All posts in: Men

15 Jan 2021

2021 Trends For Men

There’s an elusive Slack channel in our company called “Men’s Fashion.” It’s private, but mainly so my male colleagues can ask each other questions and not feel uncomfortable about it. Recently, I was asked to share what I thought were the trends for 2021. As I started to thread my answer, I realized these are trends also being adopted in women’s fashion. Often times I cross post from my blog to other areas, but this time I’m doing the opposite.

1. Elevated Sweats

First up is an obvious answer. As we head into 2021, working remotely is still in full effect. By now, we’ve collected a dozen sets of sweats. Gone are the days where you only where matching ones. At this point, it’s time to elevate your look. You should be accessorizing and making your sweats look suitable for outside wear. My suggestion to the guys was to pair it with a blazer or a jacket. The top part no longer needs to match the bottom half in order to make this a complete look.

2. Dr. Marten’s

Dr. Martens’ style shoes are everywhere. If this brand in particular doesn’t suit you, you can find cheaper alternative versions elsewhere. While some of the men have complained to me that these take too much effort to lace up or that they find it uncomfortable, I’ve encouraged them to poke around. These are effortlessly chic and completely transform an ordinary outfit into an extraordinary one. I liked these so much that I also got a pair for myself at Target for $30.

3. Cardigans

Harry Styles is doing great things right now and he’s someone that I am excited to watch in the next year. We never had a chance to comment on his recent Vogue cover, but it was iconic. In a few press related things I’ve seen him in recently, he’s been bringing back the male cardigan. Not only is it a timely staple being winter and all, but it makes a man look so much cozier! I know some males won’t feel 100% leaning into this trend, but it doesn’t matter what you try. You can make it fun with a pop of color, some patterns, or go light with a pastel shade. I think a hue you can never go wrong in though is a tan/light brown.

4. Disco Era

Y’all knew I was going to mention this at some point! While we’re on the topic of pop culture icons, since BTS released “Dynamite” at the end of August, there has been a rise in disco-era apparel. Think old school plaid, colored leather shirts, bomber jackets, etc. If you need some inspiration, just go back and look at every single press interview and performance that BTS did for Dynamite. On second though, we might put together a post ourselves for that. As things start to warm up in the spring, we’ll see more of this in the coming months. Most of us didn’t even get to live through this era so bringing it back for current times is not only refreshing, but fun!

Lastly, because I didn’t collect any pictures for these, I want to share a few last minute trends. The most controversial suggestion that I gave to the men was trench coats. I’ll admit, this is not something that is easily pulled off, but what’s the harm in trying? Another trend that began this fall and was all over TikTok is sweater vests. I told the guy I’d given them bonus points if they made an attempt. And because we are still in a pandemic, masks will always be on trend.

Happy shopping!

10 Jan 2021

Blog Roundup

  • These Are the Rioters Who Stormed the Nation’s Capitol [The New York Times] I hate this, by the way. I did, however, think that this piece was well done.
  • User Not Found – Bottega Veneta Goes Dark [Substack]
  • ‘Sex and the City’ Reboot Officially Confirmed [Hypebae]
  • 7 Questions to Ask When Cleaning Out Your Closet [The Every Girl]
  • Who Cleans Up After A Coup Attempt? [The Cut]
  • Jamiroquai’s Lead Singer Is Not A Pro-Trump Viking Rioter [The Fader]
  • Shake Shack Introduces New Korean-Inspired Items [SF Gate]
  • Cherry Blossom Trees in Japantown Vandalized [Hoodline] WHYYY
  • The End of the Golden Age of Silicon Valley Cafeterias [Bloomberg]
  • The Silence of the Damned [NY Mag]
  • 21 Trends That Will Define the Lives of American Men in 2021 [InsideHook]
21 Nov 2020

Snaps for a Snapshot

Who: BTS

Wearing: all in Prada

Where: Global press conference in Seoul to celebrate the release of their new album “BE”

Who remembers their entire Dior period and how amazing that was?

14 Jun 2020

Blog Roundup

  • Stunning Hotel Pools From Around the World [Getaway]
  • Asian Snacks Are More Popular Than Ever in America. Here’s What That Says About Asian Americans [Refinery29]
  • 28 Black Films That Are Infinitely More Informative Than “The Help” [High Snobiety]
  • How to Do Thoughtful Work When You Just Can’t Focus [Fast Company]
  • America Is Giving Up on the Pandemic [The Atlantic]
  • I’m Supposedly An Adult. What Time Should I Go To Bed? [Mel Magazine]
  • A Socially Distanced Live Music Venue Will Open in London Later This Year [Hypebae]
  • What Luxury Brands Can Learn From Looting [GQ]
  • 5 Photographers Speak on Responsibly Capturing and Sharing Protest Images [Nylon]
  • Twitter Now Asks You To Read An Article Before Sharing It [Popular Mechanics]
  • Grammy Awards to Remove “Urban” Term From All Its Categories [Hypebae]
  • What’s Going On in CHAZ, the Seattle Autonomous Zone? [The Cut]
  • 50 Things Every Man Should Own [Cool Material]
  • Eddie Huang on the Oppressive Whiteness of the Food World [Grub Street]
22 May 2020

Blog Roundup

Before this year, I didn’t know that May was Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage month. While it has been a slow journey for me to become more acquainted with my culture and history, I know now I can appreciate this much more at my age. I think some of this has to do with the environment I grew up in and not having that kind of community until after graduating college and starting my career. Without even knowing how special this month was, we got into Korean drama all on our own and started to read and watch pieces that were all tied to the celebration of this month. By no means do I think that means I’ve done all the work that there is, but I’m excited to continue educating myself. I’ve really been enjoying this and have shared a majority of them here with you all!

  • Studio Ghibli Producer is Giving Free Drawing Lessons Online [High Snobiety]
  • Trump’s Refusal to cover up actually reveals his greatest fears [The Cut]
  • 11 Phrases People Love to Hear [The Ladders]
  • Forget Productivity: Let ‘Wuliao’ Be Your Quarantine Philosophy [Refinery29]
  • How to Make Pancake Cereal – TikTok’s Latest Food Trend [Hypebae]
  • MSG is a Valuable Kitchen Staple, If You Know How To Use It [The Takeout]
  • Where New Yorkers Moved to Escape Coronavirus [New York Times]
  • It Is Scientifically Proven That Flowers Make You Feel Better [Vogue]
  • The Ultimate Guide to Instant Noodles [Eater]
  • The Childhood Sweethearts Who Eloped to the Mountains [The Cut]
  • What K-Pop’s Beautiful Men Can Teach Us About Masculinity [Refinery29]
  • How Street Culture Shaped Asian-American Identity [High Snobiety]
  • Jay Park on K-Pop and Cultural Appropriation [VICE]

14 May 2020

Blog Roundup

  • Alison Roman and Chrissy Teigen’s Feud Is About More Than Selling Out [Vox]
  • Protesters Inadvertently Prove They Can Work Out Anywhere [The Cut]
  • I Am 35 and Running Faster Than I Ever Thought Possible [New York Times]
  • Pedestrian Etiquette Guide for SF During the Pandemic [Curbed]
  • The Rise and Fall of TOMS
  • If you’re ordering pizza, make sure it’s not coming from Chuck E. Cheese [Food&Wine]
  • For Asians, Treating Our Mental Health Issues Feels Like Having to Pick a Side [Refinery29]
  • 17 Infuriating TV Moments That Should Have Never Happened [Buzzfeed]
  • The Hottest Thing A Man Can Do [The Cut]
  • Inside Masa’s $800 Takeout Sushi Box [Eater]
  • Center Stage Turns 20: [Entertainment Weekly]
  • Welcome to the Summer of Maude Apatow [WhoWhatWear]
  • Berkeley Will Fully Close Its Streets to Create Giant Outdoor Dining Rooms [SF Eater]
03 May 2020

A Collection Part 57

It’s safe to say that this is the first time I’ve ever created “A Collection” while in quarantine. Let’s hope that in this lifetime, we don’t ever have to live through another pandemic. I used to look forward to these posts for a number of reasons. They were so different than any of the usual posts that I normally did for Yow Yow! Instead of spending a lot of time around the words I was using, this was my visual diary. It was calming for me to dig through the archives of Tumblr accounts I manually followed (I don’t have a Tumblr account!) and make a decision on what photos to include. It wasn’t always a simple yes or no. There’s certainly an intent for each one that is selected and for how I’m feeling at the moment.

Being in Shelter-in-Place now already for a month and a half, I thought I would have gotten to this post much sooner. It seems like I’ve found my calm through a number of other outlets during this time.

Read more “A Collection Part 57”
02 May 2020

Blog Roundup

  • Photos: Scenes of a New Normal in San Francisco [The Bold Italic]
  • Top E.R. Doctor Who Treated Virus Patients Dies by Suicide [New York Times]
  • Mexican Wrestlers Sew Luche Libre Face Masks to Help Fight Against Coronavirus [Hypebeast]
  • 10 Remote Homes [dezeen]
  • 19 Outrageous Dennis Rodman Stories [Vulture]
  • Restaurants After COVID [Slate]
  • The Spaces Between Us [The Cut]
  • Taco Bell Celebrates Cinco de Mayo w/ At Home Taco Bar Kits [Hypebeast]
  • How to Make Your Groceries Last Longer
  • How Normal People Does Sex So Good [Vulture]
  • 87 Cloths Masks To Shop Now [Vogue]
  • The New Rules of Chivalry [Valet Mag]
  • Love in the Shape of Cut Fruit [Refinery29]
27 Mar 2020

Blog Roundup

  • The Women of Instagram [The Everygirl]
  • Scotland is the first country to make pads and tampons free [Today]
  • Netflix Introduces Daily Top 10 Lists [High Snobiety]
  • Here’s What Happens When Guy Fieri Visits A Restaurant [Thrillist]
  • Kanye, Out West [New York Times]
  • Sound and Vision: Paid Family Rocking [KEXP]
  • McDonald’s Introduces New Big Macs [Cool Material]
  • I Think About This A Lot: Jack and Meg White Pretending to be Brother and Sister [The Cut]
  • 7 Delicious, Creative Ways to Eat Eggs That Don’t Involve Scrambles [Well + Good]
  • How Coronavirus is Destroying the Livelihood of Music’s Behind-the-Scenes Workforce [Rolling Stone]
  • The 11 Rules Every Man Should Heed to Tidy Up His Closet [Inside Hook]
  • Why We Can’t Stop Looking at Photos of Empty Cities [Fast Company]
  • The No Equipment Home Workout [Valet Mag]
  • You Can Now Download Free Coloring Pages From Over 100 Museums and Libraries [Hypebeast]
  • These Famous Logos Have Been Remade for the Coronavirus Age [Ad Age]
  • What It’s Like to Self-Quarantine With a Michelin-Starred Chef [Grub Street]
20 Jan 2020

2020 New Year’s Resolutions

Nothing like writing your resolutions 20 days later! In all honesty, I’ve been sitting on this post for awhile. I’m headed into a new decade of my life so naturally the decisions you make around this time are amplified for no good reason at all. We make resolutions every year. Then, I write about them on Yow Yow because I think it will make me feel accountable, but like every year, they get a little lost. Over the holidays, I read a post about resolutions and why we’re constantly getting them wrong. Apparently, there’s a formula to it so in an effort to do better in 2020, here’s mine:

  • Less drinking, more tea and water
  • Less Ubers, more bussing and walking to get to where I need to
  • Remembering to be kinder to yourself
  • Balancing nights in with one concert every month
  • More books, less social media
  • More quality time with friends
  • Get ready for bed 30 minutes earlier; get out of bed five minutes earlier

I’m not following the process outlined [here] perfectly, but I did tailor this to match more of what I actually want to work on for myself.