Recent posts by menswear blogger, Gabriel Rafael, from Melbourne Australia. The Latest blog posts on menswear, men’s style, men’s grooming, lifestyle, technology & much more.
There are certain menswear pieces which transcend generations and time to remain classic favorites of every man regardless of age or personal style. The following five brands have reimagined some of our favorite wardrobe essentials by adding creative fresh new takes on classic quintessential sartorial style. From the All-American blue jean to hand crafted leather goods, these five picks will surely become essential pieces to add to your personal wardrobe. Understated and made from quality goods, these picks are sure to last you a lifetime. Their mixture of vintage looks with modern style will allow you to wear them regardless of what is in style years from now.ix and match them with items you might already own to create your own personal reinvented classic look.
Any spring wardrobe should start off with some well-made basic items that will always be your go-to pieces to wear throughout the season. Think of them as your building block to your spring fashion. There is a reason why a crisp white Oxford will never go out of style, that's because not only does it look great on its own, but it can be built upon with a blazer or light sweater to finish off a look. These five picks are some great selections to have in your closet this spring. Not only will they look great this year, but they will never go out of style. These re-imagined classics will always stay on trend.
With the weather rearing its ugly head across most of the nation, it's the perfect time to plan some sort of vacation in the sun. Wether you're jetting off to a beach in Mexico or already planning your beachside attire, men's brand Latitude Supply Co. has got you covered. Latitude Supply Co. clothing has the relaxed feeling of everything you love about California and West Coast mixed with East Coast style. With their new Spring/Summer 2013 collection being released next week and in stores in April, you're sure to find a piece that you won't be able to live without this year. Not only are the clothes fitted, but the versatile colors and styles are functional enough to transition from poolside lounging to drinks out about town. With the brand being designed and constructed in LA, every detail, fabric and finish is closely upheld to the greatest quality.
International Style. Texas Hospitality. Those are the words that optimize Fashion Houston and its amazing designers this week. Last night I was lucky enough to attend the second night of Fashion Houston and experience it from a vantage point that really allowed me to get a closer look to all the intricate detailing by the designers last night.
After a brief opening speech by Neal Hamil, David Peck with his Crop by David Peck collection set the tone for the nights festivities. The floral and fish prints on form-fitting pieces which began the show were astonishing. Each piece flowed and definitely had almost a fun seaside style to them. The pieces that truly caught my eye were the very mod inspired colorblock pieces that rounded out the show. Peck definitely represented Houston well with his Parisian style dresses.
Next up was NYC based, Fotini. There definitely was a sense of NY style in this collection. With short shorts and flirty dresses, you can totally imagine these pieces on any fashionable New Yorker running uptown to meet up her friends for a drink. Not only did Fotini kill it with flirty style, but the sexy blazers paired with form-fitting dresses showed that a woman can be as sexy in business attire. One of the nights best moments was a dress that almost an effervescent flow down the catwalk to close out Fotini's show. The length paired with very well placed slits along the front created a magical moment for everyone at the show.
Tuesdays night at Fashion Houston was not all about the ladies though. The brother duo behind Bogosse brought some amazing menstyle to their Houston show. It was such a surprise to see menswear as a lot of the times the focus is on the womenswear designers at shows. Bogosse really payed attention to detailing on their shirts and blazers with interesting accents for their buttons and piping. The first half of their show featured khaki pants and dress shirts in a fresh new way by adding interesting prints and colors to make them unique, although my favorite part, partly because of the Texas heat, was the second part when shorts were the main focus. An interesting touch that I particularly enjoyed was the rope belts that were looped and tucked within themselves, had seen it in a couple of magazines and seeing it in person makes me want to imitate the look.
Closing out the night was Zac Posen. This collection may be the best collection of his career. The tone was set with some amazing music choice comprised of strings that built up as the show progressed. I would have to say that the color palate of this collection definitely was inspired by a sanguine tone of red. Different iterations of the color kept popping up throughout the collection. The collection began with almost a very 1940s inspired dresses with some amazing detailing on how it would hug a woman's body. The silhouette that Posen creates is truly astonishing and makes him the king in my book of making the lines of a woman's body work for them. There was as much attention to detailing on the lines and stitching along the front of the dress as well as the back. A lot of pieces began with almost an intricate pleating in the front which continued with lines towards the back of the dress releasing in the train. I found myself fixated on how much attention was given to the back of the dresses. There was an amazing Jessica Rabbit moment that truly made the room ring with applause. The floor length gown was definitely a show stopper. Closing out the show though was the dress of the night. A floor length ball gown with a corset bodice almost engulfed the width of the runway, everyone's eyes were immediately fixated. The deep intensity of the red in the dress was once again proof that Zac Posen knows womenswear. Posen got a well deserved standing ovation at the end as he walked out, wearing a red suit in line with the palate of his collection, Houston definitely showed lowed to Posen.
The night overall was truly magical and it was great to witness such amazing pieces from the end of the runway. As this is Fashion Houston's third year putting on their show I definitely look forward to more nights this week and hopefully return again next year.
While Hurricane Sandy may have caused irreparable damage to the East Coast, some of the nation’s top designers and fashion elite are coming together to help out in any way they can. While brands such as Ralph Lauren with a $2 million donation and the PVH Corporation, who owns Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Kenneth Cole and Michael Kors donating $1 million, you can too can help out in a fashionable way.
You don’t have to spend much to provide aid. As always, donating to the Red Cross and volunteering is the best way to help. Now more than ever, you can help and look great for a good cause. Brands like Grey Area with their NYC inspired shirts, the FFs with their fashionable bracelet and CFDA along with Vogue providing Fashion For Sandy Relief Charity Auctions, everyone is coming together to make sure that relief is provided to those affected.
So go online, text the Red Cross, buy some clothes or do whatever you can do! Help out in any way you can for those in need.
From musicians to street wear, Marlon Brando's style has permeated the fashion trends as of late. In The Wild One, Brando made the plain crew neck tee look so chic yet casual, that artist like Adam Levine try to replicate the look even to this day. The tee in itself is cut so that the sleeves hit higher than a regular fitted one. Modern designers have brought back this look, like brother duo based out of NYC Barking Irons. Their 'Brando Tee' has higher sleeves, a more fitted body cut and an added touch to the hem they call 'scalloped' that harkens 19th century undergarments. The trend of tighter sleeves isn't particularly new but we are seeing more and more these days, even on some button downs. Make it even more old Hollywood by rolling up the sleeves just a bit, like Louis Tomlison. Wherever you wear your Brando inspired look, a strong sense of character is needed and a cigarette casually hanging out of your mouth won't hurt either.
From musicians to street wear, Marlon Brando's style has permeated the fashion trends as of late. In The Wild One, Brando made the plain crew neck tee look so chic yet casual, that artist like Adam Levine try to replicate the look even to this day. The tee in itself is cut so that the sleeves hit higher than a regular fitted one. Modern designers have brought back this look, like brother duo based out of NYC 
