In pursuit of finer things, men finding fashion
NEW YORK – Don’t be fooled by the old “my girlfriend bought me this” line.
Fashion insiders say men are taking a keen interest in how they dress – and that means developing their own shopping habits. The biggest difference in how they shop for clothes? Probably research – and purpose.
A Saturday at the shopping mall is not a highlight on most men’s calendars, says Tyler Thoreson, head of Gilt Groupe’s menswear editorial and creative divisions. Even when they’re shopping online, they’re not surfing many websites or coming back to them day after day, he says, but when they find something they like, they are passionate and potentially more loyal than women.
Call shopping “entertainment” and they’re not buying it, but describing it as a “hobby” is something else, he says.
Men can “geek out” when it comes to construction and even minutia of a garment. “I’m not just talking about a ‘ fashion guy.’ For many men, your wardrobe is part of your program of discernment. They’ll learn about it like a car or a wine or a watch,” Thoreson says. “Guys can be busting each other’s chops in one breath and talking about soft construction on the shoulder of a suit in the next. They love construction, specs. It’s about what’s under the hood.”
You now see men dressing for the life they want to lead and image they want to project, agrees Eric Jennings, vice president and fashion director of menswear for Saks Fifth Avenue. Shopping and, even worse, trying things on are necessary evils to get there.
They go to stores on a mission and like to get it accom- plished, he says. They’ll come in knowing exactly what they want and will buy in multiples. But, he adds, the modern customer is buying a broader range of products and sees a value in having knowledge about them.
Paul Grangaard, CEO of shoe brand Allen Edmonds, says when it comes to fashion, men are hunters and women are gatherers. Different methods, different mentalities, but both can end up with full closets, he says.
“Shopping is not a man’s favorite when it’s about waiting for women. It’s not a leisure activity. Shopping for their own clothing isn’t their favorite place, either, but there is a renaissance – it’s small but steady – as men are interested in an upgrade,” Jennings says. “Coming out of the recession, they know they have to take appearance more seriously. It can be that thing for a new job or a promotion.”
And, he adds, if they’re dressing well during the week, it’s likely to become a habit on weekends.
“Men travel in herds, and when it’s OK in your friendship group to care about how you look on the weekends, it spreads pretty quickly,” observes Grangaard. “Since the recession of 2008, you’re always networking. Men dress better for midweek coffees and lunches and on weekends because you never know who you’ll run into where. You always want to look secure, stable and reliable.”
It’s hard to do that in beat- up jeans and running shoes.
Out- of- town
Jonathan Wade Orsborn and Sarah Sweatt, of Little Rock, twin daughters, Claire Elaine and Etta Jane, March 28 at UAMS. Grandparents are John Albert and Deby Sweatt, of Hot Springs, Deborah Sweatt, of Fayetteville, and Dave and Sandy Orsborn, of Denver.
Thoreson says he looks around midtown Manhattan and quite literally sees the change. You see men – creative types and hipsters, not just bankers, he stresses – voluntarily wearing ties. On Gilt’s upscale Park & Bond website, for example, neckwear sales increased 33 percent in 2011 over the previous year. “They’re wearing ties because they want to, not because they have to.”
Other booming items are pocket squares, Converse sneakers, tie bars and rope bracelets.
Suiting was the overall bestseller on Gilt for men in the second quarter of the current fiscal year, Thoreson says, and 85 percent of its customers were doing their own shopping. ( They’ll still leave cuff links and sweaters to
S t a t i s t i c s a daughter, Ta` Nae Lashay, April 16.
Roman and Tamara Miller– Morales, Glenwood, a son, Joseph, April 16.
Shavarski Bracy, Hot Springs, a daughter, Khaylie, April 17.
Richard and Kandi Ellars, Hot Springs, a daughter, Sophia Marie, April 17.
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Jerry and Ashley Donaldson Jr., Hot Springs, a son, Jacob Lenn, April 23.
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Krayton and Tiffany Ederington, Hot Springs, a son, Kaden Kyle, April 24.
Leon Daniels and Gina Harrison, Hot Springs, a son, Karsen Onterio, April 24. Miss.
Curtis B. Jelinck, 34, and Angela D. Boughamer, 30, both of Hot Springs.
Rodger Moorman Bates, 31, and Stacy L. Hicks, 37, both of Mount Ida.
Charles Leon Thurman, 48, and Teresa Renee Weeks, 46, both of Royal.
April 23
Kevin Christopher Wilson, 35, and Kelly Anne Charlie, 31, both of Bethel, Alaska.
Charles Elvis Vandell, 36, and Rechelle Marie Decker, 27, both of Hot Springs.
Lesley Paul Cook, 59, and Melinda Sue Smith, 45, both of Hot Springs.
Daniel Shelton Jr., 61, and Cotina A. York, 39, both of Hamburg.
Ernest L. Smith, 51, of Branson, Mo., and Melanie States Pritchett, 50, of Malvern.
Spencer Chadwick Bailey, 20, and Rachel Leah Hadidon, 20, both of North Little Rock.
David A. Gates, 29, and Sara Paulette Box, 20, both of Bismarck.
Terry Kevin Hoskins, 55, of Desoto, Ill., and Shaun Marie Incardona, 58, of Allen, Texas.
Shane A. Harding, 27, and Kirstyn D. Stapleton, 22, both of Royal.
April 24
Lloyd Dewight Jackson, 32, and Veronica L. Cousette, 30, both of Hot Springs.
Jacob Williams, 34, and Elizabeth Catherine Davis, 30, both of Houston, Texas.
Bruce L. Zorn, 62, and Paula Z. Schreck, 67, both of Hot Springs Village.
Michael Rogers, 25, and Tiffany Dawn Caldwell, 21, both of Mountain Pine.
Bruce Wayne Hurley, 45, and Corol Morris, 51, both of Russellville.
Larry Tapper Volk, 33, and Amanda Lee Cole, 36, both of Hot Springs.
Joshua J. Chapman, 34, and Katherine Leigh Chapman, 28, both of Hot Springs.
April 25
Joshua Royce Newman, 18, of Billings, Mo., and Leah Renee Waller, 18, of Royal.
Jeffrey Dean Littlepage Jr., 23, and Meghan Michelle Hamilton, 25, both of Hot Springs.
Aaron Lamont Arndt, 31, and Crystal Lynn Curtis, 35, both of Hot Springs.
Ronald Joseph Christie, 45, of Little Elm, Texas, and Kimberly Dawn Tennyson, 33, of Mesquite, Texas. the women in their lives to buy. They’re just not as exciting, he says.)
Suits are selling better with unexpected customers, from DJS to hoteliers, notes Saks’ Jennings, but they’re not necessarily wearing them every day. It might be a suit one or two days a week, a sportcoat another and dressedup denim the other days at the office, he describes. “Men just have more options. It used to be that you were a suit guy or a business casual guy in khakis and a polo, or jeans and a T- shirt. Those days are over.”
Back to that pack mentality, Jennings says he notices groups of friends and colleagues often dress in similar styles. Many men don’t want to ask for style
Jennifer V. Grantham vs. Shayen D. Grantham.
Sean Allen Crosby vs. Callie Crosby.
Curtis M. Weatherford vs. Barbie Weatherford.
April 20
Marisa Elaine Wilkerson vs. David Duane Wilkerson.
Stephanie Fulgate vs. Donnie Fulgate.
April 23
Chase A. Odle vs. Rebecca D. Odle.
Linda Diann Beckman vs. Shon M. Dearmon.
Louise Lowe vs. Calvin Charles Lowe.
April 24
Julie C. Comer vs. Raymond L. Comer. Sally Leake vs. Robert Leake. Maria Esqueda vs. Jairo Esqueda.
April 25
Dominika Rodriquez vs. Mark Rodriquez.
Anthony Callahan vs. Roslyn Callahan.
April 26
Michael J. Carpenter vs. Amy C. Carpenter.
April 20
St. Vincent Health Systems vs. Paul D. Harper.
Onewest Bank vs. tenants of 321 Little Hood Trail in Pearcy, et al.
April 23
Ruth Henry and Susan Henry vs. Gheorghe Pindaru, et al.
Capital One Bank vs. Jeffrey S. Frye.
David Holcomb, et al vs. Verizon Wireless Services LLC, et al.
April 24
HSBC Bank USA, National Association vs. tenants of 100 Douglas Drive, et al.
Cavalry SPV I, et al vs. Ralph A. Dodd.
Matthew Ware vs. ex parte.
April 12
Girbaud Michael Ward, residential burglary, second- degree battery.
April 16
Garrett Emory Kikto, residential burglary, six counts.
Jason Taylor Brown, possession of counterfeit substance, cocaine.
April 23
Travis Allen Blount Jr., failure to appear.
Casey Lee Couch, second- degree forgery.
Andrew James Davis, second- degree battery, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, driving while intoxicated, third offense, refusal to advice from wives, friends or salespeople – the way they don’t like to ask for directions – and even compliments are few and far between, but, he says, they more easily ask peers, “Who makes that suit?” or “Where did you get that?”
Fashion might even start to appeal to a man’s sense of friendly competition, Thoreson says with a laugh. “You want to know more than the guy next to you. The guys who were obsessing over types of denim a few years ago are now obsessing over Neapolitan tailoring. ... Now you hear guys talk about this stuff. There’s no fear and all enthusiasm, and there can be some one- upmanship of dropping the lingo and that’s part of the fun.” submit.
Gregory Lee Everett, unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate certain crimes, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia.
James Adam Garrett, residential burglary, breaking or entering, four counts.
Jeremy Ryan Hemple, possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamines, possession of a controlled substance, morphine, possession of drug paraphernalia.
Larry Thomas Johnson, failure to appear, habitual offender.
V. Martha Pyl, possession of a controlled substance, morphine.
Jennie Katheren Ragsdale, obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.
Jerry Don Smith Jr., manufacturing a controlled substance, marijuana, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, methadone, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, marijuana, maintaining a drug premises, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, cocaine.
Danny Joe Summerhill, DWI, fifth offense.
Anthony Jerome Thomas, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, cocaine, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, marijuana.
April 25
Sunnie M. James, DWI, second offense, appeal from Garland County District Court.
April 23
Kimberle S. Straub, 120 Gene Bell Cove, Hot Springs, Chapter 7.
April 24
David James Butt Sr. and Beverly Ann Butt, 865 Point Cedar Road, Pearcy, Chapter 13.
April 25
Tamara M. Taylor, 11 Lorca Way, Hot Springs Village, Chapter 7.
Dawnyell Melissa Jones, aka Dawnyell Cook, 1205 Lincoln St., Malvern, Chapter 7.
April 26
Robert Leroy Davis and Velma Evalina Davis, 158 Mayflower St., Hot Springs, Chapter 13.
Melissa J. Norton, 309 Vista Ave., Hot Springs, Chapter 13.
Marvell Colton, 219 Jackson St., Hot Springs, Chapter 7.