Pick of the Week - The Tie Bar (the online shop)

Two Chicago attorneys got tired of paying for expensive ties, so in 2004 they started The Tie Bar. They design and create their own products ranging from ties to cuff links. The best part is the price, $15. That's right. For $30, plus shipping and tax, you can get a great tie and tie bar to add that extra bit of class and sophistication to your outfit. The Tie Bar has helped many men accomplish any look they are going for, from Don Draper-esque to summertime hipster wedding, at a fraction of the cost.

Go on The Tie Bar website (thetiebar.com), and you will be blown away by all the options available at your fingertips. Click on the celebrity section and check out the many actors using their products. You can wear the same tie as Michael Fassbender or the same tie bar as Jake Gyllenhaal, and not have to pay hundreds of dollars. They even have a section to show you how to tie a tie, but seriously, if you do not know how to tie a tie you should not be shopping for them. Wedding season is in full swing. I have already been to one, and I am attending two more this year, possibly three. Catch the eye of that hot bridesmaid on the dance floor or the hot groomsman at the bar. Let The Tie Bar help you step up your wardrobe and game without diminishing your bank account.

Summer is here.

Summer is upon us! And everyone knows that summertime equals swimsuit time. Board shorts and trunks are, of course, the staple for men. Fellas, jean shorts are not an acceptable form of swimwear. If you plan on going to the beach dress accordingly. The only situation I can think of where jeans can be worn in the ocean is if your boat has sunk, you are a castaway, or some sort of refugee. In those cases, entering and exiting the ocean in jeans is ok. If you are going to a pool party, why wouldn't you wear board shorts? However, there is a fine line between board shorts looking good and looking bad.

Board shorts can be too big. Shorts an inch or two past the bottom of the knees are too big. It makes a guy look like a kid, and he borrowed some of his big brother's shorts. Also, no one wants to see ass crack. As a lean guy, wearing baggy board shorts does not make sense. Why would I want to look skinnier than I already am by wearing big shorts? Shorter guys should not wear board shorts past their knees. It makes them look shorter and stubby. On the flip side, board shorts can be too short. The "too short" argument is a little more subjective. One man's too short is another man's perfect length. A good guideline to go by is no one wants to see your meat and potatoes. One more thing, do not wear underwear under your board shorts. If you do, you will be mocked and made fun of by every sensible man at the pool party or beach. There is a perfect length of board short for every guy, and it lies somewhere between your mid knee and your mid thigh. Find it my friend, find it.

Good or Bad? - Sandals and Pants

At the end of every week, I am going to put up a "Good or Bad" post and weigh in on some sort of trend or topic. I'll give my opinion and reach a verdict at the end. If you agree or disagree with my call, let me know. This week, it is sandals with pants. Good or Bad? My fashion nemesis/counterpart Blanche sees this trend differently than I do. Let me go on the record by saying I think this is a bad look. Blanche thinks it's acceptable. There could be a regional difference behind our opposing opinions. He lives in Miami, where men go out in sandals paired with white pants, capris, or jeans. I get it. It is incredibly hot and humid there, but that still is not an acceptable reason to think this look is good.

My argument against this look is very logical. If it is too hot to wear shoes, why would you wear pants? If it is too cold to wear shorts, why would you wear sandals? This is the male equivalent to girls wearing Uggs and skirts. We all remember that look. I am from Southern California, the birthplace of this trend. I'll admit I liked it at first, but then I saw the flawed logic in it. The two just don't go together. Ladies, your feet say Autumn/Winter, but your ass and legs say Spring/Summer. Flip that, but apply it to sandals and pants. Gentlemen, your feet say Spring/Summer, but your legs and ass say Autumn/Winter. 

To counter Blanche's regional reason, I don't care how hot it is, if you are going out to a club or bar put some shoes on hippie. Sometimes looking good does not equal feeling good. Do you think girls wearing their heels or stilettos are feeling good? Probably not, but damn it they probably look good. Join with me in putting a stop to this trend. Ladies, tell your  man or friend it is a bad look. Men, tell your man or friend it is a bad look. Do not attempt this look, you will feel weird and uncomfortable, like something does not feel right. Sandals and pants, good or bad? Bad, in every way possible.

Pick of the Week

Accessories are just as much a part of fashion as clothing.  Today, I am talking bags, but please don't call this a murse (man purse).  It is nothing of the sort.  Murses are very common in Europe, but there they are called satchels or bags.  These awesome pieces of art and function fall under the "bag" category.  They are made by Jump From Paper (http://jumpfrompaper.com/), and they are visually crazy.  When I first saw their line, I thought "No way are those real."  Indeed, they are, and they provide a bit of fun to your daily life.

I take the train and ride my bike on a daily basis to work and home.  I pack a lunch everyday (side note: this saves a lot of money a month), and obviously need a place to put it.  I am not going to be sitting on the train or riding my bike with a ziplock bag filled with my PB&J, trail mix, and other food.  Enter the messenger bag.  I could go the route of using a backpack, but I grew out of backpacks when I got out of high school, and frankly, you should have, too.  Messenger bags come in various styles; from very manly, leather ones to the cartoony ones here.  The bags have enough room to store my lunch, a good book for reading during lunch and the train ride, and my ipod.  Some can even fit your laptop, while others are big enough that they can be used as overnight bags for those nights that turn into mornings. 

Some of you may be thinking these are a bit too childish for you.  I understand that viewpoint.  Many of us may work at places that are more on the professional side, so a leather bag or suitcase seems more appropriate.  I agree with this.  Some of us need to check the creativity and fun at the door when we go to work.  However, if you are still in college and can afford these bags ($99) why not stand out a bit with a Jump From Paper bag?  If you are out of college and still using a backpack, do yourself a favor and get one of these bags.  You don't have a big Chemistry test in third period tomorrow.  Ditch the backpack.

My first time, be gentle.

Hello there.  First off, I do not claim to be a "fashionisto" or some big authority on the fashion world.  My last name is not Ferragamo or Jacobs, nor am I in a Band of Outsiders.  I am not a son of Ovadia.  What I am is a guy trying to look my best on a daily occasion, well almost daily occasion.  Some days I just don't give a shit.  Looking good is something very primal and caveman-esque.  This wanting to look your best goes back to our ancestors, who tried to appear more desirable than other men to get a mate.  We have evolved since then, but not that much.  We still want to look better, or at least as good, as the guy next to us at the bar, ball game, club, or anywhere out in public.  If and when you settle down and find the love of your life, or the love of right now at least, you want to look good for her or him.  There is a Mrs. Straight Guy, and I try to look as good as she does when we are out in public.  I don't want to be the guy that gets the "how the hell did he get her" look.

With all this being said, I am in my late 20s.  I am far from rich, and cannot afford a closet filled with designer labels.  When I peruse magazines like GQ, Complex, and Esquire I constantly think "That is a nice (piece of clothing) but it is (Designer name) so there is no way I can afford it."  My good friend, pseudo-brother, and fashion counterpart/nemesis Blanche (not his real name) always says "We have to fake it til we make it."  This is what I try to do; look as good as possible without spending a lot of money. So this blog is for the guy's guy because I like to consider myself one of them.  I love sports, love red meat, like cars, but I also love fashion.  And to clarify the title of the blog, yes I am straight, but this blog is not solely for straight men.  Gay men are just as much guy's guys as straight men.  Why can't a gay man know as much about the NFL as he does about Zegna? And why can't a straight man wear a William Rast jacket to the ballpark? So join me if you like.  All are welcome; gay, straight, bi, men, women, and give me your input.  I am no expert, I am simply trying my best.