Filed under: Magazines,Menswear | Tags: Menswear, Style, t magazine, streetwear, stop the sag, new york times
T Magazine, the New York Times’ style title that is also sometimes confusingly called The Moment, published an online editorial yesterday called Common Thugs. Ostensibly tied to the ludicrous and highly-publicized “Stop the Sag” campaign, the photos addressed the resurgence of baggy clothes among high-end menswear designers, referencing early 90′s hip-hop and classic streetwear shapes. Really, it takes clothes like this to show much skinny jeans and cropped suits have saturated the market in recent years — so much so that these saggy shapes in streetwear really look like a throwback. More photos from the shoot below. For credit information, visit T Magazine.
Seeing as the Junya Watanabe show in Paris this season took place on June 25, this post is indeed pretty late. But, frankly, I had other shit to do in the interim, like appearing in street style videos and you know, going to work. So I’m going to adhere to the golden adage of “better late than never” with this post, especially because it’s a collection that I enjoyed so much. I’ve never really been moved by Junya’s clothes before, and admittedly haven’t been as avid a follower of his as I have been of say, Viktor & Rolf or Paul Smith. But, there was something so refreshingly direct and concise about this collection. In a menswear world where Comme des Garcons sends skull print dresses down the runway and Calvin fucking Klein, he of Macy’s underwear department fame, suddenly wants us to wear crop tops, it’s also kind of nice to see a fully-realized, clear-minded collection that’s actually wearable and still interesting. Junya himself said it, according to Style.com: “They’re clothes I want to wear next summer.” Nothing wrong with that. If I were skilled at Photoshop, I’d make a collage of Calvin Klein in one of his crop tops and insert it here. Maybe next season. More from Junya SS11 (via Style.com photos) after the jump.
Seriously, though, those striped blazers: sign me up.
Filed under: Footwear,Menswear | Tags: capsule, Footwear, Menswear, opening ceremony, the black nouveau, yuketen
And speaking of (capsule), I was reminded today while reading The Black Nouveau of these killer studded loafers from Yuketen that I wanted to post about so badly during the winter show season, but didn’t have imagery to do so. Thankfully they’ve surfaced at Opening Ceremony, where they’re on sale for a cool $430. I’m a sucker for unexpected details and these otherwise traditional loafers with a little punkish flair are really doing it for me right now.
Filed under: Menswear,Mr. Dool Approves | Tags: capsule, dana lee, fall, Menswear
Back in February, we got a sneak peek at the fall collection from NYC-based designer Dana Lee out in Vegas at (capsule). Now, a few months closer to these clothes hitting stores, you can see the AW10 lookbook on the label’s site. Even though Lee recently noted in an interview with Secret Forts that she’s not too concerned with creating “head-to-toe” looks, it’s not hard to imagine leaving the house on a crisp October day dressed like the models here — especially artist Mat Bushell (above), who embodies that downtown, Ginsbergian nerdy-cool in these shots. These pieces are the basics that provide a solid foundation to any wardrobe — simple enough to be worn season after season, but with enough character to keep you from getting bored. See some more from Dana Lee after the jump.
Filed under: Menswear,Style,Yes and Boooo,personal style | Tags: Menswear, Style, amber rose, personal style, Yes and Boooo, paul smith, acne, wild style, leopard, steven tyler, burberry, a bathing ape, menopause makes ladies crazy, fashion risks
Listen, as the proud owner of a pair of acid-washed, elastic waist jeans that resemble nothing more than a pair of maternity pants for men, I’m clearly a big supporter of taking some fashion risks. But I will admit that the current penetration of leopard print into the world of menswear has given me pause. Much love to Steven Tyler, but this is a trend I can’t 100% endorse — minus a few exceptions.
Leopard print for men is certainly nothing new. Countless illustrious men throughout history have donned the skin of this elusive animal, from Dionysus to Alexander the Great, from Dali to Amber Rose. But it does seem to have some new life behind it.
See exhibits A through G, below:
That would be Burberry, Paul Smith, Acne and A Bathing Ape, among others, not to mention recent looks from Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen and Jeremy Scott for Adidas, all making use of the Official Fabric of Menopause.
But just because your spiritual guru does it, doesn’t mean you should, too.
Filed under: Menswear,personal style | Tags: barlow, billy reid, capsule, cutler & gross, dana lee, Illesteva, jack spade, mark mcnairy, Menswear, mismo, norse projects, peter jensen, reyn spooner, round-up, stolen girlfriends club, super, warriors of radness, yuketen
If there’s one thing I learned from this season’s awesome (capsule) shows, it’s that it takes a very specific type of man to rock the drop crotch. But, if there are two things, it’s that there is still so much out there in menswear right now really worth getting excited about. Between New York, Vegas and Paris, plus Compass for footwear and (capsule) Women’s, hundreds of brands came together to build some serious buzz and get some big exposure. Favorites like Mark McNairy (who we can thank when we’re all wearing digital camo cargo pants) lived up to the hype and relative newcomers like Norse Projects made a big impact on their own.
So since I’ve had all of 5 hours to reflect on the trade show season since (capsule) Women’s wrapped this evening, what better time than now to check off a list of some of my own personal favorites from these last five shows, after the jump.
I’ve long admired Paul Smith for his mastery of some of my favorite aspects of contemporary menswear: splashes of bold color, pattern mixing, and the combination of youthful, rebellious flourishes with classic pieces. It’s all very British and rakish and punkish. So, needless to say, I geeked out over the FW10 collection, which had all of these elements I love and more. Seriously, if I could afford to eat, drink and furnish my wardrobe primarily in Paul Smith, I’d be rather content.
The collection has some killer suits, including a skinny electric blue number, knitwear that I haven’t seen from Paul Smith in past seasons, and enough plaid blazers to satisfy the somewhat irrational attraction I have toward such things. Naturally, there are some great tweeds and there’s a pretty badass leather jacket, too. Pairing boots with slim-cut trousers is on-trend for fall, and bringing in some sneakers is a nice nod to the high-low mixing that is still both an appealing and realistic style option for many consumers. While incorporating color is an area where Paul Smith always really shines, the collection integrates a muted palette well, too, layering on contrasting fabric to keep things interesting. Enjoy some highlights below.
Filed under: Purchases,Style | Tags: blazers, Menswear, Purchases, Style, Topman
Sometimes in life, you make promises to yourself. You tell yourself things like, “You haven’t done any Christmas shopping yet, and you’re moving next month, and you just spent an absurd amount of money on iTunes even though you can get all of those songs for free on Hype Machine, and God knows you’re going to be spending a ton of money on booze with all of the holiday parties coming up, so let’s try to be reasonable and not buy superfluous things like a blazer made of sweatshirt material that looks like something from “The Prisoner.” But then, in some crazy coincidence, you happen to be in Topman looking for a gift for your little brother, and there right in front of your eyes is a blazer made of sweatshirt material that looks like something from “The Prisoner!” What are the odds, right?
Budgeting doesn’t really fit into embracing the Christmas spirit, anyway. More pics below. (more…)
Filed under: Menswear,Style | Tags: australia, book club, chronicles of never, claude maus, ksubi, Menswear, popissue, song for the mute, st augustine academy, stolen girlfriends club, Style, sweden
For years, I’ve been singing the praises of Swedish style, based on my unabashed love for labels like J. Lindeberg, Acne, Our Legacy and Red Collar Project. Well, a new isolated land mass known for it’s blondes is giving Sweden a serious run for its money for the title of Most Stylish Yet Completely Out of the Way Place: Australia.
For the past few seasons, Aussie brands like Chronicles of Never and Stolen Girlfriends Club (pictured above ), have been churning out interesting, wearable menswear that is helping to build a name for the country as a style destination. Like their Scandinavian brethren, most Australian designers favor a skinnier fit, but tend to also throw in bursts of color or irreverent details that are distinctively Australian. The overall effect is artfully disheveled and effortlessly cool. While established names like Ksubi continue to build fans around the world, lower-profile labels like Claude Maus are finding niche audiences eager to import a little flavor up from Down Under.
Take a look at some more selections from a few stand-out Aussie designers below.
*Ed. note: So, Stolen Girlfriends Club is actually based in New Zealand. Apologies…
Filed under: Menswear,Mr. Dool Approves,Style | Tags: blazers, Menswear, Mr. Dool Approves, oak, Style
A few days ago, Por Homme posted about this excellent double-breasted blazer from the in-house collection at NYC boutique OAK. In light of my new-found appreciation for double-breasted coats, I’ve been keeping my eye out for them — and this one certainly caught it. The single-button is a nice detail, and it looks great with just a tee underneath, illustrating the point that double-breasted jackets have become a casual option. Take a look.
Plus, it’s unisex, so your girlfriend can get a matching version — particularly if you’d like to never have any friends.
(Photos via OAK)
