Wardrobe Essentials: The Glen Plaid Blazer

I have already preached the necessity of the the navy blazer and the grey sharkskin suit, and simply having both of those would be enough to get by fashionably from season to season, but you're not reading this to just "get by". So whats the next sport coat your closet needs that is going to become a staple in your closet for years to come?

Glen Plaid has been one of the most popular and classic check fabric patterns since its debut in the 19th Century. Popularized by the Prince of Wales in 1926, the pattern is most typically featured in the black and white or brown and cream color ways, and those two are the ones you'll want to stick with. Do the math, this pattern has been popular for over 100 years and hasn't experienced any hiccups thus far, so adding it to your wardrobe is safe and stylish.

Thanks Nick Wooster for showing everyone how its done.

Versatility is key with sport coats and there isn't a pattern that Glen Plaid can't handle; I'm pretty sure you could pair it with itself and you'd still look great. As for the choice between the "brown" or "black", look at your existing sport coat game, if you already have a khaki or light brown jacket, go with the black and white, and if you have a couple grey suit coats, go with the brown Glen.

Just typing in Glen Plaid sport coat in Google will point you in the right direction, but here are some winners:

Ralph Lauren: $1295

J. Crew: $250

Check in tomorrow for another style piece that deserves your consideration and next Wednesday for a wardrobe necessity!

Tech Tuesday: Is Your Brew Micro?

There are two crazes currently blowing up in the drinking world, whiskey and craft beer, so much so that the growth in both markets are noticeable in the finance world. Whiskey is quite easy to figure out who is distilling it and where it's from simply by tasting it and doing a little due diligence on the label. Craft beer is a different story entirely.

Not that this is a craft beer, but most people are unaware that Killian's Irish Red is actually brewed in America by the Coors Company; it's not advertised on the bottle whatsoever and you'd have to pull out Google just to find that information. Now multiply this situation by 100 and you have predicament that most micro brew enthusiast run into, "Where/who is brewing my beverage?". Not always the easiest question to answer, but as always, there's an app for that.

An intuitive layout that lets you know your brew is legit.

Craft Check recently released on the App Store and simply by scanning the bar code on the bottle/box/case, you'll be able to discern a true micro brew from Anheuser-Busch trying to trick you into buying some mass-made specialty beer. I am an advocate of the craft beer movement and do my best to sample anything that is new, so needless to say that for only $1, I will be using this app very frequently.

Check in tomorrow for another fashion necessity for your closet and next Tuesday for some more exciting tech!

Monday Outlook: Color Blocking

I was going to throw a witty title to this post, but decided it was probably not a good move seeing as it would be plastered all over my social avenues; something about color blocking being good and cock blocking being bad.

Contemporary or classic, color blocking works with either.

Color blocking is something that fades in and from season to season, but is always something you can bust out when you can't think of what to wear. This sunny season, however, the look should be your go to. There are many ways to pull it off but to keep it simple, pick a color to wear up top and a different color for the pants and you'll be good to go. Pair that with shoes that match your top or even a completely different color and you'll get a nice contrast that somehow pulls the whole look together.

Green, rust, and navy sounds good to me.

As for color pairing, complementary colors are always bold and eye-catching, so red and blue or or orange and navy (sticking with the blue trend) will be great looks. Another option would be keeping the look either cool with greens, blues, and purples or warm with reds, yellows, and oranges. Essentially, you can't go wrong with color blocking, just be careful to not make your outfit too loud with bright or bold colors; for example, a royal blue with a collegiate maize will be over powering, unless you're a Michigan alum. To avoid this, pair a bold color with a chambray or faded fabrics to balance out your look.

Check in tomorrow for some exciting new tech and next Monday for another upcoming style trend!