Stylish Swedish garage punks The Hives have traded in their Vegas lounge act look and are channeling Thom Browne for their latest effort, The Black and White Album. We call it a marked improvement, especially as they’ve eschewed Browne’s signature high-water trouserings. The crested boating blazers and striped school ties worn to good effect on the album cover and in the video for the first single, “Tick Tick Boom” are straight out of Browne’s much-ballyhooed Black Fleece collection for Brooks Brothers. And though he’s hardly the first designer to employ such motifs…

Browne on Ice: There are two sides to Thom Browne—stay on the good one. [Men.Style]

Casting a Wide Net: You, yes you could be a model—don’t change a thing. [New York TImes]

Suit Yourself: Vote for the best content on A Suitable Wardrobe [ASW]

D&G: Dolce & Gabbana zero in on the men’s market with their new Madison Avenue store opening tomorrow. [DNR News]

Photography: Patrick McMullan

Here’s a hint: When Thom Browne’s clothes start to look a little ridiculous on Thom Browne, it’s obviously time to start dressing like adults again. At the unveiling of Repetto shoes’ 60th Anniversary traveling exhibition hosted by Mo‚àö¬¥t & Chandon at the Max Lang gallery the other night, Browne in his trademark shrunken ensemble resembled nothing so much as the Frankenstein monster from one of those old-fashioned horror flicks, whose clothes fit him much the same way.

While the fabric and glen plaid patterns were beyond reproach, even artist/designer Tobias Wong seemed a little put off by the cartoonish cut of Browne’s jib »

Department of Orthopedics: Tom Brady, spotted in a walking cast yesterday, is now walking tall and visiting Earnest Sewn after spending time with paramour extraordinaire Giselle Bunchen. Seems on top of everything else, the woman has miraculous healing powers.[NYPost]

Fashion is MAGIC!!!: If by “magic” you mean walking the Vegas Convention Center listlessly for hours on end, then, yes, it is magic. [Fibre2Fashion]

Model Abuse: Galliano flagrantly disregards the Geneva Convention. [The Moment]

French Tips: More trends at Paris Fashion Week. [AFP]

Public Support: It’s been said Vietnam was lost when Walter Cronkite declared it a stalemate. Similarly, Brit anchor Jeremy Paxman is rallying a nation against sagging drawers. [Life and Health]

Gang Signs: Wu-Tang brand necklaces, rings and earrings for you, your crew and all them hos. [Freshness Magazine]

Louis’ Lucre: In other Hip-hop bling news, take a gander at Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton jewelry line. [High Snobiety]

Brownie Points: Refinery29 begins their newest countdown video series with Mr. Thom Browne. [Refinery29]

Come On Down, Sweet Virginia: Abercrombie just can’t keep it’s bare ass out of trouble [Gawker]

Fall In To It: The new Gap line is… wait… hey, that’s not bad at all. [Men.Style]

I Love The 80’s: Headbands and Michael J. Fox reconsidered. [SFGate]

Game Breaker: Gisele brings her perfection-busting bod to Rag & Bone. [NYObserver]

Big Apple Circus: If there are Siamese suits and stiltwalkers, you know Thom Browne’s in the house. [The Moment]

Sex Doll Silenced: Some people just can’t leave bad enough alone. [Top News India]

Civics Lessons: Vote or Die, Kids. Vote or Die. [Jezebel]

In an interesting development, yesterday’s Thom Browne show eschewed the usual “military” and “post-apocalyptic rock star” themes so popular these days in favor of a carnival vibe, complete with a feathery ringmaster to introduce the show.

(This Refinery 29 post offers a good overview of the madness, and it’s from a familiar face.)

In short, Fashion Week just got a little bit more Cirque du Soleil.

Continuing with our top-ten New York Fashion Week countdown, we’ve got to tip you in on who we left out. Adam Kimmel was at Pitto Uomo, like so many of the best New York designers. For Kimmel, though, the tradeshow became a personal graduation party, so this year he looses his city privileges this season. Ralph transcends lists, Obedient Sons (love ‘em as we do) took a turn for the slouchy, and Mr. Thom Browne, well, he’s in a class by himself. On with the list…

6. DKNY:

You were still playing Contra when Donna Karen was a growing concern. Retired and now renewed, Karen is still a considerable name and her DKNY (see above) remains a good source for office-proof, stylish essentials. The black cardigan, slate blazer and raincoat are subtly sly and everything else manages to stay within the lines of trend and classic elegance without attracting too much attention. For those of you who tread lightly and carry big sticks. [Men.Style]

And #5 is…»

When we last checked in with Blue Iris, the tint had just been named Pantone’s Color of the Year. Capturing 2007’s peaceful, contemplative side, Blue Iris was going places, we just had no idea how many places.

Seen here modeling Thom Browne’s latest collection, Blue Iris has kept busy during his tenure as Color of the Year. Here’s a few of the places we’ve spotted the season’s hippest hue:

Where we’ve seen Blue Iris around town»

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.

A lot of designers have been inspired by early 60s chic, but it’s rare to see one merge nostalgia with a fresh take on menswear staples.

We recently took a look at the Fall ’08 line from recent Bloomingdale’s recruit Bureau, and it’s more forward-looking than you’d think at first glance. This isn’t the 1962 of Thom Browne, it’s more like 1962 of Wong Kar Wai, with one-button suits meshing with bizarre sweater piping for an otherworldly feel. The suits are appropriately slim, but distinctive touches like the high peak lapels keep it from getting lost in the crowd.

The fall designs will hit stores in August.

UrbanDaddy

Photographed by our fearless lensman, Patrick McMullan.

R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe, last seen layering it on like a motherfucker, has always been distinctively dressed, but we’ve never seen him looking quite as natty as he did at the Food Bank for New York City’s anniversary awards gala at the Chelsea Piers the other night (where we also spotted a stylin’ Isaac Mizrahi).

More on Mr. Stipe»

The Tom Ford/Thom Browne divide has been deepening for some time, but it seems like DNR wants to turn it into a full-fledged national conflict.

Mr. Ford’s British tendencies have been well-documented (think Get Carter not Pete Doherty), and apparently his fall collection is full of the large checks and cutaway collars that more fashionable Britons have been donning for some time.

More on the coming turmoil»

Photographed by our fearless lensman, Patrick McMullan.

We always just kind of took it for granted that king-of-camp John Waters only ever wears vintage threads. That’s what the writer/director’s skinny suits and ties always looked like to us, and it seemed to match his retro persona perfectly. The other night at the opening of the new musical version of his 1990 film however, we caught the unmistakable whiff of designer duds adorning his rail-thin frame.

It was the modernized boating blazer that tipped us off, of course»

Photographed by our fearless lensman, Patrick McMullan.

Sex Pistols svengali Malcolm McLaren is one of Thom Browne’s biggest fans. Perhaps the subversive nature of Brown’s sartorial spin appeals to the old saboteur. McLaren’s been a firm believer in épater la bourgeoisie since the SEX days.

More on the mogul in the wild»

A Message to You Rudy: Ska style rises again. [Men.Style]

Thinking Ahead: The warm months are almost here, which means you should start shopping for Fall (but of course). Ransom will give you a head start. [Hypebeast]

Primary Colors: Obama is the Burberry candidate. [Radar]

Slip of the Tongue: Whoops. Someone let the beans spill about the new Black Fleece store. [The Life Vicarious via Racked]

Criminal Minded: The slicked-back men of America finally have a voice. [The Onion]

Deal Alert: 70% off at the APC Brooklyn store from Wednesday through Thursday. [Trash Bag Aesthetics]

Stuck on Sinatra: Plunk down your 42 cents for the best dressed stamp ever. [Gothamist]

Who Wears Short Shorts?: In the Summer, hemlines actually become relevant for men. [Independent UK]

Frau Claudia Schiffer Topless in German Vogue: Ja vol! [Egotastic]

Part-time Model Rips Off Boss Marc Jacobs: Good thing the cops got him, because Jacobs will fucking cut you. [Gawker]

Huffpo’s Von Pfetten Doesn’t Go For Pretty Boys: Seriously, girl, why haven’t you called us yet? ]HuffPo]

Clip On Ties: Thom Browne’s rules of the tie bar. [WSJ.]

Tips for Tall Guys: Jalen Rose and Allan Houston share their 6’ and over secrets. [AskMen]

Jugs off the Menu: Williamsburg’s Radegast shelves their traditional-Czech-cleavage-revealing outfits due to the wandering hands of drunk patrons. Way to ruin it for the rest of us. [Gothamist]

Super Villians: Roberto Piqueras dresses the gay Legion of Doom. [Skeleton Legs]

Tom Ford and Thom Browne Square off at Bergdorfs: And somehow Pee Wee Herman is the ref. [NYTimes]

Aqua Man: Meanwhile, down the hall at Thursday Styles, Mike Albo hunts down beachwear. [NYTimes]

Deforestation: Harrison Ford makes the ultimate sacrifice for the environment. [NYDaily News]

A Close Shave: The return of the barbershop (without Ice Cube). [Art of Manliness]

Pool Party: Jump into the pool with the U.S. synchronized swim team and get ready to doggy paddle. [Radar]

Bikini Classic: The best of 70s S.I. swimsuits. [HuffPo]

Life’s Little Victories: Now you can finally win something for being short. Huzzah! [ShortShrifted]

Road Warrior: Come the apocalypse, roll that old Civic out the garage. [Wired]

Ruh’ Oh: Thom Browne may be breaking up with Brooks Brothers. Who gets Black Fleece in the divorce? [NYMag]

From Rags to Stiches: Ex-secondhand store Aloha Rag gets a visit from our favorite critical queen. [NYTimes]

Sneak Peek: Oh yes, the Bond trailer is here. [Moviefone]

Her Majesty: Anna Wintour deigns to speak of Milan Men’s Fashion. Cower, mere mortals. [DNR]

Second Chance: Brooks Brothers and Thom Browne kiss and make up. [DNR]

Um, No: Fashionista thinks man clutches are a good, “accessory for a night out.” Some people just don’t get it, do they? [Fashionista]

Gym Rats: How to be a gentleman while working up a sweat. [Art of Manliness]