Good Gulf Gas

RE

2011-07-28T11:04:00.000-04:00

I visited Randolph Engineering and took a tour. Posted on my Tumblr.

Not so much

2011-05-13T19:34:00.000-04:00

I've been a lot more active on my Tumblr blog lately. It's very easy to take pictures with the iphone and post them right away. I still be posting here, but not as much.

Sporting "Shoes"

2011-04-27T14:36:00.000-04:00

Real men play sports or a least do athletic things. At the very least real men watch sports or are into cars or motorcycles. I don't trust a man who does like sports or at least has some sort of manly hobby. Today's post highlights the shoes that I use for my athletic hobbies and I would surmise that one would be at an athletic disadvantage if he were not to wear these shoes on his feet.

You will need to size up on some of these shoes such as hiking shoes, ice skates, and ski boots. The reason being for toe comfort. I learned the hard way, that you'll need plenty of room in the toe of your hiking boot when hiking downhill. And speaking of hiking boots, be sure to spring for something waterproof.

Men don't wear figure skates. Until Alden or Mark McNairy make a pair of ice skates, get a pair of hockey skates.

As for golf shoes, they don't make 'em like they used to. Well, they make them better than they used to but they don't look as good. I have a pair of Dryjoys similar to the pair shown below and they are saddle shoes for all intents and purposes, so it will be easy to look good on the links. Don't even get me started on how golfers dress nowadays...atrocious.

I used to always rent skis and ski boots when I went skiing. Then a friend of mine gave me a used pair of skis when he bought new ones and I was forced to buy my own boots to go with my preowned skis. I would recommend to anyone who skis occasionally and rents equipment at the mountain to go ahead and buy their own boots and just rent skis and poles at the mountain. There nothing like have YOUR own boots on your feet, because rental ski boots suck. Period.

I'm the kind of person who is paraniod about putting my foot down in a lake or in the ocean. I especially freak out if I can't see where I'm putting my foot down, like in a murky lake. Nothing is worse than stepping in weeds, dead leaves, and mud in a lake with bare feet. But water shoes make everything alright. They also help at the beach too, because the New England shoreline is quite rocky.

And finally, softball cleats. Playing softball in sneakers just doesn't work that well. You can pick some up cheap and enjoy some summer softball.

Merrell Hiking Shoes

Footjoy Golf Shoes

Nice Booooooots!

Water Shoes

Hockey Ice Skates

Baseball/Softball Cleats

Athletic Sneaker

2011-04-26T14:12:00.000-04:00

There are probably more options for athletic shoes than any other type of shoe. I remember when I was growing up, my friends and I would go to the mall every other weekend. One thing to do there was to obsess over the latest and greatest sneaker styles. Everyone growing up in the late 80's/ early 90's will recall the Air Jordan was the crème de la crème of the footwear universe. Over the years I've worn athletic shoes less and less and big boy shoes more and more. But I've always need a pair of athletic shoes for running/jogging/walking and basketball and whatever else I've done to keep an active lifestyle.

The New Balance US574 is made in the USA, customizable, and a great place to start with athletic sneakers.

Indy Boot or 500 Dollar Shoes

2011-04-25T14:33:00.000-04:00

My wife and I have an ongoing debate about 500 dollars shoes (FHDS). Like anyone who hasn't been enlightened about awesome men's shoes, my wife thinks that spending 500 dollars on a pair of shoes is absolutely outrageous, preposterous, and ridiculous. What makes a pair of shoes worth 500 dollars? Great craftsmanship, great materials, love. I've never owned a pair of FHDS, but I know they're fantastic. There are plenty of people out in the menswear blogosphere that will attest the the greatness of Alden shoes (and other nice shoe makers, but where focusing on Alden here).

The Alden factory is located a scant 40 miles from my humble abode. I think it's a lowdown dirty shame that my wife is discouraging me from helping the local economy and a local business. This great country of ours is losing job after job to foreign markets. We've got to keep the jobs in America if this country is ever going to survive. The very fate of the nation rests in my hands. Maybe my wife is a Russian spy working for the Red Menace...

Okay, maybe I'm starting to take this a little too far.

Here is a post from The Silentist about this subject.
All pictures from Leather Soul.

Slippers

2011-04-22T09:08:00.000-04:00

A man needs a good pair of slippers. How the hell else are you gonna walk around the house...in your socks! What the hell is wrong with you, MAN! What you need is a pair of full leather moccasin type slippers, like a real manly man. You can get a good pair from L.L. Bean or Minnetonka or you can go crazy and get a pair of Quoddys. And in the summer time you can grab a pair on espadrilles. If you're a fancy dandy kinda guy I'm sure you already have a pair of Stubbs and Wootten slippers.

Quoddy

Espadrilles

Stubbs and Wootten

Camp and Blucher Moc

2011-04-21T12:02:00.001-04:00

Today's shoes are the Camp Moc and Blucher Moc. They are quite a few brands making these and it's not hard to find them made in the U.S.A. These are kinda like a go between of a moccasin and a boat shoe. Personally I'd go for the blucher moc, there a bit more manly. I had a pair of camp mocs a few years ago and I found them to be a bit dainty, it must be something about the bow with no eyelets.

Shown below are L.L. Bean, Minnetonka, and the very high-end Quoddy.

LL Bean Camp Moc

LL Bean Blucher Moc

Quoddy Blucher Moc

Minnetonka Camp Moc

Wallabes

2011-04-20T09:03:00.000-04:00

I gotta tell ya, I'm fading a bit here. But I'm going to stay the course and keep posting for the Month of Shoes. Today's shoes are another Clark's Original, the Wallabee. I think it's funny that I live less than five minutes away from the Clark's USA headquarters in Newton Upper Falls, MA.

"Inspired by a moccasin that caught the attention of Lance Clark in the mid 1960's, the Clarks Wallabee is styled around Clarks' original nature form last. So, it's sublimely comfortable, fitting the contours of the foot exactly. But at first sight it's the Wallabee's distinctive design that people fall in love with. Simple and uncluttered, with its trademark crepe sole, it's an enduring icon in the Clarks Originals collection."

Here's an old Clark's Ad (obviously). I should have included this in the Desert Boot post.

White Bucks

2011-04-19T09:53:00.000-04:00

The bucks are back this year if you hadn't noticed. The white buck isn't for people who are concerned with what other poeple think of them. It will take thick skin and an air of confidence to pull off these bad larrys. You'll also may have to wear light colored socks like green, light blue, or a bright argyle. However, the white buck can also be worn sans socks. Save the brown desert boots and Wallabees for your other seude shoes. And go ahead, get 'em dirty.

There are a few different price points. Bass $65, Florsheim $90, and Johnston + Murphy $130.

Adidas Samba

2011-04-18T10:32:00.000-04:00

A great alternative to canvas sneakers. Always get black before you get white. Looks good with jeans or corduroys, and sometimes with broken in chinos but I think the darker shade pant you've got the better they look.

From Wiki:
"It has been among Adidas' most popular, best selling shoes in recent times, the second best sold Adidas shoe ever with over 35 million sold pairs worldwide, behind the legendary Adidas Stan Smith. It is produced in a variety of color schemes, yet the classic black with three white stripes is the most popular. The shoe features a tan gumsole that distinguishes it from other Adidas shoes. The shoe was first produced in 1950 to enable association football players to train on icy hard ground (hence the suction on the gumsole)."

Shoe Horn

2011-04-16T09:00:00.003-04:00

You're gonna nead a shoe horn to help you put on all you great new shoes.

I saw these in Jack Spade (Boston) a few weeks ago and they look great, but I think Leffot has a much better price on 'em.

Picture and video from ACL, read the full story here.

L.L. Bean Boot

2011-04-15T08:47:00.000-04:00

The L.L. Bean boot is THE classic wet weather footwear. They range from low to high and are available unlinned or with shearling or thisulate lining. I own a pair of the unlined gumshoes and I'm happy with them, although I do wish the heel was more comfortable. Getting the size right is kind of tricky. You must size down, way down. I wear a size 12 shoe and my gumshoes are a size 10; big difference.

Some other points about the Bean boot is they're quite affordable. They are also unique. And they are made in the USA.

Work Boot

2011-04-14T11:46:00.001-04:00

You've gotta have a good leather work boot. I'm sorry, but you just do. So don't be a loser; get a pair.

Irish Setter

Thoroughgood

Wolverine 1000 Mile

Red Wing

Timberland

Dr. Martens

Canvas Sneakers

2011-04-13T09:11:00.001-04:00

The canvas sneaker is another favorite of mine and there are many options, all of which are relativly inexpensive, classic, and simple. You really should have two pairs; one white and one color. And they are washable, so you can get the stink out...and that's a good thing. Let's cut to the chase.

Chuck Taylor All Star

Vans Authentic

Jack Purcell

Sperry Top-sider

Keds

Tretorn

Chuck Taylor CVO (I've never seen these before but I think I like them)

Seevees

Chukka Boot

2011-04-12T00:19:00.000-04:00

The chukka boot, like the desert boot, is versatile. It's a boot, which gives it a bit more of a casual look, but it's also a plain toe shoe. Having versatile footwear, and clothes for that matter, can make a relatively small and inexpensinsive wardrobe go a long way. I own a pair of black chukkas from Johnston & Murphy that I've had for about 5 years now, but I would go for either black or burgundy as shown below.

All pictures from Leather Soul

Desert Boots

2011-04-11T08:36:00.000-04:00

It's week two of "The Month of Shoes" and I'll continue with the more essential shoes of a man's wardrobe this week.

The desert boot is a great option for a suede shoe. It's a plain toe shoe but it's so much more; It's a chukka boot, it's suede, it has a comfortable crepe sole. The only down side to the desert boot is that it's not good in cold weather. My feet get frozen in these things, but then maybe that's just me. You should go for brown, dark or light, but enough to avoid monochroming with your chinos.

This is from the Clark's website, the original makers of the desert boot:

"It's 60 years since Nathan Clark sparked a revolution. Not with a bang but with a shoe. Or a boot to be precise. Modeled on a style made in the bazaars of Cairo and favored by off-duty British army officers, the Desert Boot instantly stood out from the crowd and set a trend for casual footwear that lives on to this day. Often imitated but never matched, the versatility of the Desert Boot has seen it through six decades of ever-changing fashion."

Shell Cordovan

2011-04-09T20:08:00.000-04:00

Let's learn about cordovan.

Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan from Horween Leather on Vimeo.

Boat Shoes

2011-04-08T09:35:00.000-04:00

The boat shoe is one of my favorite shoes. They slip on easily like a loafer but you can tighten 'em up for optimal comfort. That's kind of stating the obvious to me but a lot of guys don't realize this. Boats look good with casual pants like chinos, Reds, and jeans and they always look good with shorts. They're a great summer shoe. Sometimes I wear them with socks in the Spring and Autumn, and I know purists won't like that but I don't give a shit. I know that rules so I can't break 'em. I especially boats look good with ragg wool socks.

I would only buy Sperry Top-Siders if I were you. They have the original non-slip sole. The color choice is up to you. Sperry makes chukka boat shoes and a winter boat shoes. I do wish I had some money to burn on those. Did I mention that like boat shoes?

Wingtips

2011-04-07T10:21:00.000-04:00

Wingtips are a must own shoe in a man's classic wardrobe. Burgundy wingtips are the color you want. They are infinitly more versitile than brown or black. A common misconception is to call them cordovan. Cordovan is a type of leather and not a color (as you will learn soon enough, grasshopper).

Personally, I own a pair of Bostonian Maldens. I bought them for less than $100 and I feel that they are a great low end wingtip. From there you can go right up the scale; Florsheim, Allen Edmonds, Alden.

[picture of Alden longwings color #8 from Leffot]

Black Captoe Balmoral

2011-04-06T09:07:00.000-04:00

The black captoe balmoral is a terrific dress shoe. Along with fancy slippers or opera pumps, it is a perfect shoe for formal wear. I would consider it to be the preferred shoe for a tuxedo, but it all depends on the occasion. Opera pumps can only be worn with a tux and fancy slippers may be hard to pull off for most people, so the black captoe balmoral is the obvious choice because it can be worn with a suit or trousers and a jacket (and by jacket I mean blazer or sportcoat).

The word balmoral or oxford refers the the type of lacing. From wiki: Balmoral or Oxford "is a style of laced shoe characterized by shoelace eyelet tabs that are stitched underneath the vamp, a construction method that is also sometimes referred to as "closed lacing". Oxfords first appeared in Scotland and Ireland, where they are occasionally called Balmorals after the Queen's castle in Scotland, Balmoral.

[photos from BB]

The Brown Shoe

2011-04-05T09:01:00.002-04:00

I feel like a good brown shoe should be a staple in a man's wardrobe. There are plenty of options for a brown shoe. You could go with a plain toe blucher, but plain toe is a bit boring and if you end up owning a pair of chukka boots then the chukka can serve as a plain toe. The saddle shoe is also another plain toe option. There is also the double monk strap shoe which is favored by a lot of people. If the double monk intriges you then I suggest that you read an increadiby in depth post by Die, Workwear on double monks.

I, for one, really like the norwegian split toe. It has more character than the plain toe and saddle shoes but is not as technical as the double monk strap.

[First two pics from Leather Soul]

Plain toe blucher

Norwegian split toe

Double monk strap

Saddle

Loafers

2011-04-04T08:49:00.000-04:00

A man should certainly own at least one pair of loafers. All four shown here are Bass Weejuns. I'm not so sure a kiltie tassel loafer is good for a young man but a basic flat strap loafer is a good starter loafer. Loafers go with many types of pants (and shorts, too) and can be worn with or without socks. You could wear a pair of loafers with a suit or with a pair of jeans. That makes the loafer a very versatile shoe and essential to man's wardrobe.

Personally, I have a pair of tan loafers from Bass (which I happen to wearing today). However, I must admit that they were a an impulse buy at a Bass outlet store in Tilton, NH. I know companies make specific item for their outlet stores and I'm afraid that that's what I have. I'm looking forward to getting myself a pair of Weejuns or something similar in the near future, most likely a beefroll.

One other thing; a year or so ago, GQ endorsed the Bass Dover model. It was supposed to be sleeker and shinier and modern. I took the bait and bought a pair and things didn't end well. The fit was terrible, especially in the toe. Long story short, I just threw them in the trash and took the hit. It's tough when something that you have your mind set on doesn't quite fit right.

Flat Strap

Beef Roll

Tassel

Kiltie Tassel

All photos from the Bass website

The Brannock Device

2011-04-03T11:57:00.000-04:00

The Brannock Device is the standard foot measuring tool for the world's footwear industry. However, few people are able to call the device by name.

Consider yourself schooled.

A Month of Shoes

2011-04-01T17:00:00.000-04:00

I always try to "dress for the occasion" and different occasions need different shoes.

This month, I will attempt to do a post-a-day on the types of shoes a man should have in his wardrobe. I may take a break on the weekends, but rest assured, you can expect a post everyday during the week. I'll start with the more essential shoes that should be in a man's wardrobe during the first week, then on to secondary shoes, and then wrapping things up by highlighting "special" shoes. This may have been done before in the menswear blogosphere, but I haven't seen it, so it's original to me.

Enjoy.

I'm having a few problems, this is a test.

2011-03-29T18:27:00.000-04:00

Good Gulf Gas. I may or may not be experiencing technical difficulties. It may be one of the computers I use. Please check out my Tumblr blog, the link is on the right.
Thx,
D

Mount Gay Rum Red Hat - Leukemia Cup 2007

2011-03-19T17:18:00.000-04:00

It's like buying a Super Bowl ring.

Within the inner circles of the sailing community the Mount Gay Rum red hat is kind of a big deal. They are given to sailors at a regatta or race or whatever and are worn as a badge of honor or something. One cannot buy a hat at retail. Sailors will tell you that it is uncouth and sacrilegious to buy a red hat. But that's just what I did. I saw plenty of people wearing them at the Fugawi weekend last year and I was a bit jealous that I couldn't have one. So I bought one on eBay.

Did I race in the 2007 Leukemia Cup? No.

Did I endure Fugawi weekend 2010? Yes.

Do I have a relative or friend with Leukemia? Yes.

Could I raise Leukemia awareness with this hat? Yes.

Next time you consider giving to a charity please consider giving to one that supports Leukemia research.

Daytona Beach 1952

2011-02-18T14:01:00.000-05:00

Oh boy, I've been saving this one for almost a year. I remembered this video after last years Daytona 500 and I've been waiting to post it until today. It's pretty wild how the cars drive so fast on the beach. And the pit crews and crowd are standing right on the beach, too. Amazing!

New Hat Alert

2011-02-04T10:09:00.000-05:00

I have been on a quest for a new scally hat. You can call them what you want, but where I'm from, there know as scally hats.
This is a new hat that I bought on eBay from the Hats of Ireland. It is made in Ireland and is a bargin at $20.oo with free shipping. The wool is new/fresh. The hat is lined. There is enough room for the hat to fit onto the head properly. At $20.oo, there isn't a negative thing I could say about this hat. I'm quite pleased to add it to my wardrobe.

p.s. Be aware that the sizes are UK and not USA.

The Art of Skiing

2011-01-20T23:46:00.001-05:00

Or SHEEing, as it should be pronounced. I love to go skiing at least a few times a year. I often think of this old Disney cartoon when I'm on the slopes. I must have seen this 100 times when I was a kid.

"...the complete master of his own destiny."

...the very pants I was about to return

2011-01-05T14:44:00.002-05:00

I had to return the Rugby corduroy mallard critter pants. What a shame! They were almost perfect. Corduroy, Critters, the waist and length were good; but they fit like tights. Corduroy leggings they were. Am I getting too old for these brands aimed at young people? Maybe, maybe not. But I have been shopping at Lands' End and L.L. Bean more often.
The bright side is now I have the money back from the pants. And the money was from my mammy to buy X-mas gifts for myself. I can't let her down now can I? And I need another pair off shoes like a hole in the head.
But, I do need a new pair of boat shoes. They're my 3 season go to shoe. I wear socks with my boat shoes when it's cold outside. I especially think that rag wool socks look great with boat shoes. And I know that Sperry makes winter boat shoes and high top boat shoes; so maybe you can buy them for me.
Hey Sperry, can you make a boat shoe with a red brick sole but a regular leather upper (not suede)? Thanks. I'm afraid of ruining the suede.
So I'm going with the Authentic Original Boat Shoe, again, but in the classic brown color this time. The Sahara color has served me well, but it's always good to switch things up.

I've also ordered the Bass Brockton in white nubuck from Piperlime. I've been debating getting white bucks because it takes a lot confidence and style to pull them off. They were on sale so I bit, and if there's anyone I know who can pull it off, it's me.

I always think of this Seinfeld clip when I return pants.

What I got myself for Christmas

2010-12-21T09:25:00.001-05:00

Every year my mother gives me money at Thanksgiving to buy myself Christmas gifts. I then buy the gifts for myself and then have her open the gifts on Christmas Day so at least someone is surprised. This is what happens when you're extremely particular about exactly what you want for Christmas. You couldn't just get me any Lego set or Nintendo game. It had to be the exact thing that I wanted. As I got older and started buying clothes, I would have been cruel to have my parents got out hunting for a jacket in the right brand, size, and color if I knew all along where to get it and didn't mind going to get it myself.
Well, here we are at Christmas 2010 and I've never been so sartorial in all my life. It seems that all I want for Christmas are clothes and clothing accessories. I've bought other stuff over the past year, like an iPhone and a new laptop so I'm all set with electronic toys for a while.
Here are the things I bought myself for Christmas.

Florsheim Cedar Shoe Trees

I've never owned shoe trees, but I recently bought a pair of Bostonian burgundy longwings at The Barn and they're nice enough to warrant some shoe trees.

Corduroy Mallard Pant from Rugby

I've been jonesin' for some corduroy critter pants for a couple years now, but they can be a bit pricey. I've been kickin' myself since last winter for not getting the flannel lined lodge chino from Rugby. But I think these are better and more of what I'm looking for anyhow.

Leather Man Ltd. custom D-ring ribbon belt

This isn't color I got, but you get the idea. I went a little crazy and got the red roman stripe.

J. Press British wool hunting cap

I've got a guy at J. Press in Cambridge, who will remain nameless, who hooks me up (or at least I like to think that he does).

I've been on a mission to find a new flay/ivy/scally cap. I've searched online, but a hat is really something that you have to try on before you buy it. It's all about how it feels and looks when you put it on your noggin.

I'd like to add that I got all of these things on sale and with free shipping. Cyber Monday and promo codes are beautiful things of great beauty.
Merry Christmas.

Happy St. Nicholas Day

2010-12-05T12:34:00.000-05:00

December 6th is St. Nicholas Day. No St. Nicholas Day ritual is quite like the listening of David Sederis' "Six to Eight Black Men".

Enjoy.

Horween Shell Cordovan

2010-12-02T23:04:00.000-05:00

Video from Horween Leather Co. in Chicago, IL.

Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan from Horween Leather on Vimeo.

Blackwatch Trend Watch

2010-10-30T11:10:00.000-04:00

I have been seeing Blackwatch EVERYTHING lately. Sport coats, jackets, pants, shirts, bags,.....you name it. Plaid is back and Blackwatch is leading the way.

The Style Guy

I believe this picture is where the trend started. Glenn O'Brien wearing his Blackwatch mack. This picture was taken a few years ago, I'm not exactly sure when, so it's interesting that one person can start a whole trend of companies making clothing with the Blackwatch tartan. {If you don't think that this picture started the Blackwatch trend, then I would like to know your theory.}

Just because

Last Christmas I knew Blackwatch was going going to be a trend {it's not hard to see}, so I got my father a Blackwatch flannel shirt from L.L. Bean.

Well what do you know, Blackwatch blew up and my father got in on the ground floor {thanks to me}. But my father has some style himself and I know a lot of guys get some their style from their father, it's only natural.

Another point is people sporting trends without knowing it. I think it's hilarious when I see someone wearing something that's popular right now, but has no idea. My father bought a Filson vest last Autumn and wears it on the regular. But he doesn't know that Americana/heritage stuff is back. He just wears it. You see a lot of old folks wearing things that are in style right now and I love it. If they only knew.

Interestingly enough, my family tartan, the clan Keith tartan, is very similar to the Backwatch pattern. Turns out that my family has been trending for centuries. I would suggest, that if you are of Scottish decent and your family has a tartan, to wear something with that before jumping on the Blackwatch trend. You can start with a tie and work your way up from there. If your family doesn't have a tartan, there are other options, you don't have to be a slave to fashion.

Keith

Blackwatch

Fresh way to tie a scarf

2010-10-22T13:53:00.001-04:00

Now that a chill is in the air, a fresh way to tie a scarf.

Via The Sartorialist.

Wanna buy a duck?

2010-10-05T22:25:00.000-04:00

I recently did some Autumn clothes purging. I filled three trash bags full of clothes I don't wear, won't wear, and can't fit into and brought them to the nearest clothing donation box. Parting is such sweet sorrow but we'll always have the memories, and Paris...

But there are some items I can't just "throw away". A leather jacket, a gray suit, a tuxedo, etc. But it's come to the point where I have enough clothes, damnit. These chosen few articles are walking the fine line. Too good to toss, just a bit outdated, or the fit is I really don't wear anymore are going up for bid on eBay.

I've bought things on eBay before but never sold anything. The first two things up for bid are the tuxedo and the leather jacket. I already have a tux and was given this second one. There is no good reason I should have two tuxedos. As for the leather jacket, it was an impulse buy. I had wanted to upgrade my leather jacket from the XL brown bomber jacket I got a Sears in '00 to a black 'hipster' jacket (because in hits at the hips, not because a hipster would wear it). For some reason I just had to have it...in August of '05. And I don't wear it anymore, my tastes and styles have changed. There are other items to come but these are the two that I've put up for bid now.

I don't need two tuxedos

I can do better

Vic Reeves Loves Tweed

2010-09-24T15:21:00.007-04:00

Sometimes I post things here just so I know where to find them later. That's sort of how I started this blog anyway. I liked idea of having a blog roll that showed the blogs I look instead of saving the site as a "favorite". This way I could view the blogs I look at by "Date of last update" rather than check each to see if they've been updated recently (isn't modern technology is wonderful?).

I came across this on ACL last night. I don't remember seeing this before, but I thought it was very entertaining, even for someone who has no interest in menswear. But for someone who IS interested in menswear or tweed, one could only imagine how exciting it would be travel the Scottish countryside in search of the source of Harris Tweed. And to have your own personal tweed pattern made, that's just straight off the hook!

Enjoy.

Martha's Vineyard 2010

2010-09-17T09:18:00.013-04:00

Ahoy, matey! Let's set sail on the Island Queen and go to The Vineyard.

I predict that green will be the new yellow for raincoats.

Really? You live in a teepee, really?

A white whale!

One of the most beautiful houses on the island.

Murray's of the Vineyard, MY white whale. And 50% off everything (except 'Reds).

Madras, Seersucker, and Linen.

Wide Wale Cords

Edgartown

On the way to dinner.

Dinner at Jimmy Seas. Italian pasta and seafood cooked with garlic.

Back Door doughnuts across the street after dinner. Who was making our doughnuts? The taxi driver who brought us to Edgartown earlier that day, of course!

The Tabernacle

Wave good-bye until next year!

Alden Design Contest

2010-09-03T08:42:00.000-04:00

With all due respect to A Cordial Churchman and the recent bow tie contest, Leather Soul's Alden Design Contest is a contest that you can really sink your teeth into. To enter, come up with your own Alden shoe or boot design within the given guidelines and you have a chance to win the shoes or boots that YOU designed.

The best part is somebody is going to win and that somebody might as well be this body. Good luck...you'll need it because I have conjured up the ultimate Alden shoe. It's hype! You might as well just shoot for the boot category because I have the shoe category all wrapped up. After the contest is over I'll post what my design is (hopefully) or would have been (most likely).

Here is some Alden shoe porn for inspiration.

Anatomy of a Cape Weekend

2010-08-30T09:42:00.002-04:00

My wife and I went down to Cape Cod this weekend. The weather was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky the whole weekend. I took these pictures and video on my new iPhone 3GS. As you can see we're getting pretty good at having a great Cape weekend.
Also on this trip but not shown are: three hours of beachin' at Chapoquoit Beach, biking on the Shining Sea Bikeway, shopping in downtown Falmouth, dinner at the Chapoquoit Grille (cheesey toasted garlic bread, New York strip, and key lime pie), iced coffee at Coffee Obsession and Starbucks, soft serve ice cream at DQ, two church services on Sunday, and a toasting marshmallows on a big campfire at dusk.

Lobster Roll and Stuffed Quahogs at Raw Bar in Mashpee. There's about three lobsters worth of lobster in that roll.

Lobster (again!) with "how to eat a lobster plate".

A ride in Uncle Paul's '62 CJ-5.

Ice cream with freshly rolled waffle cones at The Somerset Creamery. That's my Blueberry Pie ice cream on the right. It had pie crust in it and it was the BOMB!

A nice sunset at Chapoquoit Beach

And the ride coming back from Stop & Shop to get lobsters in the CJ-5

Mad Men Auction on Ebay

2010-08-20T16:39:00.003-04:00

Do you like Mad Men? There is a Mad Men auction on ebay right now. Since Sterling Cooper has dissolved and moved to a new office, you can have a the old office of Mad Men stuff and go completely mad in your new pad. You can bid on a walk-on role and you can even have Don Draper's drapes.

Win a free bow tie

2010-08-19T12:26:00.001-04:00

Ellie Laveer at The Cordial Churchman is having a "Win a free bow tie" contest. The ties are handmade and homemade. Just leave a comment to enter the contest and a chance to win a free bow tie.

I'm pulling for "The Hound", a wool houndstooth which looks to be a great Fall/Winter bow tie.

Bow Tie - Round 2

2010-08-13T21:44:00.000-04:00

This is my second time wearing a bow tie (first time was back in April). I got this tie at An Affordable Wardrobe's Top Shelf Flea. The tie itself is a handmade madras bow tie from The Cordial Churchman.

There's a doctor in the building at work who has a "friendy mutton chops" beard and wears a bow tie everyday. I happened to walk by him today in the hall and we gave each other a head nod as to say "Yes, we may look like knuckelheads with our bow ties but we are also pretty damn awesome because we can pull it off." We said all that in a nod, it was powerful.

Fridays

2010-07-30T17:57:00.001-04:00

Fridays for me have become ritualistic. The soup of the day at work on Friday is clam chowder and I've had a bowl of clam chowder with oyster crackers and an ice tea nearly every Friday for a least a year now.

I've also been wearing my Nantucket Reds on Fridays since I got them Memorial Day weekend as sort of casual Friday kind of thing for the summer.

And when I get home from work on Fridays I make a cup of coffee (ice coffee today), sit down at the 'puter, and check out GQ's 'The Week in Style'. I subscribe to GQ and I used to sip the GQ kool-aid, but I think my style has matured over the past couple of years and I don't think I'm as influenced as I used to be.

I like seeing what the celebs are sporting. Some of them do great but most of the guys try too hard and fail. And it makes me feel good knowing that I dress better than movie stars. It's a weekly collection of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good

The Bad

and The Ugly

Mt. Tecumseh, 4000 footer #2

2010-07-24T15:39:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday, my wife and I climbed Mount Tecumseh near Campton, N.H. This hike was highlighted by an encounter with "wildlife" (as you will see). Mt. Tecumseh is 4000 footer number two on my list of 48. I'm not doing them in any particular order yet, but I think I may go back to the Waterville Valley area on my next trip.

Mt. Tecumseh stands at 4003' and is the shortest of the 4000 footers. But I don't think short means easy in this case. It kind of kicked our butts and I'm proud of my wife for climbing her first 4,000 footer.

This hike can be broken up into thirds. The first third of the trail crosses the Tecumseh Brook a couple of times and then up to an opening at a scenic view from a Waterville Valley ski slope.

The first brook crossing

and the second brook crossing

Here's a short video of the trail crossing the brook. The water was nice and cold and felt great to splash on your face on warm day.

A view from the Waterville Valley "Boneyard" ski slope. You can see the two of the three Tripyramid peaks on the right.

The second third of the trail is straight and steadily steep. I don't think I've ever been on a straighter trail.

The last third of the trail starts where the trail turns to the right and you can see a bit of the horizon.

We went left at the summit sign and we're glad we did (as you will see).

This is the summit

An opening in the trees at the summit

We looked down from that view and, OH HELLO, a fox taking a nap at the summit. We woke the fox up and the fox picked it's head up a couple of times but did not get up. Had we taken a right at the summit sign, I do believe the fox would have been sitting right on the trail and blocked us from getting to the top. I'm told that animals are more afraid of us then we are of them, but we didn't want to test that theory out. Right after I took this picture we headed right back down the mountain.

A view to the west from the trail

A limited view of the summit from the trail

The "Northside Double" ski lift at Waterville Valley

A shot of the ski slope

All three Tripyramids

Here is the statue "Dying Tecumseh" at the Smithsonian depicting Tecumseh after he climbed his own mountain. That is kinda how we felt after we got down.

J Who?

2010-07-21T11:02:00.001-04:00

I'm going to be a cranky old man for a minute.
Does J. Crew make anything themselves anymore? They're turning into a department store. It looks like they've gotten their hands on some copies of Take Ivy and plan on making it their own, sort of. "J.Crew has printed 300 limited-edition copies in a special slide case (and 700 copies of the standard copies of the book)." is the news comes from an email I get from Thompson Hotels. And I do think it's weird that a hotel chain is blogging about fashion trends like aviator glasses and Ivy style.
J. Crew is current selling nearly thirty other brands other than their own on their website. From jeans to bags to sneakers...the list goes on. And it's not like you can't get these things from the companies that make them. You can buy a Baracuta jacket from Baracuta.

Here's an example. Let's look at the Tretorn T-56 sneaker.

Here is Tretorn from Tretorn, and here is Tretorn from J. Crew. The Tretorn from Tretorn is five dollars less than what J. Crew is selling it for. There are more examples, but I digress.

Take Ivy can be bought from Powerhouse, the company that is publishing it.

Not a very well thought out plan

2010-07-10T12:58:00.004-04:00

It seemed like a good idea at the time. I was trying to google this blog (Tea For One, as it was). I'd like to at least be able to google my own blog and know that it is easy to find. It wasn't even remotely one of the top results. Tea For One is a Led Zeppelin song that I can't even hum the first bar to. A bit hypocritical if you ask me. So I decided to change the name and address of the blog to something more obscure (e.i. easily searchable on Google).

What I do know is the blues, and everyone knows that the blues start with Robert Johnson. When I practice enough, I can play They're Red Hot all the way through. In one verse, he and his babe bought a V8 Ford and they wound that thing on the running board. Ahh, "The Running Board", that would be a good name for a blog. But alas, it was taken (and not being used, damnit). In another verse, the monkey and the baboon are playing in the grass and the monkey stuck his finger in the Good Gulf Gas. Not as good as The Running Board, but good and available.

So I took it...and lost my blog roll, which is one of the main reasons I have a blog. And I also lost my followers, yes, plural. My lovely wife was one of my followers. I can get her back. But the other follower was a blogger named Tucker.

It was quite humbling when I found out that someone I didn't know, and blogger at that, was following my blog. I had seen his blog before, however it was not on my blog roll. Of course I immediately became a follower of his blogs and put them on my blog roll. What I hadn't noticed was that he put my blog on his blog roll. Now the name and address change to my blog has totally screwed that gig up. Not a very well thought out plan.

Until I found out that someone was actually following my blog I never considered myself a blogger, but if you've ever seen What About Bob?, Bill Murray's character says "I'm sailing, I'm a sailor, I sail!". Well, if I have a blog and I post blogs then that makes me a blogger.

Mt. Moosilauke, 4000 Footer #1

2010-06-28T00:08:00.007-04:00

Well, I can finally post about something related to my very first post. A couple of years ago I decided to hike the 4000 'footers of New Hamshire's White Mountains. Today I found the time to get up one of these big bastards. I climbed to the top of Mount Moosilauke, the western most 4000 Footer and also one of the most southern.

The day started off with leaving the house earlier than planned, so I arrived at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge at 8:45 am.

Moosilauke Ravine Lodge run by Darmouth College

You can't help but think of Bugaboo Creek when you're in here.

This is the wilderness I was about to walk into.

I started on the Gorge Brook Trail just after 9:00 am and made my way up the mountain. I did some super serious hiking, my friends. I was hualin' ass and it wasn't pretty at times and there wasn't a soul around for most of my hike up so it seemed that I had the mountain to myself.

This is my favorite picture from the hike (below)

After about an hour and a half, three 20 something guys were coming down the trail and they told me I had about a half hour to go. The clouds were getting thicker but the tree cover was thinning out and it made for a nice change.

Then the tree line ended and it was just a short hike to the top. I took a half hour up top for lunch and photos and then made my way back down. As I was going down, it started to rain a bit. Also, going down takes longer than one would think. It took me 2:00 to get up and 1:40 to get down.

A short clip from the summit

Trendsetter? You make the call.

2010-06-27T23:06:00.003-04:00

This is a preview picture of some Jack Spade suff. Take a good look at that bag strap. I know, it's kinda hard to see the pattern, but it gets better.

Now, check out Jimi's guitar strap. The last photo is from Woodstock.

Now take a look at MY guitar strap.

So who is the trendsetter here? Jimi, who is one of the greatest guitarists of all time, but dead? Or me, an amature guitarist, who is alive and well. You make the call.

Ultimate Compliment 2.0

2010-06-19T10:49:00.002-04:00

I've had some unfinished business. I posted on my birthday about what I was wearing when I received the highest of compliments on what I was wearing that day. When I got home that day I took some pictures of my outfit but never posted them. I wasn't crazy about how they came out and also I wasn't sure if I wanted to be the kind of guy who posts pictures of himself in his outfits on his blog. But I can't just list the clothes I was wearing that day, that would be like trying tell you what a Picasso looks like.

Tie from the Top Shelf Flea

Matching the hardware

While were at it, let's see how the plaid-seersucker-partially lined blazer by Anderson Little from Boomerangs with sleeves lengthened by a great tailor looks.

Stick it in the fridge

2010-06-14T23:25:00.001-04:00

It's in the fridge and will be all summer long.

Nantucket or Where we won't be going back to anytime soon

2010-06-06T10:36:00.006-04:00

The bride and I had such a great time on Martha's Vineyard after our wedding that I thought it might be nice to check out Nantucket. We did, on Memorial Day weekend, in the midst of the Figawi boat race. It turns out that the man from Nantucket is Martha's douchbag brother.

On Martha's Vineyard, the weekend after Labor Day, there were many things to do and see and these things just seemed to find us. We happened upon great restaurants, we took a bike ride from Vineyard Haven to Oak Bluffs and then found a quiet beach. We found places where there were affordable things to purchase.

Not so in Nantucket. Things just didn't jump out at us. Restaurants, shopping, activities...nothing. Thing were expensive. The Whaling museum admission was 17 dollars and we passed. The worst part was that the island was full of drunk preppy douchbags. All the rich girls wore aviators and colored wayfarers. It was funny watching girls in high heels crossing cobblestone streets. There were a couple of bars that were packed with drunk twenty-somethings. Parts of downtown Nantucket seemed like a college campus.

I did buy a pair of Nantucket Reds at Murray's Toggery Shop. Probably the only good thing to come out of our trip. I could have bought them online but it was nice to be in the shop. Murray's had a great selection of seersucker critter shorts.

We were booked for the 8:30 pm high speed ferry to leave but we were ready to go at 4 pm. We caught the next ferry at 6:00 and got the hell out of there. Let go to the tape...

The Fast (and expensive) Ferry

"Buffy, do you see Muffy's boat?"

Nantucket is very beautiful

"Chad, have you seen Mumsy about?"

Yeah, they're selling a Lichtenstein, no big deal.

That is an Andy Worhol autographed Campbell's soup label (GTFOOH, really?)

Here comes the ferry to save us! The fast ferry is on the right, the slow ferry is leaving on the left.

Goodbye, ACK.

"Muffy, I think I see Buffy and Tad's boat!"

I didn't say it wasn't beautiful, Nantucket's got that.

Muppetts

2010-05-22T12:09:00.003-04:00

My wife is a muppetts fan of sorts and I've always like the muppetts. We did watch The Dark Crystal on our second date (suprisingly romantic). We don't have a collection muppetts in every room like weirdos. But who doesn't like the muppetts? So I found out about the Jim Henson's Fantastic World exhibit at the National Heratige Museum in Lexington, MA. Seems that it's owned by the Masons, so it's free (I'm being stalked by the Masons don't 'cha know). Funny thing about the Masons, anything they do is free. This museum, a Harvard-Yale football game tailgate and tickets, Dixie Echoes concert to benefit Matt Brown, ect. So it's ironic that they call them Free Masons.

I've never heard of these guys, but they had their own show called The Tales of Tinkerdee.

This is a poster Henson did while in college.

You know this guy.

This is one of the earliest Kermits in a coffee commercial. And on that note we were also fond of the La Choy Dragon.

My Hero

Then I was told by a museum employee that I had to stop taking pictures. Fair enough.

The Ultimate Compliment

2010-05-14T18:24:00.001-04:00

Let it be known. Today, May 14th 2010, my 33rd birthday, I received the highest sartorial compliment. A certain patient of ours who happens to be the general manager of a certain century old men's clothing store told me that he liked what I was wearing and that I should be a model for the century old men's clothing store.
I think that there are enough clues there without violating HIPPA regulations.

New tie from the Top Self Flea (I have the sporting gentleman tie)
Lands End Canvas navy blue/white gingam pocket square
Lands End tailored fit blazer
Lands End tailored fit campus collar blue oxford button down shirt
Gap straight fit chinos
Suede Desert boots from J. Crew
Brown belt from Old Navy that I've had forever
Fossil watch

Cherry Poppin'

2010-04-09T19:41:00.001-04:00

We have a patient who probably sleeps with a bow tie on (bad visual) and we were talking about it at work a couple of weeks ago and I mentioned that I own one bow tie. The girl I work with, who is a bit eccentric, really thought I should wear it to work one day. That day was today and I just popped my bow tie cherry. And it's hard to do.
First you have to learn how to tie it. That was tough.

There were many Youtube clips and step by step images, but this was the one that worked for me. Step 4 is the hardest part. I was so confused on where I was doing what, looping tab Q into slot J.

Then, it takes big balls for a 30`something year old guy to go to work in a busy hospital and walk around all day with a bow tie. I did get some nice compliments and a lot of people looking at me. The trick was to pretend the bow tie wasn't even there. I think that's the key to pulling off any type of clothing/style/fashion.

My wife took a picture when I got home.

Bow tie by Brooks Brothers.
Blue oxford trim fit botton-down w/ varsity collar from Lands End, brown linen sports coat from H&M, Khakis from Old Navy, dark blue socks from Dockers, and brown split toe shoes from Ecco. Watch from Fossil.

Funny thing, when I was driving through the parking garage this morning, I saw a guy (mid 40's, Asian {because details matter}) wearing a bow tie. How dare you, sir! So I took it as a sign that it was an Unofficial Bow Tie Wearing Day.

Welcome to Target

2010-03-27T10:34:00.006-04:00

I was in Target last week and I saw this

Woolrich Home madras bedding; it's in the 'want' catagory, not the 'need' catagory.

While you were sleeping

2010-03-25T12:05:00.001-04:00

While some people have been sweatin' the new L.L. Bean Signature, plain ol' L.L. Bean also has new S/S arivals. I just bought the white/blue seersucker shorts and plan on buying a madras shirt. Check it out.

Lawrence of Arabia

2010-03-14T15:10:00.001-04:00

I watched Lawrence of Arabia this week on our new HD television. I own the plain ol' DVD but it still looks great on the TV. An awesome movie with more great actors than you can shake a stick at. Number seven on the AFI top 100 greatest movies of all time.

Above, the real T.E. Lawrence

Leather Soul

2010-03-12T23:17:00.002-05:00

Leather Soul is a Hawiian shoe store that specializes in Alden shoes. The have a blog and update it frequently when the get new models in. Check out these boots which are THE BOMB. Also check out the comments, the salesman gets right back to peoples questions.

Take Ivy

2010-03-06T01:08:00.002-05:00

As far as I know, I don't have any readers of this blog except myself. But so what, who cares?

There is a Japanese photo book from the 60's called Take Ivy. Until recently, the book was out of print. Picture were circulating on various men's style blogs and the book is truely inspiring of the 60's Ivy league style. One of the things I like is how effortless the outfits are.
The book is now being reissued and will be available right before Labor Day.
Here is a sample.

Boot Quest

2010-02-28T00:08:00.001-05:00

My boot quest has finally ended. I wanted a pair of good leather boots, that's all.
I wear a size 12 shoe, sometimes 11.5.
First I bought a pair of 8" LL Bean boots, size 11.

Too Big. So I returned them to a LL Bean store and tried to get a size 10 but they were out of stock of every Bean boot they had. I know that LL Bean boots are popular, but come on!
So I ordered 3 different pairs of size 10 LL Bean boot and ad them delivered to the LL Bean store in Dedham, MA. 8", 6", and 8" with Thinsulate. The 8" size ten boot did fit. So I thought I was satisfied until I was shoveling snow a few days later and the boots started leaking. I brought them back to the store, nuf said.

Then I figured I try some Dr. Martens.

I ordered a size 12 of the popular 1460's. I also got some extra laces and a new can of Dr. Martens Wonder Balsam (good stuff).
The boots came and when I laced them to the top, the eyelets met. WTF? I didn't think I had skinny legs (I don't).
I sent them back.

Then I ordered Thorogood American Heritage Wedge (non-saftey toe) 6" moc-toe

Made in the USA in Wisconsin. I liked the look of the boots. They came quick. They smelled great. I thought they were the ones, but...
There was a ton of room in the heel. My heel came up every time I took a step.
I'm in the middle of sending them back.

Today, after I went to the town dump, I drove to the closest Red Wing Shoe store. It was a half hour away in Brockton, MA.
I settled on the Irish Setter 6" Wingshooter.

The boots are comfortable, padded on the inside. They are warm and waterproof. They look good. I'm happy. Thank goodness.
"I am easily satisfied with the very best." Winston Churchhill

blog roll

2010-02-24T09:39:00.001-05:00

Alright, got a good start to the blog roll.

Mobile Uploads, NOT

2009-10-04T12:22:00.000-04:00

I know I could have a respectible blog if I had the technology to provide moblie uploads. It's not in the cards right now though. That's a lie, I should look into it more. wife has an iphone and we could have a share plan.

Laces

2009-09-29T21:48:00.000-04:00

I've been reading a lot of men's interests blogs lately. I subscribe to GQ and on their web site they have a blog, which lead me to another blog that had a blog roll, ect...
i think the best of the bunch are ACL, Heavy Tweed Jacket, Ivy Style, and An Affordable Wardrobe.
Which leads to today's post, I bought a pair of LL Bean 8" Thinsulate Bean Boots. I wear a size 12 shoe, so I bought a size 11; which fits really good I'm happy to say. I wanted to see about tying my laces a new way, so I did the google and found Ian's Shoelace Site and went with the Double Helix (ironically I'm taking Microbiology this semester).

http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/doublehelixlacing.htm

Flavor of the Month

2008-03-03T16:08:00.004-05:00

My new flavor of the month is hiking the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I really don't know what exactly brought this on, but I have a great view from my 6th floor office in Waltham looking over a lake with a couple islands, also I read about Shakleton's expidition to Antartica and other stories of survival in Antartica (one where a guy had to reattach the soles of his feet each day {WHAT?!?!}), but i think it was the passing of Sir Edmund Hillary who was the first to climbed Mt. Everest with Tenzig Norgay.

I used to be in the Boy Scouts and we went camping every month and two weeks in the summer. I also climbed Mount Liberty with my father and a friend of his. I had thought for a while that I really didn't ever want to go camping or hiking again. I had done enough for a lifetime.

However, something has gotten into me and I now have a goal of climing NH's 4000's within ~~the next ten years~~ my lifetime. I'm pretty exited! Will I do day hikes or weekend treks? I'm not sure. So I have to get the equipment together, buy a new tent and backpack.

Hillary and Norgay