Or at the very least, make you appear like you ‘know what you are doing.’

Yesterday, when creating outfits for a client, she looked in the mirror and said, ‘Oooh, this looks really good together; I wouldn’t have thought of this.’ To which I responded, ‘Yes (!) this scarf with that bag just makes you looks more interesting…like you know what you are doing.’ At some point, we’ve all had a moment where we wanted to look interesting—set apart (in a good way).

For women, there are a million + ways to accomplish this. For men, not as many…but I’ve been discovering accessories that are giving guys more ways to add interest, for when they walk into a room. Below are a few examples—a mixture for many different tastes!

Denim ties: Take a look at the raw edges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Real] feather pocket squares. Notice how the feathers compliment the clothes—i.e. peacock feathers for a tuxedo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcycled fabrics are used to create ties with quarky animal shapes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leather pin pocket: it highlights your pocket square.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. Here’s a special offer from J.Hilburn—a quality gift for Dad!

 

It used to be that you only saw a handful of guys in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB that were into clothes. Now, professional athletes are being looked at for their style more than ever. In addition to playing their sport, they have become investors in fashion brands or even started their own line.

You now see players being photographed during that ‘short catwalk’ from the locker room to the bus. And although most of these particular stars claim they don’t put much thought into it, their outfits suggest otherwise.

It all makes sense though. A piece of clothing, pair of shoes or an accessory, always sells more if the potential customer can see it on an actual person. This is why you have product placement, on celebrities for example. The NBA seems to be getting the most fashion attention predominately due to the nature of the sport. In basketball, you can see each player throughout the entire game. You can see his every move, his emotions…and his shoes! There aren’t any helmets, so you get a better connection.

Men are visual; they need to see the look all put together. When I’m having custom clothes created for a client, I often here, ‘I like that material, but what will it look like as a full suit?’ or ‘That’s a very cool jacket, what kinds of shirts can I wear with it?’

We now have gorgeous look books that give guys ideas on how to wear the clothing. But before we had these, I used to carry around an orange binder with magazine tears. I did this so each client could see how: a trimmer fit actually makes you look more defined (both for skinny and not-so-skinny men), if you treat checks like solids, it’s easier to pick ties that work with it and so on. Now, we have lots of pro athlete pictures to choose from, and their images resonate more than that of a male model.

While I’m always into people discovering their style and expanding their business opportunities, I cringed a little when reading that Kobe Bryant now calls himself the ‘Valentino of the NBA.’ (just like in high school, no one likes a self-given nickname) And it feels a bit odd to hear a man say that he’s never worn a look more than once. Seems like I have to get over these things though; no doubt there will be more ballers sitting front row at Lanvin.

 

 

 

A veteran in men’s luxury apparel once told me, “Women shop because…they are happy, depressed, stressed, bored, need something to wear, want to reward themselves, have time to kill, it’s something fun to do with friends and so on. Men—they shop out of necessity, period.” If you think about that for a second, I bet you can identify with one, or possibly all of those reasons. And while there are men who truly enjoy window browsing, they are in the minority.

If you ask a guy why he doesn’t enjoy shopping, it usually relates to fighting through crowds of people or the overwhelming (at times, nauseating) feeling of being inside a multilevel mall. But what about boutique shopping?

In Detroit and in its suburbs, stores specifically for men did not exist…until recently. In 2012 a handful of quality independent shops have opened. Stores that could easily be plopped down on Abbot Kinney or Younge Street and fit right in. To out-of-staters reading this, you may be wondering ‘what’s the big deal,’ but to locals, you understand how cool is the introduction of these storefronts.

There are two shops in particular that I want to highlight:

1. Hugh. Their business card says it all.

Wait—their website name better reflects the vibe: LOVEHUGHLONGTIME.com I liken it to an upscale Urban Outfitters’ home selection. It’s curated for the sophisticated man that is fun, not stuffy.

These wallets are part silk tie, part leather. Interesante, yes?

2. The Detroit Mercantile Co. I think you have to be a man with scruff to enjoy the items inside. As soon as you walk in, you are greeted by raw denim (jeans) from the Detroit Denim Co. and a variety of rugged casual goods by Carhartt. All items are made in the U.S.A. (horray!) There’s also this gorgeous black and rose gold bike to look forward to, by the Detroit Bicycle Company.

This leads to my last point. With so many entrepreneurs and creative minds opening up businesses in the D, it seems like a fantastic time to scoop up that ‘Detroit X’ name. ‘X’ being whatever industry you’re into—Detroit Sofa, Detroit Fitness, Detroit Cookie Inc.—you get the point.

So…no crowds, no escalators, just good merch to choose from. Check it out.

 

I said I was in Vegas for work, remember? Well here is a sneak peak inside our meeting at what we at J.Hilburn are launching for Fall/Winter (on Sept. 1!). And even better news, the personalized tuxedos are ready for you now! So, ‘oooh and ahhh’ away at the new fabrics and custom possibilities!

 

How you refer to them depends upon where you grew up. Your location also plays a role in what you consider ‘normal’ attire for: the beach, the lake, the pool, running through the sprinkler… When I’m at any of these scenes (excluding front yard sprinklers), I like to check out what the men are wearing.

One of the major things to think about when purchasing a bathing suit is length. I’ve written about the length of guy’s shorts before, but swim suits deserve a separate category.

What will you be doing? i.e. If you are surfing (and aren’t wearing a wet suit), then you’ll probably want a longer pair of trunks, as climbing back on that board can tear up your skin a bit. (especially if you are paddle boarding in the ocean—ahem, Mike (!)) For longer board shorts, I like these. I like anything ombre—hair, clothes, curtains…

Another thing I like? Rainbows. I’m not talking about the brand of sandals, I mean rainbow patterns. Maybe it’s the lack of decision making that I’m attracted too (you are wearing all the colors ‘of the rainbow’). I just love the look of these:

Sundek has SO MANY styles at all different lengths; you will find something you like! And most all shorts have their trademark rainbow, shinning across your ass. :)

70′s luau

 

Preppy

Pastel

Bright