June 19, 2013 world of men's style / fashion / grooming RSS
“Context”
05/28/13
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Good Idea

Considering the Beach Blanket

Beach Blanket

With Memorial Day in the rearview mirror, it’s hopefully just a matter of time before we’re all feeling a little sand between our toes. And when that day comes, the difference between you and the next schlub will be that you took the time to prepare for the occasion.

Right now, though, we’re not talking about packing sunscreen or deciding on your level of thigh exposure. (Though we’ll most certainly get there.) No, today we’d instead like to examine that essential component of any sunbather’s seaside HQ: the beach blanket. Whether it’s adorned with a bikinied lady friend or simply keeping sand out of the potato salad, no day at the shore is complete without one. And there are some handsome options in the menswear market that are more than worthy of your consideration, available as we speak.

So we’ve taken the liberty of rounding up a few of the most beach-worthy blankets we could find, just for you…»
 

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05/15/13
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Good Idea

The 14 Best Patterned Shorts for Summer

Shorts

When it comes to shorts, we’ve always been of the mind that if you’re going for it, you have permission to get loud. (With the caveat: not at the office.)

And until recently, your only options were of the plaid or embroidered-critter variety meant for rebellious trads. But this season has seen more new patterned shorts on the market than perhaps ever. Stripes, ikat, paisley, liberty and batik prints. There are a lot more ways to get tastefully loud these days (which means you’ll want to outfit the rest of your body in a solid-color oxford cloth button-down, pocket tee or polo shirt—for the sake of everyone’s retinas, keep it to one pattern). So we rounded up our favorites of the bunch, to get you ready for the season.

Herewith, the 14 best patterned shorts out there right now.»
 

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05/02/13
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Bad Idea/Good Idea

Head to Toe: Seersucker

Seersucker

Around Derby weekend, the seersucker suit gets all the attention.

But the fabric itself is so versatile—and cooling, with its uneven weave lifting the cotton off your skin and leaving hundreds of tiny pockets of air to cool you. So, in the event you’d like to outfit another part of your body with seersucker—say, your neck, or your feet—we’ve gone ahead and found enough gear to swathe you from head to toe in the legendarily cooling fabric. Now, we’re not saying you should try wearing every single piece here at once…

But we’re not not saying that either.»
 

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08/17/12
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Labeled

The Newsie’s Shacket

This time of year, it’s not a bad idea to have an extra layer handy—as well as the morning paper.

And this new quilted overshirt that’s just landed in Context’s webshop (as part of the latest drop from the McNairy-helmed Woolrich Woolen Mills) has got you covered on both. This mid-weight “shacket” is right on time for the upcoming transition into the cooler season. The extra-large breast pocket is a nice touch—just the right size for a folded broadsheet or anything else that might not need to stay crisply tucked into a briefcase.

Plus, we hear everyone is going to be using newspaper as pocket squares this fall.

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07/23/12
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Sale-ing

In Context

One of our favorite heritage-leaning shops on the Web, Context, is handing out $100 to anyone with an UrbanDaddy Perks account (you’re getting $300 credit for spending $200), just in time to get a few last-minute summer additions or start gearing up for fall. There’s a never-ending trail of handsome stuff on the site, so we thought we’d help guide you through it all—from the jackets to the deadstock fabric ties. Turns out, 300 bucks goes a long way. And here’s how you’ll use it to freshen up your wardrobe.

Your 10 best bets under $300.»
 

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11/28/11
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Sale-ing

The Best of Cyber Monday

Levi's Sweater

As countless spam emails have no doubt informed you, it’s Cyber Monday—the day e-commerce shops offer their deepest discounts of the year. (It’s also Randy Newman’s birthday, so you may want to get him something.) And since you don’t have time to scour every last one, we’ve pulled together the best of the lot, from Fair Isle scarves to Donegal tweed pants. Have a look after the jump.

See the best deals Cyber Monday has to offer»
 

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11/14/11
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Big Picture

My Scarves and My Word

Context Scarves

In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the scarves. Then when you get the scarves, you get the women.

(The picture comes from Context; the wisdom comes from Mr. Montana.)

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11/07/11
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Good Idea

What Matters (and Doesn’t) About Scarves

Scarfvia Men’s Club

We love a good scarf. It’s the grace note of a well-dressed man—a sliver of color in a gray season. And since we’ll be wearing one every day once winter ramps up, it’s easy to get emotional about things.

But for all the wisdom and hype in our corner of the blogosphere, there’s really only one thing that matters in finding a good scarf. And it’s definitely not how you tie it…

The one thing that makes a good scarf…»
 

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10/31/11
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Sale-ing

You Have 24 Hours to Buy This Shirt

Over the weekend, Context unveiled a pretty spectacular three-day sale. The only bad news is, it finishes up at the end of today, but if you’re sure of your size, there’s plenty here worth picking up.

Our favorite so far is this Dunderdon army shirt (a shacket candidate if we ever saw one), but there are also a few synthetic winter coats, a houndstooth tie, a nautical sweater and one of the cooler shirts we’ve seen all year.

And judging by the winds outside, it got here just in time.

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Style: some people have it, and some neighborhoods really have it. To show you what we mean, we’ve partnered with Cadillac to present Style Shifters—a five-part, in-depth look at what the hippest gents in some of the country’s coolest neighborhoods are wearing now. Our intrepid photographers have roamed the streets in search of the most stylish guys around. Herewith, a few photos of what they found...

New York

Brooklyn

Williamsburg

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is home to some of the country’s best bars and coolest restaurants—and, of course, some of the best menswear shops in the world. Naturally, you’ll find more than a few stylish individuals perched outside those locations (and no, not all of them are Billyburg hipsters). See what we mean below...

On The Streets: Brooklyn

  • Drew Ledbetter Actor
    Lives: Providence, RI

    Hometown: Chattanooga, TN / Bay Area, CA

    What We Like Drew’s shoes are made by Cole Haan.
  • Drew Ledbetter Actor
    Lives: Providence, RI

    Hometown: Chattanooga, TN / Bay Area, CA

    What We Like Drew’s shoes are made by Cole Haan.
  • Justice Hampton Works for Club Monaco
    Lives: Greenpoint, Brooklyn

    Hometown: Dallas, TX

    What We Like Leave it to a Texan to know that a linen jacket is the perfect bit of outerwear to transition you from spring to summer.
  • Justice Hampton Works for Club Monaco
    Lives: Greenpoint, Brooklyn

    Hometown: Dallas, TX

    What We Like Leave it to a Texan to know that a linen jacket is the perfect bit of outerwear to transition you from spring to summer.
  • Jamie Clawson Runs a leather accessories business (valentinegoods.com)
    Lives: East Village, New York

    Hometown: Cleveland, OH

    What We Like Jamie’s shirt is called the “Expensive” shirt by Wil Fry. Ironically, it goes for about 30 bucks.
  • Jamie Clawson Runs a leather accessories business (valentinegoods.com)
    Lives: East Village, New York

    Hometown: Cleveland, OH

    What We Like Jamie’s shirt is called the “Expensive” shirt by Wil Fry. Ironically, it goes for about 30 bucks.
  • Koppel Verma Researcher at Google
    Lives: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

    Hometown: Cambridge, MA

    What We Like Turns out, the Swiss Army makes more than knives—they also made this jacket (it’s vintage).
  • Koppel Verma Researcher at Google
    Lives: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

    Hometown: Cambridge, MA

    What We Like Turns out, the Swiss Army makes more than knives—they also made this jacket (it’s vintage).
  • Chris Afzal Audio engineer
    Lives: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

    Hometown: Baltimore, MD

    What We Like If you needed any more proof that Brooks Brothers has shed its stodgy image, these shoes should do the trick.
  • Chris Afzal Audio engineer
    Lives: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

    Hometown: Baltimore, MD

    What We Like If you needed any more proof that Brooks Brothers has shed its stodgy image, these shoes should do the trick.
  • Malik Alokpovi Host for a hotel
    Lives: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

    Hometown: Born in Togo, West Africa, but lived in the South of France

    What We Like Malik’s red suede shoes came from A.P.C. Try not to step on them.
  • Malik Alokpovi Host for a hotel
    Lives: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

    Hometown: Born in Togo, West Africa, but lived in the South of France

    What We Like Malik’s red suede shoes came from A.P.C. Try not to step on them.
  • Billy Cadden Musician
    Lives: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

    Hometown: Woodstock, NY

    What We Like Billy’s worn this shirt, which he got at H&M while on tour, at every show since.
  • Billy Cadden Musician
    Lives: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

    Hometown: Woodstock, NY

    What We Like Billy’s worn this shirt, which he got at H&M while on tour, at every show since.
  • Sam Bowstucky Bartender
    Lives: Greenpoint, Brooklyn

    Hometown: Chicago, IL

    What We Like He’s actually on his way to a working audition for a bartending job at the Blind Barber. Good luck, Sam.
  • Sam Bowstucky Bartender
    Lives: Greenpoint, Brooklyn

    Hometown: Chicago, IL

    What We Like He’s actually on his way to a working audition for a bartending job at the Blind Barber. Good luck, Sam.
California

San Francisco

Mission District

Style. The Mission’s got it. Union Square’s got it. But each of them goes about having it in a different way—the Mission rocking a more bohemian coffee shop vibe, Union Square hosting some of the best higher-fashion shops (and shoppers) on the West Coast. We rounded up a few of the most stylish folks from both. Have yourself a gander below…

On The Streets: San Francisco

  • Brian Cunningham Shop clerk
    Lives: San Francisco, CA

    Hometown: Boston, MA

    What We Like The first rule any SF transplant learns: always bring a light coat. Brian sticks with a denim jacket from AllSaints. (Button to taste.)
  • Brian Cunningham Shop clerk
    Lives: San Francisco, CA

    Hometown: Boston, MA

    What We Like The first rule any SF transplant learns: always bring a light coat. Brian sticks with a denim jacket from AllSaints. (Button to taste.)
  • Erik Newton Attorney
    Lives: San Francisco, CA

    Hometown: San Diego, CA

    What We Like Erik likes to throw on an interesting sport coat with a pocket square and skip the tie—on days he’s not in the courthouse, naturally.
  • Erik Newton Attorney
    Lives: San Francisco, CA

    Hometown: San Diego, CA

    What We Like Erik likes to throw on an interesting sport coat with a pocket square and skip the tie—on days he’s not in the courthouse, naturally.
  • Jason Moo Banker
    Lives: San Francisco, CA

    Hometown: New York, NY

    What We Like Jason picked up his prized pocket square at his favorite tailor, tucked away in NYC’s NoHo—Michael Andrews Bespoke.
  • Jason Moo Banker
    Lives: San Francisco, CA

    Hometown: New York, NY

    What We Like Jason picked up his prized pocket square at his favorite tailor, tucked away in NYC’s NoHo—Michael Andrews Bespoke.
  • Presyler Galvin Bon vivant
    Lives: San Francisco, CA

    Hometown: San Francisco, CA

    What We Like A good carry-all bag is a necessity in the city—and you won’t do much better than a Goyard. Extra points for the monogram.
  • Presyler Galvin Bon vivant
    Lives: San Francisco, CA

    Hometown: San Francisco, CA

    What We Like A good carry-all bag is a necessity in the city—and you won’t do much better than a Goyard. Extra points for the monogram.
  • Randal Ruiz Design student
    Lives: San Francisco, CA

    Hometown: San Jose, CA

    What We Like Randal fashioned those elbow pads himself—ensuring he’ll never bump into the same blazer anywhere else.
  • Randal Ruiz Design student
    Lives: San Francisco, CA

    Hometown: San Jose, CA

    What We Like Randal fashioned those elbow pads himself—ensuring he’ll never bump into the same blazer anywhere else.
Florida

Miami

South Beach

Forget everything you know about Miami style—today’s Miamian is more LeBron and Wade than Crockett and Tubbs. So we started in the slicked-up South Beach and made our way to the hip, artsy enclave of Wynwood to get a good look at what Miami style is all about. See it all below...

Miami, FL

  • Gerardo Gutierrez Photographer
    Lives: Miami, FL

    Hometown: New York, NY

    What We Like Gerardo picked up his nautical hook wristwear from local Miami shop MIANSAI.
  • Gerardo Gutierrez Photographer
    Lives: Miami, FL

    Hometown: New York, NY

    What We Like Gerardo picked up his nautical hook wristwear from local Miami shop MIANSAI.
  • Alain Martinez Visual artist
    Lives: Miami, FL

    Hometown: Chicago, IL

    What We Like Alain’s vintage accents, including the tie clip and shoes.
  • Alain Martinez Visual artist
    Lives: Miami, FL

    Hometown: Chicago, IL

    What We Like Alain’s vintage accents, including the tie clip and shoes.
  • Michael Young Shoe expert
    Lives: Miami, FL

    Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC

    What We Like Michael finishes off his Miami-prepster look with a pair of tuxedo slippers from local shoemakers Del Toro.
  • Michael Young Shoe expert
    Lives: Miami, FL

    Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC

    What We Like Michael finishes off his Miami-prepster look with a pair of tuxedo slippers from local shoemakers Del Toro.
  • Carlos Darquea Hair stylist
    Lives: Miami, FL

    Hometown: Providence, RI

    What We Like Nothing beats out a cool haircut. (It doesn’t hurt that Carlos happens to know a thing or two about them.)
  • Beto Girardo Publicist
    Lives: Miami, FL

    Hometown: Colombia

    What We Like Beto isn’t afraid to layer even in the Miami heat. Extra points for that impressive hat.
  • Beto Girardo Publicist
    Lives: Miami, FL

    Hometown: Colombia

    What We Like Beto isn’t afraid to layer even in the Miami heat. Extra points for that impressive hat.
  • Marque Butler Stylist
    Lives: Miami, FL

    Hometown: Berkeley, CA

    What We Like Marque pulls off this leather jacket, thanks to the tailored cut and the interesting detailing.
  • Marque Butler Stylist
    Lives: Miami, FL

    Hometown: Berkeley, CA

    What We Like Marque pulls off this leather jacket, thanks to the tailored cut and the interesting detailing.
  • Manuel Benitez Stylist
    Lives: Miami, FL

    Hometown: Queens, NY

    What We Like Manuel shows us some neo-Miami style by keeping the white pants but edging up the rest of his kit with boots and a moto jacket.
  • Manuel Benitez Stylist
    Lives: Miami, FL

    Hometown: Queens, NY

    What We Like Manuel shows us some neo-Miami style by keeping the white pants but edging up the rest of his kit with boots and a moto jacket.
California

Los Angeles

Venice

Stylish Angelenos, past and present: Cary Grant. George Clooney. Arnaud Delene. About that last one: he’s among the well-dressed vanguard you can spot today on one of LA’s more trafficked street corners. We camped out along Abbott Kinney Boulevard in Venice in search of such figures—have a look at the results below. (Yes, including Arnaud.)

Los Angeles, CA

  • Adam Ulbarri Retail/sales at Enda King
    Lives: Venice, CA

    Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

    What We Like His boots (Fiorentini + Baker), his custom hat (Westbrook Maker) and his shirt (Civilianaire). Hell, the whole damn thing.
  • Adam Ulbarri Retail/sales at Enda King
    Lives: Venice, CA

    Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

    What We Like His boots (Fiorentini + Baker), his custom hat (Westbrook Maker) and his shirt (Civilianaire). Hell, the whole damn thing.
  • Arnaud Delene Architect
    Lives: Downtown Los Angeles, CA

    Hometown: Nîmes, France

    What We Like The Europe-by-way-of-SoCal vintage shirt.
  • Arnaud Delene Architect
    Lives: Downtown Los Angeles, CA

    Hometown: Nîmes, France

    What We Like The Europe-by-way-of-SoCal vintage shirt.
  • Colin Prothero Architect
    Lives: Venice, CA

    Hometown: Santa Ana, CA

    What We Like The pin Colin just found and put on. Spontaneity’s a virtue.
  • Colin Prothero Architect
    Lives: Venice

    Hometown: Santa Anna

    What We Like The pin Colin just found and put on. Spontaneity’s a virtue.
  • Mark Wystrack Cofounder and creative director of MOVMT, a shoe-and-wallet line
    Lives: Malibu, CA

    Hometown: Sonoita, AZ

    What We Like The connections behind the ensemble, including the shirt (from Deus Ex Machina, with whom he’s collaborating) and the rest of it (much is from The Stronghold, where he’s friends with the owner).
  • Mark Wystrack Cofounder and creative director of MOVMT, a shoe-and-wallet line
    Lives: Malibu, CA

    Hometown: Sonoita, AZ

    What We Like The connections behind the ensemble, including the shirt (from Deus Ex Machina, with whom he’s collaborating) and the rest of it (much is from The Stronghold, where he’s friends with the owner).
  • Nick Fuquet Owner of Westbrook Maker
    Lives: Santa Monica, CA

    Hometown: Palm Beach, FL

    What We Like That almost everything you see is vintage.
  • Nick Fuquet Owner of Westbrook Maker
    Lives: Santa Monica, CA

    Hometown: Palm Beach, FL

    What We Like That almost everything you see is vintage.
  • Timur Dmitriyev Retail manager
    Lives: Venice, CA

    Hometown: Minsk, Belarus

    What We Like The jacket and pocket square—both from Gant Rugger.
  • Timur Dmitriyev Retail manager
    Lives: Venice, CA

    Hometown: Minsk, Belarus

    What We Like The jacket and pocket square—both from Gant Rugger.
  • Francisco Fernandez Musician
    Lives: Los Angeles, CA

    Hometown: San Francisco, CA

    What We Like The shark boots from Al’s Attire. Perfect for a guy whose band is called the Ferocious Few.
  • Francisco Fernandez Musician
    Lives: Los Angeles, CA

    Hometown: San Francisco, CA

    What We Like The shark boots from Al’s Attire. Perfect for a guy whose band is called the Ferocious Few.
Texas

Dallas

DOWNTOWN
June 21

Dallas: home of Jerry Jones, Bobby Ewing and... a bunch of guys who don’t dress like Jerry Jones or Bobby Ewing. Behold the new Dallas in our next edition of Style Shifters.

Kempt
Style Shifters
Cadillac

  • cartier style #1

    W7100045

    This stainless-steel number is the sportiest of the bunch—it’ll put a run-of-the-mill diver to shame on the high seas, but it’s still polished enough to wear into the boardroom.

  • cartier style #2

    W7100042

    This watch has the best of both worlds: the strength of stainless steel and the luxurious touch of rose gold—which solves any questions you might have had about matching your watch to your cufflinks.

  • cartier style #3

    W7100046

    Switching out a stainless-steel band for the handsome warmth of leather can give a watch a whole new life. Luckily, that doesn’t mean sacrificing any of the top-notch mechanics for the added dressiness.

  • cartier style #4

    W7100043

    If you weren’t sure which way you were leaning between stainless steel, rose gold and leather, your decision has just been made easier: all three. Opting for the brown leather band in this situation only serves to improve the watch’s warm and luxurious feel.

  • cartier style #5

    W7100047

    This is the statement piece: a rose gold case and band with all of the trappings of a meticulously crafted chronograph. There’s something here for bons vivants, race car drivers and titans of industry alike. The two registers circled in gold to match the case add a particularly dapper grace note to the white dial.

  • cartier style #6

    W7100044

    Switching out a metal band for the handsome warmth of leather can give a watch a whole new life. And when it comes to this Cartier, that new life involves a calendar full of cocktail attire and using “weekend” as a verb.