Crazy For This Psycho Bunny

A few weeks back, I was contacted by Psycho Bunny about reviewing one of their ties. Never heard of Psycho Bunny? I've been a fan for quite some time. For several years, I've seen athletes and celebs on TV repping the unique bunny and crossbones logo. Mostly known for their classic but fun ties, Psycho Bunny offers a full array of quality menswear and accessories. 

When offered this awesome opportunity, I was immediately drawn to this bright. pink. paisley.

Do I love pink? Yep.
Paisley? Always.

Easy choice, though the Hibiscus Tie was oh so tempting.

So, my tie came in the mail a few days ago. Along with a kind note and logo decals, the tie itself was well packaged in not only a plastic sleeve but a reusable tie travel bag. I quickly put on my pleasant piece of pink and paisley perfection (please pardon the alliteration) and headed out for the day.

To knot or not to knot... or unknot... or... whatever.

That night, I carefully unknotted the tie to see how it held up. Quality fabric and construction are evident in a tie when it easily returns to form at the end of the day. And? No creases or loose threads here. The silk is quite sumptuous and the colors are just as vibrant as they appear. Another positive about this tie's construction - it was hand made here in this good ol' country between Canadia and Meh-he-co.

The price? Ah, the price. You, my dearestest readers know 99% of my tie collection comes from the thrift shops 'o the world. However, you also know that I'm prone to splurging a few times a year on ties that I simply must own. Even without the offer from Psycho Bunny, I think this $100 tie would have found its way home to me. So, hop on over (hop... like a rabbit... I know) to Psycho Bunny and enjoy the goods.

Just in from eBay

Wish List - TM Lewin

The Casualization of an American Man's Clothing

To some people, dressing down means wearing a polo and chinos, as opposed to the usual office-only suit. To others, sadly, dressing up means wearing a polo and chinos, with a suit or even a sport coat out of the question.

I'm not much of a suit guy - I own five - but thanks to my bargain-hunting efforts, I own around forty sport coats. To me, wearing a tuxedo is dressing up; wearing a sport coat is simply dressing well.

On three occasions whilst running errands today, I was asked in one way or another, "Why are you so dressed up?" I could only affirm that this is how I often dress. The casualization of the American man's wardrobe, something that seems to be be very slowly reversing, is just absurd.

Shouldn't the guy in camo cargo shorts and an embroidered muscle tee be the person in question? (Yes, that guy was standing behind me at Target checkout.) I realize I'm not spot-on with every outfit, but I'll proudly hold my style against that of the Affliction-afflicted, Tapout-tapping, Abercrombie-abominating masses.


I'm all for artistic freedom, the freedom of sartorial expression and such, but I believe a certain level of respect should be upheld when out in public. I dress in such a manner as to look well for myself, while respecting my surroundings (both people and places).

To succumb to a routine of dress which doesn't at least attempt to best display one's attributes is an injustice to oneself.  I don't expect anyone to change who doesn't want to change. But you see, that's the problem - the lack of effort to wear something appropriate, to wear something that fits, even to wear something clean.

What passes for proper is preposterous.







Michael Kors gingham blazer, Polo shirt and pima sweater, Breuer tie, Oak Hill linen trouser, Club Room socks and Bally loafers.





A little effort, fellas.

Spring Pastels

Damn right, men can wear pink chinos... yellow ones, too.

I suggest you hit up Belk or Belk.com before these are sold out.

Pink and Plaid

I found this vintage Chaps wool/silk blazer on eBay for only $13. As far as functionality, this has to be one of my top finds of all time. This thing is perfect for year-round wear. The shirt came from a Polo clearance sale awhile back for around $45 - a bit of an indulgence for me, but well worth it. The Polo tie, only $1 from the thrift, features a wool/silk blend which offers a unique texture. A $5 clearance rack Izod vest finishes off the top. Aside from the Polo socks, everything else is from second-hand land. Braided leather belt, worsted wool pants, Allen Edmonds cap toes of a most beautiful chestnut tone which play off the color of the jacket.

Don't worry. I'm not going for the Thom Browne look. I merely have my pants hiked up to show off the socks.

Casual Cricket Day

Polo Ralph Lauren pink oxford

Polo Ralph Lauren pima cotton cricket sweater

Polo Ralph Lauren silk tie

Vintage blue/green wool scarf

Not pictured:

Polo Ralph Lauren tan cords

Merona light blue ribbed socks

Cole Haan walnut penny loafers

Lucky Colors

Actually, I don't believe in luck. I believe a man's fortune to be determined by wise decisions and a bit of chance. Every time I pair pink and green, I have success in the events of the day. This has proved true both in business and my personal life. I could go on about the psychology of color, something I've read far too much about in my studies of advertising, but somehow these colors just work for me. Perhaps it's the confidence I display while wearing these colors together? Perhaps it's the attention-grabbing combination, itself? 

I just know that red and blue are not and will never be my power colors, unlike a vast majority of badly suited businessmen. You should wear the clothes, the colors, with which you're comfortable, though it never hurts to step outside the realm of comfort to be bold and daring. It's a new year. Take a chance and challenge yourself to experiment with new colors and new, yet classic, pieces of clothing. The results might surprise you.

Also, get out there and hit the thrift shops!

Shirt - Polo semi-spread poplin
Tie - Lauren Ralph Lauren
Sweater - Polo pima cotton
Cardigan - Merona marled cotton
Jeans - Levi's tumbled rigid 559
Socks - Scott Nichol
Shoes - Bass Weejuns

A Whale of a Mascot

Hey, Captain Ahab, I have a new target for you!

Just Wrong

Is it pink? Magenta? Fuchsia? No.

It's Vegas. That's right (and by right I mean very wrong), Brooks Brothers has named the color of one of its sweaters Vegas. I realize this occurrence is unbelievably insignificant, but to see the cornerstone of traditional style and elegance use a word that represents the exact opposite makes me queasy.
 

Greens and Pinks on the Links

Today's dose of pink and green comes from English golfer, Luke Donald, at the 2011 Masters.

I also tend to dress brightly at the links.

This distracts onlookers from my dreadful game.

Pink, Green and Gingham in Between

Nothing like this classic color combination to stand out in summer. But if even a pastel pink seems too much, start with yellow or orange. The trick is matching tones and brightnesses, then keeping everything else simple.

The Power of Pink

To honor October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I loaded up on pink - shirt, tie, sweater vest and socks - for a special fundraiser at school.


I don't believe in luck, but I've been through a lot with this tie. I picked it up from Express five years ago. I know, there's nothing traditional about Express, but I've had amazing things happen while wearing this tie. It's the one tie to survive my house fire last summer. It helped land me my new job; I was complimented on my boldness for wearing pink the moment I walked into the interview.


I picked up the sweater vest from Saddlebred at Belk. The shirt is Polo (of course).


I wore all this with a worsted wool charcoal suit from Palm Beach I found recently on eBay.


The bit loafers are certainly not classic Gucci. This pair comes from my favorite maker, Allen Edmonds, and cost about one dollar. My socks came from Ralph's end of summer sale.


I could use one of them clubs to knock acorns out my backyard off the hill to hit some them squirrels. ~ Said to me by a camouflage-adorned gent at the sporting goods store today as I browsed the sand wedges.

eBay Abounding

I've been looking for a truly pink cable knit sweater for months. I'd managed to find two silk cable knits in the spring - one in rose, one in pale pink heather. Should I call this one bubble gum? Cotton candy? My patience finally paid off when I picked up this piece on eBay for under twenty dollars yesterday.


I'm attending my cousin's wedding this weekend. Any thoughts on formal, summer wedding attire?

Pink Revisited

In a comment from an anonymous reader in my last post, I was asked, "Are there any cases where a man may carry the color pink too far?" Aside from wearing a pink shirt and pink pants together, the outfit below might be too much for the average guy. Even for me, this would be a CEY outfit - country club, Easter, yacht.


Remember, bold pieces like this pink pant only work if balanced by more muted tones and patterns. Below, the mint green pant is counteracted by subdued purple and yellow.


This turquoise pant is where I'd likely draw my personal style line. Paired with black, this outfit is too modern for me. However, I would love to try this with more traditional accompaniment.


What's your boldest outfit choice?

Be traditional. Be true.

The Power of Pink

The attention drawn by a man wearing pink is never to be underestimated. In fact, this outfit just played a large part in the first impression made at my new job. I went in for an interview last week and the first thing said to me was "I love your vest. Pink is a great color on you." The interview went extremely well and I was just hired as a keyholder (assistant manager/sales associate), working part-time until I graduate in December.


Were this a traditional interview for career opportunity, I would have gone with more proper dark blues and reds. However, for a job in clothing retail I trusted myself to be bold and make a strong impression with pink. Also, the interview occurred on a rainy day and I thought the color choice would brighten the moods of the interviewers.


I decided to ground the outfit with the blue shirt and blue-striped tie. While I would have liked to step up the prep-factor with green instead of blue, I certainly didn't want to go too far.

I just picked up these pink socks on sale from Ralph. The two-pack came with these and another pink pair with green and black argyle.


Though what makes the bigger statement, pink or orange?

Don't just pop the collar. Pop the color.