Really?

So they're going after Michelle Obama for not wearing black designers. Seriously!? Nevermind the enormous pressure the fashion set has placed on her; bringing back the fashion industry and what not. Never mind the microscope any First Lady is under. Amnau Eele is co-founder of the Black Artists Association. She had to audacity to call out Mrs. Obama for, of all things, not wearing a black designer. She's really not required to wear a black designer and doesn't owe black designers anything. Mrs. Obama has a black hairstylist and perhaps makeup artist. But these times are beyond that black nationalist kind of talk. The Obamas are worldly and sophisticated, not limited to promoting an agenda for blacks alone. They represent the wonderful diverse place this country has become. As a citizen of this country I was proud to see people from all walks of life at the Obama rally I attended before the election. That crowd represented the country being ignited by something greater than personal agenda. It was a collective unity among the West Indians and Koreans, the single mothers, the daughters of doctors, the college sophomores and great-grand parents. That's what Mr. and Mrs. Obama represent-everyone. To say ,"That was our (black people) moment," is divisive and selfish in an atmosphere of unity and hopefulness. The moment belonged to America an Mrs. Obama wore designs from American designers quite well.

President time

President Obama has been wearing this custom Secret Service chronograph since his most recent birthday. He's a man of his word. It's not a big name, pricey timepiece like Tag or Omega. It's from the his Secret Service detail. My guess is probably has some James Bond kinda inner workings? Who knows. But, the watch is relatively inexpensive and great looking. Bush stuck with a plain Timex and Clinton sported a Timex Triathlon on the campaign trail to connote the everyman image. It worked. Check out this timepiece on the link (in the title).

Overnight stars?

The FIrst Lady wore a lemongrass coat and dress to the swearing in a white gown to the inaugural balls. While Isabel Toledo, has been designing for over two decades, Jason Wu, designer of the gown, is just 26. I appreciate the First lady going with up and coming designers and relatively unknown designers. Give them some love...and business. Oscar de la Renta, a favorite of Laura Bush, doesn't really need the exposure.

Check them out on the today show by clicking the title.

Inaugural style

From Chesterfield coats to J. Crew gloves to Beaver hats and driving caps to the adorable Obama daughters, yesterday's inauguration of President Obama was a bitterly cold day but that didn't stop people from stylin'. 

Mr. President

Milan runway

Here are some looks from the runway shows in Milan that actually translate to real life.

Already ready...

Great stuff from this past weekend. Guys, take a look at these top coat choices the next time you reach for the Nike pullover. Daniel Craig was in a notch lapel navy coat for a premiere of "Defiance," Josh Groban opted for a peak lapel in Washington while Usher went military style.

5 Style fixes that won't cost you

Having style involves far more than shopping. It's all about checking the little and no so little details before you leave the house. Here are a few fixes that will only cost you seconds.

1. Slide a collar stay in the collar. Many dress shirt, even sport shirts come with collar stays. Slide them in when you put the shirt on. Remember to remove the stays before laundering. Rounded flaccid collars look, well, wimpy. Make sure you collars are standing proud.

2. Pull your socks up. This is assuming you are not wearing white athletic socks with every shoe in your closet. When you cross your legs, a sock pulled up maintains a clean visual from trousers to sock. If the socks aren't pulled up and you cross your legs there is a chance of showing some leg hair, breaking up the line of the leg and just looking bad.

3. Tuck your shirt in. This makes a world of difference when you're out at dinner or movie. It looks much more tidy and put together. There are exceptions, but for most guys-who wear shirts too big-tucking in is the only option.

4. Pick up your feet and look straight when you walk. There's something tragic about someone walking hunched over and dragging their feet. It's lazy and slovenly. It says, "I don't care." Don't look down, look ahead (that's to be taken literally and figuratively). Pick up your feet and walk like a man.

5. Pull your jeans up and utilize a belt. Nuff said.

5 around $50

Economic downturn. Check. Need to look good. Check. Don't let the current financial atmosphere get you down. There are still ways to look good for not too much money. Here are five American staples for in the neighborhood of $50. Remember, it's not about how much it costs or who's name is on the tag, what matters is how the garment fits.

1. Your basic navy blazer. This can take you to a wedding (with trousers and a tie), date night (with jeans and a fun dress shirt), job interview (definitely a no-nonsense tie), or a picnic on a cool day (with chinos and sneakers). It's possibilities are probably endless. Try Target, sale racks at JCP, Sears, Macys, TJ Maxx among others. Make sure it's a two-button single breasted. Double breasted is great but harder to pull off. This one was found at amazon.com.

2. White oxford... to go with your blue blazer. This one is from Gap. They have it listed at $39.50 but since Gap has sales all the time, the chances are good to find one even less expensive. The quality is pretty solid. You can wear this under any sweater; navy or charcoal for work, black for night time, argyle. Wear it with the blazer or a cardigan or a sweater vest. Try it paired with chinos and plain white sneakers (no shock absorbers); roll up the sleeves come April and through on some madras shorts. It's the most versatile piece in the wardrobe.

3. Black loafer. Unlike the brown loafer, the black is just at home in the club as much as it is in the office. Find one with a high vamp (that's how high the shoe comes over your instep basically, lower vamp, more foot exposed. only for the opera). Wear the black loafer without socks in the warmer months and with cords in the cooler months, like right now.

4. The stainless steel watch. Leather bands are great but some will feel the need to wear the black strap with black shoes and so on. A SS band goes with just about everything. Wear it with a suit at work or a wedding, wear it with jeans and a rugby shirt and sneakers. Find one that's not too chunky, like this one from Croton, at overstock.com.

5. Blue jeans. If you're going to own one pair, why not go with a pair that's never gone out of style, the 501 from Levi's. The wash is versatile, it's neither too light or dark. For night, pair it with darker shades, in the day, wear it with loafers and a white oxford. Try it with a slim cut dress shirt or a fitted polo shirt. Wear them all the time. Jeans, especially a pair devoid of any decoration, save for the Levi's stitching and the tab, look better with age. Visit levis.com or retailers like JCPenny, Sears and Macys.

Will and Daniel do it again

Will Smith and Daniel Craig have consistently come out in full style force at their respective movie premieres. This look was sleek and trendy. The black leather jacket, scarf and driving cap all worked in cutting edge harmony. The slipknot is a very easy and practical way to tie a scarf and Smith does it here well.

For his chat on the Today Show, Daniel Craig opted for a tieless look. A well fitting, solid suit and soft blue shirt speak volumes. He was very buttoned up during the media tour for QoS.

The cast of Defiance is just great looking and well dressed.

Style Minute

Check out a breakdown of the Golden Globes fashion at ocala.com.

Click on the title.

Globes of Gold

Leave it to a legend to get it right. Martin Scorsese nails the formal look at last night's Golden Globe Wards with this peak lapel dinner jacket, bow-tie and waistcoat.

Ralph Fiennes takes it up a notch with the houndstooth pocket square. White linen is a no-fail option but no one else is doing houndstooth-and this looks great. Aside from the man love, Terrence Howard's patterned dinner jacket is a nice yet subtle change from the solid black at awards show.

Not bad Mr. Vice President Elect, not bad at all.

Check out Joe Bide, our VP-elect looking all Top Gun. The veteran senator and soon to be Vice President wears a suit pretty well as does Mr. Obama. However, as far as casual goes, Biden trumps Obama...big time. Mr. Obama wears baggy chinos and running sneakers or ill-fitting polos with his Blackberry clipped to his waist. No good. Biden has been spotted in great tweed jackets with hacking pockets; chinos that fit; and he does the great justice to the navy blazer. Here, on a surprise trip to Afghanistan, Biden is rocking some Ray Ban aviators, which look cool, whereas when French President Nicolas Sarkozy wore them, they looked flashy. The sunglasses work well with the god-i-hope-that's-not-a-mock-turtleneck top and the brown leather leather. It's a great look but still authoritative. Too often elected leaders are told by aides that they can't look too good. Untrue, take a look at Joe Biden and take a cue.

Style Minute

New Year, new you...right. Check out the Style Minute. This week it's all about ways to look good on the cheap this year.

Keep it

Click on the title to read the arrogant, absurd and absolutely understandable assertion from Versace.

The company won't put items on sale, essentially so their regular clients will still feel special carrying the overpriced goods. I see both sides of the argument here. People flock to luxury because of the exclusivity and their seemingly large disposable income. If you pay money for a label, big money, you probably don't want everyone on the street carrying a handbag from the store or wearing the same dress you have coming out of say, a Ford Focus when you drive a 6 series BMW. That's all well and good. However...

It's and arrogant choice by the company to ignore the global financial crisis and just bad business.  Would you rather have a store full of clothing and accessories with three CEOs walking around to maintain the look of your brand or a half empty store with the cash registers filling up?

Black tie??

The Critics Choice Awards were held last night in Santa Monica, CA. While it's not the Oscars many chose to dress up a bit. I'm under the belief that a when one dresses for an event, go all the way. That means clean your facial hair, tie your tie and for goodness sakes, button your jacket. It's contradictory to wear black tie then loosen it to "add your own touch." If you want to be formal be formal, if the event is casual, show up in jeans. An untied necktie looks cool...later in the evening. WHen you arrive it looks like you just didn't finish dressing or an overpaid stylist said "this looks cool." Thankfully guys like Brad Pitt don't try to reinvent any dress codes.  Pitt goes all the way with a three piece suit and black necktie. Ludacris goes all the way with his cut-away collar, dinner jacket and waistcoat. Sean against-the-grain Penn would look better with a tied necktie. Common would look more put together if he didn't try for look cool with his unbuttoned cuffs.

Notorious DIddy

Notorious, the Biggie Smalls biopic, opens Jan. 16 but, the N.Y. premiere was held Jan. 7. Derek Luke was a perfect cast as the ever-stylish Diddy. Both attended the premiere in neutral tones. Luke brightened his up with a smile.

Will Smith always brings his sartorial 'A' game. This plum turtleneck and dark trousers paired with brown lace-ups adds a more dandyish touch than plain black. The check jacket works nicely with the two solids; trousers and turtleneck. The shoes are jacket are pop pieces; they stand out while working in harmony with the ensemble.

Style nod to Ghana's new Pres.

Here's to Ghana's new president, John Atta Mills. The west African country inaugurated its new head of state today (07 Jan.) in Accra, Ghana. I love the Kente cloth he wore to his inauguration. The brilliant colors and patterns evoke dignity and honor...when worn at a presidential inauguration.

While some African leaders (former South African president Thabo Mbeki, the despot Robert Mugabe) adapted to western standards of dress, many have maintained a certain heritage by wearing the clothing of their land and I appreciate that. Leaders like the former president of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo and the new president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua maintain traditional dress, at least on official state business.

We have an inauguration coming up here in less than two weeks and while the half-Kenyan Mr. Obama won't be in any Kente cloth, he won't disappoint in a bespoke suit.

A new respect

I've always appreciated the work of Andre Leon Talley, the Vogue Editor-at-Large. While the fashion world is making strides as far as race is concerned, certainly top exces and editors at the big mags; Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, GQ, Esquire are predominantly white. Mr. Talley has been instrumental in promoting designers of color as models in the pages of Vogue. The fashion set know him as the guy sitting next to Anna Wintour (Vogue Editor-in-Chief), but this interview with Charlie Rose gave me a new light on Mr. Talley. At the end of his segment (which begins at 23:00) I had a new level of respect for him as a journalist and arbiter on style. Check out the video.

Payback's a...

Sorry I've been out for a little while. Hectic holidays and what not.
What's new in the fashion world? Reports indicate Tom Ford will open a new store on the famed Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills...right across the street from Gucci. Beautiful. I'm not aware of the specifics surrounding his departure from Gucci aside from rumors but, doesn't it sit well that you're doing better on your own, opening a store across the street from the company that seemingly didn't want to keep you. Check it out.