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.