Men's Style

Groomstars.com Review - Formal Gifts For Men

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) — Apr 27th 2011 at 12:04PM

The website Groomstars.com is founded on an interesting idea - that being the concept that men are hard to shop for (especially when it comes to gifts for special occasions). As the name of the site implies, the focus of the site is offering gifts for the men who participate in weddings (not like routinely or anything). Along with the fact that guys are not super easy to shop for, most gift websites usually have items that either appeal only to women, or are gifts guys don't normally want. Groomstars strives to offering an enticing selection of male-minded gifts, and like many other gift based websites, Groomstars also features most (if not all) of their products as being personalized.

Featured products including a range of decent quality pens, holders, valets, watch cases, clothing accessories, hobbyist goods, nice tools, and other things men usually like, but wouldn't normally buy for themselves. I actually appreciate the selection a lot. It is as though someone waded through most of the obvious (and many non obvious) gifts a man would like and presented them in an easy to navigate place.

A lot of people will likely enjoy the site when shopping for groomsmen, a best man, the father of the bride - or anyone else who may be a friend, boss, or relative. Prices aren't cheap, but part of what you are paying for is the curated content. One such item that is nice is the Groomstars Striped Wedge Wood Watch box. It contains space for a few watches and related accessories, while the inside is cloth lined to prevent scratching. It comes in a nicely veneered closing box case with a personalized plate near the push-button opener. The inside is lined with soft cloth and quality is better than you might expect (or perhaps I simply have jaded expectations). Their watch boxes also come in a few different finishes and retails for $265 - all of course available for purchase online.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Groomstars watch box

Tags: box, case, gifts, groom, groomstars, men, personalized, watch, wedding

Sleep with Rolex & Patek Philippe at Florence's Luxe L'O - Hotel L'Orologio

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Apr 16th 2011 at 9:01AM

Under the patronage of new Italian luxury hotel group Whythebest, one of Florence's hippest and best-hidden boutique hotels is getting set to welcome the fashion crowd to the city this summer during the Pitti Uomo men's shows.

L'O - Hotel L'Orologio is unique in being inspired by the prestigious world of international high-end watchmaking as well as by owner Sandro Fratini's personal collection of over 2,000 vintage timepieces. If you appreciate haute horlogerie – and what man of style doesn't? – it's hard to imagine wanting to stay anywhere else.

Tags: Florence, Italy, luxury hotels, Patek Philippe, Rolex, Whythebest Hotels

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Reach the Beach: Luxury Resort Style in the Turks & Caicos Islands {Exclusive Feature}

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Apr 15th 2011 at 9:01AM

Click above for a high-res image gallery

The Turks and Caicos islands in the British West Indies is well known for having the world's most beautiful beaches. It also has some of the world's most stylish and luxurious beach resorts, which are remarkable for their amazingly private settings and lush natural landscapes, far removed from the over-development that plagues some other Caribbean hotspots. The perfect setting for our latest style feature, we're sure you'll agree.

Parrot Cay, located on a pristine 1,000-acre private island, including a mile-long powdered beach, is an elegant combination of glorious nature, understated luxury and unparalleled privacy complete with an award-winning holistic spa, healthy gourmet cuisine and beach villas with private pools (above).

The villas are a favorite with celebrities including Donna Karan, Bruce Willis, Keith Richards and Sir Paul McCartney. Some like Willis and Karan were so entranced they decided to build their own beach houses on the island. Want to own one? So do we. Parrot Cay is currently offering a small selection of villas for private ownership, starting at $10 million.

Tags: Aman resorts, Amanyara, architecture, Bagatelle, beach, beach resorts, books, Caribbean, celebrity vacations, Donna Karan, Gansevoort, Girard-Perregaux, Helly-Hansen, islands, JetBlue, Land Rover, luxury resorts, Parrot Cay, private island, R A E N Optics, resorts, Rizzoli, Royal Elastics, shoes, spa, Tods, Turks and Caicos, Vineyard Vines, watches

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Sir Stirling Moss Ferrari Luggage Collection by Caracalla - Bath

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Apr 12th 2011 at 8:01AM

Caracalla – Bath, the UK line of fine Italian leather goods designed to be worthy of traveling in the world's greatest cars, has come out with a cool new collection of luggage designed in homage to the great racing driver Sir Stirling Moss and his iconic 1961 Ferrari 250 SWB (above).

Part of Caracalla's Commemorative Motorsport Collection, dedicated to pivotal moments in racing history, the beautifully handmade bags feature Moss' racing number as painted on the famous Ferrari at the wheel of which he won his 7th R.A.C Tourist Trophy at Goodwood.

The Ferrari Moss No. 7 collection includes a driver's bag (below), a holdall (above) and a garment bag all featuring Moss' signature embossed on the white center panel, meticulously crafted in Tuscany. Of course the man himself owns and loves the bags.

The line, founded by collector sports and luxury car expert Simon Jordan, takes its name from the Terme di Caracalla race circuit in Rome, where Ferrari won its first race in 1947.

[via Driven]

Tags: Caracalla - Bath, Caracalla Bagaglio, classic cars, Driven, Ferrari, leather, luggage, mens style, racing, Stirling Moss, UK

The Classicist: Southern Proper's Timeless Style

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Apr 11th 2011 at 8:01AM

Mint juleps, seersucker, stately plantations, belles in summer dresses and those F. Scott Fitzgerald stories where they go around saying "Good mawnin', Sally Carrol" -- all come together in the new spring collection from Southern Proper, a gentleman's outfitter from Atlanta now gaining wider recognition from natty northerners.

Tags: Atlanta, bow ties, croquet, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Georgia, golf, Kentucky Derby, mens clothing, mens style, mint julep, polo, preppy, sailing, southern plantations, Southern Proper, southern+mens+style, southernmensstyle, tennis, the south, ties

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The Classicist: Early Spring Style Starring the Volvo S60

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Apr 4th 2011 at 1:01PM

The new Volvo S60 R-Design, the marque's sportiest model ever, serves as the inspiration for The Classicist's latest installment of seasonal style (see the late winter edition here).

As previewed by our brethren at Autoblog at the Paris Auto Show, the S60 R-Design amps up what Volvo had already declared to be its first "naughty" model; ask anyone who knows us – we've always had a soft spot for naughty models. The car's snappy 300-horsepower 3.0-liter inline turbo six remains unchanged, but the R-Design designation adds some styling upgrades that give it an aptly more aggressive stance.

Tags: bags, cars and style, clothing, luggage, mens style, R A E N Optics, Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Cooper bag, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Red Wing, Red Wing Shoes, Red Wing Wabasha Boots, Rolex, Rolex Explorer, Rolex Explorer II, Scandinavia, Steve McQueen, Sweden, The Classicist, VO Vapen, Volvo, Volvo S60, Volvo S60 R-Design

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Men's Socks by Subscription: The Sockscription Review

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) — Apr 4th 2011 at 9:01AM

The idea of the Sockscription is pretty simple (we first discussed it here). The guy who never thinks about buying new socks gets them delivered via mail direct a few times a year. It also makes good business sense for Blacksocks as they know they have your ongoing business. Convenience services such as this make a lot of sense for the modern busy guy - but you also run the risk of having just too many socks. The problem the service tries to avoid is you having hole-ridden business socks when you least want to.

Tags: apparel, business, gift, mens socks, review, sock, socks, sockscription, subscription

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Heritage Craftsmanship: Red Wing Shoes Video Series

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 28th 2011 at 2:01PM

For over 100 years, the Minnesota-based Red Wing Shoe Company has been carefully crafting premium quality footwear made for specific work environments. Designed for duty on factory floors, construction sites, refineries and railroads, their rugged style has also been adopted by many who do nothing more perilous than cross a Brooklyn subway platform at rush hour. These days you can even find them at J. Crew.

The Red Wing Heritage collection pays homage to the company's history of hardcore work boots with some styles designed for the Range Rover set as well. We are, admittedly, in the latter camp. Regardless of which style suits you, the boots and shoes are still crafted with skill and treated like fine tools for the wearer. Premium Red Wing Shoes leather, tanned at the company's own S.B Foot Tanning Company, is triple stitched with waxed thread for quality. The video above shows the process in action.

Charles Beckman, a Red Wing, Minnesota merchant who saw a need for durable and comfortable work boots, founded the firm in 1905. Today, a third generation of employees, located just down the road from the original factory, continues the tradition he established by using the same craftsmanship and attention to detail. The tannery video is one in a series showing all facets of Red Wing's time-honored operation. You can check them all out here.

Tags: American clothing, boots, heritage clothing, leather, mens clothing, mens shoes, mens style, Minnesota, Range Rover, Red Wing, Red Wing boots, Red Wing Shoe Company, Red Wing shoes, shoes, video

The Classicist: VO Guns Debuts the Falcon, World's Most Expensive Rifle, for $820,000 [EXCLUSIVE]

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 28th 2011 at 9:01AM

Swedish gun and rifle maker VO Vapen, founded in 1977 by master gunsmith Viggo Olsson, fashions the world's most exclusive handmade hunting rifles. Their newest creation, the VO Falcon Edition (above), is the world's most expensive priced at about $820,000. The VO Falcon Edition is a tribute to the deep rooted traditions of falconry in the Arabian world, covered by beautiful engravings of Peregrine and Saker falcons among other luxurious finishes.

Tags: bespoke, falconry, guns, gunsmith, hunting, luxury goods, most expensive guns, rifles, shooting, sports, Sweden, UAE, Vo guns, VO Vapen, vo+falcon+rifle, vofalconrifle, worlds most expensive

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Luxe Style Staple: Christopher Fischer Cashmere Scarf

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 21st 2011 at 3:00PM

After searching for a cashmere scarf in just the right shade of olive green for some time, we recently came across this natty number from Christopher Fischer.

Paired here with a classic and well-worn Barbour Bedale jacket and fleece Connaught sweater jacket from Private Stock, it's finished in a good mid-season weight with enough length to double over for the "Euro" knot when extra insulation is called for.

Fischer, a self-described cashmere addict, has product ranges including men's, women's, home and travel, with boutiques in New York City, Southampton, East Hampton and Greenwich, CT. He founded the company 25 years ago in the town of Hawick in the borders of Scotland, the birthplace of the Scottish cashmere industry.

Tags: Barbour, cashmere, Christopher Fischer, Christopher Fischer Cashmere Scarf, East Hampton, mens style, Private Stock, scarf, Scotland

The Classicist: James Bond Style - Project X's New British Military "Stealth" Rolexes

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 21st 2011 at 9:00AM

Project X Designs, the London-based Rolex customizer whose fans include "James Bond" star Daniel Craig, has come out with three new military-inspired "stealth" designs based on the classic Rolex Submariner and Rolex Explorer. The cool new models pay homage to Agent 007, the legendary British Special Boat Service (SBS) and military issue Submariners of 1950s – 1970s, original models of which fetch a small fortune at auction.

Tags: 007, 007 Rolex, custom Rolexes, Daniel Bourn, Daniel Craig, Daniel Craig Rolex, DLC, DLC Rolex, DLC watches, James Bond, James Bond Rolex, James Bond watch, james+bond+style, jamesbondstyle, London, military, military watches, Project X, Project X Designs, Project X Rolex, project+x+designs+james+bond, project+x+rolex+limited+edition, project+x+stealth+military+rolex, projectxdesignsjamesbond, projectxrolexlimitededition, projectxstealthmilitaryrolex, Roger Moore, Rolex, Rolex Daytona, Rolex Explorer, Rolex Submariner, rolex+stealth+explorer, rolexstealthexplorer, Sean Connery, timepieces, UK, watch design, watches

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Hermes Mahogany & Leather Valet Stand

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 16th 2011 at 7:00PM

The famed French luxury goods house of Hermès has come out with the ultimate accessory for the world's best-dressed gentlemen -- a valet stand in solid mahogany, fine leather and brass with ebony detailing.

The luxe piece, designed to accommodate a full suit of gentleman's clothing and accessories, is a limited edition re-issue of a classic item created for Hermès in 1930 by famed French decorator and designer Paul Dupré-Lafon. The original was sold by Sotheby's at its Art Nouveau & Art Deco Design sale in Paris in 2007 for about $65,000.

Tags: Art Deco, bespoke, cufflinks, France, gentlemens accessories, Hermès, Hermes, hermes valet stand, hermes+valet+stand, hermesvaletstand, leather, luxury goods, mahogany, mahogany+mens+valet+stand, mahoganymensvaletstand, mens accessories, mens clothing, mens Hermes, mens style, suit, valet stand, vintage Hermes

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Ledbury, the Better-Tailored Men's Shirt

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 15th 2011 at 11:01AM

A couple of Oxford MBAs recently founded Ledbury, a new men's shirt brand dedicated to better tailoring at the intersection of Savile Row and Ivy Style. Paul Trible and Paul Watson (above) graduated with Oxford MBAs at the height of the economic crisis, literally the day before the Lehman Bros. collapse, and decided to turn their careers from finance to fine fabric. Taking advantage of their proximity to Jermyn Street, London's traditional home of fine haberdashery, the pair learned the art of English shirt-making from one of the street's top craftsman and then fused in their hometown Southern U.S. style to create a brand based in Virginia focusing on fit, quality and style.

"When I was living in London, I would come back to the States and have difficulty finding high quality shirts that provided a tailored look," the Virginia-born Trible explains. "The big name menswear retailers made formless, boxy clothes, while luxury brands charged exorbitant prices. It seemed like there was a real need for an American shirtmaker that offered European quality, English fit and American style, all at an attainable price. We want Ledbury shirts to fit better, feel better and last longer than anything else in your closet." The Classicist recently featured a natty Ledbury chambray creation in a column on seasonal style starring the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

Tags: dress shirts, entrepreneur, Ledbury, London, mens clothing, mens style, menswear, Oxford, Savile Row, shirts, tailoring, Virginia

Hockey Star Sean Avery Curates Special Sales for Gilt MAN

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 15th 2011 at 9:00AM

New York Rangers hockey star Sean Avery (above left) is one of the rare professional athletes with a real sense of style. His passion for fashion even led him to intern at Vogue while selflessly dating several leggy models.

Now the spiffy sportsman is curating a series of three weekly sales (March 11, 18 and 25) for Gilt MAN, online luxury retailer Gilt Groupe's men's site dedicated to matters sartorial, including a must-read daily guide to men's style.

Avery combed the impressive Gilt MAN inventory with the site's editorial director Tyler Thoreson (above right) to make his sartorial selections. Each "Avery's Rules" sale focuses on a different phase of the life of a style-conscious professional. The first, "At Work," featured A. Testoni shoes, crisp, fitted shirts and razor-sharp suits by Raf Simons, Martin Greenfield, and Calvin Klein Collection.

Taking his style advice may not necessarily get you an NHL contract and a supermodel girlfriend, but it certainly won't hurt your chances.

Tags: athletes, Calvin Klein, Gilt, Gilt Groupe, Gilt MAN, hockey, mens clothing, New York Rangers, Sean Avery, sean+avery+gilt, seanaverygilt, shoes, sports, suits, Tyler Thoreson, Vogue

World's Most Expensive Poker Set for $7.5 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 11th 2011 at 6:01PM

Talk about high stakes – Geoffrey Parker, London-based maker of the finest games on the globe, is offering the world's most expensive poker set for $7.5 million. The bespoke set comes housed in a genuine alligator skin case finished in any color the client chooses, fitted with 18k white gold combination locks and hardware. The case' suede lining features an 18k gold and diamond frame holding 384 18k white gold chips, each inlaid on both sides in shagreen (stingray skin). The chips can be in any currency and denomination the client desires; the display set features chips marked €100,000 – or about $140,000 at today's rates.

The edge of each chip is set with precious stones – white diamonds for the white chips, sapphires for the blue, rubies for the red, emeralds for the green and black diamonds for the black. The dealer button is be a larger 18 karat white gold chip set with two rows of diamonds to the edge. The set will feature an estimated 22,364 stones in all, totaling 1,012 carats. Finally there are four platinum-plated decks of poker cards. Orders are now being taken with an expected delivery time of six to nine months; the price may go up if the precious stones and metals market fluctuates.

[via JustLuxe]

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