May 24, 2012 world of men's style / fashion / grooming RSS
“The Biz”
04/24/09
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The Biz

Getting a Hickey

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Ever since Hart Schaffner Marx filed for Chapter 11, we’ve been waiting to hear what’s in store for subsidiary marques like hickey and Hickey Freeman. And while we wouldn’t advise giving up your stockpile of pot-logo’d polos just yet, we’re detecting a noticeable light at the end of the tunnel.

The latest report from WWD details the three main bidders for HSM, and their various priorities. It’s a safe bet that one of the private equity firms will come down with ownership, but the question is whether they’ll decide hickey’s worth more dead than alive. Naturally, we prefer the latter.

Keep your fingers crossed.

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04/22/09
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The Biz

Project Segal

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Department stores put up a good front, but we’ve always assumed there was enough chaos behind the scenes to start a small riot. And it looks like we’ll get a chance to see it firsthand.

Santa Monica’s Fred Segal is getting its very own reality show focusing on the commission-crazed sales staff. We predict a healthy amount of back-stabbing, but as with any latter-day reality show, the real surprise is what the cast can do with a confession booth.

We’re assuming they’re not there to make friends.

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04/21/09
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The Biz

Varvatos’ Band Battle

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John Varvatos has been drawing on music-industry cool for long enough, it was only a matter of time before he made the connection official. But we were hoping it wouldn’t be quite so much like a reality show.

It’s called Free the Noise, and to be fair, it’s closer to the more credible custom known as the Battle of the Bands. Aspiring bands upload clips of their act onto the website, finalists are chosen to face off at JV’s Bowery location (former home of CBGBs, if you recall), and the winner walks away with a development deal from Island records and a series of spots in Varvatos’ Star USA ads.

Sounds like a good deal, but a record deal isn’t what it used to be. And doesn’t the whole thing seem a bit rockist?

Not that there’s anything wrong with that»

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04/14/09
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The Biz

In the Factory

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We have a sentimental weakness for factory tours here at Kempt. And when combined with our sentimental weakness for trail moccasins, it’s just about irresistible.

All Plaidout (via Hypebeast) just posted an indepth tour of Quoddy’s Lewiston, ME headquarters, giving us a secondhand peek at exactly what hand-stitching entails.

The biggest surprise is the tiny device they use to measure the gauge of each stitch. Of course, you’ve got to keep that kind of detail in check…but who knew they used a mini-ruler?

Naturally, if you happen to be in Portland (Oregon, that is), we know where you could pick up a pair.

Take a look around»

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04/09/09
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The Biz

Getting Crafty

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The economy isn’t all bad news; it looks like the craft sector is taking off in spite of everything.

Online craft shop Etsy cleared $12 million in sales last month (up 18% from February), and they’re poised to become the go-to source for trinkets of all kinds. We wouldn’t want to build a wardrobe from it, but it definitely has its charms.

Our guide to Etsy»

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04/09/09
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The Biz

The Underclass

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Bad news today for lovers of apparel and basic human hygiene: it looks like sales of men’s underwear have taken a downward turn.

You might think of underwear as one of the more basic purchases in the world of style, but Americans are on track to spend more $110 million fewer on undergarments this year than last. Boxers are hit hardest, with a 3.5% decline from last year, but briefs shed their share of sales as well.

It’s puzzling, since the two styles tend to balance each other—briefs do better as boxers do worse, and vice versa. Clearly the economy’s playing a role, but we wonder if there’s another force at work.

Could the union suit be staging a comeback?

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04/08/09
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The Biz

Think Big

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If this polo shirt looks familiar, it should. You’ve probably seen the American Apparel version on at least a dozen skinny hipsters by now…you just haven’t seen it in this size.

Don’t look for it in stores, though. This one comes from Colossal Clothing, a new brand that deals in American Apparel styles and fabrics recut for less emaciated frames. Every tron jacket and henley is still made in Dov’s own factories, but the cuts are brand new and the shape is unlike anything you’ll see on a billboard.

The story behind Colossal Clothing»

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04/06/09
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Playboy’s New Playground

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Playboy.com has needed a polish for some time now, so it’s only natural that they roll out a redesign on the heels of their archive’s recent online move. And ad units don’t grow on dead trees…

The stated goal of the new site is to get viewers to stick around for upwards of half an hour, but we’re not so sure. There certainly is a lot of new stuff to look at: style, nightlife, a full-scale culture section and a decent catchall section for Playboy’s typical idiosyncratic humor. But there’s still something missing.

Where are all the listicles? Where are the pointlessly provocative screeds? We looked for something making fun of Kanye—for more than half an hour, in fact—but we couldn’t find one. All we got was a centerfold jigsaw puzzle and a flash cartoon about a monkey on a road trip.

Hef’s got a lot to learn about the internet.

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04/01/09
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The Emperor’s New Logo

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Branding can be a shifty enterprise. It deals in abstracts, and it can take decades to unravel whether something was a brilliant idea or just a brilliant pitch—and for the most part, no one can tell the difference.

All of which goes a long way towards explaining someone like Peter Arnell.

He’s been behind some of the more iconic images in recent memory—DKNY’s Houston St mural, ConEdison’s redesigned trucks, and the curvy new Pepsi logo—along with some of the biggest tantrums in the business, but after a disastrous Tropicana redesign, the sharks are circling. And suddenly, people are using the word “huckster” an awful lot…

We examine Mr. Arnell indepth»

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03/17/09
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Jumping Ship

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The exodus of Earnest Sewn’s braintrust continues…

Our friends at UrbanDaddy just let us know about a new coffee shop/general store called The Smile and masterminded by Carlos Quirarte, one of the brains behind Earnest Sewn’s rugged store design. His new project looks intriguing—especially the Ronnybrook Ice Cream—but we can’t help but notice how all of ES’s bright minds are jumping ship lately. It’s enough to make a denim man nervous.

At least we have our straight-legs to remember them by.

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03/10/09
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The Biz

The Importance of Being Earnest

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A small fashion line takes years of nurturing and planning before they sell their first cardigan, so when the original creative forces leave, it tends to be more like a divorce than a career move.

Scott Morrison and Eleanor Ylvisaker founded Earnest Sewn in 2004 and built up the brand in the five years since through clever collaborations, solid craftsmanship and all around sturdy jeans, but as of today they’re both leaving the company for greener pastures. We’re not sure what would drive the two people most tied to the brand to leave it at the same time, but we’re betting it’s something pretty major, and we doubt the economy is making things any easier.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens to the brand without its braintrust—hopefully whoever’s running it is smart enough to keep things on more or less the same course—but we’ll be even more interested to see what Morrison’s next step is. Having built up designer cred as an old-school denim man, there should be more than a few companies itching to bring him on.

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03/09/09
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Materialism

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This bit of raw denim got us thinking. As with most high-end jeans, the main selling point here is the material: the finest Japanese denim, guaranteed keep getting better for decades to come.

Since the fabric warps to fit your body, there isn’t much point in bragging about the cut or the skills of the designer. What you’re buying is the fabric; everything else is secondary. It’s an attention to material you don’t see much outside of bespoke houses, but by now it’s second nature to the streetwear crowd.

Why raw denim still matters»

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03/06/09
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The Biz

Thumbs Down

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As many have noted, the internet’s a pretty rough place. Celebrity tends to attract more abuse than glamour, especially when there’s a hint of success alongside it. And now, if this startup has its way, all that abuse will have a home.

PersonRatings is billing itself as “Yelp for people”—it’s the first site to offer quantitative approach to web celebrity—but giving people an open forum to say things about Julia Allison is a dangerous game, and the nastier it gets, the higher their traffic numbers will go.

On some level, it’s brilliant…we just hope we never see our name on their list.

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03/04/09
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Out For a Swim

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Establishing a national identity can be tough these days, but Brazil has it pretty good. Their chief resources—as far as we can tell—are amazing weather, thousands of miles of beaches, and some of the most beautiful people in the world.

So maybe a swimsuit line or two isn’t such a bad call.

As it happens, Rio de Janiero is turning its attentions to the swimsuits in a big way, starting with a new beachwear fashion week and a general uptick in tropically minded bikinis. It hasn’t made its way around to menswear yet, and we’re not sure we want it too, but don’t be surprised if you see a lot more brightly-colored two-pieces on the beach this summer.

You’ll hear no complaints from us.

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03/03/09
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The Biz

Power of the Press

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Media isn’t the most profitable business these days, but there’s a reason billionaires are always emptying their pockets into magazine and television ventures. There are some things only staggeringly large amounts of money can buy.

Take, for instance, the lovely Ms. Lydia Hearst. Being an heiress is enough to get you onto the gossip pages, but getting into fashion spreads takes the kind of clout only a few families in the world have. But having the same last name as a publishing group usually helps…

Learn about Lydia’s new gig»

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03/02/09
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Mr. Fantastic

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After Monocle used their brand to launch a shop, a newsstand and a half-dozen brilliant collabs, it was only a matter of time before more pubs got in on the action.

The first to catch on is Fantastic Man, a boutique European biannual best known for favoring designers over models for their cover shot. But apparently two issues a year leaves them a little free time for other pursuits like perfumery, because they’re debuting the magazine’s signature cologne next Monday. They’ll follow it up with a candle collaboration with Acne, but we’re still waiting for a bit of apparel to creep into the mix.

Get our take on the impromptu scent»

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02/23/09
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The Week that Was

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Now that the overstimulated fever dream that is Fashion Week has drawn to a close, it’s time to sort the whole mess out through a period of meditative reflection. Our favorites were rag & bone, Simon Spurr, Antonio Azzuolo, General Idea, and Band of Outsiders, but there was plenty more to see that got lost in the shuffle.

Luckily, our friends at Valet Mag have put together a comprehensive but manageable guide to all the menswear to come out of New York Fashion Week, via a little bit of well-applied Flash programming and a whole lot of legwork. Let the browsing begin.

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01/15/09
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Counting Down

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Men.Style’s Material Interest alerted us to WWD’s latest poll ranking cities on menswear spending and the results are a little staggering. Perennially hip, Austin comes in first, closely followed by the loose thread that is Las Vegas. Southern California takes up the next three spots, while the New York area barely makes the list.

Best of all is Salt Lake City in the #7 spot, confirming our long-held theory about Mormon style. Sadly, neither of the Portlands made the cut.

See the top 10 for yourself»

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01/15/09
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And the Nominees Are…

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It’s awards season again, and the menswear group is getting ready for its turn.

We’re talking about the GQ/CFDA awards, an annual August bash that names the menswear designer of the year. The list of nominees just landed in our inbox and, while it’s a little short on Toms, we’re excited to see all the names in one place.

Hear about this year’s nominees»

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01/05/09
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Gadget City

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As we mentioned before, we’re on the cusp of an epochal trip to Las Vegas’ own Consumer Electronics Show, with the help of our trusty sponsor Energi to Go. But since the show is roughly the size of Nevada, we thought we’d appeal to our beneficent readership for a few pointers on what you’d like to see.

Anyone yearning for news on the latest Blackberry? Want to see how flat the flatscreens get these days? If so, drop us a line.

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12/29/08
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On the Move

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The world isn’t all work boots and cardigans, so as of next Wednesday, we’re heading off to Vegas’ own Consumer Electronics Show to scout out a few new gadgets for the new year.

As for how we’re getting there, we’ve found a brand new gadget to pay our way. Say hello to Energi To Go, an egg-shaped trinket powerful enough to charge your phone or blackberry for nine hours or send your favorite blogger to the adult entertainment capital of the world. It runs on two AA batteries, and contains more than 130 square miles of gambling, vice, and generally raucous revelry.

Clearly, we’re very excited.

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12/09/08
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Not My Department

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The New York department stores seem to be taking a page from stockbrokers—the page marked “frenzied panic.”

It was only a few weeks ago that Barneys and Bloomingdale’s announced a simultaneous across the board 40% markdown, but it looks there’s no bottom. Barneys has since raised the number to 60%, with Bergdorf and Saks offering up to 70%. It’s a feeding frenzy, and it has very little to do with Christmas.

Our take on the madness»

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12/05/08
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The Color of Spring

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It’s been a bit of a blue year…but soon that will all be behind us.

Pantone has just named Mimosa as the 2009 Color of the Year, replacing last year’s more muted Blue Iris. After all that time on post-it notes, we have to admit Mimosa’s earned it.

But while we’re not against a little sunshine (especially this time of year), it may get a bit old by the time June rolls around. No one wants sunshine all the time—at least not outside of Alaska.

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12/02/08
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Feeling Thin

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We were all set to write about Kendi—the ties look good right?—only to discover that in the few months since we heard about them, their website has reverted to a zombie site plugging GoDaddy.com. In case you forgot, it’s rough out there, and a dearth of interesting ties is the least of our worries.

If anyone has any news on the fall of Kendi, drop us a line. Otherwise, we’ll just wait for the leftovers to show up on eBay.

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11/06/08
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Bloomtown

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Business may be slowing down lately, but the menswear business is doing just fine according to the Bloomingdale’s CEO. Of course, he probably wouldn’t mention it if he were hocking the family jewels, but it’s nice to know we’re out-consuming the fairer sex.

Our theory: It’s all those desert boots.

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