May 23, 2013 world of men's style / fashion / grooming RSS
“maine”
04/11/13
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LinkOut

The Essence of Made in Maine, a Great Deal of Gatsby Covers and the Everyman’s Italian Suit

Shoes

Maine Objective: We can never resist more handsome shoes from Maine, and Well Spent has the scoop on the state’s latest homegrown shoemakers: New England Outwear Co.

OCD Button Down: Put This On has set out to extol the every virtue of oxford cloth button-down shirts—beginning with some history and some unapologetic gushing. (We trust they’ll do it justice.)

Cover Band: One man spent his entire life collecting 83 years’ worth of The Great Gatsby book covers and it’s one fantastic collection.

Badowers Meaning Good: Valet tracks down a lust-worthy Italian-made suit for under a grand in, of all places, Iowa.

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09/18/12
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Storefront

Your Maine Line to Rugged Nautical-ness

The more nautical-leaning Americana-philes have been mining the aesthetic of Maine’s craggy coastline for years, so it’s nice to see a shop actually located in Portland, ME, get in on the action. And now they’ve made their way online.

Our friends over at UrbanDaddy tipped us off to the online launch of Seawall—they opened up shop on Wharf Street this past spring and have gotten to work designing a line of made-in-Maine shirting and teaming up with some local brands like Black Point Mercantile, who handmake tough-as-nails totes in Scarborough, ME. They’ve also got some uniquely Maine products like hand-carved trinkets and blueberry medicinal syrup—which may or may not cause hallucinations of being out to sea on a lobster trawler.

Use as directed.

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08/21/09
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Good Idea

Hard Rain

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We’ve always been advocates of functional style, but we never thought it would go as far as bringing rain pants into a major collection. But Rogues Gallery has always had a few surprises up their sleeve.

This slicker pant popped up in the Maine-based marque’s latest spread of Fall images underneath a significantly less rugged check overcoat. The pants are indisputably fishermen’s gear—like the wellies, which we were glad to see—but somehow this was one item we didn’t think would cross over. Then again, by the time the fall rains pick up we may have come around on the pants.

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07/08/09
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Good Idea

Lighting Up

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The art of packaging is making a serious comeback, thanks to Apple and a few other retail aesthetes. But what’s surprising is how much of it comes from homegrown shops in Etsy.

This comes from the Portland General Store, an Etsy outlet that caught our eye with their whiskey-scented shaving products, but the sampler pack is an accomplishment all its own. Instead of cardboard, they bundle their goods in a Dominican Hemingway cigar box, with a Mary Jane, candy cigarettes and (of course) a cigar tossed in for good measure, with a glossy pic of an anonymous older gentleman presiding over it all. It’s even more impressive since they’re putting it all together in a house in rural Maine—although they probably never want for cigars.

After the jump, the unboxing pics»

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04/14/09
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The Biz

In the Factory

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We have a sentimental weakness for factory tours here at Kempt. And when combined with our sentimental weakness for trail moccasins, it’s just about irresistible.

All Plaidout (via Hypebeast) just posted an indepth tour of Quoddy’s Lewiston, ME headquarters, giving us a secondhand peek at exactly what hand-stitching entails.

The biggest surprise is the tiny device they use to measure the gauge of each stitch. Of course, you’ve got to keep that kind of detail in check…but who knew they used a mini-ruler?

Naturally, if you happen to be in Portland (Oregon, that is), we know where you could pick up a pair.

Take a look around»

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03/02/09
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Big Picture

Cabin Fever

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Our latest favorite picture comes from Rogues Gallery’s latest lookbook, and it manages to sell us on Maine, screenprinting, and redheads all at once. (Not that we needed much convincing.)

Also, we don’t know who that bearded chap is, but we’re pretty sure we wouldn’t want him hanging over our bed.

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02/25/09
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Feuds

Vacationland

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Portland, ME just got the first real appraisal we’ve seen, courtesy of the ex-Gawker mapblog Gridskipper. Naturally, Rogues Gallery’s standalone shop comes out as a major point of interest, but we were surprised how much else there is in New England’s finest hipster enclave.

Take off to the great white north, take off»

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02/13/09
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LinkOut

Geller’s Win, Sasha’s Stockings, and Natalia’s Skivvies

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Behind the Camera: Natalia Vodianova sets out to make her name as a lingerie designer. But who will they hire to do the ads? [Luxist]

And the Winner Is…: Robert Geller takes home the GQ/CFDA award, beating out Rogues Gallery and Benjamin Bixby. Oh well, Maine will rise again. [Material Interest]

Dressed like a Porn Star: Sasha Grey shares her fashion wisdom…which seems to involve a lot of fishnets.
[BlackBook]

Wrestling with Success: Mickey Rourke continues to be a magnificent trainwreck. [Vulture]

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02/12/09
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LinkOut

Jerry Hall, Halston, and the Romance of Poor Folk

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Return of the Hall: Jerry Hall emerges from her cocoon for a few slinky Chanel spots. [The Cut]

It’s a Crazy Place: Halston’s online music video/commercial manages to reference Andy Warhol and salvia at the same time. [Racked]

Semi-Biters: The Conde Nast home team’s take on last night’s festivities. Maine goes sadly unheralded.
[Material Interest]

Can’t Buy Me Love: Falling stocks and rising passions? Sounds like a trend piece waiting to happen. [NYTimes]

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01/28/09
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Labeled

Getting Rich

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We were so enamored of Mr. Hart’s vintage Woolrich hunting cap that we almost forgot about the brands more recent exploits. This outfit was pulled from their recent Autumn/Winter 2009 line and it’s as good as anything you’ll run across from their history.

They’ve found their way into Earnest Sewn and Odin in New York and Confederacy and Ron Herman in L.A., so they’re hardly the underdog these days, but it’s nice to know workwear has a few heavy-hitters on its side. They’re even a presence at the Rogues Gallery outlet in Maine…which we guess means they haven’t forgotten their roots.

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12/29/08
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Feuds

Land of Beards and Honey

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Count this as another volley in the Battle of the Portlands: Portland, OR has been declared the most bearded in America by the presumptuously named Portland Monthly Magazine. As for whether they gain or lose points for it…you’ll have to decide for yourself.

The most shocking part is the range of beards the small city manages to accommodate. There’s the Anthrax-inspired chin bar, the bushy mountain man, and even a waxed moustache. Naturally, Maine has a few whiskers of its own, but we doubt they have this kind of range.

See some of Oregon’s finest whiskers»

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12/04/08
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Dept. of Corrections

I’ve Seen the Future

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If you’ve picked up this month’s GQ, you may have noticed a rare bit of prognosticating in the Editor’s Note. In case you haven’t, here’s the gist: With the help of a few well-chosen futurist, EiC Jim Nelson envisions a future of heavily-bearded, housebound, and impotent American men.

Leaving aside how he gets there, we aren’t sure how the beard ended up with such a bad rap. For Nelson, beards are a cipher for masculinity, not the genuine article, but he’s too heavily invested in his clean-shaven mug to see the truth. The mountain men are only gaining in strength, and the time will come when unkempt masculinity will rise up to displace the clean-shaven ideal that’s reigned for so long. (This may also coincide with all of us losing our jobs.) A few whiskers won’t make men any less virile, even if we need to trade razors for clippers and recalibrate our dopp kits.

Until then, if Nelson wants to see the future, he should visit Maine.

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12/02/08
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Feuds

A Tale of Two Cities

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The two Portlands have gotten a lot of attention in the past year or so, so it was inevitable that a rivalry would pop up. And when a food site like Epicurious slips an item titled “Portland (Maine) is the New Portland (Oregon)” into its yearly trend roundup…it’s officially on.

See how the two stack up»

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11/12/08
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Icon

American Gothic

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We draw from a lot of sartorial wells, but it’s easy to lose touch and, if we’re really honest, it’s been a while since most urbanites saw buffalo check in its natural habitat.

If you were wondering, this is what it looks like. (And yes, that’s a Kalashnikov she’s carrying.)

Rogues Gallery pointed us to these local Maine characters. The woman is Carolyn Chute, an occasional militia leader who has just written a novel about “living off the grid in rural polygamist Maine.” Her well-bearded husband is an illiterate gravedigger.

Welcome to New England.

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11/03/08
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Good Idea

Maine Street

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Modern style tends to be a bit too skewed to the urban, so it’s nice to see a good pair of creek boots every now and then…and nice to have companies like Rogues Gallery around.

They’ve been holed up in Portland, Maine, stubbornly resisting the lure of the city, ever since they launched. Luckily, they’ve set up a blog to let us city dwellers get a taste of the New England wilderness. The blog is called PTLDME (try here to skip the eye-catching intro), and they’ve been dropping bonus bits of inspiration there all month, like this snap from the Bailey’s Island photoshoot for their Spring lookbook.

See a few more shots here»

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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
Cadillac