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Generosity for Cheap

The hustle and bustle of New York's 2011 Fall Fashion Week is underway. Photographers, designers, thespians, media outlets, bloggers, fashionistas, musicians, and various celebrities of all types attend the brouhaha throughout the week's events. As for me, I'll prop my Ipad against my wife's perky little booty, gaze at pictures, read tweets, and day dream of attending such a grand spectacle.

However, just as I was galavanting around the globe with Karl and three of Alexander McQueen's models...I was hit by reality. A formidable revelation. A manifestation of women shrouded in comfortable, affordable, non-hassle wardrobes all in Nacho Libre's favorite color...light tan. I call it the "C.A.N-doo" (Comfortable, Affordable, Non-hassle) style because anyone "C.A.N" do it. These qualities are always part of a What Not to Wear contestant. I blame the word "affordable" because more often than not affordable means something comfortable and goes with a pair of Ugg boots. Let's be real; acquiring high-end-ready-to-wear runway items is rough on the pocketbook and almost impossible to wear every day of your waking life.

Nevertheless, there is Christian Siriano (Project Runway season 4 winner) whom since 2009 continues to crank out his reasonably priced shoes for Payless.

I remember Payless shoe stores being the hot spot to get our highly anticipated Pro-wing basketball shoe. A store whose Nike's sold as Sikey's, and whose Reebok's were known as Freebought's by lower income kids in my neighborhood. But Mr. Siriano has turned Payless's image around and now supplies them with his sexy footwear for $45 -$80.

Just be careful with the Fall 2011 collection. Word has it that you can become "fashion roadkill".

Honorable mentions: H&M's $34.95 Michelle Obama polka dot dress

Fashion-Word-Em-Up: If you think fashion is expensive, try living in poverty.

There Was A Young Man Who Lived In A Shoe...

I've begun an early Easter egg hunt for a shoe that I thought was a little outside of my comfort zone. A shoe that makes me think hipsters have already made a mockery of, but even still I believe I can bring some justice to a nice pair of saddle shoes a la CQ360 flava.

For all my cotton candy eating, Brandy sipping, exotic women, don't be afraid to hurt your ankles jumping on the bandwagon. I think most of you will look incredibly piquant....fuggedaboutit!

If you find a pair of size 10 1/2 or 11 black and white or tan and white drop me a line. I want to put together a look unlike the revamped Nirvana meets nerd grunge look that most of Southern California is going through.

This guy (he reminds me of a friend in Highland Park) is close to what I'm picturing myself in. Good look, yes?

My Fashion-Word-em-up: Even a strong woman can succumb to the wiles of a weak man with pointy shoes.

Zippity Doo Button Me yay

The great debate. To zipper or not to zipper; that is the question. There's something about the zip that's becoming unflattering to me. From a women's dress to a man's sweater no matter the designer the zipper is incongruous. Although it is practical, I can't get passed the prominent industrial scar that runs down the middle of a Natasha Poly sashaying woman.

Buttons, on the other hand bring a sense of joviality. There are so many styles to choose from. Pewter, brass, ivory, silver metal buttons. Celluloid, bakelite, lucite plastic buttons. Wood, horn, hard rubber, and mother of pearl natural buttons. I could go on like Bubba Gump could shrimp about buttons. In spite of that, the zipper has only one designer..."YKK". I ask myself "Who is YKK"? And why hasn't he come up with something less threatening to men than these interlocking metal teeth?

All in all, I prefer buttons. Not only because it adds style to your wardrobe, but because a woman in a pair of slim fitting 501 button-fly jeans and stilettos...well lets just say, I better shut my mouth and leave you with some polite ways to tell someone their zipper is down jokes.

#10. The cucumber has left the salad

#9. Quasimodo needs to get back to the tower and tend to his bells

#8. You need to bring your tray table to the upright and locked position.

#7. Paging Mr. Johnson...Paging Mr. Johnson

#6. Elvis has left the building.

#5. The Buick is not all the way in the garage.

#4. My friend needs no introduction.

#3. We've got a security breach at Los Pantalones

#2. Men may be from Mars...but we see something that rhymes with Venus

#1. You've got your eye set for "Monica" instead of "Hillary"

My Fashion-Word-em-up: Blouses with buttons down the front suggest the possibilities of the word undone

Avant les hommes

I am almost convinced that I am the victim of fashion voyeurs. I can't seem to catch them lurking in between the liquor and frozen pizza isles of Costco, or peering at me as they pose as Nordstrom mannequins jotting down the very details that make up my style. It's an eerie situation to know it's going on and not be able to prove it. My wife and friends thinks I'm crazy, and my mom tries to explain to me that she has seen my style done "back in the day". However, I tell her that I've seen practically every episode of Soul Train and have yet to see one brotha doing what I'm doing. Until now!

I've pieced together this difficult conundrum and revealed it's face. And although, these peeping tom's have been unveiled they continue to skulk and rape my style once a month in the form of a GQ magazine. Yes, it's true! The beloved GQ magazine has carried on a surreptitious affair with my wardrobe and published it for the entire nation to read. Look for yourselves:

The GQ Spring Style Preview Wear It Now: GQ.com

Slide 2 of 30; plaid ties? I thought I posted pictures of myself in a tie similar to those back in June 2010.

Slide 6 of 30; Mr. Kid Cudi your Nike's called...they said to give me back my loafers and the red socks please!

Slide 14 of 30; Lord have mercy...Colored chinos! Someone smack me if I didn't just blog about this.

Slide 20 of 30; Suede bucks!? I remember I said "bucks" and people thought I was talking Milwaukee basketball

Okay, so I've proved that I'm not a lunatic. There are fashion oglers following me doing God knows what behind closed doors, but I'm okay with it because some say "Imitation is a form of flattery". Hasta luego, my faithful CQ seekers.

Fashion-Word-em'-up: Yes, imitation is a form of flattery but theft is a sin.

San Juan Carlos

Superbowl Sunday was impeccable. The weather today was calm, fresh, and the air was clear of responsibilities. Queen Olive and I spent the day sharpening her photography skills in the delicious sunshine and trading jokes in various accents.
I realized I haven't posted any new photos of myself here at CQ. So I figured I'd update you all. It was a pretty basic wardrobe for today: Blue summer weight chino, purple striped button down shirt, vest, blue socks with orange sailboat socks and my Clark's.








My Fashion-Word'em-Up: You can never be overdressed nor over relaxed.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Delta Denim Blues

I'm looking around and around and around and the only thing I see is denim. Denim everywhere! I'm sure that somewhere out there is a denim forest...losing acres so fast that I'm positive all that would be left is skinny jean wearing pygmies. I think to myself, "Am I the only guy that owns 2 pairs of jeans around here!?". I did some research and found out that people rely on their jeans more than anything else. Cameron Diaz with her fine self said, "I'm like every other woman: a closet full of clothes, but nothing to wear: So I wear jeans." With that said, I'm going to go bald scratching my head I'm so clueless. I understand that denim is America's gift to the world, but the madness has got to stop for the pygmies sake! So I'm going to post some alternatives for my fellas out there since women have plenty of choices to choose from. Also it goes without saying, that all pants I'm showing come in various styles and colors (ie. regular fit, classic fit, slim fit).

Fellas, this pant is an essential chino. It's as clean-cut and classic as it gets. It's a Monday through Friday cotton twill, which means it's super-durable.

The smoke red (again, comes in various colors) is the Stanton pant and it's one my favorites. I love the vintage look it has and you know everyone wants that I've-had-it-forever look.

The Bowery cotton twill pant is for those of you that need to wear something to work then maybe a happy hour spot afterwards. It exudes confidence when you step into an office meeting, and then relax the shirt and tie and "boom!" your the guy everyone wants to hang with.

This little wrinkle fest of a pant is the broken-in chino it's faded and frayed deliberately for a rough-around-the-edges look. Perfect for weekend afternoons running errands and things of that nature.

Okay I need to show this one, it's the Essex pant. This pant is the most versatile pant out there. You can wear it at work and beyond, just roll them up after you clock out and you'll be good to go. It's crazy comfortable and amazingly soft.

Okay! That about does it here at CQ360. I really hope some of you guys learned a little something about diversity in your pant game. Ladies, I know I left you out of this one so I'll leave you with a fashion show to watch. How about that!? This is Byblos spring/summer 2011 collection. Enjoy!

My Fashion Word-Em'-Up: Fashion is so excruciating ugly that designers have to alter it every 6 months.