Selfish, selfless, style...

Style never resides in a piece of clothing it is simply the pen, the tool that gives the author the ability to express himself." -unknown

I think that personal style is an artform all its own, it has always been my belief that stylish friends can go into a store love the same piece purchase it, they can all wear it the same day and each will communicate something very different to their audience. The wonderful people at BKc (Brooklyn Circus),by the way I love these urban gents sense of image communication, provided a perfect representation of this in this picture. Each fella rocking a newsboy (or gatsby whichever you prefer) cap, and naval cardigan.



Now lets take a look at the subtle personal nuances that separate each individual from the other.



Each of them is projecting an air of casualness just in different ways. My man in the red tee, finished off his look with a pair or gray jeans and what appear to be white Nantucket brogues, the red adding a pop of color that would further accentuate the red in the patch on his arm, the cuffed pants offer more of a broad transition as they can be worn more places than shorts can, but still isn't dressed up either.

The next gentleman wore a tee as well but the gray color mutes his look which offers an understated element as if to say I'm styling on you but I don't have to put it in your face, he pairs his look with brown cargo shorts which can be fashionable as well as functional (may need the extra pocket space)but still ads refinement to the look with the brown tassel loafers.

The last dandy of the bunch is more to my taste ( I really don't wear t-shirts that much) pairing a powder blue long sleeve casual button down shirt, with self rolled paper denim shorts with brown driving loafers, and tops it off with a neckercheif if I'm not mistaken. This is probably my favorite look because the neckercheif adds a touch of panache to the overall look elevated to common folk, yet not pretentious, insighting inquiry into the ensemble.

"Here at The BKc we never try to be like each other, we all embrace our own personal Style + Character. But we are all definitely inspired by each other on a daily basis whether it be conscience or unconscience." -BK Circus

Milky...

It's summertime and no matter where you are you're we're all being affected by the heat, and whether you're a hipster or dandy you have hats in your wardrobe much like these. Panamas, fedoras, all healthy staples to have in any wardrobe.



The thing that makes these Borsalino hats unique is not only the lock and key, or knocker embellishments on the hats (inspired by Alice in wonderland), or their resilience to folding or rolling (pictured above). We've seen that before, these hats are actually good for you...The interlining of the hat is composed of a material made of Milkofil, an innovative biological fiber made from casein—the main protein in milk—which (according to the brand) helps to moisturize the scalp, stimulate blood circulation, and is a natural antibacterial agent. I guess Milk really does a body good.

Behind the scenes @ Burberry

Here are some shots of the Burberry A/W 09 campaign featuring Emma Watson, but the real star of the shots is these jackets. I love that Christopher Bailey (creative director) has returned back to the essence of Burberry's brand classic elegance, while fusing it with a contemporary style of the tapered or skinny jeans or t-shirt, while still urging men to dress up, even if the bow ties are clip-on. While these were some of my favorites check out more at selectism.com

Got it at the Gatsby...

We all read the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald in high school right? (if you didn't read it now) Well in New York every year on Governor's Island you get a little taste of the time at The Roaring '20s Dance and Hot Jazz Picnic with jazz, flappers, and lessons on how to do the Peabody and Charleston, here are some pics from the Sartorialist.









While I absolutely love the style of the 20's and 30's, the thing I most admire is peoples sense of tact, and decorum. Knowing what was appropriate for the time and situation and dealing with it accordingly. Even gangsters had manners.

"I've been everywhere and seen everything and done everything…Sophisticated - God, I'm sophisticated." -The Great Gatsby

The Vicarious Life

You all have met my good friend Damien K. Brown



(that's right ladies and gentlemen I only put myself around people who challenge my intellect and reinforce my style but I digress) he has been kind enough to let me use some pictures he took when he visited one of my favorite men's haberdashers in New York Jay Kos. I have to live vicariously through him until I get to NYC myself but here's a brief tour...






His shop isn't really that big in reference to a lot of other shops I've been to but he makes very good use of his space. And as you can see something doesn't have to take up a lot of space to make a lasting impression.



I have nothing but the utmost respect for Kanye West, but I'd definitely pass up on some Kanye LV's to cop some of these.



While I haven't been to his shop yet, I read some reviews that said he can be a little pricey and my rebuttal is you have to pay for quality. Besides you're not going to find the pieces he carries just anywhere. Besides where else are you going to have classic English cuts, Italian styling, and American charm? It's definitely worth stopping by to take a look around and spending time with Mr. Kos.




I mean honestly you have to love a guy who is smooth enough to wear snake skin leather pants and make it look so effortless, talk about real style. Check out an interview Scott Schuman of the Sartorialist did with him. And if you're ever on the upper east side stop in and check him out...I know I will.



988 Lexington Ave
(between 71st St & 72nd St)
New York, NY 10021
(212) 327-2382

Nearest Transit:
68th St (6)

The simple things in life....

"It's so funny, we get caught up in so many things as human beings and sometimes we forget the simple things in life; the simple things in life get overlooked...the poetry of the project is that no matter how good it looks to people, for me, the taste of cupcakes is worth more than diamonds could ever be"...


The thing that I admire about Pharrell Williams isn't his production skills, or his sense of style, it's his philosophy toward life, he remains humble, and always seems to remember that the clothes, the diamonds (he doesn't wear bling) and the prestige don't define him, they are simply a reflection of who he his. Find yourself...Find your joy.

A tailor and his needle and thread is a artist to his paint brush...Artisty at its best

There is a difference between individual style and classic style, in both person and brand. The classic brands never go out of style but the individualized style of a brand or its "brand identity" that always gets the critical acclaim. Brands like Brioni have been around for decades and have always dedicated themselves to quality construction, and quality relationship with their clients. I recently came across an article about how they are inspiring some trends today and wanted to show some attention to this wonderful brand. Using some pictures from Brioni: Fifty Years of Style by Cristina Giorgetti



While many in today's sartorial deem Brioni a classic brand I still believe that they maintain a certain level of artistry in their clothing, certainly in quality and construction, but the abstract the avante garde artist still lies there subtly in the tone of color, the width of their lapel, the weave of their fabric.




As we take a look at the visual history it's not hard to see that its always been there, colorful expressive, fun all the while elegant, luxurious, and yes at times opulent, but always unique and ahead of its time. Always beautiful constructed, sometimes with hours upon hours of attention to the details no one may see. A time consuming process that brought each client along for the journey. That's the beauty of clothing to me at least the time that it takes to create it, the skill it takes to make it, and the expression it provides when it's worn. Clothes truly are wearable art.








It's no wonder that Brioni has thousands of young designers and tailors applying to study under masters of this dying art...