The art-meets-fashion approach that designers are turning towards is finally bringing fashion back to the more ‘tailored’ and ‘personal’ touch.
The mass-production that we saw saturate the garment racks in every retailer last year, has suddenly been exposed by the savvy consumer. Call it the GFC, or the greed that has compromised creativity and innovation, it’s well and truly pushed the consumers pocket into ‘personal selection’ not the usual ‘retail therapy’ that would help people take their minds off their complicated lives. Why spend your hard earned dollar on something you know cost $11 to make and sells for $89?
Consumers are tired of seeing what’s in one medium priced retailers window, (non-designer) that’s also on sale in another store. Usually 40 feet away. And the reason for this fellas, is that in China, the factory of the world, has allured business owners, buyers and vertical designers alike to Hong Kong, to then get on a train to enter the south of China, pick out the clothing that they know will work based on their consumer profile and re-label it. Or copy it, and produce a small quantity to hit deadlines for speed to market. Business is business right?
Now. So we’re not left on that depressing note that we’ve been paying far too much for the shirts and trousers we’ve been buying from retailers not to be named, I’ll give you a little heads up for the items you should invest your precious dollars into.
Right now in Australia, the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival is 2 hours into it’s Opening Night Cocktail Party at Government House. And Penthouse Mouse is a highlight of the festival’s cultural program. It’s as if the moons and stars align, successfully bringing together various designers and artists from a range of creative fields, all in the one space. It’s a unique platform, and one that is perfect for new and emerging designers.
Many of the designers involved this year at LMFF have been working on their very own prints and fabrics. There’ll be silkscreens, screen prints and inspired collaborations with other artists, knitwear that is of the chunky, fine, merino, jacquard and Peruvian persuasion, mesh, leather, stripes, florals, geometric patterning, contrasting proportions, assorted textures, rope and even a little bit of velour.
Now what’s exciting about this, is when a designer prints his or her own fabric, you know it’s like buying art. They can only do small runs as it’s a very expensive process, costing up to $100 a metre of prints and that’s wholesale! But what you’re getting is usually only available to a handful of people across the planet. Ahhh I can see the ‘vintage’ tag on it and it’s value rising if you look after these pieces well.
So if you’re the sort of person who really wants to see the quality for his dollar. Buy local designers who print their own fabric.
Peace out.
It seems to be that the craze for Men’s Designer Clothing is really breaking out. Here at Style 101 for Men, we show you a classic and traditional means to an end for every man to dress well and feel on top of the world. But our readers are wanting something a little more… well, designer! So here goes; Calvin Klein, Givenchy, Dior Homme, Gianfranco Ferre, Roberto Cavalli and JPG are just a few to watch for stunning, designer classics. Oh Burberry, Gucci and Prada are also a ‘no brainer’ choice of designer to put on your bod.
Now let’s get to the talk of the moment as it’s freezing in the northern hemisphere and the southern lands are about to step into Autumn/Winter. There has been a lot of talk about suits, and predominately the pin-stripe. But I have also seen an edgy trend starting for the very skinny suit that allows for layering on top. You add oversized cardigans and a huge scarf for that very cocoon-y feeling. There’s a mixture of texture and pattern among the layers, which are so important to get through a cold winter.
So if you haven’t bought anything for a while, start with a spanking new suit. And enjoy it for the years to come! Signing out….stig of style!
Filed under: Style | Tags: AW2010 designers, Chivalry, colour for this Winter, designer suits, Esquire, fashion, fashion style, French designer, french striped shirts, Gaspard Yurkievich Homme, gq mens style, instyle.com, matt suiting, men clothing, men dress, men fashion, men's style, men.style.com, mens fashion, runway fashion, Style for Men, Suits
Gents watch out for the Fall Winter 10/11 Paris men’s fashion collection from Gaspard Yurkievich Homme. Masculine suiting with just a little peppering of true artistic designer-wear, where the shapes are curved like the bonnet of a Ferrari. We are loving the journey from traditional suits, to new artistic shapes to the shop floor for our readers to enjoy.
Adding a slightly casual look to his range, he underlays his grey, charcoal and matte suiting with large bold French striped shirts, jumpers and wools. Later taking out the strips and adding subtly tie-died fabrics that seem to swirl around the shapes of a man like a vampress mist, giving this collection another dimension. A real WOW factor!
The shoulders in Gaspard Yurkievich ready to wear range take on a pinched look which adds flavour and confidence to the already brilliant shapes. And if you thought that wasn’t enough, the end of his runway show brought out suiting with leather squares sewn into blazers and jackets and the length of the trouser was shortened to give a glimpse of stunning sockery. Brilliant!
Gaspard Yurkievich accompanied half his collection with accessories such as overnight bags, back packs and the ever present ‘man bag’. Very masculine and a stunning achievement for this underground designer.
Filed under: Style | Tags: Bjorn Borg, Calvins, D&G, Davenports, Diesel, fashion, fashion style, FHM.com.au, Gallianos, Gautiers, Ginch Gonch, GQ, gq mens style, GQ.com, Hanes, HOM, james tudor, knickers, macpherson for men, men clothing, men dress, men.style.com, mens accessories, mens clothes, mens clothing, mens fashion, Style for Men, underwear, undies
Let’s get to the bare essentials fellas. You wouldn’t wear jeans from 1999, so why are you still wearing the same drawers you did in middle school?
The stylemeister and stiff o style (oh sorry typo) have been chatting about dressing from the inside out over the last month. It’s taken us a while to get to the underwear section of styling, as we wanted you all to warm up to discussing how to keep the slug snug.
Now, while researching this very important topic, we’ve come across some very interesting female conversations of late and they go a little something like this. If they see a hole in your undies, you’ll never see her again. If they see faded sagging cotton, the night is called off; If they sense that you’ve had the same pair of drawers for the last 20 years and you have secretly written an Oscars speech about it, they will tell all their friends and you won’t have a date for the next 7 years. Yep it’s like smashing a mirror.
So, your body has evolved, and so should your underwear.
I know a lot of you may be freaking out about the cost of a tiny piece of cotton, but let me remind you; A woman who spends money on lingerie is going to expect her man to update his drawers. You love the lingerie….enuf said.
Now we’ve just had Valentine’s pass, and I’m hoping that the lingerie came hard and fast (through the post that is) and you guys also gave yourself a good service, swanking towards the foggy mirror after a hot shower singing Sinatra, and then pulling on a pair of the following; Calvins, Gautiers, Gallianos, Ginch Gonch, Hanes, HOM, Bjorn Borg, Davenports, diesel or Macpherson for men. Good.
While we’re on the subject of brands, I want to highlight the following English designer to you, that not a lot of people know about.
His name is, James Tudor ( http://www.jamestudor.co.uk)
We LOVE what he’s doing. It’s English, cheeky, masculine and different.
Get yourself a pair for 23 quid.
Roger that.
Filed under: Style | Tags: being in love, Chivalry, gentleman, Love, men and romance, men's style, My woman, romance, single, single man, Valentine, Valentine's Day
We’re not going to complicate it. Love and being in love, is amazing. Valentine’s Day is when you remind your forgetful noggin’ of the fact.
Gentlemen, whether you hate the soppiness of it all, or dread the creativity required to make this day count for your woman, you need to acknowledge that Valentines is here … like it or not.
If you’re single, believe that your true love is around the corner so celebrate her imminent arrival.
Make a great meal for yourself (beef and potatoes are highly recommended). Scoff it down with a great glass of wine, then turn down the lights, and hang out with the J’s – James Brown or better still, John Legend, and most definitely Monsieur Jack Daniels in one hand and a cigar in the other. Enjoy the moment. You’re blessed to be alive. And love is on her way.
If you’re attached, wake her up with a soppy kiss, whip up a pancake or two and serve her breakfast in bed. Tell her how much you appreciate her … she’ll love you for it. Have a simple dinner together and as you do raise a glass in her honour. She’s worth it and you’re one lucky bugger because love is in your life. Don’t ever take it for granted.
Peace (and love). The Stylemeister.
Filed under: Style Veto | Tags: bald, bald hair, baldness, from Paris with Love, hair loss, hair men, hairstyles for men, John Travolta, men fashion, men hair, men’s style, sexy bald
Bald is bold. Bald is BAAAAD. Boys, bald is back.
While you shudder in the bathroom at your tresses clogging up the sink, when you whimper at the sight of your mane clinging to your girl’s nails when she drags them through your scalp, when you begin wearing caps and fedoras at jaunty angles to hide the growing empty real estate on your noggin’ please try and remember … if Travolta can rock it, so can you.
(FYI – Travolta has recently re-jigged his look to a cool, velvety, hairless panache that translates enormously well in his new role in the blockbuster movie ‘From Paris with Love’.)
Bald is fierce. And women love fierce-bald, infact I know of many who drool at it. Little babies too, as they rub their pudgy fingers across smooth baaaaaald plains of their dada’s cranium.
There’s something primal about the expertly sanctioned levels of testosterone that are said to charge through the male body, pumping so hard that they force the little hair follicles right out of their sockets. It’s primordial, it’s savage and it’s very attractive … to girls who see very bald man (with exception of a few) as the species’ highly endorsed candidates for passing on their strong, best survivor-on-an-island genes to the next generation.
Let me outline the baldy benefits for those who are still questioning the style: (courtesy of blisstree.com):
Mega savings – dudes with long luscious locks have to spend their time and cash maintaining that ‘do’. Being bald is a budget friendly investment in your future.
Evolution - Bald Men are the future; the hairy are a dying breed. Hair is vestigial structure lingering from the old days when we didn’t know how to wear layers, heat our homes and stay indoors during blizzards. Bald Men are more advanced, whereas hairy men are more monkey-like.
Simplicity - Bald Men enjoy simpler lives. Less product crowding up the shelf in the shower. Less effort coordinating schedules around salon appointments. Less time spent getting ready to leave the house. More time being a ‘real man’.
Confidence – A Bald Man is a confident man. A baldy doesn’t need to stroke their ego by brushing their hair.
Lady-love - For a girl who loves to talk, there’s no better bliss than a bald-man-listening. Baldies seem more adept at showing empathy than those guys who have hair stuck in their ears. Baldies have a better chance in scoring points with the ladies.
So for the gents who begin balding early (25% by age 30), please rock bald with bravado for life. For the 50% who get hit by hair loss by the big 5.0, shave off those last straggly locks and go all-bald and beautiful – and watch how much how your wife and/or partner warms up to you when you do. (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)
Be you. Be baaaaaad. Be bald!!
Filed under: Style | Tags: attract women, ebook, ebook for men, GQ book, GQ magazine, instyle, Instyle book for men, male fashion book, men fashion ebook, men's style, mens clothes, mens fashion, mens style book, style ideas, style investment
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Why “STYLE POWER”? When we ask, we’ve had many men tell us, that they don’t really bother or care about fashion design. Others claim that style and looking good is way too expensive. That the industry strongly caters for women and doesn’t consider that men might also like to wear something different.
One guy defiantly said he’d rather spend his hard earned dosh on a boat or a trip with friends than a “great cashmere sweater”! Fair’s fair gents … Problem is, when we drill deeper, they finally confess that they really don’t have a clue what they are doing when they come to clothing. And they still don’t look good despite all their protests.
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You’re ready to go to the next level … but you’re wondering why you’re not making any real headway or making little or no impact on your boss, business partners, colleagues, friends and loved ones. Could it be you’re not presenting yourself in the best light possible? Or making good enough an impression? … It’s time to turn that around …With literally 101 Style Tips, a Personalised LookBook, and loads of great, funny advice, “STYLE POWER” will give you techniques to literally change your ‘look’, make a BOOM, BOOM POW 1st impression and leave people thinking more seriously about what you have to offer. And unlike a style consultant who does the work for you and won’t tell you their secrets, “STYLE POWER” will teach YOU how to pick out the best look for you and get the results you need. One BOOK is all it takes gents! Trust us!
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“STYLE POWER” will help you rediscover your individuality. You need to fall in love with YOU again. It’s gotten boring and at times you even feel sick of trying on the same old shirt, wearing the same old suit and looking like the same old tired dude … time for a re-injection of that vision and passion of who you are … Are you an outdoor type adventurer? Or perhaps an achiever, or maybe you’re the laid back sporty guy. Either way we give you tips and hints to buy clothes, and pull together a wardrobe and style that suits your personality, interests, body shape and makes you … YOU!
“STYLE POWER” will help you dress for SUCCESS.
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At Style 101 for Men, we encourage feedback and a community feeling. We’d love to hear from you about what you think – ask us questions and probe deeper – and we promise to help you with those curly ones. We want to be, for you, a sounding board, a friend to talk to about your fashion issues and also provide expert advice, helping you to solve your STYLE problems and turn them into a chance to SHINE. Creating the possible best opportunity for you to look and feel good is just a small part of what we can help you do, but often it can be the most valuable …
“STYLE POWER” provides a Second Expert Opinion.
We love what we do here at Style 101 – we’re great at it and we call on many other Style Masters to help us give an all round expert opinion and feedback – because we believe that you need an style professional within easy access so you can keep running your race.
We have the simplest of solutions to help you in areas such as style, fashion sense, budget bargains, how to deal with nosy, pushy clerks or salespeople, how to pick out great fabric, grooming, etc. We’re committed to making sure YOU always look and feel GREAT. Join the thousands of men around the world, who are learning as much as they can about STYLE.
And remember, what you wear and how you wear it leaves others with a very strong impression of who you are. Your style is tied very closely to your identity and more than that, to your overall image.
So go ahead now … POWER UP YOUR STYLE!
Filed under: Style | Tags: collection for men, confidence, designer suits, fashion, fashion for men, fashion style, FHM.com.au, homeless, latest Milan fashion, men dress, men fashion, mens accessories, mens clothing, mens lifestyle magazine, Milan Fashion 2010, runway fashion, Runway shows in Milan, Suits, Vivienne Westwood, Westwood for men
Right so this must be the new way designers are showing off their ranges, because if you put all this stuff together for your daily outfit, you’d be looked upon as some homeless duff. Right? So, in viewing these pictures, you can see that the consumer would more than likely say, “Ok, I love the belt on that look, and maybe the shoes on this look” but all in all, is it a piece-meal collection or one peppered with utter genius? “Last night the press release for Westwood’s menswear collection, for Milan Fashion Week, declared: “Perhaps the oddest of heroes to emerge this season, Vivienne Westwood found inspiration in the roving vagrant whose daily get-up is a battle gear for the harsh weather conditions . . . Quilted bombers and snug hoodies also work well in keeping the vagrant warm.” Yes. The homeless. Of course, in the candy-colored world of Vivienne Westwood, homeless people are all young with great bodies, high 
cheekbones and flawless skin, and they all have super-styled hair and brightly colored clothes. And sometimes they’ll walk around in big goofy hats or even teddy bear heads! Sometimes even a crown because they are homeless and therefore crazy. Darlings, you just can’t write about it! Well….I just did. SO – we all know that inspiration comes to artists in various forms, but for a high level designer such as Vivienne Westwood to be inspired by the homeless means there has been a scary increase in percentage of these forgotten people. So if that is the case, and she is riding the dusty coattails of these people; then every piece sold from the collection, should have a percentage donated to the homeless. Our belief is if the influential are going to take something from the homeless who have nothing, then something should be given back. Agree?
Filed under: Chivalry, Etiquette, Hot Trends, Style, The Inner Man | Tags: attraction, Best Dressed List, Best style E-book, Bliss, brad pitt, Chanel, Chivalry, Cointreau, confidence, disappointment, disaster, fashion style, fear of failure, FHM.com.au, finding love, gq mens style, how do I look good, instyle.com, Jo Malone, men clothing, men dress, men fashion, men style sartorialist, Men's power, men.style.com, mens accessories, mens clothes, mens lifestyle magazine, New years eve, NYE, runway fashion, style tweet, the power of attraction
As you ponder NYE disasters and adorably futile resolutions…(but hey, they sounded good at the time), take a moment to reflect with the Stylemeisters on the year that was like a rabbit staring into headlights. I’d like to think that we were eating cointreau dipped carrots at the time, but I’d be lying. We’ll catch you at the gym, next week.
Life is life, as we will possibly sigh when we reflect on our personal journeys of 2009. Will next year be better? Will it be much of the same, will we get it? Or will we just move along with the tide? This year for some has been an absolute disaster and for others total bliss. But life is not without her disappointments or victories. We’re hoping there have been more victories than disappointments.
Our Style book found at – www.menstylepower.com – is filled with reasons why we all need a little help with our personal style. Not all of us are born with the ability to match colours, or shapes and styles. Believe me, I’ve seen some freakin’ disasters! Our book is a thorough read, covering styling tips for the absolute essentials in a man’s wardrobe and is accompanied with the importance of dressing from the inside out. And we’re not talking about the ever-popular Calvin Klein’s. We’re talking about how you speak, how you sharpen your decision making, your accountability, your attitude, your self-preservation and your problem solving. Believe it or not fellas, women will be able to sniff this out like choosing the right perfume for her at the Jo Malone or Chanel counter! It is almost instant when she senses something that’s not quite right…for her. So if you’ve got love on the calendar for 2010, or you have that gorgeous gal in your sights already; best you get to our E-book! www.menstylepower.com
We here at Style 101 HQ are passionate about searching deep within the male spirit to bring you to a profound realisation of what YOUR life is about. Men are more prone to depression, anxiety and fear these days due to the instability of the workplace, and their lack of belonging and fear of failure. We seek answers for you and have case studied people, books, situations and have talked to a lot of men and women who are at a cross road in life regarding their personal style and what they are attracting and what they’re Not.
Style is a key attraction to what you want in life, and we want the best for you! Dress sharp, feel good, brush your teeth.
Happy new year. We’ll be seeing you soon.
Filed under: All About The Bod, Chivalry, Hot Trends, Style, The Inner Man | Tags: Avatar, chivalrous, Chivalry, confidence, gq mens style, Gutsy, jacob from twilight, Jake Sully, markings, men fashion, men's style, mens lifestyle magazine, New Moon, tattology, tattoo design, tattoos, tatts, tribal tats, Twilight, warrior, yakuza tatoos
Once upon a time tattoos were given to the gutsy, not the trendy. Artists put a lot of earnest thought into the designs that are called, body art. Many consumers, don’t. Many people rip their ink images off pages of celebrity magazines, walk into retail tattoo salons fuelled emotionally to be inked spontaneously with an image that has not been well thought out, and this image will not change. So if you’re asking anyone but yourself if you should get a tattoo, then you’re not ready. In the last 7 years, the amount of adults who have a tattoo has doubled. And the regret for getting a tattoo has doubled also.
The mainstream tattooing has over-ridden the fringe art, where once a right of passage via an initiation into a tribe, it has been forsaken by “Tazmanian Devils and Tinker Bells”. And because of this growing obsession with tattoos, the artists themselves are torn between their imagery and their pockets.
Tattooing is a unique art form. The artist must have a special gift of freehand art work, proportion, mastery, warriorhood, compassion, conversation, and confidence. He/she needs to understand colour, line, shape and have certificates of senior first aid, so he/she can handle situations where people faint, freak out at the last minute, and deal with emotion. You’re not dealing with an everyday person here when they draw on you with a needle that scrapes your skin for hours at a time. The pain is tormenting. And the artist does it, because they are devoted.
Referencing movies and in particular Twilight and Avatar, it’s shown that tattooing is a very old human practice, not a fashion statement. The mark given to both Jacob (werewolf in Twilight) and Jake Sully (Lead Avatar-droid) indicates their initiation into warriorhood, or wolve-hood. But these marking are not given because of their physical strength. Quite the contrary – they are given to them because they are protectors, leaders and Kings.
