Trim Down Your Wallet, The Card Case

I noticed the other day how quickly a mans wallet can accumulate receipts, business cards, cash, credit cards & many other things. While it is good to keep some vital things in your wallet, I feel that a wallet should always be kept slim. When it comes to my personal wallet, I really only carry on me the essentials: ID, debit card, a few business cards, health insurance card & my Starbucks card. I really hate to carry cash so my wallet is always kept slim. 

On the other hand, I've seen plenty of my friends carry around these brick sized wallets overflowing with various cards & papers. The first thing I think you need to do to slim down your wallet is to trim the fat of any non-vital essentials. You don't need to carry around every card & loyalty punch card with you everyday. Keep it simple. A second piece of advice I would give is to purchase a card case to use when going out for the night or on vacation. While some people may not be used to carrying such a thin wallet, think of it as a quick out the door alternative to your everyday wallet. Quickly pop in your ID, couple of cards you need for the night & head off.

The following picks are a few of my favorite selections of card cases. Coming in varied colors & styles, your card case can be an extension of your personality by what style you pick for yourself. I've always said, a well dressed gentlemen pays attention to every small detail down to even his wallet. 

SHOP THE POST

Salvatore Ferregamo Revival / Bottega Venetta Intrecciato / Bally Leather Case

Gucci Crocodile Case / Prada Saffiano / Tod's Case & Money Clip

Met Gala 2014, Best Dressed Men

From midnight blue tuxedos to coat and tails, last nights Met Gala brought back an essence of class to menswear on the red carpet. While usually red carpets are quite tame in respect to the men's suit choices, last night was surely a break from the norm. I mean it's not very often you see celebrities walking down the carpet with tails, white bow ties and pocket watches. While the dress code for men entailed 'White Tie', a few notable attendees like Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Dancy broke the protocol. Regardless, the following few gentleman made more people pay attention to the guys choice of outfits than usual, which becomes difficult in an event where the women run the carpet.

Ryan Reynolds in a Blue Velvet Tuxedo by Gucci / Tom Ford in Tom Ford

Eddie Redmayne in Burberry / David Beckham in Ralph Lauren

Andy Cohen in Ralph Lauren / Hugh Dancy in Prada

Milan FW Trends, How You Can Wear Them

With Milan's Men’s Fashion Week drawn to a close last week, this post is dedicated to the three trends seen on the runways for Spring/Summer 2014. While SS14 may be a year away, with most if not all the pieces shown on the runway not yet available, steal the looks from the three biggest trends right now.

Florals

Florals Trend From Gucci to Prada, florals were a big trend at MFW. From large-scale to a touch in accessories, floral prints were everywhere throughout the collections shown. Taking a cue from Eastern culture, Prada included florals in floral print shirts and hibiscus adorned suitcases. Copy this look with a Libertine-Libertine Shirt with Palm Tree prints.

Monochromatic

Monochromatic If year was all about shades of grey, this year it’s about wearing varying shades of a monochromatic color. Calvin Klein, Bottega Veneta and Zegna displayed looks in head to toe color schemes based on a single unifying color. Pair a different hued blue shirt, like this Lacoste Linen Shirt, on top of some jeans you already own and rock your own version of the monochromatic trend.

Bermuda Shorts

Bermuda If Massimiliano Giometti's SS14 Salvatore Ferragamo show has any indication of the trend for shorts next season, is that Bermuda shorts are making its way back to the sartorial savvy. Straying away of the tight and shorter cuts as of late, many shows featured shorts with a well-tailored and looser fit. Keep cool this summer and slip into these similar Topman Blue Flecked Suit Shorts.

Wear It Wednesday - Gatsby Ties

Gatsby  

With the success of this past weekends box-office hit, The Great Gatsby, everyone has been trying to emulate Jay Gatsby's style and elegance. Gatsby in the movie has a wardrobe that any guy would envy, from silk shirts and ties to impeccable tuxedos. Catherine Martin, the movie's production manager in charge of costumes, worked with Brooks Brothers and Prada on collections for the looks seen in the movie.

While purchasing a well-made suit will make you feel as elegant as Leonardo DiCaprio looks in the film, sometimes adding a high-quality tie can spiff up any suit you have already own. Gatsby's money-is-no-object glamour is encapsulated in this Anchor Tie made by GQ's executive merchandising stylist and now designer, Brett Fahlgren's menswear collection. The Fahlgren collection includes American made 100% silk ties in an assortment of styles and colors, all portraying a style and elegance worthy enough of Gatsby's closet. Find a store carrying Fahlgren, or shop online at their online website here.