by Michael Damond, Wardrobe Consultant and Stylist for Men in Chicago, IL, Milwaukee, WI, and Madison, WI

Today has been dubbed #ForceFriday by the folks at Star Wars.  This is the day toy makers and other retailers release officially licensed merchandise for the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (coming to theaters December 18, 2015 USA).  There are a number of places to get gear gear and collectibles.  We'll include a few links in this post.  We reached out to a few of our affiliate partners and pulled a few of our favorites in this blog post. 

by Michael Damond, Wardrobe Consultant and Stylist for Men in Chicago, IL, Milwaukee, WI, and Madison, WI

Choose from Malachite, Tiger Eye, or Turquoise – Shinola updated their flagship timepieces with new genuine stone faces.  Based on The Runwell design, Shinola’s new stone watches uses quartz movement.  You get a choice of sterling silver or gold PVD coin-edge cases, fixed to either genuine leather straps, or 3-link stainless steel bracelets.  Read more to see for the full Natural Effects collection.

by Michael Damond, Wardrobe Consultant and Stylist for Men in Chicago, IL, Milwaukee, WI, and Madison, WI

Brands are insistent on disrupting the way we shop.  These industry shake-ups are creating greater benefits for both the consumers and the brands.   Born in Brooklyn, GREATS brand sneakers offer classically designed fashion sneakers for men with luxury materials starting at a lower price point than you'd expect.  Under the helm of Jon Buscemi (formerly of DC Shoes and Gourmet Footwear) and Ryan Babenzien (formerly of K-Swiss and Puma), GREATS is selling directly to the consumer, and redefining the price to quality equation in footwear.

It's time to ramp up your wardrobe with NFL cufflinks for football season.  Distinguished gentlemen find these NFL cufflinks and tie bars to be a subtle solution for the professional workplace.  We browsed the web and reached out to our partners to find the best place to shop for NFL accessories.  Hands down, Cufflinks.com is the best place to shop officially licensed NFL cufflinks, tie bars and gift sets for men who love football .

Made from refined waxed canvas and distressed leather, the Field Tote designer tote bag for men provides the on-the-go man with a practical and handsomely stylish alternative to gym bags and back packs.The waxed canvas and naturally-tanned, distressed leather details age beautifully, gaining character over time. Waterfield Designs is based in San Francisco, California.  All of their products are manufactured to exacting standards entirely in San Francisco.

Wine used to be a complicated process with a mind-boggling selection of flavor profiles—with wine prices to match!  With Club Wine, you answer 6 questions and they send wine you’ll love. When you become a member, you'll get your first shipment of 3 bottles of wine for just $20!

Gentlemen, don't waste your time scouring the town for socks, especially colorful socks.  The Sweden based company, HappySocks.com has an endless selection of colors and patterns to choose from.  If you're looking for novelty, check out their LIMITED EDITION collaborations with brands like Billionaire Boys Club, and Snoop Dogg.  Continue reading below.

For it's new Fall 2015 campaign, "Prepare for Takeoff", Cole Haan pairs three of New York City Ballet’s brightest stars alongside two renowned Parkour athletes to announce it's most innovative product to-date, ZeroGrand.  As you'll see in the behind-the-scenes video about the campaign, the talented athletes put the pillars of Cole Haan Grand.OS innovation—lightness, flexibility, and cushioning—to the ultimate test.

Grenson is a true shoemakers-shoe, and one of the UK’s most celebrated footwear manufacturers.  Through our partnership with END clothing, we're presenting the latest (and our favorite) selections from the Grenson's collection of British brogues.  Discover a number of new designs, colors, and our best loved silhouettes.

At first glance, Amazon Echo looks like an ordinary portable speaker, but if you dig deeper, you'll find that it's so much more.  Surprisingly priced at $179, the Amazon Echo is in line to become a household staple, like the television and the microwave.  So what is Amazon Echo good for?  Slate Magazine calls it the "always-on personal assistant."  CNN calls it the "computer of the future."  Over 21,000 people have submitted reviews on Amazon, and it's currently the #1 BEST SELLER in the Home Audio Speakers category.