A: Kudos for knowing not to wear athletic sneakers to a conference.  Barring a medical reason, bulky sneakers instantly deplete your coolness factor by 97%, tough to recover from.  Plus, there’s an entire category of men’s shoes called comfort footwear.  Makers include Johnston & Murphy, Børn, Patagonia, Keen, Merrell and Dansko, to name a few. Comfort styles range from rugged (not good for professional wear) to business casual and it’s key to select the styles that work with your level of attire formality.  Since shoes that have been pimped out comfort wise are usually not labeled as such, here are the qualities to look for in shoes you’re considering bringing/buying for the conference.

1. Sole – Feel the rubber (resisting the low brow humor here with all my might…) sole.  If it’s rock solid the shoe will be very stiff on your foot, if the sole has some give when you bend it, the shoe will be much more comfortable.

2. Versatility – SXSW or any conference can be a personal and professional networking mecca, so select shoes that will style up a relaxed look and can be worn with the most professional attire you are taking, like a sport coat.  Your feet (and shoes) will thank you if you take two pairs and switch them out daily.

3. Cushion quality – Don’t scrimp when it comes to your shoes.  Cheaper brands that sell by price point or trend rarely have good support or shock absorbency.  If you solely (Ha! Sorry.) choose by looks or price, after 11 hours on your feet in cheap shoes, you’ll be kicking yourself for not spending the extra $30 to prevent your suffering in the first place.

]]> http://amansworldco.com/wordpress/askemmi-shoes-to-wear-to-sxsw/feed 1 http://amansworldco.com/wordpress/askemmi-my-girlfriend-hates-my-winter-style http://amansworldco.com/wordpress/askemmi-my-girlfriend-hates-my-winter-style#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:33:33 +0000 Emmi http://amansworldco.com/wordpress/?p=1289

Over an espresso con panna this past weekend, a girlfriend confessed her fight or flight response to her date. In hushed tones she whispered that they had made it back to her place when he prematurely disrobed and revealed, not the classic boxer brief or trunk, but a fluorescent smiley face print thong.

After the lengthy intervals of laughter subsided, I wondered, “Where does a guy get a dayglo men’s thong in our increasingly stylish, yet still puritanically- influenced city of Boston?”  The answer was as close as the Marshall’s on Boylston street.  I took photos pretending to ignore the sales associates’ glare.  Now, while I’ve seen bad underwear on the racks before, it never occurred to me that they actually left the store with someone.  I always figured underwear like that ended up getting recycled into sponges or melted down into a Snuggie.  But clearly men out there are buying them, so just in case you ever wonder if you should expand your skivvies style, do not under any circumstances try these.

The last thing women want to find out about you at that oh-so-fragile, tender moment - the unveiling of your stylish attire- is that your stairway to heaven leads straight to Tacky Town.

If you’re in the market for distinctive, edgy and masculine footwear that’s made well to boot (low hanging fruit, I know), check out Marc Nason.

Retailing between $180 – $475 at Nordstrom, they’ll pay you back in compliments tenfold.  To successfully pull off a boot like these it’s key not to amp up additional rocker accessories elsewhere. That means that unless you’re in the cast of Jersey Shore, forego the bandana, skull ring, and Ed Hardy T-shirt.

Maintaining good style in the face of a New England winter can seem akin to staying afloat in a dingy during the perfect storm, and nowhere is the struggle more evident than with men’s sweaters. 

When the mercury drops, too many men with perfectly good bodies don potato-sack-shaped woollen body bags in the name of warmth. You know, the kind made for hearty sheep farmers herding flock on windy Irish hillsides- perfectly charming in that context, but out of place in a metropolitan city setting, especially for business.  

Plus, bulking up is not where it’s at;  in fact you’ll stay warmer, more attractive, and comfortable through indoor/outdoor temperature changes by layering clothing that fits closer to the body.

While previous seasons were favoring thin knits like cashmere and silk, this season the focus is on thicker knits like Fair Isle and cable knit.  But not all thick knit sweaters are created equal, and the cut and size you choose can make all the difference between looking ruggedly handsome and looking like a man with too many cats who collects figurines.

Look at the example above: On the left we have the afore mentioned sack-shaped sweater, which is doing no favors for that man’s body.  On the right is an equally thick wool sweater, yet it still maintains the desired, masculine V-shape of his upper body.  How?

1. Since bulky knits generally run large rather than true to size, try a size smaller than you usually wear and you may find it fits much better.

2. It’s got a front zipper, so the vertical line lengthens and slims the torso.

3. Coordination: The V-shape is emphasized by unzipping the sweater to the mid-chest revealing a darker brown T-shirt underneath which features a graphic in the same color as the sweater. 

Add a scarf and you’ll be equally, if not warmer,  than in the blob+turtleneck combo, and guess which one will fit better under your coat?

Trend #1: No Rules.

It used to be the case that specific clothing items were “in” or “out” of fashion with everything supposed to be worn a particular way, and being in style meant following those rules.  Some men prefer easy-to-follow rules, sensing that fashion freedom will create too much room for error (incidentally, that’s where an image consultant comes in handy).  But now fashion, especially casual menswear, has gone the way of the individual - just like a BK Whopper, you can have it your way.  Now, this doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly look good in anything and everything (very few men actually look good in pleated pants), and there are still dated items, like the super square toe dress shoe of the 90’s. However, the old rules of not wearing black with brown, no white after Labor Day, matchy-matchy belt and shoes combinations, etc. are gone baby gone.  This embracing of individuality means that when you make choices about clothes, pay the most attention to how you feel wearing them and whether or not they flatter your physique and are appropriate for your lifestyle, and least about what is ”in”.

Q:  For my girlfriend’s birthday I got her tickets to the symphony. I knew I’d have to go with her but I think I’ve been in denial, the show is this Sunday afternoon and I have no idea what’s appropriate to wear. I don’t own a tux or a suit. Help!

A:  Your sacrifice is commendable so don’t worry about dressing up too much, the last thing we’d want is for you to be bored and uncomfortable.  You’ll be happy to know that the symphony is rarely a black tie affair.  Formal attire is only expected on opening night and for the rest of the shows it’s suggested you wear something you’ll be comfortable sitting in for a couple of hours.  For a Sunday afternoon performance business casual dress is perfectly appropriate. Depending on how long the show lasts you may also want to take along the ultimate accessory, a full flask.

Finally, a break from the monotany of traditional Chirstmas store windows showcasing cute reindeer, plump Santas, and of course, pants on.  This display speaks right to the heart (if your heart was located in the same region as your boxer briefs, which for some men I’ve been told it is). 

The pantsed mannequins alone may have gotten an honorable mention, but it’s the addition of the apropos text next to them that makes this a true marketing coup d’état.

John Galliano, the fashion designer who revels in his eccentricity so passionately that lady Gaga would look like a plain Jane by his side, is the latest high end designer planning to start courting the Y-chromosome with a lower priced contemporary menswear line.

Galliano’s grandiose uninhibited designs have had an indelible impact on womenswear while he’s been at the helm of Dior as well his own couture lines, so I am eager and curious to see how he translates his vision for men.  According to a spokesperson from Ittierre, the Italian licensing company bringing Galliano’s menswear to the market, the new collection is designed for “trendsetting, extravagant, adventurous” 18-to-35 year-olds, and will include outerwear, leather, knitwear, shirts, jackets, jeans, jersey, and accessories.”

Galliano’s menswear will debut in Milan in January 2010 and should hit select retailers by the fall.