Greetings!  I want to take this opportunity to thank all who have been following AlmostBranded.  It is out my a pure love of fashion and the arts that I contribute to this site and by sheer luck it has become an entrepreneural effort.  I am currently working with Programmers and Designers to build a webpage that will function as a brand source for consumers and a strategic marketing partner for many of the labels featured here.  I am looking forward to the re-launch and hope that you will continue to support Almost Branded.  Feel free to search and browse to become more familiar with the blog and I would love to hear any input from you as this is a work in progress that will only become better with your help.  You can reach me at r.itier@gmail.com THANK YOU!

I made this t-shirt because I figured someone might see the humor in it.  The Burnt Gold windbreaker with Black lining is now available in S,M&L for forty-three bux at www.AlmostBranded.com Leave a COMMENT at the beeeeeeeep...

The biggest compliment I can offer is that of authenticity.  As I look across the spectrum of men's style I see a lot of nice brands delivering product that is functional but let's face it, our taste is expanding.  The new man has grown to appreciate fashion in a way that is not intimidating or a threat to our masculinity.  In fact, the trend has been leaning towards embracing our whiskey drinking, holster toting, womanizing roots.  David Michael Hershberger and Mitch Mosley are the creative forces behind Endovanera, a Los Angeles based menswear line specializing in hand crafted patterns and angular definition paired with a practical perspective.  The result is a sleek and form fitting American classic.

Nostalgia can sometimes be very convincing.  A look into your categorical, wardrobe past may reveal what you might not have noticed all along.  I remember my first blazer and how wearing it made me feel special, like I was in on a little secret that few guys my age were privy to.  When I flip through the items in my closet I am taken back to the moments when each piece played a part in my fashion history.  Our Legacy is just like that sans the occasional rips and tears.

Stephen Banks has a reputation.  His name is synonymous with impeccable taste and vision.  This piece (Fred Long Sleeve Shirt) by Norsea Industries, a line founded and developed at the hand of Mr. Banks, exemplifies a combination of stayed confidence in balance with a reflective sensibility.  I may venture on the side of unpopularity by supposing the workwear "look' to be waning but from it we can take solace in knowing precisely where to find it finished here in perfect statement.

I stumbled on to Nom De Guerre by accident. At first, I was not blown away by the military aspect of their latest collection but then it dawned on me... uniformity and consistency, when appropriated responsibly, can produce idealism.  The norm used to be that one's social identity needed to be obscure for the sake of pronouncement.  It is clear the cycle has rounded towards assimilation.  Achtung baby!

Your appearance, more often than not, dictates how you are perceived by your peers.  Alessia De Pasquale, a London based designer, made her bones in the design house of Burberry.  It is no great stretch that her solo collection is wrought with 1950's undertones.  Her look is very smart and the inclusion of modern details has introduced a refreshing twist on business class.

Local New York designers are the lifeblood of this industry as they hold the distinction of being positioned as instant darlings or sheared goats.  I have an enormous respect for Jason Nevikov out of Brooklyn.  His adopted neo-geometric, silk-screen concept was widely recognized in 1968 and although it did not sell thru with success until Fall 1972, I am with belief that due to a lack of total appreciation there was no space created for a lasting trend to sustain itself.  Nevikov has woven a much needed contrast into the fiber of geometric design.  It's clearly an homage to the virtuosos of mastery and illusion and just as comfortable to wear as you would imagine.  Get some...

When I travel the most important detail is comfort.  Looking up and out over the wing as the airplane taxis along, a sense of wonderment consumes me.  Next stop the West.

Fashion sense is more about instinct than anything else.  A feeling you get when you look in the mirror and just know... "I am the shit".  Many brands fail to arrive as a result of too much compromise and too little chutzpah.  There comes a time when you have to ask yourself, "Am I prepared to face my fear and desire...?" Only then can you achieve total sublime.  Vanishing Elephant is a brand you need to track.  They are young, fast and grinding their way to the forefront with an unwavering determination, unfettered meticulosity and complete resolve.  Don't hesitate, resuscitate.

When I was a kid my mum was especially concerned that I would catch a fever if I chose to run around in Underoos gripping a plastic Colt 45 pistol in one hand and my overwhelming sense of inspiration in the other.  My predilection for hoodies started then.  What do you want from me, I was 4 years old?  Wood Wood, a Danish manufacturer, has developed a solid mid length windbreaker hoodie.  I am partial to the Hinhault jacket (featured here) but I have grown especially fond of their approach to full flavored simplicity.  Just in time for the dog days of Winter in metropolis. Hvordan siger du på dansk?

Gilded Age understands the importance of maintaining a high level of style.  Their rugged, simple approach has discovered a loyal customer amongst the professional business class however, the real merit of strength is in how well they've been able to sustain viability on the streets.  There is something effortless about Gilded Age that is undeniably worthy of further notice.

I like Corpus to exceed expectations.  Their approach is extremely practical and more than anything the look is relevant across the board.  They were spotted and recognized by EDFF.  For their efforts, Corpus Clothing was awarded honors for overall achievements in men's design.  Keith and Jerrod, two friends who will survive the fall out.