StyleWhipped

We All Need a Little (Dragon) Luck...

With the Chinese New Year celebration still going on, the Year of the Dragon is already shaping up to be a lucky one! And here at Stylewhipped we think you definitely need to bring some more dragon into your life. Danielle already gave you some gorgeous tips on how to throw an Asian-themed party, so I thought I would source some beautiful (and lucky...and very cool-looking...) accessories that use the "dragon" motif. Personally, along with snakes, dragons are one of my favorite images. They speak to my inner alter-ego who would be have way more than my two little tattoos, and as an iconic visual they feel edgy, empowering, and just masculine enough to balance my super girly-glam look.

Jewelry is definitely a go-to way to incorporate dragons into your existing look. Rather than sporting Da-Nang cargo pants with dragon embroidery (obviously we aren't all Rooney Mara...), why not try something a little more subtle but still noticeable and super fabulous? This bracelet from John Hardy is sterling silver with 18-kt gold accents. It looks phenomenal on its own, but could easily be stacked with other pieces (how about a rose gold watch and a super skinny pave diamond bracelet?). And the earrings from Noir?! They are too amazing for words (and much more affordable than the Hardy number...) with their rose gold and black crystals. I kind of want them right now...

        

And guys, I didn't forget about you (after all, these dragons are pretty tough characters!). Instead of going down the (very, very frightening) Ed Hardy route (please, just say no.), why not give your own accessory collection a little jolt of whimsy and edge with these dragon cufflinks from Tateossian! They are fun, cool, make an excellent gift, and will make you stand out among any crowd of guys in dress shirts!

And if you absolutely aren't ready to wear a dragon anywhere on your body, these stunning beach towels from Natori (available in the three saturated colors shown below) are the perfect way to still have the Year of the Dragon bring you some good luck! Imagine laying these out at the pool or by the ocean...everyone will know who's life is truly 100% styled...

Hmmm...from my point of view, I think maybe every year should be the Year of the Dragon...!

~ Alison.

Joseph Ungoco: Gentlemen Make Way - For a More Stylish YOU!

Editor's Note: Please welcome Joseph Ungoco, Stylewhipped's Men's Director. Joseph brings with him many years of fashion industry and editorial experience, and will be the voice for all of our male readers to follow! Joseph will bring you his expert opinion on men's fashion, accessories and even grooming. To read Joseph's full bio, click here! ~ Alison.

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Setting aside those New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and be more stylish for a moment, let’s address the most pressing issue afflicting well dressed men – limited closet space.  Start off the New Year by clearing out your closet and making room for those stylish spring purchases you’re about - with my expert advice over the coming weeks - to start making. After all, deliveries of spring merchandise to retailers start next week. Those of us who follow the fashion calendar religiously have been in training since long before the holidays so as not to offend the mirror when we try on bathing suits in the dead of winter.

The easiest space maker is getting rid of things that you don’t wear. If you haven’t worn it in over a year, get rid of it. PERIOD!  Let go of those “it has to go to a good home” and “I’m going to fit into it” excuses. What - are you auditioning for the fashion edition of Hoarders: Buried Alive?  I use a three-tier system for disposing of old clothes. Basics go to local charities. Last season’s fashion items go to friends who live in second tier cities or relatives who live in third world countries where the fashion is a season or more behind. One-of-a-kind runway items are earmarked for museums. Come tax time, your accountant - and your bank account - will appreciate your charitable donations!

The dress shirt is the blank canvas upon which you paint a stylish portrait. Get rid of any shirts with stains that your cleaners haven’t been able to remove.  Try your shirts on and button the collar. If you can’t breathe – if you can put two fingers or more in the collar – if the cuffs fall above the bones in your wrists – get rid of it. If the placket doesn’t lie flat and gaps between buttons – either because you’ve overworked your chest at the gym or let your spare tire run wild – get rid of it. If you sport a 40 mm or larger watch and your cuff won’t close around it, see if your tailor - unless you got a merit badge for sewing in Boy Scouts - can move the button. If not – you guessed it – GET RID OF IT!!!

January is a great time to look at your sweater collection which, of course, you keep stored flat in drawers or boxes, folded perfectly as though an invisible GAP employee with a folding board lives in your closet like the cousin of the little man who lives in the refrigerator and turns the light on when you open it.  Inventory your fall and winter sweaters and send the fall ones off for cleaning and storage.  Go ahead and call in your spring sweaters so you know what you have before you start buying the newest spring styles.

Stains, rips and moth holes go to charity.  Dispose of any sweater whose waist rides above the waistband of your favorite jeans. Any sweater that features what fashion editors call “bracelet sleeves” has to go no matter if you’ve been building up your traps or your dry cleaner shrunk it. The whole point of a turtleneck is to feel snug and warm and to look sharp and stylish. Saggy t-necks are for sloppy dressers!  Try misting the neck and cuffs of your favorite sweaters and run them in the dryer to refresh the fit.   If that doesn’t work, it’s time for new ones. 

I keep a strict “one in/one out” rule over my closet. I haven’t bought a hanger in years!  Think of it as the more you give, the more you get to buy. If your closet looks a little empty after you apply my advice, fear not!  I have many suggestions on how to update your look and create a more stylish you in 2012 and I’ll be sharing them in the coming weeks.

-- Joseph

Belt Envy

Most of the time, I say I feel sorry for guys and their lack of accessory options (women have so many!). But then every once in awhile, I find a menswear accessory that I completely drool over and wish it came suuuuper tiny so I could wear it!

This belt from Jean Shop is one of those pieces. Most men (unless you are a rockstar wearing a silver skull beltbuckle!) wear what seems to be the same belt over and over again. And this one offers something just different enough that you should absolutely want it in your closet. In the coolest, faded, worn-in-looking orange, the color is perfectly on-trend (I am on a personal orange kick...last night I almost bought a new hairdryer just because it was a fabulous shade of dark metallic rust!). It's one of those shades that seems to work all year...with a pair of your darkest jeans or charcoal cargo pants in winter, or faded, destroyed denim in the summer. There's also something about this look that makes you the cool, LA-guy when you use it in an otherwise formal-feeling outfit (think jeans and a sportcoat), or the I-can-pull-off-"rugged"-in-NYC with a fitted thermal, boots and a cashmere hoodie. And if orange isn't your thing, this one also comes in a really amazing warm grey that would seriously work with just about everything in your wardrobe.

And I'm not even going to make the "orange you glad I found this?" joke...;)

~ Alison.

Hooked

Apparently, Mondays are the new accessory day for me. I seem to be coveting big, hard-edged jewelry for both women and men today. So boys, this one is for you...

Most guys I know really don't wear much jewelry. And often I hear the reasons behind it..."it seems too feminine" or "everyone has something similar" or "there aren't that many (affordable) options that don't have a cheesy logo on them." Well, here is one solution. From designer Miansai, these leather and metal hook bracelets are, quite simply, super cool. They are clever, there isn't a logo in sight, they average about $75, and come in a significant amount of different finishes, materials & metals so you can customize your own look.

My favorite version is this one, with a black leather strap and black metal hook. It will wear in beautifully and the black leather will fade a bit over time, making it singularly yours. The leather strap wraps around your wrist as loose or as tight as you want it, and the hook manages to look both nautical and sinister at the same time. The black metal is unusual and not at all shiny (nothing uncool or overly feminine going on here), and this is strong enough to be worn on its own, but would also look pretty great on the same arm as an oversized watch.

Yup, I'm hooked. Are you?

~ Alison.

Happy New Year!

To all of our amazing readers...Happy New Year!

Thank you for coming back for our relaunch in 2011, and we promise that 2012 holds lots of fabulous new fashion, places, people and ideas to make your life even more full of style! We'll be back on Monday with a brand-new column from our 'girl-about-town' writer Rebecca Gordon (you don't want to miss it!), as well as more from editor-in-chief Alison Stewart, Bridal & Party Planning expert Danielle Aspromatis, Interior Designer Sherin Botros, and resident Music writer Jennifer Corcione. 

In the meantime, celebrate the new year in a way that would make us here at Stylewhipped proud...beautifully, safely, and full of hope.

~ The Stylewhipped Team

Sign Up! Right Now!

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~ The Stylewhipped Team

Purple & Metal

No, this is not about a new band or genre of music. It is about two things that I think every guy needs to have in their wardrobe. One is a light purple (or "lavender" or "lilac") dress shirt. The other is a seriously phenomenal pair of cufflinks. 

I live in downtown Manhattan, so I am constantly surrounded by finance-industry guys who are wearing what I call the "JP Morgan uniform"...grey dress pants, a blue dress shirt, and not one interesting accessory in sight. (No offense to anyone who works at JP Morgan or the company itself. There, had to say it.) Now there is nothing wrong with a great pair of grey dress pants. And there is nothing wrong with a blue dress shirt. But it seems like most men gravitate toward dress shirts that are either solid blue, striped blue, checked blue...and dress pants that are either light grey, dark grey, striped grey...well, you get the idea.

Before I get to the "purple & metal" goods, do me a favor and try finding yourself at least two pairs of non-grey dress pants. My personal favorite is a really rich dark indigo (navy bordering on black, but clearly blue). They work with every color shirt and can also be worn to a formal event with a great black blazer. You can also look for a pale beige (wear them with dark brown dress shoes), or even something with a subtle print (think a really fine, small black & white herringbone or plaid).

Now, to eradicate the blue-shirt-syndrome. (By the way, yes, I know blue is universally flattering and easy to work with. But I never said looking good was going to be a breeze...some effort is needed!) The #1 color I would recommend bringing into your dress shirt wardrobe is light purple. This one from Hugo by Hugo Boss is a perfect shade. Also called lavender or lilac, it is a color that is in the blue family but has some warm red undertones. It works on just about every single skin tone, and has just that little touch of "fashion" that makes you look like you actually tried. If you need to wear a tie to work, try this color shirt with one that is dark purple or plum, or bring your beloved blue in with a navy tie. You can also pair it with ties that are charcoal grey or even pale yellow. You will still look 100% professional, but just a little more modern.

Now, I have featured many different cufflinks on this site. Most are very professional or elegant, and some have been whimsical. But none compare with these. A new product from the luxury fine pen company Montegrappa, these are really oversized (if you are going to wear a big watch and a shirt with French cuffs, you need your cufflinks to measure up!). They come in a ton of different finishes (hematite metal with metal inlays, rose gold with onyx inlays, some even have a row of crystals) and and are serious statement-makers. They say you deserve that partner title or that corner office. But they also add that subtle but significant touch to a formal outfit for an event, wedding or public appearance. Combined with the purple shirt and non-boring dress pants in something besides grey, these define your style personality. And that is something no "uniform" will ever let you do.

~ Alison.

Style 007

I'm fairly sure that just about every guy kind of wishes he were James Bond. Or at least as slick as Bond. Or as good-looking. Or as smooth with the ladies. Or at the very least, as well-dressed as Bond always is. While I can't even provide a link to most of the unbelievable gadgets each Bond has gotten to use over the years, I can give you at least one piece of clothing that if incorporated into your wardrobe, I promise it will make you will feel that much more like 007.

This navy blue tuxedo jacket from Ami is that piece. This a seriously beautiful jacket, and an exceptionally "grown-up" addition to your regular collection of sportcoats. It is fairly softly structured (making a quick getaway that much easier!), has black satin lapels, a classic 2-button closure and it actually quite versatile. You can buy its matching black trousers and add in a tie to create an actual tuxedo look, or you can pair it with black or dark indigo jeans and an open-neck crisp white dress shirt for a modern twist on formal-wear. Either way, it lends itself to pulling out those amazing tux shoes you actually bought and never get to wear (yes, even with the jeans). Add in a sliver of a white pocket square and put a little extra product in your hair.

Very, very Bond.

~ Alison.

Half 'n half...

The whole category of mens' boots has always been sort of missing something for me. There are the please-don't-wear-them-unless-you're-shoveling-snow-or-actually-work-in-construction Timberland work boots. There are wear-only-with-jeans motorcycle boots. There are really-for-fashionistos-only Chelsea boots. And then there are very formal, looks like a dress shoe, $600+ boots from designers like Ferragamo. But what about the guy who wants to wear the same pair of boots with a pair of dressy khakis to work and also with a pair of great jeans on the weekend, and even with a pair of actual dress pants in the dead of winter (and, importantly, don't want to spend a fortune)?! There are very few shoe designers who put out boots that fit that bill. Until now of course (oh come on, you saw that segue coming a mile away)...

Kenneth Cole has always been one of my go-to designers for any guy who asks me for shoe advice. They are reasonably priced but well-made, on-trend but not overly trendy, and Mr. Cole himself has made sure that his entire company is socially conscious. So when I saw these "Quick Think-Er Boots," I had to share them (immediately!). In a dusty black or really cool faded-out grey, these have the styling and details of a great pair of wing-tip dress shoes. But pull your pant leg up a little, and you'll show off the fact that they are actually sturdy boots with lacing up the front of the ankle. The sole is sleek enough to work with "fancy" trousers but heavy enough to withstand some rough weather under a pair of jeans. Buy these right now and they are 30% off, but even at their regular price, they are still just under $200. So basically, they manage to boot that hole in the market right out the door...

~ Alison.

Time for More Navy

Recently, I posted about gorgeous dark blue shoes. I told a story about the kaftan my husband bought me that is all different tropical blues. Seemingly, I am having a blue (but happy!) moment. I have always been a big fan of what I call "black alternates" for winter. Especially in NYC, all you ever see is everyone wearing all-black ensembles or at the very least, black as the constant "anchor" in their outfits. But there are so many other rich dark colors that you could try as a sometime-alternative to black...hunter green, chocolate brown, oxblood...and yes, my personal favorite, navy blue.

Before you run out and try to incorporate a ton of navy into your wardrobe, why not start out with it in a great attention-grabbing accessory like a watch. I love a huge menswear-inspired watch on a woman (the smaller the girl, the bigger I want the watch!). And wearing something oversized in a great color like navy shows your penchant for originality and some serious style. I have found three that are all really different, but all really fun, and just unusual enough to have passers-by look at you twice...

The most feminine and elegant of the trio is this one from Anne Klein. In a dusty navy with a bracelet band, crystals on the dial, and rose-gold casing, this one works with everything from a weekend outfit of jeans and a soft white sweater to a crisp suit for work. It is also under $100, so it's the perfect price-point for something you want to "try out." Next up is a serious stunner from Michele Watches. This is my personal favorite of the three with its silicone bracelet, enamel dial, bright yellow gold case and striking shade of navy. It is also really oversized at 39mm and definitely for the confident style-leader. At $375, it is still under that $500 mark, but also feels like an important purchase. Lastly, I found the perfect share-it-with-your-boyfriend (or buy it for your boyfriend as a gift!) watch. From Nautica, this really is a men's watch, but can absolutely be worn by a woman. This is BIG (44 mm), masculine (which makes it even cuter on a woman) and has true chronograph styling and an interchangeable resin strap. And at $215, the price falls right in the middle of these choices.

So don't be blue about winter accessories. Um, be navy! 

~ Alison