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.

Funny Stuff From Class: the things people say

My typography class is currently designing conceptual billboards for local haunted houses in the area. During class the other day one of my students popped his head up and asked, "hey I want to have a guy hanging from a noose... would that be OK?" Another student didn't miss a beat and said, "as long as he's not black." Later in the same class a girl complained, "I can't make anything look scary." Two rows over someone said, "ask your parents how they did it." This really struck me as funny, call it a twisted sense of humor or whatever, I enjoy it when students interact on such a sharp witted level. 

To try and foster just such an environment I often find myself "zinging" a student in response to a complaint or insipid comment. In another of my classes a male student was explaining how he felt about workplace privacy when a female student interrupted saying, "Honey, I ain't nobody's fool..." At which point I cut her off and asked if there might be someone willing to adopt her. Once I walked into a classroom and everyone was being obnoxious, a student asked if I was upset and I responded that "if idiots could fly this would be an airport."

I guess the point of this post is that sometimes humor, even insults, can make us think. I'd like to leave you with one important thought, but I'm not sure you have a place to put it.

Rules We Follow: but never agreed to

Evidently there was a meeting at some point where some great minds came up with a set of behavior rules that most of us follow in our daily lives. While I agree with many of them there are a few that we might want to break if for no other reason than to entertain ourselves.

It is understood that when you ride in an elevator you are supposed to face the doors. I think that is ridiculous. Next time you're sharing an elevator with other people turn around and face them. Then you can start asking questions like you are a quiz show host.

You are also not supposed to have people ride in the trunk of your car. I can't explain the excitement created when you pull up to a gas station and pop your trunk to let out a passenger. You are guaranteed to get stares.

There are a lot of these rules set aside for public bathrooms. For example it is perfectly fine for women to go to the restroom in pairs or small groups, they can even hold hands on the way. Men however must go one at a time. From personal experience it is also against these rules to shake hands with anyone in the men's room. Eye contact is frowned upon and really is only acceptable if you are both washing your hands and making eye contact through the mirror. Also there is no looking down in the men's room. This is especially tough on those guys with low self esteem. Talking in the men's room is discouraged, but it seems to be acceptable if the conversation is held between two close friends or if the topic is sports related.

Next time you are looking for a few laughs try breaking some of the rules. You may be rewarded with applause or you may just get a bunch of strange looks but it will undoubtedly be interesting.

Traveling 101: what not to wear on a plane

I just got back from a trip to the west coast and I was stunned by what some people wear when traveling. It amazes me that people who ought to know better still wear shorts and flip-flops on a plane. I am not saying you should wear your Sunday best, but long pants and closed toed shoes seem obvious choices for those with even the barest margin of common sense. 

If you have never flown it might be important to explain that as soon as the doors close and the plane is preparing for take-off they cut the air conditioning on and it stays on high for the duration of the flight. Also the planes are "cleaned" between flights in a haphazard process that often misses things like gum in the seats or on the floor boards. Also the seats are narrow with little leg room, and they are bolted to the floor with thick metal brackets. So, you can see how stepping or sitting in gum, and stubbing your toe can easily occur. 

Once you reach your destination there is usually a long walk to baggage claim which may include any or all of the following: trams, escalators, elevators, moving sidewalks, stairs, ramps, and/or bumps. Also airports tend to transition between carpet and polished tile at random intervals, so shoe choice is important for these reasons and one more. Possibly the most compelling reason for wise shoe choice is the fact that airport restroom floors are disgusting. Sometimes they are flooded, sometimes they are slippery, sometimes they are sticky, and sometimes they are just indescribable, but 100% of the time you do not want to touch your bare foot to them.

So, the proper attire should be: long pants that are nice but not too nice, well constructed shoes that are comfortable, and layers on top so that you can adjust to the temperatures in the airport, the airplane, and your destination.

This means the following choices are out: high heels, sandals, shorts, your best suit, your favorite dress, and anything that might fall off and hit the bathroom floor.

Hopefully these tips will help you enjoy your next flight no matter where you are headed.