SHOW THE SHORT-SLEEVED SHIRT SOME LOVE!

It's time to show the short-sleeved shirt some love. Let us cast aside any dated associations with IT technicians, missionaries and Homer Simpson, and remind ourselves that a shirt with short sleeves can be just as stylish as its longer-armed brother - with a few provisos, of course. The first is that short-sleeved shirts should never be worn with a tie or any sort of neckwear, unless you actually are at the controls of a jumbo jet. The second, and no less important, condition is that you must choose the right short-sleeved shirt to look good: think well-cut, and not baggy, with sleeves that fall at least a few centimetres above the elbows and won't flap about like a pair of wings. This is where MR PORTER brands, from Burberry to Saint Laurent, come into play, with their breezy interpretations of the style jumping straight onto our summer wish lists. Whether you go for the 1950s counterculture and rockabilly aesthetic (embodied by the likes of Messrs James Dean and Eddie Cochran) or prefer to think tropical or preppy, click through the gallery, below, to discover some of our favourite short-sleeved shirts as well as the men who wear them well!

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STARS IN THEIR CARS!

There is more to being well dressed than just the clothes. It's about the life as well as the wardrobe, and a man's method of transport is an important element of the stylish life. We're promiscuous when it comes to transportation: we're big fans of cycling and we're certainly not above public transport, but we also love driving. It's undoubtedly easier to make a good impression if you emerge from the cabin of an Italian coupé, rather than from an underground station, and if you're offering someone a lift home after dinner it's more tempting if she knows that you've got the keys to an Aston in your pocket, rather than the keys to a D-lock. This is something the men in the photographs, above, knew well, and they set an almost unbeatable benchmark when it comes to automotive style.

FIFTY SHADES OF PORSCHE!

"I couldn't find the car of my dreams," Mr Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche once said. "So I built it." Fifty years and more than 820,000 cars later, and the German car giant is still building, improving and perfecting what has been described as the quintessential sports car. Despite all the success of the Porsche 911, however, it was a difficult birth. 

Originally called the 901, Porsche swapped the '0' for a '1' because Peugeot claimed a patent on three-digit numbers with a zero in the middle

At the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963, Porsche unveiled the 901. And if it wasn't for the fact that Peugeot complained about the name - the French manufacturer claimed a patent on three-digit numbers with a zero in the middle - we would probably still be talking about the 50-year longevity of the 901. As it was, Porsche simply swapped the "0" for a "1".

Mr Steve McQueen had a switch fitted on his 911 Carrera Turbo that cut the rear lights, just in case any highway patrolmen were following him.

Not only is the 911 an iconic car, it has always been beloved by legends. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Mr Steve McQueen owned three slate-grey 911s, deliberately making them inconspicuous so that he could race around the LA Canyon without attracting too much attention. Mr McQueen even had a switch fitted on his last Porsche (the 911 Carrera Turbo) that cut the rear lights just in case any highway patrolmen were following him. (The 1970 911S Porsche that Mr McQueen drove at the start of the film Le Mans was sold for more than £830,000 in 2011.)

Comedian Mr Jerry Seinfeld is another fan, happily describing himself as a "Porschephile". With a collection of more than 40 classic cars, Mr Seinfeld is well placed to explain the success of the German automotive giant: "'Cool' is what sells sports cars. I mean, can you name another company in the history of companies that could get a positive PR spin off [James Dean's death]?" For Mr Seinfeld, the 911 stands out as the definitive driver's car. "If you ask me, the front of the 911 reminds me of a human face," he said recently. "Yet, I find the location of the speedometer much more significant. This was what impressed me the most when I sat in a Porsche for the first time. This car's priority is speed. Period."

For Mr Ferry Porsche, however, speaking shortly before his death in 1998, he saw the appeal of one of the most recognisable cars on the planet like this: "The 911 is the only car you could drive on an African safari or at Le Mans, to the theatre or through New York City traffic."

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THE ART OF HOLLYWOOD SNAPSHOT: MR SID AVERY!

My name is Ron Avery and my father was Sid Avery. When people ask if I'm Sid's son, I joke, "That's right, I'm SOS." Not the appeal for help mind you, but rather, Son of Sid. For the 45 years I knew my dad, I always considered myself very lucky to hold that title. I tried to model my career after his and admired him not only as a person but also for his work. To honour the memory of my dad, I thought it was high time to let others share in some of the magic he captured through his lens during his extraordinary career. More than that, though, I wanted the reader to hear, for the first time, my dad's stories about the assignments he shot on and the interactions he had with some of the 20th century's most celebrated icons. These stories are sometimes as interesting as the images themselves.

I was always in awe of my dad's work ethic. Whether I was helping him in his studio as a child during my summer break or when I began working with him full-time as an adult, he always treated everyone with respect and kindness, from the first assistant down to the lab technician.

READ THE WHOLE STORY AFTER THE BREAK!!!

YEAH MAN, B&W GENTLEMEN!

Dear all, this is the first part of what is going to be a looong series of b&w real gentlemen pictures! Enjoy!

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RUGGED AND REBELLIOUS: THE BIKER JACKET!

Rugged and rebellious, the biker jacket is an enduring wardrobe staple!

There's something about leather biker jackets: as soon as you slip one on, you instantly become a more rebellious, alive version of yourself, with the swagger to match - even if you're not actually a biker or rock star. It doesn't matter if the closest contact you have with a motorbike is when a courier delivers your online shopping; biker jackets are such a masculine and effortlessly stylish wardrobe staple, it's impossible to resist getting in on the action. Check the gallery below to see a handful of men who have worn them well, and to learn more about the origins of this enduring classic.

Shop the story here!

 The biker jacket evolved from the leather jackets originally worn by drivers and pilots in the late 19th century. These provided a shield against dust, grease and weather (essential in the days when cars and cockpits were unenclosed), as well as some protection in the event of an accident. When the motorcycle came onto the scene, a jacket with similar properties was required for riders, with the principal modifications that it would be shorter in length than driving coats, and less bulky than leather flight jackets. 

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DAY 2: OUTWEAR - THE BLOUSON

Fashionspam's ICONS of MEN's STYLE Series presents today the ageless men's outwear 

items from the blouson to the famous denim jacket, the fishtail parka, the biker jacket, the 

trench coat..and many more!

THE BLOUSON

Neat, simple, casual, comfortable, smarter than the denim jacket, not as load with 

stereotype as the leather one, the blouson has been the choice of powerful men in 

the west from John F. Kennedy, to Bill Clinton and George W. Bush!

SHOP HERE: MR PORTER!

John F. Kennedy was a fan, though only while sailing

Originally inspired by the 1937 G9 Baracuta, and for a while known as the 

Ahmadinejad-jacket (after the president of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad), the blouson, 

now also known as the windbreaker, golf jacket, or Harrington became the official

 attire for US Presidents. 

When Elvis Presley wore the style in King Creole 1958, James Dean wore

 a similiar one in  Rebel Without A Cause, Steve McQueen became an adherent, 

and whore a G9 when he was photographed riding on one of his many motorcycles 

for the cover of LIFE Magazine in 1963, and when even Frank Sinatra wore one in 

1966 in Assault on a Queen, its status as a STAPLE was assured!

Steve McQueen

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THE ESSENTIAL: THE WHITE TEE

All it takes is a plain white t-shirt, a pair of Levi's 501, sneakers and a pair of Persol 649. 

The result? A minimalistic, simple, clean, fresh, sleek and relaxed look like the 

'King of Cool' below, Steve Mcqueen in the late 1960s. A timeless and versatile look! 

Add a grunge touch by wearing a black leather jacket (we will come to that later)

or why not a dandy touch, wearing it with a light coloured double breasted jacket. Enjoy!

Steve McQueen

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SOPHIA LOREN & JAMES DEAN

As we promise, each post will come with a song & a trailer

Enjoy!

DAY 1: INTRODUCTION

ICONS of MEN's STYLE examines, item by item, the most important and famous 

of these products - their provenance and history, the stories of their design, the brand 

or company that started it all and how the product shaped the way men dress today.

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ICONS of MEN's STYLE

So..Just to make it clear before any accusation, incrimination and much more

(God knows what women are capable of!)

We (fashionspam) adore, love, appreciate, admire & cherish women!

BUT

We are going to start a series entitled

ICONS of MEN's STYLE!

(Inspired by the homonymous book by Josh Sims, 
by 40s, 50s & 60s movies & tv shows, 
and by personal favourites)

The reason is simple:

Womenswear progresses in leaps and bounds, fuelled by the readiness of women to wear what may 

at the time be perceived as the radical or outrageous. 
Not so with menswear menswear evolves, slowly. 

But from what? 

Behind nearly every item in the modern male wardrobe is a first of its kind the definitive item, 

often designed by a single company or brand for specialist use, 

on which all subsequent versions have been based 
(and originals of which are now collector items in the booming vintage market)

So, whether you like the idea or not

(We will see in the 'pageviews' statistics!)

And ladies, don't worry, any single inspirational

outfit, dress, ring, shoe, bracelet, nail, handbag

WILL BE UPLOADED DIRECTLY HERE HERE


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