70's Fashion Fiascos: Book Review

OHMAHGAWD! If you want to trip out and experience some of the seventies gaudiest fashions, then this book is a MUST HAVE for you. We laughed so hard we cried, and THAT was just at the photographs.

Packed full of 70's trivia for both Men’s and Women’s fashion, with tantilizing tidbits and cultural landmarks of the seventies, this book is a fun flashback for those who lived through the decade, and a complete trip for those who newly discover it. Author Maureen Valdes Marsh of Vintage Grace, tackles the subject with humor and warmth.

A bit of trivia gleaned from the book... “In 1974 alone, manufacturers were selling wholesale volumes of approximately $1.7 billion in leisure suits. At an average retail price of $79 to $100, that’s a lot of leisure suits in the closet.” According to the inflation calculator, those suits would now be worth between $330 and $420 in 2006! But, you men who want to get funked up and relive the decade can buy an authentic 70’s vintage leisure suit from DressThatMan.com for far less, but enough about us - let's get back to the book.

Vividly illustrated throughout its 112 pages, this pop culture book is perfect for honing your seventies look and as a reference to the most flamboyant fashion decade known to man, and woman - the 1970's.

As passionate devotees to men’s far out and funky attire, DressThatMan.com wallows in in that colorful polyester wonderland. Kudos to Maureen for giving the world this colorful book we love!

To learn more, and to get the book: http://www.70sfashionfiascos.com/

We LOVE you GUYS!

Thank you, Thank you.

You groovy, retro loving dudes out there made our October the most frenetic month on record at DressThatMan. You kept us hopping at such an amazing rate, that we were exhausted late into evening most days. There was lots of overtime here for everyone this month.

And, the reception we got from you made it all worthwhile. Some of you excitedly wrote once you received your orders, giving us the additional inspiration we needed to keep on keeping on. We truly appreciated it.

We expect to get some fabulous pictures from some of you to add to the Funky Fashion Hall of Fame and it’s an understatement to say that we’re very, very excited about that.

Our October 2006 site stats are amazing, and the month isn’t quite over yet. We’ve had over 300,000 pages looked at on the site so far this month, and over 60 THOUSAND visitors. Astonishing to say the least.

Disco shirts, flares and bellbottom pants, 70's platform shoes and polyester leisure suits were literally flying off the shelves. This month we dressed a bank president, some investment firm executives, college students, lawyers, hollywood A-listers, marketing professionals, musicians, a policeman, a firefighter, 2 doctors and, guys who just wanna have fun! Plus... many, many more. You guys ROCK!

We have so much cool stuff in the works behind the scenes, that we’re excited beyond words about the future of DressThatMan. We were so busy in October that there were many items that simply haven’t made it to the website yet because we didn’t have time it takes to prep and list all of them.

We’re so damn happy that our collective cheeks hurt from smiling. And, it’s all your fault. But, like Martha says... it’s a good thing.

To repay you, DressThatMan.com is gonna keep on keeping on in bringing you the best in Men’s Vintage Attire.

The best is yet to come!

Men: INCREASE YOUR HEIGHT

Stand tall, man.

We all cannot be Robert Wadlow, and really... how many of us aspire to be 8 foot 11 inches anyway? The fact is, we don't. But, some of us wouldn't mind being a few inches taller. Just to boost our confidence.

Whatever works, works. Mens platform shoes, elevator shoes, height increasing shoes, mens heels, inserts to give you lifts... whatever gets a rise out of you so you stand a little taller and feel more confidence, well Sir... it's all good.

Check out the vintage shoe section over at DressThatMan.com - while we are certainly known for clothing and attire that will funk you up in a flashy way, what you may NOT have noticed, is that certain styles of platform shoes - the ones that aren't overly exaggerated - they contain classic good looks to enhance your stance wherever you are.

We dig the classic leather platform wing tips with business attire and the more dressy casual look. The platform of the shoe itself in this particular wing tip style is relatively small in height and the heel is just right to boost you a few extra inches. These vintage shoes we're made back in the 70's and are great for the disco, but... unlike costume type platform shoes, they have classic good looks and can be worn by men who want to boost their height a bit all year round.

Check 'em out.

70's DISCO OUTFITS for MEN!

Searching for a Disco Outfit? Look no further than DressThatMan to do you up in authentic vintage attire that'll set your azz on fire!

We've got the largest selection of men's vintage disco clothes online, and we're ready to totally FUNK YOU UP, man.

Check out our gallery guy, DJ Patrick striking a manly pose in the disco outfit he purchased from DressThatMan.com for a seventies party. You can see him and many other brave men in the gallery in our very own Funky Fashion Hall of Fame.

Buy stuff. Wear it. Send pics. Become immortalized in pixels! We've got funky wild print 70's disco shirts, polyester leisure suits, mens bellbottoms and flares, much more.

Change your clothes, man... and go RETROluscious with DressThatMan.com

Mens PLATFORM SHOES from the 70's

Men's Platform shoes from the 70's! DressThatMan specializes in super rare UNWORN vintage deadstock DISCO SHOES for men. In storage for decades since the height of the disco era, these funky shoes make everyone smile because they are so frickin' outrageous. The 1970's was such a stand out crazy decade for men's fashion it stands apart from the rest. Are you the kind of guy who has the guts to wear original clothing from the 70's? Are you funky enough to proudly strut your stuff in flashback fashion? Can you party hearty and still manage to and dance and walk in platforms? Is nothing but the REAL THING good enough for you?

Get ready for that retro party, man. Because DressThatMan is gonna cover your clodhoppers in BRAND NEW, never been worn before, virgin Platform Shoes.

We've got a wave coming on... watch for it.

Asshats

Lately we've got bombarded with virus laden emails originating out of Africa and Asia, attempting to masquarade as they are coming from DressThatMan.com. Also known as email spoofing. Read about it here.

If anyone out there gets any email from "us" such as this - rest assured, we have nothing to do with it at all. We've already sent abuse reports to the carrier and quite frankly, we have much better things to do than to attempt to disrupt business or individuals in a malicious manner on any front.

We don't send out attachments in any emails. There is no reason to do so. Learn exactly how viruses and worms spread via email here.

Prior to the flood of forged emails, we had several attempts from Ghana to place orders on our site using American adresses and credit card information. This activity along with the originating IP addresses have also been reported.

It's always something. Ain't it?

Now back to work at DressThatMan.
We've got lots of good stuff coming your way, man.

The asshats can get the funk out of our way.

Disco Clothes for Groovy GUYS!

Men! Get ready to get your freak on big time 70's style.

DressThatMan is gearing up for a BIG sell out this fall - we're rolling in seventies fashion for men and prepping it to put online for your perusal. So, if your looking for that retro look you'd better start shopping now.

We'll be rolling out mens polyester leisure suits, mod 60's fashion, polyester bellbottom pants, crazy funky print disco flared pants. AND, of course... boatloads of excellent quality wild disco shirts with big azz butterfly collars from the 60's and 70's. We've also got more deadstock, brand new unworn Platform DISCO SHOES for men coming up!

We're so excited that we're working overtime trying to keep up with your demands for the BEST vintage mens clothing we can find on the planet earth. We reject SO MUCH because it just isn't up to our standards, or yours. That's right. The DressThatMan men are a cut above. You deserve the very best!

Stay tuned guys, we're ready to unleash a torrent of groovy goods...

Attention Vintage Clothing Store Owners!

Welcome to the DressThatMan.com Rip Off Report!

As a service to the online vintage clothing community, we felt the need to share this information and we've decided to take it public. If it saves one other person from getting fleeced, then as Martha says, it's a good thing.

Do NOT send ANYTHING to the following address in Canada unless you have a photocopy picture ID and a signature on file:

1560 Lawrence Avenue West
Apartment 103
Toronto (or NORTH YORK)
ON M6L 1B9
Canada

Telephone: 647-889-xxxx is a land line based in Toronto, ON

They used the name: Anne Harrision (most likely fake)
email address: harrisonlaw05@xxREMOVEDxx.com (free email service)

IP ADDRESS: 70.49.223.60
Bell Canada BELLNEXXIA-11
Sympatico HSE SYMG020805-CA

See the address location HERE

This person fraudulently obtained merchandise from us in the form of 2 mens suits. One suit was a modern day designer suit, and one was a rare 1950's Men's blue fleck gabardine wool suit. Both suits were size 42.

Note to the FRAUDSTER:
Next time we're in Canada, we will file a police report at your local agency, as we're not that far from the Canadian border.

Otherwise, we'll leave it up to KARMA, baby.

Snap.

Pay us what you owe us - or, send it back.

FUNKED UP Men's Vintage Clothes

People sometimes ask us things like, “...my GOD! Who wears this stuff?”

Sometimes they even say things like, “...I throughly love the clothes you have - but, I could never get away with wearing anything like that around here without getting laughed at.”

The DressThatMan men are a confident gang. They wear what they want and they pull it off with panache. They dance to the beat of a different drummer and they don’t care what other people think. They have a unique style all their own.

DressThatMan is tricking out men worldwide in the finest mens vintage clothing. Lots of 'em.

The high rollers in the Hamptons are partying till dawn wearing clothing from the vintage Lilly Pulitzer Men’s Stuff line. Theater goers abroad are witnessing performances of perfectly coiffed men baring their chests in the craziest disco shirts and bell bottoms on stage. Ordinarily mild mannered men are getting attention by going outrageously funky and peacocking at the club. LA performers are dressed to thrill while rocking the house in mens vintage clothing. Hit the underground club scene and they are wearing it trashy, flashy and tight. Creative Hollywood types and New York hipsters are down with the vintage trip and mixing it up a la matchless style. Tres chic celebrity A-listers send us their want lists... and seize items that never quite make it to the web store...

DressThatMan gets around. The word is out, man.

You wear it well. Keep on keeping on...

Mens POLYESTER DISCO PANTS!

Smack some authentic vintage polyester disco pants on Mister. Fashion flashback from the seventies, we're dishing up the goods to you super TALL picky guys in the form of UNWORN deadstock polyester bell bottom pants. Be the first to wear 'em!

Ain't no comparison to those cheap, knock off reproduction disco clothes sold in other places... but, you guys already know that. Only the very best for you, and we know that!

Looking for more DEADSTOCK items? Just go to DressThatMan.com and type deadstock in the search box at the top right of the page. You might be surprised at what you'll find.

UNWORN 70s Disco Shirts for MEN

Check this bad azz brand new, authentic men's disco shirt out. Sized an XL it measures 25" armpit to armpit unstretched. Very stretchy material! YOU can be the very first to PARTY in 70's fashion.

Get funked up, man. Break this virgin shirt in right.

Scammers and Chargebacks - Fighting Fraud Online

The DressThatMan.com Fraud Prevention Department wanted to share some important information with both our customers, potential customers and with other online Merchants.

While we are perfectly happy living in our Mens Vintage Clothing paradise, we sometimes are forced to step off the happy enchanted island. We hate it when people either rain on our parade or turn the music down and make us get serious. But, it happens. And this is one of those things. People attempting to rip us off pisses us off. Just like it does you.

:: insert deep breath :::

Here goes...

What is a chargeback?
A chargeback refers to the process by which a cardholder disputes a payment made to a merchant. Cardholders generally initiate chargebacks based on claims such as the transaction was not authorized by them.

Scammers Take Note
If you file a chargeback claim from a matching delivery and billing address you could very well find your profile right here in our HALL OF SHAME, complete with the delivery address used. Along with links to the item or items purchased.

As online merchants, we know how difficult fraud prevention can be. And, what a prevalent problem scammers are. We’ve read all about it and we’ve put sensible practices in place to further bolster our protection. Our processing merchant requires CVV codes to be entered and that the billing address matches the credit card. The payment gateway handles the transaction and we never see your credit card information.

In house, we have utilized a method that works well in determining orders that could be potentially fraudulent orders. One is that all orders placed contain IP Tracking information, which contains geographic information as to your location and your Internet Service Provider. If we have reason to suspect the order may be fraudulent, we may check the IP to see if it matches up with other information.

If there is any question as to the validity of an order, we will request signature and ID via FAX. Scammers often want their merchandise as quickly as possible, so EXPRESS shipping is one of the red flag checks we run. If a new customer orders EXPRESS and wants it sent to an address other than the billing address and supplies us with a free email address (such as yahoo, hotmail etc.) it’s not going to slip through the cracks here. We will not send it out until we have a valid photo ID and signature on file.

What shoppers may not know about our shopping cart is that it also logs attempted orders that fail. While most orders fail due to a CVV code not being entered and other little mistakes we all make, we recently had someone who was using a variety of card numbers and attempting to order. The IP they were using was one that masks the actual location of the user. HUGE red flag. They attempted to place orders using Credit Cards from various states all being sent to one particular address. HUGE red flag. After many attempts over several days, they finally got one to go through. We placed a phone call and left a message at the billing address given and told them we believed that someone had their credit information and were attempting to order merchandise to be sent to another state. We never heard back from them. Most likely, they were in cahoots with the person attempting to place the order. Of course, the order was never processed and the payment was refused.

DressThatMan.com has been fortunate in minimizing the risks and exposure to fraud and have experienced minimal activity. We've experienced very little and have managed to escape the horror stories we've heard from other merchants. Of course, our fingers are collectively crossed and all of our lucky charms are meticulously arranged.

We also have additional fraud prevention measures in house. Things we only speak of generally in hushed tones, but... most notably we want you to know that DressThatMan.com utilizes the Polyester Goon Squad as the Funky Fraud Fighters. Our biggest ace in the hole by far when all other measures have been exhausted.

Trust us, once the Polyester Goon Squad switches modes it’s truly remarkable. They remove their platform shoes and change into sensible footwear which enables them not only to leap tall buildings, but they can run like leopards. Just like.

Once they don their polyester capes and jackets emblazoned “FFF” over their wild vintage Lilly Pulitzer Men's Stuff Pants... there is absolutely no dancing involved. These people will hunt you down, put you in a fill length girdle that’s 2 sizes too small, lash you to a polystyrene chair and turn 47 strobe lights simultaneously - and... of course, broadcast it live on the net.

Among other things.

Things that you don't want to know.




.................................................................................
Online Merchants, here’s some good information for you regarding chargebacks

Studio 54 in New York - THE Disco Palace

Do it at the disco, man.

The famous nightclub disco Studio 54 in New York City, is still being talked about. The rich and famous, the fashionable and the lucky enough to be selected to join the party out of the long lines hoping to get in. Andy Warhol, Halston, Diana Ross, Calvin Klien, Liza Minelli, Truman Capote were often seen at the club Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, Brooke Shields, Warren Beatty, Calvin Klein, Bianca & Mick Jagger, Salvador Dali, Madonna, Robin Williams, Sylvester Stallone, Margaux Hemmingway, Valerie Harper, Christopher Reeve, Dustin Hoffman, Grace Jones, Jerry Hall, Yul Brynner, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gloria Swanson, Martha Graham, Eartha Kitt, Olivia Newton-John, Bette Midler, Elton John and many, many other famous people were also seen there. A comprehensive list of Studio 54 patrons can be found here.

According to Disco-Disco:
Even though Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager's Studio 54 empire only lasted for 33 months it was an orgy in music, money, glamour and drugs. There was endless number of unforgettable parties and all the "right" people was there. Drinking, dancing, drugs, disco and complete decadence.

A re-creation of Studio 54 is alive and well in Las Vegas. Check it out.

Also, there is a studio 54 in Berlin.

As for all you men out there heading off to Studio 54 in Vegas or Berlin, don't forget to pick up some geniune 70's disco clothes from DressThatMan! We've got disco pants, crazy wild disco shirts and leisure suits from the 1970's... and more. Get funked up and do the Disco some retro justice.

The disco party goes on... check out this fabulous book about New York's famed Studio 54...

Vintage Clothing Site Server Down

Ugh. The dread of any ecommerce business is having your site down.

We switched from one nightmare hosting situation to what today looks like another. We have contacted the host and left numerous messages. We have yet to receive a reply and the site has been down now for over 13 hours as I am writing.

Choosing a host to begin with is a tough decision, and from time to time... they all have little interruptions, we know. BUT... the fact that this guy promises us the moon in reliability and seems nowhere to be found has us feeling frustrated initially and now incredibly infuriated.

No site, no ecommerce. Simple.

Hold onto your hats, men. DressThatMan is experiencing a nasty glitch - and we'll soon be switching servers again. One with 24/7 real person support and continual site monitoring services.

Unfortunately for us, we prepaid for hosting services for a year when we switched over to him. But, we're dumping the host company anyway - because in the long run, it'll cost us far more.

Too bad really, because we really liked this guy.

Unfortunately, you can't base your business on the "I like him a lot" factor. So, now his likable self is toast. We're jumping ship yet again.

Shit, eh?

Put the beer on ice... it's far too warm here to feel bitchy all day.

UPDATE:
...14 hours later and we're now back online.

We aren't sure exactly what has happened to our likable hosting provider, but we've now discovered he's a 1 man operation and we had no clue. Obviously, we hope nothing bad has befallen him as we discovered in another forum that he's been mysteriously gone for about a month now - and other people are freaking out. It seems he is a reseller of hosting services and didn't have a back up plan to reboot the server! Yikes.

One of our staff members contacted the company he was buying hosting services from via live chat and, essentially sweet talked this guy into rebooting the server... so now we've saved a portion of the planet as there were several other ecommerce sites being hosted there with him.

Like migratory fowl, it's time for us to fly...

...ever notice the word hosted and hosting and what it looks like when you remove that "T" in it?

Sometimes that's exactly what you are left with.

UPDATE: 07/12

We've completed our migration to the new reliable server!

We still have no idea what in the hell happened with our last host. He seems to have fell off the face of the planet. His site is still up. We'll see what happens there in the long run...

Like most problems, just throw some money at them and, most of the time - they go away. Like magic.

Unfortunately, our last host cost us. Money is one thing. Grief is another... but, we'd like to get answers from him as well as get the money back we spent on services that just weren't there.

Anyway... we're happy to be back in business bringing you the best mens vintage clothing we can dish up. And, we've got LOTS of items waiting in the wings for you guys.

Stay tuned!

Men Never Ask for Directions

Yes, Sir. We've been known to get lost frequently, because we don't like asking for directions.

Whenever my father appeared lost while driving, and my Mother said, "...are you lost?" His common response was always, "I know where I am going."

Sure he did. Even if it was around in circles. Even if we went for miles and miles until he found his bearings, he never once admitted he was lost.

DressThatMan recently added another tool to our arsenal and we couldn't be happier about it. A portable and affordable 330c GPS unit made by Garmin.

Now, all of you Men out there - you never HAVE to EVER ask for directions, no matter what. Plus guys love electronic gadgets anyway, so if you need to get a gift for that person who almost has everything, then we've done the legwork for you.

This thing is so slick it's unreal. Touchpad screen lets you punch in addresses or search by name. Find the nearest gas station, food, lodging and more in a snap. Simple to use and it always knows where you are at. It's portable so you can take in in any vehicle you are riding in.

We've spent the last few days sporadically driving around and smirking happily. Now we can venture anywhere and find any location in North America the very first time. Imagine that!

Buy one of these GPS units today and make someone incredibly happy!

Dressing Up 70's Style

Check out our NEW man in the celebrity spotlight at DressThatMan! It's none other than that funky world famous emcee and his entourage, Mr. Brutus Gold.

Brutus and his grooving gang know all about dressing up in funked up fun 1970's fashion. Tight pants and groovy disco shirts are all over them.

For a funkadelic experience check out their site at Brutus Gold's Love Train, man. And if you ever get a chance to catch their show live, we've heard it's a flashback of a retro blast!

Import Duties and Customs Forms

We love our International customers - we send out many International Packages every week. Those customs forms can be a real pain, as the USPS has specific guidelines for sending these packages out.

Internet Businesses and brick and mortar stores, all have the pain in the ass customer from time to time. That's just the way it is. Except that most of us don't talk about it. We do. Because we can.

Here's the scenario.

New International customer purchases 4 shirts from DressThatMan.

After receiving notification of the receipt of order, they send us an email:

Hello,

thanks for your notification.

One big question: In order to avoid my paying very high import taxes, please
- if possible - put NO invoice into the package, and on the customs form
declare a value less than 25 USD, e.g. for "used clothing". This has worked
very well on other occasions. You may send the invoice seperately (as a
letter) if you want.

Thanks so much and regards,

XXXcustomer name hereXXX

Max from DressThatMan responds:

We are required by law to enclose an invoice with international packages. We cannot falsify customs forms. There is very little on our site under $25 - 4 shirts for $25 would alert customs to a false statement very quickly if they visited our site. The business and our staff individually could be fined for signing a false customs declaration - clearly this would not be a wise business practice.

Your shirts have been shipped Global priority today with a true customs declaration and the required invoice inside the package. We did make it very clear the items were "USED." We hope that helps.

Thank you for your understanding.

Max

Weeks go by and the following email is received from the customer.

Dear sirs,
just wanted to let you know that, after all, I had to pay an import tax of 46,28 Euro, which is appr. 58 USD (on a sales cost of 170 USD). I do appreciate your reasons for acting extraordinarily lawfully - but this means in the end that I will definitely have to refrain from putting any other order with your company and to address other companies instead which are more cooperative and creative when it comes to deal with customs regulations (as I have experienced in many an occasion during the last years catering for a group of second hand/vintage/seventies enthusiasts who also set up shows and presentations). I also will have to advice friends and partners of mine.
Yours sincerely. XXXcustomerNameXXX

Max read that and was hot under the collar. Max doesn't get pissy that often, so we tried not to laugh. Left alone to bang out a response on the keyboard and this is what we've got and this is what the customer got:

Hi XXXcustomerNameXXX,

We understand your frustration at having to pay your own country import
taxes on items purchased overseas. Other vintage companies may lie on
paper to customs agents (This could be called creative - we would label it
as dishonest and unlawful; maybe even anything to get a sale). They may
also lie about the condition of their merchandise to their customers, as
well as their return policies, we wish you the best of luck shopping with
them.

With DressThatMan we are upfront about everything, we do consider
ourselves extraordinarily lawful and honest. Please DO pass that along to
your friends in vintage circles, most of our customers value our
integrity. It is perfectly clear on our ordering page that we declare the
full value of orders placed:

http://www.dressthatman.com/pages/x_ordering.htm#international

Regards,
Max

Post note:
We aren't going to be blackmailed or bullied into trying to rip off your government. The papers for your customs form are recorded and kept for tax purposes here. So, once a year - or several times a year, we can feel ripped off by our own government right here in the USA.

Celebrity Spotlight - check out the NEW gallery guy!

PR specialist CEO J.D. of Xstatic Public Relations was seen at Madonna's opening night in Los Angeles of her new Confessions tour - J.D. dressed to party hearty in vintage clothing supplied by DressThatMan.

His weekend consisted of hanging with A-List celebrities while in LA. - way to go J.D.!

Zakk Wylde gets FUNKED UP!

Check out the EXCLUSIVE photos we received of Hard Rocker Zakk Wylde at his retro surprise birthday bash in Los Angeles wearing clothes supplied by DressThatMan.com

See him here in the Celebrity Spotlight Gallery

Visit Zakk's band - the Black Label Society website. Get Tour dates and catch him rocking out at the Ozzfest. Zakk's unique guitar skills totally KICK ASS!

Kalso Earth Shoes for Men

Vintage Kalso Earth shoes are a rare find in deadstock condition.

The crew at DressThatMan was fortunate enough to grab some of these shoes for men in the original boxes. We've got them in sizes: 10, 10.5, 11, 12, 12.5 and 13.5.

The original Earth Shoe negative heel technology was developed by yoga instructor Anne Kalso in 1957 - Anne opened a retail store in Copenhagen and began to sell the Kalso Minus Heel™ shoe in 1968. This pair was made in West Germany about the time Anne opened her first store and before these shoes were brought to America in 1970.

In the 1974 mail-orders for the new funky ugly health inspire Kalso earth shoes were backlogged by 3,500 pairs, the demand was exceeding the supply. The original Kalso Earth Shoe disappeared entirely in 1977 after the USA store owners filed a lawsuit regarding store locations and lack of inventory to support the demand.

Make a stand and stand up in some original Hippie history! Adopt a healthy posture in the original Anne Kalso earth shoes. A product of the Woodstock generation.

1960's MOD clothing for MEN

Take a look at these sweet funky 1960's Mod Jeans for a Man with pure retro style.

Full of tongue in cheek slogans, "Love Spreads Germs," "Stop Free Thinkers," "Bird Baths are Indecent," "Sock it to me" and more.

A rare vintage clothing item for the collector or the eccentric guy who wants to attract some attention in a major way. Worn shorter like 60's pants were, show some sock on your Vespa or some ankle flesh on the beach. Or, hang 'em in the collectors case and admire them forever. These would be great hanging in a fashion museum or in a retro club.

Groovy, man! Go see the listing...

Cyber House of Crazy Style a la mode

It was Charles Caleb Colton that coined the phrase, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

As bartleby.com defines that phrase, “To imitate someone is to pay the person a genuine compliment—often an unintended compliment.”

Thanks, man. We’ve noticed that you’ve noticed us.

Some of our customers, and a few complete strangers, have pointed some of the copycats out to us. While a few people here were initially a little huffy over it, the feeling quickly passed.

Normal human emotion, baby. Nothing more and nothing less.

After a few beers and some reflection, we’re sleeping undisturbed. The foundation on which we’ve been built won’t be undermined by the imitators. Because the crack ass creative team here will always have more to give to the common good at DressThatMan.com. We don’t need to pillage and plunder the web to look for the stirring that already exists in our spaced out souls.

We didn’t start out doing our thing by copying what anyone else was doing. Sure there were others established in the market, and there is always room for one more like every other healthy competitive market. Our approach was different because we’re different, and that’s exactly what we love about us. The difference. It’s true, that’s what our customers love about us, too. And, we’re all about them. We’re having a smashing time here, and we’re doing all of this for the guys who need to relax, take a break from the usual and just have some damn fun.

With all the seriousness and distress in the world, diversions are a necessity. And so we digress...

...like a lightbeam on the information superhighway, flagging down the guys who step to the beat of a different drummer, we’re happy to know that we’re playing our part and living in that light. Because it’s all good at DressThatMan’s Cyber House of Crazy Style a la mode.

Pick your predilection. Lighten up. Live, love and laugh before you have to leave.

Mimicry is human. Although flat out plagiarism, even in borrowing bits and pieces along with complete phrasing, is truly for the unimaginative and uninspired. Plus, it can backfire and weaken your original strengths. There is a lot to be said for originality. More than just keeping you from being sued.

Many imitations don't measure up to the real thing. Take imitation crab meat for one. Ugh. That is not at all flattering to crabs. In fact, if crabs were actually crabby and highly hormonal, someone would have been told off by now over all that pinky-white non-flaky fakeness.

Be true to yourself. Always.

Stand up for who you are, for what you believe in... and you’ll surely stand out.

check us out on MYSPACE

Got a place in space on myspace.com? The "Man E Can" duo does!

Yeah. Can you believe it? This is what Jeff and John do when staff is away. At first, we we're mad they were using the newest computer system, then we we're just relieved they weren't removing tags and putting on the deadstock vintage disco clothes and taking the Jeep out to the club. Because, of course, you can bet they would have been looking stone-faced and gone entirely mum on the issue when staff arrived on Monday morning.

So, go check out DressThatMan.com there, join the funking party people and add us to your friends list!

The History of Bell Bottom Pants

The History of Bell Bottoms

Bellbottoms - Bell Bottoms - Bell Bottomed Pants - big flares, call ‘em what you want - at DressThatMan we call them the 1960's - 1970's fashion statement. But then, we're hippies, man. Total nonconformists.

Derived from the traditional sailor’s clothing, the wide leg was useful to the sailor to put pants on over heavy boots, a breeze to roll up when swabbing the ship deck - and, easier to remove when wet than traditional trousers should you fall off that same ship deck. Bells have long been a traditional part of the Naval uniform.

The late 1960's counterculture movement brought us bells and flared pants that were tighter at the knee and flared from there. The first flares were gentle, and would almost be considered boot cut by modern standards, but the tightness at the knee was a trademark giveaway that set them apart from the rest. By the mid 1970's the flares reached their widest proportions.

Hippies and war protesters were probably the first to noticeably wear bell bottoms en masse. The counterculture movement may have been started when traditional navy bells were obtained at surplus stores and later embellished with stitching and patches. They were loose and comfortable at a time when political tensions were high, and many youth felt that rejecting modern fashion was a part of making a personal anti-establishment statement. This trend then led to people modifying regular jeans with sometimes colorful triangles of fabric. The fabric was sewn into the outside leg seam below the knee to the cuff. The modification and insertion of this material created a flare below the knee.

Of course, the garment industry knows a trend when they see one. Soon, bell bottomed pants were being mass produced. It began with jeans and ended using a wide variety of fabrics and fabric blends, and were produced cuffed and uncuffed. Most notably for the disco era bellbottom pants, the miracle of polyester stands out. We’d bet that jeans topped the production lines in the 60's and 70's bell bottom history, but - because polyester could be made into so many garish patterns and colors - they stand out.

Yes, polyester bells do indeed stand out. Like a sore thumb as some would say. Because there is an undercurrent of a sleazy, cheesy, tacky connotation that goes along with polyester itself. That, my dear... is exactly why the crew at DressThatMan.com loves polyester - because there is something so very giggly-squealy-sordid about this man made fiber. And, we think the introduction of the 1970's polyester leisure suit was mainly to blame for the trashy reputation of polyester. Especially car salesmen wearing leisure suits. Of course, DressThatMan cannot prove the theory, we’ll stand by the statement nevertheless.

Hate them or love them, the bell bottomed pants were again revived and reintroduced as raver or skater pants in the 1990's. These were styled more like the traditional loose and baggy sailor bell bottoms, much like the “elephant bells” of the mid 1970's that were exaggerated versions of the naval issue bell. Everything old is new again - just as bellbottoms returned as flared pants in the 90's as well.

Since fashion cycles, you can count on this trend reemerging and coming around again in a few decades. Save your bellbottom pants.

The trend of low rise, “how low can you go,” low riding pants may seem like a recent phenomena, they too are nothing more than exaggerated versions of the “hip hugger” bellbottom pants that were popular in the 1970's. So... don’t be thinking that either your Momma or your Daddy didn’t have it going on, son. All my friends know the low rider...

Retro will always be revitalized.

Low rise - hip huggers. Flares - bellbottoms. Techno - disco.

You get the picture. Now get into some authentic vintage bell bottom pants.

Disco Shirts: Everybody in the Club

Everybody in the club getting tipsy... everybody got a designated driver, no worries. BUT! Not everybody and we DO mean every body in the club of the male persuasion... has the confidence and panache to pull some things off. Take these wild print disco shirts from the 1970's. Not every guy has what it takes to wear a picture print 70's disco shirt.

As for those who can... you know who they are. They know who they are.

They are the life of the party men. These are the dudes who exude. These men are fun and have been blessed with outgoing personalities. It doesn't matter whether that man is in the Club or not.

The few. The proud. The true partiers.

Rescue a relic, man. Snatch up a fashion flashback.

Wear the funky disco shirt. Repeat this mantra.

Shirt happens.

You're out of control.

You're a disco dancing machine...

Rock Star GLAM Platform Boots

What more needs to be said about a pair of super funked up early 70's Glam Rocker platform boots? Straight from the Funky Fashion shrine at Dress That Man, we think these crazy boots belong in a museum or, showcased along with the eclectic collection at the Golden Palace Casino in Las Vegas - the casino famous for buying all of the oddities on ebay. BUT... for now, they are our very own good luck charm and we're happy to have them hanging around to inspire us. We can't even look at these boots without smirking.

Blame the British. They gave us Glam Rock, baby!

Shhh! It's a secret... don't read this...

Plaid is bad in such a great way. In style for those in the know keeping up with the Joneses in deluxe style. Of course, Mister Hipster is already clued in there and he's sporting the latest designer plaids straight off the runway.

The retro reproduction look is all the rage. BUT - the purists KNOW that there is nothing even close to vintage unless it's the REAL THING.

Top quality vintage clothing for men isn't cheap by any means, but... it's FAR less expensive than the top designer fashion prices.

DressThatMan has acquired many loyal celeb customers who can certainly afford all of the top designer clothing - yet they LOVE the fact that they can get a piece of history that they can wear that others in their circles can't readily obtain.

Unfortunately, we can't tell you WHO they are, because we promised never to spill shopping secrets - but, we're SO SO SO giddy behind the scenes. Sooner or later, our celeb customers - at least some of them - have promised they'd come out of the closet and send pics and let us share with the world who they are in the celebrity spotlight - but, for now... we're a secret weapon in the world male celebrity style. A few aren't even telling their friends about us... and THAT is hilarious.

Recently, we received an email from a star that said, in part... "The deadstock clothes were dazzling and fit wonderfully. I've been looking for a place like this forever. Finding your site was a dream come true. Thanks so much for your assistance and fast service - I've hit the mother lode and now, you're my biggest secret!"

That cat's coming out of the bag, baby. Pass it along, man. You wear it well.

DressThatMan is onto something, and we're ON YOU.


now you know newsflash: trivia from the shipping portal
Recently we've been on fire in parts of the world. It seems that a whole lot of our merchandise in the past few month has gone to New York, London and Los Angeles - and of course, some places in spaces in between.

Oleg Cassini, Jackie O's Designer is Dead

Famed fashion designer Oleg Cassini, the man with whom is credited for helping Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis become a First Lady fashion icon, died yesterday, March 17. He was 92. He died on Long Island in New York after suffering a stroke on March 11th.

Soon after John F. Kennedy's election as US President, Oleg Cassini persuaded First Lady Jackie O to use him, instead of many designers, as the sole creator of her total look. He may have had an "in" because the former Hollywood costume designer had been friendly with the Kennedy family for years. Still, it wasn't a situation of, "it's not what you know, it's who you know," because Mr. Cassini knew his craft and had an uncanny eye for fashion and individual style.

Yes, of course we all know that Jacqueline Kennedy took Oleg up on his offer. Upon the public announcement of his selection he stated, "We are on the threshold of a new American elegance thanks to Mrs. Kennedy's beauty, naturalness, understatement, exposure and symbolism."

Jacqueline Kennedy, only 31 when her husband won the presidency, she was in peak style during her White House years, from 1961 to 1963. The simple, geometric dresses, pillbox hats and elegant hairstyle was admired and copied by women from 18 to 80.

"In Hollywood, I was used to getting a script and a star, and they'd say, 'Do it,'" Cassini said in a 1995 interview. "Now, with her, it was the same thing. I had to create a persona." And, create a persona he certainly did. Looking back, that almost seems an understatement.

Cassini was born to Russian parents in Paris, according to his Web site. He studied in Florence and apprenticed with designer Jean Patou in Paris. Later he headed to California, where he dressed Natalie Wood, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe and Gene Tierney, whom he later married.

He served in the U.S. Calvary Corps in World War II. Fashion historians credit him with the sheath, the A-line, the little white collar and the military look for women.

His first marriage, to heiress Merry Fahrney, lasted less than two years. He married Tierney in 1941. They had two children but divorced in 1952. He is survived by his wife, Marianne, two daughters, and numerous grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

We love Oleg and have been a fan of his for years. His influence and passion for style and fashion is written in the history books, thanks to Jacqueline Kennedy giving him free reign in developing her look.

After Cassini honed Jackie O's classic look, he developed a line of disco attire for Men that we adore. We've got a few pieces left in stock here at DressThatMan along with some classicly tailored Men's Suits and a casual coat.

Thanks Oleg for your contribution to the fashion world. You did it. You left an indelible mark.

STRANGE email at Dress That Man

Yes, Sir. We get mail.

Anyone who has a business online, and most who have spent time online, know that sooner or later you're going to encounter weirdness.

Today we got this email, sent from a person unknown via a free email account, who seems to enjoy harassing us with odd requests. The last barrage of emails - all written in the same telling vein - were also originating from the same free email place - but! Now, they are “candybutton30" while last time they used the lovely moniker, “spermbutton” - and both times signed off purporting to be from a woman.

Ever hear of a cuff button fetish? Or a garment button fetish at all?

We hadn’t. But wait! There actually is such a creature.

Yet, all we can say in light of this is that 99.9% of our customers are fabulous... here's one from the rest...


HI HELLO COULD THERE PREETY PLEASE ; >> SOMEONE PLEASE WEARING THOSE SHIRTS ON AND ; PLEASE SHOWING THIS HERE ; >> SHIRT SLEEVE CUFF BUTTON <<>


ITEM NUMBER: SHIR-409
ITEM NUMBER: SHIR-491
ITEM NUMBER: SHIR-291

P.S. THEN I WOULD BUYING ALL THESE SHIRTS FROM YOU THANK YOU GOOD BYE?


" MRS. CANDY ANDRES "


Of course, we don't have time for a reply to this nonsensical email, but - if we did... we'd send out our standard form letter as follows:


Dearest CandyButton30 aka Mrs. Candy Andres,

In order to fulfill your request for information far above and beyond the call of duty, we ask that you fax us ALL of the following information so we can process your request swiftly:

1. Your drivers license and/or any other picture ID you possess.
2. All of your credit cards including the CCV codes.
3. Your latest bank statement.
4. Pictures of your pets and children, including their respective names.
5. A clear photograph showing the contents of your refrigerator.
6. Your social security number and birth date.
7. Your medical history along with a list of currently prescribed medications.
8. Photographs of the size labels on your undergarments.
9. Photocopies of all deeds you own along with your last tax bill.
10. Copies of your 2004 and 2005 tax returns.
11. Pictures of your parents and siblings.
12. Your resume along with references.
13. Directions to your residence including a picture.
14. Contact information and length of term for all past lovers.
15. Your favorite color, and please explain why thus is so.
14. List all of the things you feel you are guilty for.
15. Clear photographs of your teeth and complete dental records.


We look forward to receiving the fax and doing business with you.


Regards,

Sam

Thank you very much for shopping with DressThatMan.com!

Men's Disco Clothes - 70's INSPIRATION

DressThatMan.com has the magic 1970's potion, man. We inspire men to expose their chest hair and reveal the retro party man trapped inside themselves.

Check out the man from the north, Mars donning his wild funky man attire who said he was inspired by the Dress That Man website. Proof that Canada isn't as cold as we all thought.

But, since Mars was only inspired by the DTM site to dress up seventies style and didn't actually shop with us - if you show up here Mars, we're going to force you to dance 48 hours non-stop in the DressThatMan go-go cage and we're broadcasting it live on the Internet. All the while we're gonna chant stuff like, "faster, faster... go Mars... shake that money maker, baby... no, you can't have a drink yet... it's only been 3 hours... what do ya mean that whip hurts..."

Yep. Just like that! Thanks for the pics, man.

Vintage Clothing for MEN / the BEAT is ON

The search is on, man. Looking for disco clothes for men, men's vintage clothes, pimp styles, you start from somewhere and you end up here.

Time once again for the top search phrases you've used to find us here that we found amusing. Of course, as you might guess, given the weirdness factor of the mysterious mechanics of search engines - there were a handful of phrases that were used to find us that we wouldn't publish here, just because they are... ummm... how do we say without saying what they were? Hmmmm. How about slightly to extremely amusing but exceedingly distasteful.

without further ado....

6. farkin definition

5. how to make your man dress up nice

4. super sleazy clothes for men

3. peek up his kilt what do you see

2. when men play dress up

:: insert drum roll... the winner is ::
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1. disco men spank men



In celebration of that search phrase, just for you - we're gonna spank every single packed order box before it leave the warehouse on it's way to you for the entire month of March! We hope you're happy now.

We'll be doing our best to beat the hell out of March and get on with spring!

If your package arrives slightly battered, it may not be the Post Office who is responsible for it.

DressThatMan is FUNKED UP and MOVIN' UP!

Far out!

Check this trip
Viewing in GOOGLE's mysterious pagerank order, despite still playing feverishly in the sandbox, we've moved up to the number four position in the shopping directory of Antique and Collectible Clothing:

http://www.google.com/Top/Shopping/Antiques_and_Collectibles/Clothing/

The site stats for February 2006 are in:
we had over 24 THOUSAND new visitors
and over 138 THOUSAND page views

DressThatMan.com's Google PageRank is now: 5



Thanks for smacking our racks around :)
You guys frickin' KICK ASS, baby ... and we hope you know - we do it all for YOU.

Catching that 70's Buzz at DTM

Hey, man!

What's happening? Ya'll been slapping our stock around this month. Tripping big time here trying to keep up with you wild guys. You can't get enough of that far out seventies stuff!

We're doing our best here at DressThatMan.com to get you the BEST of what's rest of the primo 70's clothes out there. Seems right now there's a big ass demand for clothing from the 1970's disco era for men around the globe. AND - you better get it while the getting is good baby, because there's only so much of the prime 70's apparel left in the entire WORLD, ya know?

Recently we've been dressing Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants and other corporate professionals in ultra funky DISCO CLOTHES! Doin' it funky style, and loving it, man.

It's so damn FUNKIN' TRUE... some guys have ALL the fun!

Promote your BAND at DressThatMan.com!

DressThatMan.com is getting the word out!

Near the end of January 2006, we experienced some minor setbacks via our former server, but... we've since moved along and we're now up on a new server and running like a well oiled machine. Yeah.

Despite the January 2006 glitches, we are happy to report that we had over 21,500 new visitors on our site - with over 110,000 page views in the month.

February is a shorter month, but... as of today, the 25th - we've already topped last months 110,000 page views by another 10,000... and have had over 21,000 visitors already.

We're proud to say that we've been selling a LOT of merchandise to guys out there who are talented musicians! We're thrilled that you're performing in clothes you've purchased from the crew at DressThatMan - and, several of you have promised pictures - and, in turn, we've promised that we're going to promote your talent and showcase you in the Celebrity Spotlight at DTM.

If you haven't been reading the blog, we've got pictures promised to us by a hall of fame ROCK STAR who recently partied in an outfit supplied by DressThatMan.com - we're waiting for the prints to get back from the professional photographer and then back to us so we can put them on the site - there is no doubt, all of you aspiring musicians and bands out there will soon be in good company in the Celebrity Spotlight. Of course, we're certainly aflutter and trying to refrain from chomping at the bit to get these pictures - but, all things in due time.

We'd love to tell you WHO he is, but... you'll just have to trust us and know that the suspense will be worth it! Totally.

When you're onstage with your BAND jamming to the appreciation of the crowd, looking the part means you don't buy things off the rack. Vintage clothing kicks ass because it sets you apart from the crowd.

It's been a secret weapon and an apparel staple in the world of entertainers and in celebrity circles for years - adding quality vintage clothing stands you miles apart from all of the fashion clones.

Show the world just how unique you are. Get the look that gets the looks!

Vintage Clothing for MEN of all Ages

Last Friday it was work as usual at DTM. We got orders out, did some clean up and sorting, and began to prep and photograph items that will be coming up. Par for the course - we've got some kick ass threads in the works for you ...and, we were talking about how exciting the business is and how much fun you guys are.

Then the phone rings.

A gentlemen called to order some pants who doesn't have access to the Internet. He says he doesn't understand the Internet thing at all... but, that his tailor gave him our details, along with a specific product number of an item he was calling in to buy. He was thrilled that DressThatMan had these vintage pants in stock. In NEW, unworn dead stock condition. You could hear the excitement in his voice.

He was bugging his tailor to buy some polyester material and MAKE him these pants. Instead, the tailor sends him to DressThatMan because he has no interest in making polyester pants for the man. His tailor wants him to wear something else, and this gentleman chuckled and said, "I am afraid that I am very set in my ways."

Hey, if you know what you like and what you want and it works for you, you should go for it. Always.

That's when he said, "Yes. At 80 years of age, by now I know what I like."


That man made our day.

how to Throw a Disco Party

Don't say we never gave you a single thing all this time we've been together.

FREE 70's Theme Party Planner from DressThatMan.com

For the disco do-it-yourself crowd:
Throw the Ultimate Disco Party!

Fashion Freedom for Men

Seems that we get a LOT of searchers looking for a "Dress for a Man" and "Man in a Dress" ...and, we're sorry to say that we don't carry any. BUT, because you're looking for them and our name is "DressThatMan", we thought it would be best that we give you some information on where to go to find such things.

Check out Utilikilts . They have some great manly fashion in kilt form. The guy in the picture looks great sporting a killer kilt! Read their top 10 reasons why a guy should wear a kilt. They are SO onto something there.

Check out the kiltman and learn why men should be free to wear kilts and other kilt-like clothing.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you're a man looking for transgender clothing, we found an excellent resource for you here. If that's not enough, check out Google's transgendered/crossdressing directory here.

DressThatMan supports freedom, man. Whatever rocks your boat that doesn't hurt anyone, we're totally for it across the board.

And, if you want to buy a pair of polyester disco pants from us, cut the legs half off, split the seams and sew it together as a tight poly skirt - hey, send us pictures of your refabrication and we'll feature you right here in our blog.

Whatever you do... be honest and true to yourself.

That's the bottom line. Otherwise, you're not really living.

Because if you're honest and upfront about things, then YOU aren't the problem that other people will need to deal with - the problem with be with themselves.

Come on out and wear it proudly!

That 70's Show - This Seventies Place

Disco Apparel - no more fun than a Barrel of Funkies

Disco Attire to set THAT MAN on Fire!

Seek and Ye Shall Find Us

You guys never fail to amaze and amuse us. That's right, when the going gets rough or we're dead tired all we need to do to get a revival is to read our email, look at the pictures you've sent us and now... check out the search terms used to find this blog. You're killing us.

So, here they are, served up just they way you like 'em - fresh and piping hot on DressThatMan's blog.

The list of the latest search terms that found us are here:

sleazy specimen

ugliest leisure suit known to man

dress me up and dress me down sexy

pimp may wife

revealing clothes for men

men who check their zipper

which type of rubber burns longest

grab man clothing

men who like mens feet

down grab pull peek look

little man big ass

hide yourself on the net

and the one that made us laugh the loudest recently

:: insert drum roll here ::




funky daddy passion pants

Angels Flight Pants & Disco Clothes for Men

Man, oh man! We're busy behind the scenes collecting some major stash to keep you retro men happy long into 2006 and beyond. Thanks to the fabulous groupies we've acquired, we're getting hooked up with some primo stuff.

We've got more deadstock - never been worn before - brand NEW old vintage stock from the 1970's coming back at ya like a sharp smack on the azz, or... the back... if we're talking about retro 70's shirts.

There's so much good stuff to come that is currently being cataloged and prepped for addition to the store - where do we start? How about if we just let you in on one special deal of what's in store for the DressThatMan.com store? Aside from a bunch of groovy wide funky mens neckties...

Here it is:
We've got a limited amount of Men's Angels Flight Pants that are brand new with the tags attached, baby. Plus, they aren't tiny 30" waist and under sizes either... so, it doesn't get better than that. Angels Flight brand disco clothes were one of THE brands that were sought after in the 70's. Finding the Angels Flight/Angel Flight label unworn is a mighty hard act to follow. Watch for these SUPER RARE pants coming soon.

Scams to watch out for:
Some places will use the name "Angels Flight" or "Angel Flight" just to lure you in, without being able to divvy up the merchandise. That sucks, and you totally hate that shit. We know you do because we've heard it from several of you. It's worse than bait and switch, because when you are tempted with the super premium brand and shown the no-lead... you're not amused or easily confused. In fact, it pisses you off. And, when something pisses you off - you don't forget it. Because you're like that. Guess what? We like you just the way you are. You ain't gonna get no jive talkin' bullshit runaround, lure 'em in and they'll take something, anything kinda crap coming at ya from us.

Hey, sometimes we're full of shit, laughing our collective asses off, and entirely off the wall when we're writing silly stuff in our product descriptions, but aside from that... we have integrity when it comes to the way we're fronting the business.

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So, yeah. That's right. We're full of shit with integrity.

Deal with it.

70's Clothes for MEN ONLY!

When it comes down to dressing 70's style, the more outrageously authentic you can afford to go - the better. With these magic platform shoes, no doubt you'll be doing the disco slide in fine form, man. Go for that seventies fashion flashback. Grow your hair out and get high in bona fide 1970's men's platform shoes!


DressThatMan.com has loads of men's original 1970's fashion. From polyester leisure suits to wild print 70's disco shirts and men's vintage things in between - gently preworn vintage and UNWORN mens vintage clothing.