CLEAN CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

All it takes is one red t-shirt tossed into a load of whites, and mister, you’re looking at a pile of tighty pinkies when it all comes out of the wash.

If you grew up in a house where your socks never hit the floor because super-mom would catch them in mid-air and whisk them into the laundry, it might be time to learn the basics of cleaning your clothes:

Read the label, and believe it.

-- If it says dry-clean only, believe them, as it usually means that the fabric will not take kindly to water. If it says cold wash only, believe this recommendation too. Care labels, though not all that interesting to read, are in fact, incredibly useful. Don’t believe us? Then freestyle it and be amazed when you see you’ve shrunk some of your stuff to toy poodle size and have tie-dyed everything else in the machine. Hey, hot stuff.

-- A super hot dryer can shrink clothes, and in some cases burn them, so start a notch below the highest setting and check in on the dryer every 15 minutes or so, strategically removing and folding dry pieces as you go along. Not only will you get the jump on folding, but it will allow more air to circulate in the dryer, thus speeding up the rest of the drying process. Once you’ve taken the faster-drying stuff out, then you can push the temperature all the way up to dry the heavier items like jeans and towels.Hit the tub.

-- Hand wash – though we try to avoid it, sometimes we are forced to do a little hand laundry on our gym shorts and shirts. The good news is that they air dry pretty quickly when we hang ‘em out and spread ‘em out over a drying rack in the tub. If you need your workout shirt and shorts for tomorrow, start by hand washing them tonight. After washing, take each item, lay them out on a towel and roll the item up in the towel. Then step on your towel tube (preferably in bare feet) and stamp out the extra water, and then unroll your tube. Hang up the items (as well as the towel) to dry overnight. If the items are still damp in the morning, then finish the job with a standard blow dryer.

Machine Washing 101

-- It being the back-to-school season, we started to feel a little nostalgic for those by-gone college-era laundry days, when we used to accidentally destroy our clothes by throwing all colors together in the wash and setting the water temperature to scald.

Had Wikihow.com existed back in our day we might have avoided most of our laundry-related mishaps. For step-by-step, virtually idiot-proof instructions on how to do your laundry, click to: http://www.wikihow.com/Do-Your-Laundry-in-a-Dorm.

THE STRAIGHT JACKET SCOOP

A sports jacket or blazer is one of the most useful wardrobe items a guy can own, and having a few on hand is always welcome. How to wear one with style? Consider the following five pillars of sport jacket wisdom:

-- Sleeve-length: The sleeves of your jacket should just hit your wrist, and allow for and about a half an inch of shirt cuff to show.

-- Buttons: On a traditional three-button jacket, button the middle button, and the top one if you really want to be “buttoned-up.” On a stylish two-button jacket, never button the bottom button, just the top one. On a one-button jacket, there’s pretty much only one way to go.

-- Pockets: Now hear this – your pockets are not a brief case. Pockets are for stashing small, lightweight items only, i.e., business cards, a wallet, cell phone and perhaps a mint or two. To maintain the shape of your jacket pockets and prevent stretching them out permanently, carry your barbells, rolls of quarters, snacks, work materials and whatever else in a stylish messenger bag, leather tote or briefcase.

-- The fit: It all starts from the shoulders – the jacket needs to fit the shoulders not extend beyond them like a line-backer. For example, if the jacket is too wide for your shoulders, you’ll have extra fabric flapping down the arms and across your back. If the jacket is too narrow, you’ll have trouble moving your shoulders forward, and you’ll see be ripples between the shoulder blades.

Our suggestion? Start small and work your way up – that is, try on a few jackets that are a size or two smaller than you might normally try and keep moving up till you find one that fits smoothly across your back.

-- No pushing: No matter how hot it is in your office, resist the urge to push the sleeves up as this will, over time, stretch out the fabric and help wreck the lines of the jacket. Add to that more few wrinkles and creases and before you know it, you’re a walking fashion emergency.

Our advice? Keep the sleeves down, where its’ maker intended, or take the jacket off and hang it up.

Liberty, justice and pants for all.

With the possible exception of Lady Gaga, we believe the overwhelming majority of us should wear pants on a regular basis – preferably every day to prevent stares at the morning sales meeting and to keep our legs warm.

Besides, pants also look great with shirt/jacket/tie combinations. So how to pick a pair?

Here are a few pant-purchase pointers:

1) Know the Neighborhood: In other words, what’s appropriate for your work life? To get the most out of your dress pant dollar, ask yourself: Is your office a formal, suit-required environment, an every-day-is-Casual Friday kind of place or a jeans and t-shirt joint? Not sure? Then look around.

Notice what most of the other guys in the office wearing and follow their lead. Note what colors your officemates wear, the weight of the fabrics, the shape of the trousers, and then head to a department store to look for pants that mirror what you’ve seen in the trenches.

2) To Pleat or Not to Pleat? Ah, the old pleat vs. flat-front debate. How to settle it? Well, perhaps we’re a bit partial, but we’re big fans of flat-front trousers. They add less bulk around the mid-section, are generally more streamlined and modern-looking and don’t require cuffs, thereby adding a slight lengthening effect.

If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool pleat man, then go for small single or double pleats (just say no to triples) and consider adding cuffs to help weigh down the pants, and make them hang properly.

3) Cuffs: The Bottom Line: Cuffs are a nice way to make a pair of pants look finished, polished and pulled together. For lean guys, cuffs lend a more substantial look to the bottom half. Heavy-set guys may want to go with the smallest cuff possible or skip them altogether. If you’re on the fence, then buy trousers without cuffs so they can be added later if need be – as cuffs are far more difficult to remove cuffs then they are to add.

4) Wide Load or Slim Jim? Granted your body type will determine which type will work best, in general, wide-leg trousers can work well on the slim and/or chesty dude. For slim guys, a wider leg will give legs a fuller more substantial line. On fellows with a bit of bulk up top, wide legs can help balance out top and bottom proportions.

By comparison, slim-cut pants, not surprisingly, work well on guys who are lean as well as on shorter, beefier fellows – who’ll gain a trimmer look from the less voluminous shape of slim-cut trousers.

5) The Last Rule of Pant Club: Actually there are three to keep in mind, starting from the ground up: Your shoes should match (or can be a little darker than) your pants. Your socks should match your shoes. Still can’t keep it straight? Just think shoes+ pants and shoes + socks. See the pattern emerging?

A BRIEF (AND BOXER) OVERVIEW

Underwear. We all need it, and just in case you were raised by wolves, it’s strongly recommended that one put on a fresh, clean pair every day.

How to pick the right pair? Here’s a brief look at the options:

BRIEFS

The Look:

-- Traditionally very close-fitting at the waist, across the front and around the butt, thus the nickname “tighty-whities,” though you can get them in just about any color you like these days.

The Pros: --They provide a good deal of support, fit well under trousers and stay in place. Also, if you’re active in sports, they’re probably your best bet.

The Cons:-- They can be a bit bit unforgiving if you’ve got a spare tire, and for guys who like, shall we say, a bit more air-flow, briefs can feel a little constricting.

The Verdict:-- Every guy should have a few in the underwear drawer. Our Suggestion:

-- A classic pair, like these: http://www.perryellis.com/Underwear+Sleepwear/2pk-Brief/invt/543104rt

BOXERS

The Look:

-- Classic, relaxed, comfortable, loose shorts-style. There’re available in thousands of colors and prints, but we tend to go for stripes and the occasional small plaid or check.

The Pros:

--You’ll get plenty of air-flow and comfort when you wear them under pants with a looser fit, like suits or khakis and jeans. Better yet, rumor has it the ladies like the way they look.

The Cons:-- They’re utterly devoid of any support, so you might not want to hit the gym wearing boxers underneath your workout clothes.

The Verdict:-- C’mon, they’re classics. Every well-dressed dude should own a couple of boxers.

Our Suggestion:

-- A nice stripe pair, like these: http://www.perryellis.com/Underwear+Sleepwear/Luxe-Stripe-Boxer/invt/163887rt

BOXER-BRIEFS

The Look: -- A cross between the boxer and the brief. They hug the body like a brief, but the close-fitting fabric reaches all the way down to roughly the mid-thigh, so the silhouette is similar to that of a boxer.

The Pros:

-- You’ve got the support of the classic brief plus you can wear them under all types of clothes, including active wear, so they offer maximum versatility.

The Cons:-

- No major complaints here — we’re saying it’s all good.

The Verdict:

-- They’re the perfect hybrid, offering the best of both worlds, so definitely add these to your underwear wardrobe if you haven’t already. And if you already own a pair, go a little nuts, and buy a few more.

Our Suggestion:

-- A sleek pair, like these: http://www.perryellis.com/Underwear+Sleepwear/Stripe-Boxer-Brief/invt/163873rt

BIKINIS & THONGS

The Look:

-- European. And not in a good way.

The Pros: -

- Plenty of airflow.

The Cons:

-- Too many to list.

The Verdict:

-- Leave these two options to, um, the professionals.

Our Suggestion:

-- We don’t have any. You’re on your own this time.

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!

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?

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.