10 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MENSWEAR

Since beginning my internship, have been fortunate enough to work with a few of Zapwater’s fashion clients. TheTieBar.com and Haberdash have definitely kept me busy during the past few months. They are both very successful brands that I absolutely love working with. Since working with these amazing brands I have learned so much more about fit, style and variety in menswear than I ever thought I would learn in a three months. Because I love working with these brands so much I decided to compile a list of the 10 things that I love most about menswear (in no particular order). 1. Bow Ties: TheTieBar.com named 2011 “The Year of The Bow Tie” and the trend has continued to flourish in the last few months. To put it lightly bow ties are a cute and quirky accent to a formal or casual outfit.

2. Patterns: Gingham? Madras? Seersucker? These terms used to be foreign to me, but after seeing these amazing patterns plastered on men’s ties and shirts I have definitely become a fan.

3. Tailoring: Nothing makes a suit look better than expert tailoring.

4. Wingtip shoes: Dress them up or down. These shoes have become very popular and it’s easy to see why. These shoes turn any outfit from drab to fab.

5. Trench coats for guys: Do spring in style with a light and fashionable trench coat.

6. Cool accessories: Trendy bags, iPad cases and ink pens worthy of calligraphy are among the several accessories available at Haberdash EDC. One of my favorites is the handmade leather iPad cases from Kenton Sorenson.

7. Tie Bars: Shows like Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire have brought back an era of more sophisticated dressing for men. With that, comes the simple sophistication of the tie bar adding a pop of color or class to a plain outfit or tie.

8. Pocket squares: One more way to add a dash of color to any outfit for spring.

9. Hats: Bowler. Fedora. Newsboy. Learning the differences between these styles has been informative and fun. Each one has its place as a key accessory for the guy daring enough to don a hat.

10. Hot Shaves: This isn’t exactly a part of menswear but it is certainly important. Being well groomed tops off any look with class and sophistication. Haberdash EDC recently introduced hot shaves in their store every Saturday, and at only $15 guys can afford to be stylish and well groomed.

I absolutely love working with the lifestyle clients at Zapwater. I can’t wait to see what other things I have to learn about the industry.

Camille Smith Intern