Mister Crew

Page 39 of 97

July 13, 2010

Silver Slide Buckles

It needs a good polishing, but I finally got around to getting a new belt for this sterling silver slide buckle that I’ve had lying around unused for the past few years. Made in England like the best of them, it was purchased from J.Crew of all places back when they attempted to sell a small selection of high end goods under their own name. An engraving will come next.

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Below, an example of one being worn from Ralph Lauren. These types of buckles are usually very small (about an 1″ or so in height), but they provide a nice visual break for your clothing when worn. The other benefit to these is that the leather straps can be easily switched out with other colors/materials.

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A few buckle options available to purchase online:
– Sid Mashburn, $175. Also available in a lesser expensive brass.
– Brooks Brothers, $228.
– Tiffany & Co, $215.
– Ralph Lauren, $150.

Both Brooks Brothers and Sid Mashburn sell the needed 1″ leather belt straps.

July 12, 2010

Hats Off to Ecuador

A short piece on panama hats from an issue of The Rotarian in 1956:

The next time you put on that crisp, cool “Panama” hat, remember to thank the Ecuadorians – they made it! This year their South American country will produce 4 million hats, 90 percent of which will be exported to the United States. And, as it has every year, Panama will get the credit. One story has it that Ferdinand de Lesseps, builder of the Panama Canal, bought Ecuadorian straws in Panama marketplaces; others engaged on that project followed suit – and the vogue was born. The toquilla straw of Ecuador became known as the “Panama” – and the name has stuck.

Click on the image to view the full version.

July 12, 2010

The Business of Selling Luxury Online

There was an article in yesterday’s NYTimes on how some luxury companies are rethinking their plans for online retailing:

In the genteel world of luxury, companies long felt that the Web was no place for merchandising exclusive products. And there was a gentlemen’s agreement with department stores not to siphon sales by reaching out directly to wealthy customers.

Then, in came the recession, and out went the niceties. Department stores slashed prices on $1,200 handbags, while luxury lines fretted about losing their exclusivity. Now, come September, marcjacobs.com is going retail, 10 years after most brands opened Web showrooms.

Selling high end goods online no longer carries the same negative connotation it was once had and companies can be successful if they’re smart about it. Third party companies such as Gilt and Yoox will also become much larger players in this area, and I would expect that we’ll soon see more designers working directly with them to use their existing platforms instead of rolling out their own.

Continue reading more.

July 12, 2010

Aubercy’s Button Boots

New in at Leffot, button boots from Aubercy. They’re about as unique as they are arcane, and these types of boots are nowadays only produced by small manufacturers due to their niche demand. If you’d like to see a visual guide of how to use a button hook, Japanese store Otsuka has a pictorial.

Here’s another modern pair from J.M. Weston, once featured in the now defunct Last magazine:
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They were much more common during the 19th century, but slowly fell out of favor as laced boots and oxfords became more accepted in fashion circles. Even then shoemakers were always trying to come up with different methods to make them easier to put on.

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Below, an illustration of a shoe laster working on a pair of button boots. From Harper’s Magazine, 1885.

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On the left, Ernest Shackleton wearing button boots with formal wear.

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July 11, 2010

Twain Says What He Meant

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The NYTimes has an article on the upcoming first volume of the autobiography of Mark Twain. The papers have been locked away for the past 100 years (previously only being available to researchers) and were recorded in the last four years before his death in 1910 – instead of writing it himself, he paid someone to copy down his thoughts on a wide array of subjects thinking it would be more entertaining for readers.

Wry and cranky, droll and cantankerous — that’s the Mark Twain we think we know, thanks to reading “Huck Finn” and “Tom Sawyer” in high school. But in his unexpurgated autobiography, whose first volume is about to be published a century after his death, a very different Twain emerges, more pointedly political and willing to play the role of the angry prophet…

…About literary figures of his time, however, Twain has relatively little to say. He dislikes Bret Harte, whom he dismisses as “always bright but never brilliant”; offers a sad portrait of an aged and infirm Harriet Beecher Stowe; and lavishly praises his friend William Dean Howells. He reserved criticism of novelists whose work he disliked (Henry James, George Eliot) for his letters.

Critics, though, are another story. “I believe that the trade of critic, in literature, music, and the drama, is the most degraded of all trades, and that it has no real value,” Twain writes. “However, let it go,” he adds. “It is the will of God that we must have critics, and missionaries, and Congressmen, and humorists, and we must bear the burden.”

Continue reading more. The first volume is available for preorder on Amazon for just under $20.

July 10, 2010

The Playboy Club

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A fun history read on the first Playboy Club in Chicago:

February 29, 1960 was a historic day for Chicago and the world. Playboy magazine owner Hugh Hefner decided that Leap Year would be an appropriate time for him to open up the world’s first Playboy Club on Walton Street in the Gold Coast. The club, having hired from the local talent pool, provided the first appearance of the Playboy Bunnies. These Bunnies, with their satin corsets, bunny ears and fluffy white tails served those fortunate enough to be “Keyholders” in the style of the old gaslight clubs. As VIPs of the club, Keyholders could enter the club at anytime and indulge in an atmosphere filled with music, alcohol and nubile women. The flagship Chicago location was so successful in its inaugural year that, it not only become the busiest club in the world, but it was also the first of 40 locations – each being referred to by Newsweek as a “Disneyland for adults.”

Back in the 50’s and 60’s, Playboy wasn’t just porn – it was a lifestyle brand for the mid-century American man.

Further reading on The Selvedge Yard: Iconic Branding of a Bunny Kind

Heffner was gifted with an ironic stroke of fate when the original “Stag Club” name that was going to grace his new men’s magazine was legally blocked by Stag magazine. He needed a new handle, and the stag was soon converted to the now iconic bunny, in a historic and innuendo-laden rename. Playboy later ran a pictorial article on Chicago’s Gaslight Club, and was overwhelmed by thousands of readers requesting to join this exclusive key members club. Playboy execs smelled a golden opportunity, and soon plans were laid to open their own private key holder’s club. All that was needed now was the vision.

July 9, 2010

Engineered Garments Fall/Winter 2010 Preview

Houyhnhnm has a preview of some of the new Bedford jackets in the Engineered Garments Fall/Winter collection, one in a variated knit pattern and the other in a windowpane fabric.

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Also – I missed this from earlier this year, but the Non-No guys seem to have gotten a shot of the new leather jackets (below on the right). On the left is a blanket lined parka and a blue quilted vest.

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Hopefully the lookbook for the full collection will be released publicly soon, and we can probably expect that they’ll start shipping things within the next month or two.

Update: Nepenthes has updated their site with a new journal for this week showing a few more items including a nice plaid workshirt (the pattern is much more wearable than the bright ones from last year) and a new corduroy Irving vest.

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Update 2: The Fall/Winter 2010 lookbook is now out.

July 8, 2010

Tony Wilding

“Anthony ‘Tony’ Frederick Wilding (October 31, 1883 in Christchurch, New Zealand – May 9, 1915 near Neuve-Chapelle, Pas-de-Calais, France) was a champion tennis player and a soldier killed in action during World War I. He was the co-World No. 1 in 1911 and 1912 and the World No. 1 player in 1913. Pete Sampras was the first person to break his record across multiple Wimbledon wins in doubles, singles and mixed doubles.”

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“He was a keen motorcycle (with sidecar) rider with many long trips in Europe, New Zealand and America. In 1908 he won a gold medal in a reliability trial from Land’s End to John o’ Groats. Several ‘mighty rides’ (Myers) in Europe in 1910 included London to Lake Geneva and back, some 3000 miles (4800 km), including 350 miles (560 km) from Evian to Paris in one day.”

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Sources: Wikipedia, anthonywilding.com

July 8, 2010

Free & Easy’s Jacket Run

Taking inspiration from the latest tweed runs, Free & Easy came up with a “Jacket Run” version for summer in their July issue where they focus on using lighter fabrics. Lots of great classic bikes and accessories are included.

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jacket_run_02 Read more

July 7, 2010

Bermuda Shorts

Reading a recent post on shorts over on HTJ, I was reminded of the similar photos from LIFE. The pictures only tell half of the story though, so I went digging for the actual issue that reported on the trend.

“Thirsty cluster of patrons in P.J. Clarke’s saloon on Manhattan’s Third Avenue often includes male shorts-wearers. Custom began among young men who wore shorts for Sunday afternoon lounging at home, kept them on as they wandered out to neighborhood bars.”

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“Correct outfits require long wool socks, here include cotton shorts($10) worn with a madras jacket ($32, both Brooks Brothers), worsted shorts ($17) and Argylls ($13, both Fenn-Feinstein).”

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Continue reading more.

A collection of things on men's clothing and culture

Page 39 of 97

Silver Slide Buckles

Hats Off to Ecuador

The Business of Selling Luxury Online

Aubercy’s Button Boots

Twain Says What He Meant

The Playboy Club

Engineered Garments Fall/Winter 2010 Preview

Tony Wilding

Free & Easy’s Jacket Run

Bermuda Shorts

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