Who?: No, we don’t know who Emma Rigby is either, but we’ve got one foot out the door and we’d rather just sit back and look than factcheck this one. [Newstoob]

Second Hand: Okay, who’s gonna break in our A.P.C. pre-worn jeans? [Racked]

Upholstery: Yes, these suits look like couches. Yes, they’re hype. [Cup of Jo]

Mimes Against Herpes: You read that right, mimes against herpes. [Animal]

Paris, Je T’aime: New York Magazine’s Paris Fashion Week slideshow is worth a full viewing. [NYMag]

Kapow!: A manly manly guide to the manly manly pursuit of blowing things up for this manly holiday. [Art of Manliness]

Apparently our very own Patrick McMullan is putting his photography to a few new uses.

This shower curtain, courtesy of Izola Shower, gets its image from an iconic 70s McMullan snap at Studio 54, where the famous lensman cut his teeth. Your shower may be a somewhat less exciting spot than the notorious club, but we’re always happy to see a good photo in the morning, especially if it’s got some leg.

We’ve seen a lot of weird endorsements, but we’ve never seen anything quite like this.

Ostensibly, it’s an ad for Absolut Vodka, but the Absolut name isn’t mentioned until the final shot and vodka isn’t mentioned at all. It looks like an infomercial but the product is not just imaginary but also impossible. And why are there flying tigers? How could this have happened? How could a video this strange not only come into existence, but be produced and aired on a commercial scale?

The answer, of course, is Kanye.

We examine the curious Mr. West»

Apparently The Moment has bondage on the brain.

After the recent round of Milan shows, the style blog of the internet’s favorite punching bag decided to declare a microtrend of shoes with rubber straps around them, “as if that’s all that may be holding the two pieces together.” That’s all very well and good, but why, may we ask, does this qualify as bondage-inspired? Do these Louis Vuitton wingtips remind anyone else of quality time in a dungeon with Helga? Pilates-inspired might be a little closer.

We’d guess Mr. Pask is thinking about something other than shoes.

Our friends at UrbanDaddy have a set up a little site with Belvedere Vodka called Keys to the City with video interviews from New York nightlife pros. Our personal favorite among the stories comes from the Pink Elephant guru David Sarner, who takes the cake with his story of working as a bouncer at 54 while he was still in high school. There’s also a contest involved, which you might want to check out if you happen to be in New York.

More on the Keys to the City»

Whether it’s insurance adjusters, WWII-era engineers, or just plain old WASPs, designers are always looking out for the next look they can make their own. And with white suits popping up more and more often as a summer staple, we have a suggestion that may surprise you.

Mormons.

Think about it.

More on the inevitable rise of Mormon-chic»

It looks like the NHL’s biggest eccentric is continuing his winning streak.

Sean Avery, the New York Ranger and occasional MOTH is making the most of his tenure at Vogue. He’s had a very respectable run of posts at the blog, covering sneaker shops, shabu shabu and, of course, sports bars.

Avery’s more contemplative moments can be found here, in an essay discussing his time at the magazine. We’ll say this for him: he pulls off a plaid short-suit with uncommon conviction.

With ties trending British, it’s a good time to have an overseas source.

A Suitable Wardrobe turned us on to Drakes London, a bespoke tiemaker that specializes in Albion-inspired patterns and skinny-but-not-too-skinny cuts. In other words, the genuine English article.

More on our English Connection»

It looks like Pittsburgh’s finest loop digger is back again.

After making a smash two summers back with his first album Night Ripper, Girl Talk has released another semi-legal collection of pasted-together hooks and old school beats. And for this one, titled Feed the Animals, he’s decided to pull a Radiohead, making it available online for whatever his fans want to pay.

More on Feed the Animals»

With sockless weather in full swing, we’ve been rediscovering an Iberian alternative to mandals or the usual deck shoe. Welcome to the wonderful world of espadrilles.

A footwear tradition in the Pyrenees—where rugged ventilation is a necessity—espadrilles date back to the 1300s, but recent years have seen them adopted as a unisex shoe by high fashion crowds. While they’re a common sight on the streets of Paris, they’re still catching on stateside. The trick to the canvas wonders is the braided jute rope bottoms, both surprisingly soft and slick enough to keep the shoes from getting too funky over the course of the summer.

More on the rope-soled moc»

Apparently we’re ahead of our time.

Seven months after we warned against the dangers of the v-neck, it’s blossomed into a full-fledged trend. If only they’d listened…

Today, Radar printed a call-to-arms against the rising tide of club-goers in deep V-necks. According to the article, which had the good grace to mention us as a source, the deep-V has replaced the striped shirt as the go-to outfit for the huddled masses crowding the door at the clubs everywhere. And if the bouncer reads Radar, God help you.

We render judgment on the deep v-neck once more»

Apparently the recently-departed Nau isn’t quite so departed anymore. The Portland-based ecowear marque has gotten a much-needed and much-deserved second chance from Santa Barbara’s own Horny Toad. The Toad favors more casual (and somewhat unremarkable) button-ups, making it a somewhat unlikely brand marriage, but we’re too grateful to hold a grudge.

More on resurrecting raingear»

The New York Times clued us into the recent sale of Soul Train from its founder, the wise and esteemed Don Cornelius, to MadVision Entertainment a fresh-faced upstart.

While this must have netted the Don a pretty penny, we’re more interested in what it means for the show’s archives, a time capsule of some of the best funk and soul of the 70s, along with some of the worst jumpsuits. From the Jackson 5 (above) to Stevie Wonder and Sly & the Family Stone, we can’t think of another 70s television artifact that deserves DVD canonization more.

As always, Kempt wishes you love, peace, and soul.

Between emosogyny and Terrell Owens, the weeping man has gotten a pretty bad rap. To right the wrong, Sam Taylor-Wood put together some of the most masculine players in Hollywood—including the machismo-filled Benicio del Toro above and a red-eyed entry from the new James Bond below.

The book is titled, simply enough, Crying Men, and offers example after example of men shedding masculine tears, presumably over weighty subjects like racism, global warming, and the unavailability of quality suiting.

Pics after the jump»

We’ve been fans of the Daytrotter folks for some time, and in return, they’ve been steadily working through our favorite bands.

This time, they’ve tracked down indie stalwarts Spoon for a stripped-down set recorded in Daytrotter HQ in central Iowa. The songs are culled from Spoon’s decade-plus career (including one cut from the eleven-year-old Soft Effects EP), along with a Paul Simon cover that manages to fit right in. Of course, Simon is the musical inspiration du jour, so it’s interesting to hear what the old guard makes of him. Apparently, it sounds a lot like Spoon.

Daytrotter Sessions

Jennifer Livingston for Details

The globe-trotters over at Details just put up a few backstage snaps from the Fall ’08 shows in Milan and Paris, and we were a little surprised at how many up-collar leather jackets and tough fabrics there were. From Calvin Klein’s woven take on the biker jacket to Louis Vuitton’s helmeted models, motorcycle fashion seemed to be the order of the season.

More on the European biker look»

Apparently the British line A Conference of Birds caught more eyes than just our own.

The line is soon to land at Confederacy, a West Coast store owned by 70s Show vet Danny Masterson. Apparently the DJ/restaurateur is expanding into the fashion scene, with surprisingly good taste in labels.

The store isn’t open just yet—it’s opening doors in August—but it should finish up by the time Confederacy of Birds unleashes their fall line.

Apparently the death of the tie is a pretty touchy subject for some. A Continuous Lean got their own little bit of Olch-related blowback, but apparently MR Magazine got it a fair bit worse. That’s trade papers for you: everyone’s an insider.

As a response to this blog post, the trade paper received no less than three angry letters from heads of neckwear companies, bemoaning the decline of their once-fruitful cravats.

Dispatches from the front line»

It’s not exactly trench coat weather, but it pays to keep an eye on the future.

In that vein, we thought we’d mention Conference of Birds, an up and coming British marque from Andrew Holden. The trenches caught our eye, but they’ve also got a full line of the suits, denim and overcoats waiting in the wings (so to speak). So far the only store is the Billyburg salon Woodley & Bunny, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it popped up on the other coast pretty soon.

More pics after the jump»

There aren’t many trustworthy faces left on television, and it looks like there is now one less.

One of the few newsmen on TV who managed to be trustworthy, genuinely informative and a true Washington insider, Russert handled himself with style and class through a number of trying situations, most recently the Judith Miller scandal. A consummate professional, he projected dignity and calm even when his surroundings suggested the opposite.

A more thorough obit can be found here.

Apparently the Rogues Gallery folks have kept busy since we last checked in. They’re expanding beyond the world of brick and mortar into the magical world of online sales, with a few online exclusives to sweeten the pot.

For instance, these nautical hats, which should go well with those deck shoes we noticed a while back. There are also a few T-shirts, a key fob, and an inexplicably shiny bag available as exclusives, along with the rest of the nautically minded stock.

Happy sailing?

There are some pretty great life stories out there, but Hugh Hefner has to be one of the better ones. So we’re understandably excited to hear that someone’s finally thinking about the movie version.

In an interview with Comingsoon.net, Hef gives some details on the project including attached director (Brett Ratner) and hopeful star (Robert Downey Jr.). Although Hef claims Iron Man has nothing to do with it, it’s hard to ignore Downey’s recent take on Tony Starks as a techier version of the Playboy magnate. As for Ratner, we assume he’ll go easy on the car chases.

More on Hef: The Movie»

With summer in full force, you may be looking for lightweight suits. Aside from the Wolfen white suit, your choices are mostly going to depend on your knowledge of the fabrics involved.

In that vein, allow us to repeat a bit of wisdom from A Suitable Wardrobe. Instead of putting stock in the weight of a fabric, you might do better paying attention to the weave. Woven properly, even heavy cloth can be allowed to breathe. Summer fabrics are likely to have “fresco” in the name, or something similarly breezy-sounding, and they can be made heavy enough to avoid too much flapping.

Not to mention the dreaded crumple.

First Gorbachev and Keef, and now the Coppolas. That’s right, LV has netted another one.

The Louis Vuitton Core Values campaign rolls along, this time scooping up the estimably rotund Francis Ford Coppola and his winsome daughter for yet another Annie Liebowitz shot. The core value this time around is travel, contrasted with earlier themes for Andre Agassi (a well-shaved head) and Keith Richards (healthful old age).

More on the father/daughter ad»

There may have been more life in the necktie than we thought.

A Continuous Lean weighs in on the Death of the Tie with a WSJ editorial from professional tie man Alexander Olch. Apparently Olch isn’t worried. He points to rising tie-wearing among the youth, and blames overseas production for the slump in U.S. manufacturing.

Fair enough, but we bet he was open-collared when he wrote that.

The tie is having a rough year, and if thing keep up this way, the double-windsor may soon go the way of the cummerbund.

Last week saw the end of the Men’s Dress Furnishings Association, a trade group that took on the Lorax-like task of speaking for the tiemakers of America. Unfortunately for the MDFA, men aren’t wearing ties that much anymore, even to work. The Wall Street Journal points to a gallup poll citing a record low of 6% of men wearing ties to work, compared to 10% six years ago. The highlight of the article is the description of an annual luncheon where many MDFA members went tieless. There isn’t usually a dress code for a tie association gathering, but they probably could have figured that one out»

Politicians are notoriously bad dressers—that’s a government salary for you—but if you’re enough of an icon, it doesn’t take much effort to become a style icon too.

After all, it’s called Kennedy chic for a reason.

The first contender to embrace the slim generation of suits (while his opponent is giving off slightly different signals), it’s no surprise that Obama’s a favorite for the GQ and Esquire crowd. Unlike the rest of the C-SPAN fodder, Barack manages to make suits look good. (Not so hard, really—but like we said, it’s a low bar.)

The overseas reaction»

Bill Cosby is a pretty unlikely style icon, but we’re willing to bite. He’s put three of his iconic sweaters up for auction on eBay, and so far no one’s taken the bait.

We have to admit, we’re a little surprised. These jazzy numbers pack more 80s baggage than all the Members Only jackets and guyliner in SoHo. And it’s to benefit the Cos’s education charity, so high-rollers shouldn’t balk at the four-figure price tag. Maybe M.I.A. wants one?

More on the Cos»

Photographed by our fearless lensman, Patrick McMullan.

When someone shows up to an A-list fashion clusterfuck—in this case, the other night’s CFDA Awards—dressed like a metrosexual maharajah on meth—in this case, Vogue editor-at-extra-large André Leon Talley—you should of course avoid having your picture taken with said person at all costs. For one thing, clownishness of costume on such a grand scale is highly contagious, and will more than likely rub off on anyone who touches it.

More on the maharajah»

Splish Splash: Okay, we admit we’ll never purchase any of these bathing suits, but we would buy them for a dollar. [Refinery29]

Bombay Boys: Take a gander at the men of Mumbai. [Brandish]

Unknotted: The Men’s Dress Furnishings Association, the trade group that represents American tie makers, is calling it quits at exactly the same time we realized they existed. [WSJ]

Molecular Bonds: Scientists delve into the chemistry of the shaken Martini, come up a little tipsy. [Kerala Next]

Okay, Okay We Get it Already - Preppie is the New Hipster: As they said in Old Country, “You can’t stop what’s coming” - even if it wears a sweatervest and club tie. [Miami Herald]

Ray Banned: Sunglasses to stop traffic, because that will really help out things in the city. [Adweek]

We don’t anticipate doing much sailing this summer. As for wearing deck shoes…that’s another matter entirely.

We are the Market turned us on to this line of deck shoes from Journal Standard. They also come in gray, burgundy, and royal blue, giving them a decidedly New England-y range of colors. (We’d pair them with some Nantucket Reds, but that’s just a matter of taste.)

More on the summer shoe»

Apparently not only is there such a thing as French Playboy but it seriously puts the American version—actually, make that America—to shame. While our original iteration of the classic men’s mag is irredeemably cheesy, the French version puts a high-fashion spin on things which elevates it above the onanistic urges of, well, the kind of guys who buy Playboy.

A peak inside the June issue»

The history of the novelty tie is pretty sordid. But even the piano-key necktie has the virtue of actually being a tie. This unfortunate item is really just the idea of a tie. And, as you may have guessed, it’s a very bad idea.

As usual, the mistake here is in the “quick” part. Wrapping a coat hanger around your neck may seem faster and easier than a half-Windsor, but if you’re in that much of a hurry, you might consider going tieless.

Or should we say, wireless.

Today sees the Blu-ray rerelease of the Dirty Harry series. As with most series, the law of diminishing returns sets in pretty quickly—and the less said about Slash’s cameo in The Dead Pool, the better—but the first movie hasn’t lost any of its iconic magic. The trick was the timing: Harry took the free-floating animosity of the era, put a right-wing twist on 60s anti-establishment sentiments, and wrapped it all in a tweed blazer. With elbow patches»

Today, our friends at UrbanDaddy take a look at Stock, one of New York’s best vintage stores. It’s equally beloved as a source for designers, a reference point for devotees of Early American Menswear, and a secret weapon for aspiring MOTHs throughout the city. And naturally, there were more than a few items that caught our eye.

See our favorite finds»

Moleskines have been a staple of the scribbling, sketching and café-going set for a while now, but recent etching trends have made them a lot more stylish. And as arts collectives start devoting their attention to the new medium, the result is a lot of very good stuff.

Case in point: this Clint-inspired sketchpad with more than enough glower power to balance out the coffeehouse vibe the notebooks usually suggest. The collective is Modofly, and they’re turning all their attention to moleskine creations like this one. (Canvas is so 18th century.)

More on the new generation of moleskines»

We’ve run a lot of bags on Kempt, but the trunk has gone mostly overlooked. It may not be much of a carry-on, but it’s perfect for that steamer voyage you’ve been planning.

These trunks are the fruit of a transcontinental collab between J. Crew and classic Brit luggage maker Globe-Trotter, which lends its expert craftsmen and distinctive color combination to the mix. As you can see, the sizes vary from a 13-inch vanity case to the 33-inch wheeled suitcase—which weighs in at 13 pounds when it’s empty. Thanks to Globetrotter’s Vulcan Fibre, the trunks can withstand up to 2000 pounds of pressure.

Which should come in handy when you’re on safari.

This week’s Loose Thread comes courtesy of the nonist, who just introduced us to the Japanese concept of chindogu, or unuselessness.

The utili-tie to the left is a prime example. At first, it seems like the ideal combination of the sartorial charms of the necktie with the practical need to carry safety scissors, a set of paper clips, a ruler, a passport, and various other office essentials. But after you consider it for more than thirty seconds, it becomes clear that the tie is wildly inefficient at both its intended uses. It’s not entirely useless, but even if it existed, it would never be used. It is, in other words, Chindogu.

More on this intriguing categorization»

A Continuous Lean clued us in to this early instance of Sartorialist-style fashion photography. Photographer T. Hayashida took a tour of the Ivy League circa 1968, snapping pictures for posterity. Given that preppy style of that era is a touchstone for everyone from J. Crew to Shipley & Halmos, there’s more than a few pointers to pick up if you’re watching closely.

More pics from the bygone era»

With WASP-fever running rampant through the industry (and Cape Cod approaching vacation temperatures), we thought we’d take a look at a staple of New England living: the canvas satchel.

Instead of the discontinued L. L. Bean version, we’re turning our attention to a version we saw on our recent jaunt through In God We Trust. The bag is canvas trimmed with leather, sewed together in Portland, Oregon (by native hipster artisans, we’re sure). It ends up as an inspired replica of the original, with a different logo to remind you where you got it.

More on the rebirth of the canvas satchel»

Today sees the release of the a new James Bond novel, entitled Devil May Care, celebrated by an aquatic release party in London, along with an accompanying press campaign. The novel is a one-off from British novelist Sebastian Faulks and finds Bond chasing a Blofield-esque villain through London, Paris and the Middle East. Much like the film series’ recent reboot with Casino Royale, the novel styles itself as a throwback, with action set in Bond’s heyday of 1967 and Faulks taking the unusual step of writing as Ian Fleming, which falls somewhere between marketing gimmick and postmodern conceit.

Through the kind of serendipity that can only arise from a PR department, the release coincides with Ian Fleming’s 100th birthday. Bond himself has been around for more than half that time: He’s nearing 55, making him older than Ronald McDonald but younger than Batman. And, like anyone who’s stuck around that many years, he’s been through more than a few adventures that everyone involved would prefer to forget.

Including Faulks himself, apparently»

Kempt bids a fond farewell to Sydney Pollack today, a filmmaker who made his name on restraint, subtle humanism and consummate professionalism. In short, a man in full. As his recent co-star George Clooney put it, “Sydney made the world a little better, movies a little better and even dinner a little better. A tip of the hat to a class act. He will be missed.”

More on Mr. Pollack»

The good folks at Bluefly have finally done something to get our attention: they’ve just launched Tailor, an online shop dedicated to our kind of menswear. Sadly, it’s not actually tailored, but they do have a tailor on staff giving advice, along with IM-ready personal shoppers.

More on the online store»

We hadn’t given much thought to what the future of tennis would look like. But Lacoste has, and apparently it looks like a combination of Star Wars and American Gladiators.

More on what the future holds»

Photography: Anula Maiberg

We’re pretty big seersucker fans, so we’re always ready for a new iteration. The wallet, however, hadn’t quite occurred to us.

Unruly Heir, the same people that brought you the seersucker hoodie last summer, are teaming up with the walletteers at Timo to bring you what the world had been wanting for so long: the seersucker wallet.

More pics and info on this important discovery»

We don’t like picking on fellow legitimate journalists—especially when they don’t work for the Times—but if you’ve walked past a newsstand in New York in the past few days, you might have seen this cover about the secret lives of married men. Or, more accurately, THE SECRET LIVES OF MARRIED MEN!!!

The article is already suffering the wrath of the internet in its online comments section, but we’d like to take a moment to consider the broader social ramifications of running such a cover story in these troubled times»

On the heels of the Bond collection, we thought we’d take a closer look at the old Kempt bookshelf.

The Art of Manliness recently put up a list of the Essential Man’s Library, which seems like as good a place to start as any. After all, a well-stocked bookshelf is as vital as a well-cleaned floor if you’re trying to make an impression.

The 100 books range from middle-school English class fodder (Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird) to dense philosophy (The Republic, Beyond Good and Evil), but there’s something oddly syllabus-like about it. After all, it would be nice to have something you’ll actually want to read»

It may be early, but we’re always up for a little Bond.

Celebrating the author’s 100th birthday—which is coming up next Wednesday—Penguin is revamping their catalog of Fleming-era Bond novels with new editions and, best of all, new covers. The striking images come courtesy of San Francisco-based artist Michael Gillette, who makes appropriately sensual use of watercolor. The type and colors do a good job of replicated the 60s milieu, while the women remind us of the books’ central appeal»

As we’ve noted before, cobbling’s a tough racket. And while we’ve seen a lot of good stuff come out of the UK, domestic shoe men are usually more interested in basketball than brogues.

But there’s always the exception»

The phone wars have been heating up for a while, resulting in a bumper crop of cool gadgets and racking up a few casualties along the way. First the RAZR, then the iPhone…then the Diamond?

With Motorola’s phone division a distant memory and Apple looking surprisingly shaky, Microsoft is aiming to clean up with its Diamond, a new handheld that handles all the usual webbery but possibly with slightly more panache. And a full ounce lighter, which is what has the gadget-heads excited.

More on the Diamond»

With social conscience becoming an increasingly valued part of a brand, it was only a matter of time before charities decided to get in on the action. That way, they can finally make some real scratch.

UK Vogue is reporting Oxfam’s first designer boutique in London’s Westbourne Grove. An all-star team of British designers contributed to the store, which combines donated designer clothes with unique and reworked pieces from the London College of Fashion. Of course, it’s all sustainable and fair traded to within an inch of its life. After all, they’re still about fighting poverty»

We’re curious fellows here at Kempt, so we’re always up for a little rack-hunting.

To that end, we took a peek inside In God We Trust, a boutique split between New York’s SoHo and Williamsburg. Managed by designer Shana Tabor, the stores split their stock between the house label—mostly female, but with a few very tempting bags—and what Shana calls “like-minded brands.” The store and the label both project a kind of Newport bohemianism that comes off much easier than it sounds.

The trick, we suspect, is being selective.

Inside In God We Trust»

Labels tend to stomp around the fashion scene without much attention to us mortals. More often than not, they’re more concerned with keeping their lapels straight than endearing themselves to the average consumer. After all, what have they given you? You know, aside from all the clothes.

Well, 55dsl is getting ready to give a little back. On June 1st, they’re going to be hiring for the always-vital position of Junior Lucky Bastard, which means spending the summer traveling the world, drinking in the sweet nectar of youthful lust, and absorbing the jealousy of deskbound flunkies everywhere.

How to apply»

Now that the industry is digging up history at an alarming rate—1962? Check. 1977? Check. 1991? We’re working on it—it was only a matter of time before we lapsed into full-blown Renaissance Fair mode.

In fact, that moment may already be here.

The New York Times style section has just devoted a full 1500 words to steampunk, beginning what trend-watchers call the “lame” period of the trend. The article name-checks Alexander McQueen and Nicolas Ghesquière of Balenciaga as potential fashionista surrogates of the style, but until we see them bust out the top hats, we’ll be skeptical»

Any brand with a decent bit of history behind it is bound to have a few stories in its files. Take, for instance, Rolls Royce’s famous hood ornament, a statuette with enough history to have a movie deal behind it.

The movie is The Silver Ghost, set to star Christian Bale and currently making the pre-production rounds. But the story itself is better than you might think»

Round ice cubes seem like something we should have been doing for decades now, but it’s a lot harder than it looks. Luckily, Japan has finally weighed in.

The Japanese company Taisin has put together an ice press that molds an cubes into spheres, leaving you with a perfectly un-rocky sphere of ice, perfectly sized for your highball glass. And since spheres melt more slowly than cubes, an ice baller is more than a novelty for dedicated on-the-rocks Scotch drinkers.

As always, there are imitators, but we aren’t convinced. After the full drill press treatment, just freezing seems like cheating.

via BoingBoing

It’s official: Kempt favorites Shipley & Halmos have just moved out of the “young upstart” phase, and into the “industry darling” phase.

On May 20th, the ex-Trovata duo will bring home the National Arts Club’s Young Designer Award, the label’s first award since launching in January. The label specializes in trim-fitting suits and summery shorts—just now coming into season—but extra touches like Oxford-cloth boxers give the line a playful edge. More recent obsessions have included black gingham and bowties.

A few of our favorite pics from the S&H kids»

Ah, 1962. Drink it in.

A Continuous Lean has posted a handful of J. Press catalogs from back in the day, offering a firsthand peek into a style more than a few designers are currently chasing. Apparently the early 60s preppy look didn’t play out quite the way you imagined. For instance, cable-knit sweaters were much, much bigger than you think»

We don’t do this for just anyone, but our buddy John is having a shindig, and we thought we’d spread the love.

Goodies after the jump»

This week’s Monocle features a story on a London store called Albam that has made its name by promoting local production—meaning within the UK, or failing that, within western Europe—in favor of the higher profit margins but questionable labor conditions of East Asian factories. It’s a common enough tale, but we couldn’t resist a little peek at how things work across the pond.

More on Monocle’s local crusade»

It looks like Mr. Teller is up to his old tricks again, seducing the lovely Ms. Maya Arulpragasam into this voluptuous pose for the latest Marc Jacobs campaign.

That’s M.I.A., for the non-Pitchfork-educated. She’s been climbing the charts, soundtracking movie trailers, and getting big-upped as this year’s future of rap (according to Nas, the future of rap circa 1992). Add in a little subcontinental glamour and she should be the perfect spokesmodel, right? Well, almost»

We’ve always enjoyed Kate Moss, even in her current post-marital phase. And the last time she got together with Agent Provocateur, we had nothing but good things to say.

Unfortunately, Moss’s latest collaboration with the lingerie brand seems to have gone off the rails at some point. But as train wrecks go, it’s pretty spectacular»

Storage is always a problem for a well-kempt gentleman of leisure. Ideally, he carries no more than fits in his pockets without bulging. But of course, this fashion rule came into being before the Blackberry, so perhaps it’s time to revise.

Treading just the right line between duffle bag and murse, this leather messenger pack (from J. Crew of all places) adds a retro touch to the standard shoulder bag