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. [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.” [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. [Racked]

Love All: One of the few eligible bachelors with a 155 mph serve is engaged to S.I. swimsuit model, Brooklyn Decker, which is a solid excuse for us to run pictures of her. Thanks, Andy. [ESPN]

Tailgate Party: In other sporting news, this is how 24-year-old, Heisman-winning, multimillionaire starting NFL quarterback Matt Leinart rolls. How ‘bout you, Brah? [Sunday Morning QB]

Local Uni-Watch: New York readers may have a chance to check out the Blue Jay’s new powder-blue throwbacks today and tomorrow. Still, no one’s got more baller style than this guy. [ESPN]

Swapping Spit: In the grand Gallic tradition of poor public hygiene, several Frenchmen invaded Manhattan and attempted to set a world record for kissing. Gross, right? [Fleshbot]

In The Hood: Blue-eyed, honey-blond men’s fashion blogger, Amanda Brooks, finds style and substance in the lowly hoodie. [Men’s Vogue]

фантастично!: Moscow Fashion Week just doesn’t translate to Western style - but God bless them Ruskies for trying. [YouTube]

Chinese Take Out: With its increased high-end offerings, improved manufacturing techniques (not to mention its low valuation of human sweat) China is poised to take on Italy in the luxe suit game. [WSJ]

It’s The Perfect Time For… April77’s Spring/Summer collection. [Hypebeast]

Dress to Suppress: Amidst what appears to be a total collapse of democracy, journalistic independence and human rights, some intrepid fashion writer actually managed to file this story on style and the derailed Zimbabwean presidential campaign. Who needs freedom of the press anyway? [All Africa]

Bulletproof Bonnet: Perhaps a more useful mode of dress for scared Zimbabweans, this cutting-edge, street-thug tech hoodie can stop a 9mm round. [BBC]

Ships Ahoy: A naval salute to Chambray. [A Continuous Lean]

Get Fit: A little primer on silhouette theory. [Permanent Style]

Go Green:Take a peek at Timo Weiland’s bio-friendly billfolds. [Refinery29]

Off The Cuff: Pop quiz, hotshot. Your brand-new slacks haven’t been to the tailor yet and you’ve got 15 minutes to meet your people at the bar. What do you do? What do you do? [Esquire]

Through Thick and Thin: Personally, we’ve always preferred Christina Ricci in her more well-rounded, Buffalo66 days. Not that we’ve got a problem with the carb-free model here. [BlackBook]

Some Like it Very, Very Hot: Just like Paris Hilton, Marilyn Monroe filmed a sex tape before she became a tragic victim of her own fame. Unlike Hilton, Monroe’s oral exam may never make it to your desktop. [NYPost]

Labor Party: A charming, lil’ British-TV presenter is set to star in a reality show based in a faux London sweatshop. This is a good thing, right? [Female First UK]

“Tired of Being Sexy” Hot, hipster mess CSS loses its bassist to fashion—which is apparently the modern equivalent of boozing yourself to death in a pool. [CMJ]

Chat Stew: The dapper king of our TiVo, Joel McHale, sits down to discuss his J. Lindberg jackets, Air Jordans and, wouldn’t you know it, Tyra. [Sign on San Diego]

Slim Jims: Men’s Vogue collects the best slim-cut suits of the season so we don’t have to. [Men’s Vogue]

American Public: Sticky, icky Dov Charney lets the Wall Street Journal into his factory, his office and his infamous bedroom where he takes cloyingly erotic photos of the once-respected broadsheet in a Lycra catsuit. [Radar]

Funny Money: In these penny-pinching times, who couldn’t use a little more levity in their wallet? [Refinery29]

The Family Business: Father-and-son art aficionados bond over checks and English cuts. [NYMag]

Brooklyn Boys: Racked takes the F over to Boerum Hill’s new And Then Some. [Racked]

Drip Dry: Forget the cleaners. A new Japanese suit is designed for cleaning in the shower. Loofa anyone? [Theindian]

The Great Rock and Roll Swindle: Legendary venue goes from club to store, back to club and then right back to store again. Protestors still desperately searching for lives. [Vanityfair.com]

Sky King: Per usual, Prince William makes us commoners look like chumps. [Daily Mail]

Hail Married: Eli Manning wraps up his improbable championship season by beating both brother Peyton and arch-rival Tom Brady to the alter. [UPI]

Belly Up to the Bar: Thank Бог someone out there is poking around Russian Elle for Bar Refaeli shots. [Goldenfiddle]

Casual Friday: We’re a little surprised that this internal memo from Interview on office dress code was even necessary. We could guess that this has something to do with the magazine’s new Capo di tutti capi, Glenn O’Brien—but then again, the guy doesn’t always hew to the rule himself. [Gawker]

Spice on Set: Failing fashion designer Victoria Beckham teams up with failing movie mogul Tom Cruise for what will almost certainly be Ben Stiller’s ugliest film since “Meet the Fockers”. [FemaleFirst UK]

Bowery Boy: Does John Varvatos even have time to design anymore with all these CBGBs questions? [NYTimes]

Cheap Shots: The best suits under $500 photographed by Scott “The Sartorialist” Schuman. [Men.Style]

Word Games: Watch as three out of four panelists stuff their feet straight into their mouths while attempting to define “Hipster.” [PSFK]

Shwing!: Tom Ford wants you to appreciate the human dingle as much as he does. [NYMag]

Vrrrrom!: Battlestar Galatica’s Grace Park drives us a little crazy. [Egotastic]

Short Suit: Don’t, okay? Just don’t. [TelegraphUK]

For the Boys: Hermès to open men’s only shop in our fair city. [DNR]

“What Makes Brad Pitt’s Shirt Style So Great?”: Maybe because he’s Brad Pitt? Just putting that out there. [Tailor in Style]

Bang for Your Buck: It’s a good time to be a cheap ass. [NYTimes]

Hat Head: Tips for capping your big, fat noggin. [Art of Manliness]

Wrinkle-Free Suits That Look Good: For real? For really real? [We Are The Market]

England’s Finest: We don’t know many of the names on Esquire UK’s best-dressed list. We do know, however, that David Beckham is not amoung them. [IndependentUK]

Tennis Anyone?: Crocodiles kill more people in Africa than any other animal. These Lacoste’s are killers too. [Hypebeast]

Greener Pastures: Like it or not, John Deere is the new hotness. [DNRNews]

Ink Blots: Your new touch-senitive tattoo will receive even more female attentions than that Tasmanian Devil piece on your bicep. [PSFK]

With summer in full force, you may be looking for lightweight suits. Aside from the Wolfen white suit, your choices are mostly going to depend on your knowledge of the fabrics involved.

In that vein, allow us to repeat a bit of wisdom from A Suitable Wardrobe. Instead of putting stock in the weight of a fabric, you might do better paying attention to the weave. Woven properly, even heavy cloth can be allowed to breathe. Summer fabrics are likely to have “fresco” in the name, or something similarly breezy-sounding, and they can be made heavy enough to avoid too much flapping.

Not to mention the dreaded crumple.

Eric Murphy, You Lucky Bastard: It may have been the hottest television threesome ever, but in case you doubt us, here’s some pics of Emmanuelle Chirqui.[Men.Style]

Salary Man: Just in case you were wondering how much money you should be spending on how many suits, we have answers. [A Suitable Wardrobe]

Man-Bag: These newest renditions of the man purse are, well… purses. [NY Mag]

Black is Back: It seems the Italian fashion scene isn’t as sheltered as we thought; Poor Biggie. [The Moment]

Kazaam!: Shaq’s freestyle dis gets the big fella in trouble. [SportingNews]

Whether it’s insurance adjusters, WWII-era engineers, or just plain old WASPs, designers are always looking out for the next look they can make their own. And with white suits popping up more and more often as a summer staple, we have a suggestion that may surprise you.

Mormons.

Think about it.

More on the inevitable rise of Mormon-chic»

Our friends at UrbanDaddy have a set up a little site with Belvedere Vodka called Keys to the City with video interviews from New York nightlife pros. Our personal favorite among the stories comes from the Pink Elephant guru David Sarner, who takes the cake with his story of working as a bouncer at 54 while he was still in high school. There’s also a contest involved, which you might want to check out if you happen to be in New York.

More on the Keys to the City»

Who?: No, we don’t know who Emma Rigby is either, but we’ve got one foot out the door and we’d rather just sit back and look than factcheck this one. [Newstoob]

Second Hand: Okay, who’s gonna break in our A.P.C. pre-worn jeans? [Racked]

Upholstery: Yes, these suits look like couches. Yes, they’re hype. [Cup of Jo]

Mimes Against Herpes: You read that right, mimes against herpes. [Animal]

Paris, Je T’aime: New York Magazine’s Paris Fashion Week slideshow is worth a full viewing. [NYMag]

Kapow!: A manly manly guide to the manly manly pursuit of blowing things up for this manly holiday. [Art of Manliness]

The appeal of Bond has always had more to do with the man’s accoutrements than his geopolitical nuance, but it’s taken surprisingly long for all that swag to be gathered into one place.

Apparently that day is here. Allow us to introduce Bond Lifestyle, a one-stop compendium gathering together everything from the man’s favored cologne (according to Fleming, anyway) to the Swiss villa that provided the setting for Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The catalogue is somewhat skewed towards the more recent (and more thoroughly branded) movies, but you can still find a replica of the Trilby Hat from Doctor No or the two-button gray suit in From Russia With Love.

More on the Bond Lifestyle»

Man is a complex creature, and plumbing his desires and fears can be a terrifying and eye-opening journey.

Unless, of course, it’s a survey.

The good folks at AskMen.com have done the latest work—for science, naturally—and rounded up 75,000 men for a comprehensive survey of the less-fair sex. The result is worth a look, so we’ve rounded up the most eye-opening numbers for your perusal.

Click through to learn the horrible truth»

Cute as a Chinese Baby: Radar rounds up Chinese propaganda posters in honor of their underage gymnastic team. [Radar]

The Poseidon Adventure: Earnest Borgnine provides the internet with one more headline you will wish you could unread. [Gawker]

Memory Lane: 75 years of suiting, compressed into a 42 page slideshow, interspersed with cheesecake pictures of Halle Berry. [Esquire]

Good Genes: Low tech denim and a quasi-low tech website add up to yet another solid ACL post. [A Continuous Lean]

We’ve seen a lot of suit fabrics, but we’ve never seen them quite like this.

This bedspread was made from sewing together old suit fabrics, so if you’ve ever felt the need to sleep under Italy’s finest threads, you just got your chance. The full set includes a bed cover, a duvet cover and a pair of pillowcases, and they only have as much fabric as they can scrounge up, so each piece is one of a kind. Of course, that also means a single set will run you upwards of three grand, but it’s not too much more than you’d pay Paul Smith for a few suits.

The origins of this fascinating creation»

Getty Images

Last night’s debate offered one more chronicle of the political world’s baby steps towards stylish behavior. No, we’re not talking about Palin’s winks or Biden’s party-appropriate powder blue tie.

We’re talking about those chalk stripes.

Biden risked looking like a banker—a particularly dangerous move these days—and did the sartorial thing. We knew he was a well-dressed gentleman, but we’re impressed he had the clout to pull this one off. What’s next, wearing gray? Obama may be the first candidate who’s one-button suit material, and it’s nice to know he’s got someone adventurous to back him up.

Based on this picture, it looks like someone else is taking notice too.

We ran into this Thom Browne number again now that it’s in season, and it looks a lot different than it did on the runway. The sharply visible grid gives it a touch of the drafting table, which has always been part of Mr. Browne’s appeal, but it’s still pretty easy on the eyes. The gray suit is an underestimated part of any wardrobe, but we doubt anyone will underestimate this.

Plus, it should look great with a little foliage.

The folks at Trovata have unveiled a new treat. They’re calling it the peacemonger suit, and it should hit Odin this spring at an economy-friendly $600. It’s a pretty high cut, but we’re coming around on that look, and the oversized button and exposed pockets are enough to make us forgive all kinds of creative tailoring.

Clearly they’re encouraging a few rolls around the ankle. It may seem risky right now, but trust us: it’ll be a much better idea when you don’t have to worry about frostbite.

Photographed by our fearless lensman, Patrick McMullan.

There isn’t a playbook for father/son style, but we’ve rarely seen it pulled off as well as our fearless lensman and his son do here. McMullan the elder distinguishes himself with a vividly purple tie and the usual impeccable suit while McMullan the younger makes do with sneakers and jeans.

Age-appropriate isn’t a phrase we use too often—after all, you’re only as old as you dress—but the pair pull it off to perfection here, and end up looking like partners in crime.

See the father and son full size»

The French futurists at Impasse 13 just put out a pretty impressive spring line, but what caught our eye was this lepidopteral pocket square.

Good men’s accessories are hard to come by, so we’re happy to see something more colorful come down the runway. And as far as fabrics go, butterfly wing is definitely eye-catching.

We’re assuming they didn’t jet down to the Amazon for it, but judging by the rest of the line we’d say it’s a distinct possibility.

Political corruption is such a tradition in Chicago, it has developed its own dress code. Sixty years ago, it was the pinstripe, and while the mobster suit has gotten more subtle, it hasn’t gone away.

In light of the recent difficulties, we thought we’d point out where the trouble started. Look closely at Rod Blagojevich’s choice in fabrics: Would you trust a senate seat to a man with those checks?

We rest our case.

If his ads are any indication, Tom Ford has seen a lot, so we figure he’s picked up a considerable amount of wisdom along the way.

So we’re glad Details managed to keep him in one place for long enough to dish out some life lessons. The results vary from his morning routine (ice cubes over the eyes) to his unvarying commitment to tuxedos.

The big design revelation is Ford’s distaste for the high-cropped suit jacket…but it makes sense that he wouldn’t much go for the waiter look. As for the sexual revelations at the end, let’s just say he takes swinging very seriously.

The tao of Tom»

Rabbit, Run: Surreal photography continues to scare the crap out of us. [NotCot]

Winter Sports: A friendly face introduces us to the terrifying world of snow polo. [Luxist]

Going Minimal: Does good design flourish during a depression? It depends how you feel about the barrel-top. [Unbeige]

Going Gray: The enduring appeal of the gray flannel suit. [A Suitable Wardrobe]

More goodies from CES, thanks to our friends at Energi-to-Go:

We’ve been sorting through the aftermath of CES for a few days, but as with any gathering, one of the most interesting parts was how the crowd was dressed. There were an awful lot of tucked-in dress shirts and khakis, and even more t-shirts and jeans…but we still managed to track down a few sartorial gems.

And of course, it wouldn’t be CES without a segway or two.

See the competition»

Naturally, versatility can be a mixed blessing, but if you’ve got the right tailor on board things tend to turn out ok. And it’s hard to make bike clothes uglier than they are already…

Rapha Performance Roadwear recently commissioned traveling tailor Timothy Everest to make a suit designed for bicycling, and the result is surprisingly palatable. The jacket’s lower flaps can be fastened to the pockets to keep them from flapping, and an extra length of sleeve can be rolled down to keep the wrists covered when the rider leans over the handlebars. Best of all, the pattern is a simple gray check that won’t announce itself too loudly. (Don’t be fooled by the zebra stripes; that’s just the camera).

Think of it as just one more example: tailors can do anything if they put their minds to it.

Normally we’d ding this for being gimmicky, but the simple fact is, there’s a lot of quality suit fabric out there, and the more of it gets used the better.

They may not be the most durable wallets in the world (we use leather for a reason, after all), but it’s never a bad feeling to reach into your pocket and find a swath of high quality pinstripe.

But we’d recommend keeping it as far away from actual suits as possible.

Lapels have been migrating north for quite a while now, and in this Oliver Spencer blazer—pulled from his latest lookbook—they seem to have moved all the way to the collar.

It’s not for everyone—Tom Ford is on record as hating the look—but Spencer knows how to pull it off better than anyone.

You’ll want a smaller collar than usual and a thin knot to keep everything roughly in proportion, but the real trick is leaving the top button unbuttoned. The jackets in question are usually three-buttons, and fastening the top one is every bit as bad as fastening the bottom.

And if you want to throw in a quick lapel trinket to show off how clever you’re being, we’d say you’ve earned it.

We’ve always been enamored of 40s style, so now that the mug shots of the past are finally hitting Flickr, we can’t help but take a peek.

We aren’t quite sure what this gentleman was picked up for—public hatlessness, maybe—but his suit is a prime example of the post-zoot gangster casual of the day. You can’t see his beltline, but we’re betting it’s riding somewhere around his belly button—which is one part of the style you can skip. The slit pockets, billowy trousers, and shoulder-width lapel, on the other hand, are all ripe for a comeback.

It’s not quite timeless, but it’s awfully close.

Spring is definitively here, and the minds of fashion writers everywhere are turning to thoughts of khaki…

The Wall Street Journal just posted a seasonal ode to the neutral hue (via SwipeLife) and it got us thinking about the risks and rewards of the beige life.

Of course, a light khaki suit is always nice to have when May rolls around—and clearly it’s pretty alluring in a women’s swimsuit—but that’s just the beginning.

See a few of WSJ’s favorite looks»

We’d file this look under “advanced studies,” but if you’re a legendary design icon, feel free to try it out. Just grab a wide-shouldered suit with extra-wide lapels and finish it all off with a tiny bowtie and a pair of soon-to-be iconic glasses—and don’t forget the pocket square.

It might make you look a bit more diminutive than you’re used to…but you can make up for it with a few big ideas.

The 1960s advertising world may be taking a temporary vacation from the zeitgeist, but we couldn’t help noticing a familiar item in the latest catalog from Germany’s aptly named Wormland label.

That’s right. They’re selling Pete Campbell’s suit.

Granted, the lapels are thinner, the blue is deeper, and the whole thing is a good deal shinier—all of which makes it less desirable than the genuine article—but it’s rare to see an item jump from screen to page this quickly. Maybe they were trolling for inspiration and ran across a re-broadcast on BBC2?

August can’t get here soon enough…

It looks like Kanye’s favorite suitier is getting into jogging.

Lanvin’s latest collection just hit stores with what the designer calls “a mix of couture and jogging,” which in this case means a hat and gloves to match your suit and an artfully bunched one-button version…which we suppose boosts your wind resistance. We’ll stick with this classic two-button, which keeps the curveballs limited to a bit of contrast fabric on the collar.

And if you feel like picking up the matching gloves, you’ll know where to find them.

One of the downsides of seeing lines on the sample racks is that most of them look a whole lot different in person. General Idea in particular specializes in gear that can be daunting until you see someone pull it off right. For instance, a designer…

We were lucky enough to have General Idea’s creative director Bumsuk Choi stop by Kempt HQ to show us this jumpsuit from their upcoming Spring/Summer 2010 line. In case you can’t see, that’s a single double-breasted garment from shoulders to ankles. It’s also available as shorts and in trenchcoat-style variations, but we prefer the understated black, especially if you’re wearing it over a black t-shirt.

Wes Anderson can usually be counted on for a pretty impeccable sense of filmic style, but dressing melancholic sea captains is one thing, and dressing stop-motion foxes is quite another. Fortunately, he seems to be up to the task.

His latest, Fantastic Mr. Fox, hits theaters tomorrow, and in honor of today’s national holiday, it’s only fitting that we point out the title character’s impeccable corduroy suit. As far as we’re concerned, it’s the real star of the movie. Granted, the fit could be a little bit better—that can happen when the garment in question splits at the back—but it might be the perfect sartorial choice for the movie’s offbeat style.

And since the suit’s only a few inches tall, it means the mini-costume designer tracked down some truly tiny wales. Well played, Wes.

Hark!: That includes a belated Hanukkah. [The World’s Best Ever]

The Dreads Don’t Help: The Counting Crows oblivious Joni Mitchell cover is named the decade’s worst song. Choice quote: “It’s like the whole song emanates from his soul patch.” [Village Voice]

The Free Press: Acquaint yourself with the Sponge and Press, a less distressing way to clean your suit. [Men’s Flair]

By the Sword: A gentleman’s guide to cleaving open champagne bottles with a sword. Try this at home. [Valet]

Suits have gotten a lot sleeker since the 40s, but this snap of Raymond Chandler just reminded us what a little texture can do when you give it a chance. It’s a look with more than 60 years of dust on it, but other than the lapels, it’s about as fresh today as it was in ’46.

But the real delight here is seeing all the writerly affectations in one place: the pen-in-mouth, the tortoise-shell frames and the “can’t you see I’m working?” glower.

We’re guessing the photographer didn’t knock.