February 10, 2012 world of men's style / fashion / grooming RSS
“Michael Bastian”
11/21/11
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Object

Michael Bastian’s Checked Blazer

Gant by Michael Bastian Blazer

The checked blazer is looking more and more essential each week. (As of last night’s football game, even Bob Costas was getting in on it.) And most importantly, it’s not just an Italian style anymore.

This sport coat comes from Gant by Michael Bastian, and in keeping with the rest of the line, it’s firmly planted in midcentury America. That means more Pendleton than Pitti Uomo—a homey spin on an otherwise jetsetting style. The matching scarf can’t be far behind.

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09/28/11
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Lara Stone Has Killed a Bear

Lara Stonevia GQ

Thoroughly Basted: A (slightly delayed) peek behind the scenes at Michael Bastian’s New York Fashion Week show. Loving the windowpane plaid. [The Grungy Gentleman]

The Full Stripe: An archival look at one of our pre-fall favorites: the long sleeved polo shirt. Specifically, the rugby variety. [Archival Clothing]

The Wheel of Time: ACL goes watch-chopping at Breitling, and turns up some pretty handsome pieces. [A Continuous Lean]

The World Is a Strange and Frightening Place: The Parisian café where Galliano issued his self-immolating rant is now a hot spot with the fashion crowd. Because, of course. [NYTimes]

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09/09/11
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Scene

Dispatches from Fashion’s Night Out

First thing’s first: we survived. And with Fashion’s Night Out safely in the past, we thought we’d set down a record for posterity, with all the plinko, side-tabs and grenadine that implies. Admittedly, our note-taking got a little shaky towards the end…

Read our dispatches from Fashion’s Night Out »
 

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08/29/11
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Well Pressed

The Kempt Guide to the September Issues

Esquire September Issue

As you may have noticed from the stack of glossy pages threatening to break your coffee table, it’s time for the September issues—the print-world primer for everything that happens in style for the next six months.

So we took it upon ourselves to methodically flip through GQ, Esquire and Details (which add up to roughly the page count of Crime and Punishment) and provide scientific analysis.

Brace yourselves…»
 

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05/04/11
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Object

Your Game Day Socks

Gant Baseball Socks

Here’s your latest dose of baseball kitsch, courtesy of Michael Bastian.

Fresh from Gant’s newly launched e-comm site, these socks signal your commitment to the pastime with fake stirrups and a globe patch, perfect for summer softball leagues, Halloween costumes, and any number of upcoming Sunday afternoons. At a glance, the colors look like Yankees, Red Sox and A’s, but we’re open to suggestions.

They’re high enough to tuck your pants into if you’re going for the full Cooperstown—just don’t try it at the office.

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04/19/11
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Dept. of Corrections

Our Humble Suggestion: Keep Your Feet to Yourself

Michael Bastian

There’s a reason people don’t like flip-flops, but it’s not the reason you think.

Exhibit A is the latest quote from Michael Bastian, in support of his new flip-flop collab:

The main rule is if you’re gonna wear a flip-flop, you’ve gotta keep your feet in good shape. Even if that means a full-on pedicure, you gotta do it. Wearing flip-flops is a privilege, not a right.

That’s all true. If you want to devote your energies to rehabbing your feet, you can do that. And once you’ve tanned, toned and pedicured them into display condition, you’ll be a lot better prepared for flip-flops. But we’ve got a humble suggestion, while there’s still time to change your mind…

Don’t.

Our thoughts on your feet and your flip-flops, before it’s too late»

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02/11/11
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Scene

Best in Show

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We stopped by GQ’s fete for new menswear designers last night, and the message was pretty clear: the state of the menswear union is strong. Six designers were selected to put together a capsule line with Dockers: Patrik Ervell, Michael Bastian for Gant, T by Alexander Wang, Rick Klotz from Warriors of Radness, Kirk Miller from Miller’s Oah and the trio of gents behind Riviera Club. This afternoon, the judges named Alexander Wang as their pick—but we‘d point out that all of the nominees were in a room with Kanye, which technically makes them all winners.

More seriously, the collaboration brought out some of the best in all the designers involved. Riviera Club proved their fall/winter chops (or possibly their love of tweed), Michael Bastian pioneered something we’re going to call “the carnival chalet look,” and Patrik Ervell kept his inner deconstructivist in check long enough to create one of the slickest heathered suits we’ve ever seen. With any luck, it’ll be arriving at Bloomingdale’s in the fall with the rest of the capsule collection—which should give you time to consider whether you’ve got the panache to pull it off.

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11/15/10
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Big Picture

Snowed In

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It’s hard to look good in the middle of a snowstorm, but these gents—pulled from the set of Gant Rugger’s Winter lookbook—pull it off pretty well. The lesson? Layer for all you’re worth and don’t fear the mitten. And everything’s warmer in a Fair Isle pattern.

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09/21/10
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Good Idea

The Dangling Belt

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Count this as #2 in our ongoing Fashion Week recap. On the docket this time: the dangling belt.

This snap is from the Robert Geller show, but there were similarly loose straps on display at 3.1 Phillip Lim and Michael Bastian, turning it into a bonafide trending item. (That was three, right?)

The trick is using a thin leather belt (kind of like these), maybe tucking it in past the first pant loop, and then letting it dangle. That might involve sizing up a bit to give you enough extra belt to play with, but your reward is a freewheeling grace note that’s unusually easy to pull off. It’s the kind of thing that fashion week stylists do best. Don’t be surprised if you see it on the street before too long.

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04/29/10
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LinkOut

Scarlett Johansson is Going Marilyn

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Happy Birthday to You: Suddenly, Iron Man 2 looks pretty good. [InStyle]

G.O.A.T.: A bloggy countdown of the best magazine runs ever. Predictably, Cat Fancy is snubbed again. [This Recording]

Prepped: Michael Bastian drops a bit of knowledge on the perfectly fitted polo shirt, among other things. [The Moment]

Turn the Page: Legal-lined t-shirts. What more do you need? [CoolHunting]

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06/25/09
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Object

Patching Up

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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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06/04/09
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A Handsome Devil

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On the Shelf: Refinery29 raids their DVD shelf for some of the strangest sex scenes on celluloid. [Refinery29]

The Man in the Fog: Michael Bastian gets a glowing profile in today’s style section. Judging from the photos, his apartment’s also quite tasteful. [NYTimes]

Getting a Buzz On: Buzz Aldrin reveals himself to be quite the man of style, which goes some way towards explaining this. [Material Interest]

History in the Making: On the off-chance this is the only blog you read, there’s something called the Palm Pre… [Gizmodo]

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09/08/08
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Dress Code

Bed Heads

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*Photographed by our fearless lensman, Patrick McMullan.*

Seems we were way out ahead of the curve when we praised Julian Schnabel pajama clad magnificence back in January and handed him an unexpected MOTH. Some of you scoffed at the time, but several months later Schnabel’s signature style is all the rage in menswear circles, according to the *Wall Street Journal*.

The paper reports that designers including Michael Bastian, Bottega Veneta, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani and Prada are now all flogging various versions of *haute* sleepwear made to worn in public. (Schnabel’s own, by the way, are made by his wife. So what does this all mean for the man on the street? Will we soon be able to go straight from bed to the office?

Well, no»

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05/07/08
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Scene

Kempt Man of the Hour: André Benjamin

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*Photographed by our fearless lensman, Patrick McMullan.*

Here making his second MOTH appearance, the multi-talented AndrĂ© Benjamin (aka AndrĂ© 3000) stole the show at the Met Costume Institute’s gala Monday night.

What won us over was his beautifully-cut cream shawl-collared dinner jacket with a subtle tone-on-tone glen plaid pattern, which could be from his Benjamin Bixby line, though it looks a little on the formal side—perhaps Ralph Lauren or Brioni is a better call—worn with Hollywood-waisted dress trousers, velvet evening slippers and a perfectly-proportioned pointed-end black velvet bowtie. His signature flourishes were apparent in the straw fedora, pearl shirt studs and a somewhat faded-looking but nonetheless brassy boutonniere»

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03/17/08
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Spring Suits, That New Ford Smell and Paris Towels Off

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Close Shave: Tom Ford releases men’s toiletries line
(soap, shower gel, aftershave) to complement his signature cologne.
Scratch the screen for a preview. Not working? Keep trying—it’ll
happen. [DNRNews]

Season Opener: Suit up for the vernal equinox. [ href="http://www.refinery29.com/shopping_roundup/it_takes_two.php?topcategory=shopping_news">Refinery29]

Big Stink: Related – How to look like Colin Farrell
smells. [Style
Dash]

Mea Culpa; Apparently, a red club tie with
contrasting white stripes is the universal signifier for, “Sorry, I
was thinking with my jock.” [ href=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/17/business/media/17tie.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin">NY
Times]

The Chicer Picker Upper: Ever eloquent with her
actions, if not her words, Paris Hilton gracefully ends the
celebrity-fashion-line era with her new collection of paper towels.
[LA
Times]

Plain White Ts: Gap will continue it’s indie designer
collaborations program with Band of Outsiders, Michael Bastian, Philip
Crangi and 3.1 Phillip Lim. Somehow, Threeasfour snuck in while no one
was looking. [ href="http://racked.com/archives/2008/03/17/design_editions_20.php">Racked]

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03/11/08
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The Biz

The High Council

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There’s nothing like a little competition to stir the blood.

The nominations for the CFDA Awards were announced today, with Kempt favorites Thom Browne and Tom Ford picking up menswear nods, along with Michael Bastian. Due respect to Mr. Bastian, but we’re more excited about seeing the two T(h)oms face off. We like to think of it as bare chest vs. bare ankle. Mr. Browne took the prize last year, but we wouldn’t put it past him to bring it home again.

Having said that, our heart is with Mr. Ford.

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02/20/08
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Scene

Kempt Man of the Hour: Peter Som

MOTH_som_crop.jpg

*Photographed by our fearless lensman, Patrick McMullan.*

At the house of Bill Blass, where he was recently installed as creative director, young designer Peter Som is overseeing the women’s line (Michael Bastian has control of menswear). But Som, who worked for the late Mr. Blass himself after graduating from the Parsons School of Design and who debuted his own collection in 2001, is no sartorial slouch.

At a Le Cirque dinner the other night celebrating his new position, Som was in far nattier form than the laid-back Bastian usually musters»

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11/28/07
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Scent of a Dude, Bastian’s Basics and British Invasions

Burberry

**Eau de Bro**: Dude, Matthew McConaughey will be totally banging his bongos for D&G’s new scent. [FashionWeekDaily]

**Brogue State**: Ex-English PM Tony Blair believes, “Cheap shoes are a false economy.” I guess that means we’re “New Labour” too. [Manolo For Men]

**Stain Fighter**: Michael Bastian’s essentials, from aviators to Spray and Wash. [Men.Style]

**Topshop, Topshop, Topshop**: Because one isn’t enough. [Racked]

**Brit Top**: Christopher Baily for Burberry wins the British Fashion Award for menswear over Alexander McQueen and Cassette Playa. [VogueUK]

**High / Low Tops**: Herringbone and wingtip Chucks? See. Believe. [Uncrate]

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