The great Sir Paul Smith may have recently signed on to design new off-pitch duds for the Manchester United Football Club (that’s soccer to you), but the sporting supermen were not always in need of such sartorial succor.

Back in the ’50s they wore good old classic club blazers when not actively pummeling opponents, and needed no other decoration, as Bonhams upcoming Sporting Sale demonstrates.

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Vano Shlamov/Agence-France Presse, Getty Images

As part of Kempt’s ongoing election coverage, we thought we’d take a closer look at the older, less-Alaskan part of tonight’s Vice Presidential festivities: Joe Biden.

The best recommendation of the man comes from this photo, a snap from his most recent Georgian trip. Not only does he pull off the navy-polo-on-navy-sport-coat look that’s a staple of most over-60 wardrobes and find time for a well-folded pocket square, but he manages to out-aviator the actual aviators.

That’s what we call leadership experience.

Yoko Devereaux has always been more concerned with forward-thinking style than wearability, so there are more than a few items in the latest batch that would look out of place on the sidewalk. But if you’re looking for the sweet spot between futuristic moon suits and the everyday staples, we suggest the gray jacket in the middle, or the high-cut blazer on the right. (We’re seeing a lot more of those lately…)

And we can always use more high-cropped pants.

Via Benhasten

If so motivated, you could probably pin this picture down the particular month in the mid-70s. Between the rugged blazer, an extra-wide collar and what may or may not be cowboy boots, it’s hardly a current look. But we’re ready for at least part of it to come back.

Now that t-shirts are as common as jeans, this particular brand of cowboy gentility is ripe for a comeback. It’s rustic, old-fashioned and uniquely American all at once. We’d want to shift around the lapels and throw in a few modern twists, naturally, but this is one corner of the 70s that’s due for a revival.

Antonio Azzuolo’s been a solid designer and label for a while now, but judging by his latest work, the 70s are about to get a more cred.

We stopped by last night to see a.a.’s F/W ’09 series, and we were pleasantly surprised to see him indulging in some of our favorite sartorial quirks, like rope-shouldered blazers, double-breasted jackets, and our favorite of all, tweed. Add in a bit of swagger and the occasional polished shoe, and you’ve got yourself a design aesthetic. The fall can’t come soon enough…

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If you felt compelled to replicate this gentleman’s vintage blazer…we may have something for you.

This boating blazer from Paul Smith is a good deal more traditional than the punkish pink-on-black, but the overall effect is remarkably similar. In fact, it’s so traddish that Smith forgoes his usual slanted pockets except for the chest slit.

Something tells us it would go well with a straw hat.

After years of tireless effort, it looks like the blazer might finally be coming back.

A Continuous Lean just posted a few snaps of Band of Outsiders’ latest fall line, and we couldn’t help but notice the 70s vibe running through the whole thing. Tweed and corduroy both make strong showings, along aviator glasses and uncannily helmet-like hair.

At the risk of sounding gushy, this is pretty much the fashion line we were looking for when we started praising the 70s. They even got the button tabs right! Well played, gentlemen.

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For a few years in the 60s, the plaid blazer was the height of country club sartorial adventurousness. But for the past 30 years, it’s been worn with a decidedly different intent.

These days you’re most likely to see it in a record store, accompanied by a Mohawk and a full set of piercings. The off-color patch makes it clear Junya Watanabe is on the latter side of the equation with this Commes des Garcons item. But maybe he should have checked with Vivienne Westwood before he took this one on. He seems to have missed the point.

The appeal of the loud plaid blazer doesn’t just come from the fact that it looks like something Curtis LeMay wore on weekends. It also looks like something you picked up at a vintage store for $5, which might make its boutique appeal somewhat limited…

Naturally, the most interesting folks at Dressed to Kilt weren’t necessarily on the runway. And while we saw our share of kilts, the more common choice was just to throw in as much plaid as possible as a more inventive way of staying true to Scotland. Which lead to some interesting choices…

Think of it from a sporting perspective: whoever wears the most plaid and looks the best wins. It’s not a bad sartorial challenge, and the result was nothing short of enlightening.

Our takeaway? Without fail, the best dressed gentlemen in the crowd were rocking plaid blazers and bowties. We saw the occasional kilt too, but as far as mainstream style items, we’d put our bets on tartan jackets first.

The soft-shoulder blazer has gotten a bad rap, mostly thanks to outlet shops who went after it for low margins. It’s worth remembering what it looks like when it’s done right.

Selectism just leaked this Rag & Bone version from their pre-Fall ’09 Collection, and it’s reminding us of more than a few things we like about the style. The lightly wrinkled fabric, visible pocket seams and slight lapels all give the jacket a casual feeling that even the slimmest hard-shoulder version can’t replicate.

And the summery weight couldn’t be timelier.

The shawl collar smoking jacket can be a tough look to pull off, but it’s pretty much the ne plus ultra of sophisticated loungewear.

Robert Geller’s latest model tightens up the fit a bit, adds a ticket pocket and mixes a bit of speckle to the usual flat black fabric, but otherwise it’s the same item that’s graced the shoulders of gentlemen of leisure for centuries.

It’s the kind of bold update you’d expect on the heels of a GQ/CFDA prize. Maybe now he can think about taking on the velvet slipper?

The 70s were a pretty fantastic time for American film, but the style legacy has been a little more mixed.

This shot from the Black Sunday premiere circa 1977 should remind you why. (Cheers to WWD for digging it up.) Between the suede bomber, gloriously billowing pant legs, and omnipresent Italian boots, the disco era is certainly in full swing. That’s Sydney Pollack in the middle, with his shirt unbuttoned to the sternum, according to the custom of the time.

Say what you will, but they definitely knew how to pull off a blazer.

We managed to snag a copy of Norsea’s latest lookbook at the (capsule) show, and the results are nothing short of exciting. For one, the khaki blazer is one northern staple we’re happy to adopt.

The rest of the line has highlights like Liberty-style mock turtlenecks and a few new takes on the denim jacket—aside from the Stamford denim blazer we saw at the show. The cleverest trick may be the styling on the Dunes jacket: The three-button blazer is worn with the bottom two buttons fastened. We wouldn’t advise trying it without a jacket that’s tailored for the purpose, but it’s one of the more daring moves we’ve seen in a lookbook recently.

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The lightly structured blazer has been a favorite item of ours for quite a while now, but we’re always glad to see a new one hit the market.

This item, dubbed the Shanahan Blazer, comes from Company of We, a “democratic luxury” brand hitting the wholesale market in January, but available through eCommerce in the meantime. And, in the spirit of Movember, if you order before Dec 1, they’ll donate 20% of your order to charity—provided you put in the right coupon code. Sounds democratic to us…