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

The Friday Read: DETAILS, Bill Simmons and The National

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.

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.

November 13, 2015November 12, 2015 by Beau H.

The Friday Read: TAG Heuer, Bespoke Post and Vierra Watches

As this week comes to a close, I’m looking forward to some rest, some recovery, the chance to kick a cold — and oh yes, a trip back to Grand Rapids, Mich., to see some great college friends! It’ll be my second time in Michigan in about three weeks, and it’s still great to get back. The weekend should hopefully be a prime chance to check out some excellent spots around Beer City U.S.A. Of course, I’ll be bringing along some stylish cold-weather gear from Iron & Resin, JACHS NY and a nice workshirt from the new Reef x H.D. Lee Shelter Supply collab (you might recognize the name as Lee Jeans). As if things weren’t enough of a whirlwind, the trip caps off an exciting week of prep (and execution) for Timberland’s Spring 2016 Press Preview. Some great media (including Megan Collins of Style Girlfriend) and talented bloggers who I’m fortunate enough to call friends came through to preview the brand’s newest offering, so that was quite exciting. As always though, there’s only so much space for my ramblings in the Friday Read — and we’ll leave the rest of it to some nice news from the world of #menswear. Thanks for reading!

While not a traditional news story per se, the following is indeed newsworthy — Bespoke Post reintroduced its ever-popular Weekender Box, featuring an ultra-affordable and durable bag perfect for your weekend getaways (a heads-up that if you’re not a member, you’ll have to create an account — which I suggest you do!). Some other terrific travel bag picks are listed here.
TAG Heuer joined the litany of brands offering smartwatches this past week, but according to the New York Times, the brand is using some serious hardware from Google and Intel to position itself as a true competitor to the Apple Watch in terms of functionality.
Dappered joins the ranks of yet another Friday Read — does anybody do what they do as well as … they do? Of note, the site’s $1,500 Wardrobe series is back; access the Shirts and Sweaters rundown at that link.
Style Notes of the Week: As mentioned above, there’s yet another collab launching with great fall gear that you should keep your eye out for. Although you might not have heard of the West Coast-based surfwear company, Reef could be angling for some serious space in your closet with a seven-piece fall & winter essentials Holiday capsule with H.D. Lee Shelter Supply.

What else did you miss (or want to re-read) in the world of men’s style?

If you’re in the market for a new watch, you’re going to like this next one — Vierra Watches is launching a Kickstarter next week with four watches available for pre-funding at under $60 a pop. Now, that’s a deal!

November 6, 2015November 6, 2015 by Beau H.

The Friday Read: SPECTRE, Todd Snyder and Sneaker Collabs

If your plans last night didn’t involve seeing the latest James Bond movie (as mine did), I would highly recommend you get yourself to a theater right this very second. Yes, not even this post should keep you from checking it out. Opinions on the film have actually been mixed from major outlets, but your friendly style expert and massive James Bond fan recommends you go see it, as much for the excellent menswear as for the film itself. It’s also been a busy and exciting week in other areas, too — I had the chance to see the great indie band Mainland on Monday night (recent openers for Atlas Genius), and they’re also a group I’d recommend checking out just as soon as you can. And that little intro brings us, as always, quite comfortably to this week’s edition of the Friday Read. After you, Mr. Bond…

Over at GQ, one writer and fan reflects on the moment his opinion of the series changed completely — and what brought him back (hint: It was the terrific last Bond installment, Skyfall).
In one of the biggest American menswear business moves in recent memory, American Eagle announced this week that it acquired famed designer Todd Snyder’s offshoot, collegiate-centric company Tailgate Clothing; while Snyder’s brand will continue to operate separately, he’ll join AE as an executive VP — that’s a change of pace from 007 news, ehh?
My pal Barron at Effortless Gent covers off on how to choose the right watch for your outfit, a big key when getting dressed every day.
Style Notes of the Week: While this small space is normally reserved for a great long read, today we’re calling your attention to new great new collaboration drops — Brooklyn-based sneaker brand GREATS (a favorite of yours truly) is teaming with NYC menswear designers Orley on a three new chukka sneakers. And speaking of sneakers, the folks behind heritage-focused Tanner Goods and P.F. Flyers just released a stunning update to the classic Center Hi silhouette.

Got an extra minute or two?

Upgrade your fall outerwear game with a slim-fit, warm and stylish quilted down coat from the terrific folks at JACHS NY — read more on it via my latest post for GearHungry.

October 30, 2015October 30, 2015 by Beau H.

The Friday Read: REI, Mark McNairy & Tanner Goods

Now that it’s Friday, my voice has finally recovered from… wait. Wait a second. That was how last week’s Friday Read started, too… and as luck would have it, it did indeed take me all week to recover from quite the cold — and quite the fun weekend — back in my home state of Michigan. Visits like that are always special, and they give you an excellent opportunity to reconnect with your roots and see old family & friends. To say I’m thankful for where I’m from would be an understatement! And it’s great to be able to write about it through this blog — so thank you for reading, commenting, clicking and participating in giveaways; you can be sure more are to come! In fact, if I were you, I’d pay close attention to this site (and my Instagram) on Wednesday and Thursday of next week if you’d like some great fall and winter gloves from my pals at Iron & Resin. But in the meantime, don’t get too spooked this Halloween weekend and enjoy your Friday downtime!

This was pretty big news earlier this week, so if you haven’t seen it, best read up. Outdoor retail giant REI is closing its doors on Black Friday for the first time in its history as part of its #OptOutside campaign; have to wonder if others might follow suit?
Want to upgrade your business-casual style? The ever-reliable team at Dappered has you covered with this standout suggestion.
Here’s one for all you beer geeks — and advertising folks, too. Digiday reports that Heineken is teaming with a select set of designers to produce special one-off pieces for gifting to top industry influencers — take, for example, an older pair of Mark McNairy saddle chukkas with a Heineken green sole. Fascinating stuff, and they’re not the only beer brand involved in similar partnerships, either!
One last quick note on the style front — you might recall the great team at Satchel & Page (of Slim Mailbag fame) — well, the brand just launched its new Autumn/Winter line via Kickstarter, and each piece is absolutely worth your time and dollars.
Long Read of the Week: If you’ve spent any time in New York City, you might have heard rumors about the infamous ‘Mole People,’ who dwell beneath the city in its subway tunnels — Narratively has the full scoop on that spooky story this week.

Elsewhere in the #menswear world…

Catch up with a new release from two heritage-quality brands — Tanner Goods teamed up with Danner once again on an excellent set of special-edition seasonal boots, as I covered for VOUCH Mag.
The great folks at American Trench do standout merino wool caps for winter (in addition to great socks), and those caps were the subject of my newest GearHungry feature.

October 23, 2015October 23, 2015 by Beau H.

The Friday Read: Michigan State, Fall Colors and The Hill-side

As it’s finally Friday, I almost have all of my voice back following the aftermath of that insane, thrilling and incredible Michigan State-Michigan football game last weekend. If you missed the ending, well, you’re in for a treat there. And the football hysteria is actually set to continue for me this weekend, because as luck would have it, I’m hitting the road back to East Lansing for a weekend spent with friends on the best campus in the country (in my humble opinion). I’m also getting the chance to go back to my hometown of Mason, a lovely place where time really slows down — that’ll be a welcome change of pace from New York City. And it’s always great to get back to your roots. But for matters in the present, we’ll catch you up with some of the best #menswear news of the week. On that note, thanks to all who participated in this week’s Goorin Brothers giveaway! Stay tuned for more giveaways in the coming weeks, and next week, look for a great product review of a nice fall timepiece, and a Q&A with the insightful and talented Megan Collins of Style Girlfriend. For now, enjoy your weekend — and thanks for reading!

Selectism gets you up to speed on the latest from The Hill-side — a perennial favorite of this blog. These guys just launched their A/W ’15 collection and they’re getting ready to open up a new flagship shop, to boot.
Think monk strap shoes are dead? Get Kempt offers 10 stylish pairs fit for tailored wear and dark denim alike.
Lastly on the style front, get to know GQ’s favorite color of the season — camel — and all the ways to wear it outside of a topcoat.
Long Read of the Week: Even if you don’t follow sports closely or have never placed a bet in your life, you might find this intriguing — VICE Sports went inside the tricky process of match-fixing, and those who work tirelessly to stop it. It’s quite the read.

Need more men’s style coverage to read?

You might recognize the subject of my latest VOUCH Mag piece from this blog — JACHS NY produces modern takes on American classics, and the brand’s backstory is just as neat.

October 16, 2015October 15, 2015 by Beau H.

The Friday Read: CMJ, Ralph Lauren and Long-Sleeve Polos

How is October treating you so far? Well, I hope? I had quite the (unexpectedly) busy week this week as a result of the annual College Music Journal Showcase that’s rolling through Brooklyn and Manhattan. I’ve been lucky enough to both see and spend some time with excellent Brooklyn-based band Mainland (openers for Atlas Genius earlier this fall) as part of my day job — increasingly, becoming a night job — repping Timberland Boots. These guys are worth a listen if you dig The Strokes and bands of that nature, and they’ll be rocking Timberland gear in the coming months to boot! I also had the chance to connect with the team behind Elohim, also fans of Timberland as luck would have it. She churns out great vibes and a super-cool audio-visual experience — look it up! To cap off a busy week, it’s also the weekend of the famed and much-hyped Michigan-Michigan State football game — should be quite exciting all-around. But enough about all that for now. Get a look at the best of the week in men’s style and beyond, below.

As you work more transitional style into your fall wardrobe, this piece could be worth a read — GQ breaks down the dressier long-sleeve polo you should incorporate into your closet.
Get Kempt toasts the man of the hour on his birthday, Mr. Ralph Lauren.
My friends at VOUCH Mag cover off on the three travel journals you should own to bolster your style game in transport.
Unbelievable Read of the Week: Switching things up from the regular Long Read this week, a writer at Noisey regales the Internet with the tale of how he tried sell a bag of air — yes, air — from Williamsburg for $20,000 on eBay.

Get more #menswear below:

I got the lowdown on the Global Citizen Exchange, a really worthwhile venture being undertaken by the great folks at Apolis in my latest VOUCH Mag piece.
If you find yourself in the market for a tech-savvy smartwatch, learn all about BLOCKS — the world’s first customizable smartwatch — in my most recent GearHungry post.

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 25, 2015September 23, 2015 by Beau H.

The Friday Read: Abercrombie & Fitch, Lana Del Rey and Stylish Splurges

This Friday caps off what’s truly been a whirlwind week — and we’re not close to being done yet! I’ve gotten to do some admittedly very cool things during my day job (for which I’m exceptionally grateful!), and this week has been chock full of them. On Wednesday, I helped put together a brand styling suite for Timberland — myself and my wonderful colleagues hosted some style luminaries who I’m fortunate enough to call friends. Namely, Jamal Jackson of StyleSocietyGuy, Jeff Carvalho of Selectism and Mac Joseph of Daily Mister (among others!) were on-hand to be styled in the latest Timberland wares by celebrity stylist Samantha McMillen; they also appeared on-stage modeling those outfits during our Thursday night media preview featuring music by British rocker & brand ambassador Jamie N Commons (excuse the shameless promotion!). And tonight, we get to do it all again! In fact, if you find yourself in New York City and fancy a great time with free beer and free food, RSVP to our formal launch event here. But enough PR mumbo-jumbo, right? Check out the best of the rest of the #menswear world here below. Cheers!

Complex shares details on how the once-proud folks at Abercrombie & Fitch plan to make a comeback in the style world — and with ex-Club Monaco man Aaron Levine on-board, this should be mighty interesting.
SPIN listened to Lana Del Rey this month — for the first time — and wrote an insightful (and opinionated) analysis of the lovely singer’s work.
Dappered’s monthly Reach post chronicles some worthy style splurges for September — including a Bonobos topcoat that looks incredible.
Long Read of the Week: Narratively delivered this story a while ago, but it’ll open your eyes to one seriously sustainably-focused way of living in the Yukon.

Are you all caught up with The Style Guide this week? Maybe not?

Get the lowdown on some sneakers to upgrade your shoe game this fall via our latest Style Upgrade post.
Snag a killer henley for fall via this post on the best long-sleeve options for the season.

September 18, 2015September 18, 2015 by Beau H.

The Friday Read: SPECTRE, Esquire Legends and Timberland

As we get a bit closer toward the true start of fall here on The Style Guide, it seems to feel less and less like fall itself — at least in Manhattan and Brooklyn, temperature-wise. Is anybody else experiencing this same problem? I’m quite ready for sweater and jacket weather after a long (yet enjoyable) summer 0f T-shirts and blazers. On a personal front, it’s been quite busy during my day job planning an exceptionally exciting Fall 2015 campaign launch for Timberland — if you find yourself in NYC next Friday and fancy enjoying some free beer and whiskey, plus a concert, RSVP to the event here. In the meantime, you can expect your regularly scheduled programming. And of course — the weekly Friday Read as detailed below. Enjoy!

Popular fan site James Bond Lifestyle (yes, that’s a thing), shares all the details you’d ever need to know regarding the incredible Crockett & Jones footwear in SPECTRE — and man, are those shoes stunning.
In the event you’re a fan of a different color of boot on your feet, the always on-point crew at Dappered shows you how to pair brown dress shoes and grey pants.
And did you catch this yet? To celebrate its 1,000th issue (whoa!), Esquire revealed its list of legendary men (and 1 woman), whom the publication is calling Esquire Legends – it’s very, very neat stuff across a spectrum of personalities.
Long Read of the Week: This piece is absolutely more style-oriented than other articles that have held down this spot in the past, but it’s no less worth a read; it’s part history lesson, part style exploration examining an incredible timepiece via the folks at Gear Patrol.

Still feel the need to read some more menswear content this weekend?

Familiarize yourself with the absurdly beautiful and incredibly well-crafted American Highway Collection (featuring gear from four great American brands) via my latest VOUCH Mag story.
Put a few new items in your shopping cart for fall — domestically focused American Trench crafts all its socks (and outerwear) from excellent materials, as I also learned this week for my newest GearHungry post — definitely a brand worth supporting.

Lastly, thanks again to each of you for reading this site, and for participating in initiatives like this past week’s Reader Giveaway — it’s very much appreciated!