Wednesday, June 19, 2013

The Ralphnerd X Old Spice Giveaway #Smellitforward



I'd typically say my gift for my readers are my fun comic book nuggets (speaking of, have any of you guys checked out Man of Steel yet?) and witty banter, but today I have one you just may be more enthused about.


The Ralphnerd teamed up with Old Spice for the ultimate giveaway. One lucky Ralphnerd reader will receive a pair of Ray Bans shades (pictured up top), a red dopp kit, a red passport holder and of course the Old Spice Fiji scented bar soap. Now before you throw your arms in the air with excitement, there are a couple of rules for you to win the Ralphnerd X Old Spice giveaway package. Check them out below, and good luck guys!


1. 
 Follow and RT @ralph_nerd for a chance to win @ray_ban shades and other goods from @OldSpice www.theralphnerd.com #smellitforward

2. Like The Ralphnerd Facebook page and share this post! http://bit.ly/12VWaNc
Don't forget to include the hashtag #smellitforward


U.S. contestants only. Contest begins once post is published  (June 19th) and will end on July 3rd at 11:29 P.M. Winner will be announced July 5th via The Ralphnerd's facebook and twitter accounts. Contest sponsored by Old Spice.


Sunday, June 16, 2013

Christopher Kane Menswear S/S 2014

As you gents may know, the London Collections for menswear began this afternoon, but it seems Christopher Kane had a leg up on the competition; releasing his photos of his new menswear line up a day prior to the shows. A bold move for a bold collection. Kane's latest pulls from the on par graphic print trend in menswear, showcasing architectural influences and strong 3D imagery. The boxy oversized silhouettes are coupled with contrasting slim suits and cropped shorts; add in the intense neon colors and magnetizing patterns and you've got one hell of an optical illusion. The 19 look collection is already among my favorites in the new s/s 2014 lineup. What looks are you favorite?










 
Via Style.com


Want more menswear and comic book news? Check out more from the Ralphnerd on Twitter and Facebook



Thursday, June 13, 2013

The New Faces of Prada F/W 2013

If you haven't figured out already, I love menswear campaigns. The ads in the September issues are pretty much what I swoon, over sometimes more than the spreads themselves. So imagine when yours truly got wind of the new faces of the 2013 Prada Fall/Winter campaign. Prada consistently picks an eclectic and fun mix of gents to face the brand.

You may remember me ranting on about Dane DeHaan's campaign as well as Toby Maguire's, but I must say I'm excited about the next batch of guys. Shot by photographer David Sims, the campaign is another homerun for the Italian fashion house. Check em out below!




1. Ben Whishaw- I'm going to refrain from swooning over him yet again (no eye-rolling please). I love everything about the first look. It's Luxe, dapper and yet a bit casual all in one. Ben looks smashing as always, but regretfully, I don't think I can see him as anyone else but Q from the Bond series. Even here (especially the second look) he looks like our favorite tinkerer ready for work.



2. Ezra Miller- The Perks star has been on a roll recently, and clearly Prada has noticed. I don't think I need to get into just how quirky Ezra is (For one he sits Indian style during interviews), so I won't. But I'm in love with both of his looks. I NEED that red leather jacket, the wool overcoat, and definitely the shoes. Prada does an amazing job of elevating classics and reinventing them for the modern man. Like the elevated platform on those oxfords.




3. Christopher Waltz- Out of the three gents here, Christopher definitely has the "cool" look down. The crew neck sweater and the red button up underneath does it for me. And then there's the suit, which is beyond drool worthy. This campaign, once again reminds of me of why I love Prada menswear so much.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Red Summer Travel Essentials

Summer is finally approaching! It's time to say yes to beach days, day drinking, 90 degree weather, music festivals and travels. If you're like me, you've set up a fun summer get away to escape the crowded streets of good old Manhattan. So with that in mind, Ive crafted a list of essentials that every gent should have for the summer in this season's "it" color, red.





1. Old Spice Bar Soap Fiji Scent- The nice guys over at Old Spice hooked me up with several scents from their current bar soap line. I know what you're thinking, "Who uses bar soap anymore?", right? Well looks like just over 40% of most you stylish lads do. So reluctance aside, I gave it a try, and fell in love with the Fiji scent. This may just do the job if your trip (like mine) is quite some time from now. Warm beaches, palm trees, sand and ocean scent all in one bar. How could you not love it?



2. Ray Ban Red Aviator- As much as I am a fun of the Wayfarer, one must admit that these frames are pretty over done. Thus, I opted for an Aviator (my personal fav) and in the perfect summer color, red. Topgun anyone?




3.Hartford Mid-Length Printed Shorts. I'm a sucker for a mid-length short. When you have small legs (like a certain nerdy blogger), these guys do a great job of proportion control. Not letting the swimear consume you, but just enough breathing room to have some fun. And that print, need I say more guys?



4. Burberry Passport Holder-  Simple, classic and textured, this Burberry Passport is sure to be a win with your travel essentials. Everything you need  to get that collection of stamps going.  But please, don't loose this guy at the gate. You'll never forgive yourself, and neither will I.



5.Jack Spade Travel Kit- Again, classic and simple, this is perfect for keeping your grooming regimen from spilling all over your carry on. The most stylish way to avoid shaving cream on that new silk tie you just scored, right?





Disclosure: Old Spice provided me with the Fiji scented Bar Soap for review. The opinions expressed herein are solely my own.




.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Five Future Menswear Icons in Young Hollywood

There are many reasons we swoon over celebs. Some may drool over  the muscled bodies and handsome faces, (and lets be honest I too have these moments), but what really catches my eye are the clothes on these gents. I'm a sucker for a styish guy, and I'd have to say there are quite a few of them in the world of young Hollywood. And while these gents are stars on the rise (some newly cemented in stardom), it wont be long till their rocketed to full star potential. Check out my list of the five best dressed young hollywood males.



5. A$AP Rocky- I'll be real honest with you here, I wasn't a fan of him.at.all. But with time, and the occasional spread for GQ magazine I definitely opened up to the idea of him as a fashion icon. A$AP' is bold and quite creative when it comes to stylish pairings.  Sought after by Raf Simmons himself for the collab 1995 line, A$AP has catapulted himself into the world of menswear at a speed that not even Kanye has achieved. He's doing something in hip-hop and menswear, that's not too common. He's simply being himself. So Kudos! And if you haven't already, check out his song, Fashion Killa. It's brilliant.

Alias- Fresh Prince

The Look-  Luxury street wear, street goth, leather, prints, fitted hats, kilts, chains,waxed denim, graphic tees and the color black.

Influences- Pharrell Williams and Andre 3000




4. Harry Styles- Whether you like them or not, you must admit, One Direction has invaded the States by storm. Some would argue that Mr. Styles is the frontman of 1D, but we're not here to debate that. But he is by far the most stylish in the band. It hasn't always been smooth sailings for Harry (note the hair), but we're slowly starting to see him sitting front row at London fashion week, and stepping it up a notch on the red carpet. And after ditching worst accessory ever Taylor Swift, I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot more of Sir Styles.

Alias- Sir Styles

The Look-  Nostalgia, beanies, converse, graphic tee's, skinny jeans, blazers and bow ties.

Influences- George Lamb, Tinie Timpah, British Punk Scene






3. Austin Butler- Who?! Yea, that was my first reaction too. The Carrie Diaries star is a bit of a hidden gem in the world of menswear, and apparently girls have been swooning over him for quite some time. You can catch him on the arm of fellow Disney break out star Vanessa Hudgens (the two are practically inseparable) . It's been a while since I've admired someone's paparazzi shots, but the kid looks good; whether it's a beat up leather jacket or harem pants and a tank, he slays. Given the right opportunity, he could become one of Hollywood's most sought after gents.

Alias- The Bad Boy

The Look grunge, slim fit suits, skinny jeans, vintage graphic tees, oversized sweaters, Ray Bans, leather jackets, plaid button ups.

Brands of Choice- All Saints, Obey, Supreme, Levi's.




2. Eddie Redmayne- The Les Mes breakout star makes it a habit of owning the red carpet (Uh oh Gosling!), and we all know how hard that can be for a young gent in Hollywood. If its one thing Redmayne does, it's bring life to the traditional suit and tie. Every red carpet look is something vibrant, original and fitted. Fit is prominent in his look (check his look at this year's Met Gala), whether it's on or off the red carpet and I've not once been disappointed in any of the 30 yr old's stylings. This will be his third year in a row as the face of Burberry campaign alongside Cara Delevigne, not to mention he's graced the covers of W magazine and Esquire. Topping the best dressed list of just about every menswear mag, Eddie has certainly made a name for himself in young Hollywood. He's the ONLY reason I'll even consider watching Les Mes. Yeah, sorry Anne.

Alias- The Modern Man

The Look- Red carpet, vintage, tailored suits, leather jackets, selvage denim, skinny ties, chambray, leather jackets, wingtips.

Brands of Choice-  Topman, Dior Homme, Burberry, Reiss, All Saints, Alexander Wang, Belfstaff.





1. Jaden Smith- With arguably the most attractive parents one could have, Jaden practically comes from Hollywood royalty. The 14 year old has already built quite the rep for himself with his street-goth/skater  inspired style. He's already been invited front row to shows (along with with whip my hair songstress, little sis, Willow), has had several editorial spreads including his most recent spreads in Wonderland and Teen Vogue magazine, not to mention the unveiling of his own menswear line, MSFtS, an alternative skateboarding lifestyle brand. This kid is the epitome of cool, and a pretty solid actor and rapper. Check him out in his new dystopian summer blockbuster, After-Earth


Alias- The Cool Kid

The Look- Street goth, skater, luxury street wear, sweatshirts, harem pants, leather, prints, fitted caps, high tops, vans.

Influences- His Aunt, skateboarding scene



Monday, May 20, 2013

Star Trek:Intergalactic Style



Wow, and woah are literally the only words that come to mind to describe J.J Abram's latest Star Trek installment. Star Trek: Into the Darkness was beautiful, emotional, fun and high octane. I can dissect this film a million ways and tell you what  I love about each bit, but I'd rather not. But one thing that did come to my attention after the second time of seeing Into the Darkness was the wardrobe. Now, I know what you're thinking. "How can Star Trek possibly have a wardrobe worth talking about?" Well, let's just dive right in!



 

Uniforms- Now if you're an original Trekkie like my grams , you'll know that colors of the uniforms bear significance. Blue is science/medical, gold is command (and bridge crew) and red is for technical and engineering. The standard crew uniforms took a rather stylish upgrade. Take note of the printed Star Fleet insignia on the shirts as well as subtle v necklines. It's details like these that give texture and character to something that could be terribly boring. I'm kinda in love with the idea of owning one of these guys. Think J.J. will give me one off the set?




Utilitarian- One of my favorite things about the design here is that the uniforms appeared on several different scales, serving completely different purposes. Example: Uhora's and Hikaru's wetsuits in the first act of the film.

 

 Zoë Saldana looks spectacular( per usual) in her wet suit. But I'm truly in awe of the attention to detail here. Giving the fabric a breathable, yet latex like appearance and once again bearing the Star Fleet insignia print. Michael Kaplan, the film's costume designer did an amazing job of applying purpose to design here. 


Kaplan made it a point to differentiate rank in the fleet's travel gear and keep it consistent to crew colors. Kaplan explains that, "even if you’re wearing a protective flight suit when you beam down to explore an alien planet, everyone will still know you’re a redshirt."-Wired Magazine

 

Note the gold for Kirk's captain jumpsuit.

Military References- Although Star Fleet has peaceful intentions in it's space exploration, it's still a military service. Kaplan envisioned officer uniforms that would be appropriate outside of the bridge and  for formal meetings with higher command officers. I happen to love the slate grey, marine based look of the uniforms. It's a great way to modernize the Star Fleet officers.




Out of Uniform- Spock, Uhura and Kirk had some pretty stellar leather get ups.  The second act of the film started off with some bad ass hand to hand (or rather phaser to phaser ) combat. This made prime use of the Interprise crew civilian looks. One of my favorite looks below is Spock's printed jacket. Kaplan's not afraid to play with texture and graphics and it shows.

 

Leather jackets, combat boots and intergalactic jeans (ok, maybe not), make a beautiful yet utilitarian look for the crew. Unfortunately this didn't prevent the Klingons from attacking them. 

 

Villain Gear- Truly saving the best for last, what tipped this movie to a truly stylish point was Benedict Cumberbatch's character, Khan. By far my favorite character, Khan kills it with his dramatic hooded cloaks, leather trenches and futuristic black Star Fleet uniforms.  I wont ruin the storyline for you, but it appears that our villain was once among the Star Fleet officers, and yet  his uniform looks eight times better than his fellow fleet members.


 


Post apocalyptic trench coat? Yes, please. Kaplan admits that Cumberbatch was one of his favorite character to dress, for obvious reasons.

 
Need I say anything more?

 














Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Nerd Protein: 4 Ways to Remedy your Iron Man 3 Craze


Dominating box offices this weekend , Iron Man 3 opened with an incredible 175.3 million. The lastest installment of Marvel's golden boy turned out to be a pleasant surprise  redeeming the franchise from the disappointing sequel. If you're anything like me, then you're still reeling from the sheer awesomeness of  the explosive action sequences, the armada of stark suits  and the well expected smart mouth quips. If you're still looking for something to hit the spot after IM3, then check out my four ways to remedy your Iron Man craze.



4. Flashback-  If you haven't already, now would be the time to dive into the remaining Marvel cinematic universe. Play catch up with the first two Iron Man films. (Ok, maybe not the second one), The Hulk (where he makes a cameo appearance), and last but certainly not least The Avengers. Cinematic universe aside, Iron Man makes for incredible watching in all of Marvel's current animated series. Check out some of my faves below.


Iron Man : Rise of Technovore - Unfortunately Marvel doesn't dominate the animated world like DC does; however every once in a while they produce a pretty epic cartoon. Case in point, Rise of Technovore. It's fun, action packed and features some of Tony's best comrades like Black Widow, Punisher (voiced by The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus) and Hawkeye.



Avenger's: Earth's Mightiest Heroes- I was resistant to the series, because of the animation here. But when I tell you it's one of the best animated series since the 90's run of Marvel, I mean it! The chemistry between the heroes is fun and organic and it definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat. And like the Marvel cinematic-verse, Tony is the true star


3. Gear- I am the champion of graphic tees. I live in them. They add character and some personal charm to the wardrobe.  So why not show your favorite billionaire genius some love? There's a ton of Iron Man graphic tees out there, but check out these guys below. It's the next best thing from having your own Mark VII suit.


Threadless.com Red Shining tee

  
Threadless.com Rocket tee

Superherostuff.com Iron Man Upgrade tee



2. Recommended Reading- There's a ton of comic material for Stark out there, but below you'll find some of my favorite reads including Extremis in which the third film is based off of.
A Marvel classic, Demon in a Bottle is perhaps one of Tony's more humanizing  story arcs,. At the time a hero dealing with alcohol problems was unheard of, making it a jarring but innovative read.
Iron Man faces off with one of the best villains in the Marvel rogue's gallery, Dr. Doom. Need I say more? Whenever there's Doom, it's bound to be epic. David Michelinie takes you on quite the journey in his story arc; from space to Mephisto's realm, it's sure to keep you intrigued. 

The basis of the third fim, Extremis is considered to be one of the best Iron Man reads out there. I won't say too much here, but let's just say Tony realizes he isn't the only brain that can do brilliant things with technology. Also, Adi Granov's artwork is stellar, and a perfect companion to the story arc. 


1.  Gizmos and Gadgets- If your fandom is still brewing out of control, it's time to head to phase two, collecting. Whether it's an action figure for your kid (let's be honest here), or a limited edition poly-stone statue, Tony Stark is pretty much everywhere.


13.5' Iron Patriot statue from Bowen designs




Iron Man movie replica helmet from Moviereplicasdirect.com
 

Iron Man Funk POP vinyl figures via Amazon.com