FashBlog.com

Being a gay African American man, the way that I dress says a lot about who I am (more like the way that I am feeling at that very moment). It would be a bit brazen for me to say that all African American gay men show their feelings by the color scarf that they are wearing, but the most I can tell if it is the right time to bring up the fact that his boyfriend is cheating on him by the type of sun glasses that he is rockin'. Though I can not predict the mood of all gay African American men, I do have an insight as to what looks good on them so here are my 2007 winter picks for stepping out in style.

I Take My Hat Off To You
There is nothing like a good old fashioned accessory to accentuate the perfect outfit. Bracelets, rings, belts and spectacles can all add just the right amount of spice to liven up a mundane outfit, but there is nothing like a hat to brighten your outlook. Though I have several dome topping sentiments, you will only need one mo-jah (Korean for hat) to get you through the winter months. For those cold days, I would suggest picking up a Distressed Canvas Casket from Urban Outfitters.

Wring Around The Neck
Another accessory that can change the look of a down home, ordinary outfit is a scarf. This, sometimes, simply piece of material has come a long way from being the non-descript piece of textile that has been just worn on or near the head, or around the neck for warmth, fashion, cleanliness, or religious purposes. Scarves have been known to be worn as such things as belts and straps for bags. I suggest the more traditional use of the material buy picking up a two toned, Reversible Camo Scarf from The Gap.

Pink Not Just For Girls
When we are newborns, it has been traditional here in the United States to clad a giggling baby girl in the color pink and wrap a bouncing baby boy in the color blue. As one gets older, these stereotypical hold some weight, but tend to fall by the waist side as we age. Good thing for men of color, pastels work well with the darker skin tone. Though heterosexual men may feel a bit effeminate if they wore a pink shirt, the homosexual male should fall right in line with doing so. For a top, I would suggest heading to your local Good Will or vintage clothing store and picking out a button down, short sleeved shirt circa 1975. The flared collar should do well by you.

Jeans for Gene
Here in the United States, it is very difficult to find well fitting jeans, especially if you live in some conservative mid-western city like Cincinnati, Ohio. The average over sized butt of a mid-western male coupled with a heterosexual male's low self-esteem both add to this fact. One way to get around this is to take a weekend vacation to some of the larger, more metropolitan cities such as Chicago, Austin, Los Angeles or dare I even say it, Columbus Ohio. If the size of your wallet does not warrant such an extravagant weekend trip try looking in the women's jeans for your next pair. I would suggest Meltin' Pot as the first place to look.

Shoes Off To You
Usually the last thing that you put on when you are getting ready to head out the door is the covering for your feet. Though these are the last thing that you put on, they are at the forefront of most peoples minds when it comes to accessorizing for the day's jaunt. According to Mens Health, all a man needs is four pairs of shoes. As most of us gay men already know, we could go through four pairs of shoes in just one day so this bit of advice is lost on the likes of us. However, one pair of shoes that you should always have is a pair of killer boots. I would suggest picking up a pair of Kenneth Cole's Men's Mix Match Boot.

Ships Ahoy
The age-old adage that we used for buying shoes should go for buying a winter over coat. But on a smaller scale. Instead of having 10 or 15 coats, you can get through the cold winter months with just a few coats. One coat looks sexy is an old sailor's pea coat.

Hopefully I have given you something to think about when dressing for the winter months or buying guide for that homo-sexual in your life.