Tais Elyse Designer. Stylist. Shopper

FIRST, 

A Recap of Our Sample Sale Last Friday.

Party goers flocked to our sample sale for a touch of spring cleaning. And cleaning they did: people cleaned out Our Cuban Kitchen’s chicken fricassee as well as the designer samples in the loft. Shoppers were given a chance to become acquainted with local indie designers they would not have known otherwise. In a time when runway-emulating, uber-trendy mass retailers like H&M and Zara dominate the mid-price clothing market, it was refreshing to look through Josie Adele’s non-trendy jewelry, Silver's body-transforming jumpsuits or Jasmin Zorlu’s unapologetically outlandish, sculptural headpieces at the party. The sample sale and party was a reminder that supporting local designers is not only an ethical cause, but also a way to broaden one’s personal style beyond mainstream tastes. Though San Francisco gets a lot of flak for being a sartorial laggard in comparison to other fashion-forward cities, there is definitely no shortage of talented indie designers.

 Here are three upcoming events that will allow you to support local designers and get you in the mood for springtime dressing.

1. Tais Elyse Style Lab at Citizen Clothing, Thursday, April 28, 5-7 pm, free
Join us for happy hour nibbles and personal style consultations with Tyese and then shop for some spring threads at Citizen Clothing in the Castro. "5 Essential Spring Must-Haves to Stand Out"

2. Benny Gold Grand Opening at Benny Gold, Saturday, April 30, 11am-7pm, free
The skatewear shop (and purveyor of selvedge denim) will celebrate the opening of its larger Mission location with drinks and the debut of its spring collection.

3. Capsule Design Street Festival at Hayes Valley Park, Sunday, May 1, 11:00am – 6pm, free
There is a good chance that festival attendees will find something to spruce up their spring wardrobe among wares that will be hawked by 130 local designers.  

Although it is common for Bay Area professional workplaces to have their employees dress in business casual, it doesn’t mean you should also adhere to a lax dress code. Why not go beyond what is expected of you in your office dress as well as in your work? Take a cue from the gentleman in the photograph above and pair your casual denim with a smart blazer. He manages to avoid looking haphazardly mismatched by going for a monochromatic look. He eschews faded denim in favor of uniformly dark jeans and then tops it off with a dark blazer. Even more importantly, both his jeans and blazer are flawlessly tailored, giving him a continuously slim, clean silhouette. His winning combination of black jeans and dark gray blazer strikes a perfect balance between professional and relaxed. He looks suave and sharp, but his outfit isn’t a matching suit and tie ensemble; it is just informal enough to ensure that he won’t look completely out of place in a business casual office. The best part about this look is that it is extremely versatile. It looks office appropriate just as much as bar-ready when happy hour rolls around. Cheers!

Do you want to know how to find jeans with a good fit? Do you want to know more about which cuts, washes, and brands are appropriate for business casual sleek? Come to the Men’s Style Labon Sunday, March 20th!