The Latest: Saturday 04 July 2009
 | Unfortunate Clothing Company Names | FailThis is no judgment on the quality of the clothing, because we wouldn't know, but some companies' names make us facepalm every time we hear them. Acne Jeans, for instance, is apparently denim for people with bad complexions. Yes, we know it's actually an acronym from this Swedish company. Something was lost in translation. Under Armor is also unfortunate if you just hear the name, and don't know how it's spelled. An "under armer" is probably an existing term for a variety of Japanese fetishist. But the winner is Sag Harbor: Talk about a word no dame wants to be associated with. This sounds like a derogatory term for a place overrun with out-of-shape women. "Hey, any hotties at the club tonight?" "No, man, it was a total sag harbor." What, was "Droop City" taken? |
 
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 | The Canadian Design ResourceHappy Canada Day / Bonne Fête du Canada! Celebrate 142 years of Canuck design with one of our favourite sites, The Canadian Design Resource. An incredible volume of interesting graphics, products, art and more is featured, sometimes several posts per day. Equal time is given to postage stamps from the early 20th Century and modern furnishings produced today (or even prototypes we'll buy next year). A wonderful tour of Canadian design from the humble to the sublime. Shown: Calgary Stampede manhole cover, Furni McGill Flip Clock. |
 | Shawl Cardigans Keep Rolling | BuyOne of our favourite knitwear trends over the past couple of years has been the resurgence of the shawl collar cardigan, which of course we all remember seeing on stylish gents from decades past. Summer's here and we're glad to see the piece keeps rolling on. The warm-weather version is light weight, light in colour, maybe linen or a loose weave. Wear out on cool evenings or poolside after a swim. Shown: J. Crew (left), Hugo Boss (right).29.jun.2009 style |
 | Don't Stop 'Til You Get EnoughIt almost doesn't sound possible, but we think the man regarded as the greatest pop star of all time was actually underrated—his singing, dancing, and general shenanigans all drew so much attention that people often overlooked what a phenomenal producer, arranger, and songwriter Michael Jackson was. He cleanly fused influences as far-flung as Kraftwerk and James Brown without sounding anything like any of them. And he forged his own style, in the same over-the-top tradition as Gianni Versace: he dressed like Michael Jackson, period. He was a man's man who did whatever the f**k he wanted through the sheer force of his power and immeasurable talent. We'll miss him. |
 | Mailbag: The Summer Scarf | BuyFB writes: "Summer scarf: yes or no?" Answer: Answer: Yes, it's a nice touch for chilly mornings or cool evenings. As a bonus, this might be a good first step for necktie wearers attempting to wean themselves off of the corporate noose. The important things to remember are: 1. Really light weight, either something like silk/linen or a gauzy synthetic. 2. Get one that's long enough to work with. And 3. Tie it in a way that it will warm or at least keep the sun off your neck (left), instead of hanging it loose like some sort of man-necklace (right). (Photos: ASOS) |
 | Preppy style: it's a JOKE, people... | FailEvery once in a while, someone like The New York Times produces an article declaring that preppy style has returned as an honest-to-God fashion trend to the U.S. from whichever distant culture was sporting it ironically as a sort of sartorial Jerry Lewis. And at those times it reminds us that there's a new generation that needs to be warned of the dangers of taking this seriously. So just to be clear, for all you kids out there: Gregg Marmalard, the impotent president of Omega House in Animal House, was SUPPOSED to be a douchebag. They dressed him to look like a douchebag, and everyone who wants to emulate him is a douchebag too. Now put down the J. Press catalogue and find a hobby that will be less damaging to your future, like experimenting with drugs or unprotected sex. |
 | Iran UntiedIran might be sort of a messed-up place right now, but they're ahead of us in one regard: this is a country where you can run for president without wearing a necktie. In fact, you have to—apparently the ol' silk choke-chain is considered a decadent symbol of western culture. (See somewhat dated BBC article on the subject.) Whatever the reason, it doesn't surprise us that Mir Hossein Mousavi (shown) is in front of Ben Stein, both politically and stylistically. Photo: ISNA/Hamid Forootan. |
 | Mailbag: 2009 Sunglass Trends | BuyMark J writes: "Summer is here and I need new sunglasses. Should I go with the oversized frames popular with the celebrity set, a retro look out of the ray-ban collection, or something more sedate?" Answer: Since you don't have a one-word name—like "Bono" or "Brangelina"—it's safe to skip the huge bug-eyed frames. You can't go wrong with Ray-Ban's classic designs, but you might also consider other retro options that are a little less commonly seen. We like what Moscot is doing these days. Shown: Common Projects + MOSCOT Type One. |
Special ReportThe Bonobos Interview | BuyWe're going to admit right off the bat that, a few months ago, we got off on the wrong foot with Bonobos. Uncrate declared them "the holy grail of pants", so we clicked over and saw a lot of flare-leg trousers that we couldn't picture ourselves wearing. But three things happened since then: 1. Uncrate stopped disguising their ads as articles (mostly), 2. Bonobos introduced a line of straight-leg trousers, and 3. We bought a pair of Inspector Todds. And they're phenomenal—an extremely flattering fit, first-rate details right down to the closure, and one of the most beautiful, luxurious fabrics we've seen, with a wonderful drape. We've seen the light. While we're saving up for some Marlinspikes, Dave Eisenberg, Bonobos Chief of Staff, was kind enough to answer a few questions for us.Unrefinery: We were intrigued by Bonobos trousers for a long time, but the fact that they were only available with a flare leg was a deal-breaker for us (and probably a few other gents' workplaces). Now at last we have straight-leg Bonobos, and we're on board. Not to be a smartass, but what took you so long? Dave: So this was a pretty passionate sticking point for our founder/designer Brian Spaly. He took a look around at the marketplace and saw a bunch of tapered pants that gave guys the unfortunate "tapered-pants, clown-shoes" syndrome (TPCS). In general, it was far harder for him to find a slightly flared leg (which Bonobos believes flatters the male figure) and thus our initial styles all featured a slight boot cut. As we expanded and started to meet more customers, particularly the tall or thin or hip types, it was clear that we had to offer two fits, one boot cut, one straight leg. We're thrilled that there is now a solution for all guys who want to shop Bonobos! Unrefinery: Brian acknowledged that to get wool trousers under $150 it would probably require doing something offshore. Given the state of the economy, is this an idea that might see the light of day at some point? Dave: I think so. We've been making our products in America for the past 18 months, which is no small feat. We learned a ton about how to manage the manufacturing process and created a tight, fast feedback loop with our domestic vendors which helped us become experts at making pants. As we get larger, we are likely to be able to even further increase the quality of our construction by going offshore. As we always strive to provide the best possible experience for our customers, you will probably see us introduce premium products at a lower price point. Unrefinery: How does the design process usually play out? Do you find these rich, sometimes unusual fabrics and decide to make pants out of them, or do you get an idea to fill a specific niche in the product line and then seek out the materials to make it happen? Dave: I think what's fun about a company at our stage is that we don't have to set up ultra rigid processes around our design. Sometimes we find beautiful fabrics in the garment district of NY and we'll make a limited edition run of 100-200 pants that our top customers will jump all over. Other times we'll set the plan that we need to make a whole line of cotton twills, in a wide variety of colors, and we'll work with our vendors in Europe to source the best fabric possible to make a larger production run. Unrefinery: Anything you can tell us about the future of the brand? Dave: We're incredibly excited to be launching swimsuits... Look for the same approach we took to pants, to be applied to shorts, swimsuits and a few other products in the fall & winter. A suberb fit, premium fabrics and classic, innovative designs. Many thanks to Dave and the Bonobos crew. Sign up for the Bonobos email list to stay tuned. 15.jun.2009 style | |
 | Stephen Colbert's Awesome Camo SuitBrooks Brothers is one of those staid musty companies that we associate with grampas and Buicks, but the 2-button camo suit they made for Stephen Colbert's Iraq trip is all kinds of awesome. Check out a great article about it on The L.A. Times Blog. We've seen gents wear suits in the workplace in order to blend in, but never quite like this before.12.jun.2009 style |
 | The webbing belt peril | FailUnless you're trying to pull a David Carradine or something, we really don't see the point in owning a webbing belt. OK, maybe to support last year's ill-fitting shorts while you stand at the grill, but we're concerned at the way this overly casual item is being foisted upon us as an acceptable accessory for proper attire. The culmination of this menace was a June GQ article that showed actor/dork Chris Pine holding up his suit pants with these glorified packing straps and featured a Tom Ford D-ring for $650. (Yes, that's the price for the nylon belt, not the suit. About $20/inch for those of you keeping score at home.) Hopefully that was the official jumping of the shark for this trend, and now we can all move on.10.jun.2009 style |
Special ReportBrown Cap-Toe Oxfords | BuyIf winter's finally, really over, and if it's OK with everyone, we'll finally move some non-black items into the rotation. Brown cap-toe oxfords are a great staple that you can wear with everything from denim to suits, so we reviewed three options, ranging from dark and simple to light and detailed.1. Cole Haan Air Carter | $182 We are big fans of Cole Haan, and the shoe made a great first impression, coming out of the box with a rich mahogany colour and an almost patent-like shine. But it became apparent almost immediately that the construction was not up to par with the others reviewed here. The leather was thin and brittle, and the shoe not particularly comfortable. The cap seam is subtle, maybe too subtle. Almost defeats the purpose of having such a detail. 2. Johnston & Murphy Vester | $134 The most comfortable of the three shoes we evaluated. Seriously, it wasn't even close. We also loved the great stitching and thick sole. A truly versatile rich brown colour, neither too light nor too dark, that would go great with pretty much anything other than charcoal or black. Also a phenomenal value for the money. 3. Allen Edmonds Clifton | $230 Sometimes you get what you pay for, even though in this case you pay less than you might usually—AE shoes are normally $300+. The Clifton is extremely nice, with a lighter chestnut tone that draws a bit of attention to itself. Great old-world punch detail on the cap seam and again on the quarter. The tannish colour makes it just a bit less of a universal match than most browns—it won't work with every navy or grey trouser—so you might not want this to be your only pair of brown oxfords. But a beautiful and all around well-made shoe. 08.jun.2009 style | |
 | The Wayfinding Handbook | BuyWe like David Gibson's book The Wayfinding Handbook: Information Design for Public Places for what are probably all of the wrong reasons. It's clearly intended as a guide for signage designers, and no doubt extremely useful to such folks. But we'd argue that we aren't alone in appreciating environmental information design (and information design in general) on its aesthetic merits; the colour, clarity and iconic nature of the medium connects with a viewer in a similar way as it does when these same traits are applied to, say, the works of Mark Rothko. We also viewed the book as a lens for focusing our appreciation of such design as viewed in real life. And we liked the fact that the book is a paperback under $20, in a world full of $60 coffee table crushers.
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 | Lands' End "pimp-hands" the Crew | BuyAs boring as Lands' End can be, they make a really nice basic washed polo. It's good value at under $20 ($25 striped), has a nice collar and a cool extra-long 4-button placket like you'd find on something from APC for 8x the price. But what we like the most about it is the uncharacteristically snarky diss of a competitor found in the product decription: "Its jersey knit is already softened up for you... But you won't find any frayed edges or holes in the fabric like some shirts you see. This one is in first-class condition throughout." OH SNAP!!! IT'S ON, J. CREW!!!04.jun.2009 style |
 | The Güerobera, 2009 Edition | BuyEvery summer we set out to find the perfect "Güerobera", a guayabera variant that won't look stilted and generally ridiculous on a Person Of No Colour. With the hope of improved US-Cuban relations on the horizon, this seems all the more like an appropriate time. This year's winner comes from Elie Tahari—the "Sheldon" shirt takes the classic design and updates it to a slim contemporary fit, with some pretty cool pale blue and grey stripes down the front. We also like the solid white version.03.jun.2009 style |
Special ReportGet Your Canada On | BuyWe're one month out from Canada Day, and coincidentally, one month is about how long it takes Canada Post to deliver a package. So now is the time to order whatever you plan to spill poutine and Labatt's on when the party starts July 1. Canada Day apparel should be red, white, and loud. Here are a few options:1. Anything From Roots Roots is the quintissental Canadian clothing brand (sorry, Le Château), so you can't go wrong with any of their classics—caps, polos, T-shirts and sweatshirts. Shown: CDN09 Zip Hoody, $90. 2. Team Canada Jersey The current Canadian olympic hockey jersey is predominantly black, and looks sharp. But for Canada Day you want to Ebay a classic red or white sweater from a few years back. The older, the better. Shown: 2002 Olympic jersey. 3. Stuff From Great Canadian Brands There are many facets to Canada's national identity, and clasically Canadian brands are part of what makes Canadians who they are. Normally we avoid the sorts of logos that turn the wearer into a walking advertisement, but for extra street cred, rock anything red and white from Canadian Tire, Tim Horton's, or one of the national beer labels. Shown: Molson Export T-Shirt, $17. | |
 | Mailbag: Shoes from clothing brands? | WaitExo writes: "You mention Hugo Boss clothes a lot, and I am a fan too. But how good are their shoes?" Answer: A good rule of thumb is to avoid buying shoes (or bags) from any label that produces fashion-forward clothes, because so few companies do both well. There's a completely different set of skills and manufacturing capacity involved, so one or the other is likely to be re-branded stuff from a third party anyway—not to say you shouldn't buy shoes from a huge brand like Ralph Lauren, but you might as well just go straight to Crockett & Jones (or whoever) in the first place. |
 | The anti-endorsement | FailSometimes a celebrity endorsement can backfire on you, making the product less desirable by association. Case in point: Tom Brady hawking Movado watches. Once a notoriously brittle NFL player, this full-time whipped pretty-boy has turned our image of the Movado watch from an elegant timepiece to a tool that Mr. Gisele uses to know when it's time to walk his wife's dog for her. |
 | Casual Canvas Shoes | BuyIf you're like us, you enjoy wearing canvas shoes in the summer but will go to great lengths to avoid being seen in an ordinary sneaker. Two of our favourites: The Camper Men's Imar ($95, shown) reads almost like a softened cap-toe oxford. And we've mentioned
the Clae Garvey before ($40 for the Celery and Navy canvas variants).
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 | Mailbag: Affordable Watches | BuyOPP writes: "I got the message about not buying an overpriced luxury watch. But who makes good watches you can afford?" Answer: The usual suspects Seiko and Citizen make solid, classic-look watches in every price range, so you can't go wrong with either if you're going for something traditional. But if you're after something a little more fun, we love Ted Baker's collection, which includes some great arty retro designs in the $150-$250 range. Shown: "Darwin" (left), "Sunray" (right). |
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