If you have a suit that was made in America, chances are that it was not entirely made in America, since the fabric was most likely produced somewhere else, like Italy. Last week, I attended a launch party celebrating a company that hopes to change that.
Who doesn’t need a simple, handsome, well-made and affordable dress belt? Although most of my suits are custom made without belt loops, I do have a couple of cotton summer suits that require a good dress belt. There are also those more casual situations with dress pants or dark jeans when I need a good dress belt to coordinate with my oxfords or chukka boots.
There are countless options for good dress belts, but I prefer the simplest, most understated, most elegent options for the most reasonable cost. Finding a belt at a reasonable cost is difficult, especially if you’re after a designer brand. The solution to this is usually to use a replica, like this high-quality fake Gucci belt, that will come at a very low price compared to the real one whilst still looking almost identical to the full-priced belt. Having said that, designer isn’t always something that people look for in a belt; I was convinced for a long time that J.Crew struck the best balance of quality, elegance and price with very handsome belts for $68. Recently, however, I came across a British company called Denura.
I’ve never been a fan of non-lathering shave creams. I like the old-fashioned lathering experience with my shave. As a fan (and member) of Dollar Shave Club, I was excited when they introduced Dr. Carver’s Shave Butter, but ultimately disappointed when I discovered that it was the non-lathering type. There’s nothing wrong with non-lathering shave creams, but they’re just not my personal preference.
Naturally, when a tube of Pillowy Shave Lather arrived from Dollar Shave Club, I was eager to try it.
Say what you will or feel what you feel about Ricky Gervais. I care not, unless, of course, you love his brand of raw and honest humor as I do. I think he did a brilliant job performing his emcee duties in his unique “if they’re thinking it, say it” way at this year’s Golden Globes. For telling the brutal truth, hitting it all where it lives and ending the broadcast with “That’s it. We’re out of time. From myself and Mel Gibson: Shalom,” he won and earned the #ZeroFucksGiven award hands-down.
Del Singh, the founder of The Epoch Man blog (and fellow native Clevelander), sent me this terrific and simple how-to graphic demonstrating different ways to fold a pocket square. I had to share.
I don’t always wear a pocket square. When I do, I go with the “Straight Fold.” But there’s something in this nicely-executed guide for just about any preference. Enjoy!
I’ve never been the biggest fan of Baz Luhrmann’s brand of screen story. My memories of Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby recall cocaine-paced tapestries colored in a muted Skittles palette and laced with ecstasy. Audio/visual orgies for the attention-deficit set, pumping at 130 beats per minute.
The Get Down, Luhrmann’s new project for Netflix, looks like something infinitely more interesting to me. Set against the backdrop of the broke and broken New York of the 1970s, the show is a Bronx tale of a different flavor, telling the story of the birth of disco, punk and hip-hop.
It's finally starting to feel like winter here in NYC. Only now am I starting to pull out my cold weather essentials...
The January Spotify playlist is here. As usual, it’s a mess of a mix, crossing genres and decades with no rhyme or reason. Take what you like and leave the rest…
I subscribe to the email lists of all the brands I like. Most of the time I delete them after a cursory glance since I don’t really need anything. But when there is a worthwhile sale or something new, I’ll investigate.
Such an investigation happened this morning with an email from The Tie Bar, which touted their new January offerings. I found a few ties that just might make it into my rotation…
I recently had a great lunch meeting with a friend who wanted to overhaul his wardrobe from the ground up. He had picked up on what I was doing, and wanted to get into a tailored look with custom suits, classic dress shirts and good shoes. To start, he wanted to keep things very simple and then expand his sartorial horizons once he got his sea legs. I was extremely flattered that he saw me as a good source for counsel. Not only was I happy to help, but I saw this as a personal opportunity to refresh my perspective on solid foundational essentials, dialing it back to the very basics.
In today’s men’s wear culture, it’s so easy to get caught up in what’s hot and so very right now while ignoring the ever-important basics. One might have the wardrobe to look super fantastic in a nightclub, at a fashion show, at Pitti Uomo or at a selvedge denim flea market packed with bearded bros, but put some of those guys at a wedding, an important business meeting or at the occasional black tie affair and they often look like they’re in the wrong room. At funerals, such sartorial illiteracy even looks disrespectful. It’s like having a collection of unique ornaments, glittering tinsel garland and flashing lights but no tree. It goes back to having the basics, which starts with shoes.