style me manly

ok gals, and guys!!  I know i said I was going to make you wait, but September is so far away, so I thought I would give you a peek behind the scenes and show you a few of my favorite looks that I styled for Belk's Fall Lookbook.  my specific task was styling the must haves for men or as Belk tags them "most wanted ".  men's fashion is hardly groundbreaking but the slightest detail can change the whole look and incorporating layers (my fave) can elevate any guy to that of a fashionisto.  I grew up with a pretty stylish papa and at a young age he started taking me to the tailor to help him pick out his suits.  he always wore suits.  like every single day.  he only owned 1 pair of jeans and i'm pretty sure he bought them in the 70's.  he has definitely passed off his sense of dressing to my brothers and all 3 of them have their own uniquely classic style so every time I dress a man, i have 1 of them in mind.  starting with my pops, like I said, he's a suit kinda guy, and even his relaxed looks tend to incorporate a sport coat, so I took note from him in styling my first most wanted item, the corduroy pant.  pretty much all men's styles are classic for the simple fact that they've been duplicated for decades, but the corduroy truly is a fall staple for any man's wardrobe and its a fresher approach to the traditional chino.  getting dad's stamp of approval I layered on this khaki sport coat and mixed plaids with a smaller print on the shirt and wider for the tie.  the accessories are what really give this look intrigue.  funky socks add a sense of adventure (and I guess i'm on a kick, because I've added a pair to almost every outfit) and the wingtip meets mukluk boots give it a rugged vibe.

my older brother, Sean has a very business meets boy band kinda style so I kept him in mind when styling my next 2 most wanted items, the shawl collar and the puffer vest.  starting with the sweater, this lightweight version is easy to layer and the sand tone is perfectly versatile.  I paired it with clean dark denim and instead of sticking with the classic color family, I added some pops neon with this plaid button up, sports watch and another pair of funky socks.  sleek black loafers give it a classic feel and I love that you can switch out the laces. 

 this year the puffer is a bit deflated making it seem more versatile and preppy, so I paired it over some denim on denim aka the Canadian tuxedo and accessorized with leather lace ups, a plaid tie and tortoise spectacles.

my next 2 looks were with my younger brother Bret in mind.  he is the most adventurous with his fashion and like me, loves to layer.  he has this rugged meets school teacher meets tailored to perfection kinda thing goin on and it just works!  my next item was the plaid sport coat.  this look is my favorite of all the looks and I've dubbed it "mr ripley" aka matt damon, the talented.  remember that scene on the boat?  the blazer and pocket square give him a professor vibe, and the suspenders and sunnies have him all school-boy chic.  I love the plaid on plaid and the casual khakis and I finished off the look with lace up boots and this cross-body satchel because he's definitely the academic type.

 the most fun most wanted is all about the sock!  so clearly I've already been incorporating these guys into most of my fall looks, but to really showcase the sock, I went for a classic vibe with the outfit.  a white oxford, straight leg denim and sneaker loafers have him all sharp dressed man and the spectacles add that nerd boy chic look that I love so much.

 lastly, and always a crowd pleaser, is my baby brother Kurt.  with model good looks, he doesn't really have to try and has the most casual style of all my brothers.  he's trendy rugged, but not really on purpose, if that makes sense.  so his first look was the jog pant.  I personally love the jog pant, especially when its more pant less jog.  this athleisure look is the perfect Saturday style for trips to the market (do men do that?) or hanging with the boys.  the olive cargo is a cool update on last years joggers so to keep it casual I layered a white tee over this turquoise speckled henley.  a sporty watch and leather trainers keep with the athletic vibe and purple ray-bans finish off the look with a bright pop of color.

 my final look is all about the chukka boot.  this look is a close second in my fave department and honestly, I would totally rock the female version of this look in a heartbeat.  this brown boot goes with everything and is the perfect fall staple for the man's wardrobe, so I could really take his outfit anywhere.  I was feeling the fireside vibe this sweater was throwing my way, so I had to snag it and I layered it over Kurt's signature look of a fresh tee and jeans. 

 i'll leave a few more looks til September, but i'm pretty excited to see the finished product!!  it was a dream come true and even though I showed up wearing the exact same outfit as my Belk boss Steph, i'd say we were totally twinning!!!

special thanks to Belk for this amazing opportunity!!

all opinions are my own.