What's in your boxer shorts? Paxton1345

I'm not sure how many of you know but my other business beside the My BOAZ shirt line is providing consulting and management services for emerging designers and start-up brands. (Click here to learn more). Therefore I have the pleasure on working with new and exciting designers and products all the time.
One that i just recently worked on is PAXTON1345. This is a new contemporary line of boxer shorts for both men's and women's. but hold on....these are not your traditional men's boxers by any mean....they are much cooler! Think soft cottons, fun color choices and smart details (My favorite is the different color button holes on the front fly), all packaged in an amazing fit - slim and young yet super comfortable!
To have a better introduction to the PAxton1345 line i asked Erin Cormier who is the designer and founder of the line for a quick interview. Not only that she agreed, she also thought about you guys and is offering you, my readers, FREE shipping when buying directly from her website , simply use code pax0ship in the checkout! For extra fun you can also get a gift package of 2 boxers for a discounted price and  treat your woman/man for a pair to keep everybody in the family happy!
A Man Of Style: First of all congratulations! I personally know what it took to put this together, so looking at it now, was it fun? What was the most fun part?
Erin: Thanks. It definitely took longer than I thought but I also had to learn everything since this is my first line. Finding good sourcing, manufacturing, fabrics and in general, good people to work with was tricky but we did it. I'd have to say the most fun part, was working with Danielle, the pattern maker and the fit models to get a perfect fit and cut. We wanted it to be very tailored but also comfortable at the same time. That was very cool.
A Man Of Style:What makes the Paxton boxers (men) different from other boxers?

What is your workout style?

On Friday night the London 2012 Olympics opened. The Olympics event is the biggest sport event in the world intended to be about the purity of sport and its importance in the unity of this world (although I'm not sure how much of it is true anymore). We get the chance to watch athletes from 205 nations competing in 300 events. They preform with blood, sweat and tears while stretching their limits, breaking world records and creating the best real drama, the one that only sport can create.
In honor of the event i decided to dedicate a post for the Olympics....but with so many bloggers and magazines already covering every possible angle, i went with a more personal one. So, if watching the long distance race on your TV screen inspires you to get off the coach and break a world record, here my recommendation on how to look your best while doing it.

A Man of Style's Workout Gear

What do we have here? A basic black and blue color story spiced up with a touch of neon yellow and orange. I like compression items for style and performance, they're light and tight, and keep your body worm (lowers the risk of pulling muscles and improves your performance). The Nike Pro Combat Hypercool 2.0 fitted short-sleeve top delivers major ventilation and sweat-wicking fabric to help keep you cool and comfortable. Go for a dark color, it will insure looking good even when you're all wet and sweat. A black/yellow neon 6 inch, 4-way stretch shorts from New Balance will provide ease of motion, and these light blue Nike Hypercool Shorts underneath will keep your hamstrings flexible while adding color to the workout. Feather weight adiZero® by Adidas will make anyone feeling as if they're been running on air while a blue half zip long sleeve top from Adidas will keep you warm before and after your exercise. To keep track of your world breaking records use the help of Nike SportWatch GPS while blasting your workout playlist with the Nike Vapor headphones. No Look is completed without a bag, once again the perfect opportunity for a color addition for a style statement! Orange sport duffel bag from Y-3 is a great choice.
That's it, you are all set, all you need now is a little motivation and a Gym membership......

Findings - John Lobb Aston Martin Leather Sneakers

Aston Martin Leather Sneakers from John Lobb

WHY: Summer calls for colors, fun and adventures time....and These shoes is all you need to walk  safe yet with full speed through the season. The ultimate summer shoes to style with white shorts and a chambray shirt for an easy Sunday stroll, or with rolled hem chinos and a classic blue gingham shirt for afternoon drinks on the beach or even with your seersucker suit, a classic white shirt, and a colored belt and socks for a summer work day in the office.....What ever your style and mood is, you can count that on this collaborative product between two brands that are leaders in their fields will always deliver! Keep the rest of your look understand and let these shoes do the walking....
John Lobb is shoemaker brand that's been making fine shoes since 1849 (all shoes are still handmade the traditional way, with 190 steps and several weeks involved in the production of each pair) and Aston Martin is the ultimate name in performance sports cars....as i said beauty, quality and speed...every man's dream!
INFO: Expertly crafted from smooth leather and punctuated with streamlined, engineered, colored rubber soles and padded ankle supports to ensure supreme comfort and a sleek fit, leather lining. Featuring engraved eyelets that reference Aston Martin's timeless flair. Available is 4 color ways: blue/red soles, Green/Red soles, Yellow/white soles and Brown/white soles, comes with a branded dust bag, box and spare laces.
PRICE: $965.00

WHERE: Mr Porter

A touch of color in every step

By now you all know that I like colors and encourage them, but since I'm aware that some of you might be a little more hesitant, i suggest we start with small steps, how about colored shoelaces???
Stolen Riches is a Canadian company that's been producing shoelaces for over 4 generations. After almost 100 years of making only black and brown even they they decided to change things up - Colorful shoelaces!  Thank to them now you can easily add a touch of individuality and a stroke of fun to your business suit or your working boots and all for less than $20.

8 tips to dress up your bermuda shorts!

Who says you cant dress up with shorts, or wear shorts for work??? Unless you are in a conservative, corporate setting than shorts can be as stylish, as respected and as business looking....it will just come down to what are they made in (suiting fabric, Chambray, cotton twill, etc.) and how would you wear them.
As a matter of fact history support that and back in the day Bermuda shorts used to be called dress shorts. They were worn by the British army and were considered appropriate business attire for men when made of suit-like material and worn with knee-length socks, a dress shirt, tie, and blazer.
Here are seven tips that will help you to dress up your shorts:

• Fabric - Pay attention to what they are made in, for example when done in suiting fabrics will automatically make your short more dress appropriate as oppose to washed cotton twill.Generally any fabric that has a bit of shin such as chambray will look good as well.
• Fit - as always this is a crucial element, if you want your shorts to look dressier you need to make sure they are FITTED, cause a looser, baggier shorts will make you look shlumpy and casual so make sure to have them tapered and fitted.

Ceravelo is bringing the ascot tie back!

The ascot tie is back! That's the message from Ceravelo who is taking action on bringing it back!
Yes, for a long time i thought as well that as much as i like ascots i will probably wait for few years until I get to a certain age to start wearing them....that is until I came across Ceravelo - an online ascot boutique based out of San Francisco who shed a new (contemporary) light on my ascot perception - it can look young, cool and is a great style addition for the modern man!...and not only for formal wear!

Ceravelo is co-owned by Steven Arevalo and Jackie Lopez. They entered the men’s fashion market with a unique perspective and redesigned the traditional ascot tie to appeal to the modern gentleman. They focus on environmental sustainability by hand making each piece from repurposed and vintage material. Every ascot is also reversible and one of a kind.             

In order to get a deeper look into the brand and the vision behind it i asked to interview Steven and he agreed so here we go:
A Man Of Style: Do you remember the first Ascot you got/made/wore? Is that where it all clicked?
Steven: The first ascot that I wore was to a Christmas party in 2008. A friend of mine had turned me on to the dandy little accessory and yes, that’s when it all clicked. The first one I wore was actually one that a seamstresses, in a custom tailor shop, and I had made together. I shopped around at some of the San Francisco fabric shops and actually found some YSL vintage remnant silk. I brought the fabric and a template to him one evening and sat there for an hour or so as he explained some of the sewing basics, such as, cutting on the bias. He had me pin the two pieces of fabric together while he tended to some other work and after I was finished he did his magic.
A Man Of Style: Your ascots are made out of re-purposed material, right? Where do you find your fabrics?
Steven: Yes. All of our ascot ties are made from a combination of either re-purposed/vintage or new

3 easy tips to color your wardrobe for spring!

SPRING=COLORS! That's what spring means to me! the long winter in NY is probably contributing to that as well cause by the time spring is here i am so sick of winter's darker colors and waking up to a shiny sun almost every morning makes me crave more and more colors.
To be clear it doesn't mean that i look like a rainbow version when i leave my apartment but i definitely add some colored brush strokes to my look. Here are 3 ways that any of you whether your style is daring or conservative can add a touch of spring (color) to your daily style:
Colorful socks -  Let's start with the bottom, colorful socks are fun and more than any other item can be worn with your work suit to any important day in the office or to a night on town for your best friends bachelor party, whether you dressed up or down this little shot of color will not take over but will turn heads and just enough attention to your personal style....not to mention the low cost of investment!

Any of these below socks from Paul Smith will do the job.

 Colorful Belt - Climbing up half way to the top a shot of color can turn into a shot of style! I like

Spring shoes - Loafers

Donald J Pliner

Spring is teasing us here in NY, one day its here and the other its hiding behind another grey cold day but no matter how long it will try and hide its just a matter of weeks maybe days before it will surrender itself. These last few sunny days made me start thinking about spring wardrobe....which I'm sure most of you started that same thinking process as well.
How about we'll start from the bottom up...with shoes! More specifically slip-ons that are typically low, lace-less shoes which are commonly known as a loafers. I personally not a big fan of the typical loafers which we all know as the Moccasin, I'm not sure what it is that i don't like about them, could be the tassels or could be just the fact that they are so common and main stream that they lost their unique edge in my view. I like the ones that comes in colors (a perfect way to show style and be edgy but still in a subtle way) that you can wear with long pants, jeans or even with shorts. Here are some of my favorites for the season....Enjoy!

Vivienne Westwood

Adidas Y-3

Summer shorts

Raf Simmons on Forward

Summer is in, the heat is on and when it comes to clothing less is more! which means you have less to work with in order to may an impact so why not do it in COLOR?
Shorts as oppose to long pants are easier to pull in a strong vibrant color. You wouldn't find too many guys wearing long pants in red, pink or green, never the less a bold colorful pattern but they will wear shorts in these colors...and i as a fan of colors am encouraging it.
What style? i personally not a fan of  the looser fit cargo shorts, or the draw string closure,  i know they might be comfortable and easy but they are fine for walk on the beach or walking your dog so if you are like me looking for a summer replacement to your long pants that can be used on a daily basis for work and pleasure than go for a slimmer fit with a bit of a dressier cut and a waistband, like these navy shorts from Raf Simmons above. The length of the shorts depends on your body type, i have long legs therefore i like them longer and usually make mine knee length, but on average i think a good length should about 9" inseam, i think the shorty short ones are a bit too feminine for my taste.

Asos

The question than is how and what to wear your shorts with? A solid color top usually white or black is enough to make a statement, a T for a casual Sunday or a nice fitted white button down shirt like this BOAZ shirt would make this even a work attire for some of us, roll out the sleeves, add a vest or maybe a casual cotton tie, a nice leather loafers and summer looks better than ever.
The tricky part in wearing shorts is what shoes to wear? And i think a lot of you will disagree with me but i say NO to Flip-flops and NO to sandals! I dont care how many designers show their summer looks on the runways with sandals it never looks good...they either look too nerdy or too feminine no matter how well they are made or designed...therefore my suggestion is either cool colored or white sneakers or a chioce of boat shoes or loafers and  all with either low socks (that will not be seen)or better no socks at all.

  Below: Colors on Selected at Asos

Patterns from Burkman and Gant both at Barneys

How to be protected from the sun...in STYLE!

I personally dont have the pleasure of protecting my eyes from the sun....since i wear prescription glasses on a daily basis, but when i do wear contacts i always feel that the sunglasses should be more than just for protection...they should be a style statement! After all it is the first thing people will see when they look at you...so here are three fun sunglasses i have picked to rock the summer of every man of style!

1. For the stand out guy - Mosley Tribes,  Matte blue over-sized square plastic aviator sunglasses with bar over the bridge, and contrasting details. $180 at Barney's.

2. For the trendy Intellectual guy - Garrett Leight,, unisex style that is a reminiscent of 1950-60's, handmade acetate frame in pure glass color with silver/gold detail hinges, pure green mineral glass. $290 at Barneys.

3. For the funky MAD MAN fan - Paul Smith, Round gold metal frame sunglasses with plastic arms and temples, purple mirror lenses in ultra violet. Handmade in Italy. $355 at Barney's

Findings - JensenMartin HK Tech Jacket

HK Tech Jacket from JensenMartin

WHY: I have been looking for the perfect windbreaker in forever now, for the most part the ones i found where either too generic or too expensive...Until i found this new brand! JensenMartin is a new outwear brand that launched a couple of months ago online and brings you the craftsmanship of a high-end brand with an exceptional performance technology fabrics in the highest quality, all packaged in an Italian style and fit.
In one quick glance you can see that the guys at JM know what they are doing (they have been producing outwear for some of the best brands in the world for over 3 generations), and the attention to details in their garments is just phenomenal. This specific windbreaker is super lightweight, has a tailored Italian fit and it comes in a wide range of colors from Khaki to red and even some neon colors so now even when its pouring out you can still stay A Man of style!
INFO: Made in Luxe Teflon finished Taffeta Nylon, with hood, zippered front pockets, two-way zipper closure and an Italian tailored fit.
WHERE: JensenMartin.com
PRICE: Was $169.00 Now on sale for only $119.00

BOAZ - MY MEN'S SHIRT COLLECTION STORE OPENING!

As you may know, over the past couple of months I have been working on an online store for my men’s button down shirt line. 

I’m excited to announce the launch of the store where I offer my ready to wear shirts that combine great FIT, distinctive STYLE and high QUALITY! The shirts are handcrafted, and made to order one at a time right here in New York City, accompanied by free shipping and my personal attention.

The line offers in one distinct FIT and four available shirt styles: Classic, Contemporary, European and Military. offered in a variety of colors and patterns to match any mood, occasion, or life-style while easily transitioning from day to night and work to play. Whether you are looking to add an edge to a business meeting or a night out on the town, the BOAZ shirt will take care of that!  

The store also offers a fully custom made shirt. 

To celebrate my grand opening, I've included in this email a store coupon that offers 20% discount on all orders through June 12^th. Just use the code WELCOME at the store checkout!

Please feel free to forward this to anyone who may be interested, to help me share the news.

To visit my store log on to www.boazny.com

P.S I will continue to write this blog and will continue to inspire you to be your own MAN OF STYLE!!

Designer of the week - Antonio Azzuolo

Antonio Azzuolo

This week's designer of the week is Antonio Azzuolo - a Ralph Lauren and Hermes alum who launched his namesake collection A.A Antonio Azzuolo in the fall of 2008.
Antonio grew up in Montreal, Canada and earned a B.A.A degree  from the university of Toronto in Apparel design with a specialization in Men's tailoring.  After his graduation he moved to Milan, where he won first place in the menswear category at the "Festival des Jeunes Stylistes de Hyères". This award presented him with an opportunity to relocate to Paris where he launched his professional career.

Over a period of more than 10 years his career presented him with diverse fashion roles that have influenced the vision of his current A.A line. On one end as a  design director for the Ralph Lauren's Purple and Black Labels he learned the importance of the consistency in a brand's message, quality and fit, while his roles as a designer for fashion houses like Hermès and Kenzo inspired him to try and push the envelope of classic menswear. As a result the A.A line offers essential pieces for every guy, done in a luxurious yet simple way, with a refined tailoring (he is a son of Italian tailors) all smartly fused with colors and a twist of humor just enough to turn heads around and bring a fresh breath into one's wardrobe.