How to Dress a Man Photos by Carolyn Wright
M
ost women have, at some point in their lives, put effort into their appearance. And the resources for helping her look good are endless, from boutiques to beauty supplies. But what about men? Should they be relegated to old t-shirts simply because of their gender? Of course not. Here in Santa Fe, Eternity for Men answers that
direct plight, with owner-and-dresserextraordinaire Kaldoun Sassila giving men the tools and know-how to look as good as any woman. Across the street from Eternity for Women and just a stone’s throw from the Plaza, Eternity for Men carries several prestigious lines ranging from jeans, shoes and button-down shirts to
accessories like shaving kits, cologne and cigar boxes. “We carry casual to dressy. New Mexico is a casual state overall. The look is jeans and a nice shirt. We carry all the top jeans – True Religion, 7 For All Mankind, AG, Robert Graham, Diesel, G-Star Raw and Paige. It’s combining a European look with the New Mexican style,” says Kaldoun.
In addition to Robert Graham’s stylish print shirts, Kaldoun also stocks shirts by IKE Behar. And when it comes to shoes, look for Robert Cavalli, Galliano Couture and J Ghost, a cowboy boot style made in Italy. “We are here to dress you. In some ways it’s easier to dress a man because most men have never been dressed. They’ve been fit for a suit but they’ve never been dressed from head to toe. I show them their potential how to look good for the daytime, afternoon and evening,” Kaldoun describes. For example, a man and woman from Oregon recently visited Eternity. “A nicelooking man with his gorgeous wife,” as Kaldoun recalls. The wife asked if Kaldoun could dress her husband, whose signature look at the time was t-shirts, jeans and flip flops. After Kaldoun dressed him, “She was so happy… heck, he was so happy. He hadn’t seen his potential before. But in a nice button shirt and jacket, he looked totally different.” “Men, at any age, want to look sexy,” Kaldoun asserts. “Even if they’re dressing like a slob, they want to look good, but they never admit it. When I dress them and make them look cool, they love it, whether they’re 20 years old or 85 years old.” Beyond the clothes, Eternity for Men sells colognes (including Amouage and Montale; Eternity is one of thirty stores in the country that carries these lines), cigar boxes, lighters, leather goods and pens (made by the well-regarded Dupont company) and beautiful shaving kits. It’s worth noting Eternity for Men carries the full lines of Diesel, G Star Raw and La Coste. “It’s a man’s store, simple and sophisticated. It’s a place for a man to feel like a man. It’s not a section in a department store. The concept is very French or Italian, where there are designated men’s stores. You don’t see it in this country so much. The idea is it’s a sanctuary for men.” Eternity for Men 112 W. San Francisco St. 505.989.2744 Eternity for Women 125 W. San Francisco St 505.989.3460