Tuesday, eh? Only four days 'till Derby. Can't wait to celebrate by drinking
sweet juleps with friends, sporting a printed dress and a hat, and playing
the ponies, albeit in South Florida. (PS- a true gentleman probably makes a
lovely mint julep. Or at least a perfect bourbon and water- just saying). Back to the matter at hand. I suppose a proper dissection of all things
gentleman requires some chat about clothes. I'm not suggesting you put on a
seersucker suit and straw bowler and kiss the hands of every woman you see.
I'm just giving a stamp of approval to the Fall and Winter menswear joints
from J. Crew for 2010. I spotted these looks on the Continuous Lean, pretty
much the Valhalla of gentlemanliness in blog form. If you haven't checked
out this blog, do. It's one of the best in its point of view on all pursuits
iconic American male, focusing mostly on the past and its inspiration today.
( http://www.acontinuouslean.com/) So check it- these looks are great, minus the rolled jean, which I'm just
not entirely sold on unless you're the type who can rock it (you know who
you are, or at least I hope you do). Besides that, this collection is spot
on for most guys- it's not overly trendy but still is fashionable, it's not
in the least fussy, and it's all classics you will own and wear again and
again. That's what a gentleman does. He may not wear these pieces head to
toe while perusing the racks at The Strand on a rainy Saturday, but he may
mix and match to his choosing to create the perfect unstudied look. I
realize we are skewing preppy here- but don't think about that. I myself
look horrid in preppy clothes but definitely throw in a classic in my own
arsenal and always feel good about it. These are good clothes for all age
groups of gentlemen- you can wear these clothes post college, or in that Gen
X moment when your ironic tee shirts are starting to feel a bit passe all of
the sudden. Again, don't look at these looks and say "too fashiony". They are styled to
be that way- maybe a jauntily tied scarf is not gonna do it for you, but
that's totally peachy. Look at them as clothes you can wear when you decide
to wake up early, run to the store, and make your girl some french press
coffee and homemade pancakes. (Needless to say, that is a clutch gentleman
move). Or maybe you're rocking these threads to a client meeting or
Thanksgiving dinner with the in laws. These clothes feel very post
metrosexual to me- they have a quiet confidence that is decidedly American
sportswear but also definitely gentleman chic. Bravo to J. Crew for giving
us nice pieces that allow you to still make rent or a mortgage payment, yet
still feel very much like in an investment since you will have these pieces
for years. I love the nod to tradition that laughs in the face of the Ed
Hardy and stripey button down set. In fact, these are smart clothes- they
show you may know a thing or two about a thing or two. So while you're
pondering clothing options that fully embrace gentlemanly values, look no
further than the Crew. And yes mix in your Dunks and your vintage tees with
all this stuff. A true gentleman is a man of conviction, but mostly because
he knows who he is, style or not. I'm not sure I completely agree with the
"clothes make the man" posit, but damn, these clothes are cute. And if
you're a cutie, And that's what's up this fashionable Tuesday in Avril. XO
sweet juleps with friends, sporting a printed dress and a hat, and playing
the ponies, albeit in South Florida. (PS- a true gentleman probably makes a
lovely mint julep. Or at least a perfect bourbon and water- just saying). Back to the matter at hand. I suppose a proper dissection of all things
gentleman requires some chat about clothes. I'm not suggesting you put on a
seersucker suit and straw bowler and kiss the hands of every woman you see.
I'm just giving a stamp of approval to the Fall and Winter menswear joints
from J. Crew for 2010. I spotted these looks on the Continuous Lean, pretty
much the Valhalla of gentlemanliness in blog form. If you haven't checked
out this blog, do. It's one of the best in its point of view on all pursuits
iconic American male, focusing mostly on the past and its inspiration today.
( http://www.acontinuouslean.com/) So check it- these looks are great, minus the rolled jean, which I'm just
not entirely sold on unless you're the type who can rock it (you know who
you are, or at least I hope you do). Besides that, this collection is spot
on for most guys- it's not overly trendy but still is fashionable, it's not
in the least fussy, and it's all classics you will own and wear again and
again. That's what a gentleman does. He may not wear these pieces head to
toe while perusing the racks at The Strand on a rainy Saturday, but he may
mix and match to his choosing to create the perfect unstudied look. I
realize we are skewing preppy here- but don't think about that. I myself
look horrid in preppy clothes but definitely throw in a classic in my own
arsenal and always feel good about it. These are good clothes for all age
groups of gentlemen- you can wear these clothes post college, or in that Gen
X moment when your ironic tee shirts are starting to feel a bit passe all of
the sudden. Again, don't look at these looks and say "too fashiony". They are styled to
be that way- maybe a jauntily tied scarf is not gonna do it for you, but
that's totally peachy. Look at them as clothes you can wear when you decide
to wake up early, run to the store, and make your girl some french press
coffee and homemade pancakes. (Needless to say, that is a clutch gentleman
move). Or maybe you're rocking these threads to a client meeting or
Thanksgiving dinner with the in laws. These clothes feel very post
metrosexual to me- they have a quiet confidence that is decidedly American
sportswear but also definitely gentleman chic. Bravo to J. Crew for giving
us nice pieces that allow you to still make rent or a mortgage payment, yet
still feel very much like in an investment since you will have these pieces
for years. I love the nod to tradition that laughs in the face of the Ed
Hardy and stripey button down set. In fact, these are smart clothes- they
show you may know a thing or two about a thing or two. So while you're
pondering clothing options that fully embrace gentlemanly values, look no
further than the Crew. And yes mix in your Dunks and your vintage tees with
all this stuff. A true gentleman is a man of conviction, but mostly because
he knows who he is, style or not. I'm not sure I completely agree with the
"clothes make the man" posit, but damn, these clothes are cute. And if
you're a cutie, And that's what's up this fashionable Tuesday in Avril. XO
