VintageGent’s Menswear Daily

Get Adam Lambert’s Idol Necklace

A few people have written in and asked where they could get the jewelry that Adam Lambert wore on American Idol.  I didn’t pay much attention at the time, and even would have assumed that it had been odds and ends that he has had for a long time.   However, the contestants on American Idol have people who help them decide what to wear, and I recall that they revealed a wardrobe department during one season.   Whether he brought them at home or acquired them later, I found out that.

The Rocker Jewelry as seen on Adam Lambert on Idol(click there) is carried by Tattoo Apparel, and was designed by Gasoline Glamour.  The spikey pendant with pewter settings, and a 1/4″ wide silver plated chain was featured when Lambert sang “Whole Lotta Love,” from Led Zeppelin.  He also wore a Gasoline Glamor design on the movie music episode, where Quentin Tarantino was the celebrity mentor and Lambert sang, “Born to Be Wild.”

If you would like to be Adam Lambert for Halloween this year, the necklace runs normally in the $140.00 range, but Tattoo discounts it and offers it for $118.95.  If you want the “exact one,” this is it.   I think it would also be the ticket for a witch costume.   Some may argue that I shouldn’t mention Halloween, but should encourage people to buy it and put it away for posterity so they can sell it as a valuable vintage item years down the road.  Well, you be the judge of that.

If you have any other fashion questions, leave me a comment and I will do my best to answer it or track something down.

One of Our Favorites from Sears

I sold this suit two years ago, but it is in our “short list” of favorites. It was (is) a metallic suit from the late 60s. Although it is from the tail end of the decade, it has major mod sensibilities with its Italian cut and slim collar placement that we would place just a couple years earlier.

Tailor tags can be very important in dating menswear, especially because the classic suit doesn’t change as rapidly as ladieswear and is sometimes harder to pinpoint in less than a 5 year period even if one is very knowledgeable. Of course, there are “of the season” cutting edge looks available for the fashion forward, but for the average man, a suit is an investment piece. They want to be stylish, but they don’t want to look dated the next year, especially if their employment or social outings do not require a suit for daily wear.

This particular suit came from Sears. The tag is not specifically a tailors tag of a custom suit, but the date the suit was altered for the original buyer. Unlike high fashion magazines that show what the designers introduced each year, the Sears catalog was a very good record of what the average person was actually wearing that year, just like the paint colors represented what was actually in the average homes of America. It may not be nearly as exciting as haute couture, but is invaluable for historians, reenactors, vintage lovers, and costumers alike.

In the fall of 1968, the year of this suit, though the Brits had moved onto more fluid lines, American Mod was still showing an influence on American fashion and was interpreted in a little more of a relaxed fashion.

At the tail end of the 60s, because of the new synthetics, shades that could never be achieved before were everywhere. I have seen quite a few menswear in the jewel tone blues, greens, and teals during this time period in many eye tricking fabrics and hues that begged the question “Is that blue or is that green? Greenish Blue?”. I have often needed a second or third opinion myself!

Having a specific date always makes me wonder if the date had been around a special occasion. I always imangined with the suit being tailored in proximity to Halloween, that perhaps someone bought it who went to an alternate event. They might have gone to a performance at a concert hall instead of a costume party that night. Or maybe it was just a coincidence, just another day.

Rolex in Bulk?

(At left, a vintage Rolex advertisement.  If I were flying the Concorde tomorrow, I probably would be able to afford to buy a Rolex, because that would be quite a salary!)

I have told you before that I used to chuckle about the story my dad told me about his adventure in Tijuana. When he was in his late teens or early twenties, he took a cross country road trip with his buddies, and ended up in Tijuana just for kicks. They bought a Rolex that stopped working the minute they reentered the United States. Of course, it was fake, but the whole point was to buy a counterfeit Rolex on purpose just to say they did. Instead of the street salesman of yesteryear, most people didn’t wander into a situation where they would see a Rolex if they weren’t in the market. Now, they are all over the internet. There was a site that offered vintage Rolexes that I once saw, but now there are sites like www.bestoftime.com that are following the big box model of price wars. They buy Rolexes in a certain quantity, so they are able to pass the savings on to you.  They also buy preowned Rolexes.   Most of the shops started out as independent jewelers.

This concept just seems a little strange to me when it comes to an item like this, where people are favoring authenticity over any sort of “best deal.” I never imagine Rolex wearers shopped around for the best price, and rather thought they went with someone they trusted, even if they paid a little more.  I never knew that there were pricing controls on Rolexes, but there are!  Some speculate that it just rises as the exchange rate changes, but I have never seen the prices go down to adjust for it when the exchange rates dip.  The way that some places get around them are to buy in such bulk or to buy pre-owned Rolexes and resell them.

I always think that if you are looking for high quality at a low price, you won’t always find it unless you buy vintage or second hand, which gives you a lot more bang for your buck.   If you are looking at a major jewelry purchase, I encourage you to shop around for something that fits into that category.   No one will point out that you are wearing a watch from a bunch of seasons ago, they will just think you look spiffy.  Also, if you are buying a high ticket item, or something with diamonds in it, be sure to have it appraised so you know what you are getting if you are not an expert and you pay a precious penny.

I did a little sleuthing and discovered that the website is dba Alex’s Jewelry, which is a chain in the Atlanta area.  They have physical stores, rather than just being a drop shipper.   I found a few addresses in the area such as in Sandy Springs and in the city proper, if you are looking to research the business further.   I would suggest if you are buyinga high ticket item over the internet, that you don’t just research if the pricing is competitive, but you also see what the Better Business Bureau has listed.   They don’t always indicate if a business is stellar, but merely if there are any complaints.   However, that is a helpful start.

Michael Jackson, Shoe Designer

You can not go anywhere and not hear about the untimely death of Michael Jackson.  Many will wistfully remember his early days at Motown, and recall perhaps wearing a single glove to school.   The later years of his career were obscured by public relation nightmares, that seem to have affected his reputation in the United States more so than the rest of the world.  His lie served as a cautionary tale about lost childhoods, and also the loneliness that lurks at the top.

A little known fact about Michael Jackson is that he was also a shoe designer.  He shares a US Patent for gravity defying loafers with Michael Bush and Dennis Thompson. You may recall incredible dance moves, where he tilted so far forward that you attributed it to his unworldly sense of balance and his slim frame. Actually, the moves were attributed to a special hinge that was an integral part of the shoe. There was a small slot in the stage where they could hook on, or maybe several spots. Since he choreographed things to a “T,” it definitely was not a problem finding the mark.   The move was popularized in his early 90s Smooth Criminal video and subsequent performances.

There was an earlier patent that was for a personnel restraint tract which someone would attach work cleats too.  This was something that was used for developing what was underneath the stage.

This little known trivia about his life may be one of those things, when the dust settles, and the jokes end, that he may be remembered as an innovator for.

Rest in Peace, Michael Jackson.

LA Time Machines: Where to Wear

Los Angeles Time Machines is a site that we have been watching for awhile that we think our readers would enjoy. It focuses exclusively on pre-1970s restaurants and bars that are still in their original state. Occasionally, there are updates on when folks can make a big difference in saving a historic vintage landmark so stay plugged in!

It mainly focuses on the many sites in Los Angeles, California, but has extended to includes spots in Nevada, Maryland, Washington and beyond. So, go look up a historic place and show up in your vintage clothing! It would make a great retro photo!  I usually try to look up places along every route I am planning more than a two hour car drive, just in case I should come across something classy or outrageous.

http://latimemachines.com/

Stay Unique

Body Painters Can Stay In The Closet Thanks to Directv

It’s that time of year again. Direct TV is starting to advertise the NFL Sunday Ticket package. For the uninitiated, it gives you unlimited access to watching every single NFL game that ever was, even if it is blacked out in your market. If you live far away from your home team, or just have to see it all (200 games!), then that is the antidote for what ails you.

Something disturbing always happens during football season, and that is usually both a major lapse of fashion sense, as well as a lapse in one’s general well being. It involves standing outside in freezing weather, and if you are a male of the species, being shirtless and painting yourself with absurd numbers and logos. It seems like that would be the surefire way to deter any of the ladyfolk from coming anywhere near you. Ever. Even so, the trend still rages on. I is not everyone doing it, but just those few groups that make everyone else stand and point.

If you want to be “that guy” without the fashion police bearing down upon you, I suppose that the NFL Sunday Ticket is going to help you paint and display in the privacy of your own home. Then, of course, it will make you a closet painter and some unsuspecting gal will have the shock of her life once she starts her life with a guy. She will have had no inkling about the mild mannered gent, and then one day, she is home from work or exercise class unexpected and walks in to the shock of her life.

Don’t be a closet painter. If you must, then please tell the lady in your life before you get serious, lest she consider it a deal breaker. Perhaps, as an alternative, maybe that could just be your private thing, and you do it in the “Man Cave.” In other words, it is an unspoken rule that the den or tv room is your private sanctuary during games where none shall pass.

I like to plan ahead, but am not thinking about what I will be watching on television in the fall. However, for those of you that are in mourning over the demise of the Red Wings, you may want to rush the seasons a little bit and just get on to the next sport. There is no better time than the present, I suppose, to think about it.

Made in the USA: What It All Means

Not all products require a country of origin label.  However, those that do, including those under the jurisdiction of the Wool Products Labeling Act and the Textile Fiver Products Identification Act, are often a subject of this blog.  I just received a newsletter form MadeByYankees and it hits upon the FTC standards for labeling an item Made in the USA:

Though many products do not require labeling‚ if a company chooses to label‚ they must adhere to the guidelines issued by the FTC.  First and foremost if a product is labeled or advertised as Made in USA‚ either expressly or implied‚ it must be “all or virtually all” made in the USA. “ ‘All or virtually all’ means that all significant parts and processing that go into the product must be of U.S. origin. That is‚ the product should contain no — or negligible — foreign content.”3  This definition
seems simple enough but wait.   Read on….

I did some more research on what “negligible foreign materials meant, and that took me back to the FTC wesbite HERE

In this analysis, raw materials(18) are neither automatically included nor automatically excluded in the evaluation of whether a product is all or virtually all made in the United States. Instead, whether a product whose other parts and processing are of U.S. origin would not be considered all or virtually all made in the United States because the product incorporated imported raw materials depends (as would be the case with any other input) on what percentage of the cost of the product the raw materials constitute and how far removed from the finished product the raw materials are.(19) Thus, were the gold in a gold ring, or the clay used to make a ceramic tile, imported, an unqualified “Made in USA” claim for the ring or tile would likely be inappropriate.(20) This is both because of the significant value the gold and the clay are likely to represent relative to the finished product and because the gold and the clay are only one step back from the finished articles and are integral components of those articles. By contrast, were the plastic in the plastic case of a clock radio that was otherwise all or virtually all made in the United States found to have been made from imported petroleum, the petroleum is far enough removed from, and an insignificant enough input into, the finished product that it would nonetheless likely be appropriate to label the clock radio with an unqualified U.S. origin claim.

So, when you see something with the Made in the USA label, you can be assured that it has for all intents and purposes, been made in America. There are, from time to time, violations in which the Federal Trade Commission monitors. In 1999, Abercrombie & Fitch was noted for its failure to list the country of origin for a wool product advertised in their catalog, and sold it in their store.

Historical Fact: Garments that were labeled Made in the USA beginning in 1996 must comply with FTC regulations. A variation on the label is a “Assembled in the USA” label which means the item was manufactured in the United States using parts of a foreign source, or a large amount of foreign materials.

Made in Usa, Japan  label:  There is also some confusion over a label that states “Made in Usa, Japan.”   There is in fact a province or area called Usa in Japan.  These garments started appearing in the United States in the 60s, imported from Japan.   Usa is a real place that has been there for centuries but it has caused confusion.

When you are out and about, watch those labels. It will probably make you more conscious of just who is making your clothing, or exactly what is going into them, if you are attempting to support as many American made products as possible.

Sizing Notes for 70s menswear

It might be very tempting to occasionally trade in your double breasted suit, and with 70s elements always seeming to pop up everywhere in fashion, you are probably tempted to try it.  But for you, a modern imitation will not do, you want the real thing. There are a few tips to consider when shopping for 1970s wear online or in a shop

• Do not be surprised if a size on all platform shoes are not printed inside. Usually they are, but occasionally the ink has faded with time or it wasn’t there to begin with.  Always try them on. If you cannot, and are shopping online, follow the lead of the ladies. Gals are more accustomed to measuring the inside of a similar pair of shoes of a similar pair and choosing “new to you” shoes that way. Look at what the platform shoe essential is at the basic level. Is it a loafer, a sandal, a boot, or and measure comparable shoes accordingly.

• The arm holes on most trendy blazers and suit coats were cut higher and smaller than modern suit coats. If you have a slim build, you may find that 70s jackets may flatter you well.  If you don’t, or broad shoulders, you may want to see if the next size up fits you better.  Remember, though, that the fit in many things is supposed to be slim and your size regular size may indeed fit. You just have to get used to the cut.   Most clothing was not made to be baggy with miles of “ease” room.

• Not everything was poly.   Polyester was a big staple of the 70s, but if you have an aversion to it, there are plenty of other choices.   Wool and other classic fabrics were still used in abundance.   The idea that people have is that if it was wool in the 1970s, it must be boxy and plaid.   Some of the other popular cuts were actually available in wool.

Dress That Man is a site that I had stumbled by quite some time ago, and can’t believe I have yet to mention in the “Daily.” The 1970s are alive and well and expressed in fashion at the site. Hipsters, Rockers, and Halloween party attenders alike can find something to love. Browse the aisles and try on a pair of sky high platform shoes or a shirt.  Of course, you can’t really “try them on,” you have to know your size.

Makeup for Manly Men

In the past, mens cosmetics fell into three different categories. The first was the Halloween category. Pastes and pancake makeup were relegated towards creating a ghoulish look that certain time of year.   I would consider Gene Simmons in the first category.  After all, he is a bit scary.  The second category is just simply male skincare. Lotions, creams, and aftershaves just got a little more fancy. The third category was corrective, though it was hardly tapped into. There are guys out there that have suffered major burns or other disfigurements and chose to camouflage it a bit, at least for photo opportunities. For the most part, however, guys just live with it. Perhaps that is the slightly more manly way to deal with things.  Oh, I almost forgot.  There is also makeup that you would wear daily if you were a Punk Rocker, and that isn’t a stereotype.

Now, there is the Men Pen. On the site, one of the front page quotes is: “There’s nothing gay about covering up a zit when you go out!”   Sure, but is the average guy going to go with it?  This sort of mens makeup has been used for years on the stage and in film, but I still wonder if it will truly catch on. To my surprise, there were more comments that seemed to be from average guys, rather than only guys that were models or were into the club scene. There was a Gent named John who uses it to cover up a big scar on his face he has had since he was a kid.

One Gent named Kyle said: I discovered The Men Pen works great for covering Tatoo’s (sic) I have a tatoo  (sic) on my arm and It can’t be seen at work. I can actually hide it using The Men Pen. Thanks much. At $17.95, I guess it is a BIT more economical than tattoo laser removal.   I wonder if it is a similar item to what was used to cover up Angelina Jolie’s many tattoos for the Tomb Raider movies.

One Gent, Kevin, commented that he ran out after a year. Maybe guys should take a cue from ladies and dispose of it every six months, and get a new one at that time, because of bacteria.  He probably will find he has to cover up acne less using a clean Men Pen.  Just a thought.

What are your thoughts on products such as the Men Pen?  Do you think that its something that works for a niche, or do you think it is going to catch on? Some people believe that something like this is just a “gateway” and a slippery slope to men wearing a complete foundation application and curling their eyelashes.  I don’t really think that’s the case.  I am also wondering if this isn’t just the same makeup that is made for ladies, just in a format that is a bit more manly?  I would have to do a little more digging to find out.

Lacroix files Chapter 11

It was recently reported in Women’s Wear Daily that the design house of Christian Lacroix is filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection:

“Our intent is definitely a continuation of the business,” Nicolas Topiol, Lacroix’s chief executive officer, said in an interview before meeting with the firm’s 125 employees. “But the crisis has definitely hit us below the knees.”

Topiol said orders for the fall-winter season sank 35 percent, with many retail buyers skipping Paris Fashion Week altogether.

Lacroix won wide acclaim in March for his chic take on Parisian style, from tapered peacoats to draped jersey dresses, but the venue — a shabby parking garage in the Marais district — spoke to the firm’s financial constrictions.

Topiol declined to say how much creditors are owed — principally suppliers and general service providers — but said losses have ballooned to about 10 million euros, or about $14 million at current exchange, on revenues that have shriveled to about 30 million euros, or $42 million.

In my opinion, sometimes the fashion houses need a shake up. If I had a fashion line that had no choice but to appear in a parking garage, I would have ditched the live fashion show altogether. I would have invested in a few hip backdrops and would have staged an exclusive web only pod casted fashion show. With the right smoke and mirrors, no one would have known it wasn’t at a posh location.  The show would have had additional staying power as people watched it many hours after the actual event was to take place.  In fact, there could have been no live event at all.  The other alternative was to make it look like the parking garage was avant gard and went with a theme.

Many designers have found new life with creating items for mass market stores, such as Vera Wang and Isaac Mizrahi. Should Lacroix go back to his roots of design and try his hand at designing something that could be mass produced?  Do you think Lacroix should stay as it is, but scale back?  Do you think the greates hits of the Spring 2009 fashion show was too little too late?  If people aren’t buying, I always say either you are not promoting yourself, you have started to ignore the original people whose interest you built your business on the backs of, or you are mismanaging the wallet.

The latest news is that a Swiss group of investors is looking to purchase Lacroix?  Will the name alone be a good investment?  Will Lacroix go the way of many other designers and just be a name slapped onto items of various origins, or will the new structure be the same old business, but with better watch dogs?

What do you think?

Wanted: YouTube Subscribers. Bounty: $300 Gift Certificate

Remember the club shirts that I posted that said “I Love My Boyfriend” and “I Love My Hubby?” I thought they served two purposes. It is very sweet for ladies to wear them to let the world know about their feelings. It certainly also helps out the guys at the club, so they can avoid rejection and avoid the gals that are definitely not into them and are just out to have a good time. AMI ClubWear, the online store that offers the shirts, is looking for subscribers on YouTube. In fact, they want you to join so much that they are offering you a chance to win a $300 gift certificate for you or your gal!

There are official contest rules. The most important part is that the contest begins at 12:01 a.m. EST on May 28, 2009 and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on June 24, 2009. Although you may, of course, subscribe after that period, you will not be entered into the contest. No one will be notified that their entry is received. Rather, the winner will be notified within three days after the entry period of the contest via email. Also, before I forget: You must be a legal resident of the United States, and be 18 years old or older. International subscribers are most welcome, but you will be ineligible to win.

What would you do with the $300? Certainly, you wouldn’t take a fur coat to Las Vegas like this young lady thought:

Have fun, and check out the AMIClubwear YouTube channel to toss your name in the hat. If you don’t enter, you can’t win!

Father’s Day Gift Idea #2: Cobwebby Mysteries

S.S. Van Dine was quite a colorful character. Lore tells us that he fell gravely ill for two years, and wrote the Philo Vance mysteries while bedridden. His biography tells us that he was actually bedridden because of a cocaine addiction that he was under the grips of or needed to kick. At any rate, he was confined and read many crime stories, hence the novels were born smack dab in the art deco era!

This set of mystery novels was lovingly collected by a fan back in the day. It appears that they bought each Philo Vance novel as it was released. In the novels, author Van Dine appears as a Watson like character to the bon vivant Vance. Philo Vance was a fencer, archer, connoisseur of Chinese ceramics, polo, fine cuisine, and student of crime history.

This set is available on Etsy. They would be a great gift alone, or pair them with slippers or a robe, a magnifying glass, or Dad’s favorite kind of coffee. They would look very fashionable in a bookshelf or on a side table, just as well as they would do being actually read.  Imagine that…actually reading them!  The collection includes: The “Canary” Murder Case, The Greene Murder Case, The Bishop Murder Case, Gracie Allen Murder Mystery, The Garden Murder Case, The Kidnap Murder Case.

To get a closer gander at them, click HERE.

A Fashionable Auction Donation

There have been some gift certificates given for a few charity auctions I have helped organize that entitled the winner to receive a massage. How fashionable! Sometimes, the gift certificate is given by the spa, but many other times, it is given by a very happy client of a massage therapist. They are easy to obtain from a therapist or spa, but if you are looking for something more instantaneous, good for a single, dual, or couples massages in chicago, The Tiffani Kim Institute has gift certificates available on their website.

You choose the amount for as little as$25.00 or as much as $1000.00. Then, you choose a design for the occasion, such as the examples at left. There are popular selections and recommendations for special occasions. After you choose a pretty picture, you can write your message. The gift certificate, complete with bar code can be printed, or emailed to the recipient.

I know people occasionally misplace things in the excitement of an auction. I have definitely seen it happen. You could make a nice card to place on the auction table, and then when a winner is determined, go home and purchase the gift certificate online. Then, it will be conveniently emailed. If they have a printing snafu or lose that one, they can always print it out again. How convenient. It also helps the charity, as volunteers won’t have to watch the coveted gift certificate with eagle eyes during the hustle and bustle of the event. In addition, sometimes the massage certificate generates so much interest that people get bid happy and bid up other items too, or draws more people to the auction. That works for you, doesn’t it?

Father’s Day Gift Idea #1: Golf Tie

Looking for a great Father’s Day gift?  How about a “just because,” or a “Happy Day to me?” Between now and about June 17th, great and unique Father’s Day Gifts will be featured on the ‘Daily.  Items will be vintage clothing, retro stuff for the pad, or something unique created by a small, American based company.

This golf tie is available on Etsy for a limited time.  How long is limited, you might ask? Until it sells. It is available for the bargain basement steal of $8.00, which includes shipping. How can you beat that?

This tie is of the square bottom, skinny variety from the 1960s.  It is considered a novelty print, as it is not an “all over” print, but depicts a theme or a scene.  It features a print on cotton of a golfing scene. Colors are primarily green and brown.  Condition is listed as excellent, with no apparent flaws.

To check it out, or to snap it up and get it in your hot little hands before anyone else, CLICK HERE.