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.

Power Color

So often people feel that power colors are red and yellow. It is said that wearing those colors in a tie or an outfit will bring others attention, make the wearer denote strength and importance. While at Modern Dignified we do not disagree, we do feel that there is a color that trumps all others. A color that is worn by the most powerful men in world as statement color.  That color is pink.

Pink is worn by powerhouse men of business and politics. Two professions where outfits are crucial to the way a person is perceived. If pink did not give the wearer an air of superiority mixed with confidence and kindness, then it would not be in their wardrobes.

Pink is donned regularly by Donald Trump, President Bill Clinton and even President Barack Obama. It is stylish and statement about their manhood and career. Pink is power personified.

Next time you want to come off as powerful, try going for a pink shirt, pink tie or pink accent.

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.

No "Gilt" in Shopping Luxury Brands

Recently, I stumbled across Gilt Groupe an online fashion website that sells luxury brands at steep discounts.  It is true overstocks, sold often for more than half off the sticker price.  Originally the brand started with high-end women's clothes and then branched off into men's (Gilt Man), children's and home decor.  Currently, they are even featuring sales on sunglasses, shoes, Visconti pens and even luxury hotel rooms.

Each sale only lasts for a few days at a time, with limited numbers available at each size.  This means that the items are sold out fast and the most popular sizes are gone quickly.  Gilt Groupe will send an email to members (membership is free) signaling that a sale has started, this means first come better selection.

Logging on for the first time Modern Dignified found a sale for Tommy Hilfiger.  This featured Tommy Hilfiger suits, sport coats and slacks.

The wool pinstripe charcoal suit, which retails for $600 is being sold for only $218.  It is a beautiful suit, slim fit and at a price tag of only $218, well less than half the cost, it is a steal of a deal.  Absolutely worth the price for anyone in need of a great basic suit.  Charcoal pinstripe suits are nearly the most versatile suit a man can own, aside from a plain charcoal suit.

The wool birdseye brown suit is another solid suit.  The suits color makes it right as an extension to the basic suiting options.  Once again, the price is too strong to pass up at $218, discounted from the $600 retail tag.

The Tommy Hilfiger navy plaid double breasted suit is also selling for $218.  The suit has a classic 6x4 button closure in front.  We would recommend leaving the bottom button in the front undone, all of the other buttons should be secured.  For a man that has been reluctant to add a double breasted suit, but still wanted to have one in the collection, this suit is a great compromise.  It is has a good cut, good lines, classic look and a price that can't be beat.  Too bad our size was already taken.  It is certainly a modern day version of the DB suit.

The sport coats and blazers are selling for $138 discounted from $350.  The slacks originally are $125 and are now selling for $58.  The wool herringbone check blazer in brown is a classic look with a modern fit and style.  It is a reasonable price to pay for a well designed wool jacket.

Gilt Groupe and in turn Gilt Man provides three or four photos of each item and allow for zooming, to further examine the garment.  Quite useful for a website with no store locations.

Gilt Groupe provides "Gilt"-free shopping of the top luxury brands.  Enjoy.