Chambray (otherwise known as an end-on-end) originated in Cambrai, Northern France, where the fabric was first designed and used to create sunbonnets. The warp thread is of one color and the weft thread (running selvage to selvage) is always white. From a distance this gives the impression of a solid color, but up close a more intricate pattern is revealed.
It looks like Up In The Air is going to be a great date movie.
It hits guys on a fundamental level, but takes place in a world that many Antonio Valente customers can relate to – the corporate world of demanding professions and constant travel. In whatever space a man finds himself, his independence is something that he holds dear and celebrates. The movie’s protagonist, a workaholic, holds his destiny in his hands and can do whatever he likes… until somebody special comes along and changes his perspective.
After getting Oscar attention for JUNO, director Jason Reitman turns to this adaptation of Walter Kirn’s comic novel. Academy Award-winner George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham, a businessman on the… After getting Oscar attention for JUNO, director Jason Reitman turns to this adaptation of Walter Kirn’s comic novel. Academy Award-winner George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham, a businessman on the verge of reaching five million frequent flyer miles when his company decides to cut back on travel. But his goal isn’t the only thing just out of reach: he now won’t be able to see a fellow frequent traveler (THE DEPARTED’s Vera Farmiga) who has caught his eye.
Rotten Tomatoes users have rated this film with a very impressive 88%. Variety magazines readers gave it an 84 / 100. Boxoffice Magazine gave it 5 / 5 stars, and Entertainment Weekly gives the film an A, and adds:
The ”interviews” that Ryan does with the folks he fires give you a chill. They’re a vision of what’s going on in the country today, and Up in the Air is the rare film that does justice to economic desperation by expressing it with an honest populist embrace. At the same time, it’s a movie about how one man living inside the cocoon of an overly detached culture comes to see the error of his own detachment. Up in the Air is light and dark, hilarious and tragic, romantic and real. It’s everything that Hollywood has forgotten how to do; we’re blessed that Jason Reitman has remembered.
Looking good is a matter of style and, above all, fit.
We all want to look our best when choosing an outfit for work or play. Some of us have been blessed with fantastic genes but many of us need to work with what we have so it’s crucial that you never settle for anything less than the most flattering designs and fits. For men 5′7″ or shorter, there is one tip to keep in mind when shopping for shirts, trousers and suits: proportion and fit are everything!
1. When choosing prints, keep them proportionate to your body by selecting smaller patterns, such as micro-checks. Vertical stripes are always a good choice.
2. Avoid wide ties, which will make your body seem disproportionate by comparison.
3. Choose dress shoes that have a clean and simple design with thinner soles.
4. Avoid blazers, sport jackets and suits with more than three buttons.
5. Don’t lose patience when shopping. A proper fit must be your top priority. A) Whenever possible, buy bespoke clothing so that each garment is tailor-made to fit and complement your body. B) For many reasons, you must never purchase ready-to-wear clothes that weren’t specifically designed to fit smaller frames with the intent of altering the sleeve, body or trouser lengths. To start, the shirt’s pocket location will be too low on your body, around waist height, and the pocket-size will be too large, covering a disproportionate area of your shirt. The armholes, sleeves (even if shortened), and overall fit will be too loose, looking sloppy. Trousers face similar issues. Although a trouser’s length may be shortened, the bottoms will be too wide in proportion to your feet. Also, the wider legs and longer rise combine for a baggy and ill-fitting trouser. The pocket bags will be longer than needed, making it awkward to use your pockets.
The Antonio Valente bespoke program eliminates all these issues and can give you the fit and style needed to flatter your body type.
We are very pleased to see that the stylish guys at SHARP Magazine have featured an Antonio Valente bespoke dress shirt in their current issue. Download the PDF here. Their interactive Flash viewer is here. The Antonio Valente Bespoke Dress Shirt is on pages 74 / 75.
The issue also has a guide to being a gentlemen, and we think these points are worth reading (page 42). The thoughts on everything from grooming, to paying the bill, to small talk and conversational etiquette are all standard operating procedures for any man. Read them. Learn them. Live them.
The clothing and textile industries have long been trying to solve the problem of ironing dress shirts, i.e. how to avoid it. The answer came in the form of resin finishes that were added to fabrics, which made them wrinkle-resistant. The first resin used to treat fabrics, during the 1920’s, was formaldehyde and it is still used today! Unfortunately, the molecular change that occurs from soaking the shirt in formaldehyde makes it more brittle (a wrinkle free shirt will last about 75% as long as an untreated shirt). However, a greater cause for concern is that formaldehyde is a carcinogen and an allergen.
The latest generation of wrinkle-free fabric comes closer than ever to delivering no-iron shirts. Unlike previous versions, the use of linings affixed along the seams keeps pockets and plackets (both sleeve and front) from puckering, but adds a noticable amount of stiffness throughout the shirt. Also, there have been advances in the resin coating. The new technology permanently attaches small particles to the cloth fibres. The particles are absorbed into the cotton and coat every thread, producing microscopic hair-like extensions that form an air cushion over the cloth, repelling water and smoothing out wrinkles. The technology is young and has progressed so quickly that health and environmental effects are still undetermined.
We remain big fans of the iron and pressed shirts, which reflect our philosophy about how we design and sew our garments: it takes a bit more effort to do it right, but the results are more than worth it.
Esquire’s style guy Nick Sullivan has posted a question from one of his readers asking how to care for cashmere sweaters. He then answers it here.
As Antonio is a fan of cashmere, and as the link above does a great job of taking the mystery and intimidation out of cleaning and caring for garments that need special attention, we think it’s worth a read.
The pocket square owes its origins to the handkerchief, which has been used for over 600 years and originated in England. Initially, the handkerchief was adopted by the upper class, but by the 17th century it was common among all classes throughout western Europe. Originally, handkerchiefs were kept in trouser pockets. However, by the 19th century, as two-piece suits came into fashion, men started to place a clean handkerchief into their jacket’s breast pocket. By the 1920’s the pocket square had become more of a fashion accessory, especially after folding techniques were developed. The pocket square as accessory was cemented in the 40’s and 50’s after disposable tissue was introduced.
Always appropriate, a pocket square is a fantastic way to add colour and detail to any sport jacket, blazer, suit or tuxedo. The only situation in which we would not recommend sporting a pocket square would be if you’re wearing a boutineer.
A boutineer with a pocket square seems crowded and overdone. One should preclude the other.
When accessorizing an outfit with a pocket square, try to match it with your tie or shirt. If your approach to clothing is more traditional, then feel free to use a white pocket square. Our favourite look is combining an Antonio Valente sport jacket with one of our sport shirts, worn open, and a pocket square made from the same shirt fabric.
Shirt and pocket square were cut from the same fabric
There are many pocket square styles, from the traditional square fold (The Presidential) to anything you may imagine. Have a look here for helpful illustrations and step-by-step instructions on a wide range of pocket square looks.
Few companies are as iconic as Harely-Davidson. Since its humble beginnings over 100 years ago, Harley-Davidson has been producing quality, high-performance motorcycles that are distinct in design and construction.
In 1903, William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson, from a wooden shed no bigger than 10 x 15 feet, assembled the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle after labouring over William’s original engine plans for two years. By 1904, the first Harley-Davidson dealer opened for business and the company was on its way to achieving unparalleled success.
As an interesting historical tidbit, Harley-Davidson motorcycles are affectionately known as “hogs” and received the nickname from their earlier racing days. During the 1920’s, Harley-Davidson’s professional riders, a team of farm boys known as the “hog boys”, consistently won races. The group had a pig as their mascot, and following each win put the pig on their Harley for their victory lap. read more…
How to Tie an Ascot… Fancypants
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The latest John Cusack movie, 2012, takes him and the rest of the cast into a visually stunning iteration of what the world of today would be like if the 2012 prophecies came true. The film’s director, Ronald Emmerich, has a track record of contemporary doomsday masterpieces, and while many critics may not like this film, I’m under the impression that it will carve out a profitable niche for itself, just as his other films have done.
John Cusack worked with Antonio on two films. In fact, he asked Antonio to send his clothing for War, Inc. to Bulgaria for the movies shooting.
If I were taking a date to this movie (and for the record, I don’t think this is a movie every date will love), I would recommend spending a few minutes learning more about the prophecies beforehand so you have some background knowledge for the film and to use in a post-movie discussion over drinks. The link above is a good place to start.
Rolling Stone Magazine gave it 1 / 4 stars. Rotten Tomatoes gave it 34%. One reviewer using Matchflick.com gave it 3 / 5 stars, and had this to offer:
This is not really a good film. I will not pretend that it is. It is silly, ludicrously far-fetched, spends too much time allowing its characters to narrowly escape situations that they could not plausibly ever survive in reality. However, it is consistently thrilling, and wonderfully entertaining, and my favorable opinion of it rests largely on those two things.
