WIWT

[alan]

@dropscu: I actually really like that blazer. Would it look terrible to open that top button, though? I would be curious to see how it looks with just the middle button closed.

Alan - I like the watch but not really digging those shoes.

The guy in the store said they came in 2 weeks ago and they've been selling well. My wife loves them. My co-workers think they're ridiculous. All in all, they seem to be a love-it-or-hate it reaction from people. I usually feel self-soncious when I'm wearing something that stands out, but for some reason I don't feel that way with these shoes. Once it gets warmer, expect to see more WIWT's of them with shorts. ;-)

[alan]

@Mikey: That's a good looking prom tux. Way better than mine was. :-P I hope it still fits after a couple years in college, but you look like the kind of guy who won't have that trouble. :-)

[drocpsu]

@dropscu: I actually really like that blazer. Would it look terrible to open that top button, though? I would be curious to see how it looks with just the middle button closed.

You know, the funny part is that the jacket is actually a 4-button jacket. The top one is already opened. That's the only thing I don't like about it. I generally only button the middle 2, since having 1 out of 4 (3rd one down) buttoned looks kind of funny to me.

[alan]

You know, the funny part is that the jacket is actually a 4-button jacket. The top one is already opened. That's the only thing I don't like about it. I generally only button the middle 2, since having 1 out of 4 (3rd one down) buttoned looks kind of funny to me.

Yeah, that would be odd. You're probably wearing it in the best way possible.

[Vicious49]

I'll have my usual pics once the wife gets home. Going all linen today which I'm not used to wearing. Can I get away with untucked or do I need to tuck? Or would it look better unbuttoned, untucked, with a colorful tee underneath? The pants are navy in case you can't tell from the pics. I also have brown linen pants. I was trying to decide between them and the navy ones but ended up going with navy for now.

[alan]

@Vicious49: Linen wrinkles so much that tucking in will cause some odd creasing around the wasit line. I'd have to advise against it. I think leaving it unbuttoned might look sloppy, though. You're probably wearing it in the best way you can. being white, is it see-through? Between brown and navy linen pants, I think navy is the smarter choice.

[Vicious49]

Yeah, it's see through which is why I have an undershirt on. Although I always wear an undershirt anyways so . . .

[alan]

Yeah, it's see through which is why I have an undershirt on. Although I always wear an undershirt anyways so . . .

That's my big beef with light linen, and the biggest reason I don't own more of it...

[BB]

Here I am going to the picnic. Is it the color of the pants/shoes that's off?



I'm definitely changing before tonight -- I'll be in a suit.

Vicious, I usually tuck linen shirts, but that one looks a good length -- you can go either way. I agree that navy is better with brown for pants. I don't own white linen, but I also try to get linen that's got a bit of heft to it. Thicker Irish linen -- J Crew and Lands End Irish linen shirts are like this -- tend to rumple rather than crease. Someone else once mentioned this and I have also found it to be true. I *love* linen because it breathes, wicks, and dries quickly. I give up some fit and get some wrinkles in return, but it's better than being a dripping mess all
day, which I would be otherwise.

[alan]

Here I am going to the picnic. Is it the color of the pants/shoes that's off?

In and of itself, the outfit seems fine. However, I do feel like the pants are kind of dark for spring. They look more like fall gear to me.

[BB]

Mikey, looking great.

Alan, I love that you're confident about the shoes. Not my thing personally, but I love that you love them. Confidence matters.

Dropscu, like Alan's shoes, it's not my personal preference, but it fits and the colors work well. And I know you tell me you're wearing shoes, but I'm enjoying picturing a guy wearing only those socks just strolling around...

[yoyorobbo]

Cologne Guy - You should check out Tom Ford Napoli Portofino. The guy at Nordstrom recommended it last weekend as a substitute for Aventus since they don't carry Creed. The wife really liked the smell but it costs as much as Creed so I figured I might as well try that first.

*Neroli* Portofino - Yeah, I have only tried it on a card, and one spritz on my wrist in store. Personally, it didn't blow me away. It gets some hype online, for sure, so maybe it's just me. Honestly, it had no similarities to Aventus to me at all.

Aventus hits you with a blast of red apple and pineapple (not a sweet candy pineapple smell, but more of a fresh cut pineapple), and then some of that smokiness/ashiness (the birch note), and then some of a kinda/sorta brand-new expensive leather couch or auto interior - but still mostly the fruit blast is the biggest wow in that one, IMO.

Neroli Portofino is more *citrusy*, and then kinda soapy, to me. It is often compared to Mugler Cologne, which is a much more affordable *clean* citrus scent. You might want to A/B that along with NP if you have the chance. Nordstrom usually carries it, so that comparison should be a possibilty. If you find them similar, then you'd save a TON of cash with Mugler Cologne. Just something to try.

If you decide that nope, Neroli Portofino is the bomb, and it's what you want to go with, hit me up with a PM. I *think* some folks are doing splits with a couple Tom Ford frags - their Spring/Summer scents - which are very minimal in number, like 2 or 3 fragrances (Neroli Portofino, Azure Lime, and Lavender Palm, IIRC) - so I could try to contact a couple of them and check if they still have any openings in the split. It will still be kinda pricey, but a much better deal than if you buy a bottle yourself - especially since you can get a much smaller decant to try out first (they often offer 10 ml, 20 ml, 30 ml, 50 ml, etc). Pretty flippin' cool concept, actually. Again, not sure if they are presently doing them, but they might be.

Still, if I were you, I would try to A/B NP to Mugler Cologne. At least you'll know if the similarity is there for you too, or not. Different people smell different things, ya'know? It's not an exact science, that's for sure.

To me, Tom Ford rocks with their heavier scents, better for Fall and Winter. The only TF frag I actually own and wear is Tobacco Vanille. It is REALLY nice, but it's heavy and POTENT; so I tend to only like it in the cold weather months. The colder, the better for that one, for me. There are a few other TF frags I wouldn't mind getting some small decants of - like Tuscan Leather and Oud Wood, but as you pretty much know by now, I'm kinda overwhelmed with my scent collection as it stands now. I really want and NEED to scale it down. A lean fragrance wardrobe? Probably something I should work on. LOL

Anyway, thanks so much for the shout out here - I'm happy to see some interest in fragrances here in our threads. I know many fellas here could care less, but that's OK. We all have different interests and varying levels of passion for those interests. It's allllllllllllllll gooooooood.

[yoyorobbo]

I think it works. You aren't getting away with "I just grabbed whatever was in the floor and rolled-I just happen to be exceedingly smooth no matter what," but that's OK. I tend to think the concept of "trying to hard" is a bit overblown anyway. This looks intentional, which is how grown ups with opinions about how they want to look should look.

That all said, I think I like the bottom half better than the top. I think a slim OCBD would look better here, but I can understand how that would warm things up some.

And yes, I roll my sleeves like that - on Joe's recommendation. The day I announced to my wife that I'd learned something life changing, and then followed up with a demonstration of this technique, was one more installment in her long-running "man you're odd" series.

LOL, great stuff, Shomas! Thanks for the feedback. It all makes perfect sense. I certainly had coordination intentions in mind when I got dressed, even though I was working from home. I still like to look decent for when my wife gets home from work, plus a couple mid-day errands probably kept me somewhat in check too.

I totally see what you mean with the OCBD, but yeah, I guess I had linen on muh' brain, so went with the slightly-looser, *blend* shirt instead.

I love your humor too man; LOL - your wife's as well, I guess. Ha! I too have had stirred up that "WTF are you talking about?" or "why are you telling me this?" notion from my wife as well. The most recent one was probably regarding the BIG square Tivoli(?) ice-cube trays I threw in her basket during one of our mall visits. After she had checked out she said, "Please tell me why I just paid $14 for ice-cube trays for you." - a request she quickly wished she hadn't made. The "surface area / melting rate" physics lesson was not what she had in mind. LOL

[yoyorobbo]

Which Davidoff?

The ever ubiquitous one, in flanker form. It's *Cool Water Summer Fizz*, a special edition release from several years back. Many folks claim the original CW to be a *Green Irish Tweed* copy, but actually to my nose, this flanker is a slightly-closer comparison. Shame it only lasts a couple hours max. But it's a good one for when you don't need (or want) a scent to last very long. An even much closer copy of a GIT is the very affordable *Aspen*; again, to my nose. It's certainly more synthetic, and doesn't have anywhere near the projection or longevity of GIT, but for a similar vibe, it's not bad for a cheapie.

[yoyorobbo]

bjmcgeever: Thanks for the reply on the breathability of that H&M blazer. I guess my cotton BR ones, which are lined, probably will not work very well in the heat this Summer, as I had hoped. I haven't reached for my Kensignton (which would be much better in that regard, I'd imagine) *once* since putting the BR blazers into my rotation. I guess I'll be on the lookout for an unlined linen, cotton, or blend one (or three - doh!) from BR for the warmer days to come.

BB: Looking good, even with the boat shoes - something I too am not used to seeing you in, right? Sometimes ya gotta make your getup work for several different scenarios. I think you pulled it off there. Rearding the Merona poplin shirt, how do you like those? I have a handful of their Perfect/Ultimate (or whatever) Dress Shirts. which Joe pimps frequently on the main site, and I do like them, but mainly only under a jacket (again, as Joe advises), as they are pretty billowy at the sides. I *think* I've tried on only their (sorta-)OCBDs, but didn't care for the collars and the fit in general on me. Are these more like those or more like their dress shirts?

BB (again): I'd say you nailed it for me regarding the "different color than that white belt" thing, in my "too much white?" pic. I really need to let my guard down some on the matchy-matchy concept. You guys (a few others said the same or a similar thing) are right. I *knew* something was not jiving in my outfit, and I felt it was too much white, but I went with that belt like I was simply *supposed* to. Time to fully open the mind to colorfully striped fabric belts! Thanks, guys.

drocpsu: That BR "safari" jacket is pretty sweet looking, but it does tend to look a little out-of-place. I tried one on from their clearance racks, a little while back - but I just couldn't pull the trigger myself. I had a feeling I'd struggle with it every time I went to pull it out from the closet. Otherwise, your getup there looks cool, even the shoeless look. LOL - Are those "no-show" *shoes* you're rockin' there?