Man In Fashion

Mens Luxury Watch of the Month: Orix Bell X1

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Orix Fans out there! This is specially for you.

Luxury watch brand Oris has announced the launch of a new timepiece to celebrate a historic moment in aviation’s past.

On 14 May 1947 (You and me were not born yet), the Bell X1 undertook the first ever manned supersonic flight. In doing so it broke the sound barrier and firmly secured a spot in the history books.The new Oris Big Crown X1 is designed to commemorate the event.

A spokesperson for Oris explained: “The Bell X1 pilots undertook their amazing feat in an age before computers and pocket calculators, relying on the specially designed ‘slide rule’ for all engineering calculations. In honour of these pilots, Oris has included a circular version of the slide rule as part of the intrinsic design of the Oris Big Crown X1 Calculator.”

The case of the watch is covered in a PVD coating in a gun metal shade – this is to replicate the colour of the watch’s namesake plane. The luxury watch also has a re-set pusher with an X and a start-stop pusher with a 1 as another nod to the Bell X1 flight.

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According to Google, the term "how to tie a tie" is searched for almost 2 million times a month globally. Needless to say, it seems that many of us need some help when it comes to knotting up. Most likely this is due to the fact that many working people simply are not required to wear a tie to work anymore. Thus, when it comes time to "dress it up" a little bit, if you can even remember how to tie a tie, it probably takes a few tries before you get it right and doesn't really look great.

Let me start by saying that I think we should all take opportunities to knot up more often than most of us do. Just because it isn't required to wear a tie to work doesn't mean that you should avoid it all costs. Quite the opposite, looking like you put some time into your wardrobe conveys a professional attitude to your coworkers and managers. And you just never know who you might run into at lunch or when you grab your morning coffee. If you ran into a prospective client, the CEO of a large company or even an old friend would you want them to see you in a wrinkled polo or in a pressed, clean shirt with a perfect tie around your neck?

Below is a guide to the three knots that you need to know how to tie, I will go over each of them and explain how to pair them up with certain ties and collar styles.

The Four in Hand Knot

Skinny and often ends up slightly asymmetrical, the Four in Hand knot is the easiest knot to master because you don't have to get it totally even. This knot looks great with button down collar shirts but it's usually tough to get a dimple into this style.

The Half Windsor Knot

This is the classic knot that looks great for nearly any occasion: triangular, dimpled and symmetrical. Most any collar style works with this knot, however you should take care to make sure you get it perfectly symmetrical and have a dimple.

The (Full) Windsor Knot

This knot is easy to mess up, not necessarily in the way it is tied but in how you wear it. It can be perceived as cheesy, especially if you end up with the tie being too short. Thus, you need to make sure your tie is long enough to hit at the right spot. That said, this knot is the only way to go with a spread collar shirt and often too with a semi-spread.

In my next post I'll go over some other tie considerations you should think about when you knot up.

Thanks for reading. As always, be dapper.

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This is my first blog post and rather than make a long intro or take some time to wade into this, I'm going to jump right in.

The navy suit is the most essential addition to any man's wardrobe, whether you are a working professional, a recent college graduate, a starving student, or anything in between. There are few suits that display a more mature, understated taste than the navy blue suit does. However, you can still manage to not pull it off if you don't pay attention to the details. Here are a few tips to make sure that you look your best in a navy suit.

Get it tailored

There are plenty of places to get a great, cheap navy suit. However don't be surprised if you end up looking less than amazing if you don't get it tailored. No matter where you buy your navy blue suit, or how much you spend, go to a tailor who you know or who someone can refer you to. And have an opinion before you walk in the door, don't let them convince you to "let it out a little more." Tell them you want it to be snug around your waist and pull a little bit. Let them know you want little to no break on the pants. Also, your sleeves should show about 1-inch of cuff. Check out the before and after picture below and you'll understand why it's critical to get your suit tailored.

Pair up with the Right Accessories

Nothing shows off a level of style sophistication like brown shoes paired with a navy suit. Straight from the mouth of one of the world's most renowned shoe experts: "Put on a pair of bad shoes and it doesn't matter how nice your suit is." That said, this color of brown below goes great with almost any color, but certainly complements navy and displays an extra level of thought and consideration in your wardrobe. Not to mention that brown is my favorite color for wingtip shoes.

Go Beyond White

Sure we've all had our forays into the world of light blue shirts, but a navy blue suit is one of the best chances you have to grab some colors that will set you apart from the white shirt pedestrians you walk among. Lavendar, khaki and pink are all on display in the image below. Just be sure to tie up with a dark tie so you look more Don Draper than Craig Sager.

Thanks for reading everyone. As always, be dapper.

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Men’s fashion is not as prone to change as women’s, so basically you may have everything you need to look the part for the summer 2011 season. Suits are still inclined to the classic cuts and the tailored look is back, with jackets accentuating the shoulders, and the waist is highlighted, as male models on catwalks chose to button the one button closest to the waist, whether or not it looked stretched and ruched the fabric as they walked.

Trousers are slim cut and worn without socks but with loafers or deck shoes. For those who still like socks, then there are gladiator sandals with built-in socks. The mens fashion trend is for shorts with jackets rather than full-length trousers, to beat the heat, and these are in the same suit material as jackets, and come to just above the knee. Socks are out this year it would seem.

Although trousers are slim cut, mens fashion jeans are definitely flared this season, so you may want to revamp your wardrobe with the latest jeans rather than wearing the skinny ones that were “in” until so recently.

Jackets are single breasted with shawl or pointed lapels and with either double or single buttons. White of course is in for those summer balls that are starting now. Bikers’ jackets are also de rigueur this season and can be in traditional leather or lighter fabric and with or without sleeves. These match the “wild boy” hairstyles that seem to be in fashion once again.

As for shirts, you can get away with the button down collar and rolled up sleeves, but this summer shirts have prints and colors are inspired by the earthy tones of nature, so they are dark green, burgundy, terracotta and clay shades. Buy a light sleeveless knitwear jumper which can be worn with or without a shirt, and forget the tank tops that only come to your waist. The T-shirt look this summer is sleeveless and long and in neutral shades of grey, off-white and white.

Share your thoughts with us on your dream wardrobe fashion items for this summer.

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Forget about answering the question "Who killed the electric car?" That's because Nissan is bringing the electric car back from the dead. Sure, the Tesla Roadster has made the electric car cool again, but the 2011 Nissan Leaf is the first, full-electric mainstream vehicle to be put on sale for the American consumer.(forget about those own modified from gasoline to electric model)

This Nissan Leaf is endowed with a lithium-ion battery powered motor that boasts a driving range of 200km when fully charged. it also comes with a unique energy regeneration technology that vastly reduces energy loss brought on by hydraulic braking, well deserving of its recent certification from US Environment Protection Agency as the most efficient vehicle yet.

Paired with a futuristic body anchored by a sleek front with a large, elongated LED headlights with blue reflective design, the car nails its green status further with an extensive use of recycled and recyclable materials in its construction, resulting in an impressive 99% recoverability rate.

Well done!! I just love it!! How about you?

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February 2011 sees the exciting launch of new luxury lifestyle brand, Lotus Originals. Inspired by the stylish Lotus car principles of authenticity, innovation and design excellence, the debut collection is a refined, cohesive range of luxury apparel, leather goods and performance outerwear that reflect the craftsmanship, heritage and spirit of Lotus. This new brand concept has launched exclusively on the Lotus website www.lotusoriginals.com.

High quality and attention to detail are key, with Loro Piana 100% cashmere yarn used in block coloured sweaters and knitted at 18 gauge for a lightweight but supersoft touch. Cardigans and V-neck knits are textured in wide stripes to create a tyre-track effect with white armband detail hinting at race track road markings.

Polo shirts and T-shirts feature double stitch edging and a playful approach to branding, with vintage Lotus logos, racing stripes and car silhouettes. Block colour numbers relate to the dates of famous racing victories of the 1960s and 70s, as well as 1948 - the year that Lotus founder Colin Chapman built the first car.

A hand-treated leather jacket, inspired by the 1970s drivers’ suits, uses authentic design details in the form of protective quilted padding on the shoulders and a two-button side-fasten collar. A beautiful navy quilted coat with tan leather trim epitomises the ‘Gentleman Driver’ ideal, with a discreet Lotus crest and luxurious fleece lining. Authentic and quintessentially British in its understated luxury and everyday classic style, these key pieces redefine racing chic as the ultimate gentleman’s sportswear choice for 2011.

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Sports lifestyle brand PUMA® has partnered with legendary culture brand, Undefeated, to launch the Undefeated (UNDFTD) Collection with PUMA, a special collection centered around one of PUMA’s most iconic and celebrated styles: The PUMA Clyde. This long term project will make Undefeated a true design partner with PUMA, designing a collection of PUMA Clydes that will be released beginning in April and

throughout 2011 and beyond.

The partnership between PUMA and Undefeated is about pushing boundaries and refreshing a classic style and icon, The PUMA Clyde. Undefeated and PUMA explored trends in the marketplace and collaborated to interpret these fashion and lifestyle nuances into footwear styles that are inclusive of both brands. The first release from the collection will be on April 10th followed by another release on June 10th, and many more throughout 2011 and beyond. Consumers can expect to see clean lines and a unique exploration of materials and textures.

The PUMA Clyde was chosen for this project not only for its significance to the PUMA brand, but also to sneaker history and pop culture. Customized for basketball great and current announcer for The New York Knicks Walt “Clyde” Frazier in 1973, the Clyde was the first signature basketball shoe. Built on performance and style, it immediately became a mainstay on the court and on the street. As a statement shoe, it was part of the uniform for cultural artists – DJs, b-boys, musicians and graffiti artists. With its clean and classic styling, the PUMA Clyde continues to be on-trend today.

Man In Fashion

Mens Luxury Watch of the Month: Orix Bell X1

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Knot up! The 3 Tie Knots You Need to Know