Drop Zone

photo credit: Scott Schuman

Many of you that follow the homie L.A.S. on Tumblr my recall this pic of Michael Bastian.  Ignore the fit and swag that's on a hundred thousand trillion for a sec and focus on the bag: a military inspired duffel.  While MB's gear is expensive (and fresh) as hell, many of the accessories he uses aren't.  This bag, and many other variants, can be found at your local army surplus for cheap.  I decided to take a trip to the nearest army surpluses with the expressed purpose of finding what I described to others simply as "a big ass duffel bag".  Pics of what I found after the jump.

F/W + Corduroy Sportcoats = Your Swag * A Hundred Thousand Trillion

I feel that more now than ever, guys are looking for blazers and sportcoats that they can wear after work as well as during work.  Right now, many of us stateside are in a period where its not linen weather but it's not quite time to bust out the Harris Tweed.  There are some dope middle ground fabrics and corduroy is one of them.  I copped this Ludlow joint from J. Crew on sale ($80ish down from $130) and it's perfect.  More pics after the jump.

Jake Davis is a Genius

*Please watch this video in it's entirety before reading*


Jake Davis Test Shots: James Wilson from Jake Davis on Vimeo.

While the title of this post is taken from these hilarious videos, there is no debating that Jake Davis is at least on to something with his Test Shots.  I particularly like the more recent ones, like the one above with James from Secret Forts or the one he did with J. Kissi of Street Etiquette.  In those not only did we get GPOY style videos dope fit vids, but we got some insight into what inspires or drives these stylish individuals.  It's always refreshing to me when I can get insight into another's creative process, whether it's how they make art or how they put outfits together.  I think the most poignant thing is this video is James talking about how all the things that influenced him from a young age come together to create his style.  Sure, you may find others dressed like him, but I would be interested to know what ingredients came together to get them to that point.  Maybe it was just the internets... who knows.  From time to time here on DD, I will delve into some of the things that influence how I dress/what interests me stylistically. 

I Put My Thang Down, Flip It, and Reverse It

I remember when I was a kid they had reversible Starter jackets and stuff like that and they were killer.  I had this pair of reversible Adidas basketball shorts and they were my favorite shorts to hoop in... until my girl Jaz borrowed them and pulled the drawstring out (moral of that story: never let girls borrow clothing that you will ever want returned in the same condition). Then after a while everything reversible was considered whack (you knew the whack AAU teams because they had reversible jerseys with iron-on numbers instead of home and aways).  Looks like 2010 was the year that reversible gear pulled a Lazarus.  Earlier in the year, Gant had a reversible jacket earlier in the year that was pretty dope, Tommy copied it, and countless others made reversible sweaters, hoodies, vests, etc.  Rugby is throwing their proverbial hat in the ring of reversible threads, and their Reversible Cotton-Wool Trench is one of those pieces that can be a staple piece, especially if you are po' pimpin' like me. A bit more after the jump.

Quick Hit: Essentials

 

Ask any style blogger out there (or at least the good ones) and they will list in their essentials: navy blazer, OCBD, wool trousers, brown dress shoes.  If you see someone in real life wearing this, however, chances are they look pretty lame.  To get the look right, it has to fit right.  Once you get fit down, you start playing with the details to put your style into it.  Here we have my take on a classic look.

Pleats Are For Lovers

photo credit unknown

The discussion surrounding the current sartorial freshness of pleated pants has been going on for a little while on Tumblr as well as around the internet.  Some say that they are great, fashion forward and should be in every man's wardrobe.  Other's say never, EVER rock pleated pants as they are the male equivalent to "mom jeans".  I fall in between these two extremes: while not a necessity, I think that pleated pants can be a great addition to a man's wardrobe if done properly.

Don't Make Me Get My Belt

[photo: GQ]
The title of this post was something I heard a lot as a kid... but fear not it is not on whether corporal punishment is appropriate for young kids.  This is about the style trend of going beltless.  I know trends aren't something that is generally endorsed for guys here at Dd, but this is something worth discussing.

Remember Dress Pants?

photo credit GQ

Over the past few years, there has been a big push in the men's style world of slim fitting chinos.  The blogs I read do it, I do it, and with good reason: they are a great pant and they really can be dressed up or down.  That said, actual dress pants  have taken a backseat to their casual cousin.  Well no longer!  Dress pants are dope.  Hit the jump and find out why.

Why You Don't Need A Black Suit

All photos from GQ

*But if you want/have one, here is how you should wear it.
A really common misconception is that ever man should own a black suit.  I fell into this category until about a year and a half ago when I realized a.) I rarely wore the black suit that I owned b.) as flattering as it was on me, it was inappropriate for most occasions. Why was it in appropriate?  Well a black suit is very strong in an office setting, so unless you work in a creative field, are in upper-level management, are a lawyer, or work in a funeral home, most people look a little out of place wearing black suits to work.  Black suits also are not, I repeat, NOT formal attire.  So when you get that invite that says "Black tie attire requested" (or "Black tie optional" for that matter), it means wear a tux.  So what is a black suit good for?  One word: clubbin'.