Take that to the Bank!

Now I want to sound like an old man, but come on, this was when music was MUSIC.

Infectious! Just try NOT to dance.

1978.

Gettin thru this winter....

...is not easy when you're trying to rein in the spending.

My self-imposed no shopping ban didn't last long at all. I think it lasted 2 days, as a matter of fact. Hey, how can I let these incredible deals pass me by?

I've scooped up some really great deals over the last 3 weeks as some of my fave retailers have slashed prices to get rid of stock.

Have you been wathcing these Lands End Canvas sales get better and better? How much better? Straight Fit Khakis for just over $10. Poplin shirts for $8. T shirts for $4. Now how can a self respecting man let those bargains pass by?

J. Crew had some great items hiding in the 40% off Final Sale as well. Secret Wash shirts for $17. Chamois shirts for $12. Slim fit tees for $6. Are you kidding me???

Quality staples at prices you're probably not gonna see for a long time.

Charles Tyrwhitt is running a great sale on men's shirts. Quality slim fit shirts can be had for less than $40.

So with all of this GREAT SMART SHOPPING and generous saving, I felt obligated to do my feet a favor and treat them to these Alden shell cordovan #8 boots:



Hope you're winter is coming along nicely.

Protecting the Brannock

A very interesting article in the January 11th Wall Street Journal about the infamous Brannock measuring device:

LIVERPOOL, N.Y.—Many have tried, but no one has ever come up with a more elegantly simple way to measure the human foot than Charles Brannock, inventor of that ubiquitous metal gadget found in shoe stores and known, fittingly, as the Brannock device.

Created in the 1920s, Mr. Brannock's tool is among the most enduring industrial designs ever. The company's original paperwork now resides in the Smithsonian Institution. Cameron Kippen, a foot historian and podiatrist in Australia, calls them an "icon of quality" that changed the way shoes were fitted.

But defending the Brannock legacy from competitors, who produce cheaply overseas, has become an uphill battle. Sal Leonardi bought the Brannock Device Co. Inc. from Mr. Brannock's estate in 1993 after the inventor died at age 89, and he promised to keep the factory in the Syracuse area for at least five years....

See the whole article here


Here is the man: (killer frames)

Overheard on the Street

Sometimes while walking down the streets of NYC you are privy to tiny bits of conversations that are very amusing.

Some snipets make no sense when heard out of context, but some are clearly understood.

Today, two women walking behind me were quite excited in their conversation and easy to hear.

Imagine this, in classic Staten Island accent (for those of you outside of NYC, you'll get the drift anyway)....

"I don't know what, but there is something about the light in my house that makes my nails look so good.....they look just like Kim Kardashian's".

Guess not everyone out there is walking around thinking about selvedge and crepe soles.

Black is the new Black

After my first trip to Italy in '96 I vowed to keep black shoes off of my feet while in public. I always preferred the richness of the color brown, but witnessing how the Italian men made grey flannel and navy blue really POP with a pair of medium brown shoes made me realize I had been living in the dark ages.

Today on the way home from work I took a visual shoe-survey of the men I saw on the street and on the train. I'd say a good 85-90% who were wearing dress shoes had black. Now what the shoes looked like is a whole 'nother story.

I've been very partial lately to Allen Edmond's Walnut Color and Alden's #8.

However, the past month has me feeling I need to add one quality black pair to my rotation. This Alden beauty may just be the one:

What's your preference on mix of colors?

That's all you got?

Hey friends. A very Happy New Year to you all.

Back in my college days, the hip hop album of choice was usually Dr. Dre or Snoop Dog's 1st collection.

Let's not even get into what became of Snoop. Dre, on the other hand, I always held out hope for.

Dunno if you heard it yet, but Dre is back with a new CD. First single is called Kush. Not being down with the lingo, I watched the video and only then learned that the song is all about weed.

I sat there and watched the video and I all could think about was "after all these years, the best you can do is write another damn song about smoking weed?" Disappointing. Really disappointing.

If this decade's creativity is making new songs about smoking weed I'll stick to some Teddy Pendergrass circa 1978.