Yearbook: Winter Whites and Nostalgia

-In the first episode of No Logos I talked about being a clothes hoarder and the fact that I still have a few things from high school (2002-2006.) The conversation got me wondering if I had a whole cohesive outfit of remnants from high school. Aside from the Sperry's here, which are new but basically otherwise basically the same as the pair I bought in 2005, this whole fit is from high school. I don't think I ever wore this combo together, but I did pair this tie and sweater pretty often. Abandoning guidelines, I'll probably wear this with loafers and different socks in the future.

-Pants: Levi's 514
-OCBD: Polo, thrifted
-Tie: Marquis, thrifted
-Sweater: American Eagle
-Socks: Gift

-In breaking out the winter whites I remembered a good tip I learned from a fellow Grime Time All-Star, my friend Goody, who told me that white jeans should never be pristine. If you're walking around fretting getting something on your pants, you're doing it wrong. Don't be afraid to let them get, and stay, a little dirty. They are jeans, after all, regardless of color. more

Phys. Ed.: Nike Zoom Hyperfuse

-If you follow me on Twitter you're probably aware to the point of annoyance that basketball is a big part of my life. As a kid, throughout my teens and during my first few years in college I made a point to play about every other day. As my schedule has been unceasingly hectic for the past two years, I haven't been able to play ball as much as I'd like, and so have consistently refused my desire to update the ragged pair of RBK kicks I'd been hooping in since early 2007. Partly to motivate myself to get back into dunking on fools¹, I started shopping and finally decided on picking up the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse. It's the first time I've had Nike basketball shoes, but I was sold on the overall lack of weight and excess mass of this model. The main reason I wanted to post though was just to mess around with my new Speedlight SB-700, and because I'm pretty stoked on this top picture. More photos after the jump.
1- By "dunking" I mean "laying it up soft."



-I'm morally obligated to only buy athletic gear that accords with the Trailblazer color-scheme.

-The light wasn't as great in the color photos, but I'm still getting a hang of the Speedlight (I think these look pretty good for shooting in my kitchen.)

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School Supplies: My Denim

-Here's a look at the jeans that I own. Not much to say, I just thought it would be interesting to compare them via their patch. Given my current hectic schedule, many of my posts for the foreseeable future will be mainly photographic. more

Winter Quarter: Authentic Upgrades

-This quarter I've had to cycle more than ever, and it being winter in the rainiest part of the country, the commute usually involves a good deal of precipitation. I decided to take a cue from Ryan of YHBTI and wax my Authentics. I was about to apply some Martexin wax that I purchased from the Archival Clothing store, when I realized it would be pretty pointless to wax my sneakers given that they had holes in the toes. I've got a big pair of Carhartt pants I bought at a thrift shop specifically for use as a patching fabric, so I just cut out a couple squares, superglued them beneath the holes, and then applied the wax. I've been wearing these exclusively while commuting for about a  month now and they've held up pretty well. I expect the wax will have mostly worn off by the time summer rolls around.

-In related news, I picked up my second pair of Authentics, though I probably won't break them out until the weather warms up so they don't get needlessly muddied. Follow me after the jump for a few more photos of both pairs and some info about my choice of laces.





-I I bought these red laces at J.Crew. I'm not ashamed to admit I was straight copying what they've been doing in their catalog with colored laces in desert boots. I don't have desert boots but I have Wallabees and I planned on putting these laces in them. I was disappointed when I brought them home to find that the laces were way too long for the Wallows. I wasn't really feeling the white laces that came with the new pair, something about true white against off-white was amiss, so I decided to put my forgotten red laces to use.

-This post was a little dry. Sorry. I'm busier than ever, so upcoming posts will probably be more photographic than textual. Check back soon.
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School Supplies: Levi's for J.Crew Rinsed Indigo 511

-If you've been a reader for any length of time you probably know that I'm a big fan of Levi's 511 cut. Though I love my raw denim, lately I've been looking for a pair of clean, dark jeans that I can wear on occasions that are casual enough that denim will suffice, but nice enough that I want to wear something without a faded back pocket and noticeable whiskering. I haven't been buying a ton of clothes lately, my wardrobe is pretty solid for this juncture in my life, but I had a J. Crew gift card so I was perusing the site and stumbled upon, and bought, this pair. They're dark indigo so they look clean, but they're a washed denim, a phrase which LAS insightfully pointed out awhile back  has become unfairly stigmatized amidst the raw denim resurgence. I still love my Baldwins, but the 511 remains the best cut I've found from any jean, and these will make a nice back-up to my go-to denim. more

Winter Break:

-Posting has been a bit sparse as I had a pretty hectic finals week, but in case you missed them, I've had a few recent posts elsewhere: a look at my Baldwin 77s few weeks ago over at Denim Debate, and the one from which the above photo is taken, my review of Bertucci field watches over at the Wharf blog. I mentioned on my Tumblr yesterday that I just sold my primary camera, but that doesn't mean I won't be blogging over winter break, it just means that any photographic content will come from iPhone photography or the unlikely chance that I get some film developed soon. In early January I will be getting my hands on a new camera and I'm very excited about what it will mean for the blog. Look out for even better photos and a lot more video projects in the coming year. As always, thanks for the continued support. more

Fall Quarter: Super Layering

-I live in the northernmost moderately-populated city in Washington, so I'm no stranger to cold weather, but usually we get to January before we see snow and temperatures in the twenties. This past week we got hit with an atypical snow storm followed by several days of sub-freezing temperatures, which when combined with wind gusts topping out at 65 mph, forced the telling "feels like" meter down to single digits. But alas, school was not cancelled, and I had to make a number of trips up to campus early in the morning and at night, when the high winds and low temperatures were at their worst. I found myself layering my thickest and chunkiest pieces with little regard for aesthetics, which might have been refreshing if it hadn't been out of necessity.

-I didn't take photos of everything I wore during the storm, but a few things struck me as worthy of documentation. For one of the evening hikes to campus I started with the incredibly thick Aran sweater I posted on awhile back, and topped it with this J. Crew chamois utility shirt I picked up a few weeks ago. I covered my face with my J.Press lambswool scarf and then went with my go-to winter coat as the outerwear. This combination was, without a doubt, the thickest and warmest layering I've ever performed. Follow me after the jump for one more set and a look at the boots that got me through the week.





-The above photo is from a day when I had a presentation, so I had to look at least marginally presentable beneath my armored exterior. I flipped the collar up on my Rugby sweater for the uphill trek to school, wrapped the scarf over my neck and mouth, and again topped it all off with my coast guard jacket.
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-I like the idea of flannel lined trousers, a lot of people praise Filson's, but I haven't ever come across any in a slim enough fit for my tastes. Until I do, my go-to for cold weather is long johns under denim.
-I've been meaning to buy some Bean Boots this fall, but every time I've gotten close I've thought "well the weather hasn't really turned yet, I should save my dough." I should have pulled the trigger back in September, but luckily I've got a serviceable pair of boots in my possession. I bought these Band of Outsiders for Sperry boots about a year and a half ago and they've served me well in inclement weather. I know that they come from a pretty fashion-y collaboration, and I've even seen some people write about the lackluster quality of other pieces from the BoO x Sperry collection, but I am saying definitively that these boots are pretty fucking tough. The thick Vibram sole kept me sturdy on the iced-over sidewalks, and even though I've only waxed these boots once (last winter I think) they kept my feet dry. They aren't the warmest winter boots, there isn't much lining beneath the leather, but they're solid winter boots and I plan on keeping them for many years, even if I do snag some Bean Boots for truly torrential rains. And though they weren't pictured, wool camp socks were essential too.
-The weather seems to be returning to normal now, but actually glad I got to test out some gear against some truly brutal conditions.
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Field Trip: Blue Owl Workshop

-I was looking for a place to get my Baldwin 77s hemmed with a chain-stitch in the Seattle area when someone told me about Blue Owl Workshop in Bellevue, Wa. I checked out their website and found myself wondering how I hadn't heard of the shop yet. A few weeks ago I took a trip down to the Blue Owl showroom to drop off my denim and check out owner Jay Doughten's unique space. Follow me after the jump for some photos and thoughts from my visit.




-Seattle denim aficionados may remember Doughten as the owner of the shop's former iteration, a downtown retail location called Atsui Tokyo. After closing Atsui and taking a season off from sales, Doughten relaunched as Blue Owl Workshop and showroom, which sells through its website and appointment-only visits to the Bellevue showroom.



-Mr. Olive shirting.

-I don't consider myself a hardcore denim head, but I wanted to bring Blue Owl to the attention of my audience because of the stock they carry, which includes denim and a well-editied selection of pieces from hard to find labels such as Mr. Olive, Denime, Triple Works, Sunny Sports, and Man of Moods. The shop also carries denim from Kicking Mule Workshop, Left Field and Naked & Famous, which though they may be better known, are still relatively hard to find outside of the country's few worthwhile menswear locations.


-Triple Works denim.

-While I was at the showroom Doughten, who seemed to know more about the history and processes of the Japanese denim industry than anyone I've talked to, online or elsewhere, broke down some of the finer details or well-made denim for me. Comparing a few different pairs, he pointed out stitch placement and other things a casual observer like myself might miss. With budget always on my mind, I asked Doughten for his opinions on various brands and how they compare at certain pricepoints. Blue Owl's profile has continued to rise lately as they've come out with collaborations with Triple Works and Left Field. Momotaro just landed at Blue Owl, and the shop is slated to carry 3sixteen next fall. What struck me about Blue Owl was the rapport Doughten maintains with the people behind the brands he carries. The fact that a shop without a traditional retail location is one of few places in America, and in the case of a few brands, the only place, speaks volumes about the ownership and their commitment to serving the West Coast demand for quality denim. I might not be pulling the trigger on new denim anytime soon, but when I do I'm definitely heading back to Blue Owl to try on a few pairs before making a decision.


-Left Field chinos and denim.


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-Some of the much sought after Sunny Sports shirts.


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-Leather goods from Corter.


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-This post sounds a little more PR-ish than my usual posts, but I was sincerely impressed with the selection, and I'm always pumped on gems in the Pacific Northwest.
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