Bravado Living

Ties are a great way to set off a dress shirt, add a little more spice or presence to your person. They can also make you look like a douchy clown who got pelted with melted crayons. Sometimes, I feel, some guys just have no idea that the tie they are wearing is taking away attention from the rest of their attire. You don’t want to wear colors that seem to be visual equivalent to a scream. There has to be some correlation between this and the fact that men are more susceptible to color-blindness. Of course, we might never know if men are buying bad ties because they can’t see the colors or are the colors burning out the retinas of men? Who knows, chicken and the egg.

This Jacquard silk tie by Gucci is exactly the type of tie men should be buying. The colors are soft and perfect for adding some subtle presence, coming in both the above-pictured silver one and a much darker blue one. The design is great too, with the renowned double G symbol that often adorns Gucci products and some tiny dots. This type of tie is great for almost all occasions. It is equally at home in the office, at weddings, brunch, lunch, or at a formal evening party.

BUY IT Gucci Jacquard Tie $180

Your watch, your shoes, your belt. Your briefcase. At the office there are very few items that can make you stand out from the crowd. Unlike women, men are stuck wearing the standard office suit and same boring “power” tie combinations or risk looking foolish. So for the few items that can set you apart and solidify your individuality–splurge.

Now I know you’re going to grimace when you see the price, but when you consider the fact that no other item in your wardrobe will get brought with you to the office more than your briefcase, you deserve a quality item. Remember rule number 7.

This slim attache from Ferragamo will do the trick. Solid, subtle, sexy, just the way your cologne should be. But when people get close, everyone notices.

Dress for the job you want. Not the job you have. Your coworkers won’t really appreciate your subtle upgrade in style, but that CEO on the top floor (probably the only other guy who recognizes the finger things in life) will.

BUY IT Ferragamo Cosmopolitan Briefcase $1,600

Didn’t we tell you that a great pair of shoes didn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. For instance, check out these gorgeous Italian made wingtips with a classic medallion toe. Constructed out of brown calf and suede leathers, these are too casual for the office, but will instantly give your weekend look a touch of “old school cool.”

A man that wears these shoes is the kind of man that wears argyle socks. Probably has a library card. Returns phone calls in a timely manner. Smells clean like the woods. Has neat penmanship. Calls his grandmother at least once a week just to say hi. Can sew a button onto a shirt, if need be. Returns calls in a timely manner. Had a zine in high school and/or a blog now. Has created at least one piece of artwork on his bedroom walls. Writes songs on his acoustic guitar. Knows how to drive stick shift cars. Never kisses and tells. Will make you dinner on your third date. Wears v-neck sweaters. Listens to rap music while he does housework. Appreciates a good scotch. Has a cool brother. Has smoked a cigar and/or a pipe at some point. Owns a shoe shine kit. Likes British sit-coms. In other words, he’s probably a pretty cool guy.

You have to dress for the life you want. Not the life you have. At $130 bucks, these shoes seem like a good place to start.

BUY IT Johnston and Murphy Matheson Wingtip Shoes $130

We’ve been getting a lot of questions asking us the difference between a blazer, a suit jacket, and a sport coat. Well gentlemen we’re here to clear the air. Blazers are a basketball team from Portland, Oregon (please excuse the bad joke, it’s 2:00 am).

In all seriousness.

BLAZERS

Blazers are not merely jackets that are worn with a pair of off-color slacks. They are a staple in a man’s wardrobe. In many instances should be one of the first major clothing purchases in your life, and will serve you very well as versatile, stylish, anchor of your style. So what is it?

A blazer is a two or three button (buy it in two), wool jacket , most commonly seen in navy, and adorned with gold buttons. Other than your favorite pair of dark jeans, no item is more forgiving. Trust us. You can wear it with just about anything from khakis on casual friday, to jeans for a night on the town, to seersucker pants if you’re really feeling adventurous, this companion can do it all. If you don’t have one already, please buy one. Like most things they make, we prefer Ralph Lauren’s Purple Label version as it sits well, holds its shape, and looks phenomenal.

Also make sure to get it tailored. Notice the silhouette of the jacket above and how the shape can make you look jacked, even though you haven’t done a pull-up in your life.

SPORT COATS

Sport coats on the other hand tend to be a patterned worsted wool with either a checker, herringbone, or corset pattern. It is almost always a rougher texture due to it’s lower thread count. This lends itself as the most casual jacket of the bunch. Worn for lazy days at the track, a passport holder at the airport, or to dress up a pair of jeans, the sport coat- while not the most essential of items- will definitely yield itself useful when the time comes.

SUIT JACKET

The suit jacket is recognizable by it’s higher thread count and matching pants (never wear a jacket with “close enough” pants and try to pass it off as a suit- everyone can tell). It can be adorned by any number of patterns but most commonly a chalk or pin stripe like the suit featured below.

Notice the pocket square, thinner tie, and tailored jacket. Well done, sir. Well done indeed.

King James will return to his court October 27, and he’ll be wearing these. Designed specifically for LeBron James, the Nike Air Max LeBron VII ($160; October 24) is the company’s most advanced hoops shoe yet. It features a new custom Max 360 Air sole with 80 percent more air than the previous full-length unit, strategically contoured with a thinner forefoot and deeper heel to put the cushioning where it’s needed most. For even more comfort and stability, it features Nike Flywire tensile fiber technology, a seamless integrated bootie, various visual hints to LeBron all over, and a full-grain leather upper with patent leather detailing throughout. -Via