Death Comes, Agent "Provocative"!

That's right, fellas. A big round of applause to the Creative Directors, photographers and stylists for this racy ad. Or are your hands too busy to shake, as this ad shoves hundreds of sexually-craved individuals into a frenzy of perpetual indulgence in the realm of lust and sexual fantasy? It seems that today, it is not uncommon to walk by a bus stop and find an ad, much like this one, plastered on a billboard. But what are these norms that we have so accepted? Is it possible that in another time, our ancestors would have found this sort of provocative media undoubtedly horrific? We have made it so far as 3,000 years back where nudity was deemed acceptable (maybe even encouraged) then hit a downslope of covering up our bodies only to discover that by baring it all, we could each reap the benefits of keeping the world's economy going in a steep progression? And how sad the models look.

Suggesting from their attire, Model 1 and model 2 just returned to their trailers in Southern Arizona after a tearful Funeral in loving memory of Aunt Mildred. Nothing brings the cheer up like sitting out by the pool while stripping down out of their black good-for-all-occasions cocktail two-piece to bare almost everything to swim lustfully in the 103-degree weather heat. It all sounds wonderful. Believe me. Accurate? Not so sure if I would say accurate. Is it in this case, then considered appropriate to not toy with every life experiences: good, bad, happy or sad? The argument of sex and the media can go for days (they even have blogs dedicated to this topic) and the reality of the situation can vary from many angles.

This ad can go both ways. It can teach us of what we don't do right after a wake, and perhaps what would be considered inappropriate. Or, it simply could tell us that most of us aren't realists and hate to follow norms of being mournful for a long period of time. Can we ever be sad then do a quick 2-minute costume change back into our everyday lives? The answer, I'm afraid, is a little blurred. What these ads try to convey to their general audience may have hidden messages or may stand out, loud and clear. Just one thing is certain. Rain or shine, these ads must follow a strict guideline of a theme, followed with half-naked chicks and a pool. If only there was a Maserati and a couple pitchers of Pilsner, I would be looking at a fantasized image of straight male heaven. This ad to me, is the last plausible ad to scream, "Ladies, please buy our products here at Guess? Inc.".

No plaid after 5pm

Burberry Plaid. One of fashion's most notable checkered patterns. During harsh weathered conditions or a simple picnic in Central Park, you are sure to see this beige plaid. This plaid is synonymous for style, exquisite quality and an unparalleled level of class. It seems almost any occasion could be presented with an item off the shelves of any of the 150 year-old brand's boutiques, right? Wrong. Plaid, albeit its remarkable pattern and ability to go with almost any look, should be worn carefully. It is important to realize that the original Burberry plaid (a combination of black, grey, white, beige and red) is a daytime plaid and should be worn ONLY during the day. Of course, this is no official rule, but when looking carefully at many women and men who enter nightclubs and restaurants for dinner donning the original Burberry plaid, the picture looks a little strange. This daytime plaid can indefinitely transform any look into an elegant, dignified ensemble. However, when this plaid is paired with an evening blouse or a suit ready to take on the town, the pattern is sure to clash with the image of almost any evening ensemble. This preppy look of Burberry is a sureshot for many night crawlers out and about the town after 5pm, yet this plaid pattern doesn't say "I'm ready to hit the town". Instead, the pattern says, "I'm ready to take a long stroll in the English countryside with my lover". Like oil and water, Burberry plaid speaks daytime when perhaps your look to go out at night may scream, "I'm ready to dance and have some fun". This is by no means a lecture to refrain from wearing the British brand, however, this is to redirect those to keep your day clothes as day clohes and going-out clothes as your going-out clothes. As once said, there is a time and place for everything. The famous Burberry plaid pattern never seemed so suitable for an accent to a Vera Wang evening gown or a Dolce and Gabbana suit.

Style Notes: Men's Summer Must-Haves

Here in Colorado, its seems to be a very regular fashion statement to wear flip flops after a snow storm. The pathways of the University of Colorado are not the only places in which guys don leather or rubber sandals and head out the door. This can only mean one thing. Summer is a desired time of year where many thrive on warm weather, summer flirting as well as an abundance of outdoor activities. Other seasons go green with envy over the privileges that summer has to offer us.

This list of the 7 must-haves is a sureshot to stay cool, look sharp and feel great over the year's hottest months.


1) Invest in a sensible wallet. Wallets are on you for a majority of the day and will be used more than any other item at any given time. From your driver's liscence to photos, credit cards to business cards, your wallet holds them all. It is important to have a sharp wallet that is sturdy, everything-resistant, and stylish. You will ultimately pay for an item that will last you decades without looking "old-fashioned" and understated.
Ken suggests: A Louis Vuitton Billfold with 6 Credit Card Slots at $260.

2) Wear a sharp watch. Nowadays, people feel they can leave their watches at home because they have a phone to which they can turn to for time. A contemporary or classic style watch, however, can add a break point in your outfit to integrate technology with fashion and style. Watches may tend to run in the upper thousands, yet there is no need to spend too much cheese to sport a flashy watch. Instead, try to find a simple or sporty classic style watch or a more modern and contemporary watch with a flashy flair. Try to avoid big, heavy watches for the sake of comfort or leather bands as they don't last as long while maintaining their original look. This will ensure a bolder statement, attract more compliments and at the same time will save you big bucks.
Ken suggests: The Nixon "Rotolog" at $200. This serves as an edgy statement filled with innovative design and quality performance.

3) Get Tan! A great tan is a method to avoid a dead-look and revives a more lively appearance. Once considered an underclass apearance, high class society viewed a deep tan as a thing for outdoor workers who are underpaid. These days, a tan can re-create anyone's image to an active, healthy and sexually-appealing image. All it takes to get the look is 10 minutes each day in the sun; front side and back side. Dermatologists will most likely suggest a 15spf moisturizer/sunblock to avoid harmful rays and to avoid skin-aging. If you have trouble getting the tan you want, try bronzers or moisturizers that have a tiny amount of self tanner to give your skin a summertime glow year round.
Ken suggests: Clinique for Men's Non-Streak Bronzer at $13.50 per tube. For sun protection, try Anthony Logistics for Men Facial Moisturizer (spf 15) at $30 per tube.

4) Smell Great. The key to a successful image can go beyond looking great. This summer, smells go wild as fresher, tastier and more attractive fragrances hit department stores. Instead of spritzing heavy cologne, opt for a lighter fragrance with more floral tones. This will not hinder your masculinity and at the same time will avoid headache-inducing fragrances in the hot summer weather. This will also keep your scent unobtrusive to everyday activities and at the same time will become an element that adds to a fresher summer image. An important thing to remember is that fragrances have life cycles in and out of the bottle. Find the scent that matches your own body scent, receive a tester and use it for a week straight to see if that fragrance is right for you when you first spray it on, an hour after you spray it and the smell of the fragrance after that hour. To keep bottles fresh, keep your cologne in a refridgerator or a cool space in your bathroom to make the scent last.
Ken suggests: Dior Homme starting at $45 a bottle.

5) Find a great-fitted T-Shirt. Ever since the T-shirt has been invented, style gurus have been going crazy with innovative ways to keep the T-shirt a staple style item in everyone's closet. From a simple Hanes to the elaborately- embroidered, the T-shirt can vary from casual to Haute Couture. Yet not any T-shirt will do. Try to find a T-shirt that not only compliments your outfit, but compliments your body type. There is no need for a leaner-bodied individual to purchase an XL because they don't offer his size. Try a smaller size that will fit your body, find T-shirts that allow flexibility and pick and choose colors that compliment your skin tone. Refrain from baggy arms or cropped Tee's.
Ken suggests: Urban Outfitters Heathered Tee's at $14 or American Apparel's Fine Jersey Short Sleeve Tee's at $15.

6) Invest in comfortable Flip Flops. It comes as no surprise to any girl (or guy for that matter) that one of the most attractive casual outfits that a man can wear involves jeans, a plain Tee and flip flops. Known for its throw-on-and-go style, flip flops can be very comfortable, easy to wear and wildly inexpensive. Not any flip flops will do, however. Many innovative styles of flip flops have sprung up over the years, creating new colors, unique fabrics, more comfortable rubber soles, crazier designs, etc. Although they seem like fun and something new, flip flops are at its best when maintaining its simplistic design. Leather or rubber, flip flops are simply better at a more basic style to compliment your look. Try to avoid bright colors, a mixture of two colors within a single pair, thick platform-esque (God forbid) flip flops or flip flops that are too small, too big, too narrow or too wide for your feet. All-Black flip flops are very standard and can add the finishing touches to any look. Other colors can add a different statement if so desired. Leather flip flops are just as acceptable too.
Ken suggests: Havaiana flip flops around $10 a pair or Rainbow Sandals at $48 a pair.

7) Your It-Jeans. However inexpensive the outfit, whatever accessories you decide to wear in any given look, a pair of designer-label jeans will turn your entire ensemble into an award-winning fashion choice. Designer jeans, not only known for its quality and celebrity-wearing reputation, is a style must-have for anyone in the market for turning heads and wow-ing passersbys. Jeans have gone through great lengths to become to number one item in every man and woman's closet. They range from colors to cuts, detailing to thickness. Jeans have it all, and with careful research, the right fit can offer you curves you've never seen, lengths you've dreamt of, and, of course, compliments (as an added bonus!). When choosing the right pair, prepare for a journey through many fitting rooms, as it is never easy to find the "right pair". Make your decision based on the style (slim fitting or bootcut), wash (dark denim or stone-washed), waist (low-cut or mid waisted), and Detailing (ranging from buttonfly to zipperfly to bleached whiskers by the zipper and behind the knees). These choices will help your decision flow much easier when finding the right pair. During the daytime in the summer, a more favored choice for wash tends to be a lighter color as well as a lighter denim to ease up on the sweating.
Ken suggests: True Religion Joey Jeans at $190 or Paper Denim & Cloth Jeans around $175.

For Style or Comfort?

It is all too often we come to a complete hault and stand confused when answering the age-old question of fashion: Fashion for comfort or fashion for image? When we shop for clothes, is it really about what we think looks good or what we think looks comfortable? We brainwash ourselves time and again to think that we can buy something because we justify its level of sex appeal and which model or celebrity wears it (and wears it well). Do we spend all this money just to realize in the end we are doing it for the sake of fashion and not for comfort? A seemingly-perfect purchase of a pair of slacks, a pair of sky-high stiletto's, a gold bangle or a designer-label shirt can impair our ability to choose comfort over fashion. Who will know if the pants are two sizes too small, the stiletto's are 4.5 inches too uncomfortable, the bangle cuts off blood circulation to your hand or the shirt still itches after wearing it 5 times. We are constantly being bombarded with choices that can lead us to think we have just made the perfect purchase or that we just spent too much money on an item we will never use. In these situations, it is best to step back and assess the situation wisely.

First and foremost, decide whether or not it is an item you can afford. If you feel you cannot afford it, the item becomes a more risky purchase in the event that you may never use it. If you carelessly spend money (and can afford it), the question of purchasing such an expensive item becomes trivial. Secondly, research the item. Is it something that you would wear? Do you own anything like it? In the case that you feel you cannot wear it frequently, is it a classic item that will not go out of style in a couple of months? Third, is the level of comfort worth it to you? If you decide to wear it and you inevitably get those blisters on the bottom of your foot, is the pain worth it? Are you willing to suck in your stomach to fit those jeans for a day? These are all decisions that we must ask ourselves individually. The reason behind this is because we each have our own levels of pain that we can endure throughout the duration of wearing the item.

The key idea is that we need to evaluate the situation so that items being worn can accommodate our own comfort levels. Where are we wearing the item? Do we have to move a lot? If so will it cause discomfort? For a cab ride to a restaurant for a dinner date, we can assume there won't be much walking involved, so naturally, stiletto's may become an appropriate choice (that is if heels are hard to walk in for you). In a situation where your pants are too tight, if you have to sit for hours on end, you might encounter high levels of discomfort as your skin is pushing hard up against your pelvic bone. It is safe to say that by evaluating your wardrobe choices, you will have made a more wise decision in wearing clothes that will leave you feeling more comfortable without sabotaging your outfit or your own personal style choices.

Interlude

When questioning the credentials of any blogger online, it is hard to assess their accomplishments, their knowledge and the true accuracy of the content they post. Fashion, like most fields of interest, can vary from region to region, culture to culture, and person to person. So, what allows for anyone to feel they have the right to criticize anyone else's style choices? One of the only ways in which anyone can fairly critique someone's unique style choices is to understand how their choices can appropriately compliment their character, personality and physical features. This blog is intended to educate those who are unfamiliar with their own personal style choices, perhaps those who have already made choices but can use the advice to their benefit and anyone alse who is interested in how to reflect their own personal style through the use of clothing, accessories, gadgets, etc. I hope that in exploring this blog, you can gain a bit of information on the peaks and pitfalls of fashion trends, how to use fashion wisely, and more importantly to your advantage.

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