Looking good and being crazy

I came into work this week suited up, ready to rock some client meetings.  I looked good.  In the ad world, there isn’t as much need for a suit as there was in the Mad Men days.  It has since been replaced with a very wide variety of clothing directions.  In fact, at our agency, a full suit is pretty rare.  So when one makes its way out, you either have a client meeting, court date or an interview at Red Lobster.  That assistant manager job will be mine, damn it!

Anyway, I walk by a buddy’s desk, he takes one look at me and says, “Dude, you have to see Pierce today.”

I wander over to his desk, and what do I find?  This:

Now, before we get too far, I want to set the stage on just what Brian Pierce, aka Woody, is all about.  He’s a talented frontend programmer (nerd), motocross badass (he’s always bleeding), and co-host of the always entertaining web series, Seat Time.  The amount of time this kid is put in front of a client is zero and is best kept in a dark cube doing things with computers I can’t warp my head around.  Not only because he looks like he got dressed in the dark (he did) but because of the things that come out of his mouth.  Personally, I think his use of the profane is a thing of genius.  Still, not everyone’s cup of tea. 

Let’s breakdown this outfit: 

• Motocross t-shirt (expected)
• Capri pants, with bright white paint splatter (not because it’s fashionable, but because he painted something in them)
• Socks with Mexican death skulls on them (sure)
• Fresh Chuck Taylors (he got married in them)

Pierce is like the Rain Man of dressing.  It’s so crazy it actually works.  If he just wore the shorts, he would need to get hit in the face.  The t-shirt alone would just looks sloppy.  But you put it all together, and damn it, I like it.  It fits his personality and made me smile.  The comparison between the both of us (Do and Don’t) is pretty bad ass.    

I have a list of rules that we’ll get into at another time, but the three majors are no sneakers, t-shirts or shorts at work. 

Regardless of all that, Woody’s sense of style is truly unique, a cautionary tale of what not to do, but more importantly, if you are going to do it, go 100%.  No one ever accused of Pierce of half-assing it and this outfit proves that crazy can be a lot of fun.

Derby Fashion

Well, what can I say, I missed you guys.  I’m not making any promises, but for now, I’m inspired enough to give you a piece of my mind. 

So, before it’s too late to talk about it, I was lucky enough to make it to the oldest and arguably, most fashionable sporting event in the world, the 137^th running of The Kentucky Derby.

The rents, who have been a number of times, invited us to roll.  Now, if you know anything about my parents, you know they don’t mess around when it comes to sporting events.  This adventure was no different.  Valet parking, a table by the window, on the finish line, in the Turf Club (aka Millionaires Row) equipped with as much food and as many mint juleps as one could consume.  Did we have better seats than Aaron Rodgers?  You bet your sweet ass we did.   

Seeing as this was my first time, I didn’t want to mess around and take to many fashion chances.  I wanted to keep it fairly conservative, throw in a few twists, but I didn’t want to be the new jack with no class.  I’d say I was successful across the board rolling straight up Seersucker from The Brother’s Brooks.  Yes, it also helps to have a smoking hot woman next to you making you look better than you should.

The suit and pocket square are from Brooks Brother’s, the shirt is custom Astor & Black, bowtie is Billy Reid and the shoes are Cole Haan.

Seersucker is damn near the most comfortable thing I own.  I want to hang out in it all the time.  I fully intend to push the level of appropriateness of Seersucker in the work place this summer.    

Quick notes about the outfit: 

• No, I’m not good at tying a bowtie, so I said fuck it and pulled a George Clooney
• Those ARE all blue wingtips, they are fantastic, and it was the first time I wore them  
• I bought the suit a few months before the event, but had it tailored 2 weeks before the Derby
• Go nuts with the pocket square, especially at an event like this

All that said, it was one of the better times I’ve had and absolutely something everyone should do in their life.  If I’m lucky enough to make it back, I’ll step up the clothes just a few more notches. 

Some of you might say, “Hey Matt, isn’t the real action on the infield?”  Well that all depends on what you consider “action”.  If you mean this, then yes:

If you mean hanging out with Marisa Miller, Erin Andrews, DMC and trying to figure out if Tom Brady brought his wife (he didn’t), then yeah, I’m good with the choices we made.

Update on Thursday, June 2, 2011 at 1:21PM by Wondergood

To the inquirers:

• Yes, we did attend the Oaks Friday before the Derby.
• Yes, it was bad ass. 
• Yes, my pants have whales on them. 
• Yes, there were a shit ton of hats. 
• Yes, this girl was for real, not a porn star (there were some there) and no, not paid to wear something crazy.  You should have seen her Derby look.

Damn son, what you wearing?

The summer is tough for a shit ton of reasons.  Most men don’t know what to wear in the warmer months and usually don’t care.  It’s hot and being comfortable is paramount when it comes to doing things outside.  Men dress like crap in the summer, opting for the lowest common denominator when it comes to wardrobe choices.  The look is sloppy.  But it doesn’t have to be. 

I’m a sweater.  Once I get going it’s hard to cool down so if in a situation, like being on a roof deck for a BBQ, I need to plan for such things.  I would prefer nothing more than putting on some board shorts, a pair of flops and a t-shirt, but that’s not how I roll.  If I’m going to be around people in a social situation, there’s a need to look good.  Here’s what I wore last weekend.  Let me tell you why this works and why I was comfortable.    

• Black usually looks classier than any other color so wearing shorts and a t-shirt in dark colors will set you a part and helps you look more polished
• Wearing a blazer and pocket square will ALWAYS make an outfit pop and can dress up anything
• You can always loose the jacket but not until the look has had the time to sink into the party goers minds.  At that point it doesn’t matter because you already wowed them.
• If it gets really hot, the pocket square can mop up the sweat
• My  t-shit is slighted fitted, fairly new and a very lightweight material so when the jacket came off, I still looked good  
• Flops should very simple and small, not clunky man-sandals (which are the dumbest shit.  Period.)
• The flops, watch and pocket square all match which elevates the entire outfit

So yeah, I was comfortable, I know I looked good and it couldn’t be simpler to duplicate this look.

Details:   Blazer, Ben Sherman * T-shirt, City Sports * Shorts, Reiss * Flops, Gucci * Watch, Toy Watch * Pocket Square, Target (set of three)

Weekly Sexy Playlist 2/26

Today is a special day with the debut of a new weekly feature everyone can enjoy. The Weekly Playlist. Each week we’ll be focusing on some of the tunes the Wondergood List has been enjoying. Count on a little bit of everything, from Hip-Hop to Rock to some brain melting Dub Step. We hope you enjoy the tunes and come back for more.

Last night a gym saved my life…

I’ve never been a gym rat.  I’ve grown up in organized sports and swam competitively starting at 6 years young through college.  The “gym” was never the place I sought solace or escaped away to, like so many of my peers.   In fact, the gym has always represented a MUST or a HAVE TO.

The gym at my high school, regardless of endless amounts of athletic booster money, was a shit hole.  Every morning before practice, I would always think, “This is the kind of place people get raped and murdered in.”  Needless to say, I never really wanted to go hang out there.

All of that changed when I joined Equinox.  This place is the bee’s knees, the cat’s meow, the best thing since sliced bread…it’s fucking awesome.

Let’s do the stats:

• Complementary valet – Check
• Looks/feels like an elite hotel or country club – Check 
• Smoking hot chicks with liberal attire requirements everywhere – Check
• Ample amounts of gay dudes* - Check
• 25 meter, salt water pool – Check
• Great towels** - Check
• Kiehl’s products and a full offering of shave needs in the men’s room – Check
• All the things chicks like (Yoga studio, spin classes, dance classes, etc.) – Check

Oh and yeah, they have nice equipment, too.  Suffice it to say, this is one of those kinds of places you can truly ENJOY going to.  The price tag is kind of like getting kicked in the nuts while watching someone bang your wife, but damn it, it’s worth it!

I’ve learned that shelling out this kind of dough, makes you show up to the gym.  The best part though, it’s not a HAVE TO kind of place; it’s a “Thank God I have this opportunity” kind of place.  For those of you that have the resolve to spend the cash and make it part of your life, there is no compare.

If you’re in Dallas, hit up the Highland Park location on Oak Lawn and tell Phil Smith that Team Hatchell sent you.  He’ll take good care of you.

* Smoking hot chicks to gay dudes ratio easily 3:1 in favor of hot chicks.
**None of those bullshit, scratchy, almost see-through towels you get at “regular” gyms.  The real deal, like you have at your house.