School Supplies: Apolis Activism Chambray Bow Tie

 

-I've already spent too much on bow ties this year so I'm definitely not looking to buy anymore for awhile, but if I were in the market, this one would be on the top of my list. I haven't been as fond of Apolis Activism as a lot of other blogs have been, but I think this is a great use of material. They've also got some dope henleys, and I'm tired of cheap henleys. The tie sells for a not-bad $65 at Context.

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Graphic Design: Galen's 151 Vodka

-Last night I was at the liquor store gathering supplies for my first attempt at homemade Long Island Iced Teas. I was just picking up cheap pints but then something caught my eye. Galen's 151 vodka attracted me not because of my longtime love affair with both Bacardi 151 rum and really shitty vodka, nor because of it's $15 sale price tag (in case you're uninformed, Bacardi 151 goes for about $26 per 750 ml here in WA where liquor taxes are ridiculous, so you can pretty well gauge the quality of Galen's.) For some reason, I was drawn to the label's superb minimal design. Despite my somewhat-extensive design studies, I can't really pinpoint why I liked this label so much. I've got a soft spot for light blues and straight-up sans serif font faces. Anyway, it gave me another opportunity to photograph a cool liquor bottle. Needless to say,  the Long Island's were legit.

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School Supplies: Winter Greys

-Last week disaster struck. The solid grey wool Prada scarf that had served as one of my favorite and most-worn items for the past 2 years was lost and/or stolen at school. I'd become very reliant on having a perfect short, light grey scarf every day and I'm now intent of finding a suitable replacement. The budget is a little bit tighter this time around, and even if it wasn't, I doubt I'd be able to find the exact Prada scarf from 3 seasons ago. In addition to a new scarf, I'm looking for a grey, or maybe red, chunky knit cap.

-My first choice might be the Pria herringbone scarf from Blackbird at the top of the post, but I don't know if herringbone is versatile enough for everyday use, and I think it might not work with my (dope, just got here) cashmere herringbone jacket from Company of We.

-So that gets me to the classics, J.Crew and J.Press. The top half of this image has J.Crew's cashmere offerings. When you can get cashmere for not too much more than straight up wool, why not?  The hat is $48 and the scarf is $68, and if I can hold off till the next time I'm near an actual J.Crew location, I can get the 15 percent college student discount.

-On the bottom are the wool J.Press options I'm considering. The prices are pretty similar, and the slightly more rare (at least here in the Northwest) nature of J.Press is appealing. The J.Press hat is a chunkier knit and I prefer it to the J.Crew version.

-I'll probably snag the J.Crew scarf and maybe I'll hold out for the Inverallan for Inventory Items red knit cap, I'd like both a grey and a red knit cap. I'm pretty much out of money right now though, so we'll see how it goes.

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School Supplies: Alexander Olch for Inventory Bow Tie

-I've been wanting a grey wool bow tie for a awhile now, and thanks to a little good fortune I've come into possession of this superb Alexander Olch piece. I just happened to comment over at the new h(y)r collective incarnation, Inventory Magazine, about the possibility of an Olch x Inventory bow tie and they hit me up and offered me a great price on this limited (1 of 4) tie. I did just drop a good deal of money on an Engineered Garments flannel bow tie earlier in the month, but that one is pretty bulky and I needed a nice small knot for wardrobe balance and a few quieter bow tie assemblages.  I've now gone over my bow tie budget for the year, though this buy one get one 30-percent off at Brooks Brothers is enticing, but thanks again to the folks at the all-new Inventory and I'll get a picture up the first time I rock the new tie.

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Peer Review: Trudy in NLG

-While January Jones has been getting a lot of blog-love for her recent Interview cover and next months Terry Richardson GQ shoot, one of Mad Men's underrated hotties gets a little love from Nylon for Guys this month. Allison Brie, who plays Peter's sneaky-hot wife Trudy, is also in NBC's new 'comedy' Community. I love Betty, but I've always thought Trudy could use a few more opportunities to show off her assets.

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School Supplies: Baron Davis Wardobe on eBay

-There are a lot of ridiculous things from Baron Davis' wardrobe on eBay, including a bunch of 6XL coats and some size 13 Gucci sneakers. But among the mostly-terrible collection are a couple gems to someone like me, who is obsessed with prep basketball. Baron Davis' Crossroads High School and UCLA letterman's jackets are up for only $40-50, a great snag for anyone interested.

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Dress Code: Harris Tweed

-I took these photos because I was going to sell my Harris Tweed on our eBay. Because I thought I was going to crop out my head on the eBay photos, my face looks retarded. But what's more retarded is the fact that I was going to sell this jacket. I always think about wearing this jacket and I try it on and I feel like it's a bit too long and a bit big in the shoulders. The recent bit of blog love given to Harris actually made me think that there might be a good eBay market for Harris. But I looked at these photos and realized how great the jacket actually fits and how I've been underutilizing this jacket for years. I bought the jacket at Value Village in 2006 for $17 and I've probably worn it less than 20 times, but I'm declaring now that I will start to build some looks around it. I tried it on with my EG bowtie and it looked pretty dope. The rediscovery of my Harris has me questioning my earlier proclamation that I was going to buy this tweed, but y'know I might still. more

School Supplies: Snagged, DKNY Wingtips

-I've been looking for some darker cap toe oxfords for awhile, but yesterday these DKNY antiqued calfskin wingtip oxfords were on Gilt for only $68 so I couldn't pass them up. I've always been a bit opposed to wingtips, I don't really know why except that maybe they just seem a bit too ornate for me. But I really liked the color and subtle worn look of these, so they should hold me over until I can afford some more legit cap toes. more