Old School Barbershop

If you’re going for a simple haircut with a corporate look, it might be worth the investment and going old school. Take Marlon Brando here for an example. Something simple but suave at the same time. Just rock up to your barber and ask for an Ivy League haircut.

To get the look, try American Crew hair products. It’s apparently the same product which hair stylists use at the set of Mad Men. The American Crew Grooming Cream and Pomade both provide that classic sheen to hair. If you’re after a flat and sleeker look, the Grooming Cream will provide a strong hold to keep your hair down when applying it to slightly damp hair. But for a look with a bit more volume, go for the Pomade applied to towel dried hair. It’ll keep the verticality whilst keeping it in shape.

If you have fine hair and want to provide a bit more depth and volume before applying the Pomade, look into the American Crew Light Hold Texture Lotion.

 

Now that you’ve got the paint and canvass sorted, try using natural boar bristle brushes to sculpt your hair into place. Kent brushes have been making brushes since the 18^th Century and considering that they still exist today, you can assume that they know what they’re doing.

 

For men check out military brushes which soldiers in the past used to woo the ladies. Natural boar bristles are meant to distribute those natural oils in your hair without aggravating the scalp that can lead to hair loss. In fact it stimulates the scalp which can prevent dandruff. If you want a comb to take with you, Kent’s handmade combs are made from natural acetate which is meant to minimise static when you run it through your hair. The make of these combs are also meant to minimise hair loss from hair breakage with their rounded teeth.

 To maintain healthy hair, use natural oils such as Jojoba Oil or Argan Oil (also known as Moroccan Oil). Jojoba oil imitates the body’s natural oils and will provide moisture to your hair. A few drops of Argan Oil will reinvigorate it with essential fatty acids and vitamins. If you want to minimise frizz and give a healthy shine to your hair these things are quickly absorbed and do their thing pronto.

As for Shampoo and Conditioner? I just use Head & Shoulders...LIKE A BAWSE!

Online:

http://www.americancrew.com/splash.html

http://kentbrushes.com/

http://jojobanatural.com.au/

http://oilofmoroccoshop.com.au/

If the suit fits.

The meaning of tailored to you means exactly that. The fit, the shape and overall size is fitted specifically to your body and your body only.

The caveat? Be prepared to spend money.

Sometimes a tailored suit can reach the thousands. The more custom fitting, the more dough required.

There are basically 3 different types you should be aware of: bespoke, made-to-measure and ready-to-wear.

Bespoke suits are suits made from scratch from the customer's exact measurements giving the best fit possible. Bespoke suits are generally unnecessary for most people if there are more affordable options available. Bespoke are most suitable for men with unusual shapes like being extremely stocky and short or the complete opposite.

Made-to-measure are what most people would associate with tailor made suits. This is when your measurements are used to match the closest sizing templates available. It is later modified to the customer when the suit is being made.

Ready-to-wear are also known as off-the-rack suits. Suits that are pre-made in stores. They can be made with slightly extra material which can be altered and brought in by a tailor according to the customer's measurements for a more fitted look.

Tailors are skilful craftsmen. Though it may seem unnecessary, finding both an honest tailor with the skills to match is just as important as finding the suit for you. As a client, establishing a relationship will be worthwhile in the long term if you're investing in more suits. Remember their name and eventually you'll be asking for the usual. It's a bit like your relationship with your barber. You trust them enough to mess with your hair and yet you keep coming back.

A slim fit suit that fits you perfectly will create more of an impression than a non-tailored suit off-the-rack. If the following image is any indication, then I rest my case.

But even if you're getting a designer suit, get it tailored. It will be the difference between being treated like a juvenile or a professional by both business associates and women.

But don't go to some cheap alterations and dry-cleaning store. Though some may have sufficient skill, it's nothing compared to what real tailors can do for you. That was my first mistake. I spent $130 from an alterations place and though it achieved the slim-fitted look I wanted, it was undermined by the wrinkles made when I shuffled around - something tailors are constantly aware of. Lucky it was a polyester suit. I've since paid double the amount from real tailors that have done wonders on other suits.

This rule also applies to waistcoats, overcoats, trench-coats and coat coats. (I made the last one up).

If you want to know the Sydney tailors I've used in the past hit us up in the comments and I'll pass you on their details. Both have had at least 50 years experience.

- W.A.

Imperial Denim Jeans

 
Brand: Imperial
Style: Duke Indigo
Aged: 2.3 years occasional wear
Washed: 1 time

- A.C.

1st day of Autumn

Time to balance out the corporate wardrobe (filled with checks and stripes) with some dots for this Autumn.

- A.C.

Shhh...The Trees are Spying

Oh Shhh i.e. Check these babies out. The long story short they're sunnies made from wood. Whether you're a pseudo-hipster into promoting your love for nature or an anthropocentric a-hole willing to slice-up wood for something so meagre as fashion eye-wear, then Shwood may have you covered. With an array of six different designs that evoke the classic shapes of Carrera or Ray-Ban you might just get a new found love with these little hand-crafted works of art. The frames are fitted with Carl Zeiss lenses with polarized lenses also being an option. To tell you the truth, the idea of rocking these are growing on me.

Wonder if these would catch on...fire?

Touch wood.

- W.A.

Online store and international retailers:

http://shwoodshop.com/

Shirt fit guide

*This post is dedicated to a friend of mine who has been fearful one too many times that a guys shirt button may pop off and shoot directly at her!*

Some guys wear shirts that are so wrong that I've been desperate to write this post for a long time. Follow these simple rules and its actually quite easy not to look like a douche in a shirt.

People may opt to buy a shirt that fits in most places and then get certain parts of the shirt tailored. If you're spending $150+ on a shirt, it might as well fit right. So find a shirt that fits well off the rack or drop some serious coin on a full tailored shirt.

An important thing to keep in mind is that brands will often design shirts for specific body types. Learn which brands lend themselves to your body type. Furthermore, brands tend to change their sizing every season or so, therefore it's always best to check that the current season's extra small has the same measurements as last season's extra small.




Collar: Point collar & button down collars are the best for more casual button up shirts. They look good when worn with ties as well. Cutaway or spread collar shirts are suitable for wider ties. I would avoid cutaway collars for casual occasions as they are too 'John Travolta' in the absence of a tie.

Taylor Lautner below wearing a cutaway collar shirt with a tie:

Buttons: A good fitting shirt should be able to be buttoned up comfortably all the way to the top button. There should be enough room around your neck for your forefinger and index finger, even though most guys will leave the top button undone for a comfortable look. Depending on the shirt, you might want to wear the shirt with the buttons done up all the way (even without a tie) to bring out the lines and detail of the shirt. Having the top 3 or 4 buttons of your shirt undone, should be absent from anyone's play book - leave the cleavage for the ladies to play with.

Width: A shirt should be wide enough so that the buttons on the shirt are under no ounce of stress at all when you're wearing it in the relaxed position. You should also be able to stretch your arms out to the side greater than a 180 degree angle and the buttons shouldn't look like they're about to pop. Similarly, you should be able to 'hug yourself' comfortably without any major stress on the shirt. A common error guys make is going for a slim fitting shirt, when in fact the shirt is way too slim.

Zac Efron misses the mark here, posing in a shirt that's too small with buttons under stress:

Length: A shirt should be long enough so that you can reach up with both arms with the shirt front and back still covering your upper body. Any less and you might as well be wear a mid drift top! A good shirt length also makes the shirt more versatile, allowing you to tuck it in when required. Shirts that aren't long enough are difficult to keep tucked in even with a belt.

Sleeves: Shirt sleeves should have enough room in the sleeves for you to be able to flex those guns (or sticks in my case) in their full range of movement. The cuffs shouldn't extend any shorter than at the wrist and no longer than where the base of your thumb meets your hand. French (or double) cuffs are strictly for formal occasions, while the button (or barrel) cuff is suitable for any event. There should also be enough room in the arm hole areas so that your armpits aren't grinding on the seams of the shirt.

Example of nice casual shirt fit sported by Andrew Garfield:

- A.C.

Kate Moss for Supreme again!

In an informal announcement of their Spring-Summer 2012 Collection, Supreme has plastered photos of Kate Moss all around New York and London.

Kate Moss stars in Supreme’s Spring campaign wearing a leopard print coat over a white Supreme tee, dutifully pouting with cigarette dangling from hand. Since the beginning of Supreme, the box logo t-shirt has been a staple of the brand. The brand’s die-hards know this isn’t the ageless supermodel’s first rodeo with Supreme.

Supreme has worked with many unconventional celebrities you wouldn’t necessarily associate with fashion.  The subject of their ads have been Kermit the Frog, Mike Tyson and Lou Reed and some that have a closer kinship to fashion like Ghostface Killah and Lady Gaga but now appropriately, the brand is linking up with the highest grossing model ever, Kate Moss.

Love or hate Supreme, it's pushing all the right pieces in fashion to create all the hype. Good luck getting your hands on the choice picks of Supreme's Spring/Summer collection in 2012.

- A.C.

Celebrity Spotlight: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has come along way from being that dorky kid in 3rd Rock from the Sun.

His top movie roles include being star of the indie movie Brick, an airhead teen in 10 Things I Hate about you, the man with the best sob story in 500 days of Summer and the maestro in Inception. He will soon star in the next Batman movie The Dark Knight rises.

Whether Joseph Gordon-Levitt is self styled or has a professional stylist, he is always sporting clean lines and tailor-made-to-perfection suits. If you ever need advice on know how don a dress shirt, tie, waist coat and suit, pay close attention to him boys. Always parading the best blends of fabrics, matching colours and creating timeless looks. Ladies, if you need advice on how to help your man put together a dress outfit for that special occasion, look no further than Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the prime example.

- A.C.

Staples: Marco Ventura

Sartorial 6 Blogger

- Guess Keyloop w/Keys & UNDFTD Bottle Opener
- Oroton Leather Wallet
- Blackberry Bold 9900
- Seiko SKX031
- HUGO by Hugo Boss Perfume 6mL
- BIC x Carhartt Lighter
- LV Cigarette Case
- RetroSuperFuture Tortoise Shell Flat Top



- M.V