Showing posts with label 60 second style. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 60 second style. Show all posts

Saturday, March 21, 2009

60-Second Style:
Do Some Spring Cleaning!


Not with your clothes (for now), but with the grooming products that you use!

Whenever you buy any sort of grooming product from the drugstore or the supermarket—even those you purchase off of a high-end boutique, look for the icon above with a number inside it. That's called the PAO—short for Period After Opening—icon, which tells you how long after you've opened that particular product before it expires.

Understand that this doesn't indicate the shelf life of the product, because that's what the expiration date stamp is for.

Once it's past the PAO period, the efficacy of the product goes south. While you can still use it for a couple of months more, if it's a year past the PAO, then please, throw it away already and get yourself a new one.

Photo from commons.wikimedia.org

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Back in Action (Soon!)

I have not forgotten about this blog. I've just been a little swamped with work. Or maybe it's because spring's almost here and I can't wait to head out and do stuff.

60-Second Style and Dude the Bargain Shopper to return next week, as well as a new blog post.

I'm also thinking of debuting a new recurring column about magazines. Maybe an issue review or something like that, to the tune of Wendy Felton's Glossed Over. Stay tuned.

Image from Kevin Rohr/Sxc.hu

Thursday, February 19, 2009

60 Second Style:
Entrenched by Trenches

Now that the weather has slowly begun to warm (well, by 5 or so degrees...), expect more precipitation than snow in the coming weeks—making the months of February and March the perfect time to don a cool trench coat.

Created by Thomas Burberry (yes, the founder of the iconic British fashion brand), trench coats are waterproof coats that used to be worn by officers as an alternative to greatcoats during the World War years.

Eventually, trench coats became both a business-like (think epaulettes and rank insignias decorating the top portions of the coat) and a fashionable piece of garment, and this duality persists up to today.

Before, only tall guys could wear them. Because of its length—many reaching or even extending past the wearer's knee—it wasn't the best choice of outerwear for vertically-challenged and average-height guys. This is no longer the issue nowadays, as designers and high street brands all have made interpretations of the trench to fit a wider range of guys. There even are now single-breasted variants, which will be perfect for the lithe dude.

From left: Dean & Trent, Topman, Heritage 1981, and All Saints

Monday, January 26, 2009

60-Second Style:
10 Rules I Abide by as
Fashion Editor

1. Many times, it’s the most expensive garment in an outfit that’s the most plain-looking.
It might not make sense at first, but the first fashion rule applies here: Invest in classics you’ll wear forever. You can definitely spend on trendier pieces from designers, but how long will you be able to enjoy them? Two, 3 months the most? Not much mileage there, right?

2. Always try a size lower than what you think you are.
Believe me, you might think it’s too small but more often than not, you’ll realize that it’s your true size. (If a size down is too tight then no worries, at least you tried.)

3. And always try everything on.
Sizing across designers and brands are never consistent. I’ll use myself as example: I’m S or XS at Gap and Old Navy, but I’m a medium in Zara and Topman. Regardless, #2 rule still applies—I thought I was an M at Old Navy, but found that size too baggy.

4. The only time you have to match your belt with your shoes is when you’re wearing black and brown.
Black shoes and black belt (and black watch if you have one); brown shoes and brown belt (match the hue as closely as possible). When you’re wearing sneakers, or any other hue, feel free to relax—even break—this rule.

5. I’ve talked to many women’s-magazine fashion editors, and they all agree on one thing: Your pants are too baggy.
They wanna see a nice outline of our asses, guys.

6. I’ve also talked to many women’s-magazine beauty editors, and they all agree on one thing: Your unibrow is disgusting.
Shave it, pluck it, wax it, laser it, thread it, do everything you can to get rid of it. Whenever I have it professionally done, I decline when they ask me if I want the rest of my brows fixed as well, because they always mess up. No unibrow: Good. Girly arched brows? No, thanks.

7. Everyone looks fantastic in a garment with epaulets.
And there’s the added bonus of broadening your shoulders—a study shows that women look at a man’s shoulders to perceive how “strong” and in-control they are. So wouldn’t you want it?

8. Your shoes: Never pointy, never square.
Rounded, slightly elongated toe: Now you’re getting the idea.

9. Try on as many brands as you can.
I know I may be asking for too much—adding an extra hour or 2 to your trip to the mall, but really, having access to many brand names and designers taught me one thing: There’s always one that will completely impress one guy, but will disappoint the other. Once you find a clothesmaker that churns out things you always like, show some love—but don’t be exclusive, because there’s another one that will impress you equally.

10. Finally: Clothes will wear, colors will fade, and jeans will tear.
Throw. Them. Out. I guarantee you’ll find a replacement for them in your next shopping trip.

Images 1-5, 7-10 from men.style.com; image 6 from bellasugar.com

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

60 Second Style:
Upgrade Your Trou

This winter, try one of these subtly-patterned trousers instead of your solid- or pinstriped ones. The wool gives it comfort, and the subdued criss-cross checks will not overwhelm a vertically-challenged guy. Wear the trousers with a solid white shirt, black tie, and a purple cashmere cardigan, and you're all set for the Holiday parties.

Charcoal wool check trousers, $120, available at Topman.com

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

60-Second Style:
Tying a Scarf


Even though the video is more than a minute long, it's part of 60-second style because you only need one method of tying your scarf at a time, right?

This is the first of an ongoing series of style tips that I'll provide in this blog, on top of Dude, the Bargain Shopper.