Advent - Day Eight

Video time again. This time it's Fred and Ginger in the snow singing 'a Fine Romance'. Boys, take note of Fred's winter dressing; he looks wonderful in his bowler hat and black, fur trimmed coat (though please go faux if you want to copy this bit!) complement by pale gloves and scarf. Enjoy!

Unlikely Style Icons - Parisian Toddler

Dress You Up In My Love from Jak&Jill Blog

Is it wrong for someone (who is close to clocking up a quarter of a century!) to be both jealous and in awe of someone who could still (possibly) wet the bed? This stylish Parisian toddler was caught in all of his perfectly styled, sartorial glory by Tommy and ever since I saw it a couple of days ago I just can't get the image out of my head. I am green with envy because I just adore his jacket and have been on the hunt for something similar for some time. but to no avail. There is simply no way that you would see a child dressed anywhere near as stylish as this little chap anywhere other than Paris. I can assure you that despite my undoubted cuteness I partook in a vast number of social faux pas but that is all part and parcel of growing up for most of us. What do you make of this little chap, are you in awe like me or do you find it a little creepy?

Advent - Day Three

Considering yesterdays advent treat had an almost overwhelming Christmas feel to it, I thought we best take a step back from the season and celebrate Oscar Wilde for box number three.

I am fond of his great work and could spout off a number of fitting quotes but there is one in particular which resonates with me right now...

“Looking good and dressing well is a necessity. Having a purpose in life is not.”

Advent - Day Two

Despite the Advent Calender I am finding it difficult to get into the Christmas spirit. Therefore underneath number two I wanted the quintessential Christmas song to get one and all in the mood...

Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds in Holiday Inn

Of course the likelihood of it being a white Christmas for us all is extremely slim. I was however inspired by a recent post by the Cablog where he admitted to being smitten by the thought of a white Christmas so dressed accordingly.

We should all follow this stylish Norwegian's lead and take the pressure of old mother nature and make it a white Christmas whatever falls from the sky.

Picture Postcard: What a rocket scientist should look like

It is a magnificent moustache, bristling with mischief, sweeping from cheek-bone to cheekbone like a second smile

Daniel Jubb, 24, the owner of the moustache, looks like a Victorian scientist transposed to the 21st century

EJ brought this image into my life last week as it was part of her daily batch of links she sent my way and I just had to share it with you. Daniel Jubb is a rocket scientist and this is exactly how a rocket scientist should look. I just can't believe that this chap is a mere twenty four years old...I am the same age and am neither a rocket scientist or more importantly could never grow a moustache like this!

Witty style advice from yesteryear

I stumbled across this book reading the latest issue of Monocle on the train ride home (after the great knitting mistake - see below post for details.) It was first published in 1964 and is a great present idea for any man you know. For all men—and indeed all women who are interested in men’s clothes—here is an alphabetical guide to men’s fashion written with wit and expert knowledge. From the etiquette of dressing for all occasions to the meaning of technical terms, Hardy Amies’s skillful eye guides you safely through style decisions on everything from blazers and brogues to skiing and sandals. No man can afford to be without this classic style bible. To demonstrate this point one only has to read a few of the many highlights within these pages:

On bowler hats Amies remarks "The only truly smart headgear." I think it is a shame that this hat is only worn by actors portraying bankers in TV series or in jest.

On tailoring - ”There’s no such thing as a designer of menswear-—it’s only history. The suit around the world is based on the English suit, which began in about 1670. Any man, whether he’s American, Japanese, French or whatever, who wants to be seriously well dressed, looks to the Englishman’s suit for how to achieve it.”— I think times have moved on somewhat from this stance but you have to admire his national pride in English Sartorialism but thank goodness we can proclaim today that there are a number of great designers of menswear!

Sir Hardy Amies died in 2003, but his legacy and style continues under his protégé Ian Garlant at Hardy Amies Plc. He opened his fashion house in 1945 and became Dressmaker by Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen. Famous for menswear and his keen eye for classic style, Amies had a regular fashion column in Esquire magazine. I will leave you with some wise words penned by Sir Hardy Amies. Seemingly effortless style is the most favoured form of style:

“A man should look as if he has bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care, and then forgotten all about them.”

Brando a threatening figure in silk pyjamas

I was fortunate enough to catch A Streetcar Named Desire at the BFI on Sunday... it was best possible way to spend a grey, Sunday afternoon in Autumn. If you have not seen this film I urge you to see it! In the rehearsals for the 1947 stage production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire (it is one of the only plays that I took notice of in my A-level English class), director Elia Kazan warned that the play was becoming 'the Marlon Brando show'. With the 1951 film, Kazan's prophecy came true: this is the movie that made Brando a star. His raw, electrifying turn as Stanley Kowalski is still reckoned to be one of the greatest screen performances of all time. When people think about Marlon Brando's style, they often think of this film first and the look recalled is one of muscular physique, tight sweaty t shirt (induced from the combination of New Orleans heat and the heavy physical activity of bowling) and of course Brando's hair which is pure perfection! I can understand why this look is so iconic and it is the most common Brando look throughout the film. However, the style which left the greatest impression on me comes during the films darkest moments and sees Brando sporting stripey silk pjs (as pictured above). How do people feel about silk pyjamas? When I used to think of them my mind was instantly filled with images of Hugh Hefner but now I see them in a different light. I am a both a little attracted to them and at the same time freaked out by the very thought of them. With Christmas coming I might just try and recreate my own Brando look...

For those of you who have (somehow) not seen the film and have no idea what I'm talking about I urge you see it or at the very least watch the trailer below:

Trailers of this era are so very different to the ones today...I prefer the slow pace of yesteryear.

Picture Postcard: Kanye West and Patrick Bateman

Dearest EJ

Have you heard any tracks off Kanye's new album?

There are a number of Kanye West fans out there who are somewhat puzzled by his latest musical offerings which by now are all over the internet before the album's (808s and Heartbreak) release date at the end of the month. His new muse is loneliness and the songs that I've heard are full of introspection, frosty synths and autotune. I only recently read about another one of his recent inspirations. MTV News reported earlier this month that Kanye was inspired by the movie version of American Psycho. “On this album, I kind of embody Patrick Bateman from ‘American Psycho. You know at the end of the movie [that] he didn’t really kill anyone. [I just liked] the clean aesthetic and the way he was all about labels. I wanted to express all of that in the video.” Despite only watching the film, Kanye was able to decipher the main moral of the piece...there's more to life than buying stuff, even cool Japanese stuff you can post on your blog. Kanye then added, "I had all these ideas and I just needed to get it out as an artistic vision. I don't have a rapper's name, (but) I have really good taste and anyone who likes it probably has really good taste too."

So even though West might have been inpsired by a shallow ’80s banker with an antisocial personality disorder and homicidal tendencies...it has to beat the generic inspirations and codes that most rappers live by. Whatever you think about the man and the music, you have to appreciate his sense of style and that he doesn't fit into the genre's stereotypes. Just look at him in the above press shot!

"All I can do is be me, whoever that is."

Love him or loathe him most of us are going to be seeing and hearing alot about Bob Dylan in the coming months. With the new biopic being released soon (check out the trailer here) and the release of a number of 'new' Dylan albums.

I personally love him and there can be little doubt that he is more than just a music legend, he is a style icon too! Even women and not just Cate Blanchett want to get in on his style as seen on Catwalk Queen. There are many eras to Bob Dylan as shown by the recent biopic and this site (which I came across on my google search!) but for me there is only really one time in which Bob Dylan will be remembered for his style, mid 60s Dylan. he had just shaken off the Woody Guthrie and folky look and found a style of his own. He had the Wayfarers (which were back with a vengeance this summer!), he had the skinny jeans, the biker boots and he had the attitude of the Beat movement!

Playing Dylan during this time is (as I'm sure you have heard) Cate Blanchett. I've seen quite a few stills and she looks arguably the most Dylan like out of all the actors in this film. I've definitely seen a few female Dylan alikes around London over the last couple of months but Cate is definitely the best.

Anyway, back to men's style! I expect to see quite a few men's style magazines commenting on Dylan's style. I've not yet seen any but I will keep an eye on it. I think the mid 60s Dylan look is very wearable today and is pretty perfect for those days when you are not too sure what to wear or even on Saturday mornings when you are a little hungover.

Magazines in the Spotlight: Encens

Regular readers may have noticed that it has been quite some time since our last 'Magazine In The Spotlight' post but this is not want of trying. I have been frequently and somewhat furiously finger flicking my way through the racks at newsagents and bookstores far and wide before leaving empty handed. Of course, I have encountered the usual suspects but for one reason or another these have failed to truly excite me and therefore warrant a post. I relayed my woes during a recent shopping jaunt at b Store and thankfully proprietor Matthew Murphy stepped in and offered the name of a title that had previously been unknown to me, Encens. His enthusiasm for the title was infectious. As I left the store with my purchases I instantly began my search of Soho for the publication which came to fruition at the ever reliable Compton News. Since finding it I have struggled to put it down which is no easy task given the weight of this style beast. 

Encens number twenty six stands apart from previous issues as it signals their departure from the bi-annual format. Now published once yearly, the publication has taken on several properties which would classify it closer to a book. Firstly, the thickness and hardcover bound, its qualities as an object are just as powerful as the visual stories inside. During his Fashion Pioneers talk with Imran Ahmed, Jefferson Hack highlighted the growing importance of specialisation and what visionary science fiction author and futurist William Gibson terms mooks: “a hybrid of a book and a magazine where stories can be told in depth with beautiful photography.” Encens is undoubtedly more 'mook' than magazine. It is an exploration of the two editors, Samuel Drira and Sybille Walter, aesthetics and something of a manifesto against disposable fashion. Stylist Drira and photographer Walter share a passion for the drape and fall of clothing, a subtle tailoring and a softness of finish and form. Throughout this weighty hardback, there is an incessant delivery of their vision as opposed to a summation of the trends or season based investigations that we have come to expect from style magazines. This vision is contained is shared within everything from an interview with Yves Saint Laurent taken from Vogue in November 1983 to a celebration of the menswear design talent of Damir Doma and Kris Van Assche. Despite the temptation to scan every single page for you, I've decided to pick out a few highlights. Let the images inspire...

Moving back and forth from the present to the past, the editorials and features have a timeless quality. Fashion magazines tend to constantly strive forward. Even though the latest collections may have been influenced by styles or characters from yesteryear, these influences tend to be ignored. Magazines are blinkered to the past. Encens however, takes a fond gaze at the aesthetics of the past which still should have clout today. The publications stands for an independent and long terms approach. Neither Dirra nor Walter are obsessed with clothes of the moment. For them, the best fashion has three common denominators - simplicity and style but also a sense of timelessness, the capacity to either be or become a classic. In one feature they celebrate Kris Van Assche and Damir Doma, declaring their designs to be menswear at its best. A fluid silhouette, void of the typical restriction of menswear, stripped of the 'for men only' labels. Both have a desire to render the ready made boxes of menswear, sharing ideals of versatility and a nomadic existence. The following quote from Per Spook in another feature echoes these ideal...

"One of my golden rules is to be at ease in a garment. Men hate feeling confined. Likewise, discretion, rather than disguise. A man's wardrobe must have its own personality, yet not be recognisable. I have always preferred the classicism of a great simplicity, natural materials, cuts that are worn loose, and since my clothes do not have linings, they remain light and supple." Per Spook.

Encens' relevance exists in the very fact that it is not grounded in any sort of fast fashion, instead quite the opposite. Although seasonality is expected in fashion, I respect and admire anyone who turns against those implemented measures of time. I heartily recommend that you add this publication to your reading list, consider it pleasurable homework.

Tailoring on the TV

Afer working late at the office I decided to treat myself and go out for dinner because I just couldn't face cooking. This meant that I missed the latest episode of British Style Genius which was all about tailoring. Did anyone catch it? The series which explores what makes British fashion and style distinctive continued with the tailored look - from Savile Row to Paul Smith, Fred Astaire to James Bond. The British tailoring story is one of elegant craftsmanship, where a bespoke suit takes 40 measurements and weeks of cutting and stitching by hand to complete. It pains me that British tailoring has often been better appreciated abroad than at home - hopefully the series can make one and all appreciate this somewhat unappreciated art form. The cameras travel to Japan with designer Paul Smith, whose colourful, 'classic-with-a-twist' formula has created a global style brand and more traditional Savile Row designers are following suit.

Here is a clip of Michael Caine rambling featuring Roger Moore

What excites me most about this episode is how it portrays the industry. The heart of this very British success story is shown to be an ability to combine centuries of heritage and tradition with creativity, imagination and a defiant sense of individuality as seen in the 60s psychedelic tailored designs of 'Granny Takes a Trip', the flamboyance of Tommy Nutter's suits for women and the modern cuts of today's mavericks like Ozwald Boeteng and Timothy Everest.

Thank goodness for technology, BBC iplayer means I can soon catch up on the action but whilst I wait for BBC to upload the episode I thought I would share it with you. After I've seen the show I will write a full review and hopefully share some clips with you. In the meantime, if you saw it, let us know what you thought.

The desert boot - defying the sands of time

I'm not too are whether it was the Kentish sand that ran between my toes (it was beautiful weather over the weekend) or maybe it was Brandish informing me of a new release by Clarks but my love for Desert Boots have grown significantly in the last few days. Of course the classic desert boot is by Clarks Originals but there are a number of great alternatives out there! I wanted to give you some interesting facts about the history of the shoe but wikipedia let me down (the entry had been deleted), fortunately Oi Polloi informs me that the desert boot was created in 1950 by Nathan Clark after he got the idea from crepe-soled, rough suede boots which officers in the Eighth Army were in the habit of getting made in the Bazaar at Cairo. Since 1950 this soft, floppy, ankle high boot has become something of an icon, continuing to defy the sands of time. Here are my favourites:

Pierre Hardy available at trebienshop, Clarks Originals available at Clarks, Aquascutum and Common Projects versions both available at farfetch

Weekend Reading... Serious Pleasures

With their scandalous outfits and behaviour, a group of young and privileged bohemians captivated, angered and fascinated inter war period Britain. These 'Bright Young Things' as they were coined by the press, threw elaborate fancy dress parties, chased through nighttime London on treasure hunts, drank heavily and experimented with drugs. All tales of sights seen and even a few fabricated were all enthusiastically divulged on the pages of the tabloids. During the 20s and 30s, Stephen Tennant was an important member of this group. Indeed he was oft described as the 'brightest' of these 'Bright Young Things'. He is widely considered to be the model for Cedric Hampton in Nancy Mitford's novel Love in a Cold Climate along with being one of the inspirations for Lord Sebastian Flyte in Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. This weekend, as real Autumn settles in, I've turned to Phillip Hoare's 'Serious Pleasures: The life of Stephan Tennant' for company and to learn a little more about the man behind the decadence. 

Phillip Hoare, intrigued by this era of explored excess and Jazz age glamour spotted the frequent reference of Tennant but it was a Cecil Beaton profile shot that turned his interest in to an obsession. "The reason why I wrote about Stephen Tennant was that he was the embodiment of a fantastical world that I had inhabited throughout my mid-adolescence – a world that, for me, stretched from the Ballet Russes on the one hand to David Bowie's Jean Genie on the other" purred Hoare. Stephen Tennant had looked like David Bowie back in 1927. Gold dust shimmering in his hair and with an extraordinary leather coat with chinchilla fur collar nonchalantly worn over an Anderson and Shepherd suit. He was an alien in Mayfair. The resonance of Tennant's image - its alien androgyny somehow surreal in the environs of Smith Square - reached far beyond its years. Many were enthralled at the time but three generations later and Hoare was still mesmerised when he dedicated four years of his life to this wonderful biography of the Edwardian aesthete. Like Hoare, I've marvelled at Beaton's imagery of this intriguing world and read reference of its poster boy and I'm looking forward to finding a little more about the man. However, before I bury my head in its pages, I want to share a few of the images that accompany Hoare's words.... 

Photographs that catch the eye and capture the imagination litter this well researched biography.

Looking at these shots it is clear that Tennant’s outfits teasingly danced and boyishly bounced from the indulgently luxe extravagance to the theatrical, gender-blurring fancy dress. I'll no doubt be reading about this bright young thing throughout the weekend and beyond but before I do, I just want to leave you with an example of the fascinated gossip that was penned in the press during Tennant's peak...

"The Honourable Stephen Tennant arrived in an electric brougham wearing a football jersey and earrings."

William Hickey, Daily Express, 1927.

Unlikely Style Icons - Team Zissou

Wes Anderson is one of my favourite directors because his films burst with detail, colour and textures. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is a great film, arguably his best - I recently picked up a copy for three pounds no doubt it will be one of the films I turn to when I'm just not sure what to do with myself on a wet Sunday- however I didn't think it would have any kind of impact on men's style. Steve Zissou was written with Bill Murray in mind, it just could not have been anyone else could it...however, this chap featured on both the Sartorialist and Facehunter was certainly inspired by the internationally famous oceonographer and his team...Team Zissou!

The lost member of Team Zissou as captured by the Sartorialist

Update: Since posting I came across more Team Zissou on Dejour

Sunday Monkey Business

Nursing a hangover and all alone in the flat (because Susie is in Paris for the week) Sunday has been a lazy day for me. My time lounging on the sofa was well spent though because Film4 were showing the perfect Sunday afternoon film, Monkey Business. The film has a star studded cast including Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Marilyn Monroe and Charles Coburn but more interestingly than boasting stars the film shows them in a very different light than to how the audience expects to see them.

There is no doubt that Cary Grant is one of the most stylish men ever. While most have seen Cary Grant and indeed remember him for the romance and Hitchcock films of this decade such as An Affair to Remember, To Catch a Thief and North by Northwest, Monkey Business is reminiscent of the screwball comedies of the 30's. Very funny and full of just plain silliness, this film is a great way to pass a Sunday afternoon. Although in a more comedic role than I'm used to seeing in, he's still as stylish as ever. The style on display is more than similar to Mad Men. As Valet showed us how to get the style from the show of the moment and I just had to share it with you all once again.

1.) Sterling silver tie bar by David Donahue, $40 at Nordstrom. 2.) Lemtosh frames, $169 (without prescription) at Moscot. 3.) Sidecar gunmetal briefcase by Dunhill, $1,240 at Dunhill, 212.753.9292. 4.) Bow tie by Band of Outsiders, $92 at Blue Bee. 5-7.) Ties, (from left) Mike & Chris, $83, Ralph Lauren, $125 and Shipley & Halmos, $92, all available at Blue Bee. 8.) Suit by John Varvatos Star USA, $795 at Nordstrom. Shirt by Theory, $125, at Nordstrom. Tie by Hickey, $115 at Hickeystyle.com. 9.) Wool hat by Rod Keenan, $360 at Barneys New York stores. 10.) Cotton handkerchiefs, $25 for a pack of seven, at Brooks Brothers.

I will leave you with a piece of wisdom from Grant's character - "You're old only when you forget you're young." Now I'm off to buy a pair of braces after being inspired by this film.

The Beatles close up and private

Earlier this month we were contacted by Sergei Sviatchenko who alerted us to his on-going style project, Close up and private. We love how it celebrates classic details alongside contemporary looks through a unique form of photographic documentary. The real beauty of menswear is in the details and this style project celebrates them. With this is mind Sergei has sent through his latest spread of images, an homage to the Beatles...

Fans of The Beatles will know that their back catalogue has finally been digitally remastered and is due for release today along with Beatles: The Rock Band. To celebrate this fact, Sergei sent through his pictorial homage to the band. Although we are fans of the fab four's music (who isn't?) we've never really appreciated their style. This series of images forces us to readdress this point and might make you look at the mop top and mod style a little differently. So why not sit back with your favourite Beatles' track (Steve's is Blackbird from The White Album and EJ's changes constantly but is currently 'Michelle' from the Rubber Soul album) and let the images wash over you...

From the very beginning, The Beatles recognised the importance of style and were constantly reinventing their look along with their music. Dark suits soon gave way to lighter, Edwardian style, collarless ones. When The Beatles took to the world stage in the 1960s, they sported an unusual mix of smart suits and shaggy, moptop hair. At a press conference at the Plaza Hotel in New York, shortly after the Beatles' arrival in the United States, Harrison was asked by a reporter, "What do you call your hairstyle?" He replied "Arthur." A suitable name for it, don't you think?

The band's mod suits were among the defining looks of the 1960s and have been coming back in to fashion ever since. The Beatles' in-house tailor was a Londoner called Dougie Millings, who made many of their early stage suits. Millings apparently took the idea of collarless jackets from similar suits created in 1960 by Pierre Cardin.

John Lennon's round glasses were a defining element of hippie style during the 1960s counterculture movement. Of course to contemporary eyes they have more than a hint of Harry Potter about them but these classic, simple, round wire frames never really go out of style.

This is one of our favourite shots because we are picturing an army of lust fuelled teenage girls making chase out of the shot. The 'Beatle Boots' like the ones above are a direct descendant of the Chelsea boot (from which the pointed toe and centre seam stitch was derived) and the Flamenco boot (from which the Cuban heel was derived). The boots originated in October 1961, when John and Paul saw Chelsea boots whilst browsing in Anello & Davide. The pair consequently commissioned four pairs (with the addition of Cuban heels) for the band. The 'Beatle Boot' created queues of 'Mods' outside the Drury Lane shop, and has been in popular demand ever since.

The way Close Up and Private highlights men's style in a personal way makes this a refreshing find and one which will surely provide hours of procrastination fodder.

Lost Control. Found Style

Just to counter all of the colour we have been featuring lately, lets go in the monochrome world of Joy Division (as I'm getting excited about the film). They are one of our favourite bands and I have been waiting for this film for some time! Upon hearing the gossip that Jude Law was touted as playing Ian Curtis I must admit that I was a little worried but after seeing the recent stills I am excited once more.

The film is directed by Corbijn who is renowned as a photographer and image-maker to great bands like Depeche Mode and U2, but let's not forget Travis...and according to reviews Corbijn acquits himself well. According to Stephen Dalton for Times Online "He and his cinematographer Martin Ruhe frame Control in stark monochrome, a bold but appropriate choice, complementing both the angular modernism of Joy Division’s music and the northern social-realist tradition echoed in the film’s austere style." Even if there is no substance it seems that style wins out. The film 'Control' is a profile of Ian Curtis (played by Sam Riley...who looks remarkably similar).

For those of you who don't know (but damn it you really should, have you no taste!?) Curtis was the enigmatic singer of Joy Division whose troubles led him to commit suicide at the age of 23 (which is my age). I recently bought a photo book of a Joy Division gig and loved the style on the pages (this is now with EJ as it was a present for her). I'm not sure exactly what it is about them, they certainly aren't unique...I just think the fit and how they are worn just really works (or maybe I am seeing them through rose tinted specs) with the image of the band.

Sam Riley as Ian Curtis

Now you can help me out, is it the flash or are these jeans very Dior-esque? Either way I like them. I will leave you with an image of the jeans I am referring to and let me know your thoughts.

I have got a feeling that I have been seduced by all of the monochrome here. My next post will return to some colour.

Joy Division are a wonderful and much-imitated group (never so much as by Interpol a couple of years back!). Pictures from the photo book can be found here. I'm (well, Rob is) lucky enough to have a vinyl recording of that gig too.

I think what is so resonant about their look is that it just goes so well with the music they made. It has a sincerity about it, a sincerity that you find in their entire body of work. Can't wait for the film.

Men Represent: Out of obsessions come style icons

I have been an avid watcher of Masterchef for as long as I can remember, long before the influx of the TV celebrity chef. Early memories include marvelling at Loyd Grossman's peculiar voice and watching housewives (with the odd, odd guy) compete against one another (not that competitively)...it was all about the joy of cooking and nothing else back then...simple times. In it's various modern guises the competition is taken extremely serious indeed, it is not just about the joy of cooking, it is cooking as a way of life, a profession. Which leads me nicely to the new series of this institutional show, Masterchef Professionals and it's new presenter Michele Roux JR - the bar has been raised as the hunt commences for a chef who can cut it at the very top of the culinary profession and the two starred Michelin chef judges with style. I have to steal an amusing quote from Sarah Dempster from the Guardian - "Here, hectoring judge Gregg Wallace is joined by Michel Roux Jr, a thin man with one large, terrified eye and one small, rather kindly eye; a biological quirk that makes it impossible to tell whether the Michelin-starred maverick is horrified by your pan-seared scallops, or just wants to give them a cuddle." Aside from his biological quirks he has an enviable collection of suits and wears them extremely well. As I sit watching my new favourite show (guilty pleasure) aside from cooking up a storm in the kitchen the new presenter makes me want to invest in more suits...and work on my stare. He has inspired me to experiment with smartening up my everyday look.