A suit is good for nearly any occasion, though playing cricket, or any strenuous sport, is usually not one of them. Still, Prince Charles didn’t look completely out of place taking a swing in a double-breasted suit with two-inch cuffs (a cuff size that is generally acceptable only with such a suit). Izzy especially appreciates the understated tie, something that is all-too-rare in the U.S.
Slippers are often absent from the ranks of handsome footwear, but these shearling mocassins from Brooks Brothers are a cozy exception.
In a journalistic coup, a Venezuelan political leader was railing against capitalism when a reporter pointedly asked him about his luxury brand preferences:
Venezuelan Interior Minister Pedro Carreno was momentarily at a loss for words when a journalist interrupted his speech and asked if it was not contradictory to criticize capitalism while wearing Gucci shoes and a tie made by Parisian luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton.
“I don’t, uh … I … of course,” stammered Carreno on Tuesday before regaining his composure. “It’s not contradictory because I would like Venezuela to produce all this so I could buy stuff produced here instead of 95 percent of what we consume being imported.”
Could this be a new kind of supply-side economics? Gorbachev, at least, waited to flaunt his Louis Vuitton until he left office.
The video, in Spanish, can be found here.
According to a blogger at MyItThings, Manolo Blahnik is going to be coming out with a line of shoes for men. Izzy was very excited by the news, until he realized that from the looks of the designs, Blahnik is apparently trying to appeal to the pimp-clown demographic. The Manolo, not to be confused with the Manolo, is equally devastated.
For a few seasons now, J. Crew has been offering fun twists on the classic Jack Purcell sneaker, such as replacing the canvas with madras or seersucker. Izzy is particularly fond of this wool patchwork model, which is perfect for autumnal lounging around.
Complete with bells (but no whistles), these vintage Converse All-Stars are the ultimate in Christmas footwear. And like a degenerate elf, they’re guaranteed to annoy everyone in their vicinity.
Thanksgiving is here, which means that the collective madness known as holiday shopping has already begun. In no particular order, here are some gift ideas for inspiration. Of course, it’s the thought that counts, but some thoughts are more valuable and stylish than others.
Up first, some simple, classic Brooks Brothers ties.
On the formal bow tie front, there’s nothing blacker than velvet, which isn’t seen much nowadays.
And for a change from the usual cufflinks, how about silk knots, which, unlike ordinary cufflinks, are never stuffy? They’re so inexpensive that you can collect them in every color. Also, they’re easy to put on, even if you don’t have a manservant.
Another interesting alternative are these woven cufflinks from Thomas Pink, which have a delightful feel.
Speaking of formal wear, it might be worth experimenting with these Frenchback boxers, which look like just the thing to wear under white tie and tails. They’re perhaps the only undergarments that deserve to be starched.
Not exactly the tallest man in the world, Izzy, like Tom Cruise, is a sucker for dressy boots.
And as for boots that will keep your feet warm and dry on an Arctic expedition or merely a schlep to the mailbox, Sorel is one of the brands to count on. The company was founded in Canada, after all.
These are totally off-season, Izzy knows, but why where white bucks when you can wear white buck wingstips?
For that special someone who thinks he has everything, surprise him with this Brooks Brothers sportcoat made from “Coarsehair,” a custom Loro Piana blend of cashmere and goat hair.
Happy hunting.
As promised, Izzy attended the Corduroy Appreciation Club’s 11|11 meeting yesterday in Brooklyn, and is delighted to report that he had an excellent time. The secret rites lived up to their reputation, the corduroy-themed foods were crunchy, and the crowd was simply drop-dead cord-geous. (Apologies…) Izzy had never seen so much ridged fustian in one place in his entire life. These people take their silliness extremely seriously.
Izzy was surprised to discover that there was an open bar (which, he imagines, would serve anything but a velvet hammer—that textile is anathema to the Club, which derides it as the fabric of Leprechauns), thanks to the sponsorship of the naturally supple people at Cotton Inc. (”The Fabric of Our Lives,” etc.), though Izzy couldn’t help remembering that corduroy can in fact be made from wool or cashmere, however rare that may be. (Random aside: Izzy doesn’t want to encourage any conspiracy theories, but doesn’t Cotton’s logo eerily resemble a mushroom cloud?)
Never one do things by halves, every visible item Izzy wore, except for his socks, was corduroy: a brown medium-wale sportcoat, an indigo pin-wale shirt, blue and green medium-wale Converse All-Stars, and outrageously pink medium-wale trousers (pictured in the background above). Izzy thought that the latter would be the piece de resistance, but he was, alas, one-upped by a gentleman in an entirely pink corduroy suit. Izzy consoled himself considering that although that gentleman may have won the day (and also the best-dressed prize), his suit was made in Vietnam (where the labor is cheap, and so is the workmanship), whereas Izzy’s trousers were made with the utmost care in Italy, and hence should last a lifetime. Also, while Izzy may have appeared to be merely ridiculous, that gentleman looked like the Pink Panther.
Among the best parts of the evening was the hilarious, arch homage to corduroy delivered by Lord Whimsy, who excels at mock erudition. Izzy even had the pleasure of (briefly) meeting him, as well as with Duncan Quinn, a rock-star haberdasher who was by far the sharpest-dressed gentleman in the room.
But of all the highlights, Izzy’s favorite was when he received his membership card, which is comfortingly backed with brown corduroy. All in all, the event deserves a hearty “Zip, Zip, Hooray.”
New York magazine has published a brief history of fads for ugly shoes, from Birkenstocks to Klompens to the appropriately named Uggs. The common cause seems to be that the heinous-looking footwear catches on in the name of “comfort” (obviously of the physical, not visual kind), to which all other values—e.g., beauty, basic dignity—are sacrificed. Also, most of the culprits appear to be of foreign origin, making Izzy wonder whether border control ought to shift the focus of its energies.
Having drawn attention to the Corduory Appreciation Club once before, Izzy would like to notify his loyal readers of the society’s next get-together, which will be held in Brooklyn on 11|11 (for obvious reasons). Lord Whimsy, courageous dandy and author of The Affected Provincial’s Companion, Vol. I (which Izzy thoroughly recommends), will be the keynote speaker. Given that “adoxography” is a fancy word for elegant praise of the trivial (something which Izzy might know a thing or two about), the Club should be considered an organized exercise in adoxophilia. (Shockingly, Izzy could not find “adoxography” in the Oxford English Dictionary. He’s going to write an angry, erudite letter to Jesse Sheidlower, the immaculately dressed editor-at-large.)
In any case, only an unnatural disaster will keep Izzy from attending the event. Where else is he supposed to wear his corduroy shoes?
Never a fan of false humility, Izzy is proud to report that he was recently quoted in a Denver Post article about Nordstrom, the department store famed for its customer service. Alas, although Izzy gave good quote, the reporter chose to go with the relatively humdrum. Still, the article is worth reading. Izzy would add to it that Nordstrom has one of the best men’s shoe departments in the business, with a wide variety of high quality brands, and the store also carries an extensive selection of clothing sizes, which makes it a good choice for the big, small, or unusually-sized gentleman. It’s reputation for superior service is well-deserved, but while many people know of its generous return-policy (e.g., purchases can be returned without receipts as long as Nordstrom carries the items), its low-price guarantee also deserves a huzzah.
Perfect for the corporate raider, these wing tips from Barker Black feature a skull and crossbones on their toes. And of course you could wear them for Walk Like a Pirate Day.
