Les Hommes

A list of the 75 best-dressed men of all time was recently published.  It is a list of international style icons that hewed towards classic style. There were also frequent nods to personal style, most often embodied by writers and rock stars.

My dad was a sharp dressed man and his sartorial savvy shaped my view of how great-looking guys should dress.  The men listed have effortless style, bottomless character, and even an air of royalty.  They also prove that there is no substitute for good tailoring.

Here are some of the amazing gents who made the list – maybe one of your favorites is here:

Muhammad Ali

Fred Astaire

Jean Paul Belmondo

Andre Benjamin

Humphrey Bogart

David Bowie

Sean Connery

Miles Davis

Johnny Depp

Duke Ellington (pictured)

Duke of Windsor

Tom Ford (pictured)

Cary Grant

Jimi Hendrix (pictured)

Marcello Mastroianni

Steve McQueen

Paul Newman

Yves Saint Laurent

What are the secrets of a well dressed man?  Refined tastes, knowing what works.  Elegance, tried and true classics.  Good grooming, self confidence, fine fabrics.  Dress shirts made of crisp cotton; suits of world class wool.  Legendary pieces such as trench coats, single breasted suits.  Less is more when it comes to jewelry (apologies to Mr. T.)  Help put a tailor's kids through college by being a stickler for the best fit that money can buy. 

Well dressed men pay attention to the details. They recognize that first impressions are lasting. Hey guys, take off the sneakers, shine your shoes, and look sharp!

Photos of Jimi Hendrix, Tom Ford and Duke Ellington courtesy of PicApp.

Walk A Mile in These Shoes

I’m smiling because two new pairs of fabulous summer flats from 6pm.com arrived on my doorstep this week.  Both pairs are black, flat and shiny with big buckles.  One pair is a perforated ballet flat by Bella Vita, the other is a dainty peep-toe by Donald J Pliner.  Both were on sale at giveaway prices.  The Pliner shoes have ankle straps, a dancer’s pedigree, and look as if they were rinsed in gold spray paint.  The Bella Vita shoes are great for those warm days when your pedi is raggedy but you still want to look cute.  It’s likely that I’ll live in these shoes for much of the summer--they are funky, unique and will make everything look fresher. 

6pm.com is a great website for bargain hunting shoe addicts.  Big names (Stuart Weitzman, Cole Haan, Charles David, Calvin Klein), small prices.  Have your credit card ready!

The Chucks Report – Exclusive Edition

This caption from the March 2010 Harper’s Bazaar caught my eye, “Vintage Missoni prints go modern in a new collaboration with Converse.”  These Chuck Taylor sneakers featuring the iconic Missoni print are $200 a pair and will be available at boutiques in NYC and Beverly Hills early next month.  But at that price are they still the ultimate in cheap cool?  Would you wear them daily until the soles disintegrated?  Would you wear them in the rain or on a muddy field?  How about to a beer-soaked dance party where they’re destined to be stepped on and splashed on?  If I bought these, I'd have them encased in glass with a prominently placed sign, "For Emergency Use Only."

Shoe Be Do

I took a step back in time with one of my most recent shoe purchases.  Had to--still can’t understand the appeal of the current Lego-land shoes or the desire to mince along city streets in 6” heels. 

I wrote about the style ascent of women’s wingtips last summer (see July 11 2009 post) and spent the months following that post drooling over fuchsia patent, black and white, or silver wingtips by Robert Clergerie, Kenneth Cole, and Charles Tyrwhitt.  Gorgeous shoes that would force brown bagging every day for the second quarter of 2010. 

A recent article in More magazine on the exquisite former model Veronica Webb featured her in a cute pair of cream colored wingtips with a sunrise high price tag.  I wanted that look and resolved to scour the Internet to find it for a sunset low price.

I was a fan of Bass Weejuns as a teenager and nubuck lace ups as a thirty-something, so it was a small leap to the GH Bass website in search of an affordable oxford.  I found a collection of two-toned saddle shoes that are reminiscent of my (rebellious) Catholic school days.  I chose a dune/wheat combo with a perforated upper and the traditional red sole.  They’re so uncool that they’re cool!  I’ll wear them with jeans and other slim pants this spring.

Won Over

The February issue of More magazine ran a brief article on Tracy Gardner, the President of J. Crew.  Having recently shared my opinions about some of the retailer’s new offerings (see my January 20 and February 20 posts), I read the article to see if she had a good excuse for some of their marketing decisions.  Of course, the interview didn’t touch on the issue of $79 cut offs or $168 skinny jeans with a paint splattered-finish.

What I found instead was a thoughtful over 40 fashionista who loves colorful classic looks with an urban edge.  She believes in timeless versatility and displayed it in the items she wore for the article.  She discussed evolving into your style and “creating the unexpected” look.  And she looked fabulous!  The article also featured available items that are sharp attention-getters such as a water color inspired pencil skirt, a rainbow of embellished tees and tanks, and the sleekest of slim pants.

A couple of days after reading the article I popped into the Center City store and found the clothes that were featured.  I was smitten.  These are looks for women of all ages and stages in life.  I found the classic pencil skirt in a variety of unusual patterns and colors.  Their collection of pants is far from ordinary.  J. Crew now carries fabulous costume jewelry, and their wedding collection is still one of the coolest, most flattering collections that doesn’t have a high end designer name attached to it.

So, now I’m looking at J. Crew with a more favorable eye.  It’s pushing me towards a more sophisticated spring, sans the paint splattered jeans, of course.  For more gorgeous items, visit their website.