Establishing the Need

Dear NYC#64, Worst. Case. Of. Hungry. Bum. Ever....

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:42:14 -0400

Dear NYC#64,

Worst. Case. Of. Hungry. Bum. Ever. Congrats.

Cheers,

ETN

#nightmarestonight gaws: Toronto Fashion Week has begun.

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:01:59 -0400

#nightmarestonight

gaws:

Toronto Fashion Week has begun.

Dear NYC#63, When you want to add a roll or cuff to your jeans,...

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:17:08 -0400

Dear NYC#63,

When you want to add a roll or cuff to your jeans, there’s a couple things you should ask yourself first:

1) Are my jeans relaxed, boot-cut and/or flared?

2) Am I adding a cuff to accommodate a shoe choice?

3) Am I adding a cuff to make these jeans significantly shorter? (i.e. you can’t be bothered to get the pants hemmed)

If you answer yes to any of the above questions, which in your case, #63, would have happened, you SHOULD NOT cuff or roll your jeans.

To the right, you’ll find an example of a man who successfully pulls off the cuffed/rolled jean. Take note, my friend.

Cheers,

ETN

…more fodder for the fire…

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:03:28 -0400

…more fodder for the fire…

Dear NYC#61 and #62, You guys have provided me with a reason to...

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:11:04 -0400

Dear NYC#61 and #62,

You guys have provided me with a reason to expand on hand-belts.

First and foremost, let me reiterate that a hand does not equal a belt; one does not replace the other. It seems my message is not getting through since I continue to see the hand-belt all over the city, so let me come at you from a different angle. In this picture, your poor left hand has to carry two shopping bags, your headphones, a piece of paper and your pants! Why not add in a belt and spread out the workload. Your hand will thank you.

Moving on to you, #62, I wanted to touch on your “hand-on-belt hand-belt.” You walked around like this for quite some time and all I wanted to tell you is this: It’s time to trust in your belt and believe it can, alone, do the job of holding up your pants. Believe in the power of the belt-sans-hand, AKA a belt, and you’ll be off the blog.

Cheers,

ETN

#sloppyjoe

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:41:16 -0400

#sloppyjoe

I usually advise against backpacks, but these men and their...

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:38:26 -0400

I usually advise against backpacks, but these men and their backpacks are the exception.

Why? Because the backpacks’ material, shape and size do not suggest that these men are students, tourists or hiking enthusiasts. This seems to be the downfall of most other male backpack wearers.

These backpacks are the perfect combination of convenience and taste.

Cheers,

ETN

gqfashion: The Five Worst-Dressed Men of September

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:12:46 -0400

gqfashion:

The Five Worst-Dressed Men of September

Dear NYC#59 and #60, There is a difference between the double...

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:54:32 -0400

Dear NYC#59 and #60,

There is a difference between the double denim look and the Canadian Tuxedo. The difference lies in knowing how to incorporate denim articles that are different shades. You are both in Canadian Tuxedo territory since your denim piece on top is the same shade as your bottom.

To move into the polished double denim realm, you need to replace one of your denim items (top or bottom) with another denim or chambray item of a different shade (see below for examples).

And if you’re Kanye, you can wear triple denim.

Cheers,

ETN

howtotalktogirlsatparties: David Byrne needs a new tailor.

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:19:16 -0400

howtotalktogirlsatparties:

David Byrne needs a new tailor.

my sentiments exactly

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 07:35:13 -0400

my sentiments exactly

On this rainy day, know the the last umbrella, all the way on...

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:24:52 -0400

On this rainy day, know the the last umbrella, all the way on the right here, should never be an option. Everything else—fair game.

Cheers,

ETN

General Observation #7, It’s officially fall. Time for...

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:55:00 -0400

General Observation #7,

It’s officially fall. Time for layering.

In the “I’m-too-hot-for-my-sweater-and-I-can’t-just-carry-it” Olympics, our bronze medalist chose to tie his cardigan around his waist. This is only an OK option, since it cuts his body in half. You always want the eye to move fluidly from top to bottom or vice versa. It should never get stuck in the middle—it will never be flattering.

Our runner ups chose to tie their sweater around their shoulders. This too is a workable option, but it has a bit of a yuppie flare to it. One of them carries a messenger bag. If it were me, I’d just put the extra sweater in the bag.

First place goes to a man who wore his sweater a bit like a scarf. He wins based off originality. I haven’t seen this look on too many men, but I like that it displays a bit of personality. Worth a try, no?

Cheers,

ETN

Bow ties are tricky. They take a certain level of confidence to...

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:02:33 -0400

Bow ties are tricky. They take a certain level of confidence to pull off and they’re not easy to tie. But I personally can’t get enough of them (see my pinterest board)

If you’re feeling the bow tie, but are stuck on the how-to-tie portion, just watch this video tutorial. It’s one of the best I’ve seen.

Cheers,

ETN

Dear NYC#58, We’ve got two gray suits here, similar in...

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:10:00 -0400

Dear NYC#58,

We’ve got two gray suits here, similar in shade and style (3-button). They don’t give off the same level of visual appeal, however—let’s explore why.

#58 (see “A”), your suit is simply too big.

You build looks a bit heftier than other men around town (and I mean that in the muscle-ly-football-player, NOT couch-potato way), but that shouldn’t necessitate a roomier suit. I should be seeing a 1/4”-1/2” of your shirt cuff poking out through the sleeve of your jacket. I do not. I am seeing a big gap between your suit jacket collar and your shirt collar. I should not be seeing this. The collars should lay perfectly within each other, sort of like spooning.

I do realize your backpack is pulling your jacket a bit to make that gap seem larger than it probably is. That brings me to my next point though—back packs are for students. To ensure that straps are not distorting you suit jacket, I’d suggest a briefcase or tote.

Look to “B” to see how it’s done. He even managed to appear in “god lighting” the full time he walked by me. Angels were probably singing somewhere. This guy has it together—suit fits and accessories complement (couldn’t blur out those glasses). I like it all, very much.

Cheers,

ETN

I went to California. San Diego, Ranchos Palos Verdes and Venice...

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:20:05 -0400

I went to California. San Diego, Ranchos Palos Verdes and Venice Beach to be exact.

I have to admit, I was blown away by the mens’ outfits. Not because they were all decked out, but because all the clothes actually fit. It was like Goldilocks and the Three Bears—pants, shorts, shirts, tees and tanks all fit “just right.” It truly was hard to snap a picture of poorly dressed men…

Until I stumbled across these two fellas. Let me first say, that men in California love their boots. They’re everywhere. To me, they don’t really fit with beachy California, but hey, we all want what we don’t have.

Most men pulled off their outfit + boot combo just fine. It crossed the line however, when these two men paired their boots with swim trunks. The man on the right even went so far as to top off his outfit with a button up shirt.

If each item (top, bottom and shoes) looks like it’s going someplace different, your outfit does not work. If your bottom says, “I want to be prepared for a dip in the ocean” wear sandals and a tee or tank - not a dress shirt and boots that look like they’re ready for the evening ahead.

If you’re set on wearing boots, pair them with a pair of fitted jeans, a striped breezy tank, sunglasses and a fedora. Seems pretty Cali-like to me.

Cheers,

ETN

NYFW. I have nothing to do with it. But I still love it. From...

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:11:42 -0400

NYFW. I have nothing to do with it. But I still love it. From the outside.

There’s only been one show that made me scared of the literal translation men might take, that show being Jeremy Scott Man SS12 Show

My advice: chalk this runway fashion up to “artistic vision” or “homo-erotic fantasy” NOT to everyday sportswear. I think we’re clear on that, but just wanted to make sure.

Cheers,

ETN

I went to Nantucket. So did A LOT of boat shoes, some fannies...

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:46:00 -0400

I went to Nantucket.

So did A LOT of boat shoes, some fannies (both packs and the crack varieties), and an usual amount of shorts that appeared to be designed by children but worn by man. Shirts also fit a bit too snug, but hey, if I lived there, I’d probably eat one too many lobster rolls too. Lastly, Camouflage is giving Nantucket Red a red for its money.

Checking out Cali next…should be interesting.

Cheers,

ETN

more reasons to anti-like John Mayer, courtesy of soulrebel90

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:09:00 -0400

more reasons to anti-like John Mayer, courtesy of soulrebel90

General Observation #6, The days of wearing linen are quickly...

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 11:27:00 -0400

General Observation #6,

The days of wearing linen are quickly coming to an end. Fall makes its presence known more each day and soon linen will be swapped out with corduroy.

Before we officially shut the door on linen, I wanted to make a point for next spring/summer: linen requires a structured silhouette, especially when worn on top and bottom.

Case in point: man on left vs. man on right. Man on left has the structure; his pants are cuffed and belted. His shirt is tucked in and his sleeves are in a finished roll. Man on right lacks all that structure. His pants are uncuffed, his shirt is untucked and his sleeves are messy.

If your linen outfit leaves you looking a bit like a blob (like Man on right), do everything you have to do to define your silhouette. If that means changing out of one piece of linen, definitely do it.

Enjoy the end of summer!

Cheers,

ETN