Land's End Offers Nice Odds and Ends

Accessories are a great item to add to the wardrobe, they can really change the look and feel of an outfit.  Men's accessories are the natural part of the style.  A blue oxford button down with khaki pants can change dramatically depending on the tie, the belt and the shoes.  Due to these dramatic changes a man can never have enough of the wardrobe's odds and ends.  Land's End offers these at reasonable prices.

 

 

Land's End narrow rep ties.  All of the Land's End ties range from $39 to $19 depending on if they are on sale.

 

 

Madras web belts.  The belts have O-Ring fasteners and leather accents.  Nice way to add a pop of color to the wardrobe.

 

 

A couple of red hued tie options.  The plaid tie is modern and would look great with a chambray shirt especially a gray version.  The red and white polka dot is a classic tie that will work in any wardrobe.

 

 

Silk pocket squares are always useful.  These come with a classic and varied design providing options with how the pocket silk is worn.  It certainly helps to make it look haphazard and sprezzatura.

 

  

 

The D-Ring belts with stylish rep stripes are a preppy addition to any wardrobe.

 

 

All of these accessories are available with Land's End basic clothing line.  Land's End Canvas offers some unique alternatives that Modern Dignified will explore in the upcoming days.

Quick Oscar Notes

We will leave the best dressed and the critiques to others, frankly we are tired of it.  No one really cares and if you get it wrong at Academy Awards, there is no sympathy, hire a stylist and get it right.

Now what we did notice was a trend with the women that illustrates the point we have been continually been speaking about, artful dishevelment.  Women can use sprezzatura as much as men, we do not want to start covering women's fashion, but to use an example from the red carpet to explain how sprezzatura and artful dishevelment is done correctly.

Typically, women at events like the Oscars make sure their hair is perfect, orderly and combed to glossy shine.  They will plaster the hair to their heads with hair spray to ensure that not a hair will move out of place.  While this style was still seen, the younger and more modern looking women opted for an up-do that almost looked haphazardly thrown together, yet completely calculated and planned.

The likes of Miley Cyrus and Kristen Stewart had hair that was beautifully styled, yet it was not this helmet look of perfection but instead a more sprezzatura-esque look.  Their hair is put up but will in an imperfect way that looks accidentally magnificent.  When in fact, every hair is actually planned to be that imperfect.  It is stylish and calculated while giving off an air of nonchalance.  It is this essence that sprezzatura and Modern Dignified is trying to embody.

We also wanted to say a couple of quick thoughts on two outfits:

James Cameron, this is not a high school prom, no need to match your dates dress with a pocket square of the same color.  That is both tacky and sad.

Not a lot needs to be said of Robert Downey Jr. other than, please do not imitate of copy this look.  He looks like a clown and at that a clown that other clowns will laugh at.  It is a disastrous look of the highest order.

Classic Shoes With a Twist

 

We all know that a pair of kicks can really change an outfit and help you stand out. Women certainly look at shoes a lot more then men, trust me they notice when you are rocking a new pair of shoes. At Modern Dignified we enjoy classic items with a twist, whether it is shirts, jackets or shoes.  It is great to have the iconic shoes in a closet, but it is even better to have memorable and stylish shoes that are not worn so often by so many people that they become a cliché. Keeping a unique voice with our style is certainly important at Modern Dignified.

VAEL Project shoes are just that, stylish, classic with a modern twist, unique and not yet on everyone's feet. VAEL Project shoes are high quality, well made and quite stylish, but still reasonably priced. The shoes are exactly what we look for at Modern Dignified a way to express our unique style without fitting in with a pre-defined subculture.  Take for example the Apres boot in black or brown it combines stylish components of a hiking boot and a work boot, while still keeping its own voice. This boot looks appropriate for a night in the city or a quite weekend in the country, a versatile boot with high end construction, yet it is only $215.

Another example of the unique style that VAEL Project offers, is the Deckard boot. It is the VAEL version of a boat shoe turned into a boot. It is combat boot combined with a boat shoe twisted into a modern stylish boot.  This is a bold look and not right for everyone, but it certainly has the style and design to get recognized in a good way. The Deckard boot is also reasonably priced at $220, considerably less than most boots of similar style.

VAEL Project also makes the Deckard boot in a mid height. This is a shoe that can be worn day in and day out with almost any outfit in the closet.  It can be worn to the office or on a weekend, it is a versatile and adaptable shoe. It is also sold in a style called: Charles, which comes with a more rugged sole that adds outdoorsmen style to the boot. Whether you choose the Charles or the Deckard mid, the boot is certainly Modern Dignified's favorite of the VAEL collection. Keeping with the well priced
trend, this boot is $150.

Most of the boots and shoes that VAEL sells come with different color combinations and styles. Take for example the Brogue boot, a classic shoe with brogue detailing turned into an everyday boot. It epitomizes classic styling turned on its ear, but done in a rakish way. The brogue boot has a variety of colors and looks, but our favorites are the classic black and the brown with red buffalo check detailing. This boot sold for $160, once again offers versatile fashion in a unique design. The addition of the red
buffalo check, is exactly the unique style that VAEL seems to channel.

Looking at the VAEL Project trainers, they seem to have found a way to mix colors and designs in a new way, while still feeling classic and timeless. The shoes we at Modern Dignified like are the Klipspringer Mocha, the Borg Metallic Gold and the Borg Frog, all selling for $130. The Borg Frog combined green, black, yellow, gray and off-white into a single cohesive shoe. The sleek shape and timeless lines for the shoes help keep it stylish while the designers at VAEL Project manipulate colors and textures. The Borg Frog has textured leather mixed with smooth leather and a recognizable sole.

If you want something different, classic, modern and stylish, VAEL Project is worth a look. Edgy and unique while staying true to the classics.

Subtle Sprezzatura - Twisted Tie Knots

Growing up we were taught how to tie the perfect knot, and not just a perfect four-in-hand but the perfect Windsor, half Windsor and Prince Albert. Despite needing to know how to tie the perfect knot for particular occasions, such as business meetings, interviews and funerals, not in order of importance, we have found that in some instances the perfect knot is just that.

Rarely, do we want our outfit to look perfect, unless it is immediately followed with disheveled or a gorgeous woman is on the other end of the statement. Instead we find that adding a little bit of carelessness and nonchalance to the outfit is, much more intriguing. We find that looking a shade less than perfect, is in fact the way we end up with a gorgeous woman calling our outfit perfection. The key we have found to knowing the right amount of carefree sprezzatura to an outfit comes with knowing how to be perfect and then mucking it up. The planned and calculated mistake that gives an outfit a careless air is when we at Modern Dignified feel an outfit is complete.

A common tactic we have shameless stolen from one of the King of Sprezzatura style, is the twisted tie knot. This sprezzatura flair among other quirks helped crown Gianni Agnelli as one of the best dressed men in the history of the world. A shrewd business man and head of Fiat, Agnelli would twist his ties on purpose to make his competition and rivals underestimate his brilliance. Agnelli used sprezzatura fashion quirks as a way to lull his fellow businessmen into a false sense of security. It is with that planned dishevelment that we at Modern Dignified find so appealing.

The subtleness at which Agnelli twists his ties is amplified by the employees at Sid Mashburn in Atlanta, Georgia. At Sid Mashburn they take the sprezzatura of the past, take it out of the boardroom, make it modern and amplify it. Not only are the ties twisted but they do not have the "appropriate" length and the back of the tie is not secured to the front.

What makes the Sid Mashburn version of dishevelment so intriguing and stylish is that the colors, textures and fit of the outfit is impeccably arranged. The jackets are tailored with a nice Italian slim cut. The pants graze the top of the shoes, but are then rolled to show off the sockless ankles. The shoes are top of the line and more classic than you'll find in most men's closets. The entire outfit is Country Club appropriate, but it is done with a modern edge that would probably piss off the conservative codgers at the Country Club. And while all of these decisions are done with forethought, the outfit looks thrown together. As if each guy just happened to come up the perfect combination of colors and textures, it is sprezzatura in every way.

Mess with the tie, mess with the socks, mess with the colors, mess with rules of fashion, but whatever the means just make sure that you look far from perfect. Look perfectly imperfect.

Subtle Sprezzatura - Socks Action

Subtle Sprezzatura is all about a simple way to break the rules and redefine an outfit. A subtle twist which crosses the line and rules without looking absurd and instead looks careless, carefree and artfully disheveled. For men the perfect way to put an outfit on its ear, add a hint of edginess and still look rakish, is with the ankle. Wearing bold and colorful socks or no socks at all, is an easy solution.

Not only does this look add an unexpected element to an outfit, it also is quite summery, especially when sockless.  Throw on a pair of white jeans and no socks or go sockless with loafers and you will not only look like summer, you will feel like it.

 

Some gentlemen tailor their entire outfit and wardrobes around bold socks, like Ign. Joseph.  Other use the bold socks to brighten a fairly mundane outfit.  This is Modern Dignified's favorite use of bold socks.  As shown here with a gray suit, white shirt and black tie.

Go boldly, go sockless, but go have fun with the ankle.

Subtle Sprezzatura - Color

I wanted to utilize the Morris Stockholm Spring/Summer 2010 collection to overemphasize the use of colors in a wardrobe.  Colors can add artful dishevelment to an outfit, a bold carelessness that makes an outfit pop.  Mixing non-matching colors in a seemingly nonchalant fashion, is exactly what sprezzatura is all about.  It is making the planned look unplanned, careless and artful.  While Morris Stockholm's use of color is anything but subtle, the lessons are easily learned for one's own wardrobe to use subtly or boldly.

Mismatching colors, textures and styles is often all it takes for an outfit to have that sprezzatura element it needs.  While mixing and mismatching colors takes a strong personal style, it is incredibly powerful and easily makes an outfit a standout.  The outfit above pairs bold red F-You pants with a classic light blue summer blazer.  This is worn over a white rugby shirt with a pink shirt underneath.  It is finished with a blue belt and a navy tie.  Essentially, the outfit is only two colors: the red family (pink & red) and the blue family (light blue, blue & navy) with a neutral white to balance the outfit.  Initially this outfit looks thrown together and the colors look mismatched, but instead they are two complimenting color family, used boldly.

Lets take a look at another Morris Stockholm color juxtaposition.  Here the dark green shoes compliment the sea green shirt while the salmon cardigan adds an additional pop on the outfit, off setting the match and adding depth to the outfit and color palate.  Like the white above, the khakis are used as a neutral that completes the look.  The bold green shoes are an unexpected pop of color for the outfit and they don't directly match the rest of the outfit, while still being complimenting.

With this summer mix, we can see that again Morris Stockholm use colors to add nonchalance to the outfit.  The pink & blue sweater vest, purple shirt, red pants and red pocket square all match, but non of them directly and obviously.  Like above, this outfit is made up of the red color family and the blue color family, which includes purple.  This outfit looks artfully disheveled and unorganized, but instead it is carefully crafted to look just the opposite.

Morris Stockholm continues to use these color principles through out the Spring/Summer 2010 Collection.  Notice how masterfully the colors subtly match and initially look mismatched.  Remember to keep to the color families and have fun mismatching colors in your own wardrobe.