You are rocking the customized belt and the personalize tunes, now… let’s tip a glass that is all your own.
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3- Drink: It worked for 007, why shouldn’t it for you? While it might be a challenge to claw back the martini from Mr. Bond, why not try to make the Americano, Negroni or Salty Dog your signature drink? And, hey, half the fun of deciding on your drink, will be sampling all of the possibilities. www.intoxicologist.net.
Having customized your belt, next in our series… the soundtrack:
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2- Soundtrack: Haven’t you always wanted to be known as the go-to guy for the best tunes? Don’t you want to always have the right tunes scoring your life? Well, you are a few keystrokes away from creating a signature sound for yourself. Michael Smith has “scored” some of the best events, restaurants and personal music libraries. www.smitheventmusic.com.
Stylishly standing out from the fashion crowd is as easy as meeting an actor/model/waiter in Los Angeles. Countless brands offer customization as part of their experience by providing affordable tailoring or monogramming services.
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But, customization shouldn’t be limited to the sartorial arena. It is about getting creative and making unique choices in all aspects of your life; choices that people will come to associate only with you. Whether in the form of a signature cocktail, becoming a regular at a local eatery or always playing the most unique tunes, here is the first of five suggestions for customizing all aspects of your life.
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1- Belts: We take the belt for granted, despite wearing one almost every day and hanging on to it for a long time. It is very easy to make a ho-hum belt and make it a signature piece of your look. Buy yourself a great piece of leather or skin. More importantly, find a great buckle and have it monogrammed. You can have your initials hand engraved or hand lacquered to match or compliment the color of the leather you chose. Tiffany & Co. is a great source for classic buckles.
If there was ever anything that could make us dance before we even had our F+G’s on, it was the sound of a brass horn band. After a long-overdue return to New Orleans, we’re almost giddy to report that the storied and vibrant music scene is alive and well in the Big Easy. This should not be taken as revelatory or breaking news.
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Around midnight, we bobbed and weaved through the sea of humanity that is Saturday Night on Bourbon Street to make our way into the Balcony Music Club. Thanks to lots of feedback and more than minor soundboard issues, we found ourselves in the back of the room, closer to the ice that keeps the beer cold. All of this changed the moment the Soul Rebels Brass Band took the stage. With a tuba bass line for the ages, the band did their own version of the bob and weave, working the excited crowd up into a pure frenzy in 0-60 seconds. A frenzy, mind you, that did not stop for the next 2 hours.
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We wish we could say we discovered the SRBB, but they’ve been around for a while. The least we can do is share.
I recently inherited my father’s collection of fountain pens. The man was never without one as he always carried 3×5 cards to manage his daily to-dos. Aside from the pens prompting memory of him elegantly handling the pen from pocket to pad and back, I didn’t know what to do with them. Who, in this day and age, uses a pen, when a phone fulfills all of your list-keeping and note-taking needs?
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That was until I decided to take one out for a spin. This is what I learned: The easiest way to disarm the digeratti is to forsake the thumb and keyboard for the nib and ink. A standout pen makes you stand out.
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When people asked for my number, I wrote it down. Curiosity ensued. I penned an idea on a coaster. Commentary followed. At a dinner, I passed someone a note. Laughter broke out. After a few days rocking it inkwell style, I came to realize that stuff I wrote down, I gave more importance to. And, I reminded myself of the sheer joy that comes with actually crossing something off of a list.
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So, I say, take up your pens, gentlemen. Leave your phones behind. Usher back the era of a number scrawled on a matchbook and the trophy that this has always been. And, above all, do away with those unsightly bulges in your pant pockets by replacing your bulky phone with your sleek pen.
One of the fundamental differences between being fashionable and being stylish is the story a man is able to tell about his clothes.
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Gents who stay on trend and look camera ready for the latest issue of GQ, no doubt, look great. But, the story they are telling is that they are waiting for a camera to capture them for the pages of GQ. Their story is only a season long. And, as we all know, good stories are timeless.
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Stylish gents look far beyond the fashion books to find clothes and accessories that are about the people they know, the places they have been and the ideas they have hatched. Clothes that tell a story are those which get people to comment: “that is so you” or ask: “where did you get that?”
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I have made color and prints part of my story. One of my favorite pairs of pants came as a gift from a friend who, on asking the story of the particular printed pant I was wearing on the day, made a run for a pair of vintage trousers that belonged to her father. With a bit of a tear in her eye, she gave me the pants knowing that I would carry on her father’s particular élan and, of course, tell his story.
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No matter the room my legs walk those pants into a meaningful conversation ensues. So too the cufflinks I nabbed from my brother, the caftan shirts I bought in Morocco and the monogram I put on virtually everything. Consider this a list of ways you can turn your closet into a story book or, better yet, turn your wardrobe into your best pick up lines.
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How could you NOT ask about these pants?
Whether your spinning decks every Thursday from 10-2 am at the Shortstop, or hosting dinner-a-deux, the playlist plays an integral role in the lives of men who wear the pants. The guiding force behind what goes into every playlist should be- Know Your Customer.
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Let’s take the dinner-a-deux scenario. The playlist you build for whatever the occasion will say a lot about you. First, that you’re not a total moron. Save the abrasive stuff for the 5th mile on the treadmill. 2nd, that by observing the first point, you’ve actually put some thought into what the other person (the customer) might like to hear. Sensitivity is in. And 3rd, as most people often prefer to converse over a meal, a subtle groove on medium low is about as universal as the love of pizza. No singing along, either. Dinner is not about the music.
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The flip side is when the knobs go up and the lights go down. This can be challenging Read the crowd: your customers. What’s the demo? College buddies v hipster design cats. What’s the vibe? Birthday v. Inaugural ball v straight up blow out. What time is it? 10:30pm v 4:30 am. Early on is not time to go into Deep Tracks. Toss out a couple softballs. (See: Michael Jackson’s “Off the Wall.â€) As things progress, you can reach down for the gem with the brain searing hook you know will make them look up and smile and ask, ‘Hey! Who is that DJ?’ And, “Where did he get those pants?â€
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Playlist Checklist
It is time to man up, gentlemen. Dressing with more color or flair, is not something you have to feel you’ve “pulled off†or is tantamount to surviving multiple screenings of Mariah Carey’s Glitter. In fact, thanks to a colorful golf tog from mom or a printed tie from your then gal pal, you’ve already taken a step fashion forward.
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Pick a part of your wardrobe that you feel comfortable adding color to. Make it mild and go for a pastel sock, a paisley pocket square or even a piped pant. Or, take it wild and don a saturated shirt, multi-colored sneaker or striped pant. Slowly and consistently work these choices in to your wardrobe and watch how they become a signature look, one that people will await in anticipation to see you in.
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Style statements don’t bite. Not making one does.
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Inno is your man if you’re looking for a guy who knows how to make a colorful splash. Inno at 3rd and Harper.
Franklin + Gower launched its new boys and women’s line and its new website last week at its Tequila + Trunkshow in Los Angeles.
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Over 100 F+G insiders came by to tip a tequila glass and flip through our swatch books to make their own pairs of men’s and boy’s pants and shorts, and women’s hot pants and shorts. Best of all was to see how many piped and striped legs turned up at the party.
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And, like with most things coming out of LA, it comes down to the reviews. Here are some of our favorites, which, by the way, were all overheard: “It is like these things came with Spanish Fly. The second I put them on, my wife was taking them off!†“If this is all you give me for Christmas, I will be a happy girl.†“ Move over Steve Jobs, the site is so damned cool and easy. “
