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A Pocket Guide to Menswear Bloggers

by Andrew Cedotal | 6:07 am, March 15th, 2010

The Tailors

Canonical Examples: Sleevehead, English Cut, The London Lounge

These are the bloggers who — whether they ply the tailoring trade themselves or not — are concerned to the point of obsession with the cut and fit of men’s garments. Ever wondered why cuffs and pleats go together? Or how to spot a hand-finished buttonhole? Or how the inside of a men’s jacket is layered? These are the people for you.

Some of their writing can come across as boring or even flack-y (Thomas Mahon of English Cut, for example, rarely posts except to announce his stateside business trips), but there’s no better place to learn about exactly how high-end men’s garments are — and should be — manufactured.

Do not, however, under any circumstances get them started on the “true” meaning of the word “bespoke.”

Likes: Peaked lapels, 12-ounce nailhead worsted

Dislikes: Polyester, machine stitching, www.yoox.com/men


The Hipster Thrifters

Canonical Examples: An Affordable Wardrobe, Young Man/Old Man, The Natural Aristocrat

Maybe whenever you head to a proper thrift establishment (not a curated vintage store, you coddled milksop), all you can find is mountains of mom jeans, double-knit blazers, and Saucony Jazzes. But that’s because you’re looking in the wrong places entirely. If only you knew the secrets of these bloggers, you’d be hauling home tweed hacking jackets, and hand-tailored linen suits, and…oh, I’m sorry — all you can find is Gap tees? How sad. How very sad for you.

Giuseppe, the part-time Boston wine merchant who writes An Affordable Wardrobe, is the godfather of this community, having helped establish many conventions of the genre — the triptych of chest-up/shins-down/full-body photos used by menswear bloggers to show off their outfits, their grousing against the decline of great American brands, and so on. But while their watchword is, ostensibly, value, the Hipster Thrifters are far closer to dandies than they might admit — Giuseppe once acquired an entire suit in black watch tartan, Young Man/Old Man has a thing for raw silk gingham, and the Natural Aristocrat (pictured) frequently dons ensembles that wouldn’t be out of place in a Rake shoot.

Ask them for advice, and they will give it. Ask them where their secret thrift shops are, and they will dissemble to no end.

Likes: Robert Bruce, Gimbels

Dislikes: The Andover Shop, Paul Stuart

The New Boulevardiers

Canonical Examples: The Impossible Cool, Robert Brown Style

While Trads and Flussites might subtly name-check JFK or Frank Sinatra in passing, or gently allude to their respective influences, New Boulevardiers announce their adherence to mid-century menswear with everything they write. They’re the closest thing menswear has to fanboys.

With both the Ivy-centric sartorial ideas of the trads and the focused historical obsession of the Americanskis, New Boulevardiers are obsessed with cultural icons such as Steve McQueen and Michael Caine, rather than the 30s/40s-heavy pantheon of the Flussites. Again, like the trads, they tend to view fashion as just a window into life, although their selection of heroes is sometimes questionable.

Likes: Menswear magazines you have never heard of that are only published in Former British Empire countries, Free Jazz Vinyls

Dislikes: Gene Dickinson, Jason Robards


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  • vicki2

    Good list, but you’ve left out one of the best: Glenn O’Brien, the Style Guy himself!

  • Madison77

    You forgot valetmag.com! One of the best men’s site for service journalism and style advice. But good list overall, ACL and Ivy-Style bring something the other style bloggers all try and bite.

  • Greg

    Pfft, not a great list when it’s missing as vicki2 mentioned Glenn O’Brien not to mention it’s missing one of Simon Crompton’s two blogs, Gentlemen’s Corner or Permanent Style.

  • Andrew Cedotal

    vicki2 and Greg: You’ve both obviously already heard of Glenn O’Brien…as has anyone who skimmed the surface of menswear writing. In terms of introducing readers to writers they might not be aware of, including him would be along the lines of placing Brioni in a list of “Brands You Should Be Aware Of.”

    Additionally, while definitely an icon in the men’s style world, O’Brien in emphatically not a blogger in letter or spirit. He’s a columnist/essayist…which is emphatically not a perjorative! We need more of those as well. (To be fair, Ask Andy and the London Lounge aren’t blogs either, but they’re still integral parts of the Menswear blogosphere.)

    Greg: Simon Crompton’s pieces are often reposted to Men’s Flair, which is indeed on the list. Anyone who discovers and loves Men’s Flair will inevitably wind up on Crompton’s personal blog, which is a wonder.

  • Nylagrl

    Alan Flusser to be clear did create, conceptualize or design the look for Michael Douglas’s character of Gordon Gecko in Oliver Stone’s WallStreet. Alan Flusser, simply manufactured and executed the designs of Hollywood Costume Designer Ellen Mirojnick. To say he “designed” the look is misleading and wrong.

  • Chuck

    Don’t forget sites that help guys and their gals actually execute these looks, like TheChoosyBeggar.com !!

  • blogreader

    YOU FORGOT THE BEST ONE!!!

    http://www.thestyleblogger.com

  • Nylagrl

    Alan Flusser to be clear did NOT create, conceptualize or design the look for Michael Douglas’s character of Gordon Gecko in Oliver Stone’s WallStreet. Alan Flusser, simply manufactured and executed the designs of Hollywood Costume Designer Ellen Mirojnick. To say he “designed” the look is misleading and wrong.

  • Preposity

    Anyone interested in similar style to Ivy Style blog, I write about Ivy and Prep style at Preposity, a London, UK perspective.

    http://www.preposity.com
    @preposity:disqus 

  • John

    Give the below a look….
    http://www.themessengerofstyle.com

  • Anonymous

    O’Brien definitely not a blogger in the letter or spirit. He is a columnist and essayist. This is certainly not a derogatory! We need more of these.

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