Spring is gettin' groovy, man

Attention hippies, flower children, bohemians and all you free spirits out there.  Tie dye is back. While this trend was sprinkled throughout skate shops and street wear's heavy hitters last Spring, this nod to the 70's is once again reaching market saturation.  What better place to give this psychadelic look a shot than in Haight Ashbury - where it all began.  

Ok but,

Expect menswear to have a more optimistic point of view this Spring and Summer.  This will be most evident through the use of bright colors and vibrant color mixing.  Brands that have typically assorted muted pallets will be taking a little more risk this season.  I mean, this guy's feelin' pretty optimistic. Who's with me?

Can't get there with the craziness? Too groovy?  Fear not.  You can still participate in this dye trend without looking like a Phish groupie.  Check out some of my favorite tees with tonal takes on the techniques below.

PEACE OUT!

Flamingos. They're a thing.

Attention: Flamingos are a thing.   

Palms? Classic but safe.  Pineapples?  2017 called, they want their fruit back.  If you are gearing up for the warmer months ahead or doing some shopping for a tropical vacation, you're gonna need some flamingos.  Although we have seen flashes of this trend before, this summer the flamingo is standing strong.  On one leg, of course.

Duvin Design Co. brings the heat.  The white sold out but the black is still pretty rad. 

"The Flamingo shirt is my white tee."

                                                         -Me

Here are some more options for you to juggle:

The Return of the 90's... Phat?

It's no secret the 90's are back and as a child of this era, it's giving me the feels.  This throwback trend is manifesting itself through different wardrobe staples, along with some cool styling cues.  Here's my take on the 90's this week...

Look for jeans with a lighter wash.  It's best if you get those aggressive high lows on the outseam - a process achieved through stone washing.  To save on some cash, steal your Dad's.  Just kidding. Or am I?

Style your jeans with a blackwatch plaid (green/navy/black tartan) and some circle frame Raybans.  Refined grunge?

The original Jordan XI's were released in 1996.  This special edition, called 'Legend Blues', is a nod to MJ's days at UNC.  They were released in December of 2014.  

Let's also not forget that along with some iconic looks, the 90's gave birth to some great language. Aight, bling-bling, the bomb, crib, dope. The list goes on.

Eye of the Tiger

I'm always on the hunt for printed shirts.  I found this one at a local vintage clothing shop in the Mission.  I love seeing how vintage trends influence contemporary fashion.  Tigers were a huge motif this year in menswear - yet this shirt was made in the 1960's.  Mega bonus that it has some Asian elements mixed in there as well.  Destiny. 

$40 later and I was the proud owner of this hidden gem.  Dare I say, I have the eye of the tiger when it comes to finding these shirts?

The setback: it was a XXL.  However, I was confident my tailor could alter it in the right spots to make it wearable.  Still a little baggy, but the flow is a nice nod to the 60's era.

All in, $60.  Not bad for a killer vintage shirt and a story.

Denim: A dish best served raw?

It was April 2014 in Manhattan and winter had not fully loosened its grip on the city.  Nevertheless, I was happy.  I had just accepted a new job in San Francisco.  A little more money, a modest promotion and a cross country move had just tapped me on the shoulder.  As present to myself, I decided to upgrade my jeans.   

Four years ago, "stretch" was not yet ubiquitous in the men's denim market.  Don't get me wrong, I have since bought into being comfortable at all times.  But we were in the age of raw, selvedge baby.  This was the beginning of the end of denim's golden era.  

I could think of no one better than Mr. Ralph Lauren himself to help me celebrate America's denim tradition. I marched down Madison Avenue to flagship store and demanded to speak with him at once. I was escorted out by security, but not before dropping $295 on a pair of RRL Low Slim 16.25 Oz. Raw Selvedge jeans.  My favorite piece of clothing I own. 

This is how they looked on day one.  I bought them "Raw" meaning they are cut, sewn and constructed without a wash or finishing process.  You finish them by breaking them into your shape.  They were almost able to stand up by themselves.  It is incredible how something so rigid at first, feels like an extension of my body now.  Beauty is pain. 

Since April 1, 2014, I estimate that I have worn this pair of jeans 728 non consecutive days.  I have only washed them one time with extreme care.  Inside out, cold water, unscented detergent and a hang dry.  They have survived rain storms, beaches, world travel, late night pizza, a couple "time outs" in the freezer and four day surgeries at my tailor.  They have destroyed white couches. But hey, experience breeds character.  Check them out now:

You see that white tab detail on the outseam of my rolled cuff?  That is the edge of the fabric roll used to fabricate the denim - the self edge. Hence, "selvedge".   This represents heritage and quality.  Selvedge denim can only be woven on looms that went out of production in the mid 1900's.  As the popularity of denim rose in America, manufacturers needed to scale.  In turn, selvedge looms were scrapped or sold to smaller manufacturers over seas.  Lots of these looms ended up in Japan.  Bigger, faster machines became the norm in the U.S.   Not only is small batch a romantic idea, many would argue that this inherently increases the quality of the product. Selvedge jeans are thought to be sturdier as a result of the tighter weave you can achieve on these shuttle looms.

Blowing out your raw knee is equivalent to your child losing their first tooth.  Getting a little hit on the back of your knee? College Diploma.  These are typical reflections as I stroll the beach at sunset...

The ghosts of multiple iphone generations and a wallet or two.  

An up close and personal with my tailor's handy work.  Disclaimer: no one was injured in the destruction of these jeans. 

So next time a cynic asks you why you pay full price for jeans with rips, washes or tears, you can tell them you know a guy who spent 728 days in a pair of jeans just to get them to look like this. And he couldn't be more stoked about it. 

Black and Blues Can't Lose

Black and blue is one of my favorite color combos to outfit.  The key is to make sure there is enough differentiation between your dark tones so it doesn't look like you were trying to match blacks with the lights off.  

A banded collar is a cool styling option to freshen up what would otherwise be a pretty run of the mill banker stripe button down.  This one is from Banana Republic.

The side tuck special.

Stoop kid's afraid to leave his stoop.  If you understand this reference, we can be friends. 

Cargo or nogo?

There is a fine line with cargo pants.  Too casual and you look like you just got the high score in big Buck Hunter.  Too styled and you can look over-the-top sartorial.  Find that balance.  Here are three options grounded with complementing indigos. 

Destructed denim is a rugged layered look.  I don't think Gap sells the paint splatter jacket anymore, but that isn't something a little can of paint and your brother's toothbrush can't fix. 

A rinsed denim or indigo shirt for a cleaner but casual look. This also works with a white oxford. 

Preppy florals with a cargo is unexpected and stylish.  As long as the colors are jiving you can go for it. Quick tip, indigo + olive always works. 

Beat it, kid.  These aren't the cargos I was trying to get at.