Men's Fashion - 8 Men's Fashion Mistakes to Avoid

By Daniel Billett

Men's fashion mistakes - We all make fashion errors now and again, but some fashion mistakes made by men are just unforgivable. I have outlined eight fashion mistakes to avoid at all costs.

Socks with Sandals
Who decided this was okay in the first place? Living in the Northwest, I am unfortunately faced with some of the worst offenders of this major fashion don’t. I understand that when it is chilly outside we all dream of the warmth of the summer sun, but wearing socks with sandals doesn’t make the seasons change any faster. If you want to wear sandals this badly, move to a warmer climate. Take this poll and cast your vote on this rather hot topic.

Novelty Ties, Shirts, Boxer Shorts, Etc.
Just say no (I'm channeling Nancy Reagan). There is nothing lasting about novelty clothing nor does it project a stylish, put together image. Leave the smiley faces, hearts, reindeer, shamrocks, animal and various other prints on the racks of the store where you found them.

Blaring Designer Labels
This is a personal pet peeve of mine. I don’t want to be a walking advertisement and neither should you. It’s not a sophisticated look. Just because you are wearing a designer’s name on your chest, sleeve, or wherever, doesn’t make you stylish. Keep it understated and simple.

Backpacks at the Office
I work in a very upscale high rise in Seattle, filled with lawyers and other professional types and it never ceases to surprise how many men wearing nice suits are schlepping backpacks. Unless you are a student or are hiking up a mountain, leave the backpack at home. If you need something for your gym clothes, buy a nice looking gym bag (and there are options that don’t have big logos on them), or if you need something to carry your assorted papers, cell phone, day-planner, etc., get a nice messenger bag.

Chunky Shoes
These were okay back in the 90s, but the big chunky shoes, especially those with square toes, should be retired at this point. Choose something classic that stands the test of time.

Shiny or Glittery Shirts and Suits
If you are looking for something to go out nightclubbing in, I can think of much better choices than those that are glittery, shiny and ultimately tacky. If you are at a loss, try a form fitting black t-shirt or black dress shirt which can be worn with jeans or trousers and dress shoes or casual shoes.

Clothes That Are Too Loose Fitting
In a word, sloppy. Unless you are a hip hop artist, it’s not the right look. Choose clothes that fit your body. This might take some experimentation by mixing and matching certain cuts and styles until you find the right fit for your body that is flattering.

Unflattering Colors
That beautiful blue cashmere sweater you found on sale after Christmas might be really tempting, but if it makes you look ill it’s no bargain. The colors you wear should compliment your natural features such as your eye color, skin tone and body shape. Keep this in mind when putting your look together. 

.

check this out

The established brand FEFE' presents the collection S/S 2014 with an exceptional model: Mariano Di Vaio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IapZ_ahByn4

Menswear in Italy : Zegna

Style Statements for Men

Ermenegildo Zegna is today one of the foremost Italian names in modern menswear, with outlets all over the world and a wide diversity of lifestyle products for men. Zegna spells quality, discreet luxury and style: a well-dressed man can hardly afford not to have at least one Zegna in his wardrobe.

The Inception of Zegna

When Angelo Zegna, Ermenegildo Zegna's father, set up a small spinning plant in the first decade of the twentieth century, little did he know that his modest enterprise would successfully pass on to the fourth generation of his family, and one day rule the world of men's fashion.

Out of Angelo's ten sons, it was the youngest, Ermenegildo, who would go on to bring immense prestige to the Zegna name. The story of the Zegna family is intimately connected to the brand: it has remained a tight knit family business for nearly a hundred years now. Ermenegildo Zegna started working with his father in 1910, and emerged as the business leader of the family after Angelo passed away in 1923. But it was not until 1930 that Ermenegildo established a textile mill of his own. By this time he had a degree from a textile institute. He had already traveled extensively and was particularly inspired by the high quality of English textiles.

Ermenegildo Zegna was keen on producing the best fabrics possible using the most advanced technology, and producing fabrics better than the English. To make his vision a reality, he imported the best English spinning machines and soon felt confident enough of his weaving techniques, choice of raw materials and designs to put his name on his fabrics as a guarantee of quality. This was a pretty unusual step for his time, and was well-received by his customers. The tradition of impeccable quality and continuous innovation for Zegna fabrics was thus established in Lanificio Zegna, which was founded in 1910 but truly came into its own around 1930.

Zegna fabrics and why they are some of the best

Zegna began with suiting fabrics and is considered a world leader for menswear fabrics even today, producing more than 2 million meters of fabric from its mill in Biella alone. This tradition of excellence started with Ermenegildo, who always put his customer first. Going against prevalent norms of not accepting fabric orders below 50 metres, he allowed tailors to order only as much fabric as they needed, and even invited many of them to see the production.

But the two most important things he introduced which have now become an unshakable tradition with Zegna, are the choice of only the best raw material and continuous technological innovation based on customer needs.

Zegna is currently known to be the one of the biggest customers of top quality superfine merino wool and the best cashmere fibres derived from the Kasmir goat. It is also the biggest customer of South-african kid mohair which is the finest mohair in the world. Mohair is important for Lanificio Ermenegildo Zegna because it is a crease-proof natural fibre, and is eminently suitable for permanent press clothing.

But these raw materials come into their own only because of the constantly innovative use of technology. 15 mil mil 15 is a precious Zegna worsted fabric that is fit for royalty, as is Trofeo, both produced using the best merino wool fibers and techniques refined through experience and modern scientific knowledge. Traveller and Traveller micronsphere are other worsted Zegna fabrics well known for their unparalleled feel combined with total crease and dirt resistance.

Other fabrics from Zegna like Heritage, High Performance, and High Performance Micronsphere have helped wool evolve into a light, trans-seasonal fabric for menswear. They are ideal for suits that need to travel across different climates in quick succession, yet fashionable and classy enough to be used in couture garments.

Zegna suits: Ready-to-wear and Su misura

This excellence in the field of fabrics had been achieved in the lifetime of Ermenegildo Zegna, but soon it became clear that the Zegna customer base mainly consisting of tailors of men's suits was beginning to thin out. Ermenegildo Zegna's sons Aldo and Angelo stepped in to this challenge by starting off a business of high quality industrially manufactured ready made suits. Suits were becoming more of office wear than church wear at about this time, and coming from an already established Zegna brand it was not difficult for the brothers to establish Zegna Confection in 1968.

The ready-to-wear was successful because its relatively high quality at low prices was attractive for a large client base, and Zegna went into expansion mode. A venture into Spain proved successful, as did a new factory in Switzerland Aldo and Angelo then made a strategic decision to step into the field of made-to-measure suits: because with the disappearance of personal tailors, a suit made to a client's measurements was much in demand. While going ahead with the ready-to-wear, the brothers did not lose sight of its limitations, and introduced an ingenious system of taking measurements at one station and precise manufacturing at a factory in order to claim the made-to-measure market, and thus was born the Zegna Su misura line.

Su misura is one of the most prestigious names in the gallery of made-to-measure suits available today, because the combination of the latest technology and a rich heritage of Zegna experience has proven infallible. Su misura comes in two different varieties, the "Napoli," that approximates the English silhouette and has a slimmer shoulder line; and the "Positano," that emphasizes the shoulder and body, both with their own privileged fan following.

In keeping with the times: Zegna sport , Z Zegna, Z Zegna Essence

With the introduction of Z Zegna, a younger line for fashionable youth now designed by Alessandro Sartori, Zegna has created a niche where formal buttoned-up dressing meets casual cool, to create an appeal all its very own for the young and trendy.

As the family leadership at Zegna knows very well, it never hurts to expand your client base if you can do it without losing your individual specialties. Zegna has also introduced the aromatic and fresh fragrance Z Zegna, which recalls the unique blend of the old and the new that Zegna has come to represent.

Zegna has gone on to have stand-alone stores worldwide, besides the Zegna fabric and suit being retailed from almost every prestigious menswear town in much of Europe, America, and now Asia. But that has not happened on the strength of Zegna fabrics and suits alone, though they are a formidable force in themselves.

Zegna has diversified into the Zegna sport which includes jackets , knitwear, beachwear, accessories, shirts and even denim with innovative, durable and exquisite fabric developments.

Zegna sport is a statement of comfortable, sportive elegance, always with that trademark hint of understated luxury. It is being championed by Eduardo Molinari in 2008, who says “Zegna style and technical performance fit my needs perfectly… for both golf and my private life”.

Zegna also acquired Lanerie Agnona Spa, a clothing and textiles brand which also works in womenswear, and this has further expanded the Zegna portfolio. The Agnona items are now retailed as Agnona by Zegna, and are almost as well known for their knits and woolens for women as Zegna is for men.

In 2002, Zegna formed a joint venture with the Salvatore Ferragamo Group called ZeFer in order to develop a footwear and leather goods enterprise. In 2006, Zegna entered an agreement with designer Tom Ford, in order to create the The Tom Ford Collection, which was first presented in Spring 2007.

In 2007, the brand was retailing through 525 outlets, out of which 253 are fully owned by Zegna. Zegna is the proud producer of 2.3 million meters of exquisite fabrics and 1.6 million sportswear pieces, besides products in other categories. The company brought in a turnover of 843.4 million Euro in 2007, and 2008 will only bring further growth in these figures.

What makes a Zegna a Zegna

At the bottom of it, Zegna is an ideal Italian institution, with strict vertical control from a family leadership that values honesty, quality, hard work, constant innovation, and team work above all else. A Zegna is a Zegna because of its tradition of quality and constant renewal, a tradition which has given the company the strength to become one of the most sought after menswear brands in the world.

By Damyanti Ghosh

How to Match a Necktie With a Shirt

Of all the clothes that a man wears it is the matching of the shirt and the tie that take the most amount of time and aesthetic ability. For a professional, it could be one of the keys to success.

As Dave Barry puts it, "I do not mean to suggest for a moment that all it takes to be a top executive is a custom-tailored European suit. You also need the correct shirt and tie." But to make matters simple for you,(just in case you simply do not wear ties often or do not have the patience to spend much time on selection when you do), here is a short guide to correctly match shirts and ties.

Match according to color:

There are no strict rules for matching by color, but for those who would like some sort of color guidelines, the color wheel might help.

• You can match a shirt and tie with colors next to each other, but it is better to choose different hues.



• You can also match colors that are directly across from each other.



• The tie and shirt can be the same color but different hues.

This works in a few ways, and here are a few examples to help you match ties according to color. If it is a plain shirt, a plain tie in a contrasting color could create a powerful impact.

If the tie is patterned, the background color of the tie should match the shirt. A white shirt goes with any tie whatsoever, you can easily go for bold ties with a white shirt and a toned-down suit.

Match according to color and pattern

For patterned shirts, you can match with:

• Plain or monochrome paisley ties in one of the lesser visible colors on the shirt.



• Dotted, patterned or striped ties in similar or contrasting hues and colors.

If it is a check shirt, you can match it with:

• A plain tie in one of the colors of the checks,



• A striped tie that matches one of the check colors,



• A dotted or small-pattern tie in one of the colors of the check



• A muted paisley that picks up the colors of the check.



• A check tie in a deeper hue.

For a striped shirt, you can match with:

• A patterned tie with a bit of the same color as the stripe



• A monochrome paisley which picks up one of the colors of the shirt



• A striped tie which picks up the colors on the shirt, but has stripes of totally different dimension.

The men in this picture are wearing a few of the classic shirt and tie pattern combinations: stripe shirts with plaid tie, small-check shirt with minutely patterned tie, and striped tie with check shirt shown below:

Matching correctly becomes an instinct with most men who wear ties regularly. For the beginner, here are some of the conventional shirt-tie color matches with suits, with which one can never go wrong:

• A light blue shirt, a yellow patterned tie and a gray suit



• A plain or patterned red tie on white shirt with a gray suit



• A dark blue plain or patterned tie on a light blue or white shirt with a navy suit



• A dark blue or red tie with a light blue shirt and a gray or navy suit

How to Care for Your Necktie to Make it Last a Lifetime

Ties are worn above the shirt, and as such do not need frequent cleanings, avoiding wear and tear. But if you really love your ties and would like them to last long, here are a few tips:

• Take off your tie by reversing the steps you used to put it on, never tug it free.



• Always hang your ties on a tie-rack.



• Remove wrinkles from your tie by steaming, not by using the iron.



• Use a tie-bar to keep your tie out of the food while you are eating.



• Diligently follow wash-care instructions that come with your tie.



• If you have stained your tie in something greasy, use talcum powder over it to soak out the grease.



• Use a professional tie-cleaner's services in case your tie is really expensive.

The Don'ts of Wearing a Necktie:

• Do not wear extra-loud ties, the idea is nuance, not neon.



• Do not make your shirt and tie compete with each other for attention.



• While matching a tie with a shirt, do not match two bright colors, unless they are the same hue.



• Do not match patterns of the same type or size, unless it is small-check shirt with a tiny-pattern tie.



• Do not let your tie hang longer or shorter than the middle of your belt buckle.



• Do not make your tie-knot too big or too small.



• Do not wear a clip-on tie, unless you are in a profession that requires it.



• Do not loosen your tie too much on evenings out after work. A one-and-a-half inch below the Adam's apple is good enough, unless, of course, you are George Clooney:

Shoes Italiano!!!

Italian Men's Shoes

I was looking for some shoes for my brother . What is it about men and shopping? But, I digress. I have to say that, although the selection is not as plentiful for men, the Italian-made shoes in this article are just exquisite. They're fantastic shoes for work, play or whatever life throws at you. Italian designers do know their shoes, their fabric, their feel and their look. But, don't take my word for it. Read on, and let the shoes speak for themselves.

Roberto Cavalli's pointed-toe python shoes are awesome. These shoes are elegant, classy and classic. They can be worn out on a date or to a major business function.

These shoes scream successful and fashionable. They're a comfortable loafer with laced enclosures and leather sole. I'm not sure if they're available in any other color but black, but honestly who cares? They're perfect for a strong confident man who knows he looks good and doesn't mind flaunting it!

From Marni, we have these fantastic calf-leather, laced-up shoes. They're soft as butter and available in both mud, the dark-brown color shown, and a dark green. They have an elegant stitch detailing. They're durable and can be worn with a variety of looks from casual khakis and corduroys to dressier suits and business apparel. This is a shoe that will travel well so you should make some extra room for it in your bag next time you go away whether it's for work, or for play!

Gucci brings us a great alternative to biker boots. These sexy ankle boots have a zip enclosure on the side and metal details that would like great with a motorcycle or a basic leather jacket. The leather sole and round toe guarantee long-lasting comfort proving that you don't have to sacrifice anything to look good. They're perfect for a rugged, nonconformist who has a bit of a romantic rogue somewhere deep in his soul.

Also from Gucci we have these fantastic horse bit loafers. The pattern is embedded with the classic Gucci-design. The shoes have leather soles and are constructed of the same material on the outside. They also have an eye-catching leather buckle on the front as well as a cap toe so you can wear these all day no matter where you've got to go.

These are not just any pair of black dress shoes. Aren't they awesome!?! These Francesco Benigno's are leather. They have fantastic stitch and perforated detailing that creates an eye-catching design. The sole is a mixture of leather and rubber. They're laced-up and will work great for special occasions, or for a special man.

I think that shoes should be comfortable. Fashion should also provide function, right? It should be something that you enjoy wearing - and look good in. These Prada sport loafers combine fashion and function perfectly. They have a fantastic stitch detail on the front and the sides. The base is not severe; it's very cushioned and comfortable. The sole is made of leather as are the base of the shoes. They feel like a sneaker; but, wear like a loafer. You can wear them with all sorts of looks from the most casual to the most elegant!

These Cesare Paciotti boots almost look feminine. My husband took one look at them at first, and laughed. Then, he tried them on. They're so comfortable. These suede ankle boots are perfect for winter (Might I suggest that you get them protected from the elements so that snow, sleet or rain doesn't ruin them?). They work great with jeans and heavy, winter wool pants. They are great for walking sure-footed on ice. The rubber sole ensures that! I do declare that these Paciotti boots are a must-have for winter. They belong in any fashionable man's wardrobe.

Finally, we go from winter to summer with these Versace flip-flops. They have a luxurious look and feel. Great for the beach or even a yacht! I especially like the zipper detail on the front. 

As you can see from this list, Italian designers definitely know men's footwear. The shoes featured in this article are elegant, sexy, comfortable and fashionable. They're wonderful pieces that you can add to just about any man's collection for winter, spring, summer or fall.

- See more at: http://www.lifeinitaly.com/fashion/men-shoes.asp#sthash.eBl491fe.dpuf


do leave comments.

IN DETAILS WE TRUST