As seen on the Brilliant Event Planning blog.
Every groom should look dashing at his wedding. If the dress code permits, ditch the tux in favor of a well-chosen, perfectly-fitting suit. The beauty of buying a knock-out suit is that once you have it, you can wear it for different occasions like job interviews or other important events. It’s a wise use of your wedding budget, and all guys look fantastic in a well-fitted suit.Here are some of my top tips on suiting up your wedding:
- Color: A navy or grey suit with a white shirt and black shoes are excellent options. If you’re not asking your groomsmen to buy the same exact suit as yours (which is a great way to build goodwill with them, especially if budget is an issue), you should give them guidance on color. In this situation, opt for navy because if you just tell them, “buy grey suits,” you’ll end up with all different shades and patterns. Black can work too, but it’s a strong color that not everyone looks good in, so go with the easier-to-wear navy.
- Time of Day: If your wedding is a more casual, daytime affair, you can wear a navy blazer, shirt, and tie with khaki, grey or seersucker pants. To look really pulled together with this option, match the metals of your belt buckle and watch to the buttons on your blazer. So if your buttons are gold, wear a gold buckle and a gold watch. With silver-tone buttons, opt for silver accessories.
- Ties: Neckwear provides a nice way to coordinate with the color the bridesmaids are wearing and with the color scheme of the overall event. Look for ties that pick up on colors that will appear elsewhere in the wedding. If you’re wearing a suit and you’d rather stick to a more classic and simple style for yourself, try a long white or silver tie, and let your groomsmen do the color thing. That way, you’ll have a look that pulls the event together as a cohesive whole.
My IT guy Vince showed up at a recent appointment armed not only with mad computer skills but also with a tote bag full of vintage vests. He had been digging through his family's attic when he came across a boatload of impeccably cared for vests that his father bought in the late 70's. His dad is an auditor for the NYC MTA. According to Vince, "modesty is probably the best quality he's shown me."Below is a picture of my most treasured possession from my dad. This old school beauty dates back to his fraternity days in the late 50's and early 60's. It takes softness to another level. Sadly, in a moment of unclear high school thinking, I cut off too much from the bottom. The crop top thing is a little much -- even for this child of the 80's. So it rarely makes an appearance out of doors. The best quality my dad taught me was the importance of hard work and perseverance in overcoming adversity.
So on this Father's Day, thank you for the vintage attic finds, for the hand-me-downs, and most of all, for being dad.
I met Ross D. at a party a few months back, and after one look at him, I knew we had to talk. That nonchalance! That haircut! Here was a guy who owns his look, whether it's a jean jacket and t-shirt or his "ride or die" vintage leather jacket. So I asked him a few questions...Rath: What do you do?Ross: I work in music. I do songwriter/producer management.Rath: Where do you hang out?Ross: I live in SoHo and pretty much never leave the downtown area. All my friends make fun of me. Going uptown is like a major travel commitment for me. The Upper East Side might as well be New Hampshire.Rath: Are you thinking of signing that guitarist behind you?Ross: If he can play "Stairway to Heaven" with his eyes closed, standing on one foot, while balancing a pineapple on this head then it's a done deal.Rath: What do you wear to a meeting with songwriters or producers?Ross: I usually wear whatever I feel comfortable in. The great thing about working in music is so can dress however you like. It enables you to express yourself creatively, which I feel ultimately helps foster both a creative and productive work environment.Rath: What's your favorite NYC music venue?Ross: I really like Bowery Ballroom. They always have good shows and the vibe is great. Brooklyn Bowl is a cool venue as well. Who wouldn't like kicking their friends asses in bowling while listening to great music?!Rath: What sort of outfit do you usually wear when you go there?Ross: I usually wear whatever I'm wearing to work, etc. However, recently I saw Hole play. I felt obligated to wear flannels and grunge it up.Rath: Where do you shop for clothes?Ross: Pretty much everywhere. In the words of my mom "Living in SoHo in like living in a mall". She is right. It is hard to step outside without buying anything. Trust me, I have the bills to prove it. I love vintage clothes. Eleven on Elizabeth is one of my favorites. LA has GREAT vintage. Jet Rag on La Brea is hard to beat.Rath: What's your favorite outfit?Ross: Definitely my black vintage motorcycle jacket. It took me forever to find the perfect one, but when I did I knew this was my "ride or die" jacket. I love the fact that the damn thing will outlive me and will probably end up right back in a vintage store someday being someone else's "amazing find". Full circle. Gotta love that.Rath: Where did you get that rad haircut?Ross: Amy at Arte Salon. She is the best. Not only does she give me a dope haircut every time, but she gives me whiskey too!Rath: Do you spend much time on hair styling, or are you a wash and wear guy?Ross: I'm definitely a wash and wear guy. Bed head was the best thing to happen to guys since ESPN. I wonder who the genius was that invented this look? Probably some hungover guy that was too lazy to comb his hair before work one day and just owned it. Brilliant.Rath: Do you have any men's style pet peeves?Ross: Wow I have a lot. First off, those knit hats with the baseball brims. They are the worst. This leads me to my next pet peeve...guys that wear knit hats in warm weather. If you are having a bad hair day or whatever just put on a baseball hat. I also really hate sandals. Good for the pool/beach but bad for everyday life. Who in the hell wants to see a man's hairy feet?!
I was flipping channels the other morning when I came across the above specimen of non-eyebrow grooming. At first I thought it was a joke, like maybe David Faber was having a snooze in the green room when Erin Burnett took a razor to one half of his brows and some crazy glue and a fake mustache to the other. But after a few minutes with no one batting an eyelash or, er, a long eyebrow strand, and showing David Faber how foolish he looked, I realized that it was no joke indeed.I’m not saying guys should go out and get their eyebrows perfectly formed, but when the pieces are so long they start to tickle your eyeballs, or you have one eyebrow instead of two (a unibrow? uh...check please), it’s time for a little grooming action. Find a reputable salon in your area and ask the groomer to reduce your brows. Tell him or her that you do not want scarily feminine eyebrows of the 
My cousin who works in A&R in the music industry sent me the above picture of his stylish self in the audience of the 
Bespoke refers to clothing made to a person's exact specifications and involves the creation of a unique pattern for each customer, which why is the fit is so dead-on.
“No one can see it. It’s like I’m carrying around a little secret.”
The shrimper boat lining is a cool down-home touch.
And here it is styled with the Orleans shirt ($165).
For those seeking lower price points, J. Crew has an Irish linen vest ($88) that will keep you cool as a cucumber on summery days. Try the british khaki if your coloring is warm.
Or the grey if you're cool.
So this Memorial Day weekend, go on, crack open a cold one, and vest it up for summer.
I have always appreciated Brian Williams’ style, and this shirt and tie combo is no exception. What works in particular for me is the use of an analogous color scheme – i.e., colors that appear adjacent to each other on a color wheel, in this case blue and violet. (A color wheel is a circular diagram of the spectrum used to show the relationships between the colors, as seen below.)
Analogous color schemes are often found in nature and are harmonious because the colors involved are closely related. Beyond that, this combination strikes me as pleasing because the base color is blue, which conveys peace and order -- a feeling I rarely get watching the news these days (so thank you for that, Brian Williams!). The Bengal stripes lend a casual air to the look, but the dark suit and solid tie ground it with a bit of formality. In addition, this pairing is fresh and eye-catching because, while it is harmonious, the violet-light blue shirt and tie pairing is somewhat unexpected.For those looking to recreate this look, I found some similar options. For shirts:
from 
Sam Hober's 
or, for something with texture, try Sam Hober's 
Side note: in researching Brian Williams’ style for this post, I stumbled across a blog entitled “
Yes, at $1295 (30% off $1800), it's a long-term investment, but this jacket is the kind of timeless piece that will improve with age and last a lifetime. I like the patch pockets and matte finish gold snaps, but the best part about it is the buttery soft leather.When buying a leather jacket like this one, the most important part is fit. You can't alter leather without paying an arm and a leg, which you're probably not going to be in the mood for after spending your Friday paycheck on something like this. So make sure it fits trim to the body, particularly in the shoulders and under the arms, and that the sleeves hit right at the base of your wrists and no lower.Jacket can be found at Façonnable, 636 5th Ave at 51st street, NYC, 212.319.0111.
Designers have plaid flannel-ed us silly over the past few seasons, and the trend doesn't appear to be going anywhere. Plaid itself is a timeless pattern, although it's understandable for one to call me biased given the tartan background of my website. If you're not engaged in the chopping down of trees but are wondering how to wear this style in a subtle, non-grunge trend way, I suggest trying a plaid silk necktie in a traditional width, 3 to 3.5 inches. The sheen of the silk feels fresh in contrast to the near ubiquitous plaid in duller fabrics like flannel and cotton. If you wear it in this way, you'll be referencing the style ever so slightly, but because you aren't diving head first into it, or combining it with other trends like skinny tie width, these pieces will still feel current for years to come. Above are a few of my favorite choices for Summer. From left to right: Drakes $135, Fairfax $130, Etro $155, Fairfax $130, Drakes $135. All from Barneys New York.
Spotted on eBay are these rare, handsome 
It was cold and windy here in Manhattan today, and so of course my first thought was boot-related: "what can a guy wear on his feet on a chilly pre-Spring day when the temperature barely makes it over 50 degrees?" He can't bring out the old rugged 
A lot of times I have trouble finding short sleeve sport shirts that I like because so many of them just look sloppy to me. I like 
Rich chocolate brown leather + Converse hi-tops = cunningly updated old-school style. Check 
If you typically lean toward a more traditional look but are looking for subtle ways to mix it up without breaking the bank, think about adding colorful socks like 
With the warm weather approaching, the lightweight fabric of a knit tie feels very fresh to me. Most neckwear in this material that I see around is either in solid colors or has contrasting horizontal lines. 
I found this handsome WWII navy pea coat at an antique store in the sleepy town of Winsted, CT, this weekend. Priced at $60, it was hard to walk away from the smart, sturdy-looking thing. It's a size 36 (equivalent to a small) and in excellent shape. Check out the hand-stitched arm patch,
stenciled-in name and serial number,
and inside name plate.
Kind of makes me wonder under what circumstances Meachum got the coat from Blackburn.The helpful shop owner also had several web belts from Vietnam and WWII (prices L-R are $15, $20, $10).
I'm particularly into the blue one, which is from the Air Force. I love all of the grommets combined with the metal plating, and the color is perfect for Spring.
All items can be found at A Step Back in Time (a fitting name for both the shop and the town) at 458 Main St, Winsted, CT, 860.379.3160.
I've been trolling around trying to find a blazer like 
Some of you may remember my very exuberant Valentine's Day 
I was pulling clothes for a store fashion show this past week, and I put together two sharp looks that are definitely blog-worthy (despite the shamefully bad iPhone photos). The first is a killer royal blue nylon Boss Orange jacket ($275) with a checked shirt from DKNY ($69). The colors in this outfit are lively but guy-friendly, and the jacket has the perfect amount of metallic sheen where it's not obnoxious. Try it with jeans for going out or stone-colored khakis for day.The second outfit provides a pop of Spring color as well, but the effect is somewhat softer. I find the mint green INC shirt ($39.98) particularly refreshing, as it makes me think of the juleps I'll be gulping down in a matter of mere weeks for the Kentucky Derby. The grey Hugo Boss jacket ($345) anchors the lightness of the shirt, and the graphite pinstripe cotton pants from Kenneth Cole ($79.50) are the perfect choice for a lightweight but still put-together pant.Nothing gets the heart racing for Spring like a little warm weather steez.
Club Monaco just marked down a bunch of things, and there are some absurdly good deals to be had. I breezed through yesterday and found one sale item that I'm particularly fond of -- the jacket above ($39). It's made of heavy cotton twill, is fully lined and has a faux fur neckline. The cropped length and popped collar give it a laid back but put together feel, similar to some of the other 
With the 
I'm very into this 
Army jackets are big this Spring, so if you're thinking you want to march to that beat, I'd recommend 
I classify 
On a budget? You're in luck. All-Son designed 
Not on a budget? Well you've got luckypants too. Check out this handsome 
