Style Minute

Aim to look like this

Mr. President stuck with solids for most of the campaign. He's slowly begun to break out the pinstriped suits. This is the most daring I've seen his business wear get. The fit is really fantastic. The waist nips in just so. The silvery tie played well into the Easter/spring palette. A closetful of solid suits can get dull. Turn up the volume (as much as a head of state can).

Style Minute-Obamas take Europe

This is my style video, published on Ocala.com. Today I'm discussing the style of the First Lady, Michelle Obama. Also, what you can learn from the G20...style wise.

Nike Air Yeezy

Yep. After a collaboration with Louis Vuitton, Kanye West has his own Nikes. Why not brand yourself as much as possible while you can. But $215? I suppose it goes with Kanye's overall love of himself and everything his name's attached to. 

Ouch!

Let's say I happened to be switching through the channels Saturday evening. I was vaguely aware of the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania. I was even more unaware of the WWE Hall of Fame ceremonies. Being a former fan of wrestlers like The Ultimate Warrior and Superfly Jimmy Snuka I can't help myself every now and again. WWE chairman/CEO/majority shareholder/sometimes performer Vince McMahon was introducing the final inductee for the televised ceremony. Who comes out but beer-drinkin', hell-raisin', 3:16 himself Stone Cold Steve Austin. In a tux. An ill-fitting tux. My first thought was, "He's got money to buy a tuxedo, why is he wearing this?"

Well, Austin opened his speech by mentioning that, moments prior to walking out on stage, the button on his jacket popped off. He was none to pleased about being seen in front of thousands of fans and millions at home with a jacket that he was unable to fasten. He didn't stop there, he went on to rant about The Men's Wearhouse, the manufacturer of the jacket, putting them on blast in a national spotlight. How's that for Mr. George "You're gonna like the way you look, I guarantee it," Zimmer, CEO of TMW. Having worked at a free-standing unit, I can attest to the poor quality of many of the house labels at TMW. 

I'm pretty solid on purchasing a tux. But a $200 tuxedo isn't a bargain. Check little pieces like buttons, zippers and hems when you look at garments. These are the pieces you need to stay put. Something well-made should hold up for years provided you're not playing rugby in your dinner jacket.

Stone Cold, after a touching (actually yeah) speech, popped open two beer cans and guzzled them down. Whatever beer didn't fall in his mouth landed on the tuxedo jacket. That's about right for a tuxedo from The Men's Wearhouse.

Tighten your knot

I applaud the efforts of the current Treasury Secretary. I can't begin to imagine what it entails. At the helm of hundreds of billions of dollars, battling a vote-no opposition party, and an anxious public, Timothy Geithner has an enormous amount of responsibility. Dressing well isn't near the top of his list. That's understandable, but just 5 seconds of work would make him look much better. Mr. Geithner's tie knots are consistently loose, with visible top button. It's a small fix that would yield instant style results. There are no quick fixes in any other aspect of his position. Why not have one.

G20 Style

There's much to learn and much to ignore at the current G20 summit in London. Style wise, that is. Politicians very seldom break from the pattern of dark suits, regardless of the season. That's expected. But no two dark suits are alike. 

U.S. President Barack Obama-dark two button with a center vent. The top button of the jacket falls right where it should, allowing a deep v effect for his white dress shirts. The president sticks to barrel cuffs but opted for a French cuff shirt for a dinner at 10 Downing St., the official residence and office of the British Prime Minister. Overall, nothing exciting but not bad.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown-dark two button suit with side vents. Unlike Mr. Obama, Mr. Brown's top button has a higher stance which sort of distorts the lines of his body when the button is fastened. Mr. Brown is strictly a white, French-cuff shirt kind of man and rarely dons patterned ties. The stance could be lower.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy-dark two or three button suits with side vents. The cut of his suits is the best. There is a small amount of waist suppression, which defines the body. Unlike Mr. Obama and Mr. Brown, Mr. Sarkozy often wears striped shirts, pale pinks, pale blues and white shirts. They're almost always French cuff and he shows just a hint of cuff from his jacket. His suits are often pin-stripes, which is the most excitement one can expect from a head of state. It beats The first two.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev-Two or three button with side vents and hacking pocket, and the occasional double-breasted. The most daring, he's never with a spread collar shirt and massive tie knot. When he met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (poor Merkel), he wore a windowpane double-breasted number. The cut of his suits seem to work well, aside from the too-long jacket sleeves.

What to take from this? The cut of Mr. Obama and Mr. Sarkozy's suits, the pairings of Mr. Medvedev and Sarkozy. What to ignore: The high stance of Mr. Brown suits, and the too-long jacket and shirt sleeves of Medvedev.