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May 14, 2013

Stream Daft Punk’s New Record for Free

Electronic-music aficionado or not, you’ve probably caught wind of this mysterious, helmet-clad, hype-generating duo known as Daft Punk as of late. Hedi Slimane of Saint Laurent Paris shot them for the new issue of Dazed & Confused (above)…Our friends at GQ managed to score an in-depth Q&A with the elusive hitmakers…And Spin has posted a virtual smorgasbord of articles, from an oral history of the Frenchmen’s first show on US soil to a retrospective of their 19 savviest samples (highlights range from Barry White to Barry Manilow).

The recent flood of Daft Punk buzz (leading up to the pair’s first new album in eight years, Random Access Memories) started about two months ago with brief snippets debuted during Saturday Night Live and at Coachella—like the one below, featuring Pharrell Williams and ’70s studio legend Nile Rodgers:

Next came a series of interviews that revealed not only the dream team of collaborators Daft Punk hand-picked for their new project, but also the return to analog equipment and old-school studio techniques they embraced—a bold departure from the electronic movement they helped birth almost two decades ago. (Our favorites are below; watch all eight episodes here.)


Then, yesterday, an official video from Daft Punk depicting “The Robots” in the flesh, unwrapping the first copy of their new record and cueing it up on the turntable in their trusty spaceship:

…That last development happened to coincide with a surprising opportunity to LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE NEW ALBUM FOR FREE.

(Click the link above to visit Daft Punk’s site—then click the album cover to open iTunes, where you can stream the full album and pre-order prior to its May 21 release.)

 
— — —
 

The Hedi Slimane-designed, sequined dinner jackets Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo wear in the pics abouve (yes, there are humans under there after all) are cool and all—but we tend to favor Daft Punk’s biker phase. Emulate their robo-moto look with one of our favorite leather jackets below—but as far as fully automated cyborg helmets go, you’ll have to look elsewhere.



PS Paul Smith | Field Scout | Dsquared2
Armani Collezioni | Topman | Kenzo

 
 

[Photos by Hedi Slimane for Dazed & Confused. Music videos © Daft Punk, Daft Life Limited under exclusive license to Columbia Records, a Division of Sony Music Entertainment. 'The Collaborators' interview series by The Creators Project, a partnership between Intel and Vice. Individuals featured do not endorse Nordstrom.]

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May 13, 2013

Sustainable Denim + Swedish Rock = Nudie Jeans

Swedish denim brand Nudie knows its way around a killer fit (see their spring 2013 lookbook image above)—but their philosophy runs way deeper than just looking good. Last year, Nudie achieved the difficult goal of converting to 100% organic cotton.

The eco-friendly journey doesn’t end there: Nudie takes impressive steps to extend the life of your jeans by offering tutorials on how to patch your pair at home and opening a brick-and-mortar repair shop in London. They even offer wrecked jeans a chance at reincarnation with amazing projects like handwoven recycled-denim rugs.

The images below illustrate the ironic beauty of Nudie’s craftsmanship—despite the outwardly gritty appearance, the dyeing and recycling processes being depicted are sustainable and environmentally conscious. (For a video of Nudie’s recycling process, check out our previous post on selvedge denim.)



Besides being a clear leader in sustainable jeans, Nudie also has its finger on the pulse of independent music. Here’s a live performance from Nudie’s store in Gothenburg, Sweden, by a band from the same town called The Shy Lips (who, according to their own Facebook page, have been producing the “Finest Swedish indie rock since 2012″). For many more in-store shows by the likes of Little Dragon, Band of Horses, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and more—check out Nudie’s website.


 

SHOP: NUDIE JEANS | ALL MEN’S DENIM
 
 

[Video and images courtesy of Nudie Jeans; Nudie production images photographed by Ulf Lundin. Individuals featured do not endorse Nordstrom.]

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May 10, 2013

Personal Stylist: Summer Essentials Under $100

Need to look your best at an important event? Want to tweak your wardrobe with key updates each season? Or maybe you just want some quick advice during your lunch break.

No matter your style goals, our expert Personal Stylists are here to help. Their services are free of charge, so read up on what they can do and don’t hesitate to book an appointment today.

For this month’s Personal Stylist post, we asked Ash Gharib, a Stylist at our Tysons Corner store in Virginia, to pull four summer weekend looks—on a tight timeline and strict budget. He aced our challenge on all counts, with each item clocking in at well under $100:


1. Earn Your Stripes. “Mixing prints gives a fresh new spin on your outfit; just keep the prints in the same color family. In this look, I paired navy patterned shorts with a lightweight, nautical-inspired shirt. Adding a hat helps tie it all together.”
1901 Star-Print Shorts, $59.50 | Glory Hats by Goorin, $29.50 | Vince Long-Sleeve T-shirt, $68
 


2. Camo 101. “Yes! Camo is here to stay—and it’s everywhere: Pants, belts, backpacks, etc. For starters, here is your basic camo pant. Orange complements the camo print perfectly. Add a casual graphic T-shirt, and accessories like this green bracelet.”
RVCA T-shirt, $24 | Zack Bracelet, $42 | Bill Adler 1981 Reversible Belt, $29.50 | Dockers Chinos, $64
 


3. Draw a Blank. “It’s not summer without a pair of white jeans. They’re perfect for your beach walk or your casual weekends. Don’t forget to cuff them up, gentlemen! Pair them with a beach-inspired tee, and try a comfortable, easy-to-match slip-on.”
Levi’s 513 Jeans,$58 | Sperry Top-Sider Espadrilles, $54.95 (also in black) | Altru T-shirt
 


4. Festival-Ready. “It started last year with ladies, now it’s time for the men: Make sure you have at least one item with a cool global print in your closet. Tanks are great to throw on with your swim trunks, or a solid pair of rolled-up shorts. Add that great fedora from look #1 and your colorful slip-ons, and accessorize with some fun shades.”
Obey Tank Top, $42 | TOMS Shoes, $43.95 | KW Sunglasses, $10 | 1901 Shorts, $49.50

 


Get in touch with Ash if you find yourself in the Virginia area and could use a hand.
And wherever you are:

Shop more Personal Stylist Picks for Men,
and call 1.877.543.7463 or click here to connect with a Personal Stylist near you.

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May 9, 2013

How to Win at Mother’s Day: Breakfast in Bed

Husbands, sons, and devoted baby-dads: You’ve already got your Mother’s Day gifts in the bag, right? RIGHT?!? The big day is this Sunday, but don’t worry if you’re behind schedule. Get an idea of last-minute gifts you can pick up at your nearest Nordstrom store here: Gifts for Mom; and you can always have a Nordstrom e-Gift Card zapped to your inbox in a matter of hours. (Within four hours, to be exact. Keep that one in mind for birthday and anniversary emergencies, too.)

Material gestures aside, that thing they say is true: It’s the thought that counts. With that in mind, we tapped our very own Nordstrom Restaurant team for a breakfast-in-bed recipe guaranteed to impress.

Bonus tips: Sneak out of bed early (set that alarm, sir), accentuate your gourmet griddle-action with black coffee and stiff mimosas, add a sappy card hand-made by you and the kiddos—and you’re sure to be remembered as the best husband in history.

 


(click recipe to enlarge and print)

 

For more great recipes, shop: Nordstrom Family Table Cookbook

Our Nordstrom Flavors Cookbook, which includes the recipe above,
is also available upon request at Nordstrom Restaurant locations.

 
 

[Photo by Noel Barnhurst.]

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May 8, 2013

Beautiful Women Act Wild at NYC’s Met Gala

The Met Gala is a high-profile party in NYC that marks the opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual fashion-related exhibit at the Costume Institute.

It also produces a red-carpet spectacle that, whereas other red carpets engender class and decorum, encourages celebrities to dress and act as zany as possible.

The theme of this year’s Met exhibit is Punk: Chaos to Couture (check out coverage on our women’s blog). The first favorable outcome of this auspicious motif was a series of fashion films from event sponsor Vogue. Dubbed Punk Stories, they included British model-of-the-moment Cara Delevingne displaying her patented mix of good humor and bad attitude (above) and Ukrainian-Canadian bombshell Daria Werbowy, barely recognizable (but still stunning) in a bleached buzz-cut and various other punk-inspired transformations (below).

Then, there’s the wild red carpet and ensuing after-parties. We’re no fashion police when it comes to womenswear—but we know what we like. Here are the ladies (and a couple men) we thought went the most “punk rock” at Monday night’s Met Gala:


Nicole Richie spray-painted her coif grey for the night (and rocked some high-end Topshop).


Alexa Chung wasn’t afraid to push Gerard Butler around.


Kelly Osbourne, Cara Delevingne, Rita Ora—you guys look great, but Miley Cyrus, of all people, was the one who hit the punk-rock nail on the head.


Taylor Tomasi Hill of Marie Claire donned some serious spikes—and while Thom Browne didn’t exactly wear his punk-rock spirit on his sleeve, we know he has it in him.


We’re not sure about the blue faux-hawk, but Zachary Quinto’s eyebrow game, as usual, was on-point.


Rooney Mara’s attire for the evening wasn’t overtly punk—but if her anti-establishment Girl with the Dragon Tattoo character is permanently burned into your brain, like it is ours, you’ll agree that she’d look pretty tough even in a bathrobe and bunny slippers.


Kanye West performed, in his now-signature punk-inspired Givenchy gear.


Anne Hathaway went bleach-blonde, reportedly just for the night. For a girl-next-door type like her, that’s punk-rock enough to fit the theme in our book.


And then, there was the part where Jennifer Lawrence photo-bombed Sarah Jessica Parker. But Lawrence acts crazy even at the Oscars and on live TV, so “punking” SJP is par for the course. (Note Marion Cotillard and Lena Dunham cracking up in the background.)

 

For more punk-inspired fashion, go inside the Met’s exhibit
on our sister blog, The Thread.

 
 

[Photos and videos via Vogue.com, except for Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence via NYmag.com. Still photos by Pablo Frisk, except Cyrus and co. by Taylor Jewell, Kanye West by Kevin Tachman, Hathaway by Larry Busacca. Individuals pictured do not endorse Nordstrom.]

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May 7, 2013

T by Alexander Wang: Way Beyond Basic

The Alexander Wang five-step plan for fashion-world domination:
1. Move from San Fran to NYC at age 18 to attend the esteemed Parsons school of design.
2. Drop out.
3. Create a killer debut women’s collection that makes boutique buyers salivate and converts the world’s hippest models, actresses and it-girls into steadfast devotees.
4. Win GQ Designer of the Year 2011, promptly upon your first foray into menswear.
5. Get named creative director of illustrious, 99-year-old fashion house Balenciaga.

That last point is a whole other story, so let’s focus on #4. Wang won over GQ with his T by Alexander Wang line of so-called “basics”—T-shirts, tanks and hoodies that, thanks to their meticulously slouchy “anti-fit” and superior fabrication, are in fact anything but basic.

These days, Wang is punctuating those high-end essentials with streamlined statement items, like the black-on-black cotton/leather shirt-jacket hybrid seen in the photos here. (You could call it a basic in the sense that you’ll wear it every day for years to come. As far as street-cred style points, though—it’s pretty exceptional.)


A few more favorites from the T by Alexander Wang collection (click images to shop each piece):


And, for your viewing pleasure, a sampling of the A-list it-girls and -guys Alexander Wang attracts—featuring A$AP Rocky, Azealia Banks and more:


 
SHOP: T BY ALEXANDER WANG FOR MEN

 
 

[Photography: Robin Stein. Styling: Ashley Helvey. Model: Gus Drake.
See more images from this series in our recent Rick Owens post, and on Nordstrom's Tumblr page.]

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May 6, 2013

GQ Spring Trend Report: Cotton Suits

We’re already five episodes into our GQ Spring Trend Report series. (View past articles here: Loafers | Jean Jackets | Sun-Washed Colors | Camo.) This week’s installment takes a tailored turn, with Jim Moore and Michael Hainey of GQ discussing an office essential when temps climb—the lightweight Cotton Suit:

Taking a cue from Mr. Moore’s thoughts on dressy cottons that bring cotton suits out of weekend-wedding territory and into the office, we pulled four suited-up looks that can span from boardroom to casual Friday this summer. Check out our tips below, and browse additional options here: MORE COTTON SUITS


1. Shady Character. In warm weather, lightweight fabrics are a must; sunny colors, however, are optional. The suit has a small glen-plaid pattern, which we offset with a large gingham check, and grounded with a solid tie in summer-appropriate knit cotton.
[John Varvatos Star USA Blazer and Trousers | Hugo Boss Tie | Calibrate Dress Shirt]


2. Quirky Khaki. You’re probably familiar with the trick of wearing your jean jacket with chinos, to avoid going double-denim. The same concept applies with your khaki suit, which benefits from the contrast of a workwear-inspired (but still dressy) shirt.
[Paul Smith London Suit | Gitman Tie | Eton Dress Shirt]


3. Room with a View. This crisp combo is boardroom-ready—and, whether it’s true or not, implies to your client that you’ll be on a boat this weekend. We like underpinning the preppy, regatta-motif tie with businesslike stripes. (Think of purple as the new navy.)
[Hugo Boss Suit | Hugo Boss Tie | Nordstrom Dress Shirt]


4. Creative Services. For the guy who wears a suit because he wants to, but doesn’t have to: Consider keeping the tie, but experimenting with shirt options. If your office doesn’t favor acid-wash? This rig would look razor-sharp with a micro-check gingham, too.
[Shipley & Halmos Blazer & Pants | Gitman Tie | Topman Shirt]

 

Look for new GQ Spring Trend Report videos in the weeks to come—
and shop all eight of our GQ-approved trends, from cotton suits to camo, here:
GQ SPRING TREND REPORT

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May 3, 2013

Remembering Beastie Boy Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch

Tomorrow marks one year since the day rapper, musician, film director, human rights activist, and all-around hero Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch (above, right), of legendary hip-hop trio the Beastie Boys, passed away. So pour out some Pacifico this Cinco de Mayo weekend, and cue up Paul’s Boutique on your turntable. Here are a few Beastie Boys classics to get you started—a couple of which showcase MCA’s considerable skill on the bass guitar.

 
 

In other Beastie news, remaining members Mike D (Michael Diamond) and Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz) have signed on to write/curate an experimental memoir of sorts. The New York Times describes the upcoming book as “in keeping with the group’s hypereclectic style…a pastiche of voices, images, irreverent humor and pop-culture reference points.” Look for it in fall 2015.

 
 

[Top photo by Ari Marcopoulos, via Pitchfork.com. Videos © Beastie Boys, Capitol Records and Grand Royal. Bottom photo via the internet. Individuals pictured do not endorse Nordstrom.]

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May 1, 2013

Inside Jack Spade’s NYC Showroom

You know how a lot of product crossovers are woefully misguided? Like green ketchup, or clear Pepsi? Then, there’s that rare individual who can do no wrong—one minute, his records are going multi-platinum; the next, he’s acting in Oscar-worthy films, hosting SNL every five minutes, and making out with Mila Kunis on-screen.

Well, Jack Spade is basically the Justin Timberlake of the menswear game. The brand started in 1997, selling durable bags (in hardware stores—a telling detail) that were the epitome of form-meets-function. Today, they produce a full line of apparel that’s every bit as ruggedly stylish as their cult-favorite briefcases and duffels.

We had a chance to visit Jack Spade’s showroom in New York recently, for a preview of the Fall/Winter 2013 collection. Check out a few snapshots below (click to enlarge):




…While you’ll have to wait a few months before the Fall goods above land online, you can pre-order items from Jack Spade’s Pre-Fall Collection right now. A few of our favorites are below—along with killer Jack Spade accessories that are available for purchase immediately. (Know your camo: That cool geometric motif on the card case is inspired by Swedish M90.)


 

SHOP: JACK SPADE

…And check the launch date of more upcoming collections
on our new PRE-FALL DESIGNER TIMELINE

 

 

[Showroom photos by Sunny Chang at Treasure & Bond.]

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April 30, 2013

Seersucker & Stiff Drinks: Summer Occasion Guide

Inspired by our new Summer Suiting Guide, we decided to apply our five favorite looks to real-life situations. You know, the important ones—when T-shirts and shorts simply won’t cut it. Here’s how to look your best this summer, when the stakes are as high as the temperature.

 


1. SUMMER IN THE CITY. We were about to suggest this kit for the warm-weather “morale-booster” benevolent bosses often pencil in around now—but seriously, this is what most of us should wear to work all summer long. Lightweight blazer + clean-cut jeans + a pop of color = business casual done right.

Beverage of Choice: Local microbrews, if your workplace knows how to plan a party. Otherwise: Sparkling cider it is.

Pro Tip: See that buttonhole on your jacket lapel? It does in fact serve a purpose. Drop in a lapel pin for extra style points.

[Shop: This Look | More Shirt & Tie Combos]
 

Hero
2. BRUNCH DATE. Breakfast in baggy sweats is for amateurs. Play your cards right—with a shirt that buttons, shoes that aren’t sneakers, and a “third piece” (i.e., a vest, blazer or cardigan) to tie it all together—and that special someone you’re meeting for breakfast might stick around for dinner, too.

Beverage of Choice: Bloody Mary—or black coffee, depending on how the previous night unfolded.

Pro Tip: Skip the tie if you so choose…Unless your brunch date is your mom on Mother’s Day, in which case it’s a nice touch.

[Shop: This Look | More Vests]
 


3. YACHT CLUB. The blazer-with-shorts look is everywhere as of late—but we can’t think of a scenario it’s more befitting than a classy affair on the water. Don’t own a boat (or have a friend or father-in-law who does)? The same rig would be spot-on for a dinner date at a high-end seafood spot.

Beverage of Choice: Something with rum? Or a refreshing Jamaican lager, if the sun has you parched.

Pro Tip: If you’re actually on a boat (as opposed to just near one), trade the dress shoes for boat shoes.

[Shop: This Look | More Sportcoats & Blazers]
 


4. KENTUCKY DERBY. “The fastest two minutes in sports” is this Saturday. Whether you’re Louisville-bound, or just looking for an excuse to sip whisky on your friend’s party-ready patio—be sure to channel your inner Southern gent with dandified finishing touches and flashes of go-to-hell color.

Beverage of Choice: Mint Julep. It’s official.

Pro Tip: We’re digging the subdued take on summer color above—but feel free to go all-in with a loud-and-proud madras or windowpane plaid.

[Shop: This Look | More Finishing Touches]
 


5. OUTDOOR WEDDING. The last thing summer-wedding attire should be is stuffy, so ditch dark colors in favor of lightweight seersucker (shown) or cotton khaki. The punchy red tie above could prove a bit much; opt for a bow tie in subtler hues if you prefer not to upstage the man of the hour.

Beverage of Choice: Champagne, if you’re wooing bridesmaids. The champagne of beers, if you’re chilling with the groomsmen.

Pro Tip: Beach wedding? Skip the shoes but keep the suit. Just because the groom’s uncle is wearing a Hawaiian shirt, doesn’t make it right.

[Shop: This Look | More Suits]

 


…And for more warm-weather tailored essentials, from
no-sweat suits down to the last dapper detail, shop our complete
SUMMER SUITING GUIDE

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