Where your Levi's come from

If you look inside your Levi's, chances are they are made in Mexico. Here's how your 501s come to life, Mexico-style.

A Word from Giuseppe

Just in case you don't read the super-useful-and-cool web log by Giuseppe,."An Affordable Wardrobe,(see my links), I wanted to post this excerpt from one of his posts last week.

This has been going through my head continuously as I observe those around me this week. Brilliantly put:

"People who use the fact that they look after small children as an excuse to walk around dressed like children are being lazy. Adulthood, and especially parenthood, is no place for laziness. I'll try not to get on a high horse about it, but dressing like an adult teaches children a little something about being an adult. Spending the day in pyjamas and sweat pants teaches them something too"

A Cigar a Day...

After months of fiending, I have scored the Alden Cigar Shell Cordovan LWBs. I let them go once and I wasn't gonna let 'em go again! Shown here with some outstanding Wool Cavalry Twill trousers from Epaulet. Direct sunlight shot.

Desire

Its 70 degrees today here in NJ. Makes you feel so good, after the winter we just had. Here's something else to make you feel so good: UltraNate, remixed by NJ's own maestro Kerri "KAOZ 6:23" Chandler.

Shade of Blue

Stopped by to see my pals at the Short Hills, NJ J. Crew last night.

Aside from the normal S/S offerings, something very cool caught my eye.

There is a section of men's wear dedicated to Indigo gear. You may remember the indigo dipped sweatshirt from a few months back (see below).

Cool as hell with its unique shade of blue, but I had to balk at the $98 price tag.

All of the pieces were in this vein. There was an indigo dipped work shirt, pull over shirt, and a great looking indigo dipped pocket t-shirt. Most of these items seem to be on-line, but they're easy to pass over when surfing.

Check 'em out in-store if you wanna see something different and fresh.

St. Viateur experience

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of stealing a few hours and passing the time on St. Viateur Street in Montreal. St. Viateur is one of my favorite spots in Montreal, thanks to its eclectic mix of boho types, old school Italian and Portuguese immigrants, French speaking Montrealers and the occasional Hasidic Jew. A wonderful mix indeed!

Combine that flavor with places like Cafe Olimpico, the world famous St. Viateur Bagels, the Crepiere, and the nearby shops of Parc Ave, and you've got a great place to relax and enjoy a chill afternoon. Me and my boy no doubt did.

Overheard

Overheard on the corner of Rivington and Ludlow St, on Manhattan's Lower East Side, as I was standing there pondering an Epaulet purchase:

2 guys walking, probably early to mid 20s. Both with hoods and saggy jeans. One says to the other "yeah, I know, cuz the next thing I was gonna say to her was I can do it all night baby".

Classic.

Ep & Al

I haven't had the chance to rave yet about my new love affair with Epaulet (menswear joint in Brooklyn, Lower East Side, and online at www.epauletshop.com), but let's just say that Epaulet is the real som-bitchin' deal. But I'm sure you already knew that.

Here is a shot today of my Walt Flannel Wool Trousers and Alden Cigar Shell Cordovan Indy boots, both sourced from Epaulet.



I'm lovin these two pieces to death. That being said, I'm sure I'll stain them, rip them, tear them, destroy them, etc, by day's end.

Winter's Treat

The past 4 years I've been allocating 4 vacation days to President's Day week, and making a winter trip up to Montreal. If you're one of those people who whines and complains about the cold, then stay home.

If you're willing to brave the weather (not so bad!), then get out there and soak up all this wonderful city has to offer. From the charm of Old Montreal at the Port to the panoramic views atop of Mount Royal, the city sooths with European flavor.

$2.50 today, well spent:

W.P. S/S 2011

The ever popular Warby Parker rolled out some new styles last week for Spring/Summer. The theme of funky, chunky plastic frames that launched the company continues.

And still $95 ! Come on!

Here are my faves from the collection, the Preston:


Check them all out HERE

New from India

Last year, come end of summer, I was totally madrassed out.

Well, J. Crew is starting to roll out their new offerings and this one has my eye.
Sooner or later, thou shall be mine. Time heals all wounds...

Nudie, Raw

Came across this informative video on the making of nudie jeans:

To help me see better, my dear !

I've been mulling over a pair of Warby Parkers since I first caught wind of them in March of last year.

I was able to get a quick glimpse of them at the Pop Up Flea here in NYC last November, but the joint was so packed that I didn't get a chance to really concentrate on them. I took their business card, knowing I'd be back.

In the meantime, I added a pair of Shuron frames to my arsenal this winter to replace my Moscot Hyman frames which were two years old and showing signs of age. Even so, I was still intrigued by the Light Sandalwood color of some of the WP frames. I usually wear dark brown or black, so this lighter color was a welcomed change.

Just my luck, I found out in November that the Light Sandalwood color was on back-order. So the wait continued...

Finally, in January, I was able to get up to the WP showroom on 16th St in NYC for a view of all the frames. The space was airy & bright with a lot of energy. The frames were easily accessible for trying on and the staff ulta-helpful. They had some new offerings that weren't even on-line yet. (They even gave me $5 off for making the trek there to visit them!)

I was in and out in 20 mins, since I had my current Rx in hand. I went for the Fillmore in Light Sandalwood. I was promised the frames in 10 working days.

All in all, a great purchasing experience thus far.

My frames ended up arriving at my house in around 5 days! When I got them I was disappointed to find that one of the lenses seemed loose. I called the WP 1-800 number and they apologized and promised to ship me a new pair right away. And that they did, no questions asked. I sent the first frames back, being extremely satisfied with their customer service.

The frames are aesthetically wonderful, IMO. The size is perfect for my face. The color is light, but not too light to conflict with my olive-toned skin. They're probably not as hefty feeling as my Moscot Lemtosh, but I do like the color and fit better, to be honest. And at $95...how can you argue? Even better, a pair of glasses was donated to someone in need as a result of my purchase.

Two days later someone stopped me and said, " wow, those are great frames! I'd love to get a pair like that but I don't have $400-500 to spend. Those are Oliver People's right?".

Nope, I said, grinning from ear to ear. Needless to say, the dude was scratching down the Warby Parker name faster that I could get it out.

Looking for frames? A second pair? A weekend only pair? Do yourself a great favor and check out WP. Don't forget, they'll also send you up to 5 pairs to try on so you can stare at yourself in the mirror for a long time without feeling self-conscious around the sales staff (or maybe that's just me)!

Foul Weather Friends

As it goes, I went on a bit of tear during the last few months. Shoe wise, that is.

I had fulfilled my denim quotient, so what better to finish off the outfit than a sturdy pair of shoes. A&A (Alden and Allen Edmonds), as I call them, reached deep into my wallet, and pschye, and showed me how the big boys do it. Appropriate though, as my years move on and I need something better to support this frame other than a pair of disposable made-in-china, glued together leather shoes. This all sounds familiar to me. I think we've been through this before.

So what happens when you line your closet with the best shoes money can buy (debatable, I assume) and then old man winter throws at you the best he's got. Well, a man has got to fight back appropriately.

Thus, I give you, my shoe MVP for this winter.

Courtesy of Rockport. Bought in 2008.

Here's what its got:
-Waterproof
-Super soft nubuck leather
-Versatile light brown color
-Split toe styling
-Rubber bottom for sturdy winter wear
-Comfortable as hell.

Thanks Rocky, for taking the beatings this year while the A&A fellas wait patiently in the closet for a sunny day.

Yeah, I know, fair weather friends.

Phil's Day

Happy Groundhog Day. Punxutawney Phil is in the press again. I see this year he was politically incorrect, as usual, wearing real fur.

Anyway, its another winter storm here in the NYC area. This time its ice. Not nice. Another day for the nice shoes and threads to stay in the closet.

The 4 or 5 of you good people who read this web log (okay maybe I'm exaggerating...3 or 4) may have noticed I didn't have much to say during January. Or then again, maybe you didn't notice. That's the issue I've been mulling over for the past month.

I've been doing some physical therapy for the tendonitis in my ankle, as I sit there and count to 30 doing boring exercises I've been thinking, do I continue this thing? Does anybody read it? Does anyone care what I'm wearing today, or what I plan on buying, or what I bought, or who I kissed. What was that?

There are so many men's fashion blogs out there and God knows most do it better than I do.

So if there is anyone out there, what do you suggest? Go away and leave the blogosphere a better place? Begin to feature more pleated pants and tab collar shirts? Try out some 2 for $18 Faded Glory Jeans from Walmart?

What Say ye?

p.s. just in case you were wondering, today I'm shoveling snow & ice in my Tellason x ACL jeans, red wing boots, and j. jcrew jaspe henley.

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?