Friday, March 9, 2012

Class is Now in Session: Take Notes



If this image didn't say enough let me reiterate. CLASS IS FOR MEN. Here at the X-Stylez we promote men of class. A well- dressed man in society speaks volumes about your lifestyle and personality. Its all about the way you carry yourself.  When being a man of class your style can be broken down in consistency, originality, improvement and overall details. 

Consistency: When developing your personal style you want to remain consistent. Find out what works for you and stick with it. As the old saying goes, "If it aint broke don't fix it". It is definitely ok to have versatility in your wardrobe however, you don't want to stray too far away from what you've set forth as "Your Look".  Versatility can be broken down in this series: Morning, Day and Night. 

Let's take the the blazer for example. It's a staple piece in Men's fashion and something I know you have in your closet. Let's break it down in these categories. 


Morning would be your work wear. If working in the Corporate field you want your blazer as polished as possible with elements that compliment a "professional" appearance. Often times many men buy a blazer then spend the rest of their life trying to find matching slacks. Here’s a tip: they don’t exist. Blazers are made as blazers, and suits are made as suits, so don’t worry about it. The goal is to make your blazer work for you.


If working in a more relaxed atmosphere try a more causal "Morning" look. However class up your structured styling elements.


Day would be your causal weekend attire. You can pair your blazer with causal options when lounging around town. Keeping your day attire "prep" is the sure way to get noticed. Women love a well dressed man even on a causal day. This look is a classic fall option. The button up shirt gives your blazer the structure it needs, while the sweater keeps you warm and builds layering. Grab a pair of nice jeans (no holes or distressing here), a plain wool sweater, and a button up shirt. Wear them. Dead simple, but if this option feels a little conservative for you, liven it up with a pair of Chuck Taylors or causal loafers  to add youth to the look. Also possibly try a driver hat. 


Night would consist of your going out attire. Recently, fashion forward celebrities have made the blazer an acceptable black tie choice. Tuxedo jackets in general define a classy man of style. You don't necessarily have to wear dress slacks with this look. For a more comfortable approach, try a pair of jeans or colored chinos (khakis). While it’s not entirely acceptable for the most staid of black tie functions, it’s a brilliant choice for a  formal night on the town, or for those dates where a simple sweater and jeans just won't do. 

 ---- Again, all of these style elements can be completely different but still incorporate the same consistency. 

Originality: I encourage all men of style to have a trademark. That could be anywhere from a hair style to handkerchief. When interviewing clothing Designer Chris Benz during fashion week, he talked about the importance of trademarking your look. Don't always think clothing when it comes to style. Even your facial hair can be used as your trademark look. I for one enjoy having thick sideburns.

If fashion is more of your thing, find what accessory you can trademark. Think outside the box... ask fashion icon Fonzworth Bentley who's known for his trademarked umbrella.





Improvement: There are always ways to advance your style. Fashion is forever changing and although it does have the tendency to repeat itself, there are often times when new players add additional things in the mix to put a different spin on things. It's always good to improve your look because as you get older your tastes may change. How many times have you looked back at old pictures and questioned "What the heck was I wearing? 

According to Ask Men they say these things about improving your look:  
What You Need To Know
-It's easy to improve your looks with proper grooming.
-Neatness counts -- that means it's time to dust off the iron.
-A classic white shirt improves any man's looks. 


For me I stay in tuned by reading fashion magazines like GQ and doing daily internet searches on fashion shows and just being in the know by reading other blogs. If fashion is not really your passion but you appreciate style, a good thing to do is look at award shows and see what the celebrities are wearing on the red carpet. That always works for me.


Overall Details: It's all about details. Pay attention..... from color to fit and accessories. GET CREATIVE! REMEMBER TO LAYER!



























Although the main photo focus of this post may be a little harsh to some let me clean it up. It is definitively ok to have swagger about yourself. Most men in the above frames have it written all over them through their innate personal style, however they all show class.  "Class" is a learned/ practiced skill that won't happen over night. "Class" will get you far in this world. 


If your didn't learn anything from this post, just remember this #KeepItClassy.


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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Paris Fashion Week Hot Stop: Christian Louboutin Men's Store



If your currently in Paris for Fashion Week, a place you might want to stop is the ALL-MALE Christian Louboutin store which can be found at 19 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The popular shoe designer known for his men’s studded loafers, Christian Louboutin has made significant strides in the expansion of his brand to the male footwear market since adopting the menswear line in 2008. Now like woman's only boutiques, men can enjoy personal shopping in the brand’s first-ever men’s shop in the Galerie Véro-Dodast in Paris, France. 


To give the store a masculine appeal, vintage airplane seats, a tin ceiling, and a Star Trek table and chair were assimilated to give the interior a bold distinction from the nearby women’s boutique. The shop envisions a higher level of customer service by offering a made-to-order service in the abaft area of the store known as the “Tattoo” room. Here, men can embroid modern-day versions of family crests/ tattoos onto shoes, a service which will take about three months to complete an order. 







Louboutins or as we say down south 'Red Bottoms" can sometimes cost thousands of dollars. Apparently, the more lavish models are most popular, with Louboutin saying that his male customers "Come in and say, What do you have with studs?" and that his studded high-top sneakers ($993) and a more elaborate version with crystals ($2,278) belong to his bestsellers.


Brand to Know: Triwa Watches







Swedish watch brand Triwa, who is well-known for their pop colored acetate straps, have released several new colors. The brand has teamed with Sweden’s Tärnsjö Tannery, who have been crafting quality leather goods since the 1800s. The synergy between the stainless steel and organic material is quite evident and although each watch displays a striking use of color, it somehow manages to remain quite sophisticated . Triwa watches are lightweight timepieces that rely heavily on brilliant color and style. Each signature timepiece is available for purchase at Triwa. Their watches range from $150-285. 




Monday, March 5, 2012

Kanye West spotted during Paris Fashion Week in Givenchy



Givenchy has long been a beloved fashion house of celebrities for years, so it isn't peculiar that fashion icon and clothing designer Kanye West would be wearing the poplar brand when attending the designers' show during Paris fashion week. Ye attended the Autumn women's wear debut just a few days before his own Paris show.


Kanye with P. Didddy and Shyne 


How do you feel about this top? I will say if anyone can wear it, it would be Ye! 


Check out more of Givenchy's star studded collection that features the  iconic Ricardo Tisci’s (Givenchy's designer) signature stars. 


You can purchase Givench's premium black leather bi-fold wallet via online retailer SSENSE. The three stars are raised beneath the leather in the style that we have seen lately implemented by various brands. 


Givenchy’s Spring/ Summer 2011 star studded high-top sneaker. The sneaker retails for $650 and can be purchased  online at luisaviaroma.com.



Check out the white version of the Givenchy Star Studded High-top Sneakers ($631) from the Spring/Summer 2011 Collection. They feature off-white leather with large gold star studs, gold eyelets and a top strap. (Not really feeling these but hey it's GIVENCHY *pronounced in my Italian voive*)




Ye spotted again in a Givenchy studded tee from the 2010 collection. 



What do you think? 

Cole Haan releases LunarGrand Collection

Cole Haan has been killing it these last couple of months with their two-toned shoes. I've purchased a couple of saddle oxfords myself. The popular shoe carrier just released the LunarGrand collection via its SoHo store in NYC this past Saturday (March 3, 2012). This shoe is a good pick for a sneaker-head who's wanting to cross over into the dress world. The (sick) colored sole of this shoe compliments it's wingtip upper by fusing classic style and street wear. With spring approaching this shoe is yet another MUST HAVE for a man of style. 


Don't expect to log on the Cole Haan Website and purchase this shoe. Sales are being xklusively driven via its NYC SoHo Store. If you want it... call it in or get on the mailing list.

The Cole Haan LunarGrand will be sold for $278, exclusivley at


Cole Haan
128 Prince St.
New York, NY 10012
United States

I think I'm going to declare this shoe week! Stay tunned.........

Friday, March 2, 2012

A Season Must-Have: Prada 2012 Multi-Colored Patent Leather Brogue


A new release from Prada, an extreme muli-colored saddle wingtip shoe, is from the 2012 spring/summer season collection. This striking brogue does exactly what its suppose to do: MAKE A STATEMENT. In my opinion it doesn't quite top the brogues from last season, but this shoe definitely is a conversation piece. Prada put a twist on the popular wingtip brogue model shoe for its 2012 spring/summer season. This shoe is also available in a more simplistic style in all black patent leather. Additionally, this dress shoe can also be viewed as a sneaker with its clete-like bottom resembling a running shoe. This wingtip brogue sneaker has a Japanese retail price of ¥81,900 JPY (approximately $1,015 USD), however I found it at Saks Fifth Avenue for $650.00. 

What do you think of this shoe? Sleek fashion for partying around town or just high fashion for a circus clown?


I reported 2 weeks ago in my Male Street Style: Mercedes Benz Fashion Week post that Elle Magazine's Senior Accessories editor Kyle Anderson was photo'd in this shoe also styled in a Givenchy leather and fur coat,Versace leather studded pants, Dolce & Gabbana bag, Lauren Urstadt gloves and Lanvin sunglasses.

Trey Songz Covers GQ Magazine

Ladies Man, Trey Songz cleans up for GQ Magazine. The dapper vocal artist was styled in top designers J. Crew, Salvatore Ferragamo, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren Black Label, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Emporio Armani & Etro for this amazing, in depth 10 page spread.  According to GQ, if you are a guy and you don’t already own a well-fitted sports jacket, it should be the first thing on your list to buy this spring. I completely agree with GQ on this statement and Trey Songz proves that notion with this visual spread. I can't STRESS it enough, "Fit" is every important for a man of style. 

Trey Songz in currently preparing for his 2012  album release entitled 'Chapter V'. He talks with GQ in his interview about fashion, style and wanting to make memorable music like the great Marvin Gaye. 

On Making Music Like Marvin Gaye — Love Songs to Changing Lives
I could make a hundred “Bottoms Up’s but they won’t change nobody’s life. Marvin Gaye sang love songs to a certain point, and then it was like, ‘F–k this; I’m not clean-cut no more. I’m putting this skully on, letting this beard grow out, and I’m doing whatever the f-ck I wanna do.

On if he’ll change up his style
I might. Give me a couple of years, though.

On Social Networking and whether it ruinis the Mystery of Artists
What made Prince, Prince is, you didn’t know sh-t about him. As an artist, you need a persona, a mystique. When you step into Twitter, Facebook, all of that, you’re giving a piece of it away.

Check out this awesome spread below: 

 
















This spread completely lays out superior style for the spring. Light colors, patterns, accessories, great shoes and comfortable style all make for a great spring outfit. Pay close attention to detail and when mixing patterns for the spring. Trey also proves that the smaller things like socks and a simple roll-of-the-pant is very important when creating a stylish look. Mr. Songz also shows less is more with being a member of #TeamNoSocks. I'm also a member (lol) but my advice is to just make sure you keep lotion handy.


To create a tailored no sock look try wearing a pair of pants that hit right at your shoe with a unique slipper  or brogue and allow your angles to show slightly when you sit down or walk.


Trey dresses up while dressing down to complete his fashion forward looks.Try similar dressy vs. causal looks by paring a fitted or snap back cap with a suit with sneakers or adding an arm full of bracelets with a graphic tee and a blazer. Learn how to clash dressy elements with dressed down options to fuse a stylish look.


For additional tips or to answer styling related questions feel free to email me at styled@HarrisonTCrite.com. I'm always willing to talk fashion and style with hopefuls in wanting to advance their swagger.


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