Work Ethic

Foster The People

Summer jam.

Fred Perry - The Wimbledon Playboy

One of the many reasons I love summer is for the fantastic tennis.  I love watching Wimbledon, in particular, because of its rich history and prestige.  After watching the matches this past week, I began thinking about how amazing it is that tennis champs have been competing at the All England Club since 1877.


Inspired by such tradition, I thought I would pay hommage to the reigning tennis champ of the 1930s and last British player to win the Wimbledon Championships in 1936, Fred Perry.  Although his name lives on through the popular British clothing brand, he was a true celebrity and notorious playboy of his time, noted for his string of marriages to some of  Hollywood's leading ladies.   

Fred Perry and Marlene Dietrich in 1934. Image via Imagno/Getty

After proving himself on the court, he moved into the fashion world by developing one of the first sweatbands and later his iconic white tennis polo, modeled after those by Réné Lacoste.  Through the years the shirt has become a staple, both on the court and in the street, appealing to British youth culture throughout the years.  Today the Fred Perry clothing brand continues to make their shirts using the same cut and fabric as the original back in 1954.  Check out the Fred Perry website for a 50th anniversary Icon Book.

Image via Fred Perry

Ferraby Lionheart

Image via Ferrabylionheart.com

You may recognize Ferraby Lionheart by his song "Ballad of Gus and Sam", which played in the second episode of Gossip Girl back in 2007, off his EP that came out in February of that year.



Most recently, as in last summer, he released his second album called "The Jack of Hearts," which I have been listening to quite a bit lately.  It's a really solid album with his signature dichotomous happy, sad, and soulful folk-pop.  His profile on Itunes cites his range of musical influences from "Shel Silverstein to George Gershwin, Hank Williams, and Cole Porter," making for a really unique and cool sound.  Born in Nashville and re-rooted to LA, he really has a lot to offer musically.


I really like this song and video for "Harry and Bess" with a unexpected appearance by Rainn Wilson as a strange, mustachioed butler?  It was put together by the filmmaking duo Focus Creeps, who have worked on many other indie videos.  You can check them out on their website.  And here is the video by Ferraby Lionheart... 




You may also like this video, featuring another great sweater vest!


Hope you all had a great Father's Day!

Ray Ban x Brooks Brothers

Check out these shades available on the Brooks Brothers website.  A new take on a classic shade with the tradition and style of a classic repp tie.  Pick up a pair at Brooks Brothers.com for $145!

Image via Brooks Brothers

These have a tortoise frame and they come in a black frame with yellow stripe as well.

The Duel by Carter Peabody

This is Jason Rogers, men's fencing champion and member of the US Olympic Team, in a video by fashion photographer Carter Peabody.  It shows Rogers practicing sabre with fellow American Mihail Etropolski during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  Peabody describes his inspiration: 

“I realized that it made perfect sense for that world,” he says. “It’s a sport that is hundreds of years old—harkening back to a time when things were elegant, honorable and beautiful—but it also appeals to the modern appreciation of technique.”  

The video is reminiscent of the artwork decorating Ralph Lauren stores, who appropriately outfitted this video.  I think this is really well done and as an ex-fencer myself, the technique is quite impressive.

Looking Good with Put This On.com

Around this time of year, many of us are looking for summer jobs, or in my case real jobs, so I thought I would share this video from Put This On.com filled with tips on interviewing, looking good, and honoring tradition (sorry girls this one only covers the guys).  There is also a great interview with master of style and director Paul Feig.


It just so happens that Paul Feig is the man behind some of my favorite TV shows from Mad Men to 30 Rock to Arrested Development.  He also just finished directing Bridesmaids, which you should definitely see in theaters - very funny.  Mr. Feig really understands the meaning of being stylish without trying too hard and the power and confidence that comes with looking good.  I admire his sartorial philosophy.


Also noteworthy is the segment with Roxanna from Nerdboyfriend.com, a really cool blog that takes pictures of style icons and finds similar outfits available to purchase today.  This take on Tom Wolfe is classic. (For the records, The Right Stuff really is a great film and is Watch Instantly on Netflix!)


There are also many helpful pointers and tricks in this video, so take it from the guys at Put This On.com to look good and start taking yourself seriously...but never too seriously.  




For more helpful videos check out Putthison.com

June Playlist: Bermuda Grass

Enjoy!

Watch This: Risky Business

I've been enjoying my time off by re-watching all of my favorite preppy 80's movies.  First on the list - Risky Business.  Put together a young Princeton bound teen, played by a young Tom Cruise, and a weekend of debauchery while Mom and Dad are away, and you have a foolproof Prep plot.  Oh and throw in a Porsche for good measure. 

Image via Movieart

This film put Tom Cruise on the map, and you can see why as he perfectly channels his character Joel's angst, which lends to some hilarious interactions throughout the movie.  


Along with arguably one of the most famous dance scenes in 80s movie history, it has a really great soundtrack, and a plethora of quotable one liners - not to mention the prominence of Ray-Bans and Sperrys.  I love this film because of its message that sometimes in life you just can't care and do something totally off the cuff.

It's a summer fav.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage

This is dope...

Golden Silvers

Image via Myspace.com

The trio of Gwylim Gold, Ben Moorhouse, and Alexis Nunez formed the funky new-wave indie rock group Golden Silvers back in 2007.  They're signed under the successful British independent label XL Recordings, who manage Adele and Vampire Weekend to name a few.  They gained recognition after winning Glastonbury's New Talent competition in 2008 and have opened for some bigger acts across Britain.  Without using guitars, the group relies heavily on vocal harmonies, catchy bass, and blaring keyboards.  The result is an awesome fusion of retro indie goodness.  


I can't stop listening to their single "Wings of Eros," which came out a couple of years ago.  You wouldn't think indie dance rock and Greek mythology would mix, but they really make it work.  As always, I dig their retro style and this groovy sound.




For further listening pleasure check out "Please Venus" and "True Romance."

To Judge a Book by Its Cover

Recently while strolling through the bookstore in search of some summer reading, I found myself ignoring the age-old idiom to not judge a book by its cover.  At the checkout counter I realized that inadvertently the cover of every book I chose had a visually striking or innovative cover.  As I opened my first book, I realized that it was designed by Chip Kidd, famous for his iconic Jurassic Park cover, and more recently the cover design of Lisa Birnbach's True Prep.  Kidd has designed covers for hundreds of books redefining literature as art. 

Image via Metropolismag.com

Dwell Magazine's "Design Leaders Film Series" offers a nice retrospective of Kidd's work in graphic design and also his extensive Batman collection.  He's a really fascinating guy with a great sense of humor, and this video will make you realize the visual influence of design and style.