Unabashedly Prep

Bar Cord

2013-06-17T16:36:54+00:00

Photographed in Brooklyn, NY

Noteworthy: corduroy shorts for summer (7" inseam), Southside.

New England Shirt Company Factory

2013-06-13T21:30:57+00:00

Bob Kidder believes in American manufacturing. So much so that when it came time to put his money where his mouth is, he actually bought a shirt factory—the famed former Alden Street Shelburne Shirt factory to be exact. Although the 200 year-old mill has been caught in the crossfire of multiple custody battles, it has remained in continuous operation for the last 75 years. Kidder, no stranger to menswear with stints at high-end brands like Hart Schaffner Marx, bought it in 2009 when its future was anything but certain. Now he, along with a group of skilled, dedicated craftspeople using vintage sewing machines, nurture a healthy private label business under the appellation New England Shirt Company. “It’s all single needle shirting,” says Kidder. “A slightly modern version of classic American style—it’s not fussy.”

In addition to their own label, Kidder and company manufacture for upwards of 150 men’s labels and click n’ mortar shops in the U.S., Jack Robie being one of them. I had the pleasure of designing two popovers for Jack Robie this summer—a blue oxford cloth and red bengal stripe poplin. I trekked up to Fall River, Massachusetts last spring to put the final brushstrokes on them. Both turned out beautifully and can be had at the One Orange pop-up shop on Nantucket as well as at JackRobie.com.

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Pick Up the Bill

2013-05-31T15:30:56+00:00

Photographed in Brooklyn, NY

Noteworthy: cotton cable crewneck sweater, signet ring, custom long-billed cap.

You may remember Ali of A Noble Savage from the photo story I shot of his place in Brooklyn two years ago. The way he approaches clothes is this eccentric cocktail of classic, vintage luxe, and street. You can always see the preppy undertones though.

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Icons of Style: Lauren Hutton

2013-05-29T18:31:06+00:00

In her closet: Trench coats, blazers, chunky sweaters, canvas sneakers, polos, cardigans, denim, oxford cloth button downs, Bengal striped dress shirts, denim skirts, silk blouses, silk head scarves

Iconic look: Tailored blazer, white button up shirt, trousers, panama hat

Key accessories: Panama hat

Thing you can't imitate: Her signature gap-toothed smile

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Published in Quest, June 2013

2013-05-27T14:00:03+00:00

Quest magazine, New York’s last magazine devoted to “Society,” just published a feature on the rowing blazers book my colleague Jack Carlson and I have been working on for the last two years. These are the first photographs from the project to see the light of day. The on-location shoots in New England, Netherlands, and England have yielded some of my favorite portraiture work to date. Look for the coffee table book in 2014.

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Double Trouble

2013-05-24T13:00:38+00:00

Photographed in New York, NY

Noteworthy: hopsack navy blazer (the workhorse blazer of a man's summer wardrobe), gingham/repp stripe shirt/tie pairings.

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The Official Preppy Handbook

2013-05-22T13:00:19+00:00

There were whispers of a limited gift edition of Lisa Birnbach's original preppy bible. Part satire, part reference guide, The Official Preppy Handbook, when published in 1980 became an instant cult classic. Given the book was published over 30 years ago, I have never actually seen a hardback copy (the few hardback gift editions went quickly). The secondary market proved not much better. After watching eBay for a couple of years for kicks, only a handful of hardback copies popped up cuffed with asking prices of $200+...until last month. Indian madras print slipcover, a linen hardback cover, and a fill-in-chart family tree make up this “completely outstanding gift edition.” While the demand has cooled in the wake of True Prep, landing a copy (for $50, no less) still made for a fun story over drinks with Birnbach last week.

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White Sneakers

2013-05-20T14:00:54+00:00

After April showers fall and the mercury rises, the white sneaker is my go-to shoe in the summer. Not only do they look cool given their light color, they literally keep your feet cool by the light they reflect. And if in canvas, even cooler thanks to the lightweight fabric's porous nature. The English refer to them as trainers, which seems more appropriate since most of them are worn on and off the courts of racquet sports like tennis, squash, and badminton.

Tretorn Nylites (tennis), Jack Purcells (badminton), and Adidas Sambas (soccer) can be fished out of my closet on any given summer day (after some diligent digging, mind you). But it's these Nike Killshots for J.Crew that are my favorites this season. Originally designed some 30 years ago with a low profile stance for playing squash, they boast touches of white suede. If there is a leather that embodies "summer," it's suede—exhibit A: white bucks. Wear them with chinos, canvas jeans, shorts, and even your cotton khaki suit. All four of these white sneakers can be found for less than $75, a price you can take in stride no matter how hot is gets.

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Summer with The Grey Lady

2013-05-17T13:00:14+00:00

Maybe it's the therapeutic outdoor morning showers, or the privilege of getting the sunrise before anybody else on the east coast, or the simple fact that it is devoid of a tether to whatever "real world" you left behind at Hyannis. Nantucket is magical in the summer. Worry seems to roll off your shoulders, like beads of sweat erratically migrating down your cocktail.

The island, aside from its locals, is home to an inherently preppy summer colony. It is beloved in part for the geographical fact that it's a pain in the ass to get to. The harder the trek, the preppier the locale. And Nantucket is perhaps the preppiest (edging out Martha's Vineyard and its trailer parks). If you're not flying into ACK, you have to cross the moat to the WASP kingdom via an hour long ferry.

Despite the inconveniences, The Grey lady more than quadruples in size come June. Frankly, it gets crazy around the Fourth. But that's not to say you can't get alone. This secluded beach I photographed Alise Shoemaker* on a couple years ago is on the South Shore somewhere between Nobadeer and Tom Nevers. It's a great spot if you can find it. Odds are good that you'll have it all to yourself for a picnic, skinny dipping, or whatever else bakes your (crab) cake. As for how to get there exactly, well, it wouldn’t be preppy if I made it that easy.

*click on the image above to download a wallpaper version

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Frank Clegg Leatherworks Small Signature Duffle

2013-05-15T13:00:42+00:00

Frank Clegg is closer to an artist than a master-craftsmen (though I assure you he is both). Each time I pack for a long weekend I'm reminded of this. His Signature Duffle, a triumvirate of beauty, craftsmanship, and utilitarian design, only gets better with age. It's cloaked in simplicity—a design meticulously reduced to only what is necessary to get you there and back again. Case in point, there is no interior liner. A frivolity to Clegg. After all, there is nothing to hide since he only employs the finest vegetable dyed leather he can get his hands on. Swiss RiRi zippers, brass hardware, and double thick leather bottom round out the exceptional construction.

After a few trips with my Signature Duffle in hand, I offhandedly mention to Clegg that I would love to see it in a smaller size. I think selfishly I just want to carry my bag not just on weekend getaways but every day. Not long after our conversation, Clegg makes short work of what is now his Small Signature Duffle. The new overnight bag, featured here in chocolate*, is ideal for overnight trips or just daily jaunts to the gym.

At $765, the Small Signature Duffle is a far cry from an impulse buy. But you don't really want that in a heirloom piece. You want something that you can aspire to. You want something that is going to sting a little. And Clegg offers that at an incredible value. See, Frank Clegg sells his bags directly to his customers. If he didn't, Bergdorf Goodman would be peddling them for upwards of $1300. And that is probably why Clegg doesn't allow that, the hard working American that he is. He understands the value of craftsmanship and that of a dollar...especially when it stings.

*courtesy of Frank Clegg Leatherworks

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