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Fair Isle Done 14 Ways—Sweaters, Socks, Sneakers and More
- Published on Friday, 05 October 2012 13:15
- Matt Bell
- 0 Comments
Back in the early 1920′s when then Prince of Wales, Edward VIII, took to wearing some multi-color knit tank tops crafted on some place called Fair Isle in Scotland, he probably never imagined that some of the world’s most respected designers would, about 90 years later, make it one of the staples of menswear style. To be sure, true Fair Isle can only be made on the Scottish island of said name, but who is anyone in fashion to stick to the rules? And actually, who even said Fair Isle has to be knit? There’s a watch here that would beg to differ. After the jump, you’ll find the sharpest, styles of Fair Isle for sale right now. Backpacks, gloves, scarves, hats, hoodies, socks and, well…more.
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2) The Zip Up
D&G Fair Isle Cardigan; $600 at farfetch.com Be warned, random people may snuggle up on you. -
3) The Tie
Steven Alan Point End Knit Tie; $125 at stevenalan.com For business or pleasure. -
4) The Belt
Topman Brown Fair Isle Belt; $28 at topman.com Trendy today, classic tomorrow. -
5) The Jacket
Oliver Spencer Pilot Jacket; $545 at oliverspencer.com A Fair Isle Bomber? Why yes, says fine British designer Oliver Spencer. We concur. -
6) The Sweater Vest
Ralph Lauren Wool Fair Isle Vest; $295 at ralphlauren.com To match with any color. -
7) The Hat
Patrick Ervell Pattern Knit Cap; $105 at openingceremony.com Made from 100% Peruvian alpaca it's also really soft. -
8) The Shoe
Keds Chukka Suede; $75 at keds.com Sometimes, it's just all about the lining. -
9) The Hoodie
Brooks Brothers Fair Isle Hoodie; $148 at brooksbrothers.com Loud, but lambswool. -
10) The Backpack
Junya Watanabe Blue Fair Isle Wool Backpack; $360 at number3store.com The authority on Fair Isle Backpacks. -
11) The Gloves
Burberry Fair Isle Cashmere Gloves; $375 at burberry.com There may be other cashmere gloves out there, but they're not these. -
12) The Scarf
Paul Smith Grey Fair Isle Scarf; $260 at paulsmith.com Children of the 80's and their grandparents might agree on this one. -
13) The Sock
Chup Liomi Sock; $38 at unionlosangeles.com Your ankle will appreciate the pop. -
14) The Watch
Asos Fair Isle Watch; $27 at asos.com Because the time should always be ten after the red stripe.
Related: The 5 Ways to Wear a Vest Jacket This Fall
Sandro Mens Fall 2012: How to be Forwardly Elegant
- Published on Thursday, 04 October 2012 15:20
- Matt Bell
- 0 Comments
With a new namesake Madison Avenue store, featuring the full range of Sandro Mens Fall 2012, it’s looking to be a big season for the French brand and its growing relationship with us men (Sando was founded in the early 80′s but didn’t start menswear ’till 2008). First, the collection, in which designer Ilan Chetrite (son of the company’s founder and womenswear designer Evelyn Chetrite) delivers a slew of covetable items for the stately and elegant fellow. Sport the tailored navy, cropped, double breasted blazer that’s made from 100% wool and lined in comfortable mesh for finer affairs, or throw in the blue, striped tunic and go when it’s more casual. The shearling’s a nice touch on the cropped peacoat, leather aviator and the denim jacket and the native print on the knit sweater and the slight fisherman’s cardigan chills out, demurely, on the apex of trendy current-ness. And also, there’s some unexpected gems like the belted peacoat with asymmetrical top pocket. You can pick all this stuff up at their online shop, or at any of their boutiques that happen to carry mens (check here for a full list), including that store on Madison we spoke of earlier—a stone’s throw from Central Park West and the Whitney Museum, it’s a 1300 square foot steel and wood space that perfectly compliments the chic and modern tone of Sandro’s clothing.
The 5 Ways to Wear a Vest Jacket This Fall
- Published on Thursday, 04 October 2012 13:17
- Matt Bell
- 0 Comments
While there’s a lot to look forward to, sartorially speaking, in this fall season of newly cool temperatures (even if its going to be like 80 degrees in New York City tomorrow), none is as particularly autumnal (or versatile) as the outerwear vest. Those sleeveless jackets that keep you warm, let you move around and, most importantly, give you plenty of layering options. This season’s biggest trends— from quilted and knits (which’ll transition from outer to under layers well come winter) to classic puffers and mixed fabrics—are waiting for you, after the jump.
The Quilted Vest
1) Kenzo Reversible Quilted Vest; $550 at barneys.com
There’s two kinds of gentleman wrapped up in this cotton and polyester (with corduroy trim) guy—nylon for when you’re feeling sporty, paisley for those more colorful moments.
2) White Mountaineering Quilted Pertex Taffeta Vest; $630 at ssense.com
Japanese minimal quirk at its most demure. Even the chest has concealed zip pockets.
The Knit
1) Miharayasuhiro Mohair Aran Knit Vest; $1852 at luisaviaroma.com
You’ll want to walk around with a permanently steaming mug of coco, or whatever, in this down feather lined mohair vest.
2) Wings and Horns Ombre Hand Knitted Vest; $425 at rodengray.com
We can trust the Canadians when it comes to knits.
The Mixed Fabric
1) Ralph Lauren Denim & Supply Multi-Patchwork Vest; $198 at ralphlauren.com
Here’s at least two fabrics we love about fall—suede in the yolk and faded flannel patchwork for the body.
2) Dolce & Gabbana Corduroy and Matt Nylon Vest; $1045 at luisaviaroma.com
Corduroy and nylon puff (here in an unassuming matt), stuffed with down feathers and accompanied by a hood will keep you looking fresh till perhaps the spring.
The Puffer
1) Stone Island Shadow Down Jacket; $565 at stoneisland.com
The unusual webbing pattern had us right away. Here’s one way to not look generic in this very popular of styles.
2) Adidas Slvr M Down Vest; $410 at revolveclothing.com
And here’s another, especially with the double buttons.
The patterned
1) Rocky Mountain Embroidered Vest; $1232 at colette.fr
Native inspirations aren’t going anywhere and we haven’t seen Teepees yet.
2) Drumohr X Nick Wooster; $895 at barneys.com
Not only is Nick Wooster taking over the world, but so is Fair Isle. This is also a mixed fabric look by the way, cashmere and nylon.
The New Affordable Stylish Headphone: Coloud Headphones
- Published on Thursday, 04 October 2012 12:10
- Matt Bell
- 0 Comments
We just killed a good ten or minutes or so playing around with the color tools on the Coloud Headphones website before we realized exactly what was going on. So here’s the deal. Coloud is a a brand new line of bang for the buck (like $40 for 40 mm dynamic driver cheap), highly durable headphones, with more than a few alluring design/style features. The first of which is color selection—you can pick between “blocks” which give some nice contrasting options (like grey and orange or blue, black, green and pink) or, “transitions” if you’re more into the tonal thing (like light and dark green, turquoise and dark blue). Also, there’s cable control. Each pair of Coloud Headphones also comes equipped with a microphone and remote on the cord for picking up calls, and features the a flat Tangle-Free cable that can be wrapped around the patent-pending Zound Lasso and secured firmly into place with the pliable angled plug. So far there’s three models, Boom ($40) for the full canned effect, Knock ($30) for a more lightweight feel, and the Pop ($25) to go all earbud. You can go play with the colors on the website, or head into Target or Macy’s who’ve just picked them up.
Something You'll Want for Spring 2013 (That You Can Buy Now): Breese Shorts
- Published on Thursday, 04 October 2012 10:49
- Matt Bell
- 0 Comments
There’s a brand new, mostly shorts collection launching for spring 2013 that mens buyers from Scoop to Kitson have all but gobbled up for Spring 2013. It’s called Breese and their schtick is quirky conservatism. What that means are square cut shorts (or mid-thigh, depends on your size) peppered with all-over hunting/military inspired graphics—tanks, rifles, soldiers, native americans and buffalos…and…squirrels and flying pigs. Uh…not sure how those last two fit in, but no matter, the patterns are still pretty cool. So is the selection of colorways which range from lime to mustard to olive and, we’re guessing that’s blood red. Also some solid plaid options. As of now there’s some T’s in the mix and they’re planning to add hoodies and accessories. The designer behind the new label is Tim Breese. The guy recently quit his corporate job to pursue his love of illustration, a career change that his fashion industry wife helped steer into the sartorial direction. Not bad, wifey! Their people tell us that the cool kids in LA—like Justin Timberlake, Liam Hemsworth, Zac Efron and Drake (or their stylists)—have snatched up some Breese shorts already. Which, interestingly enough, isn’t that hard. Despite being a collection for Spring 2013, they’re already selling them via their website here. (checkout the the selection after the jump)
