Casual Days: $70 easy look.

Easy and effortlessly cool... only $70.60
fly shades, cool tee, nice jeans, and a bold colored jacket or hoody just in case there's a slight breeze
shades: $5.90, tee $15.90, jeans: $29.90, hoody: $18.90,

X-Men Origins- Wolverine: Hugh Jackman and Crew

Industry Screening of "X-Men Origins- Wolverine"

at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California.

Will.i.am stars as John Wraith in the movie
Typical will.i.am ensemble.

Hugh Jackman
Now this is how a man should look, lol, no but seriously it's all about the "clean, yet scruffy" look these days.

The always cute Halle Berry.

Apl.de.Ap. , Fergie, and Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas
I really like the jackets the guys are sporting.

Cleant Up... Kanye West and his new "Amazing" video

Have you all seen Kanye lately.... he looks, well... so well-groomed. Not that he wasn't before, but for the 808s album he had been rockin a more emotional scruffy look, but now... well I guess its spring and Kanye decided to keep it fresh and clean. (<--- i wasn't trying to rhyme, lol)

Kanye West at Vanity Fair party for
2009 Tribeca Film Festival (April 21st, NYC)

And check out his newest video,
"Amazing" featuring Young Jeezy

Music Video: K-OS Sunday Morning

I've been jamming to this song all weekend, meant to put it up yesterday... (from the album: Atlantis: Hymns of Disco

Product Review: Axe & Edge

When it comes to a men's grooming brand making products that not only work, but somehow entertain- Axe is it. They never fail at leaving quite the impression after one views their intentionally corny and funny commercials, this time they opted to create an entire website focused on their newest products.... www.thefixers.com

If you're tired? SHOCK. If you're dull? FEVER. If you're groggy? RECOVERY. Feeling shameful? SNAKE PEEL.

Urban Gent Review: 4/5. This collection is sort of great, Axe offers a nice variety of scents so a guy is bound to find atleast one he'll like. My favorite- the Snake Peel shower scrub (yellow bottle) and Recovery deodorant bodyspray (green can)- smells great, your lady will love these...




EDGE Infused (Lotionized Shave Gel)
Edge’s newest line of shave gel designed to go beyond regular shave protection by giving men a noticeably smooth and healthy look with vitamins, anti-oxidants and natural ingredients like Ginseng, Watermint and Witch Hazel.

Urban Gent Review: 3.5/5. Created a nice thick lather. The guys who tried this said it gave them a nice comfortable shave. I like that the shaving gel is lotionized , so it leaves a man's skin alot softer than other shaving cremes.

Put a Ring On it: Rings for Men

Rings- the one men's accessory that continues to go in and out and in and out of style-- except for wedding rings (band) or superbowl rings- those will NEVER be out.

Let's see I would guess pre the 70s the were mostly out, in the 70s they were sorta in if you were a wanna be pimp of sorts or a hippie, early 80s out, mid to late 80s all the way to the early 90s very very in, in the mid to late 90s it was all about bling, so things like blinged out pinky rings were in, then once 2000 came around less became more... theeen a very tad in 2007, bit more in 2008, and now in 2009 rings have become cool again due to the incredible 80s/90s hiphop inspiration that seems to be influencing everyone from couture designers to mainstream retailers.

Personally, with the exception of wedding bands, championship rings, and maybe a ring that has a specific meaning (ex: it was your dads or grandpas, or it symbolizes something etc) , I don't like rings on men... just like I don't like loop earrings on men- its unnecessary and too feminine. But obviously there are exceptions to every rule, and if you can pull it off then by all means- rock on.

I did a very quick search of rings for men, and I found a few rings that are sorta rad and I think the right guy can easily pull these off:

(Surface to air ring) Three finger ring, $98



(Surface to air ring) Graduate/helmut ring, $236



Steel ring with spinning chain, $21.99



Horseshoe ring, $33.44




Steel recesses ring, $21.99


(Vane NY) 2-finger brass knuckle ring, $80



Sterling Silver 2 ring finger, $40.99

The main thing that men should remember when wearing a ring-- less is more. You know how some girls may have four or five rings on at a time (depending on the look they're going for)? yeah, well guys shouldn't do it... One ring at a time unless for some reason 2 in necessary. Usually, in my opinion, a man should never wear more than 2 rings. (but there obviously are exceptions to the rule :-)

Vintage Kicks: Airwalk 540 PROTOTYPE

Skater kids, look up... the old school 540s are back.



Airwalk has 4 styles being re-released this year, January- Desert Boots, April- 540 Prototype, and 2 more on the way... I'm thinking you may want to try to cop atleast one pair.

And the winner is....

We had just about 100 submissions to the Men's Wearhouse Give-a-way, via email and post comments.

At first I was going to let you all vote on the top three, then I realized its very easy to continue to vote for the same person over and over, soooo I chose 3 (listed below) and then I had 7 associates vote on their favorite.

Okay, well actually the top 3 submissions are pretty long... so, if you're really interested to know just ask and I'll tell, but all 4 of the guys wrote below the contest post, but I think 2 of them sent me emails to expound upon what they had written.

Ricky, Fiyero, MichaelSkye, and Bobby (top 4).

And when it came down to it- Michael Skye won with his recession friendly wardrobe choice... it basically focused around classic vintage pieces -or- if you had the budget well-fitted designer suit (and he even gave examples of what his date would wear). (he's a graduating senior from Georgia). Congratulations :-)

Visit Menswearhouse.com for more prom help. They even have a section in which you can build a tuxedo.

80s Baby: Reebok Reborn

I got word of Reebok's Spring 2009 collection months ago. I heard it was cool, but never really got around to seeing what it was about-- how the shoes looked and so on. Today, I aimlessly discovered the photos of their collection that until today- had just been taking up space on my hard drive.

And to Reebok I say- Bravo, way to take today's fashion culture by the reigns and completely upgrade. There collection is what alot of big shoe brands should do-- modernize. Creative Recs sort of have a monopoly on this certain market niche and I'm sure they're loving it, but there's nothing wrong with good ole competition-- it keeps fresh ideas-a-coming. Now, don't get me wrong- I don't think everyone should suddenly began to make boldly patterned and brightly colored shoes, by all means stay true to your brand. BUT, there's nothing wrong with introducing one collection, or atleast a few kicks that will leave the M.I.A and Kanye West of the world wanting more.

Unfortunately many of these were/are limited editions that have already sold out, but you can still find many of the main styles... oh, and did I mention... these are women's shoes. Usually, I would never prompt a male to purchase shoes designed for a woman, buuuuuut these are kinda fly and I think guys can certaintly pull them off. (just don't buy the pink ones).

FLY HIGHER: PF Flyers

Simply stated, these kicks are fly.

PF Flyers SportsShu.
The reissue style from the 1940s.


retails at $160.

"Fan Mail": Prom

Hey J(acinda),

Thanks for writing an in depth guide on prom. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I wore a white suit with a pink vest and a zebra tie. I even won best dressed thanks to your advice! I just want to thank you again. As long as you keep writing blog. I will keep on reading them and spreading the word about your blog. Thanks again!

your Louisiana friend,

Gerald

__________________________________________________

I'm always delighted when I get these type emails-- its very cool, and it makes my day. As long as I can help one person look a lil' bit flyer, I'm happy. Geeeez tho *blush* he won best dressed- love it! Lol. (everybody may not be able to pull off a white suit, pink vest, and zebra tie though :-)

So, if you need prom help check out the guide.

If you need funds for to help buy a suit/tux enter the contest. (I've gotten alot of cool ones via email- keep them coming)

Check out Men's Wearhouse Prom Website.

The Fray Covers Heartless by. Kanye West

Check out this video I stumbled upon.




Is it just me or does this possibly (just possibly) sound better than the original. Well, it just really works- very smooth.

Inspire Me: Black & White Flashbacks

click to enlarge, drag to desktop, and make it your new screensaver.

Prom Giveway: $100 Men's Wearhouse Giftcard

We're in a recession. Enough said.

Ok ok okay, back up, so we're in a recession and many people are struggling a bit more than usual, so for YOUR convenience The Urban Gentleman is going to giveaway a $100 Men's Wearhouse Giftcard just to make life a tad easier for those young gents preparing for prom and other special occassions. (Dads and older brothers- this would be great to win for your son, or little bro or even nephew. )

To enter to win, simply...

1. reply to this posting by telling me what you think is the perfect male prom attire
2. if you haven't already, subscribe to The Urban Gentleman
3. and visit virtualprom.com

(when leaving comment, be sure to enter a valid email address in the slot, if you don't feel safe leaving it there then email me the address and a copy of your comment- urbangentblog@gmail.com)

A friend of mine went to virtualprom.com and created a prom, and he invited me!-- join us as we swag surf at The Urban Gentleman Prom :-)

Need some Prom/Special Occassion help? Check out The Prom Guide.

Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens

I had plans on this being a 2 week giveaway, but that seems a bit excessive since a good portion of you younger gents have prom in about 2-4 weeks. So let's make this a one week thing- so it ends next Saturday, April 18th. 7 days to enter to win $100 Giftcard to Men's Wearhouse. Winner will be announced Monday morning- you'll have, hmmm... 48hrs to claim the prize, then after that I'm giving it to my little sisters prom date, naw I'm kiddin- I'll give it to the next person, then the next... oh, and basically whoever has the best answer wins. I was just going to have about 5-9 fashion-forward associates choose their favorite, but I'm thinking it'll be more fun if I (with the help of associates/friends) choose my favorite 3 answers. Then on Sunday or Monday I'll post them and you all choose your favorite one- and by 12:01 whoever has the most votes wins. Am I doing too much, hmmmm, idk... but let's just see how this goes.



The Men’s Wearhouse is not a sponsor or co-sponsor of any contest on this site involving gift cards. Please refer to reverse of gift card for terms and conditions of use.

Don't Drop the Soap: Best Soap Bars for Men (Top 10 List)

Some people just like good ole' fashion soap bars... and here's the best...

Tom Ford, $18

This cleansing bar seems to be making its way to every gentleman's shower- the soap smells great, lasts, and has been highly rated since its release.

Bliss Mammoth Minty Scrub Soap, $18

Supposedly the currently most wanted big bar soap, mainly b/c of its ability to scrub.



Anthony Logistics For Men Glycerin Cleansing Bar, $8.50
100% vegetable-based with natural ingredients to
promote healthy skin.



Dove Beauty Bar, $1.35
Nope, it's not just for women. Many men swear by Dove



The Art of Shaving Tangerine Body Soap, $18
Cleans, purifies and moisturizes with Tangerine essential oil, high in Vitamin C from California, and Kokum butter to nourish and revitalize the skin



Musgo Real Men's Body Soap, $6.00
Developed for the aristocracy, this men's soaps has been handmade and stamped in Portugal since 1887. One of the most popular soap amongst real men.



Sexy For Men Soap Bar, $5.00
A new vegan soap to try.



Molton Brown Moisture Rich Aloe & Palm Body Bar, $22
The "multi-tasker soap"- perfect for face, body, and creates the the perfect foam for a great shave. Contains shea butter, aloe vera, palm oil and pure essential oils.



Zest, $1.99 (3 bars)
There's nothing like being zestfully clean.



Anthony Logistics For Men Mud Scrub Exfoliating Bar, $12.50
Deep Cleansing. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this product is donated to prostate cancer research.

Other Good Brands: Old Spice, Sharps Happy Me All Over (sold out everywhere though), Irish Green, Palms Cocoa Butter Soap (and Shea Butter Soap).

The Joke: South Park, Kanye West, Fishsticks

(... fyi: this posting is pretty random...)

Person A: Do you like fishsticks?
Person B: Yes.
Person A: You like to put them in your mouth?
Person B: Yes.
Person A: What are you... a gay fish? (laughter)
Person B: (blank stare) (laughter)


So, last night South Park premiered an episode that... well, that sorta chumped Kanye. If you didn't see it, then you can watch it here.

Basically they were getting on him and his ego... but to me, it didn't really make sense because I couldn't understand why they would make an entire episode- 22 whole minutes, just to rip on Kanye West-- I mean 10 minutes, okay, but the entire episode???... it was sort of perplexing to the point that it wasn't really that funny (or as funny as I had hoped). I watch South Park pretty adamantly and there's always atleast one scene in which I laugh uncontrollably, but for some weird reason I sort of chuckled here and there, but it wasn't thaaaat funny *shrugs*, idk....

Anywho, so I posed the question (of why they would make an entire episode about one rapper) to friends and my friend Randall said:

"Supposedly South Park doesn't like Family Guy cause they feel like they're biting 'their' style....and then Kanye is gonna be in a Family Guy spin-off.....so this was their way of getting Kanye in the mix"

And for those of you who don't know Family Guy is going to do a spin-off called The Cleveland Show, featuring Peters neighbor Cleveland and his family. And after some research I found out that Kanye West is indeed suppose to play a character on the show named Kenny West who is an all-around cool kid and the archenemy of Cleveland Jr.

Sooo with all that said South Park bashed Kanye to bash Family Guy (or something like that)... again I just don't know, I feel they should have made it more obvious that they were bashing Family Guy because it was just too indirect.... anywho, this is how Ye responded:

SOUTH PARK MURDERED ME LAST NIGHT AND IT'S PRETTY FUNNY. IT HURTS MY FEELINGS BUT WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM SOUTH PARK! I ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON MY EGO THOUGH. HAVING THE CRAZY EGO IS PLAYED OUT AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE AND CAREER. I USE TO USE IT TO BUILD UP MY ESTEEM WHEN NOBODY BELIEVED IN ME. NOW THAT PEOPLE DO BELIEVE AND SUPPORT MY MUSIC AND PRODUCTS THE BEST RESPONSE IS THANK YOU INSTEAD OF "I TOLD YOU SO!!!" IT'S COOL TO TALK SHIT WHEN YOU'RE RAPPING BUT NOT IN REAL LIFE. WHEN YOU MEET LITTLE WAYNE IN PERSON HE'S THE NICEST GUY FOR EXAMPLE. I JUST WANNA BE A DOPER PERSON WHICH STARTS WITH ME NOT ALWAYS TELLING PEOPLE HOW DOPE I THINK I AM. I NEED TO JUST GET PAST MYSELF. DROP THE BRAVADO AND JUST MAKE DOPE PRODUCT. EVERYTHING IS NOT THAT SERIOUS. AS LONG AS PEOPLE THINK I ACT LIKE A BITCH THIS TYPE OF SHIT WILL HAPPEN TO ME. I GOT A LONG ROAD AHEAD OF ME TO MAKE PEOPLE BELIEVE I'M NOT ACTUALLY A HUGE DOUCHE BUT I'M UP FOR THE CHALLENGE. I'M SURE THE WRITERS AT SOUTH PARK ARE REALLY NICE PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE. THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DRAW MY CREW. THAT WAS PRETTY FUNNY ALSO!! I'M SURE THERE'S GRAMMATICAL ERRORS IN THIS... THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW IT'S ME!

(via kanyeuniversecity.com/blog)


But the whole reason or main reason for me creating this posting was actually to give South Park two thumbs up on re-creating Kanye and his crew- very cool. They matched everyone exactly- from the hair to the shoes. The only thing is that they completely left out Virgil Abloh... that's pretty lame, I know he's probably sorta upset they didn't recreate him (who wouldn't be).

Don. (aka deadstock don)
Taz Arnold. (a rapper/artist, has a line called Ti$a)
Chris Julian. (Owner FRUITION in Las Vegas)
Kanye West.
Fonzworth Bentley.(host of from g's to gents)
Virgil Abloh. (a creative force/ PASTELLE designer of sorts)
Ferrai Murakami. (his barber) (not featured here)

more from the episode: