Somethin’ for the Fellas: Copious Row

By admin|August 28th, 2014|Guest Blogger, Somethin for the fellas, Why Did You Wear That?|

Recently, I had the pleasure of virtually catching up (as he’s spent most of the summer traveling and sunning in the Hamptons) with my dear friend, David Chines, founder of Copious Row. Having always had impeccable taste and being my favorite friend to “spill tea” with, creating an online shopping destination only seems like a natural progression in his career having a major background in fashion, marketing, and digital media. Below, David answers some questions about the concept behind Copious Row and what makes a truly dapper gentleman.

What is Copious Row?

Copious Row is an e-commerce site dedicated to the discerning man who is looking for unique and interesting items for themselves, their homes, their offices and beyond. It is also the perfect place to find an amazing gift for any man in your life!

How was the concept conceived?

The concept came about because I, personally, couldn’t find a website where I could find different and outstanding products. I felt like the male population was under served in the realm of on-line shopping. I don’t want to buy things that everyone already has. I was also familiar with many international brands that weren’t available in the US and/or on-line. The site has an incredible international set of vendors that don’t have much US presence. I also kept hearing from my girlfriends that they have the hardest time finding gifts for men – another problem the site solves!

Who is the Copious Row man?

The Copious Row man isn’t necessarily just one person. The goal was to create a site that men of all ages, geographies, and interests would want to shop on. The only unifying factor I would say, is that the Copious Row man likes the unexpected and appreciates incredible quality and craftsmanship. Our man is looking to invest in beautiful items that are timeless and classic but are definitely conversation starters.

What makes it different than say, Mr. Porter or East Dane?

Unlike those sites, we don’t carry ready-to-wear or shoes. We focus on lifestyle items, our pieces are not seasonal or trendy and don’t have a shelf life. It’s also a very easy sight to shop. We very rarely have sizing in our items, so there is no need to worry about fit or size. We are also very selective about what we carry – we curate and edit very carefully. We choose the best of a product line making for a great, comfortable shopping experience that isn’t overwhelming.

What must every dapper gentleman have in his closet? In his bathroom vanity?

Every dapper man has to have a great wallet and a great pair of cufflinks. These items can really define a man and tell the world who he is. Although most men are very casual these days, cufflinks can be fun and full of personality. They’re a great conversation starter and can tell a great tale. Your wallet also tells a story – are you casual? formal? practical? It speaks volumes!

For the bathroom vanity – the right hair product! Knowing what works best for your hair type and knowing how to style your hair is essential, it’s one of the first things people see. Dapper starts from the head down!

What is the biggest style mistake that men make?

Not paying attention to details. When you walk out of your house you are sending the world a message. People appreciate a man who takes care of himself and takes pride in the things he owns. Carrying around a 12 year old wallet is not sexy. Using your grandfather’s torn up luggage is not cool. Women love a man who is sleek and put together.

What is the one item that can take you from looking a bit disheveled to totally dapper?

A great bag. Whether it’s a beach bag, gym bag, briefcase, etc. If you see a man on the street who may be a bit disheveled but he’s carrying a great bag, he will still turn heads and keep people wondering.

What must men throw out from their wardrobes immediately if not sooner?

Flip-flops!! If not on the beach, a man has no business wearing flip-flops. They’re way too casual and make you look young and sloppy.

Gentlemen, I hope you took notes and ladies, if you’re looking for something extra special for that special man in your life, whether it be your father or fiancé, be sure to head over to shop Copious Row.

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did or Why Don’t: Braidy Bunch

By admin|August 27th, 2014|Beauty Buzz, Somethin for the fellas, Why Did or Why Don't?|

We have already covered the man bun/mun/male topknot (feel free to weigh in), which does not seem to be going anywhere if this week’s awards shows have been any indication. Just look at all the fuss over Game of Throne’s, Kit Harrington’s, perfectly executed updo from Monday night’s Emmy Awards. But all the man buns in the world and even Jared Leto’s ombre mane couldn’t compete when True Detective’s director, Cary Joji Fukunaga, took the stage to accept the award for Outstanding Director. I, for one, audibly gasped at this handsome man, but it wasn’t just his cheekbones that sent the internet into a tizzy. It was his hair. At first glance, he looked clean cut, but as he described his coiffure, “For tonight, I just thought business in the front, party in the back.”

Though Cary was a pleasant surprise in a room full of familiar faces and stuffy industry types and his hair seemed to be a fresh interpretation for man coifs worldwide, he’s not the first to be seen sporting man braids. As a matter of fact, the night before rapper, Riff Raff, clad in denim had a head full of braids and is probably asking today, “Dafuq?” Even before Riff Raff, there was David Beckham, Axl Rose, and let us never forget Kevin Federline.

I, myself, spent a sunny Saturday afternoon in Amagansett this summer lackadaisically braiding cornrows into one of my man bun wearing guy friend’s head. We thought it was kind of funny and for him, the look actually worked. I even taught him the importance of patting his head when it started to itch as to avoid creating frizz. So, back to Cary’s internet sensational hairstyle and potentially the next wave of hipster hairdos (Slate created a pretty genius rendering). It may have something to do with the fact that he’s terribly good looking, but the only part of his hairstyle that truly bothered me was his (unintentionally) crooked part which The Cut got a close up of. You see though, I’m quite dextrous and great with a comb, so Cary, call me next time you’re you’re looking for some Poetic Justice.

What do you think about men with braids?

xx,

WhyDid

Red Carpet Recap: The 66th Annual Emmy Awards

By admin|August 26th, 2014|Celebrity Style, Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

And the Emmy Goes To…:

January Jones in Prabal Gurung, Kiernan Shipka in Antonio Berardi, Halle Berry in Elie Saab

It’s a wonder I was even able to complete this post as I spent the majority of last night’s 66th Annual Emmy Awards in the waiting room at CityMD where I tried to convince them that it was imperative to change the channel from NY1 to the Emmy’s so that I could complete my work. No dice, but fortunately I’d planned ahead by recording the show before stepping out. Don’t worry guys, after being poked and prodded and nearly regurgitating on a tongue depressor, turns out it’s just a sore throat.

Instead of sipping on champagne, I gargled with salt water and settled in to catch up on what I’d missed. Clearly, what I’d missed was almost every single show that’s currently on television. I’ve been so busy watching re-runs of The Golden Girls, that I wasn’t even aware that shows like Masters of Sex or Treme existed. But let’s be serious, it’s an honor just to be nominated and sure it’s exciting to win (full list of winners here), I’m only here for the fashion.

Fairly early into the red carpet arrivals, there was a theme brewing. If you weren’t wearing red, you were wearing white. From Julia Louis Drefus’s simple and well tailored Carolina Herrera to Claire Danes’ intricately detailed Givenchy, there was no chance of blending into the carpet in these crimson creations. White may very well be one of the hardest colors to wear, let alone be photographed in. However, last night’s presenters and nominees were picture perfect in their picks, namely Laverne Cox in Marc Bouwer and Anna Chlumsky in Zac Posen.

The rest of the carpet was a veritable rainbow with Kerry Washington in an orange Prada, Samira Wiley in a curry colored Christian Siriano, Keke Palmer in cobalt Rubin Singer, and Zoey Deschanel in an Oscar de la Renta bright pop of pink. Hayden Panetierre proved that pregnant women most certainly can wear sequins in her Lorena Sarbu and others played with color and patterns as made apparent by Louise Roe’s Monique Lhuillier and Julie Bowen’s Peter Som.

My winners included January Jones in a beautifully constructed red Prabal Gurung gown (though her hair could have used some help), budding fashion favorite, Kiernan Shipka in a steely grey Antonio Berardi, and Halle Berry whose Elie Saab was a color that was clearly made for her- seriously, it’s like Jay-Z blue. Does it have a Pantone number? Those who didn’t fair so well? Katherine Heigl is no stranger to the worst dressed list and last night was no different as she showed up wearing something that actually looked like something I’ve seen on The Golden Girls. Lena Dunham, bless her, wore a cupcake confection that left her looking more silly than chic. I applaud her new hair, however. When Sarah Paulson arrived on the red carpet, I must admit at first I was intrigued, but I have the feeling her gown was the type that is beautiful in person, but does not translate to TV. Somebody’s stylist needs get a Polaroid camera.

While not everyone was fashion award worthy, if this red carpet is any indication of what’s to come this award season, I’m looking forward to tuning in. I may even start watching shows from this decade.

Orange Crush:

Sarah Hyland in Christian Siriano, Natalie Dormer in J. Mendel, Kerry Washington in Prada

Cloaked in Coral:

Mindy Kaling in Kenzo, Heidi Klum in Zac Posen, Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji

Well Red… and Red… and, well, Red:

Uzo Aduba, Giuliana Rancic, Christina Hendricks in Marchesa

Minnie Driver in Marchesa, Julia Louis Dreyfus in Carolina Herrera, Claire Danes in Givenchy

Shocking Pink:

Kaley Cuoco in Monique Lhuillier, Zoey Deschanel in Oscar de la Renta, Allison Janney in Nicholas Jebran

All White, All White, All White:

Kate Mara in J. Mendel, Anna Chlumsky in Zac Posen, Padma Laksmi in Ralph Rucci

Kristen Wiig in Vera Wang, Laverne Cox in Marc Bouwer, Sofia Vergara in Roberto Cavalli

Joanne Froggatt in J. Mendel, Julianne Hough in DSquared, Michelle Monaghan in Giambattista Valli

Shine On:

Amy Poehler in Theia, Hayden Panetierre in Lorena Sarbu, Gwen Stefani in Versace

Alexandra Daddario in Reem Acra, Taylor Schilling in Zuhair Murad, Taryn Manning

Mauve-lous:

Louise Roe in Monique Lhuillier, Cat Deeley in Burberry, Amanda Peet in Giambattista Valli

Citrus Sirens:

Samira Wiley in Christian Siriano, Lucy Liu in Zac Posen, Kate Walsh in Stephane Rolland

Going Green:

Laura Prepon, Sarah Silverman in Marni, Allison Tolman in Romona Keveza

Shades of Blue:

Mayim Bialik in Oliver Tolentino, Keke Palmer in Rubin Singer, Edie Falco in Escada

Natasha Leone in custom Opening Ceremony, Julia Roberts in Elie Saab, Rose Leslie

The New Black:

Lena Headey, Lizzy Caplan in Donna Karan Atelier, Debra Messing in Angel Sanchez

Watercolor Wonders:

Taissa Farmiga in Honor, Betsy Brandt in Alice + Olivia Julie Bowen in Peter Som

Pattern Play:

Teyonah Parris in Christian Siriano, Michelle Dockering in Rosie Assoulin, Ariel Winter in Black Halo Eve

Two’s Better Than One:

Jon Hamm in Tom Ford and Jennifer Westfeldt in Marchesa, Camila Alves in Zuhair Murad and Matthew McConaughey in bespoke Dolce & Gabbana, Lauren Parsekian in Sarbu and Aaron Paul

Better Luck Next Year:

Katherine Heigl in vintage John Hayles, Lena Dunham in Giambattista Valli, Sarah Paulson in Armani Privé

Kate Walsh in Stephane Rolland

Red Carpet Recap: MTV BMA’s

By admin|August 25th, 2014|Celebrity Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

Last night marked MTV’s 31st Annual Video Music Awards and also the fact that I’m way too old to be watching it. My friends and I kept exchanging puzzled looks as one unrecognizable (to us) tween took to the red carpet after the next. I had never been so excited to see Gwen Stefani or Jennifer Lopez as I was last night. Phew! Somebody we knew. It became quite clear as to why E! has cornered the market on red carpet pre-shows. As I quickly found myself on the brink of a melodramatic meltdown, I yelled at my TV, “Sway, WHO ARE THEY WEARING?” After having cooled my rage with a glass of prosecco, the actual show began.

Within seconds of the opening act, I was concerned that Nicki Minaj had somehow pirated the entire event as there was much more booty on stage than on any ship. She became this year’s Miley while pirouetting her posterior to her current single, “Anaconda”, which left me hoping Sir Mix A Lot was somewhere wiping his own rear with all the royalty money he received from that song. She then joined Jessie J. who forgot her pants and Ariana Grande who appears to have a perma hairstyle for their song, “Bang Bang” complete with wardrobe malfunction. She later joined Usher for his song, aptly named, “She Came To Give It To You.”

Right around the time I’d given up on humanity and started Googling how to obtain an Australian work visa, Miley Cyrus shocked audiences again. This time, however, it had nothing to do with flagrant twerking or her wayward tongue. When she won the VMA for Video of the Year, instead of accepting the award herself, her handsome mystery date took the stage. He identified himself as “Jesse” and proceeded to deliver a touching speech revealing that he, himself, had grown up homeless which was hard to imagine as he looked like far less homeless than the boys of Five Seconds to Summer in his well tailored suit. He encouraged viewers to learn more about My Friend’s Place and to get involved by visiting and donating on Miley’s site.

But (with a capital “B”) Queen B., herself, Beyonce, was not about to be outdone. Bey performed for a solid fifteen minutes in a stunning jewel encrusted leotard before accepting the Video Vanguard Award from her husband, Jay-Z and the absolutely adorable Blue Ivy. If all those divorce rumors do have any merit, she should have picked up an Oscar as well.

The other big “B” for last night had to be for Balmain as Jordan Dunn, Chanel Iman, Joan Smalls, and Kim Kardashian all wore the label. Pro-tip: Do not show up to an awards show wearing the same thing as a supermodel. While Katy Perry and her date, Riff Raff, gave a nostalgic nod to Britney and Justin, everyone’s favorite good girl wore a romper so short, she could have been a Minaj backup dancer. Black was a red carpet favorite, but all renditions from sheer paneling to leather pants felt fresh and innovative rather than basic and boring. Red, pink, and blue were the other colors that were most prevalent, mainly in jewel shades. While everyone looked “nice,” I didn’t feel floored by anyone in particular… except for Amber Rose, that is.

Ban-Do:

Jourdan Dunn in Balmain, Miley Cyrus in Alexandre Vauthier

Anything but Basic Black:

Kendall Jenner in Alon Livne, Kylie Jenner in Alexandre Vauthier, Chanel Iman in Balmain

Power Couples:

Ireland Baldwin in Roberto Cavalli and Angel Haze in Helmut Lang, Adam Levine Behati Prinsloo

Sister, Sister:

Beyonce in Nicolas Jebran, Solange Knowles in H&M Studio

Fulfill Your Destiny:

Kelly Rowland in Kaufman Franco, Michelle Williams

Soft and Subtle:

Kesha in Johanna Johnson, Jessie J in vintage Halston

Silver Lining:

Iggy Azalea in Versace, Jennifer Lopez in Charbel Zoe

Animal Instinct:

Nicki Minaj, Charli XCX in Moschino

Red Alert:

Rita Orain Donna Karan Atelier, Demi Lovato in Lanvin

Double Trouble:

Kim Kardashian West in Balmain, Joan Smalls in Balmain

Pink Ladies:

Gwen Stefani in L.A.M.B. Couture, Chloe Moretz in Louis Vuitton

Cobalt Queens:

Sarah Hyland in Kaufman Franco, Julianne Hough in Emilio Pucci

Singing the Blues:

Katy Perry and Riff Raff in custom Versace, Taylor Swift in Mary Katrantzou

You’ve Got Chainmail:

Wiz Khalifa, Amber Rose in Laura Dewitt

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Black Dress, Jean Shirt

By admin|August 17th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

Perhaps your need to be discreet regarding last night’s outfit is a bit more innocent than the aforementioned instance. After a beautiful dinner complete with across the table hand holding with your beau, you both awake with a hankering for Eggs Benedict, but seeing as you are not (as of yet) co-habitating, you’ve got to work with what you’ve got. And isn’t that what life is all about? A swanky dinner at Claudette called for the perfect little black dress (a favorite LBD of mine worn two ways here and here) and sexy stilettos. As stunning as you looked last night strolling past tables packed with wealthy Wall Street types and their girlfriends who smacked them for gawking, wearing the same thing this morning to Bubby’s may raise some eyebrows for entirely different reasons. An incredibly simple way to disguise your enticing ensemble is to simply tie a denim or chambray shirt around you (a flannel variation would work as well) and embrace the uptown/downtown amalgation by also embracing your bed head with a simple rope braid (learn how here). You’ll look so “devil may care” that the only reason someone’s head may turn this time is to figure out which tabloid star you are. Order a mimosa for me.