A blog dedicated to the interesting, scandalous, useful and cutting edge in the world of men’s style, fashion and grooming.
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Apparently our very own Patrick McMullan is putting his photography to a few new uses.
This shower curtain, courtesy of Izola Shower, gets its image from an iconic 70s McMullan snap at Studio 54, where the famous lensman cut his teeth. Your shower may be a somewhat less exciting spot than the notorious club, but we’re always happy to see a good photo in the morning, especially if it’s got some leg.
The ice bucket, long a staple of high-class living, is often a bore to look at. Recently, however, we stumbled across an accessory that impressed.
Classy drinks, namely champagne, now have an equally classy partner in which to cool their boots. Designed by Marc Newson, one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, this super-chic champagne cooler was made exclusively for Dom Perignon, but we figure you can use it for just about anything, despite the blatant labeling on the front.
An iconic French tennis shoe worn by the likes of style heros Serge Gainsbourg and JFK is finally making its way stateside for fall.
Ironically, La Tennis Bensimon, as they call it back home, was originally inspired by American Army surplus following World War II. Made of canvas and suede with rubber soles and a hand-finished look, they have a classic, timeless quality; unsurprisingly the women’s version was a fave of Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin. We like the basic navy blue cotton toile version pictured here, which comes in 10 colors and several variations.
Canvas sneaks are enjoying something of a vogue at the moment—hello Steven Alan—but we think these puppies will probably outlast the vagaries of fashion.
We said before that most leather jackets out there are just mistakes waiting to happen. Well, finally one that we like has fallen into our laps, and despite the timing—97 degrees and rising—good-looking leather is hard to come by, so we thought we’d share the wealth.
French DJ team Justice has teamed up with art and clothing boutique Surface 2 Air to bring you this new twist on a classic look. Not as Ramone-esque as most of the other options out there, and definitely stylish enough to not be confused with a motorcycle jacket, it should fit nicely in your closet somewhere between your summer linens and fall pea coats»
We don’t anticipate doing much sailing this summer. As for wearing deck shoes…that’s another matter entirely.
We are the Market turned us on to this line of deck shoes from Journal Standard. They also come in gray, burgundy, and royal blue, giving them a decidedly New England-y range of colors. (We’d pair them with some Nantucket Reds, but that’s just a matter of taste.)
Moleskines have been a staple of the scribbling, sketching and café-going set for a while now, but recent etching trends have made them a lot more stylish. And as arts collectives start devoting their attention to the new medium, the result is a lot of very good stuff.
Case in point: this Clint-inspired sketchpad with more than enough glower power to balance out the coffeehouse vibe the notebooks usually suggest. The collective is Modofly, and they’re turning all their attention to moleskine creations like this one. (Canvas is so 18th century.)
We’ve run a lot of bags on Kempt, but the trunk has gone mostly overlooked. It may not be much of a carry-on, but it’s perfect for that steamer voyage you’ve been planning.
These trunks are the fruit of a transcontinental collab between J. Crew and classic Brit luggage maker Globe-Trotter, which lends its expert craftsmen and distinctive color combination to the mix. As you can see, the sizes vary from a 13-inch vanity case to the 33-inch wheeled suitcase—which weighs in at 13 pounds when it’s empty. Thanks to Globetrotter’s Vulcan Fibre, the trunks can withstand up to 2000 pounds of pressure.
Which should come in handy when you’re on safari.
With WASP-fever running rampant through the industry (and Cape Cod approaching vacation temperatures), we thought we’d take a look at a staple of New England living: the canvas satchel.
Instead of the discontinued L. L. Bean version, we’re turning our attention to a version we saw on our recent jaunt through In God We Trust. The bag is canvas trimmed with leather, sewed together in Portland, Oregon (by native hipster artisans, we’re sure). It ends up as an inspired replica of the original, with a different logo to remind you where you got it.
Photography: Anula MaibergWe’re pretty big seersucker fans, so we’re always ready for a new iteration. The wallet, however, hadn’t quite occurred to us.
Unruly Heir, the same people that brought you the seersucker hoodie last summer, are teaming up with the walletteers at Timo to bring you what the world had been wanting for so long: the seersucker wallet.
Round ice cubes seem like something we should have been doing for decades now, but it’s a lot harder than it looks. Luckily, Japan has finally weighed in.
The Japanese company Taisin has put together an ice press that molds an cubes into spheres, leaving you with a perfectly un-rocky sphere of ice, perfectly sized for your highball glass. And since spheres melt more slowly than cubes, an ice baller is more than a novelty for dedicated on-the-rocks Scotch drinkers.
As always, there are imitators, but we aren’t convinced. After the full drill press treatment, just freezing seems like cheating.
via BoingBoing
Storage is always a problem for a well-kempt gentleman of leisure. Ideally, he carries no more than fits in his pockets without bulging. But of course, this fashion rule came into being before the Blackberry, so perhaps it’s time to revise.
Treading just the right line between duffle bag and murse, this leather messenger pack (from J. Crew of all places) adds a retro touch to the standard shoulder bag. That means no nylon or plastic, just hand-stained leather and copper rivets. It’s the sort you might have seen on a mailman’s shoulder in the 60s.
So it should match your lapels perfectly.
Morgan Grays just got a truckload of cash to play with, so we thought we’d take a look at their latest foray into furniture.
They’re best known for colorful leather duffels, but leatherwork is leatherwork, so the decision to produce an office chair may not be such a strange one. The color scheme is the same as their bags, ranging from the subdued to the eye-catching, so the chair won’t be too foreign for devotees of the brand. Most interestingly, they’ll be selling it exclusively in men’s clothing stores, so you’ll finally be able to see if it matches your pants.
As a bonus for the MG folks, we’ve tossed their Leather Overnighter onto our newly updated must-haves. So if you’re looking for a few fresh needs, just direct your eyes to the left.
We’ve been on the lookout for summer shoes since February, and with 125 days left until Labor Day, those white low-tops are looking better and better.
This beat-up sneaker from 3:33 caught our eye a while ago—although it looks like the Refinery29 folks prefer the plaid model. The plain white version sports just the right amount of wear, while keeping them bright enough to set off the cross-stitching on the front. It gives the shoe a vaguely medieval vibe, and it’s one of the better uses of pattern in a shoe we’ve seen all year.
In a few weeks—that’s May 4th, for the curious—the fine folks at A.P.C. are trotting out a new denim style called the Petit Standard, and we thought we’d take a closer look. It’s got a lot of what you’ve come to expect from the brand: five pockets, slim hips, narrow legs that pull in at the bottom to keep things looking straight—all in the dark raw denim they’ve made their name on.
The Petit Standard lowers the waist a little, so you can tuck in without feeling too buttoned-up. Since it’s raw, you should expect the usual training period, but that wouldn’t faze a die-hard denimhead like you.
If you work at it, you should have them broken in by next summer.
It’s not for everyone, but as daily tests of courage go, the straight razor is still the gold standard.
Aside from being handy in a knife fight, it will give you a closer shave than you’ve ever had outside of a barber’s chair, along with the satisfying plink of each hair coming loose. Pair it with a badger-hair brush and a mortar for foam, and you’ll have as good a shaving setup as money can buy.
The usual objection is that the average post-shower shaver isn’t awake enough to handle that level of danger, but we’ve always found the opposite. A few rounds with a straight razor wakes us up a lot better than coffee.
On the Fly [via productdose]
As design, anatomy lessons can get a little tedious, unless you find away to add some glamour.
For this ashtray—yes, it’s an ashtray—Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons go for quantity. Taking a page from Damien Hirst’s diamond-encrusted skull, the piece was cast from an actual jawbone, with a small black diamond and designer crest implanted into the bottom. The front teeth have gaps for cigarettes and larger cigars can rest behind the molars or in the jaw-notches above.
A lot of great labels are looking to California for inspiration—Trovata, for instance—but this is the first convincing sneaker we’ve seen.
The label is SeaVees, and they’re keeping production of this 01/68 down to 45 pairs, so you won’t be seeing it on shelves, but that shouldn’t stop you from basking in its glory.
As we enter the rainy season, it’s worth considering the options for a well-shod gentleman on a rainy day.
Galoshes, naturally, are out of the question. While it can be quirky and striking on a young enough woman, the solid rubber boot has always been overkill. The naked shoe, on the other hand, is just asking for it.
That’s why we’re glad we ran across Swims, a lightweight slip-on that will cover those crucial bottom three inches of shoe most vulnerable to soaking. Slip a few into the bottom of your briefcase and you may be able to make it through the season with your shoes fully intact.
Leather can be a tough sell. After all, there are only so many ways to make a shoe, and you’ve got generations of European cobblers looking over your shoulder. The same goes for belts and most other accessories on the rack. So when we see someone pull it off, we figure they’ve earned a little recognition.
Gordon Rush has been around since 1998, but it’s only recently that his work has caught our eye. For instance, this belt that blends subtle texture and stitching with ostentatiously visible thread for a look that’s both formal and irreverent. Rush is all about multiculturalism, and he throws in a few self-consciously Asian touches in his line—like Kanji on the soles of shoes, which should lead to interesting footprints—but his heart is with craftsmanship.
Which, as it happens, is just what we’re after.
It may be past its 45th birthday, but the mod look is wearing its age pretty well. Boosted by the Tommy-inspired looks currently fueling menswear—along with Paul Smith’s nostalgic pastels—Swinging London is as strong now as it’s ever been.
And if you’re going to jump on a scooter, you’ll going to need a helmet to match»
We love glass and chrome, but now it’s spring, and time for something a little warmer.
These wooden clocks from Neiman Marcus caught our eye for their antique, tropical flavor. Setting off the chestnut finish with brass, the overall effect is decidedly low-tech—which may be just right for a wall clock. It looks as if it could be fashioned by hand, which has an appeal all its own. The only drawback is that the more handy design-heads may decide they’d like to try.
DIYers aside, the low-tech look may be growing into its own as a style. With flatscreen TVs, stainless steel kitchens and synthetic tile becoming increasingly common as unintentional design statements, we may need something to balance things out.
Neiman Marcus [via Best Bets]
When you’re packing, the trick is to bring an elegant sufficiency—enough to keep you both mobile and maintained—but if you’re going to pack light, you’ll need a bag to match…
Sao Paulo is well on its way to churning out Tokyo-esque levels of brightly colored indie trinketry. This latest—a pencil-holder, in case you hadn’t guessed—is from Buia, a Japanese-Brazilian designer with a knack for transferring cartoonish designs onto ceramics.
Paul Smith’s technicolor dreamcoat shtick has served him well, and while we’ll never pass up a pair of rainbow cufflinks, he may be getting too reliable for his own good.
For instance, this Paul Smith Ping Pong Table is the most exciting thing we’ve seen from him in some time…only he has nothing to do with it»
The 21st century has really fallen behind in the portable bar department. In the old days, a self-respecting gentleman wouldn’t dream of setting off on a voyage without something in reserve. And in the heyday of the trunk, there was a specific solution at hand.
Stocking more than twenty bottles of your choosing and a healthy selection of Irish crystal, this rosewood trunk is an open invitation to turn your spring picnic into a police-baiting outdoor hootenanny. Of course, luggage has always had its own unique style, but there’s nothing wrong with adding a little function into the mix.
Charlie Chaplin would be proud.
Neiman Marcus [via Uncrate]
It’s hard to go wrong with English style, especially if you’re looking for a good pair of brogues.
We suggest Loake, a family-owned British marque that’s been hand-making shoes since 1880, and catching the eye of everyone up to the queen. They’re getting some recognition lately as they get ready to cross over to the States. Their catalog may not be varied, but it’s certainly broad, including our favorites the Norwich (pictured), the Chester 2 and the 290, if you’re in the mood for a beetle boot.
With cocktail spots popping up left and right, it’s a good time to brush up on your drink-mixing. (You can never watch Cocktail too many times.) But while you’re working on your Sidecar, don’t forget the glassware.
This Angela Adams number calls itself a Martini glass, but its stemless simplicity is more suited to old-school cocktails like a Manhattan or a Dark & Stormy. And the frosted art-deco symbol makes it look like something out of the 20s, the last great cocktail renaissance.
It’ll go perfect with a little vermouth…
[2modern]
There are some things you can never have too many of.
This Bauhaus-style cocktail shaker came out of Sweden a full 80 years ago, but it’s currently put out by Alessi, an Italian design factory. The thin loop around the outside is a handle—for better leverage and so you don’t smudge the main container—but the real point is putting an extra orbit-style ring around the central globe.
It’s a little short on volume, and it doesn’t fit in your hand the way some others might, but the continental panache more than makes up for it.
Utility Design [via Luxist]
We first saw these bags at Carga’s booth at the Capsule Show in January. Carga’s philosophy is based on applying construction techniques to clothing, and this is one of the better examples of the principle. Aside from a few leather accents, the bag’s main material is industrial wool felt—a considerably tougher stock than what you find on your card table. It’s held together by aluminum rivets with a die-cut handle for a raw, architectural look that owes more to the construction site than the boardroom.
The style is also available as a briefcase and a vertical laptop bag, but we prefer the larger model. If you’re going industrial, you might as go for capacity.
In the world of suave accoutrements, the lighter is towards the very top (above the lozenge and the umbrella, but just below the comforting handkerchief). Even as smokers have become scarce, the true gentleman is always prepared. Unfortunately it’s pretty hard to improve on the classic sleek and stainless Zippo, which has been classic for long enough to risk becoming boring.
This year’s model comes from Zippo’s new butane-powered Zippo Blu line, a technical change that has inspired a bevy of redesigns. This one is our favorite, with a vaguely cell-phone-ish shape and a set of four fleurs de lys that actually fit into the design.
The patterns flirt with gaudiness, but it’s to be expected in reaction to the typical featureless Zippo. As a result, the lighter looks more like a trinket than a tool. But there’s nothing wrong with trinkets.
Product Page [via Uncrate]
Much as we enjoy the gears-and-glass look of the regular watch, we’ve always had a soft spot for throwbacks.
This one—the Bobby J from Penguin—throws it all the way back to the 30s, with a woodgrain face set against brushed steel and some vertical grooves borrowed from the Chrysler Building. Even the logo—a tasteful autograph in the upper-left—feels like a relic from the early days of branding.
What it’s doing at hipster-lite enclave Urban Outfitters is anyone’s guess. But we’ll take it where we find it.
UrbanOutfitters [via productdose]
Usually associated with third-grade classrooms and ill-fated hamsters, the terrarium is making a comeback. This model, from Manhattan-based sculptor Paula Hayes, is our favorite so far. A shell of elegantly hand-blown glass around some perfectly arranged horticulture, it’s not a plant so much as piece of living art. Or at least something to fill up that empty spot in your bookcase.
This block lamp has been kicking around Swedish design circles (as well as MoMa’s gift shop) for a couple years now, but they’ve recently issued an amber-tinted block that gives the lamp some much needed shading.
The genius of the lamp is how it fits into a room. It’s certainly not a floor lamp—unless you’re going for that “emergency lighting” look—but it’s not exactly a table lamp either. It’s just a dangling bulb, rendered in a form that won’t break or burn down your apartment. It’s both bluntly utilitarian and such a radical departure that it’s hard to even call it a lamp.
Of course, we expect nothing less from the Swedes.
Unica Home [via productdose]
While the rest of our accouterments are striding boldly into the future, the cocktail shaker has been looking the same for as long as we can remember. This helix-inspired twist on the classic cobbler shaker is a step in the right direction, sporting a cold-retaining metallic finish and the most tasteful use of the torpedo shape we’ve seen in quite some time.
And it goes well with those monolithic vodka bottles.
The ashtray may be going the way of the wood stove—when was the last time you saw someone smoking inside¬¨‚â†?—but an object is still an object, and this one does better than most.
The polished steel body channels a flying saucer, while the coiled wire holds the cigs and reminds us of the barbed wire on fences throughout our fair city.
Of course, those things’ll kill you.
Drinking at home can seem too casual, or worse, anti-social, but all you really need are the right accoutrements.
This ice-crusher—a Mad Men-style relic resurrected by American Chateau—is a touch of welcome anachronism. We certainly won’t miss the industrial rumble of a refrigerator’s ice crusher. Instead there’s a soothing ritual to add to our bartending repertoire, as well as a sleek reminder of a time when stainless steel still had futuristic panache.
Plus, it crushes a lot.
Stainless Steel Ice Crusher [American Chateau]
There is nothing quite like a good pair of brown shoes.
And these suede oxfords—dubbed Wolf-Rayet—are some of the best-looking shoes we’ve seen all year. Both formal and rustic, with just enough shine on the toe to keep things respectable, they’re simple enough to fit with most of your closet, but the color—a few shades lighter than usual—is enough to keep being noticed all day.
Despite a few notable exceptions, we actually like it when designers play with unconventional materials. In the right hands, a new material can completely reinvent a piece of clothing. A leather tie is just a novelty, but a leather bowtie? Now we may have something.
The real beauty of this is that whether you pair it with a vintage tux (maybe a size too small) or a plain old oxford shirt, it will be the extra touch that lifts you above the fray.
All Purpose, we salute you.
We know, we know—the wait at the Westside Heliport is just dreadful this time of year. You’ve got people to meet, roofs to land on and no patience for the scrubby little millionaires in front of you. Sure you could buy your own chopper, but the majority of the models out there have so little panache, so little character. Truly, what’s the point of plunking down a hedge-fund bonus on some whirligig if it doesn’t somehow speak to who you are? That’s just common sense.
Well, former horse-coach outfitter Herm‚àö¬Æs has just the thing…
After a prolonged Indian Summer (or Native-American Fall, your pick) it’s finally dropped below body temperature out there. If you haven’t already layered up, it’s time to get yourself bundled before pneumonia sets in. Now we know that in the windy change of seasons, leather jackets can appear attractive. Most of the offerings out there, however, are just mistakes waiting to happen (wait at least until the sartorial specter of The Sopranos recedes before investing).
Instead, pair these more rugged, woolen looks with your Fall favorites. California line Cassette offers up this matte-black number which splits the difference between blazer and hunting coat, Gilded Age has a red-plaid, twill-lined coat suitable for the forest or the streets and this charcoal coat by New York label Unis is corporate-friendly with a daring, expansive collar.
—G.B.
