You Wear It Well Mr. Ronson

Quite some time has passed since I posted about a musing male dresser. You always see the "usual suspects" at fashion shows and I don't want to do re-post on fashion editors. This post is about a man who is as sartorial as one could be: The music producer and DJ called Mark Daniel Ronson. 2008 was quite a successful year for him so far and it is also the year where his style caught my attention. As this should be a fashion blog, I skip to enroll the controversial discussion about his current projects and former career as so called "celebrity DJ".

Nevertheless, I cannot ignore his connection to a lot of celebrities because of a priviledged family background which makes it easy to socialize early with the right contacts. This background may also have influenced his way of dressing. Mark Ronson is everything about good manners, smart and tailored dressing without missing to be hip and I mean really hip.

His style is obviously influenced by the 60's and he himself represents the beauty and class of Alain Delon combined with the coolness of Bob Dylan. Sharp tongues might say that he is only a copy which has been put together well, but that would be as unprofessional claiming that Kate Moss is a copy of Brigitte Bardot. Most people are influenced by a way of dressing which existed already and it is still a question of taste how you actually combine clothes yourself. He himself described his style in an interview for the Guardian like this "Dior was the first shop I ever tried for high-end fashion. But then everyone started ripping off Hedi Slimane so I moved on. My thing is not only skinny pencil jeans and Camden fashion, it's a little more developed than that."

His music taste and strong preference for Hip Hop is not necessarily reflected in his clothes. Mark mentioned this aspect referring to the Beasty Boys "who brought back the Pumas with the fat laces where he would wear them with jeans and a hoodie". "I was always careful not to pretend to be something I wasn't", he says. And this is true. His personal style is all about looking sartorial, sharp and tailored. It's about glittering suits, tuxedo blazers and knit cardigans, looking like the man he is with origins from a wealthy but cool family background. To focus on his style, I attached photos of a shoot he did for GQ magazine together with Elodie Bouchez in Paris where he re-enacts scenes from his favourite movies. "I was obsessed with Alain Delon in Le Samouraï and Jean-Paul Belmondo in Breathless and paying homage to them in that shoot really helped fix the idea in my head," he says and shows.

A New Boy In Down...A German Model In Japan

As I am in the mid of my exam preparation I have not much time to post. Unfortunatelly.
I just came over a wonderful article about a german expatriate in Tokyo at spiegel.de. 31 year-old David Schumann arrived in Tokyo to learn about culture, language and of course to have good time. Already on his first days in big Tokyo the guy coming from provincial Bonn was discovered as a model. Being a german model in Japan allowed him to live his life the way he prefers, earn your own living which allows you to study, meet people or dream or work on uneconomical projects. I actually posting about him because I totally agree that his appearance is special. I don't want to repeat that "he was a punk and now a model" blabla, no, I am only referring to his look. He is definitelly not a beauty but special and changeable in such a manner that you will never get bored of his picture. This is at least what a model should look like.

Modern Men...Experiences You Can Buy

Today I had a look at the Rakehells Revels web site because I would like to visit one of David PIPER'S parties London Tuesdays at the grill room. Scrolling down I came accross the following:

I couldn't believe it and checked google.com...Result

This means for 500 pounds and dinner invite to a sophisticated restaurant you can buy a date with a cad of your choice. Sounds like nothing new...emancipation of women already started in 1960 so why should we not buy the escort of a stylish men for money?

The special thing about this service is, that he will not treat you according to the usual "escort rules". You will not buy love you will buy an adventure. Adventure means in this case that you will have a date with:

1. An experienced man who will always have his eyes on several women in parallel -> does not every man whose libido is still alive do this?

2. A man who has enaugh good-quality personal stories to tell

3. A man who is stylish creative, charming with good manners -> rare

Isn't that what every woman wants? To be honest I agree to the concept because I don't want a date with a man who has just eyes for me and tells me right away that I am the love of his live. My boyfriend never did that and it worked since six years.

The other side is that I don't want to pay for a date. If everything is an illusion the score of the game is already set and this is somehow disappointing.

To summarize:

1. I agree that from a psychological point of view the whole concept is quite reasoned.

2. From a practical point of view I feel sorry for the cads because the customers will consist of desperate middle-aged wealthy women who don't know how to experience life on their own or with the man they once loved for whatever reason.

3. From a moral point of view I totally disagree because deep in my heart I am quite idealistic and romantic.

Nevertheless, good to know that you can buy anything and good to know that I don't have the money for it.

Shorts For Men...Go Or No Go?

My boyfriend boyfriend is hot but he is really hot in summer which means that wearing long pants or jeans combined with leather shoes is a bit unconfortable when temperature rises to 30 degrees. I asked him why he doesn't wear shorts or bermudas for men either combined with a chick chemisier or polo and leather flip flops. HE WILL NEVER EVER DO THAT. He considers it as discrimination of men's style and clothes.

Today I was reading the blog of "The Sartorialist" (I could observe live during the men fashion shows in Paris) and I came across some photos he took in Italy this and last year.

I really think the italian guys posted are gentlemen-like and effortlessly chic wearing shorts and flip flops. This prooves again: Italian men simply know how to do fashion!

Source: www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com

Men's fashion spring summer 2008: Defilé Jeroen Van Tuyl S/S 2008

Lucky Girl! My membership at Icqons made me receive an invitation to defilé of Jeroen Von Tuyl , a fashion label created in 2000 based in the Netherlands. Jeroen van Tuyl and Edwin de Rooij founded it after graduation of from the Arnhem Institute for the Arts.
The defilé took place on Saturday at 10:00am. This meant that I had to get out of bed at 08:00am to find the time to get myself ready (for sure I don't want to look "undone" when standing between all those fashionable people) and to take the metro and find the place on Rue Marceau. I got there early and learned that fashion shows will never start on time and that the most important guests will arrive late but seated first. To get an impression of my importance I got standing place last. Being a decent girl I was just pleased to watch the show…
It was called "Tulip" the flower of spring. Dominating colours were black, white, grey and purple pieces and the invitation gave a first clue. Main inspiration for the show was again last seasons shorts combined with wool socks. The designs were simple, slender and close-fitting. Shorts were combined with grandfather-wool pullovers and flip flops or either sartorial evening shoes. Trenchcoats were part of the show and alleviated the intended smugness of the wool pullovers. To aggravate on the simle appearance of the models, accessoires were not part of it.

Men Style...Spring 2007...Where Designers Get Their Inspiration From...

That week-end I visited my boyfriend in Paris (BTW: I will now finally move over in 1 week - JIPJIPJIPJIHH). We relaxed a bit on our sofa with some nice red wine and watched old rock classics on VH1. We saw an old video of VH1 and I finally got a enlighted moment where I understood where the designers got their inspiration for their spring 2007 collection from. They must have watched some videos Angus Young starring because I would say that he is the first person who made the combination of bermudas and blazer and tie!
If you combine the Dolce&Gabbana models with his way of dressing you may find some similarities. Check it out...

It's all about "MEN A LA MODE"

Some of my male friends always complain that there is less information on men style than style advices for women. They recommend that I should talk about men style as well in my blog. To be honest...this is quite difficult for myself because I tend to observe women and their way of dressing much more intensively and just take male fashion as it is without really thinking about it. Therefore, I don't want to reserve the right to talk about fashion for men.

I would recommend the following:

If you are a man and you are longing for a most up to date - super hot right now - fashion style advice, just check out the new UK site Men à la mode which will be launched on 15th of March.

A nice site for latest news on men's fashion and grooming is Fashion 156. The outfits shown are as nice as the outfit of the site itself.

Men Style I like...Adrien Brody

Last week I watched "Love The Hard Way" with 32 year old New York born actor Adrien Brody. He was wearing this terribly distasting snake skin jacket and I recognized that he endlessly attracts me even with this horrible jacket.

He is definitelly a men I would love to just watch for hours. This whole person is so interesting even without saying anything. For me he is the actor of my time with the most sexual spirit. Apart from this spirit I like the way he dresses. He has three kind of styles the "Hip Hop Poser Style" (probably back to the roots),the "Creative Actor Style" and the "Gentlemen Style" (like he dresses for premieres). I would have done anything to replace Halle Berry at the Oscars in 2005...There is no man who could beat his coolness!

Fashion Week Milan 07/08...J.Lindeberg and Moschino

Watching the runway pictures of fashion week Milan I picked two favorites. I really liked what J. Lindeberg and Moschino were presenting. Let me know what you think...

Jefferson Hack...A Modern Gentleman

Last week I got feedback from a male friend to include "Men Style" in my blog. I decided if it was possible for me to include it because I deal with women's style most of the time. I decided to start this section by finding a man whose style I really like. It took me 3 days to figure that out. This morning while browsing through www.dazeddigital.com, I finally got the satori. I like every single piece and outfit Jefferson Hack, publisher of Dazed & Confused and Another Magazine, is wearing. Again he is an english guy...I am wondering if I am obsessed with them but I guess not...of course I am only obsessed with my one and only man but I am not bound to say that I love the way english men dress. If I was a man I would prefer to go for english designers like John Richmond (wonderful ads), Alexander McQueen, Burberry Prorsum and Paul Smith. The problem with this style is, that you really have to be slim - as Jefferson Hack is. But isn't it the same with women's fashion? Why should only women suffer from eating less to wear all the nice cuttings? So to all the men: "Eat less and you will definitely look wonderful adopting the style of the english gents!"

The dandy strikes back = The Lady strikes back as well….

This article in "Times Online" (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,20029-1819675,00.html) made me think.

It deals with the "New English Dandy" (btw with Wade Crescent on the cover) a book by Alice Cicolini available at http://www.amazon.com/New-English-Dandy-Alice-Cicolini/dp/2843237564/sr=8-1/qid=1168354433/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-8517710-7018407?ie=UTF8&s=books .
The english dandy is a man who takes his times for dressing with regards to details and who replaced with his look the muscle packed gym boy working out all day. His aim is to stand out from the crowd who is consuming what the mass marked - as a consequence of globalization - presents.


The article made me think of the theories by the french sociologist Pierre Bourdieu we recently discussed at University (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Bourdieu#Bourdieu.27s_theory_of_power_and_practice). "La Distinction" takes as its basis Bourdieu's empirical research carried out in 1963 and concluded in 1967/68. In his often densely-worded prose, Bourdieu discussed how those in power define aesthetic concepts such as "taste". Using research, he shows how social class tends to determine a person's likes and interests, and how distinctions based on social class get reinforced in daily life. He observes that even when the subordinate classes may seem to have their own particular idea of 'good taste'.


I personally tend to be facinated by people who are special and outside the crowd. This doesn't refer only to the way they dress…that would be really superficial I think. Though I try to search for unusual special things as special clothes, restaurants, hotels ( I totally defeat hotel chains), music, parties, people and so on. This is not an easy way of living because most of the people in our environments tend to do what "common people" do. I would call that a kind of "easy superficial" lifestyle which is uncomplicated to handle in this world full of overload information. For me it is the wrong way to life like this...Oscar Wilde said: "It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances." This is exactly what I think. …if you do the oposite you strike a more difficult path than searching for the extraordinary.


...Coming back to the english dandy now...The english dandy is divided in several types belonging to different sinus milieus in London but it could be assigned to any other european city as well I think:



Neo-Modernist
The role model: David Bowie
The look: Sharp, tailored suits with crisp, clean lines that subvert tradition
The Designers: John Galliano, Spencer Hart, Alexander McQueen
Habitat: Sketch, Modern Times Club at the Great Eastern Hotel


East End Flaneur
Role model: Jarvis Cocker
The look: Vintage, branded goods, bohemian, glam rock – and plenty of scarves
The designers: Maharishi, Vexed Generation, Jeff Griffin
Habitat: Kash Point club nights in London, Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, The Bricklayers Arms and anywhere in Hoxton

The Gentleman
Role model: Bryan Ferry
The look: Quality informed by tradition, the epitome of sartorial propriety
The designers: Timothy Everest, Charlie Allen, Carlo Brandelli, Richard Anderso
Habitat: New Piccadilly Café (one of the last Fifties cafés in London), Sheraton Club, The French House, the racetrack, the casino



New Briton
The role model: Malcolm McLaren
The look: Mixing different cultural references with traditional tailoring
The designers: Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith
Habitat: Multiracial suburbs, such as Queen’s Park and Brixton in "real London"



Casual
The role model: Liam Gallagher
The look: Giving classic labels new meaning
The designers: Pringle, Lyle & Scott, Aquascutum, Burberry and Belstaff
Habitat: The Phoenix Pub, Edinburgh, The King’s Arms Salford, Manchester’s Northern Quarter



Celebrity Tailor
The role model: Tommy Nutter
The look: Vibrant colour, sparkling fabric, idiosyncratic cut and embellishment
The designers: Richard James, Mark Powell, Ozwald Boeteng, John Pearse
Habitat: Savile Row




What I ask myself now is what would be the better half of each dandy? I mean do this kind of role models exist for women as well and what would be the matching ones to the types of dandys listed above?


David Bowie = Madonna





Jarvis Cocker = Kate Moss
Bryan Ferry = Dita von Teese
Macolm McLaren = Deborah Harry
Liam Gallagher = Irina Lazareanu
Tommy Nutter = Audrey Hepburn

Way of Men's Dressing I like...Jarvis Cocker

Being a woman, I don't cope too much with men's way of dressing. There is one man whose way of dressing I really like. It is Jarvis Cocker, former member of the band "PULP", who recently launched his new solo album called "Jarvis". He is dressed like a man without expressing too much of a man. I don't like the muscle packed type. Men should look like they have something in their heads not as if they spend their whole day in gym....and - Jarvis is the incarnation of my taste of men's dressing....