Feeling Stylish

The boyf and I have just spent the last hour trying on clothes ready for the Bonanafana night. I have two outfits in mind. Here is the dress code brief from the website:

Dress Fancy – Think 70′s Latin Porn Funk! Catsuits, feathers, flowers, fedoras, pimps, sharp suits, lycra and shiny pants

Now, these two outfits aren’t particularly seventies but I look rocking. Firstly, which do you prefer? Secondly, what can I add to make then more seventies?

We are going shopping tomorrow so think cheapy things that you can get in high street shops. I’m thinking lots of bling but I’m unsure what sort of jacket to wear. I have an over the top faux fur coat that I might wear but that’ll come off as soon as we hit the club. Blog readers, I am yours to dress.

Part of me reckons a jumpsuit will work, but what sort?

The great wit, Dorothy Parker, once said that men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses. This saying must have struck a chord in society because it was rephrased in the film, How to Marry a Millionaire, where Marilyn Monroe famously refuses to wear her glasses, leading to lots of nearsighted hilarity.

Luckily, thanks to the advent of designer glasses, the world has moved on since the fifties. There are thousands of designer spectacles available to choose from. They are so well designed nowadays that they’re a major accessory for leading ladies and gents in some of the latest movies and TV shows.

For example, Jessica Collins regularly appears in the CBS show, The Young And The Restless, wearing heavy framed black glasses. And the smash hit show, The Big Bang Theory, has the ultra intelligent neuro-biologist, Amy Farrah Fowler, wearing a similar style.

Glasses are also likely to play a starring role in Woody Allen’s 2012 film, Nero Fiddled. In this historical comedy, Woody Allen, who is almost as famous for his spectacles as his movies, plays Mark Lovegood. But we’ll need to wait till summer to find out whether girls make passes at men who wear glasses.

Harry Potter is one of the most successful movie series of all time and Harry is renowned for his round glasses. In the final episode, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, despite being a hugely powerful wizard, Harry still relies on his glasses. It’s rumoured that the actor who plays Harry, Daniel Radcliffe, managed to get through 160 pairs of specs during filming.

Super heroes may not be famous for wearing glasses, but their human alter-egos certainly are. Amazingly, no one recognises the bespectacled Clark Kent when he whips off his glasses, ruffles his comb-over hairdo and reappears as Superman. Even Lois Lane, who gets really close up and personal, fails to spot that the object of her desires is really the modest chap from the office. And movie-goers happily suspend disbelief again when Peter Parker loses the specs to become Spiderman.

Glasses have even made an appearance at the Oscars 2012, with a number of winners turning up to collect their statues sporting designer specs. Michel Hazanavicius’ film, The Artist, took a total of five Oscars and he arrived wearing black retro frames to pick up Best Director and Best Picture awards. Gary Oldman was similarly attired when representing Tinker Tailor at the BAFTAs.

LensWay offers a range of designer glasses, including brands like Joseph Marc and Vera Wang – check out their website to buy glasses online.

When it comes to jeans there are a number of brands available to you, such as Goldsign, is it even possible make a quick decision anymore? The answer: YOU CAN’T! With so many designers out there for jeans alone, you’re not only spoiled by choice, but baffled by it also.

You can know what you are looking for; colour, style and so forth, but unless you have some real knowledge of jeans, apart from the different brands such as Hudson jeans, you’re not going to get far.

Here are some top tips that will help you make a more informed choice:

1. Body shape is important for buying any clothes and I would advise trying on various types of jeans yourself so you can decide what suits you best, rather than looking up all the tips on body form etc…after all, you’re going to be the one wearing them, not anyone else.

2. It is easy to just stick to the local stores, but as so many fashion websites now offer free returns, why not try shopping for a designer pair? (A personal favourite of mine is citizens of humanity, for example.) Everyone deserves to splash out now and then.

3. When buying a new pair of jeans make sure to wash them inside out around 30 degrees, this will get rid of some excess dye (that can dye/stain other clothes) and it helps keep the shape longer.

4. However, (regarding my previous point) denim is a material that commonly stretches with wear, so it helps to buy jeans a size smaller occasionally, as they will stretch after wearing them once or twice.

5. Remember, patterns and designs may look nice, but consider carefully if they are really going to be that flattering when you actually wear the jeans. (Some patterns, especially on ladies, can be seriously unflattering on some body types)

Although these are only some quick, and simple, tips, believe me they can severely improve your look. Appearance may not be everything, but those perfect jeans will look so much better.

I don’t think enough men know how to accessorise. I can’t tell you how much it excites me when I see a man wearing a nice necklace or a hat. There’s so much more to style than jeans and a t-shirt. I could wax lyrical about three-piece suits, jumpers and shirts, baggy jeans, skinny trousers, chinos and brogues but I’m going to focus on something a bit more simple. The art of accessorising.

Jewellery

There’s some undeniably sexy about a nice necklace peaking out from a shirt collar. Because I am young and hip, I prefer to see something on a leather cord or perhaps some beads but the world is your oyster when it comes to necklaces. Although, don’t go for big medallions or gold chains because you run the risk of looking like a mob boss/gangsta/pimp.

Rings for men are a simple option. Just choose one or two rings as your go-to jewellery. Stick with something with a wide band and don’t go over the top on detail. Unless you are a real trendsetter, try not to mix metals.

Hats

I think you have to have a certain kind of style to be able to pull off a hat. A fedora, trilby or stetson are all very cool and if you have the confidence to wear one then I say go for it!

If you want the safer option then a baseball cap or beanie can look rather stylish.

Bags

There’s nothing like a good manbag. Sometimes it’s not practical to try and shove everything into your pockets – especially if you are a fan of the skinny jean. A bag can hold your usual phone, keys and wallet combo as well as lunch, Kindle, iPad, books, magazines, impulse purchases (although I’ve been warned that men don’t make these…) and woman-attracting body spray. Jack Bauer did the manbag thing well, where else was he to keep his PDA and gun?