A famous woman who tapes her bra together once said, “I want to go to there,” and that is how I feel about Italy.  But guess what?  I’m going, to there, to Italy, for my mom’s 50^th birthday, because she saw Under the Tuscan Sun, and that crap is inspiring.

The first time I went to Italy was on a school trip where we were allowed to drink wine – WINE – which as we know is very very illegal in America if you’re under 21, and everyone strictly adheres to this rule.

The second time I went to Italy I got caught in a torrential downpour that made my pants fall down.  Because they were heavy with water.  Pervert.

The third time I went to Italy, I stayed in a lesbian-run hostel.  Do with that what you will.  Pervert.

So, yeah, I pretty much love it there.  But you know what my favorite thing about Italy is?  Gelato!  Just kidding, I’m not an overenthusiastic sorority girl.  No.  The best part about Italy is that the people dress well.  Oh, sure, you’re always going to run across your Euro-trash contingency, but what continent doesn’t suffer from some form of aesthetic disgustingness?   Take these three gentlemen [of Verona – literary!] for instance.  It certainly helps that they’re all svelte (ahem, America), but let’s focus on the jeans: nice washes, well-fitted and bearing no trace of golden eagles’ wings with a skull and like some old-timey tattoos.  Me, Ed Hardy and some brass knuckles in a windowless room for a few hours…but, I dream.

And another thing!  These men are all killing it with the jackets!  You’ve got your layered blazer look, your bomber jacket and your belted trench all represented and worn, I might add, with great aplomb.  Aplomb aplomb aplomb.

So, in conclusion, dear reader, don’t let those nasty stereotypes of Italian men as mafia thugs and woman-haters mar your view of the uomini italiani.  Google translator says that that means Italian men in Italian.  And that’s all you need to know.

…But here’s a little bit more:

• Jeans: It’s hard to go wrong with Levis and Diesel
• Jackets with international panache at J. Crew for men
• I promise you these sunglasses will never go out of style
• Scott Schuman is a [straight] man who loves fashion and is super good at it

Case Study

Subject: Christoph Schaller

Christoph is a fellow blogger. And a pretty good one at that, considering he started in his teens.  Now, at the ripe age of 19, he has recently graduated from kid school and is about to attend university in Berlin studying some form of fashion. As of yet, his easily amendable cranium is unsure where his path lies. Regardless, it is in fashion.

His blog is well followed by a loyal bunch because it is emotion filled and, to some, thought provoking. (It  probably doesn’t hurt that he’s quite a beautiful specimen, with impeccable taste in clothing and music.) It is his life, but he is unwilling to admit its importance. He sees fashion as possibly superfluous and unimportant in the scheme of things. I attribute that to his youth, because I see he lives and breathes it.  As do I. As do many.

I’m not going to preach. Only a little. What we put on everyday is our armor and our revealment.  It’s our truth, and for some, their dishonesty. No its not world peace or like saving the dolphins. But its something. And who made you so righteous and judgmental? Anything that makes your mind jiggle, your senses tingle, and inspires, is important.

It enlivens, brings optimism and energy into, perhaps, an otherwise dull life. It has inspired Christoph, who represents young Germany. From what he has told me, he feels all that has just been mentioned with fashion; enough to inspire an entire blog of his own. He shares. Honesty through blogging.  Christoph wants to inspire and IS inspired by people, music, photography, AND fashion. That doesn’t sound very “not important.”

Additionals:

Blocked in China, but Internationally ChristophWho

Favorite song from ChristophWho Blog, and another

The Cove, Save the Dolphins

World Peace

Every day we learn something new.  For example, today I learned that eating three Ferrero Rocher chocolates for lunch will not actually satiate hunger and that I will end up ordering an overpriced salad from Element Fresh anyways.  Wisdom.

So what insights can we derive from our man on the street here?  In a new series that I’m going to call “Be a Man: Wear a Suit” (see Dapper Dan) we’ll examine suit-wearing best practices and success stories from the office to the street.  In this, our second installment, I’d like to point out a few golden take-aways that you, sir, yes, YOU, can use next time you need to impress someone at a fancy lawyer meeting (it’s a technical term).

First things first: Dark or navy blue and black can be difficult to pair.  Suity here pulls it off by wearing a tie that falls somewhere in the dark-royal-blue category; that is to say, there is enough distinction between the two colors that they don’t just look like a bruised mess.  Secondly, wearing contrasting patterns, if you’re not experienced, can result in embarrassing failures leading to self-esteem issues and a hefty bill from your therapist.  Here, the clean, even lines of the shirt compliment the clean, evenly spaced white polka-dots on the tie.  The whites crisply stand out and the blues play off each other without being overwhelming.    It is awesome to behold.  Our third and final lesson of the day is suiting accessories.  Note the tie clip.  Not only does it add a sparkling gleam to the ensemble, it’s also practical: it holds your tie in its right place and it holds your cheat sheet for that upcoming client presentation.

Remember boys and girls, with a suit on, even if you have no idea what you’re talking about, at least you look like you know what you’re talking about.

What to say about Dapper Dan here? With such an obviously strong grasp on his own awesomeness and fashion sense, what else needs be said? Let me try to break it down for you:

Dapper Dan is a man who knows how to wear a mismatched three-piece suit with panache. Sticking to a palette of grays with colorful shirt-and-tie bursts at the neck, D.D. may appear to possess a devil-may-care attitude but underlying that is his fierce work ethic, which you can tell that he has because he’s got a Starbucks iced coffee, no cream – what is that, a venti? Also, he has a briefcase. Boom. Professionalism.

But – what? What’s that I spy, Dan? Could it be…? Yes! YES! You did it! You put the square in your pocket to create what we in the fashion world call a pocket square! You’ve taken the early-twentieth-Century-London-banker look and ushered it into 2010 without batting an eye, haven’t you, my saucy lad? And I know you knew exactly what you were doing when you partnered the brown-strapped tote with the brown shoes and brown briefcase. That’s what is known as tying an outfit together. That’s an industry term, people. Write it down.

Ni hao, sexy reader, it’s me, Crindy, guest contributor on VainLane.  Allow me to ruminate for a wee moment on this young man’s foppish (whatever, I’ve been reading Dickens) ‘fit and share some of my thinking with you, my Internet friends.

First of all, Tom’s outfit succeeds based on a fashion principle which has been oft-discussed on this site: effortlessness.  The sophistication lies in the fact that while the ensemble itself is well coordinated, nothing is too matchey and the look is all his own.  Of course once you find out that Tom is a designer it begins to dawn upon you that he’s been professionally trained to know what looks good with what, but the point is that it’s perfectly executed and it doesn’t look like he’s trying too hard (men of Shanghai: take note).

Secondably, the shoes.  I mean.  What?  Where do you even find vintage pirate boots?  Neverland?  Well they’re a damn good get and I can guarantee you that no one else has anything else like those in their shoe closets (exception: Johnny Depp) and that Tom is – to quote my favorite silver-haired sartorialist – making.them.work.

The last thing I want to point out to you, dear reader, having advantageously scooped the provenance of all the elements of Tom’s outfit, is that each piece has a story.  Shirt and shorts?  Self designed.  Shoes?  Hong Kong, Kowloon side, hole-in-the-wall.  Bag?  Thank you, grandma.  Shades?  Thank you, Tom Ford.  It’s these priceless histories that are the soul of the outfit because Tom’s fingerprint and personality are embedded in every part of the whole.  He’s a walking, talking conversation piece, but he doesn’t feel the need to scream at the top of his lungs, “Look at me! I’m bleeping awesome!!!”

Maybe you should, Tom.  Maybe you should.

Additionals:

Mix of Peter and Mary Poppins Inspired Leather Boots (for her)

Tom Ford’s Hawkings Aviator Shades

Similar perfect Bermuda Shorts from J.Crew

Not so similar, but also perfect, Plaid Shirt

Crindy’s main purpose in life

Of course the best looking dudes hail from the streets of San Fran. And then an editor just informed me this picture was taken in NY. He must be from San Fran. Nothing out of the regular, but everything is so right. He’s sporting those vintage Ray Bans everyone’s got a hold of now, an over-sized leather man (or woman’s) bag, super tight skinnies, tan booties, maroon velvet blazer and a pretty big blackberry. It’s all about the tight clothes and over-sized accessories. I hope this trend continues and involves bringing back the retro Zack Morris, as big as your head, mobile phone. So BIG!

Zack Morris Cell Phone

The ever-famous fabric market on Lujiabang Road has been spotted on the streets of Shanghai once again. Tailored men’s coats are pretty standard if you’re living here or even just visiting.  These guys look like they got a two-fer deal.  Pretty similar coats but with different fabrics and pocket placements. It’s all about the plaid coat this season.  And the two-fer deals.

• Shanghai Fabric Market

Other great, and not-so-great, two-fer deals from around the world:

• Disneyland, CalifornIA, USA
• Flights, Australia
• The always popular: plastic surgery, UK
• River Cruise, Europe, Russia and Egypt
• Various Attractions, London

The subject of this street snap appeared to be an extraordinarily stylish Shanghai resident, but a closer inspection revealed his true nature: Adidas Streetwear Designer.

Mr. Adidas is an original (unlike the store “Vogue” behind him) in his nerdy-cool specs, oversized ribbed circle scarf, fitted leather jacket, murse (man purse), and grey and black striped cardigan.

The perfect proportions, creative layering and the right mixture of textures allows this handsome fella to jump out in a sea of millions droning in puffy, fur-lined jackets, walking the streets of China.

Photo by Natalie Wang

A couple that dresses well together, stays together.

Photo by Natalie Wang

Muted colors are always a favorite of mine.  The soft washed grays blend into each other and the pink pops just enough to flow into the lilac blue in the pants. The man’s shoes brings an urban edge with the navy laces.  The discreet layering is casual and the look is sprezzatura.  His barely there glasses completes the sophisticated look that is fun and inviting to those who dare.