Happy Friday + Happy New Years!

I won't be doing a post tomorrow so I'll say it now... So long 2011!   I hope you all had a good year but hope you have an even better 2012!   I reflected on my 2011 while I flipped through the years facebook photos (convenient right?).  I had a lot of wonderful changes & wonderful times.  If I were to go back in time to last Dec. 31st and told me where I'd be a year later, well I probably wouldn't believe it!  "Oh the places you'll go & the things you'll see!" I would say to me.
None the less, it's onward and upward in my perspective!   Bring it on 2012!  We're waitin' for ya! 

Workwear Wednesday: Gentlemen's Edition

With as much as I tend to focus on women's fashion, it's hard to believe that I got my professional start as a tailor specializing in menswear. I still love getting my hands on a beautiful mens suit and tailoring it to fit just right.  While I understand that many work environments are more casual today, guys should still know how to do it right when necessary, and SO many men don't!  So today's Workwear Wednesday is for the bros!  Specifically I am reminded of this quote:

"So okay, I don't want to be a traitor to my generation and all but I don't get how guys dress today. I mean, come on, it looks like they just fell out of bed and put on some baggy pants and take their greasy hair - ew! - and cover it up with a backwards cap and like, we're expected to swoon? I don't think so!" 

-Cher Horowitz, Clueless, 1994

To start on a friendly note, here are two of your icons, looking quite dapper!

A fedora, perfectly pulled off. Note how this man wears one while NOT evoking Kevin Federline.

Excellently executed mixture of patterns! (not recommended for novices)

These guys look more sophisticated in jeans than any man in a Men's Warehouse suit!

A denim blazer. Again, not for beginners. High attention to accessories makes this work.

Classic high quality oxfords. Throw out your square-toed dress shoes if you haven't already.

Plaid ties are always wonderful!  It's the width & colors that change style over time.

And speaking of ties, you should all know by now that narrow ties are in fashion. Look for ties that are no more than 2&1/4 inch at the widest point. If you are a slender man you can go much narrower, if you've got a broad frame, stick to the 2" width.  Have a sentimental attachment to a super wide tie?  Take it to a tailors to have it narrowed. 

A lesson in layering. Consider not just color but texture too.

He should be wearing socks, but otherwise a great outfit. Notice how the belt matches the shoes?

Very fashionable while still completely masculine. 

Oh boy, I am just loving everything about this guy!  A plaid wool sports coat & matching cap? Now there's something to swoon about! 

Tuesday Shoesday Featuring Shabby Apple!

Hey everyone!  I hope you all had a great holiday!  Today's Tuesday Shoesday is a little unusual because I'm going to be featuring a specific store, Shabby Apple.  I don't usually do this with the exception of Etsy, but I'll be honest and just tell you to expect to see more fashion posts about this shop, which I only discovered this morning, because it's seriously as though someone said, "Hey let's open a 'Stuff Laura Whitney Likes' store!"  In fact I just ordered my first Shabby Apple dress! (review to come later)  But it's Tuesday shoesday so I'll leave the super adorable vintage style dresses until tomorrow.  Today it's just super adorable vintage-inspired shoes!  Here are my favorites!