Santa comes early...

Back in the day when I was in grade school, and snow days were a part of life, impending snow always put me in such a great mood.

So Friday, the weather man starts talking about a major snowstorm headed our way. Kinda messed up wedding plans of my best friend this weekend, but never the less, I got that nervous-energy-happy-feeling back on Friday.

Jake Davis had a piece about the newly blown-out crotch on his APC New Standard Jeans on Friday. I have been wanting to replace my Levi’s Vintage 1947s since I shrunk them 18 months ago, but didn’t know what to replace them with. Kicking Mule Workshop? Samurai? Dior?

The APC thread got me curious. I had never done my research on them. My research on Friday quickly told me I had to check these out.

Went up to the APC shop on Mercer St in SOHO. A really nice guy working there in the denim department schooled me a bit on the fits, stretching, wear, etc. 30 mins later I walked outta there with a dope pair of Japanese raw selvage New Standards. I bought a 33 waist. Usually I’m a 34 in Levi’s & J Crew.



I’ve been wearing these babies since 7pm yesterday and they are beginning to stretch already. Just will have to get the inseam taken in a few inches.

I’m really looking forward to breaking these in. I will definitely make these A#1 denim for the next 12-18 months, and hopefully longer.


Today, I was able to find a real score: J Crew’s men’s 100% cashmere winter hat for 50% off. Had been balking at the full retail price of this one for a while. In the meantime, I bought 3 other winter hats, so now I have 4 for this winter. I’m stacked. This cashmere baby is sure to be my new best friend on cold winter days in NYC.

Almost....

Saw an interesting pair of jeans at the J Crew Men's shop at 484 Bway this weekend.

They were raw, selvage. Tasty. Came in its own canvas bag, individually numbered. $225.

Very timely find, seeing how one of my recent posts spoke to J Crew's lack of untouched, raw, dark denim.

My excitement was quickly damped as I saw these babies were only available in the 484 Fit. I've tried this extra-slim fit and found it to be much too slim for my tastes.

If I'm gonna spend $225, at least allow me a cut that's more classic.

For all you dudes out there who dig the 484 fit, give 'em a look-see if you're in the Big Apple. Not available on line, in the catalog, or anywhere else besides here and the Liquor Store.

The drought is over

The loooooooong wait is over. Finally, new music from The Lady.

Release date has been set for Sade's Soldier of Love CD: Feb 9 2010.

Fans all over the world are jumping for joy. When you love Sade, you become accustomed to long waits between CDs, but that doesn't make it any easier. Almost 10years of waiting.

The Lady, now 50, drops the first single from the CD:

Listen: Soldier Of Love


This is music.

Say what Jack ?

The Jack Knows Best feature for men has been a nice add to the J Crew website, even if it does just seem like a way to point people to more J Crew products they should be buying.

Here's what I found very interesting: When asked about denim, Jack recommends that the anchor to your denim collection should be a pair or dark, or preferably raw, jeans, with little (if any) artificial wear-signs. I'm all for this, of course.

The odd thing is that if one looks at the J Crew denim collection these days, this is exactly what you're least likely to find. As far as I can tell, there is just one pair in the vinatge slim category that could fill this need ("worn rinse wash"). The blue and black resin crinkle wash jeans are quite nice, but the straight fit was only offered on-line and are almost entirely sold out now. (Sorry, the 484 slim fits are too claustrophobic for me)

The "dark worn wash" looks nice at first site, but when I tried them on the artificial fading, whiskers, and marks in the back of the knee were a turn-off.

Just seems like there are so many pre-faded, destroyed, repaired, worn wash, etc jeans. I think its a bit overkill, no?

Let's get back to the classics.

Jack, ya hear?

To be continued.....

About a month ago, Jake Davis, who writes one of favorite blogs, held a contest. The theme of the contest was for the readers of Jake's blog to pick the top three men's (life)style blogs out there. I think Jake listed around 30 blogs or so, if I remember correctly. Some of these I read, some I don't. I can tell you, the ones I read, are really well done. (A Continuous Lean won top honors)

They're original, they're always informative, and they're really thought provoking.

It got me thinking, I kinda like doing my blog, but really, what am I adding? Maybe a few people give 2 hoots about my latest obsession from J Crew, but does it really go any further than that?

So I've been thinking over the past month, what can I do to make it so this blog actually matters? What can I do to make it a bit more relevant?

The answer? I'm not sure.

So while I continue to add great J. Crew pieces to my shrinking closet, I'll keep thinking of how I can make this thing more appealing.

Enjoy the Holiday Season!

Been a while

Been too long since we caught up....

Wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. Hoping you use the Holiday to truly refelct on all we are blessed with in this land of plenty.

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.

Oct 12th Mystery

"Daddy, what's inside your hair?" - M2

Uhhhhhhhhhh, you want some ice cream??? - Me

October Treats

I like what Patrick Robinson has been putting out for the GAP this year. Yeah, I know, its a mall brand, but if your budget is limited due to a mortgage, 2 car payments, 4 mouths to feed, and all the rest of that wonderful list, I think its a pretty solid choice for casual, as long as its done right.

Take for example, this khaki chambray shirt.


J Crew has done up some real tasty chambray this year with their blue and grey shirts, but something about this khaki chambray from Gap makes it my favorite right now. I actually like the fit of this one better than my J Crew chambrays. Really nice feel to the material and good attention to workwear details. A great deal, with last week's 30% off event.

I also picked up these Authentic fit Grey jeans. Already being a fan of the Authentic fit, I thought adding grey denim to my mix would be a nice touch.

I'm always afraid that grey denim is going to look too....I dont know.....WalMart-ish, or bland while trying to be hip...I don't know. But these actually have the perfect shade that I think I can pull off. Selvedge denim as well.

A co-worker of mine was doing a J Crew order last week, and asked if I was game. Now, how could I say no? Had my eye on this one for a while and decided to pull the trigger.

I've been loving this grey marled look from J Crew this year. I've bought it the Jaspe tee, a graphic tee, and now this fleece top. It's a good mid-weight piece, with a great casual feel. Basic, done right by J Crew. Fit could be a bit slimmer, but I'll keep it.

Honeycrisp

I've been writing about my love for Fall since the end of July. Now that we've come to harvest time, one of the best parts of the season has arrived: Honeycrisp apples.

I'm originally from a part of NY State well-known for its apples and I never heard of or tasted Honeycrisp apples until 2004. Check this out, courtesy of Honeycrisp.org:

Honeycrisp fruit is characterized by an exceptionally crisp and juicy texture. Its flesh is cream colored and coarse. The flavor is sub-acid and ranges from mild and well-balanced to strongly aromatic, depending on the degree of maturity. It has consistently ranked as one of the highest quality apples in the University of Minnesota sensory evaluations.



What does all that mean? To me, it means its the best tasting apple I've ever eaten.

Migliorelli Farm, a farm in Tivoli, NY sets up a stand in lower Manhattan every Tues/Thurs in the Fall to sell their produce. Their Honeycrisp apples are a real treat. Picked some up today.

Check them out instead of the Mister Softee truck if you are in town.

Thanks Mickey!

I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued to get a small box in the mail this weekend from J. Crew that said on the outside "Just for You".

When I opened it, here is what I found.



I've been wanting pick up one of their sterling silver tie clips, but I've balked at the price. Guess my wait was worth it. What a great, thoughtful and practical gift!

There was a nice card inside from Mickey about a J Crew VIP number, and me being a "very best customer".

Well, Thank You Mickey. Damn nice of ya. I do appreciate it.

True Classics

Since the news broke of Sade's new album (hopefully in 2009) I have slipped back into my Sade obsession mode. Thank God for YouTube, eh?

Sade's albums can sit on a shelf for years, and always sound fresh, current and relevant when you slide back into them. True classics.

Is there anything more soulful, jazzy and sultry all combined than "Is it a Crime?". For me, NO.



Love the shots of the old 42nd street and 8th Ave in Manhattan in this video.

Flannel

Gotta admit, I passed the new J Crew flannel shirts many times in-store without giving a second look. Never been a huge fan of flannel.

However, when the new J Crew Oct 2009 men's catalog showed the real-life artists wearing these, I saw them in a whole new light. I especially liked how they paired the blue flannel with the black Langham jacket.

So I decided to give a try-on, not expecting to be impressed.

Impressed, I was. Very much so, indeed. The fit is what especially got me. These shirts have the slim fit of the J Crew favorite shirts. If I'm going to do flannel, why not do it with J Crew.

The fit was so nicey, I had to do it twicey. Picked up both the Youngstown flannel ( A StyleForum favorite) and the Sodus Bay flannel.



This week here in NY is supposed to be cool, in the 60s. Perfect weather.

Sick Day

Thought it was just a cold. But then last night I had a 101 fever. Ok, maybe a bit more than a cold. So I took a sick day!

A real sick day, so I wasn't feeling all that well. Couldn't enjoy the free time much, but it was nice being able to get some use out of the denim collection during the week.

Haven't given the J Crew Vintage Slim Fit Selvage in Worn Rinse Wash a wear in a long time. Forgot how great these fit and how much I love the color. Really wish I had the opportunity to give these wear every few days and give them some good fades.

Old Tyme 2/Mr. B

I finally got around to getting my 2 vintage Timex fixed, mentioned here.

B&M Watches on 45 W 47th in NYC is a great place to visit if you are strolling the area sometime. Quality repairs (at quality prices) and quite the cast of characters working there. The main watchmaker sits behind a tall row of cabinets and drawers. You never see him. Fran, at the front desk, just yells back your items for repair, or questions, and he yells back. The phone is constantly ringing, with conversations going back and forth between English and Hebrew (or was it Yiddish?). It's like the Watchmaker from Oz.

Last year I got to meet "Mr. B" on a visit there. An older man for sure, but he was still working, wearing a well cut, well pressed suit (with vest, of course), and a brown fedora. We chatted for a few minutes on watches and he gave me some advice on how to buy vintage and the decades-long reputation on certain brands. A true gentleman, indeed. Before leaving, we stared speaking of age and I couldn't believe his age when he told me (87, I think). He really looked much younger than his years. As proof of his age, he rolled up his sleeve to show me his tattoo from his time in a Nazi concentration camp. I've never been more shocked and speechless in my life. That image haunted me for weeks.

Sadly, Mr. B died a few months later. I'll never forget this man.

My vintage Timex will always remind me of Mr. B.

My Scottish Roots

Okay, I don't really have any Scottish roots, but that doesn't mean I can't rock a tartan now and then. No to the kilt, but yes to the tartans.

They seem to be EVERYWHERE this year, after creeping up the last 3 years.

I picked up these babies this weekend at my local trusty J Crew establishment. (My contact there said lots of new fall stuff by Tues of this coming week.)

SCOTLAND THE BRAVE!

test!

Testing to see if I can post wirelessly from my new blackberry tour.
Happy weekend!

Cape Cod Never Tasted So Good

This past weekend I'm watching this commercial on TV for Samuel Adams beer, and it looked so damn good. Hadn't had a Sam in years, but man, this commercial made me want to go buy a whole keg.

The next day I'm at my neighbor's and he brings out this jug and asks if I want a beer. I'm thinking, huh?

What he had is some un-pasturized beer from a small brewery in Cape Cod. The un-pasturized part is important for two reasons: 1. You MUST drink the entire jug with 12 hours of opening it, and 2. They don't ship the stuff. Shame, cuz this was some of the best micro brew I've ever had.

They brew 2 main varieties: Red and IPA. (There are also 4 seasonal offerings that look great as well.). I had the Red, and it would have been no issue for me to put down that whole jug.

Maybe a fall trip to Cape Cod is in order.

Start planning your trip here

Tour Premium

A week or so back, Verizon Wireless dropped the price on the Blackberry Tour from $199 to $149 with a 2 yr agreement. Not bad, a $50 price cut and the thing has been out less than 2 months.

In my younger years, I would have been in line for this at 8am on the day of release. These days I have a little bit more self control.

I'm due for an upgrade, so I decided to google the Tour to see if it was indeed living up to its hype. Of course it was, but I found something even better: Amazon has a new store,AmazonWireless, that allows Verizon Upgrades.

The Tour was only $49 there (with a new 2 yr agreement) and $75 with a 2 year agreement. Thank you Amazon.

So, what's up with the $75 premium you're charging, Verizon???

'69 Obsessed

I have to admit, I have obsessed about these new Gap 1969 jeans over the last month. I've been searching all around NYC and NJ to score the best pair, since inventory from store to store varies greatly, I've found.

The new Authentic fit is really, really suiting me. Really diggin how they dropped the pockets in the back and raised the rise just a bit from the straight fit. I'm ending up with the Authentic fit in Rigid Selvage (not on-line) and Whiskered Authentic Wash. I also picked up the Resin Wash, Rustic Wash/Selvage, and Selvage Dark Rinse Wash for comparison but they all went back.

I was pretty close to keeping the Rustic Wash. I loved the rich blue color on these and the slight distressing, but the hole in the knee was just too much for me. I couldn't rock the ripped jeans 20 years ago in high school and I can't do it now either.

Searched like a obsessed teenager for the Straight Fit Rigid Selvage (not on-line). Missed a pair by 5 minutes to a 60-something dude. Good for him, I guess. Scored a pair 2 weeks later when not even looking for them.

Tried on the Skinny Fit just for fun. Fun, it was not, trying to button these up. I almost tripped over my feet trying to get these off in the dressing room. Quite a sight.

Uniq-NO

Back in July, GQ recommended a tweed wool sportcoat from Uniqlo. The article said the jacket was slim fitting and worth the $100 price tag indeed.



I patiently waited until the end of August for this jacket to appear in-store. I went to check it out last week and was pretty disappointed. The wool, while soft, felt very thin.

The jacket, while slim fitting, fit horribly in the shoulders. The overall construction looked more like the jacket should have been $49 instead of $99. Needless to say, it went right back on the rack. A lot of blogging about the niceness of this one, but I have to disagree.

I did spot some really nice selvage denim, with the MADE IN JAPAN tags clearly and prominently displayed. I tried on a pair of the regular fit and found them pretty flattering. The rise was just about right and the thighs not too tight. The denim seemed really nice with solid construction. If it wasn't for the fact that I just plopped down the card for the Levi's 514 Imprint, I probably would have copped these. Oh well, maybe next season.

Uniqlo also had their merino wool V-necks on sale for $29.99. Took a quick look but they seemed too thin. See-thru thin actually.

All in all, no luck at Uniqlo.

Helen Folasade Adu

Maybe its because after almost 9 years, I got tired of constantly scouring the web for (no) updates.
Maybe its because she is so private, that getting any information is like finding the secret formula for Coke.

Whatever the reason, I'll admit I was a little late in discovering this wonderful news: Sade is in the studio and planning a new CD for release, possibly by the end of this year, according to some internet reports. (Nov 24th is the internet rumor date, though not confirmed by Sony Music)

Sade is, without a doubt, my absolute favorite. And its tough to love this woman so much, as she doesn't give her fans much material. For example, her last two releases were in 1992 and 2000. 17 years and 2 albums! Now that's hardly a lot of material to live on for an ardent fan. So any news about her preparing for a new release is quite welcomed.

Hard to believe she is 50 now. Whatever her age, I'll continue to adore her and wait for new music. I loved the track below so much that I used it for background music on my wedding video. This is the live version from her 2001 Tour.



There is no other, by any comparison.

Fall 2009

It seems that most people wait all year for Summer. And I kinda understand that. More outside time, vacations, a little bit of a relaxed attitude.

Me? For as long as I can remember I've always looked forward to Fall most of all. This year, my thoughts turned to Fall during the last week of July, even before my summer vacation!

I think much of it has to do with nostalgia: the excitement of going back to school, Halloween, the impending Holidays, etc. I guess it kinda makes me feel like a kid again. Being that today is September 1st, my mind is now in full Fall mode. Even had to wear a jacket this morning. Break out the cords, the sweaters, jackets, and the scarecrow.

I have another trip planned to Montreal/Quebec City for October and I can't wait for the scenic trip thru the Adirondacks. Here's a pic I took with my blackberry, riding thru the Adirondacks last October.

Hoping that your Fall is filled with all good things.

Beeswax

I've always been a much bigger fan of brown shoes rather than black, especially after seeing how the Italians make a charcoal suit POP with the right pair of brown shoes.

The Fall always makes me long for new brown shoes. This year is no different.

My success with Clarks Desert boots thru the spring and summer has led me to jones for these :

The desert boots have served me well with both denim and khakis. And for around $80, I like 'em lots.
Will try to hold off till September....

514X Imprint

As much as I have always been a fan of Levi's 501s, I am always a bit uncomfortable in them. Could be the high rise, or anti-fit seat. Or the fact that 34s are always a bit snug and 36s too big.

I've been meaning to check out the 514 "slim straight" line. I've never really seen a wash I could fall in love with so I always bypassed them.

Yesterday, though, in the NYC SoHo store I came across these new 514Xs called "Imprint".

The tag said: A breakthrough in denim, IMPRINT™ starts off dark indigo and lets you control the fading, wearing and distressing. We've used it for the 514™ Jean, our best-selling slim straight-leg. The more you wear it before the first wash, the more truthful the body imprint will be."

The tag actually showed pictures of what the denim should look like after 20 wears and after 60 wears. See here for the tag on the Levi's site.

The SA said the denim wasn't raw, but it should show wear similar to if it were. We'll see about that.

Anyway, I'm a sucker so I bought them.

I'll let you know how they come along.

Back in the days before the calendar made me part of the over-30 crowd, and the words carbs, Atkins and South Beach meant nothing to me, one of my favorite pit stops for a belly filler was Pommes Frites here in NYC on 2nd Ave.

Not only are the fries served up authentic belgian style (in a paper cone and all), but the 30 or so dipping sauces are superb. The Peanut Satay sauce was all I needed.

I think its time I venture back over there and see if they're still as good as they used to be.

Check them out on-line here

Welcome, Christmas

Last weekend I stopped in Costco to buy some figs. If you're down with figs, Costco sells 24 for just $6.50. And they're a pretty nice size. Prolly like 2 golf balls. Man, they are the best figs I've tasted outside of Italy.

Anyway, after picking up the figs I was walking to the register and couldn't believe my eyes. The Christmas merchandise is starting to be rolled out. I was in shock. Here we are August 20th, and I'm looking at snowmen.

Moving on, yesterday I stopped by J. Crew to try on the new military inspired cargo pants. $79.50. Kinda steep for a starting price on cargos, if you ask me. The look of these is quite interesting, but at the end of the day they are still just cargos, no matter how much fancy wording J Crew can muster up.


I was pretty happy with the fit. They were close to the body without the sag that I usually find with cargos. I wasn't too impressed with the feel of the cotton. A bit thin. I'm a bigger fan of my J Crew Premium Officers Chinos. I might move on these if they come down under $40. But not until then.

Back from Recess

2 weeks sure does go fast when you're on vacation. Oh well, back to work.

As you can imagine, I'm not in the best of moods today.

As I sat down to put together a new posting for the blog, I started thinking, why do I continue this? Most of the similar blogs out there are written by women, geared toward women. Is my energy wasted?

Is anyone reading ? Or caring?

I'm thinking about stopping this. There are so many others who do it better.

Let's see how I feel tomorrow.
~JB

1969 Revisted

Been on vacation, so haven't been around much to add content here.

I visited the Gap flagship at 34th and Bway in NYC today. The denim options for men were dizzying. Looked like a lot of stock had come in since I was last there 2 weeks ago. I was hoping to try on a whole bunch and give some detailed impressions here but my 2 kids (ages 3 & 4) weren't long on patience today.

There was lots of rigid selvage in the house: skinny, straight, and authentic. I tried on the Straight and Authentic and loved them both. Purchased the Authentic in Rigid Selvage. Quite nice for $68. They're replacing the rinsed selvage Authentic fits I bought on-line a few weeks back.

The Authetic fit with a little bit of abraison and one small hole at the knee were
my faves. Had to buy them. Guilty pleasure.

Have to say, I was much more impressed with the collection this time around then when I saw it debut on July 27th.

A lot of European tourists seem to be buying up the denim today. Just an observation.

Back to (501) Basics

The options for a dude when it comes to denim these days is endless. Straight fit, slim fit, boot fit, skinny (ugh) fit, dark, light, medium, holes, etc. If you're like me, and you have a thing for jeans, it can make you crazy sometimes.

Walking thru Macy's yesterday with M2 asleep in my arms (he's 3 now, so this got pretty heavy pretty quickly) and M1 walking beside me, I pass a table of Levi's 501 Shrink to Fit jeans. So I stop and peruse. On Sale! Just $32.99--Immediately, M1 says "Daaaaaaaaady, let's go, you don't need more jeans!"

I decide that its time for another go at the STF route. Maybe I can really get good results this time. So I grab a pair.

2 hours later, at home, I'm in a hot bath with my Levi's and my kids are looking at me like I've really lost my mind this time. I spend the rest of the day in my wet 501s, as they mold to my body. Today I did another warm soak to shrink them a bit more. Sitting in my wet 501s once again as I write this.

Wifey just looks at me, shakes her head, and says "You're not normal."

I sure hope not.

I'll report back over time on how these progress. The key is constant wear.

Should I stay or should I go??

A few items arrived on Wednesday courtesy of the UPS truck.

GAP: 2 pocket leather jacket, Authentic Fit Rinsed Selvage 1969 Jeans

Banana Rep: Slim Fit Chinos

The 2 pocket black leather jacket didn't totally disappoint, but it didn't wow me either. The banded cuffs and waist were made of acrylic, so I could see that material pilling up and looking cheap. The leather quality was about what I'd expect from Gap. Going back.

The BR slim fit chinos were as expected, as I had seen them in-store. They were a bit too slim in the thigh and I'm not looking for a khaki that restricts my movement. Think I'll stay with a more traditional straight cut. Going back.

The 1969 Selvage jeans were the stars of the bunch. Nice shade of one-rinse blue, hidden rivets, no nonsense pair of jeans. Pretty happy with this new 1969 relauch at this price. Keepers. Gonna be key for Fall.

Summer Faves

I was out and about yesterday and saw a newsstand selling greeting cards. The Halloween stock was already in. Nothing like a dose of Halloween to remind you that the summer is starting to wind down. No kidding, I got a "Christmas 2009" catalog in the mail last week from some company (don't remember who).

I was already thinking about my fave purchases of the summer yesterday morning, so maybe the Halloween cards sighting was appropriate.

1. J Crew Jaspe tees: $32.50, but worth it. V neck, nicely textured, good fit. Had to buy 2 colors.

2. Levi's Capital E straight jeans. Great fit and styling.

3. RayBan Caravans. Tried the classic aviator look, but that didn't work. These are totally comfortable on me. Reminiscent of DeNiro in Taxi Driver.


4. No-brand straw Fedora hat from a street vendor on 66th and B-way. The hat is great, but the salesman was even better.

5. J Crew Premium Officer Chinos: Easily my favorite khakis since my K-1's. Scored 'em on quite a sale too. So nice, I did it thrice.

6. Clarks Desert Boots in Cola Suede color. Had to order from the UK for this color but it was worth it.

What's your faves this summer?

Back and Forth

Hey all. Haven't had much time to write lately. Been too busy checking my CC receipts, thinking ,WTF did I buy on THAT day?

Yeah, its been a busy 2 weeks. Here's a brief run down of what's been stealing my George Washingstons:

1. After many try-ons and thinking sessions, I went for the new Gap 1969 jeans in Authentic fit. The wash was a little more distressed than I prefer, but hey, at $38 after coupon, can you go wrong?

2. A new pair of loafers was in order. After buys&returns with Ralph Lauren driving mocs, and Banana Rep driving mocs, I went with a more classic look from Johnston & Murphy. Can't find a picture of these babies anywhere on-line though. They're a classic penny look, in a dark brown. More substantial than a driving moc, which seemed limited to just summer wear.

3. The J Crew chino Workshirt in white that I copped went back. Couldn't justify this one at full retail ($69).

4. The J Crew vintage slim jeans in grey resin crinkle wash that I obsessed over *almost* went back. Decided on keeping them though. Still in the closet with tags, so you never know....

5. I used my J Crew rewards card on the Whitman herringbone sportcoat. Man, this looked tasty on-line. In person, I didn't get that wow factor when I slipped it on. Without that, it's gotta go back. Rewards card on the prowl once again.


6. I couldn't find any of the Gap 1969 selvage versions in-store so I ordered on-line. Should be here tomorrow. I went for the dark rinse wash. If these live up to the hype, maybe the pair in #1 will go back.

7. On a last minute impulse buy, with a 30% off coupon in hand, I ordered this black leather jacket from Gap on line. I've been trying to figure out how to re-introduce a black leather jacket into my mix. Maybe this will be it? Sometimes Gap leather has surprised me. Wouldn't that be cool. Who knows though? Lots of variables need to come together: Fit, feel, weight, lining..... I'll know tomorrow.


8. Was lovin the J Crew 2 pocket poplin shirt in Charcoal. Wasn't lovin full retail $65 price. Noticed GAP had a very similar one for $44. Add to that 40% off coupon, and it becomes a very managable $26.

I believe that's all the damage.

Next post: Half way through the summer...what's emerged as my faves. Besides Gin.

Sun Goddess

Back in Feb of 2008 NYC lost a gem....CD101.9 FM, the smooth jazz radio station where new contemporary jazz could be heard along side of classic gems. Saturday night's The Groove Boutique with Rafe Gomez was so dope. A mix of jazz, funk, soulful house even. Gone. And missed.

CD 101.9 would rock some nice old joints. One of my faves was Sun Goddess by Ramsey Lewis. Always reminds me of summer. I loved this jam so much I even used it as background music in my wedding video.

Get your dose here.

Caravan

Has someone from J Crew has been reading my non-sense?

Nah, doubt it, but it is kinda funny that after obsessing and writing about my love for Ray Ban 3136 Caravans back in May, and giving in to multiple pairs, now J Crew is offering the Caravan as part of their Fall '09 lineup. Thanks, after I went crazy trying to find these in May!



Some folks had told me that the Caravan model was discontinued (folks at RayBan, no less!). Glad to see they didn't know the real deal.

1969 is Coming

Stopped in Gap yesterday to check out the sales and see if there was anymore info on the 1969 Jeans re-launch. Not much on the re-launch, but...

In the winter, I sprung for the white selvedge jeans for $88. I just loved the fit and the feel of the denim. What did I do after 3 months? Spill coffee on them. Nice. Stained. Ruined.

Yesterday I found them for $18 on sale. Score. They're back.

As I paid the cashier also handed me two coupons. One for 25% off the new 1969 jeans coming July 27th and one for 40% off one any item during Aug 3-7. Thank you very much sir. Think I'll use that 40% on the new jeans, if I dig them.

J Crew Fall '09

If you haven't seen/heard it elsewhere, the Fall '09 collection at J Crew is beginning to slide in. Yesterday, lots of goodies were added on-line, including the grey crinkle-wash jeans I've been eyeing since about a month ago.

Not wanting to wait for these bad boys to ship over the weekend, I tried to find them at a local store here in the NYC area. Tried my fave 5th Ave Store, but no luck. Tried Short Hills, NJ but no luck. I knew it would be difficult--both stores told me that these were just released so it would be about a week till the stores got them. So I called my trusty contact "PV" at J Crew to do a search for me. He came back with one....just one, in my size in whole area...at The Liquor Store.

Luckily, The Liquor Store is just a 3 stop subway ride away. I jetted up there during lunch and snagged them. There was maybe only 5-6 pairs total in the store, so I was pretty damn lucky. The sales associate said to me, "we just got these in last night....No one else in the country has them yet...you are the first person to buy them. So go out and walk around in your new EXCLUSIVE jeans".

Anyway, the guys at the Liquor Store told me they got 100 boxes of fall stock just this week. I was pretty impressed with the selection. Check it out if you are in the area.


On the way home, I decided to stop by the J Crew men's shop in the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ. To be truthful, I was more impressed with this shop than the Liquor Store. They had tons and tons of new Fall stuff. The store looked superb. Great job by the visual team. Saw many things on the floor that were listed on-line as "catalog/JCrew.com only". I picked up the Chino Workshirt in white. The Charcoal Heather Poplin Utility shirt was also quite nice, but I held off.

It's gonna be a good end to summer.

Mont Royal

See that skyline above? That's Montreal, my fave city in the world (outside of NYC, of course). It's where I have my best memories as a young dude (18-25) as well as where my beautiful wife is from, just by coincidence.

I'm in Montreal now for a few days. The European feel, the great diversity of cultures, the sense of fashion, the wonderful array of foods...It's a top notch city.

If you dig shoes, you'll go broke here.
If you dig bagels, you've never had a bagel like they make at St Viateur bagels. It's world famous.

I'm headed to old Montreal right now. Get a load of this:



Enjoy your weekend. See you on Saint Catherine Street.

~JB

Shade of Grey

A few weeks back a SA at a J Crew here in NYC was kind enuff to show me the print version of the Fall 09 lookbook.



In 12 seconds, the wanting set in!

These are a standout of the book, for me. Counting down the days till these can slide on me. These look perfect for fall, with their darkish shade and wrinkle wash.

Lots of images from this look book floating around on line. Come Fall, come.

Tasty indeed.

July 27th

Big sign in my local GAP today...

July 27th: The best premium Jeans in America arrive.


I assume this is referring to the relaunch of the GAP's 1969 line. Looking forward to see what they have to offer, for the un-premium price of $69.

I emailed the Gap customer service, but they would neither confirm nor deny any new product launches. Oh well, let the countdown begin. 13 days to go...

Turn it Up

I'm having 2 BBQ's at my house this weekend. Why the hell not? Summer doesn't last forever.

When I have people at my house I automatically revert back to my DJ days, making sure I have just the right sounds to feed the vibe. For some peeps, who know my love of soulful house and old soul/disco, I'll let my deep shit take over. For others, I have to be a bit more conservative in my selections.

So all week I've been thinking of what to play, what to play.

Here's what I've decided on for this weekend's aural pleasure

Saturday:

Vintage Michael Jackson (Thriller and before)
Raphael Saadiq
DJ Sazon's Lost in a Strange World


Sunday

Eros Ramazzotti
Raphael Saadiq
Possibly some Maxwell if I can score the new CD today

Hope your weekend is groovy.

What I Miss

More often than not blogs speak of what people want, and what they've bought. Sometimes I think that what people want and buy is meant to make up for things they really can't have.

Yes, that can be deep rooted things like relationships, respect, love, belonging, etc. But it can also be simple things. Like Hair.



That picture is of the back of my boy's head. He is 3 years young. Check out those wavy, abundant locks of hair. No idea where he got that chestnut color from, as both me and the W are almost black-haired.

Now THAT is what I really want, much more than a new washed favorite shirt from J. Crew. My hair started to betray me at about 28 or 29. But before it got the better of me I let my hair grow enough to have curls like that in the back, and then some. I miss it everytime I look in the mirror.

M2, enjoy it while you got it.

Khaki Hunt

Usually I'm on the look out for some fine selvedge denim...but lately, with my closet filling up with denim and my summer work-wear gravitating away from suits, I've been on the khaki hunt.

I've been meaning to buy a pair of Bill's but haven't had the opportunity to hunt them down in person yet. I've tried many higher priced designer brands but none that I fell in love with.

My reliable standby J Crew makes a regular cut and a slimmer classic cut. While I can deal with them, I'm not crazy about the fit, especially in the waist. Believe it or not, the Gap Original Khakis are one of my faves, and at just $44 a pretty good deal.

I've recently fell in love with the J Crew Premium Officer's Chinos. Something a little bit different. And now on sale for $32 with the J Crew 20% off final sale. It's a solid deal.

Now whatever happened to the the old K-1 Cramerton cloth khaki by Dockers? That was a classic.

Independence

When is the last time you read the Declaration of Independence? 4th grade? 11th grade? Possibly never?

Give it a read, if you haven't in a while.

Just think of the set of cohones on these chaps when they put this to paper in 1776:

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved

Thank you MJ

I couldn't let the death of MJ go without comment.

I grew up with Michael's music, my first memory of him being when I got the Off The Wall LP for Christmas in '79. I was just 7 years old but that album shaped my musical tastes for the rest of my life.

I don't think an album will ever be a enormous as Thriller was, ever again in my lifetime. How can you begin to measure the profound influence it had on popular society, around the globe?

Just recently I discovered this track "Carousel" from Thriller that was left off the LP. Back when vinyl was king, only 45 minutes was available for an album. I read somewhere that MJ and Quincy Jones worked on 300 songs for this album. Just imagine the wonderful music that would have made it onto Thriller had the 80 minute CD been available?



MJ's music will live in me forever. I promise that I'll pass it on to my children.

I bought how many?

Do you ever stop and look in your closet and become a bit overwhelmed? Damn, I think I've over-bought now.

Ya know in the movies, where closets are always so spacious and clothes have room to breathe and hang without wrinkles? I'm always torn between that ideal and a packed closet full of new purchases and old faves (I don't have the luxury of a spacious walk-in closet). A minimal collection, with classic go-to pieces has always been this European ideal that I strive for, but it never seems to work. Hard to pass up sales and American consumerism always seem to win that battle.

Last Friday, when planning for an overnight away with the wife, I got that overwhelmed feeling. When that happens, I immediately look for items that I'm no longer in love with, and I put them in the donate pile. So 3 shirts came out and went in the donation bag. Actually, I think it was 4. I try to donate 1 for every new 1 I buy but that doesn't always work.

It also made me take a look at what I've bought over the past 6 months to see what's really worked and what hasn't.

What's worked: J Crew's Aldridge suits, Hathaway Platinum Shirts, Sperry Top-Siders, J Crew Jaspe Tees

What's not been working: J Crew broken-in Tee's (Bought too many-no chance to wear them all), J Crew Favorite shirts (bought too many!), J Crew loafers (bad quality, went back!)

Happy Pickins!

Un Raggio di Sole per Te

Again, this morning, with the clouds and drizzle.

I thought it would be an appropriate time for this old fave song of mine. Check out Jovanotti, from 1999, with his track "Un Raggio di Sole Per Te", which translates from Italian as "A Ray of Sunshine For You."
When I was in Italy in the summer of '99 this was played all over the place.

I've kept it in my rotation ever since.

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone...

I know that speaking about the weather is about the most thoughtless of conversations people can engage in, but I'd just like to thank Mother Nature for giving us a June that's been more like a monsoon month in India, than a summer month in NYC.

Those square aviators I wrote about a month back have been sitting nicely in their case, not blocking any rays. Once the sun comes out in September, they should be in great shape.

A few J. Crew tidbits to mention:

1. The chambray shirt that was done (briefly) in white, is now back on the site as the "broken-in chino workshirt". Maybe I'll give it another look, as I didn't dig it too much in the chambray. It's $30 cheaper now, as well.

2. I loved my Aldridge blue suit so much (see here) that I went for the jacket in Charcoal Grey as well. For once in my life, my timing was good, as I grabbed it on a 20% off sale. Now, sadly, its only available on the dreaded final sale.

3. The charcoal/black Jaspe tee that I mentioned here has grown on me so much that I think I need to cop the marled grey as well. This is really a great tee.

Old Tyme

Back in April, I broke down and bought J. Crew's collaborative effort with Timex. $150 was too much for a quartz Timex, I thought, but it immediately became a favorite in my watch collection, even pushing my Omegas to the pack of the drawer for a while.

This watch got me interested in an authentic vintage Timex. There's something about dressing up in a new suit, new shoes, new shirt, and a watch from 1955.

I've picked up 4 now from EBay. Here are two I bought this weekend from a guy in the UK.





Time ain't what it used to be.