Kingpin Chic at the Toronto Fashion Week
That’s me on the right!!
I’m as shocked as anyone being featured in a recent Toronto Life article naming current fashion trends in Toronto. I will take the nod of being well presented and for being patriotic!
Kingpin Chic Mens Clothing at Wychwood Barns Gadsden’s Toronto Vintage Clothing Show
By special request Kingpin Chic will be opening up our collection of fine gentleman’s apparel one day only on Sunday, October 23, 2011 at the Gadsden’s Toronto Vintage Clothing Show Wychwood Barns located at 601 Christie Street Toronto, Ontario. The hours for the show are 11 am – 4:00 pm and admission for adults is $8.00, and for children 12 and under there is no charge!
CAFTCAD Movie Wardrobe Sale Toronto
Twice a year the The Canadian Alliance of Film & Television Costume Arts & Design (CAFTCAD) hosts a clothing sale so that it’s members, and astute members of the public, can take advantage of movie and television production wardrobe offerings. After a movie or television series finishes production there is usually quite a bit of stuff left over, and this includes all the clothing that actors and background performers wore in their productions. This year the sale is Saturday, October 15th from 10 AM to 5 PM. It usually held in an empty sound stage, and this time around it is no different with a studio at 751 Eastern Avenue in Toronto being used as the location.
Kingpin himself (me!) will be there and I’m even parting with some of my favourite fabric treasures, so please feel free to stop by and say, ‘Hello,’ and perhaps select a new bow tie or pair of cuff links!
The Pink Bow Tie from Thomas Pink
The innovation of the cravat allowed for it to develop into several variations of gentlemens neck ties that became distinct types of cravats over time. One of the most familiar is the bow tie. This stylized cravat has come to define a gentleman in every aspect and is, perhaps, the single piece of apparel that defines a gentleman in every situation. Whether in use, or not, the bow tie communicates the situation a gentleman finds himself in (say British super-spy James Bond), whether tied,
Sean Connery as James Bond - Tied Bow Tie and Ready For Action
or untied,
Daniel Craig as James Bond - Untied Bow Tie and Ready For Action
By simply undoing his bow tie a secret agent can let us know so many things. And while these gents look great keep in mind they are professional killers! Imagine what the bow tie can do for the average gentleman.
The well-dressed gentleman has been associated with the bow tie through the modern age. They have instilled confidence in our leaders, from Benjamin Disraeli to Winston Churchill in Great Britain,
Benjamin Disraeli in a Bow Tie and Looking Dandy
Winston Churchill Beat Hitler (Yes, THAT Hitler) in a Bow Tie
to the United States, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt rocked a bow tie into the White House,
Lincoln - Republican Dandy in a Bow Tie
Roosevelt - Democrat Dandy in a Bow Tie
and of course one could go on and on with men of distinction who donned the bow tie with great effect. We shall leave that topic for another delightful time.
Historically the bow tie settled into the gentleman’s wardrobe in the late Victorian era. The above examples of Disraeli and Lincoln demonstrate some of the earliest forms of bow ties. You can see the connection to the earlier cravats and where the bow tie is about to emerge.
And thank goodness it did! The bow tie has become the pinnacle of fashion for the neck. The gentleman both wears the bow tie in the most formal setting as well as being the pride of the Dandy. They come in silk for the elegant touch and they come in cotton for common touch. Andre Benjamin, help me out here. First, show me the sophisticated formality of the bow tie:
Andre Benjamin Demonstrates the Formal Cool of the Bow TIe
Great! Now, how about the steamy swingin’ look?
Andre Benjamin Demonstrates the Swingin' Heat of the Bow TIe
Thank-you, and fabulous use of the straw hat!
Still in doubt about the awesomeness that is the simple bow tie? I refer you to this image of how regal the bow tie makes the gentleman look in the past and present:
Edwardian Gentleman with Bow Tie and Top Hat
from the dignity the bow tie bestows on the Edwardian gentleman to the suave mantle of ultimate cool for Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.
Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra in Bow Ties and Delicate Mayhem
Should there still be any foolish debate left, I present how the bow tie works equally well with decorating the female sex with sexy elegance,
Josephine Baker in White Bow Tie Looking Delicious
Amber Heard, Naturi Naughton and Leah Renee as Playboy Club Bunny Hostesses
And they even work their magic untied on the opposite sex, perhaps even better than when on a gentleman,
Kate Moss Looking Sexy with an Untied Bow Tie
Thank-you Kate Moss (and I still need that tie back. Seriously.).
There you have a brief introduction to the bow tie and why you should start wearing them. Stay tuned for instructions on how to tie your own…
In keeping with my series on gentlemens boots I present to you the Paddock!
Paddock Boots in Two Tone Leather by Hope
Horse riders of the nineteenth century needed something less cumbersome than the standard riding boot. Bookmakers responded to this need by developing the lace-up Paddock boot. As the name indicates, this lace up ankle-height leather boot was ideal for Victorian gentlemen to wear around the paddock when training horses and seducing the fair maidens riding them. It stand to reason that the Paddock boot descend to us from the English riding tradition.
Paddock boots are still worn for equestrian work and Ariat makes athletic grade pairs. These are not the kind for a gentleman to wear in his regular wardrobe. I am using the term Paddock boot to apply to the ankle boot for men that fastens by laces (as opposed to the buckle of the Jodhpur and the rubber sides of the Chelsea) and where the boot’s collar is no more than a few inches above the ankle. It should go without saying only Paddock boots made with both leather sole and vamp are appropriate for a gentleman. (I’m speaking to you, Michael.)
Fancy Footwear - The Fendi Take on the Classic Paddock Boot
There are other styles of lace-up ankle boots for men. The elegance and lightness of the Paddock set it apart from the other types. The light and durable design of the Paddock boot proved very popular and they became the alternative footwear used with horses instead of the knee-high ‘tall’ riding boots of the time. Tall boots are now usually only worn in very formal riding settings. They are also sometimes appropriate for a gentleman to wear outside of riding, but more of that later.
Bootmakers design Paddock boots in a variety of styles, given their qualities of lightness and durability. This variety of styles in turn makes them acceptable for wear in formal and casual settings where, say, a hiking or motorcycle boot would be extremely wrong. Cowboy boots require very special handling and are not for the faint of heart! (I’ll look at these types of boots soon enough!)
Traditional Paddock Boot from the Gentleman's Emporium
As I am in the warning mood, I would like to take a moment to caution against the use of ankle boots, or any boots for that matter, that make use of side zippers. One of the chief statements a quality leather boot makes is that its wearer has taken the time to dress and dress well. convenience is never a gentleman’s consideration, and should never be confused with functionality. Hurrying is not part of a gentleman’s appearance.
Paddock Boot Tricked Out in Brogue by Trickers, UK
If you wear zipped boots you might as well wear a belt that fastens with Velcro! A Dandy steers clear of anything that might pull his attire into the realm of costume, and nothing indicates a costume in footwear faster than an unsightly zipper.
Article first published as Gentlemens Boots – The Paddock on Technorati.
