SHOP, DON’T DROP

You need a new jacket to wear to your buddy’s wedding, or maybe a suit to wear to your own.

Here are a few thoughts on how to shop, without dropping:

· Before you hit the store, know roughly what’s in your closet and what you need more of. Also look closely at what you already own and determine what to keep, toss or donate. And, as an added bonus, you’ll also be opening some closet space for all the new stuff you’ll be buying.

· Don’t rush thru the men’s department. Be patient and give yourself enough time to try on a bunch of clothes, not just one or two pieces.

· The best time to shop? Thursday evenings, when traditionally most stores stay open later. You’ll save time by getting your shopping done on a quieter, more convenient weekday night, and you won’t have to miss you’re kid’s Saturday morning soccer game.

· Bring along buddy, male or female who dresses well. Though experts disagree on the strategy, we say bring a friend along to offer a second opinion on your choices.

· Learn from a master and get a dose of dressing direction from men’s style blogger Andy Gilchrist, whose site www.askAndyAboutClothes.com is devoted to helping guys figure out what to wear and how to wear it.

PACK LIKE A PRO

Pack according to the cardinal rule of frequent fliers everywhere: "If it doesn't go with two other pieces, it doesn't go."

In other words be merciless, and edit your road load down to the bare minimum. How to do it?

-- Eliminate hard-to-match colors and patterns from your travel wardrobe. Stick to a travel wardrobe of three solid, coordinating colors. Favorite neutrals for travel are: navy, black brown, dark green, tan, gray, cream and white.

-- Limit yourself to one briefcase or shoulder bag that fits under the seat and one small carry-on bag for the overhead. You’ll save time by skipping Baggage Claim altogether and will be able to jump on the taxi line long before everyone else.

-- Lighten up: check out the incredibly useful site www.onebag.com , a site that’s dedicated to teaching the traveling public possibly more than they might ever need to know about how to “go light,” pack less and have more fun along the way.

HOTEL SMARTS: SLEEP TIGHT

Whether you’re a regular business traveler, or hitting the road on vacation, here are a few thoughts on how to secure yourself and your stuff along the way:

-- Request a room between the 3rd and 10th floors. Those floors are generally thought to be too high to be broken into and low enough for rescue personnel to reach you in emergencies.

-- Before you unpack, check door, balcony and window locks as soon as you arrive so you can change rooms easily if they're not in working order.

-- Keep doors locked when you're in the room, and put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on doorknob to prevent unwanted intrusions. Stepping out for dinner? Then leave the sign on the door, and turn on the TV to make the room appear occupied.

-- Lock up your laptop. When you’re not in your room, store your laptop in your luggage, and lock the luggage to an immovable object in the room. While it may not stop a determined thief, it can help deter a casual one, and make them think it’s not worth the effort.

DRESS FAST, SLEEP MORE

Want to sleep in tomorrow? Then take a few minutes tonight to help beat the morning rush, and feel free to hit the snooze button when the alarm starts honking:

-- Get into uniform. Uniform dressing that is. Simplify your wardrobe so dressing well becomes a no-brainer. Stick to a few basic colors that work well together. Save yourself the hassle of wondering what shirt will go with that lime green sport jacket. Stick to the basics and express your more creative side with neckwear.

-- Get it together: Lay out tonight what you’ll wear tomorrow, before you go to bed tonight. Collect all the pieces, right down to the belt, socks, shoes and underwear. Put them all together in a logical place, like the bathroom so you get dress quickly after showering.

-- Step away from the iron, and put down the needle: Ironing or sewing on lost buttons in the pre-dawn hours are phenomenal time-wasters. Our suggestion? Make repairs before you hit the hay. At night, when you’re getting your clothes together (see above) for the morning, use the time to also check for wrinkles, stains, missing buttons and collapsing cuffs.

What's written in YOUR (Men's) Journal?

Hopefully the same thing that is written in the September issue of Men's Journal Magazine.

..how cool our polyurethane moto-zip jacket in black is!

In a fashion story titled “Dust Devils of El Mirage,” this very cool jacket earned a prestigious spot next to a couple of equally cool land-speed racers (twice!).

Guess it just proves that time-worn adage that you are judged by the company you keep!

THE FASHION SCOOP IS IN THE DETAILS...

It is lovely to be recognized by one of the publishing industry's most prominent menswear and lifestyle magazines, Details. And such was the case in their September issue when they featured a 2-page spread chock-a-block full of great new items from the Perry Ellis fall collection!

“Sonic Youth” was the feature story, and it cited two great items from Perry Ellis: a nylon cire puffed vest in port royal and a tattersall jacket in charcoal.

Check us out in the September issue of Details!

SOLAR PANELS FOR YOUR PHONE ipod

Power. Seems our phone is always running out of it, usually when we’re on the road, miles away from an electrical outlet. So we were relieved to discover the pocket-sized Solio – a clever gadget that stores power from sun or socket – and allows us to recharge our phones, I-phones, mp3 players and small hand-held devices wherever we roam.

Better yet, the energy Solio stores – for up to a year – is convenient, sustainable and clean, so it’s a pretty sweet deal for the earth too.

Want to take eco-consciousness a bit further? Then try replacing wall and car chargers with Solio to reduce your eco-footprint.

While charging via the sun isn’t necessarily the fastest way to power-up – 1 hour of sun = roughly 15 minutes of talk time or 40 minutes of mp3 music – it’s a lot better than running out of juice. To have a look, click to: www.solio.com

Perry Ellis in Cosmo Mag!

Well yes, we are a menswear brand, but that does not mean that we cannot play well with others...like the 'whats-hot-next' women's magazine Cosmopolitan!

They recently featured up and coming leading man Justin Long wearing a Perry Ellis button-down striped shirt in their September 2009 issue.

The story was titled “Crush the Competition,” (we like that title!)---and we have to admit that it's pretty exciting to see our brand appear in this popular women’s magazine...with a circulation of 3 million readers.

Pretty cool huh?

CLOTHES FOR THE LONG HAUL

Want your clothes to last longer? Then give them a fighting chance by treating them well, and of course, dress defensively. To start:

· -- Go easy on dry cleaning, machine washing and drying, as all of that will help speed the breakdown of fabric fibers and shorten the lifespan of your threads. Just by reducing the frequency, from one wearing to two between cleanings, you’ll save time, money, electricity and a little bit of the earth. All we (and your officemates) require is that you put on a fresh t-shirt and underwear underneath, every day.

· -- Like your momma always told you, hang up your dang clothes, and preferably on cushioned hangers to preserve their shape, and to allow air to circulate and keep wrinkles at bay. Can’t manage that, Mr. Lazybones? Then at least hang your clothes neatly over the back of a chair between wearings.

· -- Prepare for a fashion emergency like Don Draper and the “Mad Men” crew do: Always keep a few clean shirts and a pair of trousers at the office so you look fresh pressed in the morning, no matter where you wound up the night before.

· -- Do you live life on the uncoordinated side? Then stick to a wardrobe of dark colors to help camouflage workday food and coffee drips. If by chance you have a major spill, chances are darker shades can be easily salvaged, and the damage won’t require as much effort to undo at the dry cleaners.

MEET ONE OF OUR PERRY ELLIS MAKEOVER CONTESTANTS

Perry Ellis is very proud of all of the gentlemen who have entered our makeover contest, and wanted to feature of few of them over the next few days so that you can meet them too!

The first gentleman I would like you to meet is a Major in the US Army, proudly serving our country and a great member of his community. Meet US Army Major Steven F. Selman. He is currently deployed, but due home at the end of this month:

His essay: I am a US Army Major stationed at US Central Command, MacDill AFB, Tampa, FL. I am often deployed, and have been to Afghanistan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia on many occasions, and am currently deployed, scheduled to return home at the end of August, 2009.

When I am home with my family, my wife, 8-year-old son and 1-year-old twins, I love to volunteer and make things better in my community. I would love to be "made over" and receive a brand-new Perry Ellis wardrobe to finally get me out of my Army fatigues, so I can look like an All-American civilian when I am out on the town with my wife or am volunteering on the weekends.

SUNSCREEN BY WILL FERRELL. NO KIDDING.

Call us suckers or perhaps stalkers, but we will go see just about any movie Will Ferrell is in (with the possible exception of “Step Brothers”).

So when we heard the funny man was launching a sunscreen line for charity, we thought it might be time to order up a case. Created to raise funds for Cancer for College, a non-profit which gives college scholarships to cancer survivors and amputees, Ferrell’s collection sells for $11.99 a bottle, with all proceeds going to the charity.

"We are obviously appealing to sun worshippers, streakers, art lovers and the ever growing market of body-building golfers,” says Ferrell, whose sunscreen line includes hard-to-resist names like Will Ferrell’s Sexy Hot Tan, Sunstroke and Forbidden Fruit SPF 30.

To order: http://www.shop.cancerforcollege.org/category.sc?categoryId=5

CHILL FACTOR: MUSIC THAT MEDITATES

Not long ago, a doctor buddy noticed that we were a little tense. In between bouts of road rage and cussing out the Yankees on the flat-screen, it occurred to us that Doc might have a point.

His prescription? Meditation. Our reaction? Um, not so much. Not that there’s anything wrong with the lotus position, it’s just that we weren’t planning on folding ourselves into it anytime soon.

The compromise? Take two songs and call your primary-care physician in the morning. Doc suggested listening to a few cuts off Jonathan Goldman’s album “Sounds of Healing.”

So we downloaded it off Amazon and, to our surprise, we’ve been getting chilly with it every other day or so, just to take the edge off.

Like Valium for the ears, these lyric-free, chant-like tunes have the ability to tamp down the temper, quiet the mind and put us in a peaceful, trance-like state without us having to book a trip to an ashram.

To get some for yourself, prescription-free, visit amazon.com.

LOOK BEFORE YOU SLEEP

About ten years ago, in the time before Orbitz and Trip Advisor, a buddy booked a gang of us into a hotel in Vegas, sight unseen, based on a recommendation he’d seen in a guidebook.

The rate was great so we thought we were pretty wise guys, that is till we pulled into the parking lot and were greeted by a platoon of rent-a-cops armed with Rottweilers and razor-wire surrounding the hotel perimeter.

Needless to say, we quickly bailed out of the Gitmo Las Vegas and made a bee-line for better, more expensive digs.

The lesson? Never book anything sight unseen, and now we don’t have to thanks to everyscape.com -- a new, interactive, travel-friendly site that lets you stroll through the town of your choice and even into its buildings.

Everyscape.com describes it as “the real world, online,” that lets you check out the neighborhood before you book, so chances are you won’t accidentally wind up in the Bates Motel, unless that’s the sort of thing you’re into. Click to: everyscape.com

BECOME A PERRY ELLIS BLOGGER!

We are really interested in hearing what you have to say ... so we are
giving you the opportunity to become Perry Ellis contributing editor for a day!

All you have to do is send us a post about any of the topics mentioned
below, along with your picture and a short bio (to profile you in the Perry Now! blog if you get selected*).

We will be doing this regularly, so keep your posts coming! You matter to us!

TOPICS:

> YOUR PERSONAL STYLE
> GADGETS
> TRAVEL
> THE ARTS
> GREEN LIFE

Send your entries with the required information to colleen.adams@pery.com


*Perry Ellis cannot guarantee that all material submitted will be used. We reserve the right to edit the articles as deemed appropriate. Submissions become the property of Perry Ellis and will not be returned. Submissions must be original and not infringe upon the rights of any third
party.

PERFECT PORTABLE SPEAKER SYSTEM

If you’re like us, it’s almost impossible to go anywhere without our Ipods on (loud).

But headphones jammed into our ears 24/7 does tend to annoy friends and family at a certain point. The remedy? Mini-speakers of course.

Now some dudes may go for the fancy high-end systems, but we have a tendency to break stuff, so something durable and about 1/3rd the price is a better match for us. Our choice? The Vestalife Ladybug Portable Speaker Dock for Ipod (approx. $100 on Amazon.com).

We got a Ladybug over a year ago and have used it just about every day since. The sound is quite decent, it runs on electricity or 4 AA batteries and is not much larger than a grapefruit, so we take it everywhere.

So far we’ve used it at home, in the car, in a little cabin in the Canadian woods and in our closet-sized office (with the door closed of course). Over the years, we’ve owned and accidentally destroyed at least 4 sets of portable speakers, but not the Ladybug – it just keeps rocking our world.

ESQUIRE SAYS: BE BEST DRESSED WITH PERRY ELLIS!

Perry Ellis hit pay dirt in the fashion-right September issue of Esquire Magazine, prominently mentioned in their article titled “The Best Dressed Real Men in America.”

That perfectly describes the Perry customer: a 'real guy,' and 'best dressed!' Sound like you?

IFC’s “BOLLYWOOD HERO” STARTS TONIGHT !

Wondering where Mango has been?

Well tonight (August 6), his alter ego, SLN alum Chris Kattan, returns to the flat screen to play (of all things) himself in “Bollywood Hero,” debuting tonight on IFC (the Independent Film Channel).

Inspired in part by Kattan’s real-life experience of failing to land leading roles after moving to Hollywood, Kattan describes the semi-autobiographical “Bollywood Hero” in Entertainment Weekly as being “a lot like Extras meets Entourage meets Lost In Translation.”

Shot on location in India, using much of Slumdog Millionaire’s production crew--up to and including a show-stopping Bollywood dance number choreographed by Longinus Fernandes (the choreographer behind the ubiquitous “Jai Ho” sequence)---Kattan’s 3-night mini series is sure to be one of the most unusual shows this summer.

Not to be missed!

ELECTRONICS RECYCLING

Hidden in most American homes is a dead electronics corner.

In our case the corner was a closet, jammed with 2 vintage Imacs, 2 monitors and 4 wrecked laptops, one of which was circa 1989 and roughly the size of a Smart Car.

Not wanting to dump it all in a landfill, we warehoused the pile of junk for a few years, till we heard about the Staples recycling program for used computers and monitors.

For a $10 fee per item, we handed Staples our cast-offs and gained about 4 square feet of space in our overstuffed apartment, and that’s what we call a win-win.

Staples will also recycle smaller devices such as cell phones, pagers and digital cameras for free, and you can earn $3 in Staples Rewards if you sign on for their ink and toner recycling program.

For recycling guidelines and details on the items Staples can accept, visit Staples.com

LISTEN UP: IT’S THE VIVIAN GIRLS!

What do you say to three cute rocker gals from Brooklyn by way of New Jersey? Play it loud, ladies!

In just under 2 years, indie rockers Vivian Girls have made a lot of noise on stage and in the press for their layered harmonies, high-speed, jangling guitar riffs, driving beats and modern take on “the wall of sound.”

Described by one reviewer on Amazon as “The Mamas and Papas on methamphetamines,” the tuneful trio makes music that features touches of The B-52’s, The Bangles and The Shangri-La’s, echoes of The Strokes and a light dusting of navel-gazing.

Though their second album doesn’t drop for another month, give the girls a listen and check out their video, “Tell The World,” on youtube.com.

LAUGH YOUR ADS OFF!

Happy Monday!

And to make it even happier, we have a special treat for you, courtesy of Jezebel.com who gave us the heads-up on a brilliant new site to help you kill time while you’re waiting for the 11 am conference call to start.

The just-launched, must-see site is AdViews , which lets users view thousands of vintage TV ads from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.

Though the ads were originally intended to be serious and sultry back in their heyday, 40+ years later, the ads have aged miserably and are now truly hilarious.

To view a few thoughtfully-selected knee-slappers, click on http://jezebel.com/5323936/60s-and-70s-beauty-ads-were-little-tv-nightmares?autoplay=true