Tag Archives: STYLE

Inspired Style: Robert Downey Jr.

May 31, 2016 By in INSPIRED STYLE Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Robert Downey Jr. has starred in over 83 movies and T.V. shows and has 2 Oscar nominations and 2 Golden Globe wins under his belt.  Starting in the 1970s at the early age of 5 and continuing to this day with his latest hit, Captain America: Civil War, Robert Downey Jr., who is the world’s highest-paid actor, can only be described as prolific.  

c5c11ebc-954e-4d9c-abf9-d4f47d88fea4Whether he’s saving the world as Iron Man or solving mysteries in Victorian era England as Sherlock Holmes, pioneering the beginning of motion pictures as Charlie Chaplin or dressed to the nines for the Monaco Grand Prix, Robert Downey Jr.’s sense of style has always stayed impeccable, evolving and growing with the times regardless of the role he is playing.  

Today let’s learn from the best by taking a look at some of our favorite looks from Robert Downey Jr.’s more recent offerings.  It’s important to note that with some of these looks, the clothing that is worn during filming is a custom rendition made exclusively for the film by costume designers, so in those cases we’ve gone ahead and selected nearly identical, just-as-stylish offerings that are available in stores.

Enjoy!

Outfit 1: The Three-Piece Dinner Suit

As Seen in: Captain America: Civil War

robert_downey_jr_98017Let’s start with the movie Captain America: Civil War. RDJ’s look was already causing some buzz before the movie’s launch when it was seen in pre-launch trailers. The look consists of three major pieces: a timeless black three-piece dinner suit, a red paisley print silk tie, and awesome two-tone sunglasses with custom red-tinted lenses.  The three-piece dinner suit is a classic that has recently seen a resurgence in popularity over the past few seasons.  This suit, in comparison to traditional dinner suits, is quite toned down, as this type of suit is traditionally worn with a bow and features silk striping, as well as more prominent pocket and lapel designs.   

Robert-Downey-Jr-Captain-America-1050x700The suit features a blazer with peak lapels, the traditional option for dinner suits, along with a single rear central vent, and side slit pockets.  This is tied together with a sleeveless waist coat featuring a v-neck and slightly more casual trousers with a straight-legged design.  This formal, somewhat rigid look is extremely fitting for RDJ’s role in the movie, who sides with the government, and we can only speculate that the custom red-tinting of his glasses along with the red tie are subtle nods to his alter ego, Iron Man.  

SHOP SIMILAR: The Suit   The Tie   The Glasses

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Outfit 2: The Classic Suit & Tie

As Seen in: The Judge

Our next pick is from The Judge. RDJ’s outfit offers up something a little more casual yet without a doubt still sophisticated.   Wearing a classic pinstriped wool twill suit and a colorful two-tone blue and white dress shirt, tied together with a dark blue woven silk tie, this look seems extremely fitting for RDJ’s role as a lawyer.  

the-judge-official-trailer-2014-robert-downey-jr-robert-duvall-movie-hd_7586711-3590_1280x720The blazer features a simple design with narrow lapels and front slit pockets, as well as dual rear vents and a two-button closure.  The trousers are also simple, with a standard straight-legged design. The two-toned dress shirt with white collar and a blue shirt alongside the dark blue silk/cashmere woven tie add a twist to what would regularly be just another businessman’s outfit by offering a touch of Robert Downey Jr.’s trademark playfulness.

SHOP SIMILAR: The Suit   The Shirt   The Tie

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Outfit 3: The Custom David Augustin Suit

As Seen in: Iron Man 2

Our final pick is from the movie Iron Man 2 – specifically the bar scene in Monaco right before the Monaco Grand Prix.  The actual suit being worn in this scene is a custom-order David Augustin suit, that was actually sold at auction following the filming of the movie.  

Iron Man 2 movie imageThe suit itself is a gray pinstripe design with metallic blue lining inside. The blazer is accented with a narrow lapel, alongside a rear double vent and a two-button closure. The trousers are standard fare, featuring a straight-legged design.  RDJ ties the look together with a blue spread-collar dress shirt and an ornate blue and white silk tie adorned with a floral print.

The result is a formal yet unstuffy look – it demands respect but is still very approachable, and almost playful.  We can also speculate that the lighter blue hue of the suit reflects Tony Stark’s state of mind in the early scenes of the film.

BUY SAME: Custom Order from David Augustin

SHOP SIMILAR: The Suit   The Shirt

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Inspired Style: Don Draper’s 7 Best Outfits from 7 Seasons of Mad Men

May 19, 2015 By in INSPIRED STYLE Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

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After seven seasons, the cultural phenomenon that is Mad Men has finally come to an end. Set primarily in the ‘60s, the show was a weekly reminder of the Golden Era of dressing. Each character assimilated iconic period pieces into wardrobes that broadcasted their personalities as much as their ranks within the advertising firm.

Since season one, we’ve been taken with Don Draper’s impeccably tailored suits and low-key accessories. No matter how many duplicities and adulterous entanglements Draper got himself into, he always looked like a class act. Don Draper’s style – and that of Mad Men itself – has had a massive influence on runways and on men looking for style inspiration.

So to commemorate the end of this stylish TV series, we’ve chosen our favorite Don Draper looks from each season and broken them down for you.

The ad exec’s formula for great style? Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant summed it up for Men’s Fitness: Don’t be a slob, get a tailor, embrace color and skinny ties, and pay attention to the details – hats, pocket squares, watches, and ties allow men to show individuality. Tie it all together with some swagger.

There are certainly characters who are far more adventurous dressers than Draper, but what he does so well is he wears what looks good on him – a cue we can all take.

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Season 1, Episode 2 – Ladies Room

An iconic scene from Mad Men. There are so many suits on the show it’s easy to get lost in the sea of them, but if you pay attention to the fabrics, colors, and patterns of Don Draper’s suits, you’ll see he’s quietly manifesting his artistic side. Rather than being nearly all blue or gray like Pete Campbell’s in the beginning of the series, Draper’s suits always have an interesting texture (such as tweed), color, or pattern (here, he’s in pinstripes).

Draper is a businessman but he’s also a creative, a balance reflected in his outfits.

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Season 2, Episode 7 – The Gold Violin

Draper’s skinny tie and skinny lapels are carryovers from the ‘50s, a decade which had an immense influence on early ‘60s dressing. Again, Draper takes the suit away from stark black and white with a blazer made of multicolor thread and a subtly striped brown tie.

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Season 3, Episode 5 – The Fog

Mad Men is set in an era when men wore hats. On the special occasion of welcoming his third child home, Draper is dressed to the nines in a suit and felt fedora with a tapered crown.

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Season 4, Episode 3 – The Good News

It’s the end of 1964, and Don Draper is getting ready for a holiday trip to Acapulco. In the midst of shuffling from work to Los Angeles to visit Anna – the wife of the man whose identity he stole –  he goes into vacation dressing mode, topping his suit with a thick gray coat and even toting around a straw briefcase.

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Season 5, Episode 8 – Lady Lazarus

Draper livens up an otherwise run-of-the-mill dark gray suit with a striped oxblood tie and his signature neat white pocket square.

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Season 6, Episode 9 – The Better Half

It’s midsummer and scorching hot. Draper stays ever the professional with a tailored suit, albeit with a summery taupe blazer and neutral brown tie with contrasting azure blue stripes. It’s got a slightly groovier factor that we see increasingly on all characters as the show approaches 1970.

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Jon Hamm as Don Draper - Mad Men _ Season 7, Episode 5 - Photo Credit:

Season 7

Draper’s ties get wider and more colorful during Mad Men’s last season. Colors like brown and blue – staples of the ‘70s – surface often. Lapels and pants follow the widening trend, and the mod influence is obvious.

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Did we leave out any Don Draper outfits? Let us know what your favorite Draper outfit is in the comments!

(Images): GQ

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Why use badger hair as a shaving brush material?

October 29, 2014 By in TIPS & FACTS Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

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The reason to use a badger hair shaving brush is that it offers the ideal balance between water retention, softness and durability when compared to the other options, something that is not found in other materials. Badger hairs are hollow, which is why they hold more water than boar or synthetic hairs. The hair quality of a badger brush is superior because of the inherent characteristic of the hair. The badger hair comes in 4 grades that are based on where on the badger’s body the hair is taken from. The main difference between them is the softness of the hair and the amount of hair available on a given badger.

The badger hair absorbs lots of water and this is beneficial to a good shave because water creates a foamy lather and the lather is essential for a good shave. The badger hair used exfoliates the skin well. The natural hair of a badger hair shaving brush stays firm and warm when shaving. A normal brush does not. e.g. When placing the badger brush into a warm bowl of water it stays firm, the hairs don’t go limp, whereas a normal hair shaving brush when dipped in a warm bowl of water looks heavy and limp with water pouring out of it. This will not give you the foam you need to shave.

The availability or amount of hair a badger has in each grade effects the price

Why choose a badger hair shaving brush? You will get the quality worth paying for.

Interested in a badger hair shaving brush?  http://bit.ly/1vhdKCV

 

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What is Straight Razor Shaving?

October 15, 2014 By in HISTORY, TIPS & FACTS Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

A straight razor is a razor with a long blade set in a handle and in traditional and current western versions the blade has the ability to fold into the handle. The straight razor is sometimes called an open razor or cut-throat razor.

During prehistoric times there is documented evidence that men used clam shells, stone or flint knives, and even sharpened blocks of iron to shave and cut their hair with. By the Bronze Age many cultures had developed razors designed specifically for shaving and by the 5th century B.C. razors were in common use throughout the world. These early razors were often constructed by the local blacksmith and the quality of the metal and edge could be extremely variable based on an individual’s given skill. It was not until the late 18th century that the first modern straight razors were introduced in Sheffield, England. In 174o Benjamin Huntsman developed the first hard grade steel suitable for use in the manufacture of blades and while this process was initially rejected b the English it was, albeit reluctantly, adopted by the French. Once the success of the French straight razor manufactures was readily apparent the English and eventually the rest of the western world adopted this process resulting the legendary “Sheffield Silver Steel.”

The straight razor was until the early 20th century the most common form of shaving and due to the skill and costs associated with using and owning them, shaving was usually done by a professional barber. It was not uncommon for men from all levels of society to visit the local barber on a weekly basis for a shave and hair cut. The introduction and mass production of an affordable safety razor, most notably by Gillette, in the early 20th century quickly changed this and by the 1950’s the straight razor shave was a dying art.

In recent years the straight razor has made a significant comeback as the desire for a more personal and ritualized grooming experience has manifested itself in modern society. Today many barbers proudly offer a straight razor shave and this trend shows no real signs of stopping. The retail consumer has also embraced the straight razor as they have become more affordable in comparison to the mass produced alternatives, particularly over a period of several years of ownership.

The straight razor is a time-honed tool, designed to give you an extremely close and accurate shave. There are many straight razors available on the market to choose from based on the steel used, functionality, scale materials, and brand. We will be talking about this more in the weeks to come. If you want to learn the different ways to hold a straight razor go here.

 

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