• A small box of high end chocolates, think Vosges, Burdick, or Richart
• A creative flower bouquet
  
• Gourmet tea (maybe an herbal red tea or a rose infused black tea) or coffee, if she drinks coffee or tea
  
• A classic romantic movie such as: Casablanca, Breakfast at Tiffany, To Catch a Thief, Some Like it Hot or Amelie
  
• Something to pamper herself with, like Lush bath products (but NOT a massage bar)
• A gift certificate for a massage from a spa (not from you) or a pedicure
• Invite her over for homemade dinner, serve champaign
• Do not get: jewelry, anything heart shaped, lingerie, make up, anything that plugs in, anything domestic. Overall try to avoid anything overly romantic or cheesy, unless she has dropped some heavy hints that she is into that sort of gift.
  

Product Review: Origins Fire Fighter

Back in the days when we were dating I purchased Origins Fire Fighter for my husband. Call it an attempt at metrosexualization, call it attempt at making shaving less painful so that he would do it more often...whatever! It worked! The lotion is a wonderful soothing aftershave developed for the man with sensitive skin. It works wonders at preventing razor burn and at providing a little extra moisture to abused, sensitive skin. Origins has recently improved the product by adding an ingredient that causes your whiskers to grow back slower, leading to less shaving and happier skin. As soon as my husband has finished his current bottle of the old formula of Fire Fighter we are definitely investing in the new formulation!

Image from Origins

You can do MUCH better than roses for V-day...

Flowers from Winston Flowers


Flowers from Winston Flowers


Flowers from Martha Stewart Flowers (lily, orchid)


Flowers from Martha Stewart and 1800flowers

Roses for Valentines day...cliche, expensive, a bit banal...you can do better! It is possible that roses are your significant other's favorite flower...if that is the case PLEASE get her roses for Valentine's Day, otherwise I recommend considering another more creative and perhaps even more beautiful option.

I've provided a few example of my favorite truly classic flowers above. Calla lilies and mini calla lilies are always a classic look, sophisticated and minimalist. Orchid plants are fabulous and usually bloom forever, I currently have a white orchid on my mantle which has been blooming for a month. Peonies, parrot tulips and sweet peas are delicate and feminine, they make for the perfect romantic bouquets!

The sources I have listed above are good sources for Valentine's Day flowers, but nothing ever lasts as well as the flowers you pick up from you local florist. Also, flowers from the florist really do last better than those from the grocery store, with orchid plants as a possible exception. I regularly buy my orchids from Trader Joe's, and they last beautifully.

Groom's Guide: A few points for proposing

• You should ask her parents before proposing. You are never going to cause offense by asking, but there is a good chance that you will offend her parents if you do not ask. While traditionally, you talk to her father about proposing, many mothers would also enjoy being included.
• Try to find out if your girlfriend has definite ideas about THE RING. It is possible she wants to pick it out, or that her grandmother will be passing down her ring to the two of you. Don’t be offended if she wants to get the you chose reset, even after ten years of marriage most men are not able to pick out jewelry that thief wife really loves.
• A proposal should be a private affair, a special moment that you will remember forever, shared between you and your future spouse. In the spirit of this, you should favor an intimate proposal over a splashy public proposal, which means no sporting areas, no TV shows and no family reunions. One of my friends was proposed to in her living room after a quite dinner out at a local restaurant. Although he had the ring, her fiancé did not plan to pop the question that night, but they were having such a lovely time is decided he wanted to propose to her on the spot and spend the rest of his life enjoying such nights.

a possible exception to the public proposal rule is college athletes and their cheerleader girlfriends

• Don’t hide the ring! Especially don’t hide the ring in something that can be eaten or easily thrown away!
• Get down on one knee…it is a sweet gesture.
• Be flexible, it is unlikely things will go completely to plan. The waiter interrupted my husband mid proposal (he was nervous and forgot to kneel), but that did not ruin the surprise and perfection of the moment when I saw that he was giving me my Grandmother’s engagement ring. Another friend wanted to propose on a bridge over a local lake at sunset. In his excitement he got to the lake too early, and made his fiancé walk all the way around the lake before proposing. He spent the next three miles being extremely nervous. When he finally popped the question, his sweaty fiancée said “Are you serious?” Probably not the fairytale he was imagining, but it is kind of funny and definitely memorable.

Images from weddings.lovetoknow.com and tiffany

Valentines Guide: Chocolates for your Sweetie

Perhaps it seems a bit premature for a Valentine gift guide...but Valentines Days is rapidly approaching! Reservations for dinner, online present ordering, these things take time and planning, wait much longer and all the best restaurants will be booked up. So, over the next week the Charming Dandy will provide a guide to Valentine's Day. First up, chocolates! These days a box of chocolates need not be a tasteless Valentine cliche, there are several companies specializing in delish high end chocolates which are sure to impress your sweetie. The beauty of chocolates is that they are appropriate at any stage in your relationship, perfect for a spouse or for a third date. Vosges is one of my favorite shops, offering high end chocolates with creative fillings artfully presented. Here are a few of my top Vosges picks for Valentines Day:

• For the extravagant lover who wants to shower their lover with a year of goodies, the Chocolate of the Month Club sends a different 9 piece truffle set every month or every two months.
  
• The Marchesa Truffle Collection is a nine piece set of black salt caramel covered in dark chocolate and decorated with edible pearly dust. These beautiful truffles are sure to take your lover's breath away.
• The Hip Hop Collection will be a huge hit with any gourmand. This set of nine truffles features gold leaf floating a top a white chocolate Krug champaign truffle.
• The Aztec Tower is a chocolate collection that will surely add a little spice to your love life. This three part tower includes a nine piece truffle set, a delicious Aztec chocolate bar (one of my favorite Vosages bars flavored with cinnamon and chillies), and a decadent drinking chocolate.
  
• Finally, the Exotic Truffle Collection offers a great selection of different truffle offerings for when you just can't decide what your lover might like best!
  

Images from Vosges.com

Difficult to wear look: The Ascot

Ascots: hot on Cary Grant, not so hot on most men in the twenty first century. Cary Grant was a huge fan of the accessory, as he was self conscious about his neck and thought that it the ascot minimized its thickness. Today it is virtually impossible for a man to pull off a true ascot without looking somewhat theatrical. The look even looks a little off on David Beckham, one of the more adventurous modern mens style icons.

But, if you do decide that you want to give the ascot a shot, the two best ways to attempt the look are formal like Beckham or as a method for tying your winter scarf.

In terms of formal wear, it is best to stick with wearing an ascot with a tuxedo as a means of adding a little personal flair to your formal wear. In this case, you should stick with a very traditional tux and a fairly conservative print on the ascot. I would avoid the formal ascot at a wedding or anyplace where you will be in photographs that will become part of your family archives. Black tie parties or charity events are the perfect place to experiment with the look, you are sure to get a lot of attention.

The safer ascot option by far is to tie a thin cashmere winter scarf under your overcoat in the fashion of an ascot. This look is refined and sophisticated without being as theatrical or attention grabbing as a traditional ascot. Give it a shot!

Images from things-and-other-stuff.com, cas.sc.edu, alwaysplayingdressup.blogspot.com, tiewarehouse.co.uk

"Ties that don't suck"

Ties: One of the major avenues for wardrobe self expression in a man's life. Tired of the standard issue striped tie? Not interested in tiny palmtrees or lobsters dancing all over you chest? Look no further than TieLab for interesting and unique ties. At just $30-$40 dollars each these ties are quite the deal! Ladies: why not love bomb you man this valentines day with the Bombs Away black silk tie on the far right?

Images from TieLab

Spring 2008: Highwaters have their day in the sun

Dolce and Gabbana Spring08, Thom Browne in his own design, Junya Watanabe Spring08

Thom Browne is a New York based designer who specializes in a highly tailored, narrowly fitted mensware. Over the last seven years he has turned out distinctive suits, with a hallmark aesthetic which includes a shortened pant leg. Browne has become a major tastemaker, which is evident from the adoption of his short pant look in the Spring 2008 collections of several other designers. Personally, I really like how Dolce and Gabbana translated the look into a more casual urban look. Generally speaking this is a much more wearable interpretation, perhaps because it is less fitted and can be worn outside of the office or special event.

You should consider Thom Browne inspired looks if: you are short, you are fit, you work in a creative industry, or you already have an eclectic or fashion forward style

You should avoid the Thom Browne look if: you are extremely tall, you are very muscular, you are stout, or you work in a conservative environment

For an everyday guy's take on wearing a Thom Browne suit, check out this Esquire article.

Images from manoloman, style.com

Product Review: Lush Coalface

Lush is a British handmade cosmetics company that is quickly building a following in the United States. Their coalface soap is an excellent product for oily and acne prone skin. The soap is a distinctive black color because one of it's main ingredients is charcoal, a natural astringent and antibiotic. The charcoal also acts as a very mild exfoliant, giving the soap a slightly grainy texture. Unlike many other lush products, this soap has a very subtle smell (licorice) that does not linger on the skin. Interestingly, this product is also vegan. As Lush hand cuts their soap in the store, it is possible to obtain a small sample size bar to give the product a test run before really committing to it.

I recommend Coalface for the man with oily skin looking for an face cleanser that doesn't leave behind much of a scent. As an added bonus, this soap will look at home in your shower, on the edge of your sink and at your gym.

Image from lush.com