Iconic American Denim Style

You can't talk about American style without mentioning denim.  From it's humble, utilitarian roots, it has risen to the pinnacle of fashion and has an almost cult-like international following.  So every brand has to consider how it's pieces mix in with denim.  I wanted to bring you a few pictures of our pieces mixed into a unique vintage look.  There are so many cool ways to play these looks, I'm really excited about seeing how our customers do it their way. Here's a few interpretations of mine:

 Even in denim, I like to keep it elegant, sporty, and vintage-inspired by using a lot of small flourishes. I always start with great shoes and here I'm wearing a dark wash pair of Levi's with a boot cut over cap-toes from Allen Edmonds.  My shirt is our Kent (Button-down) collar in a lavender oxford. I paired this with a navy & lavender Repeal Club tie in a nice full windsor knot. The vest is our Barrymore Classic in a navy pinstripe flannel. I dropped in a lilac gingham pocket square as an extra little flourish. The tortoise shell reading glasses are unfortunately a neccesity, but these from Classic Specs do look nice. Finally, our vintage newsboy cap in Tan Herringbone.

In the next pic you'll see I'm working off the same base.  It's great to be able to build a lot of different looks from a few key pieces. My shirt is our Chatham (Polo) collar in a cranberry vintage stripe. The jacket is our workhorse, the Period Perfect Navy Blazer.  A nice bowtie, a pocket square, and I'm elegant enough for reservations,  but still easy enough for a few whiskey cocktails at the Clover Club. Oh, and since I'm almost a gentleman, I'm rarely sans a cap. My current fave is this tan herringbone newsboy.                                       

The final outfit is a sporty, narrative outfit inspired by the Great Depression. Overalls were common attire for working men and merchants. I've stepped mine up a bit by adding a Chatham collar shirts and bowtie. I draped a pocket square in the pocket and on the left strap used a vintage pin that reads "vote dry". Finished with my cap du jour.  Don't miss the heavy brogue boots! I promise to some more specialized blogs on shoes and how to go spiffy to spectacular using small accessories to set your style apart.

PBS Prohibition Documentary by Ken Burns & Lynn Novick aired tonight

I hope you're all tuning in to the PBS Prohibition documentary presented by Ken Burns & Lynn Novick.  It's edutainment at it's best and has human stories, gangster elements, women's rights, racism, corporate interests, religion and politics. Everything that touches on the question of American values and what it means to be American came into play in forging the passing of the 18th amendment.  I thought it was interesting to see that the revenue generated by the taxation of alcohol was so substantial that until the 16th Amendment (Income Tax) was passed, prohibition was basically not feasible from an economic point of view.  There are so many interesting angles and parallels between the contemporary struggles that we are facing as a nation, that this should be required viewing (Wall Street anyone?).

  Oh, and there's great style too, partially because these were tough times and people had less, so things were worn more.  Part of having a great signature style is having a few really unique and well made items that you wear often enough to feel very relaxed in, and that people automatically associate with you.

Check the link here to see when it airs in your zip code:  http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/tv-schedules/ 

or watch it online at:  http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/watch-video/#id=2082675582

Don't forget to double-up by catching Boardwalk Empire afterward.