I’m listed in Tumblweeds under menswear, fashion, style

I’m listed in Tumblweeds, a user-generated community directory that rates Tumblr bloggers by their number of followers. Find me listed in #menswear, #fashion, #style

I like my Toast crispy, brah.

Men, this may be a new brand for you, especially if you don’t have a lady. K introduced me to Toast via a bank statement surprise. She’s a big fan of the women’s line and now that they’ve put up a men’s line, I might have to return the favor. The brand has its roots in the UK and they’ve been fitting the ladies in country-casual inspired garb since ‘97. I’ve browsed the women’s collection and I’d like to tip my hat to the brand for applying the same ethical standards to the men’s line. Men do care about fabrics and especially quality. They’ve started off right by focusing on the basics and have introduced a number of staples. I’ll elaborate if you keep reading, but just to get your taste buds wet, they’re bringing to the table a solid chambray shirt, wool chalk striped trousers, and a mighty fine basic white heavy linen popover shirt.

I know what you’re thinking. As if you didn’t already have enough chambray in your closet! What can I say? It’s a classic. And for a brand that’s just getting into menswear, I’m happy they’re offering it. It’s apparently not slim and instead has a more generous cut, according to the catalog. That might be just what you need this Winter after all of those Twinkies™ start hitting your gut because you were too lazy to get out and exercise.

Interestingly, the Toast AW10 pants selection spans from wool trousers to Japanese denim. I’m not sure how slim they are, but I do know that the chalk striped pants have a tapered leg and they’re made of English-woven 12 oz. wool flannel. And that’s just what you need in the Winter months.

One of my favorite staples in the lineup is a heavy linen white popover shirt. I’ve been rockin’ the OCBD for a minute and I think linen is a nice way to mix things up. If you want a closer look you can see more here, but to sum it up they cut it similar to those made in the 30s and it’s constructed with a weighty herringbone linen. The perfect pop for Winter. 

Toast didn’t do it all alone. It takes more than a bolt of flannel, cotton moleskin, some linen and shetland wool to create that shepherd/country man aesthetic that Toast has nailed. You can’t look this good without some Argyll wellies, Spring Court sneakers, and some Grenson brogues. And that’s just what Toast added.

I’d like to sit here all day and go through each item, but I don’t want to be the one to blame when you get persuaded to sink all your funds at one shop. You know I could persuade you, you dick-riding fool. I really like the collection and I think the fabric choices, muted tones, and basic staples were a fine way to kick off the Toast menswear endeavor. I’ve added my favorites below. And although it may look like the entire catalog, I didn’t add the pajamas on page 33 of the AW10 catalog because I never sleep and I’m never relaxin’.

Update: Lara from Toast sent over a couple of higher res images that you should notice below.

Wrap yer noggin’

It’s heating up out there and sometimes you just don’t feel like wearing your granny’s beach hat. What’s a man to do? Well, I’d like to point you to a couple other options: the doo rag and the bandana. These items won’t neccesarily keep the sun from roasting your brain cells, but they will keep sweat out of your eyes (It stings, right?). I couldn’t let you go without showing you how to wear these, so pay close attention to the following styles.

The Juvenile informal look: just plop a rag on top. 

The Juvenile formal look: double camo on neck and forehead. 

The Wayne-double-layer small wrap: ingredients include one bandana and one sweat band. 

The Mannie Fresh guaranteed* fresh small wrap.

*Mannie Fresh in no way guarantees the freshness of your bandana this Summer.

The Birdman a.k.a Baby head wrap: best for baldies (Wrap it like a diaper.).

Now get out there and be a stunna.

For those on the front lines

Americans may think that camo is just for huntin’ and soldiers. The Italians however, think otherwise. They’ve taken a pattern that’s made for blending and flipped the script on it. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’ll let Lawrence get you up to speed.

I’m sure it’s been said somewhere else already, but camo seems to be poppin’ off right now. I’m not sure how many times it landed on the runway during Pitti Uomo (My seats were on the other side of the world.), but as you know now, it was plentiful in the streets.

There are some Americans that are participating in the scene, though. Jake Davis recently captured Run of the Mill partner Jeremy sporting some camo cargos and Angelo over at EyeFiveStyle just thrifted a camo jacket that now puts him in the squad.

I don’t know if you’ll find me rockin’ camo this S/S, unless someone paints the pattern on linen, but I do like the idea of camo-inspired patterns. I’ve only found one so far and it lives on a parka jacket from Monitaly. Yuki Matsuda, the man behind Monitaly (also Yuketan), is the mastermind behind this and other patterned fabric concoctions. I hope the camo-inspired patterns don’t stop with the pattern seen below.

via Selectism 

Best dresser alive: Derrick Miller

When it comes to poppin’ and lockin’, Derrick Miller is the freshest bboy on the dance floor/street. Who cares if his only moves are reading emails and jumpin’ in cabs. Being creative director for Barker Black Ltd. a.k.a. one of the baddest companies in the shoe business, takes a soldier (or, based on the skull logo, a pirate).

When he’s poppin’ on the floor, he pulls out a few signature moves. One is his cash-colored pocket square. Cash Money, represent! He tosses this down when he goes best dresser on yo ass. To make sure you’re serious about what you’re getting yourself into, he locks you into a mean stare through his bold frames. Pre and post dance, he tosses off and on a bold striped jacket. And after you’re defeated, as you look bashfully at those sneaks you just dropped your allowance on, D tightens his Barker Black insignia tie and flicks off a bead of your sweat from his snuff suede loafers. As he walks out, he catches a glimmer of the bling in his tie clip, and says to himself, “I’m a powerful man. And hell yeah, I’m a rebel.”

For the most part, he doesn’t mind flashing color and that’s what I liked about his style. Derrick’s ability to wear bold stripes and not look like a Wall Streeter is something that this gent does right too. He recognizes fine tailoring and gets ‘em cut slim. That’s the key. Although I’d like to take credit, I’m not the first to recognize his style as something special, in 2008 GQ added him to the Well-Dressed Rebel lineup. He’s also been in the spotlight of The Sartorialist.

photo credit: GQ

photo: The Mod Revival

photo credit: The Sartorialist

SIMON TOPS JUDE AND HUGH: Note to Hollywood producers — Simon Doonan seems to make hearts beat faster than Jude Law and Hugh Jackman, combined that is. Bidding for Christie’s online “Green Auction: A Bid to Save the Earth” is coming to an end today and, late on Tuesday, the bid for lunch with the Barneys New York creative director, his exclusive preview of the store’s holiday windows and a $5,000 Barneys gift card was at $60,000 — higher than any other lot. (via wwd)

Another win for style.