Much like his runway shows, which never fail to shock (in a good way), Alexander McQueen has left the world in a state of shock (in a bad way) with his apparent suicide. He was a great designer and friend to many. TheMensFashionBlog would like to pay tribute by sharing some of our favorites of his designs from the past couple of years. 










-Farzad
farzad@themensfashionblog.com

Tell us what you think. Livin La Vida Loca or Glambert?

I remember when I was in grade school, glasses were usually only for the nerdy kids. In high school, it was all about contact lenses; you never knew who used them for the colored-contacts or for the actual necessity. Personally, as a life-long wearer of glasses, I've always tried to find the least "old-man" style of frames possible. I actually had Lasik done when I was 20 but my vision was so bad, I had to get glasses again when I was 23. I don't mind though, I LOVE my glasses.

Nowadays there are so many companies and designers making frames to fit our modern-day style. No more giant-nerd glasses, no more "coke-bottle" lenses; now we can wear our glasses as an accessory, whether they are a necessity or not.

Check out these handsome frames from California-based Raen Optics. They offer a variety of both prescription frames and sunglasses. For more info, visit their website RaenOptics.com.

The Regan

The Ryko

The Underwood

The Casbah

The Squire

Got questions or comments? Email me!

-Farzad
farzad@themensfashionblog.com

 Something that I have always tried to do with my sense of style is to make it my own. Everyone has their own way of doing this and it's something that can't really be explained. You've either got the touch or you don't [Sorry to those who don't! That's what we're here for...]

For me, I've always stuck to a similar style. I'm almost always wearing jeans, a buttoned shirt and sneakers. Of course, my jeans fit perfectly, my shirt is always pressed [or steamed] and my sneakers are [almost] always clean. It's what I feel comfortable in for day-to-day wear and it seems to fit my lifestyle very well. 

The sneakers are quite frequently by Converse. I do have a large [and growing] collection of Converse and I have to say that my fave's are the most recently acquired Grey Jack Purcell's that my grandmother gave me as an early Christmas gift. [She's the best!]



One way that you can personalize your style is to create your own sneakers!! When I say i've got an obsession for Converse, I'm not lying [umm...20 pairs and counting]. When I found out that you can design your own Converse in just about all of their styles, I literally almost fell out of my chair. 

If you are interested in making your own Converse, check out Converse.com for more info and to get started on your design. 
farzad@themensfashionblog.com

p.s. here's a super small pic of my design... Jack Purcell Product(RED)'s in all red except for the blue back piece and off white laces and rubber. It even says TMFB!!!! Though I'm not sure you can see it. 

 


-Joey
joey@themensfashionblog.com

Both New York and London's Fashion Weeks came to a close recently and with them came a slew of new trends to look out for in the new year (which is only 3 months away!!). Since I could not be there to cover the shows in person, I've been following them on my trusty iPhone Style.com app and on men.style.com. Now that all the shows and pictures have been updated, I'll take you through just a few of my favorite looks for Spring 2010. 

Moschino
 I know I've previously done a post about Moschino's Spring 2010 looks but just look at them....they're perfect!! If I could wear these clothes for the rest of my life, I would. Let me tell you what I like about them. 


 
 


Michael Bastian
I'll admit it right now, I'm no fashion expert. I've never claimed to be, I never will be. I think of myself as the ever-evolving fashion student.....as I think we all should. We must always be willing to learn and re-learn. Michael Bastian is sort of the new American classic. Just when we thought "All-American" was rugby shirts, khakis and Sperry's, Michael Bastian's 2010 line proves us all wrong. Although his Spring 2010 line seems to be slightly south-of-the-border-inspired, there a plenty of American elements that bring it right back home. The shorts, the sneakers, the sportcoats and blazers; one of my favorite elements from his collection, the gloves [which were featured on more than the one picture I chose]. While it's not a main article of clothing, sometimes the accessory really makes the entire outfit come together. 




Louis Vuitton
While most people think of Louis Vuitton as solely a handbag or luggage retailer, the design house, currently under the supervision of Marc Jacobs, also is home to a very lucrative clothing line. Personally, I was only fond of a select few of the looks in their entirety. My interest in this show was in some of the individual pieces offered up by LV. Jackets in particular, along with shoes, sweaters and various other things. I was, however, definitely liking the last two complete looks. 

All in all, after looking through all the designers slideshows, I've realized one thing: cropped pants (or rolled cuffs) are in. At least for Spring 2010 they are. Also, with the exception of a few (oversizes-inspired) designers, properly tailored clothing is also very prominent. Keep your eyes open for accessories that will define an outfit....and yes, it's possible; one little thing can completely set you apart from the crowd. 

If you caught something that I didn't and want to blog about it, shoot me an email! We are more than happy to post reader submissions. 

-Farzad
farzad@themensfashionblog.com

Two Movements designer Adrian Correa [right] with model. 

 

Has the combination of American and Mexican cultures affected fashion inspirations?  With Adrian Correa’s line, Two Movements, his inspiration comes from a symbol in the Aztec calendar. He seeks to combine it with the idea of all things that a person has that involve the number "2", such as hands, eyes, legs. He goes further into the mystical aspect of viewing it with the idea of soul mates and so on. Here's the twist, it all must have movement to it. 

With his line and all the research he has done in Europe and Mexico with "underground street look", he is trying to bring something new to El Paso. Of course, and in his own words, he is not trying to make his Women’s line look "Ho Chic" but rather "a street retro look". Adrian describes his Men's looks to be “ fragile....but yet something has to pop out of the coat and the accessories like a watch". 

Adrian created one unique accessory to pop out and intrigue wondering minds. His extravagant stacked glasses attempt to show people how they could look at his line through different points of view. He was inspired to create this look when he saw a man using two different pairs of glasses at the same time, both resting on his head; reading glasses and sunglasses. He thought it was strangely artistic to use two different types of glasses at the same time. 

Some words of advice from Adrian: “ The one thing I hate are crocs....and sandals for suits”.

Yeah....that's a definite no-no, guys. 

In a sense, we all do inspire each other in one way or another. All that should really matter is that you feel comfortable with your distinct look; plus, as long as you wear it with confidence, what does it matter what anybody else says?

For more info on Two Movements and to contact Adrian, check out myspace.com/TwoMovements. 

-Paulina
paulina@themensfashionblog.com

Fall is just around the corner, and a scarf can add a lot more to your look than just keeping you warm. In the many cultures, a simple scarf can mean a lot of different things. For example, Religions such as Judaism under Halakhah (Jewish Law) promotes modest dress code among women. Married Jewish women wear scarves to cover their hair. The Tallit is commonly worn by Jewish men especially for prayers. However, in most circumstances today, scarves are worn for fashion purposes. Scarves are a great way to make any plain outfit, into something a little more unique. You can wear them with a coat, or with a tee shirt. Anyway you decide to choose to wear your scarf; you need to remember a few simple rules. First off, just wrap the scarf around your neck once, and let the rest go. We don’t want to get carried away and look like Randy from A Christmas Story. Second, pick out a color that suits you and your features, but do not go over board. Pick something with 2 or 3 colors, or 1 color with several shades. This color scheme tends to go with more in your wardrobe. Third, Make sure your scarf is long enough. We don’t want to make you look like a fat man in a little coat. When purchasing a scarf, go ahead and try it on, and make sure the length goes with your body height. When it comes to thickness of your scarf, be careful. If you purchase a really thin white scarf, it may look like you wrapped your self in toilet paper; but if you buy a overly intense thick scarf, you may look like you have a neck brace on. So guys, before the weather starts to change, go grab your self a scarf, it is sure to give you instant sex appeal this winter.

-Joey

joey@themensfashionblog.com

Living in the western United States, we usually are not fortunate enough to experience high end fashion shows. Well for the past 3 months, Denver has hosted a series of fashion shows at the exclusive Riverfront Park neighborhood in downtown . The show has featured designers such as Betsey Johnson and Robert Rodriguez. The show also features different cuisine's,drinks, and salons. I had the opportunity to speak with Laura Anderson, a marketing director for various well known brands in the hospitality sector who was enjoying the show.

Joey: Thank you for speaking with me after this amazing fashion show
Laura: Your welcome, and thank you to The Men's Fashion Blog.
Joey: How does marketing help a brand?
Laura: Marketing has alot of potential to make a unknown label into something huge. For Example, many people do not know about Robert Rodriguez, and marketing his line here at Riverfront is a great way to reach a new target audience.
Joey: What was one of the best features here at Riverfront?
Laura: The variety of entertainement. You have fashion, food, and great people to look at.
Joey: Is there a color that is in right now for men's fashion?
Laura: Definitely purple. Purple on a man is sexy and sleek.
Joey: Laura thank you for your time and enjoy the after party!
Laura: Thank you.

For more information on Robert Rodriguez and Betsey Johnson, please visit:
http://www.robertrodriguezcollection.com/bio.html
http://www.betseyjohnson.com/