Bullit Boots

When breaking down Steve McQueen's style one of the main talking points is his fondness for brown suede desert boots.  He wore a bunch of different styles and brands both on screen and off, but I'd like to chat briefly about the desert boots seen in the classic 1968 film Bullitt.

[Pictures courtesy of Steve McQueen Style.]

Apparently, the boots seen above are Hutton Original Playboys.  Hutton went out of business in the 1970's, but licensed the style and name to a Swedish brand.  Over the years the license changed hands a few times with the shoes being sold in the USA under the name "Players" due to legal issues surrounding the use of the term "Playboy" - seems Hugh Hefner wasn't a big fan of desert boots.  Today you can buy an almost exact copy of the original style from Sanders who have been producing their own model for a few years.  While the construction of the Original Playboy and Sanders' suede chukka boot does differ, stylistically the two shoes are nearly identical.  I swear by my Clarks (I am actually wearing a pair as I type this), but for anyone trying to stay ahead of the ubiquitous McQueen style curve Sanders looks like the way to go.

-L.A.S

Debate: The Short Sleeve Sweatshirt

For as often as the short sleeve sweatshirt shows up in countless McQueen style montages bloggers have been relatively gun shy on the issue.  I, myself, think it is a cool idea in theory, but acknowledge that it is difficult to pull off - just ask Bill "The Human Boner" Belichick (granted I'm not talking about the hooded variety since we all know it can't hold a candle to the classic crew neck).  I can see the arguments both for and against.  On one hand you have the sloppy and "trying too hard" school of thought you often get when bringing up sweats in the first place and on the other side the classic cool camp who reps for this kind of gear consistently.   The practicality of this sartorial maneuver seems linked to chillier summer nights just like any warm weather top layer - you know, the whole "keep your core warm, stay warm" thing.  To get this look today you're more than likely going to have to cut the sleeves off of a standard crew neck unless you're fond of Rugby's branding (wait, you're not in "Skull and Snakes" club bro?) as they are the only option I found while doing the half-assed research that goes into every post (update: resident EG scholar Mister Crew has pointed me towards some older versions from Daiki).  What do you guys think? Leave it to Steve or let 'em breath?

-L.A.S

From The Inbox: Never-Seen McQueen Pics

Thanks to faithful reader Brenn I got a wonderful link this afternoon to a new photo collection on Life featuring some never-seen pictures of Steve McQueen.  Peep all the inspiration with accompanying commentary here.  As I've mentioned before, this guy's life was, and still is, the greatest lookbook of all time.  Happy (early) birthday to "The King of Cool".

Thee Weeks In Steve McQueen's World

"In the spring of 1963, Steve McQueen was on the brink of superstardom, already popular from his big-screen breakout as one of The Magnificent Seven and just a couple months away from entering the Badass Hall of Fame with the release of The Great Escape. Intrigued by his dramatic backstory and his off-screen exploits — McQueen was a reformed delinquent who got his thrills racing cars and motorcycles — LIFE sent photographer John Dominis to California to hang out with the 33-year-old actor and see what he could get. Three weeks and more than 40 rolls of film later, Dominis had captured some astonishingly intimate and iconic images, photos impossible to imagine in today's restricted-access celebrity world. Only a handful of those photos have ever been published… but now, in celebration of what would have been McQueen's 80th birthday (March 24), LIFE.com presents these never-before-seen gems from that legendary assignment, along with insights from Dominis about the time he spent with the man who would become known as the King of Cool. Pictured: At his home in Palm Springs, McQueen practices his aim before heading out for a shooting session in the desert."

[Pictures courtesy of Life Magazine.]

-L.A.S

The Watches of Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen's footprint on menswear is undeniable.  The guy had style to spare and to this day designers look to both his on and off screen persona for inspiration.  While I am by no means a watch geek I find McQueen's timepiece history pretty fascinating.  Steve's name and image are associated with a few watches; he only ever really wore one.

In the 1971 action film, Le Mans, Steve McQueen's character, Michael Delaney, is seen wearing a Tag (Heuer had not yet been purchased) Monaco chronograph.  Tag Heuer, to this day, has continued to use Steve's image in various marketing campaigns to aid in selling the classic blue-faced model, which holds the claim of "the world's first automatic chronograph".  It is important to note that while the on screen McQueen is associated with the brand, he never wore Tag off screen.

 

 

 

In his "real" life McQueen's preferred brand of timepiece was Rolex.  In fact, Rolex has its own McQueen "signature" watch, the Explorer II aka "The McQueen Rolex".  This watch is highly sought after today due to its rarity and exclusivity (it was discontinued in 1985).  The watch, itself, is a very handsome model and comes equipped with the much coveted orange 24 hour hand.  Though McQueen did wear his Explorer II off screen his favorite watch was something a little different.

 

 

   

Similar in design to the Explorer II, the Rolex Submariner was McQueen's go to.  This particular Submariner, available exclusively in the UK and produced from 1959 through 1978, was truly Steve's everyday watch.  It was what McQueen "the man" not "the actor on the silver screen" wore on a daily basis.  All McQueen connections aside, the Rolex Submariner is a beautiful timepiece that embodies the classical and understated nature of all the things that I love.  McQueen realized this too and put on his Submariner everyday because of it.

  

 

 

 

-L.A.S

[Editor's Note: Notice how McQueen, who was left handed, wears his watch on his right wrist.]

Bikers vs. Motorcyclists, Barbour vs. Belstaff and Steve

Yesterday's post dealing with my affinity towards red motorcyclist jackets contained a few inaccuracies.  Thankfully I have readers much more knowledgeable than myself and I was able to clear up a lot of stuff and fill in a few holes.

First, I must make the distinction between "bikers" and "motorcyclists".  While both are surely rebel characters in many respects, the latter of the two should be distinguished for his elegant sportsmanship.  This "distinct breed" of gent was an athlete whose thirst for danger and competition set him apart.  When talking specifically about motorcyclist jackets, such as the Trialmaster and who wore them, we are talking about motorcyclists.

Next, it should be noted that when I made the assertion that Barbour was for "the hunter and the outdoorsman" I failed to mention their own motorcyclist jacket, the International.  In fact, in the iconic picture (see below) of Steve McQueen at the 1964 International 6 Day Trials he wears a Barbour International and not a Belstaff Trialmaster.  Despite this documentation of McQueen in Barbour his feelings on Belstaff were actually quite fond.

It has been said that despite McQueen wearing the International at the '64 Trials in Germany, he actually preferred a Belstaff and wore that whenever he, himself, biked.  In 2007, Belstaff even released a special edition Trialmaster (see below) as a "Steve McQueen Celebration." 

 

I hope that sufficiently takes care of everything and serves as a kind of mini history lesson. Thanks to all the readers who helped me get my facts straight and who participated in the initial discussion.  When Sart Inc is "getting its forum on" I couldn't be happier.

-L.A.S

"I live for myself and I answer to nobody."

[Pictued: McQueen doing what he does best: being a badass.  Picture courtesy of Taschen by way of Selectism]

More McQueen? Yes please.  Taschen has a great collection of "Icon" books available that provide an in depth look at a variety of menswear, well, icons.  The picture heavy books honor the celebrated careers of men whose personal style is ever present in today's world of menswear.  Books on Steve McQueen, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, Clint Eastwood, Sean Connery and Jack Nicholson are all available here for $11.53 each.  Do your coffee table or inspiration board a favor and get a few of these.  Study Up.

-L.A.S

"I live for myself and I answer to nobody." - Steve McQueen

The Great Wayfarer Flood of 2009

[Ray Ban Wayfarers]

If I learned anything from my first collegiate homecoming it's that everybody's now wearing Ray-Ban Wayfarers.  At a tailgate this past Saturday I'd venture to say that roughly 75% of those wearing sunglasses had on Wayfarers or some kind of knockoff.   Don't get me wrong, I love Wayfarers and own a black pair which I wear a lot, but at some point we need to pump the breaks and switch gears.  I own a few pairs of sunglasses and while there is no exact science behind picking which ones I wear out of the house, it just feels good to have options.  In an effort to remedy "The Great Wayfarer Flood of 2009" I've listed some alternatives below.  Note that I have left out prices for some and instead linked to eBay since you can almost always get the sunglasses you are looking for at about 40-70% off (even on a "buy it now").

I present to you Sartorially Inclined's Sunglasses Primer:

Persol 649

Persol 714

Persol is probably my favorite brand of sunglasses.  Italian's know their shades and the proof is in the pudding, or should I say product.  Instead of getting a pair of plastic frame aviators, try something like 0649's or 0714's which take the lens shape, but add a much more unique frame style.  Not to mention the silver accents on the stems are killer.  McQueen wore 'em. So can you.

 Ray Ban Clubmasters

Clubmasters just scream "old school Hollywood poolside cool".  Hard to find for a while, Ray Ban's Wayfarer success has led to these badboys finding their way back into stores, onto shelves and into my heart.  They have similar lenses to their Wayfarer cousins, but ditch the thick plastic frames for a much more subdued, sleeker silouhette.  A must have for any serious sunglasses aficionado.

Ray Ban Aviators

Got with the Outdoorsman model. 'Nuf said.

Super Flat Top 

You may have seen these on Kanye at some point this year as they were the rapper's go to shades for most of the year (they were one of his men.style.com's 10 Essentials).  I like Super's modern take on classic sunglasses, and the Flat Top is a cool reinterpretation of the classic Wayfarer shape.  These are a little harder to find as you'll notice by the sparse eBay listings.  Check their website for retailers near you.

Moscot Nebb

If you weren't lucky enough to nab the Common Projcets + Moscot callaboration, the Nebb is your next best bet.  Moscot have been making glasses since 1915 when they set up shop in NYC and their original models are just as fresh today as they were then.

So I guess the moral of the story is to keep your Wayfarers and wear them with pride, but somewhere along the way let's add some variety and change things up every ONCE in a while.

[Pictured: Sartorially Inclined's shades.  Top Row (left to right): Ray Ban Clubmasters, Ray Bay Wayfarers. Bottom Row (left to right): Persol 649, Persol 2761S.  Apologies for my point and shoot. I need an upgrade badly. I guess I should stop spending all my money on sunglasses.]

-L.A.S