Seeeecret Shopping at Kenneth Cole

Just got word of a secret sale on menswear at Kenneth Cole. Email me for details (use the form below!)

Yoox Fall Promo, Free Shipping (with this code)

Yoox.com is having itsself a Fall Promotion sale, which for you means tons of reductions across all its menswear lines. I'm especially digging the trousers by Jil Sander ($178) and Fake London Genius ($128). There are also tons of great-looking suits under $500.

From now 'til Halloween, there's free shipping, too. Use this code at checkout: trickortreat@yoox

Blazer from Versace Versus:


Also, check out these blazers from Yves St. Laurent. Even if you can't afford them (even after 20% off), take a look at the lapel and fabric styles, the cut, and the overall look -- and find a blazer out there that looks like them. Wear them with blue or gray jeans for a casual look, or gray trousers for work.

Get Texturized!

I know I've written about this topic before, but I was just thinking about how much I love my black satin velvet blazer. It's truly unreal how many girls seem to want to touch it when I'm out. And you can achieve the same effect -- for many of you, a good thing.

Check out how a master pulls it off:


The secret is texture -- what a good deal of this season's lines has really been all about. You can wear similar colors but keep things from feeling too homogenized by mixing up the textures -- today, for instance, I'm wearing mostly black, although I'm also wearing a pinstriped shirt (cotton, flat-feeling), suit pants (slightly lighter, adding a bit of sheen) and, of course, the blazer, replete in its velvety goodness.

Yoox has a few great ones on sale. Check out this Jil Sander blazer. (You'll have to Search for it at the site.)

Or you can use texture to spruce up what might normally be a dull outfit. Sweaters, for instance, are perfect ways to add texture. Pick good ones that "pop" -- that are appealing both to the eye and hand.

Things at Urban Outfitters That Don't Suck OR I Read these Crappy Catalogs So You Don't Have To

I was flipping through the Urban Outfitters catalog last night and happened upon, yes, a handful of items that don't suck.

Typically, I don't like to recommend Urban Outfitters because their styles tend toward the common, the trite, the seriously "over" in terms of men's fashion. But there are a few gems -- all of which are pretty cheap, to boot.

Use these to patch holes in your winter/spring wardrobe, or class things up a bit.

Velvet Blazer in Green	A little edgier... Triple 5 Soul Mockneck Blazer
Uncut Cord Blazer in Black and Maroon
A decent-looking dress shirt (never mind that they call it "button-down" -- it's not) in lavender, pink and dark blue. Don't go crazy with layering them like these wannabe hipsters. These are dress shirts, and aren't really made to accommodate massive under layers. Try a blazer or sweater over 'em instead.	Acrylic/wool V-Neck sweaters (I'd recommend the brown, black and charcoal colors.) Try under a blazer for an extra-sharp look. The brown, olive and burgundy look very collegiate, if that's your thing.
A good-looking brown belt for your jeans. Don't wear it with black shoes!	Felony Pinstripe Blazer in black and lavender.

Club Monaco and More Men's Fashion Deals

To promote their new fall line, Club Monaco is offering a "special gift" for purchases over $50. Check it out -- good for hip sweaters and ties -- slick but also highly wearable-at-work, alone or under suits.

Also Karmaloop is offering 10% off on jackets. Note that Karmaloop isn't for everyone -- it's very urban/hipsterish. But you can certainly make some good finds for casual wear. Or, if you're into DJs and stuff, it's right up your alley. Check out this Spiewak jacket.

Urban Outfitters is also having a sale that lasts through midnight, Oct. 17. 25% off sale prices. Some good deals there, but promise me that you won't buy any of those idiotic t-shirts with "witty" slogans or that look like they were filtched from your summer camp, ok? Those are the very epitome of passe.

The Skinny on Tie Widths OR Don't Wear Skinny Neckties Unless You Are in a Successful Band and Can Afford to Look Idiotic

Reader Terry writes asking about up-to-date tie widths. And Lo! I answer.

Terry, traditional men's neckties are in the neighborhood of 3.5 to 4 inches wide. But thanks in no small part to the rise of hipster fashion -- think bands like The Strokes here -- we've seen a return to skinnier ties. We're talking an inch in width, two at the most.

Should you be wearing skinny ties?

Here's a general rule to follow here: Most skinny neckties suck.

All other things being equal (material, design, pattern, etc.,) a skinny tie will look worse than a full-width tie almost every time. Skinny neckties work most often for but two categories of people: musicians and runway models. Unless you fall into one of those categories, tread carefully. Note that both these types trend toward the seriously thin.

Accordingly, then, here's the problem with skinny ties: They're too damn skinny. Unless you're a candidate for the heroin chic look, most skinny neckties will make you appear comically oafish. When done wrong, a skinny tie can look like a teeny little rope hanging around your neck, or that you dressed in the dark in your kid's room and are now wearing one of their miniature clip-ons. Frankly, the best you can hope for with a skinny necktie is to evoke an IBM salesman, circa 1957.

And by this, I mean that a skinny necktie can get lost on your shirt, making it seem that either your body is too big and/or fat. There's a reason that hipster-types are skinny.



Other problems: Skinny ties are a fad. To me, a skinny tie says that you've consciously selected a nontraditional necktie style to make a point. Yet whatever message you're attempting to convey, the message people actually pick up on is this: "I'm a musician, a runway model, a hipster wannabe, or a fan of Interpol -- and I'm a trite loser and my fashion is PLAYED OUT."

Even some astute British folks have picked up on the problem with these overused pieces of neckwear.

"Seemingly the Sparks/ Nazi SS officer/ 1950’s fop look is taking off in America because I have never quite seen such a confusingly uncool selection of ties and fringes in all my living days."

Don't get me wrong: Some skinny neckties look good. But it's harder to find skinnies that work. I found a couple good ones at Club Monaco recently, and I even wore one to a wedding.

Stick to regimental ties (you know ... diagonally striped.) Avoid anything too plain (especially solids -- nothing says "I play keytar in an 80s cover band" like a skinny, solid silver tie. It's one step below a piano key tie.)

Avoid wearing skinny ties in serious business or with expensive suits. It seems juvenile and out of place.

If you are wearing a skinny necktie, try to keep your jacket on. It will minimize the problem of having a low tie-to-shirt ratio and will make you look less fat.

Brown Sound Tees

I don't spend a lot of time talking about T-shirts here, but I've been a fan of Brown Sound's retro-looking tees. You can buy from their current collection on Guyshop.com.

I loved their Spring/Summer collection, but their Autumn/Winter collection is pretty hot, too. I like that most of their T-shirts avoid looking mass-market-y (see Urban Outfitters) -- they generally shy away from little sayings or "70s chic" in favor of well, generally weird, complex designs that hearken back to the heady days of 60s psychedelica. Check em out.

Tips: Perfect with jeans, of course, but throw on a colored tee and wear it with a suit or sportjacket for a slick, casual look.

Bespoke Shirt Tour: NYC, Boston, DC

A note from Stylezilla friend Joe prompted me to direct you all to Jermyn Street shirtmakers New and Lingwood. The company's bespoke shirtmaker is coming this month to the U.S.'s East Coast on a tour -- you can get measured and the fellow will fit you with a custom shirt. Keen! Details here.

Very decent-looking shirts, and the price isn't bad at all for bespoke. With a little luck, they're coming to a city near you. Hurry and make an appointment.

Jermyn Street, for those who don't know, is widely regarded as THE place in London for trendy, high-quality shirts. It's like Saville Row, only not for suits. Get it?