Author: raannt

The brilliant minds at Cole Haan have mastered the ability of turning classic foot wear – aw well as outerwear and accessories – into pieces that are modern, current, and above all, desired by anyone with or without a sense of style.  The collective combination of classic shapes and classic leathers mixed with the current season colors and textures create a line of shoes that fit every man, every occasion and every day.  Their street wear can easily translate to a red carpet event and evening into a night out.  The comfortable design for their casual wear allows you to play with colors, making each piece appropriate for any occasion.

As the fall styles enter our minds and the summer sales enter our bank accounts, remember to always be true to your style and esthetics. Pick pieces that highlight your personality and will go with what is already in your closet.  Lastly don’t forget to take care of your shoes.  Treat them like you would treat your car and house and they will go the extra mile! Clean them, polish them and dust them off.  After all, nobody likes a pair of sad looking kicks.

And always remember…

Be Yourself.  Be Fearless.  Be Your Own Unexpected Luxury!

Check out all of our style articles and daily looks in our Style section!

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The Monk Strap shoe has been in and out of style for a long while now, 15^th century to be exact.  The Italians have had their fingers – in this case toes – in on the pulse of fashion since the beginning of time!  These shoes are said to originate from the friars (Roman Catholic high member of the church) in the Italian Alps, later brought to London where this unique shoe became a trend.

This fall season, fashion history cycles again to bring these shoes back in trend.  Here are a couple of ways you can wear them best:

• Where them with a narrow pair of pants.  The current idea of these shoes is to show the decorative strap and buckle.
• No socks are encouraged for both casual and formal.  The shoes are trendy enough that anything goes well with them.
• If you want to wear socks, get creative with them – choose some that are appropriate for the weather and also have fun with patterns and colors.

Now that you know how to wear them, here are a couple of tips on how to take care of them:

• Dust a little bit of body power, like Gold Bond, before you wear them sock-less and after. It keeps your feet cool during the hot days and smelling fresh after.
• Polish your shoes! A true well-dressed gentleman will feel completely dressed once his shoes are polished.  Get the cream/wax at the shoe store or pay the $5 at the train station; add old school charm to something that is already classy.
• Get yourself a pair of comfortable inserts.  If you take care of your shoes, they will take care of you.

And as always…

Be Yourself.  Be Fearless.  Be Your Own Unexpected Luxury!

Check out all of our style posts and daily looks in our style section!

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Most men, know how to put a suit together.  We get it tailored, match it with a great shirt, tie, belt, shoes…the works.  But do we know to add some spice to it to make our own creative style stand out from the rest? When does it become too much or not enough?  The idea of spicing your suit up is focused around what you wear it with, not necessary the suit itself.  Lately, there are a lot of bright colored suits or busy prints – completely missing the point of why you’re dressing up in the first place. You don’t’ want it to be about the suit, you want it to be about you in the suit.  These are some of the ways we would do it…but not all at once! Remember these are meant to be ways to quietly be noticed, loudly whispered about, and above all, subtly desired.

1.  The magic of plaid is incredible and undeniable.  The understated, yet overly used, print is a great way to update your formal look.  It allows you to be playful, comfortable, and yet still appropriate for any formal occasion. Throw on a solid tie that matches the highlighted colors of the suit and you’re ready to go.
2. Anyone that understands style knows that shoes are what bring the look together.  If you go all out on a suit, shirt, tie, please make sure you don’t forget the shoes! Don’t mess it up by wearing some funky old shoes that should have been thrown away years ago.  Grab a pair of studded Christian Louboutins and show everyone that not only you know how to kiss French, but you also dress French. If you don’t have the money for a pair of men’s Louboutins, at least spice it up with a pair of formal shoes that speaks of your individual style.
3. A good, subtle way to have fun with a formal suit is picking a fun pair of socks.  Grab a pair of bright colored ones that match your shirt and tie.  This way, every time you sit down you tease your onlookers with a flash of color that showcases your fun personality.
4. The whimsical touch of the classic bow tie has hit pop culture and modernized it to its fullest.  Today, all kinds of men wear them.  They come in pretty much every color and any print and fabric so how do you really make this bow tie your bow tie? This I leave to you. Have fun with it.  Shop around until you find a tie that speaks of you and your individual style.  Take the time to learn how to tie a bow tie. Instructional videos can be found on YouTube.  No matter how over played the bow tie seems at times, no one can deny an authentic, vintage hand tied, bow tie; especially in a tux!
5. When all fails, grab a good designer belt.  The staple piece not only will bring attention to your high taste in fashion but also be a great conversation starter.  A strong Gucci or Louis Vuitton belt with a classic suit will not display garish style but will let onlookers know you care enough to notice the small details.

Remember that these 5 style tips aren’t really meant to be worn together, but separate to really highlight your sense of personal style.  The true art of a good suit is to make the man stand out from the rest without his masculinity being in question.   If you just can’t bring yourself to try something different, always remember this: tailor your suit.  It’s the best investment men can make when it comes to formal wear!

Ideal places to shop for these items: Nordstrom Rack, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Farfetch.com, Prada, and Macys.

And always remember…

Be Yourself.  Be Fearless.  Be Your Own Unexpected Luxury!

Please check out our other style articles and daily looks in our Style section!

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School is just a few weeks away – sick – so before you move into your dorm room, or fraternity house, or start buying your books for your senior year in high school or even a couple of suits for your fall internship; we want to give you some clues into The Art of TIE.  The concept is simple – ties are meant to be a focal point, an accessory, a way for you to show the world you have style – an opinion.  So when choosing these puppies keep in mind that this is to show case your personal style.  Play with color and textures.  Play with styles and width.  Most importantly, have fun and remember TO BE YOU.

Bow ties will show the world you have style, a playful one at best.  These classic ties have been around for ages and with their current twist they make for perfect accents in the dull corporate world of grey and black suits.  Bow ties also make for great party accessories.  They tell everyone you’re fun, playful, and not afraid to be yourself.  They are also the perfect form of masculine flirting.  Our own rule: make sure you know how to tie a bow tie! (No clip on bow ties please!)

The magic about the “regular” tie is that you can wear it with anything! Pair it with a polo and some chino shorts and you’ve got yourself a nice “off the boat” look which can be worn to class, a first date, a party or night out with friends.  The trick about these babies is the knot, of which their are two primary species; the Windsor Knot (the one that looks like an upside down pyramid), and the Four in Hand knot (the asymmetrical knot).  The Windsor Knot is perfect for all dress shirts, it’s more formal and you can wear it to work, an interview or your internship.  The Four in Hand knot is a bit more laid back, not as too formal and it works with any button down shirt.

Don’t know how to tie a tie? Check out our friends over at Tie-aTie.net! They have videos and directions on how to tie any tie! Or just YouTube how to do it and follow their steps – we trust them, so you should too!  Remember to have fun with your ties, they tell the world you have an opinion.

Be Yourself.  Be Fearless.  Be Your Own Unexpected Luxury!

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