Black tie at the Golden Globes

I've never understood why Hollywood has such difficulty with formalwear. Black tie is, to me, one of the easiest looks to achieve well because the key is to simply keep it classic: single breasted, peak or shawl lapels made of satin or grosgrain, no wing tip collar, bowtie (self-tied, of course), well fitting, proper shoes like tuxedo pumps. That's it. Look at how Sinatra and James Bond wore tuxes and you'll get the idea. This is not the time to get flashy. Yet Hollywood never seems to get it, save for a certain few.

 Aaron Eckhart is almost there, but misses it with this paisley collar. Had it been satin or grosgrain....

Tom, what are you thinking? You're a short guy who now looks shorter with this double-breasted ensemble. And I've never understood the necktie trend in formalwear.

What is up with this fabric?

Now, P Diddy looks sharp here. Pants are too long and the handkerchief should be more neatly folded, but overall a good look.

This is what I usually wear to the office.

Ashton was almost there, but black tie does not mean everything is black. (note: Demi still looks amazing).

This is how you dress formally. Brad Pitt nails it.  Simple and elegant. The fit is like a second skin.

The height of cool

Sinatra and Jobim in 1967......this is how you wear black tie.

Southwick tweed jacket

I'd been looking for a nice tweed blazer, but nothing caught my eye until I stumbled across this beauty on, of all places, Ebay.  Soft shoulder, brown tweed with a large blue windowpane plaid, suede elbow patches, brand new.  Makes me look professorial and a bargain at $65. I think I'll spend more time on Ebay....

Martin Guitars

Every man of style should know how to do certain things, useful or otherwise: e.g. change a tire, prepare a signature dish, sew a button, etc. And play a musical instrument. Few abilities are more impressive, especially to women.

To those of you who can play an instrument, you already know what I mean. But to those who have never picked up an instrument, its possible to sound reasonably good even as a beginner. The guitar is the perfect instrument for most of us. Portable and relatively inexpensive, yet very easy to learn the basics - most contemporary music seems to be built around 4-5 chords, so if you know the basic chords, you can play an infinite selection of songs. Of course, like with anything else, it takes years of practice to play like Eric Clapton or George Benson, but to play simple contemporary music, all it takes is a few hours.

If you want to start, then I suggest acoustic guitar for its simplicity and low tech requirements. Martin Guitars is one of the oldest continuously operating business in the US today - it is a unique company that produces some of the best acoustic guitars in the world despite being one of the largest companies in the industry.  Their guitars range from $200 for a travel guitar to over $10,000 and above for high end dreadnaught, the most popular body type. And their vintage models can reach $175,000 and up for the rare prewar D-45, of which only 91 were built.  All their models, even the cheaper ones, sound generally great, with a distinct tone that makes recognizable to players as "that Martin sound".

Simple guitar lessons showing the basics are available for free on YouTube - Happy strumming!

J. Press - up to 40% off

Another great deal from J. Press. Use the customer code PSDEC10 when ordering.

LeBron

After seeing scores of NBA stars looking like clowns, its refreshing to see someone, especially the best player on the planet, with style. Understandably, its probably hard to find proper clothes off the rack when you're a giant, but there's no excuse when you make millions - Saville Row for these guys would be like the rest of us going to a thrift shop. Nice move, LeBron!

The Wandering Eye: Ivy League Edition

Nice pictures and great looks from Princeton University on the GQ website.