Steven Alan on Gilt Group

Steven Alan  makes great shirts.  Perfect to hang dry and wear a little wrinkled.  Only problem is there pricey.  Gilt Group which you have to sign up for liquidates inventory for a lot of great designers - such as Mr. Alan.  Got these for 3 for about the price of 1 at Barneys.

Gant Rugger Madras Shirts

Found these great looking madras shirts from Gant Rugger (Gant's heritage line) at Azalea in Hayes Valley.  A little more expensive than similar offerings from J. Crew and Brooks Brothers but was glad to shell out a little more for a better fit. 

No Static At All

I've been honing in on a jacket for Geck (to replace the broken-down G-Star jacket I bequeathed him a few years ago) for the last several weeks.  Found a couple good candidates at Diesel and G-Star, but everything seemed a little too over-the-top for a guy who prefers T Rex to TV on the Radio.  Luckily, I was recently tipped of to UnionMade on Sanchez.  I have too many good things to say about this shop, but in short, it's my new favorite men's store in San Francisco. The very easy-going and extremely well-versed salesman, Jason hooked Tom up with the military/workman inspired "Cadet Jacket", a pair of J. Crew Vintage Slim Fit Selvedge Jeans (woven on 100 year-old looms), and a great button-down madras shirt.   The entire operation took about 30 minutes. Dined at Contigo ,off 24th to celebrate Geck's new duds.  And yeah, we sat at the bar...

Object of Affection: The Charvet Shirt

Founded in 1838, Charvet is the world's first and oldest shirtmaker. Charles Baudelaire, Georges Sand, Eduouard Manet, Coco Chanel, Charles De Galle, and John F. Kennedy are among the long list of famous Charvet clients. So there's your history lesson.
I was hooked instantly. The fabric is wonderful, the fit meticulous, the patterns classic without being stodgy. Compared to my other high-end shirts, I've found Charvet shirts are very easy to iron due to the precision and symmetry of the design. I'm a fan of the square shirt tails as well.
You pay for this type of quality. Charvet shirts typically retail for $450. However if you are patient and determined, you can get them much cheaper. I paid around $150 a pop during sales at Neiman Marcus and Saks. I even saw a few at Loehmans for under $100 a few months ago.
If you appreciate quality, you'll love the Charvet shirt. Perhaps the only thing I miss about going to an office is that I got to wear these shirts a lot more!

Where to Shop San Francisco: J.Crew

Yeah that J. Crew... My impression of J. Crew was of an outdated, preppy, mail order catalog, but this brand has reinvented itself under the direction of head designer Frank Muytjens. The new J. Crew is edgier without forsaking its East Coast prep school roots. For the new Men's Shop and Liquor Store, J. Crew has collaborated with iconic brands such as Levis, Belstaff and Thomas Mason. The Fall 2010 Mens's Collection looks fantastic. Paid a visit to the Men's Shop and with the help of the very cool and knowledgeable Lily Lysle (a personal shopper at The Men's Shop) picked up the following items...

Grey Chambray Utility Shirt $98
There is a move back to durable American workwear as evidenced by the resurgence of brands such as Woolrich, Pendleton and the current obsession with raw, selvedge denim. Makes sense that in the midst of a brutal recession, menswear would trend back towards the functional. To my taste, some of this goes a bit far, but this classic chambray workshirt is a winner.

Broken-in Chino in Urban Slimfit $65
Back in my collegiate days, I lived in the J. Crew broken in chinos. These are the same thick but soft cotton chinos, updated with a slim fit. The look seems to be to wear them rolled-up. We'll have to see about that...

Iconic Essential: The Lacoste Polo

I've had mixed success with Lacoste Polos. After a few times in the dryer (I typically throw my dress shirts in the dryer on low for about 15 minutes before hanging to dry) they looked about 2 sizes too small. I ended up giving many a crocodile away to my friend Tom who is about 5 inches and 30 pounds smaller. I tried buying a couple sizes too large but this translated to formless, baggy shirts that were not at all flattering. So while I liked the idea of polo shirts and see other guys look great in them, the polo was out of the rotation in my closet. However I dropped into the Lacoste Store the other day and was pleased to find Lacoste's new Red! Slimfit Polo is not only slimmer but longer. I also liked the 2 button look (instead of the customary 3). Bought a size 8 (XXL) which was long enough to wear in or out and was fitted without being snug. Absolutely loved the Tulip Red color that looked rather smart with the Shipley and Halmos black trousers I was wearing. The Lacoste girl told me under no circumstances should it end up in the dryer. Hang dry, then iron. I'm resolved to follow her advice. I'll let you know how it turns out...

Lacoste Red! Slim Fit Pique Polo $79.50