V-Style For Men

Scott Wicken's First Law of Fashion

Congratulations, you have made the decision to upgrade your wardrobe and overhaul your personal style, good for you! This can be a huge step for many a man. Now where the heck do you begin? A worthy question brave soul, a worthy question. Despite the perhaps imposing usage of the word “Laws”, style rules are meant to be broken, so think of these as more as guideposts along your fashion journey; some simple rules to get you started and help you develop that updated style you are looking for. The first rule:

1. Fit above all else – If there is one and only one idea to live by, fit is, well, it. More to the point, proper fitting clothing. It may sound simple enough but all too often men are wearing clothing that is too big or ill fitting. A well crafted suit or great pair of jeans loses its impact if it doesn’t fit properly. Try sizing down in your suit or try a stylish, slimmer cut version; the same goes for jeans and dress shirts. Unless you are looking for that Joey Ramone look, the goal is a balance between trim fitting and too tight. Fortunately these days nearly all clothing companies are making slimmer versions of their clothes or have adjusted their cuts and sizing to reflect the times. From department stores like Nordstrom and Macy’s to retailers like the Gap and Banana Republic, it is easy to find something that fits you properly and looks modern and stylish.

Written by Scott Wicken

New Fashion Ideas For Groomsmen Attire

This month features my most recent work in Exquisite Weddings Magazine. Men are no longer just renting a tux, they want some of the spotlight too.

Where To Hem Men's Skinny Leg Pants

Many men don't hem their pants properly, buy the wrong inseam, don't hem their pants at all for numerous reasons and so on. No, no no. You must hem your pants so you don't look like the guy with a pile of fabric at his ankle. It's trashy, messy, unprofessional and unattractive. It makes you look like a dope. A big one.

Now, a new problem for guys is the skinnier or straight leg style of pants like many Theory slacks. Where do you hem those? You might be asking. For professional pants, put on your dress shoes and then have the tailor pin them until it breaks just once (A break is when the fabric folds a little into itself). The skinny leg or straight leg slack will break higher then wider leg pants because it will hit your shoe right away; hence, the confusion as to where to hem your pants. So, to be clear: you will hem slim leg pants higher than you will wider leg pants.

As a side note, puffy shoes of any volume will not work with skinny or slim leg pants because it won't fit underneath the pant and will have fabric piling up on your shoe before you want them to. Plus, puffy shoes are not cool. Yes, I am referring to K Swiss. Also, longer shoes might make you look like an elf because the shoe will stick out more than usual, so stick with light weight sneakers both casual and dressy.

Where To Find Lavender Shirts For Men

I am not a fan of feminine looks on men, so my recommending lavender to you may seem odd and yet that is what I am about to do. Lavender flatters most men's skin tones and sets you apart from the crowd, hence my suggestion, but let's keep purple's cousin on your shirts and skip lavender pants and jackets. We're not pansies over here.

Anyhoo, the lavender I am going to refer you to is a subtle lavender. I recently found two fantastic examples of this at Bloomingdale's. My clients love them. As you will see in the pictures it barely looks lavender. It almost appears white, but I assure you that it is indeed lavender. These light tones of lavender will work great with blacks as well as earth tones. The one pictured above is by Stussy (Stussy still exists?! Apparently.) And the shirt pictured below is by Eli Tahari. I love the untraditional pockets on both. They should still be available as of March 2010.