When sailor and inventor Paul Sperry created the first non-slip boat shoe in 1935, he inadvertently launched one of the most enduring debates about personal style in the history of fashion: Do you wear boat shoes with or without socks?

Very few style statements evoke such a polarized response.  John Legend, Sperry’s Global Brand Ambassador, threw down the style gauntlet recently, stepping out in his cropped trousers and boat shoes asserting his bare ankles.  “It depends on the cut and fit of your pants, and how cool you are,” he says of his sockless style.

Retailer J. Crew’s men’s style team shows Sperry boat shoes worn with their playfully patterned socks, while author of the New York Times bestseller Men and Style, David Coggins, prefers the sockless look.  “We can’t have our feet shackled with grotesque tube socks, corseted and constrained,” he says. “Go forth with a liberated ankle!” 

For those who want to wear socks with boat shoes, Brian Davis, owner of Wooden Sleepers, a New York based vintage American menswear brand, online store, and showroom sets some guidelines. “First things first – no ‘fun socks.’ This is not a time for stripes, argyles, or novelties. Grab a crisp pair of white cotton socks and wear with your favorite chino shorts (cut above the knee!) and pair with a worn-in polo, rumpled oxford cloth shirt, or breezy patch madras.  For a cooler day, substitute the shorts with a pair of chinos (not too slim, not too baggy) or a lighter wash denim like a broken in 501, and a vintage military shirt, cotton sweater, or chore coat,” he instructs.

Others, like menswear editor and owner of the sock brand Bombas, Randy Goldberg, find a happy compromise in the no-show sock, cut low especially to be worn with boat shoes, without being seen. “Once the no-show sock is inside your Sperrys, it will disappear completely, giving you the advantage of stealth comfort. Sockless looks, sock feels. Best of both worlds,” he says.

Elizabeth Drori, Sperry Chief Marketing Officer, strikes a happy medium. “The Sperry Authentic Original boat shoe is a timeless classic. Socks or no socks, with cuffed jeans or a skirt, wear them in a way that expresses your personal style.”

Luxury bag brand Boarini Milanesi released a report claiming that crocodile leather is actually good for the planet and… yes, the crocodiles.

The report drawn up by the luxury bag brand Boarini Milanesi begins with a quote from Dr Daniel Natusch, biologist and member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature: “Buy a crocodile bag and you save five more”. The report uses three scientific reasons to demonstrate that alligator and crocodile bags are good for the planet, communities and the animals themselves.

The report was published in response to the accusations of hypocrisy against Boarini Milanesi following the launch of the most expensive bag in the world, worth 6 million euros, made of precious stones and alligator leather and created to raise awareness on the pollution of the seas.

The report was compiled using the research of numerous scientists and species conservation experts belonging to the IUCN, an organisation which includes over 17,000 scientists and more than 1,400 member organisations, including the WWF, Global Nature Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and CNR.

The report reached the following conclusions:

1. The use of alligator and crocodile leathers contributes to the preservation of the species

Crocodiles and alligators are seen by the communities living in close contact with them as dangerous for their personal safety and that of their farms. The sustainable use of these animals allows people to tolerate them, because they are useful for their economic sustenance. Based on these considerations, programs for the sustainable use of crocodiles and alligators have been implemented which have led to an increase in current population numbers. 

From 1960 to date in Louisiana in the US, the alligator population has gone from being in danger of extinction to reaching numbers around 3-4 million in the wild. In countries such as Sri Lanka, where no plans are in place for the sustainable use of the species, the Porosus crocodile is considered severely depleted, with known destruction of its eggs and habitat.

2. The use of alligator and crocodile leathers contributes to the health of the planet

Wetlands – the natural habitat of crocodiles and alligators – are the ecosystem with the best capacity to store carbon (in some cases capable of storing twice as much as forests) and can reduce the damage caused by tsunamis and floods.

However, they are destroyed every day to create agricultural land or tourist settlements (some studies calculate that 87% of them have been lost since 1700). Sustainable crocodile use programs incentivise populations to keep their wetlands intact and recreate them where they have been destroyed.

3. The use of alligator and crocodile leathers helps local communities

Programs for the sustainable use of crocodiles and alligators generate revenues that improve the quality of life of the poorest communities (from the schooling of children to the construction of drinking water plants and hospitals) and also bring money into the public coffers of more developed countries.

In Louisiana, for instance, taxes on the unique wild alligator tracking tag (one of the required taxes for “croc industry” operators) brought 1.9 million dollars into the state’s coffers in 2018 alone.

Carolina Boarini, co-founder and CEO of Boarini Milanesi, said, “For Boarini Milanesi, these three points are the start of an information campaign aimed at breaking down the fake news that influences public opinion, putting this delicate safeguarding work at risk”.

“We do not agree with the choice of some luxury brands to abandon the use of exotic leathers”, declared Matteo Rodolfo Milanesi, co-founder and CEO of Boarini Milanesi.

He continued, “For us, stopping their use would simply be a marketing move to capture an audience that ignores reality. A serious mistake that would jeopardize the conservation of these species and the well-being of entire communities”.

Fresh Faced Skin Care, science inspired beauty, launched Eyebrations Triple Action Serum, the only anti-aging eye product that combines sonic technology with a proprietary peptide formulation that dramatically reduces the effects of aging around the eyes.

The compounds are designed specifically to treat the delicate eye area by penetrating beneath the skin faster using 10,000 vibrations per minute to help infuse the serum deeper into the skin layers. The effects mimic injectables, but work naturally, more effectively, and without needles.

To diminish the look of wrinkles, dark circles and reduce puffiness, Eyebrations delivers a drop of serum and automatically vibrates upon contact with skin. It uses sonic sound waves to vibrate the serum beneath the skin. 20 seconds a day under, around, and above the eye reverses signs of aging.

Peptides are one of the most effective anti-aging skincare ingredients that help firm the skin and reduce wrinkles by stimulating cells to build collagen. The serum is blended with caffeine, Green Tea and Vitamin K, which together increase circulation, firmness, and reduce free radical damage. Altogether, Eyebrations Triple Action has seen clinical results in as little as two weeks!

“Not everyone has the means to afford cosmetic procedures, so I wanted to be the first to create a product to get deeper into the layers of the skin, work faster, with better results,” states Erica Suppa, Founder of Fresh Faced Skin Care, “Eyebrations Triple Action is basically mimicking what an injectable can do, whether it is filler or Botox.”

Forget prescriptions and needles, Eyebrations focuses on gold standard ingredients in conjunction with advanced technology to enrich the biology of your skin. The only product/device in the US that will treat, correct and enrich your skin, naturally.

Fresh Faced products are available online, making it affordable to everyone.