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5 Must Have Accessories for Men

Posted on February 18, 2008 by admin Filed Under Articles, Celebs, Fashion, Fun, Top Fives | 3 Comments

My Valentine’s Day post got me thinking about men and fashion. The two don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Below are my suggestions, with a little help from Russell Simmons and the Seattle Times, for the top five accessories every well-dressed man should have:

1. A GREAT BELT BUCKLE. Whether western or minimalist, a stylish belt buckle dresses up everything from jeans and t-shirt to slacks and blazer.

2. CUFF LINKS. Debonair and seriously sexy. Makes me think of a time before casual Fridays, when men dressed for dinner and women dressed their age.

3. A WATCH. Timex, Tag, Rolex. No matter. Just match your other accessories to the metal–silver, bronze, etc–you choose for your watch.

4. A RING. Most men don’t don one of these until they’re hitched, but a simple band worn on the right ring finger is contemporary cool.

5. A GREAT PAIR OF SHOES. Could be cowboy boots, could be wingtips. Just choose something that reflects your personal style and run with it. And speaking of running, no track shoes unless you’re on the track.

***embedded images courtesy of The Sartorialist.

Sweet Belt Buckles For Your Sweetheart

Posted on February 14, 2008 by admin Filed Under Articles, Fashion, History | Leave a Comment

So, today is Valentine’s Day. The champagne is chilled and the reservations have been made. Women are preening and men are making their annual last-minute pilgrimage to the jewelry store, florist, chocolate shoppe and/or boutique for the gift that says “I love you”.
But how many boxes of chocolate or bushels of roses does a woman need to receive in a lifetime? And, for him, a tie or a bottle of Scotch isn’t nearly personal enough. I say, buy your partner a hot belt buckle instead.
You don’t have to be a rhinestone cowboy to don a western belt buckle. A recent SanLuisObispo.com article posted photos of contemporary belt buckles–a few are straight shooting enough to be worn on Wall Street.
Men are, after all, very limited when it comes to gussying up an outfit. The only accessories my husband wears are a scarf and his wedding band. On occasion he carries a murse (a man purse)–we live in New York and morph into pack mules when we must go from work to dinner without a visit to the home front. I know it’s wrong but I can’t help but laugh when I see him head for the door with what kind of looks like a woman’s handbag. He pulled it from my closet one day–he’d rather die than go shopping–and has been using it ever since.
Anyway, when I got to thinking about a gift for my sweetheart, I got to thinking about one of the sweet belt buckles I’d seen on the site. It’s between the first one, simple and classic, and the fourth, a little edgier. I’ll keep you posted after I’ve made my choice. Until then, Giddy-up. Only six more shopping hours left before dinner.

These are a few of my favorite things….

Posted on February 13, 2008 by admin Filed Under Collecting Belt Buckles, Fashion, Fun, Special Buckles, Vintage Belt Buckles | 4 Comments

Western Belt Buckles and Worn Leather Saddles

Men in Black Stetsons whose Spurs Spin and Rattle

Galloping Horses as if they had Wings

These are a Few of My Favorite Things…

Check out the amazing collection of belt buckles owned and photographed by Katrinkles at Flickr.

Jewel Rocks Ty Murray’s Championship Rodeo Buckles

Posted on February 9, 2008 by admin Filed Under Articles, Celebs, Fashion, Fun | Leave a Comment

Jewel, the singer/songwriter/poet famous for living in her car before hitting it big with her album Pieces of You, told blender magazine in a June, 2006 interview that her belt buckle bling includes two of boyfriend Ty Murray’s Rodeo Champ Belt Buckles: “I have one of Ty’s world championship all-around buckles. I also have one of his world championship bull-riding buckles”. The twosome has been dating for more than a decade but have no plans to tie the knot. Still, they enjoy the same romantic pasttimes most couples do. According to Jewel, they have a mechanical bull on their ranch in Stevensville, Texas and like to hop on for a spin after a few Keystone Lights. Aahh, young love.

Homage to a True American Cowboy

Posted on February 8, 2008 by admin Filed Under Quotes, Video | 3 Comments

As my Grandpa’s birthday approaches I thought I’d share a few of the many wise words he spoke. He passed at 55, when I was just five years old, but my memory of him is as vivid as if he was sitting next to me now.

He was a true American cowboy. An engineer by trade–working for the “outer space program”, as my Texas-accented Grandma used to say–he held fast to his cowboy roots. He was soft-spoken but firm, gentle but mighty. He’d put on a pair of dusty Levi’s and work on his truck every Saturday morning with a Budweiser on the garage shelf and Buck Owens playing on the radio. When I’d spend weekends with him and my Grandma he’d give me a quarter if I finished my oatmeal before he did: “One for the money, two for the show” was how our race always began. He always let me win.

Anyway, a few of his favorite phrases come to mind whenever I think of him.

On loose-lipped, fast-talkin’: “Speak slowly. Think quickly”.

On being a good listener: “Never miss a chance to shut up and learn”.

On women who wore tight clothes and too much makeup: “She’s rode hard and hung up wet”.

And on western belt buckles: “A good belt buckle will keep your pants up but only careful consideration and plain talk will keep your head on straight”.

Hats off to you, Grandpa.

For more cowboy quotes, click here. Listen to Buck Owens sing one of my (and my Granpa’s) favorite songs below.

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