Spring It On!

Three Essential Tips To Blowing Away the Competition in (Post-Groundhog Day) Style

For those of you who reside in areas which actually experience four distinct seasons rather than the "Dante's-Scorching-Inferno" and "Moderately Unpleasant" categories the great state of Texas has to offer--Spring is upon you. By now I'm sure most of you blessed individuals have begun to venture outside for hours at a time merely to watch the beautiful flowers and bumble bees blissfully come alive in the soft, pleasant, and non-blistering warmth of the afternoon sun. To all of you, I offer my congratulations--along with a spiteful, under-the-breath wish that the ragweed pollen count of your enchanted paradise will soar to unprecedented levels bringing with it a season-long addiction to Zyrtec and the Biblical plague of locusts. As bitter and malicious as this may sound, however, I assure you that I and my fellow inhabitants of Lucifer's Furnace will soon be in the clutches of our bimonthly heat stroke and will therefore have no remaining energy to enjoy your well-deserved misfortune.

Fortunately, whether you reside in a four-seasoned Utopia or the Belly of Mephistopheles (I hereby give the state of Texas permission to use any these descriptive nicknames for their next tourism campaign), the modern gentleman knows how to master the art of staying cool even when the afternoons begin heating up. Don't skimp on your style just to avoid heat exhaustion. Instead, master these three essential spring style tips and you'll look blasted cool even while you're blacked out in front of your office.

Tip #1: Lighten Up

So first of all, yes, thank you for noticing...that is your beloved author in the ridiculous picture to the right along with his wife, whom took the picture a few weeks ago. And yes, this does in fact mark MOG Blog history as being the very first original photograph posted--but I wouldn't get used to it.

However, the more important reason for this awkward-faced photo (on the part of myself) is to illustrate the lighter side of spring style (on the part of my seafoam green V-neck). I picked up this little gem from Target for $8 about a month ago. [*cough* *gag* I'm sorry, I beg your pardon?? How much?]  Exactly. Eight bucks for one of the softest and most versatile shirts I have in my arsenal.

If you ashamedly have Anti-Irish tendencies that inhibit you from digging any shade of green--no worries, these durable and slim-fitting beauties come in a variety of very light but bold options. Throw your go-to blazer or cardigan over the top for a sharp look that ensures you, for one, refuse to succumb to the dangers of Seasonal Affective Disorder on those drizzly spring mornings.

And as this blog has demonstrated previously, don't be afraid to carry this soft, light color trend over to the business side of things. Light shades of blue, pink, and (this season's rage) khaki, anchored with a solid, slim tie will slap some life back into that suit you've had since freshmen homecoming when you went with nine of your buddies as a protest against the "institution of forced courtship."  Take a note on this trend from the always dapper and viciously talented Christopher Waltz (left).




 Tip #2: Ditch The Socks
With the beginning of Daylight Savings comes the end of those colorful wool socks your feet have been suffocating in for the past few months. As the warmer weather hits, ditch the socks and show some ankle. Whether it's with your suit or weekend attire (like Steve McQueen pictured top) this is a statement that exudes bad boy cool. But if you still can't bring yourself to tarnish your Italians with your calloused metatarsals, there are plenty of super no-show socks (such as these from Vans).

And of course I would be remiss not to mention my favorite casual shoes that require no socks and are perfect for spring--TOMS.  But we'll cover those in another post.



Tip #3: Give Your Jeans a Breather

While the "All-Cargo-Shorts-All-The-Time" crowd will say it's time to bust out their sole, indistinguishable look for the duration of the next three seasons, those of us who are a little more fashion keen know that your favorite, irreplaceable, beat-to-heck pair of jeans can get you through the more civilized social gatherings with gentlemanly swag. But if you're a fan of that effortless cool look made popular by the likes of McQueen, Grant, and Sinatra on holiday you might consider upgrading to a pair of slim-fit khakis like the ones pictured left. This is perhaps the most versatile piece of clothing a man can have in his wardrobe--With t-shirt and loafers. Check. With tie and oxford. Check.
Many stores are now offering this wicked sharp jean-alternative in a variety of classic and new-age colors, such as Dockers, the Gap (pictured), and Zara Man. I picked up a pair of these last year from Zara and honestly must have sported the above look (with different kicks) nearly every day of spring and summer. They're incredible.  Treat these pants like your most rugged pair of jeans and throw them on with anything. Whatever you choose, you'll look miles ahead of the lanyard-swinging, cargo-short clones that you pass by with your casual gentlemanly strut. Add to that a casual hand in one of the casual, distinguished side pockets, flash a casual smile, throw a casual wave, and you're sure to be casually taking the aforementioned meat-head's casual girlfriend out to lunch (But only if you're not married...sheesh).