Posts Tagged ‘ winter ’
and while we’re on the subject of fratty (see below post)…j. crew has partnered with north face for the re-release of its “iconic” mountain jacket. i’ll be honest, this jacket looks like every other north face jacket i’ve ever owned, but j. crew’s website tells me it’s a lot different i.e. it has reinforced shoulders like the one from 1985 and longer zipper pulls. ok, if you say so j. crew.
believe it or not i have not mentioned the word “barbour” on here since 2011. that’s gotta be a joke, right? i love this brand. surely, it must have come up at some point. a quick search tells me it hasn’t. hmm…i digress.
with the temperature now dropping, it’s slowly becoming barbour season i.e. time to dust off the ol’ bedale and liddesdale. (i had an international, but recently unloaded it because the tagged size wasn’t the same as the actual jacket size. took me a year to figure it out. always check the size on the label even if it’s hidden in a tiny pocket.) if you’re new to barbour and like your clothes to fit, the sizing can be a bit of a headache. for my personal sizing tips, click on the next page and i will walk you carefully through this difficult process. Continue reading
if you’ve been a reader of this blog since the beginning, then you know my obsession with red wing boots. i’ve been searching for the right pair and fit for at least 5 years now. i realize there is a lot happening in the world and i should probably find something else to do, but i really really like red wing boots.
last year around this time, i tried my luck on some black (gasp) iron rangers, and what do you know they’ve been the best boots i ever bought. they took no time at all to break in and are now more comfortable than most of my athletic shoes. they were also the only kicks i took with me when i went to paris and london this past summer. i probably logged 5-10 miles a day in these s**t-kickers.
if you’re looking for a good winter boot or just a really awesome year round boot, then give these a try. i would recommend buying two pairs – 1 a half size smaller than your regular shoe size and 1 a whole size smaller. as with all red wings, sizing on these is tricky. good luck.
good socks are hard to find. once you find a pair that you like on your feet, you need to go ahead and buy 2 or 3 more pairs of the same socks. trust me you will use them. earlier this week oakstreet bootmakers released their own version the trail sock and they are amazing. here are the stats: 85% recycled cotton; 13% nylon; and 2% spandex. they are also made in the usa. and do you want to know the best part? they are only $8 a pair. you read that right. you can load up here, but don’t waste any time as they are going fast.
frank muytgens is one of my favorite designers, because he makes things i can wear and afford. his j. crew f/w 2012 collection didn’t disappoint. he kept things on the dark side by offering their usual fair in darker blues, purples, greys, and greens. one thing that caught my eye was the green alden brogues on some of the models – especially when paired with purple socks. i also spy some dark navy red wings that would look good on my feet. solid collection all around. here are some of my favorite looks:
it’s getting colder in nashville. it was in the 60s last week which is great for pretending like i’m going to do yardwork and then sitting inside all day, but not-so-great for all the winter gear i’ve acquired over the years. one of the things you need in your winter arsenal is this zip-in jacket liner from barbour. it’s fleece lined and zips nicely into your bedale or beaufort, but also looks good on its own if you prefer to wear it as a vest. you may want to grab one fast, because you won’t be able to find one in january or february when you need it most.
if i had to outline my life in phases, there would be three worth mentioning: the indiana jones phase (years 6-13); the beatles/brit pop phase (years 13-17); and the ernest hemingway phase (years 18-30). reading hemingway is like getting punched in the gut and enjoying it. it’s eye opening. no one lives like hemingway any more; you couldn’t get away with it – which is why we spend time reading and re-reading his stories. there’s a part of every man that wants to live those adventures.
hemingway knew how to dress. i found a photo of him kicking a can in the snow (next page) and realized there was some great pictures of him dressed for the winter. he valued a lot of the same things we do now like heavy wool pants, leather boots, plaid shirts, and shawl collar sweaters. some things never go out of style and for good reason. i only wish i could have found a few more photos. check them out on the next page.
now that college football is over it’s time to get my ass off the couch and start running again. running on the treadmill is great, but you can’t beat the great outdoors – even when it’s freezing outside. here’s what you’ll need to stay warm running this winter:
new balance windblocker jacket: it’s windproof, waterproof, and made with lightning dry fabric that will help wick away the moisture.
under armour cold gear compression shirt: like long underwear but tighter and warmer.
nike wool running hat: you’ll need something to cover your head and ears like this dri-fit wool running hat from nike.
drymax cold weather running socks: drymax are my favorite running socks. their cold weather socks have a dual layer moisture removal system that instantly moves moisture from the skin.
under armour compression leggings: the best protection for your legs in cold weather. i’ll usually throw on a pair of shorts over them, so no one has to look at my junk.
nike lightweight running gloves: you can’t forget about your hands when running in cold weather. plus, ladies don’t like men with chaffed hands.
asics gt-2160 running shoes: my new favorite running shoes. they’re the perfect mix of stability and comfort.
now all you’ve got to do is find the time to get started. good luck!
i planned to do a post on the sweaters i liked this season from various stores/designers, but found about 10 i liked from j. crew. i tend to buy most of my sweaters at j. crew because of the quality and price. i’ll do a follow up post on other sweaters later this month. until then here are my 5 favorite from j. crew:
in anticipation of cooler weather, i bought a barbour liddesdale two weeks ago. it’s been in the 70’s ever since. not that i’m complaining, but i’d like to wear it sooner than later. it’s a nice lightweight coat that’s perfect for the transition from fall to winter. i went with the navy, because i’ve got an olive bedale.
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to take the train 