Sunday, June 26, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
18 hole
-?
The Badass-Accessory Correlation Hypothesis: Regardless of outfit donned, the simultaneous peripheral presence of a cigarette in mouth, wayfarer-clad eyes and an extraneous golf club in hand result in an exponentially heightened perception of 'badassery'.
tête-à-tête
"It's the dialogue of the pieces, not the pieces themselves, that create aesthetic success."
-Matthew Frederick, 101 Things I learned in Architecture School.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Bench samsara
"The future, for me, is romantic. I don’t understand people who say the past is romantic. Romantic, for me, is something you don’t know yet, something you can dream about, something unknown and mystical. That I find fascinating."
— Raf Simons
One by one
Doing a little illegal digital documentation at the book store with my ninja camera skills. Nine valid points not necessarily exclusive to architects.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Four in hand
"...I have a theory that good things happen to those who dress well. Walk into a restaurant in a suit and ask to use the restroom. Most of the time they will say sure. Do the same thing in cargo shorts, sneakers and a bandana, and they will tell you the restrooms are for customers only. Believe it or not, this applies to life in general, not just bathrooms."
-John Korpics
-John Korpics
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Why Old Books Smell Good
“Lignin, the stuff that prevents all trees from adopting the weeping habit, is a polymer made up of units that are closely related to vanillin. When made into paper and stored for years, it breaks down and smells good. Which is how divine providence has arranged for secondhand bookstores to smell like good quality vanilla absolute, subliminally stoking a hunger for knowledge in all of us.
—From Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez’s Perfumes: The Guide
“Lignin, the stuff that prevents all trees from adopting the weeping habit, is a polymer made up of units that are closely related to vanillin. When made into paper and stored for years, it breaks down and smells good. Which is how divine providence has arranged for secondhand bookstores to smell like good quality vanilla absolute, subliminally stoking a hunger for knowledge in all of us.
—From Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez’s Perfumes: The Guide
OTR
In 1956’s “The man in the gray flannel suit”, Gregory Peck wears what came to signify mindless corporate adherence - the clone like sack suit in a gray worsted, black oxford bals and a fedora. More than 50 years later, a classic gray suit and polished black shoes are nothing of the sort. Indeed, to wear a suit now is bucking the trend, and to wear it well - in gray rather than black, a plain worsted rather than a myriad stripe, fitting comfortably and tailored correctly, rather than overhanging the knuckles and falling off the hips as young trends have seen them evolve. Much like the punk who wears ripped denim and a Mohawk to “rebel”, Friday casual and branded sportswear no longer says much of someone being an individual and comfortable in their role, but more that they lack the confidence to dress.
While the modern city has a dearth of good tailors, and the younger man a lack of funds to visit the best, it doesn’t mean that to wear ready to wear clothing means all chance of individualism is gone. Indeed, for many young men still proportional in their measurements, off the rack may achieve a better result when beginning to build a wardrobe. My steadfast rule has always been, whatever you are willing to spend on a suit, allow at least 20% of that figure again for alterations. A $9000 suit 2 inches to long in the sleeve and trouser will look like it’s worth all of $90, just as an immaculately finished and fitted $900 suit will stand up credibly beside one 5 times it’s value. Sadly most young men miss this part though, and rather than having their clothes fit them well, they spend the extra money on a branded wallet or cufflinks, making the whole far less than the sum of it’s parts.
An average suit below the $1000 price point should perform it’s duties for 2 years or so, a suit double that price might live to three times it’s age when well cared for. A bespoke suit, handmade from the best cloth can expect to be inherited by your son. But only if well treated. Likewise a good pair of shoes might live live for 15 years where an average pair only 5, but if any garment is worn continuously you will be lucky to get 6 months before t starts looking like a dogs breakfast. I’d advise young men to buy two pairs of shoes, and two suits, at the limit of what they can comfortably afford. Rotated, aired and polished, they will only get better, and mean that they are still good garments by the time you can afford to go shopping again.
Pocket squares, knit ties, cufflinks and tie pins are all great things to have. I couldn’t feel properly presented without them. But never at the expense of a great pair of shoes, a suit that fits or simple clean classics. In that sense, Peck’ grey flannel wearing Tom Rath had a head start on everyone.
Ethan Newton
While the modern city has a dearth of good tailors, and the younger man a lack of funds to visit the best, it doesn’t mean that to wear ready to wear clothing means all chance of individualism is gone. Indeed, for many young men still proportional in their measurements, off the rack may achieve a better result when beginning to build a wardrobe. My steadfast rule has always been, whatever you are willing to spend on a suit, allow at least 20% of that figure again for alterations. A $9000 suit 2 inches to long in the sleeve and trouser will look like it’s worth all of $90, just as an immaculately finished and fitted $900 suit will stand up credibly beside one 5 times it’s value. Sadly most young men miss this part though, and rather than having their clothes fit them well, they spend the extra money on a branded wallet or cufflinks, making the whole far less than the sum of it’s parts.
An average suit below the $1000 price point should perform it’s duties for 2 years or so, a suit double that price might live to three times it’s age when well cared for. A bespoke suit, handmade from the best cloth can expect to be inherited by your son. But only if well treated. Likewise a good pair of shoes might live live for 15 years where an average pair only 5, but if any garment is worn continuously you will be lucky to get 6 months before t starts looking like a dogs breakfast. I’d advise young men to buy two pairs of shoes, and two suits, at the limit of what they can comfortably afford. Rotated, aired and polished, they will only get better, and mean that they are still good garments by the time you can afford to go shopping again.
Pocket squares, knit ties, cufflinks and tie pins are all great things to have. I couldn’t feel properly presented without them. But never at the expense of a great pair of shoes, a suit that fits or simple clean classics. In that sense, Peck’ grey flannel wearing Tom Rath had a head start on everyone.
Ethan Newton
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Shoe shine
The day I find out that the only local specialty shoe store doesn't stock brown double monks in my size and maybe not even in the near future, this pops up in my face.
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