Must Have of the Week

It's got that buffalo plaid look, without overdoing it. Must score it.

Already tried it on. Now I have less than 24 hours to score it with 25% off.

The Working Man

Being that this current workwear trend is in full force this Fall, I thought I'd actually do some work instead of just looking the part. Soooo, I've been busy raking leaves, cutting down trees, carving monster pumpkins, and gathering acorns for the winter.

Well, not really on the acorn bit.

This morning, getting dressed for a day at home instead of work, my daughter (4) says to me "Daddy, you really look like a worker man in those jeans and shirt". Wow, I thought, the workwear thing is really reaching all generations now.

Aunty-way, I have some fun splurges to tell you about that I'm quite happy with.

The first is the J Crew Chocolate Brown Suede Wing tips. Prolly not really worth what I paid for them, but I cannot resist brown suede wing tips. See pic in earlier post below.

Second, the J Crew Bowery pant in Regular Fit, color Heather Gray: Scooped this on 20% off sale. Very surprised by the fit, color and feel. All over a winner. Liked em so much that yesterday I ordered them in the Charcoal Gray color. Pic also below.

Today is BR's 30% off sale (if you spend $100). My budget for that took a hit this week thanks to an unexpected speeding ticket (D'OH! $100) and a Dr visit for my daughter that the insurance didn't cover (D'OH! $100). Oh yeah, and my gutters look like they need some repair (D'OH! $???). Ah, but why complain.

Now for some wish list items:
The real Hoboken Kid:

Levi's 1967 505s

For your olfactory pleasure:

J Crew Warmer:

Real Deal Christmas Music from the 50s:

Choices

Already looking forward to Friday.

Taken at Hotel Clarendon bar, Quebec City. Oct 2009.

Mind your Beeswax!

A few peeps have requested some shots of my Beeswax babies after some use. I haven't given them heavy use yet, but they have gotten some decent wear on the streets of NYC, Montreal, Quebec City and Hoboken. Not to mention my backyard in NJ.

Hope these give you some idea. I'll keep you up to date with the progression. They remain my favorite desert boots.

Up here, ain't no J Crew!

I'm spending some time up in Montreal/Quebec City again. So beautiful here in the fall.

Mickey Drexler and co. are yet to put a J Crew shop up this way, so I have no chance to obsess about what's lurking in the stores that would look better in my closet.

This has given me the chance to enjoy some the loot I have accumulated this fall:





Great to finally enjoy some of the purchases.

And looking forward to the future...

Grandfather knows best

I was lucky enough to know both my grandfathers very well. One was an immigrant from Italy, and one was born in the US to a recently immigrated family from Italy. I've taken much of their lives and incorporated it into my own. Much of what I find myself longing for these days seems to lead right back to them.

Grandfather #1

1. Tie on the weekends, no matter what the occasion. So what he worked construction during the week.

2. Tie clip

3. Chunky Cardigans

4. Straw hat in the summer, wool fedora in the winter. Always tilted to the side.

5. A small, sharp pocket knife. It's been said that a Calabrese Italian man doesn't leave the house without his pocket knife.


Grandfather #2

1. Dark "dungaress".

2. Green army fatigues/cargos. A carryover from his WWII days.

3. Sweater vests

4. A bottle of Chivas Regal for Christmas.

5. A big knife. Another carryover from his WWII days.

Neither of my grandfathers ever sat down with me to have a discussion on men's stylings or the like. Its a wonder what I picked up just by being with them.

Busted!

So the Wifey is not a J. Crew fan like I am. She kinda pays attention to my addiction, but not fully.

Last night she said to me, "You know, I was looking through the latest J. Crew catalog and on every page I either said to myself, you have that, or you would wear that, or you have something just like that."

D'oh !

I've been busted....Think fast.....

Now of course she sees the J. Crew packages dropped off by the UPS man, and my kids do know the driver by name now, but does she really know.....

Me: "Welllll, uhhhhhh, thats cuz J Crew is pretty constant in their stylings. So something I bought 3 years ago still looks new. J Crew just tweaks the colors and stylings a bit. That's the beauty of their classic clothes."

I almost convinced myself.