Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Sharp Dressed Man - Krimson by Kwame

Best Dressed they're not - but ZZ Top sure knew what they were singing about.

Put a guy in a a clean shirt, new shoes, silk suit and black tie (or any great looking tie for that matter - but I'm getting ahead of myself), and it is certain that every girl will, indeed, go crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.

My first encounter with a sharply dressed man goes way back to when I was sporting Mork & Mindy nightgowns and dining on Mac n' Cheese culinary goodness. I remember seeing my dad appear in the kitchen on a "date night," dressed to the nines and ready to take my mom out on the town for an evening without the kids. He'd pick me up and I would feel the softness of his skin, smell the deep, masculine scent of his cologne and admire the clean lines of his suit.

I swear I was able to admire fashion design at five. Promise.

This appreciation for well dressed men continued on through my life. My high school prom date was a good friend known for his brilliance in English and World History, though he left quite a bit to be desired with his sweat shirts and massive tennis shoes. I was quite surprised and impressed when he decided to bust out the tails, spats and cane for our big dance.

A bit much? Perhaps. Sharp? Definitely.

Hollywood is full of sharp dressed men. Could you ever imagine Connery (or Moore, Dalton, Brosnan or Craig, for that matter) uttering, "Bond. James Bond," in cutoffs and a holey t-shirt? 007 isn't the only silver screen star to swagger in a suit. Much of the cast of Ocean's 11 looked pretty dynamite in their duds, same with Christian Bale in American Psycho.

Okay, so he preferred to wear plastic when he hacked up people with a saw, but he looked great in all of those investment banker meeting scenes.

These days, I still swoon when I see a man in a tailored suit and tie.

An entrepreneur with Cincinnati ties is helping men bring on their A Game when dressing for a night out. Kwame Jackson starred in the first season of Donald Trump's The Apprentice and is now focusing his talents on a line of neckwear called Krimson by Kwame. These ties are sharp and vibrant - beautiful designs in silk that invoke thoughts of glamour, luxury and power.

They're just the thing to turn your man from dull to dapper.

Jackson is coming to Cincinnati April 23 to unveil his collection at a VIP reception at the Bankers Club in Downtown Cincinnati as part of a trunk show with local clothier Corwyn Apparel.

And here's some exciting news - one lucky Kate's Random Musings reader will get to meet Kwame Jackson and Corwyn Apparel COO Corwyn Thomas and join the dynamic duo for lunch.

If you want to enter the contest, here's what you've got to do:

  1. Review the ties at Krimson by Kwame (click here to see the entire collection)
  2. Leave a comment in this post as to which tie is your favorite and why
I will select a winner to join Jackson, Thomas and me for a multi-course lunch at one of the nicest restaurants in Downtown Cincinnati on April 23. The winning contestant will also be invited to the VIP reception at the Bankers Club that evening.

The winner will be announced on Kate's Random Musings on Thursday, April 16.

Which is my favorite Krimson by Kwame tie? I love all things preppy and am drawn to the rep-style striped versions, and I also adore the bright colors in the woven and paisley designs. But I have to say, my favorite is the Kailua, a bold, red tie with classic white polkadots.

It would look dynamite knotted up in a double windsor for a boardroom meeting, untied after a long night on the town or draped on a doorknob once at home.

I'm just sayin'.

Good luck!

25 comments:

Special K said...

It was a tough call but I have decided upon San Francisco as my fave. I love a red tie, to me it is a powerful, confident look. What drew me to this one was the fact that the tone on tone bright color says modern to me but the paisley is cool and classic. To steal a line from the immortal Hannah Montana "it's the best of both worlds."

- Karen H.

FoodHussy said...

Key West is my favorite - anything pink!

Anonymous said...

Brace yourself ladies, this man says Key West in Pink. Classic scroll pattern suitable for the board room but playful enough for evening. The man that wears this tie has the confidence to get the job done and enough whimsy to have fun along the way. He's also practical in knowing that a good pink tie against a crisp white shirt can go with black, brown, gray or navy blue!

KristaNeher said...

My favorite tie....

First, it has to be from the floral collection. Nothing says "I'm confident in my manhood" like a floral pattern. Especially on a tie. In general, men don't wear enough floral. A floral tie is subtle enough for any man to get away with.

Second, color choice. This is more difficult as it would typically depend on the accent pieces. That being said, I think that a bold blue best makes the point "I'm a manly man and I wear flowers". Blue also wins for versatility.

My vote? Amsterdam.

One additional thought/question... the site says "Fully fitted interlining for the perfect knot and most handsome dimple". I don't know what that means but it sounds hot.

Maureen said...

Hands down, for me?...the "Lagos." Definitely appeals to my rock & roll sensibility and a guy with the same edge would look uber smokin hot pairing the Lagos with a velvet black blazer, white button down shirt, dark-washed jeans and dressy doc martens.

Barry Floore said...

Definitely, definitely, the Helsinki. I like starbursts.

They make me think FUN!

Seriously, though, I kept going back and forth, and though I love the Lagos and the San Francisco, I couldn't stop looking at the Helsinki. It's alluring.

Debba said...

I've heard eye color is important in the selection of the perfect tie. To go with my sweetie's blue eyes, and because I love the retro style - I choose the PARIS tie. (Plus, I love Paris!)

And, I could see this tie draped over a doorknob! (-;

Thanks girlfriend!
Debba
www.girlfriendology.com

Maggie & Ryan Patel said...

I really like the floral patterns. They are retro but not too retro. Amsterdam is defintitely my favorite.

Kwame was my favorite contestant of all time on "The Apprentice". I thought he was much better than Bill :)

Jay said...

Kate, I thought you'd love the Venice!

I'm a big fan of the Denver, as I think it would catch light and look like fluttery leaves in the breeze.

Also, the Cadbury is probably the other one I'd buy. It's "pop" and playful. I'm not sure it's quite as "daring"(?) as a Berkeley or the sexy, sexy Lagos...

These are really fantastic ties. I'm excited to see them and will most likely buy a few... and I'm VERY picky about ties.

Anonymous said...

Kate...this is so great! Also glad to see Kwame venturing into fashion!

I know exactly what you mean about seeing your parents get ready for date night. Those memories are etched into my mind as well...even the cologne!

I love all Kwame's unique styles! Krimson by Kwame is also a great name. Go Kwame!

I keep coming back to the Portland and Asheville. I think the colors would look good with many skin tones, from very dark to very light skined men. Both are classy power ties that scream sexy!

The Asheville could go preppy as well...another favorite look of mine. I love the vibrant greens of both ties.

...I also think those ties would look good, loosly around my own neck.....but that's a whole other topic and not appropriate for daytime blogging! ha!

hugs!
Robin

5chw4r7z said...

I like the Malibu, plaid is a smart way to energize your spring wardrobe, the blue plaid just make me think spring, short sleeve shirts and afternoon drinks downtown.
Plus plaid suits the 5chw4r7z, solids are a little to plain and boring, the wild colors and patterns are too flashy. Like the 5chw4r7z, the Malibu tie strikes that balance between style, fun and a little surprise. Someone wearing the Malibu tie is someone you'd have a nice laid back lunch with.

Maureen said...

my only gripe? no tie with a namesake reflecting the tri-state. what happened kawame? no love for the hometown, nasty nati? boo.

Bird Braines said...

I have to say the Versailles is mine. Forget the men, I'll wear that tie myself. It is reminiscent of Rococo wallpaper. A fleating September evening. A handsome man pushing you in a tree swing while your billowy gown flies over your head. It's Frogonard's fetish tie. It would be lovely with a pair of velvet knickers and a snuff box. Gazoontite!

melissa1906 said...

Definitely the pink and mauve. It looks so colorful against his handsome complexion. He looks hot in all of them though!

Anonymous said...

I like Austin. b/c that is the color of paint I picked out for my office today.

Jeff Elrod said...

the chantilly is my favorite. the pattern reminds me of a red riding hood marionette my mom had when she was really young. she'd let my sister and me play with it on rainy afternoons inside.

distorted.girl said...

kate,
the 'sydney' tie is my overall favorite. i think there is a lot to be said about a man who can wear a pink tie, and one who wears it well. the sydney seems like a classic with a little edge and i feel it makes a statement. it shows confidence and definitely is a sharp look. nothing beats a man that's got style!

-mandira!

Someone's Mother said...

If I saw a man wearing Miami, I would know that's my kind of man. I adore orange and love paisleys. The bright, bold colour and pattern tell me that he's confident, bold and not afraid of the same in a woman. After all, not everyone can pull off orange paisleys. Kwame has paired the two in such a way that any man can look smooth and exciting, and from his amazing collection, Miami has definitely gotten my imagination started...

The Green Arrow Project said...

Kate-
First, gotta love the website's music..reminds me of the time I got stuck in a NYC elevator (happend to me twice in my life! I'll save that story for another day)...but back to ties. I like Kwame's collection a lot! I have a few fav's, but the one that stands out to me is the "Vancouver"..I know, surpised me too...I'm not much of a orange guy, but for some reason I kept going back to it. I think it's because it's bold, stands out (great conversation piece) and has a cool Asian rice/falling leaf type pattern to it...reminds me of a Miami, FL sunrise and the great sushi by the beach! This tie has a warm and soothing feel to it..yet bold enough to grab the attention of an innocent lady with a dirty martini in hand from across the room (I think this website's music is messing with my head). It's one of those ties that people could not resist commenting on. Gives you a good ice breaker. In a conservative place like Cincy.filled with solid, poco-dotted, stripped ties, it's nice to see something off the beaten path (matches my personality!)..I'd love to wear it out for cocktails or a nice sunny day at Keeneland or Derby! It's also spicy enough to go with a black pin striped suit for a night out on the prowl at a NYC type lounge or speakeasy(or someone's future Cincy speakeasy:)I have several suits that this would go great with and in fact, I'm about to purchase it! Thanks for introducing this line to me..He's got good taste!
David F.

simpleton001 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
simpleton001 said...

~Dots. White dots against a solid black background. Sao Paulo. Perfect for a Panda who is serious about his neckwear, a life of intrigue and the ladies.~

The quality imported silk feels so good against my Panda fur. Whether I'm relaxing with a Benedictine and Brandy or I'm on one of my many espionage adventures, I am completely at home in Krimson by Kwane.

Sibelius Simpleton 001

Jami said...

Overwhelmed with the choices. There are a lot of great ones to choose from. But after careful deliberation, i think I'm going to have to go with Nassau. It reminds me of snorkeling in a reef with lots of brightly colored fish swimming around... Ahhh maybe I'm just longing for a vacation myself?

seayshel said...

Paris - deliciously decadent. A refined tie for a defined man. A hark back to the old world, with a nod to the new...

Unknown said...

Lpanema. The man who wears this tie...oh boy. Love the colors and the statement that it makes. If I were single, I would like to meet the man behind that tie.

Kate The Great said...

The period to enter this contest has closed.