What do you Black Fox gentleman think? Would you rock this $99 striped cotton jacket from H&M? I’m curious to hear how many of you wouldn’t be afraid to wear it out. If you’re interested, we’ll show you exactly how you could wear something this bold and have it look awesome. But first, answer our poll below:

“I’m not into fashion, but I like design. I wear the same shoes every day. These same pants. I’ve been wearing this Supreme hat for a month.” – Tyler, The Creator

This, my friends, is the definition of style right now. Style used to mean following a set of trends or rules that a very small number of people set out for you to follow. Now style is whatever it means for you. Now Tyler, The Creator can wear the same shoes and the same pants and the same Supreme hat everyday for a month and be in GQ’s style bible issue. That’s awesome. I hope that you’re beginning to see the sense of freedom that comes along with style today. It isn’t complicated, it isn’t expensive, all it is is you refined.

Understanding who you are and what you’re trying to say will open up the world of style in your life.

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Have a great & safe weekend. Do something inspiring. Take a risk and watch it pay off. Be a man of Black Fox Style. See you all Monday.

The Details:

• Price: Customized- $115 | Standard- $70
• Color: Customizable to your preference
• Style: Lightweight, cushioned running shoe
• History: Originally created in 1972- touted as Bill Bowerman’s first masterpiece- it’s back 40 years later with completely customizable features. From the tongue color to the lining color, this shoe is 100% up to you.
• Material: Nylon/Suede or allover Suede
• Cool Feature: Change the image on the tongue to be one of 16 different country flags, club flag or original nike logo. Also you can tag the back with whatever you’d like them to say.
• To Wear With: Anything. Wear to the gym or keep them clean and wear them for a night out. The options are endless.

You can buy your customized pair from Nike, or pick up a standard pair from Nordstrom or Foot Locker

Building up an impressive wardrobe consists of understanding two basic principles: 1. Invest in quality, timeless staples. 2.Splurge (or not) on trend items that may come or go. We want to begin to help you understand the difference between staples to invest in vs. a trend item to splurge on, so we’re going to begin to highlight some items that are totally worth the money, versus those trends worth skipping. Too often you buy things because they’re in front of you and it feels good right now, but if you plan things out, do some research (like reading Black Fox on a daily basis), you can end up with a really amazing closet full of clothes that you know, without hesitation, look good.

Let’s start with one of our favorite staples that every man needs in his wardrobe: the weekend bag. Or the duffel bag- call it whatever feels right to you.

I think that the reasons every man needs a great, leather weekend bag are pretty self explanatory, but if not, here are some main reasons:

1. When you upgrade your wardrobe, you need to upgrade your packaging. The last thing your wardrobe deserves is to be thrown into a ragged, old gym bag. It’s offensive, honestly.
2. As a man of Black Fox Style, you need to be ready for an adventure at any given moment. Having a great weekend bag means you know that you’re ready to go whenever life calls.
3. Travel in style- always. You never know who you’ll meet while traveling, and making a lasting impression is crucial. You could meet the love of your life or your next business partner while walking through the airport. Look as sharp as you feel as you walk through the terminal with pride, knowing your weekend bag is speaking volumes about you.
4. Investing in one made of real, quality leather means you won’t have to replace it anytime soon. If you play your cards right, your bag will probably even last you a lifetime. Look for a leather bag in a color like cognac (pictured above and below) or black leather. Make sure it’s big enough for 2-3 days of clothes and basic toiletries.

Now that you understand why you need one, here’s our favorite:

Mulberry- Clipper Leather Holdall

Details:

• Price: $1,750
• Color: Brown
• Size: Width: 20″ | Height: 11″ | Depth: 10″ | Handle Length: 6″
• Details: 100% leather | Metal elements engraved with logo | cloth stage bag, padlock and keys included
• Where to buy: Mr. Porter

One of our favorite trends for Spring/Summer 2012 is cuffing your pants. It’s a great way to change up your standard look and show off your favorite pair of patterned socks. You know how we are here, we like anything that pushes you beyond what you consider to be normal and into the realm of what you consider to be daring. Try something new. Anyways, there are no rules to cuffing, but typically you’ll want to do about a 1/2-1″ cuff, but do what feels good to you. Here are four of our favorite ways that we’re seeing cuffing being done right now:

This look has been done for generations with preppy men around the world, but translate this to your favorite pair of khakis or chinos, throw on your favorite loafers or kicks and be out the door. You can wear this with a tee-shirt or with a button down, tie and jacket.

Like we just mentioned, this is major in suiting right now. Have your tailor sew the cuff up so that it’s permanently there and you won’t have to worry about it sitting well on top of your shoe.

Give your socks a little time to shine.

We always have to give you an option to take a risk, so if you’re willing, have your tailor sew in a pattern or a varying fabric into the cuff. This way, when you turn it up, you have a whole second story to tell.

What do you think about the cuff trend? Are you willing to give it a try?

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Last night we were lucky enough to spend the evening with Details Magazine & Versace at their Tyson’s Corner Spring menswear party. They had drinks, great food, a great crowd and a lot of amazing fashion. They definitely set out to change what people think of when they think of Versace. No longer are you allowed to just think of Johnny Versace and the bright lights and patterns that they’re so famously known for, last night they let everyone know that their Spring stuff is cool enough for even a conservative crowd like DC to fall in love with. Here are some of our favorite trends that we saw from them for Spring:

A great gray suit is obviously something every man should possess, but this double vented, box cut suit was absolutely clutch. It felt very European and forward without being over the top.

This was my favorite look of the night. Any man willing to switch out his cheap khaki’s for a pair of relaxed chinos and a crop, asymmetrical sweater will forever be a style icon in our book. If you aren’t feeling your inner jesus, skip the sandals and instead pair this look with a loafer.  Come on, have some fun this Spring.

Details magazine let everyone know that Spring is all about upgrading your staples- which we highly agree with. Investing in basics like this cotton sports coat are a great idea. You could wear this to most events this Spring/Summer, and purchasing it in a standard gray is a great strategy for making sure your clothes never go out of style. This was a great look.

Details is also majorly into loafers right now. They said no man should be wearing lace ups this Spring when he could be wearing a beautiful loafer. If you’re in the market for a loafer, most definitely hit up Versace- their selection is on point.

I absolutely loved this pairing- the navy (slight pinstripe) suit with these gorgeous black leather and suede oxfords. Gorgeous.

This leather jacket was insane. Navy blue bomber with perforated leather. It was a little bit top gun and a little bit Michael Jackson. It’s all about upgrading your basics, and this was awesome.

Overall, it was a great night and a great event and we so appreciated the invitation. Thanks, Details!

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Denim Jackets have forever been one of our favorite staples in the male wardrobe. There’s a couple reasons for this. 1. The longer you have yours, the more awesome it becomes. Made popular by Levi’s around 1900, this trend has clearly stood the test of time. It’s not going anywhere. If anything, it only continues to get more awesome. 2. There are endless ways to wear yours. After being inspired by one of our favorite online blogs, Mr. Porter’s ‘The Journal’, recent post about denim, we wanted to show you our favorite ways that you can pair yours. If you have one sitting in the back of your closet, bring it out, it’s time for it to make its rotations in your Spring presentations.

Kanye West might actually be the biggest denim jacket fan of any male star out there. We love how casual him and Mr. Beckham rock theirs as they go about their daily lives. You’ll notice that they never sacrificed style for comfort- both still look like they are wearing very intentional outfits.

We’re fans of most things when layered, and it’s no exception with your denim jacket. Put it on top as your third piece and you’re out the door.

Denim jackets will always add an element of casual, but it never takes away from the original intention of the look. We’re so into it being paired with suit pants and a tie.

Wear your denim jacket as a stand alone piece over a tee shirt but buttoned all the way to the top. It almost becomes a second shirt.

In both of these examples, the wearer wore theirs underneath their other jacket as another layering piece. Adding that extra texture of denim into your look makes it infinitely more interesting.

Denim is awesome in the sense that there are endless washes and rinses to choose from. If you want to do something awesome and make a statement, you most definitely can do it with a denim jacket. Look for something unique, or make your own by picking up a standard denim jacket and messing it up with bleach yourself. There are no rules when it comes to denim- it’s entirely your game to play.

Here are some places to buy denim jackets:

• Mr. Porter
• Ssense
• Levi’s

If you aren’t sure if this is something you want to invest a chunk of money into, stop by your local thrift store and pick out a jacket with a rinse that you like and then take it to your tailor to have it custom fit to you. This is an easy way to save a lot of money and find something you really love.

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The Details:

• Color: White/Grey
• Style: High Tops
• Toe Style: Round w/ Perforation
• Material: Leather upper, thick rubber sole- 1″ platform
• Created in: Italy
• Price: A cool $795
• Where to buy: Ssense

Sometimes you have to look back to look forward.