StyleWhipped

Danielle Aspromatis: Tied Up with a Bow

I really need spring to arrive...I am craving light, fun wardrobe options and most of all, my printed spring tops. A print can change a whole outfit! Which is why I love a guy who can think out of the box and add a little print to his outfit...sure you can add a pocket square or some funky socks for a subtle approach, but for the more bold party-goer or groom, try a printed bow-tie for maximum effect! No, it's not for everyone, but I do love this look for a certain type of style and it definitely sets a man apart from the rest of the crowd!

To buy a great bowtie, visit Bonobos.com, a company that prides itself on not only style but fit (that's a whole other article focused on Bonobos' great fitting-clothes for men!) 

They have great ties and bowties in the accessories section, like this madras plaid bowtie, $75

And this more subtle navy and white striped bowtie, $58

 

For those of you out there that don't see themselves wearing a bowtie but want a great printed tie, I love this unique cotton linen striped tie, $78

Now all we need is some sunshine and some warm weather....Spring, we are ready for ya!

-Danielle

 

Grey Area

I have a (guy) friend who always, always rocks grey jeans. It's sort of his "thing" and every time I picture him in my head, he is wearing his omni-present greys. And while is he also one of those guys who claims to not really care about "fashion," wearing grey jeans -- and wearing them in a chic way -- is actually quite fashion-forward. It shows you can think outside of the jeans-are-supposed-to-be-blue box, gives you a little bit of a rocker-y edge, compliments just about any skin tone, and can actually have the same slimming effect as black. 

So I started thinking that most guys really do need to have at least one pair of grey jeans in their wardrobe. But, just like blue, there are a million and one shades of grey out there. So what grey should you choose? And what does each shade "mean" when you incorporate it into your wardrobe? Well boys, read on...

This super hot pair from Diesel are for the fashion-conscious guy. They are a rich, saturated grey that can be dressed down with a pair of Converse, a simple white t-shirt, and an army green jacket. But they are really well-tailored, and that dark uniform wash allows them to also be dressed up with a light-colored dress shirt, a black blazer, and great black shoes (think a little shiny and a little pointy...):

Want more of a fun, really casual-yet-still-stylish pair that work best for a date at a dive bar or to set you apart in your creative, it's-always-casual-Friday office? These from Citizens of Humanity keep the little kid in you alive and work best with a worn-in plaid shirt, a knit cap and low-profile, hipster sneakers:

Dream of being a rockstar but can't sing worth your weight? No worries. These incredibly destroyed, fitted, and sexy greys from AG will instantly transform you. They are meant to be a little too tight, a little too hole-y for the average guy, and totally rocker-y. Wear them with a graphic t-shirt, army boots, some hyper-masculine jewelry and a scowl (!):

And last but definitely not least...I haven't forgotten about you true fashionistos out there. Those of you who always wear a blazer and the latest Gucci shoes. Those of you who are dapper and dressed to the nines, but also really "get" fashion and know that a great pair of jeans with a "formal" metallic finish work just as well on a dinner date as they do on a red carpet. Snag this gorgeous pair from John Varvatos before everyone else:

So you see, this is a good "grey area" guys...and one that with a little guidance (ahem...), you can make perfectly black & white...

~ Alison.

Letter From the Editor: Custom Menswear from Clifton Charles

Last year, I had the pleasure of meeting Clifton Berry, who along with Wayne Taitt, is one half of Clifton Charles, an amazing custom suit & shirt destination. According to Clifton, who I finally had a chance to sit down and chat with (there we are in the photo below), they are "selling confidence." And there is nothing more of a confidence-booster to a man than a perfectly fitted suit and shirt combo. And here in NYC, Clifton Charles is THE place to go to buy some confidence...

In 2008, Clifton and Wayne, who were college friends that both ended up working in finance for 12 years, realized there was a major missing piece of American menswear, quit their jobs, and launched Clifton Charles. Not only were off-the-rack shirts not fitting them the way they really wanted, but while on his honeymoon in Shanghai in 2005, Wayne had discovered how quickly you could get custom suits made. But being the business-savvy guys they were, both Clifton and Wayne also knew that they had to somehow straddle both the luxury and value markets (we all remember what happened to our economy in 2008...). 

So they did their research and talked to endless potential clients. And they came up with a way to provide all made-in-the-USA suits and dress shirts from fabrics sourced from the UK and Italy (all of their shirts are made from sumptuous full Peruvian pima cotton) that can be made in a shockingly short amount of time (10-15 business days for shirts; 4-6 weeks for suits). There is no minimum of how many pieces you have to buy, and those shirts? 100% custom for $100-$150 (Seriously!) Wait, it gets better...their suits will run you anywhere from $895 to $1295. And in terms of quality, attention to detail and fabrication, a Clifton Charles suit at $895 is comparable to a $3,000 designer suit you'd find in a department store. Oh, and don't forget...theirs is custom...which means it is made from scratch according to your measurements...with your choice of fabrics, finishes, and free-of-charge extra perks like fabulous linings, monograms on your shirt cuffs, and more. The guys will even act as personal stylists, helping you to make your choices (wider leg or narrow? what kind of lapels? single-breasted or double?) with your lifestyle and preferences in mind. 

I know you are wondering if you fit into the average Clifton Charles customer. And while some of their clients are in fact CEO's of major banks, professional althetes, and the like, their clients are also lawyers, bankers (who aren't the CEO...) and every other type of suit-wearing executive. They come from all over the world (from as far as Australia) and flock to trunk shows the company hosts in other cities like Chicago, Washington DC, and Los Angeles. And because once your measurements and preferences are in their system, you can order new suits and shirts anytime online. No need to be in NYC...you just need to be aware that you need more of these beautiful pieces in your wardrobe! And just how beautiful are they? Well, I was personally excited enough to want to share the company with our readers here. The fabrics feel like the finest air. The details are perfectly tailored and finished. The cheeky extras (like purple iridescent silk linings...) will make you feel like a rockstar in a suit. 

My suggestion? Pay Clifton Charles a visit online or at their Manhattan showroom at 30 West 18th Street. Because that confidence? Yeah, you will have just bought it.

~ Alison.

(Check out our model starting the process of ordering a custom suit with Clifton's help...I have a feeling he is going to be very happy with the result!) Model: Kaolin Bass / All photos: Andrew Werner Photography

Letter From the Editor: "Karma For a Cure"

Here at Stylewhipped, we love a great graphic t-shirt. Fitted, cool, edgy...but what if those qualities also came with a conscious? Enter Karma for a Cure, a fabulous new collection of both men's and women's graphic t's that gives an admirable amount of profits to charities.

                                                                        

Launching today and founded by 24-year-old (and adorably sweet) FIT grad Margaux Minutolo, Karma for a Cure was started after Margaux's own father battled cancer for ten years and she realized she wanted to fashionably make a difference (she says the line is specifically aimed at the "philanthropic fashionista"!). Margaux designs and hand-draws each of the graphics and they are almost all unisex and definitely all gorgeous. Each luxe, on-trend t-shirt and tank top (and even one sexy sweater) in sumptuous, super-soft cotton has a clever, tongue-in-cheek graphic design on it...and each supports a different cause. So whether you want money to be donated to breast cancer awareness or domestic violence prevention, animal rights activism or anti-bullying, Parkinson's research or drug abuse prevention, you simply purchase that shirt. And while many brands will donate 1-2% of profits, Margaux and Karma for a Cure are donating 5% of each total sale (not just the profits)...because, in her words, "we wish to make a difference, faster and further...give more selflessly, receive good karma endlessly, [and] support finding a cure optimistically..."                                                                         

As a young CEO, Margaux has managed to make this brand about giving. But she has managed to do so in a way that is isn't preachy but IS 100% fashion-y. Which is, I think, the very best way to reach the most people. So check out the brand new, hot site filled with enough eye candy (and everything between $35-65) to make you want to buy every shirt. And, hmmmm...considering there are so many amazing causes represented, I wouldn't be mad if you did just that ;)                                                                  

~ Alison.

                                                                                                                           

 

(Click to enlarge. All photos by Jason Koontz & courtesy of Karma For a Cure)

Letter From the Editor: "Gritty Gold" Editorial

Recently, I had the pleasure to style an extraordinary editorial that exclusively featured pieces and accessories from Diesel Black Gold. Conceptualized by the always-amazing photographer Andrew Werner, we wanted to highlight certain key pieces from Diesel Black Gold's current collection, but in a new light. Not a direct replication of their runway show and not a typical, expected editorial. So, gathered together was a team who could make Andrew's vision come to life. Avant-garde make-up artist Daniel K, the most incredible assistants (photographer assistant David Pereira Oliveira, who I've had the pleasure of working with before, and the uber-helpful styling assistant Lucio Abruzzi), Andrew behind the lens, myself as the stylist, and our gorgeous, somehow-ok-with-being-barefoot-on-the-streets-of-New-York model Keenan Brill, now with Major Models. 

Shot in a gritty alleyway (hence the "gritty" in our title) in the heart of Tribeca on a beautifully sunny day (not sure who to thank for that...), we made a mad-dash to shoot all the looks in a matter of three hours. We used only Diesel Black Gold pieces, including all the jewelry, watches, shoes...even the scarf! In sumptuous fabrics, saturated colors and unsual silhouettes, Diesel did not disappoint this season. Even the accessories are perfectly edgy with just enough of a twist to make you look twice. This is a tale of a hot young guy, living an exciting life in NYC...who leaves us at the end in his emerald green satin tuxedo. Minus a shirt, but in shoes he could easily run down the street in. Makes you wonder where he's off to, huh?

So, to tease you no longer, here are the photos (click on each to enlarge). And I have a feeling any guy would be willing to be barefoot on a Manhattan sidewalk to wear those perfect pants, too.

~ Alison

Get the Boot

Guys, this is the only time it's a good thing to "get the boot"...because I have found my new favorite men's boots of the season and am oh-so-generously sharing them with you. And no matter how amazingly broken-in and comfortable your boots are from last winter (or the winter before that...), you do need one fantastic new pair each year. And because men are more apt to buy that one great pair and wear them to death (whereas your women counterparts...well, we obviously need about 10 new pairs each winter...), you can buy something really incredible with an impressive price-tag (these are $625).

And my choice for you? These washed-leather "Brogue" boots from UK-based Paul Smith. Known for his signature stripes (inside cuffs, on accessories), all of the brand's pieces have an intrinsic British feel to them. These, with their wing-tip detailing, look like gorgeous dress shoes with your pant leg covering them, but give you the warmth and versatility of an actual boot. Therefore you can wear them with those dress pants and a blazer to work, but they are also perfect for the weekend with slightly flared or straight jeans, a cozy sweater and your favorite puffy vest.

And because they already have that "washed leather" look, they will only get better and better with each wear. So don't be afraid to walk down a snowy sidewalk (or walk 100 blocks for that matter), because these are ones I probably wouldn't make you get rid of next year...

~ Alison. 

Joseph Ungoco: Fit to Be Tied

Give yourself the royal treatment with a skinny tie from the VJNY Collection by Jesse Chao. Tie aficionados and sports celebrities alike have been aware of his classic Vittorio J line for years. Both lines embody the company's motto of "Classic. Royal. Goods.", but the VJNY line has a slightly younger - if only at heart - sensibility that appeals to today's urban fashionisto. This is no Billyburg hipster skinny tie. The tie measures 3" across at the widest point, but the taper the ties ensures that even a full Windsor know fits nicely under the collar of your Dior slim-fit shirts. 

Combining the classic materials and patterns with a street-wear sensibility yields cheeky patterns featuring crowns, fleurs des lis, and the brand's signature crowned skulls. I own a "Delancey" and wear it often, proving the maxim held by newly minted royalty everywhere that "a crown goes with everything." One of my other favorites is the rep stripe smattered with a Jolly Roger insignia. You don't have to be a Yale Bonesman to buy one, but wearing one shows the world that you're a member of an even more elite secret society - fashion's first adopters! And with the ties in this collection priced at $69, I can see your own "collection" getting started rather easily...

-- Joseph

(click on images to enlarge for detail)

Perfect Plaid

After premiering our latest editorial on Monday (did you look at it?! well, you should!), I am on a little bit of a menswear kick. After falling in love with the plaid shirt featured on our shoot's model, I went on the hunt for one that would work now and also into Fall (yes, unfortunately us "fashion industry" people are already thinking about next season...don't worry, I'm not happy about it either...). Namely, I was looking for a plaid with white as its dominant color, a fabric that was lightweight but not overly summery, and a fit that would look just as great with the sleeves rolled up now as it would with them full-length when the cooler temperatures roll in.

A quick look around Stylewhipped-favorite RevolveClothing.com brought me to a fantastic, fills-every-prerequisite plaid shirt from LA-based designers LIFE/AFTER/DENIM. Their "Isle" shirt (in the color Stoned) has a base of white in the plaid, keeping it light enough for the remainder of summer, is made from 100% cotton to keep you cool now and work well as a layering piece later, and has subtle but important detailing with contrasting plaid inside the cuffs (only visible when you roll the sleeves up). Now, the merchandisers over at RevolveClothing have shown this shirt styled with pink-ish-salmon cotton chino pants...this wouldn't be my first pick for the majority of men (!), but rather I'd go with a pair of either dark, straight-leg jeans and good shoes...or bootcut, lighter, slightly destroyed ones. The dark denim will help you dress the shirt up for a date. And the destroyed, faded jeans allow it (along with a pair of flip-flops) to work just as well for the bonfire party on the beach. 

Not bad for a little plaid.

~ Alison.

"A DAY AWAY": A Stylewhipped Editorial

I am lucky enough to have a house a mere 200 feet from the ocean on Long Beach Island, NJ. Less than two hours from Manhattan and 30 miles south of the "Jersey shore" area, LBI's beaches have been voted in the top 10 in the country (including Hawaii!). We refer to it as "the Hamptons of Jersey," and the 18-mile island has the Atlantic on one side and a serene, boat-filled bay on the other. This is one part of my New Jersey roots that this proud now-city girl could never abandon.

One day a few months ago, Stylewhipped photographer Andrew Werner looked at me and said, "Let's do a photoshoot on-location at your beach. A really beautiful, sexy one." So of course (of course!), I immediately said yes. And two weeks ago, we finally got the weather to cooperate, an amazing team to be available on the same day, and Faria's, my very favorite LBI surf shop, to let us use their most fabulous pieces on our model. 

Below is the editorial ("A DAY AWAY") that was the result of Andrew's extraordinary eye, styling by yours truly, make-up & grooming by Isabel Rosado, photo assistance from the unflappable David Oliveira, and of course, our gorgeous (and soaking-wet-covered-in-sand) model Cris Crapello. 

So enjoy the photos...because we so very much enjoyed our "day away" to create them...

~ Alison.

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

 

 

Joseph Ungoco: Premier-ing a New You

Nothing sets a fashion editor off on a grail quest for "age defying" beauty and grooming products like a birthday, and this editor is no exception. Around my birthday in March of this year, I put out a distress call to my contacts in the beauty industry seeking recommnedations for a new skincare regimen. I've spent the time since road-testing a number of wonderful skincare lines, but the winner this season is the BIOX Series from Premier by Dead Sea Premier.

As a rule of thumb, I change skincare regimes right around the time that I convert my closets over from Fall/Winter to  Spring/Summer and back again. The change in weather means that my skin has different needs that have to be addressed. I have fairly typical combination skin: slightly oily in the T-zone and somewhat dry in the shaving area. When the chill drops out of the air, I need lighter moisturizers that will carry me through Spring and the sweltering summer to come...not to mention Miami in July for the swimwear fashion shows!

While many of my fellow male fashin editors who check the "40-44" box - if they're being honest! - on the US Census are turning to "outpatient procedures" to fight the ravages of time, I prefer to forego injectables and adhere to a strict regimen of plenty of water (10 glasses or more a day) and non-invasive cosmetic products that bring the latest in scientific research to my vanity - table, that is!

As any 30-something knows, the simple three-step "wash, tone and moisturize" regimens of our youth are simply not enough and the key addition is a serum that you apply directly to freshly cleansed skin before you apply moisturizer. The BIOX Intenstive Age Treatment Serum is simply the best I have used in years (and I've tried many!). The result of using this serum twice daily is firmer and more radiant skin, giving my world a younger-looking me! I follow it up with an extremely light application of the BIOX Intensive Age Treatment Cream, which contains the anti-oxidants that we all need to battle free radicals, and Vitamin E to support collagen generation. I have been using water-based eye gels since my twenties and my friends will attest that I have never looked like crows have alighted on my face. I prefer gels, as I believe that using eye products that are too heavy for your skin type can result in those little bumps around your eyes. I also believe that the action of applying eye products help relax the underlying muscles and prevent wrinkles. I always apply eye gel with the fourth finger of my non-dominant hand - the weakest - to avoid stretching the delicate skin. The smooth formulation of the BIOX Intensive Age Treatment Eye Cream Gel goes on easily in the sensitive eye area and provides all the same nutrients and protection as the face cream.

Finally, a once-a-week rejuvenation with the BIOX Thermal Beauty Experience Mask gives you that extra edge in the beauty department that you need to get through your week - or weekend. The self-heating mask opens your pores, providing a deeper level of cleansing and intensifying the beneficial effects of the proprietary Dead Sea Mineral Complex. You'll notice a distinct difference after just a few weekly applications.

It took one month for me to scrub away all the wear-and-tear of the winter months on my skin, but the premiere of the younger-looking me was well worth the effort!

- Joseph