Men's Suits: Summer 2010

SUMMER SUIT STYLES

The linen suit

Turns out some of the finest linen in the world doesn’t come from Italy. Hundreds of miles away from Milan’s fashion houses on the rural northern coast of Ireland is Ballymena -- home to the fabric mills of Baird McNutt. The designers at J.Crew have teamed up with this nearly century-old operation to offer its incredibly affordable (and breathable) linen in a suit with all the modern trimmings: slimmer cut, narrow lapels, shorter jacket length, and flat-front trousers. Sold as separates with a matching vest thrown into the mix, the options are as endless as the days of summer.

The white suit

The simplicity of a bright white suit proves that less is definitely more. And the same applies for how you should wear it. Anything black, too saturated, or worse, a Don Johnson-esque T-shirt cheapens the look. Even the leaner cut of this suit may not be enough to avoid a mid-'80s flashback, so stick with safer solid shirts in muted tones of blue and purple. Prints and solids in richer colors can also be an option, but only if you’re sartorially inclined toward tastes north of South Beach.

The seersucker suit

Seersucker has always been somewhat of a joke among people from north of the Mason-Dixon. It’s worn in a trouser here or a jacket there, but never the complete candy-striped suit. Among Southerners the story is completely different. For them, seersucker is a way of life. It’s a sign of sophistication and the mark of a gentleman -- not to mention totally practical in 90 degree heat. This version from conservative clothier Brooks Brothers has a surprisingly trimmer fit. The suit reads as a neutral, so almost any of your usual shirt-tie combos will work. And while you’re appropriately attired sipping on sweet tea, everyone else can sweat it out in their unconscionable wool wardrobe.

Read on for more: http://www.askmen.com/

Luli Fama Show Pics

Model walking the runway at the Luli Fama Show.

Luli Fama Show Pics

Model walking the runway at the Luli Fama Show.

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Mad Men's Hamm guests on The Simpsons

Jon Hamm, who portrays ad agency creative director Don Draper on the hit series Mad Men, will be featured in a guest spot on The Simpsons this December. (AMC/CTV)

Starring in Mad Men undoubtedly stretches Jon Hamm's dramatic muscles, but the actor tests out his comedic chops in an upcoming cameo on the long-running animated TV series The Simpsons.

Hamm, who stars as the cable show's cool and ruthless adman Don Draper, has recorded a segment for an upcoming Simpsons episode set to air in December.

In the mafia-themed episode, entitled Donnie Fatso, Hamm portrays an FBI supervisor to whom Homer Simpson must regularly report after infiltrating local mobster Fat Tony's crew.

Actor Joe Mantegna reprises his recurring role as Fat Tony.

"There's no Mad Men reference [in the episode]," Simpsons executive producer Al Jean told pop culture magazine Entertainment Weekly.

"Jon's a gruff FBI man ... He has no patience for Homer."


Jean also praised Hamm's versatility — previously noted by fans in the actor's well-received guest spots on 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live.

"You gave him one note and he immediately did 12 great things with it," Jean told EW. "He was really funny. And handsome. He had it all."

In 2008, the Simpsons team created a spoof of Mad Men's stylish intro segment for its own annual Treehouse of Horror episode, substituting Homer Simpson and images from the fictional town of Springfield for the original's Don Draper amid images of Manhattan ad campaigns.


From: http://www.cbc.ca/

The Basics of Victorian Men's Clothes

The Victorian era began in 1837. Men's dress had already changed considerably. Whereas all men's trousers were once knee-length, now only little boys wore knickers or breeches, although a man might still wear them for riding. However, as opposed to the days when he would show off well-toned calves in stockings, he now wore riding boots. Clothes were less colorful than they had been, with fewer patterned fabrics. Wigs were increasingly going out of fashion, as was hair powdering.

All men, except for laborers, wore three-piece suits every day. No man would consider himself dressed unless he was wearing trousers, a waistcoat over his shirt and a coat. Of course, he also required a tie and a hat. The cuts of coats changed over the decades, as did the width of trousers, but the basics were always the same. By the end of the century, cuts were such that a modern man can look at them and recognize his own suits.

A Variety of Coats
French fashion was very much in vogue in the 1830s and the Victorians were happy to copy some of the cuts of men's coats, although not the bright colors. The most common coat for men was the frock coat, which varied in length but whose style was always that of a nipped waist and skirted bottom. For more formal occasions, this coat was worn with what a modern man would recognize as cutaway tails for a tuxedo.

Coats gradually became shorter and simpler, starting as soon as the 1840s with the invention of the sewing machine. By the 1870s, coats had become sack suits. These were boxy suits with coats that hung just past the hips and had no middle seam, so that they were loose. This changed slightly in the 1880s, as coats became more like modern suit jackets in length and style, with fitted details and a middle seam above the pockets.

The Waistcoat
Although now called a "vest" in American parlance, this garment is perhaps the most important in Victorian men's clothes. Men of all ages and class wore them. Very often, it was a way to express some personality with color and fabric, even in those days of rigidity.

The average man had only one or two suits, but he would have several waistcoats to wear with it. In the 1840s, China was open to the world and so silk became comparatively inexpensive. Thus, most waistcoats were made of silk and men were loath to button their coats all the way, preferring to show off their waistcoats. It was only towards the end of the era that wool and cotton became more common for daywear and waistcoats began to match the jacket and trousers.

Trousers
Trousers were worn fairly high on the waist and flat-fronted. They were held up by suspenders and were often patterned. Stripes and checks were common. While many consider that such patterns were only worn by younger, less sophisticated men, the fact is that most men considered them very fashionable.

Hats
All men wore hats at all times, in a wide variety of styles. The top hat was the only style acceptable for parties and other formal events – this persisted well into the 20th century. It was also worn by high-ranking men during the day, to denote their place in society.

Other popular hats were pork pies, derbies and bowlers. These grew in popularity so that, by the end of the era, they were the most popular and were not supplanted until the fedora in the 1920s.

There is much more to learn about Victorian men's clothes. Search sites like Victoriana to see pictures!

From: http://mens-fashion.lovetoknow.com

You voted: Men’s biggest fashion crimes are Ed Hardy, socks with sandals, baggy jeans

Men’s 10 biggest fashion crimes

Recently we asked you, the readers of Shine, what you felt were the worst fashion choices for men, and you have spoken! A recent British poll found that women hated Hawaiian shirts above everything else that guys put on. But when we polled over 6,000 Shine readers, 21% declared Ed Hardy gear the biggest fashion don't. You heard it here first, fellas. Save your money (the one pictured above costs $99), and avoid Jon Gosselin's signature look completely.

We made a list of the men's fashion trends we hated, and you strongly agreed with some (sandals with socks, speedos, baggy pants) but totally disagreed with others (flip-flops, fedoras, square-toed shoes). You also spoke up about additional trends you felt were the worst. We've tallied all the results into one master list of men's worst fashion crimes. Ladies, see if we've nailed it. Guys, tell us if you agree or if you're going to disregard this list and wear the items anyways.

Claire Danes’ Beauty Secrets

Yesterday, we spoke one-on-one with Claire Danes in her NYC hotel suite. The two-time Emmy nominee (she recently got a nod for her leading role in the HBO film Temple Grandin) was in town to promote prescription lash-amplifier Latisse. As the newest celebrity spokesmodel for the brand, Danes says her job is easy. “I love the product, which is helpful,” she laughs, perched amiably on a couch in an Alberta Ferretti shift. Keep reading for more of Danes’ must-haves (she actually let us dig through her personal makeup bag!) and beauty secrets.

How long have you been using Latisse?

I’ve been using it since the beginning of the year—it takes about 16 weeks for the full effect to occur but you gradually see a difference. I had to exercise patience, but it was a great little adventure. I use it at night after washing my face, one wand per lid. I apply it like eyeliner and just let it do its thing!

What other products are part of your bedtime routine?

My skin is a bit sensitive, so Cetaphil is my standby. I also use toner and a light layer of moisturizer—I use a lot of Kiehl’s and other natural brands.

Besides using Latisse, how else do you like to play up your eyes?

Metallic shadows like Laura Mercier’s Metallic Crème Eye Color in Gold are great. I also use a lash curler and Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lash-Extending Treatment Mascara. The big question is always eyes or lips? I tend to go with the eyes because I’ve got a lot more material to work with now—and it saves me from reapplying lipstick! I’m a pretty low-maintenance person and it’s too excessive to exaggerate both the eyes and lips.

What was the first mascara you ever bought?

That’s a good memory—it was that Maybelline mascara in the pink tube called Great Lash. It’s a classic and it still works great! A lot of makeup artists use it on set.

Your lashes look great—and so does your hair! What’s your secret?

I can’t credit Latisse for it! Peter Butler styles my hair and my friend Steven Amendola colors it. It’s pretty blond right now—it was naturally this blond when I was 6-years-old.

It’s a far cry from the red hair you sported as Angela Chase in My So-Called Life.

In the first episode Angela dyes her hair from blond to red. It was this fire-engine red Manic Panic color and it looked like I’d committed murder every time I took a shower.

Angela’s ‘90s fashions seem to be making a comeback on the fall 2010 runways. How do you feel about that?

Yeah, the layered, grunge look from the ‘90s is having a big resurgence. That was a good time for me—I don’t mind revisiting it. But what’s going to happen next? I wonder what the aughts are going to be like when we recycle them.

You have so much going on right now—what’s up next?

I don’t know. I’m just figuring out what it is to be married [to husband and fellow actor Hugh Dancy]—I’m enjoying that! I bought a country house fairly recently, so I’m settling into our new domestic life. We keep talking about painting the house and I tell him I can do it with my lashes!

From: http://www.elle.com/

Eddie Borgo Shows His Teeth

Never a bad thing to have friends in chic places. Eddie Borgo’s coveted jewelry would stand just fine on its own, but Borgo’s habit of shooting it on his famous fans—like Vanessa Traina, Lauren Santo Domingo, and, for fall, Kate Lanphear—never hurts. Lanphear is the star of Borgo’s latest online campaign, shot by Paul Maffi and styled by Keegan Singh, which launches with his Fall ‘10 collection on his Web site this Monday. There’s always a bit of menace to Borgo’s luxe pieces—note the grinning, gleaming teeth of the Horror necklace, above—making the punky Lanphear a perfect fit. “Kate is the epitome of the modern-day punk,” Borgo (named today as one of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists) told Style.com. “She encapsulates the current undertone of fashion in the most elegant, effortless way, while remaining one of the most real women in New York City.” The collection overall, Borgo goes on, was inspired by stripes, and in particular, Michel Pastoureau’s A History of Stripes—which, you might be surprised to find out, convey meanings far more sinister than the usual marinière tops. “The book has to do with the symbology of stripes marking marginalized members of society: criminals, convicts, and inmates,” the designer explains. “Eventually, people took to wearing stripes, but wore them vertically, which distinguished them from the social outcasts who had to wear them horizontally.” Food for thought whichever way you wear yours—and, as it’s hard not to notice, everybody’s taken to them strongly. “Stripes continue to be prevalent in present-day garb—they are everywhere. The symbolism behind the stripe has been unassumingly adopted into the makeup of modern-day punk culture.” Now you know.

From: http://www.style.com/