Bonobos Blog

Worn Down by Wanton Weather

cforsythe — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:09:40 +0000

Tell me if this has happened to you: you’re going about your day to day, it’s not necessarily rainy, not necessarily dry. You’re also (in)conveniently between seasons so your winter all-weather boots aren’t expected to make an appearance anytime soon and your summer sneaks just aren’t cuttin’ it. Story of our lives these past couple days out here in NYC. Let’s just say April showers came a little late this year and sometimes your Supergas, flip-flops or boat shoes just aren’t equipped to handle the mucky muddy streets. Anything lined would prove to be a sweaty inconvenience of equal or greater value as well so again, a dead end.

Enter SWIMS, the solution to your footwear faux pas and the ideal choice for those in-between-times when nothing seems to fit with the weather quite right. Inspired by city culture that often defies slushy streets and pouring rain (and which has resulted in many pairs of ruined shoes), SWIMS was developed as a solution that combines style with functional design. With SWIMS loafers, designer Johan R. reinvented a classic and created a unique loafer using high-tech materials and state-of-the-art technology. In his own words, “My objective was to design a loafer I could wear in the ocean so that I don’t scrape my feet on rocks or coral, a loafer to wear by the pool or on the deck of a boat and not slip, a comfy loafer I could wear to walk around a beach town in shorts instead of my flip-flops.” With anti-bacterial and odor resistant soles they’ll never seem as, err, tainted by big city rain as the pair of kicks I’ve got on right now. Further, having a driver shape makes them multi-functional so you can wear them casually or dressed up.

Stop fighting against the weather and, instead, grab a pair of SWIMS and work with it. However, we recognize we’re rapidly approaching Fall, and those snowy days will be here sooner than we care to admit. We’ve already posted a smattering of pics from last Winter and plan to equip you well through the end of the year with upcoming releases. As always, let us know if you have something specific you’d like to see and we’ll do our best to bring it to you, all backed by our Bonobos shipping, return and service guarantee.

Think Yiddish, Dress British – Wisdom from NPR’s Scott Simon

Craig Elbert — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:49:19 +0000

At Bonobos, we’re consistently amazed by our customers. And sometimes, it’s fun to share a bit of their wisdom and accomplishments with the rest of you. We recently caught up with Bonobos customer and award-winning journalist Scott Simon, who expounded on style, travel and general life lessons he’s picked up throughout his career.

Scott is a Peabody-Award-winning journalist for NPR, where he hosts Weekend Edition Saturday. Since joining NPR in 1977, he has reported from all 50 states, covered presidential elections and eight wars. As if that weren’t enough, Scott is also the author of two novels and three non-fiction books (including two on baseball). His latest book is actually due out tomorrow. It is titled Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other and documents the wonderful journey Scott and his wife Caroline went through in adopting their two daughters. It’s already snaring some great reviews.

Scott was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer some of our questions via email.

B: What is it about a career in journalism that originally attracted you?

SS: The chance to see interesting places and meet interesting people—all on somebody else’s dime!

B: When prepping for interviewing others, how much thought do you put into your outfit and presentation? Any style tips you’ve learned over time?

SS: I try to dress well, to respect those I interview, or work with, for that matter. But if I’m interviewing someone who is notably formal, I might try to strike a slightly informal note—a knit tie, or even no tie, but a nice suit or sportcoat—and hope that this encourages some informality. Conversely, if I’m interviewing someone who is unemployed, or otherwise in vexing circumstances, I’ll try to dress in a way that conveys dignity.

And, what my mother told me is quite true: better to be somewhat overdressed than underdressed.

B: How would you define your own fashion style and how does Bonobos fit into it?

SS: I tend to live by advice my father, who was a comedian, gave me: “Think Yiddish, dress British.” I wear a lot of blazers (most fathers of young children do, I’ve found), and simply wearing slacks of a distinctive color with a blue blazer (white or brick red in summer; purple cords in fall and winter) can transform what might otherwise be a pretty predictable uniform into something that looks fresh.

B: You’ve covered the gamut of topics in your career, from bloody civil wars to shifting trends in pop music. Does any individual interview stand-out as either particularly influential or, well, just hilarious?

SS: Influential? Irena Milic, a young girl in Sarajevo during the siege. We profiled Irena and her mixed ethnic family as she was about to turn 16 inside on the outer circle of Hell. Seeing the siege through her eyes—even living it a little through her experience—fundamentally shook up my view of the world. And, made me a novelist (Pretty Birds: Random House, 2005).

Hilarious? Dame Edna—or at least the actor, Barry Humphries, who portrays Dame Edna. He insisted that we interview her, not him, and I still laugh at parts of it. She/he described traveling with her 94 year old gynecologist, Julio Iglesias’ father (who is, in fact, a gynecologist). “Of course his hands to shake a bit. But that’s not altogether a drawback, now is it?”

B: At Bonobos, we occasionally use our blog to give customers tips on traveling – be it finding the perfect bag or determining the packing necessities. As someone who has traveled extensively, often in war-torn areas, do you have any on-the-road advice or indispensable items? A specific toiletry item that once saved your life or something?

SS: No single toiletry item has ever saved my life. But those small, tinfoil packets of Roger & Gallet scents have come close by making me better company around my colleagues, in war zones in which water to bathe can be hard to find.

I do have one legitimate tip: buy a few small travel size toiletries—mouthwash, astringent, toothpaste, anti-perspirant—whenever you find them, and put a few in a plastic shirt bag that you keep in your travel case. Don’t wait until you run out to buy new ones. Chances are, you will run out of something at 2:00 am in Kabul and there’s not a Duane Reed for thousands of miles.

B: Social media – be it amateur blogs, Twitter feeds or user-generated comments – have obviously had a huge impact on media and the field of journalism. How have these tools affected the manner you report a story? How have they affected how you consume media?

SS: Alas, I am as inclined to log into social media sites, most notably Twitter, to read news as I am on any news site. I find that if I follow what I consider the most trustworthy and interesting people and organizations (Wall St. Journal, NYTimes, Variety, badbanana, Stephen Fry, etc.) I get a pretty good personalized overview of the world—before I turn to a news site.

B: Have social media affected how you shop?

SS: Yes, especially things for our children. People post helpful warnings all the time about products that aren’t worth it, clothing that can be bought for less, etc.

B: We consistently strive to be responsive to our customers’ feedback. So we read their product reviews, the comments on our blog and the input they email us. But if we listened to every single piece of social media we’d be pulled in a million different directions. I’d imagine there would be a similar effect if you were to try to react to all the emails, Facebook messages and tweets your coverage gets. In the age of communication overload, how do you productively filter social media while remaining responsive?

SS: I have a completely arbitrary rule: pick 10 for response. Try to make sure that they don’t answer the same question, or make the same point. I find that engaging with this manageable, limited number sharpens the mind.

B: Our CEO along with a number of our Midwestern employees are big Chicago Cub fans. Your first book Home and Away touches on numerous aspects of the Chicago sports scene. In the writing process, which Cub most grabbed your attention or imagination and why?

SS: Well, it’s always an honor to talk to Ernie Banks, who is genuine and genuinely nice. But I was especially touched by Fergie Jenkins. It seems to me that, although he’s in the Hall of Fame, he is comparatively overlooked among great pitchers. But he had 6 consecutive seasons in which he won 20 games or more—nobody does that anymore. And, he was also a great hitter. I liked his analysis of why the Cubs faded in 1969 against the Mets, which essentially went: our front line stars were better than theirs. But you get into August and September, you need your reserves to step up, and we just didn’t have a shelf. The Mets were more modern. Baseball had become a 162 game season only a few years before, and Leo had never managed for a longer season. The Cubs were still playing by the 154 game season calendar.

B: Tell us a bit about your upcoming book and how you settled on the topic of adoption.

SS: My wife and I are the parents of two daughters who are adopted from China. They are the glory of our lives, and we believe that adoption is every bit as miraculous as childbirth. We hope that by sharing our stories, and others, people might begin to view adoption as an early option for having a family, not just a last resort.

But first and last, it’s a book of love stories—what makes love not only fire up, but last.

The Denim Debate

cforsythe — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:08:19 +0000

By now, it’s no secret that Bonobos is doing a little research into potentially launching its own denim line soon. We’ve had requests for denim since the company started and now we are in a position to experiment and try new things (denim being one of them) and create new products that are of the quality we want. As of now, everything is fair game…fit, styling, wash, fabric. We want to know what you think. In the mean time, here’s a little of our perspective on things:

The importance of a good wash–

The wash of your favorite pair of jeans determines its style and wearability, even its personality. Dark washed denim is easily one the most popular choices because of its versatility. It’s a great replacement for a pair of slacks at the office and they’re great for kickin’ around town too. Light washed denim is a little more casual but, done right, it’s a great look that can take you from a beer with the boys to an evening cocktail at a dimly lit piano bar.

This is an example (shout out to my good friend Lauren, owner of Bows+Arrows in Austin, TX) of light washed denim done in a stylish way. It’s not as light as its 80s hair band predecessors, but it’s also not dark enough to blend into the night sky. It’s a “right in between” shade that feels and looks just right. (NOTE: Bonobos neither condemns nor condones the above “pegging” and rolling up at the hem. Sometimes this looks cool, sometimes not. Don’t worry. We’re still a boot cut company in our roots, but we also love straight leg. Denim can be worn a lot of stylish ways…)

The importance of a good material–

Many of us have heard the adage “beauty is pain”. But do you really want to feel like you’re in sandpaper or cardboard every time you wear your jeans? Probably not. Not to mention, the stiffer the material, the less flattering it is to your frame. Getting something that’s prewashed (or forms to your frame relatively quickly) is going to provide you with a better overall look and feel for the first wears.

This is an example of a great dark wash but, as you can see, the fit isn’t as good as it could be…notice the bunching and twisting around the knee. This is raw denim, which is much stiffer than prewashed denim, so it’s less forgiving off the shelf…if you’re looking for a pair of jeans that’s comfortable the day you bring it home, this is not it. Raw denim will ease up the more you wear it but the first few times you put it on can be a little uncomfortable. In terms of durability, however, raw denim reigns supreme. It’s also a great material because each pair of raw jeans is truly customizable, giving you control over how light they become based on how frequently you wash them. The irregular folds in the denim also fade at different rates, so the pair you get develops its own, unique wear patterns based on how it fits your body.

-Pocket detailing and fly closure

Pocket detailing and fly closure are two additional features that get denim wearers really fired up. We’re taking input on these, as well. Here at Bonobos, we prefer a relatively minimalist approach on pocket detailing. We favor the styling of brands like Levi’s and Double RL, simple and classic, over something like this. Fly closure…the debate is raging in the office. Some of us love button fly, and others demand a zipper.

The floor is open, so to speak. Tell us what you think and be a part of our product development!

Help us Name our New Seersucker Suits — CLOSED

Ninjas — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:39:53 +0000

It’s sweltering here in NYC, but trying to find a wearable summer suit in a retail store this late in July is almost impossible. We’ve got a lot of fall transition styles we’re excited to debut in the coming weeks, but until then we’re going to embrace the heat with the upcoming launch of two killer seersucker suits. These blue and grey pant and jacket combos are ready to wear to any late Summer wedding or an early Fall event at the Botanical Garden.

These are going to hit the e-shelves next week, but we could use your help to name them. Post your ideas in the comments below. The winner takes one of these amazing suits home, so start your engines!

Cargo Short Donation CLOSED

Ninjas — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:52:14 +0000

Several weeks ago, we put it to you guys to help us curb cargo shorts. We offered $15 in store credit per pair of cargo shorts you sent in that could be used towards a new pair of Bonobos shorts and we got an overwhelming response with close to 70 pairs received. All cargo shorts are going to be donated to the Coalition for the Homeless, a local New York City organization. The photo below is just a portion of what was sent back to us and we all deserve a pat on the back for making some headway in the fight to take baggy cargo shorts to the grave. Bonobos is taking over the fashion world, one article of clothing at a time. First it was pants, now shorts, dress shirts are on the way and the options for more are limitless.

Thanks for your help!

Fall 2010 Sneak Peek

cforsythe — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:11:55 +0000

To those of you who haven’t noticed, our new Fall 2010 Look Book Sneak Preview is up on www.bonobos.com and we couldn’t be more thrilled! For a long time now, we’ve had guys asking us how to pair Bonobos items with the rest of their wardrobe and now we can really show them how by curating entire looks, head to toe. What’s better is that you can (or will soon be able to) purchase the entire look online from the Bonobos web site so forget about the malls and boutiques this Fall and shop from home.

Here are a couple of our favorites:

Regardless of if you’re going casual or dressing it up, layering (clichè but oh so true) is key in the Fall and Winter. For this casual look we paired a comfy oxford with a v-neck sweater and topped it off with a sturdy waxed cotton jacket from the Jack Spade Fall ‘10 collection (coming soon to www.bonobos.com). Waxed cotton is probably one of the best additions to outerwear since…well, I don’t know when. It’s ideal for protecting against rain, sleet and snow and as you wear it, it forms to your body for maximum comfort. As far as bags go, you don’t always have to stick to the standard messenger or tote. Change it up and give one of these duffles a try.

For effortless workwear, go tonal and keep in mind a full suit isn’t essential to make your look office appropriate…unless of course you’re in banking where Mad Men Chic is the day to day standard. Here we paired a slick grey pinstripe wool trouser with a dress shirt, tie and cardigan. We opted to ditch the suit jacket altogether and instead wrapped it all underneath a charcoal grey peacoat from Oliver Spencer’s Fall ‘10 Collection (also coming soon to www.bonobos.com). Think of it as a new age three-piece suit: pants, cardigan, coat. Which classic, iconic pieces or ensembles have you made your own?

Be sure to check out the rest of our Fall Look Book and stay tuned for new releases to round out your wardrobe this Fall and Winter.

Fight the good fight…against mandals, that is

cforsythe — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:04:58 +0000

Summer is upon us in full, sweltering force and lots of guys have pulled their summer sneaks out of storage to stay cool. Canvas sneakers are my go-to but there are tons of other, equally appropriate summer options out there to choose from so can somebody please tell me why these continue to haunt me:

The dreaded leather, velcro strap sandal (also known as the mandal) is something that, despite its obvious style handicap, refuses to fade to black. Footwear during summertime is highly debatable and the fight between sandals and sneakers has raged on for centuries (well, maybe not quite that long) and I’d like to settle it once and for all. This year, leave the mandals at home and go for some of these tried and true summertime alternatives.

The Classic Jack (Converse by Jack Purcell)

Sperry Topsiders , Timberland has some great options as well and you can get ‘em right here on bonobos.com!

Vans Authentics

The time has come to update your wardrobe with some new, albeit classic styles as mentioned above or maybe try a saddle shoe to class it up a bit and check out the Ace Hotel shoes for another casual option. Regardless of what you choose, do your part to erase mandals from our immediate memory. Please? The only thing that gives me panic attacks more than the sandal that shall from now on remain nameless is when it’s paired with…anticipation building…baggy cargo shorts! The mental image is enough to cloud the nightmares of any smart shopper!

Interview with The Designer: blazer button holes

cforsythe — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:53:37 +0000

With our recent foray into blazers and our suiting debut, the Ninjas wanted to learn a little bit more about Bonobos jackets and what makes them so special. So, we sat down with designer Helen Farnell to get a little more insight into this whole functioning buttonhole business.

Ninjas: Tell us a little bit about functioning button holes on a jacket cuff.

Helen Farnell: You usually see a functioning button hole on a tailored men’s jacket cuff and basically the button holes are cut so the buttons can function and actually unbutton. It’s a sign of a good quality men’s tailored item and isn’t typically available on casual styles.

N: Are you supposed to be able to roll them up?

HF: Usually you might choose to wear your blazer with one button undone and it helps showcase the quality of the garment. Historically, men have always had functioning button holes – menswear has always been functional. For cheaper blazers, they don’t make [button holes] functional, and it’s so sad to see that since it costs a little bit more to make them functional, this feature is often left out.

You can have fun with the button hole colors as well. The last button hole can be a different color, or perhaps the bottom button can be attached with a pop thread for fun. Paul Smith does a lot of that.

N: Have you heard any myths about the origin of the button hole? For example, we’ve heard that working button holes originated in the 16th century to accomodate men’s elaborate sleeves. Any truth in that?

HF: I haven’t heard that but it makes sense. Usually things function for a reason. It’s like the men’s fastening of a jacket, it’s left-over-right, and that’s done because men used to dress themselves but it’s the other way around for women because women used to be dressed by servants. There’s always a history that goes along with these things.

N: What other great details can we look forward to in the jackets and blazers?

HF: Cool, fun interior lining. We’re also going to be playing with grosgrain to be used as a support for a button underneath the functional cuff, grosgrain details and piping. We’re going to have pop colors under the collar so there’s a lot of fun and excitement going on with what could be seen as simply a serious piece of outerwear.

N: From a style standpoint, do you recommend leaving a button undone or rolling the cuff?

HF: I would recommend one button undone. Show off your beautiful, quality Bonobos jacket.

There you have it, folks. You learn something new every day!

Interview with a Ninja Designer

cforsythe — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:58:35 +0000

We’ve just launched Post Modern Plastics acrylic tie clips on bonobos.com. What’s so special about them? Well, they’re made by one of our very own: Mic Nguyen.

When Mic was interviewing with Bonobos, he was wearing a purple tie clip that grabbed our attention so we naturally asked him where it was from. His answer: he made it. Six months later, Mic has his first point of distribution through bonobos.com. Mic, just don’t forget about us when you hit it big.

We did a brief interview with Mic to get a few more details about Post Modern Plastics and his new tie clips:

Ninjas: When did you start making PMP tie clips:

Mic Nguyen: I love wearing ties and clips but the vast majority of clips are either very plain silver or gold ones, or they’re crazy ridiculous clips with chains and stuff hanging off of them. I wanted to make something fun and different, simple but bold. I had the idea for them a few years ago and finally decided to start making them this year.

N: How did you decide what materials to use?

MN: Acrylic is easy to work with and comes in a ludicrous number of colors and patterns. Plastic is also a move away from metals, which is what most tie clips are made of. It’s a cool material that’s gaining popularity with designers and I figured it should make its way into men’s accessories.

N: How did you pick what colors to offer?

MN: A lot of trial and error. I have a drawer at home full of “reject” colors. You never know what color is going to work. For example, I thought that white would look awesome, but it ended up looking like a nametag. Green was a color I didn’t think would work, but it turned out better than expected.

N: Which one is your favorite and most versatile?

MN: I have a big soft spot for purple. Even though it’s a non-traditional color, it strangely goes with just about everything. It’s actually more subtle than you’d think.

N: Do you have more products in the works to add to the offerings at PMP?

MN: For now I’m sticking to tie clips. I have plans to make a slanted tie clip, meant to be worn at an angle, and then bring out some other patterns and colors. I’d also like to do bow ties, cuff links, and pocket squares. All in due time.

That’s a wrap folks. Changing the world, one tie clip at a time.

We just couldn’t avoid the Montauk paparazzi

Mike Hondorp — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:12:48 +0000

Hey Bonobos fans. For those of you who were able to brave the drizzle and sweltering weather to join us at our pop-up launch party in Montauk this past Saturday, thanks! For the rest of you, we wanted to pass along some pictures of the event. In summary: it was a smashing success! Over 150 friends–old and new–joined us for Veev cocktails, champagne, ice-cold beer and ridiculously tasty, beachy bites from 668 The Gigshack. For those that stayed for music and booty-shaking next door at the Memory Motel, I think we all agree the entire night was a great time. Check out the shots of the crowd and the Bonobos team snagged by sneaky paparazzi (our intern, Tee) below.

Still haven’t seen the pop-up? You’re in luck! We’re staying open another week! So head out out to Cynthia Rowley Montauk (696 Montauk H’way) and check out the Shack in the Back!