Black DSquared2 Tuxedo Blazer

A classic blazer. The right blazer will take you from the boardroom to after hours drinks, and can be worn with a variety of outfits. When it comes to an investment piece blazer, you’re better off opting for a one or two button blazer in a timeless dark color like black, charcoal or navy. Adhere to the classic route and avoid anything overly trendy that is likely to go out of style, such as shoulder pads or overly ornate buttons. Fit is of the utmost importance, so beyond finding a blazer that fits you well off the rack, strongly consider taking your blazer to a tailor to have it nipped and tucked to your exact measurements. Of course, a custom made blazer is always an excellent option as well.

Levi’s 501 Straight Leg Jeans

The “right” dark jeans. Jeans are considered to be one of the most crucial items in any man’s wardrobe. These days the number of choices for men’s jeans can be almost overwhelming, so it’s important to whittle your options down to a few essential qualifications. For starters, it is far better to buy one pair of great jeans than three pairs of mediocre jeans. Try on a variety of designers to see which brands work best for you and your body. If you’re limited to purchasing one pair, make sure to stick with a straight leg style with a darker wash. If you can branch out to a few styles, consider also integrating a boot cut pair and a dark grey or faded black pair. Avoid any overly distracting design details, such as excessive whiskering or elaborate back pocket embroidery; ideally your jeans will be able to accompany you to semi-professional occasions as well as more casual ones.

Cesare Paciotti Calf Leather Belt

A signature belt. Unlike wardrobe staples like a blazer and dark jeans, a signature belt is something that can elude the less inherently fashionable, but also identify men who are confident in their own individual style. While you should still stick with a higher quality material like leather and with more neutral colors like black, tan and dark brown, you can express personality through the buckle as well as smaller design details, like contrast stitching. Pick something that speaks to your own unique tastes, but make sure to err on the more understated side of things.

Tungsten and Koa Wood Men’s Ring

Statement jewelry. Like a signature belt, statement jewelry can provide smaller touches of style that add confidence and personality to your look. Most modern men opt for statement jewelry in the form of bracelets, pendant necklaces, cuff links and rings. Fortunately, with statement jewelry you can be a little more adventurous and varied simply because even higher quality items can be made from more affordable materials, as is the case with popular items like stainless steel necklaces, leather bracelets and tungsten rings for men. Of course, it’s always best to stay on the conservative side in the office environment, but some items (like necklaces and bracelets) can be discreetly tucked under your shirt when need be.

Fossil Leather Document Bag

The work-to-play carry-all. With few exceptions, grown men should not be seen toting around well-worn backpacks in primary colors. A multi-functional carry-all in a basic masculine shape like a briefcase, messenger bag or tote will help you transport your belongings in serious style. For a day-to-day bag, avoid over sized designs and stick with higher quality materials like leather or canvas.

While you may spend more initially on these five staple items, by choosing classic and well-made wardrobe pieces you will most certainly get your money’s worth of wear out of them.

Tanya Naouri writes articles on men’s fashion for JustMensRings.com.

BaselWorld 2013

The luxury packed event which unfolds in the spiritual home of watchmaking, Switzerland, is always eagerly anticipated and excitement about this year’s event had reached fever pitch by the time it got underway late last week and, courtesy of The Watch Gallery, we have exclusive images from the event.

The event, which serves as a platform for the world’s best watchmakers to unveil their latest offerings, certainly got off to a jaw-dropping start with the world’s biggest watchmaker, Rolex, boasting a stand of epic proportions – which measured an astounding 1230 square metres and took 6 weeks to construct. Take a look at their stunning stand below:

Rolex stand

Take a look at some of the most impressive timepieces to be unveiled at the Rolex stand at this year’s BaselWorld:

Rolex GMT Master II Watch

Rolex 50th Anniversary Daytona Platinum Watch

You can see more about Rolex at The Watch Gallery.

A particular buzz was to be found around the Zenith stand at BaselWorld as they managed to secure a pretty impressive special guest in the form of Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner who flew into the record books late last year for jumping from 39 kilometres and breaking the sound barrier in the process – he is also a brand ambassador for Zenith. He was in attendance to help launch a new range of Zenith Pilot timepieces and show off the actual watch he wore during his descent to earth – which you can see below:

Baumgartner takes to the stage to show off a new Zenith Pilot watch.

For any fans of luxury cars as well as luxury timepieces, the Hublot stand was the place to be at this year’s BaselWorld as they showcased a collaboration with the luxury car brand, Ferrari. Take a look at the utterly breath taking Hublot Masterpiece MP-05 LaFerrari watch below:

Ferrari Chairman, Luca Di Montezemolo showcase the Hublot Masterpiece MP-05 LaFerrari

The event has been a resounding success and BaselWorld 2013 has seen some utterly astounding timepieces being unveiled such as those witnessed above. Such has been the level of excitement around this year’s event, the buzz has already begun to see what BaselWorld 2014 has in store.

You can see more about the event with The Watch Gallery’s coverage.

For immediate release

With Earth Day (April 22) fast approaching, it is time for all of us to evaluate how our daily activities affect our planet and see what we can do about it. As of April 22, Solosso, a premium custom clothing company that lets you design your own eco-friendly custom dress shirts online, launches an initiative to plant a tree for every shirt sold, thus taking their operations from carbon neutral to carbon negative. “As a clothing company, we want to lead the way to sustainability in an industry that is infamous for its carbon emissions,” says Jan Klimo, Head of Business Development at Solosso.

The initiative is executed through the Carbonfund.org Foundation, a non-profit organization leading the fight against global warming by collecting and investing funds into high-quality carbon offset projects resulting in real carbon emission reductions, such as reforestation.

Jan describes Solosso’s partnership with Carbonfund.org: “We’ve been partners with Carbonfund.org for over three years now, completely offsetting our carbon footprint with their help. As of this year’s Earth Day, we are excited to go the extra mile and turn our operations from carbon neutral to carbon negative by planting a tree for every shirt we sell. As a clothing company, we want to lead the way to sustainability in an industry that is infamous for its carbon emissions.”

Plant a Tree initiatives are popular among a range of business, such as Dell, Baby Check List, Global Basecamps, or Euroloan to name a few. Money funneled into reforestation projects has an obvious positive environmental impact all over the world. Linda Kelly from Carbonfund.org explains: “Tree-planting projects benefit the environment, the atmosphere and the local community, by creating jobs in the tree-planting activities and maintaining the ongoing forest management. The tree-planting projects we support are numerous and geographic locations are worldwide. Some of our tree-planting projects are in the US, but the majority are in India, South America and Haiti.”

With Carbonfund.org’s portfolio of carbon-reducing projects worldwide, carbon offsetting is available to any individual, business or organization.

What are you or your business doing to help achieve a zero carbon world?

A watch brand that has already caused plenty of ripples at SIHH is that of Audemars Piguet and it is easy to see why when you consider the calibre of timepieces that they have got in store for 2013. The Swiss watchmaker is amongst the world’s most well-regarded and their timepieces always turn heads aplenty for their immense luxury and often unusual designs. Take a look at some of the Audemars Piguet watches that have got luxury watch aficionados sitting up and taking notice over the last few days with this exclusive video from The Watch Gallery:

Take a look at Audemars Piguet watches from The Watch Gallery.

With 2013 now firmly upon us, many people will be feeling creative and want to rejuvenate their home over the next twelve months. There are many ways that you can do this, of course, such as a lick of paint or new wallpaper but if you really want to make your mark and give your home a whole new feel, then you’re going to need a piece of statement designer furniture.

Fortunately, however, you’re in good company when it comes to statement pieces of designer furniture and some iconic names in the world of furniture design such as Charles Eames, Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen have crafted some truly stunning and timeless pieces of furniture over the last century that will completely revamp the look and style of your home in 2013.

So, let’s not delay any longer, let’s take a look at three of the best pieces of statement designer furniture to refresh your interior design in 2013:

Eero Aarnio Ball Chair

Eero Aarnio Ball Chair

The Eero Aarnio Ball Chair was once described by the New York Times as “the most comfortable chair” so you know that you’re in for a treat if you opt for this stunning designer chair as your piece of statement furniture for 2013.

Aarnio decided to design the chair using the most simplistic geometric element – namely, the ball. He then crafted a piece of designer furniture which has gone on to become one of the most iconic and popular of the last 50 years.

The Eero Aarnio ball chair was first designed in 1966 which just goes to show what a forward thinking the Finnish designer was because it boasts the sort of timeless appeal which makes it such a popular choice of furniture amongst today’s generation of interior designers.

It really is the ultimate in statement furniture and it is little wonder that Aarnio established himself as one of the biggest names in furniture design when you consider he was responsible for one of the most famous, and comfortable, pieces of furniture of his generation.

Charles Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman

Charles Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman

If you’re after more of a Mad Men flavour for your property in 2013, then you should definitely consider pieces like the stunning Charles Eames Lounger and Ottoman above. Eames (along with his wife, Ray) was one of America’s most influential furniture designers and the lounger above was one of the cornerstones of his design collections.

There is a highly distinctive and luxurious feel to the Eames Lounger and Ottoman and it is certainly something that you can picture Don Draper sitting on in the offices of Sterling Cooper. So, if you’re wanting to ramp up the retro style in your property in 2013, this stunning piece of designer furniture may be the perfect choice for the job.

Given the, perhaps, contemporary look and feel of the Charles Eames Lounger and Ottoman, it is often hard for people to believe that it was first designed in 1956 by Eames as a gift to his friend, the movie director Billy Wilder, for his 56^th birthday. It went on to become one of Charles Eames’ most important and memorable designs and it is little surprise that it is proving popular with homeowners and interior designers over half a century since it was first released.

Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair

Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair

Arne Jacobsen was born in Copenhagen in 1902 and, during his illustrious design career, was credited with some of the most iconic pieces of furniture of the 20^th Century. Chief amongst these pieces was definitely his eye-catching Egg Chair which has become firmly entrenched in many of the look-books of today’s interior designers when showing potential clients the sort of contemporary style they are capable of achieving in their homes.

There is no denying that you would be making a statement with the Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair regardless of which room you choose to put it in but, as you can see, it looks fantastic as the focal point in a living room.

This spectacular piece of furniture is available in a multitude of colours to match your own interior design endeavours and there are few pieces of designer furniture which will make more of a statement in 2013.

These are just some of the pieces of statement furniture that can reinvigorate your interior design endeavours in 2013 as there really are so many iconic designers to choose from when it comes to decorating your home but, it is fair to say that Eames, Jacobsen and Aarnio were three of the best.

There is no better way to start the New Year than by treating yourself and 2013 can be the year that you get yourself a limited edition timepiece. The vast majority of the world’s leading watchmakers have limited edition watches and whenever one of these is released, they are usually snapped up quickly by horology aficionados so it is important to act quickly if you want to be rocking a limited edition watch from the likes of Bremont, TAG Heuer or Breitling in 2013.

So, let’s not waste any more time, let’s take a look at some of the limited edition watches that are set to fly off the shelves in 2013:

Limited Edition U-Boat U-51 Watch

Limited Edition U-Boat U-51 Watch

Price £5,500 ($8,500) Approx – U-Boat watches were first designed for use by the Italian Navy during WWII and the rugged, oversized look of these watches really makes them stand out from the crowd. When it comes to limited edition watches, U-Boat have some of the best in the business and they don’t come much more striking than the stunning U-51 Limited Edition Black and Bronze watch. This eye-catching timepiece has many impressive features including a bronze case with black sandwich dial, luxury vintage brown leather strap and the distinctive U-Boat oversized crown.

Limited Edition Bremont Victory Watch

Limited Edition Bremont Victory Watch

Price £20,000 ($33,000) Approx – Whilst it is far from cheap, the Bremont Victory Limited Edition watch is worth every penny because it has the sort of back story that money simply cannot buy. A truly stunning timepiece and one that has been crafted using some original pieces of HMS Victory, Admiral Lord Nelson’s flagship vessel during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. It is the mechanical retrograde of the watch that features pieces of HMS Victory but the rest of the timepiece is equally as impressive with 18ct rose gold case, 46 hour power reserve, sapphire crystal glass casing and luxury black crocodile leather strap.

Limited Edition Breitling for Bentley Watch

Limited Edition Breitling for Bentley Watch

Price £8,000 ($13,000) Approx – Breitling are one of the world’s leading Swiss watchmakers and they are without question amongst the most sought after which is testament to the quality of the timepieces that they produce. As such, it is of little surprise that when they teamed up with another luxury brand, in the form of Bentley, the interest of high-end watch aficionados was high. The sporty looking Limited Edition Breitling for Bentley watch is a must for any lover of high-end timepieces and Bentley vehicles and represents the ultimate in luxury. Just some of the features of this breath taking timepiece include a Breitling automatic movement which beats at 28,000 VpH per second and a stainless steel Bentley Speed bracelet with deployment clasp.

All images used with permission of The Watch Gallery.

Barron Cuadro

Name: Barron Cuadro

Location: San Francisco, CA

Hi Barron! Please tell our readers more about yourself. What do you do and how did you become a men’s style blogger?

Hey guys! I’m Founding Editor of Effortless Gent which recently celebrated its third anniversary.

Starting the site was somewhat of a natural progression. In high school and college, my friends always asked me style-related questions, and I thought that if my guy friends have these questions, other guys out there must have similar ones. I started Effortless Gent in the hopes that it could help not just those I knew, but anyone who happened to come across the site.

Tell us more about your blog. What defines it, what do you like to cover?

Effortless Gent focuses more on the timeless, classic aspects of a guy’s personal style, mixed in with a bit of modern advice and contemporary influence. We emphasize the importance of great fit, establishing a personal uniform, and something I like to call the Lean Wardrobe. Lean Wardrobe is basically the idea of getting rid of excess and owning only what you need, use, and love. Elegant sufficiency.

What are the most common mistakes men do while developing their personal style?

Thinking too much, trying too hard, and assuming there are absolute right or wrong answers to everything they’re so puzzled about.

There are no absolute answers, at least in my opinion. Everything is relative, and what works for one guy may not necessarily work for another.

I always stress that building one’s personal style is a process. And it’s never-ending, because one’s tastes always evolve, so you’re always adapting to your own changes in preference.

Guys need to learn to go with the flow, try things out, keep what works, and discard the rest.

What is the worst atrocity men commit in terms of dressing up with style?

Giving up prematurely, or not trying at all. I think it’s sad when men dismiss dressing well and think it doesn’t matter. It takes the same amount of time to throw on rags as it does to put on a nice shirt, well-fitting pants, and a nice jacket. It’s just a matter of making it a priority.

What 3 clothing items or accessories do you believe can elevate any man’s style?

A fantastic (but classic) coat. Something as simple as a well-fitting navy pea coat makes the biggest difference. Outstanding leather lace-ups (tan is my favorite leather color). And accessories in general: a pop of color in a pocket square, a nice pair of silk knots, a unique slim card case.

Has running a style blog changed the way you dress? What are the key lessons you’ve learned?

Not really. I would dress the same even if I didn’t run Effortless Gent. I’m simply bringing the things I do to this online platform. One thing I have learned is how different people can be, and how varied men’s tastes are. I do my best to state my case in articles, as well as offer alternative solutions to specific questions. Like I said earlier, there really is no one absolute answer to every style question.

Do you have a favourite piece of clothing or accessory?

I recently found this tan leather harrington-style jacket. It’s a piece I’ve been looking for a very long time but have never found, till now of course. I also have this titanium Seiko Perpetual Calendar watch given to me 15 years ago. It’s still going strong and I wear it practically every day.

Where do you like to shop for clothes?

Typically J.Crew, Lands End Canvas, Onassis, Ralph Lauren, Barneys Co-op. I also like big department stores like Bloomingdales, and small local shops like Unionmade here in San Francisco.

Do you have any personal style icon?

Not really. I do think new Bond, Daniel Craig, looks killer in whatever he wears on the big screen, so maybe him.

If you had a chance to design your own fashion line for men, what would it be like?

I actually own a menswear label, Fifth&Brannan, so it would look a lot like it does right now

My partner / fiance Kate and I are drawn to this idea of “rugged tailored”, but our style is also very metropolitan and chic. Most of our clothing reflects something a man would wear on a night out with his lady in the city.

What is your key observation about the new trends for the Fall/Winter 2012 season?

No idea, not much of a trend guy.

What blogs besides yours do you think our readers should definitely follow?

For truly classic style laws, my friend Antonio has a great site (realmenrealstyle.com) and hundreds of videos on YouTube. For the younger guys, my buddy Andy has a site called Primer Magazine, and for a lady’s perspective on men’s style, I recommend reading my friend Megan’s site, Style Girlfriend. If you’re a deal hunter, I like my buddy Joe’s site, Dappered.

Thank you, Barron, for your answers! Have any questions for Barron? Go ahead and ask him in the comments below!

Pocket Square Essentials

Let’s start with a video. Mr Jean-Claude Colban, director of Charvet, makes some great points about how to wear your pocket square:

The key lessons here are:

1. Sometimes you find yourself in a situation where you don’t wear a tie, but you do wear your jacket. Instead of being underdressed and look plain, what better situation there is to give personality to your outfit by wearing a pocket square?
2. Start simple, choose solid colors.
3. Choose a color within the family of what you’re wearing. Before you feel comfortable picking contrasting colors, choose colors that are close to what you’re wearing, but never the same.
4. Don’t look stiff. Don’t try too hard to be exact with your outfit. The point is to look charming with a pocket square that shows personality. Once it’s in your pocket, it’s time to forget it and enjoy yourself!

How to Fold a Pocket Square

Now it’s time to look at some essential folds. The graphic below explains a variety of them.

Probably the only useful fold we are missing above is the TV fold. This is a very simple and classy fold that will give you the Don Draper look. Here is how you do it.

The Inspiration

Now that you know the basic rules on how to rock your pocket square, learned a number of neat ways of folding it into your chest pocket, all you need is some inspiration for your future pocket square outfits. We are huge fans of pocket squares. It’s been over a year since we started our Pocket Square Me channel on Twitter dedicated solely to pocket squares, bringing you a fresh pocket square idea every day. Without further talk, here is a list of our top 100 favorite pocket square ideas that were the most popular with our followers (in no particular order).

The Resources

All of the pictures above are linked to their respective sources for you to visit. However, here is a list of the most notable ones you should follow for your daily source of inspiration:

• thesuited-gentleman.tumblr.com
• polluteyourbritches.tumblr.com
• mrqqs.tumblr.com
• thetieguy.tumblr.com
• thisandthatstyle.tumblr.com
• mrcee.tumblr.com
• renebekker.tumblr.com
• thedappersupermen.tumblr.com
• pure-evil.tumblr.com
• fashiz.tumblr.com
• todaystie.tumblr.com
• tetinotete.tumblr.com
• trashness.com

Finally, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for daily pocket square ideas!   Cover image courtesy trashness.com.

Tips and tricks

• Excess washing of clothes should be avoided.
• A stitch in time saves nine. Following this principle will save a lot of money. Repair problems at that moment.
• Always use quality hangers which maintain the look of your dress. Avoid using flimsy hangers which damages your clothes.
• Never try to adjust the dresses if they don’t fit into your wardrobe. This problems result in wrinkles.
• Keep the out of season wears at another location.
• Different garments have different washing styles. For example clothes like rayon, silk, wool will wear out sooner if washed with hot water.

• Take care while ironing your dresses. Change the heat settings depending upon the type of cloth.
• Add a pinch of salt to your detergent powder that gives the brighter look to the attires.
• Strains should be removed immediately. Best way to clean strains is to soak the attires in boiled water an hour before washing it.
• Baking soda is good for garments.
• Avoid using dryers as it quickly wear out your garments. The best way to dry your clothes is to use sunlight and open-air.
• Check whether your wardrobe has been closed properly to prevent dust and moth.
• Handle your accessories like necklace, bags etc. properly which can snag your materials.
• You can get rid of the folds on garments by using compact streamer. This can remove wrinkles more easily than ironing. In case you don’t have sufficient money to buy this tool consider taking same day cash loans that offers quick cash.
• Use bristle brushes which can easily remove dust from costumes.
• Starch and blue adds look to your cotton textiles.
• It’s good to rinse your garments twice with fresh water so that all the dust and chemicals will be removed.
• Don’t soak the clothes for longer durations as bacteria in the water may damage the dresses.

• Frequent dusting spots observed on neck, pockets should be cleaned with soap water before soaking them.
• Place the clothes in a ventilated area to protect them from moths.
• Prefer wooden hangers than a metal one as metal may degrade your garments.
• Suppose you wear a dress for few hours don’t wash it immediately. Use that textile again. But make sure that you allow it to settle down for some time so that moisture and air enters into the garment and keep it fresh.
• Elastic dresses must not be soaked in hot water because its elasticity nature will be damaged.

The guest post was contributed by Emily, financial guest blogger from Manchester, UK. Apart from blogging she does research on cash loans UK . Find out more about her and her finance related blogs at @financeport

“Dear Grant, you mention socks are some of your favorite accessories. Can you explain the rules and techniques behind combining socks with the rest of your outfit? I always used to stick with black and single-color socks. Following your advice, I would like to liven up my socks collection with some interesting colors and patterns, but I don’t know where to begin. Thanks!”

Socks are some of my favorite accessories for many reasons. Some I’m sure are a bit outlandish to others, but to each his own. Over the years my appreciation of socks and the variety of colors, patterns, materials, and lengths has been nurtured and matured by having the pleasure of wearing some of the best (and worst) socks in the world. This allows me to be more discerning in my personal sock choices as well as when giving advice on them.

Marcoliani socks

The first rule to remember is that your socks are an extension of you and your wardrobe. They are there to complement your personality, lifestyle, and your current preferred style. Anything that strays from this is going to get you in trouble. The most important considerations in your hosiery—the technical term for socks—are material, color, pattern and length. Getting any one of this wrong will ruin the day.

Material

The best socks in the world are made from the best materials in the world. Sea Island cotton, Cotton Lisle, Merino Wool, Cashmere, Silk, Linen, Alpaca, Hemp and blends. The material which covers your feet will keep them warm and dry in the winter or cool and dry in the summer. Choose wisely. Natural materials and fibers are best. Most man-made materials aren’t good for any man.

Color

The next consideration is color. Explore colors like sunrise yellow, forest green, burgundy, beige, rose pink, lilac, eggplant and many others. There is no end to the array of colors to be worn. When wearing color it is paramount to pair the color with the season, the weather, and your mood. Darker colors usually pair well with colder months and foul weather. Brighter socks usually pair well with warmer months and sunny weather. However, this isn’t a hard and fast rule. Bright colors on a rainy day can help lift your spirits, but in general you’ll just look out of place with bright pink ankles in the middle of a snow storm.

Pattern

Pattern should be your next move. Color may bring attention to your ankles but pattern will hold it. You should be equipped with the simplest of patterns to the more eccentric. Solid, ribbed, Birdseye, argyle, polka dot, pin dot (smaller than polkas), herringbone, houndstooth, checks and others. The pattern of your socks should not overpower the pattern of your trousers or suit. It should only complement them. Patterns pair best with solids, but advance dressers can mix and match patterns as they choose. The key to remember is scale. No two patterns should be exactly alike in size or scale otherwise you’ll look like a clown and no one wants that.

Length

Length is the last but certainly not the least consideration. There are many lengths of socks. Loafer or “no-show”, ankle, mid and over-the-calf make up the options. While all of these lengths have their merits and functions in a man’s wardrobe, the best dressed men in the world (many of them Italians) only wear over-the-calf socks. This means that their socks extend well above their calf and almost to their knees. The advantage of this is two fold…

1. Your legs stay warmer and/or cooler depending on the material and
2. Your hairy legs aren’t exposed when you sit and/or cross your legs which is the equivalent of “flashing” the public.

Wear over-the-calf socks. Anything less is just uncivilized.

Conclusion

Armed with this knowledge of material, color, pattern and length any man should be better equipped to up his game when it comes to socks. Your feet are important. Don’t waste them. Wear stylish socks.