Fashion Trends and Their “Pull-off-ability”

Winter’s rolling into Boston (not good), but the frigid weather brings some cool new trends for guys to get pumped up about (very good). We’ll give you a quick rundown of each and how you can go about pulling each style off. Each style will be graded on a scale from one to ten depending on its “pull-off-ability.” One is easy– If you can dress yourself in the morning, you’re pretty much all set. Ten is near impossible. You may want to have the testosterone level of Hugh Hefner before even considering the notion of straddling this one. You’ve been warned. So, first up:

Source: http://www.jeansco.co.uk/

Comfort fit jeans. After being overthrown by tight fit jeans favored by indie bands and their (inspired) fans during the past few years, these guys are making a welcome comeback. Loosely worn, comfortable and now being pushed out by Diesel and The French Connection, casual denim has reclaimed the throne. Just be sure to back up the bagginess with some substantial footwear. Pick an underwhelming-sized shoe and you can kiss your feet goodbye– they’ll be swallowed up by the comfortable loose but ever-so-hungry hem. So do yourself a favor and put on some big kicks with your new comfort-fit jeans.

Pull-off-ability level: 2

Next up is…

Men’s Gloves: Well, I mentioned “Boston” and “Winter” in the opening sentence, so it was only a matter of time before we covered an accessory that combats crappy New England Weather. But, we can be stylish while duking it out with Mother Nature, no? Depending on the material, men’s gloves can be worn in a myriad of situations. Leather and suede can be more professional for a business setting, and would look great paired with a quality leather bag (*cough* F. Rock Bag *cough*). But what’s that you say? You’re unemployed because of the economy and don’t need gloves for a professional setting? Well, then I suggest the cut-off or fingerless gloves paired with a nice check shirt or jacket. Boom.

Pull-off-ability level for leather suede gloves: 5

Pull-off-ability level for fingerless gloves: 4

Lastly, we have…

Velvet Blazer: Right off the bat, you’re going to need some confidence to pull this one off. Seriously, if you’re even slightly unsure of donning this type of fabric, I suggest you don’t even consider the style. Also, blind confidence does not count– consult your friends regarding blind confidence. If pulled off right in a formal setting, you can come off as immensely suave and quite attractive. Mess it up and you’ll pigeon-hole yourself in the exact opposite category. So how do you do it right? If you are confident and donning a Velvet Blazer, match it up with some skinny jeans and high tops. Or even a basic button up shirt and simple colored tie. Keep it simple and the confidence abundant. Oh yeah, and good luck.

Pull-off-ability Level: 9

One Button, One Scotch, One Beer

What’s the connection between the rising popularity of vintage clothing and the desire to drink quality scotch whiskey at work? No, it’s not the recession’s impact on the retail industry or the depressingly steep unemployment rate. It’s simply the powerful tool of pop-culture, the media and a few Mad Men.

Source: www.boston.com

Well, okay–the increasing popularity of the AMC television series Mad Men isn’t the only bit of pop culture that’s contributing to vintage clothing’s comeback, but it sure is noteworthy. It’s probably safe to say that the show’s acclaim and the increase in vintage clothing purchases are as linked as these guys.

For example, clothing stores such as The Way We Wore, Decades and Resurrection (all vintage, can you tell?) have seen a recent influx of customers demanding fashionable clothing with a 60s era vibe– Smashing, baby.

Source: www.papermag.com

Of course, there are other contributing factors, namely the economy. Although it seems to be the catalyst for everything Godawful nowadays, the down-turned economy is actually a good incentive for vintage clothes shoppers to dish out some greens.  Because designer label vintage clothing is cheaper to buy the second-time around, shoppers can now purchase something that’s in style for an affordable price and feel compelled to drink scotch at work! (Don’t blame us if you get in trouble for that last one).

Source: www.static.paulsmith.co.uk

So this brings me to the main focus of this blog post: the One-Button Suit. Developed and popularized in the 1960s and now being revived (I think we’re seeing a trend here), the Uni-Button jacket is perceived by society as the party-loving offspring of your tux and pinstriped suit. Conception discussions aside, people see a One-Button Suit as the smooth jazz musician’s attire (think Miles Davis who popularized it, not Kenny G) or a respectably dressed rebellion’s getup. Either way, you’re probably not going to want to wear one of these to an interview.

But alas, the suit is seeing impressive popularity throughout its current revival. As a helpful guideline, AskMen.com recently outlined the appropriate social situation and personality type for the One-Button Suit (non-formal and stylishly confident, respectively). The reviewer even went as far as critiquing the attributes of several brands. Of course, the writer makes sure to mention that these are for casual use only and to avoid to social faux pas of wearing one to something important. Like, you know, work.

But with the rising popularity of such styles being the result of celebrities wearing such apparel in professional environments, can pop-culture sway the business norm? If 60′s era suits are becoming all the rage, will this affect how we dress in a professional environment? Will One-Button Suits become the new business casual for the new generation?

Eco-Sneaks – Hip, Urban and Green for the Feet!

For a while now I’ve been feeling quite guilty. Not as guilty as when my high-school girlfriend came down with food poisoning (failed attempt at homemade beef jerkey, not pretty) but close. See, a few years ago Timberland came out with their line of Earthkeeper boots. Made from recycled materials, these shoes were designed to reduce the size of my ecological footprint (sorry, couldn’t resist). But there was just one small, itty-bitty problem. I’m not Paul Bunyan. That whole scruffy-outdoorsman-in-flannel-grunge look is great for weekends in NH, but not so great for bounding around the city. Needless to say my Earthkeepers collect more dust than wear.

Well Simple Shoes has decided to take pity on me and my urban counterparts with their latest offering of EcoSNEAKS® and Green Toe™ shoes. In their effort for achieving 100% sustainability, Simple has found some innovative ways to clean up. Made of recycled and organic materials, these shoes from Simple have given sustainability a new look. Even the shoe boxes are made with 100% recycled paper and soy-based inks. They’re great for the beach, casual summer nights and stand out among the ubiquitous Chuck Tailors.

My personal favorites are the Tuba – Organic Cotton and the Sno Tire – Hemp.

The Tuba ($70.00) is a great shoe for lazy strolls down the boardwalk or rooftop barbecues.  It comes in both madras and a canvas that is strangely reminiscent of my grandpa Sal’s reading chair. (A good thing, I think.) The 100% vegan shoe is made of organic cotton (uppers), recycled rubber from tires that were destined for the dump (sole), and recycled soda bottles (laces).

The Sno Tire ($55.00) is can be perfectly paired with linen shorts and a polo shirt. The woven hemp upper could easily be mistaken for canvas, while the contrasting stripe along the edge of the sole adds a pop of color. Made of hemp, recycled car tires, and 100% organic cotton… these almost have a Converse All Star feeling, but way cooler! My personal favorite are the “natural” color, it practically shouts summer and goes with everything, but in brown, slate and black, they’ll also take you right into fall.

So if you’re looking to green your feet, check out Simple.

F. Rock on Chronicle “Green Jobs”, Friday 7/17

Check it out! We were psyched to be featured last Friday, July 17th, as part of Channel 5 Chronicle’s show titled “Green Jobs”.  The filming took place a few weeks prior and we were lucky enough to catch the one sunny day in nearly 5 weeks of rain! Harrison messenger bag at Motley in the South End:

First we swung by Motley and met with Jason, Motley’s newest owner. This shop is a fixture in the South End.  Known for its eclectic collection of menswear and accessories, it will not disappoint!  Sure, it might be small on square footage, but its newly expanded web presence features everything from premium denim to cool frames to men’s bags.  Custom F. Rock messenger bags, coming in August!

From there we took a spin to Fall River where we spent time at the stitchers, digging through fabrics and leathers and looking at bag construction.  All in all, a fantastic day.  Finally, so cool to see F. Rock on the big screen!  Okay, maybe the slightly smaller big screen… but cool nonetheless.

Check it out! Green Jobs: 7/17 Channel 5 Chronicle HD

Man About Town: David Wolfe of Seeds Sewn

Seeds Sewn summer weight plaid cotton hat

Get the lowdown on this hip, new cool line of hats from Boston’s own David Wolfe (wearing the plaid hat at the left).  Made locally from the best that Goodwill (and his closet) has to offer, no two hats are the same.  Wear it under a helmet  or simply as a fashion piece with jeans and a T – a perfectly hip, sustainable accessory you’ll find nowhere else. Look for the little sprout tag and signature whipstitching on the brim and you’ll know its an authentic Seeds Sewn creation.  Available for purchase, or as a custom creation, at Open Bicycle in Union Square in Somerville.

We caught up with David and his wife Sarah (wearing the pink cap below) for a few minutes to talk about Seeds Sewn, the genesis of the brand and all the thinking behind this fledgling line of headwear.

So Seeds Sewn is a relatively new endeavor but your background is with bicycles correct?

That’s right.  I started making and repairing bikes about 2 years ago just as a hobby and then sold a few vintage
road-to-fixed conversions on Craigslist but now I only work on my wife’s and my  bikes. When I’m stumped I take it to OPEN!

Sarah was telling me that you designed and made her bike from 100% recycled parts, right?  It has a cool vintage feel to it!

True, it was one of my first.  It’s funny, I look at it now and see it almost like my first hat, but it’s still a great bike!  Almost all of the parts were retrofits from other bikes, a few pieces I even had to make myself.

Speaking of, what was the inspiration behind your first hat?

I think it was almost 2 years ago I was in the market for a cycling cap but couldn’t find one that fit right. So, I took matters into my own hands (literally we’d say), bought one that was too big and with a needle and thread took it in by hand. About a week later I decided that I didn’t like all of the advertising on the outside of the hat so I took it apart, used it to make a pattern and then made my first cap using an vintage wool pinstripe suit from Goodwill. It took about 4 hours, and my fingers kept cramping. but in the end it was pretty cool.

How does one go from a hand-stitched one-of-a-kind creation to wider interest and ultimately production?

Well, I got a lot of people asking where I bought it and then asking if I could make one for them. At the time my answer was NO, but after receiving a sewing machine for Christmas I began production… kind of. The first hats on the machine were hideous! Quite misshapen! As I grew more comfortable with my machine though, the hats started fitting better.  A year later, I was selling my first batch of inventory. They have only become better since then, and with feedback from some of my first and most respected customers, I have the hats you can purchase today.

These aren’t just for men, are they? Could a woman have a cap made too?  They seem to have a really cool versatile design…

For sure! Some of my most beloved customers are women.. Most of the ready-made hats are non-gendered.  Some guys like pink and some girls… well, I guess it’s acceptable for girls to like any color, but there are some hats with more earthy colors and some more pastel based. It’s all about what the rider wants and feels comfortable with. My ready-made caps are made specifically for either gender and come in sizes S and L.

Where can our readers buy Seeds Sewn?

Open Bicycle in Union Square in Somerville carries an inventory and is also the place for a custom order, but you can e-mail me with Qs and orders at seedssewn@gmail.com too.  We have fabric swatches for winter and summer weight hats and for an extra $10, you can add a snazzy set of earflaps (read VERY useful, come New England winters!)

Tell me a little about custom orders. Could I use my own fabrics? What is the turnaround time?

Of course! A customer’s own materials are always welcome!  Once the fabrics are chosen, or delivered to me, the turn-around time for custom production is about 5 days. Also, as of right now, custom orders start at only $30, so no extra charge!

Okay, last couple of Qs and we’ll let you go… What we love about Seeds Sewn (aside from the cool color combos) is the “green” aspect.  Why the use of recycled fabrics?

Why not? If something can be made from a recycled material and done so in a “green” way, then I think we are fools not to. People feel better about wearing something that they know was made in an environmentally conscious way .

True, and it has a bit of history, which is always better than “off the shelf”…

Can you leave us with a bit of inspiration?  What gets you going on a daily basis?

People and the City. I am a people person and well, Boston has a lot of them. Also, seeing more and more people choosing cycling as a viable means of transportation is inspiring.  Boston is really making strides in becoming a bike-friendly city and we love this!

A James Bond bow tie in 7 easy steps

These are not your father's neckties

Channel your inner James Bond this summer with the perfectly tied bow tie.  There may be few occasions for the formal tuxedo this season, the bow tie is loads more versatile.  The fabrics making their way into the lookbooks are out to make a statement – fun madras, Nantucket seersucker or brightly checked gingham.

 

 

Paired with a sharp chino suit and retro fedora, even Pussy Galore might not be able to resist the man in the mirror.

• Perfect the bow tie in 7 steps
• Beau Ties Ltd. of Vermont

Effortless Elegant Footwear, Summer-Style

Slip on a pair of these babies and relax...

As far as we’re concerned, this is the shoe of the summer.  A young 5-year old company, Gordon Rush shows its exquisite Italian craftmanship with these newest pair of summer shoes.  Well worth the investment, these puppies will take you from the Cape to the Islands to the Hamptons (if you’re into all that fuss, that is).

Smooth white leather with chocolate brown insets, these slip-on no-slip deck shoes will pair perfectly with a lazy-day state of mind.  Don a pair with madras shorts, a white polo, neat drink and find copious amounts of sand and endless skies.  With footwear like this no drama will dare take hold, just smooth sailing all the way.

 

• Gordon Rush deck shoes