We recently came into connection with one of the guys over at Blank Label, an online custom dress shirt company, that lets YOU be the designer of your own dress shirts, and we  thought it might be of interest to you guys out there to check them out and see what they’re all about (By the way, for the overly sensitive and non-humorous crowd, this site is off-limits).

New e-tailer, Blank Label, is changing the shopping experience with their intuitive dress shirt customization platform. They offer custom dress shirts that can be worn by the casual, everyday male, or better yet, customized for a theme-oriented groom’s and groomsmen’s shirt.

So imagine this. The theme of your wedding is a red, white and blue. You can create a blue dress shirt, with a red and white striped collar and matching cuffs, white placket, and red buttons!

As you can also see, the shirt I’ve created, which is blue and comes with matching red/white striped collar and cuffs, white placket and red buttons (NOTE: the buttons don’t update on the visual, but we were assured that the database still registers your selection) only costs $62.50. Not a bad deal for a shirt, custom tailored for you, designed by you. Now, if you contact our new friend, Danny Wong at dwong@blank-label.com you can work out a group discount if you wanted to get this snazzy shirt or any custom shirts for that matter, for yourself and all your groomsmen too!

The concept behind Blank Label’s custom, design-it-yourself dress shirts stemmed from their interest in changing the landscape of fashion and retail as we know it. They’re here to solve the problem of looking like every other guy because most guys shop at the same stores and buy the same thing. There’s nothing individual about wearing a mass-produced shirt, in fact, there’s nothing special to that shopping experience. We’ve found Blank Label’s online application to be a fun new way to shop because you can design your own product that’s completely one-of-a-kind. Admittedly, we haven’t purchased shirts yet ourselves, but are interested in trying them out! They’ve got a ‘perfect shirt guarantee’ too, which means you can return your shirt within 60 days of purchase for a full-refund (didn’t think you could do that with a custom product, right?), and they even pay for return shipping! Their website doesn’t say all of this now, but Danny’s got your back.

BL gets the TMR seal of approval and we think it’d be cool for any guy to call on the Blank Label team to whip up custom dress shirts for himself (the groom) and his groomsmen for his wedding. The turnaround time is only 21 days too! But if you don’t think you’re one of the creative types that can design an awesome dress shirt, perhaps your fiancé might like to give it a try.

You can find the Blank Label guys at http://www.blank-label.com, email general inquiries to sayhi@blank-label.com, or even connect with them on Twitter or Facebook.

Guest Blogger Profile: Simon Daykin

Sitting here in Cayman, I got to thinking about beach weddings and how you can still have a ton of style no matter where you choose to get married.  I would suggest staying away from the tuxedo though, as beaches are known to be quite warm and standing out there in a black tux with your bow tie may be a bit much.  But never fear, there are plenty of alternatives; I have chosen to talk about 3 to start you thinking.

Simon Daykin's tips on what to wear at your beach wedding

It’s A Casual Beach Party With A Wedding Thrown In

Don’t get me wrong.  There is nothing wrong with this, your wedding…your style!  For a simple beach wedding most guys go for the white short sleeved shirt and khaki shorts, well the wedding is simple but your style doesn’t have to be.  If you want to stick with a white shirt you can, but style it up a notch.  Instead of a plain shirt head over to www.englishlaundry.com and take a look at what they offer.  Short or long sleeved, these shirts will add style to any event.  For the shorts, chuck the boring khakis and maybe try a pattern, if you can, get a cool pair of shorts with a pattern (can even be a simple check or plaid design) that match your wedding colors.  Grab a funky pair of cargo shorts and keep the rings in one of the many pockets, maybe put some other surprises in there you can pull out during the ceremony.  Please stay away from the “man-pri’s” though.  Yeah you know what I’m talking about.

Oh Yeah!  That’s Been Done

Khaki pants with a shirt, jacket and maybe a tie.  Wow how original.  Yeah, I get down on khaki stuff.  Why you ask?  Well because it’s been done.  I have seen countless pictures of beach weddings and for the most part they all have one thing in common.  Khaki pants and some sort of shirt.  You don’t want your wedding style to look like everyone elses so put a little thought into it yeah.  I’m not meaning to offend anyone here but you have so many other choices.  A light grey suit, you don’t have to wear the jacket, if you go with a tie, don’t tie it tight, unbutton that top button and wear the tie casual.  I like a double Windsor knot for effect (it’s bigger…”that’s what she said”) Get the tie in your wedding color, your bride will love that you thought of that little detail.  Instead of the jacket, wear a vest.  They are classic and in being so never go out of style.  I was chatting with a groom the other day and he is getting married in Jamaica, we discussed a few choices and he settled on the one he felt comfortable with…I can’t wait to see the pictures, and by the way Congratulations Chris.

Takin’ It All Up A Notch

If you want to go all out, get a slim fitting white suit.  Hell, get the jacket with tails if you like.  It’ll look amazing and you won’t be super hot in the sun.  Outfit your groomsmen in light grey and those pictures will look stunning.  You and your bride in white with the color pop of the tropical ocean behind you.  Wow dude…that’s a keeper!  Tails are often over looked when choosing a suit and granted, they are not for everyone but if you can pull off the style you’ll have the whole island talking about your wedding.  You can also go with the funk, I love this jacket but my wife is not a fan so if you do want to funk it up, I suggest letting your fiancé know your plans

Simon’s Gutsy Groom Advice

The beach is a simple place, add some style to it, make those heads turn and the people talk.  Do as much as you feel comfortable with but don’t push it.  You need to feel good and be secure in your wedding attire or you will feel out of place all day and that sucks!  Shoes are also a really cool way to add style to your beach wedding, but don’t get me started on shoes.

Hats are always good for a beach, but get a nice one, and I suggest if you’re getting your wedding party hats, get your guys ones that match but are different than yours.  A set of sunglasses for your guys also makes a great gift.  Place some coolers around with ice and water in them for your guests and have your best man hang onto a bottle for you just in case.  Always make sure you have a pocket for Kleenex in case you need to rescue your bride from some tears and be careful putting the ring on her, the warm weather makes fingers swell, don’t jam it on there.

You can do pretty much anything on the beach, book a nude beach and have an au natural wedding if that’s what you want…but make sure it’s a nude beach first ok guys!  If that’s not your thing, wear a black bow tie and crisp white Speedo, the choices are up to you.  I will leave you with this one chunk of advice, no matter what color the suit, the shoes should always match the belt…

Brown shoes + white suit + a shirt=  A BROWN BELT!

Guest Blogger Profile: Gretchen Viles of MyWedding.com

Grooms, choose a boutonniere that fits your personality (photos courtesy Rosenow Floral)

Guys – take a step outside of the box and rock a boutonniere unique to your personality and style. From exotic flowers to miniature guitars, anything can be used to create that one-of-a-kind piece to accent your lapel.

Paul Pannone from 1800MyTuxes.com has some tips on keeping the tuxedo rental quality on par with the quality of the rest of the wedding.

Get the highest quality from your tuxedo rental (image Dress by Moonlight, formal wear by Cardi International styled by Paul Pannone)

In the wedding planning process, the majority of decisions rest squarely with the bride and/or her family. The day revolves around her wishes and desires, to fulfill the dreams she’s had since she was a little girl.  Careful consideration goes into the time, the place, the setting, surroundings; right down to where she will live with her new husband. A new life, a new beginning for her and her man —but a ten year old tuxedo used with all of the careful consideration?

Unfortunately, that’s what is happening. Because the formal wear “industry” has undergone so much consolidation and fragmentation over the past decade, manufacturers have slowed the creative process, leaving many retailers stranded, using garments that are way past their prime and some, even past their usefulness.

But in all the turmoil, it’s becoming easier to identify the pitfalls, especially if you walk into stores that still carry garments bearing expired labels that were made by defunct manufacturers. Some include Christian Dior, Raffinatti, Lord West, Claiborne, Formal 1 and numerous others that will not be mentioned.

Some of the pitfalls of renting tuxedos and the most concerning involves sub renting and not trying on the garments before the day of your event. Clearing houses called wholesalers are responsible for sub renting garments to local area shops that order through their catalog. What this means is, your most important person’s component tuxedo parts could be in four separate states up to two weeks prior to your event. Chances are good that you will never know the difference but there are those chances you will.

When ordering your formal wear, why not simply follow the rules used when you planned every other portion of your event? Simple, common sense questions like will this be the actual garment my fiancé will be wearing? Do you own your own garments? Is this a discontinued style? Do you have the ability to change an entire outfit for my out-of-town-guests? Can help you complete a less stressful time on your special day.

Chris Easter of The Man Registry has asked us to write about the specifics when looking for tuxedos.

Like all businesses, there are good and bad in very market. The best way to determine whether a tuxedo shop updates their inventory is to check them out. http://www.1800mytuxes.com/about.htm describes why independent owners that buy and maintain their own inventory will provide the best experience when renting or buying formal wear.
As stated in the page’s information, owners are there to help you every step of the way and rely on repeat, referral business that only comes from doing the right job and caring about you can provide.

Currently, discussions regarding the proper advertisement of new fashion products tuxedos rage on. In the national Newsletter, E- Formal News, we’re polling retailers, manufacturers and consumers to see what’s important to them. It is agreed that fresh, new style updates are the only way to provide real value. Discussions involve an actual expiration dates in garments or documented usage reports of how many time garments have been rented. But, as you would imagine the information would not be flattering to most organizations and therefore will probably never been implemented.

Another way would be to advertise new products but most manufacturers say they’re not able to spend the adequate dollars because of lack of sales. The result is an ongoing vicious cycle that ultimately only hurts YOU—the consumer and operators that constantly spend the proper amount of money to update their merchandise and level of service. So, as you see, Not All Tuxedo Rental Are The Same!

——–
This story will continue to be updated on our external blog, http://1800mytuxes.wordpress.com and also at http://www.1800mytuxes.com , adding NEW merchandise from only the best suppliers that are partnering in with store owners found to be committed to providing you with the best level of merchandise and services– at the best prices. For answers to these and more questions you may have when in the process of selecting your formal wear, feel free to contact us at 516-312-0090 or mailto:info@1800mytuxes.com

Fashion and style expert Sarah Nash is back with some wedding day attire tips for the groom.

Here are three totally different looks for the groom to check out!
NOTE TO SELF: The way you feel…should be the way you look. As the old saying goes…You are what you wear.

Did James Bond learn about tuxes at The Man Registry? Of course he did.

Classic-chic:
This look is for the more sophisticated-classic groom attire. The “not too fancy” -basic black tuxedo cut. You can also choose the classic tail tuxedo as well. This is style requires..simplicity, the basics , and the down to earth vibe…not too over the top!

This is a good choice, so that you don’t take away too much from the bride. Think… clean cut, polished, and photo ready! This tux style is very versatile and something you can wear again and again without being too flashy.

Retro-styling:
This look is for the more “Fashion Forward” man. The groom that wouldn’t mind getting some fun-loving attention from the bridal party and a few extra photos! You could ditch the basic black tuxedo and go with a white, cream, beige, forest green, dark blue, or pin stripes! You can even go with a tuxedo tail. Add a chic fedora or a tie with a unique pattern. Don’t forget to Accessorize! Keep it simple and sleek!

This look is very 21st century modern-hip man screaming style, confidence and definitely in touch with his feminine side.

When we say retro tux... we don't mean this.

Contemporary-casual:
This look is for the more low-key man. The very laid back, small-intimate wedding style. A more carefree, by the beach or by the slopes atmosphere. Not too over the top! Again, keeping it simple and relaxed. You don’t want to look like you put too much time and effort into this look.

These days more bride & grooms aren’t splurging too much on their attire, but rather on longer honeymoons, or that dream home. What’s in YOUR budget? Less is more in this case. You can definitely go with a nice sports jacket with a collard shirt, a great pair of dress shoes, even dark-denim jeans. You’ll still want to look special for those wedding photos..so, make sure you coordinate with your bride to compliment each others look.

In addition, the casual look would definitely be something you could wear again and again. Not to mention a casual wedding frees you from picking out a pricey tuxedo, shining those shoes.. you’ll only wear once, and all that stress!!

Choose wisely and make it fun!

**Remember that tuxedos can be costly, so luckily you have the option to rent them out! Unless, you plan on doing a black tie event in the near future…A man should always purchase at least one nice black tuxedo to have in his wardrobe at all times**

– Sarah Nash

www.sarahnash.com

Certified-Professional Makeup Artist