Finally, a well-made — and entertaining — web video series for dudes "dressing like a grownup." I hear these guys are looking for some dough/sponsorship to continue the series. I hope they get some dinero por mas videos 'cause this pilot episode is promising....
December 01, 2009
November 26, 2009
November 24, 2009
Full Metal Jacket
The holidays are upon us, and for many of you, that means traveling back to the place where you were spawned. Or something like that.
Well, whether you're a frequent flyer or just making your yearly pilgrimage to visit the fam back in the 'burbs, airport security is a total drag at this time of year. I myself just flew out of JFK this morning at an ungodly hour, and the place was already totally bumpin'. Let's just say I'm glad I won't be there tomorrow. Or Friday. I'll stay put here in the sunny 'burbs of Los Angeles, listening to lawn mowers (like right now) for the first time in a decade, thank you very much.
As you know, the best thing to do while flying these days is to pack lightly, with the least number of bags as possible.
Enter the Scottevest SevFleece 5.0 Jacket.
From the exterior, it looks like any other sporty fleece jacket comparable to styles by Patagonia, Columbia, and the like. But don't let the unassuming outer appearance fool you: The SevFleece 5.0 comes with 24 specially designed interior pockets to keep everything with you ON you (even magazines!), possibly eliminating the need for a carry-on.
Imagine blowing through airport security simply by sending the jacket through the x-ray, then putting it back on. No more emptying anything — just take off the jacket, put it on the tray, and you're done. For your cell phone and/or iPod, there are 2 clear-touch interior chest pockets for not only screening calls or seeing what's on your playlist, but for actually operating the gadgets directly through the cloth. And for added convenience and efficiency, there's the patented Personal Area Network (PAN) that allows you to thread your earbud wires so they stay put and tangle-free.
And even with an entire bag's worth of stuff, this jacket is crafted with NoBulge™ engineering, which means that you won't be mistaken for a suicide bomber or a drug mule. And if you do get pulled aside for something weird you did (or stupid, like leaving your 'lil stash in one of the special pockets), you'll be able to easily and quickly comply with the authorities by providing your ID, passport and boarding pass straight from the Secure Travel Documents Pocket.
The SevFleece 5.0 Jacket ($140) is also built with removable sleeves so you can wear it as a vest. If you're not a fleece guy, the company also makes a cotton/nylon blend vest ($100) that comes with 2 less pockets and all the features of the fleece version.
Now, is this a fashionable jacket? No, not really. But having said that, it's also not bad looking either. It's just a regular, generic-looking no-nonsense fleece jacket with super efficient interior design — which is actually pretty damn cool for times when the need for functionality trumps aesthetics.
One last travel tip: While the Scottevest gear does a lot for you, you're still gonna need to take off your shoes at security point. So make sure you wear a decent pair of socks, or at least ones without any holes. I've seen countless otherwise respectable-looking, respectably dressed guys humiliating themselves with their naked big toe peeping out. As this tricked out jacket shows, it's not always about how exceptional you look on the outside, but rather, how well you're engineered on the inside. So come correct and wear some decent socks, will ya? That's just the right — and stylish — thing to do.
November 14, 2009
Stormtrooping
It rains a lot here in NYC. For some of you in places where you drive everywhere, a little rain ain't a big deal. But here in Gotham — having to mostly walk everywhere — it's hard to escape the elements. Come rain, the subways start dripping overhead with liquids of dubious origins and practically every entryway pools with a biohazardous mixture of dog poop, urine, food stand meat juice and all kinds of street grime sloughing down from the street. Basically, the whole city becomes a giant petri dish where every known and unknown microorganism is having a raging party.
And that's just in warmer months. In the winter, it's a totally different kind of disaster. On sidewalks, you have to tread through slush cocktails flavored with snow, dirt, salt, and aforementioned smears of dog poop, urine, and meat juice (plus some occasional puke if you're lucky). But the real dig comes in when you miscalculate the depth of the slush pooled in every street corner as you cross the street. Next thing you know, you're ankle-deep in frozen filth.
So finally after a decade of personally suffering through this aqueous debacle, I decided to take action by investing in a pair of Hunter tall rain boots, or "wellingtons." And man, had I known how life-changing it is to own a pair, I would have done this years ago. In fact, my entire perspective on stormy days have pulled a 180. The rain and I have now become friends, and I look forward to whistling through the winter slush ahead.
There's a Buddhist teaching that goes something like this: Instead of expecting to cover the world in leather for you to walk on, cover your own feet in leather. In other words, stop complaining about getting your feet wet with muck and put on some damn wellies!
So let's take a look at some rain boots to get your feet dry and happy no matter how sinister the deluge. I found many different styles to fit varying tastes and personalities, so hope you'll find something you like. Once you get a pair, I promise you'll be glad you did. So here's the lineup....
TALL BOOTS
Tall boots are best because it offers the maximum amount of elemental protection. This is a great chance for you to find an excuse to wear tall boots without having to be a horseman or biker. Wear these with slim fit or straight leg jeans or pants for a rugged but sleek look. And seriously, stay away from meggings (watch this video if you don't know what they are).
Luxe: The Ralph Lauren Antony Rain Boot (above) is crafted in Italy in dark brown rubber and burnished calf leather trim. This is the most elegant boot I've seen as far as wellies go. If you're a man of refined taste and want to look well-studied even in the middle of a torrential downpour, hit this style.
Hunter Wellington Boots
Scottish brand Hunter is famous for their appointment as waterproof footwear suppliers to the Royal Family of England. They've been around since the 19th century and produced rain boots for the British Army for both World Wars. They're enjoying great popularity these days especially here in the US and offer many different styles, most of which are unisex. If you're out for a pair of rain boots, you really can't go wrong with this brand. I'll be covering a lot of their styles here because, in addition to their solid quality and craftsmanship, they truly offer the most choices in terms of great style and design.
Classic: The Hunter Original Wellington (above, left) is the brand's most classic model and comes in various colors. I have this in black. I love it. You'll love it too.
Equestrian: The Hunter Regent (above, right) is the one I'd like to get next. If you want a more sleek and fashionable alternative to the Original, this is it. It's simple yet sturdy and has just the right touch of streamlined sophistication for a more regal, equestrian/military vibe.
Rugged: The Hunter Balmoral line (above and below) offers several masculine styles for a more testosterone-friendly aesthetic. Besides walking in wet city streets, these boots are also meant for outdoor sporting activities like hunting, shooting or fishing, making you impermeable to occasional "sissy man" accusations for wearing special "rain shoes." Apart from the Sovereign model (below) which comes in black and brown, the rest of the line comes in one color only: an outdoorsy/militaristic dark olive.
Military: The Hunter Balmoral Classic (above, left) strikes the perfect balance between ruggedness and style. Other models in this line such as the Bamboo Carbon (above, right) are twists on the Classic design and offer a more muscular sole and higher levels of heat insulation for cooler months. The bright red piping on top gives it a stylish edge.
Biker: According to the Hunter website, the Balmoral Sovereign (above) is "the most exclusive field boot for use in all weather, all terrain and all temperatures. A boot that turns heads in the field and town." In addition to its sturdiness and good looks, the biker vibe injects a good dose of attitude.
SHORT BOOTS
If tall boots aren't your thing or you find them cumbersome, short boots should fit the bill. Short boots are much easier to get in and out of and offer more versatility. Most guys already have some experience with wearing work boots, hiking boots or high-top sneakers, so wearing these rain boots shouldn't be such a novel idea. The best way to wear these boots is to loosely tuck in the hem of your jeans or pants in a nonchalant way.
The Hunter Original Short (below, left) is basically the Original model, but shorter. The Original Lace (below, right) is more or less the Original Short, but with laces. Your choice is simply a personal preference.
Hybrids: Hybrids are a great option if you don't want a style that's fully constructed in rubber and you want a more multi-purpose boot rather than a strict "rain boot." These half-shoes-half-utility-boots have more intricate styling details and resemble more to work boots than galoshes, allowing you to feel more like you're wearing work boots.
Classic American outdoor apparel brands have been making a comeback lately, and L.L. Bean is certainly in the mix. The Bison Bean Boot (below, left) is made of premium full-grain bison leather meant to shed rain and snow, with a supportive steel shank and rubber chain-tread bottom for superior performance. The 6" Bean Boot (below, right) is a shorter version of the Bean Boot and comes in a different type of leather. These boots offer a practical marriage of classicism, utility, versatility and solid good looks.
Sneakers: Swedish brand Tretorn has also been pushing to make a comeback, reinventing themselves as more than the simple canvas sneakers that made them so famous in the 80s. With their expertise in rubber-made products, they've been coming up lately with rubberized shoes that look like sneakers.
These two are my favorites in that they go beyond the hybrid styles above to looking more like everyday shoes. The Tretorn Klipporone (below, left) is just a good looking boot with distinct Swedish design sensibilities. It has just enough rubber on the sole and toe cap for maneuvering through inhospitable city terrain. The Strala model (below, right) looks like a simple slip-on sneaker that requires no thought except to just slip them on and walk out the door.
DON'TS: With all this talk about rain boots, it behooves me to cover a couple of Don'ts. I'm really sad to have to diss Converse here, but I've mulled over this boot for a few days, trying super hard to like them. But alas, I've reached the unfortunate conclusion that I can't get behind the Converse All Star Rain Boot (below, left).
As much as I love the Converse brand, heritage and products, they really laid an egg on this one. This boot minimizes the iconic All Star High Top to kitsch, looks like a toy and a cutesy mockery of itself. There's no way I can take a guy who wears them seriously, and if you do wear them and see a chick rolling her eyes to the back of her skull, that would be...uh...me. I'd better stay away from the L train to Hipsterville to avoid this boot sighting.
And as for the UGG (below, right), it's exactly what it's called: UGG. No matter what, just don't be "that guy" in a pair of UGGs. Period.
October 23, 2009
Classics, with a Twist
Two American old-time brands of two diverse pedigrees reinvent themselves this fall: Gant, with it's preppy heritage, and Woolrich, representing the great American outdoors. Both companies dug deep into their fabric and design archives to cook up new interpretations of their unique traditions and aesthetics.
Gant 60th Anniversary Collection
Last night I was at the Gant flagship store on Fifth Avenue for the company's 60th anniversary party. At first I wasn't all that excited about it, but I decided to go investigate their heavily pumped "60th Anniversary Collection," a line of 6 limited edition collector's item shirts sold exclusively at said flagship store here in New York and at Barneys New York, Beverly Hills, and Chicago. Heck, I might as well go while cocktails are served, right?
Honestly, despite the fact that Gant had much to contribute to the birth of the American man's shirt—introducing the button-down oxford shirt across the U.S, inventing the locker loop, the box pleat, and the button on the back collar (it keeps the tie in place)—I was pretty bored with their merch for a long long time...possibly always.
But to commemorate their 60th, Gant came up with these newly-rendered versions of their 6 vintage shirt styles. I inspected every single one of those shirts—and maybe it was the cocktail talking—but I actually really dug them.
I appreciated the luxe tweaks, like turning a woolly flannel shirt into a soft cotton-cashmere blend ("The Cashmere"), or transforming a casual Ivy League professorial button-down into a slim fit, übersleek Sea Island cotton number ("The Sea Island"). Then there are the unusual permutations of the classic oxford button-down: "The Rugger," a fusion between an oxford button-down and a rugby shirt, and "The Pullover," an oxford button-down-turned-leisure shirt (both pictured above). (Check out all the shirts here.)
These shirts would look mighty nice on ye old chaps with a pair of dark or subtly broken-in jeans, topped with a tweed or flannel sportcoat, or even a chunky cardigan. Finish with boots, lace-ups, sneakers, or one of those cool Sperry Top-Sider Chukkas.
Woolrich Woolen Mills
If the Gant shirts seem a little too affected and precious for a straight-shootin' man like yourself, there's the more rugged Woolrich Woolen Mills, a high-concept label for Woolrich—the company famous for its lumberjack-style woolly outdoor gear. As such, it's an outerwear/jacket-heavy collection that makes good use of the company's signature plaids and woolen fabrics, mixed in with some rustic knits.
Now I tried to digest what the website was saying about the collection, but it was so garbled with meaningless jargon that I gave up. I mean, I'm no novice in bullshit fashion-speak, but this one took it to another level. Excerpt: "It is a synergy between textile tradition and modern forms, where structural details have a fundamental role in terms of functionality." ... Say wha??? Bitch pu-leez.
But to sum up the 11-paragraph gibberish in one sentence, I think it was basically saying this: "Woolrich Woolen Mills is a design concept that honors the rich heritage and tradition of the Woolrich brand, reinterpreting it in modern ways that mirror its history and authenticity." Done. And done.
While a few individual pieces of the collection are alright, I find that the line as a whole is too heavy. I can't imagine a man wearing a wool shirt with a wool bow tie with a wool sportcoat and pants under a thick wool sweater under a wool peacoat. Verdict: Don't believe the hype. If you'd like to try it, pick one piece and de-woolify the rest of the look. (View the collection here.)
