Archive for January, 2012

out today: drive on blu-ray

upon second and third viewing, drive was my favorite movie of 2011 in front of midnight in paris and 50/50.  it’s a damn shame the academy didn’t give it any love when they announced the oscar nominations last week.  one film blogger said it was too much of a homage film to stand out amongst the other nominees.  huh?  i’m no film expert, but isn’t the artist a homage to silent movies?  moving right along…drive is out today on blu-ray.  if you haven’t seen it, you’re in for a real treat.  i’m not going to give anything away, but the movie is not what you expect.  ryan gosling is perfectly cast as the no-named driver.  dude is a total badass.  if you’re interested in learning more about the style in drive, see my previous post here.  great flick.

2012
01/31
CATEGORY
film
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making the transition from book to app

a couple of months ago when my wife was cruising through the hunger games, i got jealous.  she would start telling me what was happening in the book and then stop herself and tell me that i needed to read it.  she said i could borrow her copy when she finished.  well, i have no patience.  i wanted to start it that day, so i bought a copy on my ipad thinking she couldn’t accuse me of being wasteful since we weren’t owners of two physical copies of the book (smart right?).  i read it in three days – partly because it’s a fast read and partly because of the kindle app.  i’ve since read 4 or 5 books on the kindle app and couldn’t be happier.

i can’t explain it, but i read much faster on my ipad.  my eyes don’t get tired as quickly as they do when i’m staring at page after page of a physical book.  i can increase or decrease the font size which helps my eyes adjust and stay fresh.  another thing i love about reading via app is that i can do it from my ipad, iphone or computer and never lose my place.  if i’m waiting on someone at an appointment, i can pull out my phone and catch up on a few pages.  it’s an added bonus not to have something else to carry.  plus, no one can see what you’re reading if you’re apprehensive about reading a book marketed towards “young adults.”

i understand the argument for the physical copy.  we like the look and feel of books.  we also like how they look on our shelves (how else will people know how smart i am?), but as i get older and want to get rid of clutter, it helps to know that my book collection will rest safely and soundly in some cloud somewhere. 

thanks for letting me take a break from menswear.  give the kindle app or ibooks a try and let me know what you think.  i prefer the kindle app over ibooks, but couldn’t tell you why.  they both do the same thing.

2012
01/31
CATEGORY
book
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oak street bootmakers field boot

good news: i’m not dead.  i’ve been extremely busy at work, so blogging has taken a temporary backseat.  i’ll be back on my grind next week.  i’ve got a few exciting things cooking.  in the meantime, check out these pics of the new field boot from oak street bootmakers.  it’s made from brown horween chromexcel leather with an olive waxed upper and vibram commando sole.  instant classic in my opinion.

2012
01/27
CATEGORY
shoes
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birthday loot

i turned 31 yesterday.  it was one of the best birthdays i can remember.  i had low-key celebration last night with my family who must read to take the train because their gifts were spot on.  they gave me a couple of shirts from j. crew and the filson levi’s trucker jacket i’ve been lusting after for the last year or so.  it’s incredible by the way.  they also got me a new filson dopp kit and the first five seasons of it’s always sunny in philadelphia (which i’m embarrassed to say i’ve never seen).  i’m headed to new york in two weeks, so i may treat myself to a little something for my birthday while i’m up there.  why the hell not?

2012
01/20
CATEGORY
life
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trip to vegas

i apologize for the lack of recent posts.  i went to vegas last weekend and i’m still recovering – mainly due to lack of sleep more than anything else.  i try to get out there once a year to remind myself how much i hate that place.  that’s not entirely true.  i enjoy the build up to the trip and being out there, but when i get home i’m miserable for several days and tell myself i’m never going back.

we didn’t do anything too wild and crazy.  we mainly sat in the sportsbook for two days and bet on football games.  few things are more enjoyable to me than watching an nfl game with a little bit of money on the line.  i’m sure the other patrons of the sportsbook would agree.

the other highlights of the trip were a visit to the new las vegas city center and dinner at my favorite restaurant in the us: strip steak.  attached to the city center is a luxury shopping center called crystals.  we stopped by there to visit the brunello cucinelli store.  i didn’t buy anything, but saw a few blazers i planned to purchase after winning all that dough (i didn’t win any dough).

i had an interesting conversation with one of my buddies during a late night people watching chat.  it’s amazing to me that las vegas is so casual.  nobody dresses up any more.  the city built by sinatra and dino now looks like it’s run by mtv.  i’m sure the casinos don’t mind who they get their money from, but it’s depressing that so many men prefer warm up shorts and ugly t-shirts to a nice pair of pants and a sport coat or even a suit for that matter.  i wish someone would come along and build a casino with a dress code.  can you imagine the buzz that would create?  men would have to have a sport coat or blazer on while in the casino or lobby.  they could put signs everywhere that read: no shorts, t-shirts or flip flops allowed after 5pm.  i realize not everyone can look like they were dressed by the internet (see me below), but a casino with a dress code would be a wonderful thing.

in regards to the above picture, i couldn’t decide what i wanted to wear on the plane.  it was going to be in the 50’s in vegas so i needed to take a vest or light jacket for the day time.  i thought about throwing my puffy vest over my blazer, but i felt a little too #menswear.  i opted to stuff my liddesdale in my bag instead (probably even more #menswear).  i desperately need a haircut.  trust me i know.

2012
01/18
CATEGORY
travel
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the return of the l.l. bean anorak

the l.l. bean mountain classic anorak is back.  i had one from about 1990 to 1999 when it was retired before i left for college.  until then, it was a staple on outdoor trips and vacations when the weather was questionable.  it’s windproof, water resistant, and packable.  when i was a kid, my favorite part about the jacket was that you could store it in its front pocket for easy packing.  i can’t wait to get my hands on one of these again.

2012
01/11
CATEGORY
jacket
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need new sneakers

it’s time for some new kicks.  besides a couple pairs of vans (slip-ons & authentics), the only sneakers i’ve been wearing lately are my waxed tretorns from the summer.  shame on me for not having more options.  that’s what happens when you spend the last six months upgrading your dress shoes.  i’ve found a few choices below.  let me know which pair you like or if you have any other suggestions.

adidas campus 2

new balance 1400 (wine colored)

nike cortez

converse jack purcell

2012
01/10
CATEGORY
shoes
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ford, spielberg and lucas on the set of indiana jones

if you’re a regular reader of to take the train, then you know my obsession with the indiana jones movies.  i give steven spielberg and george lucas a lot of credit for shaping my imagination as a child.  i always thought at some point in my life i would move to hollywood and start making movies for a living.  there’s still time right?

over the holidays i saw spielberg’s new animated film the adventures of tintin – which reminded me a lot of indiana jones.  i read spielberg discovered tintin when a review of raiders of the lost ark compared it to the long standing comic book written by belgian georges remi (who wrote under the pen name herge).  spielberg bought the movie rights shortly after herge’s death in 1983 and re-optioned them in 2002.  i enjoyed the film, but it made me crave more indiana jones movies.

when i got home from the theater, i went on a small quest to find inspiration in some behind the scenes photos of speilberg, lucas, and ford on the set of the indy movies.  i definitely found it in the following photos.  don’t worry i’m not going all safari shirts and bomber jackets in 2012, but come spring you might find a few things from these photos that have made their way into my personal style. Continue reading →

2012
01/09
CATEGORY
film
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new beckham boots from imogene + willie

damn you imogene + willie for making so much good stuff like these newly released “jump” boots.  since i live and work down the street from their nashville store, it’s just too easy to go in there and spend money.  i saw these on their blog last night and had to mention them.  they are vintage paratrooper boots cut down slightly above the ankle with brand new white cushion soles.  david beckham is already fan (pictured below) which is why they’ve been dubbed “the beckham.”  just to clarify: becks was not in nashville – that photo was taken in la.  i’m going to go by there this afternoon and try not to buy them.

2012
01/07
CATEGORY
boots
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hoof pick belt round up

the new year is a great time to pick up a new belt.  if you’re trying to lose the extra pounds you added during the holidays, buy one in the size you’d like to be in a few months.  #menswear is the ultimate motivator.  i’m a big fan of the hoof pick belt.  it’s a nice alternative to the sid mashburn joint i’ve been rocking for the past year.  i found a few of my favorites at different price ranges.  from top to bottom: apolis, hickorees, the knottery, and orvis.

you can’t go wrong with any of those.

2012
01/05
CATEGORY
belt
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