HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE 88 CENTRAL FAMILY

88 Central is spending the week on California's Central Coast and the weather in the Golden State is chilly at night.  Some nights you just want to stay in bed with a cup of tea and a light book.  Other days you just want to pop a Dramamine and crawl under that down comforter until Spring.

Modest Mouse | Dramamine
 

California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in China

The state of California in the USA is the 8th largest economy in the world.  The governor of California, Arnold Shwarszenegger, recently returned as he led a group on a trade mission to China to seek investors in the Far East.  Read about it in the Los Angeles Times Online here.

Governor Schwarzenegger in China

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

It's official!  The Christmas Holiday season (following the Thanksgiving Holiday) has officially begun in America.  88 Central presents wishes Happy Holidays where ever in the world you are.

MR PORTER

Net-a-porter for men...

Read the article in the New York Times Online here.

ARMANI ONLINE IN CHINA

The Armani Group Friday launches an e-commerce site for its Emporio Armani brand in China as the luxury goods sector seeks to extend its appeal among the fastest-growing consumers of high-end wares.  Read the article on FT.com here.

Karl Lagerfeld on The Emerging Markets

Bringing you bright and sunny tracks on a wet and rainy evening...

We can write all we want about style, clothing, and shoes but there is something far more important than keeping up the apprearance of the outer man.  It's maintaining a balanced sense of wellness starting with the inner man.

We at No. 88 take a very holistic approach to living well.  Every now and then we'll treat ourselves to a Shiatsu massage after a grueling week of daily yoga or a nice long soak in a tub with bath salts to ease soreness and detox.  We now present to you the glory of epsom salt.

When epsom salt (or magnesium sulfate) is absorbed through the skin, such as in a bath, it draws toxins from the body, sedates the nervous system, reduces swelling, and relaxes muscles.  The best part about epsom salt is that you can buy a large carton of it at any health food store for very little.

Just take a trip to the market and get yourself a box of epsom salt.  Draw a nice warm bath.  Add the salt.  You can add essential oils as well such as peppermint oil or lavendar oil to the bath.  Put on some of your favorite music and and an eye mask if you want to knock out and soak your cares away -- all for under USD 5.00.  Where can you beat that?

Live well!


TRACK OF THE EVENING | SLEEPYHEAD BY PASSION PIT

Kanye West | Good Morning

Tokyo Police Club | Nature of the Experiment

TOASTING THE TASTEMAKERS

INFLUENCERS is a short documentary that explores what it means to be an influencer and how trends & creativity become contagious today in music and fashion.

Directed by Paul Rojanathara and Davis Johnson, the film is a Polaroid snapshot of New York influential creatives (advertising, design, fashion and entertainment) who are shaping today's pop culture.

INFLUENCERS TRAILER from R+I creative on Vimeo.

One Republic | Good Life

To my friends in New York, I say Hello
My friends in L.A. they don't know
Where I've been for the past few years or so
Paris to China to Colorado...

The Boxer Rebellion | Evacuate

Casiokids | Verdens Storste Land

Cut Copy | Future

Tokyo | Shoes, Socks (Or lack there of)

Two Door Cinema Club | Undercover Martyn

Friendly Fires, Skeleton Boy

STUFF WE LOVE

Here's a pair of navy blue leather lace ups.  If there's anything I'll never have too much of it's blue pieces of clothing.  I've worn these lace ups to death and now the leather uppers are super soft.  They're epic because they straddle the line between casual and dressy.

Check out the newest line of menswear shoes by Heutchy here.

SUMMER TIME LOVE

Music that will make you move. | SLEEPYHEAD by Passion Pit

Meet Christian. Christian is a red blooded all American male. He has brown hair, green eyes and stands at five feet nine inches with a degree from The University of Chicago. Christian plays poker, drinks beer with the boys on the weekends if he's not accessing that bottle of top-shelf scotch at home. He goes on dates but only when he feels like it. He doesn't cook and eats 80 percent of his meals out on the town.

One evening we all went to sushi whereupon Christian asked in all candor, "How often do you go clothes shopping?" Not understanding where he was going with his question, I answered, "It's all relative -- I guess." I know some guys that go shopping at least once a week and there are guys that go shopping once a year.

Let the truth be known. I enjoy shopping for clothing and I have more shoes than many of my lady friends. The earliest memories of my sartorial sagacity come from holidays in Honolulu, Hawaii. On any given day, one would see Japanese tourists dressed to the nines with impeccable style.

Then there were my trips to Italy where the philosophy of La Bella Figura is just as Italian as handmade gnocchi and everyone from executives to bus drivers look neat in Italian leather lace ups. Bella Figura means “the beautiful figure” but is more so a way of life celebrating beauty, aesthetics and proper behavior. I always enjoy visiting Tokyo, Japan because it's one of the most stylish cities in the world where both men and women, young and old love to express their own personal style.

Back to Christian and our sushi dinner. "How often do you go shopping," he asked. "It's all relative," I answered. He goes on to say, "I think you have style and I need someone to go with to help me shop for clothes." A bit surprised, I agreed to help him put together a nicely curated closet. "In fact, it would be my pleasure," I said.

Aside, my friend tells Christian that he just made my day and she was right since I’ve made it a personal advocacy to make this world a neater looking place and it’s my duty to help my buddy shop for some new threads.

It seems that menswear is becoming more prevalent from the trading floors of Wall Street to the sports bars on Main Street. While their Japanese and Continental counterparts have been shopping for years, it seems men around the globe are graduating from the usual uniform of T shirts and jeans and are out in the stores shopping for themselves.

Retailers are eyeing the male shopper as the new consumer frontier. To boost sales, companies cannot rely solely on what has been tried and true, the female shoppers. The women's market is already strong and now retailers and marketing experts are realizing the need to address the growing needs and demands of the male shopper. The male shopper is easy to reach -- if you can read him since men’s brains function differently and their shopping habits differ from women’s. Men's shopping habits resemble that of a hunter where as women's habits resemble that of a gatherer.

When women go out shopping with the girls, they make a day of it browsing, fitting, and gathering clothes and accessories before they make their purchase. The male shopper already has an idea of what he's looking for before he hits the stores. Once he has zeroed in on what he wants, he makes the purchase and he makes his way out of the store. In the same way, a hunter sees his target and goes in for the kill.

And since some men only hit the stores a few times a year, many of them will buy in multiples. If I find a pair of dark wash denim that fits perfectly and I really dig the wash, I'll buy at least two pair. Maybe there is a shirt that I know I will wear often. So then, I buy a few pieces in case one gets lost with the cleaners or the shirt gets discontinued (as it always does).

So who is the new male consumer? He is like Lapo Elkann, Fiat's iconic marketing director. Lapo looks sharp in a Brioni suit, pocketsquare, and crocodile loafers and still exudes style when sunning in the French Riviera wearing a pair of board shorts and a straw fedora.

This male consumer is also man's man – he doesn’t spend two hours getting ready to go out but he still pays attention to his appearance. For the past few years, the bearded yet debonair Sean Connery has been the face of Louis Vuitton.

The new male consumer is also my friend Christian. He's young, single, and he wants to trade in his slouchy blue jeans for a pair of trim dark washed denim. This new breed of male consumers is like Christian who enjoyed picking out shirting fabric for his bespoke shirts just as much as he enjoys his scotch. It clearly shows since he ended up ordering at least half a dozen bespoke shirts from the tailor -- for starters.

Mark Twain once wrote, "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." It seems like things are looking up for the male market in terms of the choices offered on retail floors across the globe. Women have been the target market of retailers and marketers for years. Now it's time for the fellas to join in on the fun.



***SIDEBAR***

Hermes Man

The retail industry is zeroing in on the menswear market as a place to boost sales -- and rightly so. Men are buying clothes at nearly the same rate as women these days and why wouldn't they when there is so much more on offer on retail floors across the globe.

Originally a saddlery and maker of leather goods, The Hermes Group opened its first and only all menswear boutique at 690 Madison Avenue in Manhattans Upper East Side. No Hermes scarves here, gentlemen. Instead expect to find Hermes silk ties with "Hermes Homme" appearing on the reverse side -- the signature of the new line.

Called Hermes Man, the four story, New York City boutique houses handmade Hermes baseball gloves for USD 8500. This is French decadence meets classic Americana, all hand stitched in supple calf skin.

Erlend and Emeralds

After watching the Kings of Convenience show on Wednesday, we decided to join the fun at the after party hoping to snap away at Erlend Øye's emerald green shoes.

Emerald Green Boat Shoes (blue socks)

Photog | Giancarlo

From front row center at the concert

Emerald Green Boat Shoes 

Photog | Giancarlo

Emerald Green Boat Shoes (pink socks)

Emerald Green Boat Shoes (pink socks)

RICHARD CHAI| Finalist, Best New Designers in America

With Richard Chai and his Fall 2010 Collection.

Paris | Friendly Fires Remix


C'est cool...

Opening Ceremony Spring 2010

Short film by Opening Ceremony directed by Gia Coppola and Tracy Antonopoulos and starring Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman. Music by Coconut Records (Jason's band).

Compliments of style.com

Traits of a Gentleman

Mark Twain wrote, "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." Yes, any man can be sharp in the way he wears his clothing but only a gentleman will carry himself with dignity and will also treat those around him with the same respect.



Here are a few tips on polishing your personality in public because if it's clothes that make the man, it's manners that make a gentleman.



1.  Listen actively
2.  Be inclusive, acknowledge others
3.  Confidentiality
4.  Speak kindly
5.  Be immaculate in your clothing and hygiene
6.  Repect others people's opinions
7.  Maintain a pleasant voice
8.  Respect other people's time
9.  Respect other people's space
10.  Respect other people's belongings
11.  Apologize with sincerity
12.  Promise only what you can deliver
13.  Avoid personal questions
14.  Be a considerate guest and host
15.  Think twice before asking for favors
16.  Refrain from idle complaints
17.  Accept and give compliments
18.  Respect the environment
19.  Refrain from displaying negative emotions
20.  Always clean up after yourself

This is the beginning of a series on The Traits of a Gentleman

MJ Cafe

MILAN | Marc Jacobs is opening a cafe in Milan using a color palette in our favorite color, blue!  Just like stores Colette in Paris and Fred Segal in Los Angeles, Marc Jacobs is opening an in-house cafe adjacent to the Marc by Marc Jacobs store at Piazza del Carmine 6.  What's next for this American mega brand?  Hotel Marc Jacobs?

Source: WWD 

Hermes Man | Menswear Store at 690 Madison Avenue

In a recent post we shared that the retail industry is zeroing in on the menswear market as a place to boost sales -- and rightly so.  Men are buying clothes at nearly the same rate as women these days and why wouldn't they when there is so much more on offer on retail floors across the globe.

Originally a saddlery and maker of leather goods, The Hermes Group is opening it's first and only all menswear boutique on Madison Avenue.  No Hermes scarves here, gentlemen.  Instead expect to find Hermes silk ties with "Hermes Homme" appearing on the reverse side the signature of the new line.

Called Hermes Man, the New York City boutique will house handmade Hermes baseball gloves for USD 8500.  This is French decadence meets classic Americana, all hand stitched in supple calf skin.

More on Hermes Man at Luxist

Top Ten Beaches | Delta Airlines Sky Magazine


If there's anything we love more than getting on a plane, (with a small weekend duffel and a little book in hand) it's getting off of that plane -- which, hopefully, is a few minutes from a white sandy beach.


Here are the Top 10 beach destinations according to Delta Airlines Sky Magazine.

An Interview | Suzy Menkes, Fashion Reporter, IHT

A commentary by head fashion reporter for the International Herald Tribune and the New York Times, Suzy Menkes, about the presence (and future) of fashion blogging.



On Fashionblogs from Mary Scherpe on Vimeo.

With the economic implosion of 2008 and 2009, fashion houses and publications are looking towards the internet as a means to reaching the consumer.  More on this later...

Men in Blue 


Blue is a very classic color.  It's not quite black (absent of color) yet it is not garish like green.  It is a masculine color which can dress you for the trading floor or the dance floor.  


The color blue -- ideally navy -- is a staple in every gentleman's wardrobe.   The wardrobe should include at least one pair of perfectly fitting jeans, a blue sport coat, light blue button down shirts, a navy V-neck, and blue chino trousers.

"You will only have three pairs of jeans.  For the job, two pairs of jeans which are trim and dark.  For the home, a pair broader, and more worn.  Beyond this is superfluous."

 Caroline Andrieu / Menstyle.fr online home for French GQ.

(As seen at Paris Fashion Week | www.menstyle.fr)

(David Beckham in British GQ)

(Robert Pattinson in British GQ)

Facehunter | Yvan Rodic


Yvan Rodic from www.facehunter.blogspot.com featured in French GQ.  Video from www point menstyle point fr.  Enjoy...  A tout a l'heure!

On Nostalgia


nos•tal•gia | a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.


Last night, I had the honor of attending an anniversary for my aunt who celebrated 40 years of committed life as a Roman Cathlic nun.  She has lived in Italy for over 30 years where she has spent her adult life on a sprawling compound in Rome's Monteverde Vecchio disctrict.

(Villa Salvator Mundi, Monteverde Vecchio, Roma)

As I sat through the mass that was said for my dear aunt, I couldn't help but reflect on my many years in Catholic school (13 including kindergarten).  I observed from the back of the chapel while the Polish and American priests said the mass and there stood dozens of nuns in their navy blue habit, white blouse, and navy blue skirts.  Some of the younger nuns were wearing a small jumper, a collarless sleeveless dress worn over the blouse.  

*I will say this, a nun wouldn't be a nun without the essential "comfortable" shoes. If you've spent time with nuns or spent years in Catholic school, you'll know what I mean.

I recalled the hours I had spent attending mass with hundreds of other children all dressed in blue and white uniforms.  9 years in parochial school wearing blue or gray corduroy pants, white polos and navy v-neck pullover or cardigan sweaters we spent.  

(Cardigan and Corduroys by A.P.C.)

 

And when my mother gave me the freedom of picking out my own footwear, I always chose the classic canvas Vans -- usually, blue, white, or black.

(Canvas Trainers by Vans)

Fast forward to today and I still have an affinity for the same exact look.  Navy blues, white and blue shirts, and cardigan or v-neck sweaters.  I still have a love for the classic Vans but have also grown into a taste for leather lace-ups as well.  And even when I'm picking out jackets and coats, I often narrow my choices down to shades of gray, black, navy and brown.

One could say my fondness for this classic look stems from my years spent with priests, nuns, and brothers dressed in shades of black, blue, gray, and white and my affinity for shoes and Wallabees by Clarks Originals comes from those same years staring at the nuns (coincidentally my teachers) with "comfortable" shoes.

(Nuns in "Comfortable" Shoes)

(Comfortable Shoe by Clarks Originals)

Then I graduated and continued on to an all boys Catholic preparatory school.  We were given a little bit more freedom in our choice of dress as long as we were wearing slacks (no denim) and a collared shirt (no prints or profanity), no piercings or tattoos (God forbid the thought) and our hair shorn short.

To this day, I still find myself as preppy as ever.  My favorite finds often come from the offerings of Polo by Ralph Lauren , A.P.C. , J. Crew, Brooks Brothers or any of the preppy pieces curated by BEAMS and United Arrows .  My shoes, more often than not, are made by Heutchy or Clarks Originals and trainers by Vans or Adidas Originals .

So the question remains: Am I a preppy Protestant or am I parochial (denoting affiliation with a Catholic parish)...

...and after 13 years attending Catholic schools and a small stint living in a convent in Montevecchio -- I have come to the conclusion that I am more preppy than parochial.  Surely, you'll never find me wearing whale print pants or speaking with a mid-Atlantic American accent but I am preppy to the core.

"Mea Culpa," to my friends at the Roman convent ("and to all the saints..."). "Pray for us."  I will always think upon my days in parochial school with great nostalgia but these days my choice in clothing has little to do with a man (or woman) of the cloth.

To Your Commitment to Religious Life 

And Your 40th Jubilee, Dear Sister C.

TANTI AUGURI!

Is Denim Done?

Let's face it. Denim is here to stay and just when you thought that the market was super saturated with denim lines, someone manages to put out a line of denim more premium than the rest.  Go and visit any proper trade show and entire sections are covered with brands marketing their line of denim. The Japanese have been producing it on ancient looms for ages -- and they are very good at it.


For generations, London's Savile Row has been been the place where a young gentleman could have a fine woolen bespoke suit tailored.  Now Savile Row tailor, Richard James, has a line of bespoke trousers using premium Japanese denim.


It's everywhere. Denim bags from APC, jackets, and of course -- denim trousers or jeans. The New York-based men's footwear line, Heutchy, has shoes cut from Japanese denim. Since denim is here to stay, many menswear brands are producing pieces that are the color of denim. APC has a pair of navy suede shoes that are a huge hit. That said, we'll see lots of navy and dark washed blues in menswear. Just keep your eyes peeled and you'll see what we mean.

(As seen in Tokyo)

(As seen in Tokyo)

(A.P.C. Spring 2010)

(As seen in Tokyo)

(all below | shoes in Japanese denim by Heutchy Spring 2010)

C'est Bleu.

A.P.C. has a few coats on offering in blue. An 80's mac, a classic duffle coat, and a nice sports jacket. If you don't have an A.P.C. near you, you can surely find one online or a similar look from anywhere from the GAP, J.Crew or BEAMS.

SCOTT SCHUMAN AND GARANCE DORE

Interview with Scott Schuman and Garance Dore in Milan.

THE UNIFORM

Here are a few screen shots from Three Days of the Condor (1975) with Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, and Cliff Robertson. "His CIA code name is Condor. In the next seventy-two hours almost everyone he trusts will try to kill him." Looking dapper as usual, agent Joseph Turner embodies effortless American style with his personal "uniform" (blue button down shirt and wool coats). This look is so timeless that it could be worn on the streets of London, New York and Tokyo in 1975 or 2010. If Scott Schuman were walking the streets of Manhattan at the time with his SLR in tow, surely he would have stopped the Condor. After all, most of contemporary fashion is inspired by vintage throwbacks and then re-done and re-cut to a more current fit. Check out any of the pieces from A.P.C. or United Arrows and you'll see a common thread. p.s. Let's not overlook the trim (very luxe yet still masculine) on the lapel of Cliff Robertsons coat.

GQ'S MOST STYLISH

As an example of the growing market in American menswear, we're posting an old article from GQ Magazine, the go-to style guide for men. From March 2009 of GQ Magazine. Check out the original online article here