Category Archives: Fashion

It seems like this past week has been about one outfit after another in a quick-change game of outrageous wardrobe switch-ups, culminating with the featured sparkling ensemble you see before you now. This year’s Gay Pride outfit came together rather haphazardly. Unsure of which route to take ~ sequins or leopard ~ I posed the question to FaceBook and Twitter and the results were overwhelmingly in favor of sequins, with most people citing leopard’s hey-day of last year (to which I beg to differ – leopard is timeless).

In a twist veering from my modus operandi, I went with popular opinion (and what was already halfway in my wardrobe) so I purchased this pair of sequin shorts, rustled up a sequin top that had been in my attic closet for ten years, and paired it with a Deborah Harry tank top and pink necklace. The flip flops were simply a case of function over form, and an anticipated soggy field through which I’d be walking – plus I liked their color clash with the pink of Debbie’s top. A pair of aviators rounded out the insanity, because they forgive a lot of questionable shit.

I am so ready to slip into a pair of comfortable board shorts for the rest of the summer. Or nothing at all – so be prepared.

Granted I’m a bit biased, but this year’s Met Gala, minus the star-wattage of Madonna, lacked the usual wow-factor, and while the gents stepped it up with the ‘white tie with decorations’ theme Anna Wintour proclaimed, I still missed what Madonna might have done. As it was, Sarah Jessica Parker could be counted on to dress-to-impress, and she did so in an Oscar de la Renta gown. God, what I would give to get dressed with her. Or just to kiss her hem.

Ms. Parker’s date was Andy Cohen, who adhered admirably to the theme (proof that it’s difficult for even the most amazing mortals to defy Ms. Wintour.) Maintaining the staid formality was Benedict Cumberbatch, who personified “dashing and debonair.”

But the best tux of the evening has to go to Mr. Tom Ford. No one wears it better, and no one ever could.

A couple of couples from across-the-pond, though I really only care about the guys: Eddie Redmayne and David Beckham. Why they didn’t attend with each other I’ll never know.

And from the good, we must delve into the bad. While I am loathe to criticize anything Neil Patrick Harris does, this look was not his finest. His husband David, however, fares even worse. The cut, the color, the pattern, and the shoes… there’s not one thing I like about this except the balls it took to put it on in public.

And speaking of things I don’t like: Sandra Lee in this disaster. Mario must be mad as a hornet – this is NOT First Lady caliber.  Hey Ms. Lee, is the M/C raise that I haven’t had in five years hidden in that ridiculous thing?

I love red. It’s always been a powerful totem color for me. Usually, I wear it on my underwear for a hidden jolt of self-confidence. In this case, however, I find myself leaning toward the yellow of this amazing bag from Burberry. The actual shade is called ‘Dark Marigold’ and the bag itself has been christened ‘Ormond’ (at a price point of $1225 on sale at BlueFly, it merits the name.) I’ve been looking for a yellow-hello bag for a while…

Failing that sunny shade of leather, I’d settle for this red Prada number. At $2249.50, however (also on sale at BlueFly), I stand as much chance at procuring that as I do these Tom Ford loafers. Still, a guy can dream… and make up birthday wish lists with a lead-time ample enough to allow for savings…

When confronted with a collection of kimono before me – in a dazzling array of colors and fabrics, from the subtlest gray to the brightest poppy red, from the softest of silks to the starchiest of cottons – there are always three questions that pop into my head:

Do I need another kimono?

Do I have the money to pay for it?

Do I have the self-deluding manipulative ability to justify such a purchase?

Usually, the answer to all these questions is, at least in my crazy mind, a resounding yes. But the real question behind those concerns has always boiled down to this: what price, beauty? And for that – for the balm of beauty – no price is too high, no sacrifice too great, no other outcome than that most happy of words: YES.

Loosely inspired by Cate Blanchett’s 2011 Oscar dress and the Lucky Charms leprechaun, this year’s outfit for the AIDS Council’s Beaujolais Nouveau Wine Celebration was all about the green. After thinking over previous ensembles, I realized that many were heavy on black or red, with little to no green – so I went lime-balls-to-the-wall and came up with this grassy pom-pom encrusted concoction. It came together at the last minute, but it’s one of my favorites. While I thought of sticking to Tom Ford and his Private Blends with a few spritzes of ‘Azure Lime’, I decided to try something by Jo Malone instead, and the fragrance of the evening ended up being the Lime, Basil & Mandarin cologne. It worked well with the outfit – and the hat. Because it all comes down to the hat.

As for next year’s outfit, I’m already on it. Planning ahead is what a Virgo does best.

Tomorrow marks the Beaujolais Nouveau Wine Festival, in support of the AIDS Council of New York. It’s probably the biggest social event Andy and I attend, and I’ve been going for over ten years. Arriving at this time (the week before Thanksgiving), it’s come to embody the kick-off of the holiday season. As such, I tend to put a little more effort into my outfit.

There was the time I went in a Swarovski-encrusted corset, black lace shirt, black pants, and black cowboy boots. There was the time I went in equestrian pants, Burberry tie, and thigh-high shiny black vinyl lace-up boots. There was the time I went in fuchsia pants, Pee Wee Herman platform shoes, and a red cape (one of my favorites). There was the time I went in orange silk Indian pajamas. There was the time I went in a mirrored jacket (the only time the Times Union actually published a photo of me, despite taking my picture and name EVERY SINGLE YEAR). There was the time I went in a white tuxedo jacket, black velvet page-boy breeches, and black-and-white striped stockings.

There were casual years as well – and for a while I alternated between a fancy extravagant wardrobe, and a jeans and t-shirt outfit. Obviously, those in-between years were easier to pull off, and I may go that route this year, but I may not. If not, this hint of green will be part of the extravaganza. Otherwise, look for me in peasant gear.

Previously, that title belonged to a dark green alpaca coat in a subtle plaid pattern, lined with chartreuse – which managed to be both warm but light-weight. After this weekend in Washington, however, the light rusty orange coat pictured here (from H&M of all places) now takes that title, and by quite a bit. When I wear this while walking the streets of Downtown Albany, it elicits stares and puzzled looks (and one bout of snickering by a woman who should not have been wearing leggings – at least according to the poor leggings).

In Washington I got at least fifteen compliments in my first few hours of walking around that city. More amusing was the woman who gave me one compliment, then approached me again, in the same store, ten minutes later to reiterate how much she liked it and how good they looked with the shoes I had on. The first double-compliment I’ve ever received. I’m not saying that makes Washington better than Albany, but… well, it does.

Tom Ford claims that whenever he is down he puts on his fanciest tuxedo and he instantly feels better. While this is far from a Tom Ford tuxedo, a jacket, dress shirt, and bow-tie can go quite a distance in repairing frayed nerves and insecure moments. Something happens when you dress up, even if you’ve been doing it all your life. You carry yourself differently, you feel a little better, and it translates to everything else around you. People sometimes ask why I bother getting decked out on days when I only have to go into work. Well, it comes with being named the Best Dressed Man in the Capital Region (even if it was back in 2008 – and until they crown another I’m holding onto the title with cold, dead hands), but I’d do it anyway as it’s always given me the extra push it sometimes takes to walk out of the house. It’s not always easy to be me, just as I’m sure there are days when it’s tough to be you – and occasionally it takes a little more than I have to live up to all of that. On those days, a bow tie and jacket are the necessary talismans to ward off the weariness.

Style is not the man; it is something better. It is a dizzy, dazzling structure that he erects about himself, using as building materials selected elements from his own character. Style is the way in which man can, by taking thought, add to his stature. It is the only way… Style is not fashion; style is not wealth; style is not learning; style is not beauty. ~ Quentin Crisp

I’m talking about flair, style, élan. Even the most wretched of us can do something about them. ~ Terrence McNally