Life & Style News

What’s a man to wear when his social life comes a-calling in the sticky heat of summer? A casual pair of neutral chino shorts? Everyone will be wearing those. Enter the colorful rainbow of patterned shorts, which can make enough of a statement that the rest of your outfit won’t require much effort or thought. But just remember to button your shirt. Old Bull Lee is a menswear company whose singular focus are these patterned shorts (at left). And the patterns themselves, designed by owner Lee Johnson, as well as cloth-makers in Italy and France, range from sweet and subtle…

Images courtesy of ToyWatch.  Sometimes you just need a weekend time piece, or a concert-going clock, or just something fun – and functional – on your wrist. Enter ToyWatch, a line of watches sold throughout the world that have a serious dose of playful style. The Maya woven wool watch above is the perfect example. Its woven band is reminiscent of your childhood summer camp’s braided concoctions, but its sophisticated and simple face ensure it can be worn by adults.  More braided creations. Gold dresses up these casual styles whose friendly prices start at $168.  These beauties scream “summer at the…

Image via Shutterstock.  Real estate website Movoto.com has ranked Milwaukee ninth in their “10 Worst-Dressed Cities” list. And just under a year ago, our city ranked 43rd out of 50 cities in Bundle’s “Most Fashionable” list. For a city that seems to throw a “fashion show” every few weeks, this might be alarming. So, what are we doing wrong?  According to Movoto, we have very few “high end” jewelry stores, shoe stores and clothing stores per capita. To determine what exactly “high end” means, they used Yelp’s price ratings. They found that there were five cities with zero high end…

Lots of playful foliage-themed patterns, deep Amazonian colors and some delicious lightweight coats make this spring collaboration a winner in our book.

All images courtesy of Chasing Paper.  If you’re redecorating your home, one of the easiest cosmetic changes can be changing the color of the walls. Painting is a fast fix and has the appeal of less mess and hassle than wallpaper. Enter Chasing Paper, a company launched last week that creates removable wallpaper, which can be used in every place your Pinterest-loving heart desires. To line a coffee table tray? Sure. To dress up the top of the coffee table itself? Yes. Or – like simpler times – to accent a wall.  The best part? Chasing Paper was created by…

Casting directors from Project Runway want to see if Milwaukee designers have the chops to truly make it work. They’re looking for contestants to compete in the show’s 12th (!) season, who are all competing  to win $100,000 to pursue their sartorial dreams, and a chance to show their designs at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York.  This season will see Zac Posen as the newest judge, after an All-Stars season that had what the Fug Girls termed one of the best finales in the show’s history.  Applicants can learn more and download the application here. Any questions? Email them…

Image via Shutterstock.  Women’s Wear Daily announced that U.S. Vogue and the CFDA have decided to put the popular shopping event “on hiatus” for 2013, in what would have been its fifth year. Despite this, international editions of Vogue will still host similar events worldwide. The reasons for its hiatus status are a bit vague, but the event seems to have had an indeterminate value to retailers and designers after four years, despite the money plunged into DJs, free booze, snacks and gift bags. By the time last year’s New York events commenced, hysteria surrounding the night had been tempered. Some,…

It’s that time again. The time when editors, stylists, publicists, photographers, designers and models live on coffee and Fiber One bars for ten days, hoping to take in as many sartorial sights as possible. Though engines run on empty by time it’s over, the shows are fascinating displays of the designers’ hard work.  Thanks to the folk at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York and Rightster, we’ll be live streaming the shows starting today. You watch them as they happen (check the schedule here to see who’s up), without the hassle of sprinting in five-inch heels from Lincoln Center to Milk…

Courtesy of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.  When the people of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and Rightster offer live-streamed video of the fall ’13 shows, you don’t say no. And for all of the Milwaukeeans who can’t simply hop on a plane, put on a pair of Valentino Rockstud sandals and head into Lincoln Center, this is a fantastic solution.  Starting Feb. 7 (the first day of that holy week), we’ll be featuring video and live-streamed shows, right here on the style page. For a list of shows hop on over here, and browse through the list of America’s sartorial talent. And…

Photo courtesy of H&M. Each year it seems like Black Friday sales start earlier, the discounts get deeper, and the freebies get more extravagant. For shoppers (both competitive and casual) the increasing incentives to shop are never a bad thing. From mainstream malls to boutiques, there are deals to be had and we hope to make it a little easier for you to hunt them down.  Boston Store and Kohl’s will open their doors at midnight on Nov. 23. To better compete with Walmart, which is opening at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving, both locations will be open for a full…