*I Promise This is a Men's Fashion Blog*

As I sit here on my perfect chair, cuddled up in my newly knitted afghan, listening to Schnauzer Jack breath hard, I almost feel bad for rushing away from all the comforts of this house but the state of this blog proves that I must do so. I've put up some posts I like a lot this Christmas, but the fact is that stylish young men don't really reside in Griffin. I plan to refocus the blog when I return to Athens and really concentrate on men's fashion. Tonight, however, I've broken my rule of taking all pictures on my camera and done some Falking (Facebook stalking) of friends from Athens who have dressed to impress over the holidays.

Hunter Parrish



I'm not going to lie, I was kind of excited when my parent's packed me, Corley, and our friend Laing up to head to see "It's Complicated" on Saturday. It was a truly excellent movie. Nancy Meyers stayed true to her style- placing the characters in a beautiful home and furnishing them with great clothes. I enjoyed watching the character "Luke", played by Hunter Parrish, for his style. Whoever picked out this guys clothing really mastered the "I look great, but don't give a shit" look.

Paul Beck



The famous (or infamous?) Paul Beck might just be to blame for these freakishly warm winter days. I was incredibly jealous when I saw Paul's new Burberry trench coat. I've wanted one forEVER but Paul really pulls it off better than I could ever hope to. The carmel-colored chords are also pretty sweet..I actually bought some similar ones at Urban Outfitters yesterday. The tweed jacket and pale-pink button down definitely work. Did you tie your own bow tie Paul?! I'm definitely going to need some lessons when we get back to Athens.

McStylish

It's not everyday that you find a girl like Mary Catherine Matheny. MC, a life-long resident of Athens and recent graduate of the University of Georgia, currently works at Heery's Clothes Closet in downtown Athens and has done great things to further Heery's presence on the internet. She ALWAYS looks good. MC's unique style and fire-cracker personality come together to make one attractive girl and a great friend. MC's hobbies include photography, drinking wine, and watching gossip girl with the hottest stud in Athens.

The Boot(iful) Ann Trammell

Ann. Trammell. Newton. three names combined to make one stylish girl. Ann Trammell, my carpool buddy and former circus ringmaster, and has been a style icon since she resided in her stylish mothers womb. Ann is always dressed-to-impress and pulls of looks that not all girls are able to pull off. I love Ann and her family and these pictures were taken at their yearly Christmas party.
Clothing: Boots by Old Gringo, Jeans by J. Brand, Bow from Anthropology, Blouse and Jacket by J. Crew, and watch by Toy Watch.

Lauren Moore is featured in a picture with Ann Trammell. Lauren was essentially the style icon of Spalding High. She always looks good regardless of what she is doing. You might catch Lauren kayaking the nearest river, climbing the biggest rocks, or zipping around Auburn or Griffin in her Edward Cullen-style Volvo.
Clothing: Didn't get to ask Lauren (email me if you see this)

I am the stud chilling on the couch.
Clothing: Shoes by Johnson and Murphy, Jeans by Gap, Sweater by Ralph Lauren, Shirt by Ralph Lauren, Watch by Hamilton.

Emily and Jeff

A group of 6 of us went down to Forsyth for the great Caroline Wicker's 21st birthday yesterday! Forsyth is a great little town about 10 miles north of Macon. After lunch, Emily and I decided to wonder around and snap some pictures. We found a great thrift store. Emily was the reason I brought out the camera cause she is just so darn stylish.

www.myspace.com/emilyhearnmusic ("Such is Love" is my favorite)
Emily: Sweater from All Together Unique Clothing and Accessories in Griffin, Georgia, all else is from a collection of thrift stores.

Jeff: Button-down from Ralph Lauren, Sweater from J. Crew, "British Trousers" from Urban Outfitters, Belt from Bealls, and Sun Glasses are Mosley Tribes from an opticians office in Dallas, and, of course, the jacket is Barbour, and the Boots are something I inherited from my Granddads best friend (The tie was tied by Katie Gamble and was only done in the spirit of the holidays)

Christmas Break and Spring Semester Will Mark My Full Dedication to the Blog

Dear Fashionistas,
I want to apologize by my failure to post more stuff in about 2 weeks! School and life has been super busy, but I am headed home for Christmas break next week and I have a great plan for a photoessay. It will be an attempt to reach the core of my hometown. Griffin.

Bests,
Jeff Hopkins

The Athenian and Olympian

Today I had the great pleasure of shooting two of my very stylish friends-Sarah Turner and Will Ficklen. Sarah and I went to high school, played tennis, and now go to UGA together. Will is a good pal of mine from high school and is currently getting smart off at Wake Forest. They are both super stylish and fun to photograph. Here are some of the shots:




Sarah Turner
Age: 18
Occupation: Student at UGA and part-time model.
Inspiration: Sienna Miller, Nichole Richie, Rachel Bilson
Favorite Stores: Urban Outfitters, thrift stores, Rag-O-Rama, and American Apparel
Fun Fact: Peace Sign necklace is something she found at Zaxby's.

Will Ficklen
Age: 18
Occupation: Student at Wake Forest University and full-time fly guy.
Inspiration: Will Scheff of Okkervil River
Favorite Stores: Urban Outfitters and PacSun
Fun Fact: Will's favorite number was 42. Before Coldplay.

Mr. Darcy

I will always argue that the A&E adaptation of this classic novel with Colin Firth trumps the Kiera Knightly version of recent years. The recent version, however, does make me wish I lived in the day of Austen. Everything about the style looks good on tall lanky men, like me. If only I could find my Elizabeth Bennett (kidding..kidding).

Sid Mashburn and Bacchanalia

Steve McQueen, Ernest Hemingway, Paul Newman, and Sid Mashburn-names synonymous with style and for good reason. Sid Mashburn was the Senior Vice President of Design for Lands' End from 1999 through 2006. After leaving Lands' End, Mashburn opened up a store bearing his own name and his personal style. In asking why he left Wisconsin, Sid replied "I never wear socks. It as getting a little cold up there." In fact, none of the employees at Mashburn wore socks and I have since decided not to wear socks. They are that cool. Here's a picture of the Mashburn staff.



Mashburn carries great brands from Barbour, Levis, Filson Luggage, and even Sid's own brand including shirts and great Monk Strap shoes.



www.sidmashburn.com

Then we had dinner at Bacchanalia-best meal of my life. I pretty much want to go ahead and get an apartment on Howell Mill. I recommend the prixe fix menu. You get a delicious meal with plenty of "complimentary" treats between courses.

Oh Atlanta, I Hear You Calling.. I'm Coming Back to You One Fine Day

I've always loved Atlanta. Out of all the cities I've visited in the states, I haven't found a city as convenient, navigable, and plain out fun as Atlanta. Luckily, Athens is a mere 45 minute drive from this great city. Yesterday I wandered off to this city to meet my parents at Bacchanalia for dinner later that night. I, however, had an agenda of my own before meeting up with them.

My first stop was Drew Lewis in Midtown:



A single word to describe my visit to Drew Lewis, disappointing. I had heard a lot of hype about this store from people in Athens, but to be honest I just don't get it. Midtown is a great place to be, but the staff wasn't fun or energetic, that is until "Empire State of Mind" came on and they all slowly started mouthing the words to themselves and rocking to the beat. Jay-Z really brings people together. The person who does the buying, I am guessing Drew Lewis himself, has an obvious obsession with Gant. I went to finally see the Band of Outsiders line that they advertise on their website. All I found was a single pair of shoes.

I then traveled to Lenox where I went to two of my favorite chain stores, Club Monaco and Calvin Klein-both experiences were excellent as usual.
I found this great roll-up shirt on sale at Calvin Klein:



I also got some staunton wide whale cotton cords.

I'll fill you in about the perfection that is Sid Mashburn and Bacchanalia tomorrow.

Life-Style

For those of you that know me, you know that I like clothes. To me, however, style is a way of life. Fashion is going to to be the focus of this blog, but in this first post I wanted to highlight three things that epitomize my personal style.

1. The Barbour Jacket (www.barbour.com)



Now over 100 years old, Barbour is a family owned company who have developed a brand truly fit to the country lifestyle. Lucky for us, Barbour is no longer wandering the English moors. It is almost impossible to make myself wear any of my other jackets. My favorite style is the Beaufort. I have it in sage and can match it well with Khakis or Jeans. Its great for that casual trip to Earthfare or a trip to see "Coco: Avant Chanel" at Cine (www.athenscine.com).

2. Lexus LX 470



Lexus is synonymous for quality and dependability. Though I'm an advocate for walking or biking whenever possible, if your going to drive-this is what you should be in.

3. Cedar-Shake Houses



Need I say more?