Looking forward to a crisp fall in a few months here now that summer's kicked all the way in, especially after looking over these images of Howard U campus in the late '40s. Wool trousers and a varsity jacket might be the move. But, let's make it through August and then we'll talk, I'm still thinking about staying ABAP. As Balearic As Possible. And fair isles just aren't. Note - no jeans. Chinos rule everything around me.

Labels: LIFE

"Oh yeah, the creepy Japanese guy that's been sneaking around campus taking pictures of dudes? He went thatta way..."



I sincerely hope the sandwich board mounts a comeback as the pinnacle of the retro-dapper trend. While we're on it - when was the last time you saw someone doing this job today not in sweats? Today you wouldn't even wear this to a board meeting with God & Son LLC.



But if you'd like to take that meeting, something can be arranged.



Peter O'Toole was ballin' before it was ballin'.



I'll take famous Randys for $500 Alex, please.



Michael Caine at his floppiest with wife Shakira. Word on the street is that he peeped her in a coffee commercial and it was game on.



The socks are never coming back. Or, are they?



There's nothing better than a shot that makes you say "'81 or '61?"



I heard they named a fucking search engine after this dude!



My man takes suit, shirt and hat to a whole new continent.



Meanwhile, Anthony Michael Hall does nothing of the kind, but still looks kind of ill. And a little freaked out.

Labels: LIFE

As a young boy, Gulpilil was an accomplished hunter, tracker and ceremonial dancer. Unlike many Indigenous people of his generation, Gulpilil spent his childhood in the bush, outside the range of Anglo-Australian influences. - Wikipedia

Labels: LIFE

"Oh yeah dude, what's up?! Nah man, I'm just sitting here talking to you, looking at some dorks look at me on the Internet. Hey, who knows man, I guess they might dig my fez."



This is a thoroughly right-on number for summer in NYC, even if he was in the desert shooting another western. Patterned chill fest shirt says, er, "I'm chillin'," and then you got the cool guys specs. Rick Owens said some shit about physical fitness being the new haute couture, but I think fat guys can look cool nonetheless, Rickster.



Wait, so do the Puerto Rican sneaker heads on the JMZ know they're rocking the Madonna rosary kit? Or is it D&G via David Beckham at this point? Eitherway, first designer to release these pants and call them "the Jellybean pant" is a winner.



If there's a takeaway, it's that sometimes it's cool to rock a little black and white. And cut a butt.



I'd disadvise dressing like any of these characters, but if you want to party like them, then that's fine.



I wouldn't have gone for the contrast chest box, but that's just me. I'm conservative.



Casual Saturdays.



There's a bit of a Nas swag thing going on here, isn't there?

Labels: LIFE

Director Darryl F. Zanuck going hard in France on the set of The Big Gamble in orange chinos, a chambray shirt and work boots. Pow, take that J. Crew stylists, you just got served. Er, somehow.



For the guy who said "At the Curie Institute, one of the highest goals for a physicist, I found myself empty. Beaten up by disbelief, I kept going because of inertia, which my soul rejected," Ernesto Sabato was a pretty stylish dude.



Novelist John Fowles holding a sea duck. Frames are great, jacket is better.



Arthur Roth styling and profiling in a top coat and patterned cardigan. He missed a button.

Labels: LIFE

Did you know that at one point Sophia Loren was the richest woman in the world? Story goes that her husband Carlo Ponti taught her to buy art and she really got the hang of it. I think this is more in the licensed eye wear era, not the "yowza!" era. Marone!



Iman. For all the YSL nerds out there, the designer is quoted as saying "My dream woman is Iman." Dude had taste.



I like Catherine Deneuve better as a blonde, but hey I can deal.



And, I like Anita Ekberg better in the Fontana Di Trevi, but again, I can deal.

Labels: LIFE

"Take this, Return To Forever."

Jazz musicians have long been know as stylish cats. But then you start looking around for proof and you run into the '80s, when all Jazz musicians did not dress cool. From Miles on down to Chick Corea, we're talking shoulder pads or worse. It's cool if you're Duran Duran, but to me George Duke in the '80s just shouldn't be wearing the same thing as some horny young guys from the UK. Here's a look at Jazz style peaking in it's pre enchanted-dragon-warrior fusion days.



The guy in the background could be one of those rap producers dressed up today to look like a Jazz performer from back in the day. But that would be incredibly corny. Stylists need to chill on the period pieces. This cat in the front shows how little the music industry look has changed. People calling shot's just prefer buckle back hats and goatees, I don't know what it is. This is '58 thought, which is kind of wild.



This cat's 1952 heavy coat would make a comeback in the '80s, but if you really want to look cool, invest in some good frames, a beard and bedhead.



This guy looks low. Maybe that's the best time to get dressed.



I don't know, I guess this guy looks pretty cool too.

Labels: LIFE

"Dude, I think Demi Moore is looking at you."

The LIFE Photo Archive's been up and running for bit now. Yeah, people have been broadcasting bits of Americana and nostalgia from the mid-century cache around the web- yeah, yeah, Mad Men, Eisenhower, we get it, we get it. I got to clicking around on Hollywood type stuff and found some killers, well beyond the very en vogue tight suits and plastic frames fetish stuff. Who really knew it'd be such a treasure trove of that weird cuspy '80s/'90s style era though? Think L.A. Story. Love that flick. I mean check it out, my man Rob Lowe having a serious night out with Andrew McCarthy? Forget about it. That's like DeNiro/Pacino for airhead millennials. Check out some more pics below. I'll do more of these posts too, so much great stuff. I think I found some of that GQey stuff too, but hey, please excuse me.



So what, it's Dr. McSteamer now or something? Patrick Dempsy killing it. You ladies think he's stylin' now, in these wedding movies. The pork pie and top button are rad, but the patterns combo on the vest and outerwear is pretty inspired. Who knew?



John Lovitz isn't front of mind for style, but he actually had some moments (this one is just as good, total Ivy shit). Obviously Phil Hartman is doing the suit equivalent of The Anal Retentive Chef. Sharp. Wait, is Lovitz in separates?



Christian Slater cutting butts with the dude (well not exactly) from The Crying Game. Wild. You know it's a fashion show in L.A, because, well just look at it. Yo, is that Russel Simmons in the background? Davidson is whatever, but Slater really has 'em out in this pic. They did so many drugs that weekend. Was Slater both ways?



Similar James Dean swag coming off Furlong. This is total top of the world shit. Careers flicker, but awesome topcoats live forever. This is like a year after T2, so I can't blame the smirk.



O.K. this is that '50s fetish stuff, but the guy's hair is dope.



I'm not going to mention Scientology, but it's wild what a momma's boy Tom Cruise is. I mean just look at that dynamic. Anyway, dope hat, nice coat, interesting sweater. Good '80s tonal/textural thing going on. Mimi's stockings are on point.



Patrick Dempsey & Andrew McCarthy bonus beats. Again, '80s tonal/textural and Dempsy mixing patterns. Don't sleep on the belt. Begs the question- these guys had stylists, right? Dempsey and McCarthy are real gems in the archives, you'll see more of them. Eventually McCarthy takes a dive though. Ouch.

Labels: LIFE