The Iconic Style of John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the first television president. It was the advent of the 1960s – the Mad Men era – when his debate with Richard Nixon was the first to be televised, making the Kennedy presidency the first to be covered on television in its entirety, from its beginning to its violent premature end.

Some believe that Kennedy won the first debate because he made a more attractive visual presentation than Nixon to the television audience, while some who listened to the debate on the radio actually felt that Nixon made a better show. Regardless, it was a new era – an era of television – where appearances would matter more than ever.

However one felt about him or his politics, one could not deny that Jack Kennedy possessed powerful charm, enormous appeal and looks that the camera loved. He was a glamorous package that even Frank Sinatra couldn’t resist.

He also had style.

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Tim Gunn and His Affordable Suits

Tim Gunn is a huge advocate for shopping on a budget, and I love him for that. This is a guy who is not only a major television personality, but a fashion and style expert, a best-selling author and an exquisitely tailored influencer who always delivers. Perhaps most interestingly to me, Tim is also a man who can afford to outspend most high-rollers who aspire to look half as good as he does, and he chooses to get his suits from Suitsupply. Not a luxury label. Not a high-end designer. Suitsupply – maker of beautiful, high-quality suits at an incredibly affordable price point.

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My White Pinpoint Oxford Button-Down Shirts

My serious suit and tie dress shirt of choice is a slim fit with a semi-spread collar and French cuffs in regular cotton (NEVER no-iron/wrinkle-free). But for casual modes on the weekend, I love white pinpoint oxford shirts with a button-down collar. They’re perfect with jeans, chinos or even shorts outside of the city. I have four of them, all identical, and count them among my favorite garments in my entire wardrobe.

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Something New (and Something Renewed) from Bulldog Skincare

Founded in 2006 and launched stateside in 2011, Bulldog Skincare for Men is an award-winning ethical men’s skincare line from the U.K. Using effective natural ingredients, the products are never tested on animals and they never use ingredients from animal sources. I’ve been a fan of Bulldog Skincare for years now, using the Original Face Wash, the Anti-Ageing Moisturiser and the Original Eye Roll-On in my daily skin regime. Each week, I add the Original Face Scrub into the mix.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Bulldog’s founder Simon Duffy on his recent visit to New York. He was in town to claim yet another award for the brand and wanted to share some news about the re-formulated Face Scrub and the brand new Protective Moisturiser…

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New Penny Loafers from Jack Erwin

With summer fast approaching, I was in the market for a simple, handsome and elegant slip-on for casual wear. I thought about loafers from Alden and Tods, but an easy everyday shoe that I’d be wearing for walking the dog didn’t strike me as an occasion to splurge. Then I remembered Jack Erwin.

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New Calling Cards from Terrapin Stationers

Sometimes you need the right card to convey the right message. No one makes cards for such specific and special instances quite like Terrapin Stationers. With an impressive collection of stock stationery and calling cards printed and engraved with messages like “Good luck with that,” “Go home and change” and the ever popular “FUCK OFF/STFU/NO FUCKS GIVEN” series, head honcho Ted Harrington has added to the collection with what might be my favorite to date

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My New Old Valet

I love a classic valet. When I was growing up, my father had one that was made of a medium stained wood with a tray for coins, cufflinks and collar stays, and a rack on the base for shoes. He used it every day.

After he died, I inherited it and used it… sort-of. During my twenties, I wasn’t so into suits and hadn’t much use for the valet, which I carelessly lost on one of my numerous moves in Manhattan. When I saw one much like my dad’s in a movie recently, an urge was reignited. So I took to eBay.

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Episode 27: The Power of a Suit

My friend Baylen sent me a short but fascinating article in The Atlantic about the power of wearing a suit. The piece explores recent research about the psychological effect of “formal” clothing, both on the wearer and on those around him. In this episode of the podcast, I talk about how the article articulated and validated much of my own personal experience with a suit’s effect. When I made the decision in my late thirties to start regularly representing myself in suits (both for work and social occasions), things changed – and all for the better.

The operative word? Empowerment.

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