No Cars Go

The City closed some streets in the Mission on Sunday. They should do so more often. We walked down 24th from Valencia to Howard. Bikes, skateboards, little dogs, soccer balls, kids, rock bands and Mission style...

 

 

 

 

Belstaff on sale at Neiman Marcus

A genuine British heritage brand, Belstaff's history can be dated back to 1924, when it was founded by father and son-in-law team Eli Belovitch and Harry Grosberg. Renowned for its legendary jackets Belstaff's patrons of the past have included Che Guevara and Steve McQueen. My favorites are the indestructible waxed cotton jackets which are a nice alternative to the leather motorcycle jacket that every designer seems to be producing these days.  Check out this one on sale at Neiman Marcus.  Not cheap by any means, but worth every penny as it will last a lifetime.

Carnival

Spent the day tromping about the Mission, eating and drinking.  Lots of fun - not a whole lot of style. There were a few exceptions...

Don't Feed the Hipsters

Had a good laugh watching "The Office" the other night. In the opening scene, Kelly suggests that Michael's new girlfriend Donna may be cheating on him, as Donna is using some of Ryan's old tricks.
Kelly: "Oh my god this is super weird - when Ryan had two girlfriends, he used to take me to some diner in Hazleton just so the other girl wouldn't see us."
Ryan: "Some diner? It was the Starlight Diner - it's, it's in a Life Magazine spread about Americana!"

To those of you who don't watch the show,  Ryan is a walking cliche of changing personas - none of which are likable.  Until his demise (coke problem, fraud conviction, etc...) he was Dunder Miflin's young corporate hotshot - and an complete a-hole .  He's the guy who brags about hooking up with a girl "who looked like the girl on Survivor." Post community service and sobriety, Ryan reinvents himself as  a disaffected hipster.  "Ryan 2.0" is a photographer (check out his blog!) and fashionista. His colossal ego in tact, he needs everyone to recognize how cool he is precisely because he doesn't care what people think.  The Armani suit and "$200 haircut" is replaced by a hipster uniform: clear glasses, plaid shirt, skinny tie and cardigan.  He even grows a ridiculous beard.  In one episode he wears a trilby but won't say where he got it. Perfect.
So it seems the backlash against phony hipsterism has spilled into popular media.  I guess it was inevitable. In an age with a website solely dedicated to a discussion on breaking in your selvedge denim, it may be high time the hipster was called to the mat!

Style is Not What You Are Wear: The (Lost) Art of Listening

"Someone who is secure enough to be very present when relating to another person is sexy. In other words, a good listener always lands who he wants." - Tom Ford
Learn to be a good listener.  Listening makes you mysterious, intriguing and ultimately, more attractive to both women and men.  You may even learn a thing or two...