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: