What I Learned in 2012
As we ring in a new year, one can't help but reflect on the year past. 2012 was certainly not dull. Like every year, it was a year of hellos and goodbyes, ups and downs, victories and losses, ins and…
Horn Rim Heroes: Making the Case for Those Thick Glasses
A friend recently asked me whether or not thick, horn-rimmed glasses would be good for him or if they had become passé. Since the powerful influence of Mad Men's style started creeping into the mainstream, inspiring men even in the…
The Timeless, Trend-Proof Suit
Skinny, short suits are all the rage right now. Or was that last year? Lapels are wider again. Or was that in the '70s? It's all about three-button jackets again. Or is it two? I can't remember. Oh, and did…
Being More with Less (and Other Things I Learned from Mitt Romney and Linda McMahon)
While President Obama’s campaign outspent Mitt Romney’s, American voters ultimately favored the middle class guy over the rich guy. In Connecticut, Linda E. McMahon spent her own $40 million for a Senate seat and lost. Different circumstances and dollar amounts, but a notable point remains: money won’t help you if you’re not interesting to begin with.
From High Life to Street Life: A Story of Redemption
Today on StoryCorps, Robert Griffo tells the story of his high life at a successful Wall Street investment firm. Money... cocaine... heroin... real "bright lights, big city." In the wake of the crash on Black Monday in 1987, he lost…
Wearing Logos in a Brand-Obsessed Culture
I’m going to get shot in the head for this: I can’t stand designer brand labels on the outside of clothing. The streets have been taken over by slaves of branding, overrun by Banana Republicans and Abercrombie Zombies around every corner. The Walking Dead in Designer Thread.
Losing Your Hair and Keeping Your Head (and Your Manhood)
In terms of corrosive messages from the beauty and fashion industries or from culture in general, women are dealt the lowest of blows. Whatever the source, women receive a twisted message that tells them they won't get married, loved, liked,…
The Experience of The 2012 New Amsterdam Bicycle Show
As my friends and readers know, I love my bike. My ride is a Brooklyn Cruiser, which not only gets me around town, but it also turns heads. When someone attractive looks my way, my excitement quickly subsides when I…
Addressing the Assault on the Creative Class
On the episode of Studio 360 from Friday, April 27, 2012, host Kurt Andersen talks with Salon reporter Scott Timberg about the recession's ongoing impact on the creative class: designers, photographers, writers, filmmakers, artists, musicians, architects, etc. While the economy…
The Endangered Sense of Occasion
We're now living in a culture where jeans have become a premium item, and sneakers have become the pumped, pimped and hyped norm. The result is a new breed of uber-casual adult man: the non-athlete wearing athletic footwear and over-specialized…