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Archive for the ‘Male Accessories’ Category

For the past couple years, wearing vintage or designer t shirts has become a popular fashion trend for males and females alike. While a lot of these tees are witty or have cool artwork they sometimes will be a bit expensive. In this economy, minor things like this matter but there is always another choice for those watching their pennies.

In the do it yourself, or DIY world creating a comical t-shirt in the comfort of home is easier than ever. Art and craft stores offer not only iron on transfers but markers and paint made for fabric. These items are simple to use, fairly economical and have lasting results beyond two or three machine washes. In many metropolitan areas, there are minor, family run shops that offer only blank tees. They come in various colors, fabrics and sizes (some up to 5X). There is likely a price break for buying a certain volume that must amount to about two dollars per t shirt.

Or, if a person likes to put their witty side on hard drive only, there are many websites who will do the work for them. All they have to do is place a file containing the image or text desired and place an order for as many as they like. Few of these places offer t shirt color choices other than white and black; sometimes the available sizes only go to extra large, or 1X. The main point to making your own witty t-shirt is that a person can add their kind of humor whether it be satire, obscene, dark or somewhere in between. They can also be used as a marketing tool for business.

So you’ve finally realised you were born without the Fashion gene. You walk down the streets, oblivious to why there would be the need for more than one men’s fashion retailer. The word accessories sends shivers down your spine… You think only women need to own more than two pairs of shoes and foam and a razorblade are the only toiletries you need…

Then before you know you wake up and it’s the 21st Century. Shavers are electric, shirts come in “fitted”, “tailored” and “regular”, guys who look like girls walk arm-in-arm with beautiful women and what’s worst, the majority of the male population seems to have woken up clued up on it all and you haven’t.

You feel stuck in a nightmare. You need some new attire.

With cold sweat still dripping down your forehead, you venture to the uncharted territories of the City Centre shopping district, where window after window, faceless plastic men try to lure you in with empty promises of a slick new look.

You give in to the Sirens’ call. With your heart kicking in your throat, you enter the dragon’s den. As you negotiate your way through the isles like a brave warrior in a shiny armour fighting through the dark hordes of the Underworld, you finally get to the Mens’ section – and this is when you realise this isn’t going to be quite as easy as slaying a dragon: All items come with labels with numbers and letters. To make your life misery someone has decided to make them come in all sorts of different sizes and shapes!

You decide to brave the jeans.
“Relaxed fit”, “Boot Cut”, “Straight”, “Skinny Leg”.
“Straight”, you decide, is the shape that least threatens your masculinity – now it’s just a matter of picking a number: 28 sounds like a good score, and it’s the age Susan, the girls in High-School you had that immense crush on, would be now.

Knowing all too well fitting rooms are only for girls, you proudly make your way to the checkout, grabbing a white shirt on your way. Since for some reason they don’t make shirts in a 28, the right number sure must be Susan’s age back in High School: a 15 will fit just perfect.

With your head high, you stroll back home already savouring all the compliments you are going to get from your friends and colleagues, only to find out when you finally try them on that the clothes you so proudly marched home with, would barely fit Susan’s slender frame.

You’ve just wasted another $100. So how do you avoid this from happening again? How do you find clothes that you’ll end up wearing?

First, you should understand what makes clothes work on you. If you could choose one and only one quality in an item of clothing – before you even consider colour, fabric, pattern or style – that one, essential quality is FIT.

Remember, things like colour, style and pattern are subject to the volatile nature of Fashion and individual taste, while the only absolute constant is FIT.
Whether brown or paisley or pinstripes look good is all a matter of WHO and WHEN – that is, personal taste and current trend in Fashion. That is what you would call “subjective judgement”. If they fit or not is objective. They either do or they don’t.

Have you ever heard someone say “the fit is in the eye of the beholder”? That’s because it isn’t.
So, with Fit in mind I am now going to teach you one trick that you can implement immediately so you will never again waste money on items of clothing that don’t fit.
Here’s what you will need:

- A tapemeasure
- A business card with a blank back
- A pen
- Five minutes.

Ready? Let’s start!

There are FIVE sizes every man should know about himself – these will allow you to immediately identify items that fit you and make your shopping experience a smooth and hassle-free one.

SIZE A: Collar

If the first thing you do when leave your office for home is loosen your collar button and pull down your tie, your shirt collar doesn’t fit.
A study by Cornell University showed that 70% of men wear their shirts too tight.

You should not experience discomfort when wearing a dress shirt and tie.
Place the measuring tape around your neck at the point just below your Adam’s apple and pull to a point where it’s still comfortable. That is your collar size. It is used mainly to measure shirt size.
There should be enough room to fit your fore and middle fingers in the collar when you’re wearing your shirt.

SIZE B: Chest

Hold your arms out about 2 feet from your body, place the tape measure around your body, just below your armpits: That circumference is your chest size.
If a garment shows creases just below your armpits, across your chest, it is too small.
This is used to measure the fit of suits and blazers.

SIZE C: Waist

Wrap the tape around your body at the point just above your navel, pull the tape very tight then slacken it back until it feels comfortable but very firm. The more “padded” the waist, the more the tape will sink into the body.
If this size is not tight enough the trousers will either start to slip down when moving around or fit with the crotch too low and the knees over your shins.
This is used to measure the fit of trousers.

SIZE D: Inside Leg

This is used to measure the drop of trousers and jeans.
It’s the distance from your crotch to the soft spot on the inside of your foot, below your ankle bone. Too long is almost never a problem because it can be shortened, but too short could mean there may not be enough fabric to let out.

SIZE E: Shoes

The size of your foot both in your regional (UK, US) and European size – it’s always handy to know both since most classy and premium leather shoes (ie: Italian leather) come in Euro sizes, and the conversion often gets rounded up to the next number up, leaving too much room for inaccuracy. Refer to a conversion chart and make a note of both sizes.

Finally, write all the above at the back of a business card, which will fit neatly in your wallet and will be readily available when you’re out shopping next.

Voila’, no more wardrobe disasters.

In previous generations, the majority of men did not care how they looked or how they projected physically. Grooming was far more important for women who needed to satisfy the desires of men in what appealed to them. However, with the current trend in lifestyles, men’s personal grooming is becoming more of an important factor. Men are now aware that grooming is important to maintaining their appearance and attractiveness.

Men’s personal grooming is composed of different steps that help in the overall process of looking good. With the introduction of grooming products and services intended solely for men, you can now have a better way to equip yourself in your efforts to maintain that appearance.

There is a wide variety of grooming products available for every aspect of male grooming. From hair style, facial care, oral fresheners and other accessories, there is always a specific item that will correspond to your needs. The fun is looking for all the different products on the market that fill these needs..

In terms of hair care, there are shampoos, hair gels, hair waxes and scalp rejuvenators. On the part of facial care, comfy razors, shaving creams and aftershave colognes are available.You can purchase over the counter facial cleansers, moisturizers and sun blocks, and general moisturizing creams and other full body lotions.

Men’s grooming is not restricted just to personal hygiene. Grooming also consists of products and services intended to make a man look and feel good. A number of specialty shops and salons can offer you grooming services for your daily needs, such as hair styling, manicures and pedicures.

In the aspect of facial skin care, there are now dermatological clinics that cater to their male clients. Special procedures are available to remove blackheads, white heads and pimple scars. For other body parts, you may also request for specific services to make your skin more attractive. Whitening, toning, tanning and ex foliating services are now available for men.

Some salons for women also offer services for men. You can have a manicure or pedicure service in almost all of the salons offering these services. You can have your nails cut and have them lightly polished for dermal layer protection.

Having a healthy body is the primary concern for many individuals. However, in terms of an overall physical appeal, besides a fit body, grooming can be as important as staying healthy. Men’s personal grooming procedures can definitely help a man start and maintain an attractive physical appearance.

There is no doubt about the fact that male grooming is as essential as that of females. It is the fine art of looking and feeling good for today’s gentleman. It involves top quality clothing, good accessories and top of the line personal care. Grooming and beauty consciousness has seeped into the male psyche like never before and the numbers are growing with each passing day.

It takes a lot of hard work to get that picture-perfect look and well-turned out personality. Hair massages, beauty creams, nose jobs, accessories, shampooed and conditioned hair, bleached skin, arched eyebrows, manicured nails, expensive perfumes, cucumber scented aftershaves, moisturizers, jojoba neck gels, wrinkle-free creams and the latest fairness creams are just some of the male grooming techniques available at specialist salons for men. The power dressed man of today who pays a lot of attention to his looks, is finally ready to step out and meet the world.

In the early days women looked for a man who could provide her with shelter and security but today an independent woman has a lot of choices and it is not easy for a man to get a date if he has not groomed himself well. Therefore, male grooming has become an important trend. This concept has mainly grown due to the emancipation of society and globalization. With an upsurge in the field of modelling and advertisement a mans face, hair and body have all become saleable commodities. Making oneself look as polished as possible makes it all the more important.

When talking about the overall appearance of a man, it includes the areas of hair care, body care, skin care, dressing to impress, smelling good, health and fitness. Listed below are male grooming tips that are simple and practical.

Get a skin care regime. A simple skin care regime including a face wash, facial scrub and moisturizer can really make a big difference. Know your skin type so that you can derive the most from your skin care routine. An unkempt beard can be an instant attraction killer and turn off. A well groomed male needs to learn how to shave properly. This is one of the most important tips a man needs to know. Male body grooming is also important to maintain your recent top notch look so regular haircuts are essential. Get a proper haircut, one that suits both your face and your hair type, which your stylist can suggest for you. Eat a healthy and balanced diet and exercise regularly.

In todays world, it is important to look good and know how to impress if you want to succeed in life. Therefore, the concept of male grooming is here to stay. By following the above techniques, men can make a serious effort at looking good.

First impression is the last impression is one of the oldest saying that we often come across. To make your impact on the impact person it is vital to carry yourself well and present yourself well. Your clothing plays an important role in this. One needs to dress to perfection and even one untidy spot will spoil everything. Especially when you are wearing shirt, you may have a floppy collar will mess up the appeal of the shirt. But you need not worry as you can always use the collar stiffeners to overcome this problem.

The collar stiffeners have been ‘the’ in thing in fashion world since it has made its entry. With the evolution of fashion trends, there have been changes in the style and pattern of the collar stiffeners. Now we also need to understand making you appear stylish and chic the basic purpose of the collar stiffeners is to add details to the character of the shirt’s collar and provide it the much needed stiffness.

It’s noted the fashion aficionados generally opt for superior quality stiffeners to use it as an accessory. Metal is an expensive option which offers the best rigidity. They are durable but the wearer can always twist them slightly to get the desire shape of the collar. This also helps when the length of the collar is more as it helps to fix the collar more perfectly.

There are various kinds of stiffeners made from naturally occurring resources like mother of pearl, bone and ivory. At times, horns of the animals like cow, buffalo and ox is also used to make collar stiffeners. Since these are natural stuff, they are considered to be durable and stiff but the disadvantage with these are that they cannot be bent or placed well around a neck tie.

The niche category of customers prefers collar stiffeners crafted from gold, silver, platinum, beryllium, rhodium, and copper-nickel. They also come with precious gem studded on them like pearls and diamonds. Some men even buy these collars for as much as thousands of pounds.

People who are not willing to shell out a large sum of money on these accessory may not worry as cheaper options are available as well and comes in materials like plastics, polyester, nylon and PVC. These are widely available and sold in bulk quantities in varied shapes and sizes. Stainless steel stays are also a good option but are slightly expensive.

Therefore, if you are buying the collar stiffeners then you should be rest assured to make a mark and look outstanding with your smart and crisp collar. It’s a perfect accessory that is fashionable as well as an important item to get away from the soft, dull collars.

The latest trends in fashion have seen an increased emphasis on Men’s Hairstyles and hair grooming in additional to clothing and accessories. The age old perception that men are not programmed to groom themselves and look good is losing ground to new realities in the wake of increasing fashion awareness men, both in terms of clothes and accessories as well as in the choice of hairstyles. The urban and metro sexual man nowadays seeks to increase his appeal and desirability by looking well groomed and sporting a trendy hairstyle.

You need to have good healthy hair on your head in the first place to be able to choose between the different hair styles that are on offer. Although the demand is not much in terms of the quantity or quality, it is still deemed to have adequate hair that can be pruned and converted into a trendy style that suits your other facial attributes and your general outlook in terms of style and grooming.

The styles shown in fashion magazines are often sported by male models who have a bunch of stylists working on them each time they wear a trendy hairdo.

Those looking to sport short and trendy hairstyles can go in for clipper cuts and bristled up hair styles called high and tight styles. The clipper cut, crew cut and the spiked up look are all in great demand these days thanks to movie stars and pop icons sporting these trends. The basic requirement is to have trimmed down hair at the sides and back with enough left on top to be combed and styled into the proper shape.

The side step fringes that seep to either side from the top of the head as well as the slick combed back hair that is often associated with mobsters and gangsters in Hollywood movies, is also quite popular for those who seek more class and stylishness.