Die, Workwear!

The Swann Club

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:55:57 -0700

Once a year, men gather in Paris as members of the Swann Club, an invitation-only social club named in honor of the Proust hero who epitomized elegance and romanticism. Their annual nighttime soiree begins with a great meal, some port and cigars, and then moves to what they all came for. After dinner, guests remove their shoes, take out their tins of wax polish, and clear the tables. With only stockings on their feet, they wrap fine Venetian linens around their fingers, dip them in Dom Perignon, and begin to shine their shoes. Lightly chilled dry champagne, they believe, is better than water since the alcohol helps remove the extra fat in the polish, thus enhancing their shoes’ color and transparency.

The event is put on by Olga Berluti, the creative director of the 117 year-old Parisian shoe company, Berluti. If I were being cynical, I would say the Swann Club is just a clever marketing ploy. Perhaps doubly so since LVMH conveniently owns both Berluti and Dom Perignon. If I were not, I would say it’s an event put on for enthusiasts by a woman who shares their passion. The reality, I imagine, is that it’s probably something a bit of both. For what it’s worth, you don’t have to bring a pair of Berluti shoes to the event (or even own one), but you do have to have an obsession for well-made footwear.

The grandiosity of the whole thing might sound silly to outsiders, but as a men’s style and clothing enthusiast, I can’t say I’m not very attracted to the idea. It’s a bit over the top and romantic, but so what? Those are the things that make life feel a bit less dull.

I read on Ethan Desu’s blog once that he and a friend like to get together every once a while, have some tea, chat about life, and shine their shoes for a few hours. That scale of things is equally attractive to me, if not more so. Unfortunately, except for a couple of people I’ve met in my time as a menswear writer, I don’t know anyone who shares my interest in traditional men’s clothing. Certainly not enough to shine shoes for three or four hours. So, for now, I’ll continue to shine mine alone on weekends, while listening to Bill Evans and drinking a bit of whiskey. It’s not in Paris, and I use water, not champagne, but it’s relaxing and enjoyable nonetheless. Perhaps I’ll call mine the Ephrussi Club, named after Charles Ephrussi, the man who Swann was loosely modeled after.

Luciano Barbera and the Joys of Elegant Dressing

Tue, 22 May 2012 09:01:00 -0700

Much of the menswear blogosphere seems to be dominated by young men who like to wear tailored clothing like streetwear. Suits are paired with running shoes, unbuckled double monks are worn sockless, and sport coat collars often flipped up. Everything is also worn rather tightly and short. To be sure, this kind of style is very fashionable at the moment, but a lot of it feels unoriginal and repetitive. It also doesn’t speak to the sophistication and elegance that particularly attracts me to tailored clothing.

A few months ago, I found a new blog called Italian Industrialists’ and Intellectuals’ Style. It’s just that - photographs of Italian industrialists and intellectuals that the author deems particularly stylish. I was into it for a while, at least as a reprieve from the looks that other bloggers were posting. In almost every city I’ve visited, many of the stylish men I’ve met tend to be older gentlemen in the kind of conservative ensembles that IIIS likes to feature. After seeing hundreds of his posts, however, it has developed its own repetitiveness. His blog might as well be called “Italian Men in Grey or Navy Suits, White Shirts, and Blue Ties,” because that’s all he features.

I think there’s a middle ground to be struck in all this, and that middle ground is perhaps best personified by Luciano Barbera. Barbara wears clothing that’s classic, not “classic with a twist,” but also puts together ensembles that are more interesting and imaginative than what IIIS features. He clearly enjoys dressing, but doesn’t overreach by veering into trendy gimmicks. Most importantly to me, he never fails to look sophisticated and elegant in what he wears. I find a lot of inspiration in that kind of balance. Dressing like you enjoy clothing, but also remaining elegant. There’s more to classic, tailored menswear than “swag” and boardroom uniforms. There’s the stuff below.

A Few New Arrivals

Tue, 15 May 2012 08:54:00 -0700

Michael Drake once gave an elegant description of summer clothing that I really liked: “fawn colored linen suits with blue chambray shirts, raw silk neckwear, and woven straw hats.” That’s what I realized I had in hand a couple of weeks ago. A swatch of tobacco linen suiting recently came from W. Bill in London. It’s a heavy 14oz cloth, which means it’ll rumple, but not crinkle. The color has a slight golden tone to it, just as you would expect to see in the brown wrapping of a fine cigar. I’ll be using it for the cigar linen suit I’m hoping to have made up.

I also received swatches of Simonnot Godard chambray from A Suitable Wardrobe. Many people think of chambray as the heavy, denim-like material used for workwear, but it can also be made into a light, open weave that’s perfect for casual, tailored dress shirts. I ordered a couple meters to be sent to Hong Kong, where they’ll be made into a light blue, button-up shirt with a semi-spread collar, French placket, and plain front.

Lastly, there are the accessories. Emmett London recently sent me a navy, dotted raw silk tie. It’s not too unlike the one that Drake’s sells, but it’s a touch wider, which I prefer. And though it’s not pictured below, you can trust that the straw Panama was resting not too far away.

Together, I think these elements achieve a certain casualness through texture instead of pattern. As Simon Crompton recently put it:

“Texture is usually a more sophisticated twist than pattern or colour. A failure to understand that has led to men buying shirts with coloured buttonholes, flowery inner collars and cuffs with coloured binding. There is a much more mature way to express yourself.”

Here, each piece is traditionally colored or patterned, but the materials - linen, chambray, raw silk, and straw - give a certain informality through their coarseness, roughness, and nubbiness. Of course, this ensemble probably won’t be wearable until next year, as I still have to have the suit made, but I look forward to wearing Michael Drake’s suggestion for summer clothing once it’s all done.

If you’re looking to add a bit of the same texture to an ensemble, consider the raw silk tie as a starting place. Makers these days include Drake’s, Burberry, E. Tautz, Gant Rugger and even Club Monaco. Emmett also has a few others on their website listed under “torn silk.” Finally, you should also consider smaller operations such as Panta and Marshall Anthony. Along with Drake’s, they probably make some of the most handsome options around.

(Photos below: first one is mine, others from medtech, Vox, Emmett, and Brent Black)

The Dress Boot

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:17:00 -0700

If I could only wear one “style” of shoe exclusively, it would probably be boots. Unlined, suede chukkas in the spring and summer, so soft that they feel like slippers; jodhpurs in the fall to match things such as moleskins and flannel; and heavy shell cordovan boots in the winter to deal with the foul weather.

One of my favorites, however, is the dress boot, otherwise also known as the balmoral boot for its closed lacing. When worn while standing up, they look like any other pair of oxford dress shoes. When sitting down, they reveal themselves to be boots. Smart enough to pair with a suit, casual enough for odd trousers. In fact, before the advent of oxford dress shoes, well-dressed gentlemen would wear dress boots in the city.

Though they’re uncommon to find, a few manufacturers make them. Crockett & Jones, Gaziano & Girling, Grenson, and even Herring have models. The London Lounge also commissioned a design from Carmina five years ago. I assume those can still be made up through special orders.

I’ve been slowly saving up for my ideal pair - the Shannon boot by Edward Green. The Shannon is only available made-to-order, so I have the opportunity to specify various aspects of the design. I’m having mine made with a slightly burnished Dark Oak leather for the sections both above and below the ankle. In some regard, a two toned model might be more traditional, but I thought they’d be too flashy and dandified for me. The bottoms will be a single leather sole instead of double, just so they look a bit dressier, and I’ve decided to forgo speed hooks and just get all blind eyelets. I assume they’ll take a bit more time to lace this way, but hopefully it won’t be too much of a bother. I’ve also asked for just a simple punched toe cap, but otherwise no decoration. The idea was to make them look as much like oxford dress shoes as possible, but just in boot form.

My order is going through Leffot, who is hosting an Edward Green trunk show this Thursday. If you’re in the area, I’d encourage you to stop by. Below are photos of other Edward Green Shannons men have had made, one of which is a pair that was ordered through Leffot. Mine will take about seven months to deliver, which means they’ll arrive sometime in December. Something nice to look forward to at the end of the year.

If you’d like to gaze at more balmoral boots, you can check out this thread at StyleForum.

Major Hoad

Thu, 03 May 2012 10:53:00 -0700

Like Doc Hu, my spirit animal is a curmudgeon, and my spirit animal’s spirt animal is an even more curmudgeonly curmudgeon. So while this post isn’t as editorially focused as I’d like to be, these videos of Major Hoad were just too enjoyable for me not to share.

Keep fighting the good fight, Major Hoad.

Aspesi: Field Specialists

Thu, 03 May 2012 10:28:00 -0700

One of my favorite pick-ups last year was an M65-styled jacket by Aspesi. Aspesi is a high-end Italian casualwear brand that’s perhaps most known for their lightweight down-filled jackets. Some of my favorites from them, however, are their cotton field jackets, which more often than not are military inspired. These days, as Spring’s rain and chill seem to have dragged on, I’ve been finding that I wear mine quite often. Perhaps not with a suit (I have no illusions that I’m in Men’s Ex or The Sartorialist), but certainly with casual ensembles and even the occasional sport coat.

Aspesi has a few decent pieces this season. The most basic and straightforward is this field design in brown and olive green. Mr. Porter also has one made from a Japanese cotton twill, if you want something that looks a bit more worn and rugged. For something less military looking, you can get the same design in black or even a deep, almost blueberry blue. Either of those will make you look less like you just stepped off of a base.

The design is the same - four pockets with a funnel neck and zip out hood, just in case you should find yourself caught in an unpredicted, light shower. The waist has a pull-in cinch to give you a more defined shape. My own piece has a traditional field jacket collar (with collar points), and no epaulets, but I can’t seem to find pictures of it anywhere. If you’d like to check out more Aspesi designs, you can browse their current collection at their website.

Of course, the problem with these suggestions is the price. $400-700 is a lot to pay for a casual field jacket. They do go on sale, however, to about half price at the end of every season. If you’d like something now, you can visit Yoox, which has two models in polyester - one in a range of browns, and a couple of others in blue and black. The material might not sound appealing at first, but I assure you that such technical fabrics are better if you intend to use this as a rain jacket. Mr. Porter has better photos of a similar Aspesi jacket you can consider, but if you’re still not convinced, Yoox also has a few cotton designs. Just browse through their general Aspesi inventory and find something you like. At ~$200, I think these are decent, spring outerwear purchases.

Archive of Shoes

Tue, 01 May 2012 09:48:00 -0700

David at Archive of shoes recently gave me the special opportunity to be interviewed. Thanks David!

David has other interviews with people such as Ron Rider and Andrew Portnoy that you should check out, as well as a pretty incredible website showcasing his artwork.

Black Suede

Tue, 01 May 2012 09:27:00 -0700

Since coming back from Naples, I’ve been somewhat besotted with black suede shoes. I first noticed them on Antonio Panico. On the two occasions I saw him, he wore a deep navy, single breasted suit with a light blue shirt and burgundy tie. On his feet were heavily faded, black suede, single monk strap chukkas. He looked nothing short of bad ass in them.

I kept thinking about those chukkas on my way back home to Moscow. One night, I decided to Google black suede shoes, just to see what else I could dig up. That’s when I found these tremendous looking suede oxfords over at A Suitable Wardrobe. Their handsome chiseled toe, elegant brouging, and black suede material seem to go well underneath grey and navy woolen trousers. I also like that they look a bit more unique than smooth, polished calf.

So I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a pair myself. I’m just not sure of their practicality. I mostly wear black shoes at night, and brown during the day. The advantage of smooth calf at night, of course, is that they gleam, which puts them in nice contrast to an otherwise matte ensemble. Suede, in my opinion, looks better during the day, but that’s not when I typically wear black shoes.

I’ll have to mull on it a bit more. The two I’m most in love with are Edward Green’s Olney, a single monk strap chukka, and Gaziano & Girling’s Hove, a Norwegian split toe. Both can be special ordered in black suede, though they’re very pricey. Readers thinking about black suede for themselves, but want more affordable options, can consider Church’s chukkas (which can be discounted 20% with the code FAMILY) and Bass. And while they’re not chukkas or Norwegian split toes, Brooks Brothers will be discounting these by 25% next Wednesday. These are probably much smarter purchases given that the jury is still out on black suede.

Still, don’t the pictures below make a compelling case?

Fawn Flannel

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:37:00 -0700

I really like this Apparel Arts illustration you see below, where a man is shown wearing a dark blue polo shirt, fawn colored trousers, and a pair of slip ons. Since finding it, I’ve been inspired to get a pair of fawn flannel pants. Fawn being a melange of grey and tan, and can look either dirty or dusty, depending on the shade. I’ve included pictures of the two ends of the range - one starting at golden brown and the other ending at light oatmeal.

I think it would be a wonderful color to wear, either with a white or blue shirt (or polo), as well as a navy sport coat. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much luck finding a pair. Orvis was an option, but I’ve since become enamored with the lighter oatmeal end of the spectrum. Barneys also had some by Ralph Lauren Purple Label (excuse the awful styling) and their own house brand. Those will likely drop 50% or so during their seasonal sale, but they’ve unfortunately run out of my size already. Additionally, Saks also had something, but it’s too brown.

The best option so far is Panta, who said they’d make me a pair through Rocco Ciccarelli’s custom shop. You can see Matthew wearing a pair of them below (he’s the one with the olive alligator belt). I’m waiting for a fabric swatch to arrive from Panta, and if it goes well, perhaps they’re the best bet.

But yes, fawn flannel. If you find a pair, I think they would make for a great year-round color.

Antonio Mannina

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:54:26 -0700

I always enjoy seeing Antonio Mannina pop up over at The Suitorial. Antonio is the son of Calogero Mannina, a master bespoke cordwainer, and now runs the family’s shoe business out of their shop in Florence, Italy.

I believe most of Signore Mannina’s suits are made by Florentine tailors, but at least on one occasion, Paolo featured him in a golden tan three-button suit that was made for him nearly twenty (20!) years ago by a Sardinian tailor.

Whether they’re Florentine or Sardinian in origin, all of them are fairly conservatively styled. The fronts are made without any darts, and the soft, sloping shoulders extend a bit past Mannina’s shoulder bones. Additionally, the lengths are generously long and the gorge is a bit lower. The lapels also have a healthy width and are free from any frills such as decorative pick stitching. All in all, it’s a very handsome, conservative look.

The key for me is in how full, but still flattering, the cuts are. They allow Mannina to look comfortable and relaxed, and give each of the suitings an opportunity to express themselves in the way they roll and drape. At the same time, the jackets fit him in all the right places. The collars never lift from his neck, and the armholes are high enough that Mannina can move around without greatly disturbing the jacket. The fuller, but still well fitting, cut gives him a silhouette that looks as mature as it does elegant.

Well done, Signore Mannina.

Ambrosi, Napoli

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:44:00 -0700

At some point, tailoring becomes art. When I was in Naples, I had a chance to stop by Ambrosi’s atelier, which is located in the Spanish Quarter district of the city. If one thought finding tailors in Chiaia is difficult, especially since many of them are tucked away inside courtyards, the Spanish Quarter can be even more so. The place feels a bit like a Byzantine labyrinth, and tailors are hidden inside buildings without any commercial signage. I found myself walking down these really narrow, cobblestone streets, past peach-colored Italian buildings, and trying to talk to old men by asking in Italian, “Do you know Ambrosi? Where can I find Ambrosi?” The district actually reminds me a lot of Moscow, where sometimes commercial stores are hidden inside of apartment buildings, and you wouldn’t know how to find a place unless you were from the area.

When I finally found the building, the entrance has a very small brass plate with buttons on it, just as you would find on an apartment building. In small letters, there was the name, “Ambrosi.” I rang the buzzer and the son, Salvatore Ambrosi, let me in. Inside, the atelier is quite simple. There’s one room that they’ve fixed up. It looks quite nice and has tasteful antique furnishings. The rest of the place is basically a workshop, which is solely dedicated to making bespoke trousers.

Each of Ambrosi’s trousers takes eight hours to make, and they can vary in terms of their level of handwork. The models I saw were about 80% hand stitched. I think the only thing that was done by machine was the inseam on the inside. The outside had even been finished with some beautiful, nubby handstitches. The rest of the trousers - the lining, pockets, and buttonholes - were all handstitched and handsewn.

There are eight or eleven different models (I’ve since forgotten, exactly). One pair of tan trousers I saw had a large extended tab fastening belt, as well as a large waistband. The other didn’t have a belt, but just a basic front fly enclosure. Both had French flys with two buttons on the inside. A French fly, as you may know, is when the closure has a front fly with an inside tab button. This keeps the fly laying smooth. Ambrosi’s two button French fly goes a step further by making sure nothing will pivot as you move.

On the bottom, the trousers are finished with cuffs that can be opened and closed with a button. This allows you to clean out any debris that may have accumulated. A rather smart thing, I thought.

If you can get to Naples, the entry level price for Ambrosi’s bespoke trousers is about $600. If you catch them on one of their tours, it starts around $900. It may seem like a lot for pants, but it’s important to remember that you’re paying for an artisanal product. If you can afford the price tag, it’s nice to have a little romance in your life.

StyleForum 10th Anniversary Party

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:32:00 -0700

I can’t imagine there are too many readers here that don’t also follow me at Put This On, but for the sake of telling everyone, I thought I’d also post something here about the StyleForum 10th Anniversary Party.

It’s going to be awesome. If you can get to San Francisco, you really ought to go. First, there’s the O’Mast screening on May 4th. Gianluca, the director of the film, will be there for a Q&A session. Prior to the movie, there’s also going to be a special Put This On pre-screening with Jesse Thorn.

On May 5th, there’s a vendor showcase with companies such as A Suitable Wardrobe, Epaulet, and LeatherSoul. This will be a great chance to handle some of the finest clothing and footwear you may have ever seen. Later that night, there’s the party itself.

I guarantee it will be a good time. I cannot guarantee, however, that there won’t be impromptu WAYWT workshops held in adjacent rooms, or that a dance circles won’t turn into “motherf*ckin walk offs.” Please understand, I can only guarantee so much.

Get more information about the event here, and be sure to RSVP by sending an email to styleforum10@gmail.com

The Earthier Spring Palette

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:50:00 -0700

Camo has a spring-summer collection that I really like, not so much for the style, but for the colors. Most of it is in your earthier tones of brown, grey, and blue, but they’re a bit lighter in tone, and slightly tweaked to be spring appropriate. You often see companies such as Loro Piana and Banana Republic rely on these palettes. I suppose it sells well because men find earthier colors intuitive, and they figure something lighter and slightly off hue will give them a more interesting, if not at least more appropriate, look for spring.

It’s fairly easy to build a spring wardrobe in this palette. Raingear such as this beige trench and navy mac are natural (the navy mac is on sale, actually, for $145, but I’m unsure of the fit or quality). Outside of the rainy season, you could thrown on something like this Brooks Brothers tan jacket for the same effect.

For trousers, you can wear a pair of chinos in either navy or stone. Stone, in my opinion, is an incredibly underrated color for chinos. Like with grey wool trousers, they go well with almost anything, and if you get the right fit, they can look quite sharp. There are also these incredibly nice linen trousers over at Howard Yount. Linen is to spring what tweed is to fall, and something like these taupe greys would be a great pair if you already have a pair of basic tans. Additionally, Barneys has an interesting pair of fawn flannel trousers. I was hoping to pick them up a couple of weeks back, but they were out of my size.

It’s also easy to find sweaters and shirts in earthier spring colors. For example, there’s this Gant Rugger in powder blue, Brioni in pale grey, and Loro Piana in taupe. The same colors could be utilized for shirts, and they would extend a bit past the normal light blue and white that everyone wears. If you wanted to inject some color, you could do so with something like this sea green shirt or light purple sweater. Just remember to keep colors pale, and limit the “colorful” garment to one. The rest of your ensemble should be more rooted in sandy colors, creams, dove greys (both in darker and lighter tones), and dark blues. It’s an earthier spring palette after all, not a preppy pool party.

Thinking of Summer Suede

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:26:00 -0700

Yesterday, I was looking at Rose and Born’s new lookbook and got kind of inspired by some of the shoes featured (ignore the trendy hats, ridiculously short pants, and spring scarves for a moment). All of them were in summery suede colors, such as russet brown and bright navy, and had slightly chunkier red brick soles. It got me thinking about how well certain suede shoes can work for the summer. Not the dark brown kind that you normally see, but ones in the lighter and brighter shades of tan and blue.

In the field of summer suede shoes, I think Americans do better than the English. For example, Alden has a great pair of bucks, unlined loafers, and shortwings for sale, as well as navy suede tassels if you’re feeling a bit more daring. I myself just picked up a pair of their buttery soft, unlined suede chukkas, and think they’ll be perfect with jeans and an oxford cloth button down. Allen Edmonds has a similar model called the Amok, but the last is a bit sleeker. Oddly, I prefer Alden’s in this case, mostly because I think it better serves its purpose of being a casual shoe. According to my friend Stephen, Fred Astaire even wore his with suits, but I think I’ll stick with jeans, chinos, and tropical wool trousers.

The other champion in this area is Mark McNairy. Although I normally don’t care for his clothing designs, he really makes some great casual footwear. For example, these navy chukkas, contrast soled derbies, and sand suede double monks can look perfect underneath a madras shirt, linen blazer, and some chinos. Their advantage in their red brick soles, a feature that’s really pulled off well in the Rose and Born lookbook.

Finally, Brooks Brothers has some nice options with their bucks and wingtips, and Oak Street Bootmakers has a trail moc that I’ve always liked. Brooks’ bucks will be discounted in a few weeks to about $150. I like the deeper, richer brown on McNairy’s, but those probably won’t be put on sale until the end of the season.

I’ve included some photos below, as well as a video of Rose and Born’s lookbook, which hopefully you can use for inspiration. Suede is such a perfect material for casual footwear, and it’s made even more seasonally appropriate when it’s put into colors such as russet, milkshake, and navy. If you can find a pair to wear this summer, I think you should.

The Other Supergas

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:00:00 -0700

I’ve been looking for a new pair of plimsolls for summer. Plimsoll, as you know, is the British term for shoes with a canvas upper and rubber sole. The first was invented in the 1830s and was designed for beachwear. Thus, its original name was “sand shoe.” In 1870, however, people started calling it the “plimsoll” because the horizontal colored stripe that ran along the upper of the sole resembled the plimsoll line on a ship’s hull. The name has stuck ever since.

These days, the plimsoll isn’t necessarily just for beachwear. You can wear them anywhere, and they make for great summer shoes. Classics include Superga, Spring Court, and Jack Purcell, but there are a dozen others.

Originally, I was just going to get another pair of Superga 2750s, but in my search, I came across these 1705s at Oi Polloi. It has slightly less stitching, no red logo, and all around seemed a bit cleaner looking. There are pairs being sold on eBay right now for $55 plus shipping, which if you’re in the States costs about $23. Don’t bother trying to skirt it by looking for a US supplier. I gave it an hour and couldn’t find one. It seems only the British have these.

Mine came in the mail last week and I quite like them. It’s a simple enough design that it’ll look just right with cotton chinos and madras shirts this summer.

Note, if you decide to get a pair, check with the seller regarding sizing. I’m between a 9D and 9.5D in most shoes, but have to go to a UK9 or 43 EU for Supergas.

Asians in Barbours

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:10:00 -0700

My friend Cooper has been intermittently posting pictures of Asians in Barbours the last few months. Which reminded me - Barbour jackets are great. Their classics, the Bedale and Beaufort, can be worn with khakis, jeans, odd wool trousers, and even casual country suits. I presume Cooper took these photos from Japanese magazines such as Leon and Mens’ Ex. The last photo, which is of the most important Asian of them all, is something I added myself.

With all the new outerwear designs that come out every season, it’s good to be reminded: the term “classic” isn’t always just a marketing trick. Real classics exist, and they’re quite good. Go get yourself a Bedale or Beaufort if you haven’t already.

First Look: Howard Yount's New Line of Trousers

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:54:00 -0700

Howard Yount makes some of my favorite trousers. They simply fit better than almost anything else I’ve found. There are clean lines everywhere, both on the front and back, and they drape well from the fork, which rarely happens on me. They’re also very well constructed to boot. The only thing I wish is that they were a hair higher waisted. I like my trousers to sit above my hips. Yount’s do, for the most part, but they’re a quarter of an inch shorter than I’d like.

I mentioned this to Jamison, the proprietor of Howard Yount, a few weeks ago while I was buying another pair of his trousers (these cream tropical wools, which will be perfect for summer). He let me in on something - he’s developing a new line that will feature exactly that. I can’t tell you how excited I became.

Jamison sent me more details and photos yesterday. Apparently, they’ll be made in New York City and the quality will be nearly identical to his current line (which are made in Italy). They’ll feature a two-piece split curtained waistband in a blue oxford cotton fabric, interior piping in the same oxford, three button closure, belt keeper loop, and framed pockets. The cut will have a slightly higher rise, just a hair more tapering in the legs, and a little bit more forgiveness in the seat and waist (full measurements given behind the cut). I was a bit worried when I heard he was tapering them more. I like my leg openings to be around 8”, at least for most trousers, so that they look appropriate for academia and business. However, it looks like the tweaks Jamison made are slight enough that fans of his older cut needn’t worry.

The Italian line will still exist. In fact, Jamison is getting a wide variety of classics this falls, including another batch of VBC flannels in two weights and a variety of colors.

The photos below are of Jamison’s new showroom space in New York and him modeling the new line. Everything he’s wearing in those photos, incidentally - except for the polo, double monks, and Jack Purcells - are available at his webstore. There are also pictures of the new trousers themselves. Here we see fine wool twills, cotton canvas, baby corduroys, and madras. The fabrics are source from a variety of mills in Italy, England (canvas), and India (madras, of course). Click through the cut to see all of them. As Jamison joked - the madras is fantastic, but you could say you need tennis balls to wear them.

Ah, I love corny jokes.

First Look: Isaia SS12

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 08:41:00 -0700

A friend of mine at Isaia, Agyesh, was kind enough to share with me the company’s latest spring-summer lookbook. Here we see very soft-shouldered jackets paired with slim, tapered trousers and a variety of slip on shoes. Including, I may add, some sand suede double monks. If you’re wondering whether they’re the blogoratti’s favorites by ROTM, they’re not, but that would have been fun to see. Also might be good to note the number of whites, dove grays, and washed blues you see here - all wonderful colors to wear this spring/ summer.

I was able to take a full tour of Isaia’s factory when I was Naples last January, and will be writing about the experience for StyleForum’s blog. The tour itself took maybe an hour or two, and then I asked about six hours of questions (yes, six hours). Suffice to say, the team over there is incredible kind and patient, and I think readers will be in for a real treat when they get to see what a top-tier production house looks like. I’ll let you know when the story is up (it’ll be sometime in April, I imagine).

The Spring Shirt-Jacket

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:16:00 -0700

Many men find sport coats, even the most casual ones, to be too formal. One alternative is the shirt-jacket, which can’t be accused of being formal at all, but still gives a nice collar line to the wearer and pockets to hold things in. Spring happens to be a great season for shirt-jackets. You can wear one on the weekends or when you’re out quickly running errands. It’s perfect for casual activities on the slightly cooler days, the kind of days that characterize spring and fall.

The best spring shirt-jackets, in my opinion, are made from linen. It’s rumply, unstructured, and perfectly expresses the casualness that’s inherent in the design. Unfortunately, as I’ve found, it’s not so easy getting an affordable, well-fitting, linen shirt-jacket. So a few compromises have to be made. I recently picked up this Ralph Lauren shirt-jacket from Macy’s for ~$100 (using XJW562A992 as a discount code). It’s made from cotton, not linen, but it fits well and will serve its purpose. I wear mine with chinos or lightweight wool trousers, usually with either an oxford cloth button down or broadcloth shirt underneath. Sometimes the sleeves are rolled up a bit, just as you see below. Note that while Macy’s page shows it as having white buttons, mine came with midnight navy buttons, as Ralph Lauren’s original page shows it.

I’m still hoping for a linen shirt-jacket at some point. However, to get something with all the design details I want, it looks like bespoke is the only option, and that’ll run just north of $500. Perhaps some day I’ll commission one, but for this spring, a $100 Ralph Lauren jacket will do.

Drake's Grenadines

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:00:00 -0700

I used to have a couple of over-theorized opinions about grenadines. Grenadine, as you know, is a slightly textured silk that’s used for neckties. Most tiemakers get their silk from one of two weavers in Italy, Fermo Fossati and Seteria Bianchi, both of which produce two types of weaves. The first is Garza Grossa, which is a looser weave with a honeycomb-like pattern. The second is Garza Fina, which is more finely textured.

My first opinion was that “formal” colors such as silver are best done in Garza Fina. That’s because such colors are typically worn with suits that have a smoother finish. Since larger scale textures and patterns are more informal, it seems only right that the finer texture of well-mannered Garza Fina should matched to a more formal suit. Other colors, such as navy, burgundy, or racing green, can be either Garza Grossa or Garza Fina, but I think ones matched with heavily textured jackets, such as a rough tweed, are better executed with Garza Grossa. Again, keeping textures and formality in harmony.

My second opinion was that Garza Fina lends itself better to patterns. The finer texture seems to be better for stripes and pin dots, whereas I think executing it in Garza Grossa would make it too busy.

Leave it to Drake’s to break of all my poorly formed opinions. This season they have grenadines of every variety you can imagine. There are stripes, plaids, and an interesting silk and cotton woven that has a two-toned effect. All of these come in Garza Grossa and Garza Fina variety, and a few are even made without tipping, a matter that used to be of some controversy, but no longer seems to be.

Just goes to show, sometimes you can’t put too much stock in theories. In the end, you have to see it to judge, and these by Drake’s all certainly look wonderful.