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Z, Saturday afternoon, U Street

Posted on May 4, 2011
Filed Under Men, On The Street | 1 Comment

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Still Rocking

Posted on March 16, 2011
Filed Under Inspiration, Men | Leave a Comment

Brilliant: Mikeal Jansson’s photographs of aging rock stars in skinny suits in the current issue of T, the New York Times‘ style magazine. Iggy Pop (and his oddly lovely crepe-papery chest skin), in Prada, opens the feature, called “Ballad of a Thin Man.”

{image scanned; photo by Mikeal Jansson via NYT}

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Last-Minute-McGee Valentine’s Day Gift Guide: For Him

Posted on February 10, 2011
Filed Under Men | Leave a Comment

For all of you last-minute lovers, some random gift ideas for pleasing the significant other in your life, be they Mr/Ms Right or Mr/Ms Right Now.

FOR MR RIGHT/RIGHT NOW

If he likes booze…

Catocin Creek in Purcellville, Virginia makes a great organic rye bourbon (hat tip: my friend and fellow Virginian Pepper Watkins). Bonus: Virginia is for lovers!

{Catocin Creek Organic Roundstone Rye, $39.50 per bottle, at Catocin Creek)

If he wants your help getting dressed:

…(he does) – these cherry shades are unlike any other shades his friends will have (hat tip: Andrew Noyes). WeWood makes watches out of wood that are rustic, lightweight and durable – and as good-looking as he is.

{Canby Cherry, $98, at Shwood}

If he likes umm, you and has a sense of humor….

Go and get yourself vajazzled. That’s right, bedazzling for your your lady bits. You will both laugh, and he will love the ridiculousness of it all.

{Vajazzle, about $15, at Skin Beauty Lounge}

Read more

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Prom Time in the City

Posted on May 1, 2010
Filed Under Events, Men, Only in Washington | 1 Comment

Photo of the Jonas Brothers- taken this weekend – courtesy Tony Powell, at right

The White House Correspondents Association Dinner got under way about an hour ago, and the city has been crawling with celebrities all weekend, including the Jonas Brothers and OMG Justin Bieber (who I only knew about by reading The New York Times…god I’m old). Just heard that Joe and Kevin Jonas and JUSTINOMG are all wearing Brooks Brothers this evening – Joe in the line’s Fitzgerald tux, Kevin in a Black Fleece number, and Justin in Golden Fleece. Fitting for Washington, where the suits (albeit the line’s boxier, less sophisticated, notinvitedtotheVanityFairparty friends) are omnipresent. I’ll be snapping photos and hanging out with (my girl) Scarlett Johansson at Niche Media’s Capitol File Magazine after-party tonight, so, coverage to come!

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Scotch and Style: Local Gents Host J.Crew Men’s Designer Wednesday

Posted on April 26, 2010
Filed Under Men, Shopping Events & News | 2 Comments

Walker Lamond of Rules for My Unborn Son, one of my most favorite stylish (and wise…) men-about-town, is hosting a little get-together Wednesday with VP of men’s design at J.Crew, Frank Muytjens. J.Crew’s head women’s designer Jenna Lyons has been getting so much press attention recently that it’s nice to see Mr. Muytjens get out from behind his book-crammed, refreshingly unassuming office. (Side note: Jenna Lyons and I share an identical philosophy on pants, I realized, flipping through a recent Lucky magazine; that is, go big – dramatic wide-legs, major volume, super skinny – or go home.)

Frank Muytjens, photo courtesy ACL

This flier is probably meant to be emailed as opposed to posted, so here at the details:

J.CREWREQUESTS the PLEASURE of YOUR COMPANY
for SOME SINGLE MALT (AND A BIT of STYLE TOO)

Our head men’s designer Frank Muytjens will be on hand to talk shop.
(ask him about the elements of a great suit, what’s in
our Secret Wash or other burning questions…)

Wednesday, April 28th
6–8pm

Hosted by:
Grant Allen
Vinoda Basnayake
Matthew Donohue
Walker Lamond
Andrew Reese
David Smith

J.Crew Men’s Shop
3222 M St. NW
Washington DC
Kindly RSVP to: 212 209 2737

Guests will received 15% off all purchases (exclusions may apply)

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Norman Ambrose’s Intelligent Elegance

Posted on January 8, 2010
Filed Under Around Town, Men | 1 Comment

A few months ago I had the pleasure of meeting designer Norman Ambrose at Neiman Marcus. It was a random weekend day, I was there as part of errand-running, but I knew his work from last year’s Spring preview, where I saw one of his impeccable hand-beaded gowns for the first time. Aside from being enormously talented (he’s not yet 30) and sharply-dressed (he prefers the trad-but-slim-cut stylings of Tom Ford suits…for now, til he ventures into menswear), he’s wonderfully gracious and funny.

His line is so fantastically ladylike and classic, reminiscent of the days when women dressed for lunch, dinner and cocktails. Fittingly, he imagined an heiress making her trans-Atlantic voyage for his Spring collection.

Such shameless romance and fantasy! His off-white silk gown was inspired by what he called the “intelligent elegance” of Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief. Designing with glamour in mind is in his DNA: after fleeing Europe during WWII, his grandmother came to California and worked for silver screen designer Irene Lenz.

Norman asked a model to slip into this dress while we talked. The lining on this incredible party dress is just one example of the thoughtful details that set his pieces apart – the drape falls away from the body just so, and the coral lining creates a flattering pink glow on the exposed skin. Built-in lighting. Genius (I might add that Dorothy Draper often lined her curtains in pink to, I assume, achieve something of the same effect).

With a classy outfit or with something more casual and surprising, I love love love this “peony” evening jacket.

I’m so ready for Spring, can you tell (and look closely, the merchandise is already hitting stores)?! Since we are still in the throes of the cold winter months, though, I’m loving this iteration of the iconic YSL Le Smoking.

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Style Score.

Posted on November 18, 2009
Filed Under Around Town, Events, Men | Leave a Comment

Lost Boys owner Kelly Muccio knows great clothes, and she clearly knows what men will look great in them – namely, the droves of Washington men who shop there – and now, the (very attractive and ahem, agile) men of our hometown soccer team, DC United. Muccio gathered the team, some of the best new clothes of the season, and shot them for the store’s fall lookbook – being unveiled tonight, in just a few short hours, at the Georgetown shop. The details on the party: Rodney (top – love this look) and Devon (love the fingerless gloves! not so sure about the cargos, but he had me at the lumberjack shirt) will be there with the team starting at 8, and then the crew heads over to the Degrees Bar at the Ritz, where the boys will guest bartend in style.

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