Win a Handmade Holiday Bowtie

Well it is holiday giveaway time here at Men's Threads... I just received a one of a kind handmade bowtie from Aunt Di's Ties, perfect for the holidays, and I am gifting it to one of you! 

You just have to tweet at me (@mensthreads) and Aunt Di's Ties (@auntdisties) about how you would wear this awesome snowflake bow. What would you pair it with? Where would you wear it?

This is a 24 hour contest -- I'll pick the winner with the best answer on Friday morning (12/14) and get the tie in the mail to you the same day. 

So get thinking on how you would show this off, and let me know... good luck!

Aunt Di's Ties: Things I Love

The paisley is not going away... as I've written about (and worn) the "bandana print" ties my aunt has been making for me, more and more people have asked where to get one.

I'll admit, these ties are a definite standout! And as she's made them in a wide range of colors, I have had a lot of fun mixing and matching.

Now, you can get one direct from the source... Aunt Di's Ties, where you can pick your own color + style. They are all hand made in the U.S.

Get over to the site + check them out, and get one for yourself!

Rhett Bonnett Spring 2013: NYFW Review

Last season I had come across the first collection from designer Rhett Bonnett while at Project, and was interested by the styling (he also shot Cory Bond for the lookbook). So this season when I had the chance to stop by Bonnett's studio and see Spring, I was curious to check it out.

The collection was inspired by a photo of Paul Newman, looking young and relaxed in a polo shirt. Bonnett mentioned that while he will always have a red, white, and blue core to his line, here he introduced other colors -- including a seafoam green.

One of the first pieces is this cotton peacoat, with a striped cotton lining. The vintage looking white buttons etched with an anchor caught my eye (as always, a sucker for anything remotely nautical).

I also liked this navy jacket, with a cinched waist and detachable hood. The type of thing you take boating in Nantucket, or for a rainy Spring day in the city.

Sticking to the red/white/blue game, this striped shirt was simple yet stood out (and there is a matching tie... see below).

For Fall, Bonnett had sweatpants that he paired with sweaters and outerwear. With Spring he showed this washed striped tank with a matching pair of shorts. A muted take on his core color palette was a nice way of showing it differently and softening the look.

And now the neckwear... the striped tie to go with the shirt above; a vibrant blue and some seersucker rounded out a nice accessories story.

You can find out more about Rhett Bonnett and points of distribution on his website. I am interested to see what comes next!

Raleigh Denim Spring 2013: NYFW Review

Earlier this week Women's Wear Daily ran an article about menswear made in the U.S. -- and they should have featured Raleigh Denim. Produced in their North Carolina workshop, using local materials, the brand produces great denim as well as a growing assortment of apparel.

I hit their Spring 2013 presentation earlier this week and was again impressed with the wares...  held in a cool space in the West Village with lighting that really helped the line stand out.

As I was saying, apart from the denim there were some other standouts... like this green jacket that's a perfect light layer for Spring.

And I think my favorite item to pair with some dark denim is this washed oxford. Love the color and it looks so comfortable + easy to wear!

Overall another solid offering from Raleigh -- and as my eyes turn more and more to Southern based brands, one to definitely keep an eye on. GQ has all of the looks here!

Men's Threads Giveaway: American Giant V-Neck Tees

Recently I wrote about a new brand launching out of San Francisco producing sweatshirts with an amazing quality, fit, and price... American Giant. Every time I wear their Snap Cardigan Sweatshirt I get compliments, and it is now the most comfortable thing in my closet.

So I was excited to hear that they've now also launched t-shirts... This week the American Giant V-Neck comes out and in my test runs so far it's as well constructed and easy to wear as their other pieces. And it is built with a shallow "v" -- giving the tee a casual look but maintaining a classic shape.

Now the best part for you is that American Giant wants to share some of these great shirts with Men's Threads readers! The first five to re-tweet this post and follow @American_Giant will get one of these Made in the USA v-necks. So what are you waiting for...

You can learn more about the tees here + check out the other wares on the American Giant site! Happy shopping (and tweeting)!

I'll DM the 5 winners via Twitter for shipping information...