Sunday, February 26, 2012

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. 

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Jack Spade Spring '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.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

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.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

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.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Jacques Cousteau's 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 ).

Sunday, February 12, 2012

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.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

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.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

WYRA Boathouse


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.   

Monday, February 6, 2012

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.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Close Up and Private: Spring/Summer '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. 

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

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:

Friday, January 27, 2012

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.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Monday, January 23, 2012

Project NY: Hamilton 1883


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

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Capsule AW 12: 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.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Project NY: 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.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Capsule AW 12: 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


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

Project New York: Oak Street Bootmakers


One of the cool things about going to Project is actually seeing some of your favoirte companies make their product on the spot. I spent some time at Oak Street Bootmakers' booth where I was able to photograph some new boots as well as capture the making of one of their classics.

Capsule A/W 12: Wm. J. Mills


Whenever I go to Capsule, I make it a point to stop by Wm. J. Mills & Co. I'm always excited to see the new fabrics, patterns and textures that Tom Beatty applies to their classic silhouettes.    

Saturday, January 14, 2012

First Look: LL Bean's Book "Guaranteed to Last"


As one of the lucky few to get an advance copy of Guaranteed to Last: L.L. Bean's Century of Outfitting America before it hits the shelves on Jan. 21, I decided to give you a preview of what's really inside this 224 page book. 

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

NASA's Gemini Project


In collabration with Arizona State Univeristy School of Earth & Space Exploration Program, NASA released photographs from their Gemini Missions and they are stunning.
As NASA’s second human spaceflight program, which had 10 manned flights between 1965 and 1966, Gemini saw such milestones as the first American spacewalk, first week-long spaceflight, and the first docking maneuver with another vehicle in space. The success of these objectives paved the way for the Apollo program, which immediately followed Gemini and landed the first men on the moon.
Here are a few of my favorite shots.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Sunpocket Foldable Sunglasses


If you want that Steve McQueen look at a fraction of the cost, Sunpocket is definitely the way to go. These sunglasses are foldable, durable, and now on sale for under $50 (with free shipping).

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Interview with John Dowling - CEO of Boast


For 2012, I decided to conduct some interviews of those who inspired me last year in order to find out the origin of their brands and what's in store for the upcoming year. First up: John Dowling, CEO of Boast.

Monday, December 26, 2011

LL Bean Camo Tote


Tired of carrying my camera supplies in my backpack and not happy with the monograming colors available for the Hunter Tote, I decided to contact Laurie at LL Bean with a special request and she fully delivered.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Bleecker St: Gant Rugger


When most of us think of shopping in New York, flagships usually come to mind. But this holiday, I invite you to skip the megastore and head on down to Bleecker Street to see what your favorite big company can do in really small spaces. You might even see a celebrity popping in to avoid the flagship (read: tourist) crowds.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Styles of Winter featuring Penfield and Wolverine

Styles of Winter

For the winter installment of Styles of, I decided to shoot a few of my favorite women items from Penfield and Wolverine.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Winter Kit

Winter Kit

Here are a few of my favorite things this winter.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

His & Hers: Wolverine Boots

His & Hers: Wolverine Boots

Looking for a great gift for your significant other? Why not give the gift of Wolverines.