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A blog dedicated to the interesting, scandalous, useful and cutting edge in the world of men’s style, fashion and grooming.
With someone like Harland Miller who’s equally talented as an author and painter, it’s only fitting that his best work should be inspired by books. The Brit wunderkind, whose atmospheric homages to iconic Penguin paperback covers are also instant classics, presents a visual (and visually appealing) narrative of a man’s life through the books he’s read. Small wonder that one of his biggest fans is Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, one of the smartest, coolest and most stylish cats on the planet.
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]
It may be early, but we’re always up for a little Bond.
Celebrating the author’s 100th birthday—which is coming up next Wednesday—Penguin is revamping their catalog of Fleming-era Bond novels with new editions and, best of all, new covers. The striking images come courtesy of San Francisco-based artist Michael Gillette, who makes appropriately sensual use of watercolor. The type and colors do a good job of replicated the 60s milieu, while the women remind us of the books’ central appeal»
Now that gift season is upon us, we’re eyeing our bookshelves unhappily. In our opinion, everyone could use a few more hardcovers. After all, a good book is nice, but good binding is fantastic.
This pale calves’ leather edition comes from Penguin Books and Bill Amberg—and Raymond Chandler, if you want to split hairs. Naturally, we recommend The Big Sleep, but the full range includes five of Amberg’s other favorites, including Brideshead Revisited and A Room with a View.
You can pull it off the shelf when your Kindle goes on the fritz.
Classic novels have had a rough shake lately, but the problem may be with the shabby covers you’re used to seeing at Barnes & Noble. After all, a hardcover is still a hardcover.
This series from Penguin Classics may help things out a bit. Designer Coralie Bickford-Smith came up with these, and they’re just about perfect, from the aristocratic chandeliers of Great Expectations to the vulgar geometry of Crime & Punishment.
Sadly, it’s only available in the UK through Waterstones…but we’re sure there’s a trick or two that can get it to your door.
There are a lot of reasons to troll used-book stores, but whether you find the title you’re after or not, there’s always a few interesting covers.
This gallery of old Pelican covers should be a reminder: they don’t design them like they used to. (Although Chip Kidd might have something to say about that.) And judging a book by its cover isn’t as bad as it’s cracked up to be.
In the worst case, it sits prettily on your end table while you turn to more interesting pursuits. After all, it’s an object too.
Now that everyone we know is instantaneously available, the postcard is getting pretty anachronistic. Luckily, it was never that useful to start with.
These cards embrace the retro vibe square on, borrowing the covers of classic 60s-era Penguin books. With a little cleverness, the former tourist staple becomes an ode to the tangible pleasures left behind in the digital age, whether it’s the dusty paperback, the hand-written missive, or the postal service. Now you just have to remember where you put those stamps…
via NotCotAs you may have noticed, we’re big fans of the book-as -art-object—so it’s worth taking notice whenever publishers happen to agree.
Penguin just finished up a run of 99 bound essays dubbed the Great Ideas series, ranging from a Winston Churchill speech to a Machiavelli b-side titled “On Conspiracies.” We don’t vouch for every last idea, but the covers are uniformly perfect, both handsome in their own right and conveying the gist of the text before you even crack the cover. Consider it your bookshelf fodder for the day.
