M Mischianza

From left (reclining) Kevin Doyle; (center row) Lacey Doyle, Duncan Christy, Jayne Christy, Kent Black; (rear row) Christina Lynch; Mark Ganem; Kathleen "Kat" Butler, Margo Hammond, Lynette Cortez, Dennis Freedman, Tom Moran

From left (front row) George Chinsee, Steve Pomper, Dennis Freedman, Jayne Christy holding Elizabeth Christy; (rear row) Tom Moran, Kat Butler, John Jarvis, Kyle Ericksen, Malena Black, Kent Black, Kevin Doyle, Robert Bryan, Duncan Christy, Glenn Plaskin

This is only gonna make sense if you're at the Katie Murphy Ampitheatre on FIT's campus (Northwest Side of 7th Avenue at 27th Street) tonight at 6PM.  And even then...I'm not so sure. 

M's 1992 Style Advice for Candidates

"If the mud-slinging on this campaign gets as heavy as the pundits predict, all the runners are going to need a few changes of clothes." 

"When he appears on TV, it's hard at first to know if you're watching Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas or just an average televangelist."  Blazer, shirt, jeans and tie from Hugo Boss, shoes by Edward Green.

"Bush needs to bring that preppy look up to 1992 with a softer, three button blazer and uncreased birds-eye gray trousers." Blazer, trousers, shirt and tie by Donna Karan, shoes by Edward Green.

"Quayle dresses like an old bureaucrat, and seems about as imaginative and lively." Jacket, trousers and shirt by Baracuta.

"Tsongas looks serious, acts serious, talks serious and patently yearns to be taken seriously, that's too serious." Suit, shirt and tie by Jhane Barnes.

"Jerry Brown needs to appear as a solid citizen, and there's nothing flaky about this vested, pin strip suit." Suit, shirt, tie and socks from Ralph Lauren.

"Bob Kerrey looks as bland and sounds as exciting as a local sportscaster in a small to medium market." Jacket and trousers from Krizia Uomo, shirt and tie from Tango by Max Raab.

"Wilder dresses sharp -- maybe a little too sharp for a Virginia gentleman." Jacket, trousers, shirt and tie by Nick Hilton

"If Duke wants more than the redneck vote, he's got to get street smart. And this outfit should suit him prefectly; he's used to wearing hoods." Denim jacket, hooded shirt and denim jeans from Mossimo.

"Franklin Roosevelt loved seersucker suits.  If it worked for FDR in '32, why not Mario Cuomo in '92?" Suit by Avery Lucas, shirt by Gieves & Hawkes, tie by Robert Talbott, shoes from Cole Haan.

By Robert Bryan with photographs by Greg Watermann

Clothes With Style

"M" The Civilized Man - January, 1985 (click in image to enlarge)



Clothes With Style by Robert Bryan: "In this increasingly less-than-perfect world, the man who dresses with style - that is, appropriately to the occasion as well as to his own personality and station - almost always stands out."



"...real personal style is never too obvious, it is usually best expressed in dress through subtle touches...putting on pigskin gloves with a very dressy Chesterfield coat..." RB



"...there is a demonstration of particular personal style that does not overshadow the thing that should be noticed first: a man's face, disposition and personality." RB



"And there are some almost shabby things -- an old felt hat on a man who can wear one, or-



...your favorite well worn tweed sport jacket -- that convey much more personal style than anything brand new." RB


"What appears natural, and is natural when worn by one man, becomes an obvious affectation on another." RB



"...dressing with style is simply a matter of following one's informed common sense. It doesn't take a Douglas Fairbanks Jr. to know that a dark suit and white shirt are fitting for important or sober occasions-



...while a paisley sport shirt and a pair of well-worn khaki trousers are indigenous to a Saturday afternoon stroll." RB

M Magazine's Seaside Vacation - 1984

(click on image to enlarge)

I'd like to make an observation. There's not much up there, 27 years ago, that would look out of place today. In fact, most of it would put you in fairly elegant, if not fashionable, circles. At least that's what I think but be warned, I'm getting on in years as my lack of lips will attest.

'Seaside Vacation' was written by R. Rushton Chatsworth III (a.k.a. John Fairchild), the layout was by M's fashion editor, Robert Bryan, photographed by Thomas Iannaccone and there's not a Red Wing in sight. But I know men who would commit small crimes for that Ghurka carry on and some major ones for the Hermes cashmere tennis cardigan.

Early issues of 'M' nailed classic clothing, and like any art, the choices here have stood the test of time. My God, if you were lucky enough to inherit any of this from a dad or an uncle, you would have a beautiful and honest patina as well.

If you're rolling up your jeans so everybody can see your cordovan work boots. If you're looking for the nerdiest black frame glasses you can find. If you're shaving every 12 days and refuse to part your hair... Understand any photo of you 27 years from now is gonna look dated. And that may not be a bad thing. I know plenty of men who will proudly show you old pictures of their mullets. Forewarned is forearmed.

Robert E. Bryan Today

Robert E. Bryan's book - Don't just look at the pictures

Robert's stick - 1939 Cadillac Series 60

"...daredevils whose audacity is reflected by their clothes." R.E.B.

Brook's Brothers vest (not waistcoat) 1952

Flusser - "Alan knows his business better than anyone." R.E.B.

"Is this what the hip aspire to?" T.T.

"Shrinking the proportions." R.E.B.

B. Blass - "A certain exquisite propriety." O. Wilde

"...would be construction workers who just can't make it to an army-navy store." R.E.B.

"Whatever creation comes down the runway. Whether it suits them or not." R.E.B.

"Thomas Crown Affair (1968) - A complete runway collection." R.E.B.

Iggy- Rock Style

Sitting across from Robert Bryan is a lesson in quiet style. David Chu's Bespoke room is out of early 19th century London with the Regency period furniture, chrome and glass tables and Empire chairs with tasteful black and white prints surrounding us. It's done up pretty big.

Robert wears a simple blue blazer, black sweater vest, black and white polka dot bow tie, and a stark white button down with a perfect roll. He's wearing a stone grey corduroy pant and when he crosses his legs I notice brown paddock boots.

The cords are a perfect shade of steel grey and pair well with the black and white. But whats up with the brown boots? I would've thought black. But it works. And it's not predictable. And it's Robert Bryan who wrote in his new book, American Fashion Menswear, "In one hundred years, men's attire has shifted from tailoring to T-shirts." That sums it up nicely.

To get things going I asked Robert a series of questions. He needed no elaboration.

Esquire or GQ? "Yesterday - Esquire without doubt. Today - GQ

Swivel or Link? Link looks so much better but swivel is much easier.

Flusser or Boyer? Alan knows his business better than anyone.

Italian or English? English without a doubt.

Center or Side? Actually, I prefer unvented.

Madras or Batik? Madras.

Brooks or Press? Brooks.

Browne or Bastian? That's cruel. I can't wear any Thom Browne. I can wear all of Michael Bastian. Bastian is connected with the ivy league feeling, the textures, the colors. Thom is more old fashioned and historical. Thom is a creative force. Bastian is much easier to wear.

Stick or Auto? I had a stick. A 1939 Cadillac Series 60 (Black four door). Whitewall tires have disappeared.

Bergdorf's or Bloomingdale's? Bergdorf's! I'm in awe of how beautiful it all is.

Orvis or Bean? Bean. They're both wonderful.

Shawl or Peak? Peak. Shawl is for the young.

Lobb or Green? I've never bought either but I prefer Lobb.

Hackett or Old England? That's a tough one. I guess Hackett.

Waistcoat or Vest? Vest

Frazier or Merkin? I would say Richard Merkin. I met him on occasion but a real character I knew very well was Hardy Amies.

Gucci or Alden? Alden! No question there.

Hermes or Ferragamo? You know, I have such a prejudice against Hermes ties I'll say Ferragamo. Really, I'm not in love with either but I loathe Hermes.

Robert and I discussed the fashion industry and what was happening in that world. Sparing no punches, he calls it, "Pretentiously unpretentious. That is the essence of what style is now. To have this unpretentious aesthetic but to work really hard at putting it...Like, as though you would normally wear jeans with a tailored jacket. You go out of your way to do that and to wear combat boots with that.

After almost 30 years of wearing the same type of clothing, it's hard for me to grasp the following . I mean, I always knew it but I just didn't know where it was coming from. Richard explains, "In general, a lot of them, certainly in fashion, are not really committed because they're trendy. They're fashion for the moment. On top of that they don't have an attention span to stay interested in anything. It's always, "What's next? What's new?" They're not really genuinely committed to a particular idea or look or style or feeling. It's just whatever's in style at the moment. They can't appreciate it until it's on the runway.

I tell stories to Robert. And from listening to the tapes, way too many. But I hear passion on these tapes when Robert tells me about vintage, the 60 series, ivy, pleated pants and his years at 'M.' After almost two and half hours we pack up to leave.

Waiting for the elevator, I see a tartan jacket with a shawl collar laying across an arm of a chair about 40 feet away. I ask Robert, "Is that a dinner jacket?" He squints his eyes, "Nope. Smoking jacket." Now that's what I call a professional.

Robert E. Bryan at 'M'

It's fitting to start off Robert Bryan's tenure at 'M' with the above cover.

Publisher and owner, John Fairchild discusses natural style and this specific cover in his book, Chic Savages. Fairchild points out that natural style is achieved by, "...going against the grain, by not following fashion's crowd." That cover was on Fairchild's office wall as a reminder.

That's Mr. Bryan in the brown double breasted suit towards the right. In a room full of 'fashion' Robert's beloved 30's style stands heads and shoulders above the sea of hip. I can find a lot of things wrong with how others dress (as they can with me) but this man's attire is perfect every time I see him.

When I asked Robert what his most memorable 'M' was, he told me the West Point issue (August 1986). And for a couple of reasons. Shot by Robert's very good friend, Kyle Ericksen (still at Fairchild Group), Robert explains, "It was the shoot where I nearly killed myself."

"There was this cannon and in back of the cannon, you know, there's this. Well, you have something to hook onto..." Excuse me. Robert is a brilliant fashion editor and writer. Not so much with artillery. It took a while to figure out he stepped between the cannon and the carriage. I'll let him finish, "I was styling this model who was in some position around the cannon and I just stepped up on it and I was moving so quickly I didn't even look. My foot went right through the thing in the middle and right down to the bottom and I was bruised and cut and could hardly walk the next day."

Bryan continued working with Eriksen even after 'M' folded. "At DNR, I usually worked with her on photo shoots which was fun because you didn't have the pressure. It was quick and easy. We just went out and would go to some wonderful architectural location and models would change clothes in the street.We did a lot of that for 'M' too. I don't remember if we ever had a van. Everything was done on the cheap. I didn't have an assistant at 'M' and I had to do everything."

It's a good thing Robert did these still life's. A simple and elegant layout of apparel and accessories in amazing primary colors.

I explain I've never seen anything like these before or since. Robert explained, "I did that at Men's Wear Magazine too."

I love this Kyle Ericksen photo of the model wearing spectators. Every Spring I consider pulling the trigger on a pair just because of this picture. I'm betting Mr Bryan sold a lot of clothes at M.

I tell Robert about my love of the shirt labels in the photos. As a park ranger taking home $400 a month, these pictures were as close as I could get to a Hilditch and Key shirt. "I think I should have covered the label in some way," Robert tells me.

"In the beginning, it ('M') was so conservative that I could not really express my 1930's aesthetic. It had to be more a 50's - 60's ivy league aesthetic. I remember that Kevin Doyle (editor-in-chief) thought a three button jacket was crazy. Just wild. Because two buttons had been worn, well, I guess throughout the 70's and the 80's."

Robert adds, "It was only in the late 80's that the three button jacket started to come back. God forbid I should show a belted back jacket. They thought that was the worse. But gradually as the years went by, 85, six, seven -- I could express more of a sophisticated traditional look of the 30's. More in line with Fred Astaire or Cary Grant and not just this very conservative ivy league aesthetic."

While conservative in dress, Bryan was not in his politics or his life. "M was terribly Republican and the irony was Kevin Doyle was in a rock band and was a Democrat and I was a Democrat." The powers that be at 'M' had great love for the Regans but it was liberals directing the writing and the fashion.

Neither Republican or Democrat was the paper stock. "We used the very best paper available." Bryan tells me. For a magazine whose target readers were the husbands of 'W' readers - I would expect nothing less.

And for the best - Michael Coady (number two to Fairchild and now publishing 'C' in California) believed only the very select should know. Consequently, marketing was by word of mouth. If you didn't know about it - - You didn't need to. Consequently, 'M' never made a profit.

'M' started out as early as 1982 and carried it's name next to Men's Wear with the first pure issue coming out with Prince Phillip on the cover in October of '83. Ironically, 'M' would again carry two names on its cover.

In the September 1990 issue (at 316 pages one of the largest ever) it became 'M Inc.' due to a merger with Manhattan, Inc Magazine. With Clay Felker joining the masthead it's not difficult to understand Robert's misplaced optimism. M Inc. would fold in two years.

Tomorrow: Robert Bryan Today