Dress Code: Skatability

-When the weather gets warm it's hard for me to resist the urge to skate to school rather than walk. That being said, it's hard to dress for skating without looking like a high-schooler. To skate, I need pants that allow for a full range of motion in my legs (not happening in slim raw denim,) and lights layers that move well and can be removed if I get too hot.
-Duluth Pack.
-Gap Chambray.
-The Hill-Side chambray scarf in 'natural.'
-American Apparel v-neck (my summer staple, I have about seven.)
-Levi's 511 trousers.
-Vans Authentics.
-I ride DGK, or sometimes Seattle's best, Manik. more

Dress Code: Grey and Pink Early Spring

-This spring, I'm rocking suspenders. I'll be sure to keep a smug grin on my face to let any potential haters know I'm serious about my steeze.
-I felt a little naked not wearing my belt, but I think the suspenders will actually do a better job at keeping my pants up. I've got thicker-band red pair I'm looking to pull out in addition to this pair. more

School Supplies: Spring Purchases

-I usually hit the train with my way-oversized Adidas duffel and, though I love it and it's durable and huge and probably made by little kids, it says 'soccer trip' more than 'I'm an adult on a train.' The other day I saw this military bag by Surplus from Oak. I've already mentioned my affinity for military inspired good, but what really struck me about this bag was the price: only $45. When most of the other duffels I like are in the $200-300 range, this was a no brainer. I do like the American Apparel versions, but this one is larger and (I'm assuming) more durable. Dope find. 

-Last month I posted about a sweet windbreaker I found at Buffalo, and then the other day I KZO was on Gilt so I got a pretty legit deal on this windbreaker. The picture isn't that great (I couldn't find the Gilt picture after the sale ended,) but mine fits snug and looks like it's from 2014, which I'm going to assume will be a pretty stylish year. I woke up too late to get a Thom Browne bow tie on Gilt a couple days ago though and I'm disheartened, sigh. MLIA. 

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Dress Code: The Big Kid Backpack

-Last week I heard about this JanSport Heritage Collection of backpacks, then Selectism gave us the first detailed look at one of the bags (the 767 Burhorn, above, which can be worn on the back as shown, or as a messenger shoulder bag.) In recent years I've seen a couple of articles in GQ and Details about how an adult can rock a backpack and not look like an adolescent, and as our primary audience is one that is on the verge of leaving academic life for professional life, I think it's something everyone over the age of 18 needs to think about. I try to use my unnecessarily large Dakine as infrequently as possible, but like it because it is waterproof (a must up here) and it carries my skateboard.
-For about a year I've been looking for a more conservative backpack. I like the simplicity, variety of colors and price ($42) of the American Apparel canvas schoolbag (below, left) but worry that it will fall apart like most AA gear. I like the idea of seemingly boring and ubiquitous (in middle-school, at least) pack makers like JanSport and Eastpak, which teamed with Raf Simons for multiple collections (below, right,) doing high-end lines. Simplicity of design and color seems to be an agreeable common theme in many designer backpacks of late. But I've also got to think about safely carrying my computer and camera when I need to. It's a struggle. Just some thoughts.
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Dress Code: Double-Breasted Cardigan

-Speaking of hipsters, I was at American Apparel with messdemeanor this week and I saw this double breasted cardigan ($40.) I noted the DB cardi in my Paul Smith review last month. I think there are a lot of interesting possibilities I could create with the DB cardi, though I think the width it creates might make a tie look awkward. Anyway, I'm going to buy one.-And if you're checking out a.a., you should check out their vintage line, California Select, which a great example of a company actually employing an innovative strategy. more

Peer Review: In Defense of Hipsters

-I probably use the word hipster 800% more than I should on a daily basis, usually in rants about cycle-hipsters or stock college lit-hipsters. While I use the word generously, I never forget the fallacies that accompany any of the impossible to define categories into which we place everyone but ourselves.
-That being said, I was greatly intrigued with this piece by lit blog Threat Quality Press, which examines the nature of the word itself, as well as the dangers that ensue when old people seek to quantify the lifestyles of the young and hip. Check it out. more

Faculty: Albert Hammond Jr.

A lot of people don't realize the extent to which Albert Hammond Jr. has influenced their "personal" style. The Strokes' guitarist was the mastermind behind the group's disheveled minimalism, which, according to CityFile, "redefined contemporary hipsterdom". Hammond's stylistic choices were also the driving force behind the Converse resurgence and the overwhelming success of Urban Outfitters and American Apparel, and the millions of kids who look like they woke up on a couch in the East Village have him to thank.
While his stylistic and musical contributions to The Strokes are continually overlooked, Hammond's solo work has been receiving high praise as of late. His 2006 solo album, Yours To Keep, stripped away some of the pretentious lo-fi fuzz that made his band famous, replacing it with earnest pop hooks that conjured images of a downtown Brian Wilson. The July 8th release of his second solo record, Como Te Llama?, brought about a diverse handful of new tracks that finally showcase the true depth of Hammond's talent. We'll see if it gets him the recognition he deserves. more

PoliSci: The Battle of Los Angeles

-Surely by now you have seen evidence of American Apparel's Legalize LA campaign, as the slogan has been emblazoned on billboards and shirts for the past few months. The effort to reform immigration laws has been fronted by AA founder Dov Charney, who happens to be an immigrant himself. The company's anti-sweatshop stance and logoless clothing have turned it into a cultural phenomenon, and now AA's trendsetting power is being used to support what is, in our opinion, a very worthy cause.
-The shirts are free with any purchase (at most locations), and you can learn more about immigration reform at the American Apparel website.

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Faculty: The Original Street Photographer

There once was a time when New York street photography was about more than graffiti and American Apparel. Over the course of the last month, the New York Times has devoted several pieces to Weegee, whose dark mid-century photographs captured the city at its worst. Weegee, whose name was derived from his innate ability to be in the right place at the right time, gained recognition for his raw, black and white pictures of crime and spectacle. He captured the side of New York that could only be seen in film noir, while acting in and inspiring noir legend Jules Dassin's classic film The Naked City. I was lucky enough to see the last Weegee exhibit at New York's International Center for Photography, and I was truly affected by the gritty realism of his pictures and the vulnerability of his subjects. For photos and video, check out NYTimes.com.

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PowerPoint: Outside the UGCH

--Cobrasnake shirt a ha! Ballur gold American Apparel leggings. I like this because when I get hot, I tie my scarf around my bag strap too.


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