oh the 60s... you look nice

i've been a bit into looking at pictures of Jane Birkin lately. sort of the ultimate cool euro fashion chic of the 1960's. i definitely factor a little bit of her into my daily "who am i today?" routine... it's always been in me, but lately a deeper fascination is creeping in and i find myself scouring the interwebs a bit more...

i am also styling the groom at my dear lovely friend's wedding. and bless his little socks if he is not TOTALLY into (and fully capable of, i might add) rocking the 60's mod suit. how much do i love this? a lot.

nothing personal against the rockers of today. but to be perfectly honest - does anything beat the way the Beatles looked in their suits? i mean COME ON - perfection. (don't get me wrong - i'm also way into the later John Lennon look - but that's another story for another day). it's put together, it looks slick, and for those of you gents who don't care to think much about dressing - it really is kind of a no-brainer.

perhaps it's part nostalgia. times appear as if they were much more simple then. modern life is so freakin complicated. but hey, since we're here, i guess looking good can make the complication feel a bit less harsh...

gnarly dude!

too bad you can't see me, i'm doing that surfer wave thing. (only on my first coffee, so it's still amusing to me)

i have a friend who was a long time NYer, who not-so-long ago transplanted himself to LA. he is like a pig in mud there - happy happy happy. before he left, before he even knew he was going, he began transitioning in his clothing... i am probably the only person among the group of people surrounding him that noticed it, but hey, that's just what i do. one of the items he acquired were these really cool surfer loafer type shoes, made by Sanuk. i became slowly obsessed with them.

they're kind of the ultimate cool man shoe, if you're not a loafer guy, if you're a sneaker guy but maybe need a shoe... if style and comfort fell in love and got married, and moved to the beach because it made them happy, they would be this shoe (they do make them for girls as well, and yes i have some- we all know me and beach, right?) i bought a pair for my bf, and he has worn them to within an inch of their lives, and i will be buying him some more. i love them on him. and come to think of it, i might need some more myself, you know for running around town between flip-flop season and boot season... a girl needs to transition...

a little morning man style

it is probably rather difficult not to look great when you are Brad Pitt. that fact aside - i just felt this deserved a little man shout out.

men, or ladies who help their men, look how simple it is. it's just a short sleeved button down shirt and a pair of khakis. (sunglasses and the hat are optional - but they certainly give it an extra oomph). it just looks good. and the man bag. fear not, strong men. the man bag is a great thing. it means you don't have to load your pockets with crap, making you look oddly mis-shapen and lumpy. embrace the man bag. it is your friend. dress simply, dress well, it's hot.

that's about all i have to say about that. now i'm just going to look at this picture for a second...

the wallet!

most men are not creatures of accessory. there are of course exceptions to the rule - including my impeccibly wardrobed and accessorized friend mark. and of course my bag and shoe loving friend tim. but i digress. back to the topic. men, they like the basics. for work, they have whatever "uniform" may be required of them. a tie usually being the flare in that routine. for casual - maybe a snazzy shirt, or the new hipster sneaker-du-jour. (especially in NY or LA)

the 'handbag' of man therefore - the statement - would be the wallet. and to each his own. there is the George Costanza wallet, causing back pain, ripping pants, and weighing in at 35 pounds. there is the in between. and there is my boyfriend. he wants as little wallet as humanly possible. not a money clip - there are other things involved here people, like ID and credit cards. he wants a wallet, but he wants it to barely exist. yet, it must be perfect. (as must my handbags and shoes, thank you very much. we all want what we want). he had one that was purchased at a street fair. it unraveled. i got him a great replacement - it is now ripping... and so the hunt was on. we did find it, and it is now happily in use. he bought several so that panic shall never set in. he even bought two for his friend. it's a hot man ticket. fyi it's classified as a slim card case, but if your heart desires it, it's this bad boy right here. the thrill of victory is sweet people.