Every once in a while I like to go off-trend and try a different look just for the fun of it. And to see if I can pull it off.

I’ve always wanted to give the ascot a shot and when I was invited to a wedding this weekend, I seized the opportunity. I wore a simple silk black ascot instead of the usual bow tie with my tux (see the Blind Bunny Black Teardrop Ascot). To my great relief, it was met with hardy approval. The female guests thought it elegant and dapper—and daring because, after all, I did risk ridicule. The male guests envied the way it comfortably coddled my neck, especially compared to all those tightly knotted ties and buttoned-up collars. And no one said I looked like Thurston Howell, III.

There are three keys to rocking the ascot. First, you must choose your style models carefully. Think Al Pacino in the Godfather. Think Fred Astaire or David Niven. In more recent times, think David Beckham, Jeremy Piven, and Andre Benjamin.

Second, practice wearing it around the house so that when the grand occasion arrives you’re not pulling or tugging on it as if it’s a foreign object.

Third, it’s all about context. You can wear an ascot to a fine restaurant like Fleur de Lys in San Francisco, to lunch at the Four Season’s in New York City, to a Vegas show, or to formal affairs like weddings—any place where the crowd is sophisticated, tolerant of eccentricity, and stylish rather than stodgy. You should not wear an ascot to your grandmother’s birthday party.

With all the talk these days about "change", we have decided that it is time to include new voices in the Modern Gentleman's Blog. For those that can apply the eloquence of Obama, the experience of Clinton, and the straight-talk of McCain, to topics like menswear, smoking, drinking, and golfing, we have a forum for you to be heard! And we'll pay you to share it...

If you've been a casual reader of our blog here, you probably have a good feel for the topics we cover, and the tone we take. If you have profound opinions about things that our customers will take interest in, we want to showcase your voice. Every blog entry written by one of our customers will earn him/her $200 in product credit which can be applied to anything on the site.  

Of course, there are both rules and guidelines, and On The Fly will retain the ultimate right to approve or disapprove any blog entries. If you are interested in participating, please send an email to blog at ontheflydotcom (hopefully you recognize why we're not including the link because that just leads to more emails about erasing credit card debt and Viagra and we're all set on both).

Since the first business plan was written for On The Fly (believe it or not, there was a "plan"), the vision was to offer "solutions for the modern gentleman". To us, that includes products, services, and information. Since inception, we peppered the site with various articles about everything from achieving a better shave to hosting a home poker night. We then added the blog as an outlet for me to run my mouth about whatever epiphany struck my fancy. But we have always planned to do more...

So it is with great pleasure that I can welcome Richard Torregrossa as On The Fly's Editor-in-Chief. Richard first appeared on our radar screen when an article he wrote about San Francisco's 49er Coach Mike Nolan's struggle with the NFL to get permission to wear a suit on gamedays. The byline mentioned his most recent book, Cary Grant: A Celebration of Style. After reading the book, we selected it as our Book-of-the-Month selection in December. After hours of tense negotiations, Richard agreed to take on this Sisyphean challenge.

Richard is the author of six books and has been a fashion journalist for ten years. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, and many other publications. He has written articles on everything from the golf course as the new Red Carpet to David Beckham's choice in bespoke shoes and whether or not Barack Obama will kill pleated khakis (we say No). He even wrote a provocative treatise on Cary Grant as a superior style icon to Fred Astaire. Most importantly to us, he travels the world and is an avid student of the craftsmanship that elevates the finest things in life.  

Why does On The Fly need an Editor? That question deserves a long and complicated answer, much of which will be revealed throughout the course of this coming year. In the short term, you can expect to see more blogs, better blogs, different kinds of blogs, and updated content throughout the site.  

We are excited to have Richard on board, and we hope you enjoy his musings...

While economists debate whether we are already in, or about to enter, a recession, it's starting to feel as though one is imminent either way. No doubt consumers will be affected, as will businesses like On The Fly. We thought we'd get out in front of this economic downturn by suggesting ways to get the most bang for your buck...

Reduce waste. We've all opened a bottle of wine over dinner or at a party and realized it wasn't going to get finished. A year ago, we'd have poured it down the drain while someone lit our cigar with a $100 bill. Not any more. Pek Preservation Systems makes a number of products that preserve an opened bottle of vino using argon gas.

Lifetime Guarantees. Sure, sometimes you might spend a little extra on something of extraordinarily high quality, but you have to consider it as an investment. The alternative -- buying a $15 umbrella, having it break after the first strong gust of wind, and then buying another and another, for example -- is not only psychologically bruising, but usually ends up being more expensive in the long run. Products like the El Casco desk accessories and M-Clip money clips are just a couple of examples of products that will last a lifetime.

Reversible anything. While some of us will resort to wearing our underwear inside-out just to double the use, there are better ideas. The Fairway & Greene Reversible Microfiber & Fleece Vest is a great example. One side keeps you warm when you're cold, the other side keeps you dry when you're wet. And it's on sale!

Double-buckle belts -- literally two for the price of one. Martin Dingman makes a couple double-buckle belts like the Julian Belt. With the Julian, not only do you get a beautiful Louisiana Alligator strap, but you get a buckle in sterling silver and one in polished brass. One for the days when you're wearing your gold watch, and one for the days when you're wearing your sterling silver cufflinks.

Loss Prevention Insurance. We wish more of our products had the kind of policy that Davek has created for his umbrellas. When you lose your umbrella (notice we did not say "if"), you send in a serialized ID card that is included with every Davek umbrella, and he sells you a 2nd one at 50% off the retail price. It's not quite 2 for the price of 1, but you can't complain about 2 for the price of 1 1/2. If only other vendors were so kind...

Our Winter Sale! While our sale is winding down, that just means that the savings are now up to 45% off all Fall fashion merchandise, including Bills Khakis Limited Edition, Fairway & Greene, Agave Denimsmith, Seaward & Stearn, and much more... 

No one likes a downturn, but they're an inevitable result of the business cycle. Together, we can weather this storm!