We thought it would be fun to start the new year with our first ever GENTLEMAN Awards. This isn’t an event (yet) just an annual tradition we’ve decided to start that will give worldwide web recognition to the best of 2009.
Best Trend: the Plaid Shirt
An extension of
Clodhopper: Farmer’s Delight, the plaid shirt made a permanent fixture into the lives of trendsetters everywhere. The plaid shirt made it easy for people to look cool this year. When in doubt on what to wear, one only had to put on a plaid shirt, denim jeans, and pair of their favorite shoes– be it
TK Society Supras or
Common Project loafers.
Best Accessory: the Wayfarer
Like the plaid shirt, instantaneous style and
swag was brought to those who wore wayfarers this year. And though it started with the
traditional Rayban wayfarer other eyewear designers have created modified versions of the wayfarer that make choosing the perfect pair quite difficult these days.
Best Brand: Levi’s
Jeans are a basic essential for every person in the modern world, and this year their importance was magnified by popular trends (such as
summer rolls, plaid shirts, and skinny jeans).
Levi’s is one of the few brands that can be seen on the most frugal working-class person to the most lavish pompous celebrity. The mixture of popular trends and Levi’s classic brand image made the jean company one of the best in 2009. They continue to develop their styles with each passing year, while keeping their price-points low and quality high… everyone should own a pair of Levi’s.
From their handsomely diverse models to their one-of-a-kind patterns and motifs, leave it to
Etro to do fashion as it should be done. In a year of unwanted gloominess from messed up economies its only right to give the best designer title to a label that brought us happiness through opulently colorful designs.
Best Dressed Musical Artist: Kid Cudi
He’s the face of our
assorted swank and you
guys voted him as having the best style.
Kid Cudi has had a great year, so why not top it off by giving the man on the moon best dressed musical artist.
Celebrity Urban Gentleman of the Year: Zac Efron
It’s like he made the Rihanna transformation, he went from having a cute Disney teeny-bopperish persona to dapper masculinity.
Zac is always hitting the gym, trying new looks, and most importantly he continues to bring forth consistent well-put together style (which includes top-notch grooming.) He doesn’t over do it, but does just enough to keep him on anyone’s best dressed list… he’s sort of like the mini
David Beckham. I’m curious to see how his style matures in 2010.
Local Urban Gentleman of the Year: (two way tie)
Jamie Ryan McFarland & Kendrack Lewis
We get alot of submissions for Local Urban Gentleman, and though we appreciate everyone’s eagerness and want to be the next Urban Gentleman very few people submit clear clean obviously stylish photos. Jamie Ryan McFarland– our first overseas local gentleman exemplifies the type of submissions we like to get for local urban gentleman. Read more
HERE.
Handsome southern educator Kendrack Lewis is also one of our favorite Urban Gentlemen to date. His style is exactly what our founding editor had in mind when she first created The Urban Gentleman. Read more
HERE.
Icon of the Year: Michael Jackson
He
is was literally the most famous person in the world, the most influential artist, and a true humanitarian– our planet suffered a huge loss when
Michael Jackson passed away this summer. He’s the King of Music and will be forever missed. Rest In Peace MJ.
Person of the Year: President Barack Obama
Whether you had the majestic opportunity to vote for him or not, we all must admit that this man being president has literally changed our world– for the better.
President Obama inherited one of the worst financial situations ever and constantly faces hate from the unfortunately ignorant, but still manages to be the perfect example of what a man should be and continues to develop into one of the best world leaders this world has ever seen. Oh and let’s not forget he won a freakin’ Nobel Peace Prize. He’s obviously not perfect, no one is, he’s going to make mistakes, but he has a good heart and for that reason the world continues to support him.
Go here to keep the support up.
Let us know your best of 2009: best trends, styles, celebrities, moments, etc. And feel free to tell us the worst of 2009 as well.
Happy New Years everyone! Be safe tonight and don’t drink and drive.
Best of 2008.
Though we all love ipods… we’re tired of the itty bitty earbuds. At first, they were cool because they were sleek- easily hideable and all that jazz buuuuuuut now,–they just kinda hurt after wearing them too long… and they make sharing seem a bit unsanitary- if you know what I mean.
So I checked some reviews, checked websites, tried on a few in store, and asked around. Some of these are technically the best, while others may be stylishly the best, or the best value… but this is the best list you’ll find on the web.
Top Ten Earphones (in no particular order)
WeSC – Alp Horn Headphones
(Chocolate Brown or Marshmellow), $168 (or less)
These are known as THE “premium streetwear head gear”… WeSC offers a variety of styles and colors, that will easily make you the freshest.
Sennheiser HD 202 Headphones
$29.95 (or less)
Senhesiser seems to have some of the best headphones as noted from the “real people” reviews I found.. great sound, great quality, two year warranty, and great price.
Sony Studio Monitor Series Headphones MDRV150
$13.88
These were a pleasant surprise to my friends and I. They sound amazing and make for a reliable pair of main or “back-up” headphones when you get tired of the earbuds.
Beats by Dr. Dre
$349.95 (or less)
You’ve seen the commercials… Dr.Dre’s Beats are showing up everywhere these days including on
Charles Hamilton in “Brooklyn Girl” aaaand on the great LeBron James- both guys have exclusive limited edition pairs created just for them (for Charles- only 3 in the world and LeBron- only 20 made.) And the list of celebrities who wear them don’t stop with those two- Michael Phelps, Paris Hilton, Diddy, Souljah Boy, Will.i.am, Pharrell Williams, New Kids on the Block, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Keri Hilson, Owen Wilson, Eminem, and the entire USA Olympic basketball team-
just to name a few.
Coby CVE92 Isolation Earphones
$14.99 (or less)
I refer to these at the better ipod earbuds, they have a similar look, but are much more comfortable and are always rated much higher than apple’s earphones.
Eskuche – Premium Headphones
(Chrome), $60
Anything with a stainless steel look always seems sleek. For only 3 jacksons- I think these are the best “style-conscious” value headphones… I like the vintage look.
Ultrasone
These bad boys are often times called “an instrument” because they create a sound that can’t just be classified as noise. Ultrasone offers a variety of styles, but the most coveted would have to be the Edition 8 S-Logic Plus Natural Surround Sound, coming in at $1499.
Panasonic RP- HTX7-RS Ryan Sheckler Signature
$60 (or less)
Worn by skater Ryan Sheckler (remember his show on MTV, “Life of Ryan” ) these are yet another “all around” headphone choice- great style, great sound, and comfortable.
Sony MDR-V6 Monitor Series Headphones
$100 (or less)
Referred to as “the classic” you can find these perfect headphones in studios all across the world.
Skullcandy
$19.95-$79.95
Besides WeSC, Skullcandy offers the most comprehensive stylish variety of headphones, you can literally buy a pair in every color (almost anyway).
Other Notables:
Shure SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones, $399 or less
Etymotic ER-4P Portable In-Ear Earphones, $300 (or less)
Sennheiser PX-100 Collapsible Headphones (great gym headphones), $40 (or less)
Klipsch Image S4 Earphones, $79.99 (or less)
I think its best to have a solid pair of both.. the bigger more comfortable ones for almost every day use and the earbuds for the working out or when you’re in the mood for a smaller pocket-friendly pair.
You can get many (all but one) of the headphones above here at superb prices. Or at your local electronic store.
So, what are your favorite headphones?
Some people just like good ole’ fashion soap bars… and here’s the best…
This cleansing bar seems to be making its way to every gentleman’s shower- the soap smells great, lasts, and has been highly rated since its release.
Bliss Mammoth Minty Scrub Soap,
$18
Supposedly the currently most wanted big bar soap, mainly b/c of its ability to scrub.
Anthony Logistics For Men Glycerin Cleansing Bar, $8.50
100% vegetable-based with natural ingredients to
promote healthy skin.
Dove Beauty Bar, $1.35
Nope, it’s not just for women. Many men swear by Dove
The Art of Shaving Tangerine Body Soap, $18
Cleans, purifies and moisturizes with Tangerine essential oil, high in Vitamin C from California, and Kokum butter to nourish and revitalize the skin
Musgo Real Men’s Body Soap, $6.00
Developed for the aristocracy, this men’s soaps has been handmade and stamped in Portugal since 1887. One of the most popular soap amongst real men.
Sexy For Men Soap Bar, $5.00
A new vegan soap to try.
Molton Brown Moisture Rich Aloe & Palm Body Bar, $22
The “multi-tasker soap”- perfect for face, body, and creates the the perfect foam for a great shave. Contains shea butter, aloe vera, palm oil and pure essential oils.
Zest, $1.99 (3 bars)
There’s nothing like being zestfully clean.
Anthony Logistics For Men Mud Scrub Exfoliating Bar, $12.50
Deep Cleansing. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this product is donated to prostate cancer research.
Other Good Brands: Old Spice, Sharps Happy Me All Over (sold out everywhere though), Irish Green, Palms Cocoa Butter Soap (and Shea Butter Soap).
As the last bits of winter frost hits us this month, you should be preparing for spring. That includes having atleast one pair of the beloved canvas lace-ups.
The Vintage Canvas Lace-Up.
H by Hudson Lincoln Lace-Up Shoe
Vintage inspired.
The Classic Canvas Lace-Up.
Keds Champion Men’s CVO
Classic.
The Unique Canvas Lace-Up.
Zuriick Jakob in Ghost Lav
Unique.
(looks like a canvas creative rec huh?)
I’m writing this post from my phone… Since I won’t be able to get back to my computer anytime soon. I started a “Best of 2008″ post, but I won’t be able to finish it before 12. So I just wanted to make a quick unedited list of what I thought was the best styles and stuff in 2008.
Best Item/Trend:
Skinny ties. There was nothing more refreshing than seeing guys hitting the red carpet in a skinny tie. Zac Efron is one of the best examples of a star that who rocked this trend very well.
Best Designer:
Damn, this is such a hard one, but ummm let’s see. Ralph? Sean? Marc? Thom?…. I feel like DSquared did a pretty bang up job in 2008, but really guys this is a hard one, hmmm for the sake of giving you one answer I’ll say Marc Jacobs- since he basically designs like 3 lines- Marc by Marc Jacobs, Marc Jacobs, and Louis Vuitton… I just feel like that’s such a cliche’ response. So I’m open to your opinions on this one…
Best New Designer:
Why Bejamin Bixby of course. I’m sorry, but no one ever quite does it like Andre 3000. I am confident in his ability to continue to create classically stylish clothing.If he keeps it up and pushes a little harder, he should be designer of the year in a few years.
Best Dressed Athlete:
David Beckham. I don’t even have to expound on this because its so obvious.
Best Dressed Young Star:
Chris Brown. C-Breezy is a young stylish guy and I’ll just leave it at that.
Best Style:
Urban Prep. This style is the signature Urban Gentleman look… The modern man must learn to mix the classics with modern trends and following this look is an easy way to get there.
Best Dressed Male All Around
… well from the looks of the survey on the top left section of the site– Kanye West still seems to dominate. And I agree, he’s one stylish dude.
Best Moment in 2008:
Barack Obama becoming President… November 4th 2008 will forever be one of the best days of my life.
Person of The Year:
C’mon that’s an easy one. Barack Obama. America and this world just won’t be the same. He gives hopes to so many people, and… well, you guys know the deal.
Let Me Know What You All Think Was Great In 2008…
Which stars you liked and didn’t like, what styles you liked and didn’t like, etc.
HAPPY NEW YEARS!!! Be safe tonight and don’t drink and drive.
Today, New York City was a mess… hella cold, hella rainy, hella windy. And I talked to my friends in Georgia and they’re pretty cold down there as well… so it looks like its officially cold in most of the US. Which means it’s time to give your skin extra care, check out these products:
1. California North Action Moisturizer
Award winning and can be used for your face and body. Official world triathlon skin care product.
buy: californianorth.com
2. Double Duty Face Moisturizer
Designed to hydrate the skin without leaving the skin oily. Suncreen and moisturizer in one.
buy: sephora.com
3. Men-U Ultra Concentrate Facial Moisturizer Lift
Skin refresher that will give your face a noticeable lift (you’ll feel it).
buy: amazon.com
4. African Male Ikhala Moisturizer
Dual-purpose facial moisturizer and post-shave balm.
buy: treasuredlocks.com
For more Grooming Products, go here.
1. California North Action Moisturizer
2. Double Duty Face Moisturizer
3. Men-U Ultra Concentrate Facial Moisturizer Lift
4. African Male Ikhala Moisturizer
