ya cant keep a good blogger down: trend watching

this week has been hectic to say the least. the first part of the week i fell ill. i chicken noodle souped myself up with a few other remedies and got better. at the same time i wasn't feeling my best, my macbook pro was having a midlife crisis. technology.

luckily i have a compaq that seems to be doing okay at the moment. ya cant keep a good blogger down. thanks so much for all of your kind words.

on yesterday i spoke to a group of parents at a local headstart about budgeting and my new business. after my presentation, i met a good friend to chat about his birthday plans, blogging and of course style. this is what i wore.
as you can see i am carrying a portfolio case (kind of). man bags, man clutches or whatever the metropolis calls them, has been popping up everywhere. since i tend to lean more toward style and not fashion trends, i took a small step and decided to pick something up and give me take on it.

my personal opinion as a gentleman of the sartorial community, is that these items are only necessary for men who are on the go and need to keep documents and essentials near them. however, they are quite the accessory for the daring dude.

traveling back and forth to new york quite a bit last year, i picked up a few inexpensive bags to carry my personal belongings in. it was necessary. i couldn't just pop items in my trunk and retrieve them at my leisure. before new york, i never carried one. didn't have a need for one.

 tie, jacket and shirt (thrifted) | shoes billy reid | trousers ralph lauren | pocket square brooks brothers.

honestly, its a lot of hype. most people who arent caught up into fashion just see it as a convenient method to carry documents and various essentials while on the go and being stylish. its a trend here in the states, but in european areas its pretty much the standard.

to me i don't see it as a man clutch. i think some people are afraid to be bold and make a statement.  like nell carter said, "give me a break!"

if you are ever on the fence about a particular trend, make a quick visit to your local thrift store. chances are you may find something to experiment with. as we all know fashion it just like a broken record.. it tends to repeat itself.


thanks to ryan who took these photos