Hating on Robin Thicke

Dude, let me liberate you

I know you want it

I know you want it

 Because You've Blurred the Lines on Good Taste

YES

This is a massive #FAIL

NO

You will not catch a good girl with this suit

MAYBE

Robin thinks he's Pharrell 

SALE through the Winter Storm

Because of the short holiday shopping season, all of the online, retail, sidewalk and pop-up stores are all having their massive end of season sales. This is despite the fact that winter has just arrived in NYC with Winter Storm Sandy.

And the sellers are marketing to the shoppers hard-core with a promotional email campaign that clutters my in-box almost every hour. They don't even bother with a discount tease, where they start with 25%, then 50%, followed by 55 and a half, then bam, you get up to 90% off (i.e. we are practically paying you to take this out of the store). In a twisted way, I look forward to the emails so that I can delete them as quickly as I get them. It's my Angry Birds Junk Mail game. But you can't escape them. With computer cookies tracking what you look at online even by accident, you're bombarded by the seller's message…"buy it now while it's 70% off with free shipping."

The free shipping always gets me.

But I resisted as much as I could until I realized that I had a stack of gift cards from Christmas. It doesn't take a math wizard to realize that using my card to buy merchandise at a deep discount would maximize my free money. And it was the perfect excuse to buy this Zara floral sweater (note: I bought the darker version). So the lesson is that a holiday gift card is the gift that keeps on giving.

YES
Sale through the winter storm by buying up something that will take you through spring's full retail merchandise.

NO
Don't buy anything you don't need. You're more evolved than I am.

MAYBE
You're Billionaire Buffet and don't need a sale. If that's the case, it's never too late to send me a gift card Mr. Buffet. I will spend the cash at one of your many stores you are deeply invested in.

TOD'S: A Straight Man's Chanel Flats

You know I'm right with my declaration that these classic driving loafers, long worn by stars dating back to the swinging 60's is a classic.

They have no arch support and aren't cost effective based on cost multiplied by the number of times of wear before the bottom nubs fray and you have to discard them.

But they just look so damn good with jeans, shorts and pajamas.

YES
I have a pair that I wear as house slippers...because I'm crazy.

NO
A car isn't required to have driving loafers.

MAYBE
A Gucci horsebit loafer is your preferred choice.

FURever Yours

So I spent the birth of the baby Jesus in Montreal, Canada, where it was 1 degree Fahrenheit.

I wasn't driven by a private Celine Dion performance, or by my firm political belief in reverse immigration. But I went up to Canada because of a long standing dinner reservation at Au Pied de Cochon. The Duck in a Can special is worth the fatty calories. Just bring a dosage of Lipitor for desert.

Even as I took a big fatty bite of the restaurant's version of the Montreal classic, poutine--fries, gravy, cheese curds topped with big slices of fresh foie gras--I realized how I was consuming enough calories to give an Olympic gymnast heart palpitations, but I was also happy to be wearing my rabbit fur hoodie.

The frigid cold of Montreal provided the perfect setting for me to take out all of my best furs. The Croatian mohair trapper's hat, the raccoon mittens and my gray rabbit fur aviator's hat. There were also the shearling Uggs, which despite my trepidation in buying them ended up being the most amazing thing ever. The trip also provided me the chance to buy a raccoon hat and rabbit fur blanket.

YES
As a longtime carnivore, I don't have guilty feelings about wearing an animal I would also eat.  

NO
Fur doesn't make a man less virile. Hunters have long worn the animals they hunted. A fur scarf, trim or  coat lining, is a great way to pull off fur without looking like full pimp. Wearing fur also beats having a stuffed animal as indoor decoration.

MAYBE
You're a vegan and longtime PETA card carrier. There's not enough bamboo wool or ultra suede to make up for the real thing. Just remember that synthetics come from filthy oil wells which aren't any better for the environment.

On a Golden Streak

I've blogged before about my unhealthy love for sneakers. And my style theme for next season is centered around being a Golden Boy.

So it comes as no surprise that this pair of Puma Black Label shoes turned me on like a light switch. The gold heel against the subtly patterned black mesh creates so much interesting drama that it's like an episode of Downton Abbey. There's a story both upstairs and downstairs.

The gold gives these shoes a sophisticated quality especially against a dark color. The woven print in the mesh creates a point to affirm that these shoes are not run-of-the-mill and should therefore not be worn on a treadmill.

YES
Thank you Puma for making gold metallic sneakers cool and manly.

NO
These shoes won't make you run or walk any faster.

MAYBE
Just like your favorite sports team, you'd committed yourself to another sneaker brand like Nike or Adidas. That must suck for you.

Trendspotting: Marc by Marc Leopard Print Backpack

Saw this leather leopard print backpack on Mr. Porter's site and it got me thinking how this bag artfully combines the feminine touches of leopard with the manly design of a humble backpack.

YES
This is the perfect way to show off that you are the king of the fashion jungle.

NO
This won't get you a date with Katy Perry.

MAYBE
You prefer zebra stripes.

On Your Mark…Get Set…SHOP

Personally, I prefer a quick visit to the gym versus a jaunt at Target at 4 AM in the morning the day before the store even opens for Black Friday.

I fall into the majority of sane people who forgo the bargain-hungry crowds for the casual and impersonal world of online shopping.

Can I touch the fabric or even try it on to make sure it will fit? No.

Is it a hassle to return for the person getting the gift? Yes.

Do you save as much as you do when you line up at the store and make a mad dash to the flat screen TV's and piss-mark on the one that's yours? Probably not.

But I won't get shot at, trampled to death or freeze my ass off outside.

YES
If you want to live, shop online. You can always do a search to see if there's a hidden coupon code to help you save extra for your gift. And if you're like me and most of the people in your life you give gifts to live in a different state, then you're better off shipping it directly to them.

NO
If you have a death wish, love elbowing your way through the crowds and showing off your crazy hoarding side in public, then find your nearest Walmart. But please case the joint before you go. Don't want you to get lost. Eye on the prize!

MAYBE
You don't have a computer and you're in line at Best Buy 5 minutes after finishing your turkey so that next year you can shop online. In this case, you have my blessings. Go get em and make sure to pick up a laptop case too. They're on sale!