Cartier Santos Watch Central

Most men aren’t remotely obsessed with fashion, definitely not to the extent that women are. Men as a rule generally have more important things in their life to worry about than keeping up with the latest trends in the fashion world. However, there are several things you can do which will go far to demonstrating a great fashion sense and you don’t have to read GQ or Maxim to do it.

The most important fashion item that all men must own is a great watch and not just any watch but a higher end fine watch that will turn heads and have people asking, “Where did you get that watch?”

Watches are vastly underrated accessories, especially for men. Over recent years fine watches have become much more than just a tool with which to tell time, they are reflections and extensions of one’s own unique personality.

A fine quality watch is the surest and most rapid way of putting out an image that exudes confidence. How many guys do you know that have a Drawer full of cheap, inexpensive watches like Timexes for example? Not that there is anything wrong with a Timex. I think they are a good watch for sports activities, but one needs to take it up a notch to demonstrate that they have some sense of style.

Anyone can accumulate a bunch of inexpensive watches throughout their life but what they really should do instead is just invest in one or two fine watches that will last a lifetime. Ideally you want a fine watch like a TAG Heuer or maybe even a quality pre-owned Rolex. I personally prefer the looks of the TAG watches but whatever you taste or your budget you will find a fine watch that will fit you needs online.

A fine watch is quite possible the most important accessory that a man should have. A fine watch says to the world that this is a successful and confident man.

Put away those gaudy 1970’s style gold chains and bracelets like you see on a used car salesman. You do not have to go over board, as a matter of fact quite the opposite. All you have to do is have a fine watch that fits you and your personality and remember you
get what you pay for so purchase the most expensive watch you can afford.

Gregg Hall is a marketing consultant to online companies. See who he recommends for fine watches.

Share This

I am sitting in the food court of a very busy shopping mall on a Saturday with a pad of paper. What am I doing? Counting how many people are wearing t-shirts, what kind of t-shirt they’re wearing, and about how old they are. This is my 4th Saturday conducting this survey at 4 different malls.

Before I began doing this “t-shirt survey” at the malls here in Dallas, I was expecting about 30-35% of the people would be wearing a t-shirt. Was I ever wrong. I had no idea just how popular t-shirts actually are.

First, who is wearing t-shirts? I counted a total of about 4,000 people over 4 weeks in this survey. In total, about 60-65% were wearing t-shirts - twice my expectations! There was a variance in the age groups. For those under 25-years-old, about 80-85% wore t-shirts. For those 25 to 40 years old, about 60% wore t-shirts. And, for those over 40, about 35% wore t-shirts.

While I expected the younger crowd to be wearing tshirts, what I was not expecting were those ages 35 - 50 wearing them. These are mostly parents, business people, and maybe a couple grandparents. Most of their tshirts were sports or college tshirts, or a brand name like Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, or Polo - nothing crude of obnoxious.

Second, what kind of t-shirts were they wearing? I rarely saw the same t-shirt twice. There were funny t-shirts, animal t-shirts, Christian t-shirts, patriotic t-shirts, and all kinds of novelty t-shirts. And, I wasn’t surprised to see a few crude or offensive ones in the mix either.

Younger kids, those between 5 and 12-years-old, wore a lot of tshirts. That age bracket was closer to 90%. Most of them had some kind of “cute” picture or slogan (like a Disney tshirt), or something to do with sports. Most teenagers and college students wore tshirts that seem to match up closely with their identity.

More than anything, it became apparent that wearing a tshirt is a way to express oneself. Whether supporting a sports team, a university, or country, people wear tshirts to express themselves and make a statement. But, some people wear them just because it looks good, it’s trendy, and they’re comfortable. The t-shirt industry is a huge business. While I don’t have the exact statistics, it made up 60% of the tops worn at the shopping malls around Dallas, TX over the last 4 weeks.

After arriving back home, what did I do? I went to my dresser, opened the drawer, and counted about 25 t-shirts of my own. I put on my alma mater tshirt and sat down to watch the baseball playoffs.

Sean Caudle is the founder of Fashion-Tees.com He also wears a lot of t-shirts. There are over 9,000 t-shirt designs at Funny T-Shirts

Share This

Have you ever noticed the kid in the mall wearing a chain and cross gleaming with what looks like diamond jewelry? They aren’t diamonds, of course and they may not be kids. In today’s Hip Hop age we are facing an explosion of interest in these “fake” diamonds better known as cubic zirconia. Hip Hop fans of all ages are imitating their rap idols in their adornment of the most flamboyant types of jewelry accessories. A whole new genre of style and design has been established as a result with its own language and boundaries.

The prolific rise of the rap industry as a mainstay in our cultural landscape is undeniable. People of all races, economic backgrounds and various regions of the world have been affected. Hip Hop has transcended its roots in the underground and has long since crossed over into the mainstream. This phenomenon has created various cottage industries specializing in all things Hip Hop. Wearing a chain or donning some shiny earrings symbolizes the promotion of the Hip Hop lifestyle. It bellows out the success of an individual in the ability to procure these expensive items. Diamonds and gold have become the ornaments of Hip Hop, the outwardly physical manifestation of wealth.

Many of us have seen music videos starring rappers such as Nelly, 50 cent and Eminem. They are usually equipped with the finest women, the fastest cars and the most heavily diamond laced jewelry. This trend started early in Hip Hop as commercially successful rap legends such as LL Cool J sported thick gold chains drawing the attention of all Hip Hop fans across the world. Here was the beginning of the establishment of a cultural trend spanning from fashion to language.

Have you heard of terms such as “bling”, “grillz” and “iced out”? You might know what some of these terms mean even if you’re not a rap fan. These are words used to describe the various states of diamond jewelry. You’re diamond watch is definitely blinging(shining, glittering). If you ever win the lottery you might consider having diamonds attached to your teeth representing your grillz. Or you could buy a heavily iced out pendant to match your bling watch and your frosty grillz. And so on and so forth. Ok, so let’s go back to that kid in the mall with the chain. He’s probably working at Burger King and won’t be cashing any stocks soon that would allow him to purchase a pair of 1CT princess cut diamond earrings worth $5,000. Instead, he is going for the next best thing. The “fake” diamond, otherwise know as cubic zirconia.

Cubic Zirconia can be easily mistaken for a diamond. In fact, one factor in identifying a cubic zirconia stone is noting it’s brilliance. CZ stones are actually more brilliant, more symmetrical and exhibit more fire(the dispersion of white light into a rainbow of colors) than real diamonds. CZ forms naturally although the type used in jewelry is man made. Generally, the best CZ is produced in labs in Russia. So why are diamonds so much more valuable? The popularity of diamonds as a wearable gemstone increased in the 19th century as cutting and polishing practices improved. Diamonds had primarily been used industrially as they are able to cut through most materials. Diamonds are the hardest gemstones known to many making them scratch resistant and easily polished. As a result of their legendary durability and the brilliance and fire they exhibit, diamonds have become the standard gemstone for the most important and valuable forms of jewelry, in particular, engagement rings.

Regardless of the value of diamonds vs. CZ, economically there is no comparison. In order for those Hip Hop fans to achieve the look and feel of their idols they have turned invariably to cubic zirconia.

Derek Belay holds a BA in English Literature from Cal State Pomona. He writes part time primarily as a hobby. He currently works for Jewelry Payless.com as a marketing manager.

Share This