Social Primer

If you thought the 2010 Academy Awards red carpet scene looked like the March of the Penguins you would not be too far off the mark. To push the point further, one could say the men looked like clones of one another with no individual style. Again, your aim would be precise. And this is entirely the point. At least when we talk about men's black tie. Men should strive not to stand out, so I note with pride and satisfaction that ... Read More

And the Oscar Goes to…. Oh, who knows? This is really just an excuse to beg you to watch Food, Inc. The most important film of the year, decade, maybe ever. I will be back on Monday with SP’s  highly-anticipated and most-viewed post of the year (Best Dressed Men at the Oscars!! So important!)  but thought we needed a little gravitas to balance those imminent exclamations. High and low. You know the routine. As for this documentary, I can't say enough and won't ... Read More

[caption id="attachment_2068" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Brooks Brothers F/W 2010. source: ivy-style.com"][/caption] A note to the uninitiated: New fashion collections are presented to the press six months before the clothes hit stores. The recent men's shows in New York are a preview of what will be on shelves in the Fall of 2010.  Also, this post is loaded with links. Click on the bold underlined words and phrases for additional visuals. Men’s Fashion is another one of those kooky oxymorons you hear bandied about from time ... Read More

The ideal of the well-dressed man is a simple one but apparently difficult to obtain. Men should be impeccably turned out and never ostentatious. The well-dressed man about town should be unremarkable yet elegant and well-groomed. His clothes should be age-appropriate, fit well and be made of appropriate fabric and color. There are few occasions which allow us to see men in their finery on a public stage and awards shows -- for better or worse -- present this opportunity. The Golden ... Read More

..... Men have their imagery and that's it. And don't tamper with it. And don't call it fashion. It is style.    (Bill Cunningham) One of my heroes, The New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham, gives an overview of men's style before it disappears under winter coats: Young men are tweaking classic looks with unexpected color.  Here is the link. The colors are used in very masculine ways but there's nothing that screams. Oh, I don't know, how far down in Greenwich Village you might see ... Read More

Image courtesy of The Sartorialist The critics tell me the posts on here have a tendency to wax on too long. Nobody wants to read a blow-hard wordy essay on the emailer machine, they tell me. OK, so this is a long, extra blow-hard lengthy one, but this is an important issue concerning every man in America, and the world. Oh, the sacrifices SP makes.... Growing up in the Deep South, we wore khakis. Definitely in the summer and most of the time in ... Read More

SP knows the thought of wearing a bow tie probably makes most of you cringe. This item is often relegated to history or the realm of the dandy and in some parts of the business world or certain geographic areas, is considered utterly uncool by the unitiated. SP will not begin to defend the bow tie (although SP wears one every chance he gets) because, well that’s a personal choice that you either to or you don’t. SP will say, because this ... Read More

SOCIAL PRIMER: POP-UP SHOP OPENS IN ALPHA GEAR FOR GENTS ON MELROSE AVENUE SP has opened a new pop-up shop within Alpha Gear for Gents in West Hollywood. See what the LA times has to say here. The dilemma of finding appropriate gifts for gentlemen is resolved. Social Primer: The Shop offers a well-edited -- and affordable -- selection of made-to-order offerings including monogrammed stationery, playing cards, drinks coasters and napkins, soaps, and belts.  Also announcing the new SP reversible bow ties available ... Read More

SP's reversible bow ties are getting some attention from unlikely sources. It seems the ties have struck a chord with editors working on wedding guides. Not that there's anything wrong with that. When putting together the collection, we were inspired by the Duke of Windsor and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Classic gents with a streak of the eccentricity were chief on the mind as well as the inspiration board, along with crisp fall weather, a flask of bourbon, tweed jackets and perhaps a ... Read More

We are inundated with images of celebrities and athletes who run the flashbulb gauntlet at awards shows or squire around super models to premieres, but what SP wants to know is, who are the best dressed men in America who are doing it for themselves? Not with a pricey stylist or a high fashion label’s backing, but real men making real choices and pulling it off with aplomb. Who are the men making an effort in Cleveland? Who is the bon vivant ... Read More