High-res For those of our followers who are a bit curious about us - here is an interview we did for our friend Isaiah over at A Collected Gentleman  Follow him for some great inspiration. acollectedgentleman: A Collected Style Interview Urbane Menswear Urbane Menswear is run by two girls in Texas. We aim to show that style can be effortless and the perfect mode for self expression. Graciela is a freelance journalist with a love for traveling & personal adventure. Nereida is a photographer with a passion for portraiture, film, and fashion. What’s your opinion on the state of blogging ? Graciela: I love blogging & the idea of publishing your own thoughts, opinions & interests for everyone to see. It’s allowed us to connect with a lot of different people all over the world in ways we couldn’t have otherwise. Nereida: I feel that it is a great way to express yourself and to keep an archive of what inspires you most. What inspired you to create urbanemenswear? Nereida: It started off when I first got into the groove of Tumblr and I came to realize that I would post a lot of menswear fashion on my personal blog. Graciela suggested that I should start a separate blog dedicated to menswear posts. After I began to get a following, I asked her to join me in running this blog. How do you feel about the evolution of menswear and how it’s perceived? Graciela: I think more men are starting to warm up to the idea of putting more effort & self-expression into what they wear. Menswear is becoming more accessible to men who perhaps previously didn’t put much thought into what they wore. Nereida: Every day I see more and more men who have impressed me by the choices they have made in deciding what they are wearing. What inspired you to blog about menswear? Graciela:  It’s fun & influences the way both of us dress, so we both just have a natural interest in it. Also, we bring a woman’s perspective to menswear, which means we tend to be more open-minded about clothing than most men. Nereida: Curiosity mostly. When I began I was intrigued by the creativity it took for men to dress better. Now it has simply become something I look at every day and use it as inspiration in my daily life. Who are some of your favorite designers and why? Nereida: One of my favorite designers at the moment is Carven’s Guillaume Henry. I’ve been closely following Carven for a few seasons already and I can’t help but fall in love with the simplicity of the design and the colors chosen for their most recent lines. Graciela: Junya Watanabe’s collections are consistently impressive & always cutting edge, but wearable.  Do you have any tips for people who are looking to start a blog? Nereida: Blog what you are interested in and be confident about it. Someone out there will share your passion for your content. Graciela: Blog often & develop your audience. Be original with your vision, have a clear focus & develop new ideas to take your blog further. What’s the process behind creating a post for you blog? Nereida: I tend to look at new and upcoming brands and bloggers who bring a lot of great and innovative ideas to the menswear community. I like to look at what some of our followers submit to us, as well as lookbooks that we receive. Creativity plays a great part in what I look for. Graciela: I just keep an eye out for interesting looks, perhaps something men wouldn’t think to wear or think they could pull off. I prefer street style to runway, fashion looks because they’re usually more timeless & less trendy. What are some trends to look out for S/S 13? Graciela: I have no idea. To me, trends are less interesting than something that can still be worn twenty years from now. Nereida: No trends necessarily, but more creative ways of wearing less in the heat. Who are some of your favorite bloggers and why? Nereida: Aside from this blog, some of my favorites include: Street Etiquette’s Joshua Kissi and Travis Gumbs, Beyond Fabric’s Miguel Vieira, The Midwestyle’s Jeff, Seth, and Cam, Feather & Oar’s JD Elquist and Travis Pranger, Gabi from Gabifresh, and the Cole Haan tumblr. They all either inspire my personal style or the style of the blog. Graciela: All of the above, plus Scott Schuman of the Sartorialist, Tommy Ton of Jak & Jil, Lee Oliveira, Soren Jepsen of The Locals & Pascal Grob. Nereida Valles & Graciela Razo Urbane Menswear urbane-menswear.com

For those of our followers who are a bit curious about us - here is an interview we did for our friend Isaiah over at A Collected Gentleman 

Follow him for some great inspiration.

acollectedgentleman:

A Collected Style Interview

Urbane Menswear

Urbane Menswear is run by two girls in Texas. We aim to show that style can be effortless and the perfect mode for self expression. Graciela is a freelance journalist with a love for traveling & personal adventure. Nereida is a photographer with a passion for portraiture, film, and fashion.

What’s your opinion on the state of blogging ?

Graciela: I love blogging & the idea of publishing your own thoughts, opinions & interests for everyone to see. It’s allowed us to connect with a lot of different people all over the world in ways we couldn’t have otherwise.

Nereida: I feel that it is a great way to express yourself and to keep an archive of what inspires you most.

What inspired you to create urbanemenswear?

Nereida: It started off when I first got into the groove of Tumblr and I came to realize that I would post a lot of menswear fashion on my personal blog. Graciela suggested that I should start a separate blog dedicated to menswear posts. After I began to get a following, I asked her to join me in running this blog.

How do you feel about the evolution of menswear and how it’s perceived?

Graciela: I think more men are starting to warm up to the idea of putting more effort & self-expression into what they wear. Menswear is becoming more accessible to men who perhaps previously didn’t put much thought into what they wore.

Nereida: Every day I see more and more men who have impressed me by the choices they have made in deciding what they are wearing.

What inspired you to blog about menswear?

Graciela:  It’s fun & influences the way both of us dress, so we both just have a natural interest in it. Also, we bring a woman’s perspective to menswear, which means we tend to be more open-minded about clothing than most men.

Nereida: Curiosity mostly. When I began I was intrigued by the creativity it took for men to dress better. Now it has simply become something I look at every day and use it as inspiration in my daily life.

Who are some of your favorite designers and why?

Nereida: One of my favorite designers at the moment is Carven’s Guillaume Henry. I’ve been closely following Carven for a few seasons already and I can’t help but fall in love with the simplicity of the design and the colors chosen for their most recent lines.

Graciela: Junya Watanabe’s collections are consistently impressive & always cutting edge, but wearable. 

Do you have any tips for people who are looking to start a blog?

Nereida: Blog what you are interested in and be confident about it. Someone out there will share your passion for your content.

Graciela: Blog often & develop your audience. Be original with your vision, have a clear focus & develop new ideas to take your blog further.

What’s the process behind creating a post for you blog?

Nereida: I tend to look at new and upcoming brands and bloggers who bring a lot of great and innovative ideas to the menswear community. I like to look at what some of our followers submit to us, as well as lookbooks that we receive. Creativity plays a great part in what I look for.

Graciela: I just keep an eye out for interesting looks, perhaps something men wouldn’t think to wear or think they could pull off. I prefer street style to runway, fashion looks because they’re usually more timeless & less trendy.

What are some trends to look out for S/S 13?

Graciela: I have no idea. To me, trends are less interesting than something that can still be worn twenty years from now.

Nereida: No trends necessarily, but more creative ways of wearing less in the heat.

Who are some of your favorite bloggers and why?

Nereida: Aside from this blog, some of my favorites include: Street Etiquette’s Joshua Kissi and Travis Gumbs, Beyond Fabric’s Miguel Vieira, The Midwestyle’s Jeff, Seth, and Cam, Feather & Oar’s JD Elquist and Travis Pranger, Gabi from Gabifresh, and the Cole Haan tumblr. They all either inspire my personal style or the style of the blog.

Graciela: All of the above, plus Scott Schuman of the Sartorialist, Tommy Ton of Jak & Jil, Lee Oliveira, Soren Jepsen of The Locals & Pascal Grob.

Nereida Valles & Graciela Razo

Urbane Menswear

urbane-menswear.com

Urbane Inquiry presents…Miguel Vieira of Beyond Fabric We have been admirers of Miguel Vieira and his blog, Beyond Fabric, for years now. His style embodies classic menswear with his Portuguese heritage peppered in. Miguel exudes an effortlessness with his sharp accessories and timeless suits. For 2013, Miguel brings a piece of Portuguese style to his readers with his traditional fur-collared coats and capes. The outerwear recently caught the eye of street style photographer Tommy Ton when he photographed Miguel and Alvaro Fernandes at Pitti Uomo for Style.com. We had the pleasure of talking to Miguel about his introduction to menswear and what we can expect from him and Beyond Fabric in the coming months. How & when did you become interested in menswear?I would have to say when I was about 16… My older brother lived in London at the time and I flew there often, while drawing a lot of inspiration from whatever he was wearing. So, he was probably my first style icon so to say…I remember wearing Levi’s Sta-Prest in highschool which were “endorsed” by Eric Flat and featured a yellow furry back pocket; I had it stitched in every pair. You can imagine all the staring, comments and remarks I went through in highschool, but in a way I guess it encouraged me to wear what I really love and not think too much about third parties.Tell us about your new Portuguese coats & capes line. How has your Portuguese culture influenced your style?Although I decided to write the blog in English as a means to reach a global “audience”, I’m proud of being Portuguese and of our strong heritage and tradition in the textile and shoe industry. After starting the blog and leaving engineering behind, I started paying more and more attention to our national resources: everyone was producing in Portugal, from small independent brands to high-end luxury labels. Running Beyond Fabric and being Portuguese, it was only natural I should promote our national products and show them to the world, as I’ve done in several posts already.For AW13 I’ll be delivering a line of traditional Portuguese coats and capes worn by shepherds for centuries in our country. These are statement pieces made to resist harsh conditions and keep you warm and can be made from wool or “Burel”, a national unique fabric produced only in two manufacturers. Originally, both jackets and capes feature fur collars and are a bit  oversized, making them perfect to wear over a suit (photo of me and Alvaro at Style.com). My idea is to keep their essence while making them a tad more fitted with an exclusive lining, making them available worldwide.What are your basic wardrobe staples?I would say a white dress shirt, slim fitting jeans, slacks, cashmere v-neck sweater, brogues and an overcoat/peacoat. Ah, and accessories, always accesories… I think I’d be able to live on those alone, although I do have a big wardrobe.What are you most looking forward to wearing in the spring?Some basic essentials from my first Pre-Spring capsule collection FUSS (more on that later), everything linen and bare ankle, boat shoes and slippers.What were some of the most inspiring things you saw at Pitti Uomo?Pitti’s a blast in every way, you never know what to expect either from labels or the people roaming around. This time I  got a chance to stay there for the whole event and snatch some nice pics of the atmosphere. So, besides the multicultural styles you bump into and are definitely inspiring, there was quite a selection of new brands with interesting products: 1st PAT-RN had really nice tailored knit blazers, Orley had unique waterproof knits and then some of the good old favourites who never disappoint like CAMO or Buttero.What did you wear today? Brown herringbone overcoat, striped blue spread collar shirt, navy/gold regimental tie, gray cashmere cardigan, beaten up Levi’s 511 and cognac leather boots.

Urbane Inquiry presents…
Miguel Vieira of Beyond Fabric

We have been admirers of Miguel Vieira and his blog, Beyond Fabric, for years now. His style embodies classic menswear with his Portuguese heritage peppered in. Miguel exudes an effortlessness with his sharp accessories and timeless suits.

For 2013, Miguel brings a piece of Portuguese style to his readers with his traditional fur-collared coats and capes. The outerwear recently caught the eye of street style photographer Tommy Ton when he photographed Miguel and Alvaro Fernandes at Pitti Uomo for Style.com.

We had the pleasure of talking to Miguel about his introduction to menswear and what we can expect from him and Beyond Fabric in the coming months.

How & when did you become interested in menswear?

I would have to say when I was about 16… My older brother lived in London at the time and I flew there often, while drawing a lot of inspiration from whatever he was wearing. So, he was probably my first style icon so to say…I remember wearing Levi’s Sta-Prest in highschool which were “endorsed” by Eric Flat and featured a yellow furry back pocket; I had it stitched in every pair. You can imagine all the staring, comments and remarks I went through in highschool, but in a way I guess it encouraged me to wear what I really love and not think too much about third parties.

Tell us about your new Portuguese coats & capes line. How has your Portuguese culture influenced your style?

Although I decided to write the blog in English as a means to reach a global “audience”, I’m proud of being Portuguese and of our strong heritage and tradition in the textile and shoe industry. After starting the blog and leaving engineering behind, I started paying more and more attention to our national resources: everyone was producing in Portugal, from small independent brands to high-end luxury labels. Running Beyond Fabric and being Portuguese, it was only natural I should promote our national products and show them to the world, as I’ve done in several posts already.

For AW13 I’ll be delivering a line of traditional Portuguese coats and capes worn by shepherds for centuries in our country. These are statement pieces made to resist harsh conditions and keep you warm and can be made from wool or “Burel”, a national unique fabric produced only in two manufacturers. Originally, both jackets and capes feature fur collars and are a bit  oversized, making them perfect to wear over a suit (photo of me and Alvaro at Style.com). My idea is to keep their essence while making them a tad more fitted with an exclusive lining, making them available worldwide.

What are your basic wardrobe staples?

I would say a white dress shirt, slim fitting jeans, slacks, cashmere v-neck sweater, brogues and an overcoat/peacoat. Ah, and accessories, always accesories… I think I’d be able to live on those alone, although I do have a big wardrobe.

What are you most looking forward to wearing in the spring?

Some basic essentials from my first Pre-Spring capsule collection FUSS (more on that later), everything linen and bare ankle, boat shoes and slippers.

What were some of the most inspiring things you saw at Pitti Uomo?

Pitti’s a blast in every way, you never know what to expect either from labels or the people roaming around. This time I  got a chance to stay there for the whole event and snatch some nice pics of the atmosphere. So, besides the multicultural styles you bump into and are definitely inspiring, there was quite a selection of new brands with interesting products: 1st PAT-RN had really nice tailored knit blazers, Orley had unique waterproof knits and then some of the good old favourites who never disappoint like CAMO or Buttero.

What did you wear today?

Brown herringbone overcoat, striped blue spread collar shirt, navy/gold regimental tie, gray cashmere cardigan, beaten up Levi’s 511 and cognac leather boots.

High-res Urbane Inquiry presents…Jackie Villevoye of Jupe by Jackie Jackie Villevoye is the creative mind behind Jupe by Jackie, a medley of hand embroidered and intricately designed bowties and ties. With strong lines and a dapper eye for construction, the designer crafts ties that have become wardrobe staples for the likes of Urbane favorites Sam Lambert and Angelo Flaccavento. But Jackie’s own personal style is a menswear inspiration in itself. Her sophisticated, classic style is woven into her women’s collection, filled with delicate Peter Pan collars and an array of dresses we are both currently lusting over. Starting off the return of our interview series, Urbane Inquiry, Jackie tells us about her love for India, hand stitched bowties and women in menswear. How did your time in India influence your line?  India is inspiring for its colours, but moreover, the smiles on peoples faces and their friendships strikes me each time I am there. How does your interest in menswear come through in your personal style?  Most of the time, especially at shows, I am wearing a navy blazer and dark grey pants (in combination with one of my ties or bow ties). Could you explain the process of making your bow ties?  It starts with just fabric and embroidery; only after finishing the embroidery, they start cutting and stitching (mostly by hand) to assemble the piece.  What’s your styling aesthetic for your line? I love borders and lines (architecture) for the ties, and intricate patterns for the bow ties. What can we expect from your upcoming collection? Still inside the head.. What advice would you give to women wanting to explore men’s fashion? If you are wearing pants with jackets, do not put on your high heels!!!! What did you wear today? Today I am sitting in my office with the snow outside, so a nice and warm thick knitted sweater

Urbane Inquiry presents…
Jackie Villevoye of Jupe by Jackie

Jackie Villevoye is the creative mind behind Jupe by Jackie, a medley of hand embroidered and intricately designed bowties and ties. With strong lines and a dapper eye for construction, the designer crafts ties that have become wardrobe staples for the likes of Urbane favorites Sam Lambert and Angelo Flaccavento.

But Jackie’s own personal style is a menswear inspiration in itself. Her sophisticated, classic style is woven into her women’s collection, filled with delicate Peter Pan collars and an array of dresses we are both currently lusting over.

Starting off the return of our interview series, Urbane Inquiry, Jackie tells us about her love for India, hand stitched bowties and women in menswear.

How did your time in India influence your line?

 India is inspiring for its colours, but moreover, the smiles on peoples faces and their friendships strikes me each time I am there.

How does your interest in menswear come through in your personal style?

 Most of the time, especially at shows, I am wearing a navy blazer and dark grey pants (in combination with one of my ties or bow ties).

Could you explain the process of making your bow ties?

 It starts with just fabric and embroidery; only after finishing the embroidery, they start cutting and stitching (mostly by hand) to assemble the piece. 

What’s your styling aesthetic for your line?

I love borders and lines (architecture) for the ties, and intricate patterns for the bow ties.

What can we expect from your upcoming collection?

Still inside the head..

What advice would you give to women wanting to explore men’s fashion?

If you are wearing pants with jackets, do not put on your high heels!!!!

What did you wear today?

Today I am sitting in my office with the snow outside, so a nice and warm thick knitted sweater