An Intervention You Won't see on A&E

Today I tried to stage an intervention with the bf.  It wasn't pretty and it wasn't exactly what one would call a "GREAT SUCCESS!"  He left the house looking like Forest Gump during the leg brace days wearing old as sin khakis that were too short and showed his sock/boat shoe combo and his old man jacket, that he himself refers to as his "old man jacket."  I mean he does dress really well for a guy (homeboy wouldn't even wear cargo shorts in 'Nam) but when do old college habits die? When I graduated college I wanted to throw out all my rancid collegiate apparel and then take a scalding hot shower, cleaning myself with a fresh bar of soap a la Howard Hughes. Dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty girl, must get clean.  When will he, and all the rest, get that just because you wore it when you were younger doesn't mean it works now.  Guys and fashion is a slippery slope, those who are too into it are labeled as gay or metro and those who aren't are labeled (and actually are) slobs. Many don't get that the way a guy dresses can be a major turn on and... turn off.

Some guys operate under the assumption that to dress well they need to dress like Chuck Bass, but Chuck Bass doesn't even dress like Chuck Bass {Unless the chuck bass we are referring too is FAAABULOUUSS!}

                      

Dressing overly preppy, dressing like skater boy from 1994, wearing camo or your favorite sports team's logo when your not at the park are all big No no's.  Here are some guys who exude natural style.

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 There really are no words for the cast of The Buried Life.  Not only do they have an inspiring message and actually help people (the site of which leaves Caroline and I in tears and casually stalking... casually) they are undeniably adorable AND well dressed!

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 The thing that works for them is that their style is all their own and even though they live out of an RV most of the time, and god knows that vehicle probably smells to all hell, their ironic shirts, jeans and bright sneakers work with their "Indie-Prep" vibe.

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Robert Pattinson is like a steak sandwich, double fried french fries and then an ice-cream sundae without any calories.  When he's on the red carpet he is perfection, but during the day he sometimes looks like a cross between a homeless hipster and a brawny man, but look at that face! Who even cares?

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He's just really cool, that's all.

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When he wears this for the day that's fine, but not on the red carpet!

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AHH, yes please!

I've tried to pick guys around the 21-24 age group but I've had to dip down to the teens to find one of my top picks for best dressed man, and hold the shrieking team Jacob... It's Taylor Lautner.

He uses the three C's: Classic, crisp and clean.  I like that his daytime style isn't too far off from his red carpet style- it makes him more well rounded and consistent so you can tell he isn't man-handled by a stylist- and if he is, he does a good job pulling it off.

Another man with style who I love is Nicolas Hoult, formerly the queer little kid from About A Boy and now known as the queer bigger boy in Tom Ford's A Single Man.  I mean he's the new face of the Tom Ford Line so he better be well dressed.

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Is he gay? Do I care? He's adorable.

So clearly these boys are all showered with clothing, money, stylists and poonon. Also 25% of them have accents and have been on TV, making them infinitely more attractive.  So, sorry guys? No but seriously there are some items I think every post guy should have to make them less fratified.

1. A good suit.  I had to defer to the man I formally referred to as grandpa tush before for this one.  Hopefully, most of you men will be defying the odds and actually become employed in the near future.  Wow, I mean I thought we had it rough having to shell out bones to look appealing to the opposite sex, but suits are expensive.  He says a simple navy suit like this one from Brooks Brothers is the best way to go. 

Navy or gray is a good place to start because you can switch up the shirt and tie options without getting too crazy for the workplace.

2. I assume you are all keeping your boat shoes and rainbows, which is totally fine (you may want to refresh your skanky shoes) but a new pair to add in your repertoire isn't the worst thing.  I love a guy in these desert boots (these from Clark's are the least expensive and are still well made)

2. A non fleece, non puffy coat.  This Barbour is a classic you will have forever.  When it looses its waxy shine just send it back and they do it for you.  You guys like when people do stuff for you right?

3. A good pair of jeans.  All you need is a classic pair from Levis.  And don't let your other male friends fool you, there is nothing "poor," "common," or "farmer" about a good pair of denim.  It's hot, all girls love a guy in jeans so get over it!

And lastly, there is nothing wrong about khakis (as long as they fit well).  You should never change who you are, but how you dress is the first thing girls (and employers, and teachers, and  ya mathaa) notice about you.  So it may be time for to switch things up and ladies, don't be afraid to stage an intervention.  I wish you better luck than I had!

{Read The Trad and Restless Transplant for more mantastic fashion advice.}

Wise Words...

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GLLAAADDIIATOORRR

Anyone knows me knows my obsession with Elizabeth Taylor and how I've come to terms with the fact that she is my inevitable future. I'm fine with it. We'll today I went on a haj to Bloomingdales to do some much needed spring shopping and struck out left and right. I was looking for a printed romper, a colorful dress that didn't make look like a wall full of graffiti and of course... glaadiiaatoorrr sandals. NADA. I couldn't give my money away. This sad fact led me back to the computer to shop online with the other agoraphobics. Here are some of the best bests for your GLLADDDIAATOORR needs


Top picks are hands down this pair from UGG.

They come a few different colors and most importantly are COMFORTABLE.  Squishy soles mean you can walk all over the place.  A friend of mine got them as a gift and she put them on right away and didn't take them off.  At $150 the price is great for the amount of wear you will get out of them.

These from Tory Burch are $130 because they are Jelly, but can be really great to wear to the beach and after without destroying them.  Also available in bright red.

These are the ones I am not so secretly lusting after.  They are classic, I like the color and can be dresses up or down easily.  You would think finding less expensive ones like this wouldn't be a monumental task, but apparently IT IS.  I loved Sam Edelman's collection of gladiators from last season, but this season they are all bejeweled and crazy.

These from Modern Vintage are really cool and a little bit more of a sophisticated take on the trendy gladiator shape.  I also really like these sandals from Pour La Victoire.

I wish any of these were at the store but the shoe department was pretty flat (pun intended).  In any case I'm off to help blind kids cross the street. 

Spring Essentials: So My Friends Stop Owning My G Chat With Questions

Last night I spent a good hour writing this blog post (anything to divert myself from the Mets loosing) and of course in a moment of pure spasmodic turrets and blogger sucking the preverbal left nut POOF! SHE GONE! The whole thing. I had, had a BITCH of a day to say the least and if I possessed tear ducts I probably would've cried.  Instead I whined incessantly and became so distraught I forgot Project Runway was on and had to watch The Real Housewives of New York set women back three decades.  In any case, I'll try to remember the poetry that was created. I started this blog really for some piece of mind.  In college my friends would all whine at the same time about not having anything to wear and me, having no life and spending most of my days pretending I'm Anna Wintour (a-la those precious day-dream sequences), got to hear the brunt of it.  I thought this would bridge the gap, kinda be a one stop landing pad, maybe convince them that cowboy boots do NOT go with everything, but it hasn't.  Those little bitches are like roaches in their tactics.  I get self-taken pictures sent through BBM, G-chat messages galore and for the gal in the New York area we go on shopping expeditions that put the excruciating in excursion (Jen..).  We'll I of course love all this because they are my people.  In any case, what prompted this post was an aggressive amounts of, not questions, but "statements." Statements, which strongly suggested I do something about them.

If you buy only one thing for spring, make it a denim button down.  I know it sounds a little "down home in Alabama" but with white pants, fun printed shorts or even other denim in can look really sharp.  I'm getting this one from LL Bean Signature; its a steal compared to the others out there and doesn't look like you belong on a cattle ranch.

Denim shirt by gkatz featuring Tory Burch shoes

Items in this set:
the rolled short, $205
Tatum Print Shorts, Merci Liberty Limited Edition, size: L, 75 GBP
Heavy poplin Carson short - bright plum, $50
TORY BURCH BLONDINE GLADIATOR, $275
TORY BURCH RORY CROCHET BALLET FLAT, $235

Yeah I know the denim on denim is a little urban cowgirl but if the denim is darker on the bottom it really is a cute look. I mean these chicks look greeeeat.

This isn't Patch Adams the sequel.

Winter is gone meaning having to wear the uniform (tight skirt, tank, blazer STOCKINGS) is kaput. The LFD is replacing the LBD and tanks be to god.  For those of you who are acronym deficient LFD means little floral dress. 

The things I would do for this dress if two (or three) mild to moderate obstacles weren't in the way.  One I can't afford this Nanette Lepore dress and two and three my lucious lady lumps would never get into those boulder holders.  You can't tell from this picture but there are actually sculpted cups in there fit for someone who has yet to have their first menstrual cycle.  Ugh, I love it though!

This one looks like it could be flattering for any set of girls and under $200 you can maybe, I don't know, sublet your roommates room for a weekend and get it? I really like this new brand Plastic Island, their clothing has really urban elements to classic shapes and aren't horribly priced.

This strapless floral is from Mink Pink, a great brand for the young and casually employed.  It still fits in with the look of the other two but also won't rip after one wearing or show up on a guest of The Jerry Springer Show. At under a hundo you can afford the dress and to get drinks after, and isn't that what its all about anyway?  

Another brand I really like is Yumi Kim. I love this dress because you can wear it to work and out after when temperatures become next to unbearable. Her entire collection is really cute and the prices aren't that bad either.  Fit wise, I've tried on some of her stuff and its a little on the small size. At least thats what I'm telling myself.

As I said a couple of posts ago, tie-dye is really big for spring, which has every hippie OUTRAGED.  Their corner on dirty counter culture has been invaded by the whores of mass production! Sperry no less has made a tie-dye topsider! I wonder who actually is more upset about this the dirty hippies or the WASPs? I'll ask Walt.  Read the tie-dye trend report here.  Trends come and go, which is why I highlighted these because when the hell are florals for spring going to go out of style? Are you never going to wear jeans again? Alright, the tie-dye is a little impractical but still.  My summer staples are the following:

1. Gap pocket tees.  They are sold out online but if you have a town with a stoplight then you have a gap, so go there.  If you get two pairs then the price goes down, which isn't exactly a bad thing.  I got two white ones because lets be honest here... by mid August those arm pits are what they zoom to for the before shots on the Clorox commercials. 

2. J-Crew shorts.  I love them. They haven't changed the fit on them in years which I would say is great, but its not like they look better on me after years.  I never buy them now because its J-Crew and they will be 19.99 but July 4th weekend.

3. Toms Shoes.  This is about the extent of my charitable shopping (for now!).  People say they are really ugly, or "genie" shoes, but I love them: they are comfortable and great beach shoes.  Plus there are some really cute styles.

I'm getting these.  If they are vegan shoes, will I look skinner?

Tune back next time to find out what happens when I deny my friend The World Cup coverage so she can model all these looks above. At the same time.  That's right JEN!!

Olivia Palmero for Roberta Freymann

I love myself some Roberta Freymann; her store is where furnishings and fashion come together with strong Middle Eastern influences.  I also really like Olivia Palmero because, beside from being a bitch, she has impeccable taste. I mean she's no Hedi Montag...

They are substantial bib necklaces and the colors are great.  The prices? EHH, they range from 175-300$.  Worth it, yay or nay?

Shop the collection here.

J-Crew Fall 2010 Debut

On April 1st the J-Crew Fall 2010 Collection debuted at Milk Studio in Manhattan.  Creative director Jenna Lyonns was on hand to give us all a little taste of what's to come in the upcoming season.

HELLLLLOOO MENN!!!

Even this old dude is a Baldwin

Can we discuss how awkward it must be to just sit there chilling, looking moody and mad at your preppy roots?  I think the previews are a good idea and probably so much gun to go to but its hard to tell from the pictures above any of the outfits.  Take a look at some of my top pics in the single shots from style.com

She's ready to walk down the aisle.

Love the sequenced shorts!

That bag is bananas.  

I love the styling J-Crew does; they know no one wears their clothing that way, but they don't give an f and just like to have fun with it.  I like the collection, but its not making me want to bypass the warm season.

When Links Say It All

Hermes launches a high end jewelry line, which starts around $23,675.  But whose counting. {Cutblog}

Currently watching Gossip Girl.  Want to know what they are wearing? HERE YA GO!

Karl Lagerfeld knows the way to my heart.  First it was bringing back the boucle and now.... wow.

Mischa, Mischa, Mischa.

THE HIPSTERS HAVE GONE WILD!!

An angry gang of English hipsters injured ten police officers at a rummage sale in London over the weekend.  Not since the hippies stormed DC in the sixties have we witnessed such a significant police and counter culture clash.