Ferretgate

Ferretgate: the long story

It has been a long while since my last blog post but I have a problem that you can help with. I want a ferret. This may seem like no big dilemma but unfortunately my friends and peers seem to be polarized by this issue, so I am putting it up for a kind of vote.

Before I explain the details let me make my case. I have owned a ferret in the past. I got her when I was in college around Christmas time so I naturally named her Holly. She loved me. In fact she loved me so much that she didn't let anyone near me without nibbling at their toes or playfully barking at them, to be fair it sounded more like a chirp. She stole shiny trinkets and hid them under my bed. She curled up in my lap when I watched TV. She slept on my face. She was my world.

When I graduated from college I got a job in Columbia, SC. After living their for a few months I decided I would like to get another ferret to keep Holly company while I was at work or out. My girlfriend at the time (now wife) thoughtfully bought me one but she did not pay attention to my two rules of ferret buying.

Rules of Ferret Buying

1. Buy only female ferrets.

2. Watch the prospective ferret in the pet shop to make sure it uses the litter box.

She bought me a male ferret. He was very cute and he too adored me. However, I learned the hard way that one way male ferrets attract mates and impress other ferrets is to publicly display how good they are at acquiring, and therefor providing food. They display this by depositing solid waste all over the place.

At the time I lived in a townhouse and did not have adequate facilities or time to train away this behavior. I eventually had to give the ferrets up to a friend that lived on a farm with several rooms she could devote to the ferrets. I cried... a lot.

Now I know that I only want one female ferret. I am also committed to training her if need be to use the litter box. I want to name her Wasabi.

Here is How You Can Help

I have a T-shirt shop where you can buy either Team Ferret shirts or Team No Ferret shirts. If more people buy the Team Ferret shirts by January 17th, my birthday, I will buy a ferret. If more people buy the Team No Ferret shirts I will not buy one. I agree to abide by the decision.

Team Ferret Shirts

http://tiny.cc/teamferret

Team No Ferret Shirts

http://tiny.cc/noferret

Decision Time

I will announce the vote tally in public at The Gin Mill in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday, January 20th at 6:30. I would like to thank you in advance for your support!

Reversible Belts: godsend or garbage?

Most of us have at least toyed with the idea of buying a reversible belt at one time or another. The idea that you can go from wearing black shoes at work and then switch to brown shoes with jeans for the evening is attractive. So, if one belt will do both it seems like a no brainer. There are a few issues though and this article should help you decide if a reversible belt is something you want to add to your wardrobe.

First off they don't last as long as most regular style belts. The same mechanism that allows the buckle to flip also creates a weak point in the design. This makes it really important not to wear this type of belt two days in a row. Wearing leather goods for multiple days does not allow the leather to shrink back to its original size. Therefore if you wear the same belt multiple days in a row you are stretching the leather to its maximum and putting even more pressure on the buckle. The only possible exception to this rule is if you are packing for vacation and really need to conserve space in your suitcase. At that point it may make sense to wear the one reversible belt that will give you the most options on your trip.

Another typical problem is that reversible styles tend to be far more casual than most dress style belts. Reversible belts are not the choice for formal occasions like weddings and black tie dinners. 

The final issue arises if you wear the belt significantly more often displaying one side rather than splitting your days between both sides. Uneven wear can create shapes in the leather that are hard to overcome when you decide to reverse it.

If you think these issues pale in comparison to the benefits of a reversible belt, then by all means go out and grab one. Either way, at least you are making an informed decision.

Shirts: how to spot quality

There are so many options out there when it comes to choosing a dress shirt these days that it can be tough to decide between what to buy. Many guys aren't even sure what makes one shirt better than another, so I'm going to point out a few things to look for on your next trip out.

Thread Count

Generally speaking the higher the thread count of a cotton shirt, the softer and better feeling the fabric is. This is due to the use of finer cotton in higher thread count shirts. This same rule applies to things like bed sheets.

Heavy Fabric

High thread count does not always imply heavy fabric. When it comes to cotton shirts heaviness is more directly related to the ply of the shirt. Heavier shirts are often two-ply, meaning there are two layers of fabric. An Oxford shirt is traditionally two-ply and these can still feature a thread count in the 80s.

Cotton Quality

Not every cotton is equal, and this means that sometimes the quality of the cotton can be more important than the thread count. Egyptian cotton is widely regarded as one of the most luxurious cottons on the planet, but the highest quality cotton actually comes from Sea Island, Georgia.

Other Stuff

Now, this does not mean that every high quality shirt will be made of the best cotton or even have a high thread count. The overall look of the shirt is just as important. Examine the details: look at the placket construction, check the buttonholes, inspect the collars and cuffs. Avoid any shirt that has loose threads still attached or that shows puckering at the seams.

These should give you some points to ponder the next time you go shopping for shirts. Looking for these qualities will help insure that you make the right choice.

The Scarf: hot trend this winter

This winter the scarf is back! In fact it may really just be getting here in the first place. Guys in Europe have long known that the right scarf can improve their look, while most of us in the U.S. have been sporting cold bare necks even on the most frigid of days. If you are new to scarves or just checking to make sure you're getting the most out of them, the following tips may help.

Size Does Matter:

When it comes to length, longer is better. You want a scarf you can wrap once or twice around your neck and still have enough length left to fall somewhere near necktie length. As for width... wider is also better. The newest trend is to wear a scarves so that they have some bulk against the neck. Now you do not want to look like you are wearing a neck brace, but I'm sure you get the idea.  

Color and Pattern:

Bold colors and patterns are very trendy, tartans for instance are a classic look that is getting a lot of play this season. Stripes are possibly the most popular this year and they can add visual length to your torso. When possible try to match some color within the scarf to a color on your shirt or coat, but the scarf does not really need to match anything you are wearing. Avoid paisley and other less masculine patterns unless you are trying for a particular effect.

Knots and Placement:

As a rule a loose knot just under the chin is the best look. If you are wearing a formal coat with lapels the scarf should go under them. If you are not wearing a coat or have a more casual look on top is fine. 

Avoid the Following:

Extra long tassels are never a good look for a guy. Fuzzy material or those strange knits that look like giant caterpillars are not recommended, unless you are an entomologist. Also the length should be long, not crazy. If the scarf is wrapped around your neck and it still falls below your knee it was made for a girl, probably a tall one. White scarves do not look good on guys and they don't stay white very long anyway so stay away from them too.

I hope these tips will help answer your scarf questions and maybe you'll try rocking one the next time you hit the town on a cold evening.

Tie Length: is too little too bad?

Picking the tie to complete a look is the tough part, but many guys come up short when they tie their neckwear. Proper tie length is a must for a professional appearance; too long and you look unkempt, too short and you look dumpy and juvenile.

So, in an effort to keep it simple here is the rule of thumb: the end of your tie should fall between the top and bottom of your belt when you are standing up. If you wearing a tie and not wearing a belt please stop reading this now and go play tag on the interstate.

If you have to err on one side or the other most people in the know agree that you should go longer rather than shorter, but I feel you should just retie your tie so that it works. Also don't tuck the skinny end into your shirt (this looks like you are a server at Friday's) in fact if you need to tuck anything in you've done something wrong.

Bruce Julian's Clothiers: store review

I have hesitated to write this review for fear that I can't be objective in my critique. I absolutely love this place. Bruce Julian is my favorite place to shop for clothes and quite possibly one of the best men's clothing stores in the southeast. They carry the regions most unique and stylish brands like Jhane Barnes, Alex Cannon, Haupt, Bobby Chan, Robert Graham, and many more.

Bruce himself works hard to find the next big fashion stars and often he stocks lesser known designer's lines. A perfect example of this is Luchiano Visconti a label out of Great Neck, New York. Visconti shirts are one of the best bargains going right now, offering the highest quality and fashion forward design for reasonable prices.

It might be prudent to include a word about pricing at this point. For the most part Bruce Julian stocks designer clothes but the pricing is in line with or only slightly higher than most department stores. What you get in return is top quality and more than anything else high style. Bruce is also famous for his sales, more often than not Bruce is having a 2 for 1 or even 3 for 1 sale on certain items. These sales sometimes include custom clothing... even suits!

Speaking of custom clothes Bruce Julian offers a huge variety of choices in custom tailored clothing. So whether you need custom shirts, suits, or pants this is the place to go in North Carolina.

Overall, the service and selection you will find at Bruce Julian's Clothiers far surpasses that of any other retailer in the area. So, if you want to look your best give them a try and tell them you heard it here.

Bruce Julian
www.brucejulian.com
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Arboretum

8128-300 Providence Road

Charlotte, North Carolina 28277

704-364-8686

Hours:

Monday - Saturday 10 - 7

Sunday 1 - 5

Blog Action Day: do your part to end poverty

Today is "Blog Action Day" a day set aside for bloggers all over the globe to speak out about a single issue, this year that issue is poverty. So, at this point you're probably muttering to yourself something like, "what can I do to eliminate poverty... this guy is crazy." Well, while I may be a bit off from time to time, I do have some good ideas on how we can do our part and best of all they can be fun. 

One way you can help involves eating. First figure out what you normally spend on dinner each night. Then take one week and see how cheaply you can eat and simply donate the difference to a local food bank.

Another idea involves shopping. Step one is to go through your closet and weed out all your old clothes. Next donate them to a homeless shelter or charity. Now shop for new stuff and fill that closet back up.

Maybe you're more of a social person? Get a group of friends together and donate an evening to a soup kitchen or other charity. This is also a great idea for a group date night.

OK, so those are my three ideas but you might have even better ones. So, I challenge you to come up with three realistic ways you can fight poverty and then... follow through with them!

Socks, Ties, and Everything Nice: to match or not to match

I have gotten a few questions regarding the proper way to match socks and ties with other articles of clothing. The goal here is to create a complete look so that all clothing components "go" or coordinate with each other. So let's start with socks.

In a conservative outfit socks are supposed to act as an extension of the pant leg not the shoe. Therefore they should be the same color or slightly darker than the trousers you are wearing. Matching your socks to your pants helps create a longer vertical line and makes you appear slightly taller than you would otherwise. If you work in a conservative environment or you are interviewing this is a good rule of thumb. However, if you have some freedom or are one of those fashion forward types you can push this a bit, with lighter colored or patterned or even brightly colored socks as long as they compliment your overall outfit. They can pull some color from your shirt and some from your pants, they can even coordinate with your tie. This look is a little more risky but it can actually make you look more fashionable if done correctly. This should go without saying but, never wear athletic socks with anything other than athletic wear, and please tell me you don't wear jeans to the gym.

Ties, on the other hand, are designed to pull your entire outfit together. They should use color and pattern to "tie" your shirt to your pants or suit. This can be done with highlight colors found in your other clothes or by contrasting the color of the tie with both your shirt and pants. The problems begin to arise when you go too far and pick a tie that has no connection to your other clothes. Another common mistake is to match too closely your shirt and tie. If your shirt and tie combination creates a "hidden tie" effect you need to start over. 

Try following these tips to make sure you complete the look the next time you dress up.