Shopping for a 60's Summer Style Inspired by 'Love & Mercy', the New Beach Boys Biopic Movie

The first trailer for 'Love & Mercy', the new biopic based on the rise of The Beach Boys, came out earlier this week. As a fan of both their music and everything about the 60's style this is definitely a film I am looking forward to. The timing of it is so perfectly on trend too – it's all about 60's and 70's this summer. From preppy striped shirts and white tennis shoes to checked short-sleeved shirts and chinos there is a great choice to jazz up our summer wardrobe. And so, as you would expect, I put together a few selections inspired in the looks from the movie.
To make the experience complete I recommend playing a few of their tracks from the iTunes playlist widget on the left-hand side.

Left to right and top to bottom:

Acne Studios short-sleeved shirt, Dolce & Gabbana striped swim shorts, AMI striped shirt,
Boglioli printed swim shorts, AMI short-sleeved striped shirt.

Left to right and top to bottom:

AMI checked shirt, Lanvin bowling shirt, Orlebar Brown polo shirt, Acne Studios checked shirt,
A.P.C. shirt-sleeved printed shirt.

Left to right and top to bottom:

Tomorrowland knitted t-shirt, Common Projects slip-on sneakers, M.NII striped cotton tank,

Beams Plus striped knitted t-shirt, Dan Ward printed swim shorts, Thom Browne t-shirt,

Nike Internationalist sneakers, M-NII striped t-shirt.

How to Nail the 'Transitional Look'

1. Todd Snyder suede varsity jacket, 2. New Balance 576 Three Peaks sneakers,

3. Cheap Monday denim jacket, 4. Barbour Bedale Jacket, 5. Clarks Originals desert boots,

6. Burberry Prorsum cashmere-blend coat, 7. Gucci burnished leather sneakers, 8. Vans Old Skool sneakers,

9. Selected bomber jacket, 10. A.P.C. cotton field jacket, 11. New Look khaki parka, 12. Nike Roshe Run.

Just when you think you've mastered how to dress for the winter Mother Nature decides to spin your world (also kind of literally) and head for spring, not without first having to endure an awkward few weeks when neither winter nor spring wear are totally apt. It's exactly for times like these that fashion bunch coined 'transitional wardrobe'.
I have inevitably failed at this way of dressing most of my life. And I did, I realise now, because of my strict self-imposed style rules, the breaking of which is the key to conquering the 'transitional look'. Three perfect examples of how to do it well came this week courtesy of Ryan Reynolds and Chris Pine.
Reynolds paired jeans and chinos with Vans Old Skool. First with a 3-quarter length checked coat worn over a shirt – worn without a jumper in between this makes a perfect transitional look. Later in the week he wore them with a v-neck cotton jumper and an indigo denim jacket – worn without a shirt or tee underneath a cotton jumper and jacket are perfect for a breezy sunny day.
Chris Pine went for a more traditional approach wearing jeans with a cotton button-down shirt and a lightweight jacket. Is is the detailing of the jacket and the well-matched double-denim that make this a hit.

I browsed my favourite online retailers to find 12 pieces perfect to complete your transitional wardrobe, which double up as great additions to your winter and spring wardrobes.

Frank Loves: Louis W. for A.P.C. SS14 Collection

It is a little crazy that Louis W.'s latest collection for A.P.C. is only he's fourth for the French icon. And I say crazy because it's so quickly gained its own cult following that one might think it's been quite a few more years than that.
This month sees the launch of this fourth collection for SS14. An exercise on the reinvention of the Teddy jacket, which was inspired by the looks of American mobsters – its most obvious illustration is the pinstripe wool jacket. The rest of the line sticks to dark colours – black, navy, brown – with the exception with the so-called 'desert-boot' beige suede (my favourite). Suede, wool and leather are all present either individually or used as a play on texture.
You can already buy the entire Louis W. for A.P.C. collection online from this week here.

Shopping for Fair Isle jumpers inspired by Michael Polish

It's not easy for my brain to be distracted when Kate Bosworth is in sight. That being said, her boyfriend's husband's cardigan choice this week managed to do just that – for a couple of minutes anyway. Michael Polish kept his look classic and fuss-free but injected a bit of FW13 flavour by means of his fair isle shawl-collar cardigan. This is one of the best graphic motifs for us men to introduce patterns without risking being loud (unless your fair isle is bright red, which is only allowed for a week during Christmas) and it adds a nice subtle vintage flavour. These below are some of my favourite choices I found online.

Clockwise from top left: J.Crew wool jumper, Original Vintage Style knit sweater,

Polo Ralph Lauren nordic jumper, Thom Browne wool sweater, A.P.C. merino wool sweater. 

Shopping the Mr Porter Sale Inspired by 'Risky Business'

I couldn't believe myself when last week I decided to watch 'Risky Business' for the first time and absolutely loved it. It's not just a great fun coming of age story of kids in the 80's but also a brilliant lesson in style, which seems to perfectly matches with today's offering of menswear fashion. We have transformed 80's basics into contemporary classics we simply can't live without.
Coinciding with the launch of the Mr Porter Sale this week, I decided to find pieces inspired by 'risky Business' keeping in mind any of these buys should be go-to pieces anytime of the year.

First up, the perfect classic blazer. You might have bought it as a two-piece suit for work or formal occasions but have you thought of cooling it up with a basic tee and sunnies for the weekend?

Below: Rag & Bone unstructured cotton blazer, NN.07 chalk-stripe blazer, Acne sunglasses.

Raglan-sleeved t-shirts and sweatshirts have made such a comeback any of us have more than a few in our wardrobe. They're perfect for lounging, doing exercise and looking cool and casual at dinner.

Below: Orlebar Brown sweatshirt, James Perse baseball tee.

I see such atrocities committed with polo shirts. Most men either go too basic or too crazy. The best option when going for a pattern is to keep it simple and modern with a dash of retro. A slim fit is recommended – if you can pull it off.

Below: Junya Watanabe striped polo, Michael Bastian striped cotton-jersey polo,
Canali striped polo.

Now, bomber/baseball/varsity jackets have been around for a while now and even though all sorts of 'cool kids' have claimed them as theirs there are endless luxurious chic options they can't afford or pull off but we can (...?)

Below: Sandro slim quilted varsity jacket, Levi's Vintage suede bomber jacket.

Just like with polo shirts, most men seem to struggle finding nice patterns for jumpers. My rule is to never go for more than 3 strong colours at a time or for too many gimmicks. 

Below: Rag & Bone striped linen-knit jumper, A.P.C. striped jumper.

Harry Styles wears my favourite APC jacket

JustJared

I hope you can forgive how often Harry Styles has been appearing on Fashion, Frankly lately. Whether it's his personal or stage style I must confess there is something I find ever so fascinating.
This week he was spotted wearing one of my favourite items of the season – APC's felted aviator jacket. A lot of the younger male celebrities like Harry and Zac Efron are very keen on these kind of vintage jackets with furry collars and I share that with them. Just like it happens with shawl collar cardigans and varsity jackets, they inject an effortless touch of 'fashion' into an otherwise ordinary outfit. I am seriously after a leather number of a similar style to help me through the new year.

Christmas 2012 Wishlist: Davidelfin & APC Sweatshirts

I realised this week I have bought next to no jumpers this winter. And so I am sort of planning to remedy that over the next two months. Thinking about it I realised there would be no point in investing in woollen pieces and so I'm going for the chic cotton sweatshirt-y options.
Choice number 1 is this amazing Davidelfin inside out jumper. I have been so happy with the quality and the fit of the SS13 one I bought this summer and this one is even cooler but also more subtle. And I simply love all the details.
I fell in love with choice number 2 as soon as I saw it on a blog. I have been contemplating for months whether to buy the infamous Kenzo jumper of the season but eventually decided it was not for me. Instead, I would go for this vintage-flavoured APC one. I can't say what it is that makes me like it so much and that's reason enough to get it.

Frank Musts: Summer 2011

I am finally going on a proper summer holiday next Monday after almost two years of not stepping on a beach (not while it's hot anyway).
I have been quite excited for a couple of weeks and so I have been planning my wardrobe carefully. I also treated myself to a couple of things I could simply not do without by the seaside. I either already own or have bought all of the below (with exception of the Proenza towel). I don't want anyone to think I'm doing an advertorial.

Anchor belt @ ASOS, A.P.C. shorts @ My-Wardrobe, Superga shoes, Proenza towel, Balenciaga bag @ Mr Porter, Missoni towel @ Heal's

They're Fly: How to bring it in the summer

1. A.P.C. anchor logo t-shirt, 2. PS by Paul Smith plaid shirt, 3. Steve McQueen Person sunglasses, 4. ASOS anchor buckle belt.

Let's face it, it's hard for a man to dress in the summer. Keeping cool is key but that, in therms of male clothing, reduces garment options down to two pieces: trousers and top. It's quite a challenge to look fashionable everyday when all you have to play with are two pieces.
Ryan Kwanten's, Ryan Gosling's and Ed Westwick's looks are great examples of how to do this. It's a good idea to add a pattern —stripes, plaid, maritime, even florals— that has to be subtle. Be careful with vests (or wife-beaters) because only men with guns (i.e. Gosling) can pull those off and not look like twats.
Trousers, if not shorts, should be light chinos, slightly looser than you'd wear them in the winter and rolled up (this keeps you cool in more than one way).
Sunglasses and belts are a lot more important in the summer because they say something about who you are. Ray-Ban's are always a safe bet but I personally recommend a classic pair or Persol's or Oliver Peoples'. They have to be a classic shape that goes well with everything but they must have an edge as well, not to be boring.

[JustJared, as credited]

Meet Mr Joe Jonas

Courtesy of Mr Porter

I never would have thought Mr Porter would choose Joe Jonas to be a part of their 'Journal' series. I guess it's that unexpected factor that makes it work. Joe is probably the most fashion savvy of the Jonas' and even though his casual style tends to be a little too flashy LA for my taste he does mostly look quite slick on the red carpet.
The shoot, shot by Angelo Pennetta, follows Mr Porter simple elegant aesthetic and the and styling, by Dan May, is spot-on! I love the Gucci pea coat with the YSL turtle neck underneath and the Burberry velvet blazer with a plain A.P.C. tee.
I was a big fan of Mr Porter (and customer) until now but this story has started to also turn it into a reference point of coolness.

11 things I can't live without this winter

I have been doing some window shopping lately (in the real world and on the internet) and have come up with the list of the ultimate things I just must have in my wardrobe this winter so I can be happy (aka: look exactly the way I want). You have to know, if you don't already, that I am a very classic chap. But one that also appreciates modern takes on classic pieces be it in the shape of innovation in fabrics, cuts or colour. I have also devised the list in a way that it adds character but also utility to my closet. I don't quite believe in seasonal items, which is why I like selecting characteristic garments from different designer collections and turning them into my personal classics.

[Pictures: thecorner.com, matchesfashion.com, yoox.com, apc.fr, tomford.com, style.com]