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.
Filed under: Misc., New Releases, News, Stuff, Style Guide, Uncategorized |
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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!
Filed under: Misc., Style Guide, Uncategorized |
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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!
Filed under: Interview with The Designer, Live from HQ, Misc., New Releases, Stuff |
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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.
Filed under: Interview with The Designer, Live from HQ, New Releases, Stuff |
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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!
Filed under: Events, Misc., News |
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