This article is going to be a bit different. It’s a recap of some of the events I attended that took me from Philly to NYC and back in the past couple of weeks. So if you’re interested in that you can continue reading. If not, I’ll catch you on the next one!
From attending my first ever blogger conference (part of PHL Bloggers), and making some amazing new blogger friends to being invited to my first ever press and buyer preview of Cobble & Hyde shoes at Men’s Style Pro HQ, the past handful of weeks has been quite eventful to say the least.
All in all, I went to a conference, a blogger ‘seminar,’ attended two launch parties, and four industry events. It was much more action packed than I’m used to. And as exhausting as it can be, I’m having the absolute time of my life meeting new people and connecting with the blogging and menswear communities.
LOKAL HOTEL LAUNCH PARTY – APRIL 1
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Lokal is a boutique hotel that combines the freedom and comfort of living in Philadelphia with the adventure of visiting.
Back in March, I was lucky enough to check out the hotel about a month before it was completed and even got to shoot there free of charge. They invited me out to their launch party and I stopped by to show my appreciation of course. You can never beat the free food and drinks at events like this.
COBBLE & HYDE PRESS & BUYER PREVIEW + MEETING MEN’S STYLE PRO – APRIL 13
I won’t say too much about this one because I wrote an entire article on it already. But I was pleasantly surprised when Sabir of Men’s Style Pro (MSP) directly reached out to me and extended an invite to an event at his HQ in Philly. It was a surreal experience and proof that the work I’m doing is making waves. The right people are noticing, and it feels good to know that the support is there. To me the people’s opinions that matter most are those who are in the arena, who’ve been doing it consistently for years, and Sabir is a veteran in this industry. Those are the opinions I care about, not some hater or troll on the internet.
There was a bit of foreshadowing going on when I was about to leave. Based on their interactions on each other’s blogs, I knew Sabir knows both Dan from Articles of Style and Brian from He Spoke Style (more on them later), so I asked him about them. And he had nothing, but great things to say about them both. Little did I know that both Dan and Brian had events coming up, events that I would find myself in attendance.
THE BLOG CONNECT CONFERENCE – APRIL 22-23
The Blog Connect Conference theme was Blog It Better and was hosted at Saxby’s HQ. I couldn’t have gone to a more appropriate conference since I’m in the thick of blogging for the past…nearly 9 months has it been? It blows my mind how fast the time has gone, but here I am 9 months in and still keeping with it. Whattya know?
I didn’t take any notes because who has time to go over notes anyway? But I payed close attention to the speakers who have years of experience in the blogging game. I made sure to approach other attendees and really wanted to connect with each person I spoke with. I learned that we all are in it for similar reasons and that it’s a tough road for everyone. But we’re in it because we believe in something. We all have our specific niches and are looking to grow, whether that’s growing our Instagram, e-mail list or getting into video or podcasting.
Ultimately it’s always about growth isn’t it? For a $100 ticket, I got immense value out of the conference and would definitely go again.
PHL BLOGGERS MEETUP – MAY 9
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What’s cool about the PHL Bloggers is that they host working sessions and quarterly events based around topics that help bloggers grow. The event I went to last week was on how to pitch brands. The 3 hours was well spent, learning about the process, what to say, how to price yourself, etc.
Towards the end it was time to engage with fellow bloggers that made it out. Again, free food and drinks, and of course talks about how we can work together and help each other. It feels great when you find a community of like-minded peeps, and PHL Bloggers in my experience so far, is doing a stellar job facilitating relationships and growing a strong community of inspired and hungry local bloggers. I’m excited to be a part of it.
SUITS & SNEAKERS EVENT – APRIL 26
Suits & Sneakers was an event hosted by Commonwealth Proper (CMMP) and Lapstone & Hammer (L&H). It was for CMMP to showcase their new collection of suits. The event took place at L&H, a sneakerhead’s dream. I found out about it from a stylist who I met at Sabir’s event a few weeks prior. We exchanged cards and she invited me out. Suits & Sneakers was bold, even for me, but I had to say yes knowing there would be free food and drinks.
You can scroll through the series above.
Over the past few years I haven’t worn sneakers too often. I own a few pairs, mostly in the Reebok Classic’s silhouette and a few low-top canvas sneakers. Maybe my younger self would be more appreciative of the whole suits and sneakers movement in menswear, but I’m leaning more classic these days—a casual kind of classic.
Regardless, I had a good time, but the night wasn’t over…there was another party going on a few blocks down over at Damari Savile.
DAMARI SAVILE LAUNCH PARTY – APRIL 26
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Hat tip to Sabir for the heads up here. Little did I know there would be a handful of current (and one former) Philadelphia Eagles at this event. But it makes sense since one of the co-founders and CEO of Damari Savile is All-Pro Safety, Malcolm Jenkins. The other founder is Jay Amin who I briefly met at the Cobble & Hyde press and buyer preview a few weeks earlier.
This event was FUN. One of the highlights was meeting Freddie Mitchell. Who? You know—well Philly guys know—Mr. 4th & 26. It’s funny that he posted this play the same night of the event after I told him that I still remember 4th & 26, and thanked him for keeping the hope alive that year. Coincidentally that night was April 26th. After talking to Freddie, I spotted Eagles Wide Receiver Jordan Matthews and Malcolm Jenkins himself, and quickly slid in for a selfie.
I’m a die hard Philadelphia Eagles fan if you don’t know, and I really miss the era when we made it to 4 straight NFC Championship games. This current era of Eagles football can learn a thing or two.
The drinks were classic, the food was bomb, and there was some of the best tasting rolled ice cream I’ve ever had. When I got home that night I thought to myself that it really feels like a special time for menswear in Philly, and I’m glad to be a part of it.
ARTICLES OF STYLE TAILORING & TEQUILA EVENT – MAY 5
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Man, I had fun at this Cinco De Mayo party at the Articles of Style (AoS) showroom in celebration of tailoring, tequila, and the NBA playoffs. They had posted the invite on their Instagram account and I RSPV’d as soon as I saw it. It was so worth the trip, even on the chronically late NJ Transit.
I talked with the AoS team about their new tailoring shop and what we can expect from them down the line. It looks like they are going to be involved in more than just custom suits. I also met a few people of the AoS community, other well-dressed men who are looking to start a style blog of their own. It’s always a pleasure meeting guys looking to get into the menswear blogging world. I just love to learn about their story, what they’re all about and what inspires them. All in all, great conversations over strong margaritas and spicy salsa.
I also got to speak with Dan Trepanier, the founder of AoS and someone that I’ve been following along with for years. The AoS editorial content on menswear is world-class and is always inspiring to read. Not only are the photographs National Geographic worthy, but the content is educational, informative and diverse.
We discussed the current state of menswear blogging and he told me his story about how the AoS tailoring shop came about. I was appreciative that he took the time to speak with all of the guests who made it out to their showroom for the event.
HE SPOKE STYLE + A. LANGE & SOHNE COCKTAIL EVENT – MAY 10
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ON THE FENCE, BUT SO GLAD I WENT
For more of my thoughts about the event, you can read the description in the series above.
I was on the fence with this event because I was just in NYC a few days earlier, and I was exhausted from the blogger event the night before, but I stuck to my mantra of saying “YES!” to any industry events, because you never know who you can meet and plus it’s a good way to work on one’s social skills which I’ve learned atrophy if you don’t use them, sort of like your muscles.
This was an exclusive cocktail event at the A. Lange & Söhne boutique on Madison Avenue in NYC. When I arrived at the store front, I was greeted by 3 well-dressed men in black and white attire. First I had to confirm that my name was on the list, and then they offered to take my bag and jacket, and the third had a tray of cocktails ready to go. I’m not used to this type of treatment, but I sure could get used to it. Manhattan it was. My first of three that night, oh boy.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOU’LL MEET
Like I said before, you never know who you’re going to meet if you put yourself out there. The fellow to the left of me in the photo above is Alex, the shopkeeper over at Goorin Bros. in the NYC location. It’s a hat brand that’s been around since 1895. I’ve had my eye on them for a while, but never considered it because I wasn’t sure if they fit my aesthetic, which I told Alex and he said that I’ll have to come visit the shop and try them on. So another visit to NYC is in the books for this Summer.
The man on my right in the image is Brian Sacawa, the founder and creative director of He Spoke Style (HSS). I’ve been an avid reader of Brian’s for several years. The editorial and video content over at HSS is top-notch. I didn’t think I’d ever meet the guy, but lo and behold, he came over to me and shook my hand. What a guy. We talked about the current state of menswear, transparency among influencers, and I made sure to let him know that he’s been an inspiration.
IN THE END
From a conference to blogger meetups, to launch parties and exclusive industry events, I feel like I’ve been to the moon and back. I love Philly, I love NYC and I’m glad I’m in a location that allows for me to access events like this.
I really didn’t know what to expect when meeting guys like Sabir of MSP, Dan of AoS and Brian of HSS, but they were a lot more friendly than I had imagined. For men who have achieved so much, they are so humble, which shouldn’t surprise me because I’ve gotten to know dozens of industry veterans at an event called StyleCon (now Menfluential), and they are all down to Earth as they come.
I feel being humble and staying grounded is so important in today’s world, especially the more successful one becomes. It’s something always worth striving for, which takes me full circle to the reason Gentleman Within exists.
Sure I talk a lot about style and being a gentleman. But the underlying message is that being a man of good style and being a gentleman is about so much more than dressing the part or being nice to a woman in hopes to date or marry her. The point is to live your life (I’m stealing a quote here) in such a way that if someone were to speak badly of you, no one would believe it.
I feel like I experienced a year’s worth of events these past few weeks. But I’m more excited now than ever before. To me this is only the beginning.
As always thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this (sorry I didn’t mean for it to be so long) recap of events. Catch you on the next one.
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