Archive for the ‘MENSWEAR’ Category
The Originals… minus one
Image Credit: hypebeast.com
Levis 501’s retain their original design, minus 1 crucial button. The company’s president got too close to a campfire, and experienced discomfort when the bottom crotch button conducted heat. The offending rivet was thus removed.
Fact Credit: Wikipedia
Pink Shirt Friday.
Pink shirt Friday – a modern take on casual Fridays.
Casual Fridays are traced back to the century old practice of excusing brown tweed suits in English towns on Fridays. Less formal attire was donned because many gentlemen headed to the the country after their Friday work day.
Fact credit: The Suit, Nicholas Antongiavanni, p. 140
Photo credit: Balmain via http://129.35.169.230/
Winter Blues?
Professor Judith Waters Ph.D. says that dressing in bright colors has an impact on mood. Colors tend to “cheer us up and give people a lift, especially after a long, dreary winter.” (psychologytoday.com)
The Pantone website explains that “color is light and light is energy”. As such, colors can stimulate, excite, depress, tranquilize and create a feeling of warmth or coolness. According to the Pantone Color Institute, winter is the best time to wear vibrant reds and royal blues.
Fact credit: www.psychologytoday.com; www.pantone.com
Image credit: us.burberry.com
That’s Nautical
Photo credit: roguesgallery.com
Nautical is back for Spring / Summer 2010. Some useful terms should you find yourself at sea:
Groggy: Drunk from having consumed a lot of grog (rum &water).
Avast: Stop. Cease or desist from whatever is being done.
Aye, aye: Reply to an order or command to indicate that the command is understood and will be carried out.
By and large: “By” means into the wind, while “large” means with the wind. By and large is used to indicate all possible situations “the ship handles well both by and large“.
Under the weather: Serving a watch on the weather side of the ship, exposed to wind and spray.
Dressing down: Treating old sails with oil or wax to renew them.
Jack: A sailor
Mae West: A Second World War personal flotation device used to keep people afloat in the water
Q & A with Nom de Guerre
Images credit: nomdeguerre.net
The Nome de Guerre collective was founded with the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. According to Nom de Guerre “collective consciousness . . . is superior to that of the individual ego.” According to Hoyle, Nom de Guerre functions as a paragon of menswear style.
Hoyle: Your Lookbook images are amazing- is there anything you keep in mind when creating them?
N. D. G.: Each season we are very fortunate to work with a team that makes the vision possible. For Fall / Winter 2009, the idea was to create a feeling of being in a vast Arctic space and Erik Swain executed that idea perfectly. Daniel Peddle’s casting also furthered the idea, so that we had guys that could very legitimately be in that setting.
Hoyle: How did you find your store location? It has such a unique history.
N. D. G.: We found the store location through word of mouth; we like working that way and always try to remain open to synchronicity in both the everyday tasks as well as the bigger ideas that we execute.
Hoyle: Do you feel that Nom de Guerre runs differently than other design or fashion firms?
N. D. G.: Yes, the way that we work is very unusual. We work more nomadically and take full advantage of communication technology. This sets us free from having an office and allows us to design the collection anywhere.
Hoyle: What is the ideal male uniform?
N. D. G.: It would really depend on the occasion, but for multi-function use, we think that it would be a very sturdy pair of trousers, a button-front shirt worn with a necktie, and a thick hoodie.
Hoyle: Can we give readers any news on what’s to come with Nom de Guerre?
N. D. G.: Spring / Summer 2010 is based on the Algerian war and is also influenced by film and literature of the period. This collection mixes civilian and military references to suggest the civilian involvement in the war itself, and additionally, resulting from the influence of ideas such as, montage of New Wave cinema; archival news reels; and specifically the films of Chris Marker.
Images credits: nomdeguerre.net ; movie credit: Chris Marker
Mr. Lipton’s Polka Dots
Image Credit: Alexander Olch via openingceremony.us
Originally created as a tribute to the sun God – the polka dot is the oldest menswear print design. Sir Thomas Lipton designed and wore a navy bow tie with white polka dots, bringing the polka dot from womenswear into modern menswear. Having sailed from his native Glasgow to the U.S. as a cabin boy, this same Mr. Lipton is known for his expert yachting skills. Nicknamed the “best of all losers,” Mr. Lipton “was the most persistent challenger in the history of the America’s Cup.” A self made man, Mr. Lipton made his fortune creating Lipton Tea.
Fact credit: Dressing The Man, Alan Flusser, p. 158; WIkipedia
Drinkin’ and Dronin’
Brandon of Drinkin’ And Dronin’ was recently featured in both the Sartorialist and GQ (congratulations Brandon!).
Brandon gives some rare insight into on what it’s like being photographed by the great Scott Schuman:
“I’ve never done much of a shoot like that before, he lets you move along as you’d like with brief instructions. He’s soft spoken, but definitely knows what he’s looking for and what looks best.”
“From the movements to the background looks, it’s all well constructed. I didn’t know him before save seeing him in the store (Billy Reid) for a brief moment. He was a breeze to work with, and it shows in his final product.”
Image Credit: Sartorialist.com
For more Drinkin’ And Dronin’ visit Brandon’s site.
Jody Rogac Through Her Own Lense
Brooklyn based photographer Jody Rogac takes portraits that have a cool yet regal feeling. Recently for City Mag, Jody photographed American menswear greats including Scott Sternberg, Robert Geller, and Patrick Ervell.
Hoyle: Do you approach fashion photography any differently than your other portraits?
Rogac: Not really. I’m more interested in the person than the clothes. When I shoot fashion I work as if I’m shooting portraits.
Hoyle: Were you ever given any photography advice that resonated with you?
Rogac: Not personally, but I read a quote in a biography once that was something like, “you have to take the bad photos in order to take the good ones”. I think this is so true — when I shoot a roll that I’m not very happy with I try to learn from it to make future photo sessions better.
Hoyle: Was your recent shoot for City Mag any different than other shoots?
Rogac: It was a pretty standard shoot. I got to meet and photograph some really interesting people, and the vibe was quite melo and relaxed.
Hoyle: What would you like to see more of in fashion magazines in terms of imagery?
Rogac: That’s tough, fashion photography really has no limits and there are so many different imagery styles in mags right now. I really enjoy looking through magazines and being surprised.
Hoyle: In portraits, is it ever the case that your favorite image of a subject isn’t necessarily the most flattering image of the subject?
Rogac: I don’t think so. When I edit my portraits I try to choose shots where the subject looks the most like themselves, and these are usually the most flattering photos naturally.
Hoyle: For more of Jody Rogac’s work, go to jodyrogac.com
Images: Jody Rogac and Scott Sternberg respectively. All Images taken by and property of Jody Rogac.
Q&A with Greg Minnig of Deth Killers
Image credit: deskiraz.com
Greg Minnig and his business partner Jenn Dixon of Deth Killers have attracted the attention of magazines from Nylon to The New York Times. Deth Killers brand clothing have graced the bodies of Kate Moss, Jake Gyllenhaal, Mickey Rourke, and David Bowie. You can see the latest Deth Killers work here. This interview shows that often the tougher a guy looks…the more generous.
Hoyle: Were you given a lot of direction when asked to design for David Bowie?
Minnig: I don’t know, ask Jenn. I think he just liked our aesthetic and would have probably liked whatever we made for him, but we certainly went into it knowing the bar was about as high as it could get so we didn’t hold anything back….
Hoyle: Can one portray toughness through clothes?
British Military Ties: Part II
1. “The minesweeping arm of the Royal Navy”
2. The Royal Armored Corps, includes the Royal Tank Regiment
3. 8th Army tie- “the famous desert army which fought through North Africa to Siscily and Italy”
4. Royal Air Force volunteer reserve
5. Combined Operations, or ‘Combined Ops’. One of the most prestigious British ties to own due to military achievement.
6. Royal Air Force
Fact and Image Credit (Including quotes): Heraldry & Regalia of War, Beekman House, 1973