Bastian's Inspiration: GQ 1982

Michael Bastian cites early '80s GQ as inspiration for his Spring 2013 collection. So I had to see for myself. I thought you should too. I do like those banana shorts.

"Whatever else I do before finally I go to my grave...
I hope it will not be looking after young people."
John Thorn, Headmaster, Winchester College

E.L.S. returns after 22 months of... Well, I don't know. It's none of my business and certainly none of yours. What is your business is a beautifully written blog from an American lady living in the U.K. for donkey years. I'm not what you'd call a fan of Mommy bloggers because most children under 30 years of age annoy me. They always have which is why I annoy myself but then-- that's none of your business either.

I love how E.L.S. tells a story. I notice she rarely uses, "whilst." which is amazing since so many state side bloggers feel it's required. I guess that's the beauty of her writing. It's informed, correct, erudite, funny and completely lacking in pretension. Go here to check her out -- whilst she's still around less she tries to oil off again.

An Afternoon with Alice at The Carlyle

All photos by Alice Olive (click to enlarge)

Friday afternoon just before 6PM. A second floor ballroom in the Carlyle Hotel with an iced G&T and Alice Olive. We look around. Costume jewelery designer, Lisa Salzer of Lulu Frost is footing the bill and the room as she grips and grins the crowd under a beautiful short shock of white hair that takes me back to Sydney in 1987.

I tell Alice the pictures I want. Only a certain cool blonde and a Islay single malt redhead. I recall a favorite bumper sticker in London, "Warning! I Brake for Blondes but Back Up for Redheads." I stand alone by an unused kitchen entrance and watch Alice shoot the room with a memory card clenched between her teeth and an extra lens in the crook of an arm.

No one sees like Alice Olive. In a world of self professed photographers, whose only pictures are ripped off cliches of Steve McQueen, Paul Newman & James Dean pasted on Tumblers with hackneyed Gore Vidal quotes (What is with these guys?) -- Miss Olive is the real deal.

After the show, we step off an elevator and into the lobby. A woman in a hat, in front of an 18th Century painting, stops me cold. I ask if Alice can take her picture. She agrees. I tell Alice what I want. Alice shoots it the way she wants which... if you see like Alice -- is the way it should be. But I crop it anyway...

Mercer Shirt Giveaway

The secret Good Bye


Windsor White 140's: $155



White Oxford Straight Collar: $107.50



Blue University Stripe: $115



Red Bengal Stripe in broadcloth: $115



Blue & White Stripe #598: $115




Gold & White stripe #241 in Broadcloth: $115



Blue Black Tattersall #988 in Broadcloth: $115



James Bond 4mm Broadcloth Tattersall: $115



Highland Pima Cotton Broadcloth: $117.50

Congratulations to dukeandduke29 for winning the Mercer Shirt Giveaway. duke identified the hidden message, "good bye" in David Letterman's argyle sweater. Good eye. This was the last issue of M (11/1992) and my subscription was replaced by GQ until expiration in August.

Above are some of my favorite Mercer shirts from the Mercer web site. While the shirt isn't custom, you can customize your shirt with plenty of options here. That includes a trimmer cut, pocket options, button options...In short, you, as the customer, get to design your own shirt at a fair price.

Mercer shirts are not cheap but they are a great value. They stay true to their size after numerous washings. The oxford is the beefiest I've found. The unlined button down collar has the best roll out there and you'll have a wonderful time dealing with the company and David. Which reminds me of another contest.

Bureau of Trade: A Different Kind of Commerce

Michael Moskowitz, founder of The Bureau of Trade, talks in these M60 machine gun, rapid fire bursts... a pause so the barrel won't over heat. A tilted head at a comment I make and Moskowitz sighs, "Hell is other people." I think I like this guy. Bright, funny and a little off the reservation, his web site is filled with great stuff for men. Some of it Ebay. Some of it directly sourced. Almost all of it (I hate Corvettes) unique, sophisticated and with witty observations I find pretty damned refreshing. Although, he should know the price for a 560 SL is just the cover charge for getting in to see the mechanic. Check out his web site here.

What was the inspiration for Bureau of Trade?

What we wear, what we buy, and what we put in or on ourselves tells or telegraphs a very specific message about who we are. What we value. What our station in life is. Even where and how we envision ourselves in the world. I have always been interested in the specific history and provenance of not just of objects, but of everything. And I want to celebrate the notion of slower consumption and more purposeful purchases.

After the fifteenth, or maybe the twentieth flash-sale site meandered into my inbox, hocking unwanted, overstock drek – but purporting to sell something of genuine value – I made up my mind. I left my job as a designer at IDEO, and started a company that would make men smarter, make them laugh, and connect men of discernment to products with a history, products with a story, and narrative merchandise.

How is it going? Popularity wise and money wise?

Our audience is active, growing, and exceeding all of our expectations. There clearly is an appetite not just for our editorial content, but for the unique products we feature everyday. We've sold 19th century jail doors, taxidermy werewolf hands, vintage cufflinks and chronographs, antique dental equipment and classic convertibles. But I think what the team is most proud of is that we've helped a few (featured) rescue dogs find loving homes.

How do you see it growing?

As we refine what we offer on the site, we're expanding our voice to other platforms, like GQ and Gizmodo, where our content will appear this fall. We're also expanding into the brick and mortar world: stay tuned for live auctions all around the country.

How do you select the featured products? Aesthetic aside -- do you have any requirements other than what grabs your eye?

Two words dictate our selection process: beauty and authenticity. We work with a tremendous team of curators from around the world to find objects of the rarest quality and richest history. We are not a discount site; we are a value site. Items don't cost more than they should, but they never cost less than they're worth.

David Letterman & David Mercer Giveaway

You'll have to work for this one. Somewhere on the above David Letterman "M" cover is a clue to the future of the magazine. According to a staff member at the time, it was secretly added by an employee of the art department.

The first reader to correctly identify the hidden clue by commenting wins a $130 Mercer shirt courtesy of another great Dave -- David Mercer -- One of the nicest guys you'll ever have the pleasure of talking to and stealing shirts from. However, you want a collar button, pocket flap, pop-over or some other whiz bang treatment -- You'll have to cough that up on your own.

You have until this Friday (7 September 2012) at 9:00AM EST. Relatives of John Tinseth, M Magazine staff (then and today), powerHouse Publishing employees and legal residents of California are prohibited from playing.

The More Things Change

The Pittsburgh Press, April 23, 1989 (click image to read)

"Happy whatever it is..."

Giuseppe in $2 sweater and $5 Asscot

" A fortnight ago, whilst tucking into a brace of pheasant with the ravishing Lady Ramsey at Rules, I happened to drop my serviette. I leaned under the table to pick it up when I noticed Lady Ramsey was sans knickers. I shot up in my chair, pulled my asscot off and offered it to the lady. She promptly blew her nose in it, thanked me and handed the soiled silk paisly back. While I thought the asscot would make a wonderful interim panty - - I could only be grateful when later she sat astride my leg at Whites and sang Celtic songs while feining a gallop on my thigh. Must have been the texture of my Turnbull and Asser cavalry twills that was so appealing. Happy whatever it is you people across the pond do or do not do today."

A Trad Comment on An Affordable Wardrobe Ascot Post

Happy Labor Day Weekend

flickr

Not for the Timid

A Criminal Oversight

Ted Lewis on the set of Get Carter, 1971


BBC4 Radio documentry on life & career of Ted Lewis, click image to enlarge

Get Carter with Michael Caine stands as one of the best noir - revenge films ever. I first saw it on video in the early '90s when college roommate Wallace Stroby included it with a couple Chow Yun-fat gangster flicks in what the ex-wife called, 'Wally Mail.' Carter was the far better picture and it got me thinking about how many awful revenge films are out there and why Carter was so different.

Every Mel Gibson picture, from Mad Max (which is pretty darned good) to the American Revolution disaster, The Patriot, are all revenge pics. Mel has a big family. Family gets killed when Mel isn't looking. Bad guys mess up Mel. Mel gets mad and boom, you're in Act III, Mel kills bad guys, roll credits.

Get Carter has a professional hit man in London (Caine) who comes home (Newcastle) to find out who killed his brother. That's a pretty standard setup. But it never goes where you expect it to and like the best noir, you're not so sure you wanna go with it. Stark and dark but there's beauty here too. Get Carter is about as beautiful as you're gonna see and hear in a revenge pic.

The words came from writer and artist, Ted Lewis (1940 - 1982) who wrote the book, Jack's Return Home, that the film is based on. Thanks to noir guy, Wallace Stroby, I learned of a 28 minute radio program on BBC4 (here) about Lewis and his very short life and career. The program is available on line for six more days. Sadly, Lewis's books are barely available at all (prices here) but BBC 4 presents the first radio episode of, Jack's Return Home tonight at 11:00 PM GMT / 6:00PM EST with the second episode to air at the same time on 4 September (here).

The exchange below between Caine and Ian Hendry as Eric Paice, is a good example of the poetry Lewis created. I suppose it helps that Caine, whose career was soaring, and Hendry, whose career was tanking, didn't like each other. But it was Ted Lewis that gave 'em the poetry.

Style Council: Nautical Flag Trousers

Nautical Flag Trousers - Two days left to bid here on eBay

I could fit in these -- Maybe 10 years ago. Even then, barely. I was thinking of buying 'em anyway. Just so I could look at 'em in the closet. No bids so far. If you're a 34"/30", you'd be crazy not to. Update: Nautical Trou make $169.50 via eight bids.



Of course, if Paul Weller could do this video in the '80s, you could certainly wear these pants. No matter, uh...what you do.