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The Move to JustGQ.com

Bright Lights, Big Hats, & Bowties

The Mixx Magazine released its new, "Self Made Men" issue on Monday, and Just GQ is featured in it, speaking on Spring fashion trends, primarily Derby fashion. Read on to see the article, and make sure you check out The Mixx Magazine (just click the link at the beginning of the post)! Let's SUPPORT! GOD BLESS!

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As the Bluegrass state basks in the national sporting spotlight, the events comprising the Kentucky Derby festivities double as a continuous fashion show. The colors much like the lights, which accentuate the dirt and grass tracks at Churchill Downs are bright by nature, crossing patterns and matching plaids with stripes and solids, alike. The bold fashions surrounding the events may actually precede the allure of the race, which draws 155,000 people from around the world, who come to experience all that Derby has to offer.

In the interest of southern charm and chivalry, we will, initially, address the ladies. The staple of Derby fashion lies in the famous accessory, the “Derby hat”. While the gentlemen participate in this trend with caps and fedoras, these oversized, colorful beauties complement the prim, proper demeanor conveyed through the dresses and other ensembles dawned by the girls and women taking part in this riveting time. Every female attending the weekend’s celebrations dare not leave the house for the track without a brim wide enough to deserve an “excuse me” as people avoid the item, which secures one’s personal space in a fashionable manner.

As for the fellas, their statements through fashion derive from suits and colorful, yet unique shirts, ties, and shoes. Classic, regal style reigns supreme across the board particularly, though, as the men sport seersucker, linen, and poplin suits, suits constructed from naturally lighter materials in accommodation for warmer weather. In addition to these mainstay suits for Derby, bowties run rampant, coming in a cornucopia of styles (classic, diamond & skinny among others) and colors often serving as the signature pieces in men’s looks. The bowtie, however, while frequently worn, does not claim exclusive rights to the neckwear at Derby. Half windors, full windsors, and skinny ties  (oh my!) also play a starring role in this suited presentation.

So with a valediction of wingtips and stilettos, I bid you adieu in hopes that as you gear up for 137^th Kentucky Derby, you are, now, in the know regarding pieces you can incorporate into your personal style to put your best foot forward. Thanks for checking in the GAME with Just GQ!

The Mike Jones Factor

 

Happy Monday, all! Are y’all ready to check in the game? Let’s go!

Surely everyone remembers the 2000s Swishahouse recording artist, Mike Jones. WHO? MIKE JONES (bet you didn’t see that coming. lol). His first and maybe only bona fide hit (if memory serves correctly) described his personal tale of how he rose from ashy to classy. Word to Jergen’s; I kid. In this requested topic for Just GQ,—keep the suggestions coming by the way—I will address, what I like to call “The Mike Jones factor” (cue dramatic music)!

A 20-something woman once told me that girls need to date a bad boy once in their lives because that experience helps them better appreciate when they get a good guy. Also, a couple nights ago on Twitter, I saw a tweet that read, “Nice guys finish last because the nice guy is the last guy she will ever be with.” I’m not gonna lie; I threw up a little when I read this.

WHO wants to be that guy?! WHO wants to be penalized for being a nice guy and shying away from thuggish behavior, clearly showcasing a well put together presentation? Should nice guys be comforted in knowing that after she’s tired of being done wrong by every other dude, he can serve as her safety net? NO! Excuse me for a moment. *regains composure*

As I have never been nor claimed to be a thug of any persuasion or a victimized nice guy, I have not directly been involved in this less than logical conundrum; however, I have observed and served as a makeshift consultant at times. The situation gets dicey when nice guys realize that the “nice guy approach” fails, deferring to a lesser opponent in the majority of cases. Once observed and analyzed, nice guys often deduce, “I tried to be nice, but she chose the dude that talks bad to her, treats her poorly, and clearly is sputtering in life’s race. While I won’t sacrifice my ambition and path to success, I can oblige her desire to be with a jerk.” This behavior, in its most basic form, performs as the machete that has been taken to the very core of chivalry.

This conclusion holds a transferable nature to any scenario in which the lesser opponent is awarded the prize, the prize being the object of affection (regardless of sex). When dealing with “emotional cutters”—not to make light of self-mutilation—they are often drawn to negative situations like moths to flames and fight potentially positive relationships. When dealing with leeches, these “ladies” continuously hop from progressive boat to progressive boat looking for a life of luxury with minimal labor on her part. In common terms, this class of people has been deemed as “groupies” by society. In the initial life draft, she may have latched onto an athlete with league potential for the actual draft of a major sport yielding major compensation, but as most of us know, league dreams often draw parallels with pipe dreams failing to produce ideal results.

Following this development, this person will dock the first boat and begin searching for another one to board; cue the “nice guy”. At this point, the “nice guy”, opted for the more traditional route of progression, if ambitious, perhaps he has enrolled in law school or med school; maybe he is an engineer. This is what I deem the “supplemental draft”. They tried the dope boy; fail. They tried the athlete; higher success rate but fail. Now, interest peaks regarding the newly successful “nice guy”, but at this point, the “nice guy” has generated interest from numerous other parties, many more than likely with good intentions and lacking an ulterior motive.

In the Mike Jones’ hit, he repeatedly stated, “Back then they didn’t want me; now, I’m hot, and they all on me.”

This line conveys the feeling felt by the “nice guy” when he realizes that his pre-supplemental draft stock is actively rising, spite. The very females who played him while he was in grind mode to achieve his goals, express a change in heart once they see his goals have been or are being reached, and thus the “Mike Jones factor” goes into effect. 

Thanks for checking in the GAME with me.. #GETHYPED because in a week, we will be launching JustGQ.com (June 13)! God Bless!

You Just Mad Cuz I'm Stylin' On You...

(This picture does not really illustrate the post, but...it's kinda funny. Don't you judge me! #shrug)

We know through prior conversation and experience that people think and function in a shallow manner, initially, at the very least. This is true and unavoidable, however, we have also learned that pre-judgment worked strategically, then, becomes an advantage, an asset to an extent. One’s personal style portrays personality and speaks volumes in regards to a person without he/she even uttering a word. Trends come and trends go, but cool is forever, and as people shamelessly follow trends and fads like celebrities on Twitter, it is very possible to swing & miss when constructing a personal style. The beauty within that lies in the fact that being an individual automatically distinguishes you from the crowd.

Breaking away can certainly make you a “one-man wolfpack”, however just as Alan gained three more wolves in his pack, people will more than likely respect and/or follow your personal style, unless you are a jerk trying to be outrageous just for something to do, but I digress. Realize, though, that people tend to resist and view differences in a less than favorable manner, and because of that, confidence is key when establishing one’s personal style. Experiment. Some things will work. Some things won’t work. This is all a part of figuring out what works for you, but people will still hate. Allow this unsolicited, worthless commentary to render ZERO reaction from you, cementing your mentality in your freshness.

I will level with you because I feel like I can let my guard down with you, some a couple of the fits I have worn in the past were —um..— wack less than fly in retrospect. While my choice in clothes perhaps could have been better on those select occasions, the confidence I exuded more than made up for a less than attractive shirt, pair of pants or shoes because confidence encompasses the ultimate aphrodisiac, and the majority of people can appreciate genuine confidence in the midst of overwhelming societal facades.

For the record: This really only happened like twice in life, I have been fly since pampers and pull-ups, #andthatsreal!. ;-)

Anyways, whether people say you are a white person trying to dress “black”, a black person trying to dress “white”, or just general thoughtless, inaccurate remarks, they are only words. Ignore them. OBSERVE other styles for ideas. EXPERIMENT with your own look. INCORPORATE ideas where possible, and stand out while being comfortable and happy with yourself!

Thanks for checking in the GAME! I would like to OFFICIALLY announce that JustGQ.com will be launching on JUNE 13! #GETHYPED! Stay tuned! Also, please SUBSCRIBE to the Just GQ YouTube channel! God Bless!

The "A" in Achievement Stands For Asterisk

I visited Old Navy in search of some light wash jeans at an affordable price (I practice smart shopping. lol), and as I continued on my search, I ran into someone I knew from my high school years in Evansville, IN (a white male, for the record). During our conversation, we filled each other in our personal progressions along with those of our mutual friends. I gained the news that one of my friends from high school, who happens to be bi-racial, recently graduated with his Masters degree in business from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, a top 20 U.S. institution and now works for a top global accounting firm. Big things right? In my jubilation for my friend’s accomplishments, I was interrupted by the unsolicited comment from my acquaintance with whom I was talking that simply stated an asterisk need to be placed by his success because he was “a smart black guy” (record skip—now, what now?). Initially, I paused thinking that maybe I misunderstood the comment, and just as I was about to chalk it up to not listening well, he reiterated his sentiment as calmly as saying, “It’s about 75 degrees today.”

Dumbfounded, I immediately exited before I reacted irrationally, but continuing my day, I thought to myself, “Will this mentality ever change? Is it my job to change it? Are ignorant people simply ignorant and should not be paid any mind?”

Now, a little background on myself for you. I grew up with diverse groups of people; male, female, Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Indian, upper class, middle class, lower class (according to socioeconomic standards) and everyone in between. With that being said, I learned the arts of inclusion, acceptance, and striking common ground with others to increase comfort levels at a young age. In my interactions with different races, as the subject inevitably arises, I make sure they know I avoid racial slurs and derogatory comments so to make sure they know racism occupies no real estate in my state of mind. At NO point in time do I want my Black or non-Black friends to think that I share in any discriminatory thoughts/feelings about any ethnic group, especially, my own. I, like numerous others, have encountered racism, prejudice, discrimination, and general ignorance on a semi-regular basis since I first read the word “nigger” in a Ben Carson autobiography when I was in about the 3^rd grade.

I attempt to extract knowledge from every experience I encounter, and the ones immersed in race relations bear no exception. The presence of the aforementioned states of thought never ceases to amaze or surprise me, and perhaps, in a cynical manner of thinking, I prepare myself for true feelings of prejudice to surface sooner or later through ascending a guard of low expectations for others. As racial conflicts have arisen throughout my life, some have been resolved with words, some through other means, and some have gone unresolved. I will remind you of one of my best friends who was murdered last September in a hate crime, so if I seem sensitive to this subject, it is because I am tired. Tired of being surrounded by prejudice, racial insensitivity, and general ignorance with no desire to increase knowledge, which brings me back to yesterday.

I understand that people possess various feelings on the subject, so I would genuinely like to hear from you, the reader. What do you think? Do you feel that it is not that big of a deal? Do you feel that we, as a people, need to accept the ignorance and continue on in our pursuit of progression? Is it not our fight to fight?

Thanks for checking in the GAME with Just GQ! Stay tuned for updates on the NEW JustGQ.com, as we near its launch! God Bless!

Best Foot Forward In ACTION!

Good morning, Just GQ readers! I frequent the subject of my Best Foot Forward platform, so I thought for today's FIRST blog (yes, there will be another one later on in the day), I would let you all see BFF in action! Enjoy! Also, subscribe to the Just GQ YouTube Channel for all the Just GQ vlogs AND MORE!