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Jazzed.....New Orleans, Louisiana

2013-05-15T23:16:00.000-04:00

This outfit is kinda bold for me but I figured why not, since I was at NoLa Jazz Fest. Took me a while to figure out where to wear this Borsalino hat because it's such a special number. Paired the fedora with a plaid blazers and silk scarves because those are my favorite things to wear. This particular jacket is by Tommy Hilfiger (cargo pants too), my tank is from a discount store and is probably like 99 cent, suspenders and scarf are from a vintage store (btw that's the best place to get accessories). The watch is Brera and shoes are Converse.

TIPS:

When putting an outfit together, mix high and low brands because it gives the look character.
Pair vintage and new pieces to give the look balance.
Try not to wear one brand from head to toe because it usually reads as boring, lazy and is normally pretty obvious.

Remember, fashion is about experimenting but also staying with your boundaries.

Shot by Karen Blanchard at Jazz Fest

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Lookbook | Urban Outfitters Summer 2013

2013-05-15T16:41:00.003-04:00

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Street Gents | Aussie Vs American

2013-05-15T01:15:00.003-04:00

Sydney....Aussie

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New Orleans...American

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Let's compare and contrast, so which look do you favor and why?

Street Gents | Red,White,Blue...Jazz Fest, New Orleans

2013-05-14T12:53:00.002-04:00

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Street Gents | David Torcasso of L'Officiel Hommes Germany in Australia

2013-05-13T20:24:00.000-04:00

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Lou's Pick...Boater Up

2013-05-12T23:24:00.002-04:00

For some the boater hat is known as basher, skimmer, cady, katie, somer, sennit hat, or in Japan, can-can hat. Whatever you call it, this stiff flat crown with a striped grosgrain and brim is all you'll need this summer. In the late 19th and early 20th century this headgear was used for boating or sailing, hence the name. Nowadays, not so much, but still a great way to get an old school look. There was a time when all men wore hats outdoors. "Straw Hat Day", was when gents switched from wearing winter to summer hats. This day, pretty much marked the unofficial beginning of summer. Naturally, the boater made an appearance and now that I think of it wouldn't mind if that concept made a comeback.

I like the idea of dressing down the Boater because its typically known for being a formal hat. In my Louisiana Lou post I wore it with causal overalls and chucks and the gent in the last photo pairs the hat with a white tee and striped shorts. Clearly, dressing down the boater is cool because you'll add an unexpected twist to a menswear classic. Boater Up!

Great Gatsby...Tiffany & Co 5th Avenue

2013-05-09T21:20:00.002-04:00

Tonight is the eve of highly anticipated film The Great Gatsby. So I put together an outfit inspired by the movie trailers and styling I've seen in magazines. Gatsby takes place during the roaring twenties, a time of jazz music, flapper culture, bootlegging an other activities I won't mention. But the era is especially known for it's elegance and style. So I asked photographer Benjamin Rosser to snap my style interpretation of Gatsby at the Tiffany & Co store on 5th Avenue.

In the photo set, I'm wearing a plaid jacket by Mr. Brown by Duckie Brown for Rothmans, a white waistcoat, slim trousers, a pair of Paul Smith shoes, a white french cuff made-to -measure shirt, a rose gold watch and a micro check tan tie.

Enjoy the film and your weekend.

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Street Gents | At the Airport...Sydney, Australia

2013-05-09T06:57:00.000-04:00

Without a doubt, this was my first time shooting a subject at the airport. Pretty exciting. Only having a few seconds with the gent made me shoot quickly since we were boarding the plane and heading to the Armidale farm. I took advantage of the photo opportunity because it's not too often I'm shooting street at the airport.

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Surf...Bondi Beach, Sydney

2013-05-08T22:09:00.000-04:00

Louisiana Lou....Jazz Fest, New Orleans

2013-05-07T23:15:00.001-04:00

This outfit came together by accident. I was on a mission for a boater hat and finally found one at the West Village Goorin Brothers shop. But of course they didn't have my size at that shop. Turned out the Park Slope location did, so I trooped there and snatched up the last size medium. Across the street, I noticed a little vintage store. Upon entering, I immediately saw the Pointer Brand overalls but the shop owner mention they might be too small for me. Out of curiosity, I gave the striped overalls a shot and glad I did because they fit like a glove. I lie, a little baggy in the leg but I gotta guy that can fix that problem. Paired them with double tank tops instead of a t-shirt because I knew it would get hot at Jazz Fest. I originally had on loafers but some of my followers on Instagram told me the Fest was still kinda muddy because of rain last weekend. So, that's how the Converse chucks came into play. I'd rather mess up those then my leather loafers. My Brera watch and Doori bracelet don't change often so you'll probably see them in a lot of my shots.

Any thoughts of this look? How would you styled this?

-Dapper

Images of me shot by Karen Blanchard

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New Orleans Jazz Fest (Part 1)

2013-05-06T12:54:00.002-04:00

These past couple of weeks have been a style overload for me. First, the Australia adventure (which btw I still have loads of unpublished images to release) and now the New Orleans Jazz Fest. Attending this festival was totally random because a few friends told me they were going and so I hopped on the bandwagon (seem like spontaneity is the key to a good time) This year, I didn't get the chance to visit Coahella or SxSw music festivals because of my terrible planning. So, Jazz Fest was the perfect opportunity to catch up on festival street style and atmosphere. Not to mention, the Fest isn't super commercialized in the fashion world but as you can see so much style and culture was present. I consider the New Orleans Jazz Fest a hidden gem for style enthusiasts.

All jokes aside, it was hard for me to decide what was better: the food, the fashion, or the festival music. Each aspect worked harmoniously making my weekend beyond awesome. From what I hear it was raining in NoLa last week so almost everyone wore rain boots because of the mud. Nice to see the locals embrace the unusual weather stylishly. Well done!

Overall, the Fest is a place to get exposed to all types of music. Old friends reconnected and new friendships began. Families bonded and couples held hands. Yes, these past 2 days has been nothing short of soaking up the sun in an open field and tasting some of the best food the city of NoLa has to offer. Folks, look out for part two of this Jazzy photo series because the party ain't over yet.

Any outfits or shots that stand out to you? What do you like and dislike?

-Dapper

Eye Patch...Royal Hall of Industries, Sydney, Australia

2013-05-03T16:06:00.000-04:00

Blue Man Group...Royal Hall of Industries, Sydney, Australia

2013-05-02T22:33:00.001-04:00

Backstage at Zegna Fall 2013...Sydney, Australia (Part 1)

2013-04-30T14:32:00.000-04:00

Believe it or not but the Zegna Fall 2013 fashion show in Australia was my first time shooting backstage. Honestly, I thought I'd done it before but quickly realized I have no backstage footage. I'm a huge fan of behind the scene footage and sometimes I like it more then the actually runway show. You be wondering why? Well, I guess it's because everything is so spontaneous. Models make funny faces and show their personality. Everything just seems more authentic and you really never know what's going to happen next. No two back stage shows are the same. When the models are coming down the runway all you see is clothes and the boy are simply hangers, but backstage I see people. The boys are laughing, arguing, conversing and ultimately get handsome for the press! I'm looking forward to shooting more backstage at fashion shows. I dig it.

Street Gents | Fabrizio Servente of Wool.com

2013-04-29T16:28:00.002-04:00

Hugo Boss x Dapper Lou (Part 1)

2013-04-26T22:51:00.000-04:00

I was commissioned by Hugo Boss for this super cool project. The mission was to take city pictures around the New York City (kinda like a tour guide of my favorite things to do and see). As you know, I shoot gals and gents on the street, but this project was not about clothes more about city shots and impressions. I got to see the city thought a different light. It's easy to get jaded since I grew up in Brooklyn and sometime feel like I've seen it all, but the Hugo Boss collaboration made me realize that the city is forever changing and there is so much to discover. I know it sounds cheesy but I got the chance to slowly explore a city that is so fast paced and always on the go. I love you New York.

Check out my more images and my city tips here!

Have a great weekend.

-Dapper

Farm & Fashion...Armidale, Australia

2013-04-25T19:45:00.002-04:00

It's not too often that fashion takes me to Sydney, Australia. Naturally, you would expect fashion capitals cities like London, New York, Paris and Milan. So this visual voyage to the land down under was truly an eye opening experience. My role in this three day journey was to document the genesis of the suit making process which starts on a farm in New South Wales. When a little lamb is born his natural resources will produce some of the world's most prestigious fabrics. The other portion of the trip was to see the wool in action with a special Zegna Fall 2013 fashion show and 50th anniversary of the Wool award at the Royal Hall of Industries. In a nutshell, we saw the farm's way and the runway. The Zegna teams and the wool industry gave us a behind the scene look at the unbreakable bond of marriage between farm and fashion.

The media team and I woke up at the crack of dawn to visit the farm in Airdale, located one hour south of Sydney. Voyaging on an imitate aircraft overseeing the landscape views from Sydney to farms of New South Wales . Clearly, the words astonishing and breathtaking made a visual collaboration to say the least. Fresh air, cool waters, and a bright bold sun was what my eyes could see from my seat in the sky. The moment we landed we were on the road driving to Wilson Creek Farm. Motorcycle and truck drives sped through the rural area. No traffic,no need to slow down. While snapping away, I started noticing sheeps appear through my lens, a clear indication that we've arrived. Our greeting was no other then "baa." Then the wool breeders and shearers gave us a detailed tour of their role in the wool industry. Honestly, the wool production was a lot of information to process but visually everything made sense. Watching sheep shearing alongside styling gents in plaid wool suits was surreal. Something out of a menswear movie. Fashion and Farm walking side by side in a codependent relationship. Seeing the Zegna family and Farm family unite made me realize this experience was beyond clothes. This is a way of life, I mean one family happens to be an über luxe fashion brand but you get the point. Seeing the whole family participate in the wool production strengthen my appreciation for the fiber. The material has to be sent from the land down below to America, which explains the cost of a Zegna suit. So supporting the wool industry essentially means not using alternative fabrics so wool breeders don't have to use their property for alternative use. We wouldn't want to hinder this unique partnership.

The shots that I am in are by Filippo Fiora

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Grace is Borrowing from the Boys...Sydney, Australia

2013-04-22T21:09:00.001-04:00

I'm really digging her Aussie style. Grace can borrow from the boys anytime.

Street Gents | Hussain Niazi of Ermenegildo Zegna...Sydney,Australia

2013-04-21T15:05:00.002-04:00

If you follow my Instagram account then you probably realized I'm currently in Sydney,Australia . What brings me to the land down under? Well, I'm working on a quite elaborate project with Zegna for the 50th Edition of the Ermenegildo Zegna Wool Awards. I left New York on Friday the 19th and arrived here in Sydney on the 21th. Apparently you lose a day, but the actual flying time was 22 hours. Yes, they don't called Australia the land down under for no reason. Anyways, after I checked into the hotel (which by the way Zegna took over) I went for a quick lunch and boat tour around Sydney with over 150 international press here for the events. Almost every publication you can possibly think of was present. So far I met editors and journalist from L'Officiel Hommes Germany, Hercules Magazine in Spain, Sharp Magazine Canada , GQ Russia, Condé Nast Traveller India and the list goes on. In next couple of days, I'll have some images from the boat tour and Sydney street street so look out for that.

After doing some sightseeing, my fellow menswear blogger Isaac Likes and I when to the new Zegna flagship store in Westfield, Sydney for a suit fitting. We have to look sharp for the fashion show in a few days. While Isaac was getting his suit altered, I took the opportunity to shoot Hussain, a salesman at the store, since he looked rather dashing in his suit. I fancy Hussain's pairing of the navy pinstripe suit, white and black polka dot pocket square and the french cuff shirt. Any thoughts on his Aussie style?

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Street Gents | Playing Chess....Union Square

2013-04-18T09:45:00.000-04:00

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Street Gents | Skater...14th Street

2013-04-16T08:35:00.001-04:00

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5 Years On The Bowery

2013-04-11T13:54:00.003-04:00

Last night I was invited to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the John Varvatos store on Bowery. Funny thing is, I actually remember the store opening, so time really does fly. John Varvatos hosted the Rock & Roll themed event with performances by Vintage Trouble Gary Clark Jr. Honestly, this was my introduction to these talents, but I was thrilled to hear them live because they rock(no pun intended). Although I did see images from the Gary Clark Jr. and Varvatos campaign in the store window in SoHo. For quite a while now Varvatos has been using musicians in his campaigns. One of my favorites was Fall 2011 when he teamed up with The Roots.

Without a doubt, the New York crowd stayed faithful to their roots and the roots of the venue (the store was once famed punk platform CBGBs) wearing nothing but black leather motorcycle jackets, denim jeans and converse chucks ( most likely the ones designed by John Varvatos). Ty Tayor from Vintage Trouble stood out in his white suit and shoe ensemble, indeed a strong contrast. Long live the perfect bond between fashion and music.

Little League...Prospect Park, Brooklyn

2013-04-07T15:33:00.000-04:00

Yesterday afternoon I took my bike for a little ride around Brooklyn and we ended up in Prospect Park. While cruising on a somewhat beautiful day, I came across a league of little guys playing baseball. Of course my menswear eyes were drawn to the clothes, guess you can say I have a good eye. Completely different from the baseball term good eye, which means the batter saw the pitch correctly. Trust me, I didn't know that term prior to the game, so lucky Google nice enough to shed some light. Looking at the game from a style perspective was inspiring. The layering, oversize jerseys, Nike cleats and camo shot opened by eyes to how fashion can be found in anything. This is obviously no ground breaking discovery, but nice to think about the correlation occupationally. Thankfully none of the parents yelled for documenting their little ones. Guess that means I don't have a creepy face. Thrilling. Hope you enjoy photo series. Oh, I didn't catch the name of the teams but surely they are regulars at the park.

Lou's Pick | 26 Pieces for Spring

2013-04-02T15:24:00.001-04:00

Despite the weird weather we are having this week, Spring is well on it's way. Yes, time to take off a few layers and prepare for the most anticipated seasons of the year. I've took the liberty to round up 26 essential pieces that will hopefully make this seasons transition go by smoothly. Click to shop!

Stay tune for part deux.

Street Gents | Knicks on Bike

2013-03-29T20:29:00.000-04:00