Scotchy, scotch, scotch: So that $30,000 bottle of Scotch we told you about? It sold for $54K. [Reuters]

She Told Ya, She Was Trouble: Amy Winehouse is Karl Lagerfeld’s new, barfy muse. [Anorak]

Walking Tall: Style Dash jumps into J. Crew’s new boots [Style Dash]

Like Your Own Personal Elves: Refinery29 is making a list, checking it twice. [Refinery29]

‘allo Luv: The strange patios of Neil Strauss’ The Game corrupts the noble British tongue. [Times UK]

No Diggity: Break out the Cross Colours, 1992 is in effect. [Sunday Styles]

Bed Spread: Upgrade your thread count for 70% off till Wednesday. [Racked]

Open Lippes: New-York based Adam Lippes opens up his first store—a biggish boutique next to the Meatpacking District’s Apple Store. [DNRNews]

Mass-market preppy outfitter J. Crew has apparently been running short on inspiration, so much so that they’ve turned to biting The Sartorialist’s style. Their spring preview just surfaced, and one of the shots (on the right) bears an uncanny resemblance to a pic the Sartorialist posted in June of ‘07 (on the left).

J. Crew’s main addition seems to be the sickly-colored blazer, but the poofy pocket square remains gloriously intact»

Belt It: The unimpeachable virtues of the belted bikini. [MyFashionLife]

Lapel Diplomacy: Yet another world leader embarrasses his people with poor fashion sense. Sarkozy is looking better and better… [Manolo for the Men]

The Crew: J. Crew opens a men’s only store in Tribeca. Maybe Chelsea would have been more appropriate… [DNR]

No Quarter: Gianni Agnelli gives us a lesson on quarter brogues from beyond the grave. [A Suitable Wardrobe]

Fuzzy Logic: As Chris Rock presciently advised, “take off that silly-ass hat.” [The Cool Hunter]

Storage is always a problem for a well-kempt gentleman of leisure. Ideally, he carries no more than fits in his pockets without bulging. But of course, this fashion rule came into being before the Blackberry, so perhaps it’s time to revise.

Treading just the right line between duffle bag and murse, this leather messenger pack (from J. Crew of all places) adds a retro touch to the standard shoulder bag. That means no nylon or plastic, just hand-stained leather and copper rivets. It’s the sort you might have seen on a mailman’s shoulder in the 60s.

So it should match your lapels perfectly.

We’ve run a lot of bags on Kempt, but the trunk has gone mostly overlooked. It may not be much of a carry-on, but it’s perfect for that steamer voyage you’ve been planning.

These trunks are the fruit of a transcontinental collab between J. Crew and classic Brit luggage maker Globetrotter, which lends its expert craftsmen and distinctive color combination to the mix. As you can see, the sizes vary from a 13-inch vanity case to the 33-inch wheeled suitcase—which weighs in at 13 pounds when it’s empty. Thanks to Globetrotter’s Vulcan Fibre, the trunks can withstand up to 2000 pounds of pressure.

Which should come in handy when you’re on safari.

Our friends at UrbanDaddy gave us an inside peek at the latest J. Crew outpost in Tribeca, and it’s pretty impressive. Lower Manhattan can be a tough locale, especially for national brands, so for this spot they’ve approached things more like a boutique, flooding the store with collaborations, cross-branding, and plain old outside labels.

A closer look at the shop»

Not all of J. Crew’s collaborations are on the racks. This week, they launched a microsite with GQ dedicated to “rebel style,” with J. Crew merch giveaways on the side. (At least you’ll know where to spend it.)

The premise of the microsite is a 30 day crash course in becoming a “well-dressed rebel.” We aren’t sure if Shia LeBeouf is quite what comes to mind when we hear “well-dressed rebel,” but their guest, Scott Sternberg of Band of Outsiders, is a little closer to the mark. The biggest saving graces are the Vice Records soundtrack and bizarrely Godardian titles, both of which give the enterprise a lot more cred than it deserves.

There are a few unexpected tidbits, like Sternberg’s preference for short-sleeved dress shirts, but so far, the advice is pretty much what you’d get from the magazine—like popping the top button, sticking with upscale cotton suits, and curveball footwear. Then again, the site only releases one video a day (starting the day you sign up), so we’ll have to wait until September to get to the thrilling conclusion.

Functional clothing has a built-in authenticity, whether it’s factory denims or riding boots. And as far as sincerity goes, work boots are one of the highlights. And not just because they’re indestructible.

Red Wing has been a favorite of ours ever since we saw it pop up in the J. Crew Tribeca store, but apparently we’re getting another crack at them at David Z. The white soles are a nice touch, but the real draw here is the tough leather and rugged construction. With the right care, these will last forever and withstand almost any conditions.

And they look like it.