Thursday, December 17, 2009

Daily Outfits 108

Okay, so I’ve been getting less blogging done because I was out of commission for about half a week due to some horrendous cold. But I did get to go out an catch the opening night of Aria Hotel and Casino inside the new City Center. It was absolutely beautiful and so crowded! I couldn’t find a slot machine to save my life.

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* Dress shirt by Theory, boot cut denim jeans by Diesel, charcoal vest by Kenneth Cole, thick wool pea coat by H&M, grey logo embellished scarf by Versace

So this outfit is all about layering and the best way for men to layer is to start with a vest that has a buckle you can tighten or loosen in the back. This buckle should never be left undone and should always be tightened to keep the silhouette as trim and fitted in the midsection as possible. A lot of guys suffer from dress shirts that are super baggy and become un-tucked with frequent sitting and standing. The best cure for this problem would be to find yourself a good tailor, but the second solution would be to find a good vest.

The peat coat is a personal favorite of mine because of the high collar. I think the high collar coats and sweaters are just my current look of the moment, and I think this look really goes superb for this winter.

The entire look is finished with a focal feature which is the scarf. The bold Versace scarf really makes an impression no matter where you go.

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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Daily Outfits 107

I went to watch “The Blind Side,” featuring Sandra Bullock, with my former roommate tonight. I wasn’t feeling too great and had been lounging around like a bum at home and felt really too lazy to get spruced up. So today you guys get to see me dressed about as casual as I ever get.

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*White, v-neck hoodie by Theory, light wash, boot cut jeans by True Religion, and a plaid hat by H&M.

This is quite casual but it still has an interesting design element. I absolutely love this hoodie and it’s really the only true sweat shirt/hoodie I own, and the only reason why I purchased it at Saks Fifth Avenue was because of the fact that it has this v-neck feature.

When you pop up the hoodie and actually put the hood on, the v-neck line extends further on down to reveal the collar bone area whereas if you place the hood down, it looks more like a normal hoodie.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Daily Outfits 106

Okay, so Sunday’s outing was to a local Spanish tappas restaurant called Firefly. A good friend of mine is taking a one month vacation in Japan and so a group of our friends got together to have dinner before she flies out. The entire restaurant is a local hotspot well known for its good food and great sangrias by the pitcher. Firefly is what I would call a trendy local spot where everyone from businessmen to alcoholic college students all congregate to create a very unique vibe and atmosphere.

So this is what I ended up wearing.

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*Red, metallic, skinny pants by H&M, black hooded vest by Armani Exchange, and a custom, French cuff, dress shirt by Geoffrey Beene.

The focal point is really the red pants. The unusual color and the brightness of the fabric is really a strong visual so it’s important not to embellish too much on the top. I’m also not a big fan of crazy cuff links, so I kept them simple and classic.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Daily Outfits 105

Tonight, I’m going to a farewell party for one of my friends who is leaving Las Vegas for New York City. The party is going to be at one of the penthouse suites at the Mirage Hotel and Casino and it’ll probably filled to the brim with booze. So while it’s not an evening that requires formal attire, I still wanted to cross something urban and trendy with something that’s a bit more formal.

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*Blue and white stripped Dolce & Gabbana dress shirt, white denim jeans by John Galliano, black hooded vest by Armani Exchange, and black bowtie by Molly Rodgers

One of my favorite looks is pairing cotton fabric hooded vests with more ridged suits. I think it urbanizes the whole formality of the suit and really helps it transition into the semi-formal and trendy casual look. I’m also a big collector of bowties and happen to adore Molly Rodgers.

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Lastly, I finished the attire with a tweed suit jacket that really harmonized the whole look together.

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*Tweed jacket by Buffalo Exchange

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Daily Outfits 104

Okay, so not much to discuss today. I had to run to class and take the Nightclub Management final and ended up going over to a friend’s house for dinner. Dressed pretty simple and warm but still kept the pieces interesting.

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* Black open collar shirt by John Varvatos, white denim jeans by John Galliano, grey pea coat by A.C.K.

So the military style pea coat with brazen buttons is one of my favorite, slightly casual, winter pieces that I own. Instead of throwing on a hoodie and looking like a bum, a pea coat over a tee takes the outfit for guys up a few notches. Really, if guys and girls in our generation would just step away from the sweat shirts and hoodies for a few days, it’d make the world a far more aesthetically pleasing place to live.

And really what’s the hassle? Shrugging on a coat takes just as little effort as tossing on a hoodie and it keeps you just as warm and comfortable if not more so.

Anyways, the focal point to this outfit with the jacket on is in the black leather detailing and the bronze big brass buttons on the pea coat. When the coat is taken off indoors, the John Varvatos open collar shirt really highlights the entire outfit with such an interesting design around the collar.

The white John Galliano jeans also serve as a color contrast and a focal piece as well, but I’ll talk about those jeans on another day.

A good tip in keeping white jeans clean during the rainy, snowy, muddy season is to tuck them into leather boots or your favorite pair of rain boots. It pulls off a old school aristocrat/equestrian look if done right.

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Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Daily Outfits 103

After having a lazy morning at home I decided to go out to a local outside shopping district in Las Vegas called Town Square around 3PM. Since I’d be doing a lot of walking outside in 40 degree temperatures, I wanted to dress as warmly as I could. However, even though the mall is an open air facility, the many restaurants, shops, and cafes that line the street are incredibly well heated.

It seems many people in Las Vegas and the folks in southern California make the mistake of wearing a thin t-shirt underneath a really thick puffer jacket every time the winter chill rears its head. This fundamental mistake often leaves you too hot with the jacket on but still a bit cold and uncomfortable with the jacket off when indoors underneath a heater. This leads to a lot of article removing and replacing. The best solution to temperatures and situations like these is to layer appropriately.

December 8, 2009

Grey, wool, long coat by Valentino, black buckle turtleneck by Kenneth Cole, white spring scarf by Emporio Armani, and straight leg boot cut jeans by X2.

December 8, 2009

The grey Valentino long coat is perhaps the best purchase I’ve made off of 5th Avenue in New York City so far in my entire life. Unlike the majority of the form fitting and tight coats I buy, this Valentino coat is comfortably bigger and has a cozy, slouchy feel to it. However, to keep the coat from losing the shape I want it to give; I employ a simple trick of tying the waist belt behind the jacket to keep it in its proper form.

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The black Kenneth Cole turtle is actually a very versatile piece. You can close all the buckles and turn it into a turtle neck, or forgo the buttons and let it droop. I love pieces that have dual functionalities such as this while featuring focal points that keep the overall design interesting and intriguing.

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And of course, the white Emporio Armani scarf adds a huge splash of color and contrast to the overall dark and dull color scheme that will wash you out with every other grey and black long coat that stalk the streets during winter.

december 8, 2009

december 8, 2009

Friday, December 4, 2009

Daily Outfits 102

Today I had to sneak out for a quick hour just to meet up with a friend of mine who’d driven to Vegas from California with a bunch of his friends from Los Angeles. Since it was a relatively quick outing, I went with something simple that I could throw on fast without worrying about layering. However, even though I wanted it to be simple, I wanted something that was still unique and had a focal point.

December 4, 2009

* Grey Emporio Armani sweater with black skinny Helmut Lang jeans.

Now the focal point of the entire outfit is in the asymmetrical detailing around the neckline and the white logo armband attached above the elbow. Because the sweater really features two unique and prominent designs, it’s important not to lavish too many accessories on top of the outfit. So I kept it simple by pairing it with the black Helmut Lang skinny jean which helps the overall look by keeping the silhouette modern and trim. Although not pictured, the outfit was finished with a pair of black and grey, lace up, charcoal distressed Converse by John Varvatos.

Emporio Armani Sweater

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Quotes & Proverbs 103

"The world must be made safe for democracy."
- Woodrow Wilson

Daily Outfits 101

So I decided to keep a daily record of the different outfits I wear after having purchased my new Logitech Webcam (which makes the whole process of picture documenting a lot simpler).

And that brings us to our first Daily Outfit post.

Outfits

* Black sports jacket by Christian Dior, white turtleneck by Versace, and black skinny jeans by Helmut Lang.

Due to the white stripped ruffling of the fabric on the turtleneck, I would never wear the turtleneck by itself. White sweaters are notorious for making a big frame look even bigger, and to add to that, the ruffled fabric stripes add even more volume to the frame. Thus I took the turtleneck and matched it with a very modern and slim Christian Dior sports jacket. The Dior jacket keeps the overall silhouette slim and modern while the vintage Versace turtleneck adds softness and age to the outfit.

Keeping with the modern silhouette to offset the eye catching Versace turtleneck, I wore a pair of black skinny Helmut Lang jeans to finish off the ensemble. Although not pictured, I wore black, flat toe leather dress shoes to complete the attire.

Versace Turtleneck

P.S.

The story behind the white Versace turtleneck is quite interesting. About a year ago I was feeling bored and a bit adventurous and decided to travel off the beaten path. By passing Saks which is a Yoon classic, I ventured over into Buffalo Exchange which is a local thrift store that sells and buys used clothes. After hunting around a little bit I found the white vintage Versace turtleneck in the designer trades section. If I recall correctly, I ended up purchasing it for 19 dollars which is quite a steal.