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

A Day With Lady Liberty

I've lived in New York City for about 15 years, boy time flies! Never had I visited the Statue of Liberty. One of my goals for this year is to take advantage of this wonderful city. With everything happening in the political arena more than ever this symbol of liberty stands out as a beacon on what this country was built upon. Guys, if you ever have the chance go to this National Park, marvel at the view of downtown New York City and of this national symbol of liberty.

Coat- Ben Sherman | Cap- 47'

Sneakers- Gola Classics | Backpack- Fjall Raven

Scents 101: Tous Man

Spanish brand TOUS reached out and asked if I'd like to try out one of their newest colognes, TOUS Man. They sent it along with a description and I encountered a whole new set of vocabulary I wasn't familiar with. The cologne smells great and I couldn't quite put my finger on the best way to describe the scent to others. So here goes, I did a bit of research and found this handy glossary from In To The Gloss, thanks!

Top Notes: Orange, Grapefruit breeze - Which means, it's the lightest note and the first thing you smell.

Heart Notes: Mint, Guaiac wood - They lie somewhere in the middle of the notes and usually deal with florals

Base Notes: Tonka beans, is from a seed and is very vanillic with a hint of cinnamon. Vetiver, is an essential oil from the roots of tall grass form India but can also be found in Haiti.

In short I would describe this scent as light and fresh. It smells better and better as time time goes by.

Shawl Collar sweater- Banana Republic | Long Sleeve Tee- Mack Weldon

Photographer: Dan Murphy 

Well Suited With Indochino

I was invited over to the Indochino location in SoHo recently to experience first hand their custom tailoring service. The chic surroundings helped set the tone as I decided on all the details of the suit. I had someone along the way explaining and showing examples of all the different choices that are available in the showroom. My biggest suggestion is to vocalize your thoughts and doubts so they know what you are looking for and imagining and they will direct you to great options. Be aware that to make a custom suit takes time, so allow your self a few weeks to get things done as you will need to come in for a final fitting once the suit is ready. Take a look at my new favorite suit, the fit and all the details I chose.

Photographer: Ty Mecham

Shirt and tie- Nick Graham

One of my favorite details is the monograming option. Oh, and that lining, I chose that too and it's a swarm of bees!

I went for the three piece suit and love how the waist coat fits.

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

Brooklyn Mornings With Andrea

Andrea Denver at Soul Artist Management enlisted to show us some great looks for fall. Whether you're looking to get a new suit or replace the coat you've had since college take a look to find some of your new favorite pieces for the season.

Photographer- Erik Carter
Stylist- Alejandro Lopez

Suit and Shoes- Bar III | Turtleneck- David Hart

 

Top Coat- Combatant Gentleman | Shirt- Matiere | Chinos- Outerknown | Shoes- Aldo

Jacket and Sweater- Belstaff

Coat- DROMe | Sweater- Belstaff

Get Ready for Fall with Banana Republic

Fall is just around the corner and I can't wait. The leaves will be changing colors, the air will get a little crisper and it'll be time to start layering. Banana Republic invited me to pick a few of my favorite pieces from there Fall collection. Their classic chino in this great plum color was an easy choice. Once I saw the oxford tuxedo shirt I had no doubt that was coming home with me. Lastly, the cable knit sweater in a melange grey felt so soft to the touch and elegant; it'll be great for years to come. It really didn't take long to find pieces I loved that I'll be wearing throughout the season.

Photographer: Erika Dickstein 

Sponsored

My Swim Trunks Be 3D Poppin'

Don't say good bye to summer just yet! These swim trunks and shirt from Original Penguin will have you holding on for a bit longer. Inspired by 3D movies, the patterns include film reels, camera, popcorn and more. I loved wearing the shirt and trunks. If you're into these you'll have to check out the rest of the 13 piece collection which include oxfords, polo, jacket and even underwear.

Photographer: Erik Carter

Oh yeah! Almost forgot, a pair of 3D glasses is included with each piece. How else will everyone really see the 3D magic?

I added this awesome blue watch from Nixon, the color just adds enough pop!

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

Fair Isle Look for NYFW

Whether you're planning what to wear apres-ski or going about town- I loved wearing this look for New York Fashion Week: Men's. The fairisle sweater is as classic as a tweed herringbone blazer and this one stays true to its roots and still has a cool urban feel. In addition to the sweater I also wore wool utility joggers. This is the first time I wear joggers and think this is as far as I can go for this trend.

What do you think?

Sweater + Pants- Penfield | Sneakers- K-Swiss by Billy Reid | Sunglasses- ic! Berlin

Watch- Shore Projects

Photographer- Jorge Gallegos