February 9, 2012 world of men's style / fashion / grooming RSS
“Los Angeles”
08/30/11
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Scene

Kempt Man of the Hour: Simon Hammerstein

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Friday night saw one of the better parties LA’s had in quite some time: a pop-up of burlesque club The Box, on the west coast for one night only.

The man behind it, commissioned by Belvedere Red, was the magnificently bearded Simon Hammerstein—proprietor and creative director of the Box. Naturally, he brought out his best suit and his best pair of Barker Black slippers for the occasion. He even pulled off the oft-maligned French blue shirt, to the chagrin of bloggers everywhere. It’s a lesson: if you keep your clothes simple and your fabrics dark, there’s nothing scary about a more vivid shade of blue.

And given that the crowd included Jon Hamm, Andre Balazs and Lydia Hearst, coming away as the best-dressed of the night was no small feat.

Take a look at the rest of the crowd…»
 

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03/18/11
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Bad Idea

The Horror of the Onesie

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We try not to get too worked up about the slankets of the world, but a newly arrived item in LA’s Kitson Robertson seems dangerous enough to require immediate action.

Ladies and gentlemen, the fair isle onesie. Look upon it, and despair.

It’s basically a full-body hoodie (or if you prefer, a footless footie), the kind of thing you wear to broadcast the fact that you’ve stopped trying to interact with anyone who isn’t a cat. Sure it’s comfortable; that’s why it’s dangerous. That sweatpantsy indulgence is what leads intelligent, capable members of society into a life of indolence, shame, and blogging about microwaved foods.

Also, while it’s not mechanically impossible to have sex while wearing a onesie, it does seem unlikely.

You’ve been warned.

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01/05/11
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Shelf Life

The Other L.A. Noir

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As it happens, one of our New Year’s resolutions was to read more noir. And while we weren’t looking, the clever folks at Vintage Crime have obliged us.

Back in December, they let loose a crop of four previously out-of-print Ross MacDonald novels that will be enough to keep us busy well into February. He’s not as literary as Chandler, but he casts the same eye towards an even stranger West Coast scene—roughly speaking, hippies and runaways instead of oil men and gangsters.

In other words, they’re the detective-novel equivalent of a Neil Young album, dressed up in a winding plot and a pulpy cover. Count us in.

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10/01/10
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Art Threat

Murrayfest 2010

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As artistic muses go, you could do a lot worse than Bill Murray.

To that end, LA’s R&R Gallery is holding an all out Murrayfest, a collection of the best Murray-themed work the west coast has to offer, and quite possibly the most bemused art show you’ll see all year. Highlights include a recreation of the infamous family portrait from Rushmore, a photographic gangfight between his more famous roles and, for some reason, a full-frontal nude.

We’re not critics…but we know what we like.

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08/10/10
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Labeled

Corduroy Suits Galore

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Band of Outsiders fans should be having a very good day. The west coast brand just debuted a new set of pajamas and their first line of shoes at LA’s Opening Ceremony, and it’s pretty fantastic stuff. The pajamas are every bit as whimsy-soaked as you’d guess from their East Coast cousins—which is good news for anyone who couldn’t make it over to the Ace Hotel to pick up a pair in the past few months.

You can find the rest at the Opening Ceremony web shop, including a new set of staid button-downs and our favorite item of the bunch, this Belmondo-style trench coat.

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06/28/10
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Scene

Kempt Man of the Hour: Robert Pattinson

mothrpatz_crop.jpgvia Gawker

We were perfectly happy being a Twilight-free blog up until now, but certain suits simply cannot be denied. This maroon Gucci number, shown off at his latest LA premiere, is one of them.

The blood color might come off as a tad obvious at first but Mr. Pattinson pulls it off more like an English nobleman than a dinner-theater Dracula. Paired with a subtle gray shirt and tie, the getup is worlds ahead of most red carpet fashion. And given that the gentleman in question is all of 24 years old, it’s only right that he take a few risks.

As for the hair…that’s probably a post all its own.

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05/04/10
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Scene

Kempt Man of the Hour: Cameron Silver

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Somehow, we managed to get through all of awards season without seeing a genuinely awesome tuxedo. To be honest, we’re not sure how it happened, but luckily last night’s Met Ball was able to correct the situation.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Cameron Silver»

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03/26/10
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Art Threat

Under the Red Sky

billboard_crop.jpgvia Good.Is

This piece comes from the How Many Billboards project, an art movement currently taking over billboards throughout Los Angeles. This one is meant to remind Angelenos what clouds look like.

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03/05/10
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The Biz

A Distressing Experience

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There are lots of reasons to stay away from the L.A. denim world—for one, we just plain don’t like distressed clothes—but if you get past any lingering style reservations, it can be a pretty fascinating scene. Particularly if you’ve got a camera handy.

Sundance recently took a trek into the dark heart of Ed Hardy-ness and came away with Dirty Denim, a 15-minute series of web shorts that convince us it’s worse than we ever imagined. Small labels scramble over distressing techniques, play hardball with buyers, and try to keep their styles safe from the eight other labels they share a washhouse with—and just about everyone’s scrapping.

Of course, the real horror is what they do to the jeans. Potassium sprays, paint splatters and rotary grinders are all turned against defenseless raw denim with little to no remorse. The rest isn’t too different from the mind-boggling hustle of the rest of Hollywood—but it should give pause to anyone who’s day-dreamed about starting up their own denim line.

See the show»

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09/28/09
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Current Affairs

The Exile

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As you may have heard, Roman Polanski was arrested this weekend at the Zurich Film Festival, as part of an extradition planned by L.A. prosecutors. It’s a remarkable moment, for anyone who had grown used to Polanski’s French exile. Without defending the man, or appealing to traumatic life or his work as an excuse, it’s remarkable how much desire there still is in the L.A. prosecuter’s office to finally bring him to sentencing.

Fame works very differently in 2009 than it did in 1977, but a celebrity trial is still a celebrity trial. And if there’s one in the offing, not even 30 years and 6000 miles will stop it.

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06/29/09
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Dept. of Corrections

Flying V

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The phrase “style icon” gets thrown around quite a bit, but it’s important to make sure you really mean it. Otherwise you run the risk of leaving the house dressed like this.

So we were a little troubled to see Lenny Kravitz getting the style icon treatment from AskMen. We’re sure he’d make a great male model and we admire his mother’s stage work, but can’t we all agree that this is no way for a grown man to dress? Like the flying V guitar, Lenny’s look is way too flashy to be trusted. Even when he isn’t sporting something as embarrassing as this, he exudes a level of lounge-lizard sleaze that should be enough to scare off any self-respecting gentleman of style. It’s gear like this that gives L. A. a bad name.

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06/17/09
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LinkOut

The Wages of Sloth

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Terrytown: Terry Richardson teams up with the Pirelli calendar, and this is the closest to SFW he comes. [Hypebeast]

A Verdant Glenn: The embattled style guy empties his notebook with characteristic unflappability, unearthing gems like “Rhythm shook me like a thermometer.” Shine on, you grizzled diamond. [Men.Style]

Brass Balls: Transformers 2 might be a bit more anatomically correct than is strictly appropriate. [Gawker]

Darkness on the Edge of Town: The L.A. outskirts gets a new boutique. [CoolHunting]

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03/17/09
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Good Idea

The Seams are Showing

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We’ve seen a lot of cardigans but this one from L.A.’s Kzo stood out by virtue of those two lines running down either side.

For the unfamiliar, they’re tailoring seams, and they go a long way to explaining why the cut is so trim, and why the item looks as much like a lapel-less blazer as a cardigan.

Ever since the new bespoke movement took off, we’ve been seeing tailoring toucheslike this sneak into casual clothes. This is as good an example as we’ve seen so far—but we’re hoping to see far better before the year is out.

Is anyone out there brave enough to put a set of buttonholes on the cuffs of their hoodie?

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02/05/09
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Art Threat

You Don’t Have To Go Home But You Can’t Stay Here

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The dive bar is one of the few constants across the country. You could find the same neon Budweiser sign in a window Akron, Juarez and either Portland, give or take a sports team or two. Of course, what really counts is what’s inside…

Matthew Scott has devoted the past few years to documenting the dive bar in all its glory, with shots of the best dive bars Los Angeles has to offer. Those in search of inspiration, take note: well drinks are the new cocktails.

Well drinks in their natural habitat»

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01/21/09
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LinkOut

Bulletproofing, Vagabonds, and the Most Expensive T-Shirt in L.A.

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I Wish I Was… If this man is wearing a bulletproof suit, we’re going to have to give up on Washington entirely. Luckily, we strongly doubt it. [Wired]

The Greatest: The most expensive t-shirt in L.A. is a black cashmere tee that’s completely blank. As for how much…we don’t want to think about it. [LAist]

Runaways: The latest dispatches from Milan is heavy on the vagabond look and something called “Rat Pack zest.” [The Moment]

Been a Long Time: The last eight years, in convenient slideshow form. Goatees are involved. [Men.Style]

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01/15/09
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The Biz

Counting Down

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Men.Style’s Material Interest alerted us to WWD’s latest poll ranking cities on menswear spending and the results are a little staggering. Perennially hip, Austin comes in first, closely followed by the loose thread that is Las Vegas. Southern California takes up the next three spots, while the New York area barely makes the list.

Best of all is Salt Lake City in the #7 spot, confirming our long-held theory about Mormon style. Sadly, neither of the Portlands made the cut.

See the top 10 for yourself»

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01/02/09
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Big Picture

Peacocking

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Network television is a fickle mistress, and no network knows it better than NBC. The last ten years have seen them plummet from being the network of Seinfeld, Friends and Law & Order to a withered husk of remakes and reality shows. While the new golden age of television marches forward on basic cable channels like AMC, FX and the Sci-Fi Channel, the peacock looks like it’s sitting this one out.

The Washington Post ran a column this week cataloging the network’s woes and, while the column never names him, most of the blame clearly falls at the feet of Ben Silverman, the wunderkind co-chairman who shepherded through most of the network’s recently-axed new programs.

Alas, the follies of youth»

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12/03/08
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Labeled

Born Free

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Nautical duds are nothing new, but we’re always glad to see a good idea take root.

In this case, that means Mister Freedom, a Paris-by-way-of-Los-Angeles marque, is releasing a line based on the ten years their mascot spent sailing the Indian Ocean. It’s all fiction, naturally, but they go as far as titling the line “The Last Cruise, the Salty Years,” which certainly rolls off the tongue better than “spring/summer ’09.”

As you might imagine, the clothes are pretty thoroughly broken in, but they’re also impressively well-chosen, ranging from peacoats circa 1910 to replicated U.S. Navy “jungle cloth” that was phased out in 1950. Not bad for archival work, but we still can’t see a deck hat without thinking of Gilligan…

See the line here»

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11/17/08
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Good Idea

Going Mobile

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Among all the rising greenery, mopeds may have been lost in the shuffle. Without the Mediterranean charm of a Vespa or the simian appeal of the Segway, we’d almost forgotten they were out there. Luckily, a clever designer was out there to remind us.

This Derringer model sprung from the mind of Adrian Van Anz, modeled off the board track racing motorcycles of the 1920s. After a few extra modernist curves and angles, he ended up with a Parisian style peddler that just happens to get 150 mpg. Of course, like Segways, this gadget is primarily a West Coast operation, so if you want one you’ll have to head out to their shop in West Hollywood.

Pictures and an address after the jump»

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10/30/08
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Object

Twisted Metal

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Industrial squalor has been gaining a lot of credence as a look lately, so we thought we’d dig up some matching furniture.

These steel tables come from the welders at 22nd Century Compositions, operating out of Cleveland, where we imagine there’s plenty of distressed metal to draw inspiration from.

As usual, the master strokes are in the materials. While the outer shell is stained steel, the drawers are fashioned from more brittle tin, giving the piece a subtle bit of contrast.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area, you can pick it up at Cleveland Art, but otherwise you may have to resort to shipping.

Don’t worry. It’s not fragile. Just make sure you’ve had your tetanus shots.

A few more angles and an address»

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10/15/08
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Labeled

Idol Hands

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Idol Radec has been kicking around the Los Angeles scene for a few seasons now, but thanks to their casual approach to web design, we’ve had trouble getting a close look at their goods. Luckily, Fashionisto got their hands on the spring collection so we could see for ourselves.

It’s nothing mind-blowing—in fact, didn’t we see that tie in the window at Banana Republic?—but there’s nothing wrong with playing it safe. We’re always glad to see a contrast shawl collar and pair of Newport Reds…even if we already know where to get them.

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06/18/08
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Dept. of Corrections

Western Conference Champs

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Apparently the British line A Conference of Birds caught more eyes than just our own.

The line is soon to land at Confederacy, a West Coast store owned by 70s Show vet Danny Masterson. It looks like the DJ/restaurateur is expanding into the fashion scene, with surprisingly good taste in labels.

The store isn’t open just yet—it’s opening doors in August—but it should finish up by the time Confederacy of Birds unleashes their fall line.

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05/19/08
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Storefront

Cottage Industry

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As we’ve noted before, cobbling’s a tough racket. And while we’ve seen a lot of good stuff come out of the UK, domestic shoe men are usually more interested in basketball than brogues.

But there’s always the exception»

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04/24/08
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Labeled

Location, Location, Location

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A lot of good stuff has come out of Japan recently, but they haven’t had much in the way of suits. Until now, anyway.

Our friends at A Continuous Lean tipped us off to the Japanese brand Whereabouts, currently on shelves at L.A.’s *H. Men*.

Free of the pop-art touches we’ve come to expect from the land of Mario, Whereabouts seems content with thin lapels, tasteful tailoring and impeccable fabrics. The look has served them well in Asia: they’re stocked in more than 20 boutiques and department stores in Japan, with four more locations in China and Korea. In the States, however, the label’s still under the radar.

More on Whereabouts»

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03/06/08
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LinkOut

Gilded Guys, Housework and The Perils of Global Economics

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The Craftsman: Interview with href="http://www.getkempt.com/the-biz/fashion-week-hangover-4.php">Gilded
Age designer Stefan Mijanic. [ href="http://thediscerningbrute.wordpress.com/2008/03/06/gilded-age-interview-with-stefan-miljanic/">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. [ href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080306/ap_on_re_us/sharing_chores_6">AP]

Smooth Ride: Hermès unveils a signature edition of
the already posh Bugatti Veyron. href="http://www.getkempt.com/object/chop-shop.php">This will go great
with our helicopter. [ href="http://men.style.com/news/blog/2008/03/finally-hermes.html?mbid=rss_upgrdr">Men.Style]

Wedding Bells for Everyone: href="http://www.getkempt.com/current-affairs/">Nicolas Sarkozy married
Carla Bruni. Now his ex, Cecilia, will marry her new paramour.
Don’t you just love happy endings? [ href="http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-32322620080305">Reuters]

Exchange Rate: The falling dollar is doing no favors
for your closet. [ href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/features/5595981.html">Houston Chronicle]

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