I wanna be like Mike

Men's high fashion has really branched out and reached the realms of athletic and sports wear. Nowadays you can buy athletic and sports wear that maintains performance while giving you a cool and fashionable look.

The "hottest" and "coolest" brands out there right now are Michael Jordan and Under Armour for Men, as well as the classics like NIKE and Adidas. These brands have really stepped up their games by engineering its performance technology giving its users comfort and mobility. Perfect for jogging, working out, playing competitive and non-competitve sports as well as just lounging.

I for one find the Under Armour Brand extremely innovated due to its variety of products ranging from "turf gear", to "cold gear", to "heat gear". Under Armour has led the trend of form-fitting, moisture-wicking performance apparel and has focused on maintaining quality products no matter what level of athlete you are.

The greatest thing about athletic wear is that anyone can pull it off. You can be a high school or NCAA athlete, a guy playing adult league hockey,a guy just looking to get into shape, or a guy just looking to be comfortable.

580 South has carries a wide assortment of athletic apparel for what ever your needs may be. Stop in a check it out.

Photo courtesy of www.underarmour.com

Accessories

Accessories are a perfect way to complete your look and add a sense sophistication to your style. Through the use of proper accessories you can turn a bland outfit into an outfit that has a certain air of superiority. Here at 580 South it is our mission to help you develop your wardrobe know-how and etiquette.

Belts. Everywhere I go and everywhere I look, you will find men wearing belts. Unfortunately not all of us know how to choose and look for in a belt.You should definitely own more than one belt,your belts should be of quality material, and they should always fit the occasion. You should own the essential black or brown dress belt for all your more formal events. These belts are perfect for the office, for sophisticated appointments, trendy lounges, and important dates. You should also own a quality everyday belt. A belt that you can wear around everywhere you go, whether it be to the super market or to the movies with friends. I recently read an article critiquing the style of the world renowned soccer player, David Beckham and it commented on how he could always be found with a quality brown leather belt - proof that men are catching on everywhere to the versatility of a belt.

Now, you must know what you should look for when actually choosing a belt. It may sound obvious, but your belt should fit correctly, the rule of thumb is a belt should be one size above your waste size. But to be safe, you should never just buy a belt without first trying it on. Next you should choose a belt of quality craftsmanship. You should stay away from belts that look like they are poorly engineered. If you buy a belt, you should by a belt that lasts. Buying a belt that lasts is not only a good investment but it shows the quality of individual you are! Finally, there is an extremely wide variety of belt types, so you need to choose the belt that will fit your particular element of style. You need not worry if this all sounds a little daunting, but I was just in 580 South the other day and they have an a large variety of quality leather belts that range from "hang out" to "dress up". And if you have uncertainty still on how to choose a belt, the staff at 580 South will guide you through this process!

Next, you can spruce up your style with great leather or sterling silver jewelry. 580 South carries high quality products from such designers as John Hardy and David Yurman. These pieces are perfect for you to supplement your wardrobe and wear to almost any occasion. They are also perfect to give as gifts to friends, brothers, fathers, uncles, you name it. You can definitely add superiority to your style with an eye catching bracelet, necklace, or cuff links.

Finally, as the warm summer days come closer to an end, we all have to prepare ourselves for the fall and winter. This means a different set of accessories of course! So why not enhance your wardrobe with stylish scarves. Scarves for winter are one of the hottest items right now in colors that mesh well with denim and a cool jacket.

These are some basic tips and ideas to tickle your style needs and ideas. Like always, you need to come into 580 South to get a better picture of the different types of accessories your wardrobe can have.


Photo courtesy of www.davidyurman.com

Tenacious T

You may not think that a t-shirt can make or break an outfit but it definitely can. A t-shirt is perhaps one of the most powerful tools in your style work bench. The t-shirt is one of the most adaptable pieces of clothing a man can have. The possibilities are just endless. There are millions of combinations, tons of colors, and a huge amount of designs and prints.

I am sure we are all used to the "beefy t-shirt" made out of beefy fabric - by beefy I mean rock solid cotton. It's almost like wearing a bullet proof vest all day long. With a single stroke of genius, some designer out there decided that it would be better to make t-shirts out of soft cotton for a vintage and comfortable feel. Whoever decided this had the right idea because vintage fabrics are extremely comfortable and usable for any occasion.

Let's say you want to hang out. Just put on a Junk Food t-shirt and go off on your merry way. This look is perfect for your worn out jeans and sneakers. You can do anything in these t-shirts like play a game of touch football, go for a ride on your skateboard, hell go play some video games. No matter what leisure activity you decide to do you will be extremely comfortable. OK, let's say you need to go out on a dresser occasion, put on a nicer pair of jeans, a blazer or jacket, and some nice shoes, and top it off with a Christian Audigier t-shirt and you're set to go to the bars, nice restaurant, or a date with that special someone.

You should look for brands like Velvet for Men, Affliction, Worn Free, Junk Food, Salvage, Alternative, Tailgate, Ed Hardy, Christian Audigier, Retro Sport and Aname. The Retro Sport line in particular specializes in NHL, NBA, NFL, and NCAA vintage t-shirts. They all have a worn in look, soft fabrics, and they have the perfect fit. Besides the awesome comfort which I cannot seem to stress enough, the t-shirt can be used for everyday use or for that special night where you need to redefine couture. Guys and dudes everywhere are starting to catch on because everywhere I go, I catch these brands in the corner of my eye.

All these brands can be found at 580 South of course. Once I bought my first vintage type t-shirt I became addicted quickly. Take my word, you're going to want these t-shirts. The best part is, all these assortments can be found at one single location, 580 South for your convenience. Rock your favorite athletic teams, rock your favorite bands, be hip, be funky, be 580!

Photos courtesy of www.retrosport.com and www.nordstroms.com

Premium Denim - A Way of Life.

I absolutely hate it when I hear people say, "Jeans are jeans. It really doesn't matter." That statement burns my eardrums so bad that it's like listening to the new Smashing Pumpkins album. Well, jeans are not just jeans but a way of life. Choosing the right pair of premium jeans is an art and it can be easily mastered. Here at 580 South, we can help you master this ancient way.

First things first- know your brands. Brands like True Religion, Rock & Republic, 7 for all Mankind, and Diesel are all premium denim brands that not only bring you big name and big style, but they also bring you big comfort and big adaptability. You absolutely cannot go wrong with great fitting jeans that bring you 200 percent comfort level.

Let me just rattle off the pros and cons of premium denim. I'll start with the pros. You will look great. You will feel great. You will have more confidence. People will think you are a style guru. People will turn their heads to look at you. You will have the infinite versatility of premium denim in your arsenal. You can wear premium jeans to any occasion in the universe. You can wear them to parties, to clubs, to bars, to school, tp work, to hang out, to lounge, basically anywhere you want. Dress them up or dress them down, it will always look hot. Now for the cons - oh wait...there aren't any.

I speak from experience. One time I was hanging out with a couple of my buddies at a trendy New York lounge on the Upper East. The lounge was filled with gorgeous women that all looked like Heidi Klum and Gisele Bundchen. Naturally, my buddies and I were just chilling at the bar drinking our Blue Moons and enjoying the scenery, heckling each other on who has the most game and what not, until one beautiful girl tapped me on the shoulder and praised my Rock & Republic jeans. All my buddies got quiet and listened to our premium jean banter. She went on to comment on how it was refreshing to see a guy who understood the importance of looking good and how cute my ass looked in the jeans. She finally went on to bring all her girlfriends into our circle and to make a long story short - I can thank my premium jeans for an awesome night. The next day all my buddies bought their own pairs of premium denims. All I had to say was, "I told you so."

This is my testimonial and you need to get up and grab yourself a pair of premium denim for your very own way of life. Go to 580 South - a place where you can find a huge assortment of brands which include Buffalo, 7 for all Mankind, AG, Chip and Pepper, True Religion, Big Star, Lucky, and Hugo Boss. Not only can you find the latest and hottest brands, but you will find knowledgeable style experts and consultants who specialize in making you look great. They will make sure you buy jeans that will fit perfectly for your body type. Now go to 580!

Photo courtesy of www.truereligionbrandjeans.com