The Friday Read: Mr. Porter, Dia: Beacon and New Music from Mainland

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

Here we sit on the doorstep of another start to a winter weekend — maybe you’re feeling a bit tired of chilly weather at this point? I certainly am — as a heads-up, tomorrow’s Style Pick of the Week will aim to get you thinking ahead in a good way. It was a nice and slightly less hectic week around these parts, so that’s positive — still waiting on spring though! I’m particularly excited about some recent writing work I’ve been able to do with GearMoose (an excellent site in its own right), so that’s kept me busy outside of my day job, too.

Now if you do get the chance to step away from your busy days, I’d highly recommend a trip to the lovely small town of Beacon, NY — I took the time to get away for a bit last weekend and check out the sights and sounds of a relaxing (and on this weekend, very chilly) locale. It’s home to the world-class Dia: Beacon art museum, and some tremendous spots for craft beer and gourmet food — namely, The Hop and Draught Industries, both surefire winners. It was great to rest and recharge a bit. If you’re looking to do the same just an hour outside of NYC, that’s where I’d recommend you go. And that brings us back to the start of this weekend — before we get things going, sit back with some freshly-tapped #menswear news.

  • Have you ever shopped at Mr. Porter? Or is it a bit out of your price range? I find myself looking at a few items from time to time on the site — and with that, Mr. Porter is celebrating the five-year anniversary of its launch via GQ. The product mix certainly leans more continental, but it’s still worth a look if you know what you want.
  • Question No. 2: Are you a watch fan like yours truly? If so, Esquire dug up the best watches from SIHH (the international timepiece extravaganza), here for your viewing pleasure.
  • Question No. 3: On a non-style related note, are you looking to dig into some new music? Might I suggest Brooklyn indie rockers Mainland — they’re a heck of a band, they just wrapped a tour with Marianas Trench, and their music is catchy and relatable; get to that link for more details on their latest single.

Need more links to shop through? Start here.

    • Stock up on the best men’s grooming products for winter with my choice picks from this week’s post — they’ll have you beating the chill in no time.
    • The Style Guide (AKA yours truly) is all about excellent style essentials — that’s the focus of my new GearMoose series, in fact. Read more about Mott & Bow raw denim at that link.


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The Friday Read: Pitti Uomo’s Best-Dressed, Ball & Buck Denim and Alexander McQueen

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

I’m not sure about where you are, but the big topic of conversation here in NYC revolves around snow this weekend — how much we’re supposed to get, how much other areas of the country have gotten so far, and so and so forth. It’s enough to make anyone want just stay inside and read a good book — I’m personally hoping, however, for a bit less snow than predicted, and the chance to get out and check out some nice #menswear haunts around the city. Meanwhile, the promise of summer music festivals and the like keeps growing even as it gets colder and colder — have you snapped up your tickets for Governors Ball or Firefly? Both two festivals with positively GREAT lineups. That’s certainly keeping me going through this chilly winter weekend. And as for what to do in the meantime, I’d suggest: A) Checking out the below Friday Read and B) Hopping on over to my #menswear Pinterest page for some winter style inspiration. Stay warm!

  • As part of its campaign chronicling #TheNewStyle, Esquire snapped portraits of some of the best-dressed men at Pitti Uomo — and the results are a great argument for refined understatement in dressing.
  • Premium shirting company Corridor NYC is having a sale this week, and the fine folks at Well-Spent want you to know all about it — in particular, the blue plaid shirt (option number two) looks stunning.
  • Ball and Buck, yet another purveyor of excellent, American-made goods, just launched its first run of denim, as Inside Hook writes. For what it’s worth, those indigo jeans look sturdy and mighty promising (if you feel like test-driving another pair first, grab a pair of the Mott & Bow Norfolk raw denim).
  • Style Note of the Week: So, a biopic on legendary designer Alexander McQueen is in the works — DETAILS.com offers up their casting recommendations, which look quite on-point (no spoilers here!).

Run out of things to read? Head over here for more men’s style coverage:

  • If you’re hitting the slopes (and have some extra cash to spare), check out the Alps & Meters Shawl Collar Jacket, as covered by yours truly for GearMoose.
  • Read up on another, decidedly cheaper outerwear option (and the subject of my latest GearHungry post) — the Ketums Bondy Jacket, equally inspired by heritage style details.


The Friday Read: Best Dress Sneakers, Pitti Uomo and Alan Rickman

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

What a week it’s been — after so much traveling over the holidays and prepping for the year ahead (on both the work and blogging fronts!), it’s nice to get to the weekend now. There are plenty of exciting things in the works, including the impending arrival of #NYFWM and trade show season. It’s been nice to be back in NYC and catch up with friends — on that note, if you’re looking to revamp your home or apartment, Style Guide favorite The Hill-Side just launched an incredible home design collaboration with Crate & Barrel, which I had the chance to check it out in person yesterday. Needless to say, it left me wanting to re-outfit my entire apartment! But due to what you might call budgetary constraints, that won’t be happening any time soon. Lusting after great interior design hasn’t held up the weekly Friday Read, though. Check out a recap of all things #menswear below, and look out for another entry in the #OOTD series on Monday.
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  • GQ looks at a new breed of shoe — the dress sneaker — and offers their picks for the ones that’ll amp up your style (a heads-up that Monday’s post might or might not feature a pair of sharp leather sneakers around which to style).
  • Airows (a definite read if you appreciate a well-designed site) covers the launch of the Everlane Street Fleece collection, which looks cozy, slim and stylish — everything you want for your weekend gear.
  • Esquire offers a critique of the street style fair — oh, and actual industry trade show — that is Pitti Uomo, noting that the age of the “sartorial peacock” is on the way out, replaced instead by what it calls #TheNewStyle.
  • And this post wouldn’t be complete without a tip of the cap to the unique talents of both David Bowie and Alan Rickman, both of whom we lost this week.  As far as style goes, there’s no doubting that Bowie had a perspective all his own. And as a huge Harry Potter fan, it was always a treat to see Rickman on-screen throughout the series and the rest of his career.

That brings us to a bit of a downer of an end, unfortunately — but do yourself a favor this weekend, and listen to some Bowie or watch a Rickman film; I’m sure they’d both appreciate it.

‘Til tomorrow’s post,

-Beau