TGT for DRIVEN | 1968 Porsche 911
Shaped by the brilliant mind of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the iconic first generation 911 would come to define the Porsche marque more so than anything to date. The Classic Car Club of Manhattan invited us to immerse ourselves in the car that started it all. Spending a day in upstate New York at the Orvis Sandanona grounds for a day of sporting clays and cars, we absorbed the intoxicating vapors of performance and made realizations that only the CCCM can afford you. For more on the “Steve McQueen” Porsche 911, head on over to UrbanDaddy’s DRIVEN.
Doing It Right | Sly Like A Fox
Many of us don’t see Sylvester Stallone as the sartorial heavyweight. This pint sized style contender was truly the personification of his most memorable role, an underdog at best in the style arena. And like any underdog, that entails a few big hits but a whole lotta’ misses.
However we find ourselves a tad more forgiving when it comes to Sly, as he was a man that was known to have fun with style – Even if it meant looking like the manager of your local Gold’s Gym in the 80’s at times.
Taken from Life Archives we bring you one of Sly’s TKO’s. Playing the role of the socialite leading man, we see him in a tan double-breasted peak lapel jacket, donning a collar pin, cap toe oxfords and a patterned silk pocket square. While we may not endorse the pinky ring and prop pipe, we appreciate the effort.
So keep on sluggin’, tighten that collar pin and strut on. Do it right. (more…)
An Unlikely American Classic: The T-Shirt
Seeing as summer has quietly come to an end, we decided to close it with a last minute salute to an unlikely American classic. The T-shirt, while not usually finding itself at the sartorial winners podium, has a fairly young history. We won’t concern ourselves with the uncertainties of said history, such as its first recorded use, an already greatly debated question. We will however concern ourselves with its emergence as an acceptable form of casual garb not limited to the barracks.
After it’s introduction in the Spanish-American war, the T-shirt found itself exclusively used as a form of underwear for soldiers. Through trickle down it became accepted in American society as a way to keep a gentleman from sweating through those old button downs and oxfords. It wasn’t until WWII, that American GI’s on the European war front, observed both civilians and European soldiers using the t-shirt as a form of casual wear.
A GI befriends a young French lady on the French Riviera.
Blacked Out | Gabarro Rally Straps
A NATO strap doesn’t always cut it, and sometimes that brush steel bracelet is just too sporty for the occasion. For all other scenarios there is the humble classic – the leather strap, a mark of understated elegance.
As a consequence of Timex’s successful scrimping efforts achieved by selling you three quarters of a watch (sans steel band) and the demand for more attainable vintage watches (sans factory band), an all around acceptance of non-factory bands materialized. (more…)
TGT for DRIVEN | Le Mans at Lime Rock Park
A few weeks ago, TGT was dispatched by UrbanDaddy’s DRIVEN to join the American Le Mans at the North Eastern home of racing, Lime Rock Park. There we spent a day with Lime Rock Driver’s Club Director, Simon Kirkby, to discuss vintage Le Mans cars and the pecularities of the track experienced behind the dashboard of a nimble BMW M3 courtesy of LRP. Secluded in the sprawling hills of Northern Connecticut, Lime Rock park functions as home of the Skip Barber Racing school and gentleman driver adrenaline-junkie’s. Head on over to UrbanDaddy’s DRIVEN for the full story.
Smokin’ In The Boys Room – Steve McQueen & The Boys Republic
Few men knew how to stick it to the man like Boy’s Republic alum Steve McQueen. Known for his incorrigible bad boy attitude and troubled youth, Mcqueen was admitted to the California Chino Hills Boy’s Republic at age 15.
Fast forward 17 years later, he struts back in with the swagger he had the first day he set foot in the boy’s academy. With a silk pocket square, skinny silk knit tie, and white button-collar shirt in hand, he was there to visit his young alum. To that day and on, he maintained amicable rapport with the academy and provided friendship to the rowdy youngin’s. Performing regular visits and allegedly responding to every piece of mail addressed to the Bad Boy graduate himself, his run in’s with the academy were frequent and evolved into his own scholarship fund to the excelling roughneck academic.
Still breakin’ the rules, he returns to smoke a cigarette in his old dorm room while entertaining the boys and getting to know his youthful pen pals. Browse the following pictures by veteran Life Photographer John Dominis and digest where attitude and style meet at a crossroad for a full on collision of cool. And if anyone ever tells you, you can’t wear a tie with a button-collar shirt just say, “Yes, I can, I learned it at the Boy’s Republic”.
Tumblr | Back In The Badlands
Yesterday, we launched the sister site/tumblr-sibling of The Gentleman’s Topcoat. If you haven’t noticed, half of the driving force behind TGT, is not only the style agenda of the gentleman, but the visuals associated with them. Back in the Badlands, is just that – a visual celebration of the places, things, items and moments we admittedly hope to experience. It translates into our unabashed attempt to influence our daily lives with these visuals. It is a conscious reminder, that we need not lead a life marked by monotony and bland overtones. Suit up, and step outside – We are Back in the Badlands.
The Ivy Corner | The Cut Locker Loop
Today we introduce a new niche of TGT; one fashioned in tweed, khaki and oxford cloth resting on the laurels of scholarly origin – The Ivy Corner.
The Ivy Corner stands to be a discussion of the style sensibilities promoted by the appearance, demeanor, and tradition of the collegiate contender. Having a style that wavers from disheveled and meditated to put-together and methodical. The Ive Leaguer look is of many facets, but ultimately relies on simplicity and tradition. And as such, we begin our discussion about a little tradition.
To piggyback on our most recent discussion on the oxford shirt, it only seemed to be fitting to start with a peculiarity of Ivy Style which now sits in ephemera. Above you see the back of the oxford shirt which commonly is adorned by the Locker Loop. For those wondering what to call that loop all these years, consider that quandary settled. In this case however, the locker loop has been removed.
Apparently, as a way to signal that a man was spoken-for to the campus’ female cohort, the young man would cut his Locker Loop on his oxford or remove it all together and wear it proudly so. Seems simple enough and straight forward, but in my honest opinion it sounds like a waste of a perfectly good shirt.
Either way, with the resurgence of all things prep these days, the cut locker loop isn’t all too uncommon to spot in the post-atomic age. We aren’t saying that we now have guys mangling their shirts at home, but rather that they are coming from retailers with the “going-steady” symbol of the prep days.
For those who aren’t handy enough to mark yourself a taken man with a pair of scissors, you can procure such a shirt at Gant Rugger or patiently wait for the opening of the Gant Yale Co-Op at its original New Haven location.
Fret Buzz | The Pedal That Rocked The World
The Sound of Clapton, Hendrix and Zappa. Brought to my attention from a close guitar aficionado friend of mine, is the new release of the short on the pedal that made rock history. The iconic Cry Baby, or the wah-wah pedal as it is also commonly known as, was the revolutionary sound behind the guitar of the 60s. Hendrix rocked his foot on it in London and made history in ’66. Many others followed. It was then that funk on the guitar was decidedly here to stay. Crank it up to 11, and enjoy the feedback.
Within is the video release in HD, complete with a video of Hendrix’s rendition of Voo Doo Child, for a textbook sample of the pedal and guitar’s eponymous voice.
Weathered | The Bausch & Lomb Ray Ban Aviators
In 1937, Bausch & Lomb was the first manufacturer to be commissioned to create the aviator style sunglasses. Faced with the need to better equip pilot’s of the modern day against the prolonged exposure of the intense blue and white hues of the sky, Bausch and Lomb was asked to create protective eye-wear for the pilot’s eyes. They had the task of creating a lightweight pair of sunglasses that conformed to the contours of the wearer’s eye sockets, while allowing minimal light to enter during prolonged flight.
Starting out as a medical equipment manufacturer based in Rochester, New York, Bausch & Lomb would soon become the world renown makers of these iconic symbols of aviation and style. After 62 years, the creator of the Ray Ban Aviator G-15 Sunglasses found itself in a position of dwindling sales as the markets tastes shifted to prefer more modern sunglasses. In 1999, Bausch & Lomb was forced to sell Ray Ban to Italian sunglass giant Luxottica.
Perpetual Buzz | The Tianjin Seagull 1963
Recently featured at Hodinkee, we decided to take a closer look at the Seagull 1963 Chinese Airforce watch. While the watch is no Audemars Piguet Tourbillon, it is an affordable and fun little watch that stands out in the sea of Tag and Omega emblazoned wrists these days. More likely, look at it as an improved replacement to the trendy return of the Timex with NATO style bands on them. (more…)
Doing It Right | The Fifties – Lunchroom Manners
For all of those spending your Saturday morning in a unproductive fashion, brush up on your manners with this entertaining PSA on childrens lunchroom manners (1959). Check out the Draper-esque look these kids sport. Lessons learned: Woo the lunch lady, use way too much soap and eat half a chocolate cake. Maintain perfect head of hair.
The Gentleman's Topcoat 
