Champagne Rain

New year's eve is tonight and whatever the plans are, celebrate in style.

You might choose to sit in front of the TV with a glass of wine and a grudge or you might party all through the night with all your friends. Perhaps you're stuck at a tedious family event, but all will be well if you look the part.

Tonight's the ideal night to dress up and add an extra kick to your outfit, a bow tie or some cufflinks would be great, and no one will frown upon a little overdressing.

I found some amazing images from an editorial in L'Officiel Homme, I'm sure these impeccable outfits can be a source of inspiration for tonight (click them to enlarge, they're quite big!)

I want to thank (all) my reader(s) for the support this past year and I hope you had a great 2009.

May the new year be filled with great joy, love and style.

xoxo

(images: www.thefashionspot.com)

Spectacle-ular

Wow. Check out my absurd(ly creative) title.
Aside from my linguistic endeavours, I am inspired by the recent destruction of my own glasses. Dark brown Burberry Prorsums that I shall never forget as they lay - snapped in two - on the piled carcasses of older specs.
My life has been a compilation of eyewear: I've gone from round to oval to square to rectangular and now it's time to move on.

These are the ones I am eyeing (get it? eyeing? I know, my puns rule!) at the moment:

Dior Homme black tie ($169)

Persol

Prada ($168)


But we all know that you can't pick glasses unless you try them on in real life, so consider this post purely cathartic and for fashion's sake.
Ta!

(images: www.framesdirect.com, www.persol.com)

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Fashion Alfabet

Forget 'a, b, c': my alfabet starts with A.P.C.
This French minimalist brand, that actually stands for 'Atelier de Production et de Création', is doing my head in.
I adore their winter collection and normally I'd just post these shots on my Facebook fanpage album 'I Die', but I think they deserve a special spot on the blog. I love the clean lines and these outfits just say: Parisian guy strolling down les rues with a roll-up in one hand and Proust novel in the other, non?
And most importantly: je meurs for those boots (€310 217)!

(images: www.apc.fr)

Merry Christmas!

For those among you that celebrate Christmas, just a quick post to wish you lots of joy and laughter with friends and family this Christmas Eve and loads of presents and fine wining and dining tomorrow on Christmas day.
What better way to celebrate than with the gift of Hermès?
Their winter collection advertisements look like Christmas cards, so that's why I'm posting them today!
Happy holidays, folks, and celebrate in style!

(images: www.images.google.com)

A Single Man

We all know Tom Ford as a brilliant designer. He worked miracles for the once dead house of Gucci and successfully started his own eponymous menswear line with sharp suits and amazing accessories. He even dressed James Bond for 'Quantum Of Solace'.
But did you know that he also is a very promising film director?
His directorial debut 'A Single Man', based on the novel by C. Isherwood, has been met with positive reviews and already garnered 3 Golden Globe© nominations.

The film follows British college professor, George, through one single day in the L.A. of 1962 as he struggles to cope with the death of his partner, Jim.
Starring great actors as Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Mathew Goode, Nicholas Hoult (well-known as 'Tony' from 'Skins') and Ginnifer Goodwin. The film is also Jon Kortajarena's debut, whom you might know as the male supermodel from Tom Ford ad campaigns.
The film is in theatres now ( March 2010 for Belgium)
Here's the trailer:



website: www.asingleman-movie.com

Surface To Air

I like Surface To Air.
I like the name.
I like the concept.
I like the clothes.
I don't really get the name though.
Like, if you're on the surface aren't you already in air?
Shouldn't it be: Underwater To Surface?
That sounds cretinous.
I think too much/little.

Anyway, Surface To Air (S2A) is 'a unique group operating in contemporary fashion, communication and film', so they don't only concentrate on clothing but this blog happens to be about those little scraps of fabric so I'll just focus on that now.
I like S2A even more because a while ago they announced that they've designed a men's collection in collaboration with, as you may know, one of my favourite bands in the world: Kings of Leon. The S2A x KOL collection will be sold as from January 2010 and even though some images were leaked, S2A denies it were official pieces so I won't post them and just leave thee with this teaser.
I guess there will be a hat featured in the collection.

And these are some pieces from the winter collection that I fancy:

Coat ($400)

Bag ($375)

T-shirt ($50)

(source: www.surfacetoair.com)

Checkmate!

Just a quick post to tell you how much I die for this checked Lacoste FW09 shirt ($65.99)!
The blue and grey compliment eachother so well, it just adds zest and 'oompf' to your winter wardrobe.
Are you ready to jump?

(image: www.lacoste.com)

TOPStyle

I am pissed off about many a subject: global warming, the Ghaza conflict, cancer and the fact that us Belgians don't have a TOPMAN store.
TOPSHOP is well-known in the world, and when they opened up in New York there was a well-documented frenzy.
This is my plea to TOPMAN execs to open up a store in Belgium!
Us Belgians love us some affordable design, look at the immense success of H&M and Zara. Going to the TOPMAN website is like torture: all this gorgeous, hip and pretty cheap clothing just lying there, waiting to be purchased by yours truly. I love almost everything they have - and they have got plenty - but I'm mostly in love with their cardigans and jackets.
So, being a fashion flagellant, I shall now post my favourite jackets and cardi's for fall.
Sniff!

Multicoloured cardigan ($90)

Navy cardigan with multicoloured buttons ($50)

Grey cardigan ($80)

Navy peacout with brass buttons ($158)

Leather short trench ($320)

Grey blazer with black lining ($120)

(images: http://us.topman.com)

Remember December

Even though Christmas is still lightyears away - or more like three weeks - today I present you with the Style For Guys Holiday Gifts Extravaganza Special or more mellifluously referred to as SFGHGES. Well, not exactly more mellifluous but you get the picture.
The eternal question is: what does a guy want for Christmas/ Kwanzaa/ Hanukkah/ New Year's/ whatever?
It could be anything from a small insider joke present that costs $2.99 but can provide eternal laughter, to a gift of a somewhat more lascivious and erotic nature - cough, cough - but with those presents I can't really help you.
Being the shallow creature that I am, I can help you find the coolest and most stylish Christmas gifts to blow your (special) friend or relative's mind!

I divided men in five categories: the Techie, the Environmentalist, the Fashion Freak, the Intellectualist and the Student/Alcoholic.

THE TECHIE

As the name already gives away, a Techie is a man who just loves to get the latest in multimedia and technology so he can fidget and explore the manifold features for many idle hours. Don't get him a book - "What, that doesn't have any chips?! All I see are unpixellated paper thingies!" - unless it's an e-book. 'If it doesn't run out of power at some time, it's not worth having' is a techie's motto and these gifts are the latest in his field of interest.

Who not get him the Jesus of computers: the newest, fastest all-in-one Apple iMac (1099 EUR).

The Samsung 360 H1 (478 EUR) is what's hot in phone land and has the following key phone features: 3.5" OLED touchscreen, 16GB internal memory, Wi-Fi / HSDPA / Bluetooth, 2.05 MP autofocus camera with flash, 58x115.9x12.9mm and weighs 134g.

The new Leica X1 may have a retro styling but old-fashioned this camera is not, with many features that are too technical for me to grasp, this camera is the coolest yet most high-tech gadget out there. The price is undisclosed and most probably astronomical. But a Leica is forever, isn't it?



THE ENVIRONMENTALIST

This is the kind of man that recycles, rides the bus and organically grows. The kind of man that doesn't appreciate gifts that 'slowly smother our planet in the suffocating fumes of our own filth'. Like things wrapped in plastic or that are gas-fueled. I found the most eco-friendly gifts for 'the man that cares'.

'The man that cares' quite oftenly doesn't care at all what he looks like, so this personal grooming kit containing shampoo, conditioner, grooming clay and firm hold gel by the eco-friendly AVEDA ($26) is a subtle nudge towards more personal hygiene. Not to be stereotypical or anything.

And why stop at grooming? Why not get him a nice EDUN ($120) black tux button-down, woven out of 100% cotton? EDUN is an eco fashion company with a mission to drive sustainable employment in developing economies. The company was founded by Bono and his wife Ali Hewson.


And aren't these solar-powered MP3 speakers (£29.99) the best? Whenever the sun's out, which is every day - unless you live in that place in the Arctic where the sun never shines, then you're screwed -, you can charge your speakers fully in 6 hours and get 8 hours of music out of it! Eco-tastic, I'd say.

THE FASHION FREAK

Also known as: my kind of guy. This man lives and breathes fashion and adores getting fashion-related gifts. It doesn't have to be incredibly expensive (it doesn't hurt if it is, though) so don't worry about the price, as long it's something stylish!

How about these nice anker- and logo-embossed cufflinks by Givenchy (p.n.d.)? The perfect little gift for the man who knows what style means.

Another thing fashionisto's love are coffee table books. Just the thought of a thick, glossy book quasi-nonchalantly strewn on a Fendi Casa coffee table makes the Fashion Freak shiver. I love The Sartorialist's Scott Schuman's first eponymous coffee table book ($16.50) filled with his famous 'as seen on the street' style pictures, but any book by famous fashion photographers like Mario Testino, Helmut Newton or Ellen Von Unwerth (TASCHEN) will do.

And because it's the winter months, a logical choice would be a scarf. Don't get the Fashion Freak just any scarf, get him silk Hermès ($195).

THE INTELLECTUALIST

The kind of man that likes thinking. Hard. Why not stimulate him intellectually with 'The Passport' by Herta Müller ($16.5)? A fictional story about a village miller in a German-speaking village in Romania, who applies for permission to emigrate to West-Germany. The book won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Literature, so it can't be too shabby.

If the child in him hasn't died yet, why not get him the latest in Rubik's Cubes, the Rubik 360 ($16.99). No longer a cube, but a sphere, the player must "get the coloured balls from an inner sphere into matching slots on the outer sphere by shaking them through a middle sphere that has only two holes". In other words: nothing to it.

The fun continues with the new PS3 game 'Buzz! Quizz World' ($36.99). The Buzz quizzing game series has been a huge success and allows its players to have fun while educating themselves. A present that keeps on giving because surely he'll ask you to play along.

THE STUDENT/ALCOHOLIC

There's mostly not much troubling a male student's mind that doesn't involve binge-drinking and lewd humor, so try finding original and playful gifts and you'll be fine.

This TOPMAN t-shirt (£12) is the perfect example: practical, bold and full of sexual innuendo. What? Everyone knows Santa's sack is always full. Ho, ho, ho!

"Booze! In a cool jacket! Sweet!". That's how I'd more or less react, so that's a score! This Absolut Limited Edition Rocker leather studded vodka bottle (£15) is great to look at and even greater to drink from. Plus the great band Wolfmother is the face of the campaign. Don't drink and drive, y'all!

And because many students have a hard time sticking to schedules and getting places on time, this wicked TIMEX retro watch ($85) is the perfect thing to give.

So, I hoped you enjoyed my Holiday Special! I know the holidays aren't all about gifts and the whole 'getting together with family and friends and basking in the holiday spirit' thing is really nice, but in the end we all just love getting really thoughtful and original gifts this time of the year.

Have an amazingly stylish holiday season!

(images and sources: www.samsung.com, www.apple.com, www.leica.com, www.aveda.com, www.envirogadget.com, www.edunonline.com, www.borders.com, www.amazon.com, www.rubiks.com, www.hermes.com, www.wikipedia.com, www.images.google.com, www.givenchy.com, www.absolut.com, www.topman.co.uk, www.barneys.com)