Lately

Steak Sandwich
Bret's sweet-hot-honey-mustard brought out some wonderful robust flavors with the meat

Crispy Lemon Pepper Chicken & Home Made Fries
these will give Wing Stop a run for their money, for sure...

Larb Lettuce Wrap
makes a refreshing brunch that pairs well with a spicy eastern soup

Back to Basics

The key to building a wardrobe is maximum compatibility like what you see here. All these shirts and ties go perfectly with each other.
photo credit: gq.com

A Night Worth Sharing

So, I thought last nights outfit was worth sharing. The corduroy photographs a little funny, but the pile is much softer than it looks and introduces a layer of texture. I enjoyed mixing patterns & tried to have fun with the accessories. Ive been using paper clips as a tie clip for years now. One day I wanted a tie clip, but didn't have one, so I improvised and I've been doing it ever since. I found it works best when there colored on top of colored ties or else it doesn't become fun anymore. I believe its the little sartorial decisions like these that separate the people with a sense of style and the people that have their own personal style. Whether its the way you layer unexpected pieces or something as easy as the way you lace your shoes, I think its important to experiment, put your own twist on things and make it your signature. ...and don't forget, have fun with it! Remember there just clothes; at the end of the day, you'll be taking them off anyways.

hat & blazer heritage, shirt & belt gap, tie urban outfitters,
pants cheap monday, sunglasses & pin thrift

San Francisco - Civic Center

pants anthropology

San Francisco - Pacific Heights

military inspired

San Francisco - Civic Center

reverisble pancho thrift sore

coat & cowl-neck scarf cheap monday
shoes toms

Go Forth

I am loving the new Levi's campaign.

Jeans are and should be the staple of a gentleman's wardrobe. For many of us, they are the casual uniform we wear outside of work. ...It should be the first thing one puts on in the morning after underwear (I hope) and everything else should be based off that. They come in many different fits, styles, hybrids, washes & colors. You should have a lot of them, a variety for different occasions. Its o.k. to have your favorite, I do. I wear them almost every day--and they are Levi's.

Caffe Trinity

No wider than a hallway & packed with as much style as City Hall, Caffe Trinity has become my sanctuary outside of school. It's a place to hide when those cold early winter winds come through to bite at your ankles, its a place for you and your friends or a place just for you--and your book.

Crammed between the galleria and bay windows, the caffe is tucked in the front of The Trinity Building facing Market St. & The Civic Center Plaza. The building sets its self apart from its neighbors with a glass & marble facade that stretches above revealing multiple tiered sky gardens that can be popularly described as a stairway to heaven. The drama continues through the galleria that includes giant sculptures & more granite. The actual caffe has layers of beautiful wood inlay, slabs of granite & ornate trims. Large Trompe l'oeil paintings of Indians span the walls from floor to ceiling with hand blown glass chandeliers floating above. The entire caffe is an antique in it's self...

I think the caffe is most known for their Spiced Chai Tea (my fav.), served hot or cold, or as a Dirty Chai (above). I've come to enjoy their rare collection of Chais, "ritual" coffee & "David Rio" teas, as well as their super cute packaged gum, mints & chocolates.

They serve a variety of salads & sandwiches, a couple of paninis and a bunch of pastries & breakfast goodies. The Tacchino & Tuna Salad are recommended as well as the muffins that are baked fresh every morning. Other morning goodies include the Mushroom Keish and the Spinach & Tomato Croissant--my favorite (shown above).

Caffe Trinity
1145 Market St., acroos from The Civic Center Fountain.
Monday-friday 7:00-3:30 Pm

Hair Trends

I have been following Duckie Brown for a number of years now and found their spring '09 collection to be the best work they've done since the summer of '07. The looks were leaner, sporty--but tailored, sharp, athletic & super edited. Like always, they played with proportion and fit and somehow still managed to bring a new opinion by introducing the right balance of formality, sportyness and classic Duckie Brown swagger.

Unlike many other Designers during summer and spring, Duckie Brown's Steven Cox & Daniel Silver steered clear of linen & pastels and found them selves in a quite avantgarde--futuristic, dark & layered look that included body suites similar to the "under armor" athletes wear.

Inspired by the Olympics, they photographed divers mid air and found a hair style concept that would compliment their looks. The hair stylist described the look as if it was, "windswept in a direction & frozen in time". Last spring I had my hair stylist give me a shorter--toned down version of the a-symmetrical style on the model photographed above. I found my self using palm-aid, a blow dryer & comb and for the first time--a curling iron in order to get the best the results

After a miss-understanding between me & my hair stylist, I have been trying to grow back my hair in order to do a version of "The Fringe" cut. The Men's Fringe was introduced in the summer & spring collections of many men designers. Although I loved the way Bottega Veneta (above) and Burberry (below) executed the styling from the others.

The best part about The Fringe is that it can be interpreted in many ways. But, the main idea is to create texture. The use of palm-aid will create the mat-rugged look. It is cut shorter in the back and brought forth, creating layers and the sides can be cut proportionally. Playing with the length and direction of the bangs will depend on your preference and face shape.

Other popular hair styles of '09 included a Slick Back style shown above on Jil Sander's models. Examples of the short and longer version were both used in the spring/summer show.

Another favorite hair style of mine that I'm debating in getting for the winter is The Classic Part. As simple as The Classic part sounds, different versions exists like the ones below on Cary Grant and The Duke of Windsor. I like this cut because it has tons of personality without being obnoxious. The key to The Classic Part is finding a version that compliments your face shape & bone structure. I'm leaning more towards Calvin Klein's version (above) that parts softly, creating less of a dandy look.

TED talks: Bjarke Ingels

Danish architect Bjarke Ingels rockets through photo/video-mingled stories of his eco-flashy designs. His buildings not only look like nature -- they act like nature: blocking the wind, collecting solar energy -- and creating stunning views.

Dining By Design

A photo of me with Yumi Takahashi at the most over-the-top celebration of all things tabletop. Dining By Design brings together established talent, budding artists, and celebrated individuals to create three dimensional dining installations that awe, inspire, and delight. It was quite the night of all things beautiful; art, design, talent, people & lets not forget, THE FASHION. ...View more pictures from Dinging By Design HERE.