DJ Duser Rock on the ones and twos

The crowd gathered at the Bently Reserve for last week’s 3^rd Annual Styling the Modern Man was dressed to kill for a 1960′s-themed night billed as a celebration and investigation of what it means to be a modern man. An array of tools and demonstrations on grooming, entertaining, décor and personal style greeted guests, who came for a first look at the latest in the men’s luxury market.

Guests at Styling the Modern Man

Produced by Graffiti PR and its Co-founder Shaun Sanders, Styling the Modern Man launched three years ago and was first held at The W Hotel in San Diego, but has since become an annual San Francisco event. This year it was all about the early 60′s, a moment that has taken both the fashion industry and consumers by storm, largely thanks to AMC’s Mad Men. Think pocket squares, fedoras, loafers and whiskey.

A number of local brands and business owners participated in the event, among them Doug Dalton, owner of such well-known San Francisco bars as Bourbon and Branch and Rickhouse, as well as the spirits shop Cask.

“At Future Bars, we provide small batch spirits that are artisanal and geared towards those who appreciate quality products, such as the individuals who participated in this event. Also, as a local, small business owner, I am very dedicated to supporting and promoting other local businesses, which was one of the primary aims of this event,” Dalton told us.

Guests mill inside the Bently Reserve

Handmade shirts from local designers Taylor Stitch

This year the event was set up as a series of small shops divided by plush velvet curtains lining the walls of the ballroom, where party-goers milled about, chatted and sipped Encanto pisco and Cyrus Noble bourbon whiskey. DJ Duser Rock kept the beats pumping as attendees ventured from shop to shop to get styled by the fashionable founders of Taylor Stitch, pampered by the guys at Attention to Detail Barber Gallery and prepped in how to correctly tie a necktie by Joy Nordenstrom of Joy of Romance, Inc.

An attendee learns necktie techniques

At the far end of the massive ballroom, a VIP room treated guests to extra perks in the form of beats by DJ Richard Habib, sample tastings of red, white, and bubbly from Rockwell Wine Co., oyster shucking with the pros at Hog Island Oyster Co. and tequila flavored ice cream from Los Osuna.

Just after 9 p.m., the crowd cleared the way for a special fashion show titled “Geek-Is-Chic.” Sponsored by Levi’s, the show featured looks by Academy of Art University student designer Fayrouz Abiassi and local figures from the tech community working it on the runway.

Shoe shines

Want more men’s style? Stay tuned for next year’s Styling the Modern Man and, in the meantime, check out our coverage of San Francisco men’s fashion.

Photography courtesy of Chi Chin Photography