November 2008 Newsletter

November Rocks at the UB! Fall fashion is in full swing at Urban Body. This month's scheduled arrivals include: 191 Unlimited 2(x)ist 7 Diamonds Apricot Tree Brave Belts Couture Clothing Co. DCVR Division E Fender Guitar English Laundry Eye of Falcon Hard 8 Kinetix Pistol Pete Rebel Spirit Roar Silver Denim Tobacco Road and Toku Urban Body is pleased to welcome some new brands to our very cool list of labels: Dedikated Kentucky Denim Miami Ink One More Round Travesty Remember, one of the best aspect of shopping at Urban Body is knowing that we only buy between four and seven of any style. That way when you make your purchase you can be sure that not every other guy in town is gonna be rockin' your gear. Because of our limited quantities, you may not always find your size. So it pays to stick your head in the door often just to see what's new. Our buying strategy also assures that stock rotates through the store quickly. You can come in every two weeks and have a vastly new selection. Urban Body continually brings you the very best in fashion forward clothing for guys. We appreciate your business and look forward to seeing you in the stores! Urban Body Fashion Party at Club 23 Urban Body is teaming up with downtown Orlando's hottest club, 23 for a fashion party on Friday, November 21st. The party will be fresh and fun. "This is not a fashion show" says, UB's Rachel Lindquist. It is a party to celebrate the cool fashion that rocks downtown Orlando on any given weekend. "We're going to be very unconventional and outfit the 23 girls as well as the guys!" If you like the styles that we have walking the bar you'll be able to order them right then and there for pick up the next day! Club 23 is located at 23 Church Street in downtown Orlando. New Labels Kentucky Denim and Miami Ink Launch at Urban Body! Urban Body is proud to add both Kentucky Denim and Miami Ink to our list of featured labels. Kentucky Denim was developed by former Monarchy designers. It will appeal to a customer who is more rough-around-the-edges. It doesn't contain oversized stitching, crystal embellishments, or oversized branding labels. Instead, the designers have focused on the fit and finish to sell their product. It is masculine and rugged. The label will appear on shelves beginning November 1st. Miami Ink, on the other hand, is a crystalized collection of Miami Ink designs as interpreted by Tampa Bay designer, Bebe Ziegler. Through an intricate design of studs and crystals Bebe's designs capture the subtle shadings of the Miami Ink designs. The shirt is guaranteed to release your inner rock star! The Miami Ink label is in stores now. In addition, MMA inspired label, One More Round, makes it's appearance at UB. Fight buffs will love this line. Dedikated, by the guys who brought you Bulzeye also makes it's debut. Newcomer, Travesty Clothing, is going to rock your world too! Urban Body Hits the Vegas Fashion Scene Scott Moore and Katie Cocker attended the semi-annual fashion show, Project, in Las Vegas. Project is the primary venue for fashion forward designers to present their collections to upscale specialty stores like Urban Body. Some incredible collections from our current labels like ApricotTree, DCVR, Doctrine, Fender, Hard 8, Kinetix, Mark Nason, Monarchy, Project e, Rebel Spirit, Rass, Toku, will continue to be seen at Urban Body. "We found some really hot new labels this time around. It was hard to choose!" says Katie. New labels for fall will include MMA fight label, One More Round, L.A. based designs from Royal Testament and Travesty Clothing. "It is not as easy as I thought" Katie says. "We arrived in Vegas after working for weeks on our trend forecasts and buying strategy. We set up an appointment for every hour of each day. We had to be up each morning to go over our numbers and review our day and then it was one collection every hour for four days! I came home exhausted." "Its going to be a great season. I can't wait to get started", says owner Scott Moore. Urban Body Launches Model Search Competition with MyFitnessChannel.com Urban Body is teaming up with MyFitnessChannel.com, The Lime, as.i.be clothing, Peroni Beer and Scott Purks Photography for it's Urban Body of the Month competition. The first contest is scheduled for Thursday, November 13th, at SoHo's favorite sports bar, The Lime. Winners will receive gift packages including Urban Body gift certificates. Winners will be featured on the popular website and will have the opportunity to get in front of our camera for upcoming fashion shoots for Urban Body and as.i.be clothing. Think you've got what it takes? You can pick up a registration form for the competition at Urban Body's Tampa location. CruzAzur Premiers New DJ Pendants and Rosaries This past spring, Urban Body hosted launch parties for new it's newest jewelry line, CruzAzur. Since then CruzAzur has become a favorite of UB customers. The CruzAzur rosary necklaces have been especially popular and popping up on some of the best dressed chests around the country! We know for sure that several Tampa Bay Bucaneer Players are sporting the jewelry as well as dance chart diva, Kristine W. "I have been keenly interested in the connection between music and fashion.", designer, Austin Smolka says. With that in mind Smolka is offering two new sterling DJ pieces (pictured above) for the holiday collection. CruzAzur will also be adding a white glass bead to the arrary of Rosary bead options. For those who want their rosary necklace with a twist, a new peace pendant is included in the collection. If you want to make a really twisted statement, there is also a great Star of David rosary! New styles will be in stores the first week of November. More Cowbell! You don't see him in the stores, but Urban Body, Director of Operations, Mark Woodyard quietly works behind the scenes in Urban Body's corporate office. Mark is resonsible for the Urban Body on-line store, including setting up photoshoots, getting the product on line and the orders filled each day. He also receives each of the vendor deliveries, gets the new styles inventoried and into the stores, He also has the unenviable task of dealing with vendors when shipments don't arrive as ordered or on time. But, Mark is not so quiet when it comes to the Tampa Bay Rays. He actually made a deal with his fellow employees that if the Rays went to the World Series he would support the team by carving his hair into a Rayhawk. (See photo below.) Urban Body counts Rays coach, Joe Maddon, as a great friend and customer since his move to Tampa and into our neighborhood several years ago. Urban Body wishes Joe and the Rays the best of luck during the World Series! Tampa Bay Otters Urban Body is the proud sponsor of the Tampa Bay Otters of the Suncoast Softball League. Hmmmm . . . does that make them Urban Otters?! The team celebrated their new sponsorship with an in-store party on October 11th. Team captain, Jim Green, looks forward to being the best dressed team in the league! The team plays on Sunday mornings at both the Greco Fields behind the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa and the Woodlawn Softball Complex in St. Peterburg. For more information on the league you can visit www.suncoastsoftball.org. Go Otters! Welcome to the Team Urban Body is pleased to welcome Steven Vaughn to our Orlando team! Although Steven was born in New Orleans, he has spent most of his life in Orlando. He has just been hired as Director of Marketing for the Google Lunar X PRIZE Omega Envoy Team.The Google Lunar X PRIZE is a $30 million international competition to safely land a robot on the surface of the Moon, travel 500 meters over the lunar surface, and send images and data back to the Earth. Way to go Steven! Pop Boxer by Unico Tribal Boxer by Clever Sawed Off Boxer by Baskit Fusion Brief by 2(x)ist Retro Racer Tank by 2(x)ist What Will She Find When She Gets Into Your Pants? Very Cool Underwear - That's What! The men's underwear industry has exploded in the last few years. Gone are the days of the Hanes tighty whitey three pack. What's underneath really counts. Let's face it, if you are putting that much care into presenting an image that rocks on the outside, why destroy the image and ruin all that hard work when the pants drop? Yup, its that important! With that in mind, Urban Body has expanded the number of underwear fashion labels we carry in our on-line store. Labels include 2(x)ist, Andrew Christian, Baskit, Clever, Justusboyz, Unico and Wax Brand. And, for those guys lacking in the backside department, we've now got the new Andrew Christian Flashback underwear that lifts and builds your backside. Urban Body is now offering the 2(x)ist 3 pack, V neck, tee shirts in both black and white. Pair this basic tee up with a cool pair of Kentucky Denim and one of the CruzAzur rosary necklaces and you've got a cool understated fashion connection. Not all on-line styles are carried in our Tampa and Orlando stores. To view our complete collection visit us on line at www.urbanbody.com. If you see a style you want, simply let us know your preferred style and size and we'll have it waiting for you on your next visit. Whether you wear briefs or boxers, Urban Body has got you covered! Where You Shop Makes A Difference The current economic crisis that we we are experiencing makes your shopping decisions that much more important. Locally owned independent businesses generate over three times the economic activity for their hometowns as national chains. Here in Tampa and Orlando, if everyone shunned the chains for just one holiday shopping day, it would mean up to $48 million dollars added to the Central Florida economy! In these tough economic times, doesn't it make sense to keep as much of your money here in the community as possible? Florida has unique fiscal challenges ahead, so don't add to the problem by sending your hard-earned dollars out of state in the overnight deposit of a national chain. It is locally owned, independent businesses that make a community unique. Let's face it, you can find the same mall stores with the same mass produced labels in any city in the US. If you don't support your local stores you will lose them. New designers, ignored by the big box stores, will not have an outlet for their styles and never have the opportunity to become the next hot fashion trend. Urban Body is a proud member of the Tampa Independent Business Alliance. Our Tampa store will be hosting the October mixer for TIBA, on Tuesday, October 28th, at 6:00 pm. Anyone who owns their own business is welcome to come and meet fellow business owners who share your hopes, dreams and challenges. Many thanks to 717 South and Peroni Beer for sponsorship of this event. For more information on TIBA visit www.tibatampa.org. The Great American Beauty See that guy in our header on the top of the page? That's Urban Body model, Joel Rush. Keep your eyes open for Joel when he competes in ABC Television's newest reality series, The Great American Beauty. The series is wrapping up in LA as we speak and is set to air beginning in January. We had a great time coordinating Joel's wardrobe for the shoot. Good luck Joel! Become an Urban Body MySpace Friend at www.myspace.com/ urbanbodyclothing Extended Holiday Hours Begin Friday, November 28th As in years past, Urban Body will be extending our hours for the holiday shopping season. Beginning Friday, November 28th, the UB will be open until 9:00 pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. And, as always, if our hours are not convenient for your schedule, simply phone the store and let us know when you'd like to shop and we'll be happy to open for you by appointment.

4864 West Gandy Blvd | Tampa, FL 33611 | 1-866-424-0559 customerservice@urbanbody.com | http://www.urbanbody.com

Trends: Fall 2008: The Tees Have It

Who among us wouldn’t admit to a love affair with our tee shirts? From the time we can remember we’ve all had that one favorite tee. You know, that shirt that, if clean (and sometimes not), is the first thing we reach for when getting dressed each day. And, why not? It is practical, comfortable, and over the last few years…fashionable.

The tee shirt has undergone a tremendous change from the days of screen printing some pithy saying on mass produced, single color, boxy Hanes Beefy Tee. Enter the fashion tee. It is more fitted. It is colorful. And, it has a whole lotta somethin’ goin’ on!

Tees have featured embellishments like print-over-print, grinded edges, embroidery, foiling, and bling. And in recent seasons, all of the above on the same shirt! The style is called Rock Star Chic. You know what I’m talking about. The guys and gals that have replaced the disco ball as the nightclub’s primary light reflector.

Fashion tees are here to stay. But just what can we expect from this fashion category as we enter the fall season? Here are a few tips to keep you current and on the forefront of fashion.

When It’s Over, It’s Over

I know I’ll catch hell for saying this, so let me just get it over with…Ed Hardy is O-V-E-R. Why? Because, once you over-produce and over-distribute a label you take away the uniqueness and eliminate the “cool factor” associated with the brand. Christian Audigier has built a business model with his labels (Von Dutch, Ed Hardy, Smet) that doesn’t have the consumer in mind. The model involves putting the label on a few key celebrities to give it some cool then produce as many as you can, as fast as you can. Distribute them in every single store until the market is overloaded.

If you still insist on following the label, I suggest you hit discount fashion stores like TJ Maxx which now has an Ed Hardy section. The rock star chic mantle will be taken up by newcomer labels like Doctrine and Rebel Spirit.

Cleanliness is Next To Godliness

Tee shirts will trend cleaner going into fall. In twenty years, when kids are having 2008 theme parties, they will be attaching rhinestones to their shirts and howling with laughter at the clothes their parents wore “back in the day”. Look for the bling to give way to more sophisticated and artful designs. You will still find some metal stud work providing accents to design, but nothing on the scale that we’ve seen recently. Look for labels like Frank Pistachio and Cabral to lead the way.

Oh, and one of the great up-sides to this trend is that you should see pricing (which has fashion tee prices rivaling your best button up woven) moderate with fewer embellishments.

Vees & Tees

Fall will continue the love affair with V-neck tees. Tees that reveal just a little more skin are sexy, hip, and different from decades of crew neck designs. Guys are generally more comfortable with the high vee that is cut closer to the neck. The bolder, more confident guy may sport the L.A. inspired design of the deep vee with a scoop that lowers to mid-chest. One caution: lower cut vees are fine if you have the chest to pull it off. Without a pumped chest you’ll want to stick with a mid- or high-vee to make the look work for you. Tee shirt’s by the very popular Monarchy Collection and Project e are offering a wider, modified vee for guys (and gals) that looks really cool.

Fit Is It

Going out in South Tampa, hitting the clubs like Hyde Park Cafe, The Venue, The Slug, or the highly fashionable 717 South, you can’t help but notice the beautiful bodies. With all the gym work that has gone into developing those bodies you can’t help but want to show it off. Both men and women are opting for athletic fit tees. They feature a more narrow cut down the torso, slightly tightened arm openings, and closer shoulder seams. And, while a closer fit may be sexy, cross the line with a tee shirt that is too tight and you risk becoming a bimbo or meathead cliché. My favorite fit is produced by Project e and Hard 8. They have just the right fit to flatter.

Paint Me Beautiful

While white and black tees will never go out of style, look for bursts of color to continue. Reds, purples and greens appear to be the industry’s picks for the coming season. Guys and gals should consider their eye and hair color, as well as skin tone, in picking what works best for you. A knowledgeable sales assistant at your local boutique should be able to help you with this. Finally, really dark tees work better at night. They are somewhat out of place on a warm, sunny day.

I Feel Ya

Finally, the feel of the tee shirt has changed over the last few years. Gone are the standard weight jersey cotton tees. Enzyme washes, peaching, burn outs and slub cottons have made tee shirts more comfortable than ever. Nobody does this better than L.A. based Kinetix.

Finally

As we head into fall long sleeve tees will continue the surge started two seasons ago. They are practical for cooler weather and look great layered under your favorite button up woven.

So, go ahead and load up on tees. They are fun, fashionable and functional. Tee shirts will continue to rule the street as long as denim is king.

August Newsletter

Orlando Style Magazine Names Urban Body Best In Men's Clothing Orlando Style Magazine readers have chosen Urban Body as the Best in Men's Clothing in Orlando. "Urban Body has been on the forefront of cool men's fashion in Orlando for a long time. They are a staple of the downtown renaissance." according to Orlando Style Executive, Malia Brennan. "Not only does Urban Body have the best labels, but continues to show guys how to put together their image." We'd like to thank Orlando Style and their readers, and invite our customers to come in and celebrate with us. Hey, the drinks are on us!

Tee Shirt Trends for Fall Who among us wouldn't admit to a love affair with our tee shirts? From the time we can remember we've all had that one favorite tee. You know, that shirt that, if clean (and sometimes not), is the first thing we reach for when getting dressed each day. And, why not? It is practical, comfortable, and over the last few years . . . fashionable. The tee shirt has undergone a tremendous change from the days of screen printing some pithy saying on a mass produced, single color, boxy Haynes Beefy Tee. Enter the fashion tee. It is more fitted. It is colorful. And, it has a whole lotta somethin' goin' on! Tee's have featured embellishments like print-over-print, grinded edges, embroidery, foiling, and bling. And in recent seasons, all of the above on the same shirt! The style is called Rock Star Chic. You know what I'm talking about. The guys and gals that have replaced the disco ball as the nightclub's primary light reflector. Fashion tees are here to stay. But just what can we expect from this fashion category as we enter the fall season? And what labels are oh-so-over? Visit our Fall Trends article on the Urban Body website (www.urbanbody.com/mens-fashion-trends/2008/fall) or pick up this month's issue of Tampa Bay Zone Magazine to read a few tips to keep you current and on the forefront of fashion.

New In The Stores! Just when you thought summer might get boring Urban Body is ready to rock your style! New in the stores: 191 Unlimited - Great new long sleeve wovens 1921 Jeans - we've got the M44 and M46 relax fits as well as M17 slim fit and M09 standard fit. 7 Diamonds - Short Sleeve and Long Sleeve Wovens ApricotTree - Long Sleeve Wovens Bulzeye - As usual, we have new styles every week db Clay - Wallets Division E - Terrific Tees English Laundry - Long Sleeve Wovens Fender Guitar- Long and Short Sleeve Wovens Goorin Hats- great new checked Fedoras, driving caps, and knit skullies MEK Denim - Two new dark indigo overwashed styles Monarchy - Tees and Fashion Caps Mark Nason - the Adler and Blackwing have both landed in the stores. These are both hot boots! Puma - The Future Cat is here. This black leather shoe features a silver swoop on one side & an embroidered cat over suede on the other. Project e - some of the coolest tees yet from this great brand. Check out the shirt that says "My Other Shirt Has A Skull On It" or another that claims "Your Girlfriend Has My Other Shirt". They are sure to get you noticed. Rass - These are some very cool tees from a line conceived and born in Tampa! Rebel Spirit - better hurry as these leave the store as soon as they hit the floor! As you know, Urban Body is committed to limited quantities of each design. Stock rotates fast, so check back often to ensure we have your style in stock! Look for at least 5 new designers to be added to our list of labels this fall, including Frank Pistachio! Stay tuned. You'll hear it here first!

Andrew Christian Coming to Tampa Mark your calendar for Friday, Sept. 12th. Designer, Andrew Christian (Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency) will be making his Tampa appearance. Andrew will be signing autographs at Urban Body Tampa from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm. A fashion show will follow at Steam in Ybor City's hip new club, The Honey Pot. Los Angeles based clothing line, Andrew Christian, has been designing and producing contemporary collections of urban inspired menswear since its inception in 1997. Featuring underwear, swimwear, edgy tees, woven bottoms and accessories, the unique line can be found in exclusive boutiques around the country. Andrew Christian has received recent press for his new Flashback underwear line. This underwear (available at Urban Body) provides "back" to those guys who need a little help in the rear section. Urban Body is looking for models (male and female) to model Andrew's underwear designs for this event Hey, hit us up if you got da stuff! Speaking of Underwear The Urban Body website now features more than 50 styles of boxers, briefs, jocks and tanks. Lines, such as Clever, 2(x)ist, Baskit, Wax Brand, Justus Boyz and Unico are featured on line. There just isn't enough room in the stores to carry all of the styles. However, if you see something on the web site that you want, let us know and we'll have it transfered from the UB warehouse to the store for you to pick up! Welcome New Employees Urban Body is happy to welcome two new members to our team. Katie E. joins Rachel's team in the Orlando store on Mondays and weekends. Katie hails from Merritt Island, Florida. She loves going to the movies and can't wait for the release of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Lance P. joins the team in Tampa. When not working, Lance can be found hangin' at V's Martini Bar. He's the one surrounded by all the hot women. Seriously, check out the dude's MySpace page! Speaking of MySpace We'd like to post some photos of our customers wearing clothing from Urban Body. If you have a photo, send it to: photo@urbanbody.com. If you are not a MySpace friend, please join 1300 of the sharpest dressers and friend us at www.myspace.com/urbanbodyclothing. Labor Day Keep your eye out for Urban Body's Labor Day Postcard coming in the mail. It's gonna be a blowout!

Trends: Spring 2008

Experts tell us that we are coming out of a strong buying cycle, where shoppers have stuffed their closets to the max. They say that fashion tends to get boring, with few runway shaking innovations after such a cycle. Say it ain’t so!

Okay, it ain’t so. As a matter of fact, the men’s progressive fashion industry has never been so strong. There are a rash of men’s labels that are creating fresh designs set to hit your local specialty shops this spring. Best of all, consumers are flexing their muscle, rejecting industry manufactured trends in favor of styles that better reflect their tastes.

Shirts - It’s Rock ‘n Roll Baby!

The trend from long sleeve, button front wovens to tee shirts continues unabated. While tee shirts like those from LA-based Hard 8 (www.urbanbody.com/designer/HAR8) have been sporting modest embellishments the last few seasons, middle America has warmed to this trend. And, as usual, it’s not done until it is overdone. Look for busier, more attention-getting shirts to make their way onto muscled torsos coast-to-coast.

While skulls and tattoo art refuse to die (get it?!), we are seeing a slow transition to more diversified art on tee shirts. Look for the eagle crest to fly onto your radar screen this spring. Just about every designer was showing this graphic in their spring, summer and fall collections. Religious icons continue to be strong through the summer.

There are some bitchin’ new labels out there that are worthy of mention. They include Rebel Spirit, DCVR (pronounced Deceiver), Bulzeye and Doctrine. Look for the inevitable backlash on over-distributed lines like Ed Hardy and Affliction. Customers who spent money on these shirts to be cool no longer feel special now that everyone has them.

In the category of über cool (minus the bling) comes a line that has been around for years - Division E. (www.urbanbody.com/designer/DIVE) designer Victoria Benmoshe has added new talent to her graphics team, and the results are remarkable. While remaining true to the spirit of what has become the Division E look, the spring collection for this label is it’s best yet. It remains masculine, hip, and very wearable.

V-neck tees continue to have a noticeable presence and show every sign of getting stronger through the summer months. Deep scoop v-neck tee shirts that reveal skin from neck to nipple are in for the physically fit and terminally hip. One caution, lower cut v’s are fine if you have the chest to pull it off. Without a pumped chest these shirts don’t hang correctly.

Denim - Tattered, Trashed and Torn

The denim industry is going through another shake up. For several seasons now, denim companies have told us that denim was trending cleaner and darker. And in some colder pockets of the country that may have been the case. But overall, consumers rejected the look. Guys simply are not finished with light to medium washes that indicate casual comfort. Furthermore, they want their denim to reflect their inner rock star. Look for denim to return to more worn, torn and well traveled embellishments. That means the return of “deconstruction”. Whether it be full-on tears or pocket abrasions, denim will reflect a more active lifestyle.

Denim legs will continue to be more shaped. Sloppy relaxed fits and baggy jeans left the denim scene a few seasons ago and show no signs of return. The good news is that the look is sexy. The bad news is that guys with monster quads will continue to forego comfort for fashion.

It was inevitable. All that bling on tee shirts and wovens has made the jump to denim. Look for denim companies to roll out pocket art and imaginative use of studs and stones. Leading the charge on this is newcomer, Los Angeles based, Laguna Beach Jeans Co.

On the downside, more progressive denim labels are favoring production of a single, long, 34" inseam. 1921 Jeans (www.urbanbody.com/designer/1921) has joined the chorus by announcing that they will no longer produce denim in 32” inseams. This is the most irksome of denim trends. In the short term, guys with shorter inseams who want top denim labels will continue to have to get their denim hemmed. The key to this is to have the original hem removed and reattached. A standard hem on denim can be spotted a mile away and takes away from the overall look of the jean.

On the upside, denim prices continue to moderate. 1921 Jeans (again) announced that they are reducing denim prices across the board.

I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest that by next spring we will see the re-emergence of cotton twill pants as an alternative to denim. In addition to the full cut cargo twills, keep your eye out for 5 pocket denim cut twill pants. They will have more shape and a sexier fit than the cargo design. At least two designers were talking about this at market this winter. One designer, Garth Cabral, who is back with a vengeance, is introducing this twill in his 2008 fall collection.

Other Stories That Need To Be Told

Shorts are going to be very colorful this summer. You’ll be seeing plaid in every color palette imaginable. In addition, after flirting with the style for the last couple of years, look for 3/4 shorts with a Mediterranean flair to finally make the jump across the pond onto the American scene. The fabrics will be more luxurious (light weight cottons and linen) and the fit will be tailored. Think of new world youth with old world wealth stepping off a yacht in St. Tropez and you’ll have the look!

Hats are making a big comeback as the accessory of choice. Updated fedoras, pork pies, driving caps, cadets, knit beanies, baseball caps…it doesn’t matter…hats are hot!

Finally, feeling spiritual? Keep your eye out for beaded rosaries to adorn the necks of the young and soon-to-be famous! This is the hottest new trend in fashion jewelry. It is the perfect accessory for deep scoop v-neck tee shirts. And, don’t be afraid to layer your neck with several chains. One tip, if we hear you coming from a block away you have probably overdone it!

See more fashion tips at www.urbanbody.com

Or stop by one of our studio's at the following locations:

715 S. Howard Avenue(behind Starbucks)
Tampa, FL 33606
(813)251-5522

or

12 N. Summerlin Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801
(407)481-7979

Copyright © 2007 Urban Body, Inc.