This week’s winner will get a $100 gift card to The Knottery for an accessory shopping spree.  Here’s a bit about The Knottery from the guys themselves,

Back in the dark ages when the luxury brands roamed the wild people were well dressed but penniless and starving. They understood the odds. Eat or dress. That was the fact of life; for better or worse…We (first got a coffee and then) set out to bring style and value together as an attainable reality.

So what can you get with your hundred smackers if you win? Choose from ties of all kinds, pocket squares, belts, caps, and “more”, including lapel pins, shoelaces, and watch straps. So get on with it! Throw on your best extras and get to Blue Steel’ing!

You guys know what we like to see. Head to toe shots, natural lighting, and a smile. Preferably not as a selfie.

Send your best look to megan (at) stylegirlfriend.com, along with any other info you think is important to the outfit’s explanation (“This jacket is an exact replica of the one made famous by Paddington Bear”). Get your pics in by Thursday at noon to be considered for the week.

The post Outfit of the Week Giveaway: The Knottery appeared first on Style Girlfriend.

Guys, can we just talk about how much I love Persol sunglasses?

…Yes, okay, more on you fellas….but look at these on me! Don’t I look cool?! Okay, okay. I know, back to you. Because on the fellas, they make you look ooh so handsome.

{Persol, $360}

When guys wear Persols, I think Ryan Gosling. I think Steve McQueen. I think Jay-Z (okay, and then I think of Ryan Gosling some more) I think just, total cool, dashing, handsome dudes who know how to order a bottle of wine at a restaurant with confidence, but can also open a beer bottle without an opener because they “know a trick.”

They’re just cool. And capable. These are guys who know that when you invest in quality eyewear, you make an effort not to sit on them the first day you bring them home. Which means, even if you open a few of those beers, or drink a good amount of that delicious wine you just ordered, you’re not going to be a total sh*tshow. Because you’re a grown man. Not a boy.

According to Persol’s website, this style’s pedigree is well-storied:

“It was 1968 when an already famous and charming Steve McQueen appeared on set wearing the Persol PO 714 SM model for the first time. The film was The Thomas Crown Affair which elevated both Steve McQueen and his sunglasses to legendary status. Inseparable allies in both his on-set adventures and in his personal life, McQueen, who was a fan of the Persol brand and the PO 714 SM model, owned a personal collection.”

Tell me: Do you invest in sunglasses, or do you buy yours on the cheap?

…I swear, I’m not saying that one is better than the other – personally, I have a mix of nicer sunglasses, and a few cheap-o’s (as I call them), but the cheap-o’s at this point have been relegated only to wearing while running and when around my niece, who has a tendency to mash them when she insists on trying them on. I believe if you buy something nice, you can control yourself well enough to keep it looking nice. But I see the merit in both sides.

The post Borrowed From the Boys: Persol Sunglasses appeared first on Style Girlfriend.

It’s not necessarily the style I responded so strongly to (though I do love a guy who can pull off a bow tie), it’s that he owns the whole look so confidently. He looks so put together, and it’s great how the different pieces coordinate without feeling too matchy-matchy.

Also? Whoever said a sweater vest is nerdy should know better now. Mr Eyeconic obviously does.

And those shoes? Get on every guy I know’s feet. Right now.

Here’s what he had to say about his look:

1. Bowtie (Self Tied) from Ebay
2. Vest from Polo (similar here)
3. Trousers: Levis 511′s
4. Shoes and Watch both from Aldo “The shoes were love at first sight”

Gabi’s take:

My favorite parts are the straight fit chinos, bow-tie and watch. And the shoes that make the look his own. Also the little pop of red from the man on the horse, because red is my favorite color.

I’ve been putting my looks together with @stylegf in mind, ever since I came across her page. #style #fashion #look

— Not Theodore (@MrEyeconic) February 20, 2013

Mr. Eyeconic, got anything to add? I’m sure readers would love to know where you got what you’re wearing in the picture above. Let us know in the comments!

Then readers, tell me: Do you rock the bow tie look? What about the sweater vest? If so, how do you keep it cool (and less pocket protector-esque)

The post Outfit of the Week: Friday, February 22 appeared first on Style Girlfriend.

I recently met up with a friend for dinner in Brooklyn. At the end of the meal, we both reached for our wallets to split the check.

As I rooted around the cavernous depths of my purse looking for mine, he flung THIS on the table:

You guys.

YOU GUYS.

I cannot believe I am still dealing with the “office supplies as accessories” situation. I thought we’d settled that! But here’s the real deal:

Girls do not want to see you MacGeyver’ing your wardrobe.

We are not impressed by your ingenuity; we are put off by, well… by your using a binder clip as a money clip!

You have money – you must be if you are carrying it around in paper clips, rubber bands, and who knows what else? Why not use some of it to buy something to hold it all?

Because real talk time: part of being a grown man is owning grown man accessories. Like wallets, for instance, and shoes that aren’t sneakers. Like a sturdy watch. And as with all these things, a wallet is also a great way to show off your personal style.

To replace my friend’s supply closet staple money holder? What about a nice side wallet ($55) from Chester Mox? My friend Derek of the great menswear site Die, Workwear (which, if you haven’t checked it out, do so immediately) introduced me to the Los Angeles-based brand, and I’m so glad he did. Their beautiful handcrafted goods are made to order,  and they use Horween leather, one of the last tanneries in the United States. I love how the color gets deeper and richer with age. Like your favorite baseball cap, this wallet will look better with age and some solid beat-it-to-hell time.

(A note on color: Personally, I like guys carrying wallets made of brown leather more than black, but again, the important thing here is that you’re carrying a wallet at all. Carry on…)

If my friend wants to stay true to the binder clip heritage (sarcasm implied) of his current pocket companion, a money clip will suit his purposes. This one from Etsy seller R Parish Woodworks ($22) with decorative Australian wood fits the bill.

Guys, tell me:

What style sin are you guilty of that you’ve really (really) got to do something about?

The post What Matters to Women About Your Wallet appeared first on Style Girlfriend.

MS&Co, $20 for 3 pairs

Summer may be waning, but we’ve still got a few good weeks left in us. Heck, if you live on the perennially warm west coast, you’re currently thinking, “Oh that season that comes after summer is almost here…what’s it called again?”

As such, I find it totally worthwhile to discuss the glory that is no-show socks. It’s also definitely not an “Oops, I started this post back in June and only now just found the draft tucked in a folder in a folder in a folder on my desktop.” Nope, totally not talking about no-show socks at the tail end of August for that silly, forgetful reason.

…..

If you know me at all – and I hope that by now you do – you know that I suffer neither fools, nor discomfort, gladly. As such, I will not sacrifice feeling comfortable for fashion (and I won’t be friends with idiots).

That mantra asserts itself in my own wardrobe in everything from the shoes I wear (love my heels, but they’ve gotta be wedges, not stilettos), to the types of materials I buy, choosing natural fiber clothing over synthetics whenever possible (less itchy! Less smelly!).

Similarly, while I’m a huge advocate of the no-sock look, I’m not in favor the no-sock feel. Or the no-sock smell.

That’s why no-show socks are pretty much the greatest thing ever. Sure, they’re perfect, in the summer to go with every kind of sneaker you own. But have you thought about them for fall? As autumn rolls around, pair yours with Chucks and rolled jeans to maintain that summer feel well through October. If you’re particularly forward-thinking in your business style, try them with a slim suit and your double monk straps flashing.

Not only does the no-sock look look good, it’s a good way to give the cold weather the middle finger. “My fully clothed body may be in fall, but my ankles are at the beach!”

The post Things I Think You Should Buy: No-Show Socks appeared first on Style Girlfriend.

Frank Clegg x Image Granted – Ultra Slim Card Case, ($75)

I love it when two people can come together and, putting the best of themselves into the project, make something new and exciting. And I’m not talking about when kids I went to grade school with start making babies and showing them off on Facebook, because that is totally freaking me out on my News Feed lately. I’m talking more non-baby collaborations.

This week, I’m excited about the result of one such product of the collaborative process. Grant Harris, the stylish blogger behind Image Granted recently got together with Massachusetts-based Frank Clegg Leatherworks to create the Frank Clegg X IG Ultra Slim Card Case, and I am digging it.

I’ve discussed my love of slim card cases here before, so it’s no surprise I’m super down with this coming together of great minds (and hand-stitchd superior leather).

The case is made from Frank’s tumbled vegetable tanned leather and comes completely unlined to further streamline its size in your pocket.  According to Frank himself, he hasn’t made something this slim in all his years of work.  There are two outside pockets and one center pocket. The blog and brand’s logos are printed discreetly under one side and you can get your initials printed on the other.  Harris said, “We aimed to make something simple, affordable, and useful.  I use mine everyday.”

I’d love to do something like this. Would you guys buy anything with the Style Girlfriend stamp of approval on it?!?

The post Get This: Image Granted X Frank Clegg Leatherworks card case appeared first on Style Girlfriend.

Timex Andros watch, $175

Screw the groundhog, Spring is (nearly) here.

Next Sunday marks Daylight Savings time when we “spring forward,” losing a precious hour of sleep for one night, but gaining an extra hour of sunlight each morning for the rest of the season.

I don’t know about you, but I can definitely use it. I wake up early. Like, me and your grandma meet up at Panera for coffee before the “morning rush” kind of early, and doing so in the dark has gotten more than a little depressing. How I went from Wisconsin to Pennsylvania to New York with zero pit stops somewhere it stays warm and sunny all winter long is honestly beyond me. Really I’m not asking much, just a little sunshine filtering through my curtains as I roll out of bed, even at ungodly hours of the morning.

If you’re ready to ring in Spring with me, check out this Timex Andros, available at J.Crew. It’s simple and streamlined, like a good men’s watch should be. I like its clean, stainless steel watch case and rugged-but-appropriate nylon strap. Even better, you can swap out the strap for one of several striped versions, each only $20.  Just think about how great it will look on your wrist as you point to its incorrect time and apologize for not re-setting it the night before when you meet whomever it is you’re an hour late to meeting on Sunday.

The post A Watch to Spring Forward With appeared first on Style Girlfriend.

Don’t worry about Andy, he’ll be fine.

As best as I can tell, a shoe shine is the closest thing guys can get to a pedicure, without actually, you know, getting a pedicure.

Think about it, both activities fall under the “small luxuries” umbrella, where you feel kind of bad because you know you could just do it yourself, but it’s also not so expensive that you’re breaking the bank if you do it just once in awhile.

With a shoe shine and a pedicure, you get to sit in a chair perched higher than anyone in the room, making you feel like you should probably also get a crown and scepter while you sit. You read a magazine of your choosing (for us ladies: Life & Style, for you…also Life & Style? No judgment here). After a perfunctory greeting, the person attending to your superficial needs allows you to sit in peace with no obligation to make small talk like at your hairdresser. Finally, you walk out feeling like a million bucks…even if no one else seems to notice your shiny new polish.

Could you do it yourself? Sure. And sometimes, there’s nothing better than pouring yourself a glass of wine, putting on a Law & Order rerun on TNT and taking simple joy in a task done right (a good kit helps too).

I guess what I’m trying to say is, I could really use a pedicure.

Related: Why don’t you try… a shoe tree?

(image)

The post Why don’t you…get your shoes shined? appeared first on Style Girlfriend.

On the train recently, I spotted the guy attached to the arm in the picture above. Yes, that’s a pinkie ring he’s wearing.

I actually did a double take to confirm; it looked so much like a wedding band, I thought – honest to God – he’d either put it on the wrong finger that morning, or that he’d lost his pinkie in a tragic [insert some type of dangerous farming machine here] accident, and he actually was wearing it on his ring finger. …Why he’d be riding the New York City subway in a suit if he works on a farm, I have no idea, but I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.

But no, I counted all four digits, and a thumb. It was definitely a pinkie ring.

Of course, I’m all for expressing your individual style guys, but if you’re going to wear jewelry on your hands, I feel like it’s in your best interest to not have women mistake you for being married and/or partially maimed.

Tell me:

Do you wear much jewelry? Beyond a watch, is there any other adornment that goes into your daily outfit? A necklace worn under (or over I suppose) your clothes. Bracelets? Non-wedding ring rings?

If so, how much of it is about fashion, and how much is about sentimentality? Do you wear your dad’s dog tags? Your grandfather’s class ring? Or do you just like the way it looks?

The post How much jewelry do you wear? appeared first on Style Girlfriend.

Everlane is a new cool company whose idea is simple: Create great clothes for men and women, then make them affordable by cutting out the middle man. No stores. No markups. No products over $100, ever. A smart concept that’s not executed upon nearly enough, I was excited to see what their wares were all about.

The company’s hook they’re hanging their hat on (so to speak) are the t-shirts. When the company first launched back in November, Lucky magazine editor John Januzzi called the 100% cotton, pre-shrunk v-necks, “the most perfect t-shirt I’ve ever worn.” On Twitter, a user compared wearing an Everlane tee to “walking around in a blanket of lotion,” which, I don’t know about you, but that sounds like something I’d like to try.

Endorsements like these were reason enough for me to join up. Seriously, is the search for a good white t-shirt not the holy grail of shopping for both guys and girls?

Each month, the company releases a new, well-edited collection of “luxury essentials,” like t-shirts, totes, and bow ties. Like any limited edition run, a lot of items sell out quickly to their already die-hard fans.

The company is also careful with its clientele, refusing to let just any ol’ riff-raff in. Well, they do, actually, but it takes awhile. I requested an invite a couple months ago and just got an email yesterday letting me know I was “in.” Which felt a little like getting accepted to your safe school – you knew it was going to happen, but you were still excited when you got the official word.

I’m currently trying to decide on my first purchase – one of the aforementioned tees (v-neck for me, but crew neck for guys is always a safe bet in case you’re worried about how deep the V dips), or a tote bag to give my big computer bag a breather. But at these prices – the tee is $15 and the bag is $30, I’ll probably just get both.

Sign up to become a member here.

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