Nudie, 2.5 months on

These are my Nudie Average Joe Dry Heavy jeans. Started showing them some love in early Jan, so we're talkin about 2.5 months. Love the feel of the 14oz denim and the fit. They've been super comfortable from the get-go. I don't love the length of the back pockets, but I can deal with them. No soaks or washes yet. All in all, very happy with this purchase.

Some pretty cool things starting to happen...

Lodestar

While I'm not a big fan of summer wear, the J Crew shirting offerings this year have been very tempting. Did I just say "shirting" ?

The lightweight shirt is quite big again this year. Most of the shirts I spied this past weekend were of the lightweight variety. It's a nice concept for summer, but for me, it just doesn't work. I don't mind paying full retail for a J. Crew shirt I really dig, but a lightweight shirt only really works in one season here in the NYC/NJ area. I bought one lightweight shirt last year and found that once September rolled around, the shirt really wasn't useful.

I'd rather spend my dough on a shirt that I can wear 365 days of the year.

That said, I gravitated toward the Madras options. The Lodestar Madras shirt has been on my radar for the last 4 weeks. The green Hillside Madras was all the rage pre-release, but when I tried it on I found it a bit too much on the big blocks of green.

The red and dark blue contrast on the Lodestar worked much better for me. The flap pocket sealed the deal. Very comfortable madras cotton. Looking forward to giving it its bow this weekend when the weather is supposed to hit 75 degrees here in NJ.

APC 3 Months On...

My APC New Standards have seem some decent wear, though clearly not enough. I've had them since Dec 18 2009, so just a bit over 3 months. The waist has stretched a lot since I got them...so much so that what were once almost unbearable jeans on day 1 now need a belt.

The jeans have seen no washes or soaks.

Mister FREEdom

The good folks over at J Crew sent over a Mister Freedom handkerchief last week. Thanks Mickey. Now about that J. Crew tie clip I lost....

3Sixteen, part II

Here's some pix of my 3Sixteen SL-100X:

3Sixteen

Seems like most folks who are part time bloggers often have lapses in postings, which they attribute to other demands from their real world jobs. Yes, I must confess that this is my cop-out as well for the last few weeks. Work, that glorious 4 letter word that pays my bills, has indeed had me by the balls the past few weeks.

I have been waiting patiently for Self Edge NY to restock their 3Sixteen SL 100x jeans. I first began to lust after these babies back in late Dec '09, but I was told back then it would be a few months before a restock was coming.

Man, what a cold, long, dark, dreary winter its been.

Yesterday, the skies parted, the sun shone down on NYC, and I got a call from the super nice guys at SENY that 316's were back.

I took a late lunch at work, jumped on the putrid J/M/Z subway line to the Lower East Side and found the spot on Orchard Street. I had forgotten all the character this neighborhood had. Hadn't been there in probably 20 years since I used to go with my father, looking for leather jackets.

I met Alan, who was very helpful, taking the 316's right out of the FedEx Box for my trying-on pleasure.

Oh boy, these are as nice as you've heard. Beautiful indigo shades, 14oz selvage denim, solid construction (made in Los Angeles, USA), plain back pockets. Shimon from 316 was at the shop, and he showed me his pair, beautifully faded after 6 months of wear.

The selection of denim was almost too much for me to take in. Never felt 21oz denim in my hand before. Damn, that's something every denim head should feel. The selection of shirts was also incredible. Sorry I don't have pix....had to run back to WORK!.

5 inches off the bottom and I was out the door of fantasy land, back to work. What a trip.

Time to clean my closet and put some denim on Ebay.

Fall 2010

First look at Fall 2010, J Crew style. Courtesy of GQ.

I like what I see

Tie Clip Runaway

Just got into work, took my jacket off, looked down and noticed my J Crew sterling silver tie clip was gone! Probably fell off somewhere on my walk to the office. Probably been kicked around, stepped on, and totally disrespected by now.

I'm really upset about this.

This was the tie clip I had received as a gift from J Crew last year.

Damn.

Anyone have any ideas where to find a sterling silver tie clip for a decent price? I love the J Crew versions, but the prices seem a bit steep...

This really ain't cool.

Ring the Alarm

Went to go see the Fireman's jacket today at 484 Bway. I'd call it a mid weight cotton. Color was an appropriate muted dark navy/black. Fit was perfect for my tastes. Not overly slim, but a nice trim fit. Instantly attractive.

I like the idea of the fireman style buckles/clasps in front, although they seemed a bit thin. Would have prefered some heavier hardware. Nice stand up collar with a corduroy backing.

$268 is probably a bit steep. A 20% off sale with a rewards card should get it to a sweet spot. Too cold anyway in NYC for this weight jacket right now.

Things I Miss

Sometimes I look in the mirror, spot my gray hairs, and my age hits me in the face. OK, so I haven't yet reached 40 but still....I think of things and say "damn, that was 15, 20, 25 years ago"

One of the things that randomly popped into my mind this week was Pine Bros cherry cough drops.

Cough drops? Who were they kidding? This was straight up chewy candy disguised as something to help your throat. Thinking back, this must have been 1980-ish.

There was one corner store near my grandparents house that me and my brother would always hit up for the Pine Bros. 3 or 4 packs at a time. Popped em like candy. They had this very unique cherry taste. Stuck in your teeth nicely too. Sadly, these are no longer around.

Closest thing I found today are Ricola fresh chewy breath mints. No cherry flavor though.

Interesting tid bit: The side of the box reads "May have a mild laxative effect if consumed in large quantities."
Pop at your own risk.

The Flesh is Weak

Indeed, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. True 2000 years ago and true today.

Tried so hard to hold out on the LVC 1947 501s, but last week I gave in. So good to have them back, even though the wallet is crying and my closet is saying "WTF do you need another pair of jeans for???"

Is there rehab for denim heads? But for real, if you are a denim freak, you know you have to have the 47s in your collection. 'Nuff said on that.

Stopped by J Crew yesterday to check out the nail head oxford utility shirt. Passed this one over the past few times but it had stared to grow on me. Tried it on and fell it love instantly. I can see myself getting tons of use out of this piece. The fit seems to be slimmer than the rest of the utility shirts. Cotton is very thick. Seems very well made.

While there I stopped to chat with a SA I've gotten to know. The dude was wearing 3Sixteen SL 100X jeans! I was pretty floored. I've been jonesing for these since December but I've not been able to find my size. Even better than that, the dude is an intern at 3Sixteen. SelfEdge says they have a new shipment coming in next week, so I'll be up there checking these out in person.

Let's say I do decide to spring on the 3Sixteens? I think I've overloaded. APC, Nudie, LVC 47s, and 3Sixteen all in competition for break-in time. This is gonna be tough...

Red Wings and Levi's

I've had my Red Wings for 2 years now. The past few months I've given them some good, hard wear. Shoveled some major snow in them. Wore them in my crawl space while I changed my sump pump (how's that for some good old American workin'), etc.

Gave them a good conditioning and a shining a few weeks back and they look and feel better than ever.

Took a few shots of them with my new Levi's STF in Verde color this weekend. Found this old folding chair and thought it provided a great backdrop.

Winter at 50%

And so we reach the half-way point of the winter. Which means the S/S 2010 goodies start to appear. Thankfully, as I've said before, I'm not a big shorts and polos kinda guy so not much is tempting me!

Except that J Crew Red Chambray. A lot of peeps are sweating this shirt. Better live up to its hype! I did the pre-order so it should be showing up this week. Willy Cheesesteak has a great shot of it on his blog here.

With great glee, I have fallen victim to 3 pairs of Levi's 501 since the new year.

1. Levi's 501 for J Crew in Best Blues (Selvedge)


2. Levi's 501 for J Crew in Indigo Ridge (previously mentioned in this blog)

3. Levi's 501 Dark Rinse (Selvedge). Made in USA. Beautiful dark denim. Probably 12 oz weight. Never seen anything like these anywhere. Found them in Bloomingdales in Short Hills, NJ. Had my eye on them for soooo long, but the $168 price tag put me off. Then one day in early February I'm walking thru the store and there happens to be a 50% off sale. I go over to the table where these are, expecting my size to be gone, but alas, there they were. I couldn't resist. These are beautiful. Will try to get some pix that do them justice.

I spent the better part of last week in Montreal, and believe it or not, I didn't dent the wallet. Saw some beautiful things but I held back. To be truthful, the wife was quite surprised at my control!

Truth be told, I did try and score another pair of Nudie Averages Joe's (cuz i LOVE the way my first pair are wearing thus far), but after I ordered with Oi Polloi I was informed they were sold out in my size!

Also, I've been pretty strong on holding off on those Alden's!

The New Levi's LVC collection has landed at selected joints (Farinelli's has a nice write up on them). I really want to get back into a pair of 1947s, but I'm gun shy given my recent purchases (since December) of APCs, Nudies, and a bunch of 501s.

To quench my thirst I got a pair of Levi's 501 STF in Verde. Went for my natural waist this time instead of +2 inches. Did my 20 min soak in a hot bath as my family looked on and contemplated calling a shrink. (no pun intended there). After 20 mins they felt great. Wore them for 2 hours and then let them dry overnight on a clothes rack. Have to say, for $36 (thanks Zappos and FREE next day shipping) these are quite impressive. As much as I dig those '47s (now close to $225, and $265 for the pre-shrunk J Crew version), I can get 6 pairs of these STFs. At some point I think I will fall victim to these 47s. WHY DID I EVER THROW MY LAST PAIR IN THE WASH!!! UUGHHHHHHHHH!

That's it for now.

Oh yeah, Sade's album is at number 1. Rightfully so.

The Lady Returns

Almost 10 years in the making.

Sade's legions of fans are surely the most patient in the world. Nonetheless, we love and adore her.

Almost 10 ten years of patiently waiting, but never forgetting.

THIS IS SOUL href="">

Haunted Heels

Have to admit, the recent J. Crew collaborations have been pretty impressive. Over the past year I picked up the Timex watch, Sperry shoes, RayBan shades, etc.

And now, now they come at me where I'm at my weakest.

I actually got to see and hold these in person at the Liquor Store a few weeks back and they've been haunting me ever since. (They also come in a dark brown.)

What a feeling, holding a pair of super high quality men's shoes (made in the USA!) that literally last their proud owners 10-15 years. This ain't your Made in China, glued together, toss away next year shoes that you won't remember 2 years from now.

How long can I hold out? I'm wearing thin....

Write it Down!

A few weeks back I stumbled upon this great denim blog. See here DENIM NEWS.

There was a post I found very interesting on little black notebooks. HERE's THE SCOOP

I've always been a fan of carrying around a little notebook for my to-do list, to write down stuff I know I'll want to remember, but know I'll forget, and to help me manage life in general. If you remember, one of my earliest posts on this blog was about my obsession with to-do lists.

Not long after reading that article, I had to score a Rhodia. It really is as useful and well made as the review above paints it to be. I won't go through it all again, but this is really $15 well spent.


The sheer simplicity of this product, coupled with its usefulness, make you know this is gonna be around 25 years from now. Your chirping Crackberry? Probably not.

Distiller's Select

For a long time, I was just a Scotch man during the winter months (gin, in the summer, of course).

Don't remember exactly when, but maybe 4 years back, I started to get into Bourbon. Good ole, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. First it was Makers. Then Knob Creek. And then last year, by chance, I picked up a bottle of Woodford Reserve.

The label says they've been making whiskey on the site of the Woodford Reserve since 1812. Versailles, KY. The stuff is so damn good. Medium smokey flavor, but with a lingering sweetness. Not harsh at all. I've let some non-Bourbon drinkers taste it and they've all asked for seconds.

Words do it no good.

1951

I'm guessing this pic is 1951, by the age of my mother.

Here she is with my grandfather, as he rocks those dope frames.

Long Live Lem'

Last year, I became a bit Moscot obsessed. As usual, I couldn't make up my mind between a few pairs, so I bought a brown and a black pair.

I bought the Lemtosh frames in black. I went back the next week looking to exchange them for the Tortoise, but alas, it was sold out.

I checked back during the year but these beauties were always sold out. I finally was able to get pair this week. I took the lenses outta my black frames and put them in these tortoise. (My black frames are for sale in case anyone is looking...)

Just last weekend I was checking out some pix of my grandfather from back in the 50s. He was rocking these exact frames. And damn they looked good on him.

These are the real deal. Get into a pair.

Mickey's 501s - Continued

Here's a quick shot of the new 501s