Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Style Interview with Rodney J. Hobbs, Actor

What types of work do you do?

I’m a TV, film and voiceover actor.  I’m also a print model.  I like a steady stream of income so I also work part-time as a payroll administrator for a major entertainment law firm.

Synergy!  What do you wear to the office?

 I would describe my typical everyday style as "nice casual and conservative," meaning usually a collared shirt (polo or button-up) with slacks and leather shoes.  My office job is a casual environment, but since it's a law firm I like to keep it semi-professional and don't wear jeans all the time although they're  acceptable.  I often have to go from the office to auditions, and for auditions I like to dress for whatever the part is.  Since khakis (beige, navy, olive, or black) are so widely accepted and versatile, that's what I wear most often.  Then I switch my shirts to match the audition roles.  I usually keep my audition shirts hanging in the car so as not to wrinkle them before the audition.

Tell me a bit about men's style in LA?

Well, I’m a native of Memphis, TN and moved to LA from Richmond, VA.  In LA, everyone's MUCH more laid back.  For instance, I feel that in LA, only certain industries require employees to "dress up" with shirt & tie:  law firms with offices in downtown LA, or banking/financial companies.  Everyone else is pretty much business casual or casual on a daily basis.  It's a much freer environment & feel than other cities, and men seem to embrace their own individual styles much more readily.  Part of this is because LA is the entertainment capital of the world, so creativity is encouraged more than other places, and this is reflected in men's dress and overall appearance as well.  Hair styles are also much freer.

Do you have a style icon?
    
 I don't - but there are three men whose styles I admire: Will Smith, Don Cheadle,  and Courtney B. Vance.  They all seem to always look nice and well-kept in photos & public appearances.  Will always seems to add his own flair to his outfits without it looking "over-the-top" or like he's trying to garner attention.  And Don & Courtney are always well-put-together--they both also have complexions similar to mine, so I'm mindful of that.

What's the last clothing item you bought?   
A pair of beige Merona khakis from Target that I haven't even worn yet.  I own more pairs of beige khakis than any other item of clothing.  I think somehow I feel you can never have too many.
Have you ever considered an alternative to khakis?
An alternative to khakis?  Hmmm...no, I can't say that I've considered such.  It's usually either those or jeans.  Every once in a while I wear true dress slacks, but that's usually only for auditions.  But hey, I'm open to suggestions!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Sales, Sales, Sales!

Semi-annual men's sales at Nordstrom and Brooks Brothers.  This is still a great time to stock up on essentials and diversify your wardrobe without paying full price!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

A Little Q&A on Office Casual

Check out a recent exchange on LinkedIn.  Do you have a question?  Feel free to email me at beltorsupsenders@gmail.com or hit me up on Twitter @belt_suspenders

http://lnkd.in/8d2MAa

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Extra 20% off at Thomas Pink

Sale on shirts, ties and accessories starts tomorrow. Use code FD200611 at check out for extra 20% off from June 16 - 19. www.us.thomaspink.com

Monday, June 13, 2011

Necktie Help

For a few hours every week, the home I grew up turned into a haberdasher's shop.  To get ready for church, my dad and I pulled out the shoe shine kit and polished our shoes.  We picked out our suits and ironed our shirts.  If we were wearing a new item, my mom made sure the fit was right.  And of course, we had to have the perfect necktie. 

Wearing a necktie is one of the first rites of manhood.  It's an early display of one's sartorial style and can put one a few steps ahead of those still wearing a clip-on.  As such, a man should teach a young man how to tie a tie as my father taught me.  Every time I tie a four in hand knot, I re-connect to my father and to his father and so on.

Do you have a son or nephew or young man in your life who needs you to teach him one of the foundations of manliness? Let me recommend http://www.tie-a-tie.net/.  The site's mission is simple.  It aims to teach people how to tie a tie.  There are step by step video instructions and helpful necktie tips.

This site won't replace the one on one time spent teaching a young man how to tie a necktie but now you have a ready resource.  Take advantage of it.  You'll look like a genius.