GARY_WEB

GARYSForum/The Substance of Style/Spring 2012

FASHION AND FANTASY

DESERT DREAMS

THE JACKETAN INDISPENSABLE

FINISHING TOUCH

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Dear Friends and Valued Customers,

It’s finally spring, a time to refresh, renew and reenergize. And while you’re at it, why not update your look withsome cool fashion items from our recently arrived menswear collections? In the process, check out our newlyrenovated selling floor that you’re sure to find lighter, brighter, more spacious and decidedly more modernthan before. (But don’t worry: we’ve managed to retain the warmth and charm you’ve come to expect fromGARYS!) Within this new space, we’ve also showcased a designated section for world-class offerings fromErmenegildo Zegna.

And speaking of world class, GARYS recently hosted a dozen of the top independent apparel stores in thecountry. The Forum Apparel Group dates back to 1947, when retailers would take the railroad cross-country forbuying trips to New York City. The best merchants (hailing from Seattle, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Lubbock,Memphis, Pittsburgh, etc.) would pass time on the train by sharing card games, cocktails and business insights,the ultimate goal being to learn from each other. Believe it or not, this group still exists, still shares best prac-tices and continues to learn from each other 65 years later! While meeting here in Newport Beach, these mer-chants (the sons, daughters and grandchildren of the original members) raved about our updated selling floorwith its exciting shops, from the rock star chic of Robert Graham to the European sophistication of Hugo Boss.After several days of productive meetings, the group was treated to legendary Southern California weather(temperatures in the high-70s to mid-80s) while taking in the sights of the Pacific coastline. (We’re also proudto note that several times during their stay, the group toasted GARYS’ CEO Dick Braeger as the menswearindustry’s “quintessential” merchant!)

We hope you enjoy this issue of Forum magazine, created to entertain and inspire our fashion-savvy cus-tomers. In addition to fabulous spring 2012 clothing (shot on location in Morocco), there are interesting arti-cles on photography, luxury camping, sports history and spirits, as well as profiles on several of our key fashionvendors. As always, we look forward to catching up when you’re in the store. Happy spring!

—Dick, John and Kari Braeger

GARYS

WELCOME TO THE SPRING 2012ISSUE OF GARYSFORUM MAGAZINE

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GARYSFashion Island, Newport Beach

949-759-1622

Del Mar Plaza, Del Mar858-794-0740

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFKaren Alberg Grossman

DESIGN DIRECTORHans Gschliesser

MANAGING EDITORJillian LaRochelle

PROJECT MANAGERLisa Montemorra

DESIGNERSCynthia Lucero, Jean-Nicole Venditti

CONCEPT DIRECTORSAndrew Mitchell, Russ Mitchell

MERCHANDISING DIRECTORBob Mitchell

DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTIONPeg Eadie

DIRECTOR OF PREPRESSHugh K. Stanton

BUSINESS JOURNAL S FASHION GROUPPUBLISHER

Stuart NifoussiPRESIDENT AND CEO

Britton JonesCHAIRMAN AND COO

Mac BrightonCHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Christine Sullivan

APPAREL FORUM Andrisen Morton DENVER, CO

Garys NEWPORT BEACH, CAHubert White MINNEAPOLIS, MN

Kilgore Trout CLEVELAND, OHLarrimor’s PITTSBURGH, PA

Malouf’s LUBBOCK/SOUTHLAKE, TXMario’s PORTLAND, OR/SEATTLE, WAMitchells/Marshs HUNTINGTON, NY

Mitchells/Richards WESTPORT/GREENWICH, CTOak Hall MEMPHIS, TNRodes LOUISVILLE, KY

Rubensteins NEW ORLEANS, LAStanley Korshak DALLAS, TX

Wilkes Bashford SAN FRAN/PALO ALTO, CA

FASHION FORUM MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED IN 12 REGIONALEDITIONS FOR MEMBER STORES OF THE APPAREL FORUM

COPYRIGHT 2012. PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS JOURNALS, INC, P.O. BOX5550, NORWALK, CT 06856, 203-853-6015 • FAX: 203-852-8175;

ADVERTISING OFFICE: 1384 BROADWAY, NY, NY 10018-6108, 212-686-4412 • FAX: 212-686-6821; ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THE PUBLISHERS

ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ADVERTISERS CLAIMS,UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, TRANSPARENCIES OR OTHER

MATERIALS. NO PART OF THIS MAGAZINE MAY BE REPRODUCEDWITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHERS. VOLUME 15,

ISSUE 1. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

FEATURES1 Welcome Letter 6 Giving Back: Working Wardrobes16 Footwear: If the Shoe Fits24 Retailing: The Soul of a Merchant46 Photography: Rock Star50 Escapes: Star Treatment

FASHION10 Designers: Robert Graham14 Suiting: Tailored to Perfection18 Profile: Samuelsohn26 Denim: Attention-Grabbing Style 28 A Walk in the Walled City36 The Jacket

DEPARTMENTS 8 At Your Service 12 Ask Forum42 CEO Style: Dinner With Friends48 Speed: Leaping Cat54 Sports: Much Ado About Ankles58 Spirits: Roll Out the Barrel60 End Page: Pull it Together

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Concierge 949.721.2000 ShopFashionIsland.com

OVER 120 STORES INCLUDING: Neiman Marcus . Nordstrom . Bloomingdale’s . Macy’s . Ever

Malia Mills Swimwear . Lululemon Athletica . Kate Spade . True Food Kitchen . Inglot . Michael Stars

be FASHIONABLY engaging.

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Fashion Island is a registered trademark of the Irvine Company. © The Irvine Company LLC, 2011.

Elie Tahari . Trina Turk . Jonathan Adler . Kreiss . 7 For All Mankind . Splendid . True Religion

Apple . Fleming’s Steakhouse & Wine Bar . Melvita . American Rag Cie . Garys . Traditional Jewelers

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IF SO, WE CAN HELP. DONATE YOUR CLEAN, GENTLY-USEDPROFESSIONAL OR BUSINESS CASUALCLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ACCES-SORIES TO WORKING WARDROBES ATANY GARYS LOCATION. Working Wardrobes is a non-profit organization thatserves men, women and teens who are emerging from alife crisis and are committed to re-entering the work-force. They also specialize in helping our veterans intransition get back to work.

We accept men’s and women’s clothing, footwear andaccessories, including handbags, and we ask that allclothes are dropped off on hangers. To learn more or tocoordinate a donation, please contact Steve Loucks atGARYS (949.759.1622 / [email protected]). He willassist you in getting your donation delivered and makesure that you receive a receipt from GARYS and WorkingWardrobes confirming your tax-deductible contribution.You may also visit www.workingwardrobes.org for addi-tional information regarding volunteer and sponsorshipopportunities, special events and more.

We are proud to support this worthy cause, and we hopeyou’ll join us in giving back to our community.

DOESYOURCLOSETLOOK LIKETHIS?

GARYS

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AT YOURSERVICE

Alex Perez,GARYS tailorfor over14 years

PERSONALSHOPPINGAt your request, one of our salesassociates will pre-select gar-ments that fit your style and noti-fy you of their arrival in the store.

MADE-TO-MEASUREWe proudly offer luxury hand-tailored garments personalized to suit your individual taste and style. Your measure-ments are kept on file and updated as needed, so a new garment can be specially created for you at any time. A widevariety of models and fabrications are available from the following brands:BRIONI • CANALI • ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA • ISAIA • ROBERT TALBOTT • SAMUELSOHN

SIGN UPFOR E-MAIL & LIKE US ONFACEBOOKGet the latest informationon special events, in-storeappearances, trunk showsand promotions.

SHOPGARYSONLINEOur world-class selection ofbrands is now available forpurchase at garysonline.com. Just click on “Online Store.”TAILORING

Our on-site expert tailors will hap-pily work with you and your salesassociate to create the perfect fit. WARDROBE

CONSULTING & CLOSET CLEANINGIn order to help you better integrate your new seasonal purchases with the old, we offer our clients a complimentary closet consultation. One of our professionalsales associates will personally visit your home to inventory your closet, providingsuggestions on how to creatively mix and match your existing wardrobe. One of ourexperienced tailors can also be on hand to provide any fitting or re-adjustments youmay need. And, if you so desire, we will provide a photographic catalogue of yourwardrobe for further reference.

HOMEDELIVERY& SHIPPINGWe ship to anywhere in the United States. If you’re in town, we can hand deliver to your doorfor added convenience.

GIFTCARDS

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nyone who’sever thoughtthat men’sfashion is bor-ing can’t befamiliar with

Robert Graham apparel.Founded by award-win-ning designer RobertStock 10 years ago, theseexciting clothes are part of a totallifestyle concept, summed up byhis trademarked mantra(Knowledge, Wisdom, Truth)that appears on every garment.

In addition to the fabulousfashion and spiritual compo-nents, Robert Graham sportswearoffers up a hefty dose of fun! Thecompany does more than 150

events a year, includ-ing the prestigiousConcours d’Eleganceantique car rally inCarmel, California.

Their strongcelebrity following

includes ath-letes (AlbertPujols, MarianoRivera), actors(Alec Baldwin,Owen Wilson),musicians (TheBeach Boys, 50Cent) celebritychefs, weddingplanners and more.

High profile fans notwithstand-ing, Robert Graham’s real success

secret is exceptional product. Tenyears ago, they virtually inventedthe colorful contrast trim wovensportshirt that revolutionizedmen’s fashion. By juxtaposing pat-terns on collars, cuffs, and/or theactual body of the shirt, they creat-ed a whole new look for men’scasual dressing. Since then, theline has evolved to include tailoredclothing, footwear, an extensiveassortment of premium denim, andlots of whimsical accessories, from

hats to socks. Although he’s been through sim-

ilar brand-building journeys sever-al times in his career, Stock (whostarted out working with RalphLauren) couldn’t be happier aboutthis one. “What’s different here isthat Robert Graham is not justabout clothes; it’s about makingpeople happy. Our customers arecollectors: some of them own liter-ally hundreds of our shirts. At arecent personal appearance in astore, I lent the DJ one of ourshirts in a size 2XL. After theappearance, he confided how manypeople told him how great helooked. (So of course I gave himthe shirt!) And that’s what drivesme: seeing that kind of reaction…”

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CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF FASHION INNOVATION.

BY KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN

ROBERT GRAHAM:

ECLECTIC STYLE

From top: RobertStock; 50 Cent;Albert Pujols

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CANALI

SPRINGFASHION TIPS

FOR HIM

ASKFORUMQ: I’ve had some of my suits for over a decade and they’re holding

up pretty well. How do I know when it’s time to replace them? Just because your old suits aren’t worn out doesn’t mean they’re still in style.Cuts are slimmer now, so if you haven’t bought a suit since the country had a bal-anced budget, your closet needs updating! Jackets are also slightly shorter, two-buttons are in and pleated pants are out!

The trimmer a suit gets the more important fit becomes, so it’s a good idea toinvest in well-made pieces. Ask us to show you how quality canvassing, construc-tion and fabrics all come together to form the perfect fit, one that highlights yourshape and moves with you without constraining you. We’ll bring you up to speedwith updated models that suit your taste and budget. And don’t forget to pick upa few slimmed-down shirts and ties to complete the new you; nothing ruins thesilhouette of a trim suit faster than wearing a large, lumpy shirt under it.

Q: What can I do to make my casual wardrobe current forspring/summer 2012?

Warm weather sportswear can be casual, but never sloppy. One perfect way toupdate is with the season’s hottest bottoms: slim chinos. Available in bright col-ors and updated neutrals, the new chinos pair equally well with polos or softcoats. Make sure they hit just at the top of your shoe, or roll them up a few timesfor relaxed elegance. Don’t forget to ditch your socks or replace them with onesthat can’t be seen, like the new styles from V.K. Nagrani.

The boat shoe is also back in a big way this summer. We’re firm believers thatdeck shoes offer a perfect footwear option for casual style. Try them with colorfulshorts for day, or dark jeans and a blazer for evening. Drivers and loafers arealways safe bets, too.

Q: My wife switches her closet every season, but I wear the samesuits and slacks all year round. Am I doing something wrong?

Yes! Suits in particular are often designed by season. Tropical-weight, at 6.5 to8.5 ounces per linear yard, is comfortable for spring and summer weather. Mid-weight suits (9 to 10 ounces) can be worn 10 months out of the year, and regular-weight suits (11 to 13 ounces) are suitable for fall and winter months. Some fabrictypes are also more appropriate for certain seasons: linen, cotton and seersuckerin lighter colors help keep you cool in summer, while corduroy, tweed and flannelin darker seasonal tones are great layering pieces for the colder months.

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RMENEGILDO ZEGNA’s new Milano suit for spring 2012 is anexquisitely detailed work of art that, one could say,took the Italian clothier a century to perfect. Just intime for the luxury menswear brand’s 100th anniver-sary, the Milano is a super-soft study in sartorial chic

that combines a slim shape, gently fitted waistand natural, semi-constructed shoulders.

Like all Zegna suits this season, the newMilano, available in both single and double-breasted, is interpreted in a range of color-

ful natural fabrics that appear to bebleached by the sun, with an ever-so-slight sheen reminiscent ofsharkskin clothing from the 1950s.But the Milano is tailored with adecidedly modern sensibility. Thejacket is cut slightly shorter andfeatures just a hint more interiorcanvas—as many as three layers—for structure, yet the finished gar-ment remains remarkably light-weight. The defining element is

the barchetta, or boat-shapedbreast pocket, a sewing detail that

can only be achieved by hand.Initially a cloth producer and later a

suit and sportswear maker, ErmenegildoZegna (pronounced zane-ya) has per-

fected the art of lighter-than-air suit mak-ing like no other designer label in history.

The Trivero, Italy-based mega-brand notonly constructs all of its own suits in fac-tories around the world (prompting thecompany to introduce the slogan ‘Made in

Zegna’), but the family-owned company

suiti

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TAILORED TO PERFECTION

100 YEARS LATER, OLD-WORLD CRAFTSMANSHIP MEETSMODERN TECHNOLOGY. BY WILLIAM KISSEL

Zegna suits in a rangeof colorful naturalfabrics that appear tobe bleached by the sun.

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has pioneered everything from thetechnically advanced fabrics usedto make its suits to the su mesura,or made-to-measure, concept oftenemployed to sell them.

WHAT MAKES AN ERMENEGILDOZEGNA SUIT SO SPECIAL—espe-cially the made-to-measure

variety—can only be answered byslipping into one. Each piece is alabor of love tailored to your exactspecifications, in the fabric of yourchoice. You can select the numberof pockets, the direction of thepleats on your trousers and eventhe buttons and whether or notthey work. Moreover, it will bemade with such attention to detailthat your every physical anomaly—from sloping shoulders and athrown back to a hollow chest oran enlarged abdomen—is actuallymasked by the finished garment.(Buying one of these suits is a farbetter option than going under thedoctor’s knife.) You may neverneed to visit your tailor again.

“By the time a made-to-measuresuit is complete over 500 handswill have touched it and more than7,000 hand stitches will have beenused to create it,” explains imagedirector Anna Zegna.

Zegna workers have a hand inevery step, from shearing the sheepthrough the processing of the fiberinto yarn (and then fine fabrics), tothe cutting and sewing of everyjacket using a combination of mod-ern machinery and hand finishing.

“The perfect fit of a Zegna suitcomes from constructing it with100 pieces; the lining alone com-prises 12 separate components,”adds Zegna. After each piece isprecision cut, it passes through thehands of hundreds of tailors,whose singular purpose is to turn

one-dimensional pieces of clothinto a three-dimensional garmentworthy of the most discriminatingclientele. The waistband, fly andbelt loops on a pair of trousers canrequire more than 20 workers, andit takes the efforts of another 24tailors to construct the sleeves of ajacket; nearly 190 sewers areinvolved in creating the body of asingle jacket. Even the act ofsewing a simple buttonhole “cantake an eternity of careful cuttingand stitching,” says Zegna.

Once the fabric has been cut,corresponding pieces are carefully

bundled and passed down to thetailors and sewers to construct thegarment, which can take as long asfour days to wind its way throughthe 110-step production cycle.

Upon completion each suitundergoes an arduous pressingprocess performed by dozens ofworkers: six to press the slacks andanother 22 to press and hand-ironthe jacket before it receives itsfinal inspection. If the finished gar-ment meets the company’s loftystandards, it is literally given theZegna seal of approval as the sig-nature logo is sewn in place.

THE SECRET of a Zegna suitisn’t just the meticulous wayit’s put together, but theinnovative cloth used to makeit. The company’s founder andnamesake, Ermenegildo Zegna,began as a fabric maker in1910 with the creation of anatural wool weighing roughly350 grams per square meter,considered featherweight byearly 20th-century standards.Today, most Zegna fabrics weighin at a fraction of that andinclude such technical advancesas Trofeo, a worsted wool madeof prestige Australian superfinemerino wool with long fibers foradded strength and resiliency,and the latest 13milmil13, avicuna-like fabric made from

merino yarns measuring lessthan 13 microns. (To appreciatehow exceptional this is, oneneed only reflect on the factthat a human hair measuresroughly 50 to 60 microns.) Thedevelopment of such fine micronwools is the result of Zegna’s1963 initiative, the VellusAureum trophy, which motivatesand awards Australia and NewZealand’s sheep farmers whoproduce these ultra-fine wools.

Pioneering fabrics for springinclude Zero Weight, a blend ofsuperfine merino wool and silkwith a yarn count of 600—thefinest silk quality in the world.The company is also movingforward with last year’s CoolEffect, in which fine Australian

wool is finished to enable darkfabrics to reflect heat like light-colored ones. The result: a cloththat keeps the wearer 10degrees cooler than if he werewearing an untreated fabric.

“Fabric represents Zegna’sheritage and it’s the primaryfocus of our innovation,” saysAnna Zegna, noting that thebrand offers more than 700cloth options, including 200 newfabrics each season, as part ofits made-to-measure suit service.Over the course of thecompany’s 100-year history,“Zegna has invented over 20unique and innovative fabrics invarious colors, patterns andtextures, which have becomestaples of our collection.”

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foot

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Finding a high-quality shoe that’s fashionable withoutbeing trendy—and that actually feels great all day—seemselusive, at best. Enter AURI, the contemporary footwearbrand headquartered in Southern California. Auri pres-ents a collection of men’s fashionable dress, sport andcasual footwear that is found in some of the finest retail-ers across the U.S.

Auri’s design lab is based in the coastal town of LagunaBeach, and its design team has perfected and patentedtheir exclusive W*RKS™ technology, which helps cushioneach step and supports the foot with advanced designsand materials. The advantage is completely hidden, butimmediately felt and always appreciated.

The brand offers three collections: a dress group ofstreamlined styles with classic lines, contemporarydetails and a European fit; the casual collection, which isdenim friendly and designed with relaxed styling for amore laidback feel; and the sport collection, which is asportswear designed collection with supple Italianleathers and fine stitched details.

Each of the collections uses premium Italian leathersthat are hand-burnished or polished to a refined finish,and all incorporate moisture wicking linings and leather-wrapped anatomical foot beds.

Auri was recently approached by Robert Graham brandfounder Robert Stock, who, after wearing a pair of Auri,selected the design team headed by Marc Scepi to designand produce the Robert Graham footwear collection,which will debut for fall 2012. The brand’s W*rks ™ tech-nologies will be utilized across the entire Robert Grahamcollection.

Handcrafted footwear with intricate stitchwork, bur-nished leathers and leather wrapped linings makes for agreat look and a great wear experience for anyone look-ing for contemporary classic footwear.

IF THESHOEFITS....AURI FOOTWEAR HITSTHE STREETS.

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ounded in 1923,Samuelsohn is aMontreal-based clothingcompany with a reputa-tion for excellence basedon fine tailoring, luxuryfabrics, unusual atten-

tion to detail and modern style. For Samuelsohn, fine tailoring

means fully-basted canvas con-struction: there is no glue in theinterlinings of their suits, so thatthe garment maintains its shape,fit and comfort even after repeatedcleanings. Their luxury fabrics arefrom the best mills in Italy andEngland, featuring cashmere,camel hair, superfine wools, Pimacotton, Italian silk and preciousfibers like vicuna and yangir.Hand-tailored details includeBemberg linings, corozo or hornbuttons, silk threads and labels,and Italian cotton pocketing.

But perhaps Samuelsohn’s realsecret weapon is its designer,Arnold Brant Silverstone, who grewup working for his family’s clothingcompany in Montreal beforelaunching his own in the late 1990s.Respected as one of the most tal-ented designers in the industry,he’s also known for his dapper per-

sonal style. Here, we speakwith him about tailored cloth-ing, and about what makes awell-dressed man.

What’s so special about aSamuelsohn suit?It’s about hand-craftsmanship:each suit takes six and a halfhours of labor, more than manyof the well-known designerbrands that arealmost twice theprice. Are theymade totallyby hand?No. If wecould auto-mate it all, wewould. But thereare severalprocesses amachine can’tduplicate: the hand-basting, the hand-sewn armholes, theshoulder. Certainsteps can be automat-ed and you won’t seethe difference, butothers cannot. Mostimportantly, technol-

OLD WORLD QUALITY, MODERN STYLE.BY KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN

SAMUELSOHN:

NEVER COMPROMISE

prof

ile

Samuelsohndesigner ArnoldBrant Silverstone

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ogy has not been able to duplicatea full canvas garment. Cheapersuits look okay on a hanger sincethe shape comes from pressing.But after dry cleaning, that shapeis gone. Your suits are known for acertain “expression”—whatdoes this mean?It means the garments are not flat:there’s a certain dimension, a soft-ness, a sexiness. After all, thehuman body is not flat, so a well-tailored suit should also haveshape and dimension.What should guys look forwhen buying a suit?The most important thing is fit:when you put on the garment, itshould make you look better. Awell-tailored suit hides myriadimperfections and moves with you.The shoulders should be on you,not out to there. Today, men arewearing suits closer to the body,but that shouldn’t mean you losecomfort. It’s like driving a greatsports car and really feeling theroad. When you wear a quality suit,it moves with you.How can guys look elegantwhen they’re not wearingsuits?The biggest problem is when menequate casual with not caring, with

throwing on jeans and a T-shirt.The best-dressed men put thoughtinto dressing: casual might meanbeautifully tailored cotton pantsand a soft jacket or a lightweightknit cashmere sweater or a coolreversible outerwear piece. Thinkback to the best-dressed men overthe decades: The Rat Pack, James

Bond, the Kennedys, Cary Grant,George Clooney… However casualthe look, it was well thought-out,not thrown together, reflectingtheir personal style. What are the key items aman should have forspring/summer 2012?1) A great summer suit, maybe atropical wool in British tan or dovegray. 2) A performance blazer orsuit, either with high-twist yarns orsome Lycra. Most guys these daysare traveling or on the move butthere’s no reason not to look crisp…3) A cool outerwear piece: some-thing reversible or with interiorpockets or truly transitional andmulti-functional. 4) A soft coat.We’re famous for ours: they looktailored but weigh next to nothing.What’s the secret of successfor a clothing manufacturer?Passion! I’ve been doing this formore than 20 years; I inherited thepassion from my parents. But inaddition to passion, one needs aspirit of innovation. We’re on topof the latest fabrics, fits, technolo-gies. We’re always pushing theenvelope, never satisfied with thestatus quo. We want the customerto say “WOW!” every time he putson one of our garments. That’s mypassion, and my mission.

How would you describeyour own personal style? I like to look contemporary: notblending in with the crowd but notblatantly standing out. I like cloth-ing that’s special, with the focus onfit, quality and elegance. That’s theway I like to dress and the kind ofclothing I love to design!

CLOTHING THAT’S SPECIAL, WITH THE FOCUS ON FIT, QUALITY AND ELEGANCE.

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IN TODAY’S HIGHLY COMPETITIVEretail environment, how do inde-pendent stores compete with storesmany times their size? Here, wespeak with a few star merchants inthe Forum store group (a coalitionof America’s top specialty apparelstores) to learn how they do it.

Theorizes John Malouf ofMalouf’s in Lubbock, Texas: “We’vesurvived by featuring only the bestproduct in each category, and byteaching customers how great theycan look in the right clothes.”

Adds John Braeger of Garys inNewport Beach, California, “Oursecret is buyers who live in thecommunity so they really knowtheir customers’ interests, tastesand lifestyles…”

Braeger pointsout that independ-ents are more willing totake risks than storesthat are publicly owned.“We buy smaller quanti-ties with more selection, soyou’re less likely to see some-one in town wearing the samething. Our goal is to please cus-tomers, not shareholders…”

What’s more, independent mer-chants often buy designer brandsdifferently than the big stores,working personally with thedesigners to develop exclusivesand fine-tune assortments.

Explains Bob White of HubertWhite in Minneapolis, “Our advan-tage is knowing who we’re buyingfor and combining that knowledgewith trends in the market.”

Obviously top merchants travelfar and wide to find exclusiveproduct: many take eight to 10trips a year. Says Malouf, “We trav-el regularly to NYC, Dallas, Vegasand Italy, where we work directlywith the designers. To me, design-ing beautiful clothes is analogous

to an artist whopaints or a

musician who

composes: it’s creating somethingof beauty and lasting value.”

On a more pragmatic note,Wally Naymon from Kilgore Troutin Cleveland points out that byshopping at locally owned special-ty stores rather than nationalchains, 80 percent of the moneyspent stays in the community.

Andrisen Morton in Denver,Colorado emphasizes service. Saysco-owner Craig Andrisen,“Employees who are respected,rewarded and well cared for treattheir customers the same way.”Adds his business partner DaveMorton, “Our philosophy of busi-ness is simple: ‘Never say no,

always say yes, then go figure itout.’ Exceptional service is

always the ultimate goal.”Sums up Bob Mitchell of

Mitchells, Richards, Marsh’sand Wilkes Bashford: “Our

personalized approach toeverything we do,from buying to mar-keting to service,allows us to give

customers morewithout costingthem more.”

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THE SOUL OF A MERCHANTNO ONE DOES IT BETTER THAN THESE MULTI-TALENTEDSPECIALTY MERCHANTS. BY KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN

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S P R I N G 2 0 1 2

SCOTTBARBER.COM

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denim

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HO ISN’T SEARCHING for theperfect jeans, a pair thatis both comfortable andsexy? Seemingly impossi-

ble standards for most brands to liveup to… but AG isn’t most brands.Mixing that form-fitting silhouettewith a lived-in feel is what makes AGdenim the hottest on the market.

The company launched in 2001as a collaboration between Mr. YulKu and “the Godfather of denim”Adriano Goldschmied. (Ku owns30-year-old Koos Manufacturing,one of the world’s premier denimfactories; Goldschmied co-foundedDiesel.) The two parted amicablyin 2004 and the brand has been onthe up-and-up since Ku’s son Sambecame design director in 2006.

AG manufactures everything in

its own 400,000 sq. ft. facility inLos Angeles, employing over 1,000workers. The amount of time andpersonal attention that goes intoeach pair is astonishing: fromhand-sanding and oven-bakedwhiskering to new eco-friendlylaser technologies that help createthat perfect vintage look.

“We control every step becausewe’re a vertical operation,” Samsays. “We don’t take shortcuts, ortry to save a few cents here andthere with cheaper fabrics or trims.We really care about the productand want our consumer to lookand feel good in our jeans.”

Premium fabrics are sourcedfrom Japan and Italy, many ofwhich are exclusive to the brand.Recently, AG has also impressed

with its non-denim styles, likesuper-soft pima cotton cords.

In denim and other fabrics alike,Sam highlights colored bottoms asone of spring 2012’s hottest trends.Men should try muted colors likesand and charcoal, while womencan experiment with a morediverse range: dusty shades of roseand gray, and saturated brightslike electric blue and raspberry.

The brand has garnered frequentpress attention thanks to its manycelebrity devotees, includingpower couple Gavin Rossdale andGwen Stefani, and Academy Awardnominee Anne Hathaway. But Samgets most excited when he seessomeone—anyone—walking downthe street in a pair he designed.“For me, that will never get old!”

ATTENTION-GRABBING

STYLEAG JEANS WILL GET YOU NOTICED. BY ELISE M. DIAMANTINI

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The most revered royalty of ancient Hawaii - the Ali’i - are honored and celebrated in this limitededition collection. Each pair is meticulously handcrafted with the highest quality leathers and etched with a traditional phrase of community strength; Pupukahi i holomua - Unite in order to progress. We’d like to think that if the Ali’i were still walking the islands today, they’d be walking in these.

Learn more about the Ali’i Collection at olukai.com/alii


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CASB

AHa walk in the walled city

The ancient Moroccan city of

Aït Benhaddou – formerly a caravan

route between the Sahara and Marrakesh,

and location for the fi lm Lawrence of

Arabia – provides the perfect canvas

for the bold, romantic and timeless

looks of spring 2012...

S E R G I O K U R H A J E C

C L A I R E B A Y L E Y

W E N D Y M C N E T T

P H O T O G R A P H Y

H A I R & M A K E U P

S T Y L I N G





citrus anD spice | strong solids | pops of pink


THIS PAGE

Dress by Lela Rose.

OPPOSITE PAGE

Shirt by Isaia, jacket by Canali.


Sromantic prints | subtle checks | bold stripes


Spring may be springing, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to walk around without a jacket.

A great-looking lightweight jacket or sportcoat is an essential fi nishing touch for a put-together casual look.

Whether a man walks into a meeting, a meal or a movie... without a jacket, no matter how great the shirt is, the look will be unfi nished, lacking in style and sophistication. This spring, there has never been a more versatile selection of high-performance, lightweight jackets in so many fabrics and

styles. Whether in summer suede, seersucker or silk, cotton, denim or “techno-fi ber” designed to beat the heat,a couple of great jackets can complete any look. And jackets are not just for slacks. Wear them with jeans, khakis—even your favorite shorts!

TheJacket

YOU’RE NEVER FULLY DRESSED WITHOUT...

THE ULTIMATE FINISHING TOUCH AND THE KEY TO A WELL-DRESSED MAN

The Jacket [regular size].indd 1The Jacket [regular size].indd 1 1/28/12 10:33 AM1/28/12 10:33 AM

JACKET 101: THE EASIEST WAY TO ADD STYLE ANDELEGANCE TO YOUR CASUALEVERYDAY LOOK

FORGETTABLE

MEMORABLE!JACKET 101: THE EASIESTWAY TO ADD STYLE ANDELEGANCE TO YOUR CASUALEVERYDAY LOOK

The Jacket [regular size].indd 2The Jacket [regular size].indd 2 1/28/12 10:33 AM1/28/12 10:33 AM

SUEDE OR SEERSUCKER, COTTON ORCASHMERE...A JACKET ADDS ELEGANCEAND TEXTURE TO ANY OUTFIT.

The Jacket [regular size].indd 3The Jacket [regular size].indd 3 1/17/12 3:34 PM1/17/12 3:34 PM

DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OFTHINKING THAT JUSTBECAUSE IT'S WARM YOU DON’T NEEDA JACKET!

MEMORABLE!

FORGETTABLE


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TheErmenegildo

Zegna 10-Pocket

Blazer

THIS LIGHTWEIGHT MUST-HAVE

TRAVELS LIKE A PRO AND TAKES A LOAD OFF YOUR PANTS POCKETS.


JACKET NOT OPTIONAL: A MERE SHIRT AND TIE MAYBE SUITABLE FOR A STUDENT, BUT NOT FOR A MAN WHO MEANS BUSINESS.

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“I’M A JEANS AND WHITE SHIRT GUY,” saysMarco Maccioni, director of oper-ations and co-owner of MaccioniGroup, a restaurant mini-empirethat includes Le Cirque andOsteria del Circo restaurants inNew York City, Las Vegas, theDominican Republic and India,along with a half-dozen relatedventures.

At the moment, it’s a little diffi-cult to believe Maccioni’s casual-guy assertion. We’re seated at thewine bar in Le Cirque NY, the busi-ness’s Upper East Side flagship,and he’s dressed to the nines in

custom Italian suiting, his still-youthful feathered hair perfectlytousled. Martha Stewart and NewYork City mayor MichaelBloomberg walk past, heading toan event in the restaurant’s privatedining room. Maccioni excuseshimself only briefly to greet andmake small talk. He returns quick-ly, skilled as he is at the art ofimmaculate hosting, ensuring eachguest (including this author) feelslike the only VIP in the room.

“When I got married last year[to singer Sabrina Wender], we didit at the beach, because it was asopposite as possible to what I wearhere every day,” he says.

Marco Maccioni is the middlebrother of three in this tight-knitfamily business, which alsoincludes their mother, Egi, andfather Sirio, founder of the originalLe Cirque in 1974. “We each bringdifferent characteristics,” says

ceo

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The Maccionifamily in 1980,New York City

Left: MarcoMaccioni, posingoutside Le Cirque,is the picture ofeffortless style.

FOR LE CIRQUE’SMARCO MACCIONI,IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR.BY ROBERT HAYNES-PETERSON

WITH FRIENDSDinner

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Maccioni as we sip our ForestBreeze cocktails (muddled black-berries, white Fragoli, vodka andChambord) crafted by BillGhodbane, Le Cirque’s bar manag-er of 15 years. “I’m more the wineand dining aficionado [he worksclosely with the chefs and somme-liers at Le Cirque NY and Circo].My younger brother [Mauro] is thepalate and my oldest [Mario] is thestrategist and organizational cheer-leader. And my father isomnipresent.”

Le Cirque NY is in its third spacein 37 years, this time in the sweep-ing Bloomberg Tower with a viewonto the central courtyard.Maccioni dubs it “Le Cirque 3.0.”

Over the years, it has been a prov-ing ground for many of the city’sbest chefs/restaurateurs, includingDaniel Boulud and Alain Allegretti,and is currently presided over byOlivier Reginensi, who took over inJanuary for longtime head chefCraig Hopson. The food is French,but with Italian and contemporaryflairs. Like the space itself, the cui-sine and festive atmosphere havechanged with each location, whilethe aura, the heart of the restaurant,remains unchanged.

“I parallel it to a classic suit orshoe,” says Maccioni. “There’s areason it’s a classic and respected.Though it might not be fuchsia orwhatever today’s color is, you stilllook good in it. One of the reasonsfor Le Cirque’s long-term successis knowing how to do your thing,but not using everything in yourplaybook at once.”

The suit he’s wearing, crafted by

a well-known Florentine designerand tie maker, is indeed an elegantfusion of contemporary and clas-sic, with trim lines and an under-stated pinstripe pattern. “I guessmy personal style is that... I’mItalian. My family is from Tuscany.In Italy, you go shopping with yourmother. She teaches you to rub thefabric, feel the lapel, and learn toappreciate fine craftsmanship. I’mmore relaxed and jovial, but atCirco, I’m in uniform. The goodnews is, I get to pick my uniform.”

Osteria del Circo, with outpostsin New York and Las Vegas,adorned with European circusthemes, is the family’s other restau-rant brand. It is classically,

unapologetically, Italian. A quotefrom Marco on the restaurant’swebsite explains it well: “When weopened Circo in 1996, our businessplan was simple. Dad’s hospitality,Mom’s food, run by the sons.”

Circo was Marco’s introductionto the business end of things, fol-lowing stints working for bars andrestaurants in Paris and theChampagne district. With theexpansion of Le Cirque and Circoaround the world (the New Delhiventure in the posh Leelah Palaceis the brand’s latest), along with theplacement of Le Cirque menus on15 Holland America cruises, theMaccioni family seems to be every-where these days.

“My father started when he was40, and grew with his customers. Istarted when I was 38, and I hopeto do the same thing,” saysMaccioni. “Every new venture hasnew friends to make, which is the

best part.” He rises to greet BillCunningham, the bicycle-ridingNew York Times fashion photogra-pher about whom a documentarywas made last year. Out comes thenext dish: a pairing of ChefHopson’s lobster risotto andGhodbane’s Champagne Royalecocktail, featuring a sugared rosepetal. The concept of creative cock-tails—beyond, say, a Martini or OldFashioned—at white tableclothrestaurants is a new-again trend inManhattan and a sign of the times.Le Cirque’s wine bar is also “new”with the six-year-old 3.0.

“Le Cirque wasn’t the same in1974, 1984 or 1994, and that’s notcounting the moves,” says

Maccioni. “It was a very purposefuldecision to make the restaurantsdifferent from each other. But it’simportant to do what you knowhow to do within the changingtimes, without losing your identity.”

Part of that identity is, it’s worthrepeating, family. On another visitduring lunch, all three brothers—Mauro, Marco and Mario—swingby to say hello. Unlike at, say, aBatali, Puck or Flay property, theodds are pretty good at the NewYork restaurants (and often in LasVegas) that a Maccioni will wanderpast and ask after your meal.

Marco lives within a couple ofblocks of Circo. “My brothers arehere, or I’m here,” he says. “We aredoing other things, of course, butwe still have the oversight at therestaurants. If that wasn’t impor-tant to us, we’d own a millionrestaurants. But it’s a tradition wefollow and keep.”

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“THERE’S A REASON A CLASSIC IS RESPECTED. THOUGH IT MIGHT NOT BE FUCHSIAOR WHATEVER TODAY’S COLOR IS, YOU STILL LOOK GOOD IN IT.”—MARCO MACCIONI

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Taking photos at rock concertsstarted out as a hobby for NYCteenager Neal Preston. But withhis unique ability to capture notjust the celebrity but the spirit andhumanity within, Preston ultimate-ly became one of the preeminentrock star photographers of our era,traveling around the world withfamous musicians for the past fourdecades. His work has appeared oncovers and features in major maga-zines (Time, People, Rolling Stone),newspapers, movies and on count-

less record and CD covers.We caught up with Preston at a

recent photography exhibit at TheMorrison Hotel Gallery in SoHo. What life lessons have youlearned from traveling aroundthe world with rock stars?I’ve learned that music toucheseveryone in a very deep and spiri-tual place, as it does me. If youtake someone’s music away—and itdoesn’t matter if it’s rock, hip-hop,classical, whatever—you are rip-ping out his soul…

Top left: Stevie Nicksat home in Venice,California, 1981Left: Freddie Mercuryat London’s WembleyStadium, 1986

STAR PHOTOGRAPHER NEAL PRESTONON CAPTURING MOMENTS IN TIME.BY KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN

GARY_PHOTOGRAPHY_Rock Star.qxp:GARY_ 1/28/12 1:15 PM Page 46

I’ve also learned that the great-est luxury in life is to be able totake private rather than commer-cial flights!How do you manage to getthese very wired guys torelax? How do you capturethem in ordinary moments?It’s all about being a fly on thewall. Mind you, that’s not some-thing that can be taught; you justhave to go by instinct. There is areal finesse involved with figuringout when to remain invisible andwhen not to. If you start to act likeyou’re the fifth member of LedZeppelin, you’re gonna have a bigfat problem…What was the strangestmoment you ever experi-enced at a rock concert?There are many. But having PeterGrant (Led Zeppelin’s legendarymanager) tell me to actually goonstage during a show and standin front of the drummer (JohnBonham) and shoot him was prettybizarre.What do you consider yourgreatest accomplishment?Many people have told me thatthey can hear the music when theylook at my photos. Who do you most admire? I’m not sure “admiration” would bethe right description, but the twomusicians who have influenced mylife are Pete Townshend and JohnLennon. Pete for the honesty in hiswriting, his creativity, his torturedgenius, his ability to look at lifefrom multiple points of view… Icould go on and on. And JohnLennon, for showing me what“cool” really is, for giving me thegreatest soundtrack to life ateenager could have, and for allow-ing me to realize that music was,and always will be, in my DNA.

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Jimmy Page,onstage duringLed Zeppelin’s1977 U.S. tour

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s a motorsports enthusi-ast and driver, I’ve longbeen obsessed with theJaguar marque. I’veowned several over theyears and love the look,

smell and sound unique to the oldJags. Would the new XJL inspirethe same passion?

I was able to make the compari-son at Motorcars Incorporated inPlainville, CT, where Dean Cusanosells primarily vintage Jags. Amonghis offerings: a 1958 Jaguar XK 150.It was easy to see why these oldJaguars became so popular in theirday: dramatic sculpted lines, expres-sive headlights, a long hood line, adignified grill, and one of the mostpowerful engines of its time.

The new Jaguar XJL displayssimilar characteristics, with an

even more graceful stance. Witha 5-liter overhead cam and 4valves per cylinder V8 engine,this supercharged Jaguar pro-duces an amazing 510 horsepow-er. Its 6-speed automatic trans-mission can also be shifted man-ually using the shifting paddleson the steering wheel, similar tothose found in modern Formula 1racecars.

Connecticut and Jaguar haveanother connection: the town ofThompson is home to America’soriginal purpose-built race circuit.Thompson Raceway began operat-ing in 1940 as a 5/8-mile pavedoval track. In 1952, sports cars likethe Jaguar XK 120 began racingon what had become a 1.5 mileproper road race circuit on landowned by John Hoenig. For years

Thompson Raceway was the hometrack of racers in the Sports CarClub of America’s northeast divi-sion, but the last race held on thecourse was in 1977. The track isstill operated by the Hoenig fami-ly; John Hoenig’s great grandsonJonathan, now marketing manag-er, plans to one day reconstruct thecourse and bring road racing backto northeast Connecticut.

Before my time with the car wasup, I took the superchargedJaguar around the time-honoredoval track for a few hot laps. TheJaguar was at home on the play-ground of its ancestors. I wasthrilled to feel this luxury road carinstantly transform itself into aracecar, as I thought of the leg-endary drivers who preceded meat this iconic speedway.

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A RACECAR DRIVER TESTS OUT THE NEWJAGUAR XJL. BY DAVID A. ROSE

LEAPING CAT

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THE IDEA OF CAMPING—fresh air, friendsgathering around a campfire, slum-bering under the stars—appeals toalmost everyone. Sleeping on theground, dirt-speckled food andprimitive bathroom facilities do

not. Fortunately, enterprising campcreators are removing much of theuncomfortable stuff from a stay inthe great outdoors, preserving allthe good and adding even moreincentives. Glam camping, or

“glamping” as it’s now called, hasspread around the world.

The Clayoquot WildernessResort is located on the westcoast of Vancouver Island (reach-able by boat or sea plane). Here,

BY DONALD CHARLES RICHARDSON

Below: Sleepunder the starsin the SabiSands region ofSouth Africa.

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guests who love the great out-doors can hike, fish, or climb to atreetop observation platform toview one of the oldest temperaterainforests in the world, then “fly”over the forest via a 285 meter-long flight line. For those whoprefer less strenuous exploits,Clayoquot offers wine tastings,spa tents and library tents with aninternet café. And the accommo-dations will surely attract the lux-ury-loving camper. Tents reminis-cent of those used in 19th-centurygreat safari camps have king bedswith down duvets, antiquedressers and tea tables, Persiancarpets, working bathrooms andheated floors. There are evenbathrobes and turndown service.

The Resort at Paws Up, locatedon 37,000 acres along theBlackfoot River near Missoula,Montana, offers a range of year-round activities: 120 miles of des-ignated hiking and riding trails,fly-fishing, whitewater rafting,cross-country skiing, and more.Recently, Paws Up has openedtheir most luxurious tentedaccommodations ever. Set on abluff overlooking the BlackfootRiver and Elk Creek, PinnacleCamp has one- and two-bedroomsuites with climate controls, jettedtubs in the ensuite bathrooms and

decks with river views. There’seven a personal “camping butler.”

If you want to go off by your-self, boutique adventure compa-ny Global Expeditions, Inc.offers private custom excursions.This company doesn’t have afixed location or standard pack-

age. Instead, an area is leasedexclusively for you and a luxurytented camp is created. Globalwill fly in a chef from anywherein the world, and cater to yourwhims with yoga masters,masseurs and estheticians, orauthorities on geology, ecologyand astronomy.

For stargazers, there are severalother options. Abercrombie & Kentwill arrange for you to explore themysterious Sahara Desert. After atour of the area (including Berbervillages and the Atlas Mountains)guests set off across the desert fora four-wheel drive to the camp, sit-uated in a remote area overlookingthe Erg Chebbi Dunes. There’s asunset camel ride through theSahara’s dazzling expanse, fol-lowed by a Moroccan dinner, tradi-tional entertainment and a spa-

cious Caidal tent.Then there’s Four Rivers

Floating Eco-Lodge in Cambodia,located in Tatai, next to the Thaiborder between Bangkok andPhnom Penh. There are 12 tentedvillas, each with a flat-screen TV,mini-bar and wi-fi. You can trek

into the jungle to explore one ofthe world’s largest rainforests,kayak down river, fish, or per-haps stop off for a natural hydromassage in the Tatai Waterfalls.At the end of the day, you canrelax on your private sun-loungerbalcony for a cocktail.

If you want to get away from (andabove) it all, Lion World Tours, spe-cializing in trips to southern andeastern Africa, can arrange for youto stay in a treehouse. In the SabiSands region of South Africa, anastonishing bedroom has beenbuilt around a majestic 500-year-old Leadwood tree. Guests aretaken to the camp at sunset to gazeout over the plains while enjoyingChampagne and local delicacies,before turning in on lavish linensin complete privacy… and, natural-ly, sleeping under the stars.

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Above, left:Abercrombie &Kent’s SaharaDesert Camp

Right: The FourRivers Floating

Eco-Lodge inCambodia

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READERS PLEASE NOTE: An importantfashion trend is emerging, andfrom Major League Baseball, of allconservative places! It concernsstockings.

No, not the Cincinnati RedStockings, the first American base-ball team whose players got paid toplay (1869). Nor sox as in BostonRed Sox or Chicago White Sox.

This discernible drift is to socksthat come up to the knees—kneesocks—and thus eschew those longloose pants now standard in MLB.(Some pant legs these days are soelongated it’s a wonder playersdon’t trip and fall on the way tohome plate!)

Knee socks in two styles, plainand stirrup, are trending, I sense,perhaps because baseball playershave little choice in what they wearto games. The essence of a uni-form is that all dress the same,which means the cap, the shirt andthe pants are standard issue. Inother words, all parts of the base-ball uniform are preordained...except for the socks.

New YorkYankees CurtisGranderson, left,and Derek Jetercelebrate asthey score onAugust 19th,2011, inMinneapolis.

“WE’RE SEEING THE BEGINNING OF A SHIFT BACK TO THE OLDDAYS, WITH BOTH SOLID HIGH SOCKS AND STIRRUPS.”

MUCH ADO ABOUT ANKLES

MLB PLAYERS ARESHOWING SOME LEG. BY WILLIAM N. WALLACE

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Curtis Granderson, the NewYork Yankees’ star center fielder,wears knee socks in dark Yankeeblue. So does teammate Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez, the multi-milliondollar third baseman. Yet like thevast majority of MLB players,teammate Derek Jeter does not.

The fashion iconoclasts areattention grabbers. In casuallywatching last year’s World Series,my wife picked up on the stockingsof Octavio Dotel, one of many relief

pitchers for the winning St. LouisCardinals. He was wearing boldstirrup socks—red ones with blueand white stripes. Dotel’s choice oflegwear under the bright lights ofthe World Series brought back thepast. Reader, surely you have heardof Napoleon Lajoie? Nap Lajoie wasso good that the team he played forwas named after him: theCleveland Napoleons of the newlyfounded American League in theearly 1900s. In that era, playerswore wool socks that pulled upover the knee.

During a 1905 game, Lajoie wasspiked by a rival shortstop namedO’Leary when Nap came slidinginto second base. O’Leary’s shoespikes cut through Lajoie’s stock-ing and into his leg, drawing blood.The Boston Globe later reportedthat Lajoie had come down with“blood poisoning” because the dyefrom the stocking got into thewound. It was an unlikely tale, butnevertheless the next season,Cleveland players wore pure whitestockings to avoid blood poisoning(according to the Globe).

Soon the players were wearingtwo pairs of socks: the thin whiteunderneath called “the sanitary”and a colored one on top. Thatdouble layer made for a snug fit inthe shoe, so the colored toes andheels were cut away. The effect wasa stirrup sock, a fashion featurethat endured for decades.

These stockings were worn invarious display colors to identifythe teams: brown for the St. LouisBrowns for example. Babe Ruth

wore green socks when he waswith the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Ruth? The great Yankees All-Starwas never a Dodger, you’re think-ing. But yes, he was: as the firstbase coach in 1937, in a publicitystunt to sell tickets. And the uni-form trim was green that seasonbut soon returned to Dodger blue.

The stirrup sock, universal by1910, acquired tweaks in its evolu-tion. More and more of the outerwas cut away, leaving in somecases just a thin strip of identify-ing color pulled over the whitestocking underneath.

We know a lot about the subjectthanks to baseball historian MarkOkkonen, author of BaseballUniforms of the 20th Century. Thatbig picture book was published in1991 as the pants trend continuedto go south of the kneecap.Okkonen chose to ignore it.

Earlier, Carl Hubbell, ace pitcherfor the New York Giants in the1930s, had rolled his pants wellbelow the knee. So did TedWilliams, the Red Sox slugger ofthe 1940s and ’50s. But they were

exceptions. Ultimately, longerpants all but eliminated the kneesock as uniform. Something wasdefinitely lost, says Tyler Kepner,the Times’ lead baseball columnist.

“I would love to see players showmore socks or stirrups and expressthemselves within the confines ofthe uniform,” he told me. “Butmost go with the modern trend ofwearing pants to the ankles orlower, showing no sock at all.’’

As with many a fashion trend,

it’s hard to grasp what forces low-ered pant legs. My theory is thatonce the big stars—like BarryBonds as he came on in the ’80s—dropped their pants, others fol-lowed like sheep.

But now we’re seeing the begin-ning of a shift back to the old days,with both solid high socks and stir-rups. Said Kepner, “Guys like A-Rod, Ian Kinsler (Texas Rangers),Hunter Pence (PhiladelphiaPhillies) and Dave Robertson (NewYork Yankees) don’t wear stirrupslike they did in the old days. Butthey do display a lot of their stan-dard, colored socks.

“A few guys do prefer actual stir-rups, but very few: Juan Pierre(Chicago White Sox), UbaldoJimenez (Cleveland Indians),Octavio Dotel (St. LouisCardinals), Josh Outman(Oakland) and Reed Johnson(Chicago Cubs) come to mind. Butmostly it’s the plain high socks.Too bad.” William N. Wallace is a retiredsportswriter for The New YorkTimes, working from Westport, CT.

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“I WOULD LOVE TO SEE PLAYERS SHOW MORE SOCKS OR STIRRUPSAND EXPRESS THEMSELVES WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE UNIFORM.” —TYLER KEPNER, THE NEW YORK TIMES

GARY_SPORTS_Much Ado About Ankles.qxp:GARY_ 1/28/12 1:26 PM Page 56

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atered down" liquor is aloaded term, implying a less-than-premium product. The fact is, almostall hard spirits are watered downbefore you buy them. By U.S. law,most hard spirits must have a mini-mum ABV (alcohol by volume) of40%, or 80 proof (liqueurs, sweetened,infused alcoholic beverages, can havea much lower ABV). Since booze usu-ally comes off the still between 110and 190 proof, water is added to bringit down to our acquired palate andmaximize the base product.

The concept of ‘cask-strength’spirits—that is, bottling the productexactly as drawn from a maturingbarrel—has only recently gainedcachet, particularly among Scotchwhisky drinkers. These days, thereare cask-strength releases ofLaphroig, The Glenlivet, TheMacallan and so on, targeting themalt whisky aficionado. "Cask-strength whiskies generally have amuch more intense flavor profile,"says Michael J. Neff, co-owner of thewhisky-driven Manhattan bar WardIII. "It allows a broader range ofexperience.”

‘Cask strength,’ by convention, is"the natural strength of the spirit,unadulterated by water, and is

dependent on maturation conditions,"says Iain McCallum, master blenderfor The Bowmore, Auchentoshan andGlen Garioch whiskies. As a result, thefinal proof usually differs from bot-tling to bottling, so the latest release ofAuchentoshan Valinch might have anABV of 57.5%, while Bowmore's 10-year Tempest Batch 2 is 56%.

Whisky and bourbon aren't theonly aged spirits drinkers are sippingstraight from the barrel these days:

• DeLeon Tequila, a relatively newluxury label, released its extra-agedexpression last fall at cask strength.The $250 tequila, aged 51 months,comes in at 51 proof. Founder BrentHocking is confident in thepurity of his product. "Atcask strength, you can tasteflaws or additives," he says.

• Because Cognac isgenerally a blend ofdozens of barrels, andheavily regulated byFrench law, it's rare to findcask-strength expressionsin America. So whenPierre Ferrand Cognacreleased its $600 limitededition 1972 CaskStrength a couple of yearsago, it was a big deal. And

when it's gone, it's gone.• Pisco, a white, brandy-like grape

spirit, is gaining popularity in NorthAmerica. According to JohnnySchuler, founder of the new premiumlabel Pisco Porton, "in Peru, pisco isdistilled to strength, with no water,oak or anything else added." This pro-duces a clean spirit at about 86 proof."It's an honest drink," Schuler says.

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DeLeon 51, a newextra-aged tequila,is one of the onlymodern tequilasbottled at its fullcask strength.Expect other brandsto follow.

CASK-STRENGTH SPIRITS MOVE BEYOND WHISKY.BY ROBERT HAYNES-PETERSON

ROLL OUTTHE BARREL

GARY_SPIRITS_Roll Out the Barrel.qxp:GARY_ 1/28/12 11:00 AM Page 58

SPRING 2012

We made Bills better by not changing a thing.

Cut & Sewn in the U.S.A.


row up,” my fashionable friendsneered over his ceviche, withone eyebrow raised. “You lookdisheveled, kind of a mess…”

“What are you talking about?” Idemanded, feeling very sartoriallyappropriate in trim khakis and a crispblue oxford shirt.

“Your outfit!” he dispatched withdisdain. “It’s dull and uncoordinated.It makes you look dated. And clue-less!” Requesting specifics about myfashion transgressions, I was toldthat, for one thing, my belt and shoeshad nothing in common.

“The belt’s at my waist, the shoesare on my feet: what do they need incommon?” I wondered aloud.

But after a quick self-assessment, Ihad to admit that my friend was right.Despite owning plenty of qualityclothes, some with designer labels, Inever seemed to look quite right.Clearly, my image was far less cooland far more boring than most of theguys in that trendy restaurant.

Time to consult the experts.Here’s what I learned: ■ When it comes to accessories, buythe best you can afford. When theaccessories look expensive, the out-fit looks expensive.■ The belt and shoes should be asclose as possible in color, textureand material.

■ Socks should match the trouser,rather than the shoe. (But a littlewhimsy on the feet is acceptable, asis going sans socks in summer.)■ More than anything else you wear,your tie expresses your personality.Make sure it’s current (three and ahalf inches, narrower if you’re a rockstar) and make sure it’s interesting.Even casual outfits, including jeans,go up a notch with the right neck-wear: try a knit or linen tie, or a sub-tle conversational. ■ Keep your eyewear current. Bringalong a friend when you select newglasses and make sure the framescomplement your face shape andfeatures. (Bold frames are of themoment, but only if they look goodon you!)■ A handkerchief in your sportcoatpocket adds a touch of elegance.

So there it is. Without threateningmy masculinity, the simple act ofcoordinating a suede belt with mysuede bucks has instilled newfoundconfidence. And now that I’m takinga few minutes each morning toaccessorize, my life is changing forthe better. My girlfriend seemshappy to see me. My colleagues areshowing respect. Who knew lifecould be so simple? My patronizingfriend even picked up the check atour most recent lunch outing.

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TOGETHER!THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE DETAILS.

BY HANS GSCHLIESSER

ZEGNA

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