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Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Get on Deck with Spring's Most Popular Footwear
Walk downtown on a nice spring day, and I bet you that it's hard not to spot someone strolling around in a pair of boat shoes.
The boat shoe, originated in 1935 by Sperry Topsider, has become more and more popular as the years have gone by, and as of recent, when the weather gets nicer, the more Sperry's you see on the streets.
Sperry has evolved from just a leather boat shoe, and now works with tons of different materials to put a innovative spin on a classic look. Sperry Topsider put's out a ton of different styles, not just boat shoes, and when it comes to footwear for the Spring and Summer months, your first stop should be to Sperry's deep catalogue of shoes and sandals.
This Spring, Sperry has put out a ton of new looks and styles that I really like, and I think that you will too. My tip for shopping Sperry--when you start building your collection, diversify the material. Don't load up on leather. Take advantage of the unique materials Sperry offers like canvas and linen. Dare to be different, because with Sperry Topsiders' seemingly endless popularity, pretty soon everyone is going to have the brown leather boat shoe.
Here's a few of Sperry Topsider's New Arrivals this season that I think you'll really dig.
Inspired Authentic Original 3-Eye by Band of Outsiders: Retail at $166. This has got to be one of my favorite shoes Sperry has every put out. Why? Because it doesn't just come in a few different colors, but the materials vary by pattern. The four different materials are Linen, Suede, Marl, and Houndstooth. My Favorite: The blue/white linen pair that give off a seersucker vibe, (left).
Cloud Logo Authentic Original Boat Shoe: Retail at $90. I really liked this pair, again because of the material. It is constructed of hand-sewn true-moc, that has a cloth-y feel with the vibe of mesh when you look from afar. The leather laces tie together this alteration of a classic. My Favorite: The blue pair (left) are the most unique and I think of all the colors it looks the best, but the olive, ice, and classic brown look great too.
Striper Laceless CVO: Retail at $55. These ones are made of canvas, and put a classy touch on the classic Converse Chuck Taylor laceless, canvas shoe look. The Laceless CVO comes in a lot of colors including some really unique plaids and a pale yellow that I really like. My Favorite though, are the Chino/khaki plaid, (left). Out of all the colors, this pair is in my opinion the most versatile, and like a pair of khaki shorts, you can match them with just about anything. The best part is the touch of plaid on the tongue that turns a plain khaki shoe into something people are sure to notice.
These are just a few options Sperry Topsider has to offer. Don't get me wrong, I love the classic leather boat shoe that they make, and I think that classic pair of Sperry's is something that is vital to your shoe closet. But when you've finally got your basic shoe collection down, go back to Sperry.com and check out all the unique shoes they have like these ones. You'll be sure to get noticed for your impeccable style.
The boat shoe, originated in 1935 by Sperry Topsider, has become more and more popular as the years have gone by, and as of recent, when the weather gets nicer, the more Sperry's you see on the streets.
Sperry has evolved from just a leather boat shoe, and now works with tons of different materials to put a innovative spin on a classic look. Sperry Topsider put's out a ton of different styles, not just boat shoes, and when it comes to footwear for the Spring and Summer months, your first stop should be to Sperry's deep catalogue of shoes and sandals.
This Spring, Sperry has put out a ton of new looks and styles that I really like, and I think that you will too. My tip for shopping Sperry--when you start building your collection, diversify the material. Don't load up on leather. Take advantage of the unique materials Sperry offers like canvas and linen. Dare to be different, because with Sperry Topsiders' seemingly endless popularity, pretty soon everyone is going to have the brown leather boat shoe.
Here's a few of Sperry Topsider's New Arrivals this season that I think you'll really dig.
Inspired Authentic Original 3-Eye by Band of Outsiders: Retail at $166. This has got to be one of my favorite shoes Sperry has every put out. Why? Because it doesn't just come in a few different colors, but the materials vary by pattern. The four different materials are Linen, Suede, Marl, and Houndstooth. My Favorite: The blue/white linen pair that give off a seersucker vibe, (left).
Cloud Logo Authentic Original Boat Shoe: Retail at $90. I really liked this pair, again because of the material. It is constructed of hand-sewn true-moc, that has a cloth-y feel with the vibe of mesh when you look from afar. The leather laces tie together this alteration of a classic. My Favorite: The blue pair (left) are the most unique and I think of all the colors it looks the best, but the olive, ice, and classic brown look great too.
Striper Laceless CVO: Retail at $55. These ones are made of canvas, and put a classy touch on the classic Converse Chuck Taylor laceless, canvas shoe look. The Laceless CVO comes in a lot of colors including some really unique plaids and a pale yellow that I really like. My Favorite though, are the Chino/khaki plaid, (left). Out of all the colors, this pair is in my opinion the most versatile, and like a pair of khaki shorts, you can match them with just about anything. The best part is the touch of plaid on the tongue that turns a plain khaki shoe into something people are sure to notice.
These are just a few options Sperry Topsider has to offer. Don't get me wrong, I love the classic leather boat shoe that they make, and I think that classic pair of Sperry's is something that is vital to your shoe closet. But when you've finally got your basic shoe collection down, go back to Sperry.com and check out all the unique shoes they have like these ones. You'll be sure to get noticed for your impeccable style.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
A Site You Need To Know About...Seriously
Don't always ignore those random flyers people hand out or slide underneath your door. A few weeks ago someone stuck one to the door to my apartment that I couldn't help but look into, and boy am I glad that I did. This particular flyer told me to check out a website, and when I see words like men's designer clothing and discount on the same piece of paper, I rarely ignore.
The site was Gilt Man, and I think it is something every man who cares about they way they live needs to sign up for and check out. In the words of the About page of the site, "Think of Gilt Man as a hardware store selling the tools for life: workware, playware, lifeware. Right now we have hundreds of items for sale at up to 70% off their original price: killer stuff at killer value."
Basically a few different labels have a new sale every day, and you can get all kinds of stuff way cheap. This is a resource I am glad I stumbled upon, and if I didn't think my mother would absolutely murder me, I'd be spending her monthly grocery check all on Gilt Man.
GQ creative director Jim Moore describes the best way to take advantage of the site in the April 2010 GQ.
"Each weekday at noon, GiltMan.com rolls out brand-new merchandise from labels like Rag & Bone, Alexander Olch, and Unis. The catch? Everything you put in your shopping cart only stays there for ten minutes. Meaning noon to 12:10 p.m. on GiltMan.com has become the dirtiest, most low-down free-for-all the Internet has seen since Ticketmaster."
"Sign up for the daily e-mails, not the weekly ones. They arrive at 11:57 a.m. and will give clues to what's becoming available."
"Right at noon, log in, and spend five minutes quickly scrolling through the new stock. If there's anything that stands out-anything you'd even consider buying-add it to your cart before it dissappears."
"Now it's 12:05, and you've got a shopping cart full of maybes. Spend the last five minutes deciding which items, if any, you absolutely have to have. Then pull the trigger before the time runs out."
-Jim Moore, Creative Director, Gentlemen's Quarterly.
The best part about Gilt Man? If you refer someone and they sign up, you get $25 credited after their first purchase has shipped! In my opinion this is one of the best websites on the Internet all together. I highly recommend taking full advantage of Gilt Man.
Check out the site HERE to sign up for membership and start taking advantage of their deals.
The site was Gilt Man, and I think it is something every man who cares about they way they live needs to sign up for and check out. In the words of the About page of the site, "Think of Gilt Man as a hardware store selling the tools for life: workware, playware, lifeware. Right now we have hundreds of items for sale at up to 70% off their original price: killer stuff at killer value."
Basically a few different labels have a new sale every day, and you can get all kinds of stuff way cheap. This is a resource I am glad I stumbled upon, and if I didn't think my mother would absolutely murder me, I'd be spending her monthly grocery check all on Gilt Man.
GQ creative director Jim Moore describes the best way to take advantage of the site in the April 2010 GQ.
"Each weekday at noon, GiltMan.com rolls out brand-new merchandise from labels like Rag & Bone, Alexander Olch, and Unis. The catch? Everything you put in your shopping cart only stays there for ten minutes. Meaning noon to 12:10 p.m. on GiltMan.com has become the dirtiest, most low-down free-for-all the Internet has seen since Ticketmaster."
"Sign up for the daily e-mails, not the weekly ones. They arrive at 11:57 a.m. and will give clues to what's becoming available."
"Right at noon, log in, and spend five minutes quickly scrolling through the new stock. If there's anything that stands out-anything you'd even consider buying-add it to your cart before it dissappears."
"Now it's 12:05, and you've got a shopping cart full of maybes. Spend the last five minutes deciding which items, if any, you absolutely have to have. Then pull the trigger before the time runs out."
-Jim Moore, Creative Director, Gentlemen's Quarterly.
The best part about Gilt Man? If you refer someone and they sign up, you get $25 credited after their first purchase has shipped! In my opinion this is one of the best websites on the Internet all together. I highly recommend taking full advantage of Gilt Man.
Check out the site HERE to sign up for membership and start taking advantage of their deals.
Monday, April 5, 2010
A Comeback Worth Noting...
When you're on a road trip, you see tons of rest stops along the way. So many in fact that you pass up some of the ones with Coffee Shops and Burger Kings, because you know in a a few miles or so you're going to come across one with the same places in them. Well the fashion world works the same way sometimes. Styles come and go but if there's anything I've notices it's that a certain trend can probably be traced back two or three times over within the past 50 years. A great example of this is the wayfarer. In my opinion, the hottest sunglass style around today is the wayfarer, and you can't go anywhere without seeing tons of different styles, colors, and shapes of wayfarers. Wayfarer sunglasses are a perfect example of a trend reincarnated. In '05 if you saw someone wearing them you'd probably be thinking, "Where did this person come from 1983?" Well the wayfarer has had an up and down road but they were redesigned in the early 2000's and lately you probably have trouble walking outside on a sunny day and not seeing a pair.
Well something I've noticed in the J.Crews and Gaps of the world is a comeback that went away in the 90's and came back in the 2000's (No, I'm not talking about Michael Jordan). The Denim look is on it's way back into your favorite stores in many ways. The most popular that I've seen, and surprisingly liked, is the denim, and chambray collard shirt. I don't know where it came from, but it's like the late Billy Mays somehow made it into Gap's design studio and started whispering in people's ears. Now usually I would say unless your Billy, or Paul Mitchell posing for a GQ ad with a rattlesnake around your neck, a denim looking dress shirt is a no-go. But Gap has brought it back in a way that actually seems acceptable. I will say this though. There are some denim makings that I won't ever condone. Here's a few do's and don'ts when it comes to embracing the comeback of Denim.
Do:
- Find a shirt that isn't too heavy, or one that isn't actually denim but has a soft denim look to it, like this chambray one from J.Crew. Chambray is a different material, but to the non-textile savvy eye it looks very denim-ish
- Be innovative! Jeans are the only way to rock it. Keep an eye out for different items like chambray ties, or pocket squares.
- Over-do it. Although there are some people that can somehow pull it off, none of them are college students. Don't tuck a denim shirt into jeans. I'm not really big on tucking anything into jeans, but some people make it work.
- Buy a jean jacket. I've read around that jean jackets are making a comeback, but don't count on that lasting. There are exceptions to this don't and it comes in the form of celebrities. They can do whatever they want even if they look stupid. So just because Kanye has a jean jacket on doesn't mean you can pull it off.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
From "The College Minds"...Pattern Of The Month
Just a little syndication from my column on The College Minds.
April is only a day a way, which means it will soon be officially acceptable to wear anything pastel and with Easter Sunday approaching, don't be alarmed, you're vision is not distorted, many people will in fact be rockin' the purple. The first few weeks of Spring are a gold mine for new styles and a great time to notice people being innovative (they've had all winter to think about what they're going to wear on that first 60+ day. We've had a few of them already here in State College, and I'm no meteorologist, but it seems that the sun is here to stay. Generally, different seasons are associated with different colors, but colors aren't the only thing that change along with the seasons. Different patterns emerge when the official start of a new season has passes on the calendar. So for a new segment I am going to call "Pattern of the Month", I'll tell you about a different print every month that your sure to see more of when you step outside. April's Pattern of the Month-Gingham.
If you didn't know what gingham was, look above this sentance. Gingham is like the younger, more fun brother of plaid. It's a pattern that is eye-catching, and if you pick the right color, you can really make a gingham item very versatile. My personal favorite use is to wear a gingham dress shirt under a suit. You can all different kinds of ties with a gingham shirt, but my advice is to stick to the two extremes (Very busy or Solid). Let's face it though, we don't wear too many suits too often up here in Happy Valley. Rockin' a gingham dress shirt with a nice pair of khaki shorts, Sperry's and some sunglasses is the perfect look for those first few weeks of hot weather. Gingham stands out and draws attention, but doesn't draw too much like some patterns such as paisley. For a solid, cheap gingham shirt, check out American Eagle. They usually have a few on the clearance rack. Basically you can find gingham by most brands, and it varies too. It comes in all shapes and sizes, so find the right sized square that goes with the outfit (For the record, I'm personally not a fan of the giant-squared ones).
April is only a day a way, which means it will soon be officially acceptable to wear anything pastel and with Easter Sunday approaching, don't be alarmed, you're vision is not distorted, many people will in fact be rockin' the purple. The first few weeks of Spring are a gold mine for new styles and a great time to notice people being innovative (they've had all winter to think about what they're going to wear on that first 60+ day. We've had a few of them already here in State College, and I'm no meteorologist, but it seems that the sun is here to stay. Generally, different seasons are associated with different colors, but colors aren't the only thing that change along with the seasons. Different patterns emerge when the official start of a new season has passes on the calendar. So for a new segment I am going to call "Pattern of the Month", I'll tell you about a different print every month that your sure to see more of when you step outside. April's Pattern of the Month-Gingham.
If you didn't know what gingham was, look above this sentance. Gingham is like the younger, more fun brother of plaid. It's a pattern that is eye-catching, and if you pick the right color, you can really make a gingham item very versatile. My personal favorite use is to wear a gingham dress shirt under a suit. You can all different kinds of ties with a gingham shirt, but my advice is to stick to the two extremes (Very busy or Solid). Let's face it though, we don't wear too many suits too often up here in Happy Valley. Rockin' a gingham dress shirt with a nice pair of khaki shorts, Sperry's and some sunglasses is the perfect look for those first few weeks of hot weather. Gingham stands out and draws attention, but doesn't draw too much like some patterns such as paisley. For a solid, cheap gingham shirt, check out American Eagle. They usually have a few on the clearance rack. Basically you can find gingham by most brands, and it varies too. It comes in all shapes and sizes, so find the right sized square that goes with the outfit (For the record, I'm personally not a fan of the giant-squared ones).
It's April, kids. Sport the gingham
(Photo credit: http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/5837130/2/istockphoto_5837130-green-pink-yellow-purple-gingham-seamless-patterns-with-fabric-texture.jpg)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
ROY G. BIV Your Closet for Spring
It's apparent that spring has sprung in Happy Valley, which means when walking the streets, you'll probably notice a little more variety in what people are wearing. I think females have a 6th sense when it comes to when the weather has definitely made a turn for the better, because the day where you see 90% of the girls around town in skirts or shorts is the day where you know its okay to hang up your North Face. Tuesday was the first significantly nice day in State College, and Wednesday for St. Patrick's Day, it has improved again. Spring brings out a lot of potential wardrobe choices, but make sure you're not just wearing shorts and a t-shirt, or no jacket. Show that you know it's spring by rocking a variety of colors. Since it's still early, and can get a little chilly at night, I think the best way to do this is by adding a little color to two classics that happen to be perfect go-to items as well. First, check out Dockers colored Soft Khaki's. I just picked up two pair for $30 each. You can get them at Kohl's and they have a lot of great colors for spring and summer. I bought a pair of Confederate Blue and Desert Red. These are pretty lightweight so you won't get too warm in them, and they give off the vibe similar to girl's wearing skirts that say, "It's Springtime." Another great go-to is the pocket tee. Now you can get pocket tees almost anywhere. Gap has great prices on pocket tees and plenty of colors. When it comes to buying these, think easter eggs. You can get pocket tees in a number of pastel colors that look great with pretty much anything. Because they're so basic, but the colors stand out, these are perfect for the break of spring and will even do you great into the summer months. Check out Riley's Clothing's Southern Marsh collection for some really nice ones. There's also nothing wrong with a little graphic pocket tee either. For bulk tee shirt orders check out M. Custom Tees. Michael from M. Custom tees has great pricing and can pretty much customize a shirt any way that you want. I've become a big fan of graphic tees, and to be able to customize your own in the colors that you want for the spring.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Referring To A Previous Post...
Check out the GQ Eye's Grady Laird's Man-station. Proof that it does in fact exist and I (mostly) don't make things up. Even though he was talking about the lip balm he still showcases his man-station which contains the classic keys-wallet-watch.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Check This Out
Check out this T-shirt, made for The STATEtorialist on behalf of my friend Michael Moses and his business M.Custom Tees! Check out M.'s site for his portfolio. His prices are great, he does good work, and will work with you personally to make sure you get the exact shirt you want.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Not Something You See Every Day...
Much love and thanks to Kenny and Marie for sending me this picture from Venice. If you can't tell by looking, it's made of wood. Ken tells me they had duffle bags, ties, and all kinds of other wooden clothes and accessories. I'm guessing this is not something you'd wear on a rainy day though.
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