Manolo for the Men Fashion and Lifestyle Advice for Men

October 30, 2007

Corduroy Conclave

Filed under: Men's Fashion,Shoes,Trousers — Izzy @ 7:10 pm

corduroy tattoo

Having drawn attention to the Corduory Appreciation Club once before, Izzy would like to notify his loyal readers of the society’s next get-together, which will be held in Brooklyn on 11|11 (for obvious reasons). Lord Whimsy, courageous dandy and author of The Affected Provincial’s Companion, Vol. I (which Izzy thoroughly recommends), will be the keynote speaker. Given that “adoxography” is a fancy word for elegant praise of the trivial (something which Izzy might know a thing or two about), the Club should be considered an organized exercise in adoxophilia. (Shockingly, Izzy could not find “adoxography” in the Oxford English Dictionary. He’s going to write an angry, erudite letter to Jesse Sheidlower, the immaculately dressed editor-at-large.)

In any case, only an unnatural disaster will keep Izzy from attending the event. Where else is he supposed to wear his corduroy shoes?

October 29, 2007

Rocking the Casbah*

Filed under: Celebrity,Men's Fashion — Izzy @ 3:40 pm

Freddie Mercury in unitard

If anyone still needs a costume for Halloween, Izzy has the perfect, if undiplomatic, suggestion: In honor of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, suit yourself up as a gay Iranian. And call yourself “The Iron Chic.”

Killer Queen Freddie Mercury (real name “Farroukh Bulsara”) could be your hirsute model. (Though born in Zanzibar, his parents were Indian Parsis, i.e., Zoroastrians of Persian descent.) Good luck finding a unitard on such short notice, however.

*Izzy is well aware that there are no casbahs in Iran, but the Clash actually wrote “Rock the Casbah” in response to the Ayatollah Khomeini’s banning of rock music in the country. Come to think of it, Izzy hopes someday to see the bumper sticker “If this casbah’s a-rockin’, don’t come a-knockin’.”

October 26, 2007

Freakshow

Filed under: Bad Fashion,Celebrity,Glasses,Gloves,Men's Fashion,Shirts,Ties — Izzy @ 10:18 am

Lagerfeld with gloves

Just in time for Halloween, a horror-show of a documentary about Karl Lagerfeld has opened in New York.  According to one review:

Mr. Lagerfeld claims to be “a complete improvisation.”

“I don’t want to be real in other people’s minds,” he declares. “I want to be an apparition.”

[…]

As a child, he admits, he was “unbearable and spoiled” and compares himself to Shirley Temple. Even now, he cannot go to sleep without a pillow clutched to his stomach.

His mother, he says, was “the polar opposite of a typical German mother.” She “exuded frivolity” and “made slaves of everyone.” Mr. Lagerfeld displays a similar mixture of eccentricity and severity. With his white ponytail, high white collars, sunglasses, fingerless gloves (his hands are festooned with rings) and preference for black, he resembles a man of the cloth, “a defrocked one,” he says matter-of-factly.

[…]

His most unsettling remarks concern friendship. Hanging over every close relationship, he asserts, is a sword of Damocles. And he implies that many have been permanently exiled from his court. “Forgiveness isn’t something I’m preoccupied with,” he says. “Turning the other cheek is not my trip. The curtain falls: an iron curtain.”

Izzy thinks that Lagerfeld needs a hug.

October 24, 2007

Strange Toop

Filed under: Celebrity,Grooming,Men's Fashion — Izzy @ 10:18 pm

David Lynch's hair

David Lynch, the director of such mind-bending movies as Mullholland Drive and Blue Velvet, achieves a hair-raising bouffant that is exceeded in height only by the paint-brush-like hairdo of clown-prince Bello Nock. Architectural in its majesty, Lynch’s style might be called “the windblown aristocrat.” Those of us suffering from both baldness and envy should agree that the filmmaker has more hair than any one gentleman deserves.

October 23, 2007

Advertisement for Myself

Filed under: Men's Fashion,Shoes,The Big Man,The Not Tall Man — Izzy @ 11:29 pm

Never a fan of false humility, Izzy is proud to report that he was recently quoted in a Denver Post article about Nordstrom, the department store famed for its customer service.  Alas, although Izzy gave good quote, the reporter chose to go with the relatively humdrum.  Still, the article is worth reading.  Izzy would add to it that Nordstrom has one of the best men’s shoe departments in the business, with a wide variety of high quality brands, and the store also carries an extensive selection of clothing sizes, which makes it a good choice for the big, small, or unusually-sized gentleman.  It’s reputation for superior service is well-deserved, but while many people know of its generous return-policy (e.g., purchases can be returned without receipts as long as Nordstrom carries the items), its low-price guarantee also deserves a huzzah.

October 22, 2007

Village (People) Idiot

Filed under: Bad Fashion,Men's Fashion — Izzy @ 10:33 am

hard hat

Izzy suspects that this oil wildcatter likes pouring on the heavy crude a bit too much.

October 18, 2007

Not Enough Moleskin

Filed under: Men's Fashion,Suits,Trousers — Izzy @ 11:26 am

Terry Wogan's trousers

British TV broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan recently went on the air in mustard-colored moleskin trousers so clingy that viewers could almost identify his religious preference. Some Brits are tumescent with anger at the wardrobe malfunction, but Izzy thinks they should put a sock in it.

October 16, 2007

When Penguins Rule the Earth

Filed under: Formal Wear,Men's Fashion — Izzy @ 10:53 pm

New Yorker black tie Fridays

Izzy can dream, can’t he?

October 15, 2007

Clone War

Filed under: Bad Fashion,Hats,Men's Fashion — Izzy @ 1:23 pm

shiny Mr Peanut

If plagiarism is a fashion crime, then the fashion detectives has better investigate this suspicious case.  Because really, is it likely that two different designers independently created shiny Mr. Peanut?

October 12, 2007

Holy Mole

Filed under: Bad Fashion,Hats,Men's Fashion — Izzy @ 5:15 pm

Aligimiro Palencia head dress

Bow, mortal, to Nipplelopochtli, Aztec god of pectorals and, uh, acid-washed jeans.

October 11, 2007

It’s Hip to Wear Square Ties

Filed under: Men's Fashion,Ties — Izzy @ 6:16 pm

hipsters in ties

“After years of being out, the necktie is in,” so sayeth The New York Times.  As much as Izzy is a staunch advocate of the tie, he would prefer it if obnoxious hipsters went back to their tie-less ironic ways, so as to avoid any guilt by association.

October 9, 2007

Pirate Bootee

Filed under: Men's Fashion,Shoes — Izzy @ 9:30 pm

skull wing tip shoes

Perfect for the corporate raider, these wing tips from Barker Black feature a skull and crossbones on their toes.  And of course you could wear them for Walk Like a Pirate Day.

Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress