Cool Clothes for Cool Weather

The leaves are starting to fall, the wind is becoming more brisk, and the days are getting shorter. For many, this is a sign for their least favorite season of year, Winter. But for me, this is my favorite time. This means that I have the liberty of being more creative when it comes to my choices in clothing. Versatility is not luxury for someone like me, it is but a necessity. I live for the mornings when I have to decide between a pea coat and a scarf or a army inspired jacket with a hunter green hoodie.

Since Autumn is upon us I thought I would highlight a couple of my favorite fashion choices for the season. First let's talk about the cardigan sweater.The cardigan was named after James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, a British military commander, following his service in the Crimean War. The cardigan sweater is usually lightweight and can be dressed up or dressed down depending on your personal fashion aspirations of that particular day. Today, to a meeting,I would wear it with some jeans, Steve madden loafers, a nice button up, and tie.

Speaking of ties, lets talk about the bow tie. The bow tie originated among Croatian mercenaries during the Prussian wars of the 17th century: the Croats used a scarf around the neck to hold together the opening of their shirts. This was soon adopted (under the name cravat, derived from the French for "Croat") by the upper classes in France, then a leader in fashion, and flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries. The bow tie gives any outfit a touch of sophistication and class. The bow tie is vintage look that is timeless. Wear a bow tie to the next big event at your school or job and see the response you get; and then couple that with a nice cardigan from Ralph Lauren Purple Label, outstanding!

You can find a cardigan at just about any retail store from Macy's to Banana Republic and the best place to find a bow tie is Jos A. Banks.

Until Next time....-Find your swank. Think insane. Be urbane.


P.S. Here are instructions for tying a bow tie, wearing the clip- on is uncivilized.

The Coolest Cause

The Coolest has partnered with the oldest to make smartest humanitarian cause even better. The Gap's product RED campaign has been a hit ever since it hit the racks. Now Converse has collaborated with recording artist Lupe Fiasco to design the new product RED sneakers. The high top version is rumored to be in at the top of year. It is nice to see that someone from the music industry cares not just about money, women, and cars. Enjoy!


Until next time....-find your swank. Think insane. Be urbane.

Super Cool Cars

If you know me, you know that I'm not really a car guy, but I AM a style guy. And one cannot deny the thin line between style and ingenuity that automobile manufacturers straddle in creating these new concepts for cars that are being released. If you know me, you also know how big of a dreamer that I am, so these cars are strictly for those of us with lofty ambitions.

Mercedes McLaren SLR Roadster 722S



Mercedes have launched the latest iteration of their Mercedes McLaren SLR called the SLR Roadster 722 S. The Mercedes McLaren SLR Roadster 722 S is based on the SLR Roadster but features various performance improvements. The performance has been improved by lowering the suspension ten millimeters and recalibrating the spring and damper rates the engine has also been retuned to boost output to six hundred and fifty horsepower giving it a top speed of over three hundred and fifty kilometers an hour. The car is named the 722 after the Mercedes Benz 300 SLR driven by Stirling Moss and Dennis Jenkinson which won the 1955 Mille Miglia race. Only one hundred and fifty will be made with deliveries commencing next year. It's safe to say that I won't have one....unless this date with Rhianna goes well this weekend! :-(

Maybach Maybach 62S Landaulet

Ever since Hip hop Super Hero Shawn Carter introduced the Maybach to the ears of music in his Kingdom Come album, any and everybody from the affluent minority community has aspired to be seen in the chauffeur driven hotels on wheels. The 2009 version is not a diamond in the rough by any means, but pearl on her neck. Hip hop faithful's are sure to adore the "Belly" inspired white on white on white ensemble. If you look closely at the pictures, you will see the moon, excuse me the Jupiter roof. No more laying the seat back to watch the drive-in movies, just pull up in this yacht and unleash the moon roof and enjoy the show. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I have to have Miss Daisy driving ME in this....TOMORROW!!!!

Until next time...- Find your swank. Think insane. Be urbane.

Its THAT time again...

No. I'm not talking about Thanksgiving, Hanukkah's, Kwanzaa, or Christmas....but the coveted fourth quarter of music. Artists like Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne kept the summer hot and now that the leaves are starting to fall from the trees, the Giants of Hip Hop are awakening from their hibernation.

Last week I talked about the heavily anticipated release of T.I.'s Papertrail. This week lets discuss high climatic release of Kanye West's fourth studio album "808's & Heartbreak." He dramatically unveiled his new single "Love Lockdown" at the MTV Video Music Awards, back by the blaring African drums that would have made Christopher Reeves ( God bless his soul) tap his feet! I recently was watching Ellen (CHANNEL SURFING) and he was a guest on her show and he premiered the video for his new single. It looks as if the Louis Vutton Don was inspired by the movie "American Psycho,"but his hair looks like he's still on that spaceship from the Glow in the Dark Tour. As usual his creativity seems to be unmatched as I was drawn in to actually anticipate the events that were to transpire throughout the video.

Now another artist who is slated to release in the heavy fourth quarter is Kanye's label mate Common. His last two albums have been superb to say the least and I'm very elated to see what kind of music he and super producers,The Neptunes, can conger up. His first video, The Announcement was laid back, yet party inspired. I recently saw his second video, Universal Mind Control. This is definitely left field but, how many of us play baseball anyways?

Now videos are supposed to enhance songs, but in this video, Common EMBARRASSED his acting coach. The song is very upbeat and break dance-esque and he never comes out of his "too cool for school" shell. But don't take my word it, watch it for yourself!

Until Next time..- Find your swank. Think insane. Be urbane.

P.S.A.

Excuse me. Yes, you reading this. Call your pimp/boyfriend/girlfriend/bus-it-baby/baby's mother. Not now, but RIGHT NOW!!!! After you curse them out for not paying child support, tell them that you are going to pick them up ( if you live in Ohio) because you all are going to vote early!

That's right. In Ohio, registered voters can vote early, now through election day, Nov.4. Ohioans can either vote by absentee ballot or at the Hamilton County Board of Elections, located at 824 Broadway. The Board of Elections is open Monday- Friday, 8:30am-4pm through Oct.12; Monday-Friday 8am-8pm from Oct.13- Oct.31; Saturdays 8am-12pm. For more information, visit votehamiltoncounty.org oooorrrrr call 513.632.7000.

Now you may return to your current boring-lazy-underachieving-9-5 working lives. Oh wait, you probably don't have a job. Thanks to good ol' George W.!!!! This public service anouncement was brought to you in part by Wally Vega and the gentlemen from Urbane. Until next time.

Find your swank. Think insane. Be urbane.

Cool Quote of the Week

These are a couple of the verses from Game's new album "L.A.X." He seems to manufacture pain at an uncanny rate. The way he uses colorful, yet ugly metaphors to describe things is amazing, coupled with a deeper meaning...ingenius.


"Letter to the King"

[The Game]
Second floor my hotel im rollin up bout to blaze
And zone out to this Frankie Beverly and Maze
As our days about to pass and them days in the past
He set my mind free so my mind free at last
So much that I don’t even drink from a f**kin glass
Id rather find the first fountain I can and do it fast
Didn’t understand a dream of a king now do the math
Coincidentally on your birthdays I ditched the class
Cuz the younger me, dumber me was chasin the cash
Chasin the ass, low life with his face in the grass
Ridin home from school in front of the bus
Not even thinking bout how Rosa Parks done it for us
How she stayed behind bars and she done it for us
And she stayed behind bars till she won it for us
Sometimes I wanna give up or at least take a break
That’s when I close my eyes and see Coretta Scotts face

Cuz Sometimes I wanna give up or at least take a break
That’s when I close my eyes and see Coretta Scotts face….



The word nigger is nothing like nigga
Don’t sound shit alike like Game like Jigga
One came before the other like aim and pull the trigga
One is slang for my brotha, one is hang and take a picture
The rope aint tight enough, he still alive go fix it
Pour some gasoline on him, call his daughters black bitches
Make him pick cotton, while they momma clean up the kitchen
The same cotton in white tees that’s the cotton they was pickin
If Dr. King marched today would Bill Gates march?
I know Obama would but would Hillary take part?
Great minds think great thoughts
The pictures I paint make the Mona Lisa look like fake art
I feel the pain of Nelson Mandela
Cuz when it rains it pours I need Rihannas umbrella
For Coretta Scotts tear drops
When she got the phone call that the future just took a f**kin head shot

I wonder why Jesse Jackson didn’t catch him before his body dropped
Would he give me the answer? Probably not

In this song, he brings the truth to your face and then slaps you with it. I won't stop feeling the sting from this for quite some time.

Until next time....-Find your swank. Think insane. Be urbane.

Wear These: Cole Haan Oxfords

Ahhhh, the fall, time to put the Sperry Topsiders away gents and pick up some nice Mahogany colored leather, cap-toe lace ups like the ones above. Cole Haan's model is infused with Nike Air technology. Who knew Phil Knight was so style minded? These can go from business to business casual and even casual with the right jeans (Hint: Not Akdemiks!). These also will only set you back $100. Remember, its about investing in things that will last a long time. I will most likely be picking a pair up myself. Its 2008 almost 2009, leave the Stacy Adams Now and Later Gators at Harold Pener's Man of Fashion where they should be. Until next time gents, May the force be with you......
Your main man,
Debonoir

Destiny or Determination??

....."he lived the American Dream with a vengeance."- Scarface

Many people dream, but many people only dream. The people that dream in the daytime are the most dangerous, they act on their visions. Jay-z IS one of those people. Many people admire this man for his style, substance, and songs; but rarely do they know what makes this man who he is. I have revered this man for his work ethic, he always believed in himself and he did not ever let anyone tell him no. I can't be mad at that. If you believe it, it can be true. Your perception is your truth! But you can you endure, until it comes true? Many people can not. Many people take the back road to success. Hard work breeds longevity. No one will ever hand you anything, you have to take it! That's what you SHOULD learn from this video down below. It is the documentary of recording artist Jay-Z's first album "Reasonable Doubt" which is ultimately a documentary of his life. Take an hour and just absorb this video.You people of normality will just watch this video and go on about your day, but you people like me, I'll see you at the top....
Until next time...-Find your swank. Think insane. Be urbane.


P.S.- Look at how he was dressing! He has been a trendsetter for a long time. "I can't teach you my swag. You can pay for school but you can't buy class."




Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt Documentary

Having problems in Applied Calc?? WATCH THIS

LOL......!

Until next time- Find your swank. Think insane. Be urbane.

So UnCool

Look closely at this picture...in the mirror. No, not at me. Look at the guy in the red in the mirror. I'm all for guys trying new things i.e. yoga, Pilate's, even ballet to improve on flexibility, but sheeesh! I would like to have children, many of them. And my scrotum cringes at this photo. LOL, but I was trying so hard to look inconspicuous, but clearly you can see me in mirror gettin my Satoralist on, ha! Have a good weekend! Until next time....-Find your swank. Think insane. Be urbane.

Super Cool Music: Part II

They say that you can tell a man character not by how he acts in moments of triumph, but in moments of anguish. As Clifford "T.I." Harris' life goes, controversy is his best friend. Trials (no pun intended) and tribulations make or break a person. T.I. makes it loud and clear that 'hard takes a day and impossible takes a week' for him. In the midst of his most public hip hop beef known to date and a looming jail sentence on the horizon, that he is not fazed. He is actually enlightened and inspired simultaneously. The self proclaimed "King of the South" dethroned himself on his last effort, T.I. vs T.I.P. While it was an exceptional publicity stunt, the project overall lacked substance. While it consisted of many radio friendly songs, that effort did not exude the heart of a, king, if you will.

Fast forward to autumn 2007, T.I. was arrested the night of the B.E.T. Hip Hop Awards ( coincidence? NO) for possession of illegal firearms...not just any firearms...machine guns....WITH SILENCERS! Oh, and did I mention that he is a 3 time felon? It looked like the King of South had officially been buried. Then he releases "No Matter What,"a song about overcoming any situation that you are faced with. From then on, song after song leaked and successfully continued to sway the audience towards his album.

Then you buy the album and the first song " I'm Illy" leaves your jaw dropped like Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl. He then proceeds to spill his heart song, after, song, after, song. At some point you wonder why he's still harping on his beef with fellow ATLien Shawty Lo, but its from his heart. What more could you ask for? Also, he revealed that for this album, he started writing down his lyrics (take a hint Dwayne Carter!) which gave him a chance to really reflect on the message that he wanted to convey since he has become a voice for stopping violence. In every cloud is a silver lining, well in this case, a platinum plaque... We'll see you when you get out T.I....that is, if you EVER do go to jail.

Until Next time..-Find your swank. Think insane. Be urbane.

Super Cool Music: Part I

You know school has started when: it's been 72 hours and you haven't seen Sportscenter, you haven't downloaded music in a week, and you go to bed and wake up for class in the same hour. Since school started last week, homework has increased, and life has decreased. I have been deduced to reading about Prehistoric art instead of the newest Nike Dunks that came out last week (ugh!). Yesterday, I found a couple of free hours under my bed, so I used them to catch up on some music that I have missing out on: two of the most controversial artists in hip hop right now, The Game & T.I., or T.I.P. depending on his mental state at the time.

The Game was ushered into the game on the coattails of Dr.Dre owned Aftermath Records. With the likes of Eminem, Busta Rhymes, and 50 cent as mentors, there is no way that one cannot succeed. As the story goes, Game soared off into the sunset with his first release, The Documentary, which featured the radio friendly "This is How we Do." By his second release, Doctor's Advocate, there was trouble in paradise, as his relationships with Dr.Dre & 50 cent were severed. We then saw a different side of The Game, pun intended. He was thirsty for conflict and sought lyrical warfare everyone from Joe Buddens to G Unit. This undoubtedly gave his image a new look.

With family becoming more of a priority on his third album, L.A.X., he is not looking to take a break from beef, but to spend more time with his loved ones. When family is involved, most people become more focused and more motivated, as this is the case for him on this album. His use of anti poetry is a flash of genius! His gritty content coupled with his colorful metaphors enables you to see the seams in the threads of his red bandanna. As usual, he never holds his tongue for the sake of respect; but as they say, the same thing that makes you laugh will be same thing that makes you cry. The Game's creativity is unmatched by many and his work ethic, recording 300 songs for this release, is inhumane. As much as I cringe when he speaks in interviews, I cannot help but to appreciate his artistry, as he takes your mind and soul on a journey your favorite book could never fathom. Until next time...-Find your swank. Think insane. Be urbane.