Kempt

More of the good stuff on sale, after the jump.»

The Weekend Sales Report Card

Sales

We’ve filtered through all of the online sale noise and graded your best options out there, should you feel inclined to do any menswear browsing this weekend…

For Good Ol’ American Denim: The folks over at Levi’s are knocking 20% off their entire collection, with the code MAY20.
Discount: B+
Sizes Available: A
Selection: A+

For Style from Across the Pond: British menswear retailer Oki-Ni started their May sale today: 20% off select styles with the code SPRINGHASSPRUNG.
Discount: B+
Sizes Available: A
Selection: A

For Last-Minute Derby Deals: Grab some discount pastels at J.Crew with the code SPRINGBEST, but be quick about it—the sale ends today.
Discount: A-
Sizes Available: A
Selection: A-

ALL Sale-ing

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03/05/13

About

The Spring Must-Haves

Must Haves

If you’re wondering why it’s feeling a bit more spring-like on Kempt today, we’d like to direct your attention to the column on the left—where we’ve refreshed our seasonal crop of must-haves.

We’ve conjured a spring fever dream of baseball, gardening and corduroys that don’t have a hint of fall in them. Allow us to show you the way.»

ALL About

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01/08/13

A closer look at our favorites after the jump. »

Hickoree’s Big Ol’ Winter Sale

Just when you thought all of the year-end sale madness was tapering off, the fine fellows at Hickoree’s Hard Goods have just launched their “Big Ol’ Winter Sale” with all of the rusticated menswear they’re known for marked down as low as 50% off—like this Black Watch hopsack blazer from Gitman Vintage, or this Melton wool parka from Batten, or this Aztec-pattern sweater from Levi’s Made & Crafted. Needless to say, you’ll want to strike while the iron is hot.

ALL Sale-ing

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11/26/12

Ad Rock

The Skinny on How Slim Your Jeans Should Be

Here at Kempt HQ, we often receive letters from readers. (Most of it fan mail.) But every so often we get a question from an inquiring mind that we feel the need to address—and put our Ann Landers hat on to come up with the best advice we can give. (It’s a bucket hat if you were wondering).

This week, we received an email from a reader whose wife seemed to be encouraging him to wear “skinny jeans.” Which begs the question: can an adult man ever get away with wearing hip-huggers?

Wherein we extol some wisdom on fit, growing older and never using the word “skinny” again…»

ALL Pony Express

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03/27/12

Well Pressed

The April Issues

Gentlemen, a new month is upon us.

The good news is, this one features a lot more Sofia Vergara from Esquire and a 100 points of spring style from GQ, among other things. Naturally, we don’t agree with every last piece of it, so we’ve provided a running commentary for this month’s print crop, separating the sublime from the ridiculous. Consider this the Cliffs Notes version.

Here’s everything you need to know from March’s crop of magazines»

ALL Well Pressed

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12/14/11

Socks From the Home Front

Here’s another option for anyone brave enough to give socks.

The folks at Richer Poorer have teamed up with Levi’s for a new line made entirely in the US—North Carolina, to be specific. (They’re also a good deal thicker than RP’s usual socks, made with winter drafts in mind.) You can pick them up at any of the four Levi’s Neighborhood shops, or online here for $18 a pop.

That would be the “richer” part.

ALL Labeled

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11/28/11

See the best deals Cyber Monday has to offer»

The Best of Cyber Monday

Levi's Sweater

As countless spam emails have no doubt informed you, it’s Cyber Monday—the day e-commerce shops offer their deepest discounts of the year. (It’s also Randy Newman’s birthday, so you may want to get him something.) And since you don’t have time to scour every last one, we’ve pulled together the best of the lot, from Fair Isle scarves to Donegal tweed pants. Have a look after the jump.

ALL Sale-ing

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11/02/11

She Does Not Care for Your Nonsmoking Section

via Proper Magazine

Still Delirious: Eddie Murphy gave Rolling Stone a rare interview, talking Oscars, SNL and stand-up. Sadly, it’s not online, but you can see some highlights here. [Rolling Stone]

Illinois’s Finest: A spotlight on Chicago boutique Sir & Madame. But mostly Sir. [Well Spent]

Carrying Water: As a bid to save water, Levi’s is asking you not to wash your jeans. We’ll see if your girlfriend agrees. [NYTimes]

An Inside Pitch: Responding to a world of generic menswear pitches, Derek Guy has created the menswear Mad Lib. See it in action here. [Put This On]

ALL LinkOut

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08/19/11

Du Juan Has Hidden Skittles in her Hair

via Fashion Gone Rogue

The Ties That Bind: Explaining the slip stitch of a tie, and why it’s awesome. [Permanent Style]

Maurizio the Great: Three questions with the man behind Levi’s Vintage Clothing and Levi’s Made & Crafted. John Wayne is mentioned. [Valet]

Fingerguns Are Always Appreciated: The art and science of looking good in pictures. [Details]

The Rise of the Machines: The mustachioed Italian man behind Fifth Avenue’s animatronic Christmas displays. Amazing stuff. [Cool Hunting]

ALL LinkOut

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08/17/11

See the selection after the jump…»

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.

ALL Good Idea

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08/09/11

Natalie Martinez is a Big Fan of Cotton

via GQ

Vintage in Miniature: Michael Williams ventures into Levi’s Vintage Clothing’s gallery of terrifying doll garments. Be warned: What you see beyond this link may shock you to your very core. [A Continuous Lean]

Through The Years: A generational guide to using your smartphone. The verdict: You may not want to keep it on the table, no matter how young you are. [GOOD]

Boiled Beef and Arbuckle Coffee: A firsthand look at the lifestyle and diet of a cowboy, circa 1890. Your mileage may vary. [Boing Boing]

Seersucker and Skirted Loafers: A street style session with Nickelson Wooster. The man definitely knows how to wear shorts. [tucked]

ALL LinkOut

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08/05/11

See the rest of the line after the jump…»

Things to Buy First Thing Monday Morning

Filson x Levi's

Ladies and gentlemen, your workwear royal wedding…

Filson and Levi’s Fall 2011 collaboration arrives online here Monday morning, so we thought we’d give you an early peek to whet your appetite. It’s only five items—three jackets, a denim vest and a pair of pants—but it’s just about everything you could want in a Levi’s crossover with the tin cloth artisans.

Our favorite so far is probably the oil-finish trucker jacket on the left, but there’s a lot more to like. The big surprise is how tempting it all looks now that it’s not quite so hip. Even the more avant garde items like the denim hunting vest seem pitched more at aficionados than trendwatchers—something that wouldn’t have been true a few seasons back.

ALL Labeled

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06/14/11

Jill Greenberg Is Hiding at the Bottom of the Pool

via Animal

True Blue: A trove of Levi’s ads from the 80s and 90s, including a few you might recognize. It was a simpler time. [Creative Review]

Beyond Linen: Some summer suiting tips from the author of the legendary style tome, Gentleman. [Bernhard Roetzel]

The Fabric of Life: An advanced trad faces down tweed conundrums with aplomb. [A Suitable Wardrobe]

There Will Be Denim: Robert Geller talks through his favorite look from Spring/Summer 2011. [Details]

ALL LinkOut

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02/01/11

The Lighter Side of Denim

It looks like the chambray jean is finally hitting the mainstream.

Levi’s is getting together with Opening Ceremony (and, incidentally, Ziggy from The Wire) for a mini-line called Levi’s Chambray, arriving in stores next week. There’s a classic jacket and smock, but the main event is the chambray jeans on display here. (They’re also available in peach, if you’re feeling delicate.) As soon as warmer weather rolls in, they should be a pretty useful item.

But as this shot demonstrates, it’s probably best if you keep them as far from denim as possible.

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01/10/11

This Old Thing

The string of semi-annual sales continues, with Unionmade offering 40% to 50% off a good deal of their fall crop. Our favorite finds so far are the $15 Farm Tactics tees, $75 Seavees and, most notably, this Levi’s Vintage hunting jacket.

It’s a canvas embodiment of all the beat-up-on-purpose gear that’s passed across our pages in the past few seasons—and the top half of the rarely-seen khaki trucker tux. Once we get a taste of spring, this kind of rugged, lightweight jacket is going to be the first thing to come out of storage.

ALL Sale-ing

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10/26/10

Isabeli Fontana is Not Making Breakfast

via Fashion Gone Rogue

The British Invasion: Our new favorite anorak, courtesy of Mr. Williams. [A Continuous Lean]

The First Step is Hiding Your Valuables: Explaining the internet to a Dickensian street urchin is more difficult than you might think. [Fast Company]

Late Period: Michael Stipe has a question mark tattooed on his hand, is endlessly fascinating. Also, doing art stuff with Levi’s. [Cool Hunting]

The Big Drop: Just because it’s Tuesday, here’s a 1200-pound pumpkin dropping onto an old Pontiac. [Gizmodo]

ALL LinkOut

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10/21/10

Sienna Miller Hates the Seeds

via Esquire

Keef Lives: Keith Richards reflects on a lifetime of hazy memories. Master class stuff. [NYTimes]

Reflections on an Airport: Alain de Botton reflects on his week working in Heathrow’s Terminal 5. He seems to have enjoyed it. [Herman Miller]

Together at Last: Pendleton x Levi’s is looking pretty handsome. [Hypebeast]

Stone-Throwing is Prohibited: Tom Fruin has built a stained-glass house on the steps of the Royal Danish Library. [DesignBoom]

ALL LinkOut

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09/08/10

The Other Denim

The denim jacket can be a tough sell—assuming you’re not in the cattle business—but it’s just about perfect for warding off early Fall briskness.

The main thing you’ll need is some rural cred, which is why this gentleman model grew out a few days of stubble before he attempted it. The big belt buckle helps too, although if you go much further you’ll be in costume territory. It also takes wear as well as anything else in your closet, provided you get one that doesn’t scream 2006 too loudly.

This Levi’s Vintage Jacket walks the line just about perfectly, combining 20s-era button detailing with some well-placed wear on the shoulders. And if you feel the urge to button it up…it might be time to switch to a thicker coat.

ALL Good Idea

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08/03/10

The Old Way

In honor of Levi’s newly announced Filson collab (hat tip), we thought we’d take a moment to recognize just how hard Levi’s Vintage line has been killing it this summer. We were skeptical at first—after all, boutique spinoffs of mass-market brands are pretty near a dime a dozen these days—but we have to say it: we’ve been won over.

The reason is vintage-styled tees like this one. On the face of it, it’s just a t-shirt, but the extra archival details—the outsized neckhole, the cropped sleeves—effortlessly mark it as something from another time. It’s not a museum piece, and it’s not exactly workwear either (that cotton won’t last long compared to Daiki’s denim and wool concoctions), but it’s the best stuff to come from Levi’s in quite some time.

ALL Labeled

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08/02/10

Ad Rock

The Docks

This handsome two-color screenprint comes from Alamo Drafthouse’s Rolling Roadshow screening series, which had the brilliant idea of screening On the Waterfront on August 20th at the same Hoboken docks where it was filmed.

They also picked up some ad love and industrial cred from co-sponsor Levi’s…which might explain all the attention being paid to Brando’s note-perfect buffalo plaid jacket on the poster. (The revolver’s an optional accessory.)

ALL Ad Rock

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04/26/10

Here, gentlemen, are your options»

The Summer Tee

After the flood of graphic tees, celebrating summer with an unmarked cotton t-shirt feels pretty good. You can throw in a pocket if you’re feeling extravagant…but let’s not go crazy. Just find something simple, throw on a pair of jeans, and let the sun do the rest.

ALL Good Idea

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03/10/10

Now, to consider your options»

Heathers

Now that we’re caught in the puzzling medium between deep winter and t-shirt weather, we’re breaking out one of our favorite spring items: the heather gray sweatshirt.

A good one will be every bit as warm as your fall sweater, but it comes off a whole lot more summery thanks to memories of outdoor gym classes and Sunday leaf raking. Throw a collared shirt under it—you’re a long way from gym class, after all—and you should be all set.

ALL Good Idea

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03/04/10