A Man's Point Of View

Hello all!! I hope everyone had an excellent Thanksgiving holiday.  I know I really enjoyed spending time with my family and seeing friends I haven't seen in a while.  So, now that we have to get back to the business of working, schooling, or whatever you do to fill your time.  It's time for a new feature I have named A Man's Point of View.  I wanted to do a piece that features style from the male viewpoint.  This is something I would like to do on a regular basis.  So, without further ado, here's the first installment of A Man's Point of View.  I guess I should preface this with an advisement:  this post may contain language that some people may find offensive or funny (I'm not sure which one you will think it is.) Please be advised of such!!!


So tell my readers who you are and what you do for a living.

My name is Bryan Keith Scarbrough, I am 25 years old and I am a Rehab Technician at a wellness center.

 

What one word describes your style and why?

Classic. I say classic because my style is basic and masculine. I feel my style is how a man my age should dress, with some up to date modifications.

What are 4 pieces in your wardrobe that you can't live without?

I would have to say my neck ties, my jewelry, retro tennis shoes, and my cologne

If money were no object, what pieces would you like to add to your wardrobe?

I would like to add more sport coats because you can be casual with them or dress them up depending on the occasion. I would like to add more jeans also. Aint nothing like a good pair of Levi Strauss jeans. I also would like to add more dress shirts and retro Nikes.

What are some trends that you wish would die a flaming death.

There are so many trends that I wish people would stop wearing but for the sake of this I will keep it short. I can’t the skinny jeans especially on men. In today’s society I feel that men don’t dress like men any more. Men dress like ballet dancers with smedium(small and medium) shirts and extremely tight pants. So many men have taken the “metrosexual” title and hauled ass with it. I feel that the majority of this has to do with the hip hop generation i.e. Lil Wayne and a lot more, but he is the main target. I remember when sagging was the coolest trend; now the same guys who sag took those same pants and shrunk them to infant size.  I do not like the poindexter glasses. As a kid I can remember other kids who wore glasses got picked on especially if they were big and the lenses were thick.  I hate the trend that mainly the young white females wear and that is the oversized t-shirts, soccer shorts, and rain boots or ugg boots. The look makes them seem as if they don’t have anything underneath the shirt and that’s not cool. Last but not least, I hate the Polo trend. This trend is mainly worn by the young African American males who are in their twenties.  This trend is very irritating to me. They will wear the Polo hat, Polo shirt, Polo jacket, Polo jeans, Polo underwear, and Polo boots. This is a prime example of overkill. These guys walk around like walking billboards for Ralph Lauren. I know white guys who don’t wear that much Polo. This reminds me of the Tommy Hilfiger trend in the nineties when everybody was Hilfiger down to the socks and some people even sported the bootleg if they couldn’t afford the real thing. How can you say you are different when you look like four other guys in the classroom with you?

What's your favorite thing to see a woman wear and why?

I like to see a woman in a nice v neck t-shirt, jeans, and some casual shoes with her hair done.  So many women these days wear too many dresses with their ass out, high heels they can’t walk in, and thick make up that they have to chisel off their face.  The media has overused the word sexy and think that sexy means you have to be butt naked. In my opinion a female that wears a nice casual outfit is sexy to me. I like a woman to be classy not showing all her assy.

Rainy Day Blues

I don't know about you, but I hate rainy weather.  Especially the ones that are accompanied by wind and lots of gray clouds.  This is the type of weather that makes me want to stay home, curl up on my couch with some heavy covers, and watch TV all day.  But, since I had class, I had to put on my big girl panties and brave the storm.  I decided I wanted to look nice despite the weather, so I went for this blouse I purchased from old Navy off the clearance rack.  It was regularly price around $25, but I got it for around $13.  I had seen it previously and liked it, but I didn't want to pay full price for it.  When I visited the store on Monday, I saw it on clearance and snapped it up.  I also bought a black tunic length  3/4 puffy sleeve top with a tie neck and a aqua green colored turtle neck.  Both were on sale as well and I can't wait to add them to my wardrobe.

I decided to wear the tribal print blouse with a pair of dark colored jeans for a slight monochrome look.  I added a brown braided wide belt to help cinch the waist, my silver hoop earrings, and bronze colored flats.  Even though you can't see it in this picture, I'm also wearing an oval shaped silver ring from Charlotte Russe.  It actually looks like a miniature tribal mask that people hang on their walls as art.  It's amazing how I purchased this ring weeks before I purchased the blouse and they go together so well.  I tried to take a picture of the ring to show you guys, but it didn't work out too well.

Blouse:   Old Navy
Jeans:     Lane Bryant
Shoes:    Old Navy
Earrings: Lane Bryant
Ring:      Charlotte Russe

Casual Outfit and Fighting For Love

I am still floating on air after last night's concert by The Foreign Exchange.  I.LOVE.THEM. and after their performance, I love them EVEN MORE!!!! Since I'm a single parent, I don't get to go out as much as I'd like to.  So, when I heard they were coming to town I had to take advantage.  I know this is a style blog, but I believe that great music is something that NEVER goes out of style.

Just the vibe in the room last night while TFE performed was just a beautiful thing.  I was even more amazed at all the guys there who not only knew the words to ALL their songs, but danced, waved and clapped their hands, and just genuinely had a bomb ass time.  And since I had a bomb ass time as well, I decided to show them my support and purchased one of their tee shirts.  I chose to wear it today because I couldn't wait to wear it.  Here's a picture of what I wore today:

 It's nothing earth moving.  But since the weather has been blah for the past day and a half, I wanted to be comfy.  The jacket is from Old Navy, she shoes are Tommy Hilfiger boat shoes via TJ Maxx, the jeans are Lane Bryant, and the tee shirt is via The Foreign Exchange.  You can't read it in this picture, but it says "Fight For Love" which is one of the group's songs.  I think the reason why I purchased this one out of all the others is because of that title.  We fight daily to hold onto all the loves in our life.  Whether it's kids, spouse, significant other, parents, siblings, life in general.  Sometimes it can be a struggle, and you may not be able to see you way through.  But, if you just keep fighting, it will all be worth it in the end.  Oh, and I couldn't close this post out without showing a picture of me with Zo! who is really awesome!! All of the members were really friendly, down to earth, and open to signing autographs and taking pictures.  Whenever they decide to come back to Memphis, I will most definitely be buying a ticket.

Dressing in Style With Lane Bryant

To pass the time before I had to pick my son up from school, I decided to pass the time window shopping at Lane Bryant.  I was actually suprised to see the great selection of fall and winter clothes they had.  Whenever I shop at Lane Bryant, I usually only pick up their jeans and their intimate apparel.  But, I will actually have to give them kudos for having great party attire.  So, let's get into it!!!

Please pardon the way my camera makes this dress look.  It's actually red instead of fucshia.  I think this little number would be great for all of those upcoming holiday parties.  Or, a night out on the town with your significant other.  Cute!!

I simply love this sheer floral print jacket.  It really makes this simple, all black ensemble pop.  To give some definition to the waist, they added a thin black belt.  And I also love the color of the turquoise sweater on the other mannequin.  Bright colors that were worn in the spring and summer months have carried their way through the fall and winter months.  So, you don't have to put away your favorite bright colored shirts and jackets.  You just have to find a way to remix them with your fall and winter staples.

This cute sleeveless top can be dressed up or down.  For a casual look, you could wear it with your favorite pair of jeans and a blazer.   Dress it up with a black pencil skirt or slacks and some cute heels.  You can't go wrong either way.

This dress would be great for a night out on the town with the girls.  Just throw on some opaque tights and some hot boots, and you're good to go. 

I love the way they put this top and scarf combo together.  It takes a black empire waist coat and jeans up a notch.  This would be perfect to wear on a Saturday afternoon out with the kids.  

Now, these coats are just too haute!!! I especially like the plaid one, and they're at a good price point.  They're both around $160 dollars.  That's not bad for a wool coat.

This purple coat is the same as the grey on above.  But, I like it better in this color.  Now, you may not want to purchase a coat in purple because it may seem trendy or unpractical.  I totally understand; but I feel it would really give character to your outfits.  Dressing is supposed to be fun and this coat is definitely fun.

Who's On My Campus

I am pleased to present to you the lovely Destiny.  As I was leaving my class on Tuesday, I spotted her leaving the food kiosk.  So, I basically had to risk my life running on rain slicked floors to catch her and snap her picture.  I love EVERYTHING about her look; especially the fact that she didn't let the bad weather keep her from looking fabulous.  Would you believe it was raining outside, mixed with lots of wind and clouds??  And what's even better is that she was such a sweetheart!! So, she has great style and personality.  And that's always in season.

Old School Fridays

I'm sure by now you've heard of the untimely passing of Heavy D.  So, to celebrate his life and to celebrate Old School Fridays, I decided to show one of his music videos. I really don't know what else to say except for you will be greatly missed.  Hip hop has definitely another one of its greats. Rest in peace, Heavy D.

A Little Bit of Flannel...But In A Good Way

Hello all!! I know it's been a minute since I posted something.  But, with the current semester winding down, and graduation approaching quickly, I've been busy as 8 bees.  Anyway, since it's gotten back chilly, I decided to wear one of my plaid flannel shirts.  I really love this shirt because of the colors in it.  Who says flannel has to be manly!! Instead of wearing pants, I went with a little summer dress I purchased last year for my birthday.  It's black at the top with a square neckline and a denim bottom.  I really like the dress because it can be worn year round.  I added a pair of black opaque tights and my newly acquired boots.  I'm SO excited about these boots because I've been searching FOR YEARS for a pair of calf boots that I can get my big calves into.  So, on one of my many trips to TJ Maxx, I spotted them.  I decided to try them on, and when they fit, I felt like Cinderella!!  BTW, I was doing some serious clowning around in these pictures, so don't take them very seriously.  Lol!! So, here's the logistics about my outfit:

Shirt:   Old Navy
Dress:  TJ Maxx
Tights:  Ashley Stewart
Boots:  TJ Maxx
Ring:   Charlotte Russe
Earrings: Ashley Stewart

If you're interested in my hair, I decided to do some protective styling for the winter.  I got two strand twist extensions at A Natural Affair Beauty Lounge.  The owner, Takeisha Berry-Brooks, did my twists.  They actually look like they're growing out of my scalp, so she did a REALLY good job.  So, if you're ever in  Memphis or surrounding area and need a natural hair stylist, please give her a call at 901-859-1113.

Old School Fridays

Happy Friday y'all!!! To celebrate, I decided to dig into the milk crates and pull out a real dusty one.  Today's Old School Friday selection is Supersonic by J.J. Fad.  When I was in junior high, this was one of my favorite songs.  For some reason, I would make it my mission to learn all the words to my favorite songs.  So, of course I learned the words to the really fast part at the end.  Rap along if you know it; if you don't just bounce.  Enjoy and have a great weekend!!

Leopard Print and Orange Crush

Yesterday was movie pitch day in my Screenwriting class. So, I decided to dress up a bit to make my pitch a little more special.  I wore my navy wide legged slacks with my green v-neck sweater.  I bought the sweater in an extra large, but I think I could've gotten away with a large.  Anyway, I wanted to keep warm and also add a bit of interest, so I decided to wear my leopard print sheer blouse underneath.  And since I haven't carried Orange Crush yet, I thought it would give my outfit the pop it needed.  I think the look turned out great, despite the fit of the sweater.  Let me know what you think.