December 4, 2015December 4, 2015 by Beau H.

The Friday Read: 2015’s Best Albums, Common Projects and Star Wars

Editor’s note: Expect these posts once a week on Fridays — consider this a jumpstart on reading for your weekend downtime. Expect a mix of style and non-style content. For more entries, click here.

While last Friday was quite momentous (it was Black Friday after all), today’s edition of The Friday Read is a little quieter — and that’s a good thing, because it’s certainly been a busy week! I had the pleasure of attending a few action-packed menswear events in New York City this week, kicking off with an evening at the Club Monaco Men’s Shop hosted by Michael Williams, the founder of noted heritage menswear & lifestyle Web site A Continuous Lean. A more gracious host you couldn’t find — it was great to meet him and chat for a bit. As if the week could go up from there, my friends at PR firm Bollare were kind enough to invite me to the #Force4Fashion event, a star-studded evening featuring special one-off Stars Wars-inspired designs from the likes of Todd Snyder and Billy Reid (it’s even cooler that each piece will be auctioned off for charity). I capped off the week by swinging by the Dr. Scholl’s showroom for a look at the brand’s S16 line. That’s right — Dr. Scholl’s makes men’s shoes, including these neat boots. Look for more on the brand on the blog in the coming weeks. But in the meantime, enough menswear event talk, yes? We’re still rolling right ahead with a big weekend and kicking it off, as always, with a fine selection of newsworthy items from across the Web. Wherever your weekend takes you, I hope it’s an enjoyable one!

Land’s End, they of catalog fame, is making a concerted effort to revamp its brand image, according to the New York Times. That includes bringing in stylish models for its lookbooks and opening up an NYC pop-up.
Although it’s definitely boot season around these parts, get a load of the latest Common Projects collab, an update of the classic Achilles Low in partnership with Unis.
Popular Mechanics notes that you — yes you, lucky rich guy — can have your chance at buying the last watch to orbit the moon, the famed Omega Speedmaster, on Dec. 15. Save up.
Long Read of the Week: Paste Magazine ranks the 50 best albums of 2015 — any of your favorites make the list? I personally loved this year’s releases from CHVRCHES, Tame Impala and Beach House. See, I’m not just all about style!

Still need to get your menswear fix before the weekend?

Over at VOUCH Mag, I covered two worthy addtions to your holiday wish list — a great dopp kit from Richer-Poorer and Byrd Hairdo Products, and a stellar duffle via United By Blue.
If you’ve been following the brand’s relaunch, you’ll be familiar with the Camel Topcoat from JackThreads (it looks amazing) — if not, check out my latest post for GearHungry.

November 20, 2015November 20, 2015 by Beau H.

The Friday Read: DETAILS, Bill Simmons and The National

To any new readers here: Welcome! And to you old regulars, welcome back. Can you believe it’s Thanksgiving already? The fact that it feels like it was just Labor Day (and the start of summer before that!), is pretty crazy! Next week, I’m looking forward to a relaxing trip to West Virginia to see family — where are you headed? And while we’re at it, what are you wearing for the holiday? It certainly won’t be long before Turkey Day — but prior to that, I’m actually hopping on a train this evening to Washington, D.C., where I’ll be re-connecting with some high school friends passing through the area. That adventure comes on the heels of a trip to Michigan last weekend, and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what D.C. has on-tap (pun intended, wink wink). [P.S. Follow along with my style picks via Instagram and Twitter]. What are you most looking forward to this coming weekend? While you think on that, take a look at this edition of the Friday Read, which features a pretty monumental shake-up in the menswear editorial world.

The New York Times reports that men’s lifestyle magazine DETAILS (of which I suspect many of us know and read regularly) is being shut down by Conde Nast after its December issue; it should be noted that DETAILS.com will gradually fall under the umbrella of GQStyle.com, yet this is another sad day for the fashion publishing industry.
In happier news and in a welcome return to the stage, Bill Simmons sat down with President Obama for GQ’s Men of the Year Issue, and the interview is insightful and well-done.
This piece isn’t necessarily style-related, but it’s fascinating nonetheless — Vox revisits a series of ads released in the ’90s by AT&T that provided a pretty accurate picture of future technological advancements.
Long Read of the Week: In the most fascinating piece on a band I’ve read in a long time, Stereogum catches up with The National as the revered indie rock band transitions back into recording after time apart pursuing some incredible side projects. It’s a deep look at a band that’s one of my all-time favorites (it doesn’t hurt that they have significant Brooklyn roots near my old neighborhood, either).

Missed out on more menswear this week?

If you still need a sturdy pair of hiking boots, read up on the Tanner Goods x Danner Mountain Pass Randolph, which I covered once again for GearHungry.
And if you need a watch in addition to a solid pair of boots, you might want to consider pre-funding Vierra Watches’ Kickstarter campaign, which is still rolling along this week.

October 9, 2015October 9, 2015 by Beau H.

The Friday Read: Christophe Lemaire, P.F. Flyers and Rancourt

So I’ve spent most of the past week recovering from a whirlwind (fun, but whirlwind!) trip to Los Angeles, which featured great beer, nice menswear shopping and some stellar food, too. And it’s a doubly exciting weekend this go-round — I’m happy to welcome my mom and her friends into NYC (Hi, Mom!) to show them both some nice attractions in Manhattan and closer to home, Brooklyn’s best beer haunts — among other standout locations. And it’s starting to feel just a bit more like my favorite time of year, fall — good thing you’ve got your fall sweater game on lock, yeah? It’s also a nice time to plan out trips for the rest of the year — are you taking any exciting vacations? I’m personally excited to swing back through my home state of Michigan in a few weeks’ time. Let me know in the comments what your fall plans are! But before you skim to the bottom, know that the good stuff is right in front of you. Let’s hop to it!

GQ’s British brethren recap all of the stellar accessories that James Bond will rock in SPECTRE — and it’s quite the rundown of expensive, drool-worthy brands.
Maxim asks, bluntly, who is Christophe Lemaire and why did his collaboration with Uniqlo sell out so quickly?
If you’re a sneakerhead, this one’s for you: Selectism covers P.F. Flyers’ latest collaboration, a set of vintage-inspired duck canvas sneakers done up in partnership with menswear emporium Brooklyn Circus.
Style Read of the Week: Forgive me if your eyeballs pop out when reading this next one — the New York Times examines the curious case of the Greubel Forsey Quadruple Tourbillion, an $815,000 watch. Yes. That name. But also: $815,000.

Get more from the menswear world by checking out the below!

Feast your eyes on my newest GearHungry post, which covers the latest boot release from Rancourt — a special Chromexcel leather pair produced in collaboration with menswear goods retailer Huckberry — they’re something!
Learn everything you need to know about an up-and-coming menswear retailer doing great things out West — if you haven’t heard of STAG Provisions, you’ll (hopefully) be intrigued by my latest VOUCH Mag piece.

October 2, 2015October 2, 2015 by Beau H.

The Friday Read: Streetwear, Gant Diamond G and Dress Watches

The big news out of Style Guide HQ this week isn’t, in fact, related to New York City at all. If you missed it earlier this week — I’m heading out to L.A. to catch up with a great high school & college friend, and I’m quite excited to be escaping the purported wrath of Hurricane Joaquin Phoen … err, Hurricane Joaquin … in the process. And the weather is starting to turn toward fall, too — great news if you’re the kind of guy who love thicker fall blazers and rugged henleys *raises hand*. It should still be nice to soak up some sun out West before really diving into fall shopping and style — and in that regard, look for some transitional style pieces and an exciting giveaway opportunity from my friends at Goorin Brothers in the next few weeks here on the blog! Before you fasten your seatbelt on your weekend adventures, get a load of the below snapshot of the #menswear world from this past week.

HighSnobiety delivers a cheeky take on the streetwear terminology you need to know now — or you may already know it, if you’re into the #SneakerGame.
Freakonomics examines how the belt — yes, the ever-ubiquitous belt — beat out suspenders as the preferred method to hold up your pants.
Gant’s creative director and CEO share their vision for the future of the American sportswear brand and its third iteration, Gant Diamond G — a move that aims to build the brand’s base back up in America while adding a European edge.
Style Read of the Week: There was, quite simply, too much going on in the world of style to not share this post from my friend Barron at Effortless Gent, who explains why you should definitely, definitely pick up a minimal dress watch.

Not done reading about menswear yet?

Feast your eyes on my latest VOUCH Mag feature, covering the ridiculously high-quality, made-in-America offerings of Iron & Resin (Editor’s note: I can neither confirm nor deny that those buffalo-hide leather gloves will be part of a November giveaway. Not saying anything).

Yet again, I’d like to thank everything for taking time out of their day to read this site and peruse these posts. Wishing everyone a great (and reliably good-looking) weekend!

Stay stylish,

-Beau

September 4, 2015September 4, 2015 by Beau H.

The Friday Read: Labor Day, Brooklyn Tailors and Fall Florals

With Labor Day weekend upon us, the question is: How will you be spending your final days of summer? And what will you be wearing? For more on what gear to grab, head here. A nice Grayers polo or a great pair of sweatshorts wouldn’t go amiss, I’m sure. On a personal front, it’s set to be a busy weekend for me — I’m heading out to Coney Island Brewing this afternoon to catch up with co-founder Chris Adams for a piece on my friend Pat Evans’ blog Grand Conversations before catching the season opener of my beloved Michigan State Spartans! Always an exciting way to start fall. And then I’m heading back to my favorite state — that would be Michigan — for a family wedding on Saturday (likely including a stop in East Lansing). So it’s set to be a busy one for sure — do you know what you’re style essentials you’re packing in that bag of yours yet? If not, best hop to it. Meanwhile, peruse some weekend reading picks below — wherever you head this week, stay safe and stylish!

Gear Patrol caught up recently with Brooklyn Tailors, who received high praise from the likes of GQ as part of that publication’s 2014 Best New Menswear Designers in America class.
Common Projects, of the legendary and minimal white sneakers you might covet but likely can’t afford, is making an excellent pair of dress shoes — yes, dress shoes — fit for the fall.
If you haven’t swung by Style Girlfriend in a while, or if you haven’t checked out the site at all, it’s worth a look — editor Megan Collins and her team show you how to rock those floral prints into fall.
Style Read of the Week: As you may or may not be aware, I’m a big watch fan — with affordability and versatility in mind, of course. We move away from the typical Long Read and instead direct your attention to five watches every guy should own, as picked by my buddy Barron at Effortless Gent.

That’s about the best of the world of writing + style this week — for more, head here:

Read up on how Goorin Brothers (as featured on this site a few weeks back) is putting its own spin on heritage hats via my latest article for VOUCH Mag.

August 21, 2015 by Beau H.

The Friday Read: Cuffed Pants, Trend Evolution and James Bond’s Cookbook

We’ve rolled right through another week here at The Style Guide HQ (AKA a rather small Brookyn apartment), and it’s crazy to think that there’s not that much real “summer” left. It’s been a great one though, especially with travels to Greece and Italy. And I’m just as excited about the fall — this here site will have a Fall Wish List in the next few weeks, new product reviews and brand profiles, and a few travel features in the works (a trip to Los Angeles among them!). But there’s still plenty of time to soak up some rays (got your sunglasses on-point?) and hit the beach, pool or just your local watering hole — which I’ll certainly be doing this weekend. Before you dive in though, a heads-up — I’ll be running a special Instagram giveaway on Monday and Tuesday of next week featuring the chance to win some grooming gear from the organic gurus at Kent & Bond. Details will be outlined in a Monday post, but make sure you’re following me on Instagram (please?) and check back Monday for more details!

Gear Patrol quite literally shows you, in GIFs plus text, some sharp ways to cuff or roll pants — try it out with some dark denim in particular.
In the way of trends, Esquire spotlights exactly how a trend starts, focusing specifically on the pocket square and its rise to prominence (and purported downfall?) in the #menswear world.
Fast Company gives you the scoop on what exactly James Bond ate in the iconic Ian Fleming novels — new book “Dying to Eat” chronicles recipes and photos in a fascinating and in-depth manner.
Long Read of the Week: If you haven’t been following this series, it’s high time to catch up — Narratively chronicled the end of a 5,000-mile cross country bike ride undertaken by a daring team of friends.

Can’t get enough of The Style Guide?

Plan out your next purchase after you catch up on this week’s product review of the Taylor Stitch Standard Issue Slim Chino.
Or, swing on back through one of the very first posts on The Style Guide covering a classic — the blue Oxford cloth buttondown.

July 31, 2015July 31, 2015 by Beau H.

The Friday Read: Lucio Castro, Band of Outsiders and Lollapalooza

This past week has, for me, been a whirlwind to say the least. What with putting in some time on the clock planning for a big Timberland Boots event in September (excited about that one!), hanging out with my friends from Made PR at the lovely Self Edge Denim store on Thursday night and of course, planning for my upcoming trip to Greece, time has really sailed by! (See what I did there?). Stateside, who among us is heading to Lollapalooza? The Friday line-up in particular looks great! On the style side of things however, some pretty big news hit this past week-and-a-half or so on all fronts, from the release of the new Converse Chuck Taylor II late last week to the debut of Everlane’s Slim Pant earlier this week — more on that tomorrow on this very site. And in the meantime, the latest and greatest across the rest of style media follows below. Stay tuned for dispatches from abroad and if you aren’t already, follow me on Instagram for more.

The always on-point crew over at Dappered runs through the style essentials you need in an always-essential color — deep, dark navy. A great list (although I have to argue for a great chambray shirt).
Up-and-coming menswear designer Lucio Castro, who recently showed his SS16 collection at #NYFWM, talks to Get Kempt about the inspiration behind his collection and his (very) unconventional journey to designing clothes.
Complex offers up some more information on the mysterious — or rather, financially-focused — closure of cult brand Band of Outsiders and what the future does (or doesn’t) hold for the brand.
Long(ish) Read of the Week: Excellent lifestyle site A Continuous Lean gives us a glimpse into the sights and soul-stirring music of Eaux Claires, the newly launched Wisconsin festival hosted in part by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver.

While we’re still at things on the style front, have you glimpsed the latest release from Brooklyn’s own GREATS? Its much-loved Royale silhouette gets a fresh update in time for the last half of summer, featuring canvas and a gum rubber sole. Check ’em out here.

Need something else to peruse at work?

Kick your feet back and throw on a pair of slick loafers — like those sold by Andre Coton — and while you relax, learn more about them in my latest VOUCH Mag post.
Throw on a henley when you hit the beach or the pool this weekend, too – but not before checking out this handy shopping guide.

The Style Guide

All the best men's style essentials you need, every day.

Tag / best men’s style writing