Fall Block.

FALL BLOCK

Solving a Fall Color-Block Sartorial Conundrum.

"Hey Mister, Can you help me achieve this look? " asked Mr. Arnum, a Lawyer and friend of mine, with the photo below attached.  "Oh, that's easy," I replied.

Arnum's Tear sheet

"By Saturday," Arnum says. (Today is Wednesday evening).  I went directly to work to find what the market has to offer for a trendy look, steering away from fast Fashion houses, (i.e. H&M, Forever 21, etc.) who would be more likely to carry these trendy color-filled separates.  The task was long and the time short but there is nothing that a little research in the luxury market can't solve.  Below are Arnum's looks.

Le Look Une.

Fuchsia Harvey Twill Blazer, Marc by Marc Jacobs.

New York Times.

New York Times.

Finalize your look with a personal and stylish timepiece.

by Julian Mack

A timepiece can take a look from being bland to right on time.  Watches are one those accessories that can finalize a look, like a tie or handbag.  I admittedly do not use a watch to keep track of time, because that's what my blackberry is for, I, in fact, am not even sure if they are set to the right time, but I always feel like I've lost something when I do not have a watch on.  The right watch can be hard to find, like all jewelry, it should feel personal, have meaning or evoke a memory, rather than being cookie-cutter or generic.  Go for pieces that have clean lines and have classic details, like the cream/cognac tone Mougin and Piquard for J. Crew watch.  Choose metallics for a statement or colorways that are neutral, like the brown antique Burberry watch or the army green military-inspired G-Shock.  When choosing the perfect time bauble consider a design that is transitional and will look just as cool with a three piece suit as with denim and a tee.

Cream Mougin & Piquard for J. Crew.

Brown Antique Burberry.

Tortoise Nixon.

Who are you reading?

WHO ARE YOU READING?

a curated list of what I'm reading and am inspired by.

by Julian Mack

"Dude, who are you reading?" "I trust your style," I was recently asked.  I was taken aback by the question because I have never curated a list of things that I read and am inspired by.  I am often asked about my personal style.  My aesthetic, like most Fashion enthusiasts, is a combination of my youth and the things that I read and also my understanding of Fashion, both from a business and creative perspective.

As a child, I always had a magazine under my arm and was primarily raised by my lovely grandmothers, who both had an affinity for Fashion and loved to shop.  My maternal grandmother, Sylvia, loved vintage and ornate things and often shopped at garage sales, thrift stores and markets.  From her, I fell in love with vintage and thrift pieces and developed an eye for quality and value.  She also knew how to recreate things and make them in to what you want them to be.  My paternal grandmother, Lovilas, loved high-end and designer things and often shopped at boutiques and we'd often take trips just to go shopping!  From her, I fell in love with designer pieces and developed an understanding of trends, runway and history of designers that I still love some twenty years later, without telling my age.  Grandmother Lovilas visited New York City (where I reside) recently, on one of her aforementioned shopping trips, when one of her nieces directed her towards a sales rack Lovilas replied, " I need a dressy shoe, I don't need to be in the sales section," (HA!) As if sales sections didn't have "dressy shoes."  It was laughable, but not only did she want to see what was new in the store, as oppose to things that are from last season, i.e. the sales rack, she wanted to stay abreast with what trends are emerging and what designers are thinking about doing for seasons to come.  This fall is clearly a plum, dark green, navy, royal blue season in womenswear.

Navy Homme.

The Navy Market Homme.

A Continuation of the Navy Womenswear Feature.

by Julian Mack

Classic.  The first word that comes to mind when I think of navy for menswear.  Its neutral hue makes it the perfect backdrop to add contrast or a pop of color, but packs enough power to stand alone.  Pairing navy with black was once a faux pas, perhaps only for those who are not as well versed in Fashion, but for me the pairing is exquisite and one we will visit in this feature.  Refer to the black and navy Givenchy look from the Black Market feature.

Fashion Credits;
Rose print short sleeve sweatshirt, Pierre Balmain ($278), neimanmarcus.com. Navy over-dyed stretch twill pants, Yigal Azrouel ($220), saks.com.  Leopard print Rantus Orlato, Christain Louboutin ($1295), christainlouboutin.com.  Black-out watch, G-Shock ($130), bloomingdales.com.  Black Whistle necklace, Falling Whistles ($54) fallingwhistles.com.  Gold diamantissima bracelet, Gucci ($3500), gucci.com.

Navy Feature.

NAVY.

by Julian Mack

I will admit that I am one of those all-black-wearing-new-yorkers.  But there is something about the color Navy that gives an equal amount of demure and everyone is going to be wearing it this fall. We saw navy everywhere from the 2013 resort collections, like the beautiful Celine story, Tucker and Kenzo, among others.

Tucker, look 3 resort 2013.

KENZO, look 14 Resort 2013.

How to get the Navy look.

Celine, The Modern Chanel.

Celine, The Modern Chanel.

...and the 2013 resort collection.

by Julian Mack

When someone asks me how do I described my personal style, I always reply, "resort."  I am most definitely the shirt unbuttoned type and I love the unpretentiousness and ease of resort season.  Never to compare two iconic brands, but next to Chanel, Celine has slowly become my favorite women's luxury brand, and the resort 2013 collection was by far my favorite of the season.

Black Market.

Black Market.
A curated collection of what's on the market.
by Julian Mack

Fashion is everywhere and easily accessible.  Maybe a little too accessible according to Elizabeth L. Cline's Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion.  Cline says that the H&M's and Forever 21's of the world are costing us quality for the sake of a "good deal."  That consequently makes high-end designers harder to get your hands on.   So with all the ready-to-wear and accessories that designers throw at us season after season followed by a failed attempt by fast-fashion houses to mimic those designs, here is a curated look at the best that's on the market, all whilst staying stylish and avoiding the fast fashion frenzy.  I have scoured the market and curated transitional pieces that can be mixed-and-matched from work to play for Femme et Homme.

Femme

Homme