Terrence Howard in a modern suit
The Most Classic/Traditional and Best Service: Nordstrom
The Most Stylish and Best Variety: Bloomingdales
Best Value: K&G
Good Prices and Good for the Everyday Man: Joseph A.Bank
Classic Burberry Suit from NordstromThis is where I learned about the details of men’s fashions and styles. If you want superb one on one personal service to help choose a suit, then Nordstrom is the only place you want to go. They only carry the best brands and they have some of the best tailors in the business. Nordstrom does not have tons of promotional sales or coupons, they have a half-yearly and a anniversary sale that easily trumps the sales of all other retailers. Those sales, that are usually during the summer, are the best times to buy suits, shirts, ties, shoes, belts, pocket squares, and anything else. Featured brands include: Canali, Hugo Boss, Joseph Aboud, and many more.
Modern Hugo Boss suit from Bloomingdales
If you want the most stylish and most trendy suits, then Bloomingdales is perfect for you. The store offers a wide variety of styles and brands including: Armani, Purple Label, Hugo Boss, and many more. Bloomingdales, known for its brown bags, has sales throughout the year and is great place for anyone on a reasonable budget or who has thousands to splurge. This is usually my first recommendation for someone searching for a suit.
If you are on a very tight budget and looking to spend $100-$200 on a suit, then K&G is your godsend. K&G is a warehouse so the store has a plethora of suit offerings- every color, style, and cut. K&G carries the Steve Harvey wide-leg suits, Jones New York athletic-fit suits, italian-made suits like Zenetti, and even 3 piece-suits by Sean John. They have a wide variety, but it’s hard to find a teir-1 suit in K&G, you have to really search and you’ll only find a few to choose from.
Signature 3-button suit from Jos A.Bank
*Other Notable Stores: Brooks Brothers and Men’s Warehouse
Modern John Varvatos Suit from Nordstrom
Last week, I posted the Best Dressed Men in Hollywood. The list included ten of Hollywood’s finest from Brad Pitt to T.I- it was a very diverse list. As promised I will also be covering each person individually- so let’s start with numero uno- Mr.Cocky himself. . .
Alexis and Kanye
They were such a haute couple.
So now some of you may ask, “How do I get Kanye’s Look”- well unless you’re balling it will be hard to get his exact look- he wears the designers that he raps about. . . you know designers like Louis Vuitton. . . but it’s easy to get his style. The key is combining prep and hip-hop and maybe a little couture or vintage. . . in layman’s term: combine brands like Lacoste (prep) & Ecco (hip-hop), and don’t be afraid to mix it with a jacket or vest you found at the thrift store (vintage) and some shoes you painted yourself (couture). . .any variation of the looks will give you a Kanye-esque vibe.
“That that that, that don’t kill me, can only make me stronger. . .” Believe it or not that song helped me through a rough situation last year, lol, . . . but that song also made many people want the shutter shades Kanye rocks when performing the hit song. Now-a-days you can find them anywhere, almost all hip-hop/rock or trendy stores carry them. You can also find them online at Shutter Shades Online or you can buy them for around 8 bucks at Urban Boundaries.
David Beckham is a humble guy w/ a hot wife and a serious swagger
To be real there are many of you that may not need it as much because you may have strong traits that make up for it: good looks w/ a smile to match, great abs and muscles, or big pockets. But even men with those traits find themselves in dire need of swagger.
Many guys falsely believe that swagger only comes with hard jail time, being a dealer, or being in a gang- that’s just called ignorance, which usually leads to arrogance more ignorance and perhaps a forced swagger. There’s nothing cool about killing someone. . .
True swagger, as corny as it sounds, comes from within-that makes it hard to gain. Swagger can be traditionally characterized as charisma –that indescribable character trait that people naturally inhibit. Swagger is like charisma to the umpteenth power with a mixture of more. It doesn’t discriminate by age, race, height, or background- anyone can have it.
Jay-Z has swagger.There are 3 main components to swagger.
Confidence. Being comfortable with who you are is very important. If you don’t think you’re the ish, then why should anyone else? There are many ways to gain confidence, but a couple of the fastest ways are:
1. Working Out- bulking up easily boosts confidence
and makes a woman do a double-take.
2. New Wardrobe- many men underestimate the importance
of dressing well-they think it's a female thing. But great
threads will make you feel better and quickly enhance your
image in the eyes of others.
Drive/Direction. I’m not referring to sex 
I’m talking about ambition. Men with the most swagger know what they want in life, they have goals and they don’t let anyone get in their way. Have problems focusing and realizing your dreams, try this:
1. Write down your top 5 career choices and the steps you
need to take to actually become whatever it is you want to
become. Narrow it down to the most realistic career choice
and go after it.
2. Make a list of goals you have and set a deadline
to have each goal completed.
do me”. At the end of the day It’s all about doing you, be
who you are and don’t apologize- unless you’re being a
complete a-hole.
Now that you know what swagger is and how to get it- work on it! Every urban gentleman must find his inner swag.
Cindy of The Urban Gentleman blog
Tilt Jacket, $34.90, www.heritage1981.com; CK white-tee 3-pack, $29.50, www.bloomingdales.com; Boot-cut jeans, $29.50, www.oldnavy.com
Airfield jacket, $178, www.shoptommy.com; Crew t-shirt, $18, www.americanapparel.net;
Rock & Republic boot-cut jeans, $260, www.nordstrom.com
I’m not one for foolish tv, but I think this show will be interesting. . . so I will be covering the lessons learned on the show. The Urban Gentleman Blog is all about helping men not only sustain and polish there gentleman-hood but also to help those in search of becoming a gentleman.
I’ve seen some previews on MTV and VH1 and hopefully the show is tasteful.
Gs to Gents premieres on July 15, 2008.
*The Urban Gent is the only place you want to be for updates and stories on th new show.
- Sean John
- Abercrombie and Fitch
- Urban Outfitters
For most guys I know who are trying to “care about what they wear” and gain style, I tell them, “buy Sean John”. Sean John is perfect for style-searching newbies, the label has great clothes, good prices, most guys are familiar with the brand (b/c of Diddy), it has some street-cred because many rappers wear it, and it doesn’t force a guy to just completely change his look. Sean John is the best brand for men who typically wear extra-baggy jeans and oversized t-shirts because it’s a gateway to better style. Diddy’s brand offers a variety of styles from suits to button-ups to graphic t-shirts, you can build a whole wardrobe from the brand. Another plus about Sean John is that you can find the brand almost everywhere: Macys, Dillards, T.J Maxx, or K and G Superstore just to name a few.
Sean Combs has even won New Designer of the Year at the CFDA’s, which is the highest honor any fashion brand can receive– Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, and Calvin Klein are a few other designers who have been honored with the prestigious award.
Abercrombie & Fitch:
“I like girls that wear Abercrombie & Fitch”, that song wasn’t just talking about the style of girls, it indirectly pertained to the style of guys too
If you want to follow the most popular trends of America- this is the store and brand I would recommend. You can hardly go wrong shopping here. From the O.C to the Hills to most shows with a young hot cast of 20-somethings-they all sport threads from A and F. The store features classic American styles with the surfer-guy looks dispersed in-between. A&F can be kind of overpriced, so I would suggest Aeropostale for men who want the same look at a better price. And if you’re older (29 or above), you may want to shop at Banana Republic, which offers the same look, but just more mature, more versatile, and more clean. If you can’t afford Banana Republic, then try it’s little sister store, GAP- everyone shops there from 2-60.
Urban Outfitters:
If you really want to eventually dress like the most stylish men in Hollywood, Urban Outfitters is the place for you. Urban Outfitters follows, defines, and sometimes even rivals the current trends. The store is edgy and unique, and allows you to feel like an individual when shopping there. UO is the store for men who want to one-day stylistically compete with Kanye, Lupe, and Pharell. Urban Outfitters not only carries the best threads, but they have all the accessories too- colorful box-framed aviators, studded belts, and original sneakers. Many of the clothes are a little pricey, but they always have sales.
