Archive for July, 2011
fall must be approaching because harris tweed is back in the picture. this time vans is using the scottish cloth on their classic chukkas. the coolest part about the shoe is the harris tweed branding on the tongue. the uncoolest part about the shoe is that they’re an asia exclusive release.
last week i saw very curious tweet from imogene + willie asking if any of their followers had kids with little league practice coming up. this week i found out why. they put together their own little league squad to introduce their new collaboration with ebetts field: the sandlot plus cap. it’s like the plus cap they released last winter but this one is made of faded grey/blue cotton instead of heavy wool. it also features an adjustable leather strap so you don’t have to worry about what hat size you are. head over to their site to see the little leaguers show off their skills and to get yourself one of these fresh ball caps. i love saying ball cap.
i walked into my office after lunch yesterday and saw a strange wooden box sitting on my desk. paying no attention to the logo, i opened it up and much to my surprise found this needlepoint belt. in all honesty, i’ve never been a huge fan of these belts, but since it has such a beautiful logo on it i can’t resist its charm. it will be perfect for saturdays this fall. thanks for the belt, dad.
i’ve been slammed at work for the past two days and haven’t been able to post or read any of my favorite blogs. while i was out, j. crew has been busy adding some new things to their store. let’s take a look.
timex andros watch – in most cases i would be opposed to paying $150 for something that costs considerably less to make, but this watch looks impressive.
limited edition alden black alpine longwing bluchers – these bluchers are handcrafted in horween’s chromexcel pebbled leather and then hand stained and polished. better act fast.
quoddy tri-color chukka boots – i’m embarrassed to say i don’t own anything made by quoddy. these would be a good starting point.
red wing 2904 – j. crew, please stop doing red wing collaborations. it’s killing my wallet. red wing experts correct me if i’m wrong but i believe this model was conceived entirely by j. crew. i’ve never seen it or heard of it before.
new balance 1400 sneakers – i know i talk about these ad nauseum but i really like this new military grey color.
persol aviator sunglasses – aviators never go out of style. invest accordingly.
my new copy of free & easy just arrived at my office. this month’s issue is “how to be a rugged man.” it might be easier to learn how to be a rugged man if i could read japanese, but that won’t stop me from enjoying the pictures. obviously you can’t have a “how to be a rugged man” issue of anything without steve mcqueen. here are a few pages that caught my eye upon first skim-through (be sure to click read more).
i assure you this is not a ryan gosling fan appreciation blog, but with a movie coming out next week he’s hard to avoid on the internet. i grabbed this picture yesterday when i noticed his footwear of choice: red wing 875s. if you’ve been reading this blog since it’s inception, then you know that i’m a big fan of anything red wing especially 875s. when the temperature began to rise in april, i put my boots in the back of my closet with the understanding that they would be on my feet again in september. seeing gosling in his in the middle of july has me wondering if i should take them for a spin this summer. i realize the weather is 20 degrees hotter here in nashville than it is in los angeles, but who cares. my feet can handle it.
a blog to read has a nice write up on swiss army’s new “original” watch. in a nutshell, it’s a more fashionable reproduction of the classic original watch they introduced in 1989. with military watches and nato straps back in style, they’re going to sell a boatload of these. the new original watch will retail for under $300. i’ve got dibs on the black one.
let me start this required listening post by saying i don’t know anything about jazz music. with that said, there are a few jazz albums music fans must include in their collection like kind of blue, bitches brew, ellinton at newport, and the cover you see above getz / gilberto. the album kicks off with the well known “girl from ipanema” and moves through 9 more jazz bossa nova tracks that are sure to cool you off during the long, hot days of summer. when you listen to it for the first time, you’re sure you’ve heard the music before – it’s some of the most recognizable music ever created. i got into a friend’s car last week and knew we were listening to getz / gilberto in about 5 seconds. it was also the first jazz album to win the grammy for album of the year in 1965. if you’re looking for a change of pace to all that indie rock you listen to on a regular basis, then go buy this album. if you don’t like, i’ll consider reimbursing you for it.
the team behind getz / gilberto. stan getz is the first one on the left and joao gilberto is standing next to his wife astrud gilberto who sings vocals on “girl from ipanema.”
i need a new pair of brown shoes i can wear to work, but can’t decide what to get. my two options are below. both would be solid investments. let me know what you think.
mashburn double monks
alden wingtips
my wife and i drove up to cincinnati yesterday to watch the reds play the cardinals. i haven’t been to a major league baseball park since the season they closed down the old yankee stadium. there’s nothing quite like a baseball game to make you feel like a kid again. we sat behind a father and his two boys. he did his best to keep their attention by explaining the rules of the game as they happened, but i believe they were more interested in the snacks. with the reds down 1 run in the bottom of the sixth, he looked at his kids and said, “this is our inning boys.” sure enough, the reds tied it up after a controversial play at 2nd and then scored the game winning run in the seventh. it was a great way to spend a sunday. next summer, i’m going to pick 5 ball parks i’ve never been to and spend a few more sundays pretending like i’m 10 again. after all, it is our national pastime.
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to take the train 