The gospel according to Mr. Tom Ford

The former creative director of Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, and the man responsible for bringing back luxury bespoke, dispenses some nuggets of wisdom in this month's Details. To wit,

1. I don't believe in playing around much with suit cuts. I like a fairly classic shape that gives a man strong shoulders, a fitted waist, and long legs. Classic simplicity always works.

4. I hate the trend of short suit jackets. When a man's butt is showing below the bottom of his jacket, I think it makes him look like a female flight attendant from the back—not my idea of sexy.

and perhaps most shockingly, no. 10. There's one indulgence every man should try in his lifetime: If you're straight, sleep with a man at least once, and if you're gay, don't go through life without sleeping with a woman. Either way, you might be surprised at how natural it will feel if you can get past the mind-fuck of stereotypes. In the end, it's just another person that you are relating to in a physical way.



posted by Modus Couture - men's fashon blog

The year in deadly fashion

As the year winds to an end, we salute the fashionistas, sartorialists and all-around dandies who passed away this year.



Yves Saint Laurent. The original Marc Jacobs, a man who gave us Le Smoking, Belle de Jour, and Opium.



Bettie Page. Did she usher in the sexual revolution? Where would John Waters and Dita Von Teese be without her.





Polaroid film and Sparks. Both brands stopped production this year. Hipster everywhere wept.




The house of Bill Blass. In a Thursday Styles obit, Eric Wilson describes that disorganization, hubris and bad timing brought down one of the most elegant American fashion brands.



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The things every man should have in his closet.

We want to point you in the direction of an interview with one of Paper magazine's best dressed editors, Paul Johnson-Calderon. In an interview with Starworks, he touches on a number of important issues. First, his favorite places to shop: Opening Ceremony, KidRobot, Bergdorf Goodman. Second, new brands that he's discovered recently: the very affordable Minnetonka moccassins. Third, his fashion hero: Pete Doherty. And fourth - what are the three things every man should have in his wardrobe: A tux, an old moth-eaten cashmere sweater (preferably a cardigan), and a plethora of vintage t-shirts. There you have it.


Posted by Modus Couture - men's fashion blog

The look of the week: Tom Ford

This is former Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent designer Tom Ford on the set of his new movie A Single Man. We're very wary of the vest when worn without a jacket, but once again Mr. Ford proves us wrong. [via fashionologie]



posted by Modus Couture - men's fashion blog

Chuck Bass' scarf

Second to Mr. Don Draper, the best dressed man on tv is Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl. We don't know if this is where GG costume designers buy Mr. Bass' scarf, but it comes close. From Drakes of London: the Chuck Bass 100% silk scarf.


posted by Modus Couture - men's fashion blog

Men's Vogue and its best blog

The only thing we miss about Men's Vogue is Amanda Brooks' blog In her Eyes, which she apparently stop producing as soon as Conde Nast decided to stop paying Mogue's freelancers. The blog remains online though - who knows for how long - and Ms. Brooks tackles a number of important issues, such as how to wear sandals and not look like a hippie, cardigans, and variations on the suit.



posted by Modus Couture - men's fashion blog

Duran Duran's designer does Topman

The man who dressed Duran Duran and Bryan Ferry - Antony Price - in the 80s has a new diffusion line for Topman. They're almost all blazers or suit jackets. Yes, they're in pounds, but they're a good deal if you need a blazer and you don't have a Zara's in your area. Topman is also good for slim guys who don't like the Banana Republic/Men's Warehouse alternative.


posted by Modus Couture - men's fashion blog

VMAN for free

VMAN is one of the better men's fashion magazines out there. It only comes out four times a year. This time around, as with their V edition, the Visionaire group has gracefully put up this season's issue entirely online. Click on VMAN to go there.



posted by Modus Couture - men's fashion blog

The look of the week: recession-friendly

The look of the week comes from Thursday Styles. They've taken to heart that we're amid a recession, and they've sent us to Club Monaco and Brooks Brothers for our suits and ties.




posted by Modus Couture - men's fashion blog

Style from Tokyo

We all know Tokyo is the true fashion capital of the world. Just look at Tiffany Godoy's Style Deficit Disorder, which chronicles harajuku street fashion. But in the mean time, discover Style fromTokyo brand new blog we've discovered via The Pursuit Aesthetic.

posted by Modus Couture - men's fashion blog

Marc Jacobs' and Puffy's sketches for Barack's inauguration suit

Women's Wear Daily asked designers to propose sketches for what President-elect Barack Obama should wear inauguration night. Click on Wear to go to their site. From left to right: Turnbull and Asser, Sean John, Kenneth Cole, Marc Jacobs.



Posted by Modus Couture - men's fashion blog

Best of list: the year's most stylish movies

This is the list to the year's most stylish movies. Though The Dark Knight is the year's highest grossing film, it was a cable character that made the strongest fashion impression - Don Draper. Indiana Jones and Tony Stark's duds are, idiosyncratic at best, and sure Bond had a flick out, but it was Jon Hamm's classic suits that had us watching


Much has been made of the pairing of Kate Winslet and Leonard DiCaprio, but we're far more interested in Revolutionary Road's channelling of this retro Draperish aesthetic.



Brad Pitt lately has been about three things: Jolie (duh), skinny mustaches, and three-piece suits. They all (kinda) come together in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.



Gomorrah promises to do for Napolitan gangster what Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels did for wannabe cockney gangsters. Still, our vote for the best flick of the year.



Last year David Fincher did the 70s in Zodiac. This year, Gus Van Sant does the honors in Milk. Tight short shorts, and even tigher tees, Milk's sartorial trademarks show the best of San Francisco's Castro, but also what made the 70s style inspiration for Boogie Nights, Velvet Goldmine and '54.



posted by Modus Couture - men's fashion blog

The Best Dressed Man of the Week

Upon the news that Pantone has selected mimosa as the color of 2009, we bring you the best dressed look of the week. This is director/artist Julian Schnabel at Art Basel IN Miami Beach wearing a scarf. Readers, we were there - it was not that cold. But the bespectacled bear knew it all along: invest in yellow for Spring.


by Modus Couture - men's fashion blog

Best of List: Russian Art at Art Basel

One of the best things we saw during the week came from Moscow-based gallery Regina, which showcased the Supernova section of the main fair at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Sergey Bratkov's work reminds us of Slava Mogutin's Russian soldier pictures, except they're less heavy-handed and more satirical.

Best of List: Prices at Art Basel Miami Beach

Art Basel is the biggest art fair in the United States. Millions in watercolors, video, photography and bells are sold here every year. To put things in perspective I asked one galleria the price of the above picture, an especially nondescript Nan Goldin. The answer: $15,000.

Best of List: Art Basel Miami Beach

Throughout the week we will be bringing you sights and sounds from Art Basel Miami Beach 2008. There were concerns throughout the week that, because of the economy, there wouldn't be many sales this week. That was evident when Beyonce and Jay-Z offered to buy a series of 24 photographs by Paul Pfeiffer (below), except she only wanted half.



posted by Modus Couture - Men's Fashion Blob

Best of List: Best Dressed Bands

With the end of the year come the best-of list. Throughout the month of December we will be posting our own twist on this hallowed tradition. First up, the three best dressed bands.

Jamie Hince is known by the Pitchfork crowd as the lead singer of The Kills. Fashion people know him as Kate Moss' boyfriend. Coincidence? The lady model has always had a thing for rock stars (her last date was Pete Doherty, formerly of Babyshambles and The Libertines). Mr. Hince prefers his trousers and ties on the waifish side as well.

Glass Candy. They were included in French sartorial authority Colette's last mix cd, alongside Hercules and Love Affair and other Italian discofied bands like Chromatics. But it was Karl Lagerfeld that used them in the Chanel Spring hauture couture show. Glass Candy is making the sexiest music out there. Life after Sundown may be this year's In the morning; it'll make you feel like you've taken a peyote tonic at a porny European disco.

The Last Shadow Puppets wear possibly the best peacoats you're likely to see on any music video this year in The Age of the Understatement. They look like they belong in a Slava Mogutin photo when they're riding Soviet war tanks. Plus, the video is directed by Romain Gavras, Costa Gavras' son, who's worked with sartorial heroes/french pop stars JUSTICE

by modus couture men's fashion blog

Matthew Williamson, formerly of Pucci, will do HandM

The big fashion news of the week is that Matthew Williamson, an erstwhile designer and good friend of SSienna Miller, will follow Commes de Garcons as the next diffusion designer for H&M. Most importantly, he will do the FIRST men's diffusion line for the beloved downmarket retailer. The line should appear in stores in May. Above, Williamson and looks from Pucci [left] and his namesake line [right].

by modus couture- men's fashion blog

Shoe Discount

Something to be thankful for the holidays: London-based fashion outfit Kurt Geiger is having 30% discount sale on leather shoes. The leather lace-up dancing boot above is available at 50 euros. Here in the US, nonprofit shoemaker TOMS shoes is giving away free shipping on an array of new styles. TOMS is a great holiday gift because for every shoe bought, they will send another pair as a gift to a child in need in Argentina or South Africa

The hip office look

The look of the week comes this time from Barcelona party site icanteachyouhowtodoit, operated by nightlife impresario and photo GeeJ (nee Gerard). We often wonder, how to go to a job interview looking formal, but hip. This is the way.

Spectacular retro lens

We know you guys love the eyeglasses posts. Here's another one: Shuron Ltd. Eyewear has been making eyeglasses and sunglasses since the Civil War. During WWII, they were the main sunglasses supplier for the U.S. military. Their Web site boasts that they provide most of the retro frames seen in movies and on tv. [viaACL]