February 10, 2012 world of men's style / fashion / grooming RSS
“Comme des Garçons”
04/05/11
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Bad Idea

The Pants of Deception

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These pants are living a lie.

From across the room (or across the internet), they look like honest, god-fearing denim. But as soon as you see someone walk across the room in them—or worse, actually touch the things—you’ll notice the unmistakeable pillowy drape of your sartorial mortal enemy.

Sweatpants. We meet again.

Normally, we’d write it off as a harmless joke, but we can’t shake the possibility that someone will wear these and think they’re actually fooling someone. Have we learned nothing from jeggings?

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10/14/10
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Sale-ing

Navigating an Enormous Sample Sale

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The Italian mail order outfit Yoox just launched a massive sample sale with literally hundreds of designers at clearance-level discounts. It’s quite a haul, but since the selection ranges from highbrow labels like Etro and Comme des Garçons to obscure euro labels and, well, crocs, sorting through it can be a job of work.

To that end, we’ve picked out a few favorites, starting with this Aquascutum poncho marked down to an eye-popping $190 just in time for the rainy season.

But wait, there’s more…»

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10/05/09
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Object

Puffed Up

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The double-breasted peacoat has been a staple since the days of the Victorian navy, so it could use an update.

This Comme des Garcons jacket keeps the basic pea coat design, but makes three very important tweaks. They raise the hem (for colder legs but a trimmer cut), they swap navy blue for electric blue, and most importantly they take the whole thing into the world of synthetic fabrics. The futuristic shift is classic CDG, but it also means the jacket should stand up to the wind a whole lot better than plain old wool.

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09/29/09
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LinkOut

Dita Von Teese Makes a Branding Match Made in Heaven

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An Uplifting Experience: We don’t know why it took this long, but Dita Von Teese has finally connected with Wonderbra. [The Daily Mail]

Yoko?: Comme des Garcons and the Beatles may be eyeing each other for co-branding. Much as we love them both, we really hope this doesn’t happen. [Selectism]

Billions and Billions of Fans: Carl Sagan gets his posthumous recording career started. [Nerdist]

One Simple Rule: The name says it all. You may never need another productivity blog. [The Ultimate Productivity Blog]

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05/06/09
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Object

It’s Rough Out There

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There are a lot of wallets out there, but given the strain of carrying something in your back pocket for most of your life, we usually look for the most rugged thing we can find.

So we were naturally drawn to the latest CDG wallet, which looks like it’s already been through a few rough days. (The technical term is “predistressed.”) The rough suede and a large-gauge steel zipper should hold up under the roughest of situations, and match up with any of the more rougher denims you’ve got in your dresser.

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04/10/09
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Object

The Back Pocket

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For some reason, the wallet has always struck us as the likeliest site for the next new wave revival. And we’re glad Comme des Garcons agrees…

These Summer 2009 wallets are still the usual cowhide, but the bright colors nudge them farther than usual into the world of hairspray and synth-pop. Our only complaint: they should have tipped their hand entirely and churned out a rubberized version.

After all, once you’re making a bright green wallet, you’ve probably already lost the Brooks Brothers crowd. Why not go the whole hog?

See more of CDG’s wallets»

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03/30/09
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Object

Gone Skankin’

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For a few years in the 60s, the plaid blazer was the height of country club sartorial adventurousness. But for the past 30 years, it’s been worn with a decidedly different intent.

These days you’re most likely to see it in a record store, accompanied by a Mohawk and a full set of piercings. The off-color patch makes it clear Junya Watanabe is on the latter side of the equation with this Commes des Garcons item. But maybe he should have checked with Vivienne Westwood before he took this one on. He seems to have missed the point.

The appeal of the loud plaid blazer doesn’t just come from the fact that it looks like something Curtis LeMay wore on weekends. It also looks like something you picked up at a vintage store for $5, which might make its boutique appeal somewhat limited…

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03/25/09
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Object

In the Shade

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The summer hat is a pretty rare bird, but not because it isn’t useful. We always prefer a light derby to sunscreen, especially if there’s gingham involved.

Comme Des Garcon’s try at the summer hat is the best we’ve seen so far. And if you’ve got any picnics coming up in the next few months, we’d definitely consider it.

You might even match the tablecloth.

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02/12/09
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Labeled

Comme On

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As American as it is, workwear has always been a good deal more popular in Japan—see Engineered Garments, the endless stream of Red Wing collabs—which means in addition to the domestic stalwarts who keep producing the way they did 80 years ago, there’s a generation of designers in Tokyo trying to put a futurist spin on things.

Comme Des Garcons is hardly the most rugged label on the map, but Junya Watanabe may have brought out the outdoorsman in them. You’ll have trouble getting hold of his latest collection unless you’re passing through Hong Kong this month—hey, you never know—but it’s interesting to watch the way it blends L. L. Bean-esque fishing gear with more urban nylon vests.

At the very least, they’ll be ready for the rain.

See more of the line»

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02/04/09
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Object

Hats On

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For the past couple years, it’s been hard to wear a hat without looking like a member of ‘Nsyc. But now that the trend’s leveling off, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to sport the occasional fedora, provided there’s enough of a brim to keep you looking more Belmondo than Timberlake. This Comme des Garcon version has a solid brim…but with all the different heads out there, isn’t it time we did better for sizing than “small,” “medium,” and “large”?

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11/18/08
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Storefront

Setting Up Shop

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Magazines may be hitting a few speed bumps in the U.S., but it looks like Brit mags are still having a jolly old time. They’re not just staying in print; they’re getting into brick-and-mortar.

Last time we checked in with Monocle, they were collaborating with Drakes for a set of British-made scarves for their online store, but it looks like they weren’t satisfied with staying online. PSFK informs us they’re branching out into a spot off London’s Marylebone High Street. They’ll have less than 100 sq ft to work with, but they’ll manage to fit in all their collaborations, including a fragrance with Comme des Garcons and a travel gear from Porter, along with some of the editors’ favorite swag.

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10/08/08
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Storefront

Protect Your Neck

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Last time we checked in with the Brit sophisticates at Monocle, they were getting into the newspaper business, but it turns out they sell more than just reading material.

Their online store has a whole range of collaborative products, including a hinoki-scented fragrance from Commes des Garcon, travel bags by the Japanese brand Porter, and even a Swedish bike. The newest addition is a scarf from Drakes, but from the sound of things, there’s plenty more in the pipeline.

It’s a bit odd for a boutique magazine to have an actual boutique tagging along, but we can’t say we mind. Most men’s magazines distinguish themselves by their taste in swag; why not put all that taste to work?

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07/14/08
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LinkOut

Marc Gets 86ed, Ronnie Bags a Groupie, and Guess Trends Up

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A Solid Grip: Eva Mendez’s hands are always in the
wrong place at the right time. [ href="http://usemycomputer.com/archive/2008-7-14.html#P54891"target="_blank">Use
My Computer]

The Answer: Guess is targeting the high-end market.
Stay tuned. [ href="http://www.dnrnews.com/site/article.php?id=2144"target="_blank">DNRNews]

The Bum’s Rush: Marc Jacobs was kicked out of an art
gallery for looking unacceptably grungy. Oh the shame. [ href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/07132008/gossip/pagesix/dressed_down_119695.htm"target="_blank">NYPost]

Cinéma Vérité: Josh Brolin gets into a drunken bar
fight while filming Oliver Stone’s George W. Bush biopic. If he lost
after one punch, he’s really in character. [ href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/876113/w_stars_josh_brolin_jeffrey_wright.html"target="_blank">AC]

Will Chick Pillow Fights Sell Real Estate?: We just
made our down payment. [ href="http://www.observer.com/2008/real-estate/will-beaver-butler-and-pillow-fights-sell-andre-balazs-condos"target="_blank">Observer]

Cutting-Edge Prep: That Comme des Garcons Brooks
Brothers line is looking pretty damn sharp. [ href="http://www.highsnobiety.com/home/the_daily_news/archive/2008/july/14/comme_des_garcons_x_brooks_brothers_fw_08/index.htm"target="_blank">High
Snobiety]

A Handle For Your Beer Can: Is as logical and obvious
as an eraser on a pencil. [ href="http://www.uncrate.com/men/gear/misc-gadgets/beerhandle/"target="_blank">Uncrate]

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04/28/08
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Scene

Kempt Man of the Hour: John Waters

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*Photographed by our fearless lensman, Patrick McMullan.*

We always just kind of took it for granted that king-of-camp John Waters only ever wears vintage threads. That’s what the writer/director’s skinny suits and ties always looked like to us, and it seemed to match his retro persona perfectly. The other night at the opening of the new musical version of his 1990 film however, we caught the unmistakable whiff of designer duds adorning his rail-thin frame.

It was the modernized boating blazer that tipped us off, of course»

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04/03/08
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LinkOut

Dirty Dita, Cavemen and Comme des Garçons Goes to The Mall

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Bathing Beauty: Get out your water wings and take a
dive with Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin. [ href="http://www.mensvogue.com/health/feature/articles/2008/04/coughlin">Men's
Vogue]

Rock-A-Fellas: It’s shaping up to be a banner week
for ex-label mates and eternal hustlers href="http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2008/04/rachel-roy.html">Damon
Dash and href="http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/04/jay-z-150-million-deal-live-nation.php">Jay-Z.
[NME]

On The Trail: Will this campaign season ever end? [ href="http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/experts/hadleyfreeman/story/0,,2269506,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront">Guardian
UK]

Ol’ Blighty: Meanwhile the sceptred isle has its own
sartorial
issues.
[Daily
Mail UK]

Style Points: This seasonal scorecard of href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/fashion/03FIRED.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin">
surviving menswear designers is probably the best digest of
critiques we’ve seen all year… except our own,
of course. [NYTimes]

Shock Teese: Our href="http://www.getkempt.com/scene/kempt-man-of-the-hour-patrick-mcmullan.php">favorite
burlesque star, Frau Dita Von Teese, once – surprise, surprise -
filmed some kinky girl-on-girl porn, some of it hot, some of
(particularly the bit with the shoes) not so much. Not to worry, we
still file her under “ href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/magazine/30wwln-domains-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&oref=slogin">classy
broad.” [ href="http://fleshbot.com/375044/dita-von-teeses-not+so+shocking-but-totally-hot-porno-past">Fleshbot,
soooo NSFW]

Budget Kawakubo: H+M will borrow the outré edge of
Comme des Garçons for a limited line this November. [ href="http://www.vogue.co.uk/vogue_daily/story/story.asp?stid=51803">Vogue
UK]

Spelunking: Share your mancave with the world. [ href="http://www.ireport.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=5282">CNN
iReport]

Guy Liner: Pete Wentz creates a make-up line for men,
you know, because buying women’s make up is kinda gay. [ href="http://www.styledash.com/2008/04/03/pete-wentz-creates-make-up-line/">Styledash]

Deal Alert: Get your Hicky’s. [ href="http://racked.com/archives/2008/04/02/dealfeed_teaser_hickeys_first.php">Racked]

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02/28/08
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LinkOut

Elocution Lessons and Viking Chic

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Nau

Green Man: Nau co-founder Ian Yolles explains
fashionable sustainability. [PSFK]

Not So Horny: “Vivid colors, flowing silk ribbons,
and glittering bits of mirrors.” And you thought Vikings looked like
this, silly goose. [Eurekaltert]

Incoming!: Suface2Air’s Spring/Summer 08 available
now. [Word is Bomb]

The Boom Bip: The perfect footwear for the Ed Lover
Dance. [Hypebeast]

The Barn Jacket: Seems we’re not the only ones with a
fetish for waxed cotton. [A Suitable Wardrobe]

Def Junk: Russell Simmons officially launches his
already launched hip-hop-on-the-back-nine fashion brand. It will suck.
[Celebrity Brands]

How To Pronounce Comme des Garçons: Don’t blow this
one. [Robby Wells]

International Champion: According to the Nielsen
company Gucci is the most desired fashion line in the world. Tom Ford
commemorates the success of his former employer by rolling over in his
sable-covered bed and snoring. [Bloomberg]

High Kicks: Adidas has their Yohji Yamamoto. Now Puma
has their Hussein Chalayan. [Fashion Week Daily]

Hang The DJ: Dear Elle UK, hitting “play” on iTunes
does not count as “branching out.” [ElleUK]

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