I'm pleased to join the chorus congratulating Billy Reid on this honor. I have frequently highlighted his footwear in this space, and now I'll tell you a little bit about his line in general and some of his other handsome creations. When you look at Billy Reid's designs, you get a distinct sense of the persona and character of the pieces themselves: the effortlessness of Southern charm. Based in Alabama, Reid has a down-home approach to producing fine quality clothing and accessories and imbues his line with a slow, sweet, bourbony feeling (which, incidentally they will serve you from the bar in back of his East Village store). He produces everything from handmade suits and ties to his eponymous sport shirts and jeans. He even did a quirky red union suit with hunting-themed patches that Bloomingdales had to reorder five times last year! One of my favorite pieces in his current collection is the plaid shirt above (my photo skills unfortunately do not do justice to the warmth of the purple or the richness of the forest green). The unusual color combination is masculine and distinctly appealing. It's a stepped-up version of the more common Eddie Bauer and L.L. Bean alternatives. More images of Billy Reid looks, including the union suit and a bright orange and white plaid shirt that's not for the faint-hearted, below.Congrats Billy...well played.
A $30 Tie For Spring From H&M
H&M just got a new shipment of ties, and this one for $29.99 may be my favorite. The green is eye-catching without being garish. It makes me think of Spring: fresh and clean with green grass and the start of baseball season! I would pair it with a navy suit, white shirt as shown, and if you're feeling it, a pair of patterned socks with yellow-gold in them like these.
While Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow on Groundhog day this past Monday, here in New York, Staten Island Chuck saw his...encouraging news as I don't think I can wait another six weeks!
Show Your Stripes
I'm loving this black and white striped Ralph Lauren tie that I got on sale for a client at Bergdorf Goodman. Originally $150, it rang up as $69. The deals these days are out of control.We'll pair it with a white dress shirt as shown above, a black vest and matching black trousers. I also like it with the striped and checkered shirts below. While pattern mixing may feel a little strange if you've never done it before, consider it as a "next step." Branching out this way will also give you more options to work with when putting outfits together. The main consideration when doing this is to make sure the patterns you pair up are of different proportions to one another. Here, too, the striped shirt works because its stripes run vertical, while those on the tie run diagonal. When done correctly, pattern mixing is an excellent way of adding versatility to your wardrobe.
Wardrobe Change: Jake the Bachelor's Tie Selection
What I learned from last night's episode of The Bachelor on ABC: if your tie is bad, it's ok to change it...and then change it again, even if you're in the middle of a rose ceremony.
There are a few reasons why this look is so sad. First, the knot on the tie looks like an awkward box (whoever tied it didn't pinch the base enough while pulling the wide end through the loop). Second, you can see the top button of his shirt behind the tie. The tie knot should always cover shirt buttons, or it’s Schlubtown, USA. Also, the shirt hangs open on the left side of his neck, which makes it look like it either doesn’t fit correctly or isn’t pressed right. Finally, the pattern on the tie. Wavy lines near one’s face are not a good thing. You want people to smile when they look at you, not get a migraine!
This second look is better but still not great. Although the knot on his tie is much improved, the tie itself has that fancy-80's-bathroom-wallpaper thing going, which I would not advise wearing – that is unless you’re a time-traveling powder room from the Playboy Mansion.
Finally...harmony. This combo is much improved. The tie is all class, no glitz in sight, and the blue shirt brings out the blue in his eyes. This color is a good choice for him, as it gives him an extra glint while he slowly but methodically weeds out all ladies not deserving of his pilot’s wings.I have perhaps overshared about my affinity for The Bachelor, but last night's episode provided some good lessons about neckwear indeed!