V-Style For Men

Scott Wicken's 4th Law - Don't Be Afraid of Color

Don’t be afraid of color – It may seem daunting at first, but adding a shot of color to your wardrobe can be a simple and effective way to add new life to your closet. The key is to start small and simple and as you get comfortable add additional pieces to your wardrobe. Try adding a lavender dress shirt to your workday wardrobe; by keeping the tie and suit a more muted color like light grey or charcoal it will all come together in a stylish yet understated way. For more casual situations, try an aqua blue, rust red or soft yellow polo shirt paired with some dark denim jeans or khakis. Before you know it, you will be wearing rich hues and bold colors like an east coast prepster or a dapper Italian rake.

 

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.

John Galliano Starts Casual Menswear Line

Do you know what the difference is between John Galliano and you? When he can’t find something to wear he doesn’t shrug his shoulders and continue to wear his fading black t-shirt and jeans ensemble. No, he decides, “Eff it. I’ll do it myself!”

Galliano, the Italian fashion trendsetter who is responsible for the French Fashion House, Dior, will try his hand at a men's sportswear that will be contemporary-priced and 'urban casual.'  Starting in the Fall of 2010, the new line will cater to "trendsetting, extravagant, adventurous" 18- to 35-year-olds. Ciao!

John Varvatos Boots

John Varvatos may have bordered on being a pervert on Project Runway a few weeks ago when he told a model, "You could manage my farm anytime," but he knows how to make a good man boot.

Masculine, edgy and attractive, these boots are great for dressier casual wear and casual dress wear. Pair them with pants and jeans only. That's really all I have to say about it.

The Windowpane Suit by Tom Ford

Tom Ford has been described as the straightest gay man in the world simply because his sexuality boils over onto everyone around him, women fully included. I am sure you have noticed this sexuality has spilled across his ad campaigns with nude men in fake glasses and cologne bottles nestled into a gentleman's derriere. For the average straight man it can be difficult to over look all this and concentrate on the clothing, but once you get passed the blatant nudity, Donald Trump wigs and masculine homosexuality you will find incredibly well made suits for the fashionable man of any sexual preference.

The Tom Ford suit for Fall 2009 that piqued my interest today is the windowpane patterned Buckingham suit made of light grey wool cashmere. Obviously this for the men who want to make a statement. Not for the guys saying it is too loud, too gay, or inappropriate.

For the guys in between the statement maker and the haters, you are most likely asking, "where would I wear this crazy suit." Wear it to work or special parties like you would any well made suit. If you are an architect, a CEO, a magazine editor or an accountant you could probably get away with it in the workplace. Otherwise a good event is an excuse to wear this gear. One tip though, please I beg you, don't wear your hair like this poor model.

Dolce & Gabbana Military Jacket For Men

Dolce & Gabbana can make some pretty ridiculous stuff for men, but I have spotted a must-buy. The military inspired jacket for men is a chic purchase that will stick with you for years to come. Pair with denim, slacks, casual pants, corduroy and call it a day. The cooler season calls for a timeless, but stylish jacket to wear with everything and this is one of those jackets.

Michael Fassbender Pairs Stripes With a Checked Shirt

Mixing a checkered pattern shirt with a striped tie can go either horribly wrong or ass kicking cool. So, because mixing patterns is like porcupine mating, read closely.

Basically, this can be a stylish look if the people around you can see that the colors in each garment compliment each other beautifully. For a step by step: A striped tie generally has three or four colors in it, anymore than that and you will look like a tepid mess if you pair it with a bold pattern. Once you have picked out your tie you want to get a checked shirt (not a plaid one) with two of the same colors from the tie. Pair these two items with a simple suit or pants and you have the black belt of style (I am making a joke to tie in my reference to ass kicking by mentioning the highest level of karate skill. Not referring to a black colored belt).

You can see in a recent issue of GQ, actor Michael Fassbender performing karate moves in a lovely pairing of checks and stripes. His outfit is entirely Gucci.

Yachtfest in San Diego, September 2009

With summer coming to an end you can't help but feel a let down, but if you are in San Diego you know your summer is ending in style. One word: Yachtfest. well, two words kind of squashed together, but you get the point.

Every year Yachtfest is the weekend to see and be seen as the pseudo sailors all come out to celebrate high fashion and big ass boats. With a Saks Fifth Avenue "All Decked Out" fashion show, superyachts galore and specialized planes flying over, you really can't ask for a better party. Did I mention there will be booze and food? OK, now you can't ask for a better party.

I always say nothing's better than a fashion show except a fashion show on a yacht. For tickets to the September 17th opening party click here.

Menswear at Fashion Week for Spring 2010

Happening in New York as we speak is Fashion week for Spring 2010 . Now as a fella this may not send you into a tizzy. Even if you enjoy fashion you know runways are all about the designer, not the consumer, but there are always a few picks for the average man. So, After looking at ridiculous outfit after ridiculous outfit on bizarre looking models, I filtered through a few designers and a hundred capri pants to found you some items you might like to wear.

3.1 Phillip Lim

Ignore the Conan O'brien hair and weird face and look at the jacket and the sandals. Yes, this might seem a little much for an easy going man, but if you pair this cropped double breasted jacket with some simple well fitting items in your closet, you have a cutting edge garment that still says, "masculine." It brings back the casual cool of Miami Vice in a modern way. The sandals too are a great addition to your spring wardrobe. They will work for everything laid back from shorts to jeans. 

Buckler

There is a certain guy that can pull off these shiny capris, but I want the focus to be on this sweater. The fabric, color, fit and details will be a stylish change from your usual sweat shirt. Throw this on next time you get cold.

Absolutely skip the pants and shoes and concentrate on this plaid shirt. Stylish, cool and masculine, this is a fun shirt to wear when you hit up a bar. Try wearing it untucked with jeans.

Bare with me on this one. Remember when Daniel Craig goes swimming in Casino Royal? He wears something similar to these shorts pictured here. Don't be afraid to wiggle into the form fitting swim shorts if you have the body. Women will love it. Board shorts are for teenagers, let's introduce your thighs to the sun. As for the shirt, it's an interesting piece to add to your wardrobe, I don't think I will need to convince anyone to wear this. Sport this over a plain crew neck or v-neck t-shirt for colder spring nights or days. If you want to wear it without the undershirt, be sure to button it all up, I don't care if you have a drool inspiring chest, if you aren't near sand or working in the yard, keep it underwraps.

Claiborne by John Bartlett 

A simple outfit with a little flare, I love this monotone look. I recommend this grey look for warmer skin tones not pale ones.

This clean cut sweater is great for men of many styles. Just don't cuff your pants unless you are riding a bicycle. It's just not that cool unless there is a reason for it.

I don't want you to wear these two items together, but separately go ahead and try out these purple hues. You might find it a nice change from the usual colors a man will wear. As a side note I still don't condone pink unless its subtle within a print.

 

Duckie Brown

Skip the inverted penis hat and focus on the garments. Separate them or keep them together, either way you will be looking pretty sharp in these duds.

Holy lord do not let me see you in these bow tie shorts, but give the sweater a chance. I wanted to show something that is a little more feminine that can still work on a man. Ladies always get to have the fun with clothing so this can the piece that let's you have a little fun without needing breasts or a boyfriend.

 

Antonio Azzuolo

Block out the terrible shoes and socks, stay away from the priest shirt and have some fun with the blue blazer with the black lapel. What a fun way to go cutting edge dressy with some black slacks or a cool way to go clubbing with some jeans.

GQ's 2009 Better Men, Better World Search

GQ and the Gentlemen’s fund 2009 Better Men, Better World Search kicks off to find the next ordinary guy doing extraordinary things. With over 200 nominations received and more than 37,500 votes recorded during the 2008 Better Men, Better World search I am looking forward to the search expanding in it’s second year.

The Better Men, Better World Search asks readers to get involved by nominating someone they know (friend, family, community activist, partner, themselves) who acts as an agent of change striving for the betterment of society through charitable work, volunteerism and/or community involvement.

Go to thegentlemensfund.com/nominate.asp between June 16^th and August 13th and nominate someone you know so they can donate $10,000 to their charity of choice, appear in the pages of GQ and receive a bit of cash themselves. I am thinking I will go nominate my friend Troy Machado.