A Trip Down South

Regarding the Orange Bowl...

2012-01-05T09:47:00.002-05:00

"You know what is more important than winning the Orange Bowl? Not being from West Virginia..." - Charles Fitzhenry (pictured above)

Social Primer Brooks Brothers Tailgate Tour in Atlanta

2011-11-07T18:21:00.003-05:00

This Thursday, November 10th, Cooper Ray of the blog Social Primer will be hosting a tailgate tour stop at the Brooks Brothers store in Lenox Mall. I will be there, along with JRS from Red Clay Soul, Caroline of Back Down South, and the guys from The Trot Line. There will be food, cocktails, and beach music by the legendary Atlanta motown band, The Tams. Cooper will be here in support of his bow tie line with Brooks Brothers, and will be unveiling a new, limited edition clothing item with Brooks (he's told me about it, and I think you're going to like it). The event will run from 6:00 and 8:00, so there's really no reason to not swing by after work and grab a free drink or two. The invite is below.

If you think you're going to be able to make it, please do RSVP to georgia@hwpr.com. And be sure to wear a bow tie. Hope to see you there.

"The Resurgence of Style; How Did We Get Here?"

2011-11-03T13:36:00.000-04:00

Admittedly, I don't often read Chris Hogan's (well-done) blog Off the Cuff. However, I came across his post "The Resurgence of Style; How Did We Get Here?" a couple of weeks ago and I think he does a great job of explaining the resurgence of menswear in recent years and its progression from the blogosphere and menswear forums to everyday life. Ladies, do you want to know why your guy suddenly knows how to tie a bow tie and is willing to drop even more money on a pair of jeans than you? Check out the article. I think it will enlighten you.

Alec Newbury: Sartorial Hero

2011-11-01T22:24:00.010-04:00

I'm a sucker for Brat Pack and John Hughes movies, but one of my favorites is St. Elmo's Fire. Although Emilio Estevez's character is a super-creeper, and Rob Lowe's character is just weird, Judd Nelson's character, Alec Newbury, is an icon of 80s Georgetown preppy style. He's a guy who favors contrast spread collars, club ties, wearing his jacket collar popped, and has unbelievable, gravity-defying "rich people" hair. Below are some screenshots from the movie for your viewing pleasure.

A nice chalk-stripe suit to begin the movie.

Suspenders and contrast collar, natch.

Tweed jacket, collar-popped, cruising Georgetown in a Jeep.

Notice the ticket pocket.

Side vents are a nice touch.

Jeans, loafers, and a toggle coat for a midnight rescue mission of your coked-up friend, Demi Moore.

Nice combo with the double-breasted jacket.

Not sure what happened to the sweater vest...

Alec Newbury only fights dudes while wearing a coat and tie. And pocket square.

Still drunk in the morning? Pop the collar on your double-breasted jacket, smoke a cig, and grab a tall boy.

Hair still looks great.

Girlfriend just break up with you? No need to look like a complete slob while hanging out in the loft.

Notice the oxford cloth button down is a Polo.

Toggle coat on top of the tweed jacket is a great combo.

Nice looking tartan scarf.

And some random Georgetown preppies at the bar, for good measure.

Can't get enough of Judd Nelson wearing preppy clothes? See my old post about Making the Grade for more pictures.

The Milk Carton Kids

2011-11-01T19:54:00.000-04:00

Back in June I went to see a Joe Purdy play a concert here in Atlanta. Opening for him was some band named The Milk Carton Kids. They were an opener band, I'd never heard of them, and their name was kind of weird, so I wasn't really that interested. However, I ended up watching them and really enjoyed it.

The band is made up of just two guys, Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan, who I would describe as a West coast Simon & Garfunkle. They both play acoustic guitar and both sing. And while their music is very good, their shows involve more than a bit of banter which is quite entertaining. Last week they played at Eddie's Attic in Decatur and I went with a friend to see them play. The show was really good and was a steal for only $10 a ticket. If they make a stop in your town at some point in the future, I would highly recommend going to check them out.

They have two albums right now and, awesomely, both are available to download for free on their website. Below is a video for their song "Permanent," which may be my favorite song on either album.

Sperry Topsider Authentic Originals for J Crew

2011-10-31T19:33:00.007-04:00

A couple of years ago I was at a thrift store in Decatur, perusing their wares, and came across a pair of Sperry Topsider Authentic Originals. They appeared to be nearly unworn, and were my size, so I picked them up. You can see a picture of them above, from a previous blog post.

In comparing them Sperry's current offerings, it was clear that they were not a style that was currently available. They were most similar to the Sahara color that was being offered, but, in my opinion, there was something about them that made them superior. Maybe it's the gold eyelets or maybe it's the fact that the leather develops a great patina, but I love those shoes and have worn the heck out of them (I wore them today, in fact). I've always hoped that Sperry would release them again, but so far, I've been out of luck.

Although I rarely shop at J Crew nowadays, I was looking at their website the other day and, lo and behold, the Holy Grail Topsiders were on there. I looked over the details and am convinced that it's the same shoe (except, at William noted in the comments, mine have two eyelets and the J Crew ones have three eyelets). The only problem is that, like everything at J Crew now, they're overpriced at $110. Is $110 too much to spend on a pair of Topsiders? Probably. However, these really are great, and so versatile, and I would recommend biting the bullet and picking up a pair. I don't think you'll regret it.

"Made Right Here"

2011-09-26T20:34:00.004-04:00

I met Max Wastler and Joe Gannon a couple of years ago in Nashville.

I had gone up to Murfreesboro for my cousin's college graduation and, being a follower of Max's blog All Plaidout, I saw on Twitter that he was up in Nashville that day. I sent him a DM and ended up meeting up with him for margaritas that night. With him was Joe Gannon, singer Matt Wertz, Matt Springer (@baconkisses on Twitter), and a couple of other guys. Although Max and I had exchanged some emails before, it was great finally getting to meet him face-to-face. Joe was also a great guy and super friendly. It was fairly serendipitous evening, and I'm glad that I got to meet both of them, though I'm constantly in awe of their enviable mustaches.

In addition to the online store that they recently opened (Buckshot Sonny's), Max and Joe just finished a trailer for a show that they're trying to pitch called "Made Right Here." In the trailer, Max and Joe visit several shops around Tennessee and try their hand at some good ol' American manufacturing. It's entertaining and also interesting to get to see the inside operations at iconic places like Pointer Brand and Imogene + Willie. Matt Springer, mentioned above, it also a part of the production team. If you've got a few minutes, give it a look.

"Made Right Here" pitch spot from RICK PAGE on Vimeo.

The Old Try

2011-09-13T22:34:00.006-04:00

About a month ago I got an email from a guy named Micah Whitson. He and his wife, Marianna, both Southerners by birth, moved to Boston five years ago.

Not too long ago, in an attempt to bring a touch of the South to the (sometimes) frigid land north of the Mason Dixon, they started a company called Old Try and started creating prints on an old letterpress machine. Each one is designed by them, printed in runs of 100 on cotton paper, and distinctly Southern. Check out some of their current offerings below.

I'm not really much of an "art guy." However, these really appealed to me, and for only $40 a piece, they appealed to my wallet. I ended up ordering three from them. I got the Georgia state flag, City of Atlanta, and New/Old South ones.

Previously Micah and Marianna were offering a print with the Mississippi state flag and state motto (which can be seen below). However, when a story about their company ran on Design Sponge, a number of commenters left messages talking about how "racist" it was to sell such a product. Nevermind the fact that the print simply featured a current state flag, not not some sort of glorification of the Confederate flag...Anyways, they decided to pull that print from their current offerings; however, I've got a feeling that if you email them, they might be willing to sell you a black market copy...

I asked Micah about plans for any upcoming prints. He said that his wife told him that they had to sell 100 prints before they would do another one, but that he has a notebook full of ideas. I asked him if he'd be willing to share some potential ideas and he sent me the following photos, which include a preview of the upcoming Virginia print.

He also sent me a photo of the desk where he does his sketches. He had this to say about it: "Marianna's grandfather, a lawyer in Wilmington, NC, who turns 90 in a month who still goes into the office, made it with his hands and a few tools. I think it was more hands than anything. He's a pretty amazing character."

If you're from the South (or even if you're a Yankee), I've got a feeling you can find something you'd like on their page. Go check them out and order a print or two...or three.

DIY Ginger Beer

2011-07-25T22:02:00.004-04:00

Back in May I wrote about how I made my own lime cordial for making gimlets. I mentioned how I found the recipe on the New York Times Magazine website, and while reading some of that author's archives, I came across his recipe for ginger beer. It can be found in his article entitled "Case Study: Cloudy with a Chance of Ginger."

Now, I have never been a huge ginger fan, though I do like ginger ale. The Dark & Stormy is always a popular summer drink, and having tried it with some store-bought ginger beer, I was not really impressed. However, I decided that maybe if I could make my own, I would like it better. So, I followed the author's recipe and gave it a shot.

It's really a pretty simple recipe. It involves grating ginger, juicing a couple of lemons, and making some simple syrup. All of these ingredients are combined, along with some yeast and filtered water, in a bottle, and put in a dark place to ferment. All of the amounts can be adjusted to your individual taste, so that it you'd like it a little sweeter or spicier, or a little less sweet or spicy, you can change it.

I originally had a bit of a problem in that it seems that the yeast didn't properly ferment the first time. After a couple of days I mixed up a little more yeast, this time letting in bloom in a bit of warm water before adding it to the bottle. It's important to keep an eye on the bottle for a few days in that the CO2 generated by the yeast will eventually cause the bottle to swell. If left unmonitored, it could burst, but this shouldn't be a huge problem.

After letting it ferment for a good 24 hours, I put it in the fridge to stop the fermentation process and, after straining it, moved it to a glass bottle. It ends up being slightly carbonated, which is nice. I mixed it with some dark rum, a squeeze of fresh lime, and the resulting drink was delicious. If you're a fan of ginger, or of Dark & Stormies, I'd highly recommend giving this one a shot.

Buffalo & Company leather koozies and sunglass straps

2011-07-25T21:34:00.003-04:00

Buffalo & Company has quietly been getting press on various blogs, including Red Clay Soul, primarily for their t-shirts. While some of their t-shirts are pretty interesting, since I don't wear t-shirts, I haven't really paid much attention to them. However, the other day I came across two of their products that really caught my attention.

The first is their leather koozie. I've never seen anything like it, but it really makes a lot of sense. The leather would certainly keep your hand warm (though I can't comment as to how well it would keep your drink cold), but it's sure to pick up a great patina over time. It's available in two colors, Dark Walnut and Tobacco, and both are stamped with Buffalo & Company's logo.

At $30, the price is a bit steep and they're definitely one you want to keep your eye on. However, they would make great gifts, especially for people who already have a big koozie collection.

Similarly, Buffalo & Company also offers leather sunglass straps. These are something I've really never seen before. I'm not actually sure how practical they'd be in that they maybe get annoying to wear on the neck after a while and they may not be great for constant exposure to water (especially salt water). However, they really are unique and, again, might make a great gift for someone.

Oakleaf & Acorn

2011-07-25T20:52:00.006-04:00

Back in May I went to a launch party for Warhorse Workshop that was sponsored by Bearings Guide, Billy Reid, and a store called Oakleaf & Acorn. Oakleaf & Acorn is a store located in Braselton, GA, and the store's owner, John Rich, brought most of his merchandise down to the party and was there to talk about his store and its goods. John was a great guy and spent a while chatting with me and showing me some of the pieces he brought.

Back in June, I had to run up to the outlet mall in Commerce, GA, and stopped by John's store on my way back to the city.

Now, let me stop right now and say something. I think that most people in the know would agree that Sid Mashburn is probably the best, most interesting men's clothing store in Atlanta. However, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Oakleaf & Acorn is probably the best non-clothing men's store in the Atlanta area (though they do also have clothing).

The store is located in downtown Braselton, which is just one exit north of Chateau Elan. Without traffic, it probably takes about 40 minutes to get up there from downtown Atlanta. The store itself used to be the town post office and barber shop. Since then, the dividing wall has been torn down so the shop is basically just one big room. However, it densely packed with all kinds of treasures. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll let the images below speak for themselves.

It should be noted that John is constantly rotating the stock and decorations, and I was up there last week and things had been changed around a bit from two months ago.

Currently, Oakleaf & Acorn has offerings by the final companies:

A S Batle Co.
Baxter of California
Beekman 1802
Beetle & Flor
Billykirk
Brothers Galleon
Cause and Effect
CB I Hate Perfume
CXXVI
Farm Tactics
Filson
Lonesome Pine Game Calls
Himilayan Trading Post
Hitsman
Marvin D. Poole Knives
Olaria Studio
Otis James
Raleigh Denim
Sebago
Southern Proper
Shuron Eyewear
Stripling's Beef Jerky
Warhorse Workshop
YMYL

If you live in Atlanta, or are traveling down I-85, a trip to the store is a necessity. John is a great guy and will be glad to offer you a bourbon, a cold beer, or Coca Cola and spend sometime showing you around the shop. He's a teacher, so when the fall rolls around, be sure to drop him an email to see if he's going to be in the store during the week, though he's usually there on the weekends.

If you can't make it to the store, John has an online shop which is two years old now and can be found here. He's currently offering a 20% discount on everything in the store, so if something on the site piques your interest, now may be a good time to grab it.

The contact info for Oakleaf & Acorn is as follows:
5117 Hwy 53
Braselton, GA 30517
678-780-9977
john at oakleafandacorn.com

Doozys

2011-07-25T20:35:00.006-04:00

I think everyone can agree that koozies are essential. And most people (most people with taste, at least) will agree Croakies are great. Why did it take so long for these two items to get together?

Well, some modern-day genius has finally invented the Doozy. Basically, it is a combination of a koozie and Croakies. You put it around you neck, you put your can or bottle in it, and you're good to go.

As ridiculous as this concept is, it really is pretty practical, especially once tailgating season rolls around. While you're grilling, now you don't have to find a place to put down you beer. If you're playing an intense game of cornhole, you have both hands free to help nail your throw. They're available in a variety of colors, and custom printing options are available so you can buy one for everyone in your office. You can get them for cans or for bottles.

A camo one is available that would certainly come in handy in the dove field.

Additionally, a "We Are Alabama" bottle version is available, with all of the proceeds going towards recovery from the tornadoes earlier this year.

The can versions are only $5.99 and the bottle versions are $6.99. These seem like a great price, and they're cheap enough to pick up a couple since your friends will inevitably try to steal them. Your Yankee friends will probably think they're stupid, but those of us from the South will get it.

Gingham: The Pattern of Warm Weather

2011-06-02T22:28:00.006-04:00

While seersucker and madras get a lot of love when warm weather hits (and for good reason), they are, after all, fabrics and not patterns. When it comes to my favorite warm weather pattern, gingham takes the cake. It already kind of resembles a picnic tablecloth (particularly red gingham), so the associations with warm afternoons in the sun come easy.

Gingham comes in a wide variety of sizes, colors, and in a variety fabrics, though some variation of cotton is most typical. While it is usually worn in more casual settings, and the larger prints usually look best for this context, it can also be dressed up, usually with mini- or micro-checks and in a broadcloth-type of material. The photo below shows my own collection of gingham shirts.

From left to right:

-Brooks Brothers non-iron, navy

-LL Bean non-iron, "Aegean blue"

-Jos A Bank non-iron (now washed enough to no longer be non-iron--awesome), navy

-LL Bean non-iron, orange

-Old Brooks Brothers, dark green

-Brooks Brothers short-sleeve seersucker, navy

The two LL Bean shirts are actually new acquisitions, courtesy of my brother for my birthday. LL Bean has a great selection right now (here and here), with long sleeve shirts for $40. However, I think that I may prefer Lands End's offerings, which are currently on sale for $35 for long-sleeve non-iron shirts. Also, they are offering the shirts in exactly neck/sleeve sizes, which are always preferable to the S/M/L sizing that LL Bean offers. While LL Bean currently offers a pink gingham in their micro-check, I really like the fact that Lands End offers pink gingham in a larger check:

I also like their red version:

Lands End also chalks up another win with the pair of gingham shorts that they're currently offering (only in 9" inseam, but they can easily be hemmed to a decent length). They're also only $35:

While shirts and shorts are great, in my opinion, the king of gingham clothing is the gingham sportcoat. While I would settle for a regular navy gingham sportcoat, this multi-color gingham from Brooks Brothers is also a nice option:

Moral of the story, gingham is a great fabric for the summer. It's versatile, easy to find, and available in a large number of styles. Additionally, darker colors can even be extended into the fall. It's an easy choice for any closet.

UPDATE: Knockaround sunglasses

2011-06-02T22:15:00.003-04:00

Back in March I bit the bullet and ordered a couple of pairs of sunglasses from Knockaround. I wrote a review about the glasses which can be found here. In that review, I indicated how one of the pairs had developed a crack in the frame and within less than two weeks had completely broken. Due to their stated return policy (or lack thereof), I didn't bother contacting Knockaround about it and just chalked it up to that being a side effect of buying inexpensive sunglasses.

Well, last week, I received an anonymous comment on that post from a person who said that they had the exact same problem, but that after contacting Knockaround about it, they sent him or her a new pair. Intrigued by this, I sent an email to Knockaround's customer service and they agreed to send me a new pair. Upon getting home from vacation this past weekend, sure enough, I found a new pair waiting for me in my mailbox.

I wanted to write this follow-up as I felt like this was great customer service, and companies that provide such service, particularly on inexpensive and relatively disposable items, deserve recognition for it. If you were on the fence about getting a pair or two based on my previous review, I would encourage you to give it a shot.

I should also note that the other pair of Knockaround sunglasses that I got are still in good condition.

Bearings/Warhorse Workshop/Billy Reid Launch Party

2011-05-23T22:47:00.005-04:00

Friday night I went with some friends up to Buckhead to check out the launch party put on by Bearings Guide, Warhorse Workshop, and Billy Reid, which functioned as a pre-party to the Southern Swap Meet at the Goat Farm on Saturday. It was basically a pop-up shop for the aforementioned retailers to display their goods. In addition, practically the entire Oakleaf and Acorn store had been moved down there, and John Rich, the store's owner, was on hand to talk to everyone. I can't wait to make the trip up to Braselton to check out the store.

The guys from Warhorse Workshop, including Ryan Acker (who it was great to finally meet), were on hand to show off their wares. Billy Reid himself was not there, but staff from his Florence store was allegedly in attendance. Additionally, a rep from Sebago was there showing off some of their amazing shoes. I had no idea they were making half of the things they're making (wingtips??), but most of them looked great.

Overall it was a great time, and the free Dogfish Head IPA that was on hand certainly didn't hurt. Here are some photos that I took. I apologize that some of the pictures are kind of blurry.

The infamous and elusive Neil W. Blackmon of The Yanks Are Coming (which, as far as I know, is the world's greatest soccer blog) and Christopher Robinson. Chris is single, likes doing triathlons, and is interested in dating you if you are an attractive female with cool tattoos.

Hipsters doin hipster thangs.

Additionally, Tim Haught, chief designer at Warhorse Workshop had some vintage shirts for sale, as can be seen in the photo below (also in the photo is a collection of scents from CB I Hate Perfume, which is awesome, and which are available at Oakleaf and Acorn).

Seeing as how they were about the only thing there that I could afford, I picked up a couple of vintage Gant shirts from him (which can be seen below). They're a poly-cotton blend, but have a button flap pocket, and a third collar button on the back of the neck. In other words, they're pretty awesome. Be sure to check out Tim's Etsy store, Countyline General.

New Music

2011-05-16T23:02:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure if it's the warm weather or what, but I have apparently been in a very country music type of mood lately, as can be discerned from my latest music purchases.

I should preface all of this by saying that I've typically had an aversion for country music, for about as long as I can remember (save for that year in high school when I played football and thought about buying a pickup truck). However, over the past six or seven years, I've been doing some dabbling, mostly as a result of some of Ryan Adams' albums, Gillian Welch, and the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, but could never put my finger on exactly what it was that I liked. Thank to Wikipedia I've finally come to realize that I actually like "outlaw country," and it is the poppy, over-produced Nashville stuff that I can't stand. Anyways, here are some thoughts on what I bought.

A few weeks ago, I finally got around to buying the first Whiskeytown album, Faithless Street. Seeing as how I own almost every other album that Ryan Adams has made, I somehow managed to save the best for last. If you're unfamiliar with Whiskeytown, they were Ryan Adams' band prior to going solo with his album Heartbreaker. They managed to release three albums before the band fell apart (mostly because Adams was out of control at the time), but they are great. This, however, is the best of them.

The version currently available on iTunes and Amazon.com (Amazon is where I buy basically all of my MP3s now), has several additional songs than were originally released, but that's hardly ever a bad thing. This album is basically Ryan Adams at his best, making country music, making heartbreaking songs, and making songs about drinking (in fact, 12 of the 21 tracks on the album making a reference to alcohol or drinking, really putting the "whiskey" in "Whiskeytown"). "Hard Luck Story" is really one of my favorite tracks on here, but the slower songs like "Faithless Street" and "Factory Girl" don't disappoint either. There really isn't much more to say about this album other than "go buy it."

I finally got around to seeing the movie Crazy Heart about a month ago, and while I enjoyed it and thought that Jeff Bridges did a great job, it didn't occur to me until about two weeks ago to listen to the soundtrack. I checked it out on Grooveshark (amazing website; you can basically stream any album for free) and knew I had to buy it. There are two versions available, the regular one, which has 16 tracks, and the "Deluxe Edition," which has 23 tracks. I opted for the latter and am glad I did. The best tracks on here are Jeff Bridges singing, though, believe it or not, I really dig Colin Farrell's songs. There are some other tracks, including one by Waylon Jennings and another by Lucinda Williams, which I guess were in the background of the movie, but do a good job of carrying the theme of the movie and album. I'd say the low points are Robert Duvall's a capella song from the movie, and some song by Lydia Mendoza (who?) that's in Spanish, but even those begin to grow on you after a few listens. All in all, this album is great, and if you liked the movie, I'm pretty sure you'd like the album just as much.

The Crazy Heart soundtrack is what lead me to Ryan Bingham. Seeing as how I've typically had an aversion to country music, I was unfamiliar with Ryan Bingham. However, he was not only in the movie as Bad's back-up band at the bar where he got too drunk to play, but he has two songs on the soundtrack. After hearing those two songs, I was sold, and quickly found the first of his three albums, Mescalito. This was one that I didn't even waver over purchasing; I listen to maybe two or three samples and downloaded the whole thing. It's awesome and definitely worth checking out.

DIY Lime Cordial

2011-05-16T22:38:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I saw an article from the New York Times Magazine entitled Case Study: Building a Better Mixer. The article was about making homemade lime cordial.

If you're unfamiliar with lime cordial, chances are you'd be most likely to recognize Rose's, which has a unique neon green color that probably fends off the less adventurous. However, it is essentially de rigueur for making a gimlet. In the article, the author explained his inability in trying to find a higher quality lime cordial (i.e.- one not made from high fructose corn syrup) to try to replicate what a gimlet used to be like, back in the good ole days, presumably. After consulting several recipes and doing some experimenting, he finally came up with a recipe that he thought was best and wrote about it.

I'm a fan of gin and I'm a fan of gimlets, so I was intrigued by this premise. So, the week before last, on a Friday evening in which I had nothing to do, I went to the store, picked up some limes, a peeler, and a juicer, and set out to give it a whirl.

The recipe called for 18 limes, which, according to the author, would yield 2.5 cups of lime juice. Upon arriving at the store (Super H Mart, to be precise, where the limes were 10 for $1.00), the limes seemed a little small, so I decided to go with 25 limes. Per the recipe, I peeled and then juiced all 25 limes. I ended up with 4-2/3 cups of juice, just slightly more than the author had anticipated. I didn't view this as a problem, though, and added equal parts sugar, stirred until the sugar dissolved, then added the peels back and left in the refrigerator. The next day, I strained off the peels, poured into some bottles I picked up from World Market, and left it to sit in the refrigerator for another night to, according to the author, "cure" (I think this is inaccurate and would have probably been exactly the same if consumed that day). Here is a bottle of my finished product.

The next day, I added some gin and mixed up a gimlet. It is definitely tasty; certainly on the sweet side, but not cloyingly so, and adding the peels did add some bitterness to balance out the sweetness. On a warm day, I'm pretty sure these things might go down a little too easily, so be warned. It's also pretty versatile as this could probably be added, with triple sec, to some tequila to make quick margarita, or added to vodka to make a vodka gimlet. Even rum could be good.

If I make it again, I will probably go with slightly less sugar (maybe a 1:0.9 juice to sugar ratio, instead of 1:1). Oh, and I probably won't make two liters worth. All in all, it was a really simpleand cheap recipe, and one that could easily be made in an hour or so (not counting time in the fridge). If you like gimlets, I suggest giving this one a try.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T17:34:00.003-04:00

Seersucker is in season, so I figured the mint julep was too.

He is risen, indeed. Happy Easter.

Birthday Weekend

2011-04-11T23:31:00.003-04:00

Thanks to my friends and family, I had an awesome birthday weekend. Highlights included brunch at Sun in My Belly, a movie at Starlight Six Drive-In, an amazing trip to Southern Comfort (in spite of its name, it's not a strip club), and a Braves game which included a free concert by the Avett Brothers afterward.

Here is some of the awesome stuff I got:

Lands End Oxford Cloth Sheets. It's going to be like sleeping in a shirt. Obviously superior to t-shirt sheets.

Amazing monogrammed koozies courtesy of my friend, Shannon. I might just throw away all the rest of my koozies.

While technically not a gift, my buddy, Whit, picked up a hat for me at the Masters.

From Bearings: "Curators vs. Consumers"

2011-04-07T10:14:00.005-04:00

Bearings is a website and bi-weekly email that bills itself as "A Southern Lifestyle Guide for Men." I look forward to it showing up in my mailbox every other Thursday because it is always interesting, always entertaining, and always well done. They usually have five or six short articles that cover things like clothing, music, food, and activities, and are told from a Southern male's perspective. I particularly credit them for turning me on to The Civil Wars and Heirloom Market BBQ. They were originally based in Atlanta, but have now expanded to Nashville (Paul from Dream of Perfection helps write for them up there). If you live in one of those cities, be sure to visit their website and sign up for their email list.

I received today's email and particularly enjoyed a little piece that they wrote on Curators vs. Consumers. It summed up a lot about how I feel about buying things, particularly nowadays. I have posted it below, without their permission, but I hope they won't mind.

Curators vs. Consumers

We often think of the word curator in the context of someone responsible for acquiring, selecting and editing a collection for a museum or an art gallery. A consumer is a more frequently used label, often in the news describing the average American's spending and purchasing power. Aside from these definitions, how we see the world and live out our lives can be put in the context of being a curator or a consumer.

Think of it from this perspective: On one side is the man who is selective, intentional, thoughtful and on a quest to find things of greater value. On the other, there’s a mindset that defaults to thinking primarily of quantity, disposability, impulsivity and seeking more for more's sake. If we are living in an effort to make tomorrow better than yesterday, making it all count is part of the process of maturity and growth. How we use our time, money and relationships should look more like a curator than a consumer. More like an active overseer of meaning.

We are personally responsible for the safeguarding of our lives and we choose how we make the most of it. A curator asks: Am I making intelligent purchases, buying items that last, or just buying something because it's on sale with little regard for its quality? Am I continually simplifying my surroundings and getting rid of what I don't need or am I hoarding and cluttering up my life with stuff? Does this (experience, item or person) make me a better man?

A key part of living like a curator is defining what's valuable to you. We learn and refine this over time, but it needs to be a way of life and a process of thinking. We've been taught that the all-you-can-eat buffet approach was the standard. Yet, often with the one-size-fits all mentality you pay too much for poor quality, consuming more than is healthy - all because the sales pitch claimed you would be getting "more for the money." More shouldn't be our standard any longer. Life is a prized collection, make it unique and make the most of it. Be a discerning, interested curator and not a heedless, indifferent consumer.

Review of Knockaround Sunglasses

2011-03-28T20:07:00.014-04:00

UPDATE: After reading this, seem my updated review here.

If you're like me, you've seen the ads on Total Frat Move, and other websites, for Knockaround sunglasses. Given their low price ($7.00 per pair for Originals, $14.00 per pair for Premiums) and large variety of styles, they've looked pretty appealing. However, the gigantic "Knockaround" logo on the side has really been a big turnoff. For a while now I've wondered just how good or bad they really are. A quick search of the internet did not reveal any real reviews, though.

After they started offering several pairs with mirrored lenses, though, I decided to bite the bullet and order a couple of pairs (I'm a sucker for mirrored lenses). I figured I would try to scrape the logos off, and if I was successful, I'd have two decent pairs of cheap sunglasses. If I couldn't, I'd only be out $30.

Due to the fact that they could almost be mistaken for Oakley Frogskins, I got a pair of the Black/Sunset and Frosted Grey/Red Sunset. It was nice to see that Knockaround gives you several options for shipping, with both USPS and UPS. Mine arrived after a few days and I opened them up. I was a bit surprised at how light they were, but they seemed pretty well made (having purchased a couple of $10 knock-off Wayfarers on Ebay, the quality was actually very good in comparison). While they didn't seem like they'd fall apart, I did have some reservations about how much abuse the frames could take due to the type of plastic they were made from.

This is how the grey pair looked with its logo (I should note that I had already started scraping before I took the picture):

Using an old trick that I'd heard about on the Ask Andy forums, I used a penny to easily scrape off the logo on the grey pair. I basically got all of it off. Here is what they looked like when I got done:

Here is how the black pair initially looked:

I started trying to scrape them with the penny first, but I hit a bit of a snag. The logo seems to be applied in a different way and it wouldn't really scrape off. I accidentally scraped a little too hard at one point and left a little bit of a gouge. I wasn't really sure what to do, so I did a little Googleing and found some model train forums that talked about ways to remove paint from plastic. One poster actually mentioned using Pine-Sol. While this seemed weird, already being in possession of some, I wiped some on and let it sit for a few minutes. I started scraping with my fingernail, and slowly but surely, I was able to start to remove the logo. Every now and then I applied some more Pine-Sol and would scrape again with my fingernail. After a while, this is how they turned out:

Not perfect, but certainly an improvement from the logo. From more than a couple of feet away, it's pretty difficult to spot.

So, now being in possession of two sweet pairs of sunglasses I started wearing them around. In sunlight, the lenses worked well, though they did have a bit of fogginess (as is typical of lower-quality lenses) if facing directly towards the sun. Although I initially liked the grey pair more, I ended up wearing the black pair more. But after about week of wearing them, I noticed a small crack had formed above the left lens. Here's a picture:

While I don't usually baby the things that I own, I do take pretty good care of things, especially small, expensive things like sunglasses. I can't really say how this cracked developed. In the time I had them, they weren't sat on, and I don't think I placed anything heavy on them. I'm not sure if it came from stretching while putting them on my face or what. Obviously I didn't pay a lot for them, but I would have expected them to hold up for more than a week. I had planned on buying some sort of glue to patch them up, but before I could they finally broke:

Knockaround clearly states on their website that they don't accept returns, and now it's pretty clear why. Oh well, I'm out $14. The grey pair seem to be holding up better, possibly because the type of plastic they're made from is better.

Would I recommend Knockaround sunglasses? Yeah, probably, especially if you're looking for some to take on a trip to the beach or some other place where sunglasses could easily get lost or broken. They have a large variety of good looking-styles, including a number of pairs with mirrored lenses, they're pretty cheap, and the lenses do a good job of tinting the sun. Best of all, the horrible logo can be removed, though it may take a bit of effort. Don't expect to much out of these, though. Be prepared for them to break, and if they last a while, consider yourself lucky.

The Sazerac

2011-02-16T22:47:00.006-05:00

Although it's a minor travesty, I had never had a Sazerac until last year. However, it's now one of my favorite drinks to make, and I feel like it's one of the most underrated out there. In honor of Mardi Gras being just around the corner, I thought I would whip one up and raise a toast.

Commonly known as America's oldest cocktail, it was invented in New Orleans around the middle of the 19th century. The ingredient list is pretty simple, with just sugar, Peychaud's bitters, rye whiskey, and absinthe, but the details are in the way that it's put together. I'm not going to attempt to describe the process of how to make it because Chris McMillan from the Library Lounge did such a great job doing it in the video below. Watch the video and make yourself one this weekend.

Speaking of Sazeracs, be sure to check out Ryan Waldron's series on the Krewes of Mardi Gras over on his blog, Seersuckers and Sazeracs.

Blog of Note: Tomboy Style

2011-02-16T21:56:00.005-05:00

Do you like looking at pictures of beautiful women doing awesome things like shooting guns, fishing, skiing, driving fast cars, wearing tweed, and generally looking beautiful? Then Tomboy Style is the blog for you.

I don't know much about its author, Lizzie Garrett, but I know that she's got a good eye and runs a great blog. It's also awesome that she uses such large pictures. I'm adding it to my blog roll (on the right side of the screen), in case any still looks at it, so be sure to keep an eye out for it. Below are some highlights.

Review: LL Bean Signature shoes

2011-02-13T22:29:00.006-05:00

With my Christmas money I picked up two new pairs of shoes from LL Bean Signature. I got a pair of the Signature Waxed Canvas Maine Hunting Shoe (in the original Marsh Brown color), and a pair of suede Eastport blucher mocs, in the Dark Khaki color. Here are a few thoughts on each pair.

Although there were a number of reviews for these boots when they first came out, I've got to say that really like the Waxed Canvas Maine Hunting Shoe. Not only do they look good, and also provide a different look from the typical Bean Boot, but they also are really light, especially compared to the leather 10" Maine Hunting Shoes that I have (they are the same height). As a result, they'll probably be more comfortable to wear as the weather gets warm.

As for the blucher mocs, I certainly like the appearance. The suede seems nice and I like the color, especially with jeans (though some of the indigo from my jeans has begun to rub off on them). I like the fact that they have the old type of moccasin sole (not the kind used on the regular LL Bean blucher mocs), and they seem like they might have a slightly rounder toe box than the regular kind. However, the thing that I'm not a big fan of is the insole.

The regular Bean blucher mocs come with a removable insole with a leather liner underneath. The Eastport blucher mocs have a leather insole that is not removable. As someone who wears Superfeet removable insoles with my shoes for arch support, I'm unable to use them with these shoes, and find that the insole that comes with the shoe is not quite as comfortable. Also, I've got a feeling that the insoles may get gross pretty quickly if they are worn sockless (though this isn't really a problem for me). It's not a dealbreaker for me, but it is something that I would change if I could.

On a somewhat related note, many people are aware that LL Bean Boots can be resoled for around $40 when the soles get worn down. Something that people may not be aware of is the fact that Bean Boots can be resoled to a different size. So, if you've found a great pair on Ebay but are one size too big or too small, you should be able to send them back to Bean for resoling into the size that you need.

Confession: I wear tiny women's socks

2011-02-13T21:36:00.003-05:00

When I started A Trip Down South, I purposefully decided that it would not be a blog in which I shared my deepest thoughts and feelings. There can be a lot of oversharing in the blogosphere (I have a college-era LiveJournal, now buried in the recesses of the internets, to prove that), and I did not want to go in that direction. However, this will be one of those times. I will let you in on a secret, one that only my closest friends know: I wear tiny women's socks.

It all started back with a pair of Banana Republic loafers socks. They were small socks that were, as the name suggests, cut really low to be able to be worn invisibly with loafers. I got two pairs of them a number of years ago and found that they worked really well with my LL Bean rubber mocs, allowing me to finally wear my rubber mocs "sockless" without having disgusting sweaty, smelly feet. The problem with them was that there wasn't really any elastic around the top and they would easily slip down off my heel.

Fast forward a couple of years and while visiting my friend Sean, who works at the Atlanta shoe store, Abbadabba's, I spotted some small socks that looked similar to my loafer socks. They were, however, marketed as women's socks. Seeing as how I wore those loafer socks fairly often, and how I was getting tired of the obvious results of wearing boat shoes sockless in the heat of the South in the summertime, I picked up a couple of pairs.

They are No-Show Socks made by Hue (which most women readers will likely recognize as the maker of tights, leggings, etc.). Unlike my Banana Republic pair, these have elastic around the upper portion, which allows them to stay up better. However, the best part about them is that they have a little silicone pad on the back heel which helps prevent them from slipping down off the heel. While I'm not going to say that they never slip, I would say 85% of the time they manage to stay up, regardless of what type of shoes I'm wearing. I currently wear them with boat shoes, blucher mocs, Wallabees, LL Bean rubber mocs, penny loafers, and other types of dress shoes. I wear them probably 95% of the time nowadays.

So, I recognize that a number of you, especially Dusty if he is reading this, are questioning my manhood. While that's not something that I'm really concerned about, I would like to present my logic in deciding to wear these for those who can't seem to wrap their heads around it:

1. I like the sockless look. It is one that I feel presents a touch of casualness to any outfit. I also feel like it looks better with shorts than any type of sock.
2. Feet sweat, no matter who you are.
3. Because feet sweat, wearing shoes without socks will make your feet and shoes smell horrible. Using powder is only a stop-gap solution.
4. No one likes feet and shoes that smell bad.
5. Shoes that are worn sockless simply do not last as long.
6. These socks allow one to have the sockless look while absorbing enough sweat as to avoid having smelly shoes and feet. They also provide more warmth than true sockless wear, allowing one to go "sockless" even in cold weather.
7. Because no one will see these socks, unless you remove your shoes of course, you don't have to worry about what others will think. If a person wears tiny socks and no one sees them, is he really wearing tiny socks?

So that is my argument for these socks. If you live in Atlanta, stop by Abbadabba's and pick some up. If you don't live in Atlanta, pick some up from Nordstrom. I wear a size 9.5 shoe and the large works for me, but if your feet are much larger they may not be work for you. You can also check out Mocc Socks, which are similar, and marketed towards men, though I cannot attest to their quality or ability to stay up.

2011 Duck Hunting Trip

2011-01-23T21:21:00.009-05:00

Two weekends ago, before ice and snow brought Atlanta to a grinding halt, I headed to South Carolina for what will likely be my only hunting trip of the 2010/2011 season. A classmate of ours from graduate school invited us down to his family's plantation for the weekend, which was obviously an offer that we couldn't refuse. Here are some pictures from that trip.

Before we headed down to the Lowcountry, my friend Ralph and I were able to go hunting on Friday morning on some land that another of our friend's has up near Greenville.

Ralph (of the soon-to-be blog, A Ralph Down South: an online tour of the places Ralph has thrown up in the southeast), on the lookout for ducks.

Ralph's Browning A5 Stalker and the wood duck that he got.

The lake we were hunting on, as the sun came up.

Unfortunately, I came up empty-handed that morning.

After we wrapped up, we headed down to our friend's plantation, which is down near Edisto, in the ACE Basin. They've got about 600 acres of impoundment and are right next to the Combahee River. For those in the know, this means a TON of ducks.

In order to get ready for the hunt the next morning, we decided to stay up around the fire until about 12:30 AM drinking some of America's finest macrobrews (Natty Light and Busch Light, of course), and two pints of Mr. Boston Rock & Rye (which is delicious, by the way).

The next morning, my friend William and I were set up in our blind and ready for the ducks.

A view from our blind at dawn.

William and his dog, Joe, after downing a drake shoveler.

After the hunt.

William and I had an outstanding morning. We both managed to limit out in just under and hour. We were covered up with ducks, though they were mostly spoon-bills. In fact, between the two of us, we shot 10 drake shovelers, one hen shoveler, and one teal. No complaints, though. We had an awesome hunt.

The plantation was beautiful and amazing. Here are a couple of photos, though they don't do the place justice.

That night, after an afternoon dove hunt, we celebrated in the only fashion appropriate for the ACE Basin. We headed over to bustling metropolis of Yemassee for a steak dinner at Harold's Country Club.

Harold's is a local institution and was definitely the place to be on a Saturday night, though we didn't stick around long enough to have enough to drink to actually participate in karaoke. Next time...

All in all it was an awesome trip. On Sunday, before the snow hit, we even got to go quail hunting at our friend Kyle's parents' farm. Not a bad way to spend a weekend.

A special thanks to Rusty, James, and Kyle for their generosity.

New Engine-Turned Belt Buckle and Belt Strap from Belts.com

2011-01-04T23:45:00.003-05:00

For Christmas, my brother was generous enough to give me an engine-turned belt buckle with my monogram on it. I had previously given him one, and he returned the favor this year. It's a 1-3/16" Trafalgar buckle, in 22K gold plate over brass (neither he nor I had sterling silver in our budgets).

Although I was excited about the buckle, I was confronted with the challenge of getting a belt strap for it. Straps from Dann Online start at $60 for the glove leather models, and only go up from there (to $375 for genuine alligator). Leather straps from Brooks Brothers are normally $88, though they're currently on sale for $66. Still, I was in search of a less expensive option.

I had heard about belts from Belts.com, and in looking at their selection of Dress Leather Belt Straps, I was impressed not only with their variety, but also their prices (many start at just $16.95). However, I noticed that all of the straps came with holes in them, and due to the way that engine-turned buckles are made, the holes are unnecessary.

So I contacted the folks at belts.com asking if their dress belts were available without holes. I received an email back from Jason at Belts.com who informed me that no, their dress belts could not be ordered without holes, but suggested that I look at their "Make Your Own Width or Size" belt straps. These are plain leather belts, but the length, width, and color can be chosen by the customer, and Jason suggested that I simply note on the ordering page that I wanted it made without holes. For just $20, I figured it was worth a shot.

The belt came today and you can see it in the picture above. It did indeed come as I requested it, without holes, and the 1-1/8" width worked perfectly for my 1-3/16" wide buckle. It seems to be well-made, and the leather seems to be pretty good. It is, however, fairly thick (it measures between 4 and 5 mm in thickness), and could be considered a bit unrefined for pairing with this style of belt buckle. These things won't keep me from wearing it, but I will be looking to upgrade at some point in the future.

If you have a similar belt buckle, I would recommend the Make Your Own Width or Size option from Belts.com if you're looking for a less-dressy strap to wear with your belt. However, I really wish that they would consider offering their dress belts without holes, as I would pick up their alligator grain and smooth leather straps in a heartbeat. I'd even be willing to pay a $4 or $5 premium for the option. I'm not really sure how their manufacturing process works, but it seems like it wouldn't be that hard to keep some holeless belts in stock, and I'm sure there are some engine-turned buckle owners out there who would love to have some less expensive choices. Oh well, maybe one day...

Prints for Sale by A Restless Transplant

2011-01-04T23:19:00.006-05:00

If you read my blog with any regularity, I hope that you have taken the time to visit Foster Huntington's blog A Restless Transplant. Foster is a recent graduate of Colby College in Maine and is now living in New York City. He's a guy with an amazing eye for detail, and has the photography skills to match.

He recently announced on his blog that he is now offering any of his photos as prints, in either 8X10 or 11X14. If you've seen any of his photography, you know that this is awesome, as most of his stuff would look fantastic in a frame on the wall. The real problem, however, is deciding what to pick. With 287 album in his Flickr account, simply choosing an album is enough of a challenge, not to mention deciding which individual image (or images) to pick. A very small sample of some of my favorites can be seen below.

The image above is really one of my very favorites. It's currently my desktop background on both my home and work computers.

8X10 prints are $40 and 11X14 prints are $80. Contact Foster if you're interested. Also, be sure to check out his other website, Foster & Edge.

Meeting Lisa Birnbach and a few thoughts on "True Prep"

2011-01-03T22:16:00.006-05:00

So this isn't exactly timely since it happened back in September, but speaking of Lisa Birnbach (see my previous post), I actually got to meet her when she was doing her book tour for True Prep back in the fall. I suspect that for me, meeting her was akin to kids in the early 90s getting to meet Michael Jordan.

On the last day of September, I headed down to the Brooks Brothers at Lenox with a friend of mine who was brave enough to tag along, and with my copies of The Official Preppy Handbook and True Prep in hand. After waiting in line for a few minutes (behind a girl who made a poster for Lisa and had about 10 copies of True Prep to sign), I finally got to chitchat a bit with Lisa, and with Chip Kidd who was also there. She was pleasant enough and signed both of my books, and posed with me for a picture. As you can see in the picture, she was obviously quite thrilled to be having her picture taken with me.

While I had initially thought of doing a more in-depth review of True Prep, my laziness got the better of me, so instead, here are a few of my thoughts.

-The book certainly isn't bad. It's not great either, and isn't what many of us were hoping for. I've said it jokingly before, but do you really think that Leonardo da Vinci could have painted the Mona Lisa twice? Seriously though, it is difficult for things in life to live up to our expectations, particularly after 30 years.
-The book sometimes reads like a giant ad for Vineyard Vines and other companies. While the original book certainly name-dropped brands, it never felt as blatant or heavy-handed as it does in here.
-There are two page devoted to the the types of loafers a man should wear. Only two pairs (the Stubbs & Wooten and Brooks Brothers ones, not surprisingly) are wearable; the rest are, in fact, horrible. Gucci? Prada? Tanino Crisci? What is this, a list of loafers or the cast of The Godfather?
-The "True Prep Pantheon" section towards the beginning of the book is almost 20 pages long, and is, indeed, about 16 pages too long.
-Birnbach's Democratic bias shows through far too often.
-This isn't to say that it's all bad. Most of the good parts are only charming little bites, though, rather than entire sections. I like the "hair evolution" from freshman year to senior year on pages 78 and 79, and I enjoy the mental interactions of the couple on the couch (which is supposed to be set in Atlanta, natch) in the "Till There Was You" snippet on pages 188 and 189. In my opinion, the book is best when it is straight-up imitating the original.

So, is this book worth buying? If you're a fan of The Original Preppy Handbook, I'd say yes. Don't expect to be blown away, but it will provide at least several sessions' worth of entertainment while on the "Throne."

This book is kind of like the Zip-Front Bean Boot that is currently sold at LL Bean.

Sure, it is a Bean Boot, and it has the chain-tread bottom, and it's made in Maine. It's obviously a modern take on the classic, but no true fan would ever think that this is as good as the Maine Hunting Shoe or the Bean Rubber Moc. It'll work in a pinch, but it'd be better to stick with the original.

Patagonia Synchilla Snap-T

2011-01-03T21:38:00.005-05:00

In spite of what Ms. Birnbach wrote in her latest book, I'm not sure how much of a staple polar fleece is in a classic wardrobe. However, if one must own a fleece, there is only one acceptable choice: the Patagonia Synchilla Snap-T. I know that Paul over at Dreams of Perfection will agree with me. Additionally, the primary color choice is dark green with the purple lining.

I'm not sure what there isn't to love here. It's warm. It's a classic. It has a collar. It has a front pocket (frocket?), which snaps, nonetheless. The purple and garish blue lining on the inside are just ugly enough to make it not cool, but not ugly enough to make it unwearable. It even looks good with a tie.

Sure, you can buy one new, but they don't call it "Patagucci" for nothing, as a new one will set you back around $100. Instead, head over to Ebay. I'm pretty sure they've been making these things since the 80s, and they can be picked up pretty cheaply (and in the dark green, which, for some stupid reason, is no longer being made).

Barbour Jacket Alternatives

2010-10-07T20:50:00.008-04:00

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine told me that he was in the market for a Barbour-like jacket and asked if I had any suggestions. I came up with a list for him, and while a number of these have been pointed out on some other blogs (like Dreams of Perfection), I figured I would compile them all here as a sort of guide to waxed cotton field coats. I'm assuming that pretty much everyone knows about the Barbour Bedale and Beaufort, as a well as the Filson Tin Cloth jacket, so I have not included them. Without further ado, here are the jackets.

LL Bean Upland Field Coat- $99
Arguably the best value of the bunch. The padded shoulder pads are a nice touch, and the fact that it's available in a version with a blaze orange upper half makes it a good candidate for a quail hunt.

Lands End Waxed Cotton Field Coat- currently $119
Clearly a Barbour knock-off, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The sale price of $119 is pretty tough to beat.
**UPDATE- According to Greg from Manifold Destiny, this jacket fits like a Beaufort in terms of length.

LL Bean Signature 1947 Field Coat- $185
A slimmer version of the classic in Millerain canvas that also comes with a button-out liner vest.

J. Crew Woodland Jacket- $278
A J. Crew original; the snap front with clasp-fastening storm flap makes it a bit different from the rest of the pack.

Eddie Bauer Waxed Expedition Cloth Saddle Coat- $299
Somewhat of a surprising offering from Eddie Bauer with some nice features, but the contrasting color of the moleskin collar could be a deal-breaker for some.

Barbour Ursula Jacket at Orvis- $379
Said to be a reproduction of the jackets provided to crews of Royal Navy submarines, while it's not technically a field coat, this jacket is pretty awesome. The lack of a hood (or means of attaching a hood) makes it a little less versatile.

Barbour Derwent at J. Crew- $399
Described by J. Crew as a "tackle jacket," this wouldn't make a bad choice out in the field, especially with the built-in hood.

Eddie Bauer Upland Field Coat with Blaze Vest- $429
Another great offering from Eddie Bauer (which I actually wrote about last September), this jacket has some great features like the padded shoulders, shell pockets, and removable blaze orange vest, but the price is pretty steep. However, like the Eddie Bauer Saddle Coat, some people may not care for the blaze orange collar.

Orvis Taylor Supply Supply Hill Climber Jacket- $495
With the shawl collar and button front, this jacket offers a unique look. Unfortunately, the $500 price tag is nearly impossible to justify, though it is made in the US.

College circle logo hats

2010-09-07T20:14:00.004-04:00

As every true American knows, college football started this past weekend. While there isn't much to say about the games this weekend, every true SEC fan*, and most ACC fans, know that looking good at the game is almost as important as the game itself.

It's pretty common knowledge that the white bar hats made by The Game are de rigeur, but a couple of months back, Ashlyn Stallings, Southern blogger and professional ADPi (TSM), pointed out these hats on her blog. They're also made by The Game, and are available for most SEC and ACC schools (and for some other conferences which also exist, apparently), but come with loads of old school style. Plus, they're only $17. Order one for your favorite school and keep the bill flat so that you look like you stepped out of a tailgate in 1984 (TFM).

*This does not include Florida fans. Jorts, anyone?

Inside Information on Michael Bastian for Gant

2010-08-25T13:03:00.004-04:00

There has been a lot of anticipation for the new Fall 2010 Gant line, designed by Michael Bastian. For his inspiration, Bastian was reportedly heavily influenced by lacrosse, and the line is decidedly preppy and sporty (just like lacrosse should be). However, based on some detective work, A Trip Down South has been able to discover just how Bastian was able to capture the essence of the Fastest Game on Two Feet:

Michael Bastian is, in fact, the Ultimate Lax Bro.

Review: LL Bean Signature Work Boot

2010-08-11T20:55:00.005-04:00

By now, everyone should know that LL Bean Signature is the best single collection of clothes out there. Thanks to Alex Carleton, as well as the entire LL Bean archive that is at his disposal, LL Bean has essentially out-J.Crewed J.Crew and come out with a line that is successfully combines traditional items with a more modern fit and details. While J.Crew has gone off the deep end with their expensive sloppy-Americana-workwear-reinterpretation look, LL Bean has embraced its actual history and heritage and created new old classics.

When the preview of fall items came out, the item that caught my attention immediately was the new Signature Work Boot. It looked like a great moc-toe boot that would work well with both jeans and khakis once the temperatures finally come down. Fortunately, my pair came in yesterday, so I can finally provide a hands-on perspective.

The first thing that intrigued me, as well as worried me, about the boot was the leather. While it appeared to be different from the leather used on any existing LL Bean shoe or boot, I was afraid that when it came it would be the same soft but easily-scuffed leather that is found on the Blucher Moc. However, my fears were allayed once I actually got my hands on the boots as this leather really is pretty nice. It's thick, buttery, and already has great depth of color to it. It's somewhat stiff, but seems like it will soften up nicely once it gets broken in. It also appear capable of taking a beating and should hold up for quite a while.

As you can see from the pictures, the sole is rugged, but has a fairly low profile, allowing it to more easily transition to casual situations without looking like you just got done climbing a mountain.

In terms of height, you can see that they are almost exactly as tall as the 10" Maine Hunting Shoe. I'd say this is a pretty practical height as it provides good ankle support for a variety of activities, but doesn't make them to difficult to easily get on or off. The speed laces are a nice touch. When laced up, there are stiffer around the ankles than my Maine Hunting Shoe, but again, I suspect they will soften up a bit once they get some wear.

The insole is leather, and when wearing them, they feel more like a moccasin and less like a boot in that there isn't really much arch support. This isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, but I may end up wearing my own insoles with them at some point.

In terms of styling, I feel like the name "Work Boot" is almost a misnomer in that they simply don't look as rugged as, say, the Katahdin Iron Works Engineer Boot. I mean this in a good way, though, as I feel like this boot is much more versatile with a more refined look.. If I did have one complaint, it would be that the toe is a little more squared off than I would prefer. Not a deal-breaker, but if I had my drothers, I would have made it a little differently.

Overall, I'm really pleased with these boots. As I mentioned, I can't wait for the fall weather so I can break these out, and I'm looking forward to being able to wear these instead of my Maine Hunting Shoes out in the dove field. If you're in the market for a boot but don't want to go the Red Wing route, I would certainly recommend giving these a look.

Second Annual Fun Pants Party

2010-08-11T20:33:00.003-04:00

Myself and the other hosts of the party

This past weekend, a number of friends from grad school and I hosted the Second Annual Fun Pants Party down in Charleston. Last year's party was just a pub crawl along Upper King (in ridiculous, fun pants, no less), but this year we hosted a beforehand cocktail party at the Carolina Yacht Club, before preceding to a pub crawl along East Bay. The actual crawl part was somewhat waylaid (in a good way) due to the awesome band, Unkle Funkle, who was playing at Johnson's Pub, our first stop. A good time was had by all, and I'm pretty sure that our 50+ crowd of people in ridiculous pants made the place a lot better than it normally is.

As an added bonus, the party was graced with the presence of none other than Social Primer himself, Cooper Ray. Be sure to check out Cooper's article, including additional pictures, over on the Social Primer website.

A view of the harbor from the Carolina Yacht Club

LL Bean Moccasins, old and new

2010-07-29T21:51:00.007-04:00

Several months back I made a trip to a thrift store in Roswell and came across two pairs of old LL Bean moccasins--a pair of blucher mocs and a pair of camp mocs. Having been in possession of a pair of the current Bean blucher mocs for a little while, I was quite intrigued at the superior quality of the leather on the old pair of bluchers, as well as the difference in the shape of the toe box. Since both pairs fit, in spite of their worn out soles, I went ahead and bought them both (something like $15 total).

Old bluchers, after being resoled

It was a while before I finally took the old bluchers in to get resoled, but I was able to take them to my local shoe repair place and get actual moccasin soles put on them, and I also replaced the leather liner on the inside of the shoe. Upon comparing them to the current versions, I have reached these conclusions.

Old bluchers

Current bluchers

1. The toe box on the old pair is superior. It is rounder and more elongated; the modern pair has a squarer, stumpier toe box. The older pair just plain looks better.
2. The vamp on the older pair is a bit higher. This isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, but for wearing with shorts, and for slipping on and off without untying the laces, the lower vamp is better.
3. The leather on the old pair is much better. It is thicker, sturdier, looks better, and is clearly able to improve its appearance with age. The modern leather is thinner, looks faker, and seems incapable of developing any sort of patina. However, I will say that the leather used on the modern version is much softer and more comfortable.
4. Of somewhat less importance, the older version of the moccasin sole generally looks better compared the high-tech-looking sole used on the modern pair.

"Are your shoes from the future?"

Regarding the camp mocs, that has been a bit of a different story. I tried to purchase a pair of the modern camp mocs a couple of years ago, but had real trouble with the sizing. I couldn't get a pair that would fit snugly enough on my feet without being too tight. I ended up giving up and exchanging them for the blucher mocs that I have. The camp mocs that I found at the thrift store seemed to fit pretty well, however, and I was pretty excited about getting them back into working condition.

However, I took them back up to above-mentioned cobbler (this was after I got the blucher mocs resoled), and was told by the owner that the company that made the moccasin soles is no longer making them and that he couldn't get any. I was pretty miffed by this; you mean to tell me that there is no company in the entire country, or world even, that makes the old-style moccasin soles? I ended up deciding to just take my shoes back and wait until I could find someone else to put the proper sole on them.

I ended up taking them to Midtown Shoe Repair about three weeks ago. I brought in my pair of old blucher mocs to show the guy what I wanted, and he seemed confident that he could do what I wanted. He told me it would be two weeks, and after waiting patiently, I went back up there this past Saturday. Upon getting the shoes back, I saw that they had a boat shoe-style sole on them. "This isn't what I wanted" I told the guy. In his broken English he told me, like the other cobbler told me, that the company that he used to get them from no longer makes them. It didn't matter, I was still pretty peeved that he went ahead and put the wrong soles on them. Maybe if he had asked for my phone number when I dropped off the shoes, he could have called and told me that he couldn't get what I wanted. Knowing that there was little I could do at this point, I went ahead and paid and knew that I wouldn't take my business there again. I will still continue to seek out someone who can put the right soles on them, but I guess I will wear them in the meantime.

So, aside from the soles, how is this old version of camp mocs? Pretty good, I would say. While I can't do a direct comparison since I don't have a pair of the modern camp mocs, the superiority of the old pair mostly comes down to the superior leather. As you can see, these shoes have taken on some very good character, and in spite of their age (who knows how old they are), they are still in very good condition. The laces are even the original ones (or at least the ones that were on them when I bought them). The fit is alright; the right shoe is pretty tight on my instep, and they could be a little most snug in the heel, but overall they work pretty well. If I actually wore them with socks, they'd probably fit even better.

Boat shoe sole on a moccasin: what a travesty

So what can be taken from this comparison? Well, LL Bean's camp and blucher mocs have certainly changed over the past decades. While they are still classic, versatile, affordable and reliable footwear, the old versions are simply better. I think that LL Bean needs to go back to a better quality leather and use the old pattern (including the old toe box). I can't really think of a reason why Bean would sell the current version, except that it is likely cheaper to make, and possibly represents a greater profit margin. My plea to Bean, and to Alex Carleton and the team at LL Bean Signature: bring back the old version, even if it costs a little more. It's simply better.

ICON CJ series

2010-07-29T20:59:00.005-04:00

You may remember my SUV Showdown poll last July, in which the Land Rover Defender crushed the competition as the best SUV on and off the road. On my wrap up post, I mentioned one of my personal favorites, the FJ series by ICON. ICON is a Los Angeles-based company which takes old Toyota Land Cruisers, strips them down to their frames, and completely rebuilds them with all new components. Old Land Cruisers are amazing on their own, but these are simply incredible.

I recently noticed that ICON is now offering a line of CJs. CJs (including the most well-known models, the CJ-7 and CJ-8) were civilian versions of the Willys jeep, and the predecessor of the Jeep Wrangler. Like FJs, CJs are awesome in their own right, but the ICON versions are true off-road monsters.

Like the ICON FJs, the CJs are available in both "old school" and "new school" styles.

Old school

New school

Interested in one? Hopefully you've got pretty good credit because the two CJs that are currently available for sale on the website are $96,000 and $101,000, respectively. If that's a bit of sticker shock for you, just look at some more awesome pictures and wish for the day that you finally win the lottery.

Antico Pizza

2010-07-27T22:58:00.008-04:00

Last week I went out to eat at Antico Pizza with some folks for my friend Chris' birthday. I had had pizza from Antico before, but hadn't ever eaten there. While the pizza was delicious the previous time I had it, eating at the restaurant is a whole experience in and of itself.

Antico is located at 1093 Hemphill Ave NW, which is just northwest of Georgia Tech's campus. Needless to say, it's not the trendiest part of town, but really, who wants to go to a restaurant in the trendiest part of town? The restaurant itself is pretty tiny; it originally only had the small front dining room and was meant to be more of a take-out place, but as more and more people wanted to eat there, the owners decided to add some tables in the kitchen. This is now the best seat in the house. Things are loud and bustling, you have to stand at some of the tables since there aren't any chairs, and the fluorescent lights aren't exactly romantic.

From your table you can watch the cooks making the pizzas, putting them in the ovens (which were reportedly imported from Italy), and pulling out the bubbling, crispy pies, which are cut and carried about 20 steps straight to your table.

Photo from Yelp

All the atmosphere in the world wouldn't make any difference if the food wasn't worth eating. Fortunately, this pizza is worth it. If you're from Atlanta, you may already be familiar with Antico's reputation as, arguably, the best pizza in Atlanta. While some online reviews indicate that the pizza is overrated, I have to disagree. I really do think that it's some of the best in the city. Chris and I ordered the Pizza Bianca (white pizza), pictured below; it was very good, though I would say that it was a little too intense with the amount of ricotta on top. When we ordered from Antico at my office, I got to try several of their other combinations and I remember the San Gennaro being particularly good.

Photo from Yelp

Perhaps one of the best things about the restaurant is that it is BYOB (or BYOW). We stopped off at Hop City (arguably the best beer store in Atlanta, and right around the corner from Antico) beforehand to get the necessary provisions. I picked up a 6-pack of Birra Moretti as I felt like an Italian beer was the most appropriate choice.

One final thing to note is that the seating situation can be a little touch-and-go. You order at the counter, and then it's up to you find a place to eat. Given the limited number of tables and the popularity of this place, this is quite a difficult proposition, especially at peak hours. Fortunately, the restaurant does take reservations for large parties (I think that we had 12 or 14 and were able to get two tables to ourselves), but it's probably best to bring some patience along with you regardless.

All photos were taken on my Blackberry, unless otherwise indicated.

Leather Man Ltd. grosgrain leather tab & buckle belts

2010-07-27T22:25:00.003-04:00

It's no secret that I am a fan of belts, as indicated by my previous posts on the subject (here, here, here, and here), but the one at the top of my list right now is the grosgrain leather tab & buckle belt from Leather Man Ltd.

Obviously the love child of an emblematic belt and a grosgrain belt, two staples of a preppy wardrobe, this belt offers the casualness of grosgrain, but is made a little more formal by the leather tab and buckle. Additionally, it's a more practical choice as the d-rings the typically come on grosgrain belts can be a pain. Also, like most belts from Leather Man, they're pretty affordable at only $28.

To be honest, the selection of grosgrain patterns that Leather Man currently offers for these belts is simply OK--it could be better. However, these are some of personal picks, all of which would make an easy transition from summer to fall.

Officially Pre-ordered

2010-07-15T23:12:00.003-04:00

Well, my paranoia got the best of me tonight. Fearing that the Take Ivy reprint might actually sell out if I didn't go ahead and order, I placed my pre-order, and while I was at it, I placed my pre-order for True Prep. I'll admit that I'm more excited about the latter, but having the former certainly won't be bad. August 31st and September 7th should be awesome days.

Now we will finally see what those creepy Japanese dudes were really writing about.

Can Lisa Birnbach do any wrong? I'm still tempted to ask her to be my Facebook friend...

More New Music

2010-07-15T22:32:00.004-04:00

I haven't bought any new music in a while, and going on a retreat this weekend, last night I thought that it might be time. I went on iTunes and this is what I got:

A.A. Bondy- When the Devil's Loose

I got A.A. Bondy's first album, American Hearts, last May (I did a post on it then) and loved it. When the Devil's Loose, his second album, has been out for a little while, but just I finally got around to buying it. I purchased it with little hesitation, and upon the first couple of listenings, it has not let me down. It should be noted that Bondy is originally from Birmingham, so obviously it's good, since nothing bad has ever come out of Birmingham (except for Larry Langford).

Robert Plant & Allison Krauss- Raising Sand

I based my decision to buy this album mostly on hearing the songs "Killing Blues" and "Please Read the Letter," which I had heard on internet radio stations before. I figured that it might be similar to All the Roadrunning, the album that was put out in 2006 by Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris (an album which I hate at first, but eventually became one of my favorites). The actual duet on Raising Sand are easily some of the highlights of the album, and I feel like Krauss' solo songs are a lot weaker. It could have something to do with all of the pedal steel that's present in the duets... Perhaps the other songs will grow on me as I listen more.

Zac Brown Band- The Foundation

Part of me still can't believe I bought this album. One of the main reasons I don't like popular country music is because of the trite and cliche lyrics. Perhaps no song embodies trend this more than the Zac Brown Band song "Chicken Fried," but for whatever reason, I absolutely love it. There are a couple of Jimmy Buffetesque songs on here too which I would love to listen to while sitting on the beach by the Gulf (assuming there aren't tar balls everywhere). It comes across as a pretty unsophisticated album at first, but I think that there is some better instrumentation and some more lyrical depth than there initially appears, and the guys are from Georgia, so how could I not like them? Plus, Ben the Bunnyman, of the Regular Guys fame, is featured on the last track. I guess I can consider this my "guilty pleasure" purchase.

DIY Peach Moonshine

2010-07-14T23:54:00.004-04:00

Last spring I went with some friends up to the Block House Steeplechase up in Tryon, NC. It was my first steeplechase, but was a quite a good time (you can read my post about it here).

While we were there, there were some reps from a North Carolina-based company called Y'all Liquor who were walking around offering samples of their new line of moonshine that they working on creating (as a side note, I should point out that it would appear that their company never seemed to get off the ground as the website that they had was eventually taken down). I'm not sure that I had ever tried moonshine before, but I thought it was pretty good, though I really liked the peach moonshine that they let us try (complete with a peach in the mason jar).

For some reason, the peach 'shine stuck with me and I kept waiting for the company to begin offering it. Back in April, as it became apparent that the product wasn't ever going to make it to my local liquor store, I began thinking about my alternatives. After doing some requisite Googling, the most useful site I came up with was this thread on a home distilling message board. I had to kind of apply their suggestions as best I could, but finally came up with a game plan and gave it a shot.

Since moonshine is nothing other than un-aged corn whiskey (only its illegal production really makes it proper moonshine), there is a brand of corn liquor called Georgia Shine that is pretty easy to find in most liquor stores. I went to the liquor store and picked up a 750 mL bottle of the 100 proof version (they also make an 80 proof version that comes in a large mason jar). I felt like when it came to moonshine, the greater the burn, the better, hence my decision to go with the 100 proof.

I then went to the grocery store and picked up a can of peach halves. Fresh peaches weren't really in season yet, and I wanted to get some that weren't in heavy syrup so that I could have better control over how sweet it came out, and I ended up going with these Margaret Holmes brand (whatever that is).

Already being in possession of a bunch of mason jars, I divided the peaches into two jars, and poured the 'shine over the peaches. I gave the jars a couple of tumbles and let them sit.

I would usually give them a turn or two each day, and basically let them sit for about two months, giving them a taste every now and then. It took quite a while for much of the peach taste to come through, especially with the high percentage of alcohol. The amount of flavor seemed to pretty much level off after about 6-8 weeks. In June, I got my hands on some fresh peaches, and following some of the suggestions found on the above mentioned forum thread, I drained off the liquor (likker?), threw away the old peaches, peeled and cut up the fresh ones and put them in the jars. I then added a couple of teaspoons of sugar to the peaches and let them rest for 10 minutes or so before adding the liquor back to the jars and letting them sit for a few more days. I'm not sure if it was the fresh peaches or using the sugar, but the peach flavor really came through a lot more clearly, and the sugar seemed to cut down on some of the bite from the alcohol. It also took on a more yellowish tint.

In the end, it ended up being pretty good, but it still has a slightly off taste, which I would likely attribute to the canned peaches. I took some to a 4th of July party and we passed around one of the jars, and people seemed to enjoy it as much as one can enjoy drinking straight liquor. I think if I were to do it over again, I would only use fresh peaches, I would use the sugar at the beginning, and I would maybe even use the 80 proof liquor, or possibly cut the finished product with some water. I would perhaps add a little less at the beginning as I could always add more later if needed. If you decide to give this a try yourself, please be sure to share how it turns out for you.

If you are interested in other DIY liquor adventures, check out my old post on making your own gin.

Blog of Note: Seersucker and Sazerac

2010-07-13T22:22:00.003-04:00

It might not be surprising, but some of my favorite blogs to read fall into the "Southern lifestyle" blogs. One that I came across a few months ago that I have enjoyed is Seersuckers and Sazeracs. It's run by a guy named Ryan who lives in New Orleans and is great because it provides a perspective from one of the most iconic, but unique, parts of the South. My family lived in Louisiana for about a year, and one of our good friends from college is from the Garden District, so needless to say, I have fond memories of the Crescent City. But perhaps more importantly, can you really think of a better combination than seersucker and Sazeracs? (though I will admit to having had my first Sazerac only a couple of months ago)

While I really enjoyed his post (and accompanying recipe) about étouffée (though I should note that my mom makes a pretty mean crawfish étouffée), I was most impressed with his A-Z guide to the Carnival (a.k.a.- Mardi Gras) where he did a daily post on different aspects of the season, from Antoine's to Zulu. Here is his initial post in the series, so be sure to go read the whole series. Be sure to look for his blog in my blog roll to the right.

You can also follow Ryan on twitter.

Two years, more or less

2010-07-13T21:58:00.004-04:00

It was pointed out to me by my college roommate today that I missed what could have been the second "birthday" for my blog. I appreciate those of you who have actually kept sticking with me for the past two years, through the highs and lows of the blog. In case you are a newer reader, I went back and found some of my favorite posts from the first year and a half or so of the blog. Consider it a narcissistic walk down memory lane. If you haven't read them before, you can also pretend that they're new posts.

A whole lotta 80s preppy goodness
The black "dress" shirt
Tor/Sufjan Stevens- "Illinoize"
Pictures from Charleston
Hot women and Land Rovers: A Match Made in Heaven
Brown "tuxedos"
Introducing: the belt koozie
Sperry Billfish: A Footwear Identity Crisis
"Photography" or "A Trip Up North"
"Making the Grade"
Make your own gin: a follow-up
Breaking News: Kings of Leon to compete for "Worst Band of 2009"

Thanks again to everyone who reads. Please keep coming back and I promise to keep doing posts on a least a semi-regular basis.

Penny loafers for women at J. Crew

2010-06-22T21:48:00.004-04:00

I was looking through the most recent J. Crew and was surprised to see that they are now offering a classic penny loafer for women, made by Bass, nonetheless. In spite of being popular with women during the 80s, and presumably during the 60s (the high points in preppy style), I'm not sure that I've seen a girl in peer group wearing a pair. Ever.

Seeing as how J. Crew has managed to emerge as more of a trendsetter than a trend-follower, it will be interesting to see if any other retailers follow suit. It should be noted that J. Crew is currently asking $120 for this pair of shoes. If you ask me, that's pretty ridiculous. Then again, crazy-high prices at J. Crew seem to be the rule rather than the exception nowadays...

A Trip Down South street style

2010-06-15T22:55:00.003-04:00

A couple of months ago, my friend Eric Holsomback, a graphic designer and photographer in Birmingham, mentioned that he was interested in getting into the "street style" photos. I was in Birmingham about a month ago for my brother's graduation, so I got in touch with Eric and we met up, along with our friend Sarah Margaret, and we took some photos. The photos came out pretty great, in spite of the model. Be sure to check them out, and also be sure to check out Eric's blog and some of his other photography.

A few notes:
1. My look was somewhat inspired by the guys at Sid Mashburn. The execution was nowhere near as good.
2. The tie should have been a bit longer
3. The jeans have since been hemmed
4. Posing for such pictures is much more awkward and narcissistic-feeling than it looks

Southern Staple: Buffalo Trace bourbon

2010-06-07T22:17:00.003-04:00

While I wouldn't consider myself a bourbon connoisseur, I would consider myself a bourbon enthusiast. I haven't tried as many of the high-end bourbons as I would like to, but I do know what I like.

For my 23rd birthday, my buddy Sanders gave me a bottle of Buffalo Trace bourbon,. I was unfamiliar with it because, at the time, it was only sold in Kentucky. I really liked it, and was impressed with its drinkability, especially at 90 proof, and I've been hooked ever since. It's sweeter than some bourbons, but in my opinion, not as sweet as Maker's Mark, which I know some true bourbon fans aren't too keen on. It's more expensive than Jim Beam, but a little cheaper than Maker's, so I feel like it's at a good price point as well. It's good for making Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, Mint Juleps, drinking on the rocks, or even drinking straight with a splash of water.

Buffalo Trace is produced at, not surprisingly, the Buffalo Trace Distillery which is located in Frankfort, Kentucky. The distillery is owned by the Sazerac Corporation and also produces Sazerac rye, Ancient Age, Elmer T. Lee, and, perhaps most famous of all, Blanton's. They also produce an annual "Antique Collection" of limited release whiskeys, of which I know that Tucker is a fan. These can be expensive and hard to find, and while I'm sure they're good, I think I'm just going to stick with the regular one.

Buffalo Trace can be found in Birmingham and now in Atlanta. Which is awesome.

Volunteer Traditions

2010-06-07T21:21:00.002-04:00

You may remember my post back in December about the Southern state flag belts being sold Traditional State/Volunteer Traditions. While I recommended the products back then, I hadn't actually put my hands on any of them. Well, a couple of weeks ago, Mason, the founder of the company, offered to send me a few of their products to check out for myself. While they had previously been selling their products under both the names "Volunteer Traditions" and "Traditional State," they recently decided to consolidate things and sell them all under the (original) name "Volunteer Traditions." While there is always the threat of isolating potential non-Tennessee SEC, as I told Mason, I think that it was wise move and that "Volunteer Traditions" is a solid name. The products for states other than Tennessee are sold under their new "Heritage Line."

Mason sent me one of their new Georgia flag hats, an Alabama belt (I went to school in Alabama), as well as a pair of Croakies and a koozie (that's a whole nother post, though). I know that Daryl from Southern Gent and Jay from Red Clay Soul recently talked about how good their products are, but really, once I got my hands on them, I was impressed.

The belts are made by Leather Man Ltd., who, in my opinion, make the best emblematic belts on the market, and these are certainly no exception. The backing is khaki-colored, and looks really good with khakis. Also, the flags are slightly bigger than the flags on another flag belt I have, and I think this makes them look even better. The hat is probably where I was most impressed. While I am not a big "hat guy," I do own my fair share and wear them from time to time. While Jay noted on his post that the hats are not too shallow, I would like to point out, that the hat is not too deep either (that being my number one complaint about a lot of hats). In fact, I would say that the hat is the Goldilocks of hats, and is basically just right. The koozie and Croakies are both solid as well, and I've got to say that I really like the dog logo on the koozie.

If you haven't looked at the Volunteer Tradition website in a while, be sure to pay it a visit. They have expanded their offerings, and from what I have tried out, they are solid. Also, their prices are still very good. While Mason didn't indicate whether they have any other states in the works, here's to hoping.

Wickles: The most delicious pickles. Ever.

2010-05-19T21:11:00.003-04:00

I am not a big pickle fan. For the first 20 or so years of my life I would make every effort to remove any pickles that happened to sneak their way onto my sandwiches, or would specifically ask for them to be left off. For the last five or six years, though, I have begun to embrace pickles, even going so far as to add them to my food sometime. Still, I'm not a huge fan.

That is, until my friends in Birmingham, Abby and Jane, introduced me to Wickles pickles. Like so many other good things, Wickles are made in Alabama (Dadeville, to be specific) and while they seem innocuous at first, a closer inspection will reveal chopped garlic and two chili peppers floating in the brine. It is those chili peppers that give Wickles their kick--a nice touch of heat that comes after the initial sweetness. While they certainly add a lot to sandwiches, hamburgers, and likely to tuna salad, Wickles are good enough to eat on their own (even for non-pickle lovers like me).

While the Wickles company has a whole line of products, including pickle relish, red pepper relish, pepper strips, banana pepper strips, and pickled okra, I have only tried the pickles at this point, though I would certainly like to try the others. In fact, if the good people at Wickles would like to ship me a gift pack, or a 64 oz. jar of regular Wickles, I would certainly be obliged to give them a taste.

Although I have no looked extensively, I have so far only been able to find Wickles pickles in Birmingham. I've been to two Publixes (Publices?) in Atlanta that had some of their other products, but not the pickles. Fortunately, all of their products are available on their website, and the pickles are just $4.95 a jar. If you remotely like sweet pickles, I highly suggest giving these a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Opinion on the Fire Station No. 22/Bogues/Walgreen situation in Birmingham

2010-05-11T15:46:00.010-04:00

As someone who loves Birmingham dearly, but also went to school with the specific desire to be a real estate developer, I am a little divided on the Fire Station No. 22/Bogues/Walgreens situation that is going on right now. However, in seeing how other people are reacting to the situation, I don't think that most of them are thinking about the situation very objectively. Here are some of my thoughts on the subject. **Warning: Likely to not be a popular opinion**

While I certainly don't think that it is a good idea to flippantly tear down historic buildings, the former fire station building is completely out of any sort of "historic" context based on the other buildings around it (um, giant Fiserv building across the street, anyone?), and is really kind of an ugly building that happens to have some Spanish Colonial Revival styling. If people love this old fire station so much, why has the city owned it for so long? Why didn't someone else come to the City and offer them $200,000 for it?

From 32nd Street South, the fire station does look fairly nice.

But from Clairmont Avenue, the fire station looks like a Spanish Colonial Revival snout-house.

People are also really concerned about tearing down the Bogues building. First off, while Bogues is a good restaurant, I'm not denying that, it is just a restaurant and can move elsewhere. After all, people go to the restaurant for the food, right? I haven't heard anyone complain about how the food at the old Fish Market location used to be so much better than the food at the new one. Second of all, neither the inside nor the outside of the Bogues building have any sort of character or architectural merit, and it sits in the middle of a big, ugly parking lot. Trying to argue otherwise is silly.

Good breakfast? Yes. Good building? No.

In between these buildings sits a large eyesore of a mechanic's shop, as well as some other gross brown building. None of these buildings (aside from the fire station, maybe) offer any sort of character to the block other than highlighting the fact that it is run-down. Just because something is more than 25 years old doesn't mean it automatically has character, and in fact, some of the ugliest buildings were built between the 1950s and 1970s. Additionally, unlike parts of the block father to the west, there are absolutely no trees along the street in front of these buildings. It's not like the block would be losing a valuable streetscape either.

Would a Walgreens be more attractive than this? I don't think I'm stepping out on a limb by saying "yes."

Do I support putting a Walgreens on this site? Not necessarily. I do agree that most Walgreens contribute little more to their surroundings than a suburban blandness. But to date, no one else has stepped up to assemble this land in order to build a beautiful mixed-use building on the site, and in the end, cities are kept alive by redevelopment. Cities cost money to run, and that money doesn't grow on trees.

I think that there have been examples within past several years of cities being strong about what sort of site layout and design elements they want and forcing national retailers to comply (there are an increasing number of examples of Walmart doing this). The chain pharmacy stores do extensive research about what locations they want and have shown time and again that when they find a site that they like, they are willing to do just about whatever it takes to secure that site (including paying very high land prices). In other words, I don't think that signing online petitions and starting Facebook groups is really going to stop Walgreens from moving forward if that's what they want to do. Instead, I think effort should be made to work with Walgreens to build a store that will, as they state, bring additional tax revenue to the city, but also be an attractive building that contributes to the character of the street. The latter shouldn't be that hard considering how little character already exists on that block right now.

But at the end of the day, why shouldn't Walgreens be allowed to build here, and build a drive-through while they're at it? They provide a good service, they are likely in compliance with current zoning, and they build moderately attractive (if not architecturally uninspired) buildings. It's not like someone is proposing to put a strip club here, it's just a pharmacy. And it's not like this particular block is a core, pedestrian-oriented part of downtown Birmingham surrounded by numerous other historic buildings.

Our cities are not museums. They are living, breathing things. They get old, they get sick, and if they're not taken care of, they will eventually die. Unlike people and animals, though, cities can be revived. But in the way that trees have to be pruned to get the most fruit, sometimes older buildings have to be torn down to be able to make an area better.

I worked in the planning department at Birmingham-based KPS Group for over a year-and-a-half and believe that I learned principles of good design and planning there. With the "greedy developer" perspective that I developed in grad school, maybe I am missing something. However, I think that I am being pretty objective and realistic here. Based on all of the knee-jerk reactions that I have read so far, I wish that others would calm down for a second and consider it from another perspective. Regardless, I will be interested to see how this all plays out.

(All images from Google Streetview. Maybe I will take some real pictures when I am in Birmingham this weekend to replace these).

Postscript- I recognize that that is my first post after my "hiatus." Yes, I do hope to resume blogging on a regular basis again, and have some ideas lined up for some new posts. Thank you to everyone for their kind words.

On Hiatus

2010-04-26T08:35:00.002-04:00

In case you haven't noticed, I haven't really been updating much lately. Part of this has been due to being busy, part of this has been due to being lazy, and part of this has been due to being uninspired lately.

As I find it frustrating when other blogs simply stop updating without any explanation, I figured I would attempt to give some reason for my lack of updates lately and for my blogging hiatus for the near-future. I do apologize to those of you who read and enjoy my blog on a regular basis, and you have no idea how much I appreciate you and your comments. I'm not sure when I will update again--it may be a few weeks or it may be a few months. In the meantime, please continue to check out the blogs on my blogroll, and follow me on Twitter as I do find that I have more time for 140-character updates. Thanks.

Trip

Good News: Heavy Tweed Jacket is back

2010-04-05T12:27:00.002-04:00

Maybe I'm late to the party on this one, but as quietly as he vanished, HTJ has returned to the blogosphere (and with a handful of new posts, no less). Go check it out.

Sanders: True Southerner, True American

2010-04-03T13:59:00.005-04:00

My Magic City Lacrosse buddy, Sanders, posted these slightly narcissistic pictures of himself on Facebook. After seeing these pictures, and getting his permission, I decided that these needed to be shared with the wider world because they are simply too bad-ass/hilarious. This is what happens when you put a Hampden-Sydney boy in West Virginia.

Blogger Survey: Ideal Shorts Length

2010-03-29T21:47:00.009-04:00

Lands End Plain Front 6" Legacy Chino Shorts--my shorts of choice

The Concept
It seems like whenever the weather starts to warm and people start pulling their shorts out of winter hibernation, debates inevitably ensue regarding the "correct" length for shorts. Some men prefer a 9" inseam while others wouldn't think of going longer than 6" while still others will insist that anything under 7" is simply scandalous.

It occurred to me that these debates are essentially moot since everyone's legs are different lengths, but I wondered if most of these men imagined them hitting around the same place on the leg. Essentially, I wondered if there was a common ratio for the "ideal" length for shorts. So, I conducted a survey of a number of bloggers whose opinions I respect and whose blogs I enjoy, and tried to figure out what that ratio is.

The Survey
I figured the easiest way to figure out the ratio was to compare the inseam of everyones' go-to shorts to the typical inseam of their pants. I asked each of the bloggers: 1. Their preferred length of shorts; 2. The inseam of a typical pair of pants; and 3. Their go-to brand/style of shorts. I will note that many of the bloggers elucidated on their choices, and it often wasn't an easy "Shorts length is X inches; Pants length is Y inches," so I did my best to interpret what each person sent in and have tried to simply it for the sake of the calculations. Below for each blogger you will see the lengths I have interpreted for each person based on their response, and have included, verbatim, their favorite type of shorts. Without further ado, here are their responses (in no particular order):

The Data
Greg of Manifold Destiny
Shorts Inseam- 8"
Pants Inseam- 32"
Go-To Shorts Preference- "Vineyard Vines Twill Club Shorts. Sortof expensive, but I bought a pair at Dick Ferguson's in Athens my junior year of college (5 years ago) and they are still going strong."

Max of all plaidout
Shorts Inseam- 7"
Pants Inseam- 33"
Go-To Shorts Preference- "Honestly don't have one. I have favorite pairs from Tommy Hilfiger, J Crew, Polo, and Murray's Toggery. I still wear a pair of Gap shorts that I bought when I was a freshman in high school. Khaki, Navy Twill, Nantucket Red, and OD Green."

Skip of Alex Grant
Shorts Inseam- 9"
Pants Inseam- 30"
Go-To Shorts Preference- "My go-to shorts are a pair of Polo plain front blue Gingham Shorts and a pair of Eddie Bauer plain front shorts in British Khaki. Both are probably over 5 years old."

Paul of Components of Enthusiasm
Shorts Inseam- 8"
Pants Inseam- 30"
Go-To Shorts Preference- "i'm in a bit of an transition with shorts, typically it's jcrew khaki shorts though."

Angelo of Class Act
Shorts Inseam- 7.5"
Pants Inseam- 32"
Go-To Shorts Preference- "my favorite shorts by far are a pair of cutoff Gap khaki trousers."

Fred of Unabashedly Prep
Shorts Inseam- 5"
Pants Inseam- 30"
Go-To Shorts Preference- "My go-to-shorts are plain front chinos by Rugby."

Daryl of Southern Gent
Shorts Inseam- 7"
Pants Inseam- 30"
Go-To Shorts Preference- "J. Crew Essential Chino, 7" shorts."

Conor of Young Man, Old Man
Shorts Inseam- 9"
Pants Inseam- 31"
Go-To Shorts Preference- "I don't have a ton of shorts but the ones I do are a mixed brand bag. I have bill's and bb's and some mossimo from target (really good actually). They are almost universally gth. Madras, and seersucker. In most cases when I would wear khaki shorts I think I'll do rolled khakis."

Lawrence of Sartorially Inclined
Shorts Inseam- 7.5"
Pants Inseam- 32"
Go-To Shorts Preference- "Honestly, I don't wear shorts all that much, but when I do J. Crew usually fits the bill with styling and price...their shirts suck, but I always got down with their bottoms."

Jay of Red Clay Soul
Shorts Inseam- 7"
Pants Inseam- 32"
Go-To Shorts Preference- "Khaki shorts: J. Crew Essentials 7" (flat front, of course)
Seersucker/Madras: Anything flat front...not too picky.
Weekend: Patagonia Stand Ups, Columbia Half Moons"

Foster of A Restless Transplant
Shorts Inseam- 9.5"
Pants Inseam- 32"
Go-To Shorts Preference- "Right now i am wearing some Save Khaki cut off khaki shorts. They are great. I also have a few pairs of draw string Rogues Gallery seersucker shorts that i wear when lounging or broing out."

Tucker of Tucker
Shorts Inseam- 9"
Pants Inseam- 32"
Go-To Shorts Preference- "Brooks Brothers Advantage shorts (Polo a close second, don't know the style, but they're both about 9")."

Justin of A Duck Gets Dressed
Shorts Inseam- 7"
Pants Inseam- 30"
Go-To Shorts Preference- "For shorts I usually wear a seven inch inseam, years ago I was a five inch inseam and would wear the hell out of a pair of Patagonia stand ups. They are still my go to shorts, but I throw in the occasional madras pants."

Trip of A Trip Down South
Shorts Inseam- 6"
Pants Inseam- 27" (yes, this is what happens when you are 5'6")
Go-To Shorts Preference- Lands End 6" Plain Front Legacy Chino Shorts

The Results
Average shorts inseam= 7.68"
Median shorts inseam= 7.5"
Average pants inseam= 31.27"
Median pants inseam= 31.5"

Ratio of pants inseam to shorts inseam:
Range= 2.91:1 to 6.00:1
Average= 4.17:1
Median= 4.27:1

Shorts inseam divided by pants inseam, as a percentage:
Range= 16.67% to 34.38%
Average= 24.57%
Median= 23.44%

(Can you tell that I do this kind of crap for my job?)

Conclusion/How to Use This Guide
First I have to say that I was somewhat surprised about the range of results from the survey. While there did appear to be a general trend, in the end personal preferences did win out. I was surprised to note, however, that while I prefer shorter shorts, there were three others who, as a percentage of their pants inseam, wear shorter shorts than me.

I would also like to point out that many of the guys survey indicated that they wear their pants with little to no break. While I tried to compensate for this where I could based on the information provided to me, this could have possibly skewed some of the results, resulting in lower ratios/higher percentages. It should also be noted that general body types/shapes were not accounted for in this survey, and that could certainly play a role in a person's length of preference.

So you might be asking yourself "What's the point of this? How does this apply to me and the length of shorts I should be wearing?" I would suggest that its most practical application is to take your pants inseam length and multiply it by 24.91%--the average shorts length as a percentage of pants inseam length. This would give you your "ideal" (according to the survey) length of shorts to wear. For example, I would multiply 27" by 24.57% and come up with 6.63, or 6-5/8 inches, rounded. Maybe slightly longer shorts would look better on me; I don't think I'm going to be giving up my 6" shorts anytime soon, though.

Thank You
I'm not sure if this is going to be any use to you, dear reader, but I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did putting it together. I want to extend a special "Thank You" to all of the bloggers who participated, and if you haven't checked out all of their blogs yet, I suggest you pay them a visit.

Dark jeans and a navy blazer: too much navy?

2010-03-21T21:26:00.004-04:00

Image from Rugby (not actually me, believe it or not)

While jeans and a navy blazer seems like a pretty sure-bet combination, I find myself unable to ever pull it off. My jeans are pretty dark, and when I put on a blazer, regardless of what shirt I'm wearing, I feel like there is too little contrast and am afraid that from a distance it will look like I'm wearing a navy suit. I recognize that there is a difference in texture, but that seems like something that would only be noticed upon closer inspection. Am I the only one who has this problem? Am I over-thinking it? I'd love to hear your opinions.

Thoughts on Las Vegas

2010-03-21T19:24:00.002-04:00

As I mentioned last week, I went to Vegas for a couple of days for a pseudo-Spring Break with my college roommate. This was actually my second trip out there, but here are a few random thoughts and observations.

1. We flew AirTran from Atlanta to Vegas. I'm not sure I had flown AirTran before, but it was actually a pretty good experience. While the trip was long, it was made a lot better by the fact that AirTran was offering their wireless internet for free for a limited time. I've got to say that being able to talk to people on Gchat on my Blackberry while in the air made me feel like the President of the United States.

2. For our trip out there we did one of those airfare and hotel room package deals. It actually ended up being pretty reasonable, but we chose to stay at the Monte Carlo. I have to say that I wasn't really impressed, with the hotel room or with the casino, and was marginally impressed with the pool. If I were to go out there again (which remains to be seen), I would not stay there again.

3. Sperry Topsiders, even with an insole, make for awful walking shoes, especially when walking 4+ miles a day up and down the Strip. My feet were not happy with me after a couple of days.

4. We went to downtown Las Vegas on Sunday and had a great time. Downtown is way better than the Strip in that there is cheap food ($1 hot dogs, anyone?), cheap booze, cheap tables ($5 blackjack was pretty easy to find), and excellent drink service while gambling. Also, many of the casinos along Fremont were a lot nicer than I imagined they would be, the Golden Nugget in particular. Again, if I were to go back out there, I would even consider staying down there instead of the Strip.

5. Speaking of cheap drinks, if you are on the Strip and looking to get some cheap beers, be sure to go by Casino Royale. It is located on the east side of the Strip, between Harrah's and the Venetian, and looks almost as gaudy on the outside as it is on the inside. If you can handle the vomit smell that seemed to mysteriously linger by the bar, you can take advantage of $1 Michelobs, which can be combined with an easily-obtained 2-for-1 coupon. $0.50 beers are never a bad thing.

6. Part of our decision to stay at the Monte Carlo was related to its proximity to the new City Center that was recently completed. When I was out there last, in fall of 2007, it was mostly a hole in the ground, so it was difficult to imagine what it would be like. Upon seeing it, I wasn't really that impressed. For something that bills itself as a "city center," there was very little effort made create a positive pedestrian environment, particularly one that draws people in off of the Strip, and there was very little interaction between the buildings. Instead, it just seemed like 3 or 4 separate projects that didn't relate to each other at all rather than a "center." The only real interaction with pedestrians along the Strip was the stupid "mall" that was there that you could walk through to get to the other side of the project. Perhaps I completely underestimate the all of the schlubs walking around Vegas, but I simply have no idea how a mall made up completely of ultra-high end stores (Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Zegna) can possibly be financially viable, especially in this market.

7. Speaking of the City Center, we did actually manage to make our way over to the casino at the Aria, which is the new hotel/casino there. It was actually pretty cool, and we both had a good time there.

8. In case you were unaware, Las Vegas is an absolute blackhole of manners, good taste, and style. Believe it or not, people out there actually wear Christian Audigier/Ed Hardy clothes like it isn't some sort of gigantic cliche. Same goes for all of those MMA-related brands like Tap Out and Affliction.

In the Bible there is a story where God tells Abraham that He plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, but Abraham asks God if He will spare the cities if he can find fifty righteous men. Unable to find fifty, Abraham goes back to God and asks if He will spare the cities if he can find forty-five righteous men. Again, Abraham is unable to do it, and subsequently asks God if He will spare the cities if he can find thirty righteous men, then twenty, then ten, and he is unable to do so each time. I think we all know how that story ended. I highlight this story because if God planned to destroy Las Vegas but agreed to stay His wrath if only ten well-dressed men were found there, I've got a feeling that Las Vegas wouldn't make it.

9. In spite of its lack of class and prevalence of obnoxious tourists, there were a large number of very attractive women all over the place. This is always a nice perk, especially if you have the confidence to actually go up and talk to them (which my buddy and I are not famous for possessing).

10. There is a double-decker bus that runs between the Strip and downtown Las Vegas called "The Deuce." It is only $3 for a one-way trip, or $7 for an all-day pass. We gave it a try when we went from our hotel to downtown, and after the five mile trip took something like 45 minutes, I've got to say that the "the deuce" is a pretty appropriate name.

11. We got a two-for-one coupon for the ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris hotel and casino, so we decided to give it a shot on our last night there. This was definitely worth it, especially for $7.75 per person. I would highly recommend it.

12. Finally, while there is plenty to be cynical about in Vegas, I would say that the fountain show at the Bellagio is one thing that is hard to not be impressed by. It is free, it happens every 15 minutes, and it seems like it is always set to a different song. It is easily one of the best things on the Strip.

Well, in case you are fortunate/unfortunate enough to be taking a trip to Vegas anytime soon, I hope that this guide will be of some help to you. Also, be sure to check out the website Cheapo Vegas. It is a very useful and humorous guide to just about everything to you need to know about Vegas, including reviews on all of the hotels and casinos in downtown and on the Strip. It was a lifesaver while we were out there, and I constantly was referring to it on my Blackberry.

P.S.- The lack of images from my trip is not due to the fact that they were incriminating, rather it is due to the fact that I only took a few. I apologize that I could not include a Hangover-style photoessay with my review.

The Results: OPH by a landslide

2010-03-19T08:17:00.005-04:00

In case you hadn't already seen the results of last week's cage match between The Official Preppy Handbook and Take Ivy, the OPH was declared to be the superior book by the not-so-narrow margin of 61% to 31%.

In the interest of presenting the original cage match as unbiasly as I could, I didn't really give my thoughts on either book. I would agree that the two books are really quite different in both their intended use and the perspectives they are coming from. Additionally, I understand that only a handful of people have actually seen Take Ivy in person, and that it is doubtful that many of those people could read Japanese. As a result, perhaps it was not a completely fair contest.

However, even once Take Ivy is reprinted later this year, it is my prediction that the OPH will still be the better book. I suspect once people can actually read the book for themselves, in English, that the Japanese fetishism of Ivy League clothing will only seem that much weirder, though it may put a lot of the pictures in more of a context than they exist now. Anyways, thanks to all who voted.

Vegas

2010-03-13T00:45:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow I'm heading to Vegas for a few days with my college roommate. He has spring break from med school, and I certainly don't mind pretending that I also have spring break, at least for a couple of days. Needless to say, I won't be updating the blog for the next few days (unfortunately I don't have a similar reason for not updating it much the past two weeks), but wish me luck. Hopefully I will return with a few good pictures, a few good stories, and a little extra cash. If you've got any suggestions of places to find cheap food, blackjack, or drinks, please leave a comment. I'll have my Blackberry with me so I can follow up on any ideas you may have.

Photo tour: Casa de Hovey

2010-03-12T12:51:00.003-05:00

Based on the pictures of her apartment that Hollister Hovey has posted on her blog over the years, it is certainly no secret that she and her sister, Porter, have a knack for decorating. However, the two were recently featured in an article on Apartment Therapy, and any questions about whether their apartment is one of the most awesome places in Brooklyn have been put to rest. I am going to be moving in a few weeks, and this article is definitely going to be lending some inspiration for my new place, though it appears that I am going to need to seriously up my quota of taxidermed animals. Go here to check out the article and be sure to view the slideshow.

Guest Post: Manifold Destiny on Imogene + Willie

2010-03-11T22:50:00.012-05:00

I have known Greg from Manifold Destiny since back in high school. I'm not really sure how, but in spite of not really staying in touch for the past six or seven years, our paths crossed again in the men's clothing forum/blogosphere world, which as been pretty cool. Greg is currently living in Nashville, and a few months back he was telling me about the store Imogene + Willie. Having only been to Nashville once in my life, I wasn't familiar with the store, but it sounded pretty awesome, so I asked Greg if he'd be interested in doing a guest post about it. Somehow managing to squeeze it in during his last semester of law school, Greg made a trip to the store and took a bunch of great photos, in actual film, believe it or not. Check out the photos and his write up below:

Trip asked me to do a guest post about my favorite store in Nashville, Imogene + Willie. Relatively new, the store was founded by Matt and Carrie Eddmenson in a former service station in Nashville’s eclectic 12 South neighborhood.

Matt and Carrie are denim pros, having worked for a company in Kentucky that did denim washing long before jeans cost $300 and came from Japan. They moved to Nashville last year and started Imogene + Willie, which sells a really well-curated selection of vintage stuff, cool brands (LVC, Billykirk, APC, and RRL), and most importantly their own stuff, made right there in the store.

Aside from selling stuff, Matt and Carrie have succeeded in creating a great place to hang out, holding weekly “Supper and a Song” nights where the local taco truck pulls up to sell food while singer-songwriters play in the back yard.

All of the employees are friendly and really really know their stuff. If you’re ever in Nashville stop by, you won’t find a cooler place filled with better people (and dogs). More pictures below.

Thanks a lot to Greg for his post. In case you haven't seen his blog, Manifold Destiny, it's definitely a must-add to your daily blog roll. It's like having a butler who reads all of the style blogs for you and just shows you the awesome stuff.

Cage Match: "Official Preppy Handbook" vs. "Take Ivy"

2010-03-08T12:31:00.003-05:00

Inspired by a discussion on Twitter last week, which was inspired by the supposed republishing of Take Ivy, I have set up a poll to the right where you can vote on which book is superior: Take Ivy or The Official Preppy Handbook. No need to further expound on either book, this is a cage match, and there is plenty of info on both books floating around the internets. Without further ado, submit your vote.

Whither thou, HTJ?

2010-02-27T11:35:00.007-05:00

It's been about two months since Heavy Tweed Jacket, the American ex-pat living in Japan, took his blog down. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who misses his seemingly endless archive of old Brooks Brothers, J. Press and LL Bean catalogs, along with his insights into Japanese culture and occasional delicious-looking recipe ideas. I know that he went on hiatus sometime back in 2008, but I hope that he is doing alright and will be returning soon.

For the Ladies: What to do with old bridesmaid dresses

2010-02-23T23:59:00.002-05:00

If you are a guy, you can probably tune out for this post, but since I know that I have at least four female readers, I thought I would pass this along.

It seems to me that having to buy a bridesmaid's dress because someone asked you to be in their wedding would be pretty annoying. "Hey, you're one of my favorites, I really want you to be in my wedding. Oh, and do you have about $500 to spare that you can use to buy me presents for my multiple showers and to shell out on a dress that you'll only wear once all while you secretly resent me for getting married before you? OK, awesome." Thank goodness I will never have to experience this.

Well, clearly the ladies over at MyScoop feel you pain. Ashlyn Stallings, whose blog Miss Magnolia is on my blog list to the right, wrote an article for MyScoop with ideas for actually reusing some of those bridesmaid dresses. Some of the ideas that they've come up with sound pretty good and pretty doable. Be sure to check out both her blog post and her article, "From Bridesmaid to Everyday Outfit," on MyScoop.

Civil War Belt Buckles

2010-02-22T23:16:00.006-05:00

Whether you live north or south of the Mason Dixon, I think that you would have to admit these belt buckles are pretty sweet.

Basically they're replicas of buckles worn by soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, and are actually available all over the internet. You can find them easily by Googling or searching on Ebay for "civil war belt buckles," and since I haven't ordered one myself, I don't really have a particular purveyor to personally recommend.

However, after doing some poking around, it looks like the ones from CivilWarBuckles.com (pretty descriptive URL) look like they might be one of the better options. All of their buckles are made from casts of actual Civil War era buckles, so they don't get much more authentic without finding a 150 year old belt yourself. Aside from the classic "US," "CS," and "CSA" buckles, they've got a ton of other ones to choose from, including a number of states, which are all available in three different finish options: "Normal," "High Polish," and "Old Dark Antique Look."

Virginia buckle

Additionally, most of the ones on the internet come with three hooks which you use to attach it to your belt. That isn't really a standard mounting method for belts nowadays, but it looks like CivilWarBuckles.com lets you choose from some other mounting options, which might make them easier to work with normal belt straps.

South Carolina buckle

Finally, they are only $17 with $5 for shipping and handling, so they're a pretty good deal, whether you want to display your patriotism or your Southern heritage.

Compare the ones above to this actual unworn Civil War era buckle

It should be noted that all of the images here, except for the last one, came from CivilWarBuckles.com and can all be found on their website.

Oyster Belt Buckle and Strap

2010-02-21T20:29:00.005-05:00

It is (presumably) a well-known fact that I am a sucker for belts. Well, the other day, Joe Gannon, of his self-titled blog, posted on Twitter about the oyster belt that he purchased from North River Outfitters, made by the Oyster Belt Co. ("Kind of as creative as the Dave Matthews Band."). This is a great looking belt, and Joe indicated that both the buckle and strap are made in the US, which is fitting since the oyster is a fine and delicious creature that is enjoyed by people all along the eastern seaboard and Gulf of Mexico, from Maine to Texas. It's pretty much the bald eagle of the ocean.

At $75 for the buckle and $50 for the strap, it is kind of steep, but I'd say it's probably worth it, and would make a great gift, especially for someone whose birthday is in April...

On Contrast: What I'm Wearing Today

2010-02-19T16:19:00.004-05:00

I put together this little graphic below (all the rage on the blogosphere) to show what I'm wearing today. I think that what this combination really demonstrates is the principle of contrast. For example, there is the contrast between the British hunting origins of the Barbour and the American sailing origins of the Authentic Originals. There is also the contrast between the Brooks Brothers oxford cloth shirt, a boardroom staple, and the Pendleton board shirt, a lumberjack staple (presumably). The jeans and the belt serve as anchors for everything else and are fairly unremarkable. I think that this is a principle which is one that is espoused in The Official Preppy Handbook--the only style guide a person could ever need--and is also popular on the blogsphere nowadays, where it can sometimes be taken to the extreme (Bean Boots with a suit, anyone?).

What I'm Wearing (sorry, no links) Gap Authentic Fit jeans
Brooks Brothers Original Polo Shirt, but without a tie (none of that slim-fit business)
Pendleton Board Shirt in the "Authentic MacLean Tartan" (a thrift store find)
Barbour Bedale (but with the old tartan on the inside) with pile liner (not pictured)
Sperry Authentic Originals
Royden shot shell belt

Nantucket Red Jeans Update...sort of

2010-02-18T23:34:00.003-05:00

Some of you may remember my post last October about the RL Rugby Faded Colored Denim and my thoughts on making my own pair of Nantucket Red jeans from a pair of plain white jeans. Well, I still haven't ever gotten around to that, but it looks like I may not have to.

Tonight I found myself on the Urban Outfitter website--not a place that I typically visit. In going through some of their stuff, I saw that they are selling Levi's 514s in orange "Sun Fade." These look really similar to the ones being offered by Rugby, and at $54, are literally half the price. For those who like a slimmer-fitting jean, the 514 is also a good cut.

J. Crew Helmet Bag

2010-02-17T23:09:00.005-05:00

Back in December I wrote a review of the J. Crew Bowery drafting tote after I picked one up for $30 at my local J. Crew (it is still $98 online, in case you haven't checked in a while). After I wrote that, I received an email from ATDS reader Dan who informed me that upon visiting the J. Crew at Perimeter Mall in search of the drafting tote, he also came across a similar bag labeled "Helmet Bag" which was on sale for $50, marked down from $110 or something like that, and went ahead and picked one up. A few days later I was over at Perimeter and stopped in to have a look around myself and saw that they still had one of these helmet bags. Since it was the last one, and since I had just gotten paid, I went ahead and picked it up. I was pretty happy with my drafting tote at the time, but figured I would hold onto it and could return it later if I didn't want it.

Well, it sat in my closet for a while until my brother said that he wanted my drafting tote, so I sold that to him and brought the helmet bag out of the bullpen.

The bag is actually pretty interesting. While the materials, both interior and exterior, are the same as on the drafting tote, and the interior has the same pocket layout (albeit with slightly bigger pockets), at 19"x19" the bag is kind of a strange size, and I still haven't figured out exactly what I could put in the two big pockets on the front. However, what I do like about it over the drafting tote is that the handles are shorter and not quite as potentially "purse-like." It feels good to carry both in-hand and over the shoulder. While I don't have any helmets to carry, it does a decent enough job of hauling around my day-to-day stuff (notepad, camera, phone charger, papers, etc.).

In an attempt to find out more about the bag, I emailed Jack from J. Crew (you know, the "Jack Knows Best" guy). He wrote me back and said that it was, in fact, only available at a few stores, and was never sold online. Also, he said that it was inspired by old flight helmet bags. In trying to find out some about it, I came across these modern nylon helmet bags which are currently made for flight helmets (available here and here).

Also, those of you who look at Valet may notice how similar it is to the helmet bag that they wrote about the other day. Personally, I think the J. Crew one looks better--that bag on Valet looks like it needs to be ironed.

Bag from Valet article

Wolverine 1000 Mile "Gentry" boots

2010-02-13T15:14:00.003-05:00

I don't typically get caught up in all of the hype surrounding the launches of new clothing lines or designers' latest seasonal previews or whatever. I don't usually buy clothes because they are cool now, or the latest thing (that is called "fashion," not "style") and I think the Wolverine 1000 Mile Boot collection is a good reason why I don't get into it.

If you have been around the men's clothing forum or blog world for any amount of time, you may remember all of the hubbub surrounding the launch of Wolverine's 1000 Mile Boots. It was to be a collection of boots "pulled from the archives" and "Made in the US"--all of the things that appeal to the "urban woodsman" crowd. People on SF were counting down until they were released and bloggers couldn't wait and kept posting pictures of them with the latest information to be released. When the whole line finally launched, it was with more of a whimper than a bang. Turns out that only the 1000 Mile Boot was made in the US, not the whole collection, and the talk of them eventually disappeared and was replaced by the normal arguments of which boot was more awesome: Red Wings or Alden Indy Boots.

In light of all of the hype and eventual letdown related to it, Wolverine did release some interesting boots as a part of their collection, made in the US or not. Of those, I think that two of the most underrated pairs were in their Gentry collection, the Ramble and the Upland.

The Ramble

The Upland (which I prefer)

Inspired by old school field boots, the Ramble and Upland are fairly understated and feature Pendleton wool insets. I think these are good looking boots and I would love to get my hands on some. However, another thing that really annoys me about all of these "limited collections" and whatnot is just how damn hard it is to actually get your hands on them.

Hey Wolverine: I want to buy your boots, I'm trying to give you money. Why don't you just put them on your damn website like normal companies? Or better yet, why don't you just mail me a pair and I'll talk about how awesome they are on my blog?

Frankly it astounds me. Anyways, ff you know of any places that actually carry these boots, or know of a similar boot that is easy for me to purchase, please let me know.

Recommended: Birkenstock Blue Footbed Arch Support Insoles

2010-02-11T22:51:00.003-05:00

If you're like me, you probably enjoy wearing boat shoes, moccasins, or other shoes that have absolutely no arch support. While I am typically a subscriber to the "sometimes it hurts to look good" school of thought, last fall my knee really started to bother me. I've never really had any other joint issues, but I eventually figured that it was a result of wearing shoes with absolutely no support pretty much every day. Knowing that I needed to do something about it, I went and talked to my buddy Sean who works at Abbadabba's, a local shoe store that caters primarily to hippies, outdoorsy people, and weirdos who insist on wearing vegan shoes.

After trying out several different kinds of insoles, I eventually decided on the Birkenstock Blue insole. It was actually pretty incredible; as soon as I tried them, the pain in my knee immediately went away. Unfortunately they were about $60, but one of the benefits of having a friend who is a manager is at a shoe store is he hooks you up with his discount (thanks, Sean).

I've been wearing them for probably four or five months now and have to say that I am very pleased. They fit in pretty much any shoe that I own (primarily my boat shoes and Bean Blucher mocs), and are fairly comfortable. In fact, if I try going without them for any period of time, it isn't long before my feet and knee start to hurt. My primary quibble with them, aside from the price, is that they do not work so well with sockless wear. They can become dirty and a bit smelly pretty quickly. There are some other companies that make plastic insoles, and I may look into them once the weather gets warmer. However, if you wear boat shoes and/or moccasins on a regular basis, I would highly recommend these. While you can find them online, I would really recommend finding a place near you where you can try them on, though they did seem to fit pretty true-to-size.

Blog of Note: Bhamarchitect's Blog

2010-02-10T23:16:00.002-05:00

Thanks to a retweet of Charlotte Donlon's by Elisa, I came across the blog of Birmingham architect and developer Jeremy Erdreich, Bhamarchitect's Blog. While I was not familiar with Mr. Erdreich himself, I am familiar with some of the buildings he has worked on, including the renovation of the Phoenix Lofts and 2nd Row--the shops of 2nd Ave. North where Urban Standard is located. After looking at some of the stuff on his blog, and some of the buildings he has worked on, it is clear he has some good ideas regarding urban infill and redevelopment. Infill and redevelopment are some of the "sexiest" types of development to do, but also some of the most difficult. Having been involved in the Birmingham architecture scene myself, I am glad to see that as an architect who is also involved in development, Mr. Erdreich has a good perspective on the difficulties and realities that developers face, factors that sometimes seem to be lost on designers and architects. If you are interested in urban redevelopment, or Birmingham in general, I suggest checking out his blog, as well as the websites for his two companies, Erdreich Architects and Metropolitan.

$7.50 Sperry Topsiders

2010-02-07T22:32:00.005-05:00

I had some time to kill the other night so I stopped by the thrift store. I was about to leave without finding anything when I spotted a pair of Topsiders.

Normally causal shoes (and really most shoes) at the thrift store are in less than desirable condition, but these Topsiders looked almost unworn. On top of that, they were my size, and only $7.50! So I snagged them, sprayed them with a little Lysol when I got home, and then were good to go the next day.

Very little wear on the sole
I've got a pair of the Authentic Originals in the classic dark brown with white soles, but I think that the pair is actually much easier to wear, and more practical during the colder months.

The footbeds were in good shape (the indentation is from my insole)

Cocktail reviews from EJ Forbes' blog

2010-02-03T22:44:00.004-05:00

I've written before about the great job that Ed Forbes does on his blog writing about different cocktails. Since I started reading his blog, I've tried making one of his cocktails each weekend. Here are the ones I have tried so far, along with my thoughts on some of them.

Scotch sour- This is pretty much your basic whiskey sour, though the scotch does add a slightly different flavor. I have to admit that this was the first whiskey sour I had ever made not using sour mix. It was pretty tart; I think the lemon could be cut back a little bit.

Knickerbocker- Basically just a gin martini (redundant, I know) with a dash of sweet vermouth. I usually have a hard time drinking martinis, but just the dash of sweet vermouth made this a very pleasant drink.

Black Feather- I tried this one last weekend and really enjoyed it. Maybe a little heavy on the cointreau, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, but there is a good depth of flavor here.

Between the Sheets- I usually avoid drinks with silly/sexual names, but this one was pretty good. I'd suggest boosting the gin a little bit.

Boss Tweed- This one was good as well, though I would cut back on the lemon juice as I found it somewhat overwhelming.

Satan's Whiskers- This was really a nice drink as well. Pretty well balanced.

Check out all the rest of Ed's cocktails over on his blog. I'm sure that you can find at least one (or two, or three) that strike your fancy, assuming you have a taste for fairly classic cocktails.