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Mission: V-day

Gentlemen, yes it is at hand once again- Valentine's Day, and it is also time for the good chaps of the world to get their act together. Reservations are filling up as we speak, and two dozen roses that arrive suspiciously late in the day are just not going to cut it. If you would like any reciprocation in the least I suggest you turn to A.K.RIKK'S women's department and well known jeweler Judith Leiber. So how do you cop something that is altogether tasteful, celebratory and all importantly indulgent? Well just ask one of the tastemakers here at the store!

by Ben Tobar
February 06, 2012

A.K.RKK'S Women's, Judtih Leiber

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Public House

The jolly staff of A.K. had the pleasure of staying at Public this past weekend in Chicago for a weekend of buying for our fall 2012 season and a little R&R. Hotel staff was amazing and quite accommodating for our loud bunch. We had a delicious meal and drinks at the Pump Room, an old lobby bar (formerly the Essex Inn) where the likes of Sinatra used to hang and Monroe used to play!

Highly recommend a stay at this old Chicago gem!

by Ben Tobar
February 05, 2012

Public Hotel, Pump Room, Chicago, A.K.RIKK'S

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Who do YOU think should win?

Eli: Ermenegildo Zegna

Tom: Tom Ford

My take: In picking Zegna, Eli exemplifies the understated cool attitude of a calculated winner. Brady has swagger, and shows it by rocking Ford. My heart is in it for the underdog, but I'll take the Patriots on this one.

by Ben Tobar
February 03, 2012

Tom Brady, Tom Ford, Eli Manning, Ermenegildo Zegna, A.K.RIKK'S, Super Bowl

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"A man should look as if he had bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care and then forgotten all about them"

...thought for the day by Hardy Amies

by Ben Tobar
February 02, 2012

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Eames Exploded

Thought this installation was pretty incredible showing how few pieces go into making the lounge and ottoman!

by Ben Tobar
February 01, 2012

Eames Lounge And Ottoman, Herman Miller, A.K.RIKK'S

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Weekend Hours

by Ben Tobar
January 27, 2012

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Public Service Announcement

If some of your shirts are looking a little....let's say on the dress side of things....bring them by, happy to have you looking right!

by Ben Tobar
January 21, 2012

Girlsack

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Biggest. Menswear. Spank. Ever.

In response to Lawrence Schlossman's denunciation of bow ties in the New York Times, GQ and on his blog:

"To: Lawrence Schlossman, 24

From: James A. Van Sant, 81

Subject: Bow Ties

I STAND ON BEHALF OF BOW TIES

Do we even live on the same planet? Probably not, but you have a long way to go, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and talk to you in plain English and pretend that you are well bathed and freshly shaved and smell good (Trumper's Lavender and/or natural Witch Hazel)

Bow ties are for elegant men, men self-assured and confident in their masculinity, clean and who tend to be trim or even thin in build. It's hard to say from the NYT photo today what you really look like, but I have a hunch bow ties do not become you because of the shape of your face and the message they convey, which is likely not your message. So you dislike bow ties, big deal! But you are right not to wear them yourself, yet you should not recommend against them for other types of men...

...Women adore bow ties. The ones I know (and that dips down to as young as only age-40!), love to "fix" a man's bow tie as they think a woman can tie better than a man, and ultimately it might come down to the fact, like a shoelace at the end of a long day, some women I have known like to untie the bow, and they come open much faster than the Windsor/fore-in-hand. You can take it from there.

But here is why I write and take a moment of your valuable time: You are very unfair to bow ties, which have a much longer history than fore-in-hand ties, and as you mature in your line of work, you will see that bows have an important place in successful male dressing. In fact, any man in "fashion public relations" (my God!), needs to know and revere the history of fine bow ties, and master when and how to use that element of men's fashion. For one thing, they are sexually much more subtle than some big dong of a fore-in-hand, pointing down at its bottom to a guy's crotch - ugh! Women don't like that, nor do tasteful men. Also, bow ties never are besmirched with gravy, grease, butter or Scotch whiskey. They are up and under the chin and out of the way, yet they add a splash of color and a touch of wit, or can in the right hands. Furthermore, and this is subjective, I find them light hearted and to women they suggest nimble fingers. I'll say no more on that one.

I suspect, playing Dr. Freud for a moment that you don't like bow ties because you instinctively know they are not right for you/you are not right for them - however you wish to express it, same bottom line. You should steer clear, but do not hesitate to recommend them for others. To be "against" any element of clothing is ridiculous. They are all fine; the trick is to find the right time and place to employ their strengths. In the same issue of the NYT with your photo I find wing-tip oxfords in leather, nicely done by Cole-Haan, BUT with pink leather inserts! Pfaugh! Now, there is something you can really dislike and you are right to do so.

Then, in the same NYT, take a peek at the photo of actor [Ashton] Kutcher (or was it in this morning's WSJ - I can't be certain), who has greasy long hair yet is wearing a bow tie, and as nearly as I can tell from a newspaper photo, it works - because it is SO casting against type, so wrong, that combined with his impish smirk, it sets up an outrageous polarity that can't help but amuse. Clothes, you know, can and often should be light and deft in effect and amusing, don't you agree?

That's enough from me. I wish you best of luck and a good hot bath and shave.

J.A.V.S."

by Ben Tobar
January 19, 2012

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