Finely Dressed

A man's outfit says a lot about him. Just like us ladies, a man gets judged by what he is wearing, and what he is wearing reflects directly on how he holds and presents himself to others and how he feels about himself, too. A man in a fine suit feels better all-around than some man in a leisure tracksuit about 95% of the time, I would wager.

I grew up with a lot of well-dressed men in my family. My dad has an amazing sense of style and does business casual and formal to a tee. One uncle is a lawyer and knows how to wear a mean suit and tie. My brother takes all of that and puts a 20-something spin on it, adding a funky hat or fun patterned dress socks. So it's no real wonder that I ended up with a S.O. that also likes to look and dress nice :)

Why hello, handsome, yes, you may buy me a drink.

Tonight, he and I ventured up the road to visit one of the best-known spots for well-dressed men: Jos. A. Bank Clothiers. "Joe Bank," as my father refers to it, knows how to outfit a man for any occasion. Whether dressed down with a polo top or dressed up in a tux, a man (or his lady) can find just the right combination, from shoes to pants to shirts, blazers and ties.

As much as you want to pick out everything in the store right away, though, the absolute key to shopping at Jos. A. Bank is to wait for a sale. They, like any fine clothing company, have everyday customers that stop by for one of their famous Traveler shirts or to pick out a new pair of slacks for full price. But the savvy (aka Betty) customers know to hold out for a few days or weeks, because it's only a matter of time until they bust out the big guns. Enter the Jos. A. Bank "Buy 1 Get 2" sale. And it's going on right. this. very. moment.

This gorg camel hair blazer?

Buy one, get two more free. Yes, three $450 blazers, for the price of one. OR, buy one of the blazers, and tag on a pair of slacks and a button-up shirt. FREE.

This two-button wool suit, normally $595 and available in five different fabrics?

Yep, two more added to your order for the cost of just the one. Not looking for three suits? Pick up two of these lambswool crewneck sweaters to add on, instead. For F-R-E-E. The only fine print? They must be of regular price, anything of equal or lesser value. 

To not wait for this sale is silly, reckless and downright wasteful. Why some men can't wait a few weeks for a new pair of slacks is probably the same as the women who ignore the outlet mall prices to pick up the latest Coach bag at full price. Silly, silly, silly. This Betty does not approve of such people. I'd much rather get three times that for the same price! It seems like such simple math.

So if you (or for the gals, your man) are looking for some wardrobe updates, be sure to swing by your local Joe Bank by tomorrow, or check out the sales online if you already know your sizing and fabric and styles of choice.

Still looking for that perfect gift? Try out their special stocking stuffer section, where items like this fab Tartan print tie on the right are available for a cool $70. PLUS TWO MORE ITEMS FOR FREE.

Ok yes, I think I have made my point :)

Men: What's the best clothing buy you've ever gotten, either at Jos. A. Banks or somewhere else?

Women: What item from the Joe Bank store would you love to see your man wearing this holiday season?

For the Boys, Part III - The Finale

As a wrap-up to my For the Men mini-series, there were some loose ends to tie up beyond the bar and dating scene. Like, what are their go-to places for clothes? What about where they get their hair cut? Seemingly simple things for us ladies to consider, but for guys, the options are much more limited. So, here we go!

"The All-Atlanta Post By the Men, For the Men." Part III

Men's Style

Unless a guy is a hardcore fan of the local $5 barber or the no-name dry cleaner, he likely has some favorite places around town he frequents for all of his personal style needs. Here were a few options that stood out:

Image via American Haircuts

• Buckhead Alterations
• Oxxo - this new-age Dry Cleaner in Buckhead offers 24-hour pickup service using a provided member card and a machine that brings your clothes to the window! 
• American Haircuts - with two locations in the metro area, this place is a top-runner for many of the men surveyed. On top of the haircut, they do a hot shave if you make an appointment. Biggest win? They'll give you free liquor while you're there. 
• Rooster's on Power's Ferry - similar perks to American, plus shoe shines, waxes and manicures for the guys if they are daring :)
• No one store in particular, but in general, the consignment shops in Little Five Points have great options for inexpensive, retro-style ties and blazers.

Did you know there are at least five high-end menswear retailers and tailors in the immediate Northside area? I definitely did not, but checking out this post from Wedding Soiree makes me want to be a man for a day and stop by to shop. How swank!

Other Fun Things To Do as a Guy Around Town 

Other than hitting the pool, the golf course or the local brewery, what do guys like to do on the weekends here in Atlanta?

Image via German Bierfest

• Record shops - the ones in Little Five Points are perfect for the the music buffs out there
• Monster Jam - remember to wear your camo and redneck attire!
• Oysterfest
• Braves Opening Day
• Dunwoody Beer Festival
• Restaurant Weeks - Buckhead, Midtown and Downtown
• Peachtree Road Race - run or walk it, or pick a spot on Peachtree St. to drink, eat and cheer on the racers for the morning
• Germain Bierfest
• College football games - catch a night game at Georgia Tech on September 1
• Falcons and Hawks games - especially any playoff games
• Vans Warped Tour - throwback concert, anyone?

Last Thoughts From the Men and Me

The guys that helped me out on this "survey" suggested it would be interesting to extend this whole thing back to the girls to get the same insights. While it'd be fun for us gals to get some new recommendations of favorite places to go and events to attend, the men out there are particularly interested in knowing what WE want, too! How have our dating and social scenes changed within the 5-10 years out of college? What things do we look for while cruising the town with our girls? 

Great idea, guys! I can't wait to bring this back this summer as a Girls Edition for your reading pleasure :)

Many, many thanks to the participants of my informal survey! I appreciate your help and feedback. You guys rock!

For the Boys, Part II

Back for Part II of this little mini-series just for the dude Betties out there. Yes, I went there.

"The All-Atlanta Post By the Men, For the Men." Part II

Up first for today...

Question #3: Go-to Places a Guy Can Take a Girl on a Date

With all the places around town where you can wine and dine, sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming to find a good spot to cozy up with a girl on one of those early dates. You know the ones - where you are asking a lot of questions about each other, you are trying not to be awkward or get food stuck in your teeth, and you pick up the tab and maybe even get a kiss in the end.

Well, guys, what are your favorite spots? Here were the top performers. The main objective when selecting a restaurant? Shoot for places that are not overly noisy, and where the menu is simple and not highly unique. Ordering food should not be difficult or too tough to find and make a selection!

• South City Kitchen
• Buckhead Bottle Bar
• Varasano's
• Verde
• Any Buckhead Life or Here to Serve group restaurant like Aja or Goldfish
• The Big Ketch
• Cafe Intermezzo - extra points if you know someone who works there. Winner line: "Excuse me for a second. I'm going to go talk to the bartender." *returns with free drinks*
• Dad's Garage or Whole World for some laughs
• Turner Field or the Gwinnett Braves - the 9 innings gives you plenty of time to chat and still be entertained in case the date turns sour.
• Midtown Cinema and The Fox for less mainstream screenings and showings.

Don't see your favorite? Add it to the list by leaving a comment below!


Question #4: Best Spots to Meet the Ladiessss

Yes, I typed it that way in my "survey." For the record, I also told them Moondogs does not count :)

The bottom line here? No matter their age, the boys still go on the hunt for the gals at the bar. Ladies, get your jeans and cute tops on, because they are definitely scoping you out!

• Buckhead Bottle Bar
• The Ivy
• Whiskey Park / Whiskey Blue
• St. Regis Bar
• Red Door
• Dive Bar
• Kramer's
• Five Paces
• Churchill's

I don't know about you, but I am glad to see that the list of bars has graduated to the "young professionals" scene away from East Andrews and Hole in the Wall. I love most of these spots! 

We are down to just one more "For the Boys" post to complete this mini-series! Thanks again to the men who participated in my completely non-statistical sampling! :)

This One's For the Boys

Since the first day I ever posted on this fun little blog of mine, I have had some pretty dedicated male readers. More often than not, actually, I find out about who they are when we run into each other in real life. It has been a frequent topic of conversation at parties and gatherings, and I often get emails or IM's about how they feel about one post or another of mine. I love it! These guys are hilarious and make me feel very loved as a "writer."

Given that I do have so many men out there clicking through to see what Buckhead Betty is up to, I thought I might provide some content that is especially for them. Consider this fair warning -- there will be no talk of cosmetics or shoes or hairstyles in this post. This will be 100% male-dominated.

You men are probably thinking "Thank goodness! Finally!" Sorry it took me so long to get around to content just for you! :)

As part of some pre-blogging research and doing my due-diligence, I checked in with some of my favorite men around town to get some dirt. I asked questions, made notes and wanted to share my findings with the rest of you today. So, without further ado, I give you...

"The All-Atlanta Post By the Men, For the Men." Part I

Koo Koo Room image source

Question #1: Favorite Places for Guys' Night Out

Right off the bat, my first "question" supplied me with all sorts of great ideas. Here are the most popular results and their thoughts for favorite guys-only hangouts around town, and particularly in the Buckhead area:

• Hudson Grille
• Taco Mac
• STATS
• Koo Koo Room - located under Flip Flops, this one's a hidden gem [apparently they have a particularly hot bartender?] 
• Tavern 99
• The Ivy - despite "fire-hazard levels of crowded"
• Park Tavern - definitely when it rains (they pour!) and for sunny days on their patio
• Tin Lizzy's
• Churchill's - especially for the darts and billiards!

I couldn't do this post, though, without also using some direct quotes from my brother, Colin. He has such a humor-filled way of writing. I am not going to change a single thing he typed so that you can get the full effect:

The Five Spot (in Little Five Points) - Local bands play here a lot, shows to which I have been a few times. Usually good if you're like, "I'd like to see a band for as cheap as possible, and drink for as cheap as possible, then maybe hang out and talk music with the band afterwards." That is a very specific example. Generalize that idea at will. [C, no generalizing here! That's a perfect example.]

Ri Ra - You know the drill on Ri Ra. Touts itself as an Irish bar. There is an Irish guy who plays on some nights aside from Friday/Saturday, and he is very good. It's a lot more laid back. The McSorely's on tap and the various scotches/Irish Whiskeys make this a slam dunk. On Friday/Saturday, if you're in love with listening to covers of Dexy's Midnight Runners and Bryan Adams, then you are in luck. 

Thanks Colin, those examples are great! 

Taps at your table at STATS. Image source here.

Question #2: Best Spot for Drinks

I figured I'd ask specifically about great spots for drinks, since, well, you know, guys might be looking for things beyond beer and liquor on a "guys' night out" :) Not surprisingly, a handful of options rose to the top of the stack out of all the guys I asked...

• Prohibition is a ranking top fav if you like your drinks fancy and stiff [My post about this place is literally one of my top-referring posts on Google, ever. It ranks #7 in Google results, which is hilarious because I didn't even give away the exclusive password/phone number. Which I totally have, by the way. Only if you are nice.]
• East Andrews, especially the back bar (ask for Danny) 
• Whiskey Park in the W Midtown Hotel
• Twain's - great drinks plus jazz music and billiards
• Dark Horse
• Brickstore Pub

Image source here.

Other men out there - which bars and restaurants are missing from this list? 

That's not all - I have more to come in Part II! Many, many thanks to the men who gave input on this mini-series. You all are oh so fab :) XOXO

Manly Attire

I have posted about the Bearings email newsletter and website before, but I felt another post was needed, as their most recent Atlanta and Southeast email editions have me lusting all over a clothes layout.

For men. 

Observe:

I die. Um ... any man I know is welcome to show up wearing this garb :) :)

Get Your Bearings

Men, today is YOUR day on Buckhead Betty. Because what arrived in my mailbox this morning but a helpful little tutorial on how men can tie your winter scarf!

Note to the ladies: This guide is totally gender-neutral, so tie and hitch away!

This lovely picture guide comes straight from Bearings, A Southern Lifestyle Guide for Men. Kudos to my friend Ben for the heads up on this goodie for my inbox!

Bearings is both a website and an email newsletter, and has three different editions depending on where you live:

I subscribe to the website feed for Atlanta, but so far am really enjoying the bi-monthly newsletters, because they always touch on things I have never heard of or places that are brand-new to the area. They are all about off the beaten path meets society life.

In today's edition, for example, I learned about a new (to me, at least) BBQ joint on the Westside called Heirloom Market, a magazine dedicated to bourbon and a Southern musical duo called The Civil Wars that sounds akin to Nickel Creek. Earlier this month, I got the download on new-ish restaurant Local Three before devouring comprehensive lists on Southern ski slopes and moonshine distilleries, of all things. Love it!

If you are looking for some good-ol' Southern lifestyle tips, Bearings might be for you. And don't worry; since they only deliver twice per month, they won't overwhelm your inbox with their swankiness :)