His Point of View

I am not a person who runs out to buy the latest hot scents, I typically purchase the same four or five colognes until they are no longer available.  During my trip to Las Vegas this past weekend I wandered into the Tom Ford store and I found three new favorites.   Tom Ford’s Black Orchid is the scent that I am referring to, and I like it even more each time I wear it. (continue reading…)

“Clean” is a term some of my good friends and I use to describe being dressed well. To be clean in 2009 you should check out these suits and accessories by Ralph Lauren and Stefano Ricci. These designers are hitting hard on the off the rack suits and accessories for 2009.  Ralph Lauren(RL) has always been one of my favorite designers, but this guy Stefano Ricci is really impressing me with his colors and materials used in his accessories.  You should be able to find many of these items at your local Ralph Lauren store, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, or other fine retailer. This post is for the guys who can’t quite afford a $5,000+ custom tailored suit but still want to look  good in what they wear. You can get your hands on a quality Ralph Lauren suit for well under $2000 and get it tailored to fit you for around $100. Stefano Ricci’s accessories are pricey, but their quality is second to none and their bright colors and classic styles work well with RL suits and shirts.

Stefano Ricci Paisley ties $215 each

photo from http://www.neimanmarcus.com

Stefano Ricci Silk Satin Ties – $185 each

photo from http://www.neimanmarcus.com

Stefano Ricci Purple Paisley Tie $250

photo from http://www.neimanmarcus.com

Stefano Ricci Red Crocodile cuff links $970

photo from http://www.neimanmarcus.com

Stefano Ricci Horse Head cuff links $6,930 (ok, these are pretty expensive)

photo from http://www.neimanmarcus.com

RL Black Label Wool Gabradine suit $2,150

photo from http://www.ralphlauren.com

Ralph Lauren 3 button Charcoal Suit $1,395

photo from http://www.ralphlauren.com

RL 3 button Navy Striped Suit $1,395

photo from http://www.ralphlauren.com

RL Purple Label Barrel Cuff shirt $425

photo from http://www.ralphlauren.com

RL Purple Label Barrel Cuff shirt $395

photo from http://www.ralphlauren.com

Ya’ll are going to get tired of me and watches… for real. But do I care??? Obviously not. Well this one is not going to be a lesson on anything but style. 2009 is going to be a good year for the watch world. There are a few old reliable brands that are breaking new ground. Breitling is manufacturing its first in house movement.  Zenith has figured out how to combine a chronograph and a minute repeater into one movement for the first time ever in a wristwatch. Patek Phillepe has broken ranks from the COSC and the Geneva Seal Bureau to create its own standard of quality craftsmanship(instead of only testing the movements Patek Phillipe has developed a method of testing the entire completed watch). 2009 is an exciting year in the watchmaking world… many of these decisions to break from these companies’ standard method of doing business will go down in history as genius ideas, or mega-flops… either way they will become collector’s items.

Below are more great timepieces to go pick up if you can… or to dream about if your pockets are a little light.

This is the Zenith “Defy Classic Zero-G”.  Zenith has been making fine watch movements since 1865, and you definitely pay for all those decades of experience when you purchase one of their fine time pieces.  This particular model costs approximately $260,000-$300,000 in the US.  Note the lack of diamonds or “bling” even though this item costs more than most people’s houses.  Its all about quality materials, detailed workmanship, and the engineering behind the brand.

(photo from http://media.modernluxury.com)

If you like Zenith but you want to own a piece of horological history that is a bit more affordable  you can pick up other models such as these for under $20,000.

(photo from http://media.modernluxury.com)

Next up is the Bulgari “Diagono Calibro 303″ This piece of work is in the $10,000-12,000 US price range.  At 5.5 mm thickness this is considered to be a very thin mechanical self winding watch.

(photo from http://home.watchprosite.com)

So that we don’t leave the ladies out here is the Boucheron “Ellipse Anniversarie”.  This watch features blue & pink sapphires, and white diamonds for a retail price of $35,000 US.

(photo from https://www.boucheron.com)

OK, this post serves two purposes

Purpose #1 if you know that there is a proper type of know to wear with various shirt collar styles I will simply provide you a link to see videos on how to tie many of the most common types of knots  http://www.youtube.com/user/avvi66

Purpose #2-  If you don’t know the reason why your tie doesn’t quite look right (provided the colors & patterns work well together) with that shirt you are wearing I need to provide a little help with selecting the proper knot for your shirt collar.

photos below are from www.brooksbrothers.com

“Windsor” knots are for shirts with a very wide collar, and traditionally these knots are used for formal ocassions, but I say if the knot fits wear it.

“Half Windsor” knots look very similar to Windsor knots, but they are adapted to fit a shirt collar slightly smaller than one which a Windsor knot would be suitable for.  Notice that the shirt collar above is a bit more wide open than the shirt pictured to the left.

The “four-in-hand” or “simple” knot is probably the knot you were first taught you to tie as a young man.  This is one of the easiest knots and it is the general purpose knot.  Unless your collar is very wide this knot will likely work.  This knot is widely used with button down collar type shirts and with ties that are wide.

If you have a wide tie you may want to consider the “small knot.”  But remember that this knot is not just for fat ties, but if your collar is closed in you may need to consider this knot as well.








This is only a small sample of the many types of tie knots.  These are the few knots which I have found will get most men through most situations… Of notable mention are the “bow tie” knot which I did not cover as you will surely know when you need this type of knot and the “Prince Albert” knot which is useful if your shirt collar is long.  Some of these knots go by many names so read carefully to make sure you are learning about the correct knot.

I hope that the first time you heard the word “bespoke” it was not in Kanye’s song… But if that’s the case its time to catch up.   Bespoke means “custom made.”  And in this case I am speaking of custom made shoes. Now there are many companies that produce custom made shoes, but I say if you are going to buy something buy the best you can afford.  James Taylor & Son is one of the best, they have been making bespoke shoes & boots since 1857.

You may ask “Why would I want custom made shoes when the shoes I can pick up at Macy’s or Lord & Taylor work just fine?” And I would say to that, good sir or ma’am that a quality item made to fit your body will always look and fit better than anything you can buy off a rack.  And the added benefit is that a good pair of custom shoes can last you up to 20 years, and I know of cases where they have been handed down to the next generation.  You believe me not????   Well its true, custom shoes can be reconditioned by the manufacturer or any good cobbler and if this is done periodically your shoes will last longer than you(well hopefully not… but you never know).

Well here comes the bad news… to get a pair of these custom made wonders you will have to go to London, England… a couple times… or pay for them to come to you and perform fittings.  You must be fitted upon your initial order, and once again half way through the 3 month long process to ensure that the shoes fit properly.  But once they get your first pair done right, you can re-order with a simple phone call, as they store a mold of your foot which will be used for all future orders.  Oh and more bad news… your first pair will run you about £1495 plus tax  which is is about $2379…. But the good news is that every additional pair after the mold is made will only cost you £1295 or $2060 plus tax.  But that is a low price to pay for a quality pair of shoes which will last you 20 years or more.  Let’s not forget that these shoes will keep your feet healthy and feeling good, as custom shoes can prevent a number of ailments caused by improperly fitted shoes.  And the final benefit I will mention is that you have control over the style of your shoe.  You can select the type of shoe you desire and have it customized to your taste (e.g. wider toe, more narrow toe, select a different color and type of leather, select a precise height and width of your heel, and the list of options goes on)…

Below are some examples of the work which you can find at http://www.taylormadeshoes.co.uk

All photos from http://www.taylormadeshoes.co.uk

And not to leave out the ladies they makes shoes for you too…

I know, I know… not a ton of style variations, but these are only a few of the styles available at James Taylor & Son  and still it is an old school British company, so what dso you expect really other than classic styles.  Like I said before you can select a style and modify it to your taste… or google “bespoke shoes” or “Custom made shoes” and you will find other vendors, some of which provide more contemporary styles.  And even better,  some manufacturers have fitting centers or show rooms in the US.

Since I have been out of touch with the world of fashion lately I figured that I would start with something I am current with.

You may ask ‘what is a hidden jewel?’… And if you did I would say yes I am referring to jewelry, but not what you may think. I am talking about wearing 7,17,or 21+ (functional) jewels such as rubies, sapphires, or other precious stones, which may all be hidden from view. Sounds silly? Well let me welcome you to the world of luxury timepieces which use precious stones to reduce friction on internal moving parts, allowing more accuracy in keeping time. Consider this your introduction… I can go on and on about watches but I won’t bore you with detail. After all if you cared you would already know, and if my blog sparks an interest you will Google terms like : watch jewels, movements, complications, etc. But I will ease into the subject with these nice yet somewhat affordable watches. You may think these are not affordable, well when I revisit this topic (to cover super high-end watches) you will feel as if these watches are Cadillacs in a world of Veyrons. If you are unfamiliar, trust me that you could afford a Cadillac far sooner than you could ever dream of driving a Veyron off the lot.

First up to bat is the Breitling Montbrillant Datora, (a part of the Breitling Navitimeter line).

If I had $6,000 laying around this is what I would do with it. It has a good blend of class and a face with a bunch of numbers and lines going on to give it an “I know a lot of stuff”  look which is perfect for me… It was once said, “if you can’t dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with your bull shit” and that sums up my love of the Montbrillant Datora by Breitling.

PS, if anybody in the blogosphere is liking my blog and is a generous individual.. please feel free to send me one of these Datoras.

The next player of the game is the Philippe Patek  “Men’s Calatrava 5116G”.

This is an ultra classic watch.  I mean how can you go wrong with this bad boy?  Well if you can afford this gem of a watch then life is comfortable as Patek watches generally start in the $20,000 price range and some models chime in at over $218,000.   I could not get an exact price on this item but its safe to say its a good portion of my annual salary.

Next I had to reach for the stars… well the Moon to bring you the “Moon Dust-DNA” by Romain Jerome.

Photo obtained from  http://www.robbreport.com/Watches-Idea-Man.aspx

This watch is sick, if for no other reason than the face is sprinkled with particles of dust from the moon.  I guess NASA had a garage sale to buy gas for the shuttle and these guys picked up some moon dust for the low…. Well It could not have been too low since these moon dusted creations range in price from $9,800- $300,000.   There are only 1969 of these pieces and yes 1969 was the year we set foot on the moon.

Ok, ok I know it was nice to drool over what is out of reach for most of us…but the reality is the if you are like me you probably need to stay under $300 or so for your wrist wear.  Even with a tight budget you can get a nice looking quality timepiece.  Avoid the huge faced pseudo iced out joints you can pick up at a flea market or in the back pages of your favorite urban magazine.  Go for simple, classy, real materials.  Stainless steel is a great choice, one real diamond in the face is much better than 200 fake diamonds.  And finally know who makes your watch, a lot of “designer” label watches are made by the same manufacturers so gain an understanding of the differences in quality each brand offers.  So here we go…below are some more affordable pieces that can add some style to your collection.

Photo from http://www.kennethcole.com

Kenneth Cole “You’re Golden”  $150.00, I have 2 Kenneth Cole watches and they are quite durable and they look great, especially for the price.  Photo from http://www.kennethcole.com

Photo from http://www.skagen.com

At $135 this Skagen “Two Tone Link”  is a  great option and Skagen is known for their almost paper thin watches if you do not like bulky wrist wear.

Finally I end with one of my favorite affordable brands…. Invicta…

photos from http://www.invictawatch.com

These are Swiss made watches of all varieties… if Invicta doesn’t make it you probably don’t need it… I mean these guys make more different styles of watches than there is a need for.  I suppose they patterned themselves after the Swiss Army Knife Company by making a watch for every imaginable need.  I say they are affordable because you can always find last year’s models on sale since they market new styles each year.  They retail anywhere from $200-$3,000 each but in that price range there has to be something you like and can afford.  I have found that the quality of these watches is excellent.  I love my Invicta, and my Invicta loves me!

That’s all for the semi-affordable- affordable watches for today… next time maybe I will dive into the world of watch complications, tourbillions, and watches that cost more than your favorite rapper’s leased Ferrari & Bently put together.