Push-up bras win!

Over at StyleDash, Josh Loposer details the news that according to a survey by Debenham’s in the UK, the push-up bra is the #1 fashion invention. Ever. I, for one, welcome our foam, liquid, or mystically magical bust improvers, and I’m presuming that most Groomify readers would agree.

While we’re on the topic, I’d just like to point out that the featured photo on our front page was of this item from Victoria’s Secret, the Infinity Edge ™ bra. Forget “it lifts and separates!” - this thing “eliminates the line between you and your bra.” And who doesn’t like that?

Supposedly, cardigans making it big in the UK

Earlier this month, Telegraph fashion director Hilary Alexander pointed to a trend currently taking place (supposedly) across the pond, that of guys wearing cardigans in droves. As much as I can see this being a possibility given the sweater’s consistent popularity, the cardigan’s been a bit too ridiculed a member of wardrobes, no?

Let’s hope that this “trend,” if it is one, doesn’t make its way over to the U.S., I must say.

NPD Group sez tailored clothing is “in” for guys

I’m not sure when tailored clothing was ever “out,” especially when it comes to formalwear, but perhaps this means that people actually had their clothes tailored rather than going to an off-the-rack store that doesn’t do tailoring. Selectism discusses NPD’s report, pointing out the valuable tidbits that suit separates apparently sold 35% more than they did in 2006.

I know I’m told regularly that I need to get a little slack back from my jacket sleeves and I’m such a fan of cuffs that are alonger than they should be beyond my shoetops (I blame the flowy suits that Robert Downey, Jr. rocked in Only You, by the way), and once you actually go through with it you definitely feel much better about your clothes, I’ve always found. It’s just about finding a tailor that will give a little bit into what you you are looking for and combining that with good personal style.

Repurposing her old jewelry works for you, too, you know

Wondering if your first fiancee is looking for some fast cash and ditching your ring on the Internet? Maybe you should check out Ex-Boyfriend Jewelry. Think eBay + a trash-your-ex session, and what do you have? Frankly, probably an opportunity where a ton of dudes are going to buy some “barely used” high-end jewelry that the current possessor has no financial interest in what it really cost. Got your thinking caps on yet?

And yes, I’m perfectly aware that this probably wasn’t the purpose of the site in the first place, but just because DailyCandy distributed it to all the well-connected women out there doesn’t mean that you can’t use it to your advantage.

[via Awesome!]

Blatant chick commentary

Rehashing a joke that’s been around for… well, as long as James Bond has been around, woot’s Matthew Norman posted 12 Rejected Names for Bond Girls. Nice.

Looking for the beach of choice?

On Saturday, the Globe & Mail’s Bert Archer featured what he described as the “10 best beaches in the world.” They stretch from Mozambique to Turkey, Venice to Vancouver, and points all around. Smartly, there’s nothing that we Americans would really consider “domestic” on the list, so perhaps it’ll open some eyes beyond Florida, California, and sunny Hawaii - not that there’s anything wrong with those places, of course.

Tying a bow tie

Okay, say what you want about The Knot not catering to those of us who aren’t brides, but every so often you get lucky. Check out these directions on how to tie a bow tie. Hey, some guys might actually get one that isn’t a clip, right?

[Photo credit: Scott Liddell]

If the jacket fits…

Will over at A Suitable Wardrobe shares a few simple tips if you’re trying to evaluate whether or not your suit jackets fit properly. Sure, we all might like our sleeves too long, our collars at a certain part on our necks, or our buttons done one way, but that doesn’t mean it’s “proper” to dress that way, especially in a formal setting.

[Photo credit: sideshowmom @ morgueFile]

Orbitz making beach travel smarter

For those of us who’ve used a lot of the Web services such as Orbitz or Travelocity (picked at random, btw) to book travel, we’re aware that they do some things really really well (sorting, picking certain features, distances from locations, etc.), and don’t necessarily do everything the way you would love (Kayak might have some airlines that the others don’t, for instance). All that said, any improvement using their existing engines is a welcome one, which is why it’s pretty awesome to see Orbitz’s latest and greatest, My Ideal Beach.

My Ideal Beach combines a graphically appealing UI, asking just three important questions - what “type” of vacation do you want, e.g. family friendly, honeymoon; which four activities do you want to go on, e.g. shopping, gambling, scuba/snorkeling; and last, but most certainly not least, what type of hotel you’d want, ranging from private beaches to gay friendly to all inclusive. What I thought was pretty awesome about the results (they wash up on the beach, by the way), was that for choosing only one or two options at the last two questions, it did pretty well. The “sorting” isn’t quite the same as what you were used to from the traditional side of an Orbitz, but it does let you play with locations, ratings, and price. What it doesn’t do is let you “remove” options if you’ve already stayed there, don’t like the hotel chain, and so on, but it’s not the end of the world.

All that said, the way that My Ideal Beach differentiates itself is in its simplicity. After clicking on an option, it offers three “breakdown points,” I’ll call them. This feature alone makes it worth using for a beach vacation, even vs. the traditional Orbitz site.

• Why it’s a good match for you
• What’s missing
• Extras you might enjoy

As some of our significant others might say, it’s simple enough for any of us to use it and get a heads up on planning a honeymoon or beach-based getaway.

[Found via Gadling]

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

Who needs a limousine or something else of the lengthy, you-don’t-get-to-drive-it variety, when you could snag Ferrari’s 612 Scaglietti for the ride away from your house of worship? Check out some photos over at Gear Patrol or head on over to Ferrari World for more details, including an awesomely produced video on the 612.

If you’re not up for dropping the coin on it, then you could always buy the die cast for $19.99, you know.

Groom-to-be of ‘Runaway Bride’ gets married

The Huffington Post has the story about how John Mason, most well-known for being the jilted groom in the “runaway bride” story back in 2005, was married Saturday. Wishing him luck in his new marriage, and hopefully this’ll get him out of the news.

Decanters worth springing for

Cool Hunting brings it today with a killer batch of decanters from Riedel. While some people I know have been surprised to see the brand offering glassware at Target at prices a lot lower than expected, I have yet to see a Riedel product that I didn’t like, and these new decanters more than qualify.

Besides the fact that you’re going to want to buy these for yourself, keep in mind that you’ve probably registered for a reason. In the meanwhile, at least pick up one or two of these for the family or people in your wedding party.

Gnarls Barkley’s sophomore followup - out early!

You thought you were gonna have to wait for Gnarls Barkley’s sophomore album, , until April, huh? Well, you (along with the rest of us) thought wrong. Paste’s Nikki King has the deets, including a quote from a press release that came out this morning citing that the “timing was just right to go for it.”

Well, if you’re going to put it that way. Typically, album shifts are to avoid other things (usually albums that are going to destroy said album that week), but I’m guessing this was just a situation where they wanted to let it fly. Dunno. What we do know is that if it’s anything like, or better than, Danger Mouse & Cee-Lo’s debut that it’ll be rocking school dances (do they still have those?) across the globe.

Because you needed a reminder

The fine folks at The Knot are looking to get your bride to be to remind you, if you hadn’t already asked her to be said bride-to-be, about the items on this proposal checklist. Kind of ruins the surprise of it all, if you ask me, but I guess if you’re *really* trying to get someone to ask you to marry them, this is one way of doing it. A big, fat, obvious, blatant way to do it.

My favorite item on the list is “Share the News.” I mean, I’m super psyched to be engaged and getting married, and have told pretty much anyone I thought would care to know, but that should come with the additional “and make sure you have a REALLY detailed story on the responses that people had when you told them.” If your voice doesn’t change when you’re describing responses, especially those from people of the female persuasion, then you fail. Miserably.

Next time, I’ll tell you how I really feel.

Got a question for Groomify? Ask us here.

On BridesDecide

Okay, I think I’m with Lish Dorset’s initial thinking on BridesDecide.com, the recently created election-focused site for brides (by brides?), in that it seems kind of random. All that said, should those about to participate in some nuptials be pondering how the upcoming presidential election might have a bearing on their future? Probably.

Then again, I’m filing it with the list of stuff that as a guy, I just don’t really have a big interest in finding out about - you know, like Hillary & Bill Clinton’s wedding.

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