5 ways to revamp your wardrobe

If your clothes are looking a little worn and tired it's high time you revamped your wardrobe and brought it into the 21st Century. Whilst you might have invested in high quality clothes that are still going a decade later, they are probably looking a little faded and frayed around the edges and in dire need of updating. Trends come and go and there are some really stylish clothes available right now. Choose from well cut denim, crisp cotton t-shirts, cargo shorts, fashion shirts and tailored jackets that look great dressed up or dressed down. Here are five easy ways you can give some of those old clothes the heave-ho and refresh your style effortlessly.

1. Take everything out of your wardrobe for review

Come on, that means everything. The rule is that if you haven't worn something in a year, it should probably be thrown out or given away. Make piles for your clothes so they are easy to sort - that good stuff that is staying in one pile and the 'never to be worn again' clothes in another. Keep the items out that you are going to keep as we are going to need those for later. Take the other pile down to your local thrift shop or put them in the garbage.

2. Make a list of clothing that you need

Think about the clothes you wear on a daily basis, your favorite items and the colors you prefer. Now, look at the items you have sorted out and are keeping. Make a note of the colors and styles so that you can buy new items that will coordinate with this clothing perfectly. Those stone chinos will look great with chambray summer shirts or a simple white t-shirt for example.

3. Capsule wardrobes are for men too

Revamping your wardrobe doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money on lots of different clothing. A capsule wardrobe means choosing some those essential items of clothing that can be easily coordinated and which are easy to wear. Cool white shirts, cotton pants, sweaters and one good quality sports jacket will ensure you always have the right clothes to hand.

4. Get an expert opinion

If you simply do not know where to start when planning your new wardrobe, ask for some advice. Shopping for clothes isn't usually an activity for the guys so why not take your girlfriend, wife, mom or a close female friend along for unbiased opinions?

5. Be open to new ideas

Why not try out some new trends. That doesn't mean you have to wear a red blazer with pink pants. Unique clothing can be clothes that have a little unusual detail or that are a different cut to what you would usually wear. Above all else, have fun choosing your new wardrobe!

How the clothes you wear can shape your future

If you think that looks aren't important, you'd be wrong. Since the dawn of time, the survival of mankind has been mostly shaped by looks, stature and being able to hunt down a good dinner! If those picky cave women back then didn't like what they saw in their cavemen, mankind probably would have stopped right there. Thankfully, we have more to wear now than a simple loincloth and can dress to impress by making smart fashion choices. Whether it's choosing a dress shirt or a new pair of jeans, making careful fashion decisions will ensure you look your best at all times.

Easy on the eye and easy on the wallet

It's a common misconception that you have to spend a lot of money to look good. A good haircut, a smart fashion shirt and freshly pressed pants is often all it takes to make a lasting impression. Oh and don't forget those shoes! Statistics say that women and men check out the shoes of somebody they are meeting for the first time. Those kicked in sneakers just aren't going to cut it with an otherwise smart outfit.

So, how can clothes shape your future? Well, think about all of those major events in your life - getting a job, meeting your life partner, getting ahead in business, being a good example to your kids, etc. Would you get the same success achieving life's milestones if you wore sweatpants and sneakers every day of your life? Probably not. It's the clothes you wear and how you carry yourself that can make such a difference to the things that happen to you throughout life.

Keep up to date with the latest fashions

Men's fashions come and go. Whilst male fashion trends may not move as fast as women's fashion trends, there are still enough changes to ensure male fashion stays fresh, focused and interesting. Cargo pants, twisted jeans, double collar shirts and high top sneakers are just some of the trends that are still going strong today. Choose your clothes to match the occasion and try to make those clothes look as smart as possible by washing them carefully, pressing them always and giving yourself a thorough once over before you leave home. You don't have to fill your wardrobe either - a handful of good quality clothes is always so much better than a huge collection of out of shape, faded and creased clothing.

The Perfect Gift For the Stylish Father

Milano Navy blue by Franck Michel

If you’ve got a father with a lot of style (or maybe one that needs a little more style), consider moving on from the typical necktie gift for Father’s Day. The necktie, while an essential piece in any working man’s wardrobe, can be hard to pick out for a man who is up there in his years, and may have many neckties already. However, what your father probably doesn’t have, and would love, is a beautiful European dress shirt. European dress shirts are unlike the American dress shirts that he probably currently wears.

First of all, European dress shirts fit much slimmer. This can make picking them out a bit tricky, but if you consult the size chart you’ll be fine, and your father will love the way that it makes him look after years of wearing shirts that aren’t meant for his body. They will sit differently, enhancing his shape and most importantly enhancing his confidence.

Secondly, European dress shirts like those from Franck Michel are made with the highest quality Italian cotton. Your father will appreciate the way the cotton feels, as well as its durability; it will look great through years of wear. Franck Michel shirts are also constructed in Europe, further speaking to their high quality and long-lasting qualities. Designed in France, materials from Italy and constructed in Europe, they’ll match perfect with his fancy European luxury car.

Lastly, for a father with style these fashion dress shirts will allow him an opportunity to stand out from his friends. Though he may seem stuck in his ways, or without interest in fashion, it’s likely he’s doing his best to look good he just needs your help. For a man who may have an interest in fashion but might not be following the latest fashion trends as well as you are, it can be the perfect chance to show your dad what the coolest fashion shirts look like these days. Be careful though, once you get him started it’s unlikely that he will stop after just one designer French shirt. Between the luxury details and the enhanced quality compared to what he is used to, he’ll definitely be asking for more gifts in the future!

Trends in Men’s Fashion Shirts: The Reverse Collar

Fashion shirts with contrasting reverse collar

In the world of fashion shirts it isn’t good enough anymore just to provide shirts that are slim fitting, or shirts that are made of high quality cotton.  There are simply too many brands out there that have recognized that men appreciate a dress shirt that fits their body the way it should, and that they deserve the highest quality material in the world.  So what separates the hot fashion brands from the imitators?  What makes the difference to men who are looking to drop serious money for a dress shirt that they expect to love?  It’s all in the details.  These days fashion shirt makers are pushing the envelope of the what men expect in a dress shirt with new looks that play on familiar aspects of the traditional dress shirt we all grew up wearing. 

These new fashion designers take an old staple of the dress shirt and flip it on its head.   Take the collar for instance; we are used to seeing a few variants of collars, like the button-down collar and a variety of widths of to suit a range of tie knot styles.  But these types of collars have been available forever (well since Brooks Brothers debuted the button-down collar in 1896) and aren’t going to make anyone take notice of your fashion sense.  If invisibility and anonymity are your thing that’s fine, but today’s fashion designers have turned these details into a chance to express your fashion sense and show your flair for the dramatic.

Take, for instance, the Parisian fashion house Franck Michel.  They’re a leading force in French men’s fashion and a great example of a company making fashion shirts that stand out from the crowd because of their unique approach to old concepts.  Their lineup contains shirts with all manners of double collars, mixing and matching fabrics to make the collar stand out apart from the rest of the shirt.  These double collars however are yesterday’s news in the high fashion world of French design.  What Franck Michel is doing next is pushing the collar in a new direction, quite literally.  The new line offers collars with an extra flip, called a reverse collar.  This previously unseen design is a collar that folds back up and then is held together by stylish buttons on either side.  This allows an interplay between two colors of fabric as we now are privileged to see the fabric choice on the underside of the collar, which in the case of trendy French fashion shirts, is of course a contrasting color, and often has a bold pattern.  These reverse collar shirts are just starting to make a splash stateside, and are as unique as you’ll see in the world of fashion dress shirts.

French Shirts: These Aren’t Your Grandfather’s Dress Shirts

Exclusive Reverse collar shirt - Spring 2013

In an industry dominated by conservative stodgy offerings that are indistinguishable from those worn by your grandfather, Americans are becoming increasingly aware of imported offerings, largely coming from Europe.  These European luxury shirts are often at a price point that may shock some consumers but appeal to those who are accustomed to paying high prices for shirts that look very similar to those you can pick up at your local department store.  However, these European offering are nothing like the plain starched white shirts your ancestors wore.

First off, these European dress shirts fit differently than a traditional American dress shirt.  While a traditional American dress shirt comes in sizes that reflect the neck size and arm length of the consumer (e.g. 16-32/33), European dress shirts for men come in general sizes (e.g. Small, Medium, Large) that are meant to fit off the rack but can also be tailored to provide a more bespoke fit.  Importantly, European dress shirts also fit vastly different.  European dress shirts are much slimmer around the torso than American dress shirts, and while this may rule out some more indulgent Americans, it provides a chic slimming effect on the wearer by eliminating the baggy bulges of fabric that are commonplace on American dress shirts.  Additionally, this slim fit makes European dress shirts much more versatile than traditional dress shirts, in that they look great either tucked in or untucked, perfect for a seamless transition from the boardroom to a night out.

Secondly, these European dress shirts, and especially French shirts offered by designers like Franck Michel, contain stylish details that would shock your grandfather.  Franck Michel, for instance, has patented design details like French cuffs that are held together by leather bands that resemble a leather watchband.  Franck Michel also has introduced details such as the reverse collar, a collar that takes an extra turn, folding over twice and adding an unmistakable flourish to many of their shirts.  Additionally, many European dress shirts employ a double collar, another unique look that you won’t see from traditional offerings at the department store.

Lastly, these European dress shirts use the highest quality raw materials.  Because of the proximity of the designers to fabric markets in places like Italy, designers have strong relations to the world of high quality European textile manufacturing.  This leads to constantly refreshing collections with cotton of unmatched quality with unique patterns that are hard to find anywhere else.

These European dress shirts are increasingly becoming available stateside.  Franck Michel, for instance, now provides their shirts through menfashion.com.  Their collection refreshes constantly and prices range from $99 to almost $200 depending on the details incorporated in the shirt, and its relative novelty.

Designer Shirts for men from Luxury French Designer Franck Michel

Square silver buttons and contrasting collar.

Looking for a new designer shirt for men that will set you apart from the rest of the crowd?  Interested in European or French shirts that your friends will envy?  Check out Parisien designer Franck Michel’s new collection of men’s luxury shirts at urunique.com.  Menfashion.com is a new entry into the European luxury dress shirt market and is the exclusive North American retailer of Franck Michel’s diverse lineup of stylish dress shirts.

Franck Michel is a well-known designer in France and indeed throughout Europe.  The designs of Franck Michel often novel features that are meant to differentiate their shirts from those of the competition.  These features often include double collars and unique button patterns, as well as colorful fabric choices.  In fact, Franck Michel have patented some of their unique high end features such as the “watchband French cuff”, a Franck Michel original design that uses a loop of luxury leather, resembling a watch band, in place of a traditional French cuff.   In the world of men’s designer shirts you won’t find a more innovative designer than Franck Michel.  Each season they strive to improve their line and provide their customers with new concepts and styles that capture the imagination.
Urunique.com have entered a partnership to be the sole distributor of Franck Michel merchandise in the United States.  However, if you live elsewhere in the world, MenFashion can serve your needs, as they deliver to locations across the globe.  The shirts start at $99 and range up to $179 depending on the amount of details in the design.   For instance, the Alexis Blue Stripes is on sale for $99 while the recently released luxury shirt Reverso Lavender retails for $159.  These relatively high prices reflect both the originality and stylish nature of the design as well as the high end cotton used in each and every one of the shirts.  When you buy a Franck Michel shirt you are paying not only for a fashion shirt but also a luxury piece of European clothing that will wear differently than dress shirts you may be used to.
Urunique.com refreshes their offerings with the seasonal releases from Franck Michel so there are often new men’s luxury shirts available to their discerning customers.  Additionally, they carry many of the deisgns in multiple colors, so whether you are looking for a shirt that’s white, black, blue or even pink you’ll be able to find just what you desire in many styles that will intrigue you, and capture the attention of those around you.