Laid Back Professionalism- Profreshional

Jedidiah Clothing- Surf Art for Aid

2008-04-02T08:15:00.001-07:00

Jedidiah Clothing not only donates 1% of all of their profits to social aid groups, but they also feature a Hope Collection that benefits humanitarian organizations one by one. Their company motto is Hope, Grace, Encouragement, Forgiveness, and Love. They support a bunch of surfers, and put on art shows all over the country. What's not to love about this company? Here's a collection of their spring and summer line, the boardshorts are especially steezy.

Xavier Rudd- An Artist That Matters

2008-04-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears does not matter to the world. Kanye West does not matter to the world. Over 60,000 people are subscribed to PerezHilton.com, a celebrity gossip blog that has never published a story that matters to the world.

And then there are small artists all over, doing more with their time and words than these pop culture assholes do with their millions. They do so in a soft spoken manner that doesn't step on the feet of anyone. They are respectful of others, and spread thoughts of peace and harmony that to many are only a dream. They are Good People. And this song here is aptly titled "Good People" by Xavier Rudd.

Darwin is the Father of Modern Design

2008-03-31T16:47:00.001-07:00

Photo by: Kaptain Kobold

Modern Design is nothing more than a stem of modernism which showcases how humans can create and modify their environment. What bigger modification can be attributed to man kind than the modification of our own bodies through human evolution? Although autonomous in nature, the realization of this alteration from beginning to end is what gave artists throughout the western world a scientific example to reason many artistic alterations that would previously have been cast as inconceivable failures.

I know that was a little bit wordy, so let me dissect my point.

For an idea as drastic as human evolution to be taken seriously in the time of Darwin it would have been common to donate to the church in exchange for their public support. This route would have worked magnificently for Darwin if it weren't for the fact that his idea went directly against the teachings of the church. And since the Church was the only establishment with this power, it was simply not an option.

The only route Darwin could take would be to challenge the teachings of the church, while offering hundreds of examples of fossil evidence to maintain his integrity. This constant challenging of establishment by Darwin was a shock to the world. No one was ready for it. Even 200 years after his studies there are still conflicting view points, and the church still has not changed its teachings.

This is where we can connect Darwin to Modern Design. The disruption of flow from common thought by introducing empowering ideas that are hard to accept for the average person. It takes an open mind to connect variables that have never been connected before. It takes effort to build the bridges between the ideas, to view what has never been seen, and to think what has never been thought. And I truly believe that without the astronomical proportions of the connected thoughts from Darwin- many thoughts since would never have been thought, many bridges never built, And many sights never seen.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernism

Colorful Modern Outdoor Furniture

2008-03-30T20:15:00.001-07:00

Colorful Modern Outdoor Furniture is a good way to brighten up the sometimes drab outdoors. It's also a good way to not look Emo in front of your friends, who may accuse your obsession with furniture to be questionable.

	Offi Tiki Stools These plastic stools can just as easily be used as a side table. The most colorful and modern looking furniture of the bunch. Colors: Black, Blue, Green, Orange, Pink, White $59.99
	Fatboy Headdemock Hammock A hammock that you can wipe clean and wont give you rope burn. It also is enormous, like all the Fatboy products. Colors: Red, Sand, Turquoise, White, Taupe $399
	Botanist Flora Bench Colorful blue powder coating atop a wooden bench. Also available in many table variations. Colors: Black, Blue, Red, White $1599
	Vitra New Panton Chair Not as colorful as the Tiki Stools above, but certainly just as modern. The Pantom Chair is designed to stack within itself. Colors: Blue, Red, White, Yellow $245

Jack Johnson covers Imagine for Save Darfur

2008-03-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

This cover of John Lennon's "Imagine", was released on the Instant Karma CD. Instant Karma is a musical contribution to the Save Darfur effort which is a coalition of over 100 faith based groups that are working to gain awareness of the situation in Darfur. To learn more follow the links. To smile, listen to the lyrics.

Save Darfur
Instant Karma
Buy "Imagine" on iTunes

No one cares about shoe design.

2008-03-28T19:28:00.001-07:00

This title may seem counterintuitive coming from a fashion blog that is heavily based in street styles. But what I mean in saying that no one cares about shoe design is exactly that. No one does.

Shoes trends are made by the athletes and personalities supported by the companies that are in power in the industry. If a company chooses to push a product hard with popular athletes in the right demographic, it will be popular. Regardless of it's design.

The biggest glaring example that proves my point are the 27 different "Jordan" models released each year. No one cares what the Jordan model looks like. They care that it says Jordan. It's Branding. It's not Design.

I'd also like to say that the Nike Dunk is not the most stylish shoe ever. It is not fantastically designed. Nike pays for product placement, and puts a lot of money into the image of that shoe. That is why you like it. Not because of it's design. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying the Dunk is a bad shoe either. I just don't think it deserves the fan faire is receives on a daily basis all over the world.

To those that DO care about shoe design, I encourage you to check out companies like Tom's Shoes, Sanuk, and Creative Recreation- At least they are trying something different.

Creative Recreation Spring/Summer 2008

2008-03-28T12:41:00.001-07:00

Creative Recreation is one of my personal favorites in the Sneaker game. That's just my opinion though. Here are some facts why Creative Recreation makes the sneakers you should buy.

Creative Recreation makes sneakers you can wear with a suit, or sweats.
Creative Recreation Models are exclusive to Creative Recreation. No Bape knock offs.
Since Creative Recreation makes their own shoes their seasonal models are more in tune with the market- larger brands seasonal releases tend to lag.
Something for everyone- Brights, Dress, Patterns, Lo Tops, and Hi's

Mens- Spring/Summer

Womens- Spring/ Summer

Links:

Creative Recreation Footwear Website

Creative Recreation Sneakers at Karmaloop

6 Steps to Simplify Your Style Tomorrow!

2008-03-27T11:17:00.001-07:00

Photo by: Juan

I recently read a series of posts on the blog Skelliewag called "The Simple Web- A Philosophy for Getting What You Want". While this book was about Web Design, I feel the concepts within it are easily translated to the world of style.

The main point that I withdrew from the reading is that you should assign each piece of your design, or personal style in this case, a +1 or a -1 value. The concept here is that each piece of design is important to the final product, and that there is no zero value because each element has its own effect on the end result. It is important to note that sometimes a -1 value may be necessary, and example would be a name tag on a lanyard in a corporate environment. Regardless here are the steps I put myself through every morning.

Get dressed as you would normally.
Assign a +1 or -1 value to each article you are wearing. Do not assign a value of zero to anything, each element has an effect on your overall vibe.
Take off all unnecessary articles that you gave a value of -1.
Try to conceal all remaining -1 articles.
Write down any of the -1 items that you have to keep on, even on a situational basis. Think of Ways to Upgrade.
Go out and remember the compliments you get!

The most important step here is really number 5 to me. Style is forever changing, sometimes your +1 articles will quickly change into a -1. Also sometimes your old clothes will look good when mixed up with new upgrades you make to your wardrobe. Mix it up, you might be surprised what you pull out of your dresser.

Remember- Keep it simple, an overall value of zero isn't bad! Just don't let it get too busy and slip into the negatives!

About Profreshional

2008-03-27T08:18:00.001-07:00

Photo By: Cory

Much like the middle child, when a kid is turning into a man- he is often forgotten with many questions left unanswered. Profreshional is here to answer those questions.

Written by Andrew Flynn, a 21 year old from NY, the tips here come from the heart. Known for his relaxed nature, and interest in cultures all over the world Andrew provides insight into the following:

Style tips for the 17-25 Year Old Demographic
Trend Guides- From Street to Skate to Suits
Insightful thoughts about life and growing up
Relaxation and productivity tips
Music from new or unheard artists

The reason the knowledge here is different from any other place, is because Andrew is experiencing it in real time. Juggling the management of this blog with the launch of his own clothing company, college classes, and DJ gigs- Andrew lives what he writes.

Enjoy.