Black, black, black: Matching Part 2

    Black. Men all over the world will wear it entirely for an outfit. But should you? In the above picture, you see some models strut in the latest fashion trends. And I hate it. Now I am going to tell you why, and how to do black right.

    So right off the back, black tends to go well with white, black, warm colours, and the darker shades of cool colours. Some people believe black goes with everything, but that is a little controversial and not everyone agrees on that. Black goes best with neutral colours, however. So why do certain things work with black and other things don't? Well, the answer isn't as simple as it may sound.

   So as covered in a previous blog post, I talked about the three most important things about a garment. Fit, being the most important, is once again called into play with this. That is not the only thing to worry about with this. You see, some of my problems with the top picture come from the fact that the blacks blend into each other to make it look like one piece of clothing. Nothing makes them look unique or in any way fascinating. In order to wear all black, there must be accent pieces. Certain things that make the garment stand out among the others. This is often pinstripe dark, grey lines for black suits, or a finely tuned zipper. These items are often too hard to find, but be sure not to use too many. This can lead to oversaturation and make you look just as bad. This is often why the most expensive leather jackets have one, maybe two zippers, which are placed to look just so.

This leather jacket by Gucci, for instance, retails at $2,700

   Another thing that allows blacks to be worn together is the shade of black that is worn. Now I know there is really only black and many types of grey, but here me out. Black shows up different on different types of fabrics, depending on how it was treated and such. Look at whatever black clothes you may have and this will certainly be apparent to you.

     One of the final things that matters is your skin tone. Those on the who tend to be more pale will have a hard time wearing black, which is one of the reasons I tend to avoid it. Try to keep your skin tone in mind as it will effect many of the colours you wear.

        Have a question you want answered or need help with a style? Ask it in the comments below and I will give you a response, perhaps even a post! If it's personal, feel free to email me at BeMooreMan@gmail.com and I'll help however I can!


   As always this is Ethan Moore, telling you to Be Moore Man!

Review: Proraso Shave Cream

     Hey everyone! Today I will be starting a brand new series of blog posts for reviews. These reviews will cover most anything and everything I may find. Such reviews will include, and are not limited to: clothes, brands, men's products, video games, movies, etc. For my first review, I will be reviewing Proraso Shave Cream!

The Product

     Proraso Shaving Cream is a made-in-Italy shaving cream, from Proraso, which was founded in 1948. The product is still made in Italy, and very little has changed about it since the 40s. This is a very good thing. The design of the product has yet to change, with even the marketing being much the same.

Performance

     I can firmly say this is one of, if not the, best shaving creams I have ever had the fortune to use. Simply squeeze out a pea-size amount and massage on your face until it forms a small, clean lather. Once on, it gives a wonderful cooling sensation and allows your razor to glide over your face (I was using a Gilette Fusion ProGlide). Following the shave, your skin actually feels smooth. That 1940's ad right above isn't just good marketing, you actually will feel the way he does.

Final Score

     9/10. Truly a superb product.

Where to buy

      Do not expect to find this at your local pharmacy, this stuff is still only sold in stores in Italy. Lucky for you, however, they happen to have the internet in Italy. The best price I found was at Amazon, but you can also find it at Birchbox. This product will run you about $10, but trust me when I say that it is one of the best products that I can recommend.



   Have a question you want answered or need help with a style? Ask it in the comments below and I will give you a response, perhaps even a post! If it's personal, feel free to email me at BeMooreMan@gmail.com and I'll help however I can!


   As always this is Ethan Moore, telling you to Be Moore Man!

How To Match Colours, Part 1: Blue is Best

      Matching together outfits can be one of the hardest things to do for fashion beginners. Often times the task can seem overwhelming. You may know that certain items are some of your best, but you don't know if they go together. Once you begin to involve the seasons, it can become even more difficult. Due to these problems,  I will be writing a series on how to match colours appropriately. For this first one, I will be focusing on the importance of blue in a wardrobe.

    You may be asking yourself, "Why blue?" Well that answer itself is rather long-winded, so to keep things short, blue complements most colours you wear. In fact, blue is one of the few colours that you can wear entirely and still look good. This is partly because there are many shades of blue, all of which are rather appealing (except the Crayola acrylic paint "BLUE"). To make it simple to understand, think of your favourite pair of jeans. You can wear them with most anything and still look good. That is basically what is happening in this situation.

    Now it's time to get a bit more technical about your blues. If you are unsure about how to get started, aim for navy. It is a colour that I have never seen fail on a man, and almost always ups their style game. Do not be afraid of light blues, however. Summer and spring make light blues pop and come out stronger then a navy would. On top of this, don't be afraid of matching blues with different colours. Blue complements most colours you will find, meaning that you can wear them with just about everything. Matching does not mean you should wear the same colour all over, it means you make clothes complement each other through their colours.

   Have a question you want answered or need help with a style? Ask it in the comments below and I will give you a response, perhaps even a post! If it's personal, feel free to email me at BeMooreMan@gmail.com and I'll help however I can!


   As always this is Ethan Moore, telling you to Be Moore Man!

Throw the Band Tees on the Ground!

    Hey guys, first off I'd like to apologize for the lack of posts, my life has been crazy busy the past week. Now back to business!

   Band Tees. I'm sure you own a few. Hell, some of you probably own hundreds. And that's a problem. A big one. Now I have nothing against your favourite pop-punk-jazz-electro-doowap bands. I do have a bone to pick with their shirts though. In fact, I have this to pick with most graphic tees.

   Let's settle what a graphic tee is. A t-shirt that has a sort of graphic design on it, correct? Well, most of the "graphic" tees you own aren't what many would consider anything like it. Most of them use the cheapest cotton possible, and yes their is a difference (see here). Now material matters alot for these tees because it determines how well the graphic stays on the tee, and no one likes to wear a shirt that feels like cardboard.

   Now you may be thinking why your shirts are so bad. Perhaps your town has a Walmart or a T-Shirt printing company. Both of these primarily carry a brand known as Gildan, They provide most of the blank T-shirts that are used for your graphic tees, with band tees being the biggest culprit. So what are you to do?

   There are a few options:

• Threadless has up and coming artists that are voted on by the masses to be printed as T-Shirts. You will find many copies of their shirts (no royalties paid) in Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, Pac-Sun, and most every other clothes store because they have the best of the best.
• Nordstrom can be your go to guide. If it's their, it's probably fly as hell.
• TJ Maxx and Marshalls have some great, but also alot of crap. Research on Nordstrom (link above) to learn whats good.
• Here is a good guide done by Esquire, as well.
• If you can't tell, bring a stylish buddy. They are their to help. If it's online, feel free to even send me some shirts. I'll be glad to help!

   Have a question you want answered or need help with a style? Ask it in the comments below and I will give you a response, perhaps even a post! If it's personal, feel free to email me at ethanhmoore@yahoo.com and I'll help however I can!


   As always this is Ethan Moore, telling you to Be Moore Man!

Why you should invest in some raw denim right now

   Jeans. We all wear them. They are the quintessential item for anyone, no matter how stylish you are or aren't. Most men have numerous pairs and some only have jeans. So if we worship these holy loins of the gods, why do we constantly encase ourselves in terrible versions of them?

   Unless you know what to look for, it is highly likely you are buying jeans that are treated before they every come to you. This is not what you want raw, untreated denim. This means that jeans are so dyed in denim that they almost look black, and can be stiff. As you wear them, they literally form to your body and fade to your use. Those "sick fades" become exclusive to you. The jeans become who you are. And all you did was wear them. To explain more, let me take you back about 50 years ago.

    Back then, you had to buy raw denim jeans. There was no other option. Raw denim was not a fad, it was life. You wore you jeans as you wanted them. Wanted a lighter shade? Better toss them in the washer 4 times. Your father was fly as hell in his unwashed denim (seriously, ask anyone who wore jeans before 1970s).

   Now your probably saying, "But Ethan! The maintenance!" What maintenance? Raw denim should not even be washed. To keep it clean, you just hang them up in the breeze for an hour. Due to their heavy saturation of denim, they don't hold scents incredibly well, meaning you get to wear them over and over again with no consequences. Plus, dark wash jeans just look better.


   Ready for your first pair yet? I recommend these to start as they are the one pair every man should own: Levi's 501 Shrink-to-Fit and the accompanying guide to help you start. Listen to these guys. They are very good at what they do.

Once you have graduated, I highly recommend going into Naked & Famous jeans. Buy one pair and you'll be hooked.

   Have a question you want answered or need help with a style? Ask it in the comments below and I will give you a response, perhaps even a post!

   As always this is Ethan Moore, telling you to Be Moore Man!

Why athletic shoes are not your friend

Asics from Nordstrom

     I am going to go ahead and assume that shoes like the ones pictured about are largely what you wore growing up. And why wouldn't you? For active growing young men, they were always ready to be used and could tackle most things you threw at them. To the eyes of a young kid, they also are the coolest thing ever. As you become an adult, however, things change and so should your shoes.

Adidas from Zappos

     Around the time of my junior year in high school, I purchased a pair of Adidas very similar to this pair here. No one had had anything yet, and to my surprise they would catch on about a year later. But when I got the new shoes, there was something I noticed that was no longer happening. Previously, I had always gotten compliments on whatever new shoes I had, and I always took satisfaction knowing this would happen. This time, though, it didn't and I wasn't sure why. The shoes were the same as they had always been, why did things change? After giving it some thought, I came to a conclusion: I had been wearing the same type of shoes my entire life. They were boring. So I tried something different.

     Perhaps you had a story similar to mine or an experience. Point is, there comes a point when we realize what we are wearing isn't cool anymore, and we need to change. For me, this change was easily transitioned into skate shoes, and then nicer ones. I am going to suspect that many people have already made the initial jump, but haven't gone fully. So this pair here is great for that:

Vans from Vans

      These are just a sample pair to draw things from, feel free to to go with something less expensive by all means. But make friends with leather. It will be a very good friend to you. Perhaps you are past this point and are ready for something more adventurous. For that I recommend something like this:

Wolverines from Zappos

     Any of the colours of these shoes work, and the shoes work because they offer a classic style, wingtips, while giving a splash of colour to make them look young. I will be covering more of these kinds of shoes later on.

Sadly, as you grow older, you must let certain shoes do their jobs. So wear your athletic shoes when your suppose to: being athletic.


   Have a question you want answered or need help with a style? Ask it in the comments below and I will give you a response, perhaps even a post!

   As always this is Ethan Moore, telling you to Be Moore Man!

Dress up your Dress down

Image Credit to Anna Stokland via GQ

      Often times when we get dressed for a normal day, we don't make a conscious effort to look our best. We are often looking for reasons to become as comfortable as possible with maybe a little bit of style. We have to work hard, we should get to dress however we like, shouldn't we. Well, yes you do have that option, but I have a better one.

Image Credit to Anna Stokland via GQ

     The next time you get dressed on a day you have free, or for work if you don't have a uniform, try putting on a great outfit. It doesn't have to be a suit or anything overly fancy, but make a conscious choice about what you wear. Put on some nice jeans, a clean button-down shirt, and a tie. Heck, maybe even a sport coat over top if you have one (Note: Get one. Will advise in later article). The reactions you will get will be very surprising.

Image Credit to Tommy Ton via GQ

      The reactions you get will almost always be more positive then the ones you got prior to. When you put on nice clothing, it makes you feel more confident, as you know how good you look and so does everyone else. More confidence leads to more experiences, more experiences leads to a better you. If these examples weren't enough, women love when men look nice. I have never gotten a negative reaction while looking nice, and actually owe a great deal to looking nice for introducing me to my current girlfriend. As I have said before, what you wear represents you, so show the best version of you everyday.

   Have a question you want answered or need help with a style? Ask it in the comments below and I will give you a response, perhaps even a post!

   As always this is Ethan Moore, telling you to Be Moore Man!

The most important thing to do when buying new clothes

Photo by Tres Bien

      Buying clothes for many men can be a hassle. It seems pointless to bother looking at something that you are just going to wear. Many men would rather just buy something given to them (which there are 2 options for, which will be in a later post), when in reality, they should know that people rely on clothes to get to
know someone. You cannot get to know someones personality, if there clothes tell you they aren't someone you want to associate with. So first it's important to come to terms with the fact that your clothes will represent you in some fashion, no matter how amazing of a personality you have. But what is the most important thing to do when going to buy clothes?

      The absolute biggest thing you can do is to try things on! Now perhaps some of you will remember that in a previous article, I mentioned this is important especially when buying online. This is why I highly encourage using sites that will allow you to have free returns, or the ability to return them to a store nearby. So the big question is: Why? Well trying on clothes is the absolute only way you will know beyond a reasonable doubt if it meets our 3 criteria: material, style, and fit. After that you have something that you have a definite potential item to use in your coming style. What follows will be guidelines on how to best try on clothes.

     1) Always bring in at least 3 items, preferably 5 items. The idea here is to bring in something that you REALLY like, something you sort of like, and something fun and interesting that you wouldn't normally wear. Often times, things you really like will not fit as well as you think, things you sort of like fit have a chance to be backup, and the fun thing is always a surprise. So of my style staples you will see me wearing were things I tried on for fun.

    2) Try to bring someone along you considered fashionable to help. This can include just about everyone, from people working at the store, to your mom. No, I am not telling you to listen to your mom for fashion advice, but she knows how things fit you best. Trust me. Bringing someone along helps you see things that you may not have even thought of and are often better at picking out the best item that you tried on.

     3) Do not limit yourself on what you try on. Besides undergarments, everything is fair game, and should be tried on. Do not take for granted you know how that hat will look on you.

    Have a question you want answered or need help with a style? Ask it in the comments below and I will give you a response, perhaps even a post!

   As always this is Ethan Moore, telling you to Be Moore Man!

The three most important things to know about clothes

Photo by BeliefNet

      Perhaps your like this man when trying to find new clothes for your new style. Perplexed, confused, have a pen in your hand, need a shave, doen't understand colour.  And it's justified. To many of us, clothes shopping was not something we grew up liking, or often times, even had a say in the matter. This led us to become this poor man while at least we shop for clothes. So how do you know what to look for in clothes? The next three things, from least to greatest, will let you know what to look for when buying clothes.

Photo by TexIndex

      3) Coming in at three is what your perspective clothes is made of. What an item is made of is often a big indicator about the item itself (and how it is made, but will be another post). Now unless you have an allergy, I can take a guess that you have never really paid attention to what your clothes are made of. When selecting an item, pay attention to the material. Your skin will react differently to different materials. I, for instance, try to avoid most polyesters because they irritate my skin. Unfortunately, this is the only real area where how much you pay matters. High priced clothing often uses better materials meaning more comfort and a higher likelihood to last longer. For example, most of you think of jeans as a rather solid item that isn't the most comfortable in the world. Buy a $170 dollar pair, and you will be in for a surprise. My $170 Paige denim is the most comfortable pants I own by far, but I had to avoid spending to afford them. Luckily, you don't have to pay as much attention to this when looking for clothes.

Shirt found here

      2)  The second most important thing is how an item looks. "Why is this only second?" you might ask. Well how an item looks is more a reflection of yourself then anything else. The way an item looks should obviously be appealing to you, but it should also be appealing to everyone around you. There is a reason everyone doesn't wear the clothes Spencer's sells. As you are building your style, I recommend having someone along who you consider stylish to help you with choosing the look of an item. Something you might think of as cool could be a fashion faux pas, and they can help to pick something out similar to that. This is a very deep topic, however, and I will be going into this at a later date.
For quick T-Shirts that are always stylish, I highly recommend Threadless. They are a fantastic site with shirts voted on, created by artists. I am not paid by them, simply love their products.

Photo by Marketing for Scientists

      1) The single most important thing to look for in an item is fit! This is by far, the single biggest offender of men in style to date. Know your size it is your friend. More important, know that your size will change, and so do your clothes. Most important, know your body. Take my brother, for instance. He has massive muscles in his legs and bum. This means he needs to size up and wear a belt for the best fit. It also means that he understands not to wear certain brands. Every brand will fit differently even if it is your size. This is why I implore you to try clothes on before buying them. When you try on something, look at yourself in the mirror and look for the clothes to silhouette your body. If you need help, bring someone along, or ask one of the employees, they are their to help you. If you buy online, find a site with a free return policy and thank me later. Some people may try to buy clothes bigger because they find them more comfortable. I challenge them to find something that fits their body, as I guarantee it will look and feel better. The reason why the look of an item isn't number one is because no matter how cool something is, if it doesn't fit, it will look bad on you.

Have a question you want answered? Ask it in the comments below. I will either answer personally or write a post about it. (You don't need an account to ask a question.)

As always this has been Ethan Moore, telling you to Be Moore Man!

Why you should always wear a belt

Photo by Beatrice Mulch

       Belts. Such a simple concept. Something you tie around your waist to keep your pants up. But for such an incredibly useful item, why don't more people wear them. Clearly gangsters have taken a step back from when they used to dress nicely and wear belts to commit murder and what not. If not even gangsters will wear belts, then what does that say about society?!

Photo by Esquire

     Belts are much more then a useful item to have in your fashion arsenal. They are a valuable accessory that makes almost any pant look better (sweatpants excluded). It doesn't matter what kind of belt, they all serve a purpose. When building your style to what you want to become, you should have belts that go along with this and to help accent the look you want to go for.

Photo by BeltsNJewlery

     The single most important thing belts do, however, is help the fit of a pant. The way something fits is the most important thing about any article of clothing. It doesn't matter how much you paid for it, if it doesn't fit well, it isn't for you. Belts help the pant fit better so that you can have more options when shopping for pants, and help you look better. 

     So belts help your pants stay up and making your lower body look dashing. So where do you start? Well belts can fit just about any price range, and they only depend on how much you are willing to spend. A $10 belt works just as well as $500 belt and might be even better for your style. Take advantage of some shorts that come with belts (if the fit is right). Often times you would be surprised how much you can do with one belt.

As a starting belt, I recommend getting 1 canvas belts, as pictured above in the 3rd image, and one reversible belt that gives you two color options.

I personally recommend these: Reversible, Canvas. But often times you can get a very nice, cheap reversible belt at TJ Maxx or Marshalls, and I highly recommend them. 

As always, this is Ethan Moore telling you to BeMooreMan!

What this blog will be

     Men's fashion is often neglected. For decades, fashion was considered something that was secondhand. It is not uncommon, even today for a fashionable man to be asked why he dresses the way he does. Once an artform, it slowly degraded to just getting by. Just wearing what you found in the closet that day was and is not only acceptable, but expected.

    My grandfather was not what you would call a fashionable man. If he were to answer the door before noon on a weekend, it would likely be in his underwear; and it wouldn't be uncommon for him to wear overalls and flannel together. Somehow. He grew up on a small farm about 90 years ago. His entire life was spent adhering to Catholicism. He married my grandmother at a young age and worked as a carpenter all his life, going to church nearly everyday. They had 8 children, one of which being my mother. My grandfather, however, made sure things were done right, and that's what I try to take from him, not his fashion taste.

    I am a perfectionist. I must know every little detail of something I'm interested in, and I must do everything associated with whatever that interest is But I wasn't always fashionable. To be honest I'm not even certain when it happened. I grew as most little boys did, hating clothes shopping and hating wearing them even more. It was not only a chore, but a bore. Who cares what I wore? Gonna get dirty anyways. This where I think we find most males today, but they are starting to try and be fashionable. Becoming fashionable, however, is not always easy.

    So what will this blog be about? Well, it will be centrally focused about fashion, as has been presented. But my interest go far beyond fashion, so I will be discussing most anything that I happen to be drooling over any particular day. Call it General Interest.

My name is Ethan Moore, and I'm gonna teach you to Be Moore Man