Tighten your Belt

Jeanshop double ring belt. $155 at UNIONMADE. Functional. Versatile. Perfect.

Tough Love

I know, I know...it's all about boots these days with American brands like Red Wing and Wolverine getting mad love.  But a man can't live in boots alone.  These Frye oxfords (similar to these ones) are a good alternative.  With their chunky rubber sole and pebble grain leather, they are right at home in the garden or having a beer dropped on them at Bottom of the Hill.  In fact, the more beat up they get, the better they look.  I stole these at Martin + Osa for $45 - down from $200 (Martin + Osa is going out of business and the whole store is basically on sale. I'm liking these shorts and these chinos).
Lots of alternatives out there. I like these and these - both available at the indispensable Gimme Shoes in Hayes Valley.

In Search of the Everyday Jeans

I have quite a bit of denim in my closet, but still felt like I was missing that pair of everyday "go-to" jeans.  My preference was rigid, selvedge jeans in a standard fit (no low-rise) with a price tag around $200. I tried a lot of options (Raleigh Denim, Tellason, Jean Shop, etc...).  While these were all beautifully handcrafted jeans, none really worked for me. Just as I was losing hope, I dropped into UNIONMADE on Sanchez.  Owner Todd Barket directed me to the Levis Vintage 1947 501s.  As soon as I put them on I knew they were the ones - the perfect everyday jean.  Gorgeous White Oak denim from Cone Mills, a neutral, old-school fit and beautiful contrast stitching. $220.  I have pretty much lived in these bad boys ever since.  If you're looking for jeans (or any everyday clothing for that matter), do yourself a favor and check out UNIONMADE.

Slimmer Down

Sorry that's pretty bad.  Anyways... I recently switched out my wallet for this J. Crew Cardholder.   No more bulky wallet.   Streamline.  Cut the fat.  Etc, etc...

Spring Sale is on at Barneys

And as always, it  looks like there are good deals to be had.  Some items that caught my eye were these jeans from the North Caroloina-based, husband and wife team at Raleigh Denim, this Pea Coat from Rag & Bone, this t-shirt from Rogues Gallery, and these boots from Fiorentini + Baker.  Like Neiman and Saks, Barneys initially discounts items 30-40%.  As the sales progresses, prices continue to drop as they clear inventory to make room for the Fall collections.  Near the end of the sale you can often find items discounted over 70%.  The conundrum is do you hold out until then and risk having the item sell out?  Decisions, decisions... 
Barneys is located at 77 O'Farrell Street, just off Union Square.

South of the Border...

Geck is off to Puerta Vallarta on Friday for our friends Kacey and Matt's wedding.  Kacey has requested the most interesting man alive serenade the couple at the reception.  Needed a fitting look.  Considered the Ludlow Cotton Khaki Suit but opted for a more laid-back, yet still stylish approach. With help from J. Crew Personal Shopper Lily Lysle, Tom walked away with a pair of slim-fit khakis, a great madras shirt and a chambray shirt that, to my surprise, worked perfectly with said khakis (thanks Lily).  Tied it all together with a pair of brick sole suede bucks from Nordstrom Rack.  The Troubadour is good to go.

Have fun Geck and congrats Kacey and Matt.

Shop Locally

Stormy Monday.  Didn't feel much like draggin' my wet ass into retail-land, but was in the Lower Haight so I figured I'd check out Revolver.  Was glad I made the trip.  Besides getting to check out a very cool store, I had the pleasure of meeting a couple of lads who really know their denim.
Revolver's proprietor, Robert Patterson is the type of laid back guy who's unassuming attitude belies a passion for clothing, art and other things cool. I like his blog almost as much as his store - especially the entry on California surfer/photographer Ryan Tatar. Robert saw me eyeing the denim and after pointing out some nuances in the Denham and Tellason lines, had me trying on some truly great jeans.  Coming out of the dressing room (with the Denham's on -doh!), Robert introduced me to Tony Patella, owner of San Francisco-based Tellason Denim.  Tony is incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic when it comes to denim. He talked to me for a good 20 minutes without ever promoting his company's product or coming off as "cooler than thou."
Two things I took away from our conversation:  (1) There's something satisfying about buying from a maker obsessed with quality and, (2) There are are a number of reasons (not all obvious) to buy clothing made in the good ol' USA.  As Tony explained, "99.9%" of Tellason denim is made in America (denim from Cone Mills in Greensboro, N.C.,  leather patch from Portland's Tanner Goods, jeans sewn here in San Francisco).  Tony's motivation for manufacturing in San Francisco is as much pragmatic as patriotic.  Having made millions of jeans in China and Mexico in a previous life, he likes the fact that when a manufacturing issue arises,  he can bike down to Tellason's plant in SOMA (instead of getting on a plane) to get things sorted out.  So "Made in the USA" can actually make good business sense - what a novel concept!  Above all, Tellason is focused on providing quality denim at a reasonable price (caveat: I consider 200 bucks for a pair of jeans reasonable, since jeans like Tellason's will easily stand up to a couple hundred wearings).  Tony says it best in an interview with ACL:  "A consumer, for whatever reason, may not like our jeans, but there is no way they can criticize the fabric and sewing. As a brand, that’s all you can do. We’re really into authenticity every step of the way."   Good stuff.  Not incidentally, the fit was great and designed for pretty much every body type.
Thank you Robert and Tony for the education - I'll be back for a pair of Tellasons once I get paid...

Gant Rugger Madras Shirts

Found these great looking madras shirts from Gant Rugger (Gant's heritage line) at Azalea in Hayes Valley.  A little more expensive than similar offerings from J. Crew and Brooks Brothers but was glad to shell out a little more for a better fit. 

Brick Soul

Red brick soled shoes are all the rage at the moment.  After checking out the Mark McNairys at UNIONMADE, I was determined to get me some.  However I didn't want to spend 300 bones.  Found a nice substitute with these Cole Haan dirty bucks at Nordstrom Rack for less than 100 bucks.

Where to Shop San Francisco: Barneys New York

San Francisco has always left something to be desired when it comes to men's shopping.  Things got much better when Barneys New York opened its San Francisco store in 2007.  Barneys simply blows away other department stores when it comes to every day clothes.   Neiman Marcus completely misses the mark on men's casual clothing. Saks' sportswear is boring  while the "designer sportswear" is too fashionista for my tastes.  Bloomingdales is decent (men's shoes being a strong point), but the salespeople often seem to have no clue.  On a recent visit, responses to my inquiries about a certain designer ranged from dumbfounded to annoyed.
Barneys, on the other hand, gets it.   Among the usual suspects, Barney's carries lines that I can't find anywhere else in the City - Steven Alan, Gant Ruger, Band of Outsiders and Naked and Famous denim to name a few.  The space is stylish and relaxed. Barneys' salespeople are incredibly knowledgeable without being pretentious.  Finally, there are great sales (I believe the next one is in late May - I'll keep you posted).

No Static At All

I've been honing in on a jacket for Geck (to replace the broken-down G-Star jacket I bequeathed him a few years ago) for the last several weeks.  Found a couple good candidates at Diesel and G-Star, but everything seemed a little too over-the-top for a guy who prefers T Rex to TV on the Radio.  Luckily, I was recently tipped of to UnionMade on Sanchez.  I have too many good things to say about this shop, but in short, it's my new favorite men's store in San Francisco. The very easy-going and extremely well-versed salesman, Jason hooked Tom up with the military/workman inspired "Cadet Jacket", a pair of J. Crew Vintage Slim Fit Selvedge Jeans (woven on 100 year-old looms), and a great button-down madras shirt.   The entire operation took about 30 minutes. Dined at Contigo ,off 24th to celebrate Geck's new duds.  And yeah, we sat at the bar...

Flight of The Troubodour

There is a black and white photo of my father from the late 60's I love. Pan American Airlines 1st Officer Steve Meuris is striding across the tarmac somewhere in the Far East. He's wearing civvies: a fitted shirt and slacks (slight bell bottom) and ankle boots. On his shoulder is a well-worn leather duffel bag. Call me a luddite, but no way would Dad have looked as cool pulling along a roller bag. A gentleman carries his bag.

Flash forward forty years. I have a friend whose preference for the long-distance relationship and weekend trysts, earns him a lot of Southwest points. This friend, let's call him The Troubadour, needed a weekender duffel bag with some style.

I found a few nice offerings online from Patagonia and Marc Jacobs , but was looking for something more sophisticated. By accident, I came across Mulholland on Sutter St. The Boardroom Medium Hippo Duffel in grey flannel immediately caught my eye. Kim Kesser, Mulholland's incredibly knowledgeable salesperson gave me the run down on the San Francisco-based, family-run Company. Like all of Mulholland's bags, this elegant and utilatrian duffel is constructed to the highest quality standards and is backed by a lifetime guarantee. Best of all, the Hippo is currently half off (at the Store but not online). The Troubadour is now prepared to arrive in style...

Mulholland Boardroom Medium Hippo Duffel in Grey Flannel $260

Where to Shop San Francisco: J.Crew

Yeah that J. Crew... My impression of J. Crew was of an outdated, preppy, mail order catalog, but this brand has reinvented itself under the direction of head designer Frank Muytjens. The new J. Crew is edgier without forsaking its East Coast prep school roots. For the new Men's Shop and Liquor Store, J. Crew has collaborated with iconic brands such as Levis, Belstaff and Thomas Mason. The Fall 2010 Mens's Collection looks fantastic. Paid a visit to the Men's Shop and with the help of the very cool and knowledgeable Lily Lysle (a personal shopper at The Men's Shop) picked up the following items...

Grey Chambray Utility Shirt $98
There is a move back to durable American workwear as evidenced by the resurgence of brands such as Woolrich, Pendleton and the current obsession with raw, selvedge denim. Makes sense that in the midst of a brutal recession, menswear would trend back towards the functional. To my taste, some of this goes a bit far, but this classic chambray workshirt is a winner.

Broken-in Chino in Urban Slimfit $65
Back in my collegiate days, I lived in the J. Crew broken in chinos. These are the same thick but soft cotton chinos, updated with a slim fit. The look seems to be to wear them rolled-up. We'll have to see about that...

Iconic Essential: The Lacoste Polo

I've had mixed success with Lacoste Polos. After a few times in the dryer (I typically throw my dress shirts in the dryer on low for about 15 minutes before hanging to dry) they looked about 2 sizes too small. I ended up giving many a crocodile away to my friend Tom who is about 5 inches and 30 pounds smaller. I tried buying a couple sizes too large but this translated to formless, baggy shirts that were not at all flattering. So while I liked the idea of polo shirts and see other guys look great in them, the polo was out of the rotation in my closet. However I dropped into the Lacoste Store the other day and was pleased to find Lacoste's new Red! Slimfit Polo is not only slimmer but longer. I also liked the 2 button look (instead of the customary 3). Bought a size 8 (XXL) which was long enough to wear in or out and was fitted without being snug. Absolutely loved the Tulip Red color that looked rather smart with the Shipley and Halmos black trousers I was wearing. The Lacoste girl told me under no circumstances should it end up in the dryer. Hang dry, then iron. I'm resolved to follow her advice. I'll let you know how it turns out...

Lacoste Red! Slim Fit Pique Polo $79.50