Style Profile: Jude Law

36 year old British actor, Jude Law, is no stranger to the spotlight. Since the late 80's appearing with the National Youth Music Theater, to such notable appearances in films such as The Talented Mr. Ripley and Road to Perdition, Law is a an international star with a reputation for style.

Slim, classic, and sometimes daring, Law knows a thing or two about fit. Never scared to experiment (to occasionally mixed results), he is his own man. Jude goes easily from mixing edgy cut fabrics inspired by British Rock culture to classic cut tuxedo's paired with Ray-Ban Wayfarers at Cannes Film Festival.

One thing no one can argue is that Jude has his own look that he is comfortable with. We should all strive to find that nonchalant style, disheveled elegance look.

Common Project Sneakers

If your looking for a sneaker, I would definitely recommend Common Projects. Slim, sleek and modern they will get you through the summer.

Also available in mid and high top.

Essential: Leather Jacket

Very few items of clothing lend themselves to such mystery and nostalgia as the leather jacket. The thought alone can conjure up romantic images of rebellion and adventure.

From Fonzie to James Dean, and [insert favorite rocker here] the image is iconic. As a kid you look at these role models (well maybe not Fonzie) and imagine yourself hitting the open road on your motorcycle for a few weeks, living on the open road and sleeping under the stars. Or maybe your pictured yourself performing on stage for a crowd of adoring groupies, traveling from gig to gig on a tour bus, your biggest worry where to score your next hit.

But, wait you are not in your dressing room after a show consuming copious amounts of drugs. Perhaps your next road trip more likely consists of a minivan and the kids wondering "are we there yet?", then hitting the road on your hog.

The leather jacket can still be for you. However, you might want to pass on the black jackets with spikes and gregarious zippers. That does not mean you should not pay attention to fit, and quality. Far too often the leather jacket has been disseminated to an overcoat with four or five buttons sitting on you like a sack.

Pay close attention to fit no matter what style you choose.

-The jacket should fit snug not tight. If you see any pulling or the jacket restricts your movement, size up.

-Don't let the sleeves cover your hands. Although the sleeves can be longer then a blazer or suit jacket, the sleeve should still end at your wrist and not at the base of your fingers.

-Make sure the shoulder hem sits on the end of your shoulder. If it falls off in any way, that jacket is not for you. Put it back on the rack or size down.

-Keep the jacket on the short side, I like it to go slightly past the belt line, maybe an inch or two, anything after that is too long (obvious exception: Belstaff style jackets).

-Pair with your favorite pair worn in jeans and black boots.

So, even if even if you are so lucky to be contemplating your next rehab stint over guitar strings pay attention to these rules and your look will be iconic rather then abhorrent when the Enquirer snaps a picture of you checking into your favorite clinic.

Skinhead Inspiration 2

I found some more fantastic skinhead pictures I thought I would share. When did the kids stop caring what they look like?

Check out the original post here.

Style Inspiration: James Dean

Not much needs to be said here. James Dean, a classic style figure if there ever was one. Effortless cool.

James Dean is a great inspiration for a Laissez-faire approach to life. Stick out from the crowd. Embrace youth. Live fast and hard.

He makes us realize that life is far too short to live with fear. James Dean embraced this philosophy and that is what makes him such an icon. He did what we are all so scared to do-- let go of preconceptions of what we are supposed to be. Sadly, his story also reminds us that life is short.

Live life by your own rules.

Essential: Black Boots

Every man needs a solid pair of black boots. Perfect for jeans, a night out, or those snowy days. they make a statement that no sneaker does. They have attitude, and a quality pair only gets better with age.

Above is a very nice collaboration with Wings + Horns and Dayton Vancouver. A bit pricey at $798. However, they actually tie the boot in a knot and dip it in water to get a distinct shape.

Below is the classic Red Wing Gentlemen's travel in black. It goes for around $260 and should last you years of heavy use. Be sure to size down on these as they run quite large.

Ivy League Style with G. Bruce Boyer

Fantastic interview on Ivy League style with Bruce Boyer.
A long but great read.

Check it out here.

Lapo Elkann

Like the controversy that can be sparked by Thom Browne's shruken suits, Lapo Elkann has also been a polarizing figure when it comes to men's style. Hier to the Fiat fortune, Elkann has been an oft discussed men's style figure. Often criticized as dandy and over affected, Elkann has what can only be described as a flamboyant fashion sense.

Double breasted suit jackets with large lapels, flowering pocket squares and a blonde mame are his staples. Whether you like his style sense or not, you can't say that it is not unique. He does what he wants, how he wants, and doesn't care what you think of it.

I like that.

Skinhead Inspiration

Just to clear up any misunderstanding that may occur, from wikipedia:

A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian (specifically Jamaican) rude boys and British Mods, in terms of fashion, music and lifestyle. Originally, the skinhead subculture was primarily based on those elements, not politics or race. Since then, however, attitudes toward race and politics have become factors in which some skinheads align themselves. The political spectrum within the skinhead scene ranges from the far right to the far left, although many skinheads are apolitical. Fashion-wise, skinheads range from a clean-cut 1960s mod-influenced style to less-strict punk- and hardcore-influenced styles.

So with all political connotations aside, there just aren't many well dressed subcultures out there anymore. Seems like everything was just a bit cooler in the past.

I have been drawing inspiration from these looks lately.

Sturdy boots, gingham shirts and jeans. Take any piece you enjoy and integrate it in your wardrobe, you can't go wrong. I would skip rolling up the jeans and the blood red Doc Martens, unless you actually belong to this subculture.

Oh yes, you might want to keep the suspenders at home as well.

60's French Style

There is something that can only be described as disheveled elegance about these pictures. Effortless style. That is what we should all strive for.

Thome Browne Rules Of Style

Following up on Saturdays rules of style by Band of Outsiders' Scott Sternberg, here is Thom Browne's take. Long known for his controversial shrunken suit aesthetic he offers a very different perspective:

1) I don’t understand why everybody thinks that dressing casually is so much more comfortable. I’m as comfortable in a suit as I am in anything else.

2) Good champagne—good, not expensive—has been my cocktail of choice for as long as I can remember. I like them all—Bollinger, Taittinger, and others. I also collect champagne coupes; I have more than 10. They’re one of the few things that I collect.

3) Chariots of Fire, Death in Venice, North by Northwest, and The Thomas Crown Affair are some of my favorite films—and they’re all particularly inspiring for menswear. I watch movies all the time but I don’t like to go to the theater. It’s just too much.

4) Guys shouldn’t spend a lot of money on a haircut. I go to Chelsea Barbers in New York, where I pay about $30. The price went up, but I’m very loyal to the woman there.

5) It’s sad that the cell phone is replacing the watch as a time-telling device. I wear a vintage watch that’s really skinny.

6) When it comes to shoes, you don’t really need more than a few pairs of wing tips or oxfords. They’re classics. And I wear only black shoes in the city. Brown ones are for the country.

7) Men don’t know enough about being courteous toward women. You should get into a cab before a woman so she doesn’t have to slide across the seat. And you should always go first into a revolving door so she doesn’t have to push—unless it’s moving, then let her go first.

8) Seersucker and khaki suits are the key to looking put-together in the summer. I also wear shorts year-round. And I would never say never, but I don’t wear sandals. With shorts, it’s wing tips and tennis socks.

9) I like menswear from the late fifties and early sixties. It’s the uniformity and the lack of choice from that era that I respond to. It’s also the last time that there was such a distinct American style. Now it’s all jumbled up and homogenized.

10) I love white linen sheets, but they need to be ironed, so that limits my use of them. Otherwise, I like really good, starched white cotton sheets. They have to be white.

Scott Sternberg Rules of Style

I really enjoyed this top ten rules of style by head designer of Band Of Outsiders, Scott Sternberg. I don't agree with all of it, but it is entertaining. Enjoy!

1) Opening a conversation with "What do you do?" makes you sound like a shifty, social-climbing dickwad. Small talk is for sissies, but if you're stuck with it, you can certainly come up with something better than that.

2) Talking about what brand you're wearing is gay in the bad way. Just keep quiet and play dumb if someone asks. Talking about what a great deal you got on the aforementioned item is worse. If you must, tell your mom, because she has sale empathy and will take your victory as her own. It's sick.

3) I don't think a tie is a relic, not yet. It's purely masculine—that one garment that allows you to go a little outside the box. A tie with a well-cut suit makes you look put-together and confident. It's an auto-chic, easy uniform.

4) Cigarettes are a vile, dirty habit. Joints, on the other hand, are perfectly acceptable.

5) Whenever you start a new project or a new job, don't tell anyone what you're working on, because it can change direction a million times and once you start telling the world about it, you get constrained by your own mouth.

6) That skin-toned paste your girlfriend gave you to treat your pimple is makeup. Don't kid yourself. You're a girl if you use it. Figure something else out.

7) Rabid atheism does not lead to attractive or acceptable cocktail-party conversation. You know who you are and you need to chill. We get it, okay? God is for dummies. Now shut your hole.

8) It's just not cool to fart on a plane, even if everyone's ears are plugged from the altitude and they can't hear where it came from. Heed my warning: Airplane-fart karma is a bitch, and you will find yourself at the receiving end on a sleepless transcontinental red-eye soon enough.

9) Style fills the gap between how you see yourself and how you want other people to see you. It is not a mysterious quality reserved for Cary Grant or Liberace. You have a sense of it in there somewhere. It's just a matter of finding a way to express it without seeming like you're trying.

10) Rules, as they say, are meant to be broken. Don't get too caught up with what I—or anyone else—tell you about your personal style, except for No. 8.

Maison Martin Margiela Spring/Summer 2009

A sneak peak at MMM Spring/Summer 09. I am getting a bit of 70's Disco Vibe. Could it have anything to do with disco ball mirrored leggings, perhaps?

That said, there are definitely a few solid wearable pieces in the collection, like the fantastically cut blazers, and a great trench in a unique light beige color that would work well for spring showers.

Most Stylish Men in America, Really?

Click here to check out GQ's list of the Most Stylish Men in America.

It sounds more like a list of celebrities with stylists that GQ likes. TI, really?! Come on, there has got to be better dressed people in America. I hope. Please. Anyone?

The End for Obedient Sons

It has come to my attention that the clothing brand, Obedient Sons, has recently folded due to complications with their primary investor, Green Day Bassist, Mike Dirnt.

However, the news is not all bad for designers, Christina and Swaim Hudson, they are planning on returning to the fashion world with a new label.

A sneak peak at the upcoming designs, reveals some interesting experimentation with proportion:

Band of Outsiders at Fashion Week

As promised, here are some pictures from Band of Outsiders at Fashion Week. BoO continues its tradition of American classic preppy. They also showed off their women's line, ironically called Boy.

Some fantastic suits coming out of the collection. The bow ties, rep ties and especially the madras suit exemplify Ivy inspired. Perhaps Scott Sternberg has been reading Ivy Take. Did I mention boat shoes?