Off the Cuff — Men's Fashion Trends

Blue for boys, pink for girls, right? Well, it wasn’t always that way. In the early 20th century, and right up through WW2, pink was seen as synonymous with health, vigor and strength...just right for an early 1900s boy. Blue, on the other hand was thought of as more delicate and dainty – a better fit for a little girl. Fellas, it’s time to reclaim pink. It’s a shade of red. Red like a matador’s cape. Red like a firetruck. Red like Michael Jordan’s jersey. See? Nothing to be afraid of there. And it looks sharp. Put a pink sport...

  1. It’s light, and crazy warm: Punching way above its weight class, it has a weight-to-warmth metric that other materials can’t come close to. 2. It’s a 3-season material: It is called extra-fine for a reason. It breathes, and unlike bulky wool sweaters, can be layered in late September or fly solo in early May, and all of the days in between. 3. It’s the highest grade of Merino wool: Remember the Cadillac Cimarron? The Chevy-Cavalier-with-a-hood-ornament was a Cadillac in name, but it didn’t fool anyone. Those big box $39 merino wool sweaters are the same hustle. There’s Merino...

If the place you work is populated with enough characters, you may notice that there are certain roles that people play. Maybe there’s The Crossword Puzzle Guy. Or The Gossip. The Crisis Magnet. The Oversharer. The Lady with Three Cats, All of Whom Have the First Name of Mister. I’m the Style Guy where I work. People stop by, if not daily, then at least thrice weekly to see what I’m up to clothing-wise. They’ve seen polka-dot socks, Ivy-league inspired sport coats, and a bangin’ pair of suede oxfords that cost more than my first car (my ’73 Impala was...

Just off a flight from LaGuardia to Cleveland, I was returning home from a speaking gig in New York.  Still dressed in my keynote best, I was staring ahead, zombie-like, on that moving sidewalk thing at the airport when, from the other direction, came a voice. “You’re killing that blazer!” smiled this perfect stranger. (I actually was killing that blazer).  “Thanks!” was all I could manage as we were moved at 3 MPH toward opposite ends of the airport. A total stranger just complimented not only my sport coat, but my style. Things like this happen when you’ve got it...

Women have it easy. Day to date means adding a little more eyeliner, tossing on some stilettos and adding a chunky necklace. Simple. But for guys,  how do you make the transition from day to play when you barely have enough time  to catch the train, never mind make a stop at home? It's not as difficult as you might think. It's really all about the colors and the accessories which are easy enough to toss in your briefcase or backpack. First, if you have scheduled dinner plans with a date or friends after work, that morning select something simpler...