Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Worn Out Wednesday – James Morrissey

By Cator Sparks Published August 6, 2021

Today we speak to hospitality guru James Morrissey.

When Irish entrepreneur James Morrissey moved to Manhattan in 2013, he arrived with more business savvy and experience than most newcomers. Now, two years in and just 28-years-old, James has officially added “restaurateur” to his resume with the success of The Late Late Bar & Spirit Grocer.

Recommended Videos

James began his career in Ireland while still in university, setting up The Signature Group, which remains one of the country’s largest nightlife events and marketing companies. Ever in pursuit of his next venture, James moved to Manhattan to bring what he calls “constructive disruption” to the New York hospitality industry.

In 2014 James opened The Late Late Bar & Spirit Grocer of New York in the trendy lower east side of Manhattan. The Late Late is a purposefully subtle, Irish-inspired local bar named after the longest running TV talk show in the world. Unlike the Irish pubs peppered throughout Manhattan, James wanted to bring a little bit of the real modern Ireland to the city. James partnered up with friend Rob Ackroyd (lead guitarist with UK music group Florence & The Machine) to create a chilled lower east side hangout with great music, which Rob curates. With regulars such as Jeremy Piven, Fallout Boy, LA Reid and One Direction, James prides himself on maintaining a low-key bar that focuses on great drinks, great food, great music, and even better company.

Though he now splits his time between New York and Ireland, James has some projects up his sleeve that will keep him stateside for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, he’ll be planning summer weekends in Montauk and The Hamptons to relax before he comes up with his next business venture.

Here James tells us more about his personal style:

Jeans: Ralph Lauren Black Label

Shirts: Calvin Klein White Shirts.. Can never have too many

Suits: J Crew Ludlow. Navy suit, crisp white shirt.. Always

Shoes: Paul Smith Loafers or Boots

Accessories: Raymond Weil watch, keep it simple

Outerwear: The Kooples

Favorite Cologne: Bulgari Extreme

Your favorite App: Uber

Favorite piece of technology: iPhone 6 Plus

Next tech purchase: Drone

Former Former Digital Trends Contributor, The Manual

Fashion & Style

Your underwear is probably gross now: Embrace the refresh

How long should you wear your underwear? An expert gives us insight.

Clothing, Undershirt, Adult

I am on an underwear kick right now. I can't help it. I have been reevaluating my underwear drawer since I had my conversation with David Ehrenberg, the CEO of Pair of Thieves, earlier this week. I mean, how often do men think about their underwear? The truth is, while we don't think about it often (hopefully you are a little bit after reading my last article with David), I have discovered we actually DO think about it in some ways. We just need to change how we think about it. Ladies, go ahead, ask your guy what underwear he is wearing right now. There will be two answers. 1 - "No clue, what did you buy me?" 2 - "My favorites." We're weird about it. We all have at least one pair we wear all the time. It is our favorite pair. Then we have the others, the ones that are just the day-to-day. And finally, we have the ones we never want to wear, but it's a laundry emergency, so we must. In all likelihood, this pair has been with us since Mom bought them for us. That's right, yeeeeeeeears ago.

Fellas, it's gross. I often think about a movie quote from Smokin' Aces, by the always-great Jeremy Piven. "There is not a laundry detergent or dry cleaning product known to man that will get that out. Suffice it to say, some sh*t, don't wash out." There is a moment in time when your underwear is done for, beyond saving. But, when do you know when to give up on old faithful? David and I hashed it out.

Fashion & Style

Expect the unexpected with Dior 2027 Summer Men’s Show

Unexpected patterns and substitutions lead the way in Paris

Clothing, Formal Wear, Suit

Tucked back off a small street, Rue de Monceau, in Paris, just a short 8-minute walk from Parc Monceau to the Northeast of the Eiffel Tower, sits a museum many Americans miss on their trips to the City of Love. Musée Nissim de Camondo is home to a wide collection of French art from the 1700s. It is draped in tapestries and adorned with artifacts displaying the beauty of French artistic creativity. This week, it also happened to be home to Dior's Summer Men's Show. These destination shows by the iconic French fashion house, have been home to some of the most pivotal moments in fashion progression. From the "New Look" event a year after the company was formed in 1947, to the "Russian Catwalk" in Moscow in 1959, to this season. What did the attendees of this event experience (other than sweltering heat)? Unexpected changes to classic lines and fabrics that ask the wearer to look to the future.

Printed houndstooth, sequin polka dot, and a repurposed blanket...oh my

Fashion & Style

Breitling Salutes America’s 250th With Two Star-Spangled Avengers

The Swiss watchmaker says it's the only luxury brand with an official America250 collection — and the drop is US-only.

Wristwatch, Arm, Body Part

Breitling has unveiled the Avenger America250 — two US-exclusive limited editions marking the country's 250th birthday this July 4 — and the run sizes are as rare as the date is big.

The Avenger Automatic 42 is capped at 250 pieces, one for each year of independence. The Avenger B01 Chronograph 42 Night Mission is the unicorn: just 50, one per state.