So what’s the deal with men’s hats? Who should wear them and what style? Hats have been a staple of men’s fashion since Adam decided to wear a nice crown made of bay leaves, so the rumor goes. Some hats are more utilitarian, like Beanies, keep our heads warm during the cold months, even though they have become a fashion statement from gyms to red carpet events. Others, like the Fedora, set men apart in a crowd.  But no matter what kind of hat you decide to wear, it will make a fashion statement. While the modern-day hat is not quite as elaborate as its ancestor. Here’s a helpful news segment from CBN’s Early Show featuring the Editor of GQ magazine: No matter what hat you wear, keep these few rules in mind: Make sure the hat fits your head. Go to a hat store, or one that sells hats,…

Monday evening I was sitting at the City of Brentwood Planning Commission Meeting when an architect approached the podium facing the commissioners’ bench. His pants drooped down the back in large folds as if he were wearing a big diaper underneath. I tried not to pay attention but my mind kept asking the question: “Didn’t he look at his back when he bought these pants?” The answer was obviously, “no.” Today’s Friday Fashion post goes beyond labels. It’s not even about style. It’s about one of the foundations of western apparel. It’s simple and yet one of the most neglected men’s fashion rules in America. Why don’t we wear clothes that fit? I have seen people take expensive, designer clothing and make them look cheap because they were the wrong size. I have known physically fit and well-proportioned men look frumpy and disheveled because their pants, shirts or coats were…

The Fashion Friday post makes a come back. Today’s topic: men’s haircut. This is of personal interest because I decided to grow my hair out six weeks ago, and now I find myself in the awkward transitional stage, or what I call, one-more-bad-hair-day-away from getting it chopped off again. I’ve heard it said that most men will stay with the same hair style of the time in life they felt the most popular. If there’s any truth in that statement then take a look at these pictures, do you see anyone familiar in them? Do you know anyone, even you, who’s stuck with a past due hairdo? Are you considering a new hairstyle? Which one?

Casual Friday is now a staple of the American workforce. It started decades ago with business men not wearing a tie on Fridays and it has taken a life of its own. With more and more businesses now embracing casual attire as the norm, one would surmise that Casual Friday would cease to exist. But  I’ve noticed men who already work in a casual environment pushing the envelope and creating, what I call, “Casualty Friday.”   So for this edition of the Fashion Friday post, let us consider what men should  not wear to work next Friday: First of all, no shorts. That goes for manpris as well (capri pants for men–a sad but current trend) No Flip flops, sorry. If you’d wear it to the gym, don’t wear it at work. Sweat pants are never, never OK. No meshes of any kind (as in see through shirts). No ball…

Truth is not always pleasant, fun or convenient, but it’s always necessary in life. Without the truth of a working compass, we would be desperately lost. Without the truth of a mirror, we wouldn’t know we have spinach stuck between our teeth or an embarrassing case of bed hair. And yet, our culture continues to find ways to make us feel better about ourselves even at the cost of the truth. Last week I learned about “vanity sizing.” It’s been a known practice in women’s fashion, but it’s now part of men’s as well. In order to make consumers feel better about themselves, and potentially buy more merchandise, designers are selling items that are purposely mislabeled to seem smaller than they actually are. And I’m not just talking about half or a size difference. Old Navy, for example sells pants labeled 36 inch waist that are actually 41 inches. Marketers…

For the Fashion Friday edition of my blog, I’m hitting the gym hard. Whether you work out at a private club, the Y, or a community center, your gym is a place where health, fitness and personal well being should rule the day. But it also can be a scary place where the lack of a published dress code can blur the line between appropriate sport’s attire and inappropriate and often objectionable wear.  Since we communicate a lot non-verbally with our appearance, I’m compelled to help a growing number of people who need a gym fashion intervention. The rules are always changing along with the times, but today, here’s my list of what not to wear at the gym: No shades in the gym. Even if you had eye surgery, stay home until you can walk around without looking like a goober. Wear white shorts only if—nah, just don’t do…

Words are a powerful and interesting things. With words we build people up or tear down friendships. They are used to bless as well as to curse. I’m a communication professional. I’m deeply flawed and to make matters more complicated,  I’m also Brazilian. Brazilians are often fun, but we’re also blunt in ways that make southerners blush. Over the years I have tried not only to adapt to my new adopted country, but also temper my not-so-subtle foreign ways.  I have not always succeeded. Here’s some memorable exchanges I wish I could have taken back: “I have the best hair money can buy” jokingly to a gentleman at a church I was interning as he commented on how much he liked my hair. I didn’t realize he was wearing a toupee. (it was a good one, after all) “When are you due?” To my non-pregnant waitress at Cancun restaurant. Twice.…

I am a starter. I take ideas and run with them. I enjoy thinking about what’s next in organizational leadership, communication and random commentary as I observe life around me. I love to eat well and take pictures of great food, and my occasional Friday Fashion posts have been a lot of fun to write. My professional career began in the local church, and I have enjoyed working with not-for-profits as well as businesses in the private sector. I have started and grown successful businesses, but have seen some fail as well. Hopefully I have learned from both experiences. My newest venture, Textify Mobile is a very cool service. Check it out: textifymobile.com I  often speak on branding, communication,  social media strategies, and the changing world of technology. If you follow me on Twitter you might get a mix of social commentary, encouragement and the occasional random thought. I enjoy…

With the proliferation of DVRs (Digital Video Records) such as Tivo advertisers have been scrambling to find ways to get their message across and product placement has been the growing trend. Of course, this is nothing new. We’re used to seeing our hero driving the latest Audi R8 as in Iron Man or James Bond wearing a fashionable and surprisingly resilient Rolex. We even saw Will Smith upload a virus that wiped out an entire Alien mother ship that was set to destroy earth with, what else, a Mac. However, product placement has gone to a whole new level lately. Take for example this week’s episode of Modern Family, one of my favorite new comedies this season. The entire episode focused on Phil’s birthday, played by Ty Burrell, and his obsession with his birthday gift: an iPad. It was not a subplot; it was the plot. The word “iPad” was…

These are a few more pictures I took with my trusty iPhone. They are a bit random, but, again, so am I. Beautiful Repulse Bay. Who calls a place this nice “Repulse”? They call it the Chinese Riviera deservedly so. So the beach is immaculately clean. That’s because according to the sign above, you cannot do anything but look at it. Beautiful view atop Victoria’s Peak. Yep, iPhone. Juxtaposition of old and new worlds. Note the leopard print detail. . . and to finish the ensemble: matching breathing mask. Love the fashion forward of Hong Kong This picture strikes fear in the heart of middle-aged man everywhere. Steve Shantz, my travel companion poses in front of our nemesis