May 24, 2013 world of men's style / fashion / grooming RSS
“knits”
02/01/13
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LinkOut

The Legacy of Sid Avery and Some Very Handsome Pocket Squares

Not Too Shabby: The New York Times recounts the charmed life of theElder Statesman’s Greg Chait—who now spends his days designing cashmere knitwear after winning the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award.

Take Care: A look at the new spring offering from Drake’s London—including a handsome assortment of pocket squares—courtesy of Die, Workwear!

MacGruber’s Closet: Will Forte shops with Barney’s the Window and makes a surprisingly high amount of good choices—aside from the hot pants.

In The Picture: Mr. Porter flips through the new book from legendary photographer Sid Avery (he made sites like the impossible cool—possible).

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01/22/13
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About

Capsule New York, by the Numbers

Every year around this time, the pantheon of fine menswear purveyors sets up shop in a warehouse deep in the hinterlands of Manhattan. And every year around this time, we trek downtown to check it out. Since most brands show clothes that won’t be available for about six months—and because the show is enormous—we decided the best thing to do was break it down, using our patented scientific formula.

Ergo, Capsule New York 2013, by the numbers:»
 

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12/06/12
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LinkOut

Revenge of the Nerd Crew

via GQ UK

Sweating It: Your 60-second guide to the holiday sweater (also a Kempt must-have). [Valet]

Easy Abe: Vulture ranks every Abraham Lincoln biopic ever made, in terms of how historically accurate they will make your school essay. [Vulture]

Geek Out: An excellent oral history on one of the greatest overlooked high school dramas of our time, Freaks and Geeks. [Vanity Fair]

Caps on Caps on Caps: In case our guide below wasn’t enough, here’s more knit caps for your wintry headwear needs. [To Take the Train]

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12/06/12
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What's What

What Your Knit Cap Is Saying About You

Knit Capvia Esquire

As deep winter approaches, it’s more than likely you’re starting to pull out the scarves and hats to assess the state of your current warmth-retaining paraphernalia.

At the heart of it all: the knit cap.

And on the occasion that you’re looking for a new one or contemplating reviving an old standby, you ought to know what your choice of topper is saying about you…

So, herewith, a handy guide to understanding the vibe your knit cap is projecting.»
 

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07/27/12
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This Sporting Life

Fly to Death

In a late-breaking addition to our Olympic gear roundup, we just stumbled upon this new pair of Nike Flyknits, made exclusively for the four nationless competitors known as the Independent Olympic Athletes, and we had to share.

They’re made with Nike’s latest “flyknit” technology that has captured the attention of both the running and #menswear worlds—for different, yet obvious, reasons—so you can imagine how nearly impossible it already is to get ahold of a pair. This edition will actually be impossible to get your hands on, since only four pairs have been made.

See the rest of the IOA “team” gear over at Four Pins.

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07/24/12
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Labeled

Behold: The Silk Knit Pocket Square

It’s surprising it’s taken this long, but you’re looking at the world’s first silk knit pocket square (hat tip). And we have the mad #menswear scientists at MS&Co. to thank for this latest breakthrough in pochette technology. Consider it the answer to the prayers of anyone who can’t stand to be without the touch of knit silk but doesn’t necessarily want to wear a tie in this heat. Which makes a good case for its entry into the summer pocket square canon.

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05/11/12
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Object

The Spring Sock Grid

Not to belabor the point, but it’s still spring. Hence, we’re not into the sockless, throw-caution-to-the-warm-breeze weather quite yet. Odds are, you’re still spending some time in socks, but much like you’ve done with your sweaters, you should be ditching the wool for lighter, airier cotton knits. So we dug up the six finest cotton-blended specimens on the market right now, ranging from outrageously colorful to Breton-striped to linen-woven.

Sock up after the jump.»
 

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12/02/11
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Across the Sea

The Last Authentic Fair Isle Sweaters on Earth

Fair Isle knits are thick on the ground these days. (Off the bat, we count items from Pantherella, Raf Simons and Epaulet, and a whole season’s worth of goods from Howlin’ by Morrison.) But there’s surprisingly little love for the tiny Scottish island where the pattern comes from.

It makes sense. With six square miles and under 100 permanent residents, they were never going to churn out enough volume to fill a Rugby store. But with the help of a few hand-carved spinning wheels and a genuinely frightening quantity of sheep, some residents have managed to bring back the traditional ways of knitting the sweaters. That means sheep’s wool that’s never left the island, dyed and knit on site in the pattern that made the isle famous.

Naturally, we’re a little excited…»
 

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09/21/11
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Labeled

Steven Alan Bundles Up

Steven Alan unveiled his fall/winter crop this morning, full of high-buttoning blazers, shackets and chunky sweaters. You can see the goods here, but there’s plenty to learn just from eyeing the lookbook.

This snap in particular nails down the quadruple layer just about perfectly. (We assume there’s a tee under there.) The big shift is that Alan’s feeling for the shawl-collared v-neck sweater along with the crew necks this year, thanks to some chunky new knits from Relwen. Otherwise, this is as close to timeless as it gets.

If you needed a playbook for tweedy fall style, you just got one.

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08/22/11
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Labeled

The Tweedy Side of Italian Style

Coast + Weber + Ahaus

Once upon a time, half the eye-popping menswear on the internet was only sold in Japan. Now Milan seems to have taken up the crown.

This shawl-collar/bowtie combination comes from Coast + Weber + Ahaus, a Milanese line that’s been getting some much deserved love lately. Despite the address, they’re more interested in knits and khakis than sprezzed out suits, which makes for a remarkably sober spin on typically excellent continental tailoring.

The only bad news is, nobody’s managed to talk them into an e-commerce shop. Or at least not yet.

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08/08/11
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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…»

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01/26/11
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Object

A Tight Knit

archivalshawlcollar_crop.jpg

We usually favor chunky, nautical-style sweaters—but when your main priority is finding something that will play well with other layers, you may be better off with a slightly slimmer profile.

Archival Clothing unveiled their take on the shawl collar cardigan today, and it’s the opposite number of the loose-knit winterwear brands like Rogues Gallery and Oliver Spencer specialize in. And while it won’t fit quite as well with your watchcap and slicker, it should fit under a blazer with a lot less static.

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10/19/09
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Object

The Canadian List

northernwatters_crop.jpg

Lobster aside, Prince Edward Island’s main exports seem to be cold fronts and grandmotherly affection, so it’s only natural they make a hell of a cardigan.

Brooklyn outlet C’H’C’M’ just restocked their knitwear section with a few hats, scarves, and this cardigan from PEI’s Northern Watters. The color scheme is pretty twee, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and the wool is thick enough to inspire all sorts of warm, fuzzy feelings.

Your move, Nantucket.

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06/25/09
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Object

Patching Up

mbastian_crop.jpg

We’re in favor of elbow patches in just about all their forms, so we were glad to see this zip pullover come down the transom from Michael Bastian. We’re crossing our fingers for a trend here, but only time (and Parisian runway shows) will tell. And like anything, it’s always possible to take things a little too far.

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04/07/09
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Object

Staying Loose

andersson_crop.jpg

Cardigans have been getting slimmer lately, but we still prefer our pullovers thin and loose. Preferably with stripes.

This Lars Andersson knit just landed at Blackbird, and it does just about everything right. The fit hugs the torso but eases off around the sleeves, leaving it with a casual, drapey feeling. Meanwhile, the loose-gauge cotton makes it light enough that it’s as much t-shirt as sweater, and we can imagine breaking it out as early as September.

Andersson has a few cardigans on offer too, but this kind of fit doesn’t need buttons cluttering it up.

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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
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