Canada.com has a great article featuring 10 easy to follow fashion rules for guys. The list stands out with its humor. One of my favorites:
2. Get rid of the phone or pager on your belt. You may think you look like Batman with all that hardware hanging off you, but in fact you [...]

Being a vegetarian, a holiday travel avoider, and a city dweller, I regularly find myself away from the family on thanksgiving. The first year I did this, I went to a vegetarian potluck and hung out with strangers. B-O-R-I-N-G. The next year, I ramped it up a bit.

We get back from lunch, check our email, and try to do some work. But it seems to never fail — 1 or 2PM rolls around, and all we want is a warm bed for an afternoon nap.

Everyone says complete and total honesty is an important part of a relationship, but we all know it’s easier said than done. How do Urban Monarch readers feel about this? Is it an ideal that holds no ground in the complicated world of relationships, or is it a rule we should always adhere to?

In the [...]

There has been extensive research of mass media and how it impacts a woman’s image of her body. The same can’t be said for men though. Perfectly chiseled specimens abound on magazine covers, television shows and billboards. Do we get self-concious after being bombarded by these image? It turns out that yes, we can, but [...]

It appears the French have done a few things right, namely wine and parkour.
Parkour is the art of running a course and clearing obstacles in the most efficient manner possible.

If you want to see more, Casino Royale has an action scene featuring one of the pioneers, Sebastien Foucan.

Growing up in lower Michigan, Ontario was only a 2 hour drive away. More than once I found myself across the border in the neighboring cities of Windsor and Sarnia. A few more hours in is vibrant Toronto. One new years eve I even made a 10 hour trek to the nation’s [...]

Suit Jacket = Blazer? Yes or no
Peace,
Alejandro E. Ciniglio

Work is the curse of the drinking class.
-Oscar Wilde
After a debaucherous date last night with a lovely young lady (if you ever have a chance to try Gelato based cocktails, especially whilst wearing a wicker islander hat, by God man DO IT) I find myself running a tad late this morning.
For this reason, I’ve decided [...]

With Thanksgiving approaching it’s time to start thinking about setting the table. So this week we’re looking at dining tables and place settings.

Last night, I found myself clicking through the images of some bespoke pornography I have saved on my computer. Custom tailored for me, by someone far away, it’s one of the greatest presents I’ve ever received. I thought, aside from just flipping on the camera and getting to it, there has to be [...]

People are always trying to learn my secrets.
How can you drink so much?
How are you still standing?
Why did you just fall down?
Hey, a man needs his mysteries. One question though that seems to come up more than any other is “How do you find all this cool music?”. Although there are many answers [...]

Continuing from Greg’s post on tie knots, we’ve come across an even better resource at Ben Silver. Two more knots, plus the ascot or bow tie if you’re feeling especially pompous. But the best part: in addition to photographs illustrating the steps to tie a knot, movies are included as well.

I’ll admit it.
The first thing that drew me to this device was the name. It’s certainly no secret I’m a fan of Blackjack. Besides that though, my venerable Sony Ericsson T610 (yep, the original) is starting to show it’s age and I’m perusing the market for a replacement.
I’ve heard good things about Samsung [...]

When it comes to meeting women, most of us have heard the saying “you don’t have to be good looking, you just have to be well groomed”.
If you haven’t heard this yet, now you have.
It’s quite true.
The fairer sex is called that for a reason; in my opinion they are infinitely more tolerable of a [...]

I personally avoid holiday travel by visiting the family in between holidays. However, for those holiday masochists out there, CNN offers a few tips.

The question of being social is an interesting one. Why are some people social butterflies who seem to easily talk to anyone? Why are some people the opposite and consider it out of their capabilities to start a conversation with a stranger?

We at Urban Monarch are a decidedly open minded bunch.
We take pride in having friends from a wide swath of different lifestyles, backgrounds, etc.
Being, as we are, cultured, style-savvy lads with an eye for the aesthetically pleasing, we’ve often been branded “metrosexual“.
Now it’s your time to chime in on this polarizing term:

Do you consider the [...]

Just in time for the weekend, a super simple cocktail recipe that’s as refreshing as it is surprisingly strong.
I must give mad props to my good friend and fellow UM contributor Glenn for introducing me to Coke zero, the primary ingredient. Calorie AND high fructose corn syrup free, it’s about as ‘healthy’ as a [...]

Beck is a strange one to be sure. Love him or hate him, at least he’s an original. Check out his latest SNL performance for a hand-clapping good time.

If you wanna hear more Beck, be sure to give Midnight Vultures a listen. Robot Sexy Time? Oh yes.

Ater I get a few drinks in me, the hunger kicks in.  Even if I ate just hours before, around 2 am I’ve been known to do to a little not-so-light snacking.