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It’s been a strange month for magazines.
We got to see more of Michelle Williams’ Marilyn impression, the wisdom of an ex-president and some quality drinking-and-shooting time with the bull-shaped creature known as Channing Tatum.
But naturally, you’ll want more than that, so we’ve got an intricately detailed summary after the jump…
Here’s everything you need to know from February’s crop of glossies»
It’s hard to look good when it’s pouring, but the latest Market Week offered a fresh solution: the stylish poncho.
We’re thinking of Sifr in particular, who combined the classic functional item with the Rick-Owens-in-Tokyo look for a surprisingly sharp item. Gone are the drooping shoulders and the baggy silhouette, replaced by a more tailored shoulder. Think of it as Jedi rain gear.
And for anyone interested in the military equivalent (and willing to compromise on the trim fit), there are a surprising number of Swiss camo versions kicking around the Web, most coming in under $30.
Spring showers: do your worst.
The trade show/blogger convention known as Capsule has come and gone, and apart from a few stand-outs (which you’ll be hearing about in the weeks to come), it was a blur of handsomeness: plaid after plaid, camo after camo, and more good ideas than we’ve ever seen in one place.
So we thought we’d pass on the menswear headrush in the best way we know how—lots and lots of photos.
If you’re still buzzed about British DPM camo after our roundup last month, here’s an option that might not have occurred ot you: the umbrella.
It comes from the English brollophiles at London Undercover, with an oversized DPM pattern on the top and a warm red on the underside—presumably to make you feel warmer than you are. But mostly it’s an inconspicuous way to work a challenging pattern into your routine.
And in the case of a wet snowfall, it’ll be a lot more useful than cargo pants.
via YHBTI
On Trend: Imogene + Willie gets in on the duck hunter camo rush. Not too shabby. [Selectism]
Cutting Hides: A few photos show the process behind a hand-stitched Dunhill leather bag. [IWC Watches]
Out of the Past: A beat-up hiking pack from 1942 gets a close examination. [Archival Clothing]
The Block: What Mitt Romney’s hair can teach us about style. Really. [On the Runway]
If our camo roundup left you thirsting for more HBT camo, we’ve got good news.
YMC has gotten in on the “duck hunter” action with this new shirt, a more traditionally colored version of the heritage pattern. The result is like a paramilitary Jackson Pollock—full of half-formed geometry, but not quite full enough to cover the background.
If you’re looking for something unexpected to wear under your winter sweaters, you could do a lot worse.
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There’s a lot of camo out there—and if recent events are any indication, we’re adding new patterns as fast as we can. It can be a little daunting, so we’ve stripped things down to the bare minimum: the five patterns that matter circa 2011—from digital to duck hunter. So before you buy that elegantly military pocket square, you may have a little research to do.
We don’t venture into the haute realm too much, but we know a good idea when we see one. In this case, the good idea is printing a leaf-pattern desert camo across the rubber sole of a Chelsea boot, courtesy of YSL. Someone get McNairy on this.
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Here’s a low-risk way to get a piece of the seemingly immortal camo trend: put it on a bag. This carryall from Billykirk is the perfect example, pairing a blown-up leaf-pattern camo alongside Billykirk’s usual craft-focused leatherwork. It’s the rare bag that you can match to your pocket square—and camouflage aside, you won’t have any trouble spotting it on a baggage carousel.
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via WBEThe Thrifter Cometh: Jesse Thorn of Put This On gets the web-feature treatment. The man knows his sizes. [GQ]
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Camo: A truly exhaustive guide to the camos of the world. Does this mean Nick Wooster was in the French Army? [Complex]
Carnie Wisdom: A gentleman’s guide to winning carnival games. Apparently the world of the carnie is magical and secretive. [Art of Manliness]
Technicolor: A colorful look at New York in the ’50s, including one of the best photos of Gay Talese we’ve ever seen. [Driven]
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via GQNotice How He Blends With the Urban Setting: Ladies and gentlemen, the best possible way to wear a blue camo jacket. Don’t try this at home. [tucked]
The Graft is Hard: The new batch of goods from Hard Graft is looking mighty handsome. [Acquire]
Billions of Stars: The best astronomy pictures of the year are also quite beautiful, as you might expect. [Gizmodo]
Savor this Moment: In a scant few weeks, we will be living in a world in which Kanye has a womenswear line. It is natural to be afraid. [The Cut]
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Every time we wear camo, we feel like we’re getting away with something. That’s the thrill of it, but it’s also a good reason to limit it to the odd accessory.
Like, for instance, this backpack from Herschel Supply. It’s loud, sure, but that won’t be a problem anywhere you’re likely to wear a backpack. (We’re thinking road trips and collarless Sundays–but probably not anywhere with a maitre’d.)
Otherwise, it’s a slimmer, more classic version of something you might see from the streetwear crowd. And they always did know their way around a backpack.
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via LikeCoolFalling Off: If your net work exceeds $1 billion, you should be able to dress better than this. [Magnificent Bastard]
Checkmate: A look inside the troubled mind of Bobby Fischer. [The Paris Review]
Swing Low: The old-school tennis player lovefest keeps going with this tribute to Pancho Gonzales. [Mister Crew]
We Prefer Belgian Brushstroke: WBE unearths a comprehensive guide to the world’s camouflage patterns. If anyone’s waiting on a reply from Mark McNairy, you may want to give him a few days. [World’s Best Ever]
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Our old friends at Camo just released a new lookbook for next winter—and while you won’t get your hands on any of the goods for six months or so, the layering wisdom is evergreen.
Take this gent, for example. It doesn’t look all that brisk where he is (Italy has a way of doing that), but between the cardigan and the wool jacket, it looks like he came prepared. The invisi-tie is purely aesthetic, but we imagine it helps.
Throw in some hiking boots—appropriate whenever there’s snow on the ground, but less oppressive than work boots once the weather starts to turn—and he’s fully kitted out. Take notes, gentlemen.
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Hamilton’s been a go-to shirtmaker for quite a while, not least because they’ve got some of the best fabrics out there. Now they’ve giving those same fabrics a new venue: the pocket square.
In particular, we’re talking about the plaids, oxfords and one particularly on-trend camo from Hamilton’s heritage-inspired 1883 line. They’re a little busier than the staid silks and linens you usually find in a gentleman’s breast pocket, but that just means you’ll need to be clever. Once summer comes around, having a strip of tattersall sticking out of your khaki blazer will look like a stroke of genius. Maybe even camo, if you’re feeling military.
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We spent the last few days surveying a mind-boggling number of Summer ’11 collections at the Capsule and ENK shows, and the biggest trend to emerge out of the muddle may have been corduroy shorts. We ran across pairs from Rogues Gallery (pictured), Lightning Bolt, and even the cotton tie-makers at Camo. If you’re wondering what it they look like in person, you can pick one up from L. L. Bean’s Signature Collection. In other words…they’re everywhere.
We’ll confess to being a bit puzzled by all this, and not just because L. L. Bean managed to be the first out of the gate. In heat like this, the last thing we want is some stifling cords—but we’d probably feel differently if we did more sailing.
The knit tie has been an extra credit item for well-dressed men for a while now…long enough that we’re ready to see a few twists on it.
This one came from Camo’s capsule booth, with an important difference from the average square-bottomed knit. Instead of wool or silk, this is knit together from cotton, in a ribbed pattern not that different from the waistline of a sweater.
Apparently it took some serious factory shenanigans to make it work, but the result is our favorite piece of tie technology this season.
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We’re still sorting through all the capsule goodies we’ve collected in the past two days, but we thought we’d let this one slip out to whet your appetite. It’s from the Italian semi-streetwear brand Camo, who seems to have grown up in a hurry.
Instead of last season’s quilted coats and cardigans, this season’s line goes direct for the shabby 70s suit vibe, which just happens to be a sentimental favorite of ours.
This burgundy number is our favorite—the double breast and extra-wide peak lapels should let you know it’s ironic—but there’s plenty more where that came from. It might be the most casual suit we’ve seen this side of…well, a leisure suit. It’s a pretty twee move, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
Stay tuned; there’s plenty more where that came from.
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