The Weekend Sales Report Card

“Sweaters”

03/22/13

The Weekend Sales Report Card

iPhone and card holder

We’ve filtered through all of the online sale noise and graded your best options out there, should you feel inclined to do any menswear browsing this weekend…

For Every Stripe: The Brits at Sunspel—legendary for their buttery-soft polo shirts and tees—are knocking 20% off everything striped.
Discount: B
Sizes Available: A
Selection: A

For the Tennessean: Nashville shop Imogene + Willie is slashing up to 50% off some flannels and work shirts.
Discount: A
Sizes Available: A
Selection: C

For the Traveler: Makr’s signature slimmed-down wallets, cordovan leather gadget sleeves and other travel gear are all 20% off through Sunday.
Discount: B+
Sizes Available: N/A
Selection: A+

For the Rugged: The purveyors of hard-to-find craftsmanship-driven menswear at Bench & Loom are knocking 20% off jackets, coats and sweaters with the code SPRING20.
Discount: B+
Sizes Available: A
Selection: B+

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03/18/13

This Sporting Life

The Most Stylish College Basketball Coaches of All Time

Basketball Coaches

Introducing Kempt’s March Madness bracket, wherein we pit the most iconic college basketball coaches against one another in an attempt to finally nail down who’s the most stylish of them all.

As you’d expect, it takes more than just sporting a pocket square or one nice blazer every so often to be named one of the most stylish college coaches of all time—everyone looks at least halfway decent in a suit and tie.

We were looking for coaches with a distinct through-line of personal style—and since most of these guys spent decades and multiple trend cycles on the sidelines, it usually came down to one iconic item they’d never given up. John Wooden’s thick-rimmed glasses, Bob Knight’s red sweaters or even Jerry Tarkanian’s “chew towel”—that sort of thing. Even if the pattern or cut of their sport jacket changed, that item didn’t. Which meant a guy like Jim Boeheim just missed the cut, because you might not even recognize his surgeon-cuffed look of today as the same guy who wore this in the 1970s. (Also just missing the cut: Gary Williams and his signature sweatiness.)

But there were plenty to choose from, and we just managed to cut the field down to the Sweet 16—which is where we’ll begin today, and continue to narrow down as the week progresses.

On to the Sweet 16, where Cinderellas are made.»

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03/06/13

Sale-ing

Your Spring Cashmere Hookup

Fischer

Consider this a last-minute addition to yesterday’s spring must-haves: fine-gauge cashmere.

And right on time, our comrades in style over at UrbanDaddy Perks are knocking 25% off a fine selection of spring-ready cashmere sweaters, cardigans and one exceptionally cozy-looking speckled henley from Christopher Fischer—an expert on balancing the yarn’s buttery-soft gauziness with just enough warmth retention perfect for the typical “summer in the light and winter in the shade” March day.

Clearly Dickens was pining for some cashmere while writing that line.

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02/15/13

Object

The Stat Sheet: Elder Statesman Cashmere Cardigan

Elder Statesman

As menswear’s love affair with Italian tailoring runs its course, there’s been a rising trend in rumpled luxury—some have gone so far as to name it “cozy boy.” (In other words, this refined-sweatpants craze is not going away anytime soon.)

Whatever you want to call it, the gold standard of this new menswear subculture has to be Elder Statesman, this year’s CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund recipient. It features a collection of impossibly soft, well-made and exorbitantly priced cashmere. If draping yourself in the finest of hand-knit opulence is your thing, or you’d just like to admire a $3,200 cardigan (er, robe?), here’s what else you need to know.

The Story: The charmed life of knitwear designer Greg Chait has involved interning for Whitney Houston, dating an Olsen and stumbling into a high-level position with jean maker Ksubi. He founded Elder Statesman in 2007, making cashmere blankets for the wealthy—stocking private theaters and jets, that sort of thing—and the rest is history.

Who to Channel: Those Snuggie commercials—but while cozying up on your private jet instead of your lonely couch.

When to Wear It: This isn’t a sweater, this is a lifestyle.

Degree of Difficulty: Low/irrelevant: if you’re spending three grand on a stay-at-home sweater, you’re probably not going to listen to us anyway.

A few more lavish knit offerings from Elder Statesman after the jump.»

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01/28/13

The Past

The 70 Greatest Sweaters of All Time

For centuries, mankind has relied on sweaters for winter layering and autumn-night warmth. But beyond that, they’ve been something of an afterthought. Until today.

Because today we’re celebrating the venerable garment in all of its forms by counting down the 70 greatest moments in sweaterdom—from lumpy cardigans to clingy cashmere hugging the shapely, we’ve found them all. And we’ve assembled them in full splendor.

Without further ado, the 70 greatest sweaters in the world.»

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12/14/12

Object

The Stat Sheet: Bolivian Alpaca Sweater

The finest sweaters were born out of cultural necessity: the fisherman sweaters of the Fair Isles, the hieroglyphic-like knit Cowichan sweaters, J.Press Shaggy Dogs…

And if you were to combine them all into one sweater, you’d get something close to the Andean alpaca sweater. Coincidentally, this new collection of Bolivian alpaca sweaters from Industry of All Nations has some especially handsome examples of the 3,000-year-old craft. Here’s what else you need to know.

The Story: The gents at Industry of All Nations have traveled the world, seeking out small factories and co-ops of local artisans making quality wares—from espadrilles in South America to jeans in India. Their latest discovery was this small knitting collective in Bolivia that’s making authentic alpaca sweaters the same way they’ve been doing it for centuries—except with an updated fit and exclusive color patterns—while giving back to their community.

Who to Channel: A turn-of-the-century backpacker, hiking up Machu Picchu; a worldly philanthropist with a penchant for hypoallergenic wool; Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

When to Wear It: Consider this the holiday sweater you can wear year-round (as long as it’s cold enough outside).

Degree of Difficulty: With such a versatile piece, there should be little to no difficulty subbing this in any sweater-related situation—over an oxford, under a blazer, with jeans, with trousers. Just go for it.

See the rest of the collection, after the jump.»

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12/12/12

LinkOut

Paz de la Huerta Is Communing with Nature

via Selectism

RIP: Musical legend Ravi Shankar died today, leaving an obit to be jealous of. We spent the afternoon mournfully strumming a sitar in tribute. [NY Times]

Not Down: For the feather-averse, Well Spent rounds up the five best non-down insulated jackets on the market. [Well Spent]

Freeeedom!: New York’s Freedom Tower got the first piece of its spire today—making for some spectacular, vertigo-inducing photos. [BuzzFeed]

Dodging the Fuzz: A step-by-step guide to the art of sweater maintenance. Time to get out your sweater stone and start de-fuzzing those pilings. [Valet]

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12/06/12

LinkOut

Revenge of the Nerd Crew

via GQ UK

Sweating It: Your 60-second guide to the holiday sweater (also a Kempt must-have). [Valet]

Easy Abe: Vulture ranks every Abraham Lincoln biopic ever made, in terms of how historically accurate they will make your school essay. [Vulture]

Geek Out: An excellent oral history on one of the greatest overlooked high school dramas of our time, Freaks and Geeks. [Vanity Fair]

Caps on Caps on Caps: In case our guide below wasn’t enough, here’s more knit caps for your wintry headwear needs. [To Take the Train]

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11/29/12

Storefront

Navigating the Pop Up Flea V

The Pop Up Flea has become the stuff of #menswear legend. And it’s back for its fifth installment—but you’d be mistaken to think they’re still doing the same old stuff. This one is going to be even bigger and even better. (Trust us, we know a guy.)

If you’ve never heard of the PUF (though we highly doubt that, if you’re reading Kempt), imagine all of your favorite bloggerly things on the Internet materialized in one place: knobby wooden posts you can actually touch, your favorite shoemaker in the flesh, the smell of motor oil and vintage tweed in the air… The whole thing was conceived by Michael “ACL” Williams and our very own editorial director, Randy Goldberg, who has so graciously allowed us to pick his brain on what to expect from the three-day extravaganza that kicks off at 3pm tomorrow at NYC’s ROOT (Drive-In) studios. (And show you a few sneak peeks.)

The definitive guide to navigating all of the menswear, automobiles and art installations that will be at this weekend’s Pop Up Flea.»

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11/28/12

About

Introducing… The Holiday Must-Haves

In our ongoing campaign to help you win the holidays, we’ve come up with a list of eight integral items you’ll want handy for the upcoming season.

Some are things you can wear, some are calls to action, and some are just a state of mind. But they all add up to one hell of a festive menagerie, bound to get you in the holiday spirit. We’ve got the entire list below, but as always, you can find them anytime you’re in need of inspiration on the left side of the Kempt home page.

Let the happy holidaying begin.»

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11/26/12

Good Idea

Navigating Cyber Monday

Your cure for this epic case of the Mondays you’ve got right now: stocking up on some new threads at Cyber Monday prices.

Basically, the entire Internet is on sale today, so there’s a lot to wade through. Luckily, we did it for you—to find the best #menswear-friendly deals in cyberspace (then we can retire the word “cyber” until next year, or forever), including a few exclusives you won’t find elsewhere…(For a few more deals, check out our friends at Urban Daddy.)

Your direct line to the best of Cyber Monday, right this way:»

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11/15/12

Labeled

Ralph Lauren Goes Vintage

Ralph Lauren is one of Americana’s most venerable institutions. He’s managed to clothe an entire nation—from the cable-knitted Northeast to the denim-on-denim’d Southwest.

And as a testament to that legacy, the brand is launching the webshop RL Vintage today. After a small army of vintage clothing enthusiasts/historians was assembled, the team set out, rummaging through the finer flea markets and antique shops to put together a veritable museum of Polo-centric Americana—well, a museum that you can actually buy things from. For the men’s offerings, you can expect a lot of suede—and even some fringe—but something we’re really looking forward to is the “Bring It Back” program that lets Polo fanatics dig through the archives and vote on pieces they’d like to see reissued. Whatever gets the most votes will actually go into production as a limited-run throwback. Currently on deck is the Polo Bear sweater, beloved by grandmothers, rappers and menswear bloggers alike.

Take a closer look at what’s in store at RL Vintage, after the jump.»

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10/25/12

Object

The Stat Sheet: Obermeyer St. Moritz Ski Sweater

Ski season has arrived surprisingly early in California—and it’s got us fantasizing about hot chocolate, snowball fights and, especially, ski sweaters.

A good ski sweater has to do two jobs well. Firstly, it must keep you warm on the slopes—fits under a jacket well, has a zip at the collar if things get too warm. Secondly, it should be lodge-worthy for a fireside après-ski amongst new friends. Like the St. Moritz sweater from Obermeyer. Here’s what else you should know about it.

The Story: Sixty years ago, Klaus Obermeyer left Germany to start a skiing school in Aspen, CO—nestled in America’s answer to the Alps—and decided he needed the sort of ski gear that was practical and handsome. (A man after our own low-tech-loving hearts.)

Who to Channel: Jean-Claude Killy; warm mugs of spiked coffee; a holiday party in a wood-paneled ski lodge in the ’70s.

When to Wear It: Aside from skiing, this should be your go-to for any sporty fall escapades: a bike ride through the woods, ice-skating, chopping firewood, carving pumpkins.

Think of This As: The Cadillac Coupe de Ville of ski sweaters.

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09/17/12

Labeled

Falling Neck-First

It’s one of our favorite seasonal shifts: trading in the cotton and shantung ties for the heartier knits of fall/winter.

To lead the way, the Knottery has just unveiled their autumnal offerings, and we’re especially partial to these mélange knits. They’re the equivalent of your favorite fall sweater—that can be wrapped around your collar. They’ve also come back with a few more iterations of their Norwegian sweater-inspired tie from last year—which should also have you in the mood for some leaf-crunching underfoot.

We can almost taste the tweed.

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09/11/12

Object

Michael Bastian x Charlie Brown

The Michael Bastian buzz has already moved on to spring 2013 (he presented the line yesterday at Fashion Week, to the typically upbeat reviews), but here’s something you won’t have to wait six months to get your mitts on…

This cashmere sweater with a nostalgic nod to Charlie Brown (hat tip). What’s not nostalgic: there’s none of the thick itchiness we can assume Chuck was constantly dealing with in his department store wool version. This, on the other hand, is luxurious stuff made in Italy and should add a nice tongue-in-cheek between your corduroy blazer and oxford button-down.

It’s a better look than going for “the Pigpen.”

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08/22/12

Labeled

A Strong Patch

We’re fans of elbow patches in all forms. The strategically placed leather patch gives anything from blazers to cotton sweaters an extra bit of scholarly ruggedness—take these long-sleeve polos from French label LOFT design by… (that the gents of the quarterly across the pond hipped us to) for instance. The sweatshirt-leaning thickness and patches of leather put them right in fall-ready territory and could even suffice as outerwear on a day that wouldn’t require another weatherproof layer. (That day is coming sooner than we know it.)

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08/21/12

The Past

Cosby: Before the Sweater

The Cosby Sweater. Never before have a man and an article of clothing been more intimately linked. But it’s also important to remember that Cliff Huxtable’s Fruity Pebble patterns were confined to the 1980s—and a fictional character. Sartorially, young Coz (the standup comedian, the jazz drummer, the track-and-field star) made some strong (to quite strong) style choices, combining Malcolm X’s formality, Barack Obama’s collegiate ’fro and Johnny Carson’s panache. The result was (and remains) a very good thing.

Cosby: Before the Sweater—A Kempt Pictorial»

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04/27/12

The Past

Your Horribly Misogynistic Vintage Ad of the Day

Some things make you want to be a better man. Other things remind you that you already are one—like this ad for Drummond Sweaters, which ran in a 1959 issue of Esquire. Here’s why you should buy one: genuine bone buttons, hand-fashioned, and there’s no need to haul a woman up a cliff just to show off your Drummond because these pullovers look great on any level. After all, women are useful indoors—even pleasant. But on a mountain they’re something of a drag.

Indeed, it’s a comfort to know we’ve become better men.

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03/23/12

Good Idea

Three Pieces of Spring Cleaning to Tackle Right Now

via Nationaal Archief

You won’t be needing your winter coat anytime soon.

So now’s the time of year when we usually throw all our sweaters and tweedery into a ventilated box under our bed, and bring out the linen shirts and tees. But as you might expect, it can get a little musty in there, so you’ve got some cleaning to do. Don’t worry; it’s simpler than you think. After the fold, we’ve got three places to focus, to make sure you finish off the month as crisp as you started it.

Your spring cleaning playbook, in three acts»

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03/15/12

Pony Express

The Basics of Wearing a Sweater

As grizzled style veterans, we tend to focus on larger issues of style, cultural context and the relative quality of various brands. But as a recent reader email reminded us, sometimes it’s helpful to focus on the basics.

And we mean the absolute basics.

In this case, the problem at hand is how to wear a sweater without descending into a rumpled mess by the end of the day. The request goes like this…

Our desperate reader query, coupled with a wise and gracious response…»

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03/13/12

Big Picture

The Charm of the Cotton Sweater

Now that the weather’s warming up, we’d like to direct your attention to one of the most overlooked items in your spring/summer arsenal: the cotton sweater. It’s an airier version of the wool and cashmere pullovers in your closet, and perfect for those couple weeks in mid-March when the summer sun butts up against the last gusts of winter. These will fare well against both.

A few of our favorite sweaters»

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02/29/12

Storefront

A First Look Inside J.Crew’s Ludlow Shop

J.Crew’s Ludlow Shop opened earlier today in Tribeca, the first shop wholly devoted to their signature two-button suit. And nice guys that they are, they let us in for a look around. There’s a lot to see, including a rare look at the Ludlow’s inner construction and some typically handsome Drake’s gear. But we won’t ruin it all by talking; take a look after the jump…

Take a look at J.Crew’s brand-new suiting shop»

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02/09/12

Good Idea

The Wide Neck

Fashion Week has kicked off in earnest, and we’ve already spotted a few clever details we’re eager to see in stores. At the top of the list: the wide-necked sweater.

It’s like the boat neck on your typical Breton-striped sweater, but this one doesn’t taper to a point on the side. Really, it’s just a bigger, wider version of the crew neck. This one, seen at Hyden Yoo, doesn’t give away any nautical elements at all, aside from a knit that’s slightly thicker than usual.

Mostly, it’s more room for layering collars and ties—and good news for the Constanzas of the world.

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02/06/12

Big Picture

Next Time, Bring Gloves

Our latest winter shot comes via StreetFSN with two perfect February items and minus one pair of gloves. The man in question is Mordechai Rubinstein and the sweater can be found here, but the blackwatch jacket is still at large.

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01/31/12

Scene

Kempt Man of the Hour: Ewan McGregor

Wearing black is harder than you think.

It’s not just black suits either. Even in a more casual setting, you have to go through the minefield of assembling an outfit’s worth of matching-but-not-too-matching shades of deep gray, and then hope your complexion is warm enough that you don’t look like a corpse or a Tim Burton character.

But at last week’s W.E. premiere, Ewan McGregor pulled it off—and on a red carpet, no less. The fur collar on his coat keeps things from getting too severe, but the real trick here is the roughly textured sweater, which keeps him looking more rugged than gothic.

Add in some winter stubble and an Old Hollywood flourish of the hair, and he’s ready for his close-up.

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