Winter Is Coming - Snow: A White Fashion Event - The Outfit

First and foremost, I have to say that I absolutely adore the fall/winter 2013-14 collection of Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy.  Alright now that is out of my system, on with the post.

It will exactly be a week from today that Snow: A white fashion event will take place in SOMA, San Francisco. My second year for getting invited for the event. I'm especially looking forward to see the collection of my favorite Menswear designer from last year, Cana Klebanoff. If you remember, I love his way of playing with shapes in his pieces. I'm also interested to see what the tailored suitings of the Artful Gentleman have in store for us. Of course, Joseph Domingo's creations will surely close the show with a bang. Cari Borja, Charmosa and Julie Schindler rounds up the designer list showing that night.

Since I went for the Gatsby inspired Maison Kitsune collection last year and It would be great to go on a different route this year. Of course, incorporating Riccardo Tisci's vision. It is no secret that Givenchy is definitely one of my favorite high fashion houses of all time. If I have not made that clear, re-read the first sentence of this post alone. The Spring/Summer 2013 collection probably would be one of my favorite collections that Tisci had put out ever since taking the Helm of the menswear division of the design house back in 2008. For some reason I have strange affinity to any religious influenced collections, thanks to attending a private Catholic school almost all my life, especially with Tisci's precision and vision.

So it's no secret that my inspiration and pieces would be from the ethereal and yet dark Givenchy Spring/Summer 2013 collection. I could have taken a specific look in the collection but a few looks gave me some great inspirations. I would have bought the sleeveless organza Madonna top but I don't think it wil be warm enough to wear one on the 26th. I also need to think about wearability. I love statement pieces but I also want to buy expensive pieces that I could wear in a regular basis and not just during fashion week. Practicality wins.

The inspiration looks:

The pieces I'm wearing:

• Horned cap by KTZ (Kokontozai)
• Givenchy Madonna print oversized t-shirt
• Givenchy cotton poplin and silk chiffon long shirt (white variant)
• Zara stretch white jeans
• Silk light jacket
• Reebok studded Dibello (limited edition white variant)

Here's a promotion video of the event by Warren Difranco. I think the video below requires you to actually watch it on Youtube.



Tickets are, again, available **HERE**

Have a great weekend my fashionistos and fashionistas. I'll be back on Monday with my Milan menswear fashion week highlight and followed by my Paris menswear fashion week highlight.

Trend Thursdays: Picnic Time, Summertime

D&G SS 2011

Oh the picnic blanket collection by D&G. One of the biggest trend this summer is summarized as everything gingham, shirt most specifically. I mean next to plaid, it is one of the most common shirt (pattern/fabric) out there. Since everything these days are tailored, make sure that the shirt fits you well and slim/european cut, if possible. You can find gingham shirts at every preppy store you can probably think of but most of the time they're what I call "my dad's shirt" designer shirts tend to be more cut and fits on the body. I mean it's of the picnic blanket pattern already you don't want anybody to think that YOU are defo wearing a picnic blanket. Another point I would like to point out is how stylists are suggesting to be bold with your color combinations (i.e. green shirt/ blue shorts),  I mean, sometimes we should be realistic though, one, you do not want to look like a walking Christmas tree in the summertime and two, remember: MOST of the time, less is more. two color combinations is good, three, you're pushing it.
As I said yesterday, I'm on vacation right now and trying (the magic word) to do an unplugged vacation, meaning no facebook, email-checking minimized to once a day and no checking in or internet use with known location based apps unless it's an emergency and I mean a real one, i.e. when I get lost, but hey I'm on an island how 'Lost' can I be (hint hint)?

My Suggestions:

Links to where to get them:

Funny thing, most of these shirts are on sale! 

D&G, Spurr, Brooks Brothers, Zegna Sport, J. Crew, Gant Rugger, Paul Smith

Trend Thursday: The Man's Man Bag

Louis Vuitton F/W 2011-12

Alright, this has been the most argued purchase I had among friends, lately. As most people are, I trust myself to know what I want and what is hot right now . . . but at the same time I ask my friends for their input about these purchases especially purchases that will leave a significant dent on my Dolce & Gabbana coin purse. Alas eventhough I could afford to buy and lavish myself with my love of high fashion (a trait from Mom), but I'm also a realist and mindful of spending . . . most of the time (and yes I thank my father for that). So that brings me to my latest purchase, an iPad 2 3G, the must have accessory of the decade. Where do I put such a thing, with my numerous man-bags. I playfully called this next purchase a man clutch and of course I got the shaking-of-the-heads and the "Oh god"s AND I actually got a few image texts of Cristiano Ronaldo carrying well what looks like a clutch bag. So I had to rephrase myself, I want a portfolio, something I can put my Ipad in. Although the man clutch, complete with a wristlet is parading the men's runways as of late. A portfolio is usually used by business people to lug in their important papers around. It's perfect. Il est absolutment parfait! I want something that is handsome and will fit my Ipad and probably some little things such as personal cards and such as well. A leather portfolio can go from $200 to as much as $2,000.  I know a briefcase is its closest relative but it might be too big and loses the whole idea of a slim practical carry-on consequently I'm not totally opposed to an actual iPad case just as long as it looks great and does not . . . well, look like an iPad case.

Mes suggestions

Links to where to get them:
Want Les Essentiels De La Vie, Coach, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, The Dolce & Gabbana and Bally Portfolios are not yet available for purchase/ part of their fall/winter 2011/12 line up.
Saks is also offering a Gucci foldable portfolio for $1980 but is currently in back order. le sigh.

Trend Thursday: The (Semi) Invisible Neckwear

Simon Spurr SS 2011

This trend was by no means new, the kids in the 80's had done it and it was just coming back.  It was all over the runway, from Jil Sanders to Emporio Armani. I'm talking about buttoning the shirt up to the top, without a neckwear. Yep, I know, I know it seems like everybody decided that bowties are cool again and eventhough I always thought bowties were amazing and believe that I was born in the wrong era but I digress. I don't know if I could ever pull the look I almost did but I always feel like something was missing. I am totally missing the minimalism idea of the whole look but to each is our own, I suppose. So while I got dressed, I thought, how would I do the trend but feel complete and don't feel quite priestly ala Givenchy fall/winter 2010/11. Then I thought about one of my style guru and asked myself, "What would Pelayo do?" Yes, I'm talking about statement pieces. If you know Palayo Diaz and then you know his collection of Mawi jewelry. No, I don't own a Mawi piece . . . yet but I do have a few runway pieces from Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Vivienne Westwood to name a few. If you don't think that a statement necklace is for you, probably a porcelain bow tie by Core Sine Labe Doli? 

So, I put on my Givenchy white shirt, Louis Vuitton necklace, Zara bermudas and my Gant boat shoes and completed the look, of course by my Goorin hat. I know this trend report is a little different than my usual but hey, how hard is it to find a good crisp cotton shirt. btw fold the sleeves, It is Summer afterall . . . eventhough its been drizzling and winter like in San Francisco for the last two days.

My Ensemble!

Pelayo Diaz

Here are some fashion forward men of Europe taken by Tommy Ton:

And the Core Sine Labe Doli porcelain bowtie, check out their site here.

Trend Thursdays: "Foulard-y" (Foolhardy) Accessory

Louis Vuitton S/S 2011

I had this talk with my bestfriend about this piece that I call Summer scarves. He doesn't think its necessary which I disagree. My bestie is a firm believer that every article of clothing one wears should have a purpose. Well in that case, half of the sh*t I wear, I shouldn't be wearing, (whoops! there goes my high fashion house necklace collection!) Regardless, I think one trend that I like is a light fabric stole or scarf. I'm not telling you to wear the ones that you wear during winter but choose I lighter fabric, satin or perhaps linen and probably it wouldn't be wise to borrow your grandma's silk scarf either no matter what brand it is. Pick out stole that has a good balance of masculine and feminine qualities. Even though that the fabric is feminine pick more masculine colors to balance out the dandy effect of the accessory but hey a little dandy once in a while can't hurt nobody. You can wear the scarf out at night over your plain white Ts or an accent to a linen jacket, in jeans, bermuda shorts or even chinos.

My Suggestions:

Links to where to get them:

Louis Vuitton, Armani Collezioni, Zara, Kris Van Assche, Love Quotes, and D&G

And a reminder that you get 20% off from your purchase at Tobi.com when you use my discount code: MISSION20! 

Trend Thursdays: Spice Up . . . Your Pants

Tommy Hilfiger S/S 2011

I have to be honest, the last time I wore chinos in a regular basis was back in college. and yes I believe they are pleated and was worn with my blue blazer jacket and striped ties ala Ivy League look for every first Monday of the month for our formal chapter meetings in my Fraternity. Probably one of the reasons or THE main reason that I hate khakis are those damn pleats. I also went to a Catholic private school from pre-school to my senior year in high school and we wore uniforms. It is safe to say that I am khaki'ed out. But the new breed of chinos are more slimmer fit, tapered and lower rise compared to the pleated loosely fitting ones that we got used to. Faded colored chinos marched the spring/summer shows last year. Nothing wrong with khakis but give your pants collection a spice of color. Pair them with a nicely pressed white oxford or a dark plaid shirt and fold them a bit to show some ankles. and oh yeah one last thing, no pleats, please. Again, A reminder you get 20% off your purchase of the Shipley & Halmos if you use my code: Mission20 at Tobi.com.

My Suggestions:

Links to where to get them:

Tommy Hilfiger, Unis, Shipley & Halmos, Zara, Dockers, and Diesel. 

Trend Thursday: Yacht Club No More

Band of Outsiders S/S 2011

I know if you guys are familiar with this "trend" (I don't even know if this is a trend since this is something that most hipsters own and just a must have every year) that's right, folks I'm talking about the coveted boat shoes. I can still remember my first pair of Sperry Top Siders in red that I owned not so long ago when I was a wee young lad. I think this trend comes every year for the fact that they are very versatile. Shorts, jeans, chinos, swim wear, no problem! It also comes in different finish, so you don't have to wear the same shoes that your father used to wear . . . but the classic leather is a classic for a reason. I'm pretty sure you can get these pair every where but Sperry is probably the most popular brand. Now that I've started planning my Summer escapades, I know that I want one. So wether you'll be taking your yacht out, going around a seaside city in Italy or staying home for some staycation, show some ankles and wear these babies proudly. I think most of the people know me knows my obsession with shoes (or clothes, really), and I'm in love with those Louboutins! Oh yea if you follow the link for the Sperry's and use my code: Mission20 you get 20% off from your purchase.

My Suggestions:

Links to where to get them:

Band of Outsiders, Louis Vuitton, Zara, Sperry, H&M, you can purchase from an H&M close to you, Christian Louboutin.

Trend Thursdays: Don't Touch My Weave!!!

Gilded Age S/S 2011

Okay, I know we saw a few weaves in last year's Spring/Summer shows (i.e. the basket weave sweater from the Dolce & Gabbana show? I love that one!) but more importantly we saw a few of these piece as well. I'm talking about the woven belt. I think the first time I saw this trend in the past was on my very stylish Aunt (who now lives in Italy). I believe she has sparked my interest to pursue looking dapper at all times at an early age, as she did. Back to the belt . . . most of the time a general rule of thumb is that you USUALLY match your belt to the color of your shoes, but with with a woven belt, you don't have to.  Another handsome aspect of the belt is that it gives you a laid back, "I know what I'm doing" je ne sais quoi to your outfit. Get it a little bigger so you can loop it around as a finishing touch. And while I was researching for this piece a famous men's magazine actually said, "buy it bigger so you don't have to worry if your waistline expands." That made me laugh but sad at the same time. FYI, I am aware that some of the pictures below are rather sub par but if you follow the links for these belts you can zoom in on them and see the detail especially the Kris Van Assche one.

Here are some of my suggestions:

Links to where to get them:

Gilded Age, Lanvin, Ralph Lauren, Zara, H&M is available at an H&M store near you, Kris Van Assche.

Trend Thursdays: Wrinkles Are A Man's Bestfriend

Corneliani S/S 2011

As most San Franciscans already know this week will be warm and one of my all time favorite spring/summer trend is the linen suit jacket. Okay sure, usually, you can wear one when you're at a beach party in Ipanema . . . or a tacky beach wedding in Florida. But you don't have to wear the linen trousers with it. Pair it with shorts and gasp gladiator sandals . . . ugh! or not. A crisp white shirt or pair with something bright to give it a splash of color. The beauty of this trend, they now come in different colors not sure why everybody took a while to dye them in different colors.  I still like the lighter shades though. You don't have to buy a made-to-order suit, I mean I wouldn't be totally against it either but some of the designers fits well. Here's a thing with light colored linen suits, they are not for messy eaters or mr. clumsy hands, and repeat it with me, the wrinkles are fine.

Here are some of my suggestions:

Where to get them:

Corneliani is available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Zara, Diesel, Dolce & Gabbana, INC, Calvin Klein.

Trend Thursdays: Blazer'n Hot During Fall

William Rast 

Kai-Aakmann F/W 2010-11

There's a time in a young man's life that one should own at least one tailored suit jacket or even a tux. Nowadays, both are not exclusive to fancy soiree anymore. Most men spend hundreds of dollars on a nice dinner jacket only to be worn a handful of times. Nowadays, a nice sharp jacket blazer is worn by fashionistos when they are out and about in town. You can dress it down with a pair of nice jeans or slacks. Wear a plain t-shirt or a casual button down with it. Be creative on how you dress it down, experiment and accessorize, don't be afraid to urbanize your look. I think some pointers to remember is to get a blazer that is slim cut or european cut and keep it classic. You NEVER want to look like you just bought the entire outfit from the runway to the street. No Bueno.

Here are some of my suggestions:

Where to get them:

Zara, Kai-Aakmann, Dsquared2, Lanvin for H&M is exclusive to select stores available on Nov 20th, G-Star Raw, Robert Graham

Trend Thursdays: Toggle and Pull

Gucci F/W 2010-11

You've seen it before, toggle coats (aka duffle coats)! A great way to get warm without being bulky. I think for most people we do love that fashion is still moving forward and always pushing the envelope but for the pret-a-porter side of fashion, it is always good to know that some pieces are timeless and will always be acceptable to wear in the future. I believe toggle coats is one of them. I also like that the variety is there. You can have a very rugged, workingmen's version or the more luxe, more refined version that comes with a price of course. No matter which one you pick, a toggle coat is versatile and can pretty much go with any outfit you have on.  Not only is it versatile, it also comes in a number of colors, prints and fabrics of course. Do I suggest that you go crazy with the color choice? No. I think sticking to the neutral colors for the fall/ winter season is the way to go.

Here are some of my suggestions:

Where to get them:

10 Deep, Gucci, Gant, Guess, Ralph Lauren Black Label, Zara

Trend Thursdays: Sweating in Style

Simon Spurr F/W 2010-11

One trend that most fashion editors didn't see coming was this piece, designer sweatpants. Granted I'm one of those people who privately cringe when I see overly baggy sweatpants or those velour sweatpants on people walking around town and don't get me started when these people match them with Uggs on women and men!!! These type of sweatpants, on the other hand, should fit you like how regular pants should, meaning no overly bunching up on the ankle, trimmer and a little bit low rise. And a general rule of thumb, this is by no means a replacement to tuxedo pants nor should you wear them to work but rather wear them on weekends and the more obvious, the gym. Another suggestion is to keep them fresh and clean, meaning fold them don't just chuck them somewhere in the back of your closet. Wearing designer sweats is great way to be comfy and dressed down without looking like a slob or ghetto fabulous.

Here are some of my suggestions:

Where to get them:

Simon Spurr, Diesel Black Gold, Nicholas K, Yigal Azrouel, Shades of Greige, and Diesel.

Trend Thursdays: CTRL ALT Re-boot

Burberry Prorsum F/W 2010-11

There are two things that I love about the Burberry Prorsum F/W collection. One for the Military inspired collection and two for those darn boots. I am so glad that San Francisco is one of those cities that gets cold enough that rocking out some boots (maybe) late fall to winter is acceptable. It doesn't hurt to match the boots with some fall-over-and-it'll-cut-your-leg trench or peacoat to go with it, but that's another post for another day.
This is not the first time that we've seen getting booted for fall/winter but nevertheless its here yet again. Most of the Milano and Paris runways previewed booted looks for their collection. From the military inspired laced up to something reminiscent to a work boot to wingtip/boot hybrids. You can pair a nice sleek leather lace-ups with jeans or slacks of your choice. Either tucked in to the boot or tucked out is also acceptable, just make sure the pant legs are wide enough so it wouldn't look like you have overstuffed sausage for legs. You don't have to spend a fortune for them either. Check your local second hand store for some vintage pair or scour the internet for some good deals. The hunt for the perfect pair is only half of the fun. In any case, boot it up gentlemen, the time is here.

Here are some of my suggestions:

Where to get them:

Kenneth Cole, Burberry Prorsum, H by Hudson Angus, Aldo

Trend Thursdays: Knits as outerwear

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John Varvatos F/W 2010-11

It is undeniable, folks. Fall is knocking on our door. So time to put away those shorts and get ready for some cooler weather. Again, like it makes any difference for us San Franciscans besides the fact that we are experiencing Indian Summer, or so they say it has been steadily getting cooler.

La Maison Simmons

The featured trend this week is already quite expected to be seen this fall, knitwear. Of course we will have the scarfs and head wear but another form of knitwear that will be joining the ranks of the usuals will be the oversize knit sweaters or sweater coats. An oversize cardigan/sweater has always been a must-have for any woman but in the recent years more mens wear designers had been incorporating this look in their collection without sacrificing the essence of masculinity.  A chunky knit overcoat can look sleek when layered properly and do not go overboard with the colors. I would suggest to keep it neutral and sophisticated. I understand that there are days that it is not that cold, granted that we still live in California varying the thickness and applying the trend to where you live is always a smart notion to keep in mind.

Here are some suggestions to consider:

  

Where to get them:

John Varvatos, Zara, 7 For All Mankind, Smooth Company

Giving my jeans a break

Zara fall/autmn 2010

These days you can rock some really nice jeans and dress it up but no matter how nice they are it can only go so far. So I like to mix it up with some dress pants once in a while. You don't have to spend a ton of money for some stylish fall-over-and-it'll-cut-your leg sharpness look. Hey, if that's how you roll then more power to ya. For the rest of us, observe and innovate is the name of the game. what I've noticed has been happening is that every time I dress up, people ask me, "omg do you like madmen?" Umm no. I personally don't understand that question. Sure the show has (somehow) revived the "dapper" look back to mainstream but people have been dressing up in cotton pants, dress shirts and skinny ties and thick rimmed glasses even before the show.     

Kai-Aakmann Summer 2010

Another look that has been grazing the runways are what they call harem pants. You might have seen them on will.i.am from the black eyed peas or some Japanese boy who thinks he's an anime character. I personally have mix feelings about this pants because of its lack of lines and form. On the other hand, when I saw an editorial about Kai-Aakmann, a seasonless, genderless line based in south Korea, it made do a double take. It didn't help that my "members only" shopping website offered these pants for bargain prices. Granted I can get away wearing these within the city limits but then again some of my clothes I only wear when I'm in the city. Sad but true.  

No Bueno

I love being a citizen of our beloved country but sometimes I feel so left behind. Most of the time I would like a piece from one of the big fashion houses and most of the time they wont have it available here in the US. I mean why? I know that European men are MORE fashionable than American men. But it baffles me that the selection offered to Americans are way limited. Just take it to consideration H&M I was quite excited when they came to our shores but guess what happened, the products' quality they sold here are not up to par to what they sold in the H&M stores in Europe. No Bueno.  I actually remember a few years ago that I wanted something from Vivienne Westwood and I had to call the flagship store in London to order the item eventhough they have an online store. No Beuno, no bueno at all. It was only recently that they made a US based online store.  Which brings me to a very interesting development for one of my favorite brands these days. On Sept 2nd Zara will be opening an online store but guess what? it wont be available to the US fans just yet, yep. Thankfully We have two stores in dt. From the looks of it, Zara's Autumn/Winter collection looks mighty fine.
   

Another Thing that I've been thinking was whether to purchase a classic Wingtip/Oxfords or maybe get a Modern twist of a classic shoe.

Classic Wingtip (Mcallister)

Modern Wingtip (Steve Madden)

I love that classic shoes are coming back to fashion. Even though in the Hipster world it never went out of style. Both shoes have their own charm. Nowadays both can be worn dressed up or dressed down but I think the only advantage with the Modern version is comfort since the inner lining is basically a sneaker. But I really love the sleek look of the classic, which comes with a price. New ones are quite pricey and a biotch to take care of and its really hard to find wingtips that are in good condition and knowing myself? I don't really have the time nor the patience to hunt for them. I think its obvious that I prefer the classics and everybody already knows that I always overdress anyway.