The Palette - Stefan L. Smith: August 2011

www.slsdistributors.com

Stefan L. Smith

CEO & Head Designer

I know...I know...

I'm sure you're asking, where the hell have you been? Things have been super busy with me lately, but isn't that a good thing? Not sure if you know already, but I am a professional musician here in Los Angeles as well. Recently, I was asked to perform on GLEE, have been cranking out arrangements for the Innocenti Strings, working on a composition for the Boston Chamber Orchestra Competition, as well as leading my company SLS Distributors Men's Boutique. Sounds Busy? You bet!

However, I've been working very hard to bring you fashionable gents some quality clothing for a price that won't break you!

Fall and Winter are just around the corner, which is why I thought it would be great to offer some style advice to my boys :)

Are you looking for a new look? Here are some of my favorite items to make a great statement while keeping you well within the "bro spectrum". After all, men's fashion is changing, so move with it!

My style sense is pretty clean but with a bit of an edge to it. I find it great to mix formal pieces and accenting it with something more casual/hip hop. In our new collection, I've put together a look that would work well for you this season:

Formal Style with an Edge

As stated before, I love to mix and match the formal and casual genres. The look I'm going for here is something you could wear to the office, a special event, and will leave a great impression:

Outerwear: You should always pick a piece that grabs the attention of your "audience". For me I love a classic look when wearing my outerwear. The Captain Thin Trench is perfect for this occasion:

The best part is that it is less than $70! Where else could you find something this sweet for that price? Not many places...
The undershirt: This step is crucial. Depending on the temperature, humidity, etc, you may have to take off that awesome coat. For me, the outerwear is an attention grabber...but what you say after that is equally important. That's why I have two options for you:

Cooler Temperatures

I'm a sweater/cardigan guy, so I would layer the Captain Thin Trench with this Varsity Cardigan to compliment the off-white color! You can't go wrong with the elegant combo of off-white and navy!

With a simple white button down (pictured above), you can keep it causal by leaving the collar open or by making it more of a statement with a long tie. I'm even a fan of bow ties depending on the occasion! If you do wear a tie, try to find a neutral but vibrant color. I would look for a tie in a light blue, red, Navy/white stripe combo, etc.

Warmer Temperatures

You can still keep your cool factor while wearing something a bit more casual with the above outerwear. I would recommend a nice shirt like the following to compliment the Captain Thin Trench:

This standard yet fashionable dress shirt allows you to stay casual while providing style sense to the outfit! I would complete this with either a solid navy tee underneath or button the collar and wear a long tie in either Navy or Navy/White stripes (diagonally preferably). It's your option to keep it tucked in, but I would leave it un-tucked to give it a relaxed feel.
Denim: Ok...so denim can either make or break this outfit. So, what you need to decide is what kind of look you would like. In both options (cooler or warmer), a nice premium dark blue denim with a nice wash would make this outfit say something. These may be a bit too much for you, but I would totally rock these:

If you're adventurous, throw a off-white or similar color belt. I love belts with a nice thin metallic buckle :)
Shoes: I generally get a lot of compliments on the shoes I use when completing my outfits. However, this may not be your style...but stay with me :) If you're looking for an edge, I would choose something similar to this:

Too much for you? Well, you can always wear a nice pair of light or chocolate brown dress shoes!

THERE YOU HAVE IT! A complete outfit that will make anyone say...WOW!

Do you need help putting together an outfit?

Email me and I'll offer my advice to you FREE!

Your bro in fashion,

Stefan L. Smith
SLS Distributors Men's Boutique
www.slsdistributors.com
slsdistributorscsr@gmail.com

www.slsdistributors.com

Stefan L. Smith

CEO & Head Designer

Fashion and Photography definitely work hand and hand. I was recently approached about providing wardrobe for a test photo shoot. After doing some research, I found out that Leonardo Corredor captures some great photos. While he was in Los Angeles on his own business, he emailed me telling me that he was a fan of our boutique and would love to use some items for a test shoot. He is a very young top model that can be seen all over the fashion world. Here's a bit of information about him:

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Leonardo Corredor was born in Arkansas and raised in Merida, Venezuela. At the age of 13 he found much success in an award winning vocal group which took him around the world and afforded him many great experiences. After a successful music career he entered the Mister Venezuela contest and won at only 18 years old. He was a natural behind the camera and quickly became a well-known face on billboards and in fashion magazines. After seeing so much at a young age, he wanted to set his sights higher and set off for the USA. He was quickly signed by the world renowned Wilhelmina agency where he began working as a fashion model immediately in Miami, LA and New York. With his first year in the USA being a great success, he set off for Asia where he spent 8 months developing his portfolio as a model and learning the industry inside and out. During his time in Asia, Leo found his passion for photography. He started shooting the local sights and people, honing his skills before venturing into fashion. Since returning to the United States, Leo has kept all his focus on photography and studying lighting techniques while shooting models to build his portfolio. He thrives on learning something new everyday and you can see the results of his efforts in local magazines and boutiques in Miami. (taken from www.leocphoto.com)

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So as you can see, Leonardo keeps himself quite busy! Below you will find some of the images from the test shoot that contain items from our collection: