menswear

Ledbury, the Better-Tailored Men's Shirt

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

J.Crew Opens Madison Avenue Men's Shop

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

Under gray skies and the first honest wisps of fall, J.Crew unveiled its latest Men's Shop on Madison Avenue in New York City.

For a brand whose rep has been synonymous with rep stripes, wide wale corduroy and the Ivy League uniform, it's surprising that it took J.Crew this long to arrive in the neighborhood, since the Upper East Side is certainly the nexus of all that. Located on the corner of 79th Street, in a space formally occupied by a bank, the store is in many ways the apogee of J.Crew's recent menswear translation of preppy as Nantucket by way of Japan. The shop itself feels like an Alpine lodge, with knotty pine wood paneling covering walls, floor and seemingly everything else. Populate that with Quoddy boots, Barbour jackets, and lots and lots of plaid, and you've got what amounts to catnip for fans of the trad, Americana, or workwear look (whichever you prefer).

Some might choose the slightly pejorative "urban woodsman" though, and you can't really blame them. The trend metastasized to the point of self-parody, what with all those bearded 20-somethings head-to-toe in buffalo plaid, buying $250 axes and signing up for butchering classes. But you have to commend J.Crew, and head menswear designer Frank Muytjens, for navigating it without lingering to the point of definition. This fall season seems to be more about celebrating classic looks, classic brands-and as expressed by this new store-creating a shopping experience with some style and relaxed refinement (none of which you're going to find at American Apparel). And they do, balancing out the aforementioned ruggedness with Thomas Mason spread collar shirts and cashmere navy suits, both exclusive to this location.

Tags: J.Crew, Madison Avenue, mens fashion, menswear, new york city, stores

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Menswear Brand LimoLand Comes to the U.S.

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

Menswear line LimoLand is coming to the U.S. This is the first time that the menswear brand will be available nationwide. Designer, photographer, and art collector, Jean "Johnny" Piggozi founded the line and is bringing a flagship store to New York City's Meatpacking District set to open on August 26. There is also a new e-commerce site selling limited edition items including LimoLand bags, laptop cases and travel wallets designed in collaboration with Yoshida Porter of Japan, and limited edition jackets designed in collaboration with K-Way of Canada.

LimoLand was established in 2007. The colorful menswear and accessories are designed to inspire men who, as the founder Jean "Johnny" Pigozzi says, "Live to create." The brand's logo and namesake, Mr. Limo, is based on work of the late Tanzanian artist George Lilanga. LimoLand's clothing and accessories have been sold in some of the top stores around the world, including Colette in Paris, Dover Street Market in London, 10 Corso Como in Milan and Land of Tomorrow in Tokyo and the brand has been featured in such fashion magazines as Vogue, GQ and Vanity Fair.

Tags: hoodies, K-Way, limoland, menswear, yoshida porter

The Classicist: 'Take Ivy' - The Original Preppy Handbook

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Books, Men's Style, The Classicist

Take Ivy, with photos by Japan's T. Hayashida, is truly the original preppy handbook, first published way back in 1965 – in Japanese. In the early 1960s Kensuke Ishizu, the founder of an Ivy League-inspired clothing line called Van Jacket, commissioned Hayashida and three other Japanese disciples of clean-cut American style to go on a "fact-finding mission" to all of the States' eight Ivy League colleges – Havard, Yale, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown and Cornell – chronicling every element of the students' style along the way. Hayashida took tens of thousands of photos at the colleges, then went on to document the stores the students patronized, the cars they drove and even Ivy League grads working on Madison Avenue. When first published in Japan the book sparked a huge trend for Ivy League fashion among Japanese youths who frequented Tokyo's hip Ginza shopping district.

In subsequent decades the book developed a huge cult following among sartorial connoisseurs, with rare original editions selling for thousands of dollars on eBay. The New York Times called it "a treasure of fashion insiders" and cited its influence on a number of men's fashion designers in an article last year, noting photocopied versions were being passed around design studios helping to spark a whole new trend. Now powerHouse Books is re-issuing the book this month, with a long-awaited English translation; J.Crew has also printed 300 limited edition copies in a special case in celebration to be sold in select J.Crew mens shops, the perfect accompaniment to the Ivy-inspired clothing on its shelves; J. Crew men's designer Frank Muytjens says he was "obsessed" by the book and it's timeless appeal.

Gallery: Take Ivy

While The Official Preppy Handbook, which came out 15 years later, is rather tongue-in-cheek, Take Ivy's approach to the subject is downright scholarly. The implications of 'Ivy Style' "go beyond the group of eight prestigious universities that belong to the Ivy League, American football, or the vine itself that covers the buildings of Ivy League schools," the authors note. "It is also not simply about Madison Avenue, Brooks Brothers, modern jazz and folk songs. They do play a part in defining 'Ivy' as a whole, but each of them is only a peripheral component.... In order to understand the spirit of 'Ivy', you must appreciate and master all aspects of American East Coast culture." Thus the back of the book features instructions on building the perfect Ivy League wardrobe including how to wear key items along with a whole compendium of the Ivy League ethos.

Tags: books, Brooks Brothers, clothing, coffee table books, eBay, Harvard, Ivy League, J.Crew, Japan, mens style, menswear, photography, powerHouse Books, preppy, Princeton, Tokyo, university, Yale

Brooks Brothers & Levi's Launch Exclusive Denim Collection

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

Two of America's best known menswear brands, Brooks Brothers and Levi's, have collaborated on a new denim collection. Levi's Jeans, Made in the USA for Brooks Brothers, will be available at Brooks Brothers stores nationwide, online and in Brooks Brothers catalogs as of this week, affirming the two companies' shared commitment to products that are "made in America". The collection features a carefully crafted assortment of sophisticated and classic jeans designed specifically for Brooks Brothers' customers. Offered in a range of timeless finishes and washes, the line consists of versions of Levi's original and iconic 501 jean, the zip-fly 505, and the modern and streamlined 514 Slim Straight jean. Each pair is crafted in a factory in Los Angeles using imported materials and will retail for $148.

Tags: American fashion, Brooks Brothers, denim, jeans, Los Angeles, mens style, menswear

Hlaska Does Belt Buckles

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Men's Style

Hlaska has added two belt buckles designs to their line of menswear. The first one, called "Diving Bell," is available in antique brass or pewter and is inspired by WWII Navy Divers. The second design is called simply "Knot" and is available in pewter only. It draws its inspiration from the sea also, but this time from boating and climbing "figure-8" knots. Both belt buckles come with a simple leather belt in your choice of black, brown, or cognac and are a great way to make a statement with a casual outfit. $125

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Tags: belt buckle, belts, hlaska, men, menswear, nautical

Alton Lane: The Modern Bespoke

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

A new online menswear brand has launched, promising bespoke clothing at an accessible price. Alton Lane seeks to be the new standard for premium custom menswear. "We aren't here to join the luxury men's clothing market. We're here to revolutionize it," says Colin Hunter, Alton Lane's co-founder and CEO. The site will offer bespoke clothing for business, social and special events, including suits, shirts, trousers, blazers, tuxedos and overcoats. Custom shirts start at $79 and custom suits start at $485. The company has a state-of-the-art 3D body scanner in the Manhattan showroom that lets clients get their precise measurements in less than 30 seconds. Then they can browse the carefully curated selection of fabrics while enjoying a drink from the Alton Lane bar. Clients can request fabric samples and personalized style advice from the website. The site has debuted as an invitation-only service and the Alton Lane showroom is open for private appointments around the clock, seven days a week. Turn around time from date of order to delivery is approximately four to five weeks. In a recent interview co-founders Colin Hunter and Peyton Jenkins said that they are hoping to change the way men view their clothes, how they should fit and their access to it.

Tags: alton lane, bespoke, menswear, tailor

Dunhill Launches New Line of Sunglasses

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Men's Style

Famed London luxury goods firm Dunhill is launching a new line of men's sunglasses for Spring / Summer 2010. Each design, priced at $325, takes inspiration from elements of the Dunhill menswear collection, with three themes entitled Club, Classic and Ultimate. Every pair of Dunhill sunglasses features lightweight polyamide lenses which are breakage-resistant and offer the highest standards of UV protection and optical quality, with the Alfred Dunhill 'AD' vintage logo branded on each temple. The Club collection presents a choice of casual designs in a neutral palette to pair perfectly with Dunhill's crisp Oxford striped shirts, khaki chinos and Bladon leather luggage; the black-toned Classic collection is inspired by Dunhill's tradition of finely-tailored tuxedos; and the Ultimate collection is inspired by the motoring-derived carbon fiber which Dunhill uses in everything from pens to skis. The masculine and functional material is complemented by rubber elements with rubber injected 'AD' logos and carbon fiber and rubber lined temples for a comfortable fit. Every piece of Dunhill eyewear is presented in an 'AD' embossed black case complete with branded cleaning cloth and a Dunhill heritage and guarantee booklet.

Tags: carbon fiber, Dunhill, eyewear, London, menswear, summer, sunglasses

Luxist Visits the Denim-meisters at London's MQT Jeans

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Luxist had been hanging out in London for a while when the men's-only denim brand MQT was brought to our attention. The denim business on the 'sceptered isle is just as intense as it is in NYC and every VIP section in LA, probably because the English take their various senses of style so... gravely... and because jeans are bloody expensive. That $250 pair of True Religion jeans scored at Fred Segal is £250 when you drive on the other side of the road. Which is $390. An inexpensive pair of jeans is $100. And that's real money.

We dropped in on MQT's central command hoping for a lesson in denim and a look at what are being called not the next big thing, but simply a big thing, period. What we got was not only a good lesson and a brilliant look, but a pair of loose fit jeans and the certitude that we'll be back buying more...

Gallery: London's MQT Jeans

Tags: denim, england, jeans, london, menswear, mqt, mqt jeans, MqtJeans, uk

Continue reading “Luxist Visits the Denim-meisters at London's MQT Jeans”

The Classicist: LINCS by David Chu for the Gentleman Explorer

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style, The Classicist

One of our favorite menswear collections for fall is from preternaturally stylish Nautica founder David Chu's LINCS line, which he relaunched earlier this year as a full sportswear collection. The name is of course derived from golf, but Chu has expanded its horizons considerably this season. He aptly describes it as "a modern expression of style inspired by a life in and out of the country club - of travel, of sport, of classic chic." The theme of the fall collection is a modern take on the "gentleman explorer," characterized by classic rugged yet elegant styling in a color palette of loden, navy, and charcoal, with fabrics like waxed cotton, cashmere, wool and flannel.

"LINCS is grounded in authentic, classic style, but updated with details and textures men can relate to," Chu notes. "Many of our shirts for example have a contrast color / pattern detail that's subtle. You'll find a surprising detail or color at the cuff, on a collar, or the inside liner. Part of the LINCS concept is the fusion of sporty, easy authentic looks together with performance fabrics and the technical. In outerwear, you'll see a classic piece like a blazer, but designed with quilted nylon and stuffed with down for a look that's rugged and elegant." Also worth noting are the very reasonable price points. Outerwear is between $199 - $399, sweaters are about $119 - $129, shirts are $89 - $99, pants are $79 - $89, available at select Nordstrom, Dillard's and specialty stores.

Key looks include a military style parka in waxed cotton with a sheared rabbit collar (above), a blazer-style coat made of quilted waxed cloth, a loden cashmere cardigan with a leather buckle at the collar, a tan safari-style parka with a removable navy liner, and a quilted navy nylon rip-stop down-filled blazer with suede detailing under the collar. "When I named it LINCS, people automatically thought it was a golf line, but it's not," Chu notes. "LINCS is about sport, about design, and more importantly, this person's lifestyle and an extension of it, which includes easy pieces that can be tailored and elegant, but mixed in with more casual elements for a dressy, but sporty look."

Gallery: LINCS by David Chu Fall '09

Chu also has his eponymous David Chu Bespoke line, featured in The Classicist's "Best of Men's Style" roundup, a custom-clothing atelier located on the penthouse floor of his "Townhouse" HQ in New York that embodies the deisgner's "ultimate statement on style, sophistication, and the well-lived life," blending the best of Savile Row and Neapolitan tailoring. In addition to Bespoke, Chu is also working on a new project with famed golfer Jack Nicklaus to develop the Nicklaus brands worldwide under a unified creative direction and make it more of a lifestyle brand with a distinct point of view. More on that later.

Tags: cashmere, David Chu, DavidChu, golf, Jack Nicklaus, JackNicklaus, LINCS, LINCS by David Chu, LincsByDavidChu, menswear

Duncan Quinn's Killer Looks for Fall

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

Duncan Quinn, the London-born, New York-based menswear designer whose Savile Row-with-a-twist togs are favored by the likes of Sean Combs, Entourage star Adrien Grenier, LeBron James and alt-rockers Green Day, has come out with a new collection of killer looks for fall. Quinn's inspiration for the season "comes from a misspent youth and perennial love for the gentleman, the rogue and the gentleman rogue," the designer notes, citing as influences Steve McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair and Peter O'Toole in How to Steal a Million. Suits are made from the finest fabrics, in chalkstripes, sharkskin, mohair and cashmere, woven in England to Quinn's specifications in understated colors like black, charcoal and gunmetal. Above is a bespoke gunmetal wool and mohair suit with a ticket pocket ($5,000), worn with a pink cotton herringbone french cuff shirt, "gangster chic" motif silk tie, fleur-de-lys enamel and sterling silver cufflinks and a bespoke wool and cashmere overcoat, photographed outside Robert de Niro's Greenwich Hotel.

Tags: bespoke, Duncan Quinn, DuncanQuinn, Greenwich Hotel, GreenwichHotel, menswear, Peter OToole, PeterOtoole, Savile Row, SavileRow, Steve McQueen, SteveMcqueen, suits

CAVI's Cool New Holiday Collection

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

CAVI, the luxury menswear line known for its distinctive designs as worn by the likes of John Legend, 50 Cent and the Black Eyed Peas, has unveiled its new 2009 Holiday Collection blending casual chic with masculine elegance. The designs range from a Herringbone Vespa Track Jacket, exuding a sense of refined ruggedness, to the classic, tailored cut of the Williamsburg Pullover that evokes an unexpected hint of edge with bold color details. One of our favorite pieces is the Commando Crew (above), a military-inspired sweater in a houndstooth pattern with suede shoulder patches and epaulets, gold buttons and a CAVI crest. Having recently introduced an inspired style to the world of motorsports through an unprecedented partnership with NASCAR racecar driver Chase Austin, CAVI is also taking on the realm of surfing with the exclusive launch of CAVI Sport, as previewed here in August.

Tags: Black Eyed Peas, BlackEyedPeas, CAVI, holiday 2009, Holiday2009, menswear

American Men's Fashion, Then & Now

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Books, Men's Style

Luxury publisher Assouline and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) have come out with a new book called American Fashion Menswear, billed as "the most authoritative and exciting book to date on the evolution of menswear in the United States over the past century. " The book begins by noting that the individualists and adventurers who settled America required garments that were functional and well-designed in order to survive the challenges of a new environment; those qualities continue to endure at the very heart of American menswear. Author Robert E. Bryan has divided the volume into seven different sections based upon the diverse identities of the American man, covering everything "Levi Strauss to the Ivy League, lounge suits to Zoot suits, and cowboys to counterculture," with cameos from the likes of Fred Astaire, Marlon Brando, Ralph Lauren and more.

Tags: Assouline, CFDA, designer, fashion, menswear

Franco Ferrari Cashmere Scarves

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

It is cold here in the Midwest this week (-18º F last night, brrr!) so even though these cashmere scarves by Franco Ferrari are meant for men they're looking pretty darn inviting. Soft, cozy, and reversible, the scarves come in a few different designs that are all interesting and stylish but still versatile enough to justify the expense. The multi-colored stripes/polka dot design is my favorite because it's bright enough to add a punch of color to your winter style but the colors are toned down just enough. $245

Gallery: Franco Ferrari Print Cashmere Scarves

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Tags: cashmere, franco ferrari, FrancoFerrari, menswear, scarf, scarves

Meet Your New Dockers: McCains vs. Obamas

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

Men's pants have always been pretty strait-laced: there are the Brooks flannels, dorky Dockers, a few hipster skinny jeans here and there. Menswear designer Bonobos is attempting to liven things up by "policiticizing pants" according to HuffPo. The design team has crafted trousers to accompany your electoral wishes for November: the "charismatic, well-traveled" pair of Obamas versus the "conservative, clean cut" pair of McCains.

Each pair retails for $120, and Bonobos will track the trouser competition on its site until November.

[via The Huffington Post]

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Tags: bonobos, mccains, menswear, obamas, trousers

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