Roundup

A Beginner’s Guide to Italian Men’s Style (Wall Street Journal)
“The first lesson is to get comfortable with clothes that fit the body well. “It isn’t true that a fitted suit will be uncomfortable,” said Dario Spadea Pandolfi, menswear buyer for Milanese department store Excelsior. “Especially if it’s made by a tailor or by hand.” It is time to stop swimming in your suit: Look for a slightly shorter jacket with a trimmer waist, and pants with a tapered, shorter leg—to show off bright socks or a sliver of bare ankle.”

The five Milanese tailors every gentleman should have in his black book (Wall Street Journal)
“These family-run businesses are also all about making you feel good. Each client has his own serial number and a file recording measurements and other critical details. On visits to the atelier, dozens of tailors are on hand to cater to your every need. “A client may come in having put on 10 pounds,” says Mr. Campagna. “This obviously affects the measurements and the cut. But no one wants to be reminded, so you have to imply the fault is on your end.””

How to wear fragrance (Permanent Style)
“Once you spend more than around £80 on 50ml of a perfume, the creator has had free range of the vast majority of the world’s ingredients. This is of course a lot of money, and there is nothing wrong with cheaper ingredients (the simple citrus-and-herb colognes). But the only objective thing to measure in the quality of a perfume is its ingredients, and above this price you’re on safe ground.”

Leather Lifecycle (Oki-ni)
“If you start out with a poor quality or cheaply tanned piece of leather, all the care in the world isn’t going to help you. However, if you know how to recognise good quality leather from the start, you are destined to have a bag, wallet or belt that will last a lifetime.”

Dressing a man is different from dressing a woman (Ivory Tower Style)
“Because I have a generous heart, I am going to suppose that you want your man to look like a well-dressed gentleman, rather than your plaything. Unless your goal is to display your ownership of your companion, as a dog pissing on a tree, you don’t want your man looking like he was dressed by a woman. Take this as your guiding principle. Even though you may privately savor the knowledge that but not for your efforts, your date would take you to a black tie party wearing tennis shoes and a ski jacket, let the other guests believe that you are being escorted by an adult capable of dressing himself. ”

In Search of Grandfather’s Style (Wall Street Journal)
“”My dad dressed to rebel from how his own dad dressed,” said Michael Williams, 34, founder of menswear blog A Continuous Lean. “It makes sense to go back to your grandfather’s generation considering how casual everyone has become. Guys dress in suits now because everybody [else] is wearing sweatpants.””

What Shoe Care Products Should You Consider (Part One) (Put This On)
“To hide scuffs and build a shine, you’ll need an assortment of polishes and waxes. If you want to maintain your shoes’ original color, use a polish that best approximates it or go one shade lighter. To build a slightly more antiqued look over time, go with something a touch darker. For the most part, try to avoid neutrals, as they can sometimes build a white flakey residue.”

How a shirt should fit (Permanent Style)
“Learning how a shirt should fit you can take surprisingly long – as most fans of bespoke try far fewer shirtmakers than they do tailors. Once learned, however, the lessons are fairly simple.”

Bracelets (Mr. Porter)
“One of the biggest shifts in menswear recently has been the adoption of bracelets by everyone from financiers to fashion editors. In fact, there are few situations in which you can’t elevate your outfit with some stylish wrist adornment, whether it’s a woven leather band worn with your Rolex in the boardroom, or an armful of festival-appropriate glass beads. A bracelet might be a small addition in the grander scheme of things, but it packs a disproportionately large sartorial punch, suggesting a man who is completely at ease with his masculinity and understands that god is in the details. Click through the gallery, above, to see six of our favourites. It’s time to embrace the bracelet.”

Artisan perfume makers (Monocle)
“With a nod to the past and a wink to the future, Monocle takes a look at the world of perfume and the new generation of expert alchemists.”

Staying Stylish In The Heat (Mr. Porter)
“Our in-house experts offer a sartorially savvy executive three options for looking the business while staying cool in the heat.”

In Defense of Pleated Pants: A Rebuttal (The Cut)
“Pleats do for men what darts have done for decades in women’s clothing: They enhance fit while providing an extra, slight, design element — something to separate great chinos from all those other pants men in your office wear. Personally, as a guy who’s on the shorter side but has bigger upper legs (thighs, right?), the line that a pleat creates helps balance everything out. It creates the illusion of length. It’s similar to the way a wool suit’s pants should always have a crease running down them, the sole reason for owning an iron.”

Taking Great Care of Suede Shoes (A Suitable Wardrobe)
“Brush suede shoes with the Suede and Nubuck Brush after every wearing, taking care to brush dust out of the joint where the sole meets the upper with a welt brush or an old toothbrush. If you color your sole edges apply Saphir edge dressing to the heel and soles. Periodically spray shoes with Tarrago Nano Protector spray to keep them water resistant.”

Japanese Textiles | A simple guide (The Bandanna Almanac)
“This is a simple guide to Japanese countryside textiles. I hope you can gain a little insight from the simple descriptions, and I encourage readers to follow up on something that they might find inspirational.”

Kirby Allison – Luxury Hangers & The Care Of Your Clothing (ABITOFCOLOR)
“One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to your clothes. The same should be true when it comes to your hangers. This is why we have four sizes to almost every hanger. It is essential that a hanger extend all the way to the shoulder without extending past it into the sleeve head.Our 2.5” shoulder flares are also the widest available. They provide five-times more support than average hangers and most-closely mimic your natural shoulders. And our felted trouser bars prevent the trouser creasing caused by ordinary hangers.”

What Is Balance? (Put This On)
“If you’ve ever participated in online forums about classic men’s clothing, you may have come across people talking about a jacket’s “balance.” But what is balance? Sometimes, it’s a nebulous concept – just a way of someone saying whether they think a jacket looks off or not. Most of the time, however, it refers to something very specific: how a jacket hangs from the shoulders.”

Sartorial Love/Hate: Back Blading a Tie (Men’s Flair)
“My idea of ties is that they should be artistic but precise. A bright, patterned strip of material hanging down from the neck sounds like something wild and bohemian, but it actually represents the ultimate in formality in today’s dressed down world. For years, the tie has been tied by everyone (differences in knots aside) in much the same way; the back blade is concealed behind the front blade by utilising the ‘keeper’ – a loop of material that secures it in place. However, there is a curious fashion developing for displaying the back blade of the tie. And, like many fashions, it has an army of critics – and a cabal of supporters. Some call it contrived, others – interestingly, usually those who can’t speak a word of Italian – call it sprezzatura.”

Made in England | J. Barbour and Sons (A Continuous Lean)
“Barbour’s factory was almost entirely manually operated, there is very little automation and almost all operations are performed by hand. The amount of jackets in progress was impressively stupefying. I wasn’t expecting to see so much product in work, but the scale of things didn’t disguise the high level of craftsmanship that was on display. The level of proficiency and speed in which the sewers converted rolls of fabric into finished outerwear was impressive. And much like the other factories I have visited in the U.S. and abroad, everyone that works at Barbour was patient, kind and proud to show me around. It’s reassuring to know a product I enjoy so much comes from such a good place. It’s like meeting your favorite band and having them turn out to be great people; only makes the music better.”

How to buy a leather bag on a budget (Permanent Style)
“So the first way to save money is to buy machine-sewn bags. Dunhill, for example, has its Tradition line, which is hand-sewn in London. But it also has a much cheaper line which is not. The Single Zip Bourdon briefcase is beautiful and only a little more than you were planning to spend at £595.

For good measure (How To Spend It)
“Made-to-measure tailoring has become one of the most exciting areas of menswear. It essentially denotes alterations made to an existing pattern (often known as a block) to fit the individual. People can be sniffy about it, calling it “poor man’s bespoke” (bespoke refers to a unique pattern which is cut from a client’s measurements). But it has a major advantage: speed on delivery. While a bespoke suit typically takes three months to be made by hand, a made-to-measure suit, which is mostly machine made, can be delivered in as little as four weeks.”

Best Duffels for All Budgets (Gear Patrol)
“Call it the “Goldilocks of Bags” if you like, though sometimes it seems like more of a “Unicorn of Bags”: the perfectly sized and properly priced duffel can be elusive (hell, brands can’t even decide one way to spell it). When the occasion calls for light packing in something that’ll easily fit in the back seat or sling comfortably over your shoulder there are myriad options, but how many of them can be considered worth a buy? What follows are 30 of the best duffel bags to fit every budget. These represent a vast array of materials, styles, colors and purposes, but suffice it to say each of these duffels is just right.”

100 Years of Menswear by Cally Blackman (Put This On)
“Reading through Cally Blackman’s 100 Years of Menswear exposes you to all of them, from 1900 up to the mid-2000s, breaking down their clothes by vocational and avocational inspiration: worker, soldier, artist, reformer, rebel, peacock, media star, and so on. This organizing scheme roots the shifting aesthetics of all menswear in functionality, a flattering assumption — no useless, free-floating design whims for us men, thank you very much, even us men who happen to be designers — but not necessarily an incorrect one. Suitable dress helps all of us do our jobs, and that holds truer still for full-time rebels and peacocks.”

George Cleverley: English Bespoke Shoemaking Stripped Bare (Billionaire)
“Ahead of a Shanghai trunk show, we take a step-by-step look at the process of bespeaking and handcrafting footwear at this superlative shoemaker.”

Alfred Dunhill: Hell Bent For Leather (Billionaire)
The team has a century or more of practice between its members. “Each item is a reflection of the skills built up over years. In fact, add up the number of years of experience in this place and it’s pretty astronomical,” says craftsman Ricky Potts, “and I say that as one of the younger ones.” Its skills are increasingly highly prized. “Young people just don’t want to learn this kind of trade anymore. They all want to work in IT,” opines Gregory. But mistakes are still made. Or rather, the pernickety level of quality control sometimes rains on the parade: a slightest slip with the tool that is used to dye the exposed edges of any piece of leather and the resulting product is rejected; if a zip is a touch askew when stitched in (because of the way the component was made, not because of the stitching) then it means starting all over again.

In Japan, the Rise of ‘Geek Brands’ (The Business of Fashion)
“H Tokyo itself is a tiny 45 square metres store in cool concretes and warm woods dedicated entirely to selling men’s handkerchiefs. It offers over 200 SKUs in high quality cotton, but claims to make only 30 units per style, with new patterns abusnd styles introduced every two weeks. Designs include collaborations with artists and illustrators, and emphasise originality and uniqueness. Prices range from ¥1,200 to an impressive ¥4,000.”

When Skinny Suits Got Too Skinny (Women’s Wear Daily)
“Men’s wear thrives best when good taste and restraint are interwoven with creativity and innovation. And that goes for the new slim suit that we have all been talking about for so long. It’s fantastic that we are creating more awareness and interest in the world of men’s fashion, especially for the newer, younger customer who now wants to buy suits, but it’s perfectly acceptable for us as an industry to give ourselves a reality check once in a while. There is, without a doubt, a very fine line between great personal style and fashion irrelevance, and it is our job as designers to help discern the difference.”

Cracking the Dress Code: What to Wear to Your Next Party (Wall Street Journal)
“Dress codes were invented to give clear sartorial direction, but these days, it can be anyone’s guess. Good for rule breakers, not so much for the rest of us. Men, in particular, can have a tough time. “Men hate having to break from the norm,” says Emma Willis, who started her eponymous bespoke shirt label in 1987 and has spent the past 26 years holding many a client’s hand as they navigate the Dos and Don’ts of parties. “There was even an incident of a man being thrown out of a club because he wore a tie. No wonder everyone is nervous.””

How to Choose Your Underwear (Mr. Porter)
“Underpants. You might think they don’t matter because no one sees them, but you’d be wrong. What happens if you get knocked over by a bus and the medics remove your trousers? What happens if you spill a hot drink all over your legs and have to remove your scalding chinos in the middle of the office? What happens if you get lucky on a night you weren’t expecting any action? And don’t imagine other guys in the gym, gay or straight, aren’t going to notice either. With a little help from the purveyors of very public-worthy undergarments, Derek Rose, here are some considerations worth addressing.”

Charvet: Heart On The Sleeve (Billionaire)
““We also ask many questions so we can advise on the best shapes, collar, colours,” says Colban. A paper pattern is made, followed by a prototype that allows the fit to be precision-tweaked. It takes four to five weeks before the finished garment is ready. The process, she says, is a pleasurable one. Clients often spend hours choosing the perfect fabric and discussing the nuances of weight and hue.”

It Takes Five Tailors (A Suitable Wardrobe)
“With apologies to the biography of the late Adolphe Menjou, I have the less than ordinary habit of using several tailors each year. Each does some things better than the others which is the point of this post. So, for the gentleman who asked, here they are.”

People Behind the Industry – Michael Hill (DressLikeA)
“Although we produce a new tie collection every season within that there is a degree of continuity – we certainly consider it evolution as opposed to revolution and I suppose that is reflected in my own style. I will wear a simple madder neat or navy grenadine tie on a consistent basis, interspersed from time to time with ties that might have my favourite yarn developments for the season or colour combinations which we’ve been working on. I dress seasonally but mix up the fabrics and textures. I love the Winter, not least I confess because of the great cloth one can wear in those months but even then I love to wear a great tweed with a linen shirt for example. I spend the working day in a factory setting so there is a degree of practically to how I dress, a working uniform if you like, smart comfortable.”

Jockeying for Position: How Boxers and Briefs Got Into Men’s Pants (Collectors Weekly)
“Just as underclothes are shielded from public view, the evolution of men’s most intimate apparel is shrouded in secrecy. But the story of men’s underwear is about more than which came first, boxers or briefs. Undergarments as we know them today were first sold to promote cleanliness and improve the comfort of wearing clothing. That they might one day be deemed fashionable was not even an after-thought.”

The Great Gatsby’s Fabulous Betrayal of 1920s Fashion (The Atlantic)
“But they don’t look quite as we expected to see them. The colors are richer, the dresses more bespangled, and the flappers less perky. This Gatsby isn’t the Gatsby of John Held, Jr. cartoons, nor is it Boardwalk Empire. It’s darker, grittier, and much sexier than the priggish Fitzgerald could have imagined. It’s a 21st century Gatsby, set in the 1920s, which, paradoxically, ups its connection to the decadent period it depicts. If you want historically accurate costumes, you’ll be better served by PBS. If you want to understand the social and cultural meaning of clothes in the 1920s, then this movie delivers.”

Denim Lore with Kiya Babzani, Part One | Part Two (Put This On)
“I mean fabric that has been singed, mercerized, calendered, and sanforized. They’ve taken every bit of life out of the fabric, leaving something very smooth and even. With denim treated like this – yes, you’ll normally need infrequent washings to get a very high-contrast fade at the end. But what most people don’t talk about is how if you buy a pair of jeans made from unsanforized denim, you’ll get these kinds of fades even if you washed your jeans every two weeks.

With unsanforized loomstate denim, the fabric is rigid and creases set in far faster. Additionally, due to the micro-hairs on the fabric (which are sometimes visible), the denim is more abrasive, which will allow you to get that very defined, high contrast look naturally, even with frequent washings.”

Should you ever be using a pre-shave oil? (Esquire)
“In the end, the choice of brush versus oil says more about style than substance. The truth is, though, as long as you have a good quality, moisturizing shave cream, a fresh blade, and exfoliate your face in the shower, you could probably skip both. Go ahead and buy some new razor blades with the savings.”

Raw Silk Explained (Die, Workwear!)
“Raw silk is simply silk that has not been chemically processed. You see, every silkworm extrudes two filaments when making its cocoon, and these fibers typically undergo a chemical processing to strip them of their bonding sericin. As a result of having their sericin left on, raw silk lacks the full luster and richness associated with the kinds of processed silk used for neckties. There also tends to be an unevenness in the yarns, as the two strands of filament are left bonded together, rather than being stripped and separated, which would yield an ultra-fine filament yarn that can be densely woven.”

Gieves & Hawkes Bespoke (Permanent Style)
“One of its identifying features is a soft shoulder, using a pre-made pad but cut down by hand to thin out the neck area, giving a subtle kick at the shoulder. Not a pagoda shoulder by any means, but something that suggests breadth in the same way as a Cifonelli roped sleevehead.”

A Debt We Owe (A Suitable Wardrobe)
“Flusser is much more than just a haberdasher; he is an educator as well as a booster for the entire upper-end of the menswear luxury market. In the eighties, through his shops, his writings, and his now legendary wardrobe work on the movie Wall Street, he almost single-handedly created a menswear renaissance of the type that had not been seen since the 1930’s. Going far beyond merely creating an interest in his own brand, he turned men on to similar artisans the world over. If that weren’t enough, he can also take a great deal of credit for a gigantic spillover effect: once he educated men to dress a certain way, they started coordinating the rest of their lives to match. Fountain pens, good watches, fine cigars, food, wine, furniture, houses, etc. I remember the seventies. Trust me, there really was a thing called a pre-Flusser world, and it wasn’t pretty. I remember having to travel to New York just to buy an all-cotton dress shirt. Now it is true that Ralph Lauren played a significant role in this renaissance, but believe it or not, in menswear his was actually a slightly watered-down contribution. A Johnny Walker Red on the rocks, say. Flusser was the Laphroaig 18 year-old, a single-malt scotch straight from the bottle.”

Going Bespoke (Ivory Tower Style)
“Bespoke clothing is like hiring a personal chef. Although your dinner is made just for you, a chef tends to specialize in a certain type of cuisine. He may be talented and versatile. But even though he knows how to use a knife and stove and can look up a recipe on the Internet, it doesn’t make much sense to ask Mario Batali for Kung Pao Chicken. The fact that it’s custom-made for you doesn’t mean that you can or should ask whatever you want of a particular chef.”

John Lobb Bespoke in Paris (High-Toned)
“Highly qualified craftsmen are working in a beautiful atelier located in the middle of Paris with high ceilings, wooden floors and excellent natural light. Each pair requires an average of 50 hours of work by using traditional shoemaking techniques. John Lobb Bespoke service is unique, a subtle balance between the timeless elegance and fantastic comfort.”

HERZ shop visit (Carryology)
“Herz is a small Japanese (Shibuya district of Tokyo) based leather craftsman workshop, which started in 1973.  A company founded on handmaking non-mass produced, made-to-order leather bags and accessories.”

Deluxe Toothpastes: Brush With Greatness (Wall Street Journal)
“I asked a couple of experts to try to clarify. Dentist Bill Dorfman, the Los Angeles-based founder of tooth-whitening company Discus Dental, scoffs at the many fluoride-free brands on the market. “Fluoride is the best. In fact it’s the only proven way to re-mineralize and protect teeth,” he said. On the opposing side, Reid Winick, a holistic dentist who practices in New York, called it a potentially harmful chemical that can eventually cause cavities. He recommends a natural toothpaste that leaves the mouth’s acidic balance neutral, as well as dietary changes, like minimizing acidic foods.”

Shelve the Seersucker: Make Way for Chambray (Wall Street Journal)
“Chambray softens over time, which means your new suit could theoretically become as comfortable as your old jeans. “It flows naturally as you move,” said Giorgio Armani, by email. “I particularly like it because, while it is as rough and resistant as denim, it’s also light and fresh to the touch.”

That freshness makes the chambray suit an ideal option as the weather warms up. But with its suggestion of the “Canadian tuxedo” (the term for a denim jacket paired with jeans), head-to-toe chambray may require a mental leap.”

The OCBD Shirt Series, Part VI: Our Recommendations (Put This On)
“After reviewing so many companies, we thought it’d be useful to say which we recommend the most. Obviously much depends on your taste, build, and budget. The great thing about having such a varied market, however, is that there’s almost something for everyone.”

Tasseled Loafers (Mr. Porter)
“Fancy but never frivolous, fun but still formal: tasselled loafers have been a pleasingly hybrid component of the male wardrobe since they first appeared in the mid-20th century. Although they were originally associated with preppy East Coast style, the tension between the stalwart quality of a man’s shoe and the jaunty nature of the tassel lends them a faintly roguish air. There’s something about tasselled loafers that says, I’m secure enough in my confidence and judgment to adorn my feet with decorations that serve no practical purpose whatsoever. With summer approaching, we can’t wait to wear them without socks, with everything from a lounge suit to shorts and a polo shirt.”

Five Ways To Wear: Navy Blazers (Mr. Porter)
“Why start with the navy blazer? Put simply, it is one of the most versatile garments that a man can own. It occupies a happy medium on the scale of formality, and can be dressed up with a crisp white shirt and tie, or dressed down just as easily with denim. Navy blue, meanwhile, goes with everything, softening the vibrancy of pattern and print, providing a backdrop for bold colour, or adding contrast to muted shades. Finally, a well-cut blazer, such as the two-button Richard James one seen in our video, will streamline and elongate the torso, flattering any figure.

Colour, fit and formality: the three ingredients that make up the blue blazer’s formula for timeless, versatile style. Watch the video above and read on to see five very different ways to put it into practice.”

Cary Grant On Style (GQ)
“No, it isn’t only money that determines how well a man dresses—it’s personal taste. Because of the demands of my work, I’ve purchased dozens of suits over the years and they all have one attribute in common: they are in the middle of fashion. By that I mean they’re not self-consciously fashionable or far out, nor are they overly conservative or dated. In other words, the lapels are neither too wide nor too narrow, the trousers neither too tight nor too loose, the coats neither too short nor too long. I’ve worn clothes of extreme style, but only in order to dress appropriately for the type of character I played in particular films. Otherwise, simplicity, to me, has always been the essence of good taste.”

Go Pleated or Go Home (Men’s Flair)
“Pleats help to define the ‘prow’ of the trouser. That little fold of material helps retain the crease and keep that rigid, lozenge structure that looks so at home with formal clothing. Flat fronted trousers become ‘creaseless’ near the waist and down across the thigh, even if you affect to apply them with an iron and a bucket of starch (please don’t, it’s not a good idea). They flatten out and the trouser loses sharpness.”

Leather Soul Downtown (A Continuous Lean)
“If you happen to be interested in clothes and find yourself in the middle of the Pacific, this is the one shop you need to visit on Honolulu. Buy your better half a full day massage, paddle board lessons and a tour of the island, that should give you just enough time to sneak over to Leather Soul. It might be hard to hide all of the shoe boxes though. Don’t worry, LS will ship everything straight from the store to help protect your fine footwear transgressions.”

3sixteen AMA (reddit)
“My name is Andrew Chen. Together with my partner Johan Lam, we own and operate 3sixteen: a 9 year old men’s clothing brand that focuses on denim that’s made in the USA of Japanese fabrics. The company was founded in 2003 and we are headquartered in NYC’s Lower East Side, but maintain a bicoastal presence as Johan lives and works in LA. We are also partners in the NY and LA outposts of Self Edge, a specialty denim shop that specializes in Japanese brands employing production techniques and styling sensibilities from American garments from the 20’s-60’s.”

Why Is Japanese-Made Fashion So Expensive? (Hypebeast)
“With a failing global economy and an increase on “fast retail” where the focus lies more on cost over quality, many fashion enthusiasts are questioning labels, their prices and ultimately their products. Japan has always been known for their high standards, but unfortunately is no exception to the aforementioned doubts. So does the country have justification for what they put out, or will we see an end to “high fashion” from the Far East? There are a few underlying factors and examples that may help shed some light to this matter.”