Amidst last night's usual parade of misfires dictated by ill-informed and overpaid stylists or stars themselves who either don't know better or don't care... the growing number of men who opted for a necktie instead of a bow tie, really…
Here’s my conundrum: my preferred basic, essential dress shirt is a solid white or solid pale blue slim-fit shirt with a 3″ semi-spread collar, French cuffs, a 15.5″ neck and a 35″ collar in regular cotton poplin for under $80 or so.
One would think that such a shirt would be easy to find. Basic and uncomplicated, right? Au contraire, mon frere.
Fashion is an industry that employs a lot of people. It has to move and change its colors at least twice each year in order to sustain itself, which is why we have Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer seasons. (Then there are those extra “Resort” and “Capsule” situations we’re supposed to get excited about now, too.)
Members of elite corporate and political power circles are not known for their personal style. Quite the opposite, actually. The titans of industry who make headlines today practice such a rigorously uninspired, frumpy, Normcore anti-glamour that it must disappoint even the most well-paid prostitutes who show up to their suite at the Mandarin Oriental.
I’ve seen the question asked in every summer in magazines, on blogs and in my own inbox: how do you keep cool in a suit in the sweltering heat?
For the most part, men’s fashion shows or collection look books seem to cater to men in a rock band or to rich, club kid, fashion-slave pop tarts who might as well complete the look with a Michael Kors-branded lunchbox and a Molly-flavored lollipop. Personally, I’m interested in the more grown-up aesthetic that can actually be worn by a confident adult man over thirty-five without trying to recapture lost youth – a filter that really narrows the playing field.
How to go casual is not a problem with men. I never feel a compulsion to write about hoodies, jeans, sweatpants and sneakers because “As-Casually-As-Humanly-Possible” is a powerful and overwhelming chorus that doesn’t need another voice, no matter how many respected designers and luxury brands send them down the runway. As Bill Maher inimitably put it, our country won’t stop until we can hit the mall in Crocs and a diaper.
Put a guy in a situation like a beach, a gym or a JAY Z concert, and he can demonstrate uncanny sartorial appropriateness – even if he’s nowhere near a beach, a gym or a JAY Z concert. But send a guy an invitation to a black tie event and it’s like watching a dog walk on its hind legs.
This past weekend, I was visiting friends (a couple) who live in a good-sized one-bedroom apartment here in Manhattan. Their apartment features a nicely-sized bedroom, a perfectly efficient bathroom with amazing custom shower doors, a great living room, a full…
At the annual glam-a-palooza that is the Cannes Film Festival, The Hollywood Reporter was expectedly on hand to photograph some film industry notables posing on the Croisette. In the original gallery published on THR, a handful of really handsome images of some of the guys caught my eye. I’m sharing them here. The photos were shot by Fabrizio Maltese.
A few weeks ago, my cousin was in town with his wife and son. He had a window of time and wanted to know where to get a smart summer blazer. I sent him over to J.Crew and told him…