Hey Frank, How You Livin'?

One year ago Mr. Frank Muytjens gave Lonny Magazine a glimpse inside of his Brooklyn apartment.  The J. Crew Men's Design Chief has never been shy with sharing his personal stuff, but this is far and away my favorite look into his very stylish life.  Check out the spread below featuring quotes from the man himself and some tips on how to get Frank's look.  Livin', indeed.

-L.A.S

Dear J. Crew

Dear J. Crew,

There are two things you probably don't know about me: 1. I wear your camp socks exclusively during these colder months, so props on that and 2. I'm not as big of a sweater-phile as these other bloggers.  Anyhow, I recently got a pair of your new lightweight marled cotton/acrylic/nylon made in the USA socks in authentic red.  Obviously, they are now my favorite pair of socks I have ever owned.  My question is this, can you guys make a sweater out of these?  I don't care if it's the same fabric blend or 100% wool.  That doesn't matter to me.  What matters is getting more of this incredible marled "authentic red" in my wardrobe.  Seriously, it is that boss in person, but you probably already knew that.  I'm thinking a boatneck knit or maybe a crewneck.  But, ultimately, that doesn't really matter either.  If you guys can make that happen I'd pay handsomely for the results.  I'll keep my eyes peeled, but won't hold my breath.

Cheers,
Lawrence

J. Crew Cashmere Lined Leather Gloves

This weekend I did a little holiday shopping because, well, I'm American (no Black Friday) and I ended up getting J. Crew's cashmere lined leather gloves for myself.  I opted for the cheaper version, as oppose to these and, after whatever holiday savings algorithm was in place, believe they are a pretty damn good value.  Yes, these are obviously machine made overseas, but I was extremely surprised at both the quality of the leather and cashmere lining.  As anyone who wears glove will tell you, quality is important because in this case it is usually analogous to comfort.  And there ain't many things worse than uncomfortable gloves.  Comparing these to a handsewn pair from, say, De Corato (one of my favorite shops in NYC) is kinda pointless in my humble opinion.  I'm not sure about you, but I like to SAVE money on accessories - value is the name of the game.  Not to mention, details like picked stitching are great, but why would you want something so precious on an item that is most likely going to get beat to shit?

It seems that lately everyone is really psyched on deerskin gloves.  I can appreciate the luxury and aging of deerskin, but you're not going to catch me in tan pair anytime soon.  Why's that?  Simply put, they look kinda feminine.  I'm a firm believer that a man's gloves should be the definition of understated.  Black or brown calfskin all day for me.  Just like my shoes, brown is my go to so I scooped the "dark hickory" numbers.  Bottom line: Handsome as hell, warm as hell and after a few wears it seems I got more than I paid for.  Side note: if you're in the market for some of these new tech-oriented gloves that aids in phone use, we are definitely not on the same page.  Call me old fashioned, but I take my gloves off when I use my phone.

-L.A.S

Meet the New Balance for J.Crew Collection

Some people really like New Balance.  Some people, such as myself, do not.  Here is a video for those of you in the former of the two previous statements.



-L.A.S

Red Wing For J. Crew Sale

Need new boots for F/W? Maybe some chukkas actually?  Right now J. Crew is selling their exclusive Red Wing rugged leather chukka boots for $130 - that's a $100 discount.  Also, at checkout you can use the "MUSTHAVE" (that's a bit presumptuous, no?) promo code for an extra 30% off up until the end of the day.  Grand total: $91.  Not bad if you ask me, especially since, by my account, you can't get this particular model anywhere else.  These probably aren't your best bet for heavy snowfall, but as an every day knockabout you could do a whole lot worse. The cotton canvas upper is a nice touch and we don't really need to rehash Red Wing's made in the U.S.A. quality for the one-millionth time.  Currently there is a decent grip of "average" sizes still available.  Enjoy the discount while it lasts.

-L.A.S

Heritage Wrists

No one could ever convince me to switch out my NATO straps, but I can only speak for myself.  For those of you looking to give your current watch straps a break after a long summer, J. Crew has just released some cotton watch straps geared for F/W.  By offering olive green, chambray and railroad stripe straps they are surely tapping deep into the heritage well to snag every last drop.  What isn't exactly my cup of tea may very well be your holy grail so if this interests you, buy them here for 20 bucks a pop - wax not included.  I would surmise a strap like this probably looks best with a vintage or vintage inspired field watch.  Don't worry, you can buy those at J. Crew too.

-L.A.S

Attn: For One Easy Payment Of $100...

...you can get yourself J. Crew's Sutherland trench - that's half price for our non-mathematically inclined friends.  Not a bad deal if you ask me.   I always really dug the Sutherland trench (a traditional Mac style raincoat) for it's simplicity and decent construction, but at $200 it felt like a little bit of a rip-off especially with brands like Lands End Canvas and L.L. Bean Signature selling comparable items for half the price.  Luckily for us (and all the ride or die J. Crewers out there) the release of a new and improved model (Belted! Cropped!) comes the slashing of an old maid.  With Fall around the corner it makes sense to grab yourself a trench for those cloudy days when there is a 50% chance you're wearing your Bean boots to work.  If you're a medium (i.e. a normal dude) or x-large (i.e. an NBA center) you may want to go ahead and click-on through.

-L.A.S

Doing You A Solid

J. Crew's final sale is not as epic as I would have liked, but there are a few things to get excited about, one of which being their solid NATO style watch straps going for $10-$15 a clip.  Keep in mind these are for 18mm watches so I recommend breaking out your ruler before breaking out your plastic.  I'm not sure what the motivation is behind a fire sale on such a versatile accessory, but one can only assume it has been determined by someone important that regimental stripes are most definitely what the cool kids are buying these days.  I guess that leaves the solid joints for all us broke ass losers. What a shame.

[Editor's note: It's open season on the striped ones as well.  Please ignore my terrible jokes/observations from above.  Looks like J. Crew will have some new options for us soon.]

-L.A.S

Indigo Dip

I can't really get down with the whole dip dye trend since it's a little too Cali brah for my tastes, but I can appreciate more subtle takes on the overall idea.  J. Crew's new Indigo Fleece Crewneck Sweatshirt utilizes the dip dye process for what they call a "cool vintage denim effect".  By keeping the dye limited to one color the sweatshirt has the sweet fading that comes with the dip dying process while staying understated.  It's a warmer weather alternative to the much ballyhooed gray crewneck sweatshit adding some seasonal edge to those brisk nights that come around every now and again.  It's a little pricey so you may want to wait for it to go on sale and, much like all of J. Crew's seasonal numbers, it most surely will.  Since fit is always an issue you may want to think about sizing down considering you probably won't be doing as much layering in S/S, but I keep hearing how J. Crew's fit is getting better so who knows.  My advice - head to the mall, try it on, hit the boardwalk and play some ski ball.

-L.A.S

The Future Style Bloggers Of America

If you didn't drink your milk and eat your vegetables you can always shop at Crew Cuts.

-L.A.S

An Evening In St. Tropez

Let's continue to talk about summer formal wear for a second.  Honestly, you don't really need a chino tuxedo to have your game tight.  It's cool in theory and all that, but virtually unnecessary.  If you cop one great jazzed up jacket instead you should be more or less set.  When you start marking off satin and shawl collars on your formal jacket checklist you're liable to lose a few hundred dollars in the process so it's difficult to find an option that is both affordable and handsome.  The J. Crew St. Tropez sportcoat might not be either of those things to you right now, but once this goes on sale it could be quite the snag.  The details are right no point with a proposed evening in St. Tropez - slate gray, Italian cotton, one button, shawl collar.  Forget J. Crew's halfassed nautical jibber jabber styling and think more along the lines of white jeans and some Rivieras.  Now that right there is a look that can only be described as "cold".

-L.A.S

Debate: The Gingham Sportcoat

J. Crew is calls it a "sharp take on a summer staple". I call it bold as hell especially considering the novelty factor, but figuring in the under $200 price tag I can actually see people buying this thing.  Is a gingham sportcoat even really a surprise at this point?  Why discriminate when various other patterns and types of cotton have already been elevated to sportcoat status?  Now that I think about it this would actually look quite dapper when paired with a crispy white shirt and some chinos.  So who's on board and who's gulping down some haterade?

-L.A.S

Attn: Cheap As Chino

Not so much a post as a news blast I guess, but J. Crew's on point Lundlow chino sportcoat has just hit the sale rack and can currently be grabbed for $98 (if you're a small don't bother), which is pretty much how much it costs to go grocery shopping at CVS these days.  It's not a bad deal at all and is definitely in the conversation for best off the rack chino blazer thanks its trimmed up, modern fit.  No need to overthink this at all - crispy white button down, your denim and maybe some penny loafers.  Now that's some classic and understated style at its best.

-L.A.S

Don't Be Afraid

As I previously mentioned I am not the biggest shorts guy.  Instead, I have always been drawn to chinos or other warm weather pants when the temperatures increase.  Regardless of whether or not you guys feel the same way I think it is important to have a pretty air tight chino arsenal.  I realize that you pretty much only need one great fitting pair, but if you are looking to add to your collection I think it would be smart to consider one pair of pleated joints.  All the tips and positives of pleated shorts apply here as well - we want to keep the number of pleats at 2 maximum and obviously everything should be realtively trim.  Whether that's a tappered leg, a straight leg or even something skinny the amount of fabric should be under control.  If things are starting to bunch or sag, especially in those pleated areas, you know you've gone over the line.  With proportions under control your pants will have some killer lines and structure.

I just got the Michael Bastian pair seen below to get my own fix, but if you are more responsible than myself you might want to check out this version from J. Crew.  Both pants keep the pleats to a minimal and feature a slimmer leg like previously mentioned.  A pair of these freshly creased is something incredibly stylish, classic and can set you apart from everyone who has completely jumped ship to flat front exclusively.  People often fear what they don't understand - understand the pleat and make it work for you.

-L.A.S

Right Near Da Beach

J. Crew's new lightweight beach shorts look killer.  They actually remind me of some Daiki Suzuki steeze, but at like 1/3 the price.  The drawstring waist plus the angled, button down flap pockets adds some serious detailed punch for the pricepoint and is what put these on my radar in the first place.  The 10 1/2" inseam seems a little much on paper and while that is longer than I usually go it seems to look spot on in the fit pics.  Ultimately, I guess they're something that I'll have to get hands on with before pulling the trigger.  Full disclosure, I rarely ever wear shorts (give me chino pants all day if it's hot) so it takes a real effort to impress me when it comes to the shorts game, but J. Crew seems to have hit the nail on the head with these - well done Frank, well done.  If it was me I would be doing white tee, these shorts in khaki, and Authentics sans socks for that right off the boardwalk look.  Oh yeah, if you know where I got this post title from then we are already friends.

-L.A.S

Sun King

Continuing with the J. Crew theme...you may have noticed how sun-faded everything has been getting a lot of play from the retail giant this year.  They started with their flannels a few months back, just released their sun-faded oxfords and now they have polos to round it all out.  Polos are probably the only garments I endorse that I probably don't wear all that much and that stems from my lack of finding one that fits properly.  I realize that my body shape isn't the be all end all so I figured that those of you out there that can get down with them might want to take a gander at these.  J. Crew claims that their sun-faded slub jersey polos have "a slimmer fit that looks like it was made for you" and even though I have heard this countless times without seeing results I will hold my judgment until I get the chance to try them on in person.  The real motivation behind this post is that I am really digging the washed out color palette used here, which is the same reason I am on board with the sun-faded look in general.  Granted, it always feels better to get that sun fading in yourself (what will happen to a colored pair of Vans Authentics if you rock them throughout the summer), but I won't blame you for admitting upfront that you want some one else to do the work for you.  I mean, let's be honest, some people are just way too busy blogging to actually leave the house these days...

-L.A.S

J. Crew S/S Cotton Sportcoats

If I had my druthers I'd have a closet stacked with perfectly tailored sportcoats from J. Press and Brooks Brothers in all the fabrics you could imagine, but I got bills to pay, mouths to feed and at least 5 illegitimate kids, that I know of, to put through college.  As it stands now I am in no position to start dropping the kind of fundage on sportcoats that the old guard requires so I stick to the good folks at J. Crew for all my almost suiting needs.

A choice S/S sportcoat is a good look for sure - everything from work functions to a nice dinner with your lady calls for something a little classy that keeps you as cool as a Negra Modelo on ice.  I've been a big fan of J. Crew's sportcoats since, well, Frank took the helm and find that they fit pretty swell off the rack.  As it stands today they have a few options for you depending on what your wardrobe may lack and what your personal style leans towards - the cotton options range from striped to corded to plaid to chino.  Like I said earlier this week, even if you're the kind of cat who rocks jeans on the reg you shouldn't be afraid to man up - no one ever said that you had to look like crap even if you're rolling to the farmer's market (though we could probably debate how manly you can actually be while kicking it at a farmer's market).  With minimal tailoring necessary, assuming you aren't rocking the Muggsy Bogues' hormones treatment, and everything clocking in at under 2 bills J. Crew has your back.

-L.A.S

The Point Of No Return: Sweatshorts

The sweats debate/trend/apocalypse continues with this new release courtesy of J. Crew.  Apparently they've been given the "leaner silhouette" treatment and fall under "the perfect lounge-about shorts" category.  While I personally would wear sweatpants out of the house, I am not quite sold on these.  They definitely could make cool lounge gear like previously stated, but the jury is still out on how they would fair in the public domain.  More or less the same argument made for or against the cut off sweatshirt applies here, though I think we could all agree this is a tad more touch and go.  Regardless of all that, this release comes as no surprise, at least to me.  With everything getting slimmed up these days it was only a matter of time before gym rats got their steeze hooked up too.  It's a shame I don't live in Japan because for 38 bucks I'd have bottoms for everyday of the week - real talk.

-L.A.S