Found: Mexican Coca-Cola

Mexican Coke

As a home owner, I find myself at Home Depot more than I care to mention but my last few trips have been well worth it because I recently discovered that they sell Mexican Coca-Cola. Now, you might be wondering, "Is there a real difference between Mexican Coke and U.S. Coke?" The answer is a resounding "Yes."

Archives || The Classic Style of Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando

Whether on or off the set, young Marlon Brando displayed a classic style that still inspires us today.

Fisher Space Pen

 Fisher Bullet Space Pen

I always considered myself a pencil guy until a few years ago when I opened up an old moleskin notebook and found most of the writings illegible. Since then, I've carried many pens but my favorite by far is Fisher's, whose pen has been used by NASA on all space missions since 1967. And as a fan of all things space related, if it's good enough for NASA then it's good enough for me.

Exploring the North Pole in Style

Matthew Henson

Alex Grant Explorers Society presents: Exploring the North Pole in Style featuring Matthew Henson and Herbert Frisby, the first two African Americans to accomplish such a feat.

Penfield's SS '12 Vassan Two-Tone

Penfield Vassan Two-Tone

When it comes to spring, my jacket of choice is Penfield's Vassan. Whether in solid or a two-tone colors, this lightweight parka always looks good with everything I wear.

Found: Affordable "Hiking" Boots

Native Fitzsimmons

Found: Affordable "Hiking" Boots from Native. I put hiking in quotation marks because I wouldn't recommended actually wearing these boots on your next hiking trip but if you're looking for a pair of comfortable boots with a hiking aesthetic at a fraction of the price then look no further.

Archives || William H. Cosby

Cosby and Sammy Davis Jr.

When most of us think of Bill Cosby, the first thing that comes to mind is his sweater collection; but our parents saw something else: One of the coolest guys on the planet.

Every Man Should Own: Wax Wane

Vintage Watch

One of the fondest memories of my latter teenage years was on the cusp of my high school graduation when my dad passed one of his watches down to me.  The watch was decades old and had been with my father for much of his adult life.

New Arrivals: Baracuta Spring/Summer '12

Baracuta Jackets

When I think of Baracuta jackets, my mind quickly turns to the classic Harrington famously worn by Steve McQueen. So I love how their new arrivals for the Spring/Summer season stays true to the oringial aestetic of the Harrington but gives it a fresh take by adding a shall collar or a hood with a white outlined zipper.

Archives || The Classic Style of Charlie Bucket

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

With a classic navy jacket and canvas messenger bag to an orange sweater and striped sleepwear, Charlie Bucket may not of had much but one thing he did have was style.

Every Man Should Own: Maxminimus

The "Perfect" Sweater

Every man should have…every man should own… a go-to, bulletproof, memory laden sweater. You know… the one that if the house was on fire, you’d take it. Shetland, cashmere, cotton…whatever.

Every Man Should Own: Red Clay Soul

Penny Loafers

Every man should have a pair of penny loafers in their closet.  They are shoes that go with everything, and never go out of style. 

Jack Spade Spring '12

Jack Spade SS 12

From waxed canvas duffles to post card wallets, it looks like Jack Spade is up to its usual quirky self this spring and I like it. Here are some of my favorite items this spring.

The Conquest of Everest

Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary

My second post for the Alex Grant Explorers Society covers the first two gentlemen to conquer Mt Everest: Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. We have all seen the pictures of the two of them ascending the highest mountain on earth but you might not have known that they took a movie camera along for the expedition.

Every Man Should Own: The William Brown Project

Silver Belt Buckle

Every Man Should Own a Silver Belt Buckle (or Two). They are worn best on your favorite alligator but, it also brings any leather belt to life.

Jacques Cousteau's World Without Sun

World Without Sun

It's no secret that I'm a fan of outerspace but what you might not know is that I'm equally fascinated with what lies beneath our surface. Ocean Explorer Jacques Cousteu has been a hero of mine for some time now because of his courage, style, and imagination so I decided to start off the inaugural post of the Alex Grant Explorers Society with one of his documentaries, the Academy Award winning World Without Sun (which you will quickly notice was heavily adopted by Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou ).

Every Man Should Own: 10engines

Tweed Jacket

Every man, hell every woman too, should own a tweed jacket. Does not HAVE to be Harris Tweed woven in the remote Western Isles; there are storied tweed mills in the Borders area of Scotland and England and Ireland too (love the rainbow bobbles sometimes seen in Donegal tweed). To me there is something fascinating about the almost impressionistic blur that the colored wool creates; this jacket is slate blue from afar but grey/blue/black/cream up close. A tweed jacket may be seen on the laird of the manor all the way down to the jake begging on the corner, and of course countless legions of professors and librarians. The wet dog smell of a rainy day tweed is hugely reminiscent for me; walking home in a drizzle among the sandstone buildings of Edinburgh. Or maybe that was the malt smell of the brewerys, now sadly gone.

Take Black Ivy

Take Black Ivy

In celebration of Black History Month, I decided to pull together some photos of college students at Howard University. Deemed as one of the "Black Ivy League Schools," since admission to traditional ivy league schools were scarce among African Americans, Howard attracted the best and brightest who would later became doctors, lawyers and politicians. Taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt in 1946, these pictures portray students in their natural attire during a typical school day which is exactly what T.Hayashida did in Take Ivy some 20 years later.

Snow Day: Fair Isles, Toggles, and Boots

Snow Day

Although winter has been mild so far, we all know that snow is right around the corner. My advice: stay with the classic pieces of Fair Isles, Toggles, and Boots and you can never go wrong.

WYRA Boathouse

 WYRA

It's always good to take a trip down memory lane every once in a while so I decided to snap some pictures of WYRA's boathouse where I rowed over 10 years ago. It's indoor rowing season right now, so I captured a few kids in full training mode which is something we all can take note of these days: Champions are made in the off season because there is no off season.   

Every Man Should Own: Alex Grant

LL Bean Boot

Whether leather or waxed canvas, 10 inches or mocs, every man should own a pair of LL Bean Boots and for the right reasons. Not because it's the hip thing to do at the moment but because the boots are actually comfortable, durable and just plain ol' gets the job done. And as my father once told me in high school when I showed him a picture of a luggage brand that started making watches, "Why would you buy a watch from a company that doesn't make watches?" I will turn around and ask you the same question about your boots.

Close Up and Private: Spring/Summer '12

 Close Up and Private: SS '12

Sergei Sviatchenko just informed me that his latest issue of Close Up and Private is now available and it's inspirational as always. The lesson: Pay attention to the details. 

Date Night w/ N'East Style: Midnight in Paris

Date Night w/ N'East Style presents: Midnight in Paris

Making his second appearence in our Date Night Series, Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris was a perfect choice to kick off the new season. Head on over to N'East Style for Christine's look and download your free Date Night Soundtrack courtesy of Gabe at A History of My World. And for your viewing pleasure, I'm throwing in a literary study guide to the movie so you can impress your date with brillant insights about Gertrude Stein's art collection and Picasso's many lovers.

Details:

Orvis Dumfries Washed-Tweed

Gant Rugger Shirt

The Windmill Club Tie

The Great Gatsby

Slept On: Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi's Rome

If you are new to the Slept On series, this is where I highlight music that I believe fell under the mainstream radar and Rome is definitely one of those cds. As a concept album by my favorite producer Danger Mouse and Italian composer, Daniele Luppi,  Rome enlists the vocals of Norah Jones and Jack White to score a ficionalized spaghetti western and succeeds brilliantly in every way.

Winter Style by Robert F. Kennedy

Robert F. Kennedy

 Ditch the coat.

Project NY: Hamilton 1883

Hamilton 1883 Shirts

Year after year, Hamilton produces some of the best American made shrits around and 2012 looks to be no different.

Capsule AW 12: 18 Waits

18 Waits

Another person favorite at capsule was 18 Waits.  They had a great showing all around with their shirts, pants and accessories but one particular cardigan really caught my eye. So I asked Will to give us a little background on this must-have winter item.

Project NY: Todd Snyder

Todd Snyder

I first learned about Todd Snyder at the Pop Up Flea and was very impressed with the casual pieces that they showed there (the bar T-shirts were genius). But for Project, Mr. Snyder decided to give us a glimpse of his dressier side and I must say that it is spot on.

Capsule AW 12: Baldwin Denim

Baldwin Denim

I finally got a chance to meet up with the great people at Baldwin Denim and was blown away by the hospitality and the products. When the time comes for me to invest in a quality pair of denim and pants, I'm heading straight to these guys.

Project NY: Barbour

Barbour

It was great seeing Barbour at Project and even better to get a hands on look at their Steve McQueen collection.