This post is well overdue, but as many would say “better late than never”!  As some of you may know, a few weeks ago I traveled to New York for a 5 day vacation which happened to end extremely too soon; however, during my time there, I managed to explore the “concrete jungle” in the best way possible.  (Shout out to the concierge at the Waldorf Astoria for being my city compass. #randomactsofstunting)

Out of all the places I visited, my time in Brooklyn was by far my favorite part of the trip. I’m not exactly sure why I connected with the city like I did but it was something about Brooklyn that made me feel right at home!

My essential pieces that I compiled prior to the trip turned out to be a success; looking back, I can honestly say that I packed the “proper attire for New York Summers“.

The Essential Man: (Brooklyn, NY)

Headwear- Christys’ Hats

Spectacles- Tom Ford (Jack)

Shirt- GAP S/S Madras Plaid Shirt

Pants- life/after/denim slim fit trouser

Footwear- CDG Play x Converse (low- white)

Bag- Goorin Brothers (circa 2005)

With all of the “hype” surrounding The Brooklyn Circus, they to proved to be more than just that, they actually have substance; The Brooklyn Circus is a brand of classic essentials that through subtle details injects profound creativity…and the most impressive part of all is that their garments really do fit to perfection!  Anyone who visits New York, I urge you to includeThe Brooklyn Circus in your “to do list”!

Shout out to The BKc family for being extremely inviting, and providing me with such a great shopping experience!  I will share my purchase at a later time!

-LD-

WOW…yesterday was a great day, I could not have asked for a better 22nd birthday!  My mother started of the day by treating me to the Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa, where I enjoyed a full day of rest and relaxation.

The Essential Man: Corona, CA

Headwear- Saint Alfred 5-panel Hat

Shirt- GAP Chambray Shirt

Pants- The Hundreds Shorts (Spring 09)

Footwear- Fifty24SF (2005)

Tote- heardemsay™

Then secondly, my girlfriend treated me to dinner at Bandera in Brentwood, CA where I enjoyed a great moth-watering “Bandera-Style Roasted Chicken” with mashed potatoes and their “House Made Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches”.

Oh yes…I was on HIGH (strictly referring to confidence level) again!  I had to bring out my good clothes for this occasion.  My jacket is my favorite part of the outfit, I will explain another time on why!

The Essential Man: Brentwood, CA

Headwear- Christys’ Hats

Spectacles- Tom Ford (Jack)- Turtoise

Jacket- Gant Rugger Jean Jacket

Shirt- J.Crew Woven

Pants- RRL Slim-Bootcut Raw Denim

Footwear- Timberland Boot Co.

*My day in a nutshell!*

Hopefully this is the last time I have to say this (I know I said that the next few posts were going to be dedicated to my trip to New York but…) before I actually do a post on my trip to New York, but things really do keep occurring.  For example, yesterday, I don’t know exactly what it was but for some reason waking up to “Aston Martin Music” set the tone for my whole day and my confidence was on HIGH.  Which explains why I kept the song on repeat all the way until I was done getting dress (I know I am not the only person who listens to music while getting dressed), and by time I was ready to walk out of the door, my confidence was even HIGHER.  Although, initially I did not have set plans for my day, I knew that going to my usual hangouts was not an option;  Traci Alexis (Bespoked Stanzas) invited me to join her on Abbott Kinney.  It is something about the quaint-creative street that I always look forward to visiting, and that is where the majority of my day was spent.

*click picture to enlarge*

The Essential Man: Abbott Kinney (Venice, CA)

Headwear- Christys’ Hats

Spectacles- Tom Ford (Jack)

Shirt- GAP S/S Chambray Shirt

Pants- Wrangler x Marc Jacobs

Footwear- CDG Play x Converse (low- white)

Tote- Jacobs by Marc Jacobs

I know I said that the next few posts were going to be dedicated to my trip to New York but this entry could not wait…I had to share with you all how productive my day was.  Since I have been back from New York one of my immediate goals has been to eliminate all of the NON-valuables that I have accumulated over the years.  Coming from the streetwear culture where quantity is often times placed as a greater principle than quality, I can admit that my initial collector’s mentality developed into me being somewhat of a hoarder; there was so many things that I saw today  in my closet (Adidas track jackets, Leroy Jenkins hoodies, colored jeans, etc.) that should have been GONE as soon as they went out of style…but no…”I was a collector”!  However, today was a new day, my trip down memory lane was short and sweet as I gathered all of my “collectables” and chauffeured them right to Wasteland and Buffalo Exchange.

Guess what…those same “collectables” made me $418.25 in two hours. #FML *singing* “Today was a GOOD Day“!

Cheers everyone…I promise you I am still dedicated to this Essential Man site.  The last time I checked in with you I was headed to New York for a 10 day vacation that ended extremely too soon.  Since my return back home (Los Angeles) on Wednesday, I have been trying to mentally preserve every good moment I experienced in the “City that NEVER Sleeps” through constant reminisce.  Therefore the next few posts will be dedicated to my trip in New York, where I will be sharing some of the essential looks I wore, some of the places I visited, some of the purchases I made, and some of the great-creative people I met.  Stay tuned…

Wow…I have officially made it through the week and the trip that I have been anticipating for months is only a few hours away!!!  Currently it is 3:15 in the morning and I just finished packing.  At this point and time I am definitely regretting my decision of having a 16oz Monster Energy Drink (crack in a can) so late in the evening, which means I probably will NOT sleep until I’m well on the plane.  Nonetheless, I am very pleased with my packing results; I always joke around about going in to business for “packing” but that is something I think I may be actually great at…I am the SELF-proclaimed “King Packer”!  Not only do I maximize my space, but all of my items actually complement one another.  When I say complement, I am referring to the actual color palette of my garements; the blues’, reds’, khakis’, and grays’.

Everything almost I do is calculated and strategized, and my packing method is just an extension of how I try to operate on the daily basis. As an Essential Man my wardrobe only consists of a few colors (primary) or different variations of those same colors. Therefore when I pack, my outfits are left with no choice but to harmonize with one another. I feel more comfortable knowing that ANY of my tops could be paired with ANY of my bottoms and still present a GREAT ensemble.

First stop…New Jersey please!