Stick to What You Know

that My buddy Sizzle's entry into my Favorite Things Series seems to have created quite a stir in the comments for that post on his blog. Mr. Anonymous #2 seems to think that TAD Gear has sold-out and makes some assumptions as to nature of the company, and fashion blogs, where apparently true purpose-driven products go to die from the glares of fashionistas in over priced clothing. Below is my response to the hatred, and also a little bit on the nature of today's marketplace.

Dear Anonymous #2,

While Sizzle wrote a truly fantastic response to your somewhat ignorant comment, I think I would like to go a little further and into more detail, but I’ll keep it short. Anonymous, I would just like to point out that you are not alone in feeling a bit upset over the apparent selling-out of TAD Gear (I’m not an expert on the subject so I’m not going to judge whether or not this has occurred). I am sure there is a select group of people who tend to agree with you. But, unfortunately Anonymous, it happens with almost everything. People frequently experience this with their favorite ‘back-pocket’ band that they saw perform at every grimy, dirty, and awkward smelling bar and club in town. When the band gets a record contract people can’t help but feel let down; the band isn’t small anymore, and their biggest fan suddenly has competition. The best way around this is to try to feel happy for the people who are finally living their dream of seeing a project they started get recognition on a larger scale and start reaping the rewards of their hard work.

May I also remind you that TAD Gear is first and foremost a business, and at the end of the day they have to gross. Without the money they make they can’t offer new and better products for people to enjoy. So if they hire a marketing team to help spread the word about their goods, or can’t let someone into their store to use the bathroom at the risk of potential loss of merch, please don’t blame them. They’re just trying to get by, and bring you the next batch of excellent goods and services.

As far as fashion blogs go, I do not want to be a representative of all the fashion blogs, but I will try to make a stand, because after all, we’re not all talking about “$3000 sunglasses on $400 jeans.” Although there probably is a fair share of fashion blogs out there that feature ludicrous items, the blog that featured TAD Gear, and the one I linked to from my blog, is Selectism. They are a righteous bunch of contributors in collaboration from all over the world that bring you the latest word on the what’s new and exciting  in men’s fashion. The latest in men’s fashion just happens to be an amazing trend that focuses on heritage goods, and above all, a return to honest-to-goodness quality. So what may seem like fashionistas that are trend-hoping, is actually a return to values like quality, simplicity, and timeless style that have almost been forgotten in this fast-paced, instant-gratification driven world of modernity in which we all reside. You will most likely find that quite a few of the items featured on these blogs are not only very inspired by decades old styles, but may even be straight reissues. Not a fickle fad at all.

While TAD Gear may sit next to (corrected based on facts) $500 sunglasses and $300 jeans on these blogs, it is important to remember why. Everything is made in factories, of top notch materials, that maintain a living wage for their workers and do not exploit them for a huge profit margin. In addition, a large majority of the products are made in the U.S.A., so no complaints about outsourcing ‘Merican jobs. These are trends that are here, and hopefully will stay for a very long time. TAD Gear is mainly a purpose driven clothing and accessories manufacturer, but in addition to quality in their items, they strive to offer you a great looking product. There’s nothing wrong with a few people who find their look appealing spreading the word about a great brand.

So Anonymous, please don’t be upset with TAD Gear’s apparently new found (although they’ve been around for a while) success, but be happy that the company you have loved and followed for so long has grown with more and more people getting to enjoy their great functioning and great looking products.

- R.R.

Shit's expensive!

Magnificent Seven

Kurosawa made Seven Samurai in 1954, Sturges re-imagined it in 1960 as The Magnificent Seven, however the real Magnificent Seven can be found in the 1979 novel The Right Stuff and the 1983 movie of the same name.

The plot is a story about Chuck Yeager and about the Mercury Seven (Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton) who were the original people in the astronaut training program in the US. Highly recommend the amazing book and movie about people with the testicular fortitude to go where the nation needed them, and not to sound cliche, but where no man has gone before, and in some cases, since.

The movie is generally kind of slow, and may not necessarily be for all viewers, but it definitely works for me. It starts off with Sam Shepard portraying the legendary test pilot Chuck Yeager at the moment when the military recruits him for their first attempt at breaking the sound barrier, and as history tells us, he broke that, and subsequently almost all other flying records for as long as he was in his prime. However when it came time to pick the pilots that would make up the Space Program, he was not eligible as he was not a college boy. After various excruciating tests the Magnificent Seven were picked, it was apparent that the astronauts felt that instead of a monkey doing a man's job by testing out the space capsule first, they were doing a monkey's job by sitting in a capsule with no windows and no way to actually pilot the machine, with computers doing all the work. This was resolved through what I think is the largest theme of the movie: the role of the media. The astronauts threatened to use the media to work against the space program by ruining the public opinion of the operation, thereby cutting the funding. While this was perhaps a positive move that helped the space program in the end, the movie also portrayed how reporters would not stop hounding the families of the brave few, and drove everyone crazy. Brilliant performances all around, but the standouts are from Ed Harris portraying John Glenn, Scott Glenn as Alan Shepard, and Dennis Quaid as Gordon "Hot Dog" Cooper. If you have any interest in anything to do with the space program, military, or good movies and stories in general, do yourself a favor and watch this if you haven't already.

If you liked that movie, read other Tom Wolfe classics: The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and The Bonfire of the Vanities. 

Deus Ex

Someone buy me this: Deus W650 Swingbobber in satin black

A classic cafe racer that is an instant modern classic. Deus Ex Machina is a motorcycle builder/tuner that storms out of Sydney, Australia. You can find the specs and more info on it online but it's basically a Kawasaki W650 that was lowered, fitted with a retro tank, simplified and chopped. The machine is really beautiful and there's a lot to be said for having a really simple bike that can tear your crotch off.

No, it's not a pocket rocket. No, it won't take you to ludicrous speeds. No, it's not safe. No, it doesn't have electronic gadgets, limiters, stabilizers, or censors. Buying one would probably be a horrible, irrational, and down-right stupid action. Everything in my brain tells me that in the long-term I will not be pleased. But for some reason everything in my (over sized) gut yearns for the idiotic action that will let me be free on the road and as close to the elements as you can get going 80mph. Yeah, it's probably the next best example of phallic expressionism after an Aston Martin V12, but so what.

If you're not convinced, James May of Top Gear UK fame just bought one. Hammond is happy. Clarkson can suck it.

The Moulin Rouge from Deus Customs on Vimeo.

Favorite Things Series: Sizzle - TAD Gear Explorer Jacket

Time to get friends involved! Faithful reader and longtime friend will be the first to take part in my new series entitled Favorite Things. This is an opportunity for folks to talk about one of their favorite item of clothing or accessory, one that truly defines them as a person.

The first entry comes from the man behind The Digital Edition, check out his post about it here. Although he freely admits that he "doesn't have much of a clothing arsenal, and doesn't consider myself an expert on fashion," he was up for the challenge. Sizzle is a huge TAD Gear fan, and owns many products from the company. His favorite though, is the Explorer jacket and here's what he has to say:

I might own a lot of TAD Gear jackets, but there's something about the Explorer jacket I picked up at the end of the summer that has me wearing it more than the rest. It definitely isn't the priciest or the highest performance of the bunch, but it's different. Unlike the others, this one sports a semi-rigid collar (as opposed to a hood) and forgoes any patch panels. Add to that that it's made of a somewhat more textured Rhino-Hide material, and I find it a lot more suitable for school and for just general about-town adventures. That seems to be about the most exploring I have asked of it, but, true to its namesake, I don't think it would let me down in the least should I decide to do some light outdoor adventuring. I know I made the decision to buy it more of stylistic reasons than of performance necessities, but trusting it wouldn't let me down if I should choose to test it is reassuring to say the least.

As Sizzle points out "thanks to a new marketing team, their gear has been picked up by a few style blogs (Selectism), and that part about having to explain and introduce their gear to the uninformed has become less necessary." Their main retail location is located in SF (more info on their website), however with their growing popularity, "they didn't sellout and cut costs to keep up with a growing customer base. They stepped up their production, but the quality is still the same, and if it sells out, it's gone, end of story. They don't bring gear back because that would go against the mentality of improving it at the next cycle. They move on. Of course, they make a few packs and accessories, but their pride and joy is their clothing line, or more precisely, their jackets."This jacket is a wonderful example of how special an item of clothing can be to someone, and I want to thank Sizzle for getting involved with my project here. I am really impressed with the personal touch that the owners of the company have put into their clothing as well as the attention to detail that goes into everything they produce. I look forward to seeing more things that he and others enjoy wearing and using every day.

Conquest

It may come as a surprise to none one that I am a bit of a denim s(k)nob; I enjoy raw selvedge, and a lot of it. No doubt that one of my most cherished possessions, are my original gen-1 ROY jeans (below). If you haven't yet heard of ROY, please refer to any of the million blogs that have written about him and his new-found success (Hypebeast, Denim Debate, YHBTI, Denim Geek, Free/Man, the 189, etc).

Roy's Jeans - Video by Self Edge from Self Edge on Vimeo.

Roy Slaper is basically a one man army working out of Oakland, CA. He began with a single straight/slightly loose cut that he hand crafted to order. After a much needed summer hiatus, Roy is now collaborating with SelfEdge on 2 cuts (vid above).

/pride

I was very lucky to be one of the lucky few to get the gen-1 before he shut down production. I got them as a graduation present to myself this summer, and due to their heavier weight (14oz.), I have not been wearing them as much as I would like, favoring the 12.5oz Tellasons. What impressed me most about dealing with Roy, was the very personal attention to detail that he devoted to each pair he crafted. I exchanged about 15 emails and a phone call with him until I got the right size that would shrink to be perfect for me.

This personal treatment is most important to me. It feels like the company (no matter how large) actually considers the consumer an individual, and not just someone targeting a consumer group who "is unique in character and who likes being made to feel special". Some companies that I particularly enjoyed dealing on a personal level with are (in order of labels in the pic above): Tellason, ROY, Levis, Tanner, Jcrew, Hamilton. Even with large corporations like Levis and Jcrew, I find that if you take the time and talk to people, they will take care of you really well.

Another important factor I look for: made in America. Everyone's mad about international outsourcing? Do something about it. For a pretty complete list of awesome looking clothing and accessories made in America please refer to Michael Williams' great website: A Continuous Lean.

Bier

DRUNK GERMANS from IDLEARMY.com on Vimeo.

Five-O-One

Everybody knows Levis and probably their history. 501? Most iconic jean ever I'd say. Starting in the late 19th century this jean has gone through many cuts (most famous of which are: 1901, 1920, 1947, and 1960).

This holiday season I decided to get my dad a blast from the past. Back in his youth he was a bit of a rocker, and did the whole sittin in the tub shrink to fit thang. Of all the choices available I got him the standard cut from Levis. I sized according to the directions: +2 waist, +4 inseam, however it was not to his liking. After 2 extremely hot soaks the cut ended up being a bit too wide. Go figure a middle-aged man left wanting for a skinnier jean. I will soon go to pick up a true to size pair for him. If he likes those, I'll get him an upgraded pair from LVC with Cone denim and maybe a '47 cut.

Denim porn shot of post-wash stiffness (shitty phone pic):

Late Fall

Last time I posted it was summertime. Now it's fall. Duh.

Get into it. (Filson, Gloverall, Penfield, Lauren, Tellason, Jcrew, Alden)

OshKosh B'Gosh

It wasn't always what it was now.

My roommate found this notepad in his grandmother's things. She lived in Oshkosh, WI in her youth.

Highlights:

Mens fashion advice is found just about everywhere now. Probably because most need it pretty badly. If you're into that type of thing (I know I am), you'd be wise to check out Selectism, Sartorially Inclined, A Continuous Lean, ValetMag, and of course the staples: GQ, Esquire, and Details.

However, one thing that almost all of the bloggers out there never seem acknowledge its that not everyone out there looks like a model. Yes, everyone's body type is different but there are far fewer Zac Efron lookin' dudes than there are Zach Galifianakis guys.

Whatever you may think about stereotypes, it never hurts to look taller and slimmer. So for those of us who don't have chiseled abs, here is what I consider to be the definitive list of tips found from various reputable sources. The goal: make you look slimmer.

1. No horizontal/diagonal stripes. If you go with stripes, make them vertical. They elongate the body and draw the eye vertically visually slimming down the curves. For formal clothing, a pin stripe pattern will be best on suits as well as shirts.
2. Proper fit. Clothing should be fitted. Never slim/skinny/tapered/tight. The key is to find clothing that flatter your body while being comfortable. Clothes that are too tight will be unflattering. Large baggy clothing will only make you look shorter and squat. Solution: find a good tailor.
3. Single color. Long flowing lines created by a shirt/pants in the same color will have a similar slimming effect to that of vertical stripes. Flaws will be visually minimized.
4. No crazy/excessive patterns. While plaid is always a good idea, intense patterns like paisley and Hawaiian print make you look even bulkier.
5. No bright accessories. If the goal is to create a slim silhouette, bright accessories in contrasting colors such as tie clips, pocket squares, necklaces, and watch bands will make the eye jump around. Belts that pop create a bright attention seeking rift in the mid-riff effectively dividing the body. Stick to complementary colorways and simple forms.

As The Art of Manliness states, "no fabric or pattern will make the large man look thin," but we can sure try our best. Just remember: rules are meant to be broken. Always be sure to have confidence and let your personality shine through your clothing.

Some great examples of people who do a great job of breaking some of the rules while looking great:

Things My Grandfather Gave Me: Snakeskin Wallet

My grandpa is my hero. Growing up, I always looked up to him as a source for guidance and friendship. He has always given me things, but lately I have begun to understand and truly appreciate all that he has done for me.

In our hometown of Kiev, Ukraine, he was an extremely decorated civil engineer and architect. In his retirement L.D.R. has flourished as an artist and an all around great man.

My gramps always shares amazing stories from his travels around the former Soviet Union and gives me the most interesting things. This is the initial installment of a series of posts about the items that he is passing along to me.

First up is a snakeskin wallet that is from the 50s/60s. It has definitely seen some wear but held up really well over the years. He remembers buying it somewhere in the street bazaars of Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan while he was on a trip to help with their city planning.

The construction/stitching is all done by hand and in genuine snake leather because as he puts it, "we didn't have the technology or materials to manufacture fake leather." Everything is about is amazing. The stitching and variety of pockets (zippered pocket) can compete with some of the overpriced offerings from esteemed heritage brands out there. The wear pattern is pretty neat and ads to the unique quality of this piece. Besides, when is something old that has been cherished and used by a loved one not better than an off the shelf widget? Hopefully I can do it justice.

New Icon

Paul Newman was pretty cool. So was Steve McQueen, James Dean, and Marlon Brando.

For decades those four men have been looked at as the icons for nearly everything having to do with being manly. They rode fast bikes and cars, had beautiful women, had great off-screen personalities, led mythical lives, and occasionally starred in a movie. They brought back the white t-shirt and cuffed jeans, turtle-necks, baracuta and denim jackets, and scarves. They played rebels, bank robbers, cowboys, punks, miscreants, trouble-makers, mafioso, and gangsters.

Well so has this guy:

Don't get me wrong. I look up to everyone previously mentioned as legends. They really lived. But I can't help but feel a certain disconnect with what some might call a bygone era. Statham takes their spirit of adventure and recklessness and updates it. Not as good or polished, but modern, and something current and evolving.

He is new with a sense of old. A real 21st century boy.
No, he will probably never have his own line of foodstuffs, race cars professionally, or start a film festival, but he was an Olympic quality diver.

He hasn't been famous for very long, but he has already starred in arguably some of the greatest heist movies of all time, and logged amazing chase scenes as well.

He looks just as bad-ass in a 2-button as he does in a welding coat. And oh yeah, he's balding.

Let 'Em Riot

I have always been a fan of simplicity.

Complexities get in the way. Clutter. Twenty-minute bloated and egotistical solos gave way to a harsh three chord musical assault. The year that the Pistols released "God Save the Queen," four teenagers from Belfast formed the Stiff Little Fingers. With a sound that was raw, incredible, and barely sold. Anyone that bought a copy pretty much started a band.

And yeah, it was in High Fidelity. Yeah, it was Green Day before Green Day was Green Day.