Justin Bethel and this Spring's Essentials

Justin Bethel from the Arizona Cardinals also does a bit of modeling. He's signed with top modeling agency Wilhelmina in NYC and as you can see the camera loves him. Here he shows us a few spring essentials that every man needs this season.

Photographer: Erik Carter

The stripe tee is a must-have like this one from Selected Homme.

A little retro but always cool, the raglan tee shirt- Selected Homme

This short sleeve shirt from Selected Homme is a light weight chambray perfect for those balmy days that are sure to come.

A light jacket for when the temperature drops in the evening. Jacket and Pants- Original Penguin

In the spring, stripes are to menswear what flowers are to womenswear. Shirt- Selected Homme | Pants- J.Hilburn

NYC's Spring Palette

Spring is officially here but sadly, it seems some places have not received the memo! NYC is one of those places, so here we are, yearning warmer weather but having to still wear our winter gear. I've found a few pieces that will help you during these days of climatic uncertainty. For starters, I found this rich blue windbreaker from Robert Graham, the perfect extra layer during spring. This winter  season, turtlenecks have been the MVP and the grey ribbed turtleneck from Life After Denim is keeping me nice and warm even during spring. If you are looking for a cap to add to your collection Gents always has a wide variety. I love this wool stripe one that gives me that extra bit of warmth on the old noggin.

Step right this way- Gola sneakers to take you around town.

 

 

Photography- Joel Richards

When I went to OKLAHOMA!

Little did I know that life was going to take me to Oklahoma but there I was, last week, to support my brother as he graduated from boot camp for the Army. As any proud brother who is also a blogger would do I went scouting for a cool spot to take pictures while he was getting debriefed. Driving around the area this beautiful building turned up. It used to be a high school and is now used as a municipal building. If you ever find yourself in those neck of the woods do not dismay there are a few things you should do and local places you should eat at. Let's start with dessert, do go to Braum's. This place has cheap and delicious desserts and is kind of like a bodega too. For an actual meal go to Back Porch Draft House, everything we got there was delicious. Lastly, make sure to go to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. This city slicker was in awe of the majestic bison and the beautiful landscape. All in all, I had a great time and will not lie when I tell you that I also went to Outback and Chuck E. Cheese because, family. I'll do anything for family. 

I like to pack light and this Fjall Raven duffle was ideal for this short trip.

Sunglasses were a must during this trip! Sunglasses- RAEN

This shirt was perfect for the dry 80 degrees in Oklahoma. Shirt- Life/After/Denim

Bold High-low Fashion

I saw this banded collar shirt at the Carlos Campos' studio and did not think twice about getting it. This shirt was a bit bolder than what I'm used to but I took that as a challenge to style it my way. I wore it here with a pair of my favorite chinos from the GAP and my black Givenchy lace-ups. With more and more talented men's fashion designers creating amazing pieces that can fit your everyday wardrobe easy combinations like this can be a common place occurrence. This look is a great mix of high-low fashion. When making that higher end purchase make sure you love the piece, don't just get it because it's trendy. You'll see how much easier it will be to show your style know-how when it's time to wear it out.

To the onlooker it might seem I'm going sockless, what they don't see are my Mack Weldon no-show socks.

Photographer- Phillip Van Nostrand

Stay Cool With Seersucker

The summer weather is creeping in ever so slowly here in NYC. I'm ready for whatever comes our way with my new seersucker short sleeve shirt from Haspel. This brand is from The South so they know a thing or two about how to stay and look cool when the temperature rises.They've been doing it since the early 1900's! I paired the seersucker shirt with one of my favorite ripped jeans from Denim & Supply and Clarks desert boots yet another brand with a rich history.

Photography by Phillip Van Nostrand

Stay Warm This Winter

Temperatures have dropped in NYC and not gonna lie, I'm excited about it. This means it's also time for coats and parkas and not just light layers. I'm a huge fan of monochromatic looks. This all black look is an easy way to stay warm and look on point.

Sunglasses- Shwood Shop

Parka- Woolrich John Rich & Bros. | Sweater- Denim & Supply | Jeans- True Religion | Shoes- Rockport

Las temperaturas finalmente están bajando en Nueva York, y te digo que estoy de lo mas contento. Esto quiere decir que es hora de ponerse abrigos y parkas para combatir el frío. Yo soy un fanático de looks monocromáticos. Este look de negro es una manera fácil de mantenerse abrigado y elegante.

Photographer- Fern Lodeiro

A Holiday Statement Piece

It's T-6 days until Christmas which means we are still in the midst of holiday festivities leading up to the big day! I'm sure you have a nice bow tie ready but you did that last year. Try this on for size, a beacon print cardigan. This one is from Denim & Supply and I absolutely love it. Every time I wear it I get compliments, it's warm and comfortable- all really important points. Here I styled it more casual but its easy to dress up with a white shirt or denim shirt and chinos. This cardigan will help you make an unexpected fashion statement at any gathering.

Cardigan and Jeans- Denim & Supply | Henley- Frank & Oak | Shoes- Cat Footwear

Photographer- Fern Lodeiro

Mad about Skinny Tie Madness

Come to think of it I have a few reasons why I'm mad for Skinny Tie Madness. First, they have a huge array of choices. If you tend for the more conservative side you'll find repp stripes and cool plaids. For the more adventurous types they have a bunch a fashion forward prints and colors. I chose some of my favorites and as you can see there are a lot to choose from. The price point is another reason this company is noteworthy at $29 or less they are definitely worth your attention. Now you can add Skinny Tie Madness to your sartorial go-to list.

Ahora que tomo un momento hay varias razones que estoy loco por Skinny Tie Madness. Primero que todo, ellos tienen una gran variedad de estilos para escoger. Si tiendes a corbatas mas conservativas encontraras patrones preppy de rayas y cuadros. Si quieres ser mas aventurero veras que hay muchas opciones también. Escogí algunas de mis corbatas favoritas que me llamaron la atención. Otro punto importante es el precio. La corbata mas cara es $29 dólares! Añade esta compañía a tu lista para cualquier necesidad que tengas de corbata, pañuelos y accesorios.

Road Trip: Galaxy Diner on Route 66

Little did we know that right across a most awful hotel where we spent the night there would be this awesome 50's diner on Route 66 in Flagstaff, AZ called Galaxy Diner. I can honestly say that breakfast and lunch are great here because we came twice on the same day specifically because they offer 100 different milkshakes flavors. We had to come back for the milk shakes (Yolo)! I had the cookies and cream and chocolate milkshake while my little sister had the brownie chocolate milkshake and they give you the silver cup where its all mixed, so good.

Shoes- Aldo Shoes | No Show Socks- Mack Weldon (they live up to their name)

Shirt- UniQlo | Pants- Life/After/Denim | Tie- Skinny Tie Madness 

Elements Of A Kick A** Rooftop Party

Summer in NYC means longer days, hotter nights and rooftop parties! After much thought and planning I threw myself a birthday rooftop party last week, because yolo. Thanks to the following key elements the party was a total success!

Location, location, location…
I was able to find an amazing rooftop in SOHO that my dear friends at ASTRSK PR allowed me to use.

Let them eat…donuts!

I reached out to The Awkward Scone and they made their noteworthy birthday donuts and mini donuts. Everyone was raving about how delicious they were and they guiltlessly had more than one. So don't bother getting a birthday cake- that's old news. And don't even get me started on ice cream cakes. Think of the mess, think of your guests!

Mouth watering- Vanilla glazed and black currant glazed mini donuts.

While we're on the subject of delicious treats…

Let me introduce you to Michel Et Augustin, they are new to the states coming from a faraway land known for tasty treats, France. I had to share with my friends my discovery. They're chocolate cookies brought the savory selections to new heights. Their individual packaging made them great for the party. 

Chill out…

It's summer and one of my main concerns were the beverages. I needed something big enough that I knew would keep them cold all throughout the party. Enter, Icemule Coolers. Not your old school metal bucket these Icemules were just the ticket. I had dozens of cans and they all fit and were ice cold all night long. Which meant one less thing for me to worry about.

Photos by Marieli

Eat, drink and play games…

Have you ever heard of the Kooba Game? It was a lot of fun to have some at the party. Everyone was new to it so it was great to have everyone on the same playing field. Guests enjoyed learning together! It's like darts but with sticks. 

The darts or as they call them Aeros have 3 magnets when you throw them to the board they stick!

I had two sets of the Kooba Game because I didn't want there to be a long line. 

What to wear, what to wear…

I knew this was a burning question, haha. I kept it simple with a Mack Weldon t-shirt. Actually, I wore two just in case the temperature dropped. It was in the 60's- I was so comfortable. I got compliments all night long as people gave me hugs. "Your t-shirt is so soft" all night long. I also had some Frameri shades on hand. Needles to say, I was smiling all through the night.

Photographer- Phillip Van Nostrand unless otherwise stated.

Interview | French Underwear Maker Guillaume Gibault

Here's one more reason to love the French, Le Slip Francais. They started out as an underwear brand and have expanded their line to include t-shirts, shorts, bags and more. They have just opened a pop-up shop in L.A and are waiting for you to make your way over to check them out. Founder, Guillaume Gibault answered a few of my questions about his adventures in the United States and the craziest question he has ever received regarding his underwear.

- How did Le Slip Francais get started?

Le Slip Français started in 2011 on a bet. A bet with some friends that we could still, today, start a great french brand with products entirely made in France and bring underwear back in the spotlight! Underwear should be fun, basics, well fitted and part of our everyday life and Style!

- What makes the underwear special?

We take great care in the fit of our products, making them great basics yet with a modern twist and try to be very creative in the patterns, the fabrics we use, the details... In France, people say they're the best in the country, let's make them the best in the world ;)

- In what countries can Le Slip Francais be found?

Today le Slip Français is in France, Japan, HK, Thailand, the UK, Germany and... the US starting this month!

- What is the craziest/strangest question someone has asked you about the underwear?

To show them mine of course! I get that a LOT!

- Why have you chosen LA for the first pop-up shop in the US?

Because it's the perfect ending place for our US adventure. Everybody dreams of a US road trip to California, with our #VeryLoveTrip kickstarter campaign, we made it happen! Hope to see you there, starting March 29th at 604 S. Venice Boulevard!

Get Personalized at The Tailory New york

Right off one of the most famous streets in the world, Fifth Ave in New York City you'll find The Tailory New York. They are a luxury clothier that specializes in making custom pieces for both men and women to fit their lifestyle. I was invited to come in and have The Tailory experience first hand. Once there, they already had  an inspiration board for me of shirts they thought I would like based on what they saw me wear on my blog. They hit the nail on the head when their main recommendation was a band collar shirt. With a true spirit of collaboration we talked about the style options for the shirt. We decided on a short sleeve shirt and then went on to select the fabric. I knew I wanted it to be a white shirt. We had to think about the weight of the fabric, texture etc. Do you know how many white fabric options they had? Books and books of them including books from Loro Piana and Scabal. The final product is a one of a kind short sleeve banded collared shirt. Take a look at some of the details and how it fits like a glove.

Love this sleeve details.

Shirt- The Tailory | Jeans- Wrangler Red | Shoes- Rockport

As personalized as it can get.