Mr. Porter and Nicolas Malleville showing you exactly how I want to dress for the heat that it is inevitably coming upon us.
I was just thinking about stealing these photos and writing a post about this—but mypantalones beat me to it. Oh well!
There’s something about that European/Latin summer look that we just have a hard time emulating in America. The linens, soft whites, blues and olives mixed with flashes of red, orange and pink. The chest hairs peeking out of unbuttoned button downs. It seems out of place away from the cobbled streets of Italy or the alleyways of Brazil. American summer style is more confined to Nantucket reds, print shorts and plain t-shirts. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I would certainly suggest taking some inspiration from these looks and others like it. It’s an elegant nonchalance that manages to capture both “fashion” and comfort in one style. The idea, I think, is to welcome the weather with open arms. You have to accept that it’s hot. You’re going to sweat. Wearing a wool suit isn’t really comfortable when the thermostat gets above 70.
What do you do instead? You put on loose, stylish tees, linen shirts, light cotton ties and seersucker suits. This season, I’ve seen an adaptation of seersucker—a fabric that is quintessentially American. Traditionally set in colorful stripes that would floor any man trying to sneak under the radar a bit, I’m seeing more simple seersuckers—in grey and beige and off-white, that emulate the linen suits that are more popular in Europe. Personally, I think there’s something fantastic about a seersucker suit. It’s the Kentucky Derby, whiskey sours, big hats. But, the linen suit has another kind of appeal. It’s simpler, more foreign, less put-together. The way the fabric rumples, wrinkles and sets. It’s casual. It’s cool. It’s comfortable. It is definitively summer and timelessly stylish.
Source: mrporter.com
Lots of bloggers love bow ties. Lots of them hate them. There seem to be a lot of love/hate items in this whole menswear thing that’s going on. I, for one, am kind of in the middle. I own two bow ties, though, to be fair, one is a black silk number meant for formal occasions (I wore it as the best man for my brother’s wedding), so really I only have one for day-to-day use. It’s light blue with orange and white kidney-shaped spots like you’d see on paisley.
LAS says that he dislikes bowties because, and I’m paraphrasing here, they’re a crutch for people with little originality and not very good style—they’re an item that you can wear and people will think you’re stylish even though you’re not. I saw that in my boarding school, a not quite School Ties-ish smorgasbord of bunches of white elite fundie-type kids (no offence meant, though I’m sure some might be taken) mixed in with smaller numbers of just about everything else. Kids wore bow ties because they were different. It was peacocking. It said, “Look at me! I’m cool.”
But, bow ties are more than that. They’re a classic piece. They’re distinct. The only thing you should wear for formal events of the black or white-tie nature. But how do you wear them in real life while balancing the douchery and the view that the bow is merely a crutch? It is certainly a personal conundrum, but I think it can be done. It should not be the first thing you add to your wardrobe—I’ll admit I would happily return mine and go for a few other items first. Still, I think bow ties are beautiful. It took me hours to learn to tie one properly, but I am so proud of it. I was one of a handful of guys at my senior prom wearing real bow ties—and might have been the only one who actually tied it himself. I tied my brother’s bow tie before his wedding. There’s something beautiful in that. I guess the memories and nostalgia have merged with the item a bit. But maybe that’s what makes bow ties so special. They have a certain sense of history—a sophistication that reminds you of British gents and a totally different era. They convey a feeling that just doesn’t come through wearing a regular tie. If you’re trying to emulate the style icons of the 50’s and their Mad Men counterparts, you wear a simple dark, slim tie. When you’re looking for sophistication, that certain je ne sais quoi, you put on a bow tie—and you take the time to tie it yourself. It’ll never be perfect, but it’s that personal touch that really make bow ties wonderful. When you tie a bow tie, it will be askew, the loop may even not be flat, but it’s an elegant nonchalance that, when executed well, adds icing on the cake to an already well-rounded gentlemen.
Wooster & Denim guy from Jak & Jil and Mister Mort.
Got an internship!
My blogging will be a little intermittent this summer as I work long days then take the plane to New York for my internship with Alton Lane where I’ll be working mostly in PR and marketing. Alton Lane is a young, men’s fashion start-up devoted to custom fitted clothes at a reasonable price range and they’re doing some exciting stuff. With two stores opened in two years (New York and DC), they have plans for several more, from Boston to Chicago to San Francisco. Keep an eye out for them and wish me luck. I guess persistence really does pay off when you’re looking for internships/jobs—that’s the only way I got mine, as a freshmen majoring in journalism. Be careful to tread the line between persistent and annoying though.
There are lots of things in my life that interest me more than fashion. But personal style? That I’m endlessly fascinated by, and it often seems to be the opposite of fashion.
(via mypantalones)
Source: forthediscerningfew.com
Just some random photos which, I think, depict good style. To go along with all that writing in the previous post.
My Fashion Journey
Sometimes I have trouble finding images or products to write about without being clichéd. When I see photos of Nick Wooster and Josh Peskowitz, the eternal boy-crushes of Tumblr, I think they have great style. Likewise, when I read posts by Dan Trepanier on the Style Blogger, sometimes my jaw drops at how horrid his outfits look, but he always gives me a taste of something great—at least a hint at a way to improve my style. When I first started getting into menswear and blogging about it, it was LAS and HTTGAP/Sartorially Inclined that stimulated me most. That’s not so much the case anymore, but nevertheless, as I’ve delved further and further into this world, and as time has passed, everything has changed. I no longer look at these people as style gods, their posts awe-inspiring and savvy. My range of sources for style information has grown, but so has my own ability to discern for myself—to decide what I like, what I think works, what I want.
I watched the film Stand By Me last night, a classic coming-of-age story about several boys on a wild, majestic journey. I have always been drawn to coming-of-age stories, especially in film, I think because I see myself as being on a timeline moving towards better understanding of who I am and how I tick. The clothes that I wear and the ways that I present myself have evolved as I’ve traveled down this—excuse the pun—style lane. Without doubt, I am glad that I have gone on this journey. I am more confident and happier. I hope one day to work in fashion and am currently awaiting news about an internship at a custom men’s clothier.
I don’t know exactly what I’m trying to say. I guess, I just think that everyone should find something about which they are passionate and follow it until the light of that passion evaporates. The wick of my passion is still strong when it comes to fashion, or style, or menswear, or blogging, or whatever this all is. I am forever grateful to the people who are and were influences on me as I went on this journey and discovered my own style. I suppose that, at the end of my freshman year of college, I just wanted to write something to encapsulate the adventure that has been this Tumblr. I went from buying Nike or Jordans every month to saving up for dub monks and tailored jackets. Part of that is no doubt simply maturing, but another is everything I’ve been exposed to via Tumblr and the internet at large.
Writing this, it sounds a little bit like a goodbye. It certainly is not. I hope that this blog continues to evolve as I do. In the future, you will see more writing by me. In the end, I find fantastic writing more inspirational than anything else, and it is after all, how good blogs and good bloggers separate themselves. I have also already begun to feature more extensive photosets over the past couple weeks, because it is a simple, effective and attractive way to show the style that I’m digging. Finally, I hope to start putting more original content on the blog, especially as my wardrobe grows and my taste solidifies.
Anyway, here is some good reading for your pleasure, from Park&Bond.
Sorry to make two off-topic posts in one day, but I’m doing a research project for my History of Photography class, and I chose to pursue the Vietnam photographs of Horst Faas. He is better known as an editor, having worked as the AP’s chief photographer for southeast Asia for most of the 60s, and he sent through many a controversial photo including Eddie Adams’ photo of Nguye Ngoc Loan, South Vietnam’s chief of police, executing a prisoner. I’ve long been enamored with the War in Vietnam and, I guess, the overall ridiculousness of it. It was a war where seemingly no one maintained their sanity. Anyway, his photos have this weird element of disaster that also inspires me. Here are a few.
Though this blog is about fashion, it’s also an inspiration board, and clothes are not the only things that inspire me.
I’ve never been a big fan of Lotuses as automobiles, and I’m a big car guy. But, from a design standpoint, there’s something remarkable about the Lotus. You either love it or you hate it. It’s a decisive, impressive, uncanny design. This is a car that is extremely lightweight and maniacally functional. Compared to a Porsche, Mercedes, or BMW it’s extraordinary. It’s like a shark on land. The Elise, whose design has changed throughout the years, but whose general bodyframe and styling remain, is their iconic car. Though it would not be one of my choices for a car in that price range, I find its design remarkable—and inspiring. I guess the things I take inspiration from are clothes, rappers and sports cars.
I read a study that measured the efficiency of locomotion for various species on the planet. The condor used the least energy to move a kilometer. Humans came in with a rather unimpressive showing about a third of the way down the list… That didn’t look so good, but then someone at Scientific American had the insight to test the efficiency of locomotion for a man on a bicycle, and a man on a bicycle blew the condor away. That’s what a computer is to me: the computer is the most remarkable tool that we’ve ever come up with. It’s the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds.
Source: colonialgoods
My takes from this rather patriotic outfit:
—I love the bold red shirt, and its offset perfectly with a neutral, light, and perfectly-fitting jacket. Notice the shoulders and where the sleeves hit.
—The pocket square. Not sure if that’s a real pocket square or some other household item, like a napkin or bandana. Bonus points if it is a random item, but it works very well with the outfit—some people say not to match your pocket square to your shirt or tie, but it works well here, I think, because of the large pattern. The red doesn’t overpower.
—On the other hand, I think the watchstrap is overkill. It’s a nice strap but I would’ve gone with a navy or other neutral—perhaps olive?—if I had the options with this outfit.
—The navy pants and their Thom Browne-esque length is a positive for me. I’ve talked to guys who hate that new style, where the pants hit that high, and I’m weary of it, but I think it works for certain people and certain outfits. This is one of them.
—I’m not a fan of boat shoes, pretty much because of their popularity in the elite prep and fraternity scenes that I’ve been bombarded with in boarding school and college, so this is just a taste thing, but I would much rather see a penny or driving loafer here, or even casual sneakers in a white or grey.
How the shadows and light hit here.WIWT: 4.13.12
Friday the 13th
Details.
Source: acutestyle
via Die, Workwear! Blue&White.
Some more Italian swagger, this time from Mr. Porter. This post is about upgrading your vacation digs, and while I think it a bit extreme here, certainly a lot of guys could improve their vacation wardrobe. The Italian actor who models these refined outfits does so with a confidence and air of nonchalance that gives the looks a more summery, casual edge.
