For men, style cues from mainstream publications are few and far between. Trend spotting and glossy advertorial spreads are not the same as reading in-depth prose about how to actually wear staple attire, or say, distinguish between tweeds. A new lecture at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology looks at M, a magazine that broke new ground in menswear fashion and lifestyle reporting during the 1980s. Presented by John Tinseth, author of The TRAD, a men’s style blog often heralded for its cheeky and brutally honest approach to style coverage; the discussion also brings attention to the release of Tinseth’s new book, M: The Civilized Years, 1983-1989.
“I bought my first one [M magazine] when I moved to New York City right after college in 1984… as a park ranger I didn’t make a lot of money, so literally, I was working down my budget down to magazines,” recalls Tinseth. After a chance encounter and subsequent interview with Robert Bryan, the former editor of M, Tinseth began toying more with the idea of creating a book. READ MORE