Manolo says, the creations of the Galliano, they are always good for the laugh.
January 29, 2005
January 28, 2005
Say No To The Parka
Manolo says, the Manolo he is sorry but he must now take the Vice President Cheney to the shed of the wood for being ridiculously underdressed for the ceremony at the Auschwitz.
The Manolo he reminds you that you must always, always, dress for the occasion. This ceremony, it was the ceremony like the funeral. You would not wear this to the funeral. It is ridiculous.
In this picture, all the Dick Cheney he needs to be prepared for the outing to the frozen tundra is the hat made of the cheese.
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January 27, 2005
Brown Shoe for The Business Casual
Manolo says, this brown shoe from the Allen-Edmonds not only is it perfect for wearing with the casual khakis, but it is on the sale, reduced over $100 of the American dollars.
If you have the giant feets, this shoe it comes in the American size 16.
P.S. This shoe, it also answers the question about the giant feets that one of the Manolo’s internet friends had asked.
On the american shoes for men, I have a question. I am very conservative dresser (CPA), and have a large foot (14) leaving me out in the cold in terms of more fashionable footwear.
I am limited to essentially Johnston and Murphy or Allen Edmonds for workshes. (Higher end J&M only). Alden does not cater to fat foot.
What do you think between the two brands? I need a new algonquin -style oxford, and they are comparably priced.
Manolo says, for the Manolo, there is little difference between the Johnston and Murphy and the Allen Edmonds. Both are good mid-priced shoes, suitable for the business wear.
If, however, you are serious about the great shoes, they should be considered no more than the way station on the trip to the beautiful hand made shoes, which, of the course, can be made for any size of the foot.
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January 26, 2005
Engineer Chic
Manolo says, one of the Manolo’s many internet friends has asked the Manolo the question.
I would appreciate your comments on the proper way to dress for business casual. I am a civil engineer and I live in Austin, TX where we have summer type weather for 7 to 8 months of the year. In my business dealings, if you see a guy in a suit, he’s an attorney. Ties are infrequently worn by my colleagues, my clients or the government workers and elected officials that we deal with. Some wear sports coats and I like to wear sports coats when the weather is cool (under 80 F). Jeans are worn by approximately 40 percent of the people I deal with. The rest wear khakis or slacks with golf shirts, casual shirts or long sleeve dress shirts. I don’t like to wear jeans, so I always wear khakis.
Most of the US “sunbelt” is similar in that most men dress business casual every work day but Austin seems to be more casual than most. Any hints that you could provide for dressing to look extra sharp in this business environment (without spending a fortune) will be greatly appreciated.
Manolo says, it is a sad day indeed when even the engineers they have given up the wearing of the cravat with their dress shirts of the short sleeves.
Having said this, the Manolo he will tell you that you are in the essence doing the right thing, wearing the new uniform of the lamentably casual American workplace. Manolo says, when in the Rome, wear the well-draped toga. When in the Austin, wear the high-quality khakis and the nice shirt.
The modern reality is that the business casual it has become the standard for most of the American mens, and so we must adapt ourselves to this new situation, even it we do not like or approve of it.
You are also correct in intuiting that this new standard of the dress it is as unforgiving in its way as the wearing of the suit and tie, in some of the ways worse, as before there was always the possibility of distinguishing oneself with the choice of the tie, or the impeccable cut of the suit.
Manolo says, here are some of the rules for the business casual, so that you may both blend in with the fashion, but at the same time stand out for your superior taste.
In the general the Manolo would tell you to wear the high-quality, long-sleeve, cotton, button-down oxford shirt with the high-quality khaki pants, or perhaps the summer-weight wool pants; never the jeans of blue, and only rarely the shirt for polo. As for the pattern of the shirt it should be solid, or perhaps the muted tattersall, or even a crisp bold stripe.
The Manolo he would tell you that this it is not exciting, but you will now set yourself apart by doing the following: Your clothes they must always be pressed by the professional, it makes your clothes look their best. Your shoes, (or perhaps, your boots of the cowboy) they must be shined, or if suede well-cared for, and well-heeled.
Your accessories, your belt, and watch of the wrist, they should be of the excellent quality, but conservative. Leave the Rolex to the stars of the hop and hip. (Soon, the Manolo he will address the issue of the proper wristwatch.)
You should add to this a navy blue hopsack blazer of good quality, or perhaps lightweight sports coat in a muted check or plaid. Do these things and you will stand out from 95 of the percent of the peoples. So many peoples they use the “business casual” as the excuse to be the sloppy.
Manolo says, as you have seen, this it is not the science of the rocket, or the surgery of the brain. This style of the dress, it is the basic commonsense; good quality, conservative cut, and the attention paid to the neatness and appearance of the clothes, without appearing overly fussy. But, then, the Manolo he suspects that his friend he knows all of this already.
January 25, 2005
Cravats Worth The Wearing
Manolo says, the Manolo he has made the website the help the man pick out the ties that are worth wearing. It contains pictures of 24 beautiful ties that any man would be proud to own.
Click here to go to Manolo’s Cravats Worth The Wearing.
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The Man Poncho From Missoni
Manolo says, have they not heard? The fashion mania for the poncho, it is now over.
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January 23, 2005
Sweaters for the Man
Manolo says, one of the Manolo’s many internet friends has asked the Manolo the question.
Can you recommend the right spring sweaters – I see men everywhere wearing these well – sweaters that remind me of my mother from the 60s – snowflake patterns and kitsch! I know that with your great knowledge you could stop the madness of men wearing outlandish sweaters. Might you recommend a line or two of nice professional looking work sweaters? Are sweatervests out like bow ties?
Manolo says, of the course not, the sweaters (or jumpers) they are not “out”, they could never be “out”. They are too practical for the wearing.
However, as the Manolo’s friend, he has correctly identified, many of the mens they wear the sweaters of ridiculousness. Perhaps, like the Colin Firth in the Diary of the Bridget Jones, it was a present from the well-intentioned relative/dolt. Or, perhaps they just know no better.
In any of the event, the Manolo he would give you the following brief advice with regard to the wearing of the sweaters: high quality, solid color.
You cannot go wrong with the purchase of the good quality, good-colored cashmere sweater in the classic cut that suits you, be it the turtle neck, the crew neck, the v-neck, or perhaps the cardigan.
Here are three sweaters from the Italian maker Principe di Salina, that the Manolo finds acceptable.
Manolo says, three different colors in three different neck styles, all good. The last of the three it is the “zip mock turtleneck” which is the more contemporary, urban feel.
As for the the vest of the sweater, the Manolo, he himself has been known to sport such attire, so how can it possibly be “out”?
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January 20, 2005
The All-Licensed Fool
Manolo says, one of the Manolo’s many internet friends has taken the exception with the Manolo charaterization of the Vivienne Westwood as a fool.
“…one of these two designers she knows the fashion, and she is serious about it. The other she is the fool. Of this, there is no doubt.”
Uh, I don’t think so. Neither is a fool; but if one designer is conservative, it is Prada. And conservatism in fashion = boring. Sure, you look posh, but you still look normal. It’s called ‘nice/posh normal’, and it doesn’t take a fashion brain to put on. Vivienne Westwood breaks boundaries and is a genius with fabric. If you think she sucks, then I suggest you adjust your taste to suit. It’s the difference between Galliano (VERY nice AND different) and McQueen (very nice but still fundamentally boring) (try comparing spring summer men for both lines and note the more ingenious one), between DKNY (BORING) and Yohji Yamamoto (genius), between Raf Simons and Commes DG, between Margiela and Marc Jacobs. The last two comparisons I leave as an exercise to the sartorially astute reader.
If conservative = great fashion to you then I respectfully suggest that you a. lack imagination and b. are boring.
These are two different spectrums of fashion. One staid and stale, nothing new, nor original (I wouldn’t take a second look at you on the street); the other cutting edge (but not in the clownish or freakish way you suggest). Westwood has been doing this for years, and feted for it. Probably no serious fashion student in say, Central St Martins, will place Miuccia Prada ahead of VW in the fashion stakes. Nor do trendsetting style magazines like i-D.
And no, I’m not a fashion student, nor in the industry.
Think about it.
Manolo says, indeed the Manolo he has thought about it. First, he will reply by posting again the picture of the Vivenne Westwood’s lastest fashion for the man.
Manolo says, the friend of the Manolo she seems to have misunderstood the difference between looking good and calling attention to one’s self.
The Vivienne Westwood, she has long specialized in the fashion for the adolescent who cries out for the attention. The perfect look for the angst-ridden, rebellious teenager, but not the look for the serious adult. The grown up peoples they require the grown up clothes.
Do not denigrate the importance of looking “normal”. Fashion it is about looking good, not seeking out the look of the abnormal, or the outre, or the purposely ridiculous.
Manolo says, the true radical in the serious well-cut, well-tailored clothes is the one whose thoughts, talents, and actions will change the world. The attention-seeking adolescent in the motley clothes of the fool, this person is merely the comedic sideshow.
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January 19, 2005
Why the Manolo Started His Prada Blog
Manolo says, undoubtedly many of the readers of the Manolo they have been wondering why the Manolo he started an entire blog devoted to the fashions and personalities of the Prada and why he was resistant to starting the blog about the mens fashion.
Here, in this article about the Milan menswear show, the Miuccia herself she tells you why.
By her own words, Miuccia Prada has decided to take menswear seriously. “It’s time to put the avant-garde behind, and analyze what men really want from fashion,” the designer said after her Monday preview presentation of a no-fuss, classical look for next winter. […]
“Let’s face it, men are conservative at heart,” Prada said.
Manolo says, this it exactly expresses the philosophy of the Manolo with regard to the dressing of the mens. The fashion of the man, it is about the classical forms and materials, this despite the long-standing attempts of the confused GQ-reading peacocks to bring about the radical change.
Manolo belives that if the man he can keep his shape, he can wear the same suit, if it is of the high quality and the classical tailoring, from the young manhood into his grave. The same it can be said of the mens shoes.
This it is why the Manolo, he did not initially want to start the blog about the fashion for the man, because it is not as exciting to the Manolo as the shoes for the women. (Ultimately, only the out crying of the masses in need presuaded the Manolo to relent.)
Manolo says, the Miuccia, she knows.
January 18, 2005
The Big, Big, Big….Big Man
Manolo says, one of the Manolo’s many internet friends she has asked the Manolo the question.
I am writing to you on behalf of two of my friends who are both in the same predicament: they are too large (even by American standards) for most nice, good quality shirts. By large I mean 6’5″, 300 pounds, 54″ and 58″ chests (19″and 20″ necks, 37″ sleeves I believe) but without the gut that usually accompanies a wide man. Where does a good friend (and girlfriend to one) buy quality business dress shirts and casual polo shirts for barrel-chested athletes? If you could even just recommend a brand, so that I know where to begin. Thank you for your insight!
Manolo says, it is no secret that the Manolo he was not graced with the elegant shape of the body, and that as the boy, the clothes that best fit the little Manolo they were found in racks of the “husky”. So the Manolo he knows the thing or two about the fat boys.
This question you ask, it is very easy. First, the Manolo he would recommend to you that your big men they consider the custom made dress shirts. The best of the American makers, it is the Borelli on the 60th street in the Manhattan. The prices they start at $300 and go up from there.
The less expensive option for the custom made, is the Ascot Chang, who gives the good value for the money. The shirts they start at $100 of the American dollars.
However, if this it still sounds too pricey, than the Manolo he would send you to where most of the giant athletes of the professional American sports go, to the Rochester Big and Tall.
They are very good at what they do, which is fit the clothes onto the bodies of the big mens. They even carry a few of the big designers like the Burberry, the Ralph Lauren, and the Ermenegildo Zegna.
Finally, the Manolo, he does have the one reservation about the Rochester. They have recently been featuring the sports clothes in the style of the Tommy Bahama, the heavily-patterned Florida-resort look that it is not good on the big mens.
Manolo says, the big mens, they should stay with the solids and the small patterns like the checks and the narrow stripes. The bold. colorful patterns they can make the big man look like the sofa of the parlor.
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January 17, 2005
Prada For The Men
Manolo says, in honor of the Miuccia show in Milan, the Manolo he presents to you these items from the last winter collection for the mens. They are very much to the Manolo’s liking with their simplicity and traditional styling.
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The Compare and The Contrast
Manolo says, here are a few of the pictures from the Miuccia Prada’s revealing today of the Fall/Winter 2005/2006 men’s collection. (There are, of the course, more pictures at the Manolo’s Prada Blog).
Please to compare this with this picture below from the Vivienne Westwood.
Manolo says, one of these two designers she knows the fashion, and she is serious about it. The other she is the fool. Of this, there is no doubt.
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