Challenge

Happy New Years everyone!!

This year, I want to start challenging myself, I want to push my creativity and comfort zone in what I can do and cannot do. 2015 was a great year for me as I left behind a 9am-5pm job to focus on doing what I love and to be "free". I have never regrets any of decisions I made as I know that it will help me learn and succeed.

2016 will be a game changer for me as I want to inspire others more and give back. I want to have a voice and share my experiences, struggles, and overcomes. I am lucky to have a platform like this blog and my social media channel to do so.

As part of my new year goal I have teamed up with Bulova newest campaign #BeBulova to showcase their Military Collection (shown above). The idea behind #BeBulova is that as visual storytellers, we want to tell the stories of innovators and creators who embody the DNA of the Bulova brand. They want people to showcase lifestyle to accompany their content that speaks directly to their brand.

I am giving away a brand new watch from the Military Collection on my instagram. All you need to do is share your #BeBulova with an instagram post tagging me (@datswhatupp) and (@bulavo) in that post. Also, make sure you are following both of us on Instagram to be consider in the contest. The contest will ends a week from now. See below for the guidelines;

Guidelines:

1: Follow @Bulova and myself (@datswhatupp) on Instagram.
2. Make a post on your IG sharing your #BeBulova story and tagging both @Bulova and myself (@datswhatupp) to be consider in the contest. Also, tag some friends you think would be interested in entering.
3. Winner will be announced a week later.

Today's style post is how to style the Bulova watch for a sporty chic look. The Bulova watch from the Military Collection have a very sport feel to it with the nato strap. It allows you to dress casual or dressy depending on the occasion.

I decided to style this watch with a double-breated blazer from one of my suits. I am a huge fan of mixing and matching suits as you get more looks from it. I paired the blazer with a blue and white checkered print pants. For accessories, you can always trust SprezzaBox to help you add some boldness to your looks like the tie and handkerchief. Finish the look up with your favorite pairs of white sneakers.

Photographed by Kim G.

Get The Look:

Blazer: Darkoh

Pants: H&M

Tie and Handkerchief: Sprezzabox

Watch: Bulova

Sneakers: American Eagle Outfitters

Peanuts x Lacoste collection

In honor of the 3D wide animation “The Peanuts Movie” out this year, Lacoste partnered up with Peanut once again after the success of their 2010 collection.

The 2015 collaboration showcase a seasonal set of the brand's signature polo shirts in grey, white, and navy, as well as a navy sweatshirt. 

The tops feature whimsical scaled-down graphics of your favorite Peanuts characters, including Snoopy and Charlie Brown, interacting with the iconic Lacoste crocodile. Pieces from the collaborative project will be offered in both adult and children sizes, available now online and in-stores.

Thanks to Lacoste and Peanuts I get to relive my childhood and played dress up with my favorite character from the show; Snoopy!

Cruising through the streets of the Upper West Side on a nice Fall day we were able to shoot with beautiful houses and colors in the background.

Today's post, I am styling one of the the most timeless and iconic piece you need to have in your closet. This staple piece will help you create a classic outfit.

I am talking about the classic Lacoste polos. They have became such an iconic piece throughout the years. Remember, they are definitely investment pieces, so don't be afraid to splurge on certain ones if the time is right.

The Lacoste polos are so easy to wear and style. All you need is a nice pairs of fitted jeans or pants. The perfect footwear to style it with is some clean white sneakers for a sport chic look; or a nice pair of loafers for a more sophisticated style.

Remember to share your best lacoste polo with the hashtag #MyLacostePolo on social media to be feature on their site.

Shot by Kim G.

Get The Look:

Polo: Lacoste

Pants: H&M

Sneakers: American Eagle Outfitters

Watch: Daniel Wellington

Extravagant

To think outside the box is to go against the norm and that is what this new watch brand did. Great George is a different kind of watch brand that is on its own lane. Born and created in New York City by two friends. Great George offers square watches made with quality materials at an obtainable price.

Today's blog post I am styling one of the watches from the collection named "The Warren". The Warren is made with brushed steel case. Come with marine dial and saddle leather strap.

Styling the watch with a double-breasted suit to help bring out the sophistication of this watch. A beautiful watch deserve a beautiful suit to go with it. 

Putting together this ensemble without clashing each pieces can be tough, but you got to remember one single rule. Finding pieces that compliment each other rather than fighting it. To help tone this green suit, I went with a soft orange textured sweater and a white shirt underneath.

Putting this look together can not be done without the proper footwear. I decided to keep it sport chic with a nice pair of white sneakers from American Eagle Outfitters.

Get The Look:

Suit: Darkoh

Sweater: 21men

Shirt: Topman

Sneakers: American Eagle Outfitters

Watch: Great George

Summer Fling

Winter may be approaching us, but that does not mean the rest of the world will be in a winter wonderland.

Reminiscing about one of my favorite summer trends this summer; bold prints jackets. A great staple piece for spring and summer.

Styling for a bold piece can be difficult as it can clash with your other pieces such as your pants, footwear, or even accessories. I recommend when wearing such a bold piece you want to dress around it and keep everything simple.

In this look, I am just wearing a fitted white shirt and a blue pant with subtle plaid prints on it. To keep this look sexy and summery I decided to keep some of my top buttons unbutton. A nice pair of white sneakers to keep it casual. During the night you can change up the look by button up the buttons and switching out the sneakers for a nice pair of brown wingtips.

A watch can say a lot about you. Make sure the style of watch you choose go with your look. Also, people like it when you are punctual. It is a great quality to have and can help you a lot in the long run.

Shot By Lam Matt Nguyen

Get The Look:

Jacket: H&M

Pants: Tiger of Sweden

Shirt: Tahaanga

Watch: Filippo Loreti

Sneakers: Nike

Skylar

I recently teamed up with Calvin Klein Jeans introducing their newest line. The Black Series Capsule which features premium, urban streetwear grounded in the brand’s iconic logo. The new collection, designed by Calvin Klein Jeans Global Creative Director Kevin Carrigan, consists of bomber jackets, tees, sweatshirts, and sweatpants for men and women. All pieces will be constructed with tonal black neoprene that features new heat-sealed technology.

For those who do not quite understand where streetwear fall under. Streetwear can be describe many ways, but the best way to explain it is. It is community of fashion enthusiasts who are inspired by clothing styles derived by skateboard, surf, hip hop, and retro 80s/90s sensibilities. Streetwear continues to evolve in modernity, but tends to be distinguishable as an urban style to the general public.

In this blog post, I am wearing the space zip front hoodie and space tailored joggers from the collection. Styling this collection is pretty easy as the pieces are amazingly made and tailored. You can pair it with some nice black jeans or any of your favorite fitted jeans. 

You can complete this look with a simple solid color (black or white) sneakers. I decided to go with my favorite pairs of black Chelsea boots from Thursday Boot. I was recently introduced to the brand. These boots are one of the most comfortable boots to wear. The design is very sleek and clean that is why I decided to wear it with this look. 

Shot by Kim

Get The Look:

Hoodie: Calvin Klein Jeans Space Zip Front Hoodie

Jogger: Calvin Klein Jeans Spacer Tailored Joggers

Shirt: Uniqlo

Boots: Thursday Boot Black Duke

Audacious

I often get asked what is my style? And I honestly do not have the correct answer as my style is forever changing. I do not think that I should just stick to one style as I am always growing and changing myself.

With each looks that I do, it is all me and not me playing dress up. I love being able to be versatile and not just be one style.

When it come to fashion it is okay to be simple and not so over the top. I want to style my outfit in a way that show off the pieces and let it come together as one. I don't want my clothes to clash.

When you have such a bold suit like this one from Darkoh. You want to keep it simple and let the suit be the main focus because it is already is with such a beautiful color (that is why red is my favorite color).

So with this suit, I'd like to keep it very simple with a plain black shirt to help contrast with the red. A white shirt would be okay, but it wouldn't have the same affect as the black since the buttons on the suit is black. It is better to match it with a black shirt. 

Finish off this look with a black wingtip shoes from Windsor Smith and a simple watch from Daniel Wellington.

Photo By Erika Dickstein

Get The Look:

Suit: Darkoh

Shirt: Mack Weldon

Shoes: Windsor Smith

Watch: Daniel Wellington

Genesis

Summer is official over. Now we can all go and be basic with our pumpkin spice latte as fall begins. But not really on the basic part because I really do like Starbucks Pumpkin Spice latte. It's one of the things that I look forward to in the fall as well as layering and great jackets.

Also, I can wear suits without dying from the heat. Some times it is hard being dapper. That is why I choose not to be dapper all the time. There are ways to wear suits without looking all stiff and uptight.

One way is to keep it casual with a nice tee shirt with patterns to add some contrast and boldness to the outfit.

Keeping it casual in a suit is one of my favorite looks. It is just a quick and easy change to the dapper suit look. You can add a lot of personality to it by wearing sneakers or adding a pin to the blazer like I did.

Photographed by

Get The Look:

Suit: Calvin Klein

Shirt: Gap

Shoes: Adidas

Laconic

Sometime you just got to let your outfit do the talking for you. Growing up I had a hard time expressing myself because of my insecurities. I was very shy, reserve, and not as out going as I am now. I use clothes to express myself and I still do to this day.

Today's blog post is about letting loose. One of the best things about owning a nice suit is the ability to style it many ways. Today, I am letting loose from the dapper look into a more relax look for the summer.

Let's start with a nice shirt and unbutton 3-4 of the top buttons to let the breeze in your chest so it can glister in the sun. By not buttoning all the button you are already letting a cool and casual vibe for this suit.

Keeping it classy with the accessories with a pattern handkerchief and a gold watch for that pop of color to your full on solid color suit. I'd love to wear sneakers with my suit when I like to dress down. A pair of clean white sneakers are best to compliment a casual look.

I'd would wear this look around town as it is easy to wear and very comfortable. A great look for dinner and the club/bars after.

Photos by Lam Matt Nguyen

Get The Look:

Suit: Tiger of Sweden

Shirt: Tahaanga

Hankerchief: Sprezzabox

Watch: Triwa

Sneakers: Nike

Simplicity

Suns out, guns out, right? Is that the new thing to say now when wearing tanks? Either way it is tank season and we should let our arm breathe after hiding it during the winter time.

Today's blog post we are talking about the secrets to a great outfit that you can repeat all season!

During the summer I'd like to wear baggy shirts as it help keeps me cooler and breathable during those humid days (which is basically everyday because it is summer). Keeping it loose and basic allows you to wear it all season long. You get to layer them with a nice jacket or blazer during the fall. No need to keep updating your closet with new clothes.

Another great piece to add to your wardrobe is are great tailor pants. These are pants you can wear styled casual with a simple loose shirt or a dress shirt tucked in for a more office look. Either way these pants can give you many options in term of looks.

The last secret to a great outfit is the shoes! Honestly, the perfect shoes will put your whole outfit together. Wearing the wrong footwear can ruin the whole outfit, so make sure you try on as many as you can in the mirror to see which ones you want. I love a nice clean white pair of sneakers (I have about 5 pairs). But keeping it clean with each wear is a full time job! I got to always make sure that I am not stepping into anything that can get it dirty.

Photo by Matthew Lam Nguyen

Get The Look:

Shirt: H&M

Pants: Uniqlo

Sneakers: Nike

Watch: TID Watches

Iconic

One of my summer essentials must-have is a nice polo. A nice polo can do so much for your wardrobe as it is the key to a more modern, upscale look. The brand that I first think of when people say polo is Lacoste. When choosing the right polo to wear I go for comfort and style and that is why I choose to wear Lacoste.

When wearing my favorite polo from Lacoste I'd like to keep it modern and chic with just a pair of pants which is part of a suit. I believe style is about comfort and you should feel comfortable when dressing for summer as it can get hot and humid. You do not want to be over-layering.

I'd like to keep my accessory for this look simple with just a nice silver watch from Triwa. Each TRIWA watches is a thoughtful juxtaposition of classic silhouettes, Swedish contemporary design and curated materials.

One of the important key of putting an outfit together is the footwear. Wearing the right style can put this whole look together. For this particular style I went with a wing tip for a more fancier look than casual. You can always style it with a nice pair of white low top sneakers or a casual and chic look.

Photos by: HAGUE NYC

Get The Look:

Polo: Lacoste

Pants: Calvin Klein

Shoes: WIndsor Smith

Watch: Triwa

Admirably

In partnering up with Perry Ellis, I am asking you how do you #VeryPerry in Perry Ellis.

Got chosen to style the mesh polo from their Spring Summer 2015 collection as it is perfect for the summer heat. The polo is very soft and easy to move in. Plus, it does not stick to your body as it keeps your body breezy from the windy.

One of my favorite tops to wear year-long are polos. Personally, I love to dress preppy as I've been dressing preppy throughout all my years in middle school, high school, and even college. If you know me from before I would always be in polos. They are so easy to wear and style.

For this style post, I simply style it with a subtle plaid blue suit as black and blue combo should get more love! Most people likes to stray away from those two colors together, but I believe they look amazing together.

Photography By: Hague NYC

Get The Look:

Polo: Perry Ellis

Suit: Tiger of Sweden

Shoes: Windsor Smith

Timeless

The first day of Summer was yesterday, it is time to update your wardrobe to add some summer pieces to your outfits. One of them is color suits!

One of my favorite colors to wear in a suit is burgundy/maroon. Just any rich plum colors because it is very elegant and timeless.

Having a summer suit is easy to wear because all you need to pair it with is a simple shirt, and of course, tie and handkerchief for late night dinner.

A summer suit can be casual or formal by pairing it with the right pair of shoes. For the casual look, I like to wear it with my favorite white vans or any slip ons. For the formal look a nice wing tip or monk-strap often does the trick

Get The Look:

Suit: YesStyle

Tie & Handkerchief: H&M

Shoes: Stacy Adams

#CKMinute

Last month I had the honor of working with Calvin Klein showcasing their new campaign called #CKMinute showcasing their newest watch line, which is now available online and in store.

“I don’t always know where life takes me, but one thing I know for sure is my Calvin Klein watch will get me there on time. ”

— Dathias Hoang

Calvin Klein #CKMinute campaign is about showcasing the minutes in your life, your city, and the way you live. Find your moment with Calvin Klein.

In this blog post I am wearing the SS15 suit collection from Calvin Klein. It's soft and light material makes it easy to wear for the summer because you don't feel hot in it. By keeping up the summer theme I added a white shirt with a mesh shirt from the Calvin Klein SS15 collection. I figured that this outfit needed a pop of color so I added my favorite red slip on to put the whole look together. An easy summer look that anyone can put together.

Get The Look:

Suit: Calvin Klein

White Shirt: Topman

Mesh Shirt: Calvin Klein

Shoes: ASOS

Watch: Calvin Klein

Sunglasses: Calvin Klein

Savvy

Warm weather is approaching us soon. Time for us to dress appropriately for it.

Winter may be over, but that doesn't mean we can't still rock a good suit despite the heat. I love playing it casual with my suits during the summer. One of the simple looks I love to do with suit is just pairing it with a nice cotton shirt like this white tee from Mack Weldon. It has a slim fit, soft, enzyme washed, and 100% Peruvian Pima Cotton. They are essentials to my daily wear.

Part of my summer look is having a nice pairs of sneakers that is minimal and clean. For that I always trust my original vans. They are my go to sneakers this summer as they go well with any of my looks.

As for accessories, I like to keep it minimal and simple with my Daniel Wellington watch. In which you can get 20% off of all their product using my promo code "datswhatupp".

Photography By: HAGUE NYC

Get The Look:

Suit: Darkoh

Shirt: Mack Weldon

Watch: Daniel Wellington

Shoes: Vans

Derring-Do

Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who searches for it. But sometimes it is fun to be bad.

The second installment of my style post in styling your favorite suit into different looks. In my previous blog post I kept it very minimal and easy to wear from day time to night time.

Today's style post is more edgy and stylish than the first. I'd like to say that this look is about bringing the edgy side of you out. The dark side where you don't let it shine much, but now you can in how you dress. Sometime being bad is just half as fun as doing good. Style is about being creative and often time you get to play with it.

One of the best thing about a simple suit like this one, you can play with it by styling it with  pattern/print shirts to add some edge or contrast to the suit. In this look, I added a a tribal influenced shirt to pair it with the blue suit. With just one piece of clothing I turned this suit into more of a night out outfit rather than something you would wear at the office.

Now let's talk about adding accessories to this outfit to complete the look. This made sound weird, but this fur lining leather jacket is one of my accessories to this look that helps bring the edgy feel. If you ever want to feel like a bad-ass I recommend you investing in a pair of leather jackets. They are the ultimate bad-ass jacket that is trending every spring. Adding some two chains to the mix helps bring out the gold prints in my shirt. Keeping my wrist game on point with the helps of the Daniel Wellington team by providing me with this rose gold watch.

This year footwear is all about the monk straps. They are the men's stylish dress shoes as they bring class and touch of masculine to your look overall. They are very easy to pair with casual look or formal.

As I my style evolve through out the years I like to experience and see what works for me. I am becoming more daring on how I style my suits because I do not like to be typical with it and play it safe. It does not always have to be suit and tie. So have fun and add some prints and leather to your suit. Be bold with it.

Photography By: Hague NYC

Get The Look:

Jacket: 21 Men

Shirt: 21 Men

Suit: Darkoh

Chain: Thifted

Shoes: Topman

Watch: Daniel Wellington

Juncture

Hello,

Hope everyone is doing well

This week style post will be a series of 3 looks featuring a three-piece suit from Darkoh. I will be styling this suit into 3 different style that is ready to wear for any occasions.

The commitment to buying a suit is tough because they are very expensive, and you want to make sure that the investment is worth it. You want to make sure that it is the suit that you can wear it many times. One thing that I will confidently tell you is I always recycle my suit into different looks. I can get at least 6 outfits from one suit by styling it with my other wardrobe.

The first look of this series is very simple and causal as it is practical for day to night time look. Putting together the 3 piece and keeping it crisp with just a plain white shirt. The attention should be on the suit no need to try any harder for it. I would say that this look is more of a night time for dates or causal wear at the office. If you want this look to be more formal, then just add a nice solid color or pattern tie and handkerchief for a quick up-do to the outfit.

Any look isn't complete without a nice pair of shoes and accessories to go with it. In this case a nice pair of loafers and a classic watch. This summer it is all about loafers. They are the the summer dress shoes as they are easy to slip on and adds such a classy feel to any looks. I went for a brown loafers for this blue suit. One thing to keep in mind when wearing all in blue is finding the right color of footwear to balance it is. The best colors to wear is white or brown. They will balance out the all blue look so you won't look like you are part of the Blue Man Group.

One watch that I always pair with my suit is the classic Daniel Wellington watches. They are really the watch for all style as they are go from formal to casual by switching out the strap for leather or nato band. From now until the end of April you can get 15% off all Daniel Wellington product using my promo code "datswhatupp".

Photo By: HAGUE NYC

Get The Look:

Topcoat: Topman

Suit: Darkoh

Shirt: H&M

Loafers: Topman

Watch: Daniel Wellington

Basic

Over the past few years, we have come to a conclusion that to dress boring or normal is "basic". Why do we have to dress for attention, but rather just dress in whatever we feel comfortable with. Dress for yourself not for others. To dress “normal” is the height of chic, yet to call someone “basic” is the chicest put-down, one that shows no signs of disappearing.

Today's style post is very "basic" or I'd like to call it chic. It is an easy look that is easily put together when you are in a hurry or don't have time to put something together but you still want to look effortless. One of my must have essentials in my wardrobe is the basics, which are, clean white shirts, tailored black slacks, an overcoat, and your to-go-to black shoes.

Whenever I am traveling away for the weekend I always pack my basics because it is light packing and can be put together in many ways. They go with any shirts, slacks, and occasions. During the last leg of winter, this grey overcoat is my everyday coat to withstand the chilling wind and cold. The reason why I love this coat is the way it is made. So simple and practically. It has a great shade of grey and really does go with all of my looks (as you can see from my previous style posts). Plus I am a sucker for long coat. But who isn't right? When putting it on you just feel chic.

The last accessory for this look is a nice pair of watch that adds to the outfit and isn't there for display. The Filippo Loreti watch is the watch with a story. It is an unique and personal piece of jewelry that holds valuable memories.

 Photography by: Hague NYC

Get The Look:

Overcoat: H&M

Shirt: Topman

Pants: Topman

Shoes: Tiger of Sweden

Watch: Flippo Loreti

Nexus

We all heard of that one saying "____ is the new black" but let's be real. Nothing is ever going to be the new black. Black in anything is just simply easier on the eye. Here are a few tricks on how to look like stylish dressed in black from head to toe.

Today's blog post is all about looking sleek and chic in black. Dressing in black is very simple to do, but it can be tricky as you can look like some high school rebellious kid going against society (we all been there, done that). I am going to teach you how to look like the matrix in the fashion world. When wearing all black, I like to play around with different material for each pieces. Putting together fabrics that goes well with each other.

Starting off with a long bomber jacket with faux leather sleeves and cotton body. Pairing the jacket with a moto jacket for a grungy look. Finish the top with a button down shirt. As for bottom of the outfit I always trust my black jean from Uniqlo as you can get it tailored right after you buy it. You can pick it up the next day free of charge. Finishing off the whole look with a pair of polish dress shoe. I believe that the perfect pair of shoes can put the whole outfit together.

Photography By: HAGUE NYC

Get The Look:

Bomber Jacket: Brooklyn Cloth

Moto Jacket: 21men

Shirt: Topman

Pants: Uniqlo

Shoes: Tiger of Sweden

Watch: Daniel Wellington

Bold

Bold choices and bold moves.

While on my vacation back home to Michigan, my friends and family kept asking me, “So, what do you do in New York City?” My responses were very stoic. I didn't sound excited about it nor did my expression make it seem like I loved it. I started to rethink my career and what my purposes were when I first moved to New York City, I needed to stop masking how I felt about the company and hoping it would get better. I mean, I love what I did as Digital Marketing Coordinator but the company...that I wasn’t too sure about. I did not want to waste my learning years at a place I wasn't happy in nor did I look forward to being there anymore. After my vacation, I made a bold move and decided to leave the company. I knew that I owed it to myself to stop pretending that I loved it there and to just be happy. I do not know what my next moves are, but I am excited for what is to come my way!

As you already know today's blog post is about being bold. Standing out from the rest with bold pieces. My look today is inspired by the Lacoste FW15 collection that I had the privilege of attending. It was all about bold colors, sporty chic outfits, and high socks.

Taking inspiration from that runway show, I have created a look that is easy to wear; each piece can be worn separately into different looks. One piece that is very wearable are the jogger pants, they are essentially a cinched chino. They are probably my favorite type of pants to wear because they are just so comfortable and the fit is unreal. Pairing my jogger pants with an oversized sport jacket and white button shirt to create contrast with my fitted pants and loose tops. I finished this look with my white high socks and white high top sneakers for some color contrast to my all black ensemble.

Photography By: HAGUE NYC

Get The Look:

Overcoat: H&M

Jacket: Trend Clothing

Shirt: Topman

Jogger: Brooklyn Cloth

Sneakers: 21men

Watch: TID Watches

Acuity

My outfit for the first day of New York Fashion Week. I figured why not start off the first day with a bang in a custom made 3 piece suit from Darkoh. This is my 3rd season of going to New York Fashion Week since moving to New York. Every season has been an amazing experience and a learning process for me. 

I was invited by the designer of Darkoh to attend the show and have access to the backstage before the show. I have never seen the behind the scene before a show and I must give applause to all designers, make up artists, models, and everyone involved it in. Everyone is constantly on the moves and knows what they are doing.

Sitting in front row watching the Fall/Winter 2015 collection in my custom made suit from the designer herself was an experience of a lifetime. To be acknowledged by what I love to do and having the privilege of doing it during Fashion Week is one of my top moment in 2015. I

Get The Look:

3-piece suit: Darkoh 

Tie: 21men

Shoes: Rainman Japan

Watch: Klasse14

Eyewear: KaiBosh