As we head towards the top (or bottom) of our list, sportswear slowly falls away and the cream rises.

4. Tie — Gilded Age and John Varvatos:

Two more different collections would be hard to find. For the Kempt man, however, Gilded Age and John Varvatos represent a perfect balance of casual and formal. Yes, Gilded Age (pictured) upped the ante this year with a new capsule line of fine, history-inspired wool suits and bowler hats. Still, the best things here stressed comfort and ease—hearty outdoor ware for more active hours. Varvatos, on the other hand, has pushed himself closer to European territory. His shimmering gray collection lies closer to the boundaries of fashion than almost any of his previous work (perhaps toiling for Converse has compelled him to whip up these chancy new lapels and such.) It’s heady stuff, but just as slick and masculine as ever. Grab a little from each of these lines, and you’re set till 2010. [links above]

And #3 is…»

The Craftsman: Interview with Gilded Age designer Stefan Mijanic. [The Discerning Brute]

Go West Young Man: Steven Alan lands in the City of Angels. [Refinery29]

News To You: Seems someone won that “Project Runway” show last night. Yeah, we don’t care either.

Handy Man: A little more work around the house might get you a little more play around the bed. [AP]

Smooth Ride: Hermès unveils a signature edition of the already posh Bugatti Veyron. This will go great with our helicopter. [Men.Style]

Wedding Bells for Everyone: Nicolas Sarkozy married Carla Bruni. Now his ex, Cecilia, will marry her new paramour. Don’t you just love happy endings? [Reuters]

Exchange Rate: The falling dollar is doing no favors for your closet. [Houston Chronicle]

We’ve been impressed by Gilded Age before, but this is the first time they’ve pushed themselves historically. Their usual beat is 19th Century New England workwear, but their latest collection sees them swerving in a Hopper-esque direction. Instead of anachronistic rural digs, they’ve moved to anachronistic urban gear, meaning two-colored cardigans, trench coats and denim blazers, among others. There are enough people chasing the Mad Men look already, but Gilded Age is bringing something entirely their own to the look.

And, of course, they still churn out weathered jeans and flannel as well as anyone.

Click for another look at the clothes»

Opening Ceremony

Uniqlo has a remarkably catalog for a down-market brand, but even more impressive is how many upscale designers they’ve managed to tempt in for collaborations. Alexander Wang, Loden Dager, Tim Hamilton were all on last year’s list, but apparently the ‘qlo has a few more in the works.

Over the next few months, they’re rolling out two new men’s collections from Opening Ceremony and Gilded Age respectively. (Shipley & Halmos, sadly, stuck with womenswear.)

Gilded Age acquits themselves fairly with a set of baggy, nautical gear, but we’re more partial to Opening Ceremony, not least because of their electric blue suit that looks like it could have come right off Pete Campbell’s back.

See the suit, and Gilded Age’s contribution»