There is a very select group of men who have mastered the endangered art of looking like the one who is really running things. It’s not about being splashy or flashy. Rather, it’s about taking a more subdued, but albeit well-tailored road. It’s like the quiet crime boss who outlasts his gaudy counterparts who can’t resist drawing too much attention to themselves. The operative words here are understatement and restraint.
Two of the most common questions men ask me pertain to suits: 1.) If I only need one suit, what should I get? and 2.) What should my first suit be? The answer to both is the same. Whether just starting out or starting over, a man should begin with the solid navy suit.
Whether we’re willing to admit it or not, we make assessments when we look one another over. Other than the obvious signals to financial status and, of course, taste, the choices a man makes about what he puts on himself offer clues to his character.
One of those clues – something that impresses me about a man – is his shoes. It’s not about an expensive pair of shoes. I’m actually rather unimpressed with obvious displays of prestige or the perception thereof. What does impress me is when a man selects tastefully and takes care of those selections. A brilliant shine and a well-tended heel say something. Dull shoes with worn heels say something else.
Razors, bow ties and good tailors apparently took a vacation last week, attracting what looked like a small convention of scruffy, well-pressed Tarantino gangsters and pallbearers at this year’s Golden Globes. After enchanting Matt Lauer and then taking Amtrak to Washington, D.C., the Brooklyn hipster caught the red eye to LAX and invaded Hollywood. I just hope the Beverly Hilton Hotel stocked enough craft beer to go with those beards, bro.
Not only does it take us through an exquisitely photographed tour of 1958 Italy, The Talented Mr. Ripley takes us on a thrilling journey that begins with a borrowed college blazer and boils over into a cunning and deadly game of identity theft.
“I always thought it’d be better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody.”
I actually attended the New York premiere of The Talented Mr. Ripley. Matt, Gwynnie and Jude were there for the glamorous red carpet show and screening at MoMA, but what I remember most was the movie itself. My friend turned to me not even twenty minutes into the film and whispered “I love this movie.” I couldn’t have agreed more, and all of us in the theater seemed to be equally swept away by an incredible story, marvelous performances and gorgeous visuals.
A reader asks…
One struggle I have (and an extreme annoyance) is wrinkles I get in my trousers from sitting at my desk or in my car for a period of time. Is there anything that can be done to help this, whether with tailoring or type of wool? Thanks. Tim.
For a long time, I had a theory that the shrunken suit thing was a joke—that Thom Browne had started a movement the same way that L. Ron Hubbard allegedly started Scientology: on a bet to see how many followers he could collect. History tells us that really radical ideas have the power to stick. Coming out of the 1990s, suits had such excess shoulder padding, wide lapels, and excess room in the leg that one could almost cut two Thom Browne suits with all that fabric. The shrunken suit was such a radically different statement that it was almost a hyper-rebellious “fuck you” to suiting as we knew it in the decade prior.
Because his music remains among the most popular on the planet. Because he helped desegregate Nevada casinos and hotels in the 1960s. Because he likely influenced a presidential election. Because he was one of the first artists to start his own record label (Reprise). Because he could actually act, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in From Here To Eternity in 1953. Because he refused to retire and stayed relevant, even after he officially retired. Because he started the “Duets” album format. Because he offered to “take care of” Woody for Mia. Because he actually had the connections to have Woody taken care of. Because the Empire State Building glowed blue for his 80th birthday. Because he’s the original pop star with a bad attitude. Because he accomplished all of this while maintaing a high standard of style. Because he’s the Chairman of the Fucking Board.
The Ludlow shoes incorporate that English heritage of construction with a nice leather upper, a hefty leather sole with a steel shank and a Goodyear welt. The Ludlow line comes as a plain toe blucher or a long wingtip brogue. Though the shoes aren’t fully made in the U.S.A., many of their components, like the insole, outsole, lining and welt, are harvested on American soil.
Tom Ford recently did a series of style upgrades for eight different British men from different walks of life for GQ Magazine. (Project Upgrade: Tom Ford Edition – GQ) When the guys were still in their “before” stages, Tom asked each of them questions that were unique to their respective situations, but asked all of them one identical question: “Where do you see yourself in ten years?” – reinforcing the adage Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have. The results are striking.