A blog dedicated to the interesting, scandalous, useful and cutting edge in the world of men’s style, fashion and grooming.
You'll know what we know.
Apparently the Rogues Gallery folks have kept busy since we last checked in. They’re expanding beyond the world of brick and mortar into the magical world of online sales, with a few online exclusives to sweeten the pot.
For instance, these nautical hats, which should go well with those deck shoes we noticed a while back. There are also a few T-shirts, a key fob, and an inexplicably shiny bag available as exclusives, along with the rest of the nautically minded stock.
Happy sailing?
Labels get inspiration from lots of different places, but this is the first time we’ve seen macho anthropology pop into the mix. We got a look at the new Rogues Gallery line the other day, and it’s not just nautical—it’s practically survivalist. The line takes inspiration from Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon Tiki, documenting a trip from Peru to Polynesia in only a raft, giving RG’s usual Cape Cod sensibility a rougher seagoing edge.
Needless to say, if you’re trying something like that, you’ll need a hell of a sweater.
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…
The Beardless Leading the Beardless: The recently shaven Bill Richardson stops by to offer some life lessons. [Esquire]
Naval Gazing: Military research finally pays off. In the form of toggle coats. [Selectism]
Bows and Arrows: If you have lived this long without knowing how to tie a bowtie, all hope is not yet lost. [The Pursuit Aesthetic]
Sloppy Suspensions: Sean Avery proves himself to be less than a gentleman. The NHL disapproves. [Gawker]
Publishing a set of influences nine months before the line comes out runs the risk of being pretentious—after all, who needs labels showing you three more pictures of Steve McQueen; that’s our job—but done right, it can be genuinely exciting.
For instance, the latest “research pics” from Stansfield. Apparently they’re leaving the hunting look behind in favor of a more nautical vibe—like the jaunty-looking fellow on the left here. While we don’t love the tossed back quasi-lapel, we’re willing to wait and see how it turns out.
Of course, it looks they’ve done a bit of hand-wringing about airing their creative laundry, but we wouldn’t be too worried. If the only secret is that the navy had good taste in fabric, we’d say the secret was already out.
