MENSWEAR WRITER GUY TREBAY’S BOOK, “DO SOMETHING” COMES OUT NEXT WEEK

MR daily news die-hards—especially our Daily Commute fans—know that we aim to share the most interesting menswear, fashion, and retailing news whenever and wherever we find it. You’ll often find us referring to or quoting one of the stalwarts of the menswear press corps, Guy Trebay of The New York Times. Trebay’s bio on the Times website says he is “…both critic and reporter, on men’s wear and the evolution of masculinity in all its permutations.” He’s been covering that beat for the paper for nearly two decades. That’s part of why we already have his new book, Do Something: Coming of Age Amid The Glitter And Doom of ’70s New York, already pre-ordered from Amazon.

The book promises to be a fascinating page-turner. The publisher, Penguin Random House, describes it as “an evocative coming-of-age memoir—the story of the education of a wayward wild child and acidhead who, searching for meaning and purpose, found refuge in the demimonde of the ruined but magical metropolis that was New York City in the 1970s.

“Born in the Bronx, Guy Trebay was raised in an atmosphere of privilege on Long Island’s North Shore after his entrepreneurial father struck business gold with Hawaiian Surf, a wildly successful cologne company that capitalized on the optimism of the 1960s as marketed to ‘an adventurous new breed of men.’ But behind the facade of material prosperity lay the emotional disarray of a household dominated by a charismatic, con artist father, a glamorous yet lost and careless mother, a family haunted by tragedy. By the time Trebay established a foothold at the fringes of Andy Warhol’s Factory and the diverse artistic tribes that thrived in Manhattan in that pre-digital era, his father had lost his fortune, his younger sister had been arrested for armed robbery and fled underground, the family house was in ashes, and his mother was dead.”

Have they optioned the rights for the movie, yet? Richard Linklater! Pay attention! Now…which actor to cast as the dashing, debonair scribe…? Edward Norton? Alexander Skarsgård? Hmmm. Ryan Gosling seems to have the right level of gravitas…but how will he look with silver hair? But I get ahead of myself.

“Unschooled and on his own, Trebay became a striver, wending his way through a seemingly apocalyptic landscape populated by a vibrant cast of characters, including washed-up Hollywood screenwriters of the ’30s; Warhol superstars like Jackie Curtis and Candy Darling; fashion geniuses like Charles James; and emerging artists, filmmakers, writers, designers, photographers, and deejays who would powerfully influence mainstream culture in the decades to come.”

The hardcover book, retailing for $29 ($14.99 for the Kindle edition), will be available on June 25 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, and, I’m sure, airport newsstands everywhere. (An audiobook will also be available.) This is perfect timing for those upcoming market week flights or summer weekend getaways.