Category Archives: What I think

And the Oscar goes to…

What I think, ,

Have you ever seen a movie? Of course you have. Well, you know how they give out awards to the people in the movies and the categories are always Best Actor/Actress and then Best Actor/Actress in a supporting role? That’s to distinguish the star of said movie from the supporting cast. It’s usually a clear distinction.

Do your outfits have the same distinction? You may want them to! It’s hard for certain pieces to work in harmony together if they are all trying to command your attention. If your tie and shirt are both overpowering…well, then there’s a power struggle. And when there’s a power struggle everybody loses.

So how can one avoid this? Well before putting it all together…choose! Pick which piece you want to be the star. Then select the other items in a way that will compliment or highlight the star, not compete with it. This doesn’t mean that the other pieces will go unnoticed. In fact, in a lot of movies the supporting actor outshines the star! Not because they’re power hungry, but because they are fulfilling their role perfectly.

A worthy of being the Star Whole outfit, but the tie is the star

Like Anne Hathaway in Les Mis! Let’s be honest, nobody‘s going to see the 97th remake of Les Mis to see Catwoman. You go to see Wolverine! But then you see it and you’re like: “When’s Wolverine gonna pop his claws…I’m bored…Cat Woman’s sooo pretty…and she can sing…I LOVE YOU CATWOMAN!!”

And then she wins best supporting actress and Wolverine is all like “What about me BUB!!?”…SNIKT

Copy cat

What I think,

Sometimes in the world of fashion, it can be hard to not flat out copy someone’s clothes. In fact, at times, I see the likes of @matthewgraber, @thedressedchest, and @ejsamson and I say to myself immediately…Self! You are gonna copy the mess outta that outfit! But whenever possible, it’s always better to be inspired by another’s fashion sense than to simply copy it, like this:

copycat v2

For instance, if you were a superhero who started as a scrawny weakling, who volunteered for an experimental government program that gave you super strength, speed and agility, plus you had an awesome shield and you were way into America…then you’d be Captain America. Now if you were the Fighting American you would have still started as a scrawny weakling, who volunteered for an experimental government program that gave you super strength, speed and agility, plus you would still have an awesome shield and you would also be way into America. But you’d be a copycat…and not a very popular one.

Besides, what looks good on you may not look so good on me. So be inspired!

First, figure out why you like that particular outfit. Is it the shirt, the tie, the blazer, the pocket square, the lapel pin, the color scheme? What is it that made you take notice? If it’s a specific item, then buy it! There’s absolutely nothing wrong with buying that exact item. That’s why they make more than one…so lots of people can have them. Then you can take that item an incorporate it into a combo that’s all your own, like so:

 

Screen Shot 2015-12-14 at 1.54.06 PM

If it’s something like the color scheme, why not try recreating the outfit with similar colors that you already have? Don’t go out and buy a bunch of new things to create an exact replica of the picture. Instead, use what you have, perhaps going a shade lighter or darker in certain areas.

color scheme v2

poshman v2

You may be delightfully surprised at the outcome…or feel angry at me for having wasted your time. In either case, we did something together. And isn’t that what’s important…togetherness!

 

No judging.

What I think,

I’m sure in your lifetime, you’ve told someone that they have beautiful eyes. Do you know why you thought that? It’s because those eyes were part of someone’s face. If you saw the same eyes laying on the ground you’d be like…AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! And then you would run away in horror.

Sometimes the same principal applies to clothes. Perhaps you have a shirt or tie or blazer, that, by itself, isn’t much to look at. It might even be downright ugly. But when it’s part of something, when it’s a part of an entire outfit, it’s beautiful.

tie 1

I know someone, who will remain anonymous, that every time I pick up a tie, says “You’re getting that?! It’s not very nice. Blah blah blah! Nag nag nag!”

And then I put my outfit together and they say: “I really like that tie! Where’d you get it?!”

And I’m all like: “It’s the one you said you didn’t like…and I hate you. Jerk.”

And then they’re all like: “What?!”

And I’m all like: “I said, I hate work…”

So I guess in conclusion…never give up on your dreams…Wait. That’s part of a different speech.

tie 2

Ah yes, here we are…

…So in conclusion, never judge an article of clothing on its own. Try and visualize what it will look like as part of an entire ensemble. You never know how that ugly duckling may shine in an ensemble. And then you can stick it to that naysayer in the background!

Blah blah blah! Nag nag nag! Well…in YOUR FACE ANNA. Ahem. I mean, whoever it happens to be.

ensemble

 

 

 

Where’s that from?

What I think, ,

There’s something that all women dread. Showing up somewhere and having the same outfit on as someone else. I used to think that was dumb. I mean, who cares if someone has on your dress? I was mistaken. I totally get it now. I mean, you don’t want to show up somewhere and someone is wearing the same tie as you. Then everyone’s like: “Look at you too! You’re twins!! Let’s get a picture! Everyone let’s get a picture of the twins!!” Ugh…twin idiots. EMBARRASSING.

all ties

Now, with awesome companies like Sprezzabox becoming more and more popular, we are gonna end up owning the same tie. So how do we go about avoiding this embarrassing situation?

Well, you could develop super fantastic ninja skills and then secretly track the movements of everyone you know so that you don’t buy the same ties. But developing ninja skills isn’t that easy. So instead you could call everyone every day and ask them what tie they will be wearing. But then people will think you’re crazy and they’ll probably stop taking your phone calls. Then we’re back at square one.

The best way to solve this one is to try diversifying your collection. There will always be ties that everyone or at least, a lot of people, will own. So why not round out your collection with things that are unique, ties that almost no one will own.

A good way to start is by looking for ties that are made in limited quantity. Now be careful, because this can be misinterpreted for ties that are expensive. But that doesn’t have to be the case at all. You can search through sites like Etsy, Scout Mob, Tied Down Ties and Hugh and Crye.

This is one of my favorite Tied Down Ties:

vertical orange up close orange Corkscrew orange

And if you’re willing to spend a little more on a product of amazing design and quality then check out my friends at General Knot & Co. They make amazing ties, like this one!

vertical yellowup close yellow corkscrew yellow

An Etsy find:

vertical blue up close blue Corksrew blue

And finally, a classic Hugh & Crye.

vertical pink up close pink corkscrew pink

In the end, much like mother-in-laws, this situation can’t always be avoided. But with some tie diversification you can make sure it doesn’t happen too often. I don’t know how to help you with the mother-in-law thing.