Friday, February 29, 2008

Dapper


Men look so much better slightly over-dressed. Women respond to clothing as a cue to the stability of the man. A man in a suit is more attractive than a guy running around in a tee shirt and jeans. Some women are attracted to the bad boys and are more attracted to the man in ripped jeans, hoodie, and leather jacket, but they are making an unconscious effort to find someone unstable. Men tend to underestimate how important their clothing is. A little bit of ironing and tailoring goes a long way. Subconsciously it indicates a confidence that women read as a sign of stability, and stability is more attractive than looks. When shopping for clothing, men should find items that fit really well on their bodies, but also that can be a little more dressy if necessary. Dark denim will go more places than a pair of distressed jeans. The darker denim will also look a little more clean and classic. Even if a guy wants to wear nothing more than tee shirts and jeans there are ways to make that a bit more dressy. Tee shirts made of fine fabrics (rayon and silk knits, or combed mercerized cotton) which fit very well are leagues ahead of that $2 Hanes tee. Smart graphics and interesting details (not illustrations of bikini clad women) will add interest as well. It may take a little more time to find, but in the end it will ratchet your look into another echelon of style.
xoxo,
Ruth
P.S. To see some of our interesting graphic tees go to www.dept728.com/graphict.html

For the Ladies this Summer



Ladies, before the weather turns, we need to discuss something: Wearing the appropriate undergarments and swimsuits this summer. Last summer I was absolutely distraught by the number of women I saw in ridiculously inappropriate underwear and bathing suits. I find that women are especially bad about wearing the proper colored underwear with light colored clothing in the summer. Nude is always the way to go. When you wear white underwear with white clothing it shows underneath a lot. Skin colored underwear dissapears, while white underwear is amplified by the sheer white on top of it. Colored underwear is a no-no. If you are wearing a bright pink thong with white pants you look ridiculous. Every woman should have a nude bra and nude thong. If you don't, go buy one immediately. Also, if the summer clothing you have bought is clingy, make sure that the underwear you pair with your ensemble doesn't bunch underneath the clothing. Tight pants need thongs. Panty lines are totally unnecessary. If thongs are unacceptable then investigate seamless boyshorts or other alternatives. Technology such as laser cutting and all way stretch eliminate any need for visible undergarments. We all have no excuses. Now, as for bathing suits at the beach: Please have a healthy sense of your body type. Beautiful women of all sizes can wear bikinis as long as they are toned and trim. I have a friend who is a size 12 and is very fit and looks fantastic in a bikini. Conversely, a smaller girl who is a bit soft-looking is much more attractive in a monokini or one-piece than she would be in a bikini. Bustier girls need to make sure that whatever style they decide to wear has enough support to lift and separate their breasts. Bouncing around on the beach can be terribly taxing on the ligaments that support the bust, and no one wants to help gravity along. As for curvier ladies I would like to stress that acceptance is key. Most of the world has trouble areas, but coming to the beach in a caftan is unnecessary. As long as you have worn a flattering one piece or tankini (and I have seen some nice ones, but we are also going to make a great tankini for this summer) you will be fine. Don't worry about your thighs or try to hard to cover yourself. Board shorts can be too much, and only serve to draw attention to you at the beach. Have fun and be confident. Life is too short to worry about how you look in a swimsuit. So ladies, please be mindful of your underwear and swimwear this summer. We will all appreciate it.



xoxo,



Ruth

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Shoes


I saw a really funny sticker the other day which said "I have more shoes than my girl does." It was amusing to me because it is a rather recent development that men have developed a shoe fetish. All the really bright sneakers and limited edition shoes out there have created a culture of men who collect shoes with more gusto than a woman drooling over some Jimmy Choo heels. Perhaps because men are naturally more competitive, or just because they are trying to make up for lost time, I feel they are surpassing females very quickly in this area. The only downside I see is that the man used to be the one to make sure that his girlfriend's shoes didn't get dirty as she walked down the street. Now, they are more concerned with their own kicks to bother watching out for ours. I watched my male friend clean his favorite white sneakers the other night for over 30 minutes! As long as it keeps men silent about how much women spend on shoes, however, I am willing to embrace the change.
xoxo,
Ruth

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Waiting for Spring


I am so ready for spring! I am especially excited about the change in wardrobe that warmer weather brings. I have had enough of the dark suiting and layers upon layers (though I was excited about them when fall came around). I want to have fun with summer weight suiting and brighter colors. For our spring collection, we are using really simple palm frond silhouettes in different ways. We are going to use them in the positive with a white stamp method and in the negative with a brown spray paint method. I especially love the beautiful spring colors: Orange, white, butter yellow, sky blue, celery green, and beige. Crisp white linen pants are my favorite for men out on the beach during the warmer months. Linen is a pain to keep unwrinkled, but a certain amount of wrinkle is expected, and the linen/cotton blends are fantastic. Now if the weather would only warm up sooner...

xoxo,

Ruth

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Top Ten for Men

1. A very well tailored jacket with a surprising lining
2. Pocket squares will slightly alarming prints
3. Button down shirts with great texture
4. A chunky watch
5. Dark rinse denim with a straight leg
6. A graphic tee which has a graphic in an unexpected place
7. Layers
8. A great face-framing haircut
9. A 'man'-icure (trimmed, buffed nails)
10. Interesting athletic shoes

Monday, February 25, 2008

Fibers


There has been much discussion of fiber content. I was in a very well known retailer last week and ran across a very nice wrap dress with a horrific fiber content. The 80% rayon (which would have been nice) was offset by 20% nylon! The nylon was obviously added in order to reduce the cost per yard of the fabric (nylon is a very inexpensive fiber), but it made the fabric wrinkle very badly. How much did this retailer save when no one wants to buy the dress because of how badly it wrinkles? I am a bit of a fiber snob. I am not the type of person to only wear natural fibers, but I like 'good' fibers. Some polyester can look cheesy, but polyester microfiber is a very smooth fabric and has the ability to wick moisture away from the body (plus it's easy to clean and color-fast). Generally speaking, I am a fan of rayon and cotton. They are both breathable fibers, and they drape well. In terms of stretch, spandex is my favorite. I love spandex! Not that I want to see everyone walking around in clothing shellacked to their bodies, but stretch is a wonderful thing, and helps to allow the body to move freely in the clothing. Anyone who has put on tight denim without spandex knows that moving freely is a tremendously helpful thing. So fiber content can really make a difference in how well a garment works, so next time you go shopping go ahead and look at the tag.
xoxo,
Ruth

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Food



One of my guy friends explained to me that men can only know colors as blue, yellow, orange, etc. Salmon and mango, are not colors to men, they are food, and food alone. What I think is strange about that philosophy is that some of the best colors out there are described by foods. Sage, tangerine, persimmon, cerise, candy apple red, salmon, butter yellow, peach, eggplant, and berry are fantastic shades. In our current collection of basic tees we have a shade called butter. Food, like color, is delicious and should be indulged in regularly. I know, as a woman, I am constantly overjoyed when I meet a guy with a fantastic sense of style which is almost always coupled with a great sense of color. I don't see it as being 'manly' when a guy doesn't know of a certain color. In fact, guys get more kudos for being aware of them. Clearly he is either well read or pays attention to the other women in his life enough to know.


xoxo,


Ruth

P.S. To see our butter tee go to www.dept728.com/bt2x.html


Color



I am back and forth on the issue of color in dressing. Sometimes I opt for an all black ensemble, but make sure I play with texture and proportion. In fact, I often find it more interesting to see someone dressed mono chromatically with lots of texture and really interesting seam work. Perhaps it's more to play with, visually, since I like that sort of thing as a designer. It may not be something most people pick up on. Color, however, doesn't go unnoticed. A really fantastic print can make a boring jeans and shirt into something very chic, and for men, using a print on pocket squares, ties, and trouser socks (or very bright sneakers if you are part of the hipster set) can really push an outfit up to the next level. Stylist Sarah Shirley said it is important to add color to a boring outfit, even if it means putting on a colored shoe with a gray or black suit. Eye candy works to every one's advantage. It shows personality. It gets noticed, and who wouldn't want that?


xoxo,


Ruth

Thursday, February 21, 2008

The Skinny



Ties for men, are similar to women and shoes. Some women have 100s of shoes, and some men have 100s of ties. Just like whether or not a woman has the build to wear shoes with ankle straps (note: most women should not, it visually cuts off the leg) men cannot always pull off a skinny tie. The skinny tie is a definite fashion statement. It is hip, mod, and very chic. Most trends, however, are not suited to all people. Skinny ties are the same. For most men, proportion is everything. The smaller the man, the better off he is with a smaller (skinnier) tie. Dior Homme has skinny suits and skinny ties for skinny men. Medium builds can usually wear skinny ties as long as they are paired with a sport coat to narrow the visual field. Larger builds, though, should stick with a more traditional tie. The proportion of a traditional tie on a broader man will make for a more attractive ensemble, or forgo the tie completely and buy a fantastic pocket square.


xoxo,


Ruth

Options



There are only a few garments that hang in my closet with only one option. Most of the clothing I own tends to have multiple uses. Dresses are generally the garments that can only be worn one way. Sometimes that is the best thing about them. When it is impossible to decide what to wear, a dress is the perfect answer. The only thing to decide is what accessories to pair it with. On other days, when I am in the mood to really get dressed, I prefer to find new ways to wear the garments I already own. New options for things I have make me giddy. Sometimes I throw things on my bed and layer them until something new emerges. When I work with private clients this exercise allows them to see all the fantastic things they already own (and then we throw the other 50% of the their wardrobe out). I think everyone should try it at home with their own clothes: Pull out one or two pieces that don't get much use (but the terribly ugly stuff should be donated to charity) and start pulling out items that may or may not work with that first item. Throw them all together on the bed and start playing around with combinations. Eventually something wonderful will emerge.

xoxo,

Ruth

1...2...3...Piece Suiting


Some say that American men have become overly casual. There are days where I walk down the street and think that this statement is true. Tuesday, however, threw me for a loop. Ironically, I was in the loop in Chicago. I had been downtown on a job and was walking through a building on the way back to the train. Down the corridor I notice a handsome, tall, well dressed man walking in the opposite direction. He was wearing a fantastic light brown suit, and had worn a lightweight maroon zip sweater over his collared shirt, and underneath his jacket. The suit was impeccably tailored, and the dash of color in the center was genius. I am sure I stared at him a bit too long because he caught me looking at him. I know that I must not have been the only woman to notice him that day. Kudos to the American men out there who understand the art of dressing!
xoxo,
Ruth

P.S. If you are thinking of rocking a vest underneat your sportcoat check out DEPT728's argyle vest at www.dept728.com/bt6x.html