rest are over trending themselves. Ugh I say!

So ... I am open to your questions, comments and/or outrageous objections about fall style.

Let's go!

Open Forum ...

Okay ... Oliver B. has been away for a while. So sorry to those who actually read my blog and take in the knowledge. I have been seriously lacking in inspiration for fashion these days. People dress so tragically in South Florida. I'm amazed that even in 2010 this Night at the Roxbury look is considered fashionable. Ugh!!

A couple of weeks ago I was shopping with a friend, helping him create a new look for his new body. I walked him through a few stores and a few designers and gave my input on what would look best on him, and my tips for creating a "unique-to-you" look. That got me thinking: how many others have specific questions like he did on a particular look they are interested in?

So today I am making this post an open forum of discussion. You ask the fashion questions, and I will provide the style answers. No topic is off limits ... except whether flip flops are fashionable ... they aren't. EVER!!!! PERIOD!!!! ;-)

The door is open ... who's gonna step in? I await my visitors.

Here's to style. Cheers!

The Tell-Tale Smells ...

Oliver B. is posting two blogs in one night. This particular blog is a special edition just for a special reader who asked a question that did provoke some thoughts within me.

The question asked was whether I had ever written a blog on scents in your home. While generally I would not comment on this in a blog, I did think to myself that the smell of your home can play a lot into your style. The daintier you are, the more likely that your home will have some flowery, powdery scent. Conversely, the more masculine you are, the funkier your home might smell. Have you ever noticed that even the cleanest man will have a "man smell" home? Never fails.

But Oliver B. is here to help the men pick out a scent that will not put their masculinity in jeopardy, but will at least allow a woman to walk into your home without immediately running away. I myself prefer the Meadows & Rain scent from Febreeze Air Effects. Why? Being a country boy, I like the smell of open fields and the way it smells during a rain ... that fresh smell of Meadows & Rain reminds me of my younger years. I'm allergic to chlorophyll (which makes plants green, so clearly it's everywhere) so I don't spend a lot of time in open fields like I used to as a kid. This smell is a memory refresher ... and with my apartment smelling like your everyday clean air, it doesn't call my gender into question. So, I would recommend something basic for men as a smell. The regular scent, or something that's rain, or plants, etc. Your home should basically smell like you opened the window and let the apartment take in the scents of the outshine environment (assuming the outside environment is natural and not big city garbage and urine). Lavender in a man's home is the quickest way to say I have a vagina actually. Do you have a vagina? You do if your home smells like lavender. I would also say that for fruits, flowers, powdery scents, and even the infamous Vanilla & Baking Febreeze Air Effects. Let the women have these scents ... you'll be fine without them.

I realize that many people don't use Febreeze, but rather prefer Neutra Air, Glade, etc. I do not advocate one product over the other. But, since I am familiar with Febreeze I use it as a reference. You can use any brand you like, just stick to the guidelines I have set forth.

I cannot stress enough to men that you must have some scent in your home. Trust me guys, we have gone nose-deaf to our smells after years of funk. By the time we got to high school, any chance we ever had of knowing how bad our rooms, apartments, homes, smell while living alone were gone. But they do smell ... badly. It's a fact. At least once a week, usually a Saturday, I open all the windows of my apartment and air out the place. Then after 24 hours of an air-out, I spray a little Febreeze in each room. While there are certain weeks I may have to give an extra spray mid-week, I find that this helps keep my place from smelling too much like a guy's apartment. It's hard to entertain (friends, Romans, countrymen, etc.) with a funky apartment, so you should always have your special scent ready for the occasion.

Remember that a stylish man is not a perfect man, but a prepared man. Go get your scent and be prepared.

Here's to great smelling homes. Cheers!

The Ghosts of Old Hollywood Return ... Again ...

As I opened my March issue of Vogue, I came across this marvelous Dior ad. I have always been a fan of Christian Dior. And now I'm even more of a fan because of these ads. Oliver B. has been truly starved of beauty in the recent issues of many fashion magazines. Everything has become so futuristic, cold, structural ... mechanical. Where is the beauty? I need beauty! And now I have it. Just look at this wonderful ad from Dior. It is definitely a blast from Hollywood's past. A wonderful throwback to old Hollywood glamor. If you pay attention to the ad the model is styles a lot like Lauren Bacall.

What I enjoy about this ad is a reminder of femininity that used to exist in our world. Don't get my wrong, I'm all about Sasha being Fierce, and divas being the female version of a hustler, and women who want to play a LoveGame or two, but I also enjoy some feminine glam. The days where a woman had class and sophistication, and a grace that today you may only find in black-and-white films. I miss that in women. I am grateful that the fashion houses are ready to celebrate glamor again ... and beauty. I was starting to see too much glamor and not enough drama. Oliver B. needs drama!

Christian Dior is not the only house celebrating Old Hollywood. Armani has an ad featuring beautiful long pants, reminiscent of Katharine Hepburn (who made women wearing pants fashionable at a time when all women wore dresses. St. John also has a little black dress that screams Meet me later for drinks, Mr. Gable. The list goes on ... the March Vogue issue is filled with beautiful clothes that scream of an era where women were women, and men were men. It's amazing how far we fell during our revolution of fashion, and how quickly we retreat every few years to old Hollywood to remind ourselves that we still need those beautiful dramatic garments of a oft-forgotten era.

If you ever need an example of the retreat, just look at several of the gowns worn by the stars at this year's Academy Awards. The sharp lines of last season's couture have been shaved down to curves. Now we want clothes that tell a story rather than summarize one. Didn't those sharp lines just seem to cut you off mid-sentence when describing them? I miss details, and gaudy jewelry that was offensively large. Insult me with your bold & beautiful wares ... I can take it.

Here's to style ... and to Old Hollywood. Cheers!

Santa, baby, hurry down the runway tonight ...

Oliver B. is back for the holidays and ready to help some of the men enter the new year with a mindset to jazz up their wardrobe. That's right, get your pencils ready and your calculators going for those fabulous gift cards you’re gonna give for Christmas. Yes, I said gift cards. Don't be afraid to give people what they actually want for Christmas: no chance of standing in line at the Returns counter. HA!

Give the gift of fashion this year ... it's good for the soul, you know.

My January 2010 GQ issue has arrived and I have torn threw it to find the upcoming trends and the ways to jazz up a wardrobe with pieces that you can recirculate through the years in your closet collection. The new year is about thinking outside of the box. It's about color coordinating to the extreme ... mixing a red polo shirt with a fuchsia polo sweater, or teal with aqua blue. Something bold and eye-catching. Vibrant. Surprising. NEW! Delicious.

Perhaps you're an office worker and don't have the free hours to go that bold and vibrant. Not a problem. In an officescape defined by bland cubicles and by-the-books colleagues, you can still do something to get noticed. GQ is sharing how you can bring some life to your business wardrobe. And of course Oliver B. is here to add in a hint of long-term style to the suggestions.

First, sport a plaid pocket square. Where is it written that the pocket square has to be plain old white? Try a patterned handkerchief into your jacket. An perhaps you can try one with a very rough texture (think burlap).

Second, discover our lost friend, the sweet and round BROWN. Wearing a black belt with black shoes is kind of like whispering; you'll never speak out of turn, but you'll never be heard, either. Now, a brown belt with brown shoes? That's a statement--loud and proud. Be sure to choose muted colors around that brown option. A nice grey suit, navy shirt look. Something that makes brown the star immediately as you look at it. You can't make brown a star when the entire cast is all brown. Think about that the next time you match from head to toe.

Third, recharge your dress shirt. A brightly colored shirt can work at the office. You just need to be sure that the style of the shirt is traditional, and if you have to wear a tie, think dark. Again, the shirt is the star, so the ensemble cast should fade into the background. Let the color do all the talking. I'm a personal fan of blue, maybe even hunter green. But these colors work with my skin tone and eye color. Be sure if you go for a bold color it is a color that will look nice on your skin tone or with your eye color. Just because you wear a style doesn't always make it the style for you. Remember that style reflects you ... so check the mirror once in a while.

Fourth, get the modern briefcase. Offered by everyone from Louis Vuitton to Banana Republic (a favorite of mine), the modern briefcase--in canvas or textured leather--makes a mature alternative to the messenger bag. It also doesn't throw off the sleek, slim lines of your wardrobe. A clumsy briefcase will damage the aesthetic look of your new style.

Fifth, get some hardware. Consider wearing accessories that anchor your look with some heft: solid frames, sturdy cuffs, a slim steel watch. You don't have to wear them all at the same time (remember Coco Chanel's teachings on accessorizing). You just want accessories that reach out and slap passersby in the face and say "notice me!" If you can get people to focus on that accessory and miss the rest of your look, you've done it. I really love the solid frames. It's very 60's (my favorite era) and it brings up images of the hot nerd (who is amazingly in style right now as THE arm accessory ... thank you Emo fashionistas for aiding in that wave of appreciation).

Finally, understand the power of three. A three-piece suit is nothing to shy away from. For many years, we all felt that it might be a little too dressy for the regular workday. Not so anymore. Once the jacket comes off in the morning, the wardrobe is still sharp. Don't knock it until you've tried it. And the one great thing I love about the vest is it adds extra buttons to your wardrobe. I love buttons ... especially when they're being undone at the end of the day ... or during it. Your call ;-)

To summarize GQ's newest issue, I have written a little song for you all to convey the lessons of the day, with a couple of extra suggestions I found in the magazine that I liked. It's my special holiday gift to the readers who keep coming back time and time again for the sporadic rantings of a visionary striving each day to make people as beautiful as the world they live in. So, for your reading pleasure, I give you "Santa Baby" Oliver B.-style:

Santa baby, slip a plaid square under the tree, for me
I've been a real voguish guy
Santa baby, and hurry down the runway tonight

Santa baby, a Prada belt and Salvatore shoe, brown hue
I'll sit on the front row
Santa baby, and hurry down the runway tonight

Think of all the fun I've missed
Think of all the bright dress shirts you must enlist
Next year I could be oh so GQ
If you'd check off my Christmas list

Santa honey, I want a Vuitton briefcase
Don't make that face
I've been an angel all year
Santa baby, and hurry down the runway tonight

Santa cutie, there's one thing I really do need, accessories
Cartier cuff links will do
Santa baby, and hurry down the runway tonight

Santa baby, and fill my fashions with three-piece suits, to boot
Check out how sharp it looks
Santa baby, and hurry down the runway tonight

Come and groom me up please Jamie
With some moisturizer from L'homme Healthy
I really do believe in you
Let's see if you believe in 'mani

Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring
On a brand new smartphone
Santa baby, and hurry down the runway tonight

Hurry down the runway tonight
Hurry down the runway tonight

Here's to style. Cheers!

Wow & Forever

Oliver B. here and there's nothing I love more than the fall season. Aside from the fact that I love cold weather, I also love the fashions of the fall. I always go for a sweater, long pants, scarves, hats, coats, etc. It's very easy to be sexy in the summer time where you show a little here and there. But to be just as sexy (if not sexier) in head-to-toe clothing ... now that is something to envy. Today's blog will focus on the overall picture I see in this season's fashion choices. Some of you may not be ready for it but you'll just have to bend over and take it like any of my other prisoners. Here goes ...

The theme I think is best to describe this fall season is passion. It is not a complete novelty to think of heat and fire in the fall, is it? But, that's what this season is all about. "Fall's palette paints nails with drama, as accessory to the season's perfectly polished fashion. Vivid pinks and violets. Darkest cobalt and emerald. Warm reds. Rich nudes. A passion for color." (Colección de España by OPI) And there could be no truer statement of the fall trends. In it's continuing run through the seasons, color is still the main staple. Often, especially in the colder seasons, our fashionistas retreat to blacks and greys and whites, and shy away from a bold and mesmerizing color. This would be a mistake. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO DRAW ATTENTION!!

I have seen a vibrant violet Gucci suit, to a rich plum Calvin Klein ad, to a bursting pink from Tommy Hilfiger, neon colors on Chanel couture, and let's not forget about the patent leather shockingly bright flats from Coach. All of it beautiful and really spruces up the dreary season. No more of this earth tone look in the fall. Stop matching the leaves as they fall. There's something inherently optimistic about a vibrant color, and Lord knows we all could use a touch of optimism these days.

Are we losing our confidence people? Every fashion magazine I have read lately from InStyle to Harper's Bazaar has some statement that wearing a certain look will bring you confidence. NO NO NO NONONONONONONO. Confidence should never come from your clothes. It should always come from you and you alone. You must never let the clothes wear you. And as a practical matter why should you base your confidence on items that will be out of fashion in a matter of months? Does confidence have an expiration date? Really?

My tips this blog come from Michelle Obama's wardrobe. Take a cue from our lovely First Lady whose unstuffy style is just the kind of optimism I want to see not just on the catwalk, but on the sidewalk as well ...

1) Bursting with color, a clean-line coat that comes to the knee makes a tasteful statement.

2) The new business chic swaps restrained suit jackets for spirited sweaters, often belted.

3) Anyone can pull off juicy tones, as long as they're worn with confidence (not worn to get confidence)

4) The knee-length silhouette may be simple, but the fabrics are quite the opposite: rich brocades, nubby tweeds, and dazzling metallics. Instead of offsetting the skirt's sumptuousness, play it up with a bright belt or an embellished sweater.

5) Pearl chokers are the jeans of the jewelry world--they go with absolutely everything.

6) Wide belts give definition to boxy jackets and unstructured cardigans.

7) A cluster of oversize brooches adds oomph to classic blazers.

8) A pair of low heels in snakeskin or metallic leather are in step with any occasion.

All of these tips are simple and fashionsteady, not fashionforward. Remember that you must always have a proper foundation to build a house on. Too many times I see perfectly good looks destroyed by a simple crack in the foundation like overaccessorizing. It doesn't have to be you. Learn the lessons.

Here's to style. Cheers!

Ties ... Ties, Ties, Ties ... For Career Boys

It's Wednesday people ... and Oliver B. is back with another edition of "Ugly Tie Wednesday." For those of you just tuning in, Ugly Tie Wednesday is a little fun competition between the guys at work. They each come to work on Wednesday in an ugly tie, and one lucky man is chosen as the winner of the week with the ugliest tie. Each week there ends up being a discussion about at least one tie that we view as salvageable. So, as your window to the fashion world, I have taken it upon myself to not only show you the contestants in the ugly tie competition, but to give you a brief fashion lesson to show you how some of these ties are actually fashion forward. I am all about reusing what's in your closet if you can. Many fashions do get recycled, FYI.

Now, without further delay, I give you the contestants...

This week I was not able to select a tie to win. I have placed my top two as tie #3 and tie #6. Tie #3 is ugly for ugly sake. It's a tie that was just made ugly. Tie #6, however, seems to be a tie with such a subtle and demur design that until you walk up on it, you don't realize just how hideous it is. It has depth to it in its ugliness. So who wins? The tie that IS ugly, or the tie you have to discover is ugly? I'm going to let you all decide on that.

This week I have selected my savable tie as tie #5. It's beautiful, and yet was very controversial this week. Nearly all the men felt that the tie was ugly and should have won. Silly men ...

The fact is that this tie is the most fashion forward tie that has been worn on Ugly Tie Wednesday to date. I'm talking so fashion forward that the concept is in the Spring 2010 fashion lines. Collections like Robert Geller, Chanel, and Ralph Lauren are boasting very hot bright colors in their collections. Even LovetoKnow.com for men's fashion recommends jewel tones for men with darker hair. This tie is a perfect piece to add to your wardrobe. I think the key to remember is that you either make that tie the star attraction, or you go so big with the color that it's a subtle addition. You can always play up the looks I have included from the Spring 2010 collections. However, if you are not the type to really experiment in bold colors, you could always dress the tie with a nice white blazer, or a normal color, just in a shiny fabric. Versace has a white two-button blazer with honeycomb jacquard texture that is perfect for this tie. Take a look ...

Fashion has gone too severe lately. There is far too much black, grey, and white being presented on the runway. There's only so much you can do with that. It is time to brighten up again, and boy have the designers done that! I am wow'd at how well designers have taken seemingly loud and tacky colors, and have designed their pieces in a way that you forget what color you are looking at. It could just be that we have been so focused on dark colors that this extreme seems like the normal way to go. Who knows ... or cares?

Anywho, that tie is my pick of the week to save from an undeserved label of ugly. And to think this tie was found for only $4. You never know what treasures you stumble on.

In the end, I hope you all take away from this posting that bright colors are in season. While it may not be the right style for you, it is a fashion piece worth pulling into your seasonal trends. I give this splash of color ... this "transcendently psychedelic" beauty ... Oliver B. Styles' stamp of approval. Definitely vogue!

Here's to style. Cheers!