Men’s High Fashion Report – Corsetry

Editor Note: Today is a two part report on what is going on within the world of men’s high fashion. Now I know these will definitely not appeal to everyone who comes here to read this site, but there are masses of males all across the world who wear avant garde and high fashion garments on a daily basis. If you love fashion as much as I do, then you should still enjoy seeing everything that is happening within it, whether you agree with it or not. We live in a world of narrow minded individuals and I think we should all open our minds to new ideas and styles. Enjoy guys…

So this is an item that’s beginning to trend in the high fashion world, one that I expect you all to start wearing, *ahem* The Male Corset.
Yes that’s right, whale-boned, rib-crushing, corsets. It took women hundreds of years to be relieved from the crippling pain of corsetry only for it to pass over
into men’s fashion. However we’re not talking Mr Pearl severity.
The male corset is a trend that the late Alexander McQueen began to create, and is now slowly taking flight.

The Trend Setters

AW10 saw John Galliano take very feminine, satin corsets and place them over masculine tailored suits, giving a sort of 1950′s bondage effect. However not all male corsetry looks are so reaction provoking, most looks have maintained the corset idea but adapted it for a more feasible look; one which I predict will catch on in high street menswear.
Giuliano Fujiwara placed belts over knitted, girder style corsets. Snug however not exaggeratedly cinched, keeping the outfit masculine and dark.
For A/W 10 Lanvin has teamed belted waists with oversized, knitted cardigans and tees, whilst Damir Doma used the same cinched waist over voluptuous layers, again creating that modern twist on the 40′s and 50′s silhouette:

I spotted this look in a window display last summer, and a few guys at London Fashion Week teamed oversized trenches with wide leather waist belts. I can see this filtering down to the high street, seeing as Topman has already introduced dressing gown style wrap cardigans into their menswear collections.
Raf Simons, created harness-like belts, wrapped around nautical, minimal suits in keeping with the clashing of contradictory eras look. I wear something similar to this style, it is very simple yet effective (in fact, I use leather bracelets to create a mock-harness):

Comme Des Garcons, who normally creates quite theatrical designs, has produced a sort of waistcoat slash life jacket. Keeping the waist band in the same style and colour as the rest of the suit but with the addition of life jacket style, plastic buckles for fastening.

Obviously I don’t really expect you to start crushing your ribs to the point of oxygen deprivation and some will even find this trend absolutely ludicrous. But you can easily see how this may filter down into our favourite high street stores. I think the commercial variation we will see are belted, chunky knit cardigans and coats. Although a modern take on the professional suit would be a nice change, practicality will probably prevent us from wearing a cinched waist in the office all day. A heavy lunch could prove fatal!
I personally wouldn’t mind losing a couple of ribs and a bit of oxygen for one of those John Galliano pieces.

The Finishing Touch

Picture this: you are stood in the middle of a glistening department store, surrounded by heritage tweed jackets, softly draping shirts, strong tailored blazers, casual printed tees and polished leather shoes. But do you notice the paisley print socks in the corner, the silk pocket square sat next to the shirts or the leather bound notebook on the counter?
I think it’s true to say that, when confronted with such a wide and diverse selection of pieces to wear, we can often become distracted by more stand out, statement garments such as the shirt, jacket or trousers. However, in doing so, we miss out on utilising the impact of those finer details, the finishing touches that can turn a good outfit into a great, well thought out look.

The Sock

The trend for rolled up trousers has been on the fashion radar for a few seasons now and, whilst many of us are making the step to lose those extra few centimetres, we often forget that this leaves us open to a whole new area of attention; the sock. An afterthought and bi-product of dazed draw fumbling for many a man, the sock, when utilised correctly, can bring together key sections of an outfit and reinforce the colour scheme of a look. There are 3 main ways in which to style the sock:

1. Matching accessories – A tip once whispered by our very own Ashley Cover and one that works best with brighter colours. Matching your socks with your belt, as opposed to your trousers or shoes, can add that extra pop of colour and draws attention to the lower half of your body. This look is best paired with simple, neutral coloured trousers.
2. The patterned sock – Especially handy in to liven up a simple outfit, patterned socks in complimenting colours can offer a fun and interesting element to a relaxed outfit. However, I use the word ‘patterned’ to mean paisley, zig zag or spotted and in no way do I endorse the wearing of garish shapes or favoured cartoon characters.
3. Colour Pop – Bright, contrasting socks can really draw focus to footwear and add a much needed flash of colour to a look. Use this tip sparingly and avoid clashing two opposing bright colours together.

Length of the sock is a matter of choice but as a rule you should ensure your sock always meets your hem. We can do without any unnecessary flashes of leg hair.

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The Pocket Square

So, we’ve established that socks are more than just a black and white area, literally, but the finishing touches don’t stop there. One of my favourite accessories is sadly one which has gone into declined amongst the modern man, the elusive pocket square. A Pocket squares provide a touch of gentlemanly swarve and is the perfect accompaniment to a crisp white shirt or classic tweed blazer. If wearing with a white shirt, opt for a contrasting brighter shade to give a hint of colour amongst a chest of white. On the other hand, if wearing with a tweed or coloured jacket, be sure to choose a complimenting colour or pattern, perhaps in a shade lighter or darker, to avoid overcomplicating things. Both Vintage stores and Ebay are a great source of pocket squares, particularly those of the patterned variety.

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Everyday Items

Whilst socks and pocket squares may put you on the right track to adding that something extra to an outfit, what about the everyday items we never even knew could be used as fashion accessories? Like many people, working in fashion I am bound to be carrying my notebook and diary 24/7. But who says I can’t use this to my advantage? There is nothing worse than seeing a well dressed man carry a tatty paper-bound notepad and, in a time when the man clutch debate is at its height, carrying a diary or notebook can offer a midpoint between style and femininity.

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So, next time you open your wardrobe or walk into a store, take a second to think about how you could work some of the finer details into a look. After all, it’s the little things that make and big difference. And who says you have to stop here? You could think about broaches, tie pins, belt buckles… The list is endless, as are the possibilities.

Simon Spurr Double-Breasted Suit

  

© Bergdorf Goodman

The Basics

• Company: Simon Spurr
• Price: Jacket: $1,975; Pants $625
• Official Site: Spurr.tv

83 The AskMen Take

For Spring 2010, Simon Spurr resurrects the double-breasted suit from the grave and into the spotlight. His concept is made from a combination of wool and silk, and is perfectly tailored to fit any man’s body. The outlines of the jacket are sleek and trim and the fit in the legs are loose and wide. This is an interesting shape for a modern suit because many of today’s trends lean toward a slimmer look.

The best way to visualize Spurr’s vision this season is to picture James Bond sipping a cocktail on the Amalfi coast combined with the flamboyance of Miami Vice.

80 Uniqueness

Despite a hefty price tag, Spurr’s double-breasted suit stands out for its sharp cut. One of the biggest challenges to purchasing tailored-fit menswear is nailing the size, but Spurr’s eye for precision -- sharpened over many years as the design director for Ralph Lauren’s Purple Label and Men’s Black Label -- takes the guesswork out of finding the perfect-fitting, all-purpose suit.

Read more

85 Durability

Considering most of us are still penny -pinching, the demand for value and durability is stronger than ever. Spending your hard-earned cash on true quality is a smart investment right now. Spurr’s double-breasted suit will last you for ages because it’s made from an excellent wool and silk. More importantly, its true test for durability lies in its classic design, proving once and for all that it will never slip out of men's fashion.

Timeless garments should always measure high on your style barometer because premium clothing -- like prime real estate -- will always be in demand.

BOSS Black Slim-Fit Three-Piece Suit

 

 

The Basics

• Company: Hugo Boss
• Price: $1,045
• Official Site: HugoBoss.com

78 The AskMen Take

On a recent trip to Hugo Boss’ website, we were surprised to see that it spruced up the joint. We never expect much from fashion houses -- especially European ones -- in the way of online shopping. It seems to be eternally allergic to the idea that some people may prefer to be hermits, or perhaps more likely, have a hankering for finely tailored clothing yet live in Wyoming where there isn’t even a Gap (sad, but true).

The e-tailing section of the site opened for business earlier this year -- a vast improvement to a homepage that once teased with a glittery marketing campaign but didn’t offer squat. Now, it's worked out some of the kinks and managed to create a navigable website just in time for the holidays. How convenient -- especially for snagging a seasonably sensible three-piece suit.

82 Uniqueness

We remember trying on a Hugo Boss suit years ago and wondering why the hell it was so big. After all, wasn’t this the backbone brand for young up-and-comers? Then, we thought about how many guys in the under-35 Wall Street set actually wear a suit well. Very few.

Fortunately, Hugo Boss seems to have caught on to this gaping gap between perception and reality by introducing a slim-fit silhouette to its bread-and-butter black label line. The higher armholes, trimmer torso and slightly shorter jacket length combine to create a suit that, well, should probably just replace its regular fit.

Read more

74 Durability

You pay a premium for a three-piece suit, but it offers options. Each piece works on its own or in combination with the others. Ditch the vest one day, pair it with dark jeans the next, or wear only the flat-front trouser with your usual blue button-down -- a complement to the fabric’s barely-there, sky-colored stripe. And speaking of fabric, Hugo Boss uses a virgin Italian wool for a feel that actually warrants the pretty price.

men hot

Although seemingly innocuous with its name deriving from a New Zealand heritage story, the Eden Park brand and company is actually French with a decidedly anglophile stance, conveyed most recently from its latest range for SS11.
In an interesting twist, the company, upon first impression, immediately smacks of recently devised concept-brands like Hollister or Jack Wills, but with pricing and aspirations more akin to the likes of Hackett; an esteemed fashion house with traditional roots.  This is with particular reference to its almost faux-history, although 80′s and 90′s French Rugby Union legend, Franck Mesnel, is at the heart of the company and has been attributed to the common use of rugby shirts as leisure-wear – a good or bad association, depending on your particular inclination.
However, mis-transliterations aside (probably more of our own than anyone else’s), it is Eden Park who has secured the formalwear deal with the RFU – for the next 6 years, no less – and moves this particular niche forward with a fusion of the very best in English and French styles and tailoring.
The continuation of bold colours – often contrasting, but somehow and somewhat understated, still, is clever combined with an educated use of seersucker for practical purpose during the upcoming season.  Shorts are certainly order of the day – or season – accessorised with scarves and boating jackets.
It appears that the collegiate and jock aspired themes of recent trend has no hope of going anywhere other than forwards, and Eden Park are certainly well placed to lead the way for their peers.
Pricing

• Jackets and blazers range from £155 to £320
  
• Trousers range from £108 to £148
  
• Shorts range from £75 – £130
  
• Shirts from £75 – £115

Eden Park stores

Richmond: 3-5 Golden Court
Tel: 0203 166 4031

Belfast: 613 Lisburn Road
Tel: 028 9068 7622
Cardiff: Capitol Shopping Centre (Ground Floor), Queen Street
Tel: 02920 345 478

How to Dress Like Don Draper

Tips for achieving a classic style without looking dated

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As ad exec Don Draper, John Hamm is a modern day style icon — even though the show is set in the 1960s. To help you rock the best of his classic vibe, award-winning costume designer Janie Bryant shares tips on how to dress like Draper without looking as if you just stepped out of your father's closet.

Don't Be a Slob
Men in the '60s didn't wear their clothing baggy. Always opt for shirts and pants with flattering lines that contour the body, Bryant says. "In Don Draper's world, a man should always look put together."

Get a Custom Fit
Find a good tailor and bring an armload of stuff from your closet. "Most men buy their suits and shirts too big," says Bryant. "Have what you're not wearing taken in to give it a new life." Then, when you're trying new items on, go for a smaller size than you normally would. You'll end up looking leaner, and the suit will feel as if it was made especially for you.

Get Your Swagger On
Once you've got Draper's duds, you then need the attitude. "Use clothes to help you exude confidence," says Bryant. When you own your look, everyone around you knows it.

Embrace Color
"The '60s were all about rich browns, grays, and blues," says Bryant. "Mixing those colors into your wardrobe doesn't have to be difficult. You probably already have them in your closet now. You just need to bring them out." Teal and mustard yellow also capture the feel of that era. A good move: buy a skinny tie (about 2¼ inches wide) in one of those classic shades.

Pay Attention to the Details
Accessories are key to pulling off the Mad Men aesthetic. Hats, tie bars, pocket squares, and watches provide a way for men who wear suits everyday to show originality. The must-have accessory: a slick pair of cuff links.

How To Save Your Hair And Even Regrow It Without Wasting Your Money

I'm going to begin by telling you a short story about myself.  I'm a 29 year old male with thin hair from as far back as I can remember.  When I was about 26 years old, I really started losing my hair in the crown area and in the front area.  My receding hair lines became painfully obvious as people starting pointing it out in social situations which had to be the absolute worst thing that anyone could ever imagine.  I started becoming less social and less confident with my everyday life.  It became extremely difficult to meet women because of the anxiety that I felt.  When I did meet new people, I was shy and awkward, definitely not a great first impression. My hair was affecting everything when I realized how frequently I was getting sick with the flu.  This turned out to be because of stress from losing my hair.  Something had to change.  If this sounds familiar, keep reading, because what I'm about to tell you, changed my life.


In the spring of 2007, I started searching around for possible solutions to what I was going through with my hair loss.  I talked to a few trusted friends who had similar issues with hair loss and listened to their stories of failed products and various solutions that they tried with minimal success.  My research was fairly extensive, spending all hours of the night after work reading different websites and forums on the internet.  It was clear to me that this is a huge subject affecting so many men of all ages - usually from 18 to 45 years old.  There are literally millions of websites, journals, products and everything that you could think of to provide you with some sort of direction as to what to do.  Many of these are complete and total scams.  Do not just open your wallet and start paying for bogus solutions.  These usually lead to disappointment unfortunately.  

I'm going to show you one of the best ways to preserve and regrow your hair in which I paid less than $2 for a 3 months of treatment.  That treatment is called: Finasteride.  Get used to the name and read up as much as you can on it, because let me tell you from experience, this miracle little drug really works wonders.  I'll give you a brief description, it's entirely safe, originally developed to treat high blood pressure and prevent prostate cancer. If you look it up on Wikipedia, you'll see something like this: finasteride is a synthetic antiandrogen that acts by inhibiting type II 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Finasteride was initially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1992 under the brand name Proscar, a treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In 1997, the FDA approved finasteride to treat male pattern baldness (MPB) under the brand name Propecia.  There is a lot of chemistry in here, but the bottom line is that it works by blocking DHT in your blood stream.  

Let's back up for sec and talk about how your hair even grows in the first place.  Your blood carries food to hair follicles.  When your blood contains certain things like excess DHT, it starts slowly killing your hair follicles by shrinking them.  They become very small and eventually your hair gets so thin that it just falls out and doesn't grow from that area anymore.  Finasteride pills usually come in 5mg strength. I then cut the pills in 4 making them into quarters - each quarter contains 1.25mg of finasteride which is roughly the right amount per day. Taking the 1.25mg dose of finasteride per day can reduce the DHT in your blood which in turn allows your hair follicles to feed from clean DHT free blood and grow unhindered.


Finasteride is made by many different drug manufacturers.  Probably one of the most popular is called Propecia, there is another one made by Merck called Proscar.  The way to do this is the cut your pills into quarters.  It's not as difficult as it sounds!   Basically, I take a pair of scissors and cut the pill in half, then half that again and place the pieces in a small plastic container (I actually use one of the travel Tylenol containers, seems to work for me).  Proscar can actually be covered by most drug plans, but only about 50-60%, which still ends up running $1-2 per pill. Pretty expensive over several years!  Luckily, there are some cheaper alternatives. The generic finasteride solution is made from identical chemical composition as the real brand names.  It is guaranteed by the government to be identical in every way so you know it should be the same thing. It's just made in a different factory sometimes using a slightly different process.  The price tag is a lot better.  I just purchased a 3 month supply of generic SDZ finasteride (don't forget I cut each pill into 4) for about $3 in total after coverage from my basic drug plan.  This is the best deal I've found. I take 1/4 of the pill each day (any time of the day is fine although I usually find it more convenient to take mine before going to bed).  I've read that if you take it with meals, it tends to get lost in digestion.  Always take a big glass of water when you are taking it.

After trying finasteride for the first time, I actually lost a bit more of hair in the first 2 weeks.  I was a little irked, but I also read that it can take a bit of time to start working. This was actually very normal.  Usually, it takes about 1 month before you can start seeing results.  For me, it was about 2-3 weeks.  I actually felt my hair grow healthier believe it or not.  I noticed my hair being a little thicker than before, it didn't fall out as easily when I passed my fingers through my hair or when I shampooed in the shower.  In the past, I was used to looking at my soapy shampoo hands with dozens of tiny hairs on my hands in the shower, not a great feeling... But this totally changed everything.  It might be a little turn off for some people, but I actually saw hair on other parts of my body grow faster and more dense as well, though nothing too crazy.  The hair on the front of my head was definitely filling in and didn't look as thin, you couldn't see scalp like before.  My crown was also very much filling in.  If you read the fine print for finasteride, they say that it will only work on the crown for most men.  Although this is probably true, I think they say this to set low expectations.  It actually does work for hair all over.  My hair lines were a little different, but still a small improvement there.  In general, I was so excited and I was becoming myself again.  What a good feeling that was.  It raised my confidence so much, I began to go out on dates with women again. I was just too embarrassed before, but now everything changed.  I could feel the confidence flowing through my body as I was closing deals with several different women on the same week at times!  Yes, it was pretty good :)


If you really want to maximize your hair growth, one other product I would recommend if you have the patience for it is Rogain.  This stuff does also work, but requires a lot more attention and maintenance to apply the liquid solution onto your scalp. It's also messy which is a pretty big turn off for most men.  The active ingredient is called Minoxidil.  It comes in different strengths, but I wouldn't waste your time with the lighter ones, go right for the strongest Minoxidil solution you can find which is 5%.  Rogain has the same active ingredient and works just as well and it is probably more widely recognized. It also comes in a foam solution which is pretty decent.  I bought a perfectly good brand called Kirkland Minoxidil from a store online for about $25 for 3 bottles.  It's pretty cheap compared to the brand name Rogain.  I believe the online store gets it from the same source as Costco, but most places require you to have a medical prescription to purchase the 5% stuff. The Amazon online store: http://www.amazon.com/  sells it for about $20 for a 3 months supply. Not bad!  The only downfall as I was mentioning before is that you have to be pretty careful when applying the liquid minoxidil on your scalp twice per day.  It doesn't sound like much, but trust me it was a bit of a pain in the butt to continuously do this.  The results are pretty good though. My hair felt thicker and grows in a lot better than if I wasn't taking it.

I do have some words of caution though.  As with almost any drug, there are some possible side effects that occur in a very small percentage of the population. By the way, this entire article is meant for Men only. If you are female, do not take finasteride.  Do not even cut the pills anywhere near a pregnant women. Even a small amount of the power will cause a birth defect in the male genitalia.  Don't let powder get anywhere.  Seriously, this can cause major problems for females.  Taking finasteride can also cause erectile dysfunction in less than 1% of males. There are also some other minor side effects that you should probably seek medical advice if you are experience swollen breasts, irritation or other minor discomfort. I actually did not experience any of these side effects.  The only thing I noticed is that I gained a bit of weight since taking it. It's usually very safe to take this drug. 


Something else I do every night or morning when I take a shower is use a special herbal shampoo. It's called Shen Min and it's an herbal shampoo mix that stimulates hair growth.  It creates a tingly sensation and smells really clean.  It actually works really well and cleans out the pores of my scalp to allow new tiny hairs to grow.  I recommend this one over some of the other herbal shampoos even though it might be slightly pricier, it's probably worth it.  It's all natural and the aromas from the shampoo are pretty great.

Conclusion, I highly recommend both finasteride by cutting 5mg pills into 4 and taking each quarter once per day.  This is probably the most effective, easiest solution on the market. Combine this with Minoxidil and you've got a powerful combo to fight male hair loss.  I can personally vouch for everything I've written in this article since I've gone through it and lived it myself. All I can say is that it really worked for me and literally saved my life.  I was going down a dark path, but the info in this article helped me pull through it, regain my confidence and let me live my life as I want it.  I definitely had reservations when I first started to get into it and I really wish I had read an article like this before hand.  There is a lot of info out there that you could spend years researching, it's almost daunting to think about it. This article is really all you need to get started.  If you found this a good read and hopefully got some value out of it, I encourage you to click on the ads below or on the side bar, or forward this to your friends, post on facebook, twitter, etc. I'd like all men suffering from hair loss to at least have the chance to fight it. The information in here can probably help a lot you or your male friends who are secretly suffering from male pattern hair loss. In the coming months, I'm going to try making this site a lot better with more photos and stories from other members, please consider making a small paypal donation using this link so that I can continue my efforts.


Thanks and best of luck guys!


Chris