Monday, September 28, 2009

Fall Quarter: First Cold-ish Day


-Today was the first day since school started that the temp dropped below 60.
-$5 Urban glasses
-J.Crew linen oxford
-J.Crew repp tie
-French Connection sweater vest
-Naked & Famous jeans
-Top-Siders
-Wilson Leather laptop bag
-And even though I just spent more than anyone should have to on Polaroid film on eBay, I took Foster's advice and snagged the Camerabag app for iPhone so now I can take semi-douchey faux-Polaroids whenever I please.
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Friday, September 25, 2009

School Supplies: Cool Cats x Sebago


-As a die-hard Top-Sider aficionado, it's a rule that I despise the Sebago Dockside. Also, I've always thought the idea of a black deck shoe was a bit amiss. But I really dig these Docksides by Parisan collection Cool Cats. The colored eyelets are really great and somehow the black on white looks super clean. The collab is limited to 75 pairs and they're selling for 165 euros, about $240. If these were under $100 I'd probably snag them.
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Fall Shopping List: Engineered Garments Flannel Bowtie


-I never know if it's bowtie or bow tie. Anyway, I've been looking for a grey-ish bow tie for a long time and after waking up too late to grab one from Bixby and Thom Browne a couple times on Gilt, I decided to pull the trigger on this one. The price was a little more than I'd planned on spending on a bowtie but whatever, it's my first EG purchase and it's exactly what I wanted for the cold months.
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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

School Supplies: Fall Shopping List


-I've got a great classic Harris Tweed jacket that I love, but the cut is a bit more classic than something I want to rock everyday. To fulfill my tweed need I'm probably going to snag this Whitman herringbone sportcoat from J.Crew. It's thinner and shorter than my Harris so it should do well at dinner or just on campus with or without my trench.
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Monday, September 21, 2009

School Supplies: Fall Shopping List


-I'm gearing up to drop quite a bit of dough on clothing this season as I finish my last year of college and try to look dapper as I head out into the dire job market, so I figured I'd share some of the things that are on my definite buys list for the fall/winter. The first item is this Company of We captain leisure jacket. This one, in herringbone grail, comes in at $260 but I got a $25 coupon just for signing up for their e-mail list. I've wanted a DB blazer for awhile and this is a super-slim, moderately priced option from a brand I've got a growing appreciation for.
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Friday, September 18, 2009

Design Major: Marc by Marc Jacobs


-I didn't post a lot of pictures from NY fashion week because, as I'm trying to get my mind right for fall and thinking about what things I need and how I want to layer them, I'm not really in the mindset to think about or be inspired by spring collections. Marc by Marc Jacobs was one of the few collections I liked this time around, probably because it seems a little more like a late summer-early fall transitional collection rather than a springtime sunshine collection. And dude, look at that cardigan, it's fucking boss and I want it.
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Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Home Ec: Repair Character


-As of late I'm really beginning to appreciate the detail and character that's added to a garment as you repair it; Whether you're sewing on plastic $.01 buttons in place of missing wooden ones, or patching the knee of your favorite pair of Levi's with a pocket from an old pair, the resultant individuality given to each garment is priceless. Click picture for details.
-Via our Flickr.
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Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Music Theory: Kid Cudi


-Kid Cudi's long-awaited album Man on the Moon: The End of Day dropped today, and after a few listens I must say I am quite impressed. I've slowly become a fan of Cudi's introspective lyrics and wholly unique approach to hip hop, but some people are apparently hesitant to jump on the bandwagon. The Washington Post sees Cudi as a mediocre Kanye clone: "Signed to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music imprint, Ohio rapper Kid Cudi has ripped off his label owner's formula."
-Of course, had they done their research, they would know that Cudi is quite the opposite. Most know that Kanye actually hired Kid Cudi to help write four songs on his 808s and Heartbreak album (including my two favorites, "Welcome to Heartbreak" and "Paranoid"), and many speculate that Cudi's mixtape actually inspired Kanye to do the album in the first place. BET's Rising Icon special (above) features some solid performances as well as some insight into Cudi's much-publicized issues, and is a must-watch for anyone who is not yet familiar with his work. more

Monday, September 14, 2009

Text Books: Some to Get


-I was a little hesitant to buy the Sartorialist book. I've always saved my favorite pictures from the Sartorialist, so why do I need them in print form? But after looking through the book I realized why it was a great purchase; Schuman's stylistic insight, a rare treat on the blog, is more refined in the pages of the book. The type of non-judgmental, non-pretentious outlook he provides inspires readers do follow suit and look only for inspiration in the style of others, not what we can nitpick.
-Hardy Amies book is probably familiar to a lot of the people who read style blogs, but I included it for anyone who might not be aware of it. It's a great, cheap resource for the simple but important task of making sure you're correctly identifying a tartan check or Donegal tweed.
-Mr. Boston, speaks for itself.
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Study Break: Coolest Thing Ever


-Seriously.

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Sunday, September 13, 2009

Design Major: Band of Outsiders NY Spring 2010




-Band of Outsiders gets a lot of love here on Class Act so it's probably no surprise that I loved the new collection. I really love the dip-dyed shirts and tie. I've been vocal in my dislike of pea coats but I like them here thrown casually with shorts and Top-Siders. We've seen a couple of the pieces in earlier sneak peeks: The tailored sweats, and the new Band x Sperry collection (appropriately used in every look) but it's nice to see them worked in with complete looks. I also like the hint of Life Aquatic with the beanie x nautical vibe. more

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Design Major: Robert Geller NY Spring 2010


-Robert Geller is the first show from NYC fashion week to catch my attention. The colors are loud, but not too loud, and there is a great sense of refined nonchalance. What are those pants in the 4th picture? pushed up sweats? Sweat-trousers? I dunno, but I want them.
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School Supplies: A.P.C.

-While my co-editor spurned A.P.C. denim a little while back, I felt slightly inspired by his post and decided it was time for me to ditch my dad's old 501s and make my own first-ever raw denim purchase. I am neither rich nor ridiculously skinny, so I figured it would be quite a challenge. Luckily, I found a deal on a pair of A.P.C. New Standards, and am excited to see how they turn out.
-Hypebeast recently interviewed A.P.C. founder Jean Touitou regarding the brand's future as well as the growing number of A.P.C. retail stores throughout the world. Touitou discusses an upcoming collaboration with Supreme and shares some kind words regarding fashion in Scandinavia, stating that "even small Scandinavian cities have a strong sense of inventive fashion." As I will be living in Aalborg, Denmark for the next four months, I will be capturing instances of said "inventive fashion" and sharing them in our new 'Study Abroad' section. Until then, check out the A.P.C. website. more

Friday, September 11, 2009

School Supplies: Hickey Fair Isle


-I've only purchased one $400+ sweater in my life and I generally don't encourage such purchases, but this new Fair Isle sweater from Hickey is seriously tempting me (or would be tempting me if I had any money). You see Fair Isle patterns in a ton of collections every fall, but the royal/white combo and slim fit give this sweater a more modern feel. Hickey continues to be one of my top-5 favorite brands.
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Back to School Shopping: 1969 Denim Jacket


-Just a quick pitch about my very seldom-worn Gap 1969 denim jacket which is now up for grabs on our eBay page. When I bought this jacket they were out of smalls so I grabbed a medium and as a result, I was never really able to craft an outfit around it. I've decided to opt for a slimmer Levi's denim jacket and pass this one on to someone who will love it properly.
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Wednesday, September 9, 2009

School Supplies: Key Addiction


-I'm a sucker for expensive hobbies. Clothing is my obvious monetary vice, and camera gear is slowly becoming an obsession, but my one true expensive love has held strong since my middle school days: Music production gear. I've shared my affinity for Korg gear a number of times, as of now my collection consists of: the microKORG- the greatest synthesizer of all time, the Kaossilator-the funnest thing in the world to do when you're high, the Kaoss Pad mini and the Nanopad, among other non-Korg music gadgets. I've already committed mentally to purchasing the microKORG XL later this year, but now I'm torn because I just saw this leaked picture of the new microSAMPLER (above). I've got a sampler already, but not a Korg one, and not one that looks cool and can hook up to your iPod, so I want it. I also want this—I just gotta save up a quick $5000 first.
-And hey as long as were talking about synthesizers, check out this photo of the Beatles' first encounter with pioneering synth a Moog. If you're uninformed about Moog and you're interested in the history of electronic music, check out Moog: The Documentary. That link is just a snippet, but if you're download savvy at all you can find the whole thing. And as long as you're on YouTube check out the endless supply of dope Kaossilator/KP vids.
-I got all this from Synthtopia, my favorite music-nerd blog.
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Monday, September 7, 2009

Peer Review: Fantastic Man x Interview

-Did anyone else read the interview with Gert Jonkers and Jop Van Bennekom of Fantastic Man magazine by Glenn O'Brien in the August issue of Interview? If you did not, I would encourage you to do so. Normally I wouldn't really post just inform people about an article I liked, but I thought that the pair had some really great insight into the nature of magazines and consequently, why blogs offer competition to magazines.

-From the article: "It doesn't talk to you as a consumer, but as a reader" "I don't think you should speak to the reader. I mean, you're a magazine because you speak to the reader, but you don't have to literally speak to the reader. If I say "You'll want a Dolce & Gabbana bag this season," maybe you say, "Well, actually the only thing I'm not looking for right now is a bag, so why do you say that to me?"
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Saturday, September 5, 2009

School Supplies: Class Act Endorsements


-We often stray away from our original goal of being a college oriented blog, but here's a product that brings us back to our primary focus: The Wonder Hanger. Now, let it be known that I'm a sucker for 'As Seen on TV,' but as someone who got the room with the smallest closet in a 6 person house, I wouldn't endorse these if they weren't the shit. I can fit 10 dress shirts/oxfords on one Wonder Hanger, which reduces the width of those 10 shirts to about the width of one thick sweater. If you, like many of the girl I've known, are lamenting having to fit your clothing collection into a tiny dorm closet, definitely look into the Wonder Hanger. Straight up. more

Friday, September 4, 2009

School Supplies: New Quiet Life


-We don't usually spend too much time pumping graphic tees, but Tim posted about camera-inspired design collective The Quiet Life way-back-when and I just saw on Club Mumble that there is a new batch of TQL shirts out. The above are some that I liked.
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Thursday, September 3, 2009

School Supplies: Raw Choice


-Through research and consultation, my decision on which raw jeans to buy for fall came down to two well-known choices: The A.P.C. Petite Standard, and the Naked and Famous Skinny Guy in natural indigo revival selvedge. Both are similarly priced, but I finally pulled the trigger on the Naked and Famous. The biggest bargaining chip for me was A.P.C.'s growing ubiquity and a desire to rock something slightly less well known. I'm wearing the Skinny Guys right now and the fit is great, the 12.5oz is not too stiff and I can't wait to see how they wear in. I got mine online from Revolveclothing, who shipped my order the same day that I placed it which was great, and I once again used retailmenot.com (if you're not aware of this site, look into it) and saved 20%.
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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

School Supplies: Ralph Lauren Rugby High Seas Cardigan


-I was just browsing on Rugby today and I found this cardigan. A lot of people in the style blogosphere would find this piece a little too out-there for their tastes, but that's why I like it. $130 is a little more than I'd usually consider dropping on a cardigan, but I need pieces like this to remind myself that before I was engrossed in a style blogosphere that, while it provides a wealth of alternative points of view to counteract magazines and other dominant media, gets bogged down by a regurgitation of trends and uniformity of thought, I made a name by being a daring sartorialist. Pieces like this remind me that personality was always my biggest style influence.
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