Manly Monday: Glamorous Gift!

Happy Manly Monday, fashionistas! This week I have the perfect suggestion for an amazing gift for those fabulous men in our lives. Whether this is for your brother, father, husband, boyfriend, friend, or anyone, I promise they will appreciate it!

The Deluxe Fragrance Sampler For Him by Sephora is perfect for that special man in your life! This set features 14 individual samples of various men's bestselling fragrance products. 

The true beauty of this kit, as if all of those wonderful samples weren't enough, is that it includes a voucher that the lucky receiver of this kit can go into Sephora and use on a full-size product- This is perfect because it lets them choose their favorite product out of the 14 samples.

The beautifully presented box opens to reveal a range of 14 of Sephora's bestselling men's products that can be sampled right away. From Gucci to Dolce & Gabbana, even to Jack Black shaving products, this kit has a wide variety so that every man will be sure to find his perfect match. Once he does, all he has to do is take the included voucher to any Sephora store to receive a full-size version. This is the best gift for any guy on your Christmas shopping list- I promise he will appreciate it and love it!


You can purchase this Deluxe Fragrance Sampler For Him Kit at Sephora
Retail Price: $50


Stay Fabulous xoxo
~Miss Glamour Girl

Manly Monday!

Hello fashionistas, both men and women- Welcome to yet another FABULOUS Manly Monday! We have the honor of hearing from one of our favorite guest bloggers today, Aaron Hartman (who previously posted an accessories bootcamp for men that was AMAZING...Click here if you didn't get the chance to read it Fab-YOU-lous: Manly Monday). So without any further adieu, here is Aaron with his advice for all of the men readers....


There as always been a phrase in men’s fashion that has bothered me. “Boxers or Briefs.” It’s so limiting. Not to mention the two options are, in my opinion, the most boring of options. The truth is men have a lot of choices for the cloth downstairs. They run the spectrum of simple and functional, to completely aesthetically based. I like to have my day-to-day run somewhere in the middle.

I look at underwear in particular light. As I towel off from a shower in the morning and open my underwear drawer, I look inside too see a wealth of options. It maybe a random Tuesday, with no prospect of anyone seeing my underwear but me, but damn it, I want to look my best. Most days, I wear underwear just for me; my own little secret outfit choice I wear to give my self-esteem, and internal sex appeal a boost.

 Feel free to use that same mentality, or find your own reason to get away from boxers or briefs (ugh).  Start simple, if you’ve only ever worn boxers since puberty  (cause lets be honest we all know that as kids we only had tighty whities), go ahead and try the hybrid boxer briefs. And do yourself a favor and get a color other then grey, white or black. I think the reason I love underwear so much is because no matter what color I am wearing it always goes with my outfit. I don’t have to think about whether it matches or not. So take that mentality and go out and get a fun color. Express makes some great bright fluorescent colors this season, give them a try.

Once you are comfortable in boxer briefs its time to move on to big boy pants. This next cut is my personal favorite and almost exclusively what I wear. The square cut trunks. Take boxer briefs and cut off the boxer part and you have a pair of trunks. Covering a little more skin then briefs (and providing some much needed breathing room) trunks offer a great balance of sex appeal and functionality. I started my trunks collection at H&M who sells them in variety packs. It’s a great way to get started on having a great underwear collection. I was worried that H&M underwear would wear down fast but they have lasted me a couple of years and still going strong.

Alright now for the advance lesson. I am going to contradict myself now and say that it is in fact okay to wear briefs after the age of 10 with one important rule. Don’t buy Hanes. I don’t care what Michael Jordan says; you need to go with better quality underwear if you are going to pull of this look. Freshpair.com has a great selection for shopping online. C-IN2 is a good go-to brand in particular but there are a lot out there. The important part with briefs (and why I say to avoid Hanes) is the fit. Go out and get a designer pair of briefs that fits, trust me no one will be calling them tighty whities any more. Once you’ve mastered these looks then you can go crazy- Nothing will be too ridiculous for you.

Thanks for reading, fashionistas! And once again, thanks to Aaron for guest blogging!

Stay Fabulous xoxo

~Miss Glamour Giirl & Aaron Hartman  

Manly Monday

Hello, fashionistas- both male and female! Welcome to yet another fabulous Manly Monday! I have the amazing pleasure and honor of introducing our amazing guest blogger for the week: Aaron Hartman. He is here to give all of you guys an Accessories Boot Camp- So without further adieu, here is Aaron with his take on accessories!

Alright men. Line up. Does a soldier go into battle wearing only his camo pants and jacket? No, a soldier’s outfit isn’t complete without a gun and an arsenal of other tools at his disposal. Similarly, no fashion conscious man should strut down the street in an ‘outfit’ consisting of just jeans and a tee-shirt. Fellow Manly Monday contributor Justin Komins covered how to build a sleek look without the graphic tee earlier this summer; now it’s now time to add to that using the fashion worlds answer to the gun and tool belt. Welcome to Accessories Boot Camp!

Lets start with possibly the most important accessory in a man’s arsenal. An item no outfit should be without: the belt. Functionally speaking an extension cord or giant rubber band would do the trick, but try to go for a belt that adds that little something extra (something you should strive for with all your accessories). As a general rule of thumb, belt color should match shoe color. Wearing brown loafers...find a brown belt. The fashion world makes it easy on you, plenty of nice leather belts come with a reversible buckle so you can have a standard black and brown belt all one. Try this Hugo Boss reversible brown/black belt with silver buckle, great for the business casual office or making those jeans a little more formal on date night.

When going casual, don’t be afraid to stray from the rules- look for fun patterns, designs, and material other then leather to mix up your wardrobe. A nice solid color D-ring belt makes wearing shorts acceptable for a man out of high school and not employed by the US Postal Service.

With autumn around the corner, be prepared to hit society’s icy battlefield ready to fight the cold. Scarves are my favorite accessory and is a vital piece when those leaves start to change. Care-packages from home are nice on the war front but leave grandma’s hand-knitted scarves for family holiday parties. If your closet looks like that of a spy’s, filled with dark solid tones good for sneaking, use a scarf to add a splash of color. Remember to keep material and pattern in mind. If you are already wearing a cable knit sweater, then avoid a heavy thickly woven scarf. On the same note, if you’re brave enough to wear a bold patterned shirt, make sure to pair it with a solid color or toned down scarf. You can never go wrong with a classic, so start your collection out with the always-in-fashion Burberry scarf and I promise you’ll be looking to expand your selection in no time.

If aesthetic appeal isn’t enough for you, remember this- Scarves are great for those transitional fall days where there is a crisp breeze but a full sweater is just a bit too warm.
Lastly, I wouldn't be much of a drill sergeant if i didn’t teach how to use your equipment properly. Above is a helpful YouTube video on a few different ways to tie a scarf.

A soldier may still use a back pack, but if you’ve gone from schlepping algebra books to stock portfolios its time for a new bag. While a Louis Vuitton briefcase is never going to steer you wrong, feel free to keep it a bit younger and look for an over the shoulder messenger bag. If you want to avoid man purse jokes, look for a bag that is large enough to carry a laptop. In this case size matters, the larger the bag, the less jokes about murses you’ll hear, I promise. Steal from Her Royal Army and check out Storm London’s collection of bags. Their Abbey line of men’s flap bags are a great, simple leather bag perfect for carrying your notes from lecture or the laptop you need for that big presentation.

If you’ve had enough leather check out Andrew Christian’s Vintage Paratrooper Canvas Bag, probably not suited for deployment in the office but a great bag for carrying everything you need on a jaunt around town.
Alright men that’s it for Accessories Boot Camp. This is enough to help you survive on the battlefield, but any veteran will tell you this was just the beginning. Stay tune for more Manly Mondays to find out how to become a decorated soldier in the men’s fashion world.

Thanks for reading everyone, hope you enjoyed this week's Manly Monday- Thanks again to Aaron for contributing this week!

Stay Fabulous xoxo

~Miss Glamour Giirl & Aaron Hartman

Manly Monday

Hello, fashionistas! Yes, it is that time of week again- It's MANLY MONDAY! I am so excited to introduce you all to the fabulous Mr. Justin Komins, who will be guest blogging for us this week, and I KNOW you all will adore his words of wisdom! Without any further adieu, here with this week's Manly Monday post is Justin Komins...

With the television and radio being so saturated with fist-pumping morons, egotistic bro's, and other social miscreants, it is hard to find people in good taste now-a-days. People look to what they see on TV to wear, and there is nothing wrong with it. For girls, its rather simple; Watch the Kardashians and you'll know how to dress somewhat presentable. For us men, its a totally different story.

The fashion forward male, (NO NOT A "METROSEXUAL"), has many places to look for today's fashion. You can look at the gold standard GQ magazine has set for men's fashion, or you could go the route of a Hypebeast (Hypebeast.com follower/a person who buys into the hype for ANY fashion release) which is geared towards the youthful streetwear enthusiast, or maybe you can go your own way. For those who do the latter, they still need that influence, that spark of creation that you can gear your wardrobe after.

Sadly, this spark seems to be coming from MTV, and no, it is not Teen Mom. JERSEY SHORE has tainted the world of men's fashion. You watch the show, you know the characters, and you know the fist-pumping. Have you noticed the attire? From Ronnie's walking billboard outfits for Emporio Armani aka Eurotrash's Finest, to Pauly D and Situation's "HEY LOOK IM ITALIAN!" graphic T's and bedazzled jeans, to Vinny's somewhat respectable button ups, Jersey Shore is spoiling the fashion sense of today's American male. Before we delve into the nitty gritty of the Jersey Shore fashion taking of America dilemma, let me just clear the air. A TEE SHIRT AND JEANS IS NOT FASHION. IT IS A SIMPLE OUTFIT.

Some may think of Jersey Shore and immediately relate Ed Hardy, orange tans, and True Religion jeans with gigantic horseshoes on the pockets. Their "club attire" and the rituals they follow on every club night are the epitome of ridiculous. Now, you may think "they only dress like that because they are celebrities. they can get away with anything". WRONG. Take a celebrity that dresses very well, say, KanYe West. Just because he is a rapper means that he can skate with his leather pants. Fashion does not discriminate. If you follow the bedazzled graphic tee shirt and gaudy bootcut jeans with some rips in them, be prepared to be hit on by typical Jersey trash or to be laughed out of the club.

More and more often, and maybe it is just Boston's new thing, but if you are under the age of 30 and go out on the scene, you are most likely wearing Tapout, Christian Audigier, Affliction, or some other Metropark branded gaudy tee with some form of denim that hasn't really been classified by science yet. Not that there is anything wrong with those brands, but the purpose of the club is to actually interact with other people (normally women) and try to make friends. No girl wants to get with a tool who looks like a Jersey Shore extra.

Instead of dressing like a UFC fighter or the Situation, why not look into a more classy direction. H&M, Express, and Gap all carry exceptional menswear, ranging from the scene/hipster style to business casual to clubwear. H&M, the least expensive of the trio, has phenomenal basic button up shirts in an assortment of colors. Gap, with prices in the mid-range area, carries great denim. When I say great, I mean it. Their denim jeans are selvedge, which is truly the best structure for seams of jeans. They are around $90 and come with little to no branding on them. Can't beat a pair of jeans that are under $100 and give you the same style index as a pair of True's or 7's that cost 3x the price.

Express is a little more expensive than the other two, but definitely worth it if you find the right things. Their MK2 shirts, which are a military styled button up, cannot be beat. I own atleast 4 of them, and get compliments every time I wear them. Equipped with straps on the shoulders, collar stays, and chest pockets, these shirts give you a professional and clean cut look with the "hey, I'm here to party" swagger as well. The MK2's are about $65+ and come in a wide variety of colors. The only downside to Express is that there can be an awful lot of trashy and gaudy graphic tee's and denim. Find your way past the nonsense and you are golden. Look at it this way, if you don't think these clothes are fit for the club after you buy them, they are always great for that job interview, date night, or entertaining at your own place.

Let's go over some final things. This is WRONG.

Do not do that. (above)

This is clean, cool, and classy. (above)

Dress like JT = WIN.

All in all, men's fashion isn't a hard thing to master. Fashion differentiates from person to person, and that's where perspective and good taste come into play. All I will say about that is this, if your shirt or pants have more bedazzles, sparkles, silver or gold screen printing, or logos than a fishing lure, it is probably not a good look. You will get noticed if you wear Jersey Shore attire, do not kid yourself. But if you want to be noticed in a positive light, try dressing to impress, not by being an attention whoring, fist pumping sleezball drinking jeigerbombs at the club.

Thanks so much for reading this week's Manly Monday post! We hope you enjoyed it :) Special thanks to Justin for guest blogging this week- Let us know what you think in a comment on this post

Stay Fabulous xoxo

~Miss Glamour Giirl & Justin Komins

Manly Monday

It is Monday, fashionistas, and you know what that means... it's time for another Manly Monday! This week we have Tony Lopez here with us as a guest blogger! So without further adieu, here is Tony :) Thanks everyone!

Look at that. Do you feel inspired? That is a blueprint from the archives of Man Legend Tim Leatherman. A man's purse is his multitool, and my multitool is my Leatherman.

The attractive piece of metal you see above is the Leatherman Wave, my permanent accessory. You make a statement when you wear one of these on your belt. People look up to you. They look to you to open things. And while you will excel at opening things, applications are endless. With this unassuming piece of steel I have replaced my cell phone's capacitive touch screen, fixed a leak in my motorcycle's carburetor, trimmed down the leg of a table, and repaired my girlfriends tangled necklace (I also used dental floss for that one).

For me, and for many men, utility as well as fashion plays a role into what is worn and what is carried. It has happened to me more than once that a group of men gathers and notices the others' Leathermans (Leathermen?), nodding knowingly. And there are many different models, each with timeless advantages and nuances that mirror the individuality of he who chose it. The Leatherman is much more than an accessory, and more than a fashion statement. It is a symbol of ingenuity: a token which through its resource and reliability becomes a friend.

Man picked up stone and shaved it into a knife before he donned his first scrap of clothing. The power of a tool is so deeply rooted in a man's psyche that they continue to be revolutionized today. The outrageous practicality of a multitool often masks its secondary function as a statement of worth. What is the point of fashion, but to enjoy one's own expression? A multitool like a Leatherman is just such an expression, and it will be for millennia to come.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Stay Fabulous xoxo
~Miss Glamour Giirl & Tony Lopez

Manly Monday

Hello, fashionistas, and welcome to yet another 'Manly Monday'! I am so excited that this Monday tradition has been keeping up, and I have quite a few new and exciting guest bloggers lined up for the coming weeks. I am thrilled to have the amazing Darius Eslami back with us this week giving us his ideas about a very fun and manly accessory piece- So without further adieu, here is the fabulous Darius!!

Cowboys got it right- Dusty leather boots, just enough scruff, and bandanas. Bandanas are BIG. For me, it started as a costume piece, but with my hair getting longer, it became necessary to hold it back – thus, the bandana came into the picture. Not only does it keep my hair from flying into my eyes, it pulls together my look and makes me look fly as well. Feel free to refute this.

When piecing together a bohemian style, the bandana adds a flair of retro for a guy while exuding a pinch of rugged edge. For all those Bear Grylls types – you can fold the bandana once and have it triangle style cover your hair; this is what I call the traditional look.

If you want a more subtle, 70s rock’n’roll look, fold it multiple times, then rock it like a headband. Or for a combo effect, fold your bandana, but leave it wide. Then, once it is around your head, swish it to one side and you have a really sick pirate look.

Between running, Jiu Jitsu, and yoga, I work up quite a sweat. Get over it. It’s manly. Whenever possible – wearing a headband is a great way to combine functionality with fashion. If I’m going out to a bar or club, I’ll put one on for two reasons: 1) to reduce the sense of heat in a crowded social area, and 2) for the compliments.

The fun part is that is primarily seen as a costume accessory, so the prints and styles could be viewed as hipster or ironic, depending on the situation. You have your traditional Western prints (blacks and reds), camouflage (desert and greens), and many more styles in between. A bandana is an inexpensive article that doesn’t hurt to have in your closet- Whether you’re backpacking up a mountain, opening your pores with Pilates, or grooving with aviators on, a bandana is not a bad way to go.

Worse comes to worse, your dog will look really cute wearing one, too.

Thanks for reading, everyone!! We hope you have an extra 'manly' Monday!

Stay Fabulous xoxo
~Miss Glamour Giirl & Darius Eslami

Manly Monday

Hello fashionistas! I am very excited for our second ever Manly Monday post- this week we have the fabulous Steven Huang joining us to give us his take on fashion! So without any further adieu, here is Steve- hope you all enjoy :)

One might argue that this Manly Monday is a “Semi-Manly” Monday because I’m playing on the other team. Said individual might be inclined to ignore my advice because he assumes it doesn’t pertain to him or that it doesn’t apply to the man in her life. However, the recommendation I’m about to make is equal parts sensible, functional, and fab-you-lous.

First off, I’d like to address the myth that men don’t need to be fashionable. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Would you want to take an unfashionably-dressed boyfriend on a date to a fancy restaurant, or say, your friend’s art show? Absolutely not; the man on your arm is one of your most prominent accessories. And it only takes one out-of-place accessory to ruin an entire outfit.

Without further adieu, I’d like to share one of the most important rules in my personal style manifesto: wear designer jeans. I’m not advocating a specific brand because it depends on the person’s individual taste. What I am recommending is a pair of jeans made with high quality denim, a fitted outline (this doesn’t mean tight), and one that pairs well with the rest of your wardrobe. I’m advocating that every man should own a pair of designer jeans that will give him confidence, that serves as an outlet of his expression, and ultimately, is practical day-to-day.

Confidence: Do you remember putting on your first pair of brand-name jeans? For me, it was a pair of Sevens; light indigo colored, medium-light wash, a little fading and detailing, boot cut. I wanted to see what the hype of brand-name jeans was all about, and as soon as I put them on, I understood. They were soft, fitted through the thigh, and fell perfectly around my heel. When I walked out of Nordstrom that day, I was a new me. I felt confident and just….sexier. I looked good and I felt good – all thanks to my first pair of designer jeans.

Expression: Everyday, I use high-end denim to express how I want to feel. If I have a busy day ahead of me, I opt for a straight-leg or skinny leg pair of G-Star’s with flip-flops or light canvas shoes to keep me streamlined. If I’m going to meet up with a friend for coffee or lunch, I’ll keep it casual with a pair of dark, unwashed Diesels and keep my look cool, crisp, and minimalist. On the other hand, If I’m planning a night out of getting hammered, the studded and distressed Rock & Republics are first in line; because I want to make a statement. Choosing between several styles of trendy jeans allows you to customize yourself and how people interpret you. Jeans are an outlet of your personal flavor and zest for life, don’t hold yourself back with cheap Hollister crap that has no character.

Practicality: When you wear high-end denim, you have a pair of pants for every day. I’m not talking about wearing the same pair every day; I’m talking about every “day”. Like, the day you go to a baseball game, you can wear those nice jeans. Going to visit Grandma? Throw on that pair of designer threads. Don’t pigeonhole each pair for a specific occasion. Only buy jeans that you can mix and match with different shirts and shoes. Pretty soon, your ability to sport trendy jeans with any occasion will become flawless. On a side note, they last much longer than a cheaper-quality pair. In fact, I’m wearing my first pair of Sevens as I write this! Your return-on-investment is guaranteed to surprise you.

When you think about it, Life can be pretty unpredictable. Tomorrow, you could run into an old friend, or meet a new friend. You might see a celebrity, or even meet your future spouse! You could get caught in the rain and find yourself unable to get a cab. Your day could be anything from ordinary to extraordinary. As you live your life, live it in style; in designer jeans.

Thanks for reading everyone!
Stay Fabulous xoxo
~Miss Glamour Giirl & Steven Huang :)

Manly Monday!

Hello fashionistas! I am so excited to begin Manly Monday- This will hopefully be a reoccurring blog event on Mondays for awhile, where I will invite a male guest blogger to FAB-YOU-LOUS and we can hear about fashion and trends from a guy's perspective! I'm so pleased to christen Manly Monday with a post by one of my dearest friends, Darius Eslami. Here he is:
Welcome one and all to …….. MANLY MONDAY! When it comes to my wardrobe, I tend to default towards a t-shirt. How exactly can you make such a common article like that into something fashionable? Easy – Threadless.
Threadless is an online t-shirt company where artists submit their designs and the online community votes for their favorites; the highest scorers get their shirt printed among other lavish incentives. I’ve been pushing this site for years now and it’s steadily gaining huge momentum. I don’t think it matters who you are – you can/will find a shirt you adore. Their catalog hosts a variety of designs: abstract, funny, political, slogans, animals, popular cultures… you get the picture.
They print the design on their own shirts, which are very light and fitting. You can search for an existing shirt based on size, color, and design type. There are limited quantities of each shirt, so nab them while you can! If you find a design you LOVE, but it is sold out – you can request a reprint and if enough people do so, BAM! It is reprinted.
Aside from the cool community and frequent contests presented by Threadless – they are pretty affordable. Now, if you know me, I don’t spend too much money and rarely on myself. Threadless shirts generally sell for $20, but they have a handful of sales a year where you can get shirts at discounted prices (typically $10) with a flat rate shipping fee of $5. As you purchase more shirts, you can gain ‘points’ by taking a picture of yourself wearing your purchase and putting it on the site! This is a great way for them to generate repeat customers and it kind of saves you some money on your trendy collection.
I have about 20 shirts from Threadless and I wear them pretty frequently. They work well for social outings as conversation starters (funny/clever designs) or just very cool patterns (abstract/pop culture designs). All in all – check them out. From a guy who tosses on t-shirts – you can definitely look the part you want to play with any one of these in your styling arsenal.

Thanks everyone for reading and I hope you enjoyed the first Manly Monday post- tell us what you think!

Stay Fabulous xoxo
~Miss Glamour Giirl & guest blogger Darius Eslami