There’s no doubt about it folks, hoodies are all the hubbub. What I mean hubbub? I mean hibity dibity — they’re all the rage, especially odd or presumably dorky ones. I mean somehow, Marc Ecko has turned Star Wars into hooded sweatshirts and made them fashionable. Plain gray hoods are great, but they hardly seem to cut it anymore. If you’re bold and like to make a statement, they definitely don’t do the trick. You need something more out there. You need something more bold. You need, well, you need one of these…

First a preface, a disclaimer, if you will: No one should ever take fashion advice from me. It’s wrong for me to give it and probably a sin. I couldn’t be further from qualified and I generally look like a slob on a daily basis — I’m okay with this. But, I do like me a good pair of jeans and am endlessly fascinated with vintage t-shirts. Add Chucks or rainbows and you’ve got my daily uniform. So, I hereby deem myself qualified to speak about any of the four. If you like those things, more power to you. I might show you something you’ll like.

Postpone the vintage t-shirt love fest and we’ll go straight to jeans for now. To me, it’s really pretty simple. Buy the ones you like, that’s all. The problem, most guys don’t know what they like. They’ve never really considered it and they just buy what’s convenient. Let me give you some option…

If you’re a true baller though, you’ll go with dry denim. What does that mean? It means you get to wear the same jeans everyday for six months to a year and you don’t have to wash them. Confused? It’s simple, you rigorously wear dry denim in an attempt to make the most fantastically personalized jeans in the world. It’s a daunting task, but well worth it.

Logo T-shirts have gone through many phases - the product placement tee, the humorously reworked logo tee (FedUp - get it?!?), the completely fabricated and slightly racist logo tee (cough - urban outfitters - cough) - and now, the based-on-a-true-work-of-fiction tee. Last Exit To Nowhere, a company based out of Nottingham, England, promotes invented companies made famous or infamous by the stories they inhabit - and company founder Mike Ford makes sure their logos are poetically suited to the company’s character and context as told in the story. Thus, a logo for “Bladerunner“‘s Tyrell Corporation incorporates a frowning owl - a reference to the scene in which Deckard visits Tyrell for the first time and sees an artificial owl - while Amity Island, from “Jaws”, gets a woman serenely sunbathing on a float in the ocean. It’s a novel idea, one that harkens back to the days where the product placement in fictional works was actually fictional. ($36 at lastexittonowhere.com)

                
I featured an article on Darren ‘Dr. Romanelli’ back in August. He is back, Dr. Romanelli Strikes back with his Surgical Strike Collection, this time he has collaborated with  ANDREW BRANDOU. Both L.A. based artist, they will be unveiling pieces from the Surgical Strike collection in London at the fashion power house MAHARISHI on November 22nd. This time the collection will include clothes and paintings. The duo focused on a military theme (the culture of war).

Romanelli inspiration comes from iconic military uniform pieces from several countries, with the final product being high end garments removed from their original utilitarian purposes. On the other hand, painter Andrew Brandou has created paintings based on works by legendary wildlife artist John James Audobon. The paintings feature very fashion conscious, and heavily armed animals.

More images from the collection here>> 

supertouch blog 

 

With the winter season coming, everyone needs a pair of boots. Well, construction boot makers, Red Wings have collaborated with Italian brand, Vintage 55 for a pair of limited edition boots (only 500 pairs will be made, and they come in a special wooden box). By the way Red Wings has been around for a while; they constructed quality boots for soldiers during both WWI and WWII, while Vintage 55 is an Italian label which can be found in high end retail boutiques like Fred Segal in LA, Liberty in London, and Colette in Paris

(via)

 If the Vintage 55 boots are too rugged for you, try this (below) Rogue Gallery Eyelet Boots. Made from soft and supple leather, this boots are comfortable, and feature: subtle details, a nice trim around the ankle, a fully connected tongue to give the boot a slip-on feel, and the unfinished laces give the boot a rugged but refined look.

The boots are available at:

Stuart & Wright in NYC [718-797-0011]
Jake in Chicago [773-929-5253]
Douglas in L.A. [323-651-5445] Price $380.00

(via)

Bethany Shorb’s Cyberoptix Tie Lab, has this three ties from their ‘Concealed Weapons Series’ that feature a more subtle graphic on the front only giving a slight clue to a more “loaded” graphic hidden on the back. The second image is concealed on the reverse until the wearer pulls it out for show and tell - or keeps it a secret to his/her self.” Ideal for airports and schools? You decide. I would wear mine to bed to make my nightmares more scarer. They include: ‘Walking Timebomb,’ ‘40 Whacks,’ and ‘Let Them Eat Cake. They are hand made and their is a variety of colors and materials to choose from. Price range $40-$44, depending on what you want on your Tie.

Years ago, when I’d have school papers for my dad to sign, he’d ask, “What grade are you in, again?”

“I’m a senior,” I called out once, not looking up from my Mac.

“A senior?” my dad said. “Wow.”

So it’s no surprise that, while I’ve been blogging about Pappa’s Day gifts for weeks—

I just really realized today’s Dad’s Day.

Never fret—dude won’t cry like Mom if you’re a few days late on his Hallmark holiday, and there are easy last minute gifts.  During my daily pilgrimage to Starbucks to exchange five bucks for some sanity, I might pick up a gift card, which is always a perfect last minute gift. 

Though maybe you don’t dig investing a large fraction of your disposable income in overpriced soy milk, sugar, and caffeine.

I’ll pretend I understand, and suggest  Vivre’s choco croco-embossed wallet. Slotted for plastic money, passports, and paper, and officially titled a “Ticket Holder,” I might order two—

Besides inheriting my dad’s espresso addiction, I’ve a genetic disposition to speed 85 on the 101, while driving stick, in heels. 

Sentimental sans vibing saccharine, locket cufflinks—

Like the better things in life:  cigars, cars, and shows

—Are more boss, more clever than their classic chick counterpart.

Sleeky chic, smart Chiclets of silver hide four photo frames. Gift your sugar daddy and slip some secret naughtiness in for the 17^th, or fill the cool silver mini-frames for your real father, with real warm pics of yourself and siblings.

Your dad’ll dig checking your and your bros’ grins while he hustles hard. Seeing your mugs while he’s money-making, he’ll remember why he really works and he’ll lift the Lawd a prayer of thanks—

With all you kids graduated from that six-year college plan, his dollars are finally fun again.

Type foundry and design studio House Industries have branched into the product market, creating clothing and accessories with just as much graphic element and hip personality as their typefaces. Like the Arborist shoe, laser-etched with a wood-grain pattern in natural neutral colors brown, tan, and black. They’ve teamed up with independent footwear designers Medium Design Group to create these comfortable-looking suede shoes with hand-sewn edges and a leather lining. 

Though it’ll be a full fiscal year before your girl Kristopher will have time to review applications, I’m already outlining Boyfriend, Kristopher Dukes, LLC’s job description. To fill said position, applicant must be flawlessly groomed and gorgeous, though anyone will hesitate to describe him as such as he’ll be at least a foot taller than me with a gym body hard like his mind. This Greek physique will impress me with his time management skills, as I’ll wonder when weights weigh in, considering his highly competitive intelligence has him hustling hard most his waking hours. Smart, professional, metro-vain but masculine, he’ll vibe like this BBlessing leather portfolio.

Though he probably wouldn’t rock it.

Murses are kind of gay.

Though $3-a-gallon gas has some benefits —

At least a few hundreds in tax write offs for the power lunches and beauty bashes and soy latte dates your K cruised to.

— I’ve been toying with the idea of going more green.

And not just because that’s the color I almost turned after my Mr. Numbers accounted what I owe Uncle Sammy for 2006.

And not just because I finally went to pop organic food heaven Whole Foods and realized the girls are better looking there than at Ralphs.

It’s more because I’ve realized green can be chic, a happy marriage between form and function, style and substance, like these stock listings cufflinks tooled from recycled newspaper.

A little investment that maybe I can slip into my IRA contributions for 2006?

You’re thinking this rum and Coked up flip-flop is the stuff of a surfing art school student’s PhotoShop fun?

Nay, unlike La Lohan’s latest with Miu Miu, Reef’s “Dram” sandal is for real, and possibly your boy’s BFF come spring break. According to Reef’s e-boutique, its “polyurethane encapsulated canteen in heel has a screw cap” that “opens with included exclusive Reef church key/fin key.” 

Stashing an aiport security-approved 3 oz. of liquids, you may have found a way out of overpaying flight attendants for half-mixed cocktails on your way to Cabo.

Still, call your K old fashioned, but she’s sticking to stilettos and martini glasses.

 [Via ShoeBlogs.com]

 

There comes a time when spray-painting your shoes silver just doesn’t help you get dates.  Dior has a solution for guys like you (um, I mean ‘us’). View details.