February 9, 2012 world of men's style / fashion / grooming RSS
“Gant”
11/03/11
·
High and Tight

Test-Driving Gant’s First Cologne

Gant launched their first cologne this week, with a little help from the mildly legendary Pierre Wulff. And since they don’t do these things in half measures, we thought it deserved nothing less than a full battery of tests, including a poll of a few of the sharper noses in the office.

If you want to smell it in person, Gant stores will be handing out half-ounce samples with every purchase—but first, we’ll give you a sense of what you’re in for.

Fair warning: you’re in for at least one Miami Vice reference…»
 

ALL High and Tight
TAGSTags
10/31/11
·
Well Pressed

The Kempt Guide to the November Issues

If you haven’t checked your mailbox recently, we’ve got some good news. Another round of glossy style advice has arrived on the nation’s collective doorstep, and

In fact, this month’s haul was particularly interesting because of Esquire’s latest Big Black Book—a glossy tome filled with all the intricacies of style too involved for the general subscriber base. That means dark rum, exotic leathers and all manner of Italian suiting.

Of course, it’s not all good advice—so we’re stepping in to tell you what to read, what to try and what to avoid at all costs.

Here’s everything you need to know from this month’s glossy magazines…»
 

ALL Well Pressed
TAGSTags
ADVERTISEMENT
09/09/11
·
Scene

Dispatches from Fashion’s Night Out

First thing’s first: we survived. And with Fashion’s Night Out safely in the past, we thought we’d set down a record for posterity, with all the plinko, side-tabs and grenadine that implies. Admittedly, our note-taking got a little shaky towards the end…

Read our dispatches from Fashion’s Night Out »
 

ALL Scene
TAGSTags
08/17/11
·
Good Idea

The Collegiate Stripe

The vertical collegiate stripe has always been a staple, but lately it’s started cultivating a weathered dandyism all its own. So we’ve turned the camera on a few of our favorites, as close as the lens will allow.

See the selection after the jump…»

ALL Good Idea
TAGSTags
08/08/11
·
Good Idea

Your Pre-Fall Provisions

Pre-Fall

The leaves have yet to turn, but you can feel the subtle changes happening. Nights are getting cooler. Your urge for selvage denim, stronger. We’re entering the transitional phase between gin fizz weather and spiked cider weather—a phase we like call Pre-Fall.

On any given day, you’ll need to be prepared for a sudden turn for the brisk. So we’ve put together the four key ingredients to keeping warm but not too warm in the weeks upcoming. Mix to taste.

The four winds of pre-fall style…»

ALL Good Idea
TAGSTags
ADVERTISEMENT
06/03/11
·
Object

The Summer Sweater

Gant Summer Sweater

If you can get your mind around the counterintuitive thought of wearing a sweater in summer, a light cableknit item like this can be one of the cozier items in your closet. And as we’ve noticed before, they’re having a moment. This one comes from Gant, swapping in blue for the traditional tennis white, but the key is the extra-deep V-neck. Racket not required.

ALL Object
TAGSTags
05/04/11
·
Object

Your Game Day Socks

Gant Baseball Socks

Here’s your latest dose of baseball kitsch, courtesy of Michael Bastian.

Fresh from Gant’s newly launched e-comm site, these socks signal your commitment to the pastime with fake stirrups and a globe patch, perfect for summer softball leagues, Halloween costumes, and any number of upcoming Sunday afternoons. At a glance, the colors look like Yankees, Red Sox and A’s, but we’re open to suggestions.

They’re high enough to tuck your pants into if you’re going for the full Cooperstown—just don’t try it at the office.

ALL Object
TAGSTags
04/28/11
·
Object

The Ridiculously Colorful Shirt

Gant

Man does not live by blue oxfords alone.

And now that the sun’s out, you’ve got room to get a little colorful. Or, if you’re feeling ambitious, a lot colorful.

This Gant button-down comes from one of our favorite strains of dandyism: the ridiculously colorful shirt. Naturally, you’ll want to ease into it—maybe under a black suit, or peeking over the collar of a light sweater.

The game is showing just enough pattern to liven things up…but not so much that you’re blinding anyone. Once you turn your mind to it, you’ll be surprised how many ways there are to make it work. (Gilbert & Lewis also makes a slightly less sherbet-colored version, if you feel like playing with a handicap.)

And if you stare at it for long enough, you’ll be magically transported to a clambake.

ALL Object
TAGSTags
02/18/11
·
LinkOut

Happy Presidents’ Day, Internet

sigurdgrunberger_crop.jpgvia You Have Broken the Internet

Kings of New York: Detail shots of the best-dressed gentlemen in New York Fashion Week. [Esquire]

The Axe Trend: The tech community finally comes around to axes, which kind of kills it for the rest of us. Also, they wasted a perfectly good opportunity to make an axe joke. [Gizmodo]

And, Just Because It’s Friday…: Here’s Thom Yorke dancing to “Single Ladies.” [Buzzfeed]

ALL LinkOut
TAGSTags
01/10/11
·
Big Picture

Snowmelt

gantfw2010_crop.jpg

This snap comes from Gant’s Christopher Bastin, who used this pic to design last season’s collection. We’re calling it “raft chic.”

ALL Big Picture
TAGSTags
12/14/10
·
Bad Idea/Good Idea

Our Socks Runneth Over

gantsocks_crop.jpg

You may have noticed this look popping up on a few unusually forward-thinking boots this winter. All you need is a pair of work boots, a pair of large, thick boot socks and the gumption to pull them over your pant cuffs.

With the rise of Red Wing and slim-cut pants, it’s amazing it didn’t happen sooner. The only question is whether it’s actually a good idea…and we’re leaning towards no.

Here’s why…»

ALL Bad Idea/Good Idea
TAGSTags
11/02/10
·
Good Idea

Straight Sets

tennissweater_crop.jpg

We noticed at the close of fashion week that the tennis sweater seemed poised for a post-preppy revival, and the evidence keeps mounting.

This pic comes from Gant Rugger’s newly released “prefall” lookbook, with the infamous sweater front and center. It’s not quite as low-cut as the Billy Reid and Brooks Brothers versions, but there’s no mistaking that tricolor stripe (by way of Thom Browne, we suspect) and the general air of sport. From the way he’s standing, he might even be auditioning for a linesman gig…

ALL Good Idea
TAGSTags
04/22/10
·
Object

The Original Bag

gantruggerwashbag_crop.jpg

We’ve got a soft spot for rough canvas bags, but Gant’s newest item brought up one we’d almost forgotten about: the laundry bag. This piece from the Rugger line strips down luggage to its most elemental. That means no structure, no side pockets, just a sack of canvas with a zipper and a strap. It’s not that different from the bags sailors used to haul their gear a few generations back, so it should do just fine outside the laundry room.

ALL Object
TAGSTags
03/29/10
·
Good Idea

This Year’s Model

gantbastian_crop.jpg

Michael Bastian has been turning out elegant-if-pricey staples for a couple seasons now, and before that he was with the ur-preppies at Polo, so if there’s a next big thing in preppidom, our money’s on him. And apparently Gant agrees.

His collaboration with the storied rugby brand debuted at Fashion Week last month and images are finally leaking to the web. We don’t endorse every last piece—particularly the over-distressed jeans and khakis—but of the 42 items there are at least seven we’re not sure we can do without. Not a bad average, as these things go.

Our favorite is this wool pant, the kind of rough-textured fall pant we usually turn to Sweden for. It’ll be a few more months before you can see them in person, but we’re guessing it’s worth the wait.

ALL Good Idea
TAGSTags
02/16/10
·
LinkOut

Vice Does its Part for Glaucoma Awareness

vicepot_crop.jpg

We’re Guessing It’s Medical: Vice distills its entire appeal into seven photographs. Naturally, they’re NSFW. [Vice]

On the Field: An insider’s look at the spectacularly preppy Gant by Michael Bastian show. [Valet]

A Man in Full: Roger Ebert stares down death. Rare stuff, here. [Esquire]

The Changing of the Guard: There is now a third kind of phone you have to care about. Consider yourself notified. [Gizmodo]

ALL LinkOut
TAGSTags
09/25/09
·
Object

Aging Gracefully

rugger_crop.jpg

We ran across this short collared oxford in Gant’s 60 year Anniversary catalog, and we couldn’t help indulging a little nostalgia. Dubbed the “Rugger,” it debuted in the early 70s and finding its way back into stores (specifically Barneys flagships and New York’s Gant outpost) on the heels of the brand’s 60th Anniversary.

But for a shirt that’s pushing 40, it’s handling the years pretty gracefully. It’s a combination of the oxford and the rugby shirt, both longtime staples of the Gant catalog, but the last few years of Americana-fiddling make it look strangely adventurous. That white placket, for instance, wouldn’t look too out of place at a Gilded Age show. Fortunately for the price point, Gant got there first.

ALL Object
TAGSTags
09/15/08
·
Good Idea

Sidewalk Sale

stitsh_crop.jpg

Whether it’s flash mobs or tumblrs, a good idea can only last so long before someone turns it to commerce. The Sartorialist lasted longer than most, but after last month’s Gant advert, a third party has turned Scott Schuman’s idea of street style photo-blogging into a full blown clothing store.

The British site Stitsh has a familiar look, but if you roll over any of the pictures, it’ll take you to sites where you can buy any of the items on the screen. Like a few others, we like the idea, even if it’s a little too focused on British streetwear brands for our taste. Can’t they get someone over to the West End?

ALL Good Idea
TAGSTags
08/22/08
·
Bad Idea

Where the Buffalo Roam

buffalo_crop.jpg

We’ve been fans of The Sartorialist for a while, and we’ve never begrudged Mr. Schuman a few side projects, but he may finally have hit a sour note. His latest collab is this microsite with the usually reliable Gant label. The problem isn’t the clothes or the shots, but the people. In ten quick profiles, Mr. Schuman may have inadvertently captured everything that’s irritating about New York City.

Take, for instance, one MacDonald Steffen Huelster (pictured above). He describes his style as “One part Summerset Country Club, two parts Willow River,” which explains the buffalo, at least. But the impossibly preppy name, the WASPy affectation of referring to both of his parents by their full names (Hugh MacDonald Huelster and Christine Steffen Huelster, respectively), and the particularly obnoxious cred grab of referring to his borough as “Brooklyn, King’s County” all mark this gentleman as someone we would like to avoid at all costs. We don’t like to use the h-word; let’s just say it reflects poorly on the brand.

Perhaps an underrated perk of Mr. Schuman’s original blog is that all the participants are silent.

ALL Bad Idea
TAGSTags