The Style Is Right | Selectism x Oki-Ni - Style Take-Over

The people over at Selectism recently hi-jacked british store Oki-Ni's style section and put together four outfits from what's in store. I can't say I'm a fan of all their pairings, but this one comes off as pretty on point in my opinion. 

I've always been a sucker for grey wool pants this time of the year and these Jil Sander ones are no exception. The Alexander McQueen boots look pretty magic as well while the black contrast-collared shirt from Lou Dalton adds the spice to this look that pretty much could be my standard uniform at the moment. And, yes, the tie stays.

The Style Is Right | The Perfect Tee

Sometimes you just want to keep it simple. Nobody really wants to spend an hour contemplating their outfit on a sleepy monday morning. Luckily, there's a special outfit for such occasions. It's called the "perfect t-shirt and jeans"-outfit. It takes some mastering, but done right it's as stylish as it is easy.

Somebody who's got it nailed it down is Très Bien Shop, which they show in the styling for this t-shirt. Sometimes all it takes is that tee which fits you perfectly, your favourite pair of jeans and a nice pair of worn-in boots. Throw on a jacket and your good to go. The pieces in this styling are all Our Legacy, but any brands will work just fine. I myself wore a similar outfit yesterday; a grey t-shirt from Our Legacy, a pair of A.P.C. jeans and a pair of boots from god knows where. As long as you feel comfortable in it, it will work. And that will show.

The Style Is Right | Blackbird Hunting

We're back with one of my favorite features of this venture - the section called "The Style Is Right", where we showcase the best styling efforts from around the world. And yeah, we're still working on that name..

Remember the quilted Band of Outsiders we showed you a few weeks ago? If not, scroll down two posts or so and refresh your memory. Anyways, we discussed the various options you had when it came to pairing it with other pieces. Unfortunately, since South Willard doesn't really do outfits we couldn't show you any examples. But Blackbird has come to our rescue and as usual their styling is impeccable.

They've paired the jacket with a matching shirt, a pair of herringbone pants plus matching vest, a pair of rugged patined boots and a chambray bandana jauntily tied around the neck.

What I really like about this outfit is how it combines the more dressed up elements (the pants and the west) with the outdoorsy ones (the overshirt and the boots) and the colour/pattern matching of the shirt and jacket provides the perfect final touch. (Be sure to click on the picture when you're done reading to fully appreciate what I'm talking about .) The only thing I'm skeptical might be the bandana. But you could probably just as easily trade it for a scarf or a tie.

All in all, it's a well put-together look that would look good on most guys wether you're a lumberjack or a banker. In other words this, my friends, is how it should be done.

The Style Is Right | Pitbull Mansion

As good as something looks on it's own, you never know it's full potential until you see it in a context. That's why the lookbook is so important to me. It really gives you the opportunity to both gain some insight into the designer's vision for the collection but also the collection's possibilities for combining, mixing and matching.

Something I find strange is the absence of lookbook's from stores. I mean, they've got all these amazing pieces from great designer's but choose to show them spread out by themselves or, in best (or maybe worst) case, combined insanely on a lifeless mannequin doll. Don't get me wrong, getting to see the the garment on it's own, in detail, is very important but you also need to see how it works with other pieces, right?

Fortunately some out there have gotten the point. We showcased Studio Homme's masterpiece a while back. Michael Williams of A Continuous Lean posted the spring 2009 lookbook from japanese store Isetan back in may. It featured some truly great looks (if you haven't seen it yet, I suggest you check it out) which really made me want to buy the clothes which, I might add, should be the whole point of stores styling efforts.

More recently, The Fashionisto brought us some pictures from the lookbook that australian retailer Pitbull Mansion had compiled (the picture above is one of the photos from it). I must admit I never heard of most of the brand, but the lookbook sparked my interest and thanks to their effort I will definitely check them out. Another clear case of styling done right.

The Style Is Right | Studio Homme - Casual Tie

So, this week's installment of The Style Is Right is a bit different from the previous ones. Instead of highlighting a specific piece, this time it's about the whole outfit.

The french store Studio Homme shows us all how to pull off the tie in a more casual way than we're perhaps used to, while still managing to keep it stylish. Paired with a crisp light-blue shirt, a navy hooded zip-sweater, a pair of indigo jeans and a pair of red and white sneakers, this is the spitting image of refined sportswear. Like a schoolboy who just changes into jeans, sneakers and a hoodie before he heads out on the streets again.

The key is keeping it simple and clean. I love how the outfit goes in a subdued blue scale contrasted by the red tie which also picks up on and matches the red detailing on the sneakers. What can I say? Pure perfection. Watch and learn, watch and learn..

The Style Is Right | Opening Ceremony - Édifice Striped Linen Shirt

Once again we turn our attention to Opening Ceremony for some great styling. While some might think that the styling there often comes off as too "hipster-ish", I think it gives you a refreshing perspective on pieces and brands that you've grown used too seeing in a special way.

This time it's Édifice who've gotten the special OC-styling treatment with their Striped Linen Cut-Away Shirt. In a blue/white stripe with white contrast-collar and cuffs, this could be just another banker's shirt that you usually need to be Gordon Gekko to rock. But the hat, the necklace and the general devil-may-care attitude of this styling makes the shirt look more relaxed summer at the beach than Wall Street.



PS. Can't figure out if it really is linen. I mean, it looks the part but the description says 100% cotton?

The Style Is Right: Woolrich Woolen Mills Chambray Pen Jacket

This time it's Blackbird Ballard (or maybe Woolen Mills since the picture's from the showroom) who's done it. Taken a good piece and, with some good styling, turned it into a great one.

Woolrich Woolen Mills Chambray Pen Jacket is a three-buttoned, blazer-styled jacket with three external pockets and white contrast stitching. It's an excellent alternative for those who isn't quite comfortable in a sport coat and a refreshing take on the unconstructed jacket that's been popular lately. It's also a good piece for those who, like me, like chambray but feel that, come summer, the classic chambray shirt might become a bit too ubiquitous.

With the collar upturned like this, a white shirt under and a messenger bag casually thrown across it, it really becomes something special. This is exactly the way I would wear it, every single day of the summer.

Check out this link for more detailed pics.

The Style Is Right: Opening Ceremony Shawl Collar Anorak

To kick this little adventure off, I thought I'd introduce what I hope will be a reoccuring feature here, called "The Style Is Right". I know, I know. Horrible name but I'm not feeling very creative at the moment. Anyway, it's a bit off a knock-of of Men's Style's Model Hard and the thought is to showcase those precious moments when a store through good styling/modeling makes a 2D piece of clothing really jump out at you and come alive.

First out is Opening Ceremony's Shawl Collar Anorak. Adjustable sleeves, elasticized waist and beautiful waist snap pockets. I'm not usually a big fan of zip-out hoods but I think it really works on this one. But what really does it for me is the carefree way the model wears it. It's how I picture it will look if you're wearing it on a slightly breezy summerday. Just perfect! Also, check out the picture of it in khaki. I'm having trouble deciding which one I like best. 660$ is kind of a lot of money, but you get a lot of wears out of it so I guess you get your money's value, right? If I'm getting any parka/windbreaker this spring this will definetly be it.