niftyreportvol10

BLACK TIE APPROVED:A CORDUROY TUXEDOFEATURED PARTNERSHIP:STITCH FIXINFLUENCER SPOTLIGHT:_THEDLNEW YEAR, NEW YOU, NEW DO:HOW TO STYLE YOUR HAIRIN THE NEW YEARADVICE FROM @RUNNINEVERLONG:HOW TO ESTABLISH A WARDROBE

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GHURKA https://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/ghurka2

POCKET SQUARE CLOTHINGhttps://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/pocket-square-clothing 3 THE NIFTY REPORT / VOLUME 10

THE NIFTY REPORT / JANUARY 2018 / VOLUME 10CONTENTSTHE TABLE OFThe Corduroy Tuxedo Black Tie Approved pg. 07 Stitch Fix 07 Featured Partnership pg. 13 _TheDL Influencer Spotlight pg. 29How to Style Your Hair New Year, New You, New DO pg. 37How to Style Your Hair New Year, New You, New Do pg. 21 CLOTHING BY NIFTY GENIUS, INDIGO PEA COAT, F. SCOTT CORDUROY PEAKED LAPEL BLAZER, & THOMAS CORDUROY CHINO IN NAVY 4

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WESTERLY https://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/westerly6

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“The F. Scott CorduroyPeaked Lapel dutifullyupholds tuxedo standardsbecause it features suedelapels.” FASHION Black Tie Approved:THE CORDUROY TUXEDO Congrats, you made it to January which means you survived fighting customers for almost-sold out gifts at over- crowded stores, overdraft notifications from your bank, and fitting all of your relatives into your already cramped apart- ment. Just when you think all the stress is over and you can start focusing on your New Years resolutions, you get an in- vite to a wedding. Oh, and the dress code is black tie *cue dramatic music*. Winter weddings are always inexplicably fancy and you should know by now that your go-to spring wedding, linen suit won’t cut it. A great way to tackle this problem isn’t by heading to the nearest Men’s Warehouse and renting a cheap tuxedo or buying a clearance suit. The best way to handle this situation is by buying an affordable yet luxurious tuxedo that you can wear for winter weddings and even holiday parties to come. 8

Let me introduce you to Nifty Genius’ Corduroy Tux-edo. The F. Scott Corduroy Peaked Lapel dutifully upholdstuxedo standards because it features suede lapels. Not justany suede however, our signature Ultrasude meaning that itis incredibly soft and supple. The jacket features a 2 buttonfront closure, fully lined interior, and single vent. The cor-duroy makes the jacket perfect for a winter event while itsnavy color makes it unique enough so you stand out in thebest possible way.The pants are a must-have, not just to complete the tuxedo,but for any casual dress pant. You can even wear them to theoffice. The Thomas Corduroy Chino in Navy, which accom-panies the tuxedo jacket, is our most sought after style. Itfeatures a three-piece waistband, a three-point front buttonclosure, and button through rear welt pockets. The form-fit-ting style will look perfectly tailored and the stretch Japa-nese corduroy guarantees that they will be the most com-fortable bottom to your tuxedo ever!Just add a bow tie, a white button down shirt, and perhapseven a pea coat if it’s particularly chilly out and you’re readyto look like the most stylish gentleman in the room. Plus,this look will never go out of style so don’t worry about hav-ing to stress about future events. INDIGO PEA COAThttps://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/coats-jackets/products/indigo-pea-coat F. SCOTT CORDUROY PEAKED LAPELhttps://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/blazers/products/f-scott-corduroy-peaked-lapel THOMAS CORDUROY CHINO IN NAVYhttps://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/pants/products/thomas-corduroy-chino-in-navy BLACK VELVET SLIPPERhttps://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/del-toro/products/black-velvet-slipper-with-skull-and-bone-embroidery 9 THE NIFTY REPORT / VOLUME 10

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WOOLRICHhttps://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/woolrich 11 T HE NI FTY REP ORT / VOLUME 10

DIADORA - V7000 BARETTA https://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/diadora12

“[Stitch Fix] has brought the revolutionary shopping experience to millions of men and women of all shapes and sizes.” FEATURED PARTNERSHIPMaybe He’s Born With It:MAYBE IT’S STITCH FIX If you haven’t yet heard of Stitch Fix it’s about time you did, especially since it’s been making a lot of headlines late- ly after going public. Stitch Fix has been doing great on the stock market, which is no surprise considering they reported sales of $977 million this past year! Yes, that’s million with a capital M! The company’s founder, Katrina Lake is one of the youngest women to make Forbes’ annual “America’s Richest Self-Made Women” list. Lake, a Harvard graduate started Stitch Fix in 2016 and has brought the revolutionary shop- ping experience to millions of men and women of all shapes and sizes. Wait, now we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We ha- ven’t even talked about what Stitch Fix is exactly and why it’s so special. If you thought Stitch Fix was just another e-commerce 13 T HE NI F TY REP ORT / VOLUME 10

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“It is a genius system that makes you wonder why no one thought of it sooner.”store you’d be gravely mistaken. Stitch Fix is an entirely per-sonalized shopping experience. Stitch Fix uses personal styl-ists to craft subscription boxes based on your lifestyle andspending preferences. First, Stitch Fix asks you to create aprofile and introduce your style, fit and price preferences intheir detailed Style Quiz. Second, Stitch Fix uses their profes-sional, personal stylists to curate five pieces for you which aresent straight to your door. Third, you try on all the picks, giveyour stylist feedback so they can offer you better selections inthe future and you pay for only what you keep. Fourth, yousend back whatever you don’t like to Stitch Fix in a free returnenvelope. Fifth and finally, you schedule on demand or auto-matic deliveries so you get clothes only when you want! It isa genius system that makes you wonder why no one thoughtof it sooner. While there may be other clothing subscriptionservices out there, there are none that do it better than StitchFix, especially for men. Stitch Fix has over 1,000 brands in their warehouseready to be shipped based on your style, size, and budget.They curate a constantly-rotating range of manufacturers.Some are menswear collections you know and love like 7 ForAll Mankind, Original Penguin, Ben Sherman, and Scotchand Soda, as well as emerging men’s brands that are knownfor their exceptional quality such as Nifty Genius. Stitch Fixis a great way for you to step outside your comfort zone andtry brands and styles that you normaly wouldn’t wear butlook great on you nonetheless. 15 T HE NI F TY REP ORT / VOLUME 10

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@stitchfix // @stitchfixmen www.stitchfix.com 18

DEL TORO - SKULL SLIPPERhttps://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/del-toro 19 T HE NI FTY REP ORT / VOLUME 10

NIFTY GENIUS https://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/nifty-genius20

“[Stitch Fix] has brought the revolutionary shopping experience to millions of men and women of all shapes and sizes.” LIFESTYLEHow to Establish a Wardrobe WRITTEN BY MATT HARTMAN “Where do I start?” This is one of the most common challenges a man has when he wants to upgrade his wardrobe. I can remember asking myself this question nearly three years ago. At that time, most of my clothes were from high school and my shoes were in such bad shape I was embarrassed to wear them. I can remember struggling about where to start and what to do. If you are like I was three years ago, here is simple handbook to get you started. To start the transition you must know what your budget is. If you do not set a budget you will quickly find yourself broke. The larger your budget the quicker you can build your wardrobe. The smaller your budget the more PA- TIENT you must be. Here are 5 steps to build up your wardrobe. 1. Purge your current closet and at minimum, cut it in half. As you get your closet built up revisit and purge older items again. Recommendation: Immediately target your T-shirts. It’s best if you have less 21 T HE NI F TY REP ORT / VOLUME 10

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than 10. More than that is unnecessary.2. Build a foundation of classic pieces that will last through the trends. Thefollowing are a few suggestions that I feel are staples to any closet. • 3-5 oxford dress shirts. I recommend that they be in white andlight blue. • 1 Blazer - I recommend that it be a solid color in blue, navy, grayor black. • 1 pair of dress shoes. I recommend they be brown but black wouldbe acceptable. • 1 topcoat/jacket. I recommend that the color be camel (brown)or black. • 2-3 sweaters. I recommend you get one v-neck, one cardigan,and one shawl sweater. Stick with the classic colors (blue, navy, gray, black,and brown) • 3-5 pairs of denim and 2-3 pairs of chinos. I recommend chinosbe in classic colors (brown, black, and gray) • 1 leather belt. I recommend it be brown or black. • At least 1 pair of sneakers. I recommend the classic style sneakerslike Chuck Taylor, Killshot, or Adidas originals (white).3. Once you have a foundation now its time to define the new you. I suggestyou search on social media (Instagram or Pinterest) to find styles you like.Create a board or save the photos to refer to later.Recommendation: Spend at least 2 weeks searching and refining your ideas.Once you find great sources of inspiration, start searching for similar items.Don’t go on big shopping sprees, and be selective on what you purchase. Re-member patience is your friend.4. Focus on accessories.This is a wide open topic but to give you some ideas this would be watches,rings, cuffs, hats, etc. This is all personal preference. Again be selective andgo for the style you are going for. Find sources of inspiration on social media 24

if needed.5. Once you’ve got 1-4 built up pretty well, it’s time to find your unique piec-es. This could be vintage items or limited run collaborations/styles. Thinkof this step as your ‘statement’ or ‘conversation’ pieces.If you are on a limited budget here are a few additional tips for you:1. Purchase clothes from your favorite stores/brands during offseason. The downfall to this approach is you likely will not be able to wear theclothes till next year BUT you will be getting the clothes at fantastic prices. Itypically wait till clearance/final sale.2. Never pay full retail price for any item in your wardrobe. • I know this may be difficult if you really want a particular item…but if you are patient the price will go down…even if its only 10%. Thismeans a lot if you have limited funds.3. Create a list of specific items you like from your favorite brand(s), thenshop around for cheaper alternatives. • Name brands typically have a high markup and if you shoparound you can find very similar pieces at a much cheaper price tag.4. Don’t be afraid to consider ‘lightly used’ sources. • This may sound strange but if you are on a budget this is a keysource to find fantastic deals. I recommend that you search around on thefollowing alternative sources for great products: • Online - Grailed, Mercari, Swap.com & ebay • Brick & Mortar - Goodwill & Salvation ArmyRemember, building your wardrobe does not happen overnight. It takes pa-tience and some research to achieve your ideal new you. Best of luck andhave fun clothes hunting! 25 T HE NIFTY REP ORT / VOLUME 10

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FRIDAY & RIVERhttps://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/friday-river 27 T HE NI FTY REP ORT / VOLUME 10

PENDLETONhttps://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/pendleton 28

Musician, Composer, Social Media Influencer, and Men’s Blogger @_theDL David LezcanoINFLUENCER SPOTLIGHT We interviewed David Lezcano to discuss his Insta-gram page @_theDL and its success. Here are the Q&As ofthe interview.1. How did you become an influencer?I feel like I kind of fell in to influencing. I started by simplyposting outfits as a way of tracking my own style and sharingthe creativity that I was experimenting with outfitting. Ins-tagram was young back then and I started to see some realattention given to my outfit posts. I realized that people werefinding my content and utilizing it as inspiration for theirown outfits!2. What is the biggest perk to being an influencer? 29 T HE NIFTY REP ORT / VOLUME 10

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I love the connection that I can have with my audience. Answering questionsfrom intrigued viewers, interacting with companies and building my com-munity has been one of my favorite parts. It is incredible to work with top-notch companies and build friendships with people across the world.3. What is the biggest challenge in being an influencer?Being everything to everybody. I do my best to give 100% to everyone thatI interact with. If it is a company or an individual viewer I attempt to do asmuch as I can, but at the end of the day there are only so many hours!4. How do you decide what to wear in a post?This is a process that can take me 10 minutes or an hour! Sometimes I willstart with a key piece that I am attempting to highlight and other times Iconsider an entire look from the start. When picking the key piece I usuallybuild off of the color and style that the piece offers. For example if I am high-lighting a leather wingtip shoe I will first decide if the outfit will be formal orcasual. From there I can build the outfit piece by piece.There are certain times that I am aiming for a certain genre of look;perhapsa streetstyle look or a rustic look. I then pick pieces based on that genre!5. What advice would you give to someone who wants to make their Ins-tagram feed “flow” more?- A. Consider the color! When posting think about the photos that surroundyour newest post. Do the colors balance well or are you editing in 5 differentstyles.- B. Pick 1-3 filters and stick with them. If you bounce around your photoswill all have different tones, different whites, and that will show up on yourfeed!- C. Think about the content of the photo. Are you trying to diversify? If sodon’t post 10 pictures standing up in your outfit in a row. Try sitting, flatlaysand more.6. Do you have a full-time job? If so, what is it?I do actually! Sometimes I feel like I have more than one! I work in Visual 32

“You do not need to have 12 suits, 50 pairs of shoes and the wardrobe of your favorite influencer to start dressing better.”Merchandising, Advocacy and Sales within retail spaces. I also am 50% of theband Citizen Shade. Between those two and influencing I stay pretty busy!7. What is your favorite trend in Mens Fashion?I love the blend of high and low pieces that we are seeing in fashion current-ly. An example would be cropped suit pants with white sneakers, a laid backjacket and white shirt. There is a real attention to casual wear currently andensuring that the casual wear is still as constructed as the formal wear!8. What is your staple piece to wear in winter?I am currently in a topcoat mood. I love the length that a topcoat providesand as someone who is taller (6’2”) I find that the length really lends to anyoutfit. Topcoats go great with a suit as much as much as they do a hoodie andjeans.9. What do you predict the biggest men’s fashion trend will be next?Muted color palletes, bulky runner shoes, and a nonchalant but thoughtfulapproach to outfitting.10. What advice would you give to a man who is looking to dress better?Start with key pieces, go thrifting and take as much advice as you can. You donot need to have 12 suits, 50 pairs of shoes and the wardrobe of your favoriteinfluencer to start dressing better. You can start with a solid pair of jeans,a good oxford and a go to blazer. Figure out how you can wear these whilemaintaining a diverse/clean look and then keep building! 33 T HE NI FTY REP ORT / VOLUME 10

ALBERT VEST IN SLATEhttps://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/vests/products/albert-vest-in-slateF. SCOTT PEAKED LAPEL & THOMAS DRESS CHINO IN SLATEhttps://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/bundles/products/bundle-3 34

DIADORAhttps://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/diadora 35 T HE NIFTY REP ORT / VOLUME 10

BLIND BARBER https://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/blind-barber36

LIFESTYLENew Year, New You, New Do: How to Style Your Hair in the New Year o, what’s your New Years because for those of you that already Resolution? To lose weight? own some, it can take hair from a 0 Eat healthier? Practice pa- to a 10. Hair pomade gives you max- tience? I doubt that having imum control over your hair so youa killer hair style is on that list, but can keep it in place while you try outmaybe it should be! If you haven’t new styles. When buying a pomade,noticed yet, first impressions matter, it’s important to look for a non-a lot. We can pretty much guarantee greasy formula with a matte finish.that anyone you want to impress in Blind Barber’s hair pomade for ex-2018, perhaps a first date or potential ample won’t make your hair look oilyboss, is not going to be impressed by or dirty, but will give you the perfectthat shit hairstyle you’ve been “rock- hold that will last through that tough,ing” since ’08 (can you believe that sweat-inducing job interview.was a decade ago?!). But fret not, Your new do will also require ayoung grasshopper, if a refined hair- new shampoo. It’s out with the old,style is what you seek, you have come cheap, drugstore shampoo (yes we’reto the right place. looking at you, Mr. $2 Sauve Hair Before even booking an ap- Care) and in with the new. Investpointment with your barber, there in shampoo and conditioner thatare a few purchases you should make your locks will love. I think you canto help address that hair situation splurge the few extra bucks in orderASAP! First and foremost, invest in to achieve great looking, smooth hair.a great hair pomade! Hair pomade Be sure to choose a shampoo that iswill become your best friend in 2018 sulfate-free so it doesn’t strip your37 T HE NI F TY REP ORT / VOLUME 10

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“It’s out with the old,cheap, drugstoreshampoo (yes we’relooking at you, Mr. $2Sauve Hair Care) andin with the new.” hair down. Bonus: sulfate-free shampoo will help maintain colored hair so if you’re starting to go gray and are getting your hair colored, a nicer shampoo is pretty much a require- ment. Blind Barber’s Lemongrass Tea Shampoo is a great op- tion because it was formulated to remove product build up and debris but not everything else so it won’t strip follicles of their natural protectants. Plus, it also doubles as a body wash so your resolution of saving money will also be accomplished – way to kill two birds with one stone! We’re not done yet because 2018 is going to be your year to incorporate conditioner in to your hair care routine! That’s right, conditioner. That stuff that girls with super long hair use. You may be asking yourself, wtf?! why would I need con- ditioner if my hair is short? Well, as the makers of Blind Bar- ber’s Lemongrass Tea Conditioner say “Shampoo is great but isn’t all that selective with what it removes from your hair, such as natural oils and moisture, so be sure to use condi- tioner frequently to maintain proper moisture and a healthy mane.” ‘Nuff said. So go forth and conquer that hair, let’s all work together to make 2018 the year of the mane by invest- ing in pomade, great shampoo and even conditioner! 40

SLIGHTLY SINISTERhttps://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/slightly-alabama 41 T HE NI F TY REP ORT / VOLUME 10

RICHER POORER https://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/richer-poorer42

VINTAGE WATCHES - JAEGERhttps://www.nifty-genius.com/collections/vintage-watches