May 23, 2013 world of men's style / fashion / grooming RSS
“Denim”
01/24/11
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LinkOut

Scott Caan is the New Juergen Teller

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Renaissance Man: Scott Caan muses on the dubious quality of Hawaii 5-0 and his sideline photographing hotel nudes. [Esquire]

Dispatches from the Edge of Sanity: Thom Browne’s Paris show suggests androgyny, classicism and drug use. [The Moment]

The Watchmen: Jason Chow guides us to the perfect watch if you’re only going to own one. If possible, it should have a portrait of your face in jewels. [WSJ]

Stankonia: A Canadian student goes 15 months without washing his jeans or causing a bacterial outbreak. We are of mixed opinion. [ABC]

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12/06/10
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Scene

Kempt Man of the Hour: Hiroshi Awai

hiroshiawai_crop.jpgvia Stil in Berlin

The Lauren-soaked Japanese hipster is a familiar sight these days, but occasionally someone like Hiroshi Awai reminds you how the look got so big.

We’ll start with the worn and patched jeans, looking as if they come from a part of the world that’s never even heard of raw denim. Unlike most of the lumberjack gear in the menswear boutiques of the world, this actually looks like something you’d find on a farmhand. The kneeholes must have taken years to wear through, assuming he didn’t pull any tricks.

Of course, that’s the kind of move you can pull off when you’re designing your own label—and you’re backing it up with desert boots and the kind of post-preppy sweater that’s been stocking Rugby shops for years. But if that’s what it takes to bring back repaired denim, sign us up.

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11/23/10
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Labeled

The Rise of Indian Denim

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Industry of All Nations is mostly known for their fair-trade espadrilles, but they’ve spent 2010 cooking up something a good deal more exciting. Next week, they’ll be bringing a batch of Indian artisanal denim to Ron Herman at Fred Segal. We’re not sure if it’s the local dyeing process, their rickety loom or the notable absence of deep indigo, but it comes out looking softer than anything you’d see out of Japan. And the factory’s certainly unlike anything we’ve seen stateside. Check it out after the jump:

Take a factory tour»

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10/27/10
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LinkOut

Amber Anderson is Uncombed

amberanderson_crop.jpgvia Fashion Copious

The Internet is On Fire: As you may have heard, some pretty scary internet privacy stuff is happening right now, specifically surround a program called Firesheep. Here’s how to keep yourself protected. [Boing Boing]

Rabbit Redux: Roger Ebert, the wise grandfather of the internet, descends to mount an impassioned defense of Hugh Hefner. Good stuff. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Sharpee Art: David Shrigley is the coolest person ever. [World’s Best Ever]

Loom Porn: Another day, another throwback denim line. 14 ounces of glory, people. [The Bengal Stripe]

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09/30/10
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LinkOut

Rachel Alexander is a Little Cold

rachelalexander_crop.jpgvia Fashion Copious

Ever Since I Can Remember…: Ladies and gentlemen, the 17th century denim jacket. [Kottke]

Step Away From the Blackberry: In praise of analog productivity tools like lists, habits and writing things down. [The 99 Percent]

The Original Factory Tour: A cache of pictures showing the construction of the Statue of Liberty. That enormous hand in the background is totally normal. [Kuriositas]

Mostly Recreation: Aziz Ansari’s latest pranks on the set of Parks and Recreation. [Vulture]

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08/31/10
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LinkOut

Miranda Kerr Looks So Real

mirandakerr3d_crop.jpgvia If It’s Hip It’s Here

One Peacoat to Rule Them All: Schott’s slim-fit peacoat is easily the nicest outerwear piece of the year. [Sartorially Inclined]

Nilsson Schmilsson: The Times puts the lime in the coconut (metaphorically) with a quick Harry Nilsson slideshow. [The Moment]

The Denim Beat: The Valet guide to washing jeans. Here’s a four-word summary: as little as possible. [Valet]

Out of the Past: Leonardo’s notebooks reveal early anatomical studies, undeveloped inventions, and a lifelong love of pizza. [Gizmodo]

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08/25/10
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LinkOut

Legs Malone Has Repurposed Her Overalls

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Some of It Appears to be Acid-Washed: Whim Quarterly takes on repurposed denim with forthright sexuality and Polish words. We’re 70% sure they’re kidding. [Whim Quarterly]

Pomade Throwdown: There was a time in our history when people cared deeply about the difference between Vitalis and Brylcreem. [Ivy Style]

The Mystery of the Pyramids: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs gets a much-needed update. Consult for future happiness. [The Awl]

Industrial Quality: Randolph Engineering sunglasses turn out to be worth the wait. [A Suitable Wardrobe]

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08/24/10
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Shelf Life

She Seems Cool

rockers_crop.jpg© Horst A. Friedrichs, see it full size

Snagged from the new rocker compendium Or Glory, this picture shows Brad, Pete, Emma, Brian, Stuart, Steve, Dave in London circa 2001—demonstrating the timeless cool of the cuffed jean, the authority of the leather jacket, and the most dangerous possible situation in which to approach a woman. Be brave, gentlemen.

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08/17/10
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LinkOut

Surfers Have the Best Fans

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Surfin’ U.S.A.: The Times stops by California’s surfing U.S. Open to detail the latest in navel-oriented fashion. [The Moment]

The Dictionary of Denim: Valet runs down all the crucial denim terms, in case you’ve ever wondered what “sanforizing” is. [Valet]

Up Top: A gentleman’s guide to folding a newspaper pressman’s cap out of your Sunday paper. Now if you could just find a Sunday paper. [Cape Cod Today]

Spandex Ain’t Free: American Apparel may be having liquidity problems, also known as “running out of money.” [Wall Street Journal]

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07/30/10
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Bad Idea/Good Idea

Not Fade Away

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This gentleman has been causing quite a stir in the men’s style sphere lately—particularly in reference to those washed jeans.

He was snapped by the Sartorialist and Tommy Ton at Pitti Uomo, he’s inspired a crop of bloggers to profess a love for the kind of washed denim that, in simpler times, got tagged as dad jeans.

What does it all mean?»

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06/01/10
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LinkOut

Dree Hemingway is Feeling Sleepy

dreehemingway_crop.jpgvia Fashion Copious

Suit Up: The Quarterly’s annual cheap suit roundup digs up some pretty fantastic stuff. Perry Ellis never looked so good. [GQ]

It’s a Denim Thing, Apparently: “Crotch Blowout” is neither as exciting nor as painful as it sounds. [Put This On]

The New AOR: A gentleman’s guide to Ariel Pink. [LA Times]

The Spiders from Mars: Louise Bourgeois (of the enormous arachnid sculptures) gets an elegy. [NYMag]

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03/05/10
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The Biz

A Distressing Experience

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There are lots of reasons to stay away from the L.A. denim world—for one, we just plain don’t like distressed clothes—but if you get past any lingering style reservations, it can be a pretty fascinating scene. Particularly if you’ve got a camera handy.

Sundance recently took a trek into the dark heart of Ed Hardy-ness and came away with Dirty Denim, a 15-minute series of web shorts that convince us it’s worse than we ever imagined. Small labels scramble over distressing techniques, play hardball with buyers, and try to keep their styles safe from the eight other labels they share a washhouse with—and just about everyone’s scrapping.

Of course, the real horror is what they do to the jeans. Potassium sprays, paint splatters and rotary grinders are all turned against defenseless raw denim with little to no remorse. The rest isn’t too different from the mind-boggling hustle of the rest of Hollywood—but it should give pause to anyone who’s day-dreamed about starting up their own denim line.

See the show»

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02/05/10
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LinkOut

Carolyn Murphy is No Stranger to Pomade

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An Un-Single Man: Tom Ford leaves melancholy gay cinema behind and gets back to his first love, titillating ads. We’ve missed you… [Fashion Copious]

Wim and Vigor: A tour through the denim of the rebel state, via Paris, Texas. [The Moment]

The 80s Were a Special Time: We’re pretty sure Kathryn Bigelow is the first Best Director nominee to be involved in a Bill Paxton video. Well, except for Mr. Cameron… [Vulture]

Men at Work: Junya Watanabe and Carhartt join forces for some pretty awesome jackets. [Hypebeast]

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01/05/10
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Object

The Return of the Shacket

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With chambray popping up just about everywhere, the good old denim shirt is in danger of being overshadowed. Luckily, it’s pretty cold out there, and you’re going to need something a little stronger than lightweight cotton.

This shacket-style workshirt from Filson is loose enough and tough enough to sandwich between a button-down and a duffel coat—a combination that should protect you against just about anything the gods of winter can throw at you. It doesn’t come within a mile of slim-fit—Blackbird even suggests sizing down, which we haven’t heard in years—but if you’re really bundling up, you might appreciate the extra room.

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12/15/09
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Sale-ing

Colorways

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The khaki pant has gotten a rough shake over the past couple decades, but if you go back far enough, it was every bit as rough and tumble as denim. To the archives!

Fortunately for connoisseurs of indestructible clothing, Nom de Guerre has a pretty good recreation in stock—which just happens to be on sale at Context. It’s essentially dyed Japanese selvage denim, but the cut and the archival quality gives it a little more history than your average hipster jean. There’s even a cinching strap in the back for an extra bit of retro flair—another touch that would be out of place on the indigo version—but the fabric is the same stiff, raw weave you’d find at higher end jean shops. Well played, gentlemen.

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10/21/09
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Bad Idea

Shepard Fairey Moves to Times Square

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Public art can mean more than just posters on walls…but when it starts to move to denim jacket liners, we get a little queasy.

Shepard Fairey’s Obey label just announced a large-scale collaboration with Levi’s and this jacket is only the beginning. Next Thursday, Fairey will take over the façade of Levi’s Times Square shop, and unveil four new posters to be given away with a Levi’s purchase.

Fairey’s pleading “public art”—it’s populist denim, after all, not Louis Vuitton—but we’d prefer calling it what it is: marketing. It’s not such a dirty word, really, and Fairey has to pay those legal bills somehow. But next time, he should probably start by looking into spray paint endorsements.

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10/01/09
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LinkOut

Kristen Stewart has an Interesting Chemistry with her Photographer

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Like a Bird: We’re guessing it was something he said. [Fashion Copious]

Needs More Logo: A look at Takashi Murakami’s latest show. [The Moment]

I’m Tired of Your Selvedge Demands: A talk with the denim guru behind Self Edge. [Complex]

Together Again: Mr. Seinfeld chats nervously about the Curb-based reunion. Also, what’s the deal with those Corona ads? [Vulture]

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07/22/09
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Labeled

Hiroshi Buys a Yacht

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Hiroshi Awai’s Creep label was last seen with heavy flannels, work boots and toggle coats, but it looks like he’s getting back into the yachting scene.

His S/S 2010 collection has a few nautical sweaters for the rugged at heard, but mostly its liberty print shorts, deck-ready button-ups and some of the better cut three-button suits we’ve seen in a while. The most interesting item might be this high-cropped denim jacket, which uses a bit of tailoring know-how to give even the most rugged item in the American wardrobe a touch of twee. Just don’t take it on deck.

See more of the line»

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07/15/09
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Current Affairs

Pitching In

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Obama’s display of pitching prowess at the all-star game last night has inspired quite a bit of commentary, but we’re more interested in his taste in denim. Fastball or no, those jeans did seem pretty…dad-ish.

To be fair, the man is old enough to wear dad jeans if he so chooses, but we can’t help wishing he went with something a bit hipper. He could still do the windup in skinnier jeans, and he wouldn’t have to worry about getting the wrong kind of Reagan comparison. As for the shoes…maybe they were worried Adidas would read as too European?

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04/07/09
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Bad Idea/Good Idea

Coloring Book

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The old workhorse denim companies have taken their time catching up to the boutique acts, but it looks like they’re finally coming around.

This set of colored Levi’s 501s is a step in the right direction, and it’s in line with work they’ve been doing with 511s for years…but the colors seem a bit too primary for our tastes. It’s still impressive gear, especially the gray and yellow versions, but it would have been better if it were a bit more Pantone and a bit less…crayola.

We’re not saying they need to jump on the Mimosa, but a few shades lighter on the green and a few shades darker on the red would have made them a whole lot more wearable.

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03/31/09
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Object

Deep Blue

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We’ve always been a little wary of denim shirts without being able to say quite why, but this might nail it down for us.

Up until now, the shirts have been a little too “western ranch” and not nearly enough “island prison.” Leave it to Paris to finally correct the error.

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03/20/09
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Object

Blue on Blue

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Timberland’s been keeping a lot more current lately, even if they’ve given up workwear for more street-inspired kicks.

These denim-friendly boat shoes may be coming to the trend a little late, but they might be the first pair made to wear under baggy jeans. For a former preppy staple, that’s pretty impressive.

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03/17/09
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Good Idea

Revival Meeting

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If the shades on the top look familiar, they should. But they just got a whole lot less vintage.

As a response to the popularity of their vintage gear, Carrera dug into their archive for a set of their best old styles, and brought the resulting models back into production. Naturally, it’s still better to get the Real McCoy, but for a couple hundred dollars less, the revival isn’t too bad either.

Carrera’s newer styles haven’t done too much to catch our eye, but this reboot might be just what the brand needs to get its legs back. If they can jump back to 1986 and start over from there, they may start digging up a lot more than just nostalgia.

What this means for heritage brands in general»

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03/16/09
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Current Affairs

Renaissance Man

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No sooner do we complement Kanye’s taste in denim than we hear his Yeeziness is planning a denim line of his very own.

It’ll be hard to top RRL, and the hipster/street divide is as difficult to bridge in fashion as it is in music. Then again, if anyone can bring the two camps together—possibly by sporting the perfect level of bagginess displayed in the picture at left—it’s Kanye. As legacies go, it wouldn’t be a bad one.

Let’s just hope it keeps him off the vocoder.

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03/13/09
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Sound & Vision

Welcome Back

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We’d cooled off lately on our effusive love for Kanye, but it turns out all we needed was a good reminder.

Kanye’s performance Wednesday night was enough to win back our interest. The song wasn’t bad, but the chambray shirt, and effortless use of the trucker tux won us over. It also didn’t hurt that he was rocking RRL jeans, which might be our favorite denim product ever.

Of course, he’s made a few good videos in the time since too, but the crucial thing has always been public performance. And, like nobody else in music, Mr. West understands how to dress the part.

Cue the video»

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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
June 6

Forget everything you know about Miami style. Today’s Miamian is more LeBron James than Crockett and Tubbs—as you’ll soon see in our next edition of Style Shifters…

Kempt
Style Shifters
Cadillac