Dress Code: Rainy Days

It's rainy season again here in the NW and while Vancouver's had some pretty nice weather lately, I'm already sick of seeing those obnoxious printed rain boots that every girl owns. So, in effort to do us all a service, and eliminate those as a wardrobe staple, here are some other options for girls in rainy climates.

If you must have boots...

1. Ilse Jacobsen Hornbaek is a Danish company that makes some really great- and simple- rain boots. They come in almost every color imaginable so your feet don't get bored. And, they're a nice alternative to classic Hunter rain boots.
2. Another acceptable- and much less expensive- option for boots is Tretorn. They have a cute short version for girls who like to wear wider-legged jeans, or who just don't want boots all the way to their knees. Again, they come in about a million colors.

If you can let the need for boots slide...

3. Dolce Vita makes a lot of cute loafer style shoes out of durable leather and patent leather, that unles you're in the middle of a tsunami, should hold up well to rain.
4. Last but not least, as these are probably my favorite option, are sneakers by Gram. Gram is a Stockholm based brand that make some really amazing waxed canvas sneakers. (Lucky for you boys, they make both a men's and a women's line.) Unlucky for everyone, it's hard to find anywhere that sells them. Aside from the link, you might also try 111VOX.com.
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PowerPoint: Back to Class

-This guy is probably the second illest sartorialist I've seen on campus (the first being myself, of course.)

-These are the kinds of looks I hoped to capture when we first started the blog, unfortunately, they are seldom seen. More pics coming soon though, as long as the weather remains clear. Click to enlarge. more

Dress Code: Rockers NYC

-For the past several decades, Trustafarians have been a mainstay on campuses everywhere. While weed and reggae and jerk chicken are awesome, those red, yellow, and green Hot Topic wristbands are not, and Rasta-influenced style is both cringe-inducing and increasingly prevalent. However, one company is finally doing it right.
-Inspired by the classic reggae film Rockers, Rockers NYC puts out designs that are vibrant and socially conscious, and many feature the likes of Malcolm X, Nirvana, and, of course, Haile Selassie I. The "Fuck It, Let's Dance" shirt bears some similarity to one of my favorite shirts ever, the "Fuck Art, Let's Dance" shirt worn by Stephen Malkmus during Pavement's glory days. Plus, the RNYC blog features some killer street style.
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Music Theory: Cashed Out

-I heard Cash Cash about six months ago, via Purevolume I think. Two songs, Can't Stop Looking and Concerta, blew my mind. Unable to find the tracks anywhere for legal or illegal download I had to wait for an official release. So when I heard about an official E.P. about a month ago I was excited. So the disc comes out there other day, the 6th, and I am so excited that I actually pay for. Seriously. And guess what? The two songs I loved aren't even on it. WTF. And aside from that disappointing fact, the songs that did make the E.P. aren't nearly as good as the aforementioned two, and seem to abandon the aspects that made those songs great.
-All that said though, I still have hope for this band because those two songs are fucking amazing, so I'm hoping that they'll make a full length and include those. Also, the acoustic version of what I think is their attempt at a single, Party in Your Bedroom, is included on the disc and it's good. But I mean, I paid real money, for music.
-Update: Cash Cash commented me back on MySpace confirming that Concerta will indeed be on the forthcoming full-length L.P. more

Photo J: Deep South Denim Distressing

-Photographer David Friedman offers a unique look at the process of aging denim with this photo essay, shot at a Kentucky workshop. The essay intro says that the factory distresses denim for a small number of high end designers, but specific designers are not mentioned. However, in one of the photos you can see the Rock & Republic labels so I trust the credibility of the essay. Keeping with the theme of the last two posts, customization and premium denim, I think it's an interesting little piece, so check it out.
-via Selectism more

Design Major: Nash Customs

-We try to stray from sneaker culture hype as much as possible, but we can't help but respect the true craftsmen who generate truly unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. A rarely seen process, this video shows the elite British sneaker customizer Nash Money doing what he does best. A very interesting video for anyone with an appreciation for design. more

Dress Code: Cheap Diesel

-I've never been that big of a fan of Diesel jeans, but mainly because of the type of people that usually wear them, and the ignorant prices. But now the Italian premium denim powerhouse is giving us plebs a break by commemorating their 30th anniversary with a limited edition Dirty Thirty jean. The jeans will only be sold this Friday, October 30th, for €30 (or $50). As far as I can tell, this deal is good at all u.s. stores (starting at 10 am.) There are Diesel stores in both Portland and Seattle, so if you feel like getting up (relatively) early, head out and pick up some cheap Diesels. more

Design Major: Get Nubby

-We've posted about Blacktooth entrepreneur Carey Haider a few times, but never about his equally talented sister, though we've had her blog in our links list for awhile. Anyway, we weren't able to make it to her show at Nemo this past Friday, but luckily there's this little video montage of the show for all of us who missed out. Either way, if you're into the Portland art scene Nubby is an artist you need to be aware of, so check this vid, her enviable blog, and be on the lookout.

Nubby Twiglet Art Show @ Nemo Design from Austin Will on Vimeo. more