Dandy Window Display: Behaviour

The window display for Chelsea men's boutique, Behaviour, is very new-school dandy in a school-boy sort of way.

C.H.

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Illustrated Dandy

From the 1912 Friars Club Frolic program.

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Vintage Dandy

The hair...

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International Dandy: Iceland

Imran, a great friend to the dandy, just shot this photo during his travels to Reykjavik. Amazing!

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New School Dandy Profile: Michael Moreau

Over the past several months we have been introduced to many amazing people through our Facebook fan page. With this post we continue a regular series of profiles of New School Dandies. This week we feature blogger Michael Moreau of culturcosm.com.

Where did you grow up? New Orleans, LA (affectionately known as NOLA, by the locals).

Where do you live now? San Francisco, CA.

Where did you go to school? Tulane University in New Orleans & Imperial College in London (engineering undergrad), followed by Portfolio Center in Atlanta (graphic design grad).

What’s your occupation? Art director, founder of Bay-area trend blog culturcosm.com.

When did you establish your personal style? Was there a pivotal moment? How has it changed? I lived in Japan for two years after university and the country's widespread and individually-honed sense of style made an indelible impression on me. In New Orleans, we often say locals "live to eat." The Japanese "live to shop." This was also really the beginning of my design education. The most critical lesson about fashion that I've learned is that every trend is not for you. Also, especially as it pertains to menswear, cut, fit and finish is paramount.

How would you describe your style? Mod fusion.

What are your sources of inspiration? Everywhere I've lived or traveled, my friends, my family, my boyfriend.

Who is your style icon? I grew up watching a lot of 50s, 60s, and 70s film and television and they all heavily-influenced my aesthetic. To site any one would be impossible. Even this list is abridged: Fred MacMurray, Larry Hagman, Dean Martin, Gene Kelley, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Ryan O'Neal, Dick Van Dyke and, of course, Marlon Brando.

What are your preferred dandy reading materials? The Sartorialist, if that's considered reading.

What is your favorite personal item (non-clothing/accessories)? Zsa Zsa Gabor's landmark 1993 work-out tape "It's Simple, Darling." (still in the plastic).

What is your favorite clothing article or accessory? Currently, my jodhpurs from South Korea. Equestrian fashion is reason enough to take up riding.

Where is your favorite or dream vacation spot? On my must-visit list: Greece, Egypt, Australia, Germany, India.

Tell us the best kept secret in your city. You don't have to go to the zoo to see wildlife. Bison roam the lawn in Golden Gate Park.

At which establishments would you consider yourself a regular? Wherever they have my drink ready without my having to ask.

What would you be doing ten years from now? R.S.V.P.ing "YES" to Simon Doonan and Jonathan Adler's next garden party.

What else do you want to tell us? A true dandy is one-part prim and two-parts proper.

C.H.

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Dandies Online: Refinery29

Refinery29 profiles the most stylish crooks of the cinema. What films provide you with style inspiration?

Bonnie and Clyde

Double Idemnity

Paper Moon

C.H.

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Dandies Online: Lookbook.nu

Some more recent photos of dandy guys from lookbook.nu:

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Vintage Dandy

Love the collar.

C.H.

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A Dandy In Any Language

I've been amazed how many sites are dedicated to the dandy. Here are a few:

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Illustrated Dandy

I'm a bit of an obsessive collector. For a while it was turn-of-the-century playbills from demolished Broadway theatres. Then it was old New York City maps. And not surprisingly, I have a dandy collection. E-bay has been my best friend and my worse enemy. So I've opened up a box collecting dust and with this post I'm starting an ongoing series sharing my dandy illustrations from books, magazines, newspapers, etc. Enjoy!

C.H.

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In The Shop: New Dandy Items For Spring & Summer

As the weather flip-flops from day to day, our spring fever is at an all time high. Our new items for Spring & Summer are just the ticket to transport you to warmer weather: seersucker ties, lightweight hats and caps, brightly colored pocket squares and socks, silk scarves and other new dandy items like flasks, shoe horns, leather travel trays, etc. And be sure to take advantage of our Dandy Deals specials.

Hang in there. You'll be wearing shorts and loafers before you know it.

Enter shop here.

C.H.

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New School Dandy Profile: Grant Heaps

Over the past several months we have been introduced to many amazing people through our Facebook fan page. With this post we continue a regular series of profiles of New School Dandies. This week we feature Grant Heaps.

Where did you grow up? Scarborough, a suburb of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Where do you live now? Parkdale, a neighbourhood west of Toronto Centre.

Where did you go to school? The Ellen Peterson Fashion Institute, Toronto.

What’s your occupation? Assistant Wardrobe Coordinator for the National Ballet of Canada.

When did you establish your personal style? Was there a pivotal moment? How has it changed? Music in general inspired my clothing, punk rock in particular. I remember the first time I heard Prince, The Pretenders, and The Sex Pistols. I remember thinking that if I dressed cool people at school would like me, only I did not know that punk rock was not considered cool. Once I discovered this I also realized that it was not what I wore that they did not like but it was me, so I dressed anyway I pleased and for the most part I was left alone to discover and be me. This was in 1980. Since my punk rock days I have played with clothes, tried making clothes, discovered what I truly find attractive for myself and built a look about colour and pattern that works in my mind and on my body.

How would you describe your style? Traditional, bold, clean, nerdy, colourful, contained.

What are your sources of inspiration? Great style of the past, a collection of snap shots I have amassed, music, patterns, colours.

Who is your style icon? Pee-wee Herman.

Do you have a favorite website? A Shaded View On Fashion.

What is your favorite personal item (non-clothing/accessories)? I collect so to put it down to one item is hard. I have a toy chicken coupe with chickens made in the early 20th century. It was my grandfather, George Banton's only toy as a child.

What is your favorite clothing article or accessory? The neck tie, either bow tie or straight tie. Occasionally I will venture out without one but this is a rare day and usually involves a shirt that is just not tie suitable.

Where is your favorite or dream vacation spot? I really do not have a dream vacation spot. If I am traveling with someone it would be somewhere they really want to go. If I were to go by myself it would be someplace to visit friends and explore. I have had great times in New York City, Paris, Cleveland, Greensboro, Saskatoon, Vancouver and Victoria (a city that seems to haunt me).

At which establishments would you consider yourself a regular? The Common for coffee in the morning. The Beaver for special events like Hot Huts Gandhi Roti and M&B Yummy Ethiopian Vegetarian.

What would you be doing ten years from now? I make quilts and I assume that ten years from now I will still be making them and pushing their limits. I am making a series of quilts that tell the story of a theatrical show through the eyes of an audience member using embroidered words, images, and song lyrics. Each quilt is a fragment of a large picture, like a puzzle.

What else do you want to tell us? I love getting dressed in the morning. I dream of buying a Thom Browne suit. I have furniture building fantasies. My life is driven by my quilts, my friends, my home, my clothes, my books, my music, and my pup Fancy (who is a butch little bad ass girl).

C.H.

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Dandies On TV: Ryan Seacrest?

Did anyone catch American Idol last night and tonight? If so did you catch Ryan Seacrest's tie bar? Although I appreciate that he was suited up rather than his occasional casual look, I couldn't help but focus on the placement of his tie bar. Both nights his tie bar was aligned with his upper chest, a few inches too high. Of course I'm a believer that there are no rules in terms of style; wear what you like and however you like it. But Seacrest's tie bar was unusually high. Was it intentional on the part of his stylist?

C.H.

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Finding Dandy: Hell's Kitchen

Bumped into Jasper Saturday night and loved his tan corduroy cap and geek-chic glasses.

C.H.

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Dandies Online: Flickr

Grafted
Originally uploaded by Gordy St

I've been meaning to try the white carnation in buttonhole. So simple, yet elegant.
C.H.

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Vintage Dandy

I recently acquired this vintage photo from the Philippines. Clearly it's capturing some sort of athletic event. Any idea what?

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Finding Dandy: Lower East Side

Friday night I bumped into our New School Dandy facebook fan Martin Gregory Jerez. Love the larger-than-life bow tie with decorative pin. And the camera as accessory? Amazing.

C.H.

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New School Dandy Profile: Max Wastler

Over the past several months we have been introduced to many amazing people through our Facebook fan page. With this post I'm beginning a regular series of profiles of New School Dandies, beginning with blogger Max Wastler of All Plaidout.


Where did you grow up? I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri.

Where do you live now? I live in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York.

Where did you go to school? I went to school in Greencastle, Indiana. A small liberal arts college called DePauw University.

What’s your occupation? I am an assistant development editor at a company that produces books on fashion and interior design.

When did you establish your personal style? Was there a pivotal moment? How has it changed? When I was three years old, I came downstairs in dark green corduroy pants, a navy blue polo shirt, and my navy blue E.T. running shoes were on the wrong feet. That was the first time I dressed myself. I've been interested in clothes and dressing well ever since.

How would you describe your style? Rugged Professorial. If I was your English professor, I'd be the one who had a stint on the rodeo circuit for one season, followed that up with a year on the Gold Coast, worked Summit County Ski Patrol over Christmas break, and owned a house in Colorado. Tweed, elbow patches, tattersall, plaids, OCBD, corduroy, moleskin, denim, cowboy boots, workwear, board shorts. Casual.

What are your sources of inspiration? 1) My dad. 2) Movies. Hands down. I started dressing like Robert Redford the moment I was buying my own clothes.

Who is your style icon? Ralph Lauren.

What are your preferred dandy reading materials? I've gotten in the habit lately of buying the oldest books on manners I can find. And like Sarah Palin, I read all the newspapers and periodicals. All of them.

Do you have a favorite website? A Continuous Lean.

What is your favorite personal item (non-clothing/accessories)? The one thing I'd grab in a fire: the engraved Swiss Army Knife my parents gave me as a five-year-old. A week after giving it to me, they took it away. I cut myself. They gave it back on my sixth birthday.

What is your favorite clothing article or accessory? Shoes. I have a long list of boots I would like to own at some point in time.

Where is your favorite or dream vacation spot? Breckenridge, Colorado.

At which establishments would you consider yourself a regular?
P.J. Clarke's, Freeman's, Blueberry Hill in St. Louis.

What will you be doing ten years from now? Raising my adorable, rambunctious children alongside my beautiful, loving, and very patient wife.

What else do you want to tell us? Clothing, in particular menswear, is meant to be worn. Collectors are all fine and good, but I buy clothes to wear them. Wear them out.

C.H.

(photo: Porter Hovey)

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Dandy Designers: Burkman Bros.

Designers of the moment, Burkman Bros., are more casual-dandy (is that an oxymoron?), but the twins from Toronto have a great philosophy: they design what they like and what they would wear. Think of it as weekend-wear for dandies.

C.H.

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Finding Dandy: Starbucks (9th and 47th)

I want those glasses.

C.H.

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Dandy Clothier: E. Tautz

I just came across a post on The Sunday Best profiling Savile Row clothier E. Tautz. Patrick Grant (pictured left) is the driving force behind the reemergence of the century-old tailoring business (it had been absorbed by Norton & Sons in the '60's). The company images on the web are gorgeous. Very fine and dandy!

photos: men.style.com

C.H.

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Dandies Online: Junior Dandy Arlo Weiner

Men.Style.com profiles eight-year-old Arlo Weiner, the ultra-stylish son of Mad Men creator Matt Weiner. Arlo has been developing his own personal style since the age of three and counts his top hat, striped bow ties, crushed velvet jackets, and ascots as some of his favorite items with his fez hat at the top of his list (I had to look up that one). I like to think that I was a rather dapper young boy growing up, but this kid wins hands down.

C.H.

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Vintage Dandy: Flickr

Love the caps. And the Socks. So dapper for outdoor leisure.

plus fours, 1920s/30s
Originally uploaded by Trevira

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Finding Dandy: Etsy

Some more dandy items from homemade marketplace, Etsy.com:

Old Fashioned Gentleman

THE DAPPER YOUNG MAN original mixed media collage

Dapper Dan 10 x 8 Acrylic Painting

Grandpa Charlie Moleskine Journal

C.H.

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Vintage Dandy: Life Magazine

Some great photos of university life in the 1940's-1950's from the Life Magazine archive. How life has changed...

University of the South 1940

University of Nebraska 1942

University of Illinois 1956

University of the South 1940

University of Illinois 1956

C.H.

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Vintage Dandy

Two matching bow ties. Two dandies. Perfection.

C.H.

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Dandies In Print: Esquire

Esquire Magazine just crowned Price Charles as the world's best dressed man for 2009. Many reports noted with surprise that he beat out Barack Obama for the title. More interesting is Esquire's best dressed real man competition. I posted hear about a previous contest.

Here are a few interesting entries this time around.

C.H.

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