I am happiest when I…live by, vacation on or are close to, water.

In an article I once read about finding your passion, it stated that one of the questions to ask is: “What really upsets you about the world?” My answer relates to the environment. When someone throws out a water bottle (that could be recycled) my skin crawls. When I see a grocery bag stuck in a tree, I get pissed…and so on. When our bathroom faucet started dripping yesterday, I immediately put a bowl in the sink to catch the water (so I could water my flowers—which, for reasons unknown, seem to be dying.)

So there you go. You now know the outdoor hippie in me.

Photo: UnitedByBlue.com

Aside from reducing, reusing and recycling (yay 3rd grade!), we can also help when we shop for clothes. More and more apparel brands are becoming conscious of their impact on our available water. These companies are innovative in their quest to clean up and conserve:

Levi’s: Water<Less Collection: Did you know it takes @ 42 Liters of water to make 1 pair of jeans (what!)? Though that doesn’t seem too far fetched when you think about how each type of ‘wash’ is achieved. (You know, when you buy a pair of jeans that already has the worn in look.) Their philosophy with this collection is to…use less water. For example, washing the denim with dry stones. Levi’s states that they’ve gotten some pairs down to only using a quarter cup of water. # good for you.

United By Blue: 14 billion pounds of trash are dumped into oceans annually. (yikes!) For every product sold, UBB removes 1 pound of trash from our oceans & waterways. I like the prep/nautical inspired beach bags and the guy’s t-shirts, layered under a zip up.

Photo: UnitedByBlue.com

Photo: levi.com/waterless

3 clues:

1. I can be worn to any occasion

2. Some people think I’m boring

3. I eventually turn a different color

Answer:

A white dress shirt

Next, what animal am I? I live in the rainforest…

Kidding! If you grew up taking family road trips, you no doubt relate to that (often painful) game.

Spring is here and while my client inspiration boards are filling up with summer fashion that I’m anxious to see come to life, I don’t want to dismiss the importance of a man’s white dress shirts—yes, let’s make that plural and strive to own two. Why? See clues #1 & #3.

I’m not lying when I say you can wear this to EVERY occasion and it’ll be appropriate. Isn’t that cool and very easy for you to remember? A wedding, your wedding, a funeral, your funeral, to important work meetings, to unimportant work days, to lunch with…a friend, a potential business partner, a date, your girlfriend’s parents, an art gallery event, a barbecue, a baseball game…

It’s so basic (and colorless) that some tend to forget how important it is to own. (You’d rather opt for the fun, limited, colorful shirts that you can rock out in Vegas this summer…) Both have its place in your closet. We all understand that a white shirt can be worn with a suit, so here are a few ideas on OTHER ways to wear that white shirt…because although you can wear this to anything, you wouldn’t wear it the SAME way to everything. Have I lost you yet?

Photo: Posh24

Photo: inflexwetrust.com

(minus the sunnies) Photo: celebrity-gossip.net

(And without the colored socks...) Photo: Tommy Hilfiger

Photo: celebrity-updates.weebly.com

Is his fly un-done? Classic! Photo: theurbangent.com

Oh and about that #3. You know you sweat. Let’s not try to cover it up with a blazer. When your shirt is pitted out, time-to-replace. It’s inevitable; clothes don’t last forever.

“You can be a wanna be or an about to be.” —John Varvatos

I just watched the premier of Fashion Star. Have you seen their print and media advertisements? They’ve been running for what feels like, forever…and now I understand why. Immediately after watching each episode, viewers can buy the styles that ‘won.’ Therefore, the winning designers have already been selected and their featured garments, mass produced. So you can buy what you like, right NOW. That’s pretty fabulous.

I’m not saying all the styles are fabulous, but people like instant gratification (and so do the retailers).

Quick premise: Each week a handful of new designers show off their creations in a quick (rock & roll-ish) runway show. There are 3 buyers: 1 from Saks Fifth Avenue, H&M and Macys. If they like what they see, they enter in an offer to buy that design (a la Jeopardy style). I can imagine it’s probably an amazing feeling to have Saks tell you they will give you $80K to sell your skirt, especially if you are bartending when you’d rather be designing. (Even if they are marking it up 4 times the cost!)

What I liked:

* Orly’s “skirt with a shell.” (Her explanation: preventing her “who-ha” from being exposed on a windy day.) At first sight I thought, are these supposed to replace wearing boy shorts under short skirts? (for same reason mentioned above) I personally don’t do tight mini skirts but I very much like the versatility of the zip on and off/2 skirts in 1. I like options. I don’t like one and done pieces. This piece is a refreshing idea.

I only wish Saks offered it in more than the black color. I believe I saw a patterned one on the episode…

* Nzimiro’s blazers. Yeah, it’s a blazer—just hearing that sounds uneventful. But details like permanent stand up collars and angular pockets in linen, add just the right amount of interesting. (Again, we’ll see if I feel the same way when it arrives at my doorstep. Apparel is so tactile! This better not be made like crap!) But then again, it’s a men’s blazer for $50, you get what you pay for—hope my fiancé likes it!

* The mentors (Nicole Richie, John Varvatos & Jessica Simpson) putting an arrogant Aussie designer in his place.

What I didn’t like:

So many of the designs…weren’t original. Have you seen a large print caftan dress, or a one shoulder spandex-y mini in bright green? Yes. Maybe the talent level here isn’t as high as in some of the fashion reality shows of the past, but I appreciate the concept of the program. And guess what? The real hack pieces? They don’t get picked up by a buyer. The fact that no’s are actually frequent makes viewing more interesting.

Want to buy from the show last night? Ready, set, go!

Remember in school you heard, “No question is a dumb question.” What may seem totally obvious to some is a major confusion to others. Here are some examples…because like your teacher used to say, “Someone probably has that same question.”

Cutting the stitching on suits:

Last weekend a client called me the morning of his wedding. We had J.Hilburn make him a gorgeous suit for his Big Day—black, single-breasted, two-button, hacking pockets, side vents, blue lining—to set him apart from the double breasted suits of his groomsmen. Let me preface by saying that this guy knows his stuff; he’s heard of the legendary Kiton suits, reads up on the latest & greatest and knows what he likes. This makes it all the more adorable when he frantically asks if he can cut the stitching off his left chest pocket—to accommodate a pocket square.

I know how it is, you may be wearing something so nice, or expensive, or custom and you really care about how you look. So the thought of messing that up makes you forget the things that you already know—basic things like: You need to cut the stitching inside your pocket to wear a pocket square and you MUST cut the stitching on the vents of your sport coat (regardless of if you have a side or center vent.)

Photo: Mr.Porter.com

Too tight freight:

I’ve seen both ends of this spectrum: the guy that (intentionally or unintentionally) wears his clothes really really close to his body (tight)…and conversely, the one who is drowning in his trousers, fearful of looking ‘too European.’ Change your shirt IF, you can see ALL of your pecs or ALL of your biceps. Change your pants, IF you can see the outline of your pockets (front or back). Or actually, if you can see anything…Change your shirt IF you can grab a handful of fabric on each side. Change your pants IF we have no idea where is your leg.

Match your belt & shoes, socks don’t matter:

Match your belt to your shoes. So that means owning a tan, black & brown belt (and shoes). Socks can be your little secret, or a conversation starter with that good looking girl sitting across from you at the airport.

brown belt & shoes Photo: JHilburn.com

tan belt & shoes-AG Jeans Photo: JHilburn.com

black belt & shoes Photo: JHilburn.com

P.S. J.Hilburn made the Forbes list of most promising companies!

I did an interview with The Menswear Journal. It was published over the weekend.

Check it out!

Stylist Tips—Lena Piskorowski Talks Detroit Style & Building a Wardrobe

They were interested to hear about Detroit style and how guys in the ‘D’ compare to those living in the East & West coasts.

I’m learning that anything you say is really fair game to show up in print! I mean, I don’t become real angry when guys where ‘gym shoes’ as ‘real shoes’ but it does bother me…a lot.

P.S. Have you looked inside the September issue of Men’s Journal? I’m pretty proud of our (very handsome) J.Hilburn spread. You too can wear everything you see on him! (sport coat, shirt, sweater, jeans & socks!) See color options here: www.JHilburn.com