San Diego native Ashley Nell Tipton’s career as a fashion designer reads like a Horatio Alger story. She first put needle to fabric at age seven on her grandmother’s sewing machine. In 2011, she started …
October 31, 2019
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Stories by Matt Louv
The Horatio Alger of Project Runway
Barrio Logan’s Sew Loka: the Nip/Tuck of real life
According to Claudia Rodriguez Biezunski, the gregarious owner of Barrio Logan’s Sew Loka, for a man, having your clothes tailored is more important for your looks than working out. “You can go to the gym …
October 17, 2019
Scott Rich: San Diego’s most colorful fashion designer
As someone with little interest in high fashion, I was surprised by how compelling I found local designer Scott Rich’s work. Rich, who lives in Santee, is one of San Diego’s few fashion designers. He …
October 3, 2019
Stylist Michael Burton: find a good tailor at Picasso Tailoring and Nick’s Tailor Shop
I haven’t bought a new suit since I was 12. The last time I went to a wedding, it was in a suit I got from a thrift store for $7, and it looked pretty …
September 19, 2019
Vanessa Valiente: the cure for Costco couture
Vanessa Valiente is San Diego’s original fashion blogger and an elite personal style consultant. Her services sit behind a long wait list and a battery of screening questionnaires, and for good reason. She knows what …
September 5, 2019
Shopping vintage is not only for Grateful Dead roadies
For most men, buying secondhand clothing is an alien experience, and that puts them behind a steepening curve. According to industry reports, the secondhand clothing market is set to match or surpass new clothing sales …
August 22, 2019
Glam meets feral for Michael Peterson and the Natives
It’s hard to look “edgy” and “nice” at the same time. In fact, it’s almost impossible. Which is why it’s so impressive when someone pulls it off consistently. Michael Peterson, member of the San Diego-based …
July 25, 2019
Shop Ebay and Poshmark for hot weather deals
Summer is the best time of the year to shop for clothes. As temperatures warm, prices drop. Few men seem aware of this. The hot months bring the lowest prices of the year for most …
July 11, 2019
Cut your own hair... seriously
Your first reaction to “cut your own hair” is probably to release a long, hissing breath and do something condescending with your eyebrows. That knee-jerk — brow jerk? — response is costing you an obscene …
July 4, 2019
Clothing subscriptions: not better than Ebay or Poshmark
In a market saturated with bad deals, there are few worse than men’s clothing subscription boxes. The idea is appealing on its face: pay a company a recurring fee ($20-$30 per month) and they’ll send …
June 27, 2019
How to dress up in Linen and Chinos for hot weather
Last summer was punishing. This one looks to be brutal, too. If you’re concerned with looking good when it’s hot, I have a few suggestions. Let me begin by saying that if style isn’t your …
June 20, 2019
Look good and stay cool in linen and chino shorts
It’s getting hotter. A sea of sleeveless tees and board shorts drowns the land. Through it wades a lone crusader, fighting on the side of aesthetics. Zoom in. It’s you, wearing a nice linen shirt. …
June 13, 2019
Consider wearing women’s jeans
A pair of slim fitting jeans is one of the most stylish pieces of clothing you can own, and also one of the most expensive. A decent pair, bought retail, can run you from 50 …
June 6, 2019
Never pay full price for Tommy Hilfiger, John Varvatos, Armani, or other designer brands
“Designer clothing” is a euphemism for “expensive clothing.” A new Tommy Hilfiger button-up shirt costs $80. An equivalent shirt from John Varvatos costs $180. The cheapest Armani is $450. I’ve found all three for less …
May 30, 2019
Unless you are a jazz legend or Harrison Ford, hats are too much risk, too little reward
Hats are good for your health, but a style liability. A hat is either going to make your look perilously casual or overly fashion-y. Both are bad Most guys wear ball caps with some kind …
May 23, 2019
A well-executed sweater from Brooks Brothers, J. Crew, or Tommy Hilfiger
Pretty soon, San Diego will return to its baseline of warm-weather semi-nudity. Your potato-bodied author considers this bad news. Layer while the weather permits. Layering, or wearing multiple pieces of clothing on your torso, makes …
May 16, 2019
Clothing is a language. Stop mumbling.
If you want to learn how to dress well, the best way to start isn’t to turn to style experts. It’s to pay attention to the people around you. Develop an ear for what people …
May 9, 2019
The four important elements of button-down
Learn to wear a casual button-down shirt. It’s the most versatile shirt on offer, appropriate for everything but weddings and funerals. They’re not dress shirts. The main difference is that you can wear casual shirts …
May 2, 2019
Look better than 95 percent of other men with t-shirts and Chinos
Unless you’re a wayward fur trapper, you will be wearing t-shirts for the rest of the summer. There are a few ways to make them look great. The t-shirt is the most casual article of …
April 25, 2019
Flat-front, slim-fit chino shorts: as formal as they come
It’s almost illegal not to wear shorts in San Diego. Unfortunately, most guys do not pull them off well. Preserve your style by wearing shorts that fit perfectly, are in a conservative color, and are …
April 18, 2019
Class up your torso with a Polo shirt
As monsoon season draws to a close, San Diego men are reverting to their natural attire: board shorts and beer tees. There’s a better alternative: the polo shirt. Polo shirts are an easy way for …
April 12, 2019