I'll be at the Eco-Fabulous Fashion Show on Saturday, May 3rd in Santa Ana talking with companies and retailers about their involvement in the sustainable style movement here in Southern California. Should be a fun learning experience for DressMonkey!

Come by and say hi!

Wow! And we at DressMonkey thought we were leading the pack in low-cost retail...

At its 264 barnlike stores in malls across the country, including the perpetually mobbed one at the Manhattan Mall in Midtown, Steve & Barry’s offers an assortment of flowery sundresses designed by Sarah Jessica Parker ($8.98), heart-printed hoodies by the Nickelodeon alumna Amanda Bynes ($8.98) and basketball shoes by the New York Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury ($8.98). Lines at the registers are often 20 deep.

The question on everyone’s lips: How do they make a decent dress or a jacket, with sleeves, or a pair of functioning shoes for $8.98?

Read the entire NYT article here

It will be interesting to see if Steve and Barry's marketing strategy of latching on to Gen Y's obsession for anything and everything touched by celebrities will pay out for them. The article says the company doesn't advertise, instead relying on WOM. But partnering with celebrities to develop lines IS a form of advertising, and most definitely is a cost weighing on the company's profitability. The timing couldn't be better for low-cost fashion, however, with Americans looking desperately to save a buck or two anywhere they can.

For those DressMonkeys that were with us from the beginning, you may remember our own attempt at associating big name celebs to our brand. No one bigger than this guy! Unfortunately, we soon realized his sense of style wasn't all that cracked up to be.

GQ gives some nice, practical tips on dressing up (and down) the back-in-style classic navy blazer.

Watch the slideshow

Spring is just around the corner, and that means a new line of fashion in stores. Listen as Michael Macko (Saks Fifth Avenue) and Adam Rapaport (GQ Magazine) discuss the latest fashion trends for men on NPR.

Notable trends they predict for spring are:
- No socks
- Boat shoes
- slim suits
- slim cut jeans and khakis
- flat-front pants
- Dark/clean denim
- Tucked in shirts

Light gray suit, white shirt, black tie. You're never going to look better. Any guy that can wear that, you walk into a room, you'll be the best dressed guy in the room.

To listen to the entire interview, click here.

Came across this 2006 BW article about Saville-Row tailoring...Savile Row Never Goes Out Of Style

Made specifically for the individual, to his or her individual requirements, bespoke suits are cut and stitched by hand. On Savile Row, that's usually still done on the premises. Of course, such personalization comes at a price: The average suit can take 12 weeks to make and cost upward of $6,000.

The same can be said about the personalization sewn into our suits as well. What's funny, and the honest truth, is that I can easily take this article, use the find and replace command, and replace every time the journalist says "Savile Row" with "DressMonkey." As far as the price tag for such quality and service? Not so much. 4-5 weeks (not 12 weeks) and a few hundred bucks (definitely not $6,000) and DressMonkey lets you travel the 'golden mile of tailoring.'

"You don't need to be a celeb or a banker with twenty bank accounts to enjoy high quality and personal style,"...says the man behind the desk in his monkey suit.

Below is an email from a customer who ordered all his groomsmen blue linen jackets for his wedding next month.

Alright guys, I messed up a bit. My plan was to have by groomsmen go fairly relaxed in khaki linen pants and white linen shirts. I was going to wear the same and wear one of your blue linen blazers on top. We all ordered pants and shirts through www.islandimporter.com. Turns out the pants and shirts are not the best quality. I think I can keep the for groomsmen because it doesn't really matter for them, but for me, I need to go a bit more formal and stylish. The relaxed look underneath a blazer looks bad. So, I'm looking for some suggestions. If I still want to go with navy linen blazer that I ordered from you folks, but don't want to wear a tie, would you suggest some quality khaki pants and a nice white shirt. If you have any suggestions, I'd much appreciate as I'm close to game day.

Really sorry to hear about your bad experience shopping for your wedding attire. If we were you we'd check out Tommy Bahamas, especially their Island Soft and Indigo Palms lines. They have nice beach/island wear that I think would work well for what you want at your wedding. I attended a buddy's beach wedding last August wore a relaxed blue cotton/linen shirt from TB, turned out great. And you may be able to find a TB retail store near you, which could help. You're on the right track in wearing khakis and a white shirt with your DressMonkey blue linen. I'd wear a cotton shirt underneath the linen however, but that's just my personal preference. You're also right on; a relaxed look underneath a blazer can look bad, sometimes. A "relaxed look" can easily be turned into a "formal, smart look" simply by doing the little things: tuck in your shirt, wear straight-leg pants instead of a relaxed baggy fit, and a fitted shirt that's slim in the torso. Keep in mind though that beach and formal don't really mesh, and a smart yet casual look will work better for you than a traditional formal getup.

Hope this helps!

We have just partnered with our favorite hand-printed cotton friends over at Nankeen to bring you the long anticipated Nankeen lined DressMonkey blazer just in time for the holidays. Many of Nankeen's customers have been asking about this and we're happy to finally announce its arrival.

DressMonkey and Nankeen bring a new style of camel hair blazer made with real leather buttons, Nankeen's distinctive cotton print lining, and hand picked edges, a truly unique and classy blazer if we've ever seen one (and we've seen quite a few).

Now is a great opportunity to purchase one for yourself or give the gift of Nankeen and DressMonkey this holiday season. You have the option of selecting the Nankeen lining on any of our blazers, or select the specially designed Nankeen Camel Hair Blazer (photo attached)

Here's how to order:

- Go to our Fabric Collections page

- Select your favorite fabric. When customizing your jacket select "start from scratch," customize anything you want and select "Nankeen Lining" under the Lining drop down.

OR

- Go to our Previous Designs page
- Scroll down to select the "Camelhair with Nankeen Lining." This is the jacket we specifically designed to go with our lining.

Since this is a custom gift and our elves are already working at full capacity, you will receive this gift after Christmas. Therefore, if you order by Dec 20, Nankeen will send the recipient–in time for Christmas–a gift card stating they should be expecting their blazer in a few weeks. Click here to shop around for that perfect matching scarf to go with your Camel Hair!

Enjoy, pass this along, and happy holidays from Nankeen and DressMonkey!

A suit jacket has a profound effect on whether a man looks wider or skinnier, stockier or lengthier. GQ addresses this point in a nice piece they put together this month on how to make your suit work for you, based on your body's proportions. They left out advice on how to accentuate the tail, but we'll forgive them. Well worth the read (or the watch) if you have a couple minutes.

For those trend followers looking to impress your supervisor at your internship this summer or just looking for sexy time in front of the lens, you may want to elongate yourselves by downsizing your suit size. According to fashion-watchers at NYT, going slim is the mainstream in mens fashion.

With slight deviations to reflect taste, the specs of the contemporary man's suit are as follows: a two-button closure; narrow lapels in a high-notch or peak style; high armholes; narrowly set and thinly padded shoulders; low-waist, slim-cut pants with hems that never quite touch the top of the shoes, daring to bare (just as women first did a century ago) a bit of sock or skin.

You'll be able to fit into this and in your own personal touch of style this May with the anticipated relaunch of DressMonkey.com.

Expect much of the same in 2007: Fashion reviews and designer brands teaming up to push over priced and over-hyped products onto the market

GQ is out with their "basics for spring fashion." First recommended item is an unlined cotton blazer by Calvin Klein Collection with a hefty price tage of $910.

DressMonkey blazers for Spring will be available soon on our new retail website opening in March. Choose between linen, corduroy, seersucker and cotton and custom-made anyway you want it for hundreds of dollars cheaper than designer labels.