Fitness
What to Wear to the 5,000 Weddings You Have This Year
Published
3 years agoon
By
Terry Power
If you haven’t noticed, wedding season is back with a vengeance. Last year, gatherings were considered potential superspreader events, spurring lovebirds to put their celebratory nuptials on the backburner and reschedule for a later date. (Love can wait when Grandma’s life is on the line.) But thanks to the efficacy of vaccines, that later date is…now. So you’ve found yourself here because you don’t know what to wear to all these weddings.
We hear you. We feel you. All our collective calendars are locked and loaded with more wedding obligations we’d care to partake in. But you’re a gentleman, and truth be told it’s fun to dress up—be it a destination wedding to Hawaii or a black-tie affair in a big city.
With our definitive, stylist-approved guide, we hope to demystify dress codes. Confusion will dissipate, soon to be replaced with confidence on your abilities to suit up for every kind of occasion.
What to Wear to the 5,000 Weddings You Have This Year
How to dress for a black tie wedding
Black tie is about as formal as it gets (other than white tie, which is pretty rare these days), so you’d better dress the part. And that, gentlemen, means a tuxedo. Don’t fret if you don’t own one. Enlisting a suit rental service is a solid game plan when you don’t want to shell out coin for something you’ll wear once, maybe twice a year. (We dig The Black Tux for its stellar inventory and customer service.)
But if you’re in the market for a tux that’s dapper yet timeless, stick to an all-black peak lapel that works for literally any ultra-formal event. Weddings, fundraisers, the Met Gala—you name it. Variations on color and tailoring might work for celebrities strutting down the red carpet, but do you really want to be that guy at your buddy’s wedding?
Accessorize with a classic bow tie and a cumberbund, and pair with a dark polished dress shoe. Here are some of our current favorites.
Indochino Hampton Black Tuxedo
[$500; indochino.com]
Theory Chambers Slim Fit Tuxedo Jacket
[$700; theory.com]
Hickey Freeman Men’s Two-Piece Tasmanian Wool Tuxedo Suit with Satin Notch Lapel
[$1,700; neimanmarcus.com]
What menswear falls under cocktail attire
If you see “cocktail attire” on a wedding invite, that doubles as an invitation to introduce some personality to your soirée look. Cocktail strikes a balance between buttoned-up formalwear and casual everyday dress—in other words, this is the time to lean into your style ambitions and fashion-forward fantasies.
Punches of eccentricity are certainly welcome, whether it’s the bold hue of your suit (you can even embrace a mix-and-match situation if you dare), the pattern or print of your shirt, or a flashy shoe. The general rule of thumb is to default to darker, more subdued colors on the spectrum. You can’t go wrong with these.
Tommy Hilfiger Essential Regular Fit Charcoal Check Suit
[$400; usa.tommy.com]
Paul Smith The Kensington Men’s Slim-Fit Teal Cerruti Wool-Stretch Suit
[$1,130; paulsmith.com]
Etro Tailored Check Suit
[$1,800; etro.com]
How to dress for semiformal or dressy casual weddings
This dress code is aptly named. Your approach should be just that: semi formal. Think polished but not stiff or ceremonial. Time and setting are good guardrails to use for your look.
For a daytime, warm-weather event—especially if it’s outdoors—lighter colors and fabrics are generally acceptable, like a light grey wool suit or a blue chambray number.
A darker suit is definitely more appropriate for an evening wedding or one that takes place in the colder months.
Pack a few different ties, belts, and shoes to try on while you’re getting ready. Just make sure the last two items match. If the wedding is dressy casual, consider yourself released from even more sartorial rigidity and skip the tie.
BrooksGate Milano-Fit Windowpane Wool Suit Jacket and Milano-Fit Windowpane Wool Suit Pants
[Jacket, $360, Pants, $140; brooksbrothers.com]
Club Monaco Grant Wool Blazer and Grant Wool Suit Pants
[Blazer, $450, clubmonaco.com and Pants, $225, clubmonaco.com]
Reiss Extra Wool Slim Fit Blazer Airforce Blue and Extra Wool Slim Fit Pants
[Blazer, $545, reiss.com and Pants, $275, reiss.com]
What to wear to a beach or destination wedding
No, a beach wedding does not give you permission to wear flip-flops. If the dress code is “beach formal,” you’re still wearing a suit and tie, though it’s totally fine to go for a lighter color and breezier material like flaxen linen. A tie or pocket square is a good idea, too. If the word “formal” is nowhere to be found, go ahead and pack your tropical White Lotus resort wear—just step it up.
After all, you’re traveling miles to celebrate someone’s precious nuptials. For shoes, wearing a pair of slick leather loafers sans socks is a good place to start. Only if or when you see others going barefoot in the sand can you throw your shoes off.
Orlebar Brown 007 Bond Matchstick Linen Blazer and Matchstick Tailored Fit Linen Trousers
[Blazer, $525, orlebarbrown.com and Trousers, $375, orlebarbrown.com]
Ted Baker—Linen Band Collar Blazer and Linen Pleated Herringbone Trousers
[Blazer, $575, bloomingdales.com and Trousers, $195; bloomingdales.com]
Polo Ralph Lauren Soft Striped Seersucker Suit Jacket and Striped Seersucker Suit Trouser
[Jacket, $300, ralphlauren.com and Trouser, $150; ralphlauren.com]
What to wear to an outdoor wedding in the summer
When there’s no official dress code for a general outdoor summer wedding, just take it down a notch from what you’d wear to a destination wedding. You still want to read the situation: What will the weather like? Are you going to be in someone’s backyard? A botanical garden? The rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum? From there, you’ll get a sense of what you can pull off—though we can guarantee that shorts and a tank top won’t be it. Opt for a lightweight wool or linen suit that won’t make you schvitz under the sun.
Faherty Reserve Knit Summer Blazer and Movement 5-Pocket Pant
[Blazer, $400, fahertybrand.com and Pant, $150, fahertybrand.com]
Sene Studio Soho FlexTech Suit
[$600; senestudio.com]
Polo Ralph Lauren Polo Soft Slub Linen Suit Jacket and Polo Soft Slub Linen Suit Trouser
[Jacket, $280, ralphlauren.com and Trouser, $180; ralphlauren.com]
Tombolo ‘Black Tie Optional’ Cabana (Champagne) and Traveler Pants (Natural Linen)
[Cabana Top, $130, tombolocompany.com and Pants, $140, tombolocompany.com]
What to wear to an indoor winter wedding
Take the above advice, but flip it to the cold-weather months. For an indoor winter wedding, anything that could be interpreted as “business casual” will serve you well. Essentially any wool suit could work here, and you likely already have one in your closet. You could even pair khaki slacks with a tailored blazer, since, let’s be honest, you’re probably going to throw off that jacket before you hit the dance floor.
Perhaps most important is having a crisp, collared button-down shirt ready to go, ideally something white or a muted blue depending on the color of your suit. A tie is nice to have, but totally optional. And if wearing a pink polka dot sock will make you giddy, you have our blessing.
Todd Snyder Italian Houndstooth Madison Suit
[$880; toddsnyder.com]
Banana Republic Slim Italian Sharkskin Suit Jacket
[$400; bananarepublic.gap.com]
Alex Mill Blazer in Rugged Cord
[$180; alexmill.com]
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There’s no doubt when the weather turns colder as we settle into winter, stouts take center stage. And while we enjoy all its iterations: standard stout, imperial stout, and robust barrel-aged stouts, we think this malty, chocolate-filled beer’s close cousin deserves a little respect as well. Of course, we’re talking about the oft-overlooked porter. And the best porters, oh buddy, they’ll have you rethinking your seasonal bevvie of choice.
For those uninitiated, the porter style had its genesis in England like many other iconic beer styles. It first appeared in the 1700s and is (you guessed it) named after porters—individuals tasked with transporting luggage.
A confusing origin story
“Stout is the direct descendant of porter. In the 1700s, it was common to use the word ‘stout’ to refer to a bolder, higher-alcohol version of any beer style, much in the same way we use the word ‘imperial’ today,” says Zach Fowle, advanced cicerone and head of marketing for Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix, AZ. “Porter was the most popular beer of the day, and over time, “stout porter” became a popular variant. But by the late 1800s, demand for regular porters evaporated, and stout porter shortened simply to stout.”
But more has changed between the 1800s and today than just our penchant for wearing top hats. “Today, most brewers seem to market beers as either stout or porter based on vibes, rather than on any notable stylistic differences,” he says.
Specifically, porters are known for their dark, almost pitch-black color and rich, sweet flavor profile. If you were to drink a porter and a stout side by side, you might even have difficulty discerning the differences between the two.
Stout versus porter is an enduring topic of discussion in the brewing industry. “While there’s no debating the porter came first—and stout used to be called stout porter, so it was a stronger version of a porter—the lines have become very blurred over the years,” says Rob Lightner, co-founder of East Brother Brewing in Richmond, CA.
“I would venture that even among professionals, a blind taste test would often yield inconclusive results,” says Lightner.
The difference between porters and stouts
Porters tend to be on the milder, more chocolatey end of the spectrum, Lightner says, whereas stouts are typically a little stronger and more roasty. Of course, this isn’t a hard and fast rule
Fowle agrees, “Porters tend to be fruitier, sweeter, and less bitter than stouts, with cocoa and caramel flavors in balance with dark malt bitterness. And stouts are usually hoppier, drier, maltier, and more coffee-forward—and may even have a touch of acidity.”
Whether or not they fit neatly into boxes, one thing’s for sure: both make for incredible cold-weather brews.
“As the nights grow longer, drinking a light, summery beer just doesn’t seem right,” says Fowle. “Porter is the perfect style for the transition to winter: warming and toasty yet not too heavy, with flavors of coffee, chocolate, and pie crust that correspond with autumn weather and holidays.”
It’s the perfect time to broaden your repretoire. Sweet, robust, warming, and well-suited to the season, here are the best porters to drink now.
1. Deschutes Black Butte Porter
There are few porters more well-respected than Deschutes’ iconic Black Butte Porter. It’s brewed with Cascade and Tettnang hops as well as 2-row, Chocolate, Crystal, and Carapils malts as well as wheat. This 5.5% ABV year-round offering is great for cold-weather drinking because of its mix of roasted malts, coffee, and chocolate. It’s a robust, subtly sweet beer perfect for imbibing on a crisp fall night.
[$10.99 for a six-pack; deschutesbrewery.com]
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Fitness
Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength
Published
2 years agoon
9 November 2022By
Terry Power
The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.
“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.
If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.
Directions
Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.
Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength
Circuit 1
A. Barbell Back Squat
Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps
B. Renegade Row
Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side
Circuit 2
A. Dumbbell Bentover Row
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps
B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 3
A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Circuit 4
A. Pullup
Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top.
Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 5
A. Dumbbell Pushup
Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop
once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
B. Biceps Curl
Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
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Fitness
The Best Jump Ropes for a Killer Cardio Workout
Published
2 years agoon
9 November 2022By
Terry Power
If you haven’t picked up a jump rope since elementary school, you’re missing out on a fantastic cardio workout. Not only will you burn a ton of calories in a short amount of time—200 to 300 calories in 15 minutes—but jump ropes can also improve your coordination and agility. Better yet, jumping rope doesn’t require much space, so it’s easy to do at home, and it’s often more mentally stimulating than jogging or swimming.
Choosing a Jump Rope
When deciding which jump rope is best for you, it’s important to determine what your goals are. While lightweight speed ropes are popular for cardio-focused training, weighted or drag ropes will be best for those focused on strength training.
No matter what your training goals are, we’ve got you covered with this roundup of 10 jump ropes from top brands including Crossrope, TRX, Rogue, and more.
The Best Jump Ropes of 2022
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