ARTISTS TALK FASHION TAKE 1 : PHARRELL WILLIAMS

This week we focus on artists who's fashion style is globally accepted.

Pharrell Williams has been a fashion icon since he started his music career and later joined the fashion world. In his video interview above he mentions something that we all know, women don't have one look,they love trying out different styles etc while men are don't step out of their comfort zone.

Here's more on Pharrell
His favourite designers :: Lanvin, Comme Des Garcons, Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Chanel.

How important is fashion to you as far as it relates to your everyday life?
Pharrell : Very. If you can't express yourself, you don't know what to wear, don't know what to say, you don't know what music to make, you don't know where to hang out.

 

 How would you define your sense of style?
Pharrell: It’s basically how you feel when you wake up, where you are going, and how the weather will be.

 info courtesy of :  http://www.esquire.com/blogs/mens-fashion
 and  http://www.hauteliving.com/2011/09

  Have a great Saturday ,and an even better Christmas eve,am at my mamas this Christmas spending some quality family time.I missed that this whole year so,time to make up..

Love you,
Cynthia Mwangi
Fashion Guide International

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COMMON FASHION MISTAKES MEN MAKE

No one is perfect as far as fashion or anything else is concerned.We all make mistakes. And in fashion,some are worse than others.

 Now I've also made a few mistakes and unfortunately got busted by one of the National Daily's fashion pull out.I had on an amazing teal dress,with gold sequin detail and gold 6 inch heels.so how can such an outfit be wrong?it wasn't. Unfortunately I added an old skul leather jacket and peach scarf which killed the whole ensemble.

That being said,I learn  my lesson and now I make sure to look my best anytime am asked to pose for a photo.

Am sure we all have those moments some more common to all of us than others.Here are some of them that we need to actually banish as 2011 ends.May they not surface in 2012...

1. A short sleeve shirt with a tie just doesn't work – I've always had my reservations about short sleeved shirts until i met one Erastus Mwadime.He knows how to work them. Don't wear a short sleeve shirt with a tie.It has never worked, and don't think you'll create a trend either.If you really have to wear a tie,then go for a long sleeved shirt.

 2.Sandals worn with socks. This is allowed in planet Uranus only.Let me not even talk about it.Its wrong!!!

3.Too much jewelry. Simplicity goes a long way.And in this case its right after the ring,chain and maybe..maybe man-bracelet.Anything past that, you might as well join a Lingala band with rings on all fingers,6 chains and 3 watches plus dangling earrings to match. Am just saying.

4.wearing a round neck tee shirt under your shirt- I cant emphasis enough just how wrong this is! Vest were created to be worn inside your shirts..not your favourite football/basketball team tee.

5. Wrong belt colour –Make sure the colour of your belt matches the colour of your shoes (for professional occasions). Also, the finish of the belt and shoes need to match.If you’re wearing casual shoes or sneakers, make sure you wear a thicker casual belt to match instead of a thin dress belt.

6.Bulky pockets – I see a lot of guys walking around with bulging pockets. Its a very disturbing sight.If it’s your wallet that’s creating that bulge, take out all those old receipts or business cards.Get a slimmer wallet or a money clip to save space. As for those keys, am sure we can find a place in your messenger bag to keep them.You cant carry all 20 sets of keys with you everywhere.

7.Shiny or Glittery Shirts and Suits-Those that are glittery, shiny and ultimately tacky suits have to really go. They are an insult to fashion and may they burn in this December heat!! In my life I've seen suits so awesome I shed a tear in awe. One Johnston Mwakazi on Citizen TV, Chris Kirubi Capital are a great example of suits well worn.Borrow a leaf or two.

8.Keep your facial hair well groomed – The hair on your face should be orderly. Your face is the first thing noticed, and so maintaining your facial hair is important if you want to look sharp.

 9. Too many prints – Avoid mixing too many patterns or prints together. If you’re wearing a suit, a good rule of thumb is to keep it to a max of two patterns. In other words, if you’re wearing a patterned suit, wear a solid shirt ( translation,wear a plain coloured shirt) and a patterned tie, or if you’re wearing a solid suit, you can wear a patterned shirt. But having a patterned tie, a patterned shirt, and a patterned suit can make you look ridiculous. 

10.Over sized everything. This is a fashion disaster that should die; along with those still trying to keep it alive.But moving on for the last time, wear cloths your size.if you are meant to wear a shirt size 17 don't wear 19 just because you like the shirt.

2012 watch out,a new brand of more fashion-conscious men are about to check in.

Have a great Friday and weekend,
Cheers,
Cynthia Mwangi

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PITCH FASHION TAKE 1 : PEP GUARDIOLA

 I was having a conversation yesterday with a very good friend of mine about shades,fashion continuous men,and the conversation steered into football,as is expected with all the action happening this season.Then we saw this man,Pep Guardiola,  Barcelona's Coach. The man has great style and is ranked among the top 5 best dressed coaches in football. This is a man who sent his photo to Vogue magazine when he was younger,and hot because he knew he had the IT factor...If its wrong then do forgive my wanting our men to learn something more from football than just how to score a super goal...on and off the pitch.

Back when Pep Guardiola sent his Polaroids to Men's Vogue.

Have an awesome Sunday,Arsenal plays Blackpool today,may the best team win....

xoxo
Cynthia Mwangi

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THE 'JE NE SAIS QUOI ' YOU NEED

Men can sometimes be a little hard to dress,taking in mind that it takes time to experiment with a new color,new design However,the minute they find their footing,no one can stop them...
 One of the men I consider to be daring is Kanye West,no fear of color,design at all.He pulled an animal print jacket,that am yet to get over.Pharell Williams loves his colors. Some of the coolest dressers would have to be John Legend,then Common (the rapper)

     I've been looking at these men for a while and at some point they all seemed to be in sync with each other,despite their different choice in attires for different occasions.
    One thing does stand out,for official red carpet entrances,they like suiting up. I always say if you want to stand out on the red carpet anywhere,add something more than the usual suit,a scarf that matches your shoes,or a jacket. Give yourself that IT factor that ' je ne sais quoi'..
 Depending on what kind of red carpet function you are meant to attend,a great suit should work and John Legend,Pep Guardialo,Pharell have great taste in spicing up their suits,but if its something more casual then Kanye, again Pharell, Common, Justine timberlake

 (google images)

So don't show up with untacked shirts and a cap on,hoping to appear on the 'this is how to dress" article, unless its the 'how to dress if you want to look tacky"...

Have a great day,be inspired to be more daring with your outfits no matter where you are...have fun.
A special thank you to Willy Brandt,great consultant.

xoxo
Cynthia


Don't take life so seriously,no one gets out alive #justsaying

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CASUAL FOR HIM

Men's fashion is alittle more simple to talk about than women's but again,the simplicity is alittle too much for a woman to sometimes handle..(random thot)
  Moving on,casual for men sometimes translates to a pair of shorts,a shirt and flip flops..say the same thing to a woman and you'll think she was picked from a photo shoot or from the high fashion runway,this goes to show how much thought goes into a woman's casual look.Am not tryin to turn our men folk into mirror hogging weirdos but it doesnt hurt to put just alittle effort into dressing casual.
    Simple things go along way.the shirt you wear  = the shoe you wear..does that make any sense?if you wear official shirts,swity dont put on sneakers unless they are ur label and still,that is illegal..where am from. So am here to help you make those little choice of dressing much simpler..and it it gets really hard,heck give me a call,i'll help you out

1.Linen outfit -Lightweight and slimmed down, you'll find it in shades of Grey, tan, navy, and brown.What i love about these is the fact that its effortless.pick wear,add shades,great pair of shoes and you're good

2.polo shirts -Am in love with polos shirts,alittle hugging,not tight.This is something every man should have.they come in different

colors,with and without the polo label even

 3.chino pants  usually made primarily from cotton, they were originally used in British and French military uniforms in the mid-19th century, today it is also used to make civilian clothing.They are sometimes confused with khakis as they are usually khaki in color, of course now they come in different colors,chinos are of typically dressier style similar to that of suit trousers and as such can be considered a smart casual form of dress.

4.shoes -a pair of loafers,moccasins will definately make your outfit more relaxed.You are looking for soomething that says "hi,am its a weekend".You cant wear sneakers anymore unless you're going for a b.ball game,a run...These shoes give you a relaxed look.as they say, "a man is the shoe he wears" make sure its a statement shoe.

 

 5.A sweater  This is a great addition to the weekend look/and official look without a doubt.it can be  v-shaped ,button down,round neck,diamond patterned, you are spoilt of choice.Now for the weekend you want something with alittle bit more color,light,you can pair it up with a t-shirt,shirt. it gives that easy going look. We have guys like Jay z,Kanye west pulling this look all the time and i love the results...

 

6.sunglasses.last piece of the look for you,nothing speaks louder than aviator sunglasses.They are simple,very manly.Am in love with them.Ray Ban definately delivers these kind of shades perfectly.You can pick the shade that works for you,from black,brown,go red,green..but be suttle with the colors,nothing screaming or clashing with your skin color dearies...

My job here is done,perfect look for a perfect gentleman,dont forget your manners then...and anything you feel i didnt touch on,do feel free to highlight,comment and ask...

regards,

fashionguidekenya

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BAG IT MEN

First post,2011 and its for my brothers..

A man bag is definitely making its rounds in the city.Am sure you've seen several men having one of these.Put your laptop in it,your sweater,a spare tie,your presentation materials.Its a very stylish addition to your wardrobe.

   Now there are several types of man bags,and we'll start with the most obvious

1.Briefcase

Most men carry this for their documents,going to the office,interview maybe...remember this :

 now they've re branded and repackaged briefcases into more statement pieces :very formal,business.

2.Duffel bag,gym bag.very popular especially In the music scene.we have musicians singing about them,putting money in them and so forth.They are used to put equipment in,gym items.you can literally carry anything in these bags.This is very casual.weekends

3.Newsboy bag. Back in the day when newsboys delivered papers(and we didn't have newspaper stands at every corner of the street) they carried one of these bags.However,they've become more of a casual item for the Now man...something that even the ladies are in on.they are popular for school,college...

4.Hold on bag.This i first saw with a man who inspired men's fashion wear for me from a while back.He carried this from his trips.it would hold his shades,lip balm,nail cutter..a sweater or scarf.It works for a casual weekend,semi-business meetings.They've become quite an item,you will not miss a man on any street without one of these.i love their simplicity,and class.

They are mostly made of leather and can work either for casual of official depending on the color that you have,black,grey,brown or like the LV bag and  lamb signature Eton above.

5.messenger bag.Messengers ideally go to the post office,for mails,deliver checks,pick up forms,the works,well this particular bag was pretty much made for that kind of thing.Its long,has a sling.Very simple to carry.Idea for the weekend,casual wear..or even office again its at your disposal

Here are a few extra shots to show you how its done.I personally love Kanye.















The next time you're out will all these things you need to carry,pop into a shop and get yourself a man bag,I've explained what you might need,go out there and make me proud.


regards,
fashionguide kenya

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