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.