LTCL Magazine » Armani Alejandro

City Guide: New York City

Armani Alejandro — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 04:41:04 +0000

Heart New York

I’m back ! (Finally, right?) And this time I’m here to teach you a little about what to do when you’re faced with a night to go out in New York City. What do you do? Where do you go? What do you wear? Don’t worry, I’ve spent every summer, Thanksgiving, and most winter breaks in NYC since I was like 6.

So here we go, let’s imagine you have one night to go out in New York, you’re a college student, so you have really no more than about $400, right? You’re poor, it’s your first time in the biggest city in the country, and you’re looking to go HAM…so let’s do it. You’re going to want to do it big, and I’ll show you how.

FRIDAY: CLUB NIGHT

It’s New York. Get drunk. Look nice. Gentlemen, you’re going to want to wear a blazer over a nice dress shirt. Tie optional. Dark jeans, or slacks, and either high fashion sneakers or dress shoes. Look. F*cking. Good. At a club you are competing with bored 34-year-old doctors who are looking to bang the same 22-year-old models/model wannabes that you are. They have more money than you, period. They will have bottle service, you will not. They can pay for a girl’s $14 drinks all night. You cannot. So what do you do? Look better. You HAVE to stand out. Of course you have to get loose and drunk, so I suggest starting out somewhere cheaper (You’re still in college, still on a budget). That means Brooklyn.
FIRST BAR: “The Levee” Berry Street, Williamsburg
You didn’t think you’d start at a heavy metal bar did you? Yeah neither did I, but the Levee is awesome. Inside and outside seating and sweet drink specials such as the “Frat Boy” – a Bud Light and a shot of Jagermeister for 5 bucks. That’s college town prices in the home of Jay-Z. Get like…six or seven of those. You’re going to want to sit outside, drink your “Frat Boys” and use whatever girls are in your group to start planning how to meet a club promoter, because without one, there’s no way in hell you’re getting in.

DEALING WITH CLUB PROMOTERS/THE CLUB:

Girls, this doesn’t apply to you, because if you’re attractive, you don’t have to deal with things like “lines” or “prices.” Put on your tightest dress, throw on a ton of makeup and you will not pay or wait for shit all night. That’s New York.
Gentlemen, your night might suck (if you are super set on going clubbing) unless you are with a group of girls to get you into a club. The nicer places in Manhattan like Kiss & Fly, Ten June, Gansevoort, etc. are like $50 to get into in the first place.

Club promoters get paid a certain amount per girl they get to go to the club, and a lesser amount per guy. Gentlemen, they don’t like you, and they will let you know that. Also, they will lie to you about prices. $400 bottle service as quoted in the elevator up to the top floor becomes “Oh, we don’t do bottle service for less than $1,500” later. These are 30 year old who should have real jobs, but are instead paid to party. If you think these guys or the 35 year old guy in cargo shorts who is emceeing Spring Break bikini contests have a great life, they don’t. They are sad, sad people. Unless you have a lot of money (read: A LOT. A LOT. A LOT. of money), clubbing is not really a viable choice while you are a male and in college.
Drinks are $14-18 and you have to wait an hour in line to get into this bull shit. Oh, and bottle service is $1,000-2,500, not $150 that you can easily split among friends.
So in the end…unless you know someone, or have way more money than the average or even above average college student, you have to do something else. But you REALLY want to go clubbing? Yeah, I got you dawg.

THE CLUB-LIKE BAR, AND MY FAVORITE PLACE IN NEW YORK

There’s this magical place on the corner of 14th street and 9th Avenue that has a club atmosphere, club-hot girls, club music…and it’s a bar. It’s called Gaslight Lounge. You can visit it’s website at www.gaslightnyc.com. But basically this is THE place. There are two main rooms, a bar room and more a club room. Well drinks are $9 – aka half the price of the nearby clubs. For some reason, there’s always a hot chick dancing near the bar. I’m almost certain she gets paid to dance like she’s f’d up on molly. It’s pretty great. Bartenders are pretty much only female, and all smoking hot. It’s a young crowd, and great for college students.

Then you get to the back room. SH*T SHOW. There’s another bar, and a dance floor with a separate DJ playing club music. This is where the magic happens. The first time I ever came here, I walked up to a random girl sitting on one of the edge couches, talked to her for 10 minutes, and was later making out with what turned out to be a 35 year old (I was 19) in the middle of the dance floor. She at one point told me she “wanted to make all of my Mrs. Robinson dreams come true.” Gaslight bitches.
Second time, my buddies and I screamed really loud at some asses. No seriously. Girls consented for us to scream really loud at their ass. That’s a thing that happened. Gaslight bitches.
Third time, a friend and I did the Harlem shake with a huge group of incredibly amused black guys (white boys dancing is admittedly hilarious), led a group in the back room in dancing “Gangnam Style.” And then met some random chicks and did our thing. Seriously though, Gaslight b*tches…
So that’s how you do it big. Any questions, tweet me write it in the comment section below. For more absurdity, valuable insight, and manly tips, follow me @Armani_Jandro. Leave me some article suggestions.

Img Source: Here

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Men’s Spring Looks: Work and Play

Armani Alejandro — Fri, 11 May 2012 07:13:55 +0000

It’s Spring turning into summer, so you’re going to want to wear bright colors (because now you can). I look good in blue, so I choose bright blues (turquoise and teal and aqua, etc) and pair them with dark colors (charcoal) to tone them down. My favorite look is a mix of these three colors: Bright Blue+Dark Gray+Cognac Brown. Those three colors complement each other amazingly.

Why it works is because the suit or vest covers enough of the bright blue that it doesn’t look too rash. Having a dark tie helps, especially one like my Burberry, because it draws attention away from the shirt. A pocket square, at least to me, should match your shirt. Sometimes, I like to match to both shirt and tie.

Now, I’m not saying anyone needs to go drop $200-300 on a suit or vest or spend $150 for a tie (I’m personally enamored with Burberry because their brand consists of an original pattern that is world-recognizable), but if you want to the best dressed guy in the room (as I always am), your friend group (ditto), your job (probably), or your university (Also a legit possibility, I bet I’d make the Final 4 in a bracket), follow these steps!

OUTFIT 1: WORK ATTIRE

Sorry this picture is Instagrammed-out (this is what happens when it’s taken with a girl’s iPhone)

SUIT: Express – Heather Gray – Jacket $228, Pants $98 – Specific: NOT AVAILABLE (Spring 2010)

SIMILAR HERE

SHIRT: Express – “Ribbon Turquoise” – $69 (Spring 2012)

FIND IT: here

TIE: Express – Skinny Silk Tie – “Alloy” – $39 (Spring 2011-ongoing)

FIND IT: Express

Belt: Banana Republic – Brown (“Cognac”) Leather Belt – $50 – Specific: NOT AVAILABLE (Fall 2010)

SIMILAR: Banana Republic

Shoes: (You can’t see them, but…) Ecc0 Helsinki Slip On in “Rust” – $139

FIND THEM: Eccousa

Pocket Square: Thomas Pink – “Boathouse Check” in Turquoise/Navy – $25 – Specific: NOT AVAILABLE (Spring 2011)

SIMILAR: In Thomas Pink at least, doesn’t exist, so..

REPLACE WITH: The Tie Bar

Tie Bar: The Tie Bar – Silver 1 Inch with Ridges – $15

FIND IT: The Tie Bar

Glasses (You can’t see them, obviously): Prada – PR16MV – $230-250 (Frames)

FIND THEM: FramesDirect

OUTFIT 2: BAR ATTIRE

VEST/PANTS: Express – Charcoal Plaid – $98 – Pants – $98 – Specific: NOT AVAILABLE (Spring 2010)

SIMILAR: Express

(The Pants should be close on the website, but I suggest you buy them together in-store so they perfectly match…while these pants or vest aren’t plaid, this is the closest I can find to mine)

SHIRT: Express – Fitted 1 MX (Some sort of Turquoise/Aqua) – $60 – Specific: NOT AVAILABLE (Fall 2010)

SIMILAR: Express

TIE: Burberry – Tonal Check in Charcoal – $145-165 (Classic)

FIND IT: Nordstrom

Pocket Square: The Tie Bar – White with Mystic Blue Border – $8

FIND IT: The Tie Bar

Tie Bar: The Tie Bar – Silver 1 Inch with Ridges – $15

FIND IT: The Tie Bar

Drink and Friend’s Hand: NOT AVAILABLE

Thanks for Reading,

Armani

[signoff]

The post Men’s Spring Looks: Work and Play appeared first on LTCL Magazine.

Artist You NEED to Know About: The Weeknd

Armani Alejandro — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:30:37 +0000

Get your ears tickled by the new beats The Weeknd brings to the table.

Abel Tesyafe.
XO.
The Weeknd. (Pronounced like “Weakened”)

He goes by many names, has a loyal following, critical acclaim, and yet – people barely know who he is.

The worst part? Those who are his fans (me included) know almost nothing about him.

So here’s what I can tell you:

His real name is Abel Tesyafe. He’s only 22, and he recorded his critically acclaimed House of Balloons mixtape when he was 20.

He is part of Drake’s crew, and the moniker OVOXO is a collection of Drake (OVO – October’s Very Own (Drake’s birthday is in October)) and The Weeknd (XO = Ecstacy and Oxycontin).

He has 3 mixtapes that will be soon released as The Trilogy, they are:

House of Balloons
Thursday
Echoes of Silence

If I had to rank them, I would go HoB, EoS, Thursday. And Thursday isn’t close to the quality of the other 2.

So why should you listen to him? Well because Complex Magazine listed House of Balloons as the best album of 2011…OVER WATCH THE THRONE and of course beat out Drake’s new album.

What’s his music like? It’s R&B about sex and drugs. But better. The beats and ambience really give you a feel of his life and partying. Most of the action is set in his “2 floor loft in the middle of city,” which he references a lot. You can download his free mixtapes on his website (which crashed like an hour after he released Echoes of Silence).

So without further ado, here are my TOP 20 WEEKND SONGS that you need. NOW…

1. Wicked Games (HoB)

This is the song that put him on the map (Drake tweeted about it) and is in my opinion his best song. It’s about leaving his girlfriend for a drug-fueled relationship with another girl. It really shows off his vocal range and is one of my favorite songs of 2011.

Click to listen

2. D.D (Dirty Diana) (EoS)

This is his cover of Michael Jackson’s song about a groupie. Abel absolutely KILLS IT. He sounds almost just like Mike. This is my sing-along song of 2012.

Click to listen

3. Next (EoS)

Another amazing song about turning down a stripper who only wants him because he is soon to be famous. Has the epic sequences:

“Girl I might be 21/But I got memories to prove/that I’ve seen your kind before/and I know/Exactly what you want”

and

“Who you callin soft? Don’t make me smoke up all your kush/don’t make pop your cheap ass pills/I used to do this for the thrills”

Click to listen

4. The Morning (HoB)

Another party/after party song about sex and mixing a lot of cocaine and pills. Catchy rap chorus –

“All that money/The money is the motive…girl put in work/girl girl put in work”

Click to listen

5. The Knowing (HoB)

This is the only song that has an official video to it, which happens to be amazing. It’s like an 8 minute long short film. The song is about finding out that his girlfriend cheated on him, so he cheats on her back and moves on. Song is great for 2 reasons, 1.

“So I’ma let youuuu/taste her/I ain’t washin my sins/I ain’t washin my sins”

and the way he hits the high notes on the lines

“And these tongues don’t/twist/like/they did/before.” Amazing voice.

Click to listen

6. House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls (HoB)

This song is about doing cocaine on glass tables in his loft and samples late 70’s/early 80’s punk band Souxie Sioux and the Banshees. Great ambience

Click to listen

7. The Party and the After Party (HoB)

Drugs. Sex. Good Song. See a trend?

Click to listen

8. Loft Music (HoB)

Sex. Drugs. Good Song. The Morning/Glass Table Girls/The Party…/Loft Music are all very similar. The reason I really like House of Balloons as an album is because you can listen to it straight through without skipping around. There isn’t a lot of change in theme.

Click to listen

9. High For This (HoB)

This is the first Weeknd song I ever heard and I HATED it. I almost didn’t give a chance because of it…BUT it grew on me and now I sing it around all day. It was also featured in Entourage.

Click to listen

10. Montreal (EoS)

This song is basically about what it’s like dealing with women and fame. He throws some french in the background and really shows off his singing.

Click to listen

11. Same Old Song (EoS)

Great song about dealing with the same shit over and over with the same girl. Also can be interpreted as him running through girls and drugs with it all kind of running together.

Click to listen

12. Coming Down (HoB)

Fits well with the rest of HoB, and is about craving his ex-girl only when he is coming down from drugs.

Click to listen

13. The Zone (Thursday)

Best part of this one is at the end with a great verse from Drake.

Click to listen

14. What You Need (HoB)

“He’s what you want/I’m what you need.”

Yep.

Click to listen

15. XO/The Host (EoS)

Really cool beat with this one. I could probably rate this one higher, but honestly all 20 of these songs are amazing. 9-15 could possibly interchangeable. They’re seriously all good. To further explain – I like listening to music that I can sing along to. I almost know NO lyrics to songs 4-20 on this list and I still love listening to the Weeknd. Dude has an amazing way to tap into emotions and create a picture. I’m serious when I tell you that you can picture yourself high in a dingy loft after listening to this. It also makes you wonder where he finds all of these fucked up girls that blow coke and pills and are still alive? Anyway…

Click to listen

16. The Fall (EoS)

“I ain’t scared of the fall.” Another great one.

Click to listen

17. Initiation (EoS)

He changes the pitch of his voice with a computer throughout this whole song, which I thought was dumb at first, but after a while you get used to it. The song is about “initiating” his girl into his group of friends through heavy drug use. The pitch change helps control mood.

Click to listen

18. Outside (EoS)

Don’t get me wrong, just because this song is #18 on the list doesn’t mean I don’t love it. Another great sex and drugs song. This one has some like xylophone shit going on with lyrics like “Baby when I’m finished you won’t wanna go outside.” Seriously another great song.

Click to listen

19. Echoes of Silence (EoS)

This one is much slower than the rest of his songs, and is the last song on Echoes.

Click to listen

20. Rolling Stone (Thursday)

There’s some Spanish background going in the background while he compares himself to a rolling stone. Like Bob Dylan on 45 different pills.

Click to listen

So there’s your Weeknd Top 20. Right now he’s touring, but finding tickets is tough. Fan following is starting to get huge and cult-like. He was also at Coachella and threw down a 52 minute set, which was inconsistent due to the fact that he’s barely ever performed live.

So as Biggie once said, “If you don’t know, now you know.”

[signoff]

The post Artist You NEED to Know About: The Weeknd appeared first on LTCL Magazine.

Men’s Fashion: Building a Killer Outfit

Armani Alejandro — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:31:58 +0000

Gentlemen, Look Like a Million Bucks For Less

So you’re into high fashion. Great! Me too! But you’re in college and you would like to have sushi at least once a month. Oh and it would be nice to have cable and shit right? Gotta watch Mad Men.

You are in luck because I’m here to show you how the get incredible menswear you see in GQ…except for about a third of the price or less. I’m out there online shopping for you, checking out all the stuff you can get for cheap, so here’s 5 categories that you can get for a reasonable price that would normally cost A LOT of money.

SUNGLASSES
POLOS
SUITING
TIES
SHOES

Those are the five categories we’re working with. It’ll set up like this: The item I want but can’t afford – what I would get or already got instead. Lehgo from the top.

SUNGLASSES

Nordstrom: TOM FORD AVIATORS $360

Brad Pitt and his Tom Fords

VS.

Banana Republic

Banana Republic “Murphy” Aviators, $98

– Savings: $262

Although the Tom Ford aviators have blue lenses and are INCREDIBLE, you’re getting virtually the same shape and a fairly similar lens for a lot cheaper. I have a pair of BR sunglasses; they’re light and they fit great.

If $98 is still too much for the wallet. LTCL is also sponsored by HighclassSunglasses.com. Designer replicas for under $20, check it out.

POLOS

I’ve been wanting a BanLon Polo for a long time. It’s a polo with tipped collar and arms, and possibly pocket. The perfect BanLon is made by Gant, a company I’ll highlight in an article later. Unfortunately Gant is very expensive. Also, you probably won’t find this polo anywhere, like, ever. I’ve looked, trust me.

GANT BANLON POLO, $125, also very rare

VS.

Banana Republic Mad Men Collection “Framed” Polo, $50

Savings: $75

We’re heading back to BR for this polo I bought TODAY. You’ll notice that you can’t find it online because it’s so popular. Give your local BR a call, and ask them to order it from another store. Around the midwest there are 4 total in my size (medium). Good luck. Also if you think it’s too hard to find, I’ll tell you this: the Gant polo from above doesn’t even exist at the flagship store on 5th Avenue, I was there recently and checked with their manager.

The look you’re going for with a tipped polo is (as GQ said, and I FULLY agree with) “Sinatra on the Golf Course,” it takes a brave guy to pull it off.

SUITING

With this category I’m going to compare two full stores. Ermenegildo Zegna vs. Express.

I LOVE heather gray suits. I have one, and it looks great. This is the perfect heather gray suit from Zegna:

ZEGNA HEATHER GRAY SUIT, $3,195

That suit is more expensive than one of my classes.

VS.

Express Glenplaid Suit, $298 for the Jacket,

$98 for the Pants

Savings: $2,799

Congratulations, you just saved the value of a shitty car. Express copies their suit cuts from companies like Zegna, so when you think you want to be that 21 year old in an Armani suit, just go to Express, you’ll look almost the same.

TIES

So you’ve decided you want a Burberry tie. You want to swag at the bars, and hey I don’t blame you. Burberry is awesome and I have two of their ties. But that doesn’t mean they’re not ridiculously expensive.

BURBERRY TIE, $145

VS.

Banana Republic Mad Men Collection Plaid Tie, $60

Savings: $85

Heading back to BR for another Mad Men collection tie. They’ve got plenty of colors for ties that are similar to the Burberry tie. So until you can afford to drop a Benjie and a half on a tie, go with BR for a similar one.

SHOES

You’ve decided to get a nice, flashy pair of wingtip oxfords to go with that gray suit. Prada’s got great dress shoes right? Well, technically yes, they’re amazing, but if you want to eat again this semester, don’t do it.

PRADA LACE-UP WING TIP, $730

VS.

Ecco “Atlanta” Wing Tip Oxfords, $170

Savings: $560

So $170 is still really expensive for dress shoes, but I’ve had great experience with Ecco. I have two pairs of dress shoes, one’s 2 years old, the other is 1 year old , and they both look like new. Dress shoes are supposed to last 4-6 years, so break that up into an investment. 4 years of Ecco, $42.50/year, 5 years, $34/year, 6 years, 28.33/year, vs. the very similar Pradas – $182.50/year for 4 years. That’s more than the Atlantas are total. Go with Ecco and eat.

All for now folks. If you got any fashion questions, comment below or tweet me @Armani_Jandro, and I’ll do my best to answer them or create a post just for you.

[signoff]

The post Men’s Fashion: Building a Killer Outfit appeared first on LTCL Magazine.

Ode to Being Weird

Armani Alejandro — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:43:17 +0000

You’re weird. And it’s okay.

I’m weird, and it’s okay too. But I didn’t get that until the last few years. While being different may not be better when you’re younger (read: kids are cruel), it IS actually a huge turn-on for most people after maturity hits (for some of you, that will never happen, sad, I know).

I’m writing this as a tribute to one of my favorite people currently alive – Lady GaGa, but moreso as a tribute to one of my favorite dead musicians – Amy Winehouse. Being a guy, from a small town in the middle of the country, it’s really not okay to be a big fan of a female singer. If you are, you’re gay! Now clearly that’s not the case much of the time (unless 1 of every 4-5 of your Facebook statuses is something along the lines of “It’s Britney Bitch!” in which case, you are probably gay, and in that same case, probably openly so, so there’s really no ambiguity going on there.) But guys are supposed to like rock, or rap, or country or whatever. But listening to a tatted-up chick with too much eyeliner and a beehive? Not kosher. (She’s Jewish, see what I did there?).

Liking Lady GaGa as a guy is weird too. You’re not supposed to like her music because it’s too simple. And she’s weird! And she wears meat dresses! And she’s a gay icon! Here’s the thing: it’s fucking okay to like/appreciate/be a fan of somebody as long as there really is a good reason.

Why am I such a huge Lady GaGa fan? Because I legitimately believe that she is a musical genius. I think that she is better at what she does (pop music, fashion) than everyone else in that category. And I love winning and winners, and Lady GaGa is one. Not only is she weird, she’s WEIRDER THAN EVERYONE ELSE! Even Nicki Minaj (who rips GaGa’s style so hard). I could go on for hours analyzing Lady GaGa’s songs, videos, and outfits, but I’ll save that for another day. All I can say is that much of her incredible fashion applies to men too: especially her choices in sunglasses.

Before Lady GaGa, very few people knew about Versace 676 Sunglasses. Now, they are one of the most sought after high-fashion products. Finding real ones range from $750-$1000 because not only are they vintage 1990’s Versace, but because of GaGa’s fashion influence.

GaGa takes sunglasses to the next level…would you rather have this:

Kanye’s plastic shutter shades…or this:

Or VIDEO sunglasses that are created out of 2 iPod screens. POP MUSIC WILL NEVER BE LOW BROW.

And my personal favorite:

Those are sunglasses made out of a CHAIN LINK FUCKING FENCE. Is it weird? Yeah! Is it one of the most creative things in recent years? Absolutely.

Here’s why I’m talking about GaGa. In a PopEater article, Lady GaGa said that Amy Winehouse is the reason that “weird girls” have a place in pop music.

“I will always have a deep love for Amy Winehouse…because of Amy, very strange-looking girls like me go to prom with very good-looking guys…

She is a different kind of woman, I don’t believe what I do is very digestible, and somehow Amy Winehouse has the flu for pop music, and everybody got a little bit of the flu, and got over it and fell in love with Amy Winehouse, and now when the flu comes along, it’s not unbearable.”

What she’s saying is that what Lady GaGa does is not supposed to be expected to be publicly consumed, but because of Amy, who also was not expected to be publicly consumed, being different is completely okay. There really is ZERO coincidence that these two are my favorite female musicians.

So now, let’s get to why I love Amy Winehouse so much. I obviously first heard “Rehab,” which coincidentally enough, I didn’t like, and still don’t even have the original version on my iPod (I have the remix with the Jay-Z verse). But one thing about Rehab – she looked DAMN good in that video.

Please don’t even try to tell me you’re not attracted to her in this picture/still from the video. She is very sexy here.

So, due to my little crush on Amy, I researched some more of her music and came upon some of her other hits like “You Know I’m No Good” and “Back to Black.” Here’s what sets her apart – what she’s describing is HER LIFE, and it’s very, very real, and so unrealistic for a normal person, that it’s hard to fathom. That’s what drew me in. I will never be part of a miserable drug relationship, so I have no idea what one is like. BUT, movies, and songs about those are the most interesting because we’re lead to believe by media and people who do drugs, that drugs release your inner-most feelings and your first and original impulses. Maybe that’s why Amy’s music feels so raw and honest.

Many of her songs are about her on and off again boyfriend and eventually husband Blake Fielder-Civil.

Dude looks pretty good here with the slim cut suit and the skinny tie…I presume he’s at least half-sober at this point, or at least only on alcohol and/or weed.

Here’s Blake in his normal non-award show element:

That, my friends, is a fucking junkie and essentially the man indirectly responsible for the death of one of the most talented and influential musicians of our generation.

Fielder-Civil told a British tabloid that he was the one who introduced her to crack-cocaine and heroin. What a fucking winner.

While it’s pretty standard for musicians to have mental issues (in Winehouse’s case: manic-depression), drug issues (again, with Amy it was originally marijuana, followed by cocaine, followed by crack and heroine thanks to Blake) and drinking issues (a reported roughly .40 BAC led to Amy’s death of alcohol poisoning), her’s were taken to excess by a drug-fueled relationship that included domestic violence (mostly she was violent toward him, and refuted claims that he hit her…but come on, does that guy look like he’s not capable of hitting a woman?)

There is a huge difference in her music when she met Blake, I submit a couple examples:

In her 2003 album Frank two of my favorite songs of hers, “Stronger Than Me” and “Fuck Me Pumps” show intelligent social criticism. Keep in mind, she was 19 to 20 when these songs were written.

“Stronger Than Me” is about her dating a guy 7 years her senior, who can’t keep his shit together in the relationship. She is mature and emotional when needed, while he is needy and acts like the woman of the relationship (according to her). There are no drugs involved, just her writing a song about the virtues of a good relationship versus one that has roles switched.

“Fuck Me Pumps” is her criticism of trashy 30 year old London women with fake breasts, real Gucci purses, and their hopeless merry-go-round of one night stands with footballers, even though they want to act like they don’t want that life. The song is actually hilarious, which is tough to do if you’re Eminem, let alone a 20 year old female singer.

In 2006, her album Frank dealt with issues of drugs, alcohol, and relationships, mainly her relationship with Blake. The best songs from that album (You Know I’m No Good, Back to Black, Rehab, Love is a Losing Game, Tears Dry on Their Own) are very dark.

“You Know I’m No Good” is about cheating on her current boyfriend, who she knows is bad for her, but she’s dependent on him. She feels guilty for cheating on him, but also guilty for being with him in the first place. The last verse is incredibly thematic…

Sweet reunion, Jamaica and Spain,
We’re like how we were again,
I’m in the tub, you on the seat,
Lick your lips as I soak my feet,
Then you notice little carpet burn,
My stomach drops and my guts churn,
You shrug and it’s the worst,
Who truly stuck the knife in first

First, she’s excited to be with him. Next, she is worried that he finds out she cheated by seeing her carpet burn, when she shrugs, she feels betrayed because she wants him to care that she cheated on him to fulfill her guilt.

“Back to Black” is supposedly about her reaction to Blake’s on-and-off again relationship with his ex (who he cheated on with Amy).

“Tears Dry on Their Own” is an amazing song. In one of the lyrics, Amy reflects that her self-image may be shattered due to being the one that Blake cheated with.

Even if I stop wanting you/A perspective pushes through

I’ll be some next man’s OTHER woman soon

She truly was a one of a kind talent ruined by having poor taste in men. So here’s to Amy Winehouse, a misguided soul, and one of my favorite musicians of all-time.

The post Ode to Being Weird appeared first on LTCL Magazine.

5 Hotties You Should Know About

Armani Alejandro — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:31:57 +0000

Under the Radar Sexy

Everybody knows Gisele, Kate Upton, Megan Fox, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Miranda Kerr, etc. They’re all hot. We all know. So here’s my list of 5 hot semi to more than semi-celebs that not a lot of people generally consider.

5. Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts is Julia Roberts’ niece and a famous actress. She was also Nancy Drew, and has kind of a Disney image. If people recognize her, they see her as a pretty girl, but not much more. I agreed with everyone until I saw her in the Cults music video for “Go Outside” where she plays a girl that comes out of the TV to be Dave Franco’s girlfriend for one night (Dave Franco is James Franco’s brother). Emma absolutely nails sexy 60’s style with a great mix of French coast fashion. By the way, I love nautical stripes on girls. Very sexy.

That’s her before she comes out of the TV…

Very different, and non-traditionally sexy. Good enough for the #5 spot.

4. Nasim Pedrad

She’s a cast regular on SNL, so she’s hilarious, and she’s Iranian, so she’s got great skin complexion. I’m just going to let her pics speak for themselves. Very underrated beauty.

This is her in a Black Swan sketch from the Jim Carrey episode (which was hilarious, check out this sketch and “Worst of Soul Train,” which is one my favorite SNL sketches in recent years).

She’s just absolutely adorable, and #4 on this list.

3. Mette Lindberg

She’s the lead singer of Asteroids Galaxy Tour (best known as the band from the Heineken commercial “The Entrance,” again, one of my favorite recent commericals. She’s Danish and has a Kate Moss thing going on.

Very quirky, and purely sexy.

Also an incredibly talented singer, and #3 on this list.

2. Hannah Simone

She plays Zooey Deschanel’s model best friend CeCe in New Girl. Enough said.

She’s essentially a hotter, less annoying version of Kim Kardashian. And she has bangs. I love bangs.

And so we get to #1…

1. GENEVIEVE MORTON

While Kate Upton may have overshadowed her in the 2012 SI Swimsuit issue, Genevieve is my favorite. She’s been in GQ, Esquire and now SI, but she’s still not a major runway model. She’s sure to be picked up soon and as a sexy SI Rookie, definitely could be SI cover girl soon. I wouldn’t bet against her.

I know what you’re saying (other than nothing because you’re speechless), but she’s got an interesting look to her. First she’s South African, so her features are a little different than what you would see in say a “California girl.” She can rock bangs or no bangs, AND has absolutely stunning blue eyes. I’ll stop talking now and show you more reasons why Genevieve is #1 on my list.

FHM Magazine shoot. Lucky bastards.

Alright guys, that’s my Top 5. Feel free to comment whether you agree or disagree. Put together your own Top 5 list of sexy women that people may not know about!

Armani out.

The post 5 Hotties You Should Know About appeared first on LTCL Magazine.

Armani Alejandro’s Top 5 Bar Drinks

Armani Alejandro — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:25:27 +0000

Expand your cocktail pallet. Have personality and order something other than Bud Light or Vodka Sprite next time. I’v assembled a list of some of my personal favorites. Here are simple cocktails I recommend you order on your next drink escapades.

Photo Credit: slowcocktails.squarespace.com

1. Mojito

What’s in it: Crushed mint, white rum, lime juice, simple syrup (water+sugar)

Why: Because it’s fucking delicious. It tastes so good you have no idea it’s getting you drunk. Also, it’s like a beach party anywhere you go. Lastly, it’s delicious.

Photo Credit: www.realsimple.com

2. Vodka Cranberry

What’s in it: …Vodka and Cranberry. I prefer Ketel One or Russian Standard, hence my usual order of “Ketel & Cran”

Why: I like vodka, and cranberry juice gives a decent flavor, but it keeps it strong so you can taste the smoothness (good) or the shittiness (bad) of the vodka.

Photo Credit: www.taringa.net

3. Vodka Tonic

What’s in it: Vodka and Tonic Water

Why: It’s manly, classic, and probably the simplest drink you can order. The bartender will love you for making the job so easy on him.

Photo Credit: www.hgtv.com

4. Screwdriver

What’s in it: Vodka and Orange Juice

Why: Good morning, here’s some orange juice, BAM and vodka. Wake up and get Mad Men on your day.

Photo Credit: www.bluekitchen.net

5. Whiskey and Water

What’s in it: …at this point I think you get it

Why: Because if you don’t drink this at least occasionally, just turn over your penis now. Favorite cheap whiskey to go with this: Old Overholt.

Photo Credit: blogs.waggeneredstrom.com

Honorable Mention:

Caipirinha – Brasilian mojito minus the mint. It’s delicious.

The post Armani Alejandro’s Top 5 Bar Drinks appeared first on LTCL Magazine.

Occupy the Hot Girl

Armani Alejandro — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:02:52 +0000

#OccupytheHotGirl

Yes, the title is really damn suggestive, but hear me out because this could be one of the most ingenious things I’ve heard all year…and I didn’t come up with it. Props to my roommate.

For the hermits who don’t keep up with the world, #OccupyWallStreet is a protest against rich people and wall street with the main basis saying that the richest 1% is screwing over the 99%. All that you need to remember here is those numbers – especially 99%.

So recently I was stressing about a very attractive girl and whether or not she wants to be more than friends, my roommate stepped in and said

“If you get turned down by her, or any hot girl, you would just be one of the 99% of guys that can’t get with that girl. It’s really nothing to be ashamed of.”

Well he’s 100% right. So here’s my call to the guys, all the guys, the good looking guys, the ugly guys, the virgins, fuckin all of you. AT LEAST TRY. Because if you get turned down by a hot girl, you know who else is gonna get turned down by that hot girl? Every other guy at the bar except for the one douchebag she’s been obsessing over since freshman year. He’s the 1%. Why is he the 1%? Who fucking knows, girls are crazy.

Go for it!

Is it nice to be the 1%? Absolutely, but how often does that happen for ANYONE? Not often. There’s no shame in being one of the 30 guys that strikes out with a girl who would be modeling if she wasn’t 5-foot-5.

So next time you’re at the bar, ask Miss Dime Piece if you can buy her a drink, and if she says no, ask another hot girl, because I guarantee you most guys won’t even try to talk to these girls.

When you end the night telling your friends “Yeah I hit on 5 of the hottest girls at the bar and they all turned me down,” make sure you know that when they make fun of you that you weren’t the guy that settled for the girlfriend who’s a 7.

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From Player To Gentleman in 3 Steps

Armani Alejandro — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 23:34:41 +0000

Drop the Game and Pickup More Girls?

Player. Many college men have discovered that this simple six letter word is admired among fellow men and abandoned by women who’ve learned to know better. Lets be honest, women worth dating run from your long list of slam pieces.

Here are a few steps that will help you win-win. Keep your reputation and casually see a couple of women simultaneously.

I assume you’ve had enough female contact in your lifetime to know who The Notebook’s Ryan Gosling is. His latest movie Crazy, Stupid, Love sums it all up.

Ryan plays a womanizer named Jacob Palmer who frequents a nice bar in the area and can pretty much get any woman he wants. While this is a MOVIE, and he is…RYAN GOSLING, this isn’t necessarily impossible. The problem is that it takes the right type of guy. A lot of guys who do well with girls can very easily come off as sleazy or cheap or as the dreaded “player” (which may sound cool, but it’s not a good distinction.)

While Gosling’s character may be a player, he never really comes off as such in the movie. He comes off as a good looking guy who knows how to talk to women.

Let me make it clear, this article will not teach you how to talk to girls but it will explain how you can create a distinction between player and “respected guy who does well with women.”

STEP 1: BE HONEST

I capitalized this because this is key. I maintain fairly good relationships with my ex-slams because I was honest with them. A player can be defined as a guy who will do anything to bed a woman. That’s the wrong way to go about it. Lying is poisonous and eventually you’ll get caught and women will make up rumors that you have herpes (not from experience).

If you are looking for a no-strings attached relationship, SAY IT. Usually, if the girl likes you enough, she’ll be fine with it. Especially any girl who you brought home from the bar or met at a frat party that hooked up with you the first time you met…she didn’t hook up with you because she’s a slut (…she might have hooked up with you because she’s a slut…), she probably did it because she sees something in you. It can be anything at all, she thinks you’re cute, funny, whatever. If a girl (this doesn’t count for blackout drunk) hooks up with you the first time you meet and this is key: isn’t super awkward about it…you’re good to go on a casual relationship.

Tell her that you will not date her, or fall for her, but don’t be a dick (that’s where I went wrong in my first experiences in this type of relationship). Let’s be honest, you’re not Ryan Gosling, you’re a guy, and you appreciate her letting you coitus her, so tell her that. You don’t need to treat her like a girlfriend, but be nice…as I always say (I don’t ever say this.) a little cuddling goes a long way.

STEP 2: When discussing other girls, don’t be obvious

The worst girl is the one who talks about her ex boyfriends. I don’t want to fucking hear how John took you apple picking (this is also how you know John is white) and you had a magical weekend until he cheated on you with your friend Jenny and now you think he’s a douchebag with good taste in apples. Fuck that.

As a guy, every once in a while you’ll run into your ex-slams or the conversation will steer itself to your past experiences. Be honest, but don’t be douchey about it.

Ways to correctly allude to a previous relationship:

“We used to have a thing, it’s no big deal, she’s a cool girl.”

^This is honest, doesn’t take too long to talk about, and shows maturity that even though things ended you still hold her in high regard.

Girl: Did you two ever…

Guy: Yeah…it was just like a short fling, I met her at a party one night, she’s very sweet.

^You see where I’m going with this. Instead of deny, deny, deny…it’s DOWNPLAY, DOWNPLAY, DOWNPLAY…WITH maturity.

Keeping 2 Girls at Once:

The obvious thing here is don’t let them know about it, but as long as you keep both relationships casual, neither has any right to be offended. Treat each with respect, but obviously schedule different nights.

THE FINAL CHALLENGE:

So let’s assume you actually like a girl (aww) and want to take her out on a date (double aww). Most likely, if you are in college, she knows people you know, and if you happen to do fairly well with girls, you may have a reputation that precedes you (ex, one girl this semester guessed that I bang 10 girls/semester…that’s 20 per year. I’m gonna tell you right now, that’s not even close. I WISH I was that cool, alas I am not).

If asked about your previous um…misdeeds, it’s really kind of tough to answer. Depending on your personality, you could get away with a lot. Feigning stupidity also works sometimes (unless the girl is smart…and if she isn’t, why are you going out with her?), say something like “I didn’t know I had that kind of reputation” or my favorite line that I actually use “I’m a lot less ridiculous than you may think I am.” (This is true, I am less ridiculous than though…but also more ridiculous. Your Move).

I believe people can tell when you are really into them, and if you have a reputation as a player, but you really like a girl, I’m sure there’s plenty you can do (flowers/cars/diamonds/clothes/dinners/movies/flowers/chocolates/flowers/The Notebook on Blu Ray/flowers/Did I say flowers?) to show that you’re being genuine.

Until next time,

The post From Player To Gentleman in 3 Steps appeared first on LTCL Magazine.

Five Essentials for a Sophisticated Wardrobe

Armani Alejandro — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:39:59 +0000

These are all my personal style choices. I mix a lot of different styles, and have 2-3 distinct looks. One is my Justin Timberlake-inspired look, another is very GQ Mag inspired, and the 3rd is Gatsby/Frat inspired. So here are the top 5 items you’ll need to dress like me.

1. Gray Vest

The vest is the cornerstone if the 50’s inspired Justin Timberlake/Roger Sterling look. Black vests are nice, but gray ones go with literally EVERYTHING. Vests go well over either a solid color button up or #2 on this list, preferably with tie loosened matching the shirt. The vest is also a great summer look over a v-neck t-shirt. NEVER wear a vest with shorts. It’s stupid. All jeans and dress pants go well though.

2. Gingham Shirt

This shirt on Zac Efron is perfect. Blue is my favorite color to wear because I look damn good in it. Gingham goes with everything. Tuck it into shorts for the frat look, or wear a vest over it with a solid or slightly striped tie (know how to match your patterns) for the GQ look.

3. White Jeans

Well-fitting white jeans go great with a polo, gingham shirt, or a v-neck. Make sure to mix bright colors with the white shirt, and brown belts offset the white well.

4. Striped Skinny Ties

I actually own the tie in this picture. It’s striped, but subtle. Black goes with everything but dark blue. This tie works best with a purple gingham shirt under a vest. You can never have too many striped skinny ties.

5. Well-fitting polo shirt

I love Cristiano Ronaldo’s style because all of his polos fit well to accentuate his arms. He looks jacked in polos and pulls off a look that either says “golf” or “I’m about to bang your girlfriend.” Or better yet, “I’m about to bang your girlfriend on the 18th green after I shoot a 64”

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