ask the MB

Not sure if you should wear that Tommy Bahama shirt out tonight? The magnificent bastard is here to help. Go ahead. Ask away.

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channel: sweaters
  • Ask the MB: Definitive Shawl Collar

    Ask the MB: Definitive Shawl Collar

    Q: Ok shawl collar? Any comments? Steve McQueen sure did and I don't think I've ever seen a better one than on Daniel Craig in Quantum. Misguided or magnificent?
    --Ron

    A: Ron, your question kinda leads you to the answer, don'tcha think? We've weighed in on McQueen's shawl collar sweater before. A couple of times. While we'd prefer Dan Craig had a woven under his Tom Ford version, we agree with your analysis.

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    11.26.08

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  • Ask the MB: Collar Tucking with Crewnecks

    Ask the MB: Collar Tucking with Crewnecks

    Q: What do you suggest that one does with their collars when wearing a crewneck sweater? Keep them tucked in or flop them out?
    --Rob

    A: If you are wearing a woven shirt, keep those collars in. If your shirt is a knit either way is acceptable. MB JFK tucked his in; MB William F. Buckley let his hang out.

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    11.21.08

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  • Neiman Marcus Should Stick to Outfitting VP Candidates

    Neiman Marcus Should Stick to Outfitting VP Candidates

    Something all MBs can safely avoid this fall: this "carpe diem" cashmere sweater being promoted by Neiman Marcus. Legibility is one thing. Legibility on perfectly MB cashmere is beyond the pale.

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    10.30.08

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  • Ask the MB: Shawl Collar Sweaters

    Ask the MB: Shawl Collar Sweaters

    Q: A sweater with a shawl collar: a fleeting trend or an MB wardrobe staple?
    --Wadie

    A: The shawl-collar sweater doesn't quite reach the high "wardrobe staple" bar, but in 1968's Bullitt Steve McQueen definitively made it more than a "fleeting trend." Wear with confidence this year, and next.

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    10.29.08

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  • RIP to an Original MB -- Paul Newman

    RIP to an Original MB -- Paul Newman

    Longtime readers know how much we dug Paul Newman. In an interview earlier this year we cited Newman as one of the four most stylish people who've influenced us, along with Oscar Wilde, Yves Saint Laurent, and Chi-Chi Rodriguez. With two of the four dying this year, 2008 has really sucked. Hang in there Chi-Chi!

    Anyhow, beyond the movies, the blue eyes, the philanthropy, and the tasty salsa and salad dressing, Paul Newman's greatest achievement -- even better than being on Nixon's enemies list -- was demonstrating the coolness of a v-neck sweater with woven white shirt.

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    9.29.08

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  • Dolce & Gabbana Reversible Cardigan via Saks Fifth Avenue, $475.00

    Dolce & Gabbana Reversible Cardigan

    via Saks Fifth Avenue. $475.00.

    Ask the MB -- Fall Wedding

    Q: My boyfriend, (who is 30, I am 29) and I are attending a wedding on November 1st. The wedding is around noon, and what to wear then is not an issue. The reception however, is 6 hours later, in the early evening, at local micro brewery's event hall. Boyfriend is a sous chef, and his clothes are either casual, or formal, but we aren't sure what's best in this situation. And what about me? Cocktail dress? Satin slacks and a pretty top? We humbly seek your expertise and guidance. Thank you!
    -Dana

    A: Dana, you don't need much help. Your hosts are signaling casual with the noon wedding and the brewpub. We like the satin slacks and pretty top idea. Hot. For your hash-slinging beau: casual to go with your un-cocktail dress look. November 1 is officially fall and darn close to holiday, so velvet works. Otherwise corduroy and something nubby, either the tie or the cardigan or the v-neck.

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    9.2.08

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  • Curb Your Enthusiasm For Questionable Wardrobe Choices

    Curb Your Enthusiasm For Questionable Wardrobe Choices

    Sure, Larry David might have the funniest show on TV, but it doesn't stop him from making highly questionable wardrobe choices, like the t-shirt/v-neck sweater combo, and the dreaded white athletic sock look. Save those for the gym.

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    11.15.07

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  • Energie 'Hayman' via coolestshop.com, $299.00

    Energie 'Hayman'

    via coolestshop.com. $299.00.

    Skull Skullduggery - A New Low

    There's like 30 skulls on this Energie 'Hayman' sweater. Even a pair of large antlers can't save it.

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    11.2.07

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  • Minneapolis Anchor Team Singlehandedly Sinks T-Shirt/V-Neck Look

    Minneapolis Anchor Team Singlehandedly Sinks T-Shirt/V-Neck Look

    MINNEAPOLIS — In the great big newsroom in the sky, Ted Baxter rolls in his grave.

    (Read the bios.)

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    10.24.07

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  • Juicy Couture Barbed Wire Sweater via Saks Fifth Avenue, $168.00

    Juicy Couture Barbed Wire Sweater

    via Saks Fifth Avenue. $168.00.

    Couture Cluelessness

    Regular readers know our disdain for Juicy Couture, yet their wares somehow still show up at Barney's Co-Op and Saks, poisoning two of our favorite retailers' collections, like turds in a punchbowl. We're pretty sure they've reached the height of suckitude (or perhaps explosive diarrhea in a punchbowl?) with this barbed wire sweater, which reminded us of the bicep barbed wire tattoos that were so cool 7 or 8 years ago ... never.

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    9.28.07

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  • 'Vegard' Sweater Vest via Ragdaddy, $56.00

    'Vegard' Sweater Vest

    via Ragdaddy. $56.00.

    Ask the MB

    Q: I have a couple of sweater vests. My wife says if I wear one-- I will lose my magnificent bastard title and will have to start a web site called, Dirty OLD bastard. She said I could ask the MB to break the tie. So what do you think? Sweater vests? Should they have been buried with Mr. Rogers or can I wear one?
    — John

    PS-- I found your web site after my favorite site, National Review Online linked to it. Please don't discuss politics. It's the only thing you and I don't agree on.

    A: Well, Mr. Rogers (RIP) was a cardigan man, and that's a post for another day. Regarding sweater vests, the degree of difficulty is quite high, but your wife is going to have a hard time convincing us this Moods of Norway sweater vest isn't completely mental. So if they're stylish enough and you're feeling adventurous, we say wear 'em. With a crisp white shirt underneath and the sleeves rolled way up, to your biceps. Match this look with killer tortoise shell eyewear and before you know it you're the second coming of James Dean (in his intellectual phase).

    About the politics thing, we promise to discuss it very little, and vote for the most stylish candidate. Or the one with the hottest wife.

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    9.19.07

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  • Black Cashmere Mudflap Girl Intarsia Sweater via Bluefly, $359.00

    Black Cashmere Mudflap Girl Intarsia Sweater

    via Bluefly. $359.00.

    Mudflap Girl — Not Just For Truckers

    Intarsia cashmere sweaters are definitely outgoing, but Mudflap Girl is just such a powerful, meaningful icon it makes this Hickey sweater very hard to resist.

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    7.19.07

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