Seamed On Set

     I recently had the opportunity of working with MTV productions. The commercial was filmed for their 2011 European Music Awards. The concept was Hip Hop versus Pop. On jobs like these they have stylist to dress the cast, but they also tell you to bring some of your own stuff. Usually when I bring my options of clothings to set, the stylists let me wear the outfit I put together. I was able to style myself using clothing collected from Seamed Right. Be sure to watch the MTV European Music Awards on November 6th, check it out!



The look from my "Varsity Hues" post was featured in Michael Jackson's "Hold My Hand" Music Video featuring Akon. (Production made me turn the pin up shirt inside out)

Prepping for Winter

Photography taken by Wrigely Corales
     Cold season has not fully settled in, but I wanted to post a look to prepare for cooler weather. I was inspired by Junya Watanabe's Men's Fall Winter 2011-2012 collection. The look is very young, fresh, with a strong British flavor. (Vouge) Watanabe's choice of deeper colors gave the collection an eerie feel. The color scheme consisted of shades of purple, maroon, forest green, black, indigo, and brown. I'd like to describe the look as preppy with a dark edge. Watanabe took the rugged american look and molded it into subtle dressier attire. The pants were a wide fit, rolled up, and exposed the ankle. My favorite look was the Norwegian patterned outerwear worn over collared button ups.
     I am wearing a vintage cotton sweater with a Norwegian type pattern. These types of patterns are in season and can be found in Fall/Winter campaigns for designers such as Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss. Underneath the sweater is a plaid button up. Because of the busy pattern and bright saturation of color in the sweater, I chose to wear the right tone of pants to detract competing attention. The boots are dark purple Doc Martens ("Dark Martians") that added the perfect amount of edge.

Attire:
Norwegian Patterned Sweater- Thrifted
Plaid Button Up- Thrifted
Maroon Leather Belt- Thrifted
Pale Purple Pants- Thrifted
Dark Purple Boots- Buffalo Exchange

Retail:
V-neck Arrow Patterned Sweater- SSENSE $805
The Quiet Life Davis Button Up- ASOS $153
Purple Chino Pants- Lands' End $35
Doc Martens Boots- Doc Martens $130

Chukkin' Up the Deuces

     With beach days coming to an end in California, I ironically happen to stumble across a pair of Sperry Top-Sider Bahama Chukkas. These navy blue suede shoes are part of their Fall/Winter collection. What I enjoy most about them are the inside pattern, stitching, and the way the lace wraps around the shoe. I purchased them for half of the original price at Buffalo Exchange. The condition was like new and they were the perfect fit! Sometimes I feel like I am meant to find these items. Seamed Right!

Thrift of the Day:
Sperry Top-Sider Bahama Chukka- Buffalo Exchange

Retail:
Sperry Top-Sider Bahama Chukka- Sperry Top-Sider $80

Layered Youth

Photography taken by Ron Alan Cruz
     The 90's reminded me of the years when playing baseball took up most of my day, and shows like "Saved By the Bell" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" set the standard of what I thought was cool. The trends back in those days were relaxed and carefree. Less effort was definitely more hip. When I was younger, I remember not worrying about how I dressed. I would put on whatever clothes made me feel comfortable, without thinking twice, even if it didn't match. Now that I look back at old photos, I would consider my style to be refreshing to compared to the current trends. There is nothing wrong with dressing down and letting the inner child come out. I wanted to incorporate that same mindset with this look.
     Recently, California's weather has been unpredictable, where somedays are hot and others feel like fall is finally here. I decided to layer up in a strategic way to be prepared for both. I am wearing a baseball tee that is comfortable for a sunny day, but also allows enough coverage for cooler temperatures. I remember tying my sweaters around my waist when I was younger. I was too lazy to put it away, but the convenient thing about that was I still had the option to wear it when it got cold. What guy doesn't remember wearing long johns when they were a kid? I decided to wear these thermal pants underneath my copper shorts. With this way of layering, you can still wear shorts while staying warm. I had to complete the look with my snapback and of course a non-matching pair of Vans.

Attire:
Snapback- Thrifted
Iron Maiden Baseball Tee- Buffalo Exchange
Cotton Crewneck Sweater- Target (50% off Rack)
Copper Jean Shorts- Thrifted
Thermal Pant- Owned
Old Skool Vans- Stussy Sample Sale 04'

Retail:
New Era Snapback- New Era $25-$35
Baseball Tee- Urban Outfitters $24
Theory 'Leimanc' Crewneck- Nordstrom $195
Polo Ralph Lauren Mission Canyon Cargo Shorts- Macy's $70
Hane's Thermal Pant- Wal-Mart $8
Old Skool Vans- Vans $50

Dark Martians

     I have been looking for a military type boot to prepare for the colder weather. I haven't had any luck until I came across this pair of Doc Martens. I never imagined myself pulling off the thick soul and bulkiness of this type of boot. I decided to try on the pair anyway. I must say, if not for the look, I would have bought the boot for their comfort. Not only is the hue of the boot super rad, but I also appreciated that they were already broken in. I have never seen this make of color, and I purchased them for less than half of the original price. It was out of this world!

Thrift of the Day:
Dark Purple Doc Martens Boots- Buffalo Exchange

Retail:
Doc Martens Boots- Doc Martens $130

Overseaing Summer

Photography taken by Ron Alan Cruz
     Although Fall has arrived, we lucky Californians still get beautiful sunny weather. You can never tell when Fall will officially settle in but alas, Summer will soon be sailing away. I decided to take advantage of this opportunity while it lasted. Who doesn't like going to the beach on a sunny day? The concept for this look was to show that I am packing up summer attire as the warmer weather will be traveling somewhere across the sea.
     I wanted to portray the look that was popular in the 1950's where loafers, polo shirts, and rolled up sweaters provided an opportunity for men to stray away from suited attire. As the attire in the 50's became more relaxed, colors and patterns came into play. It was known as the Ivy League or "preppie" look, where sweaters donned over collared shirts became a staple of that generation.
     John F. Kennedy became an icon for his sartorial simplistic way of dressing. Take a look at his beachside looks when sailing Cape Cod and you'll find images of him in polos, khaki shorts, and loafers. In colder weather he would wear v-neck sweater or cardigan with his sleeves rolled up.
     The sweater I am wearing is a blue vintage Lacoste made of cotton. The sweater is thick enough to protect me from the ocean's breeze, yet comfortable enough for the rays of sun and shore of the beach. Underneath I am wearing a vintage pale yellow polo. For this clean conservative look, I decided to put on a pair of pastel plaid chino shorts and cream loafers. Of course, what JFK look would be complete without a pair of black Wayfarer glasses? This look is a spin of modern elegance in casual attire with simplicity and masculinity.

Attire:
Wayfarer Sunglasses- Found
Vintage Lacoste Sweater- Thrifted
Vintage Polo- Thrifted
Pastel Plaid Chino Shorts- Thrifted
Cream Loafers- Urban Outfitters $39

Retail:
Wayfarer Sunglasses- Ray-Ban $145
Lacoste Sweater- Lacoste $58
Polo Shirt- Ralph Lauren $85
Chino Shorts- Ralph Lauren $65
Cream Loafers- Vans $55

Oh Snaps!

     I started my collection of snapbacks in 2008. There was a Salvation Army located near my dance studio. The thrift store existed in Fullerton before burning down. That Salvation Army had these caps in a variety of colors for a reasonable price. I couldn't debate on which one I liked the most so I purchased them all.
     Snapbacks were popular in the 90's. It all started with the NBA and MLB selling these types of hats for memorabilia, but the first to make these hats trendy were a rap group called N.W.A. The group conisted of rappers such as Easy E, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre, who wore these fitted caps in their music videos. Ever since 2010, snapbacks have made a comeback. Current hip hop stars such as Chris Brown, Tyga, and Whiz Khalifa can be seen rocking these adjustable hats. After reading the recent October issue of GQ magazine, I saw that one of the items on their trending topic was indeed the snapback. Now that the snapbacks are more prevalent than ever I decided dust off my caps and put them to use. Stay tuned for the look!

Thrift of The Day:
Plain Snapbacks- Thrifted

Retail:
New Era Snapback- New Era $25-$35

Falling Back

Photography taken by Wrigely Corales

     Every once in awhile it feels good to escape reality by getting lost in a movie. I haven't been to the movie theaters in a while because school has been taking over my life (which is why I haven't been posting as much I would like to). I decided to pop in some dvd's from my collection while working on a project. The movies I happened to watch were "Water for Elephants" and "The Notebook." I have always been fascinated by the attire worn in these films. I noticed that the feel of the movies were from the same time period. Both movies took place around The Great Depression, and I wanted to portray the fashion from that setting. Specifically, I wanted to work from the range of colors typically seen in fashion during The Great Depression. This led to a fashion palette of subdued colors appropriate for the fall season. I am wearing a bowtie printed shirt with brown corduroys. The trousers are held up by suspenders, which were a popular accessory for workman attire. I used my vintage leather boots from my post in "Needed in the Haystack."
     The current look for Simons Fall 2011 Catalogue for Le 31 had the same inspiration. Simons based his looks off of modern workmen's attire. (The Fashionisto) Here is a video of the behind the scenes footage for the shoot. The music is awesome! Enjoy.


Attire:
Bowtie Button Up- Buffalo Exchange
Suspenders- Buffalo Exchange
Corduroy Pants- Thrifted
Hiker Boots- Thrifted

Retail:
Floral Button Up- Simons $135
Workman Suspenders- Simons $48
Corduroy Pants- Simons $50

Excess or Rise

     When hearing fashion and accessories, what gender comes to mind? Women have a lot more options when it comes to spicing up an outfit, but that doesn’t that doesn't eliminate the option for men to do the same. With men’s fashion, keeping it simple is most effective. With the right amount men are able stand out from the crowd. Keep in mind though that over accessorizing can completely ruin an outfit. My personal favorite items are eyewear, ties, and watches.
     The items in the photo are from my finds in a day of thrifting in in the desert. Glasses can say a lot about a person. They come in an endless variety of frames that can express your personality. I found these gnarly replicas of the eyeglasses Johnny Depp wears. His are actually Lemtosh by Mascot. They are made with a thick frame that give off a retro feel. Next, I chose the bowtie. The great thing about bowties is that they can make a casual fit more hip, and it can also enhance formal attire with an added level of class. I was stoked to add this bowtie to my collection because of its vintage pattern and texture. Lastly, the most important piece when accessorizing is a great watch. No other accessory commands such power and sophistication at every occasion.

Thrift of the day:
Glasses- Thrifted
Vintage Bowtie- Thrifted
1980's Moonfaced Seiko Watch- Thrifted

Retail:
Miltzen Eyeglasses- Mascot $225
Vinegar Hill Bowtie- Urban Oufitters $48
Seiko Watch- Seiko Prices Vary