First Date Tips: 6 Steps to a Successful First Date

Ferrera Fresh Hint: GENTS The First dates the most important date, period!

Ahhh, yes the first date is always exciting for the simple fact that it is just New! However, the first date is your opportunity to display the gentleman that you are as well as observe and learn about the lady you are interested in.  Listening and good conversation will make this date successful without a doubt but remember dates are to be fun and not feel like an "interview." Here are 6 tips that will avoid date disasters and will make your first dates successful!

• Make sure to plan this date! It shows her that you take time and that she is important. There is no excuse not to plan the first date, period!
• Know a little about the weather for your date and a little bit about the things she likes and does not like as it pertains to food, fun and entertainment.
• There is no need for too much touching or being close on a first date. If it does happen let her initiate it.  She may continually and subtly invite you to be closer to her with small touches, and other flirtatious signs. Just take note and keep your cool. 
• The first date should be a place where you can actually talk! Movies, operas or plays just don’t work since you have to be silent in these places. Having dinner, a glass of wine, visit a café or a lounge is more appropriate since you can interact in conversation.
• Be very alert on the first date! Listen, respond, remember, take mental notes and know that all communication skills apply. Her body language and conversation will tell you whether this is the only date or if there will be other dates to follow.
• Keep your cool and do not be too romantic on the first date! This might even make her want you more because it gives the impression that you are polite enough to respect her space which she will be attracted to! But, let her initiate romantic interaction and you respond as you desire...

One more tip for good measure which you regular readers know from other post which is, always dress your best! Put your skills in to play from the gentleman’s style blogs and carry on your "Life...With Style!"

Yours truly,
Michael Ferrera

Thanksgiving With Style!

First of all Happy Thanksgiving to all! Thank you for the continued views, blog reads and comments. I know there is a ton of valuable information here at "Life...With Style" by Michael Ferrera and we do our best to continue to provide you with useful information. Nonetheless, it's Thanksgiving week, a short work week, and another week to be thankful simply just for the gift of LIFE!

"With Style" as is in the title of the blog is an additive, a plus, a perk, a choice. But, the fact that we are able to have life in itself is enough for us all to be grateful and thankful all year around. In regards to the Style portion I encourage you to all add as part of life here are 3 Tips to make your Thanksgiving day more enjoyable:

1) Be on time! - This applies to both the host and the guest. If you are the one hosting Thanksgiving meal, make sure your food is prepared when your guest arrive and you are not still cooking! Your guest came to eat not to wait and eat. If you plan to have others cook with you, make sure they are aware of that and there are no surprises. As for the guest arriving to eat, please be on time especially if you are bringing a dish for others to eat. If there is a time set to eat, be respectful to that so that you do not hold up the party. If you know that you will be late because of other engagements, inform the host ahead of time.

2) Converse with Confidence! - Sometimes at holiday parties we are around family members we don't get to see regularly and the conversation can be awkward. I mean, you're technically family but this may be the first time you are meeting or haven't talked in years. The best way to avoid this awkward moment is to engage a third person or join into a conversation with the person you don't know and the person you do know while they are already talking.This gives you a common ground and possible introductions or backgrounds to be explained. After that, continue on talking to that person and get to know them. If you feel like you are the person that doesn't know many guest, you may need to mix & mingle a little more throughout the year. Use Facebook and Twitter to start building on relationships throughout the year!

3) Be Stylish in your Attire! - Yes, it is a holiday but that is not a day to take off your style! So on Thanksgiving day dress with style as your normally would. Do not hold back saying, " I don't want to slip on myself" or "maybe I'm too dressed up." It's cool, be yourself and you might even encourage others to step there style up or may want to direct them to this blog, "Life...With Style." ;) As you may know form reading other post the most important thing is style is being neat & organized!  If you remember these two components at all times your jeans, shoes, hats, or whatever you put on will have more value in your attire.

Until next time, Happy Thanksgiving and as usual live Life with Style!

Yours truly,
Michael Ferrera

A Florist for A Gentleman!

Ferrera Fresh Tip: GENTS Shhh, but you should have a business relationship with a few florist so that can help you and show you love throughout the year for your lady...or ladies...

Gentleman, there are almost two or three different occasions throughout the year that we for sure need to grab a beautiful bouquet of flowers for that special lady in your life. Among those days are Valentines Day, a birthday and anniversaries if you're lucky enough to be married. Not to mention, that you can send flowers for no reason at all, which ladies absolutely love! So when these days begin to come close there is no need for you to be running around, searching the Internet, and calling multiple stores looking for a some flowers. It is much more beneficial and convenient to find one or two florist that you know personally that also know you. Yes, cost is a factor but in the long run a "relationship" with a local florist will be more cost effect by getting favors and discounts because you're a regularly customer. In addition, when you call, pick up or have your flowers delivered you have the confidence of knowing your flowers are going to look good for that special lady! (or ladies if you're single, just kidding...but not really)

Remember, ladies (plural), does not have to mean a lady you're dating! We all may have mothers, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, clients or friends that are deserving of an occasional flower arrangement. There also may be occasions, good and not so good, throughout the year that flowers are appropriate. Such occasions are sending a "Get Well" bouquet for someone that is ill, a bouquet for a friend after a passing in their family, or a generous "Thank You" bouquet as a kind gesture. All these yearly events will allow you build a positive relationship with your local florist which will be handsomely rewarding to you as a gentleman in many different ways! ;o)

That's Life...With Style!

Yours truly,
Michael Ferrera

Here are some flicks to add to your repertoire of "Girly Movies"

You dont have to like them, just know they exist and there's some flower shops scenes in them to grab some tips from too.

How to Wash Dress Shirts: Cleaners or Laundry

Ferrera Fresh Tip: You invest in your dress shirts, so invest in taking care of them as well...

Since we all have busy schedules, many of us love the convenience of dropping clothes off at the local cleaners to be washed, dried and pressed! Then we pick them up or have them delivered in a day, or even a few hours. Convenient for gentlemen and ladies a like!

A client asked, after receiving his first order of Michael Ferrera custom shirts, "How should I wash and take care on my shirts?" That question prompted a blog! As a wardrobe consultant and fabric connoisseur, as you've read in the post Care for my Sheep,  I will share one of the best ways that will make your dress shirts, last longer & look better!

I start by saying that taking your shirts to the cleaners is not completely wrong. In fact, the convenience of having someone do your laundry for you is almost priceless! However, when washing dress shirts, try to wash & dry them at home and then take them to the cleaners just to be professionally pressed. The advantages of doing this are:

1. You control the chemicals or detergent that goes on your dress shirts! The chemicals and washes that the cleaners uses are extremely powerful and can be more harmful to cotton. By washing dress shirts at home will allow your dress shirts to last longer because of using a more delicate detergent.

2. You control 'how' your clothes are washed! In your machine at home you can choose a normal or delicate cycle and adjust accordingly to your liking. Most of the time a normal cycle is fine for home machines, but at the cleaners only uses one cycle for all clothes washed at the same time, which can be harmful to your fancy cotton dress shirts.

3. You control the drying as well! Just as when washing, drying at the cleaners is done in bunches. At home you control how your clothes are dried and can even choose to air dry which will also cause less shrinkage over time.

4. Your clothes don't have that awkward cleaners smell! You know what I'm taking about. The smell that doesn't really smell like laundry. Yes, your clothes look clean but imagine the types of chemicals they used to get them that way, which gives off that awkward cleaners smell.

5. You could save time! If your cleaners does all work on site, which is a good thing, the longest part is the washing and drying. When your shirts are already washed and dry you can sometimes drop in with your shirts and simply wait for 10 or so minutes at a local shopping center while your shirts a being professionally pressed!

Now that you've considered these things on how to wash dress shirts, apply the tips and see if you like. Your dress shirts will look better, smell better, feel softer, and last longer, which so appropriate when living your "Life...With Style!"

Yours truly,
Michael Ferrera

Cheap Dates: Inexpensive Ideas that are Rich in Quality

Ferrera Fresh Tip: GENTS The same things that helped you get your lady interested are the same things you should continue to do in the relationship to keep her…

After receiving at least a handful of personal emails, Facebook messages and tweets in the last week about how how more men should use the fresh tips. I’m encouraged to simply nudge us gentleman to always keep it fresh in relationships with the ladies!

I’m no relationship coach but because of the fresh tips I’ve received messages from different ladies that the men they have dated don’t take time to “plan” a nice date. That men minimize the quality of dates over time, or that men get too comfortable now that they are in the relationship by not doing the things they used to do.

Many times ladies don’t always need to have the expensive, luxurious dates but they do want to know that a man took time to plan, set aside time, and shows that he genuinely cares. We all know that dinners and movies are classic dates but think about how many dinners and movies she have experienced. (chuckle)

So think outside the box gents and always keep your dates fresh! A Ferrera Fresh Tip to remember that will liven up your dates and minimizes the cost of the date is, “think like a child, but make sure your actions are mature!” Meaning: have fun while dating these wonderful ladies, gents! Dating should not be a "chore" but an enjoyable experience for you and her. Be creative and you might even save some money and have more dates! Until next time ladies and gents, I’ll leave you with 10 fresh date ideas that the ladies will love!

1. Cook dinner together! Find a few recipes from the food network and mix it up together in the kitchen. It’s a great time to flirt with her and enjoy a meal in an intimate setting.

2. Race car driving! Not the kiddy go-karts, but there are some race centers that have adult size karts that you both can race and play! It makes for great future “remember when we…” conversations!

3. Picnic at the beach! Not only do you get to check her out in a swimsuit, but it’s a nice “planned” hangout. Not to mention you can show off your fitness if you’ve read the fitness post!

4. Wine tasting! Sounds expensive but it’s not! With just a little planning you can find a tour and wine tasting for two at very minimal or no cost!

5. Miniature Golfing! Remember when you did this as kids? She does too, which is why she’ll like it! Again great time to flirt and to friendly compete with her.

6. Art Walk! If she likes art, visit a local museum and just walk around, wink, and flirt with her as you pretend to look at art! It may not be the coolest thing for you to do, but it could get the girl! ;o)

7. “Weekday dates!” Meet her for a short lunch, happy hour after work, meet up for appetizers, or meet her for  a glass of wine at a roof top location. All of these things shows you’ve planned.

8. Go bowling! A classic date and another friendly competitive hangout.

9. Go sightseeing! Chances are if you’ve lived in an area for a while there are a ton of historic places that you both haven’t explored. Do some light Google research and go see them.

10. Read a cook book, a lifestyle magazine or a blog together and do an activity you find interesting! Hint: “Life with Style” by Michael Ferrera is a good place to start.

Yours Truly,

Michael Ferrera

Cuff Links

Cuff Links! The gentleman's simple metal jewelry that is used to close and hold the sleeves of a French cuff shirt closed. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors and can be a collectors item if you choose!

In your life with style gentlemen, please have a handful of nice cuff links that you can use periodically. And, if you choose to, wear them regularly.

If you're not a cuff link fan, I suggest in the words of Dr. Suess in Green Eggs and Ham "Try them, try them..." you might like them! By the way, ladies love to see a nice pair of cuff links on a man as well. Ladies say "It's a polished look!" "It says he gives attention to detail!" and "It's just a clean look!" Just don't take my word for it; try them, and the ladies may like them on you too!

Cuff links! Plain and simple, Life...With Style!

Yours truly,

Michael Ferrera

Michael Ferrera in Project: Style

So, we all know Mr. Ferrera for his extraordinary style and dapper image in suits, shirts & neckties! But let's not forget, as a stylist, this brother really has some chic style in casual wear!

For the month of July, Michael Ferrera was selected as a semi-finalist in the second round of Victoria Garden's Mall: Project Style. The contest works like this, Mr. Ferrera is sent out on a quest to create an outfit under $150 and people around the globe, including you, get to vote on who has the best outfit between the 2nd round contestants. All the items in the outfit must be bought from stores at Victoria Garden's and only one item can be added to the outfit from the contestant's closet. Kind of cool huh...

Of course, Mr. Ferrera created a very cool outfit, or what we regular readers are known to call, a "Ferrera Fresh" outfit! When I talked with Mr. Ferrera briefly on the phone about the outfit he described it like this:

"My style in this outfit is ahhh (thinking), 'classically cool!' Since polo shirts are always classic, I make it a bit more chic with double polo's for style, both from Express. You will see a lot more of this in '10 since we have already seen merchandise stylist doing it in stores. The bright fuchsia polo on the inside is popped on top of the lime-green polo collar for just a touch of "fresh". The cargo style shorts are great to balance the brightness of the double polo's. The argyle lime-green of course matches the shirt, but screams a lot of confidence when you wear them with shorts. Sweet street walker sneakers from Aldo, A&F leather wrist wrap, and aviator frames complete the outfit for a classic but cool look!..." (End Quote)

I hadn't even seen the outfit yet, but envisioned everything he described minus the personal swagger he adds to the 'fit, making it even better! So, checkout Mr. "Ferrera Fresh" in the Victoria Garden's Project Style YouTube video & cast your vote today! You might even learn some cool styling tips to add in your Life...With Style!

Yours truly
PR or Michael Ferrera

Top 5 Ferrera Fresh Father's Day Gifts

As Father's day soon approaches, some have procrastinated on gift purchases and wondering what to buy. Yeah, we all know that neckties are the last minute resort and can always work, but think about the countless ties dad has already received as gifts. Here are some good idea to kick your Father's Day gift giving up a notch from the "Ferrera Fresh" mind of Michael Ferrera. Lets start with number 5...

5. Toys! (i.e. Technology) - Why? Because most guys have always loved toys, so as we get older toys don't get lost, they just get a bit more expensive! With the iPad often sold out, the release of the first ever 4G phone in the HTC Evo, and the soon to be released the 4th generation iPhone try to get your hands on one of these gifts and dad will be in for a treat! If not, gift certificates for these gadgets are great ideas as well!

4. Custom Photo and Frame - Why? Because if you're a daddy's girl or one of dad's many boys, father's take great pride in their children, young or old. If you can find a memorable photo of you and dad, try having it blown up and mounted into a custom fame or canvas wrapped. With technology these days you can have it in a few days or even hours and can possibly have names engraved on the frame! Try Aaron Brothers locations for this item.

3. Custom Shirt Gift Certificate - Why? Because if he already wears custom shirts he'll love it, and if he's never had a custom shirt he'll love it! The personal fitting, monogram, and experience of a custom shirt will make dad feel like the important man he is. Of course it would be our pleasure to provide the certificate by visiting MichaelFerrera.com, but if you're outside of California please give us a call and we can direct you to some other fine clothiers.

2. Personalized Jewelry Cuff Links - Why? Because they are just flat out cool! Cuff links hold their our prestige, but when they are personalized with dad's initials, his chest will poke out a little more with swagger. Even if he's over 50 and doesn't know what "swagger" means! Or better yet, think about adding your name on the cuff links if your his daughter. Try Neiman Marcus for these.

1. Customized Ink Pen - Why? Because when dad has on that beautiful tie, power suit, and that sleek watch, it's only appropriate for him to reach in the coat pocket for a personalized pen with his name on it! Try the pen out in store to make sure it writes smoothly and your set. Try Things Remembered for this item.

The main thing you may notice in "Life...With Style" is to make it personal! Dad will feel like you took the time to think of him and that he is important, which he is!

Yours truly,
Michael Ferrera