A Single Man

A Single Man, directed by Tom Ford, is the only film I have ever purchased for the purpose of listening to the director commentary.  It is really a beautiful film, and watching it along with Tom Ford is really quite a pleasure. 

How the Students Stare!

I was reminded of a very engaging character of fiction the other day in a discussion with my literary friend.  I said to him that if I could spend an evening with any one person of fiction, it would probably be Anthony Blanche of Evenlyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited.

The True Prep Aesthetic

The preppy aesthetic is commonly referred to as traditional, classic, and professional.  This may be true when it comes to uniforms.  Preppies typically grow up having to wear uniforms to school, to church, and to family events.  But casual dress is the real opportunity for the presentation of personality.  This is where the preppy aesthetic is truly on display.  The most common features associated with this aesethic are irreverence, color, and playful disdain.  My good friend, Mr. R.E.H, always impresses me with his style choices.  His style is bold, loud, and eminently professional.

The Trouble With Shoes

Shoes, as we all kow, are a tricky thing.  They can either make or break an outfit.  Not unsurprisingly, then, the great likelihood of style impropriety makes it sensible to forgo expertise in this particular area.  Most men, I have noticed, generally rotate between 3-4 shoes annually!  But there are just a few shoe styles that I could never get into.  Here they are:

The LL Bean Boot

I know people love this boot, but they just do not look good, no matter what you wear them with.  In fact, I can't decide which is worst: Tucking the pants into the boot or wearing the pants regularly over the boot.  Both looks are rather awkward.  Please do not wear these boots.


The White-Black Saddle Shoe

Now there is nothing wrong with saddle shoes, provided that you stay away from the standard white-black variety:

These always look awkward, no matter how you wear them.  Other varieties, however, can look really, really nice:

The Wallaby Boot

As you can see, this shoe does not look good either.

The Repp Tie

It seems like every other season a style directory like GQ publishes a piece on the various styles of ties a man should own.  For my own part, I have seen fit to collect nothing but repp ties.  I have never been a fan of busy ties like plaid, madras, or checks.  Solid ties seem too bland and theme-featured ties a bit too contrarian.  The repp tie, on the other hand, is perfect in nearly every instance.  They come in all sorts of patterns and variations, making their accumulation a most worthy pursuit.  There really is no other tie a man needs when he has a sufficient number of repp ties.  And forget all that talk about cotton ties for summer and wool ties for winter.  Ties are an accessory.  That would be like telling one to wear one's gold watch only in the summer or one's ring only in the winter.  Seasonal ties are therefore an oxymoron.  The silk repp tie is the only tie that you will ever need.  Just make sure that you have plenty of them!

The Marks of Pedigree

The Unabashedly Prep blog has an interesting post on "cultured" artwork.  The author mistakenly concludes, however, that equestrian art is more consistent with the prep aesthetic than canvas portraits of distant relatives.

Anyone who has had the pleasure of visiting a home with these family portraits knows how absolutely stunning they are.  For one, they cannot be duplicated.  And secondly, they invariable have a special connection with the home in which they hang.  This makes them truly unique in a way that other "theme-featured" artwork can can never be. 

Tie Haberdashery

I love wearing either a tie bar or a collar pin with my ties.  But strangely enough, and for reasons I cannot quite articulate, I have never felt comfortable wearing these accessories at the same time.  I suppose it is because they serve different purposes.  The collar pin produces an arc at the tie knot while the tie bar helps to keep the tie firmly in place.  But practicality has never been the raison d'etre for style.  Perhaps it is because men are not supposed to wear too much "jewelry."  Whatever the reason, I still am looking for my first real encounter with someone who is wearing both.

The J. Crew Bowery Pant in Urban Slim Fit

I, too, am a very big advocate of picture online shopping.  I feel much better about ordering something online when I have first seen it advertised on a model.  The Ralph Lauren and Rugby sites are great for this; J. Press not so much.  But these pictures, like all pictures, can be misleading.  And nowhere are they more misleading, I believe, than the J. Crew Bowery Pant (in the Urban Slim Fit).  This truly is an excellent pant at an exceptionally low price.  It is a dress pant.  It feels and looks like a professional pant, and it fits perfectly.  The leg opening and width of the pant are neither too skinny nor too wide.  And the break, for me, is perfect.  I couldn't even have my own tailor duplicate these results.  I do hope J. Crew continues experimenting with this pant.  I own nearly every color in the Bowery cotton twill and the Bowery cord (both in the urban slim fit).  I would like to see other pant styles introduced in the Bowery series such as, for example, an embroidered pant, an embroidered cord pant, a bright cord pant, a madras pant, a linen pant, and a tweed wool pant.  I can promise you now that I would patronize each variation ardently.  I have not yet had the privilege of wearing $400 pants, but at $70 these pants are simply perfect.

Breaking the Rules of Fashion

Perhaps the most valuable lesson from Glenn O'Brien is the importance of a restrained disregard for established rules of fashion.  Indeed, these experiments, as I call them, are the prerequisites to evolution in style.  What is considered daring one day, is widely accepted the next, and becomes expected shortly thereafter.  The no-sock look is one example; slim ties another.  I have attempted to initiate a few of my own, and will share some of them on here.

I.  The Snap Collar Oxford

This shirt, being already a rarity, has a snap button feature at the collar that enables the tie to be worn at an arc:

I became very much interested in this look, and currently own three snap-collar shirts.  But I have begun to button my snap collar over the tie rather than behind it.  This look is so rare and unacceptable that I cannot find any pictures of it.  But I am sure that you get the idea.  It eliminates the stylish arc, to be sure, but it has the advantage of keeping the tie buttoned down and thus serves as a sort of ersatz tie clip.  It is also a very bold look because the button snap is now readily discernible to passersby.

II.  The new department store sportcoat

Most sportcoats available at large department store include a tag containing the brand name sewn onto one of the sleeves near the wrist:

The tag here appears on the left sleeve of the jacket.  I currently own two sportcoats that still have this tag sewn onto it.  My father inadvertently introduced me to the idea by insisting that I leave the side pockets sewn up.  He would say that whatever you cannot fit into your trouser pockets should not be carried around anyway.  I heeded his advice but went a step further and decided to leave the name brand tag as well.  This is a very bold look because people will invariably mistake this style choice for negligence.

The V-Neck and the Half-Zip

I have never been a fan of the v-neck sweater as a layering piece.  The wide neck opening makes it difficult for the shirt underneath to remain in place and has the undesirable effect of stretching out the neck of the oxford shirt.  Consider this picture:

This is the inevitable result of layering a v-neck sweater over an on oxford shirt.  It is surprising, therefore, why so few men consider the half-zip sweater as an alternative to the v-neck.  It is, I suppose, typically heavier, which would make it difficult to layer with a sportcoat.  But sportcoats are not always necessary.  Just consider the difference with the half-zip sweater:

The half-zip sweater has a much cleaner look when it is layered with an oxford shirt.  The neck of the oxford is more likely to remain in place, and the opening of the sweater can always be adjusted.  The v-neck does, however, have one advantage over the half-zip: it works quite well on its own:

The fact that the v-neck works well on its own, and the half-zip does not, proves, I think, that the half-zip is a superior alternative to the v-neck sweater as a layering piece.

The Romance of the French

"Were I (who to my cost already am
One of those strange, prodigious creatures, man)
A spirit free to choose, for my own share,
What case of flesh and blood I pleased to wear"
... I'd be a Parisian! 

I try to avoid cultural generalizations unless, of course, they come as a panegyric.  I have always found romance and beauty in all things French.  There is a certain playful insouciance to their lifestyle that I find so charming.  Consider this video, which very nicely contrasts the intellectual seriousness and cultural sterility of American sensibilities against the pleasurable and gregarious behavior of the Parisians in the late eighteenth century:

Or this video on the beautiful sonority of the French language:

This video is the perfect visual accompaniment to the themes that I have attempted to explore on this blog.   

What is a Dandy?

Readers are encouraged to consult their nearest dictionary for a description of a dandy.  There they will find a description of an exceptionally vain and conceited person.  One is invariably left with the impression that a dandy is a creature of artificiality and naive pretense (in other words a man without substance and character).  I find this to be wildly inaccurate.  This is because my own understanding of a dandy has been inspired and informed by literary portraitures and vignettes.  The dandy was the character of wit, wisdom, and philosophy.  He possessed perfect locution, tremendous insight, and fascinating views.  The characters of Max Beerbohm's stories, for example, are particularly instructive.  They are men finely dressed, well-mannererd, subtly devious, and always cynical.  They were filled with life because their lives revolved around the enjoyment of life.  In the opening scene to his classic "Enoch Soames," Mr. Beerbohm writes of his introduction to this society.  He rather accidentally falls into the company of a group of dandies who frequent taverns to drink sweet vermouth (straight!) and smoke cigarettes.  Their excessive pre-occupation with dress was not, contra the modern dictionary, suggestive of a personal shortcoming or flaw.  It was instead an indication of their intellectual profundity.  Not just any man can go to a professional tavern to drink vermouth and engage in cynical conversation.  It requires a personality, a man of the world, and of books.  Their appearance was, I think, intended to facilitate the expression of this motif.  But the dictionary would have us identify these characters as neurotic, obsessive, and socially awkward.  This definition cannot stand.



The Three Watches Every Man Should Own

Style can often stand or fall on the strength of a man's accessories.  A good friend of mine once implored me to invest in quality sunglasses.  At the time, I wore $10 imitation Ray-Bans and could not understand his admonishment.  I was foolishly satisfied with the knowledge that my glasses appeared to be real.  And so, eager to improve my lot, my good friend decided to purchase real Ray-Bans for me as a gift.  I have never looked back since.  Quality accessories really do improve the deportment of man.  And so I take this opportunity to present what I consider to be the three watches every man should own.

I.  The Tank Watch

This watch by Citizen retails for about $150.  It is most appropriately worn in professional environs.

II.  The Gold Watch

This is the exact watch that I own.  It is made by Pulsar and typically retails for around $100.  Stay away from black-faced gold watches.  Wear this in the evening.

III.  The Preppy Band Watch

This band can be purchased from the J. Crew site and attached to really any kind of watch.  I usually attach this band to a $6 Quartz watch I purchase at Walmart.  I wear this watch during the day when I am at the park or the winery.

My Summer of Love

I have always advocated the view that how you say something is more important than what you say.  And similarly, when it comes to film, I have always believed that how something is done is more important than what is being done.  "My Summer of Love," a British film about bisexual curiosity and intrigue, is one of the most stylish movies I have ever seen, even though I did not care a whiff for the plot.

The Pitfalls of Expert Tailoring: Part I

This topic will likely develop into a series of related posts on the problems associated with men's tailoring.  I begin with the most problematic: the oxford shirt.  Oxford shirts, generally speaking, need tailoring.  Exceptions to this rule include shirts that are marketed as slim or extra-slim (Brooks Brothers, for example).  But as a general rule, sport shirts require tailoring.  This includes tapering the sides and sleeves and putting darts in the back.

This picture perfectly illustrates the effects of expert tailoring.  The shirt neatly tucks into the trousers and the high armholes ensures that the shirt will remain tucked in.  Darts are also necessary to prevent the shirt from billowing out from behind.  But there is a cost to this improved look.  The high armholes effect, which is necessary to prevent the shirt from becoming displaced, also creates a constricted and taut armpit area.  I thus invariably sweat in this area, not because I am particularly active or because of torrid conditions, but because the area is just so compressed.  The effect, of course, is terribly uncomfortable, which would, I suppose, be tolerable if it didn't have the additional consequence of being terribly unsightly!

The untailored shirt conveniently obviates this sartorial problem.  But as Oscar Wilde observed, lillies that fester are still better than weeds.  That is our consolation.

The Philosophy of Style

I would define style as being informed, exceptional, polished, and elegant.  Style is therefore opposed in every respect to things ignorant, common, and vulgar.  Consequently, style is, and will continue to remain, the exclusive province of the elite.

The Despotism of Custom

Custom is a term used to describe tradition, heritage, and culture.  The beneficiaries of custom typically manifest a distrust of individuality, which is, I am happy to say, the hallmark of style.  This can most readily be seen by comparing a WASP to a stylish individual.  For example, a WASP is indifferent to style because he is inured to custom.  Consider this picture:

This person is, in the context of this discussion, entirely without style.  His look is instead the product of custom.  Now consider this picture:

Now this look possesses individuality.  It is a development of the WASP aesthetic, to be sure.  But proponents of traditional style will object to its affectation.  They will say that distressed jeans should occur naturally and that popped collars should be used as cover from the elements.  These people forget, however, that the unlikeness of one person to another makes possible the creation of something better than either.  

Declaration of Purpose

This blog is an experiment in style commentary.  Style is as protean as thought is varied, and I intend for this blog to be a medium for the conjoining of thought to style.  Style, after all, is a philosophy, and those who choose to comment upon it should not do so idly.