Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Man of the Month - Nicholas Kreider
We are proud to announce Nicholas Kreider as the first Evostyle Man of the Month. Nick is a good friend of ours who we joke is the second most interesting man in the world behind the
dos equis man. In all reality there are very few people like Nick in this world who actually donate their time and even his vacation to help others. Nick recently returned from Haiti which 6 months after the earthquake is just the same as 6 days after. Hopefully reading Nick's recap of his nearly 2 weeks in Haiti will inspire you to do something more than just donate money.
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I have spent a fair amount of time trying to help others that are in need. I have worked domestically as well as abroad in places like Sri Lanka post tsunami, Kenya, India, and more. It was my profession a few years ago, however with two business degrees and the desire to start my own non-profit one day, I decided to shift my career to the for profit sector where I could earn more and subsequently save more to help others the way I wanted to. Once in a while I’ll get the urge to jump on a plane and seek out the latest disaster, because truth be told I’ve never felt more alive than when I’m helping someone else in their darkest of times. So when I was watching the news on January 12th and the damage was being reported of the 7.0 earthquake in Haiti that urge rushed back to me like never before. I walked into my boss’s office and told her that I would be going to Haiti as soon as I can.
I understand the recovery process and its phases, so I wasn’t demanding that I leave right away. I knew the process was going to be slow and the need for experienced people would be longstanding. I also recognized that in my current situation I would have to take some vacation time in order to be satisfied with my contributions down there. Considering these factors I took my time and booked a flight for the end of April.
In Haiti, I lived in an IDP (internally displaced person) camp on a golf courses in Petionville, a very well-to-do area of Haiti. The golf course was a natural place to set up camp for several reasons. Firstly, it is where almost 65,000 survivors migrated right after the earthquake because there was nothing there that could fall on them. Secondly, the primary location was situated on a hillside so a base camp could easily be established in an elevated position. The camp was first managed by the UN, but soon after Sean Penn and his organization,
J/P HRO, took the lead. We all slept in tents, including Sean, and we all had our responsibilities. Living in an IDP camp is the same as living in a village, it’s a community and anything can happen at any time. In terms of aid, while I was there the camp provided medical and psychological assistance, food, shelter, education and security- everything that was needed to set a strong foundation to rebuild.
On my own I was able to break away from the camp to explore the city - this took some skill as we were locked down on several ocassions due to kidnappings, shootings or disease outbreaks. I worked with Jon Rose, a professional surfer who, with his father, started a water purification organization – Waves For Water. We spent a day distributing water filtration systems that were so easy to use and honestly curing common illnesses caused by unsafe drinking water. I also stumbled onto an orphanage that was in desperate need of help. Within four days we were able to get them approximately $1,000 in food, mosquito nets for every child, and about $2,000 in basic medical supplies. The rest of my time was spent relocating families, food or shelter distributions, and working on odd projects throughout the Petionville Camp.
The experience was one I needed and one that I was familiar with…….. However, what I wasn’t prepared for was the amount of devastation this earthquake brought Haiti. As I mentioned before I’ve been in different parts of the world post-disaster and when you are in the middle of it, devastation looks, smells and feels the same. A dead child, a fatherless son, a destroyed house or a disrupted culture are the same no matter what caused the destruction or where. The difference for Haiti is the magnitude.
The area that this earthquake severely affected was populated by 3.5 million people, that is more than a third of Haiti’s population. The destruction is so widespread that it will take decades to rebuild. True casualty counts are unknown, many report a figure of 230,000 people dead, but I’ve heard numbers on the ground closer to 500,000. I think the most profound concept to understand is something I realized when seeing majority of the government buildings crumbled. And that is the earthquake occurred just before 5pm on a Tuesday, if you were motivated, educated enough to work you were most likely under a roof. The few universities in Haiti were having classes at this time and many of them crumbled. My point is that a large portion of the thought-leaders in this country are no longer alive. This concept along with the sheer devastation on both the infrastructure and people, the crony government, the uncertainty of the hurricane season and the lack of international attention all help to paint a horrific future for Haiti. With that said, the people of Haiti are resilient and there are several organizations and communities around the world that continue to support the rebuilding efforts. One can only hope that we, as an international community, do not miss the opportunity to build Haiti back better.
For more information you can email Nick at
Monday, June 21, 2010
Tales from the Tailor shop…Keith P
A good friend, and customer of Evostyle, Keith recently received his first 2 Evostyle suits and we asked for his feedback. Take note what he mentions about the flat front pants, too many guys are scared to wear them because of how the pockets flair out. When your pants are custom made instead of fitted for a "model" with a 32 inch waist that flaring problem is eliminated. Here is Keith's email back to us;
"I wanted to thank Evostyle for the two new suits I got to sport the last two weekends. Having two weddings in two weekends in different countries and different "styles", I was able to test out the versatility of these suits, a light grey one and a really sharp black suit with black pinstripes. Heck, we even liked the grey suit so much, we wore it again the following weekend for a rehearsal dinner.
The suits fit great, although quite different than the fit of suit I am used to. I used to pick up a suit (or two) at somewhere like Jos. A. Bank because of the apparent deal I was getting. Those suits, although fine for everyday comfort and wear, do not wear as well as your custom fit suits. Having what I call a "soccer players" build, I used to prefer pleated pants to fit more comfortably in the seat. Trying on flat front pants at those suit stores used to create pockets that flared out fairly unsightly. Therefore, I stuck with the pleated pants. However, having pants properly measured and sized from your easy to use fitting guide avoids those problems and gives the pants a great look. The more tailored crotch of the pants also makes one a little less soccer player and a little more cross country.
In summary, the suits look great, fit great, and this was clearly noticed by a number of people that gave me compliments the last two weekends. Thanks for the information and for evolving my style.
Cheers,
KP "
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Before and After
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Spring is here
For all of you guys out there not sure what to wear this spring, this would be a great choice!
It is a simple outfit that will work not only in the spring but right through the summer as well. The light blue checkered shirt is offset by the brown jacket and ivory pants pull it all together.
I will post more from the
The Sartorialist when he posts pictures of guys but feel free to check him out yourself. His site is a great way to see what everyday people are wearing around the world.
Jonathan
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Even Top Gear notices bad clothing
Its got to be a pretty bad wardrobe choice if the show
Top Gear notices it! The other two gentleman look perfectly appropriate in proper blazers, please take note!
Thursday, February 04, 2010
evostyle love
Thanks to
Marmar pr for hooking us up in the February issue of 944 magazine!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Groom kick-back!
I received this email from Jeff about his experience working with us, thanks!
"I always felt that grooms get cornered into choosing tuxes for a formal wedding. I personally hate wearing a rented tux. The extra material that they use for rental suits and tuxedos are uncomfortable and they never fit just right. Plus, we knew there was a strong possibility that our summer afternoon wedding in Colorado had the chance for some warm temperatures. There is nothing worse than wearing a heavy black, cheap tuxedo in the blazing heat. My brother-in-law used custom suits in his wedding and it looked great, plus I got to keep a fantastic suit to use afterwards. Renting a tux runs around $150-$200 and then you have to give everything back. Most of my groomsmen will wear a suit at least once every couple months so in addition to making our wedding look better, it made financial sense to buy suits for the event.
Jonathan was great in helping us choose the style, cut and color that would be appropriate for our particular wedding. The bridesmaids' dresses were a bright magenta color so he made sure we went with a gray that would really make the color pop, but also fit in with the natural surroundings of the Rocky Mountains. Melissa obviously looked fantastic, but it isn't as common to recieve so many compliments on how great us guys looked in our suits. We wanted to do something different and Evolution of Style made that process seamless...even with some of my groomsmen (with a variety of builds) spread across the globe. And we got a great deal on the suits too!"
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Jay and Cathy tie the knot!
Earlier this year I was referred to Jay from another groom I had outfitted. In April Jay, Cathy, and I started working out the details of the suits they were interested in wearing for the wedding day. Through many emails and phone calls Jay and I decided on a suit that would fit perfectly into the colors of their wedding which was being held in Sonoma, CA.
As you can see from the pictures Jay looked great in his suit, and Cathy, well she looks amazing!
I am always honored when couples trust me to be a part of their wedding and its always feels great to see the finished product. Jay and Cathy thank you so much for putting your trust in me and I wish you the best of luck in the rest of your lives together.
Jonathan
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Customer Testimonial - Andy Z.
Received this email from my customer Andy this morning who received his suit midweek at the conference he was working. Stayed tuned as Andy is going to send me a before and after picture soon. Also, I am looking into doing womens suits...ladies are you interested?
"Suit got TONS of attention this week, one lady in particular will probably be contacting you as soon as I send her the info. She was a little crazy as far as how much she knew about how suits are tailored (i.e. actually sewn) and was impressed with the fabric and the quality/crispness of the lapels and the way the collar was sewn in the back. She could tell it was hand sewn and thought the attention to detail (button holes) were impressive. So - people are impresed!
P.s. If you're doing women's suits Hannah will want some."
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Tales from the Tailor shop…
Jonathan -
I wanted to relay my experience to you at Nordstrom's the other night, as it just shows how ridiculous 'department' store 'suit experts' can be. So at Nordstrom's I was trying to get some extra measurements taken for my next EOS suit (they refused, saying I could 'blame' them for an ill fitting suit they didn't make). I was telling the sales guy about my friend who makes custom suits, he was talking me up on sizing and fits of his off the rack suits (trying to sell me one, I didn't mention your prices!). He says: "what are you, like a 36" or 38" waist?" and followed up with "and like a 42 or 44 regular jacket?". As you may remember I'm a 33"-34", and my EOS suit is a 40 short. I respond: "Actually I wear a 40 short, and really like it - it fits snugly and looks great". He literally does not believe me! I assure him I know what I'm saying and he says "I have to see this, here try this on" and grabs a Hugo Boss 40 short off the rack! I oblige, and shake the arms a little after getting it on because they're almost touching the base of my thumb (no cuff showing). Take a quick look in the mirror and it looks great. This is where it got nuts (if it wasn't already) - He explains to me how the jacket is too short. He says "see how short it is?" (bottom was hitting my hand mid-palm), and "if you bend over a little your backside will show - you NEVER want to show your backside in a suit". After my arm shake he states "yah that sleeve is a little short, I'd let that down" and then finishes with "see I definitely think you should be in a 42 regular". I was flat-out shocked, here I am in Nordstrom's (Nordstrom's!) supposedly the cream of the crop of department stores and this guy is trying to make me look like a box! Ironically, the one suit I had during college was a 42 regular (I'm the same size today) and is buried in my closet somewhere. I'll have to do some before and after's for your website. Oh, of note this guy was wearing a nice grey 'box suit' with a boring white shirt and solid tie, rocking the balding head and goatee, probably in his early 40s - this is who is going to 'know' how to make me look good in a suit!?! I guess I'm lucky that you've showed me the way and I won't look like him in 15 years.
-Andy
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Custom Made vs Off the Rack
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words and this one from the
Sartorialist show's how much a well tailored jacket makes a difference on a man. I want to point out a couple of things that hopefully will show you why it is worth it to spend a little more on something that is made for you. In the end the you will get more wear out of it because it will make you feel more confident.
Notice the sleeves of the jacket, the man on the left sleeves are cut for his arm size so it looks slimming. Where as the man on the right has a lot of extra room in his arm so it makes the sleeve look baggy.
Next is the length of the sleeve, which has been very hard for me to convey to some of my clients. As you can see the man on the right has a sleeve length that has become the norm here in states because most stores carry regular length jackets who are made for men who are 6'0-6'2. But the average height of men is 5'8 and most department stores carry a full size range in regular size. So to get a jacket that "fits" a salesman will usually have to sell a regular to get their commission. The man on the left has a correct sleeve length and it helps him look cleaner, sharper, and slimmer.
The last point is about the jacket length. This also has to do with the problem of department stores carrying mostly regular length jackets. Just by looking at where the jacket bottom is compared to the men's hands you can see the length difference. The shorter than normal jacket helps you look taller (Who doesn't want to look taller!) and slimmer.
I am going to start posting some before and after pictures from my clients to help demonstrate the difference a well fitting suit really makes. As always feel free to contact me with any questions or to get assistance in purchasing a great evostyle custom made suit or sport coat at
Monday, November 23, 2009
How to get free drinks…
Last Sunday night at the Pura Vida fashion show in Manhattan Beach a funny story emerged about how wearing a suit changes a persons perception of you.
I encouraged all of my clients that were attending the event to wear their evostyle suits since it would be a rare chance for a lot of us to dress up in the southbay. Dan Marthaler of Manhattan Beach, CA decided to take part and wore his suit to the party. He not only wore the suit, but totally went all out with it and looked awesome.
As he was about to order a beer from the bartender, the head of security introduces himself and asks to buy Dan a beer. A little confused but never one to turn down a free beverage Dan agreed. The head of security starts telling Dan how he owns his own company and if he ever needs security at an event to give him a call.
The light above Dan's head goes off and he realizes he is not in his normal flip flops, shorts, and a hoodie, but he is wearing a suit!
The security guy thinks he owns the bar! Dan, as any fine gentlemen would, do accepts the beer and tells him he will let him know if he will need security for the upcoming ugly sweater party.
So the moral of the story guys...wear a suit, get free drinks.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
No garment travel bag? No problem!
Don't have a garment travel bag or do you just want to travel with one suitcase?
Follow the 6 easy instructions below to ensure your suit will look its best when you arrive at your destination.
Contact EOS
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