Fall Essential Series: Essential 1 for Men!

Hey Fellas!!! We told you this series was coming and well....it's here....Our Fall Essentials Series!!! By the way this series will last approximately 7 weeks and will cover all the items needed to contribute towards a fashionable fall wardrobe. So....let's get into it!!

Fall Essential 1: The Cardigan!

Now we put the cardigan as a part of our Back to School Essentials- Layers  post but we didn't cover it as thoroughly as we will today. 

• Cardigans are one of the most versatile items that one can own because of the effortlessness it takes for an outfit to go form casual to dressy with just a throw on of a cardigan. 
• They're a layer that can provide warmth while still providing style because we know some jackets and sweaters can be bulky and mess up an outfit. 
• It can be the very thing that will make an outfit/polish it off. 
• They come in many different styles, colors and prints like stripes and vintage.

With that being said....we'll show you some celebrities in cardigans and how to get the same look for less! 

The first cardigan look comes from VintageMahogani. favorite, Chris Brown of course. He is giving us an example of a pretty casual cardigan look. 

He has on a red/black buffalo plaid cardigan layered on top of a plain white tee. He paired the top and cardigan with some slightly cuffed, dark denim cut-off shorts and a pair of gold high-top sneakers. 

We really love this outfit and we'll tell you how to get a similar look!

Start with this Navy/Cream Vintage-Style Cardigan and pair this underneath White V-Neck Tee. For shorts do something like these Taupe/Khaki Raw Hem Shorts and slightly cuff them like Chris' shorts. Then for shoes you can do a pair of high top sneakers like these Black Vans California Waxed Switchback Sneakers or even these lo-top Black Chuck Taylor All Star Slim Leather Sneakers. 

Moving on to Cardigan Look 2: The Dressy-Casual Outfit...

Kanye is seen to the right wearing a plain white tee and a white cardigan with pink, rust, and blue accents. We can't see the bottom of this outfit but he probably had a pair of dark denim jeans and sneakers or even moccasins. 

To get a little similar look to Kanye's...start with this Black/Cream Color Block Sweater Cardigan. You can put this Heather Grey Heathered Knit V-Neck  underneath and wear these pair of Red/Maroon Chino pants. As far as shoes go you can do something like this pair of Black Plimsoll Sneakers. 

For the last look...A Dressy Cardigan Outfit. 

Okay, for the last look we'll be showing you we got a picture of Chuck Bass from a show called Gossip Girl. He dressed his cardigan completely up. If you look to the left, you'll see that Bass is wearing a Navy/Red argyle print cardigan with a pink button-up layered underneath. He then paired it with a pair of grey slacks and we can only imagine dress shoes. He polished the outfit off with a white/navy/red tie. 

We absolutely love the color combination of this whole outfit!

To get a look similar to Chuck Bass' dressy cardigan outfit, start with this Black Button-Up and you can do something like this  Red/Black/Grey V-Neck Tipped Cardigan to put over it. For pants and shoes you can do this pair of Black Slacks and these Charcoal Feathers Canvas Stentorian Oxfords. Then to polish off the outfit go ahead and do a printed tie like this Red/Black/Gray/White Narrow Striped Tie 1 or Striped Tie 2  since you do have the outfit plain black all the way down.  

Well fellas...that's all we have for this post. We hope that we gave you a few nice outfit suggestions you can see yourself wearing and feel free to leave us a few comments! 

B.T.S.E. #4 for Men!

Hey fellas..we know you thought that we forgot all about your Back to School Essential #4 but we definitely didn't ...so here it is. Like we did for the ladies...we're going to do a brief post for you over layers...meaning cardigans, hoodies, and regular jackets. Layers are pretty much a back to school essential since classrooms can get cold. With that being said let's get into it..!

LAYER 1: The Cardigan

Cardigans are a very popular layering item that almost everyone should have in their wardrobe. We'll be covering the cardigan more thoroughly in our Fall Essentials Series that will start next week. For the basic things we can say about it is that they come in many different styles, colors, and prints. Also, they are a layer that can still be fashionable while keeping you warm. 

An outfit idea for this Black, Grey, and Blue Stripe Knit Cardigan is to pair it with this pair of Tan Woven Pants and a Plain Classic Tee in Mustard underneath to give this outfit some color. As far as shoes go you can do something similar to this pair of Urban Outfitters Canvas Plimsoll Sneakers in Black. Simple!

Moving on to LAYER 2.....A Regular Jacket

Now we know you're probably wondering how can we tell you how to wear a regular jacket...but really it's just a suggestion. Most of the time when you throw on jacket it might not go with what you have on because you just grab it and put it on so you're not cold. For a more put together look...we suggest that if you know you might need a jacket try to coordinate it with what you may have on or chose to wear. 

For instance let's say you went with something similar to this pair of Faded Grey Straight Leg Jeans and just wore them with this Black/White Graphic Tee. The outfit is pretty simple especially color wise...so if you find yourself getting chilly...throw on the Navy/Turquoise Colorblock Zip-Up Jacket and it'll add some color. As far as shoes go...you can do the same Urban Outfitters Canvas Plimsoll Sneakers that were suggested above but do the yellow color to add some more color to the outfit. 

LASTLY...LAYER 3....THE HOODIE. 

Okay we know you're probably wondering the same thing... a tip on a hoodie? ...Well it's not a big suggestion...just that you try to look as put together/presentable as possible with a hoodie on. Also...keep in mind the outfit you wear underneath just in case you get hot and want to take the hoodie off. 

For instance if you went with the Cream/Charcoal Striped Knit Pullover that's shown in the picture to the left you can do something like these Tan Woven Pants and a black tee paired under the hoodie. As far as shoes go you can do a pair of Red Chuck Taylor All Stars. It's a presentable outfit with or without the hoodie. 

Well fellas....that was our brief post over layers and a few outfit suggestions with them. Be looking forward to your last Back to School essential post Wednesday and look forward to the Fall Essentials series we will be doing starting next week! 

B.T.S.E. #3 for the fellas!

Well fellas...we know you've had to wait a couple of days on your post but here it is! Our Back to School Essentials mini-series continues and this week we're coming with item number #3.... JEANS, JEANS, JEANS!! Jeans is something that any student can't go with out because the comfort they give, variety they come in, and the effortlessness it takes to dress them up and down. With that being said...let's get into it!! 

For jeans look number one we went with Trey Songz wearing a pair of "distressed" jeans. He paired a white tee underneath a black jacket and a pair of black sneakers with his jeans. This look is really easy to achieve. A good place to get a distressed jeans right off top is Abercrombie.

To get a casual/campus look with a pair of distressed jeans start with this pair of A&F Classic Straight Leg Jeans from Abercrombie and Fitch and do this White Deep V-Neck Tee from Urban Outfitters. Then layer this Red/Black Checkerboard Shirt on top of the white tee and roll the sleeves up. As far as shoes go, you can do something similar to this pair of Grey Urban Outfitters Canvas Sneakers.

To get a dressy-casual look with this pair of distressed jeans of course do the same jeans and you can do this  Oxford Shirt in White layered underneath this Classic Cardigan in Red. For shoes do something on the dressy side like this pair of Black/Beige U.O. Slim Sole Oxfords.




Moving on to Look 2...Colored Jeans.

Okay moving on to another jean look...Kanye is seen in a pair of colored jeans/pants with a denim button-up layered on top of a white tee. Then he just did a pair of white sneakers to top the outfit off. This look is really easy to achieve and goes to show you guys can wear colored jeans too. After all, Kanye is one of the most fashionable celebrity men out there. 

To get a casual look with a pair of colored jeans start with this pair of Green Social Collision Jeans. Then you can do a white tee like Kanye or you can do a graphic tee/tank like this White Tank with Black Stripes. Then you can do Blue Crate Chambray Shirt for the denim shirt layer or you can do this Levis Denim Jacket. As far as shoes go you can do something like this pair of Black Vans E Street Surf Sneaker. 

For a dressy-casual look with the green colored jeans do the same pair and then you can do a plain black tee layered underneath this Grey/Black Contrast Knit Cardigan. For shoes do something similar to this pair of Grey U.O. Slim Sole Oxfords. 

Lastly...we wanted to show you a look more on the dressy side with a pair of jeans. Pharrell wore a grey blazer with black polka dots on it, a white button-up, and a black bow tie with his jeans. We couldn't see the shoes but we're pretty sure he went with a pair of black dress shoes...oxfords or wingtip shoes of some sort. 

To get this look, start with this Grey Classic Jacket and put this Black Button-Up underneath. For your jeans you can do this pair of dark Levi Denim Jeans and then for a bow tie you can do this Red Cremieux "Natte" Bow Tie. Lastly...shoes... You can do something like this pair of Black/Grey Bed Stu Quarter Oxfords and you're all set!

Well fellas...we hope that we gave you an outfit idea or two that you can actually see yourself wearing. Feel free to leave any questions or comments you may have! 

B.T.S.E. #2 for Men!

Okay fellas...new week...new tip. We're still in our Back to School Essentials mini-series and this week we are bringing you a back to school essential that we know all of you should have...tees. Whether it be a plain v-neck or some sort of a graphic tee, this item is essential to a college student's wardrobe because of the effortlessness if takes to wear one casually or dressed up. So sit back, relax, take a few notes, and go out and get some tees for your wardrobe!

Tee Look 1: The Plain Tee

Okay...if you look to the left, you'll see Chad Ochocinco in casual outfit with a plain tee. He has on a grey v-neck, a pair of blue pants, and a pair of grey sneakers of some sort. This is honestly the easiest look of this post and just in general that one can achieve. 

Start with BDG Deep V-Neck Tee in white. (Trying to show you guys a different color option besides what is shown) Then throw on these Taupe...almost peach Slim Bedford Chino Pants. For shoes you can do something similar to this pair of Vans E Street Surf Sneaker in Indigo, Creative Recreation Kaplan Sneaker in Grey, or do something different and try these printed Trees Southwest Sneakers. 

Moving on to Tee Look #2...the Graphic Tee

Okay... Tee look number 2 comes from none other than blog favorite, Chris Brown. If you haven't noticed by now we feature him a lot. He's very fashionable and almost everything that we've blogged about he's worn it... and Well! C.B. is seen wearing a graphic tee underneath a light denim jean jacket paired with denim jeans. This goes to show you that you can wear jeans and a jean jacket...the right way. Then he finished the look off with a red fitted and green and red sneakers. This look is fairly easy to achieve, but we'll show you a different route you can go as far as denim. 

Start with this White and Black Printed Tee from Urban Outfitters. Then instead of doing a pair of denim jeans, try something similar to these Olive Chino Pants. For your jean jacket you can do this Jean Vintage Denim Jacket. For shoes you can do this pair of Red Vans Authentic Sneaker or even these Red Chambray Sneakers. 

Moving on to the last Tee look...A versatile/Dressy-Casual Tee outfit!

Okay for this last look, we wanted to show you a look that we consider dressy-casual and one that can be worn with a plain tee or a graphic tee. Kanye is seen to left in a white blazer over his white tee, a pair of denim jeans, and a pair of black loafer type shoes with detailing on them. The blazer and shoes contribute towards the dressy side and the white tee and denim jeans contribute towards the causal side. 

To achieve this look start with a blazer similar to this Heather Grey Knit Blazer form 21 Men. Now you can go one of 2 routes...you can do something like this Plain V-Neck in Dark Green or you can do a graphic tee like this Yellow/Black Dennis Hopper Tee. For pants you can do the same pair with either shirt...something dark wash like this pair of Levi 511 Commuter Series Jeans. Now whatever shirt you chose will determine what shoes you do. If you went with the dark green tee then you can do something similar to this pair of Light Grey McKinley Oxfords or step outside the box and do a printed shoe like these Osborn Classic Conte Oxfords :-) . Now if you went with the yellow graphic tee you can go with something similar to this pair of Black Wingtip Shoes. 

Well fellas...that's all for this post. We hope we gave you some outfit ideas you can see yourself in and you learned the versatility of a plain/graphic tee if you didn't already know. Feel free to leave any questions or comments you may have! :-)

Summer Series 2: Colorblock Video and Pictures!!

Okay ladies AND fellas...here is your video to further elaborate on what we blogged about this week...which was colorblocking. Also, it shows you how we colorblock our outfits as well. FELLAS...you're tip is at the end of this video so stay tuned! Plus....we'll be giving you a few pictures to get a better look at our outfits and we'll be giving the GUYS some links to outfit suggestions since we didn't do so Wednesday!

Zine Fixed Heather Grape Tank Top
Levi's 511 Skinny Cut Off Shorts <----Do a white shoe w/the remaining color in this link w/the same purple tank or you can google the item for a different site to get them.
Emerica Wino Tan & White Skate Shoe

Orange Mock Pocket Cardigan
Zine Fixed Heather Grape Tank Top
Empyre Skeleton White Skinny Jeans
Emerica Wino Tan & White Skate Shoe

Look for Less: Guys "Glamour"

Okay fellas, to play off the ladies tip yesterday for the week, we will be doing a "Look for Less" post for you as well. Now we know it may sound a bit funny-style whenever we say "Guys Glamour" but the fact of the matter is, guys can look glamorous/sophisticated as well. Of course your sophisticated outfits won't be as cheap as the ladies prices, but we will do our best, as always, to give you some options at stores that you don't have to spend an arm and a leg in to get these looks. Sooo..without further a due... here we go..!

     Look number 1 comes from none other than Trey Songz. Trey has a pretty great sense of style and looks really nice in sophisticated, clean-cut looks! To the right he is seen in a more casual, clean-cut look. In his photoshoot with Rocawear he wore a grey and black sweatshirt with a pair of white pants. Something about the color white makes an outfit look sophisticated if worn properly. We can't see his shoes, but we assume we went with something black. Maybe some black boat or loafer-type shoes.

     To get a similar look to Trey's that kinda caters to this extremely hot weather were experiencing, try a lightweight sweater/sweatshirt like this one ---> Insight Pullover in this "red"/coral color. Make sure it is fitted so it can still be a clean-cut look as a sweatshirt and you roll/push up the sleeves. For pants you can do this pair of extremely light Grey Fitted Pants if you're not into skinny jeans or these... Light Grey Super Skinny Jeans if you are. To finish this look off do this pair of Dark Navy Sperry Boat Shoes  and you're set! 3 simple pieces that can be mixed and matched with something else can create one casual, clean-cut look.

Moving right along to look number 2...

    

    

      Look number 2 comes from Tyrese. He is seen in the picture to left wearing a simple, clean-cut out fit, that is a bit dressier due to the leather jacket. With his almost mocha-colored jacket, he just did a white v-neck with a pair of dark wash jeans. He then did a black belt with a pair of brown and black low-top shoes.
     To get a look similar to Tyrese's, start with this Black Faux Leather Moto Jacket from Urban Outfitters. Just pair a V-Neck Tee under to keep the simplicity of the outfit. You can also go 2 different routes with the tee, color like the teal blue one to make it more casual or plain white to keep it simple/sleek. If you do the color tee route, you can try a pair of grey jeans like so.....Grey Levi Jeans or if you did the plain white tee, try these Grey Chino Pants.
     You guessed it...shoes will depend on what color tee and bottoms you chose. For the causal look with the jeans and pop of color under the jacket, try this pair of Grey 2 Strap Mid Sneakers. For the black, white, and grey look you can do something similar to either pair of these black shoes.. Oxfords or Wingtip Shoes.

    
     Last but not least, a full suit look. This look comes from Carmelo Anthony. Carmelo...knows how to "hang a suit" so that's definitely why we chose him for this look. He is seen to the right, with his wife Lala..both of them on point! Carmelo went with a tan suit, white and navy checkered button-up, a white/navy/tan tie, and a pair of darker tan shoes. The colors flow well together and that's the type of look we are going to suggest!
     You should definitely invest in a suit and a great place to go is Express! Take this Gray Suit and pair it with this 1MX Fitted Shirt in the Royal Purple color. For a tie, try either one of these ... Purple Striped Tie, Purple Plaid Tie, or Black Solid Tie. Then as far as shoes go, do a plain black pair of dress shoes like these Cap-Toe Dress Oxfords (out whatever type of dress shoes you prefer) from Dillard's! Simple, right to the point, but a great look!


     We hope you got some information from this post that you can use. Looking sophisticated as a guy is definitely a bomb look. Whether you do a casual, clean-cut look or a suit, there are a lot of options!  

Summer Essential#1 for Men: Tanks!

     We know it's getting HOT outside and summertime is eventually coming up, so like we said yesterday, we'll be giving the fellas 3 summer essentials (in no particular order) over the next 3 weeks; and of course we'll be giving you tips/suggestions on how to wear these essentials in a few different ways. So sit back, relax, read up, and then go out and buy these items! Lol.

Summer Essential #1: Tanks

     When we say tanks, we don't mean wife-beaters, although the sun is beastin' and you might just feel like wearing one alone. The type of tank we mean has color to it or sometimes even print and is considered clothing and not an "undershirt:". So we chose 3 males (Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa, and Ryan Gosling) that are quite fashionable and rock the tank look to show you guys examples of how to wear them.

Look 1: Tank and Cargos

     Look 1 comes from Wiz Khalifa. For his photoshoot with Dub Magazine , Wiz wore a grey tank top with black writing on it, cargo pants, and of course he had to keep it "Taylor Gang" with the red, high top chucks. He just went with some simple black sunglasses and watch to complete the look. So below we'll give you a couple tips on how to recreate the outfit, make your own, and of course cater the outfit to the weather.

     Let's start out with this Black Graphic Tank from Pacsun and pair it with these Olive Rothco Cargo Shorts. For shoes, go ahead and keep it "Taylor Gang"..lol. with a pair of Red High-Top Chuck Taylors. Instead of the sunglasses you could do these Black Framed Retro Clear Lens Glasses. Another option for the tank and cargo shorts is this White Graphic Tank and a pair of Black Cargo Shorts. For shoes, make the outfit stand out with these Yellow High-Top Chuck Taylors. Keep the glasses and you're set!

      Okay...moving right along to look number #2....Ryan Gosling wearing his tank with black slim fit/ skinny jeans.

    As seen to the left, Ryan Gosling (guy from The Notebook) is wearing a printed white/green printed tank with black skinny jeans. For shoes, he has on something similar to Toms. To recreate this outfit, start with this Bob Marley color themed tank also from Pacsun. For bottoms, instead of the black skinny jeans, try these Light Grey Chino Pants with a pair of  Charcoal Chambray Cordones - Toms. Another route you could go with the chino pants are to do this Blue Striped Ambiguous Tonti Tank with a the same chino pants except in the Taupe/Peachy color. Do a lighter pair of shoes like these Taupe/Blue Tree Block Espadrille Shoes.

 

     Last but not least, tip/look #3 comes from blog favorite, Chris Brown. He is seen in 2 different printed tanks but both are paired with denim jeans.

       In the picture on the left side, Chris Brown has on a New York Knicks fitted with a USA navy blue graphic tank. For bottoms, he just went with a pair of denim jeans and cuffed them and. As for shoes, he has on Nike Zoom Huarache Sneakers. In the picture on the right, he has on a printed navy tank representing the American flag. Again, he paired it with denim jeans and this time he went with white high top sneakers. To recreate this outfit, begin with this Printed "Freedom Ride" Tank and throw on these Grey Straight Leg Jeans. For shoes do a pair of these Nike Dunks customized with Ink Blue, Neo- Turquoise, Green Spark, and White. Hat wise you could do this Black Chicago Bulls Snapback (just a suggestion...whatever team you prefer..lol). Another alternate to the denim with the printed tank would be to do a jean jacket instead of denim jeans. Start out with this Green Graphic Tank and pair it with this Levi Jean Jacket. For pants do these Levi Tan/Khaki Carpenter Jeans and put on a pair of Ivory Vans for the shoes!

     Well fellas...I hope you guys thoroughly enjoyed this post, because we sure enjoyed writing and researching it for you! We also hope that it was informative and at this time you're grabbing your keys and wallet to go out and get these tank looks. ;-) Lol

Wednesday's Tip for guys: Plain Tees

It's Wednesday...so you know what that means...a tip for the fellas! You know how it goes..the ladies got a tip on how to incorporate a plain tee in their wardrobe, so now you will as well! EVERYONE knows how versatile a plain tee can be, it can go a long way, meaning it can be dressed up or worn casually!

Let's start with casual. To the left, you see Chad Ochocinco in a purple V-Neck Tee, with a white "wife beater" layered under. For pants he went with Grey Jeans and shoes he just put on some white sneaks! He kept the outfit very, very simple but made it stand out with a splash of color as far as the purple v-neck goes.This also goes to show guys can still look good and masculine in "feminine" colors. Summer is coming up, (thank God for no more rainy, cold weather)so if one wanted to make a simple outfit like this stand out that caters to the weather they could do the following: A Charcoal Grey Tee or even this Dark Navy tee that has a "grayish" tint to it, a white wife beater layered under, a pair of brightly colored Cuffed Docker Shorts , and some White Canvas Sneakers or for a "preppy look some White Sperry Boat Shoes . One could also pair a Black V-Neck Tee with a pair Utility Green Cargo Shorts and some Tan High Top or Low Top Chuck Taylors. Just a few options of how to make the casual outfit pop if you want to add some color to the subtle/casual pieces.

Moving right along, we have Usher in a more "Casual-Dressy" look as far as wearing a plain tee. He has on a Heathered Mocha-Colored Tee, with a Olive Green Button Up layered on top, brown belt, Light Wash Jeans, and Tan/Mocha High Top Sneakers . The outfit is pretty casual as far as the tee, jeans, and shoes but the layering of the button up sorta gives it a dressy feel to it.If you wanted to re-create this outfit and kind of make it your own regarding color, you could do a Green Heathered Tee layered underneath a Black Button Up -1 , 2,  these Turbo Wash Jeans, and something like these Grey/Black Supra Skytop Sneakers. Also, if you wanted to switch it up and do a print button up you could do this Blue and Black Buffalo Plaid Shirt , Onyx Charcoal Heathered V-Neck,  paired with some Grey Jeans , and Shoe 1 , 2 , or 3.

Here again we have Usher showing us a different way to wear a plain tee, the dressy way. He is seen here in a plain black tee, charcoal gray blazer with black trim, and charcoal gray jeans. He went ahead and paired it with some black lace-up combat boots. This is a look similar to Justin Timberlakes' blazer outfit in the "Blazers for Men" post. This look is really easy/effortless to achieve. If you wanted to make it stand out and "your own" you could change the colors up like so: A Light Gray Cotton Shirt Jacket , a White V-Neck Tee, Dark Indigo Colored Jeans, and Black Combat Boots. To make the outfit/colors stand out try the following: Striped Steel Gray Cotton Shirt Jacket, Ruby V-Neck Tee, Light Gray Jeans , and the Black Combat Boots of course! .....(P.S.... As a girl, I just went and bought this outfit for myself...lol.)





Hopefully through these 3 different looks of dressing a plain tee up and down, you got some insightful information as well as, inspiration for an outfit. These looks are really easy to achieve..so go for it! :-)