Growing up in New England, I was raised in a family that, stereotypically, cherished thriftiness and a well-worn aesthetic. In a household of five boys, it was both economical and a practical imperative. That top image is a little before I showed up, but rest assured that I wore pretty much all of that gear…
Brooks Brothers. If there is a single brand which at its core is a byword for ‘American,’ it’s Brooks Brothers. Around the world that name quite literally defines the ideal of classic American style. And, with nearly 200 years of Ivy League, East Coast establishment history under its belt, Brooks can lay claim to the…
As the world of office dwellers shakes the collective dust off its shoulders and stumbles over to the closet, there is a sense of uncertainty in the air. What the heck to wear back to the office – when one even bothers going ‘to’ the office? As the very concept of where to work is…
A few years ago, we had a chance to sit down with award-winning fashion designer Michael Bastian and discuss his belief that what we know as classic American style was in fact born from the confluence of three disparate societal trends. In this article we revisit that conversation and Bastian’s insightful observations of American men’s…
Ball and Buck is not your typical menswear brand. Founded in 2008 by Mark Bollman, a guy who actually does a lot out-of-doors, this Boston-based company offers more than just rugged looking gear. B&B is an experiential brand for guys who don’t simply want to look like they hike, camp, shoot skeet, or trail blaze,…
The shiny barrier of luxury that once clearly defined social and cultural classes has for the most part fallen by the wayside. These days even the most average of incomes can support some level of Tiffany, Cartier, Hermes, Asprey, Gucci, or Louis Vuitton. Only one generation ago any of these names would conjure up images…
