Fragrances.

First off NEVER wear to much. When a man or woman wears so much fragrance that you can smell them walking into a room that means they have way to much on! You don't want to have so much on that a person can't breath when you get close to them. That's gross and means you try to hard. Ew.
Next is picking the right fragrance for the right occasion and season. You don't want to wear a strong heavy fragrance in the spring. You want something light that has a lot of citrus in it. And the same goes for winter. Don't wear something light in the winter. My personal favorite is the Gucci pour homme sport.

It's great. Fresh and light. Perfect for the spring and summer! I don't know why but most green fragrances I really like! If you want a great new summer fragrance buy this or the light blue by Dolce & Gabbana. They are both great quality. I personally wear the Gucci. Now what I do not recommend is Ed hardy. Buy it if you like to smell like you just walked out of a frat party after a heavy night of drinking. Gross. I know some people like it but to me it is smelly.







I also have two favorites for women's fragrance. The Chanel chance eau fraiche. It is one of the most amazing fragrances ever! I know that is a bold statement but it's true. It just has this light and fresh smell. It makes your body feel happy when you smell it. It is amazing! My second one is the Marc Jacobs daisy! They both have this great thing about them. You smell it and then it's like all your nerves just chill out for a second. Definitely my favorite women's fragrance.

My Gladiators!

I love these shoes so much! From the minute I tried them on at Aldo to me trying them on the minute they got here! I had to order them because they didn't have my size. These shoes are amazing and I can't wait to wear them all summer. I tried on like four different outfits as soon as they came just to see how hot they looked! These shoes go with everything!!! I tried them with jeans, white tennis shorts, seersucker and plaid dark shorts! All of them looked wonderful! Make sure when you wear sandals as dark as these they are dark! I don't have any faded jeans (of course) and I can picture it in my brain and it's not a good look. I don't wear jeans a lot during the summer so I will be sticking to calf shorts and white everything!

Alexander McQueen.

I don't know of any person that would deny McQueen was one of the single most creative designers of the century. I have always enjoyed watching his shows. His designs came across to me as raw and naturalistic. He took patterns and designs from nature and put them on clothes and shoes; simple as he could do it. That pertains to the summer 2010 collection. Sadly his last collection. Sarah Burton is doing a fine job but nobody will ever be as good as McQueen. Although I only found out who McQueen was in about 2006 from everything I have ever seen by him I consider spring/summer 03, fall/winter 09 and spring/summer 10 his best collections. I love 03 because he used so much nature. The oyster dress is one of the most amazing pieces I've ever seen. I love it! The fall/winter 09 collection was great all around! Everything from the soda can head piece, the feather cup and my favorite the woman wearing the jeweled armor piece which was from his spring 2000 collection. That show had it all. Houndstooth, red leather, heels, feathers, metal and big lips. Spring/summer 2010 out did everything else. I loved it all! The show transitioned so well in color and style it was like a dream. It began with green insect and jungle colors to more animalistic and then an aquatic masterpiece. All the shoes were amazing. The armadillo shoes were the greatest part. I did like the lobster and nail shoes but how can you resist such an amazing piece of art! Now for the grand finale. The picture above is of a glittery/snake skin suit that was work by Lady Gaga in her 'Bad romance' video. In my opinion they could have done better with her in the suit. Only a few minor things. Any way I love the suit! I think it needs to be put in a glass box and left in the Met forever! I could look at it all day! Speaking of the Met. I can not wait to go see 'Savage beauty' at the costume institute of the Metropolitan museum of art.


-Austin

Gladiator sandals!

Ever since I saw Gucci's SS/11 show I have been trying to Get my hand on a pair of Gladiator sandals! Which are leather sandals that have been made for the 21st century! I have always like the shoes in ancient Greek or Roman movies and finally today I got a pair! Well I had to order them but they're mine! I bought them from Aldo; they were only 90 dollars I was amazed!!! I already have my entire summer wardrobe planned out all around these shoes and my TOMS! Love them. So I decided I was going to talk about how to look hot in Gladiator sandals. Because I will so I want other people to as well! First and foremost don't wear them with long pants unless they are like they go really well with the color like 48 in Chanel byzance! I will attach a link so you can see how well Mr. Lagerfeld can work it! I hate wearing long pants during the summer period so I don't have to worry about it! I believe calf shorts and a T-shirt or solid button down go perfect with them! Try to match the shirt with the shoes. Make the shirt lighter if the shoes are dark and dark shirt for lighter shoes. I try not to match the shade of my shirt and pants unless I have on a T-shirt and shorts. Even if you're wearing shorts if your shoes are a really light leather wear very bold pants like burgundy or super bright green! Also NEVER wear socks with them! I will post a picture when I get them!!!




 -Austin


 http://www.chanel.com/fashion/8#8-paris-byzance-fashion-show-chanel-fashion-show-look-48,21,1

Suits!

Suits that are to big are by far the worst thing a man could ever wear while in a conscious state. I can't take anyone seriously who is wearing a suit that is to big. The first thing you notice is the flab at the ankle that looks terrible! I hate it! When I see people like that I want to take them to a tailor and get it fixed! The next thing you notice is the thigh. You will see a lot of extra fabric and it will look really flabby when a man walks. Then it comes to the worst possible look; that is his blazer being to long! The coat needs to end lining up right near the inseam. Any longer and it looks clownish; it doesn't matter if you have on a two thousand dollar Armani suit. If it's Armani and it's to big that salesmen needs to be fired cause it's their job to get the best fitting suit for you! Now that I'm done with complaining about over sized suits lets break one down.
Every man should have three to four different suits. A black, any color brown, linen and my fourth one would be a seersucker suit because I love seersucker! You want to make sure when you are buying a suit it's not to big or small (of course). Don't ever buy a suit like the 50's and 60's suits that all the mob bosses wore. Talking about the ones that are like six inch pinstriped. Those need to stay in their time and never come back. Buy something that is comfortable! If I'm going to look hot I want to be comfortable! So if you find a suit that just feels amazing but isn't the right size that's okay because there are Tailors that can make the suit fit perfectly! Probably better than going to a store and buying the best fitting one! I personally know a Tailor and he told me a lot of people do that because they want to feel as good as they look! Nothing is less fashionable then painful beauty.. Besides Louboutins!
If you want a really well made tan or brown suit I would look into some of Burberry's suits. They are for the skinnier folk. I love when I find something I can't live without! Word of advice NEVER wear more than one piece of burberry at a time unless it's like shoes and a coat or a fragrance that's fine but wearing a burberry plaid shirt and a burrberry coat is over doing it and kind of being a label whore. I like their plaid shirts but wouldn't wear it with anything else Burberry. One day I was at the mall in my city and I walked by a man and woman wearing matching Burberry shirts! I looked down and they BOTH had on Burberry tennis shoes! I was almost threw up.
And if you are courageous and carefree like me a seersucker suit from Brooks bothers is perfect! They are amazing! And make sure you wear a nice tie to match.




-Austin

Ties.

Ties are so much fun. I wear ties all the time; they are great for showing off color of something you're wearing like a bright green with a light brown sport coat. Ties are great but they can mess up your outfit. You can also do things that make you look like you just threw some "professional" clothes on... Then you will look stupid. For example: don't wear a plaid tie with a black blazer. Some people do it. It's more of a personal preference but in reality it isn't a good match. Now my favorite thing to see people in is a striped tie with a squared/checkered shirt. That looks great! Andy Bernard from the office does it all the time and he looks amazing! (I love the office.)

Burberry.

Ralph Lauren.

You normally shouldn't wear a knit or cotton tie to anything formal. If the occasion calls for a suit and tie make sure the tie is silk. Cotton ties are so fun and amazing but they are for casual to semi professional social gatherings like a party on a lake I mean who would wear a silk tie anyway. I like wearing them when it's hot out side; with a white button down! (Hopefully that's all I'll wear while I'm in NYC.)
The two ties I have picked are what I consider to be great for two different reasons. It's a little hard (not impossible) to tell which one is silk and which is cotton. The Ralph Lauren is cotton and the Burberry is silk. The point is these can be worn when ever you want. I would wear the Burberry the most because it is light colored and a bit slimmer. If you aren't the best at tying a tie Google it! I see people all the time with like a six inch wide block of tie at their neck and it's like Oh my!! Scary stuff. Basically if you need help nobody will judge you if you Google it! You don't want a tie to long or to short. No matter how long your torso is it needs to just barely touch your belt. Any shorter it will be ridiculous looking! If you are still trying to rock that eight inch wide tie... Well you can't go invest in a few basic colored new ones! Nordstrom sells some for like twenty dollars. Always have a red, blue, yellow, black and green tie! Those are the colors that will match with the majority of your wardrobe. Seersucker ties are also a good choice. They are clean and classy!







-Austin

Valentino pour les femmes.

This SS/11 Valentino for women is fantastic. Everything has either a stud or a rose on it! It is all fantastic. I have not been able to figure out why all the summer accessories are black, white and red. They look great but I can't figure out why those are the most dominant colors.  

I was looking thru the dresses for the summer and this one particularly caught my eye. I am a huge fan of yellow I will buy anything yellow! It can be something I don't even like or want but I will buy it because it is yellow! I think the yellow and the the white floral patterns make this a great summer cocktail dress. I'm not the biggest fan on strapless dresses but in this instance it's great! I think if this dress had straps it would look funny.

These shoes caught my attention the other week when I was walking thru Nordstrom. It blows my mind to know that Valentino is the only label that can make a bow work perfectly! I have seen lots of people put bows on shoes but never have I seen anyone do it as well as Valentino does. These shoes are black peep toes so get a pedicure and a dress that won't cover the shoes up. I mean really? Who would ever wear nice shoes and cover them up? I wouldn't... 

I died when I saw this bag. Yet again Valentino is going with whites, blacks and reds. This bag grabbed my attention because the undeniable resemblance of a Birkin bag! For those who do not know a Birkin bag is an extremely beautiful and incredibly hard to get bag made by Hermes. I consider someone to be very lucky to even get a hold of one much less pay for it! This bag has that look for about 5,000 less dollars.



-Austin

Valentino pour les homme.

Ever since I found out what fashion was Valentino was at the forefront of my obsession with European fashion. It wasn't till I was about 10 when clothes and fashion became a major part in my life. I remember back when I watched "the Devil wears Prada" for the very first time. I went nuts over fashion; a few days later I walked into my parents closets and looked at the tags of shirts and shoes and ties. My heart started beating out of my chest when I found designers that were mentioned in the movie! To name only a few Oscar de la renta, Christian Dior, Valentino, Armani and Calvin Klein. Valentino just happened to be the one that has stuck with me the most. I still keep up with Valentino to see what is in the line up for each season. The other day I was looking at the SS/11 Valentino show and saw a few interesting things.

Valentino. 

I love, love, love this double breasted coat. It's very sleek; it is a very nice transition piece that will work for the spring to the down right hot and sweaty summer.
Tan suits are great when it's hot! I have a pair of leather shoes just like these but mine are vintage Ralph Lauren. Love them!

There are a lot of knit ties for SS/11 this season. Partly because knit ties are amazing and should be worn whenever you possibly can. I do! Knit ties are great for parties and events that you don't have to get all hot and sexy for but for more laid back and casual parties. You
 should never slack off just because the attire is not a big deal. 
I don't know if anyone has seen it but this silver suit/bathing suit thing is the single greatest outfit I have seen in ANY designers SS/11.

















-Austin

Cufflinks Do's and don'ts.

Stephen Webster cufflinks.

It sounds a bit Cliche to fret over such a small detail but in reality people will see them. I do not consider myself high and might in fashion but I can say wearing demon head cufflinks to something like a job interview or a wedding is huge don't. Not only does it just not make sense it wont look right having a face on your cufflink. In my opinion there is no acceptable situation in which someone would wear devil cufflinks. I could imagine someone thinking these are cool and wearing them to a job interview or a dinner with a client and they see your wrist... I would be sacred. Truthfully don't ever wear them in a serious situation. Maybe as like a part of a Halloween costume were you are a deranged cereal killer but in any other situation just don't.

John Hardy cufflinks.

Stephen Webster cufflinks.

 Same situation don't wear something cheesy in a serious situation. Dragon cufflinks in my opinion are more childish than devils cufflinks. Not a good choice.
I think all of these are great gag accessories.

Robin Rotenier

 This isn't necessarily a double standard subject but using sophisticated looks and putting some thought into things like cuffs will make a big difference.
I love elephants and i think a simple pair of small elephant cufflinks would be a good thing to have. It shows that there is a little thought behind your outfit. I wouldn't wear these to something like a job interview or black tie affair but a sophisticated laid back dinner party these would be acceptable.
I don't know where my love for elephants comes from they aren't the most eye pleasing creature but for a strange reason I love them.

Robin Rotenier.

 I like these cufflinks because they are more playful to someones business side. Honestly the worst thing you could do to the way you dress is take it to seriously. Simple links like these button ones by Robin Rotenier are great for almost any occasion.

Burberry.

Now for the last but certainly not least. In my eyes Burberry is something you would wear to get business done. Burberry is such an iconic brand with nothing to offer but the best. These cufflinks would surely impress anyone who sets eyes on them. As long as the color of the links matched the rest of my outfit I would wear these as often as possible.










-Austin

TOMS!

TOMS!

My newly found obsession! I was out shopping this past saturday and I was looking for a pair of toms..
I went to Neiman Marcus and found a really cool pair with octopuses on them! Sadly they didn't have my size. So my next stop was Nordstrom where I bought these. I love TOMS!
I decided I needed to buy a black pair before I should by any patterns just to coordinate my closet with patterned shoes. When I bought these I was like "I'm going to need to put on a burlap sack to match these! I was so wrong! I got home and found like 20 outfits to wear with them! Even an outfit with long pants!!! These are the first pair of shoes I have flipped out on someone for stepping on my foot. Normally I wouldn't care accidents do happen. For the first time someone stepped on my foot was today I flipped out! I don't know why but I did! I was searching on the 'TOMS' website and I found out that people are wearing these shoes to their high school's prom!! Then I saw pictures there is a world of clothes that go with toms... It is amazing! I wouldn't recommend toms with a long dress or a strapless. Every other woman I saw wearing a dress and toms looked great! I can't not talk about the amazing project behind toms. For every pair of toms you buy they give a pair of shoes to a child in need! That is wonderful because you aren't just buying some product from some random guys charity. You're buying a fabulous pair of shoes that go with mostly everything in your closet and helping children around the world! These will not be the only pair I buy that's for sure!


-Austin