For the Boys: Flight of the Conchords Style

One of my favorite television shows is HBO's Flight of the Conchords. While the show is hysterically funny with its quirky musical comedy, I love the two main characters' sartorial style.

Jemaine Clement sports a pair of retro 70's style pork chop sideburns and dark-framed eyeglasses. Bret McKenzie has a slightly more hipstery style and often wears sweatshirts with silkscreened animals on them. (Very reminiscent of Stella McCartney for Chloe's Wild Horses show!) Overall, they sport a type of effortless "geek chic" that I find charming. Here are some examples.

Boys, try a take on "geek meets hipster chic" with the outfit below.

Levi's Capital E Skinner Jeans $165

Converse Men's All-Stars Black $44.99

Dolce & Gabbana Men's Plastic Eyeglass Frames $189.95

Autumn Cashmere Breakdance Sweater $185

Picture source Picture source

Milan Fashion Week Spring 2008

Men's Fashion Week is in full swing in Milan this week. As I was perusing the shows on Style.com, I found that a lot of the styles seemed over the top and not clothes my male friends or husband would wear. Many things were almost comical! I would rate Alexander McQueen's designs among my least favorite. And since I know you're all busy people, I'll tell you why in three words:

Man-pris?

LEGGINGS?!

Polka-dots??

While the collection was rather dark for Spring, Prada's Spring 2008 offerings were my favorite. Again, here's why in three words:

Understated.

Chic.

Whimsical.

Check out a slide show of the worst of the worst from Milan here.

For the Boys: Summer Footwear

Men face a daunting conundrum every year when the weather gets warmer: What are appropriate summer shoes for men? When I first started to get together some ideas for this post, my plan was to achieve the impossible. I was going to find sandals for men (aka "mandals") that were not completely heinous. Like unicorns and leprechauns, stylish mandals do not exist. All of my findings fell into three categories: men's shoes that look like very large women's shoes, overly sporty and absolutely ridiculous. While men should avoid the mandal, in my opinion, flip flops and canvas sneakers are a great summer option.

But before a man puts on a flip flop, he should make sure his feet look presentable. By doing a quick scan of men's feet on this warm Spring day in New York City, I realized that most men's feet could use some grooming. This does not mean that men need to get pedicures in salons. There are some simple things that can be done at home to improve the condition of their feet. Using a pumice stone and foot scrub once a week will soften cracked heels and get rid of dry skin. Keeping toenails short and clean with the help of a good manicure set will also make your feet flip-flop ready.

Once a man's feet are well groomed, it's time to put on the flip-flops. Here are some of my favorites.

Banana Republic Leather Thong $68

JCrew Madras Thong $24.50

Ferragamo Leather Thong $250


And for those casual summer nights where you don't want to wear a flip flop...
Converse Slip-On Sneaker $95