how to: find unique pieces to add to your wardrobe with tictail

September 5, 2016 Jerad Michael

You know those pieces that are so different and cool, that you have to ask someone where they got it? I see those pieces a lot, especially because I follow such amazing people with great taste on social media. But finding where to actually get those pieces is so annoying – so much research, desperate Internet searching, and most times I give up way too easily! In comes Tictail, an online marketplace (and, if you live in New York, a curated shop in the Lower East Side) that makes it easy to find amazing home, art, and clothing items from all over the world!

I first found Tictail through another blogger I follow who began posting some art purchased from the site. I was obsessed with the print (here) and knew I had to find out more. Ok, seriously, this site is INSANE. The first time I went on, I fell into a rabbit hole of page after page of awesome art prints, home pieces, and menswear that I’ve never seen anywhere else. No joke, I bookmarked about 20 products immediately.

I focused on the menswear – like I said, I’m always looking for new pieces, and I’m also just a shopping and clothing addict. It was really hard to not place an order for like 10 things, but I landed on 2 pieces that I am so in love with. The first was a pair of lightweight navy blue track pants from AMI. I had read so many trend stories on tracksuits and pants for men, so I knew it was now or never to try the trend. The second item I loved was this simple graphic tee. While I normally don’t wear graphic tees, this one seemed interesting because of its minimal print and neutral color.

I wanted to go somewhere amazing to shoot these looks, so of course I chose the beautiful new Whitney museum downtown. The views from their roof decks are spectacular, and the weather just happened to cooperate the day I went. After stopping by the Whitney I went for some ocean-side drinks at Grand Banks bar on Pier 25. Beautiful views, great new clothes, and delicious drinks? I’d say that’s just about the perfect summer day!

Let me know what you think of the outfits in the comments, and check out my profile on Tictail here!

Wearing: Uniqlo shirt, CPO t-Shirt, AMI trackpants via Tictail, Common Projects hi-tops; Topman Bomber, Calma graphic t-shirt via Tictail, Surface To Air leather shorts, Common Projects hi-top

3x1 x upton belts: a match made in denim heaven

August 14, 2016 Jerad Michael

About a month ago I was invited to an event held at the Fohr Card offices down in SoHo. I’ve been to a few events there before, and the crowd is always a great mix of Fohr Card employees, influencers, and drinking, so I knew it would be a fun night. This time was a little different, as they actually partnered with two brands to host a night of drinks, fittings, and chat about denim and leather – two of my favorite things.

The night was set to help introduce the up-and-coming belt brand Upton Belts. In all honesty, I am not the biggest belt guy. In fact I haven’t owned a belt since about the 5th grade, and that was one of those awful seatbelt buckle belts that were on trend around the same time as Von Dutch trucker hats *cringe*. HOWEVER, I was fit for one of the belts from Upton at the event, and it was a great experience. The creator of Upton, Justin Kerzner, fit me personally, and I had a belt ordered in my exact finishes and fit. Not only that, but the girls from the 3x1 SoHo boutique were on hand to help everyone get situated with the perfect fitting pair of denim. A match made in heaven!

Once the team told me my denim was ready I knew I wanted to go pick it up myself from the 3x1 store. It is the whitest and brightest denim store I have ever been to by far. So much light, great product displays, and awesome touches, like the raw denim wall (which you can actually use to make custom jeans!)

The staff at 3x1 was amazing, and they fit my denim perfectly for me. I was able to pick it up same day, which was awesome, and got to shoot a look featuring the denim and the belt the next day!

See how I styled the pieces below!

I’m loving the whole denim-on-denim trend, sometimes called the Canadian Tuxedo. I always try and use slightly different shades of denim when I do this so I don’t look like I’m wearing a jean suit, but to each their own! Here I paired my go-to Levi’s denim trucker jacket with a simple black tee, 3x1 denim, and black sneakers. A simple look that’s easy to throw on, and still makes me feel a little like James Dean.

Overall the whole experience was amazing, and I think these two brands have a great partnership ahead. Stop by the 3x1 store in SoHo to check out all the newest denim styles, and pick up a belt from Upton while you're there - trust me, you won't regret it.

Denim Jacket | Levi's, similar Here

Crew Neck T-Shirt | Uniqlo, Here

Dark Wash M5 Jeans | 3x1, Here

Knox Belt in Black Leather | Upton Belts, Here

SL/01 Court Sneakers | Saint Laurent, Here

Tell me what you think in the comments!

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thom browne ss17: black and white and wit all over

July 13, 2016 Sharon Reaves

Let's take a moment to discuss my favorite show of Paris Men's Fashion Week - Thom Browne. I've always been a fan of Browne for his shrunken and short suits that play with dimension and shape, but this season's Spring '17 show really took things to another level. See some of my favorite looks below, and read on for my take on the show!

A lot has been said lately about the flash and pageantry of fashion shows, to the detriment of the clothing they are supposed to show. But I think this is one case where the spectacle didn't overshadow the clothes, they worked in tandem to support Thom's singular vision. The precision tailoring, short suits, and pops of whimsy (like masked models and feathered suits) are all here, working together with the Thom Browne vision.

As usual, Thom put on not just a show, but a spectacle of spectacular menswear. Not every menswear designer bucks trends or uses imagination, which is difficult when limited to the tropes men are used to buying to fill their wardrobe. But however different and exciting this show was, there are still plenty of buyable, and more importantly wearable, pieces. For my part, I have my eye on those pink shoes pictured above.

a poppy's worth a thousand words

June 23, 2016 Jerad Michael

For my introductory outfit post, I wanted to showcase some pieces I always seem to come back to. My style is pretty basic, not basic in the "oh she's basic way," more basic in the "I can wear this 4 years from now" way, and it hasn't failed me so far.

This summer, floral prints for men seem to be on trend, as do cuban-collar shirts, and this piece from Topman combines a bit of both. It sticks to my usual neutral color palette of black-and-white, but i'm OBSESSED with the pattern! These shorts from Acne are also a go to for me - I've owned them for about a year, and wear them at least once a week during the summer months. To layer, I chose a simple cream ribbed tank to play off the black and white theme, but add a teeny bit of color and texture. Since the look is already casual I went all out and paired it down with an easy slip-on shoe, with a fun textured suede effect.

This look easily takes me from desk to drinks during summer (especially if you work in a business-casual or fashion forward office!). I love the versatility, and that I can still look dressed up enough to go out, but still be comfortable. After all, in summer I may not be able to take the heat, but at least the flowers on my shirt won't wilt!

Poppy Print Short Sleeve Shirt | Topman, Here

Ribbed Cream Tank | Maison Margiela, similar *on sale* Here

Black Wool Elastic Waist Shorts | Acne Studios, *on sale* Here

Croc Embossed Suede Slip On | Lanvin, *on sale* Here

Tell me what you think in the comments!

Instructions for Managing Blog Placement

April 1, 2016 Sharon Reaves

HOME

I currently have the home page set to include ONE image above the Instagram feed and 4 after.

The top image is your most recently FEATURED post.

To select an item as Featured, go to the Option tab above (beside content) and click Featured Post at the bottom left.

DO NOT select another category until you are ready for it to move down. This avoids duplication on the home page. When you are ready to use another item as your feature, you should select the default category and de-select Featured.

The bottom portion of your home page (below Instagram) is set to include 4 of your most recent posts from all both categories. They will appear in order from most recent. Do not mark these as Featured.

The one added step to get it to auto-populate to the home page is to add a thumbnail image. To do this Click on the OPTION tab above and add a thumbnail. This image is the one that will show on the home page. You can also add a brief summary of the post here if you choose.

The home page is populated by using the Digest feature. When you are ready to add new categories, open this SUMMARY block, click DISPLAY and scroll down to CATEGORY FILTER. You will see the current categories and can add additional ones after. For example: Style, Reviews, Travel, Fitness...

BLOG

Going forward all blog posts should be added in BLOG (New for all categories). Enter the full content here as usual and select the appropriate category and tags.

The other tabs above are Location which is a better way to add location than the map on one of your posts and allows viewers to use with Google maps.

The final tab is SOCIAL. I assume you want followers to be able to share. Currently it is not selected. Please select items you wish to be shared. This needs to be done manually.

When you add a new category, you will need to add a new Menu item/page.

To do this add a page and select the LINK option.
-- click Blog
-- then Category
-- a dropdown will be shown and select the new Category you wish to highlight

Helpful Hint for Images on the Home Page

When you add a thumbnail image, you can determine the focal point. To do this hover over the image once it's uploaded. You will see a white circle in the center. Drag this to the point you wish to be the focal point. Look at the image of the girl on the new travel page as an example. I moved the focal point up towards her face so her head would not be cut off.

I hope this helps! If you get into a bind my contact information is below.

Sharon
sharon@reavesprojects.com
www.reavesprojects.com
415.250.3201