Gratitude and Recommendations

Any human being should know that when something good comes your way, a sense of happiness and gratitude should follow.  I’ve felt such  thankfulness and delight recently with how my engagement photos turned out.  Had it not been for the skill of our photographer, Caroline Fontenot (a.k.a. Mrs. Back Down South), then folks on Tumblr and any of my Facebook friends would really see just how unphotogenic I actually am.  She did a great job taking photos of my fiancee and I as we spent an afternoon in Franklin, Tennessee.  And I’m also happy she put up with us not letting go of a certain Tom Haverford quote: “Make your face better!”  So for any folks living in the South looking for a photographer for any event (or anywhere for that matter), I must recommend Mrs. Caroline Fontenot.  She’s the best, and she knows what will make for a great photo.

Thanks Caroline! We love our photos… they’re perfect.

New Solid Knits at The Knottery

This is bordering on old news now, but for those of who haven’t seen it: new solid knit ties are now available at The Knottery.  Apologies all around for the repetitiveness of that sentence following the title of this post, but it’s pretty straight forward stuff.  A dark solid knit tie, especially navy, is a staple that every tie wearer should own.  But the brand is also offering some brightly-colored knits that will help one stand out a bit as well, such as blogger blue and blaze orange.  And as it always goes with The Knottery, these offerings are uber-affordable with prices ranging from $25-30.  If you haven’t jumped on board and purchased something from Jack and Jay at The Knottery yet, (to quote my mother when she’d get upset with me and my sister) WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!  Okay, okay… that’s a bit strong.  Still, you gotta get on this and grab a couple new ties.

More perfection from The Knottery… great job, guys!

Custom New Balance US574

This is post is inspired a bit by Coop’s recent post over at To Take the Train.  While he’s trying to decide which pair of sneakers to get, I’ve decided on mine.  I’ve been wearing my Billy Reid sneakers a lot lately, and I’d like to get a new pair of New Balance’s to get in the rotation to break it up a bit.  So I’m getting a custom pair of 574s.  For those of you who haven’t spent much time on NB’s custom page, go check it out.  It’s pretty fun designing your own pair of New Balance shoes, which are made right here in the US.  The pair I designed for myself were inspired by one of my all-time favorite hockey team logos, the Hartford Whalers (now the Carolina Hurricanes).  Great players like Ronnie Francis, Mike Liut, and even Gordie Howe wore the Whalers green and blue.  So why not put those colors on my feet?  Add a clever heel embroidery on the shoes and I’m set…

Go design yourself the perfect pair and order them… they’re only $115.

BCS National Championship

As any sports fan out there knows, tonight is the game that will decide the BCS National Championship in a match up between Louisiana State University and the University of Alabama.  This game is somewhat shrouded in controversy as many college football fans really didn’t want to a rematch between these two.  To refresh your memory, LSU pulled out a close one against Bama in a defensive match up, with a final score of 9-6 in overtime.  But as an SEC fan myself, I am happy to see that the conference will be guaranteed to carry on the streak of National Championships it has earned over the past few years.  With both teams being squads I’ll usually cheer against (they’re both SEC West Division rivals to Ole Miss), I really don’t care who wins… but that won’t stop me from making a prediction.  While JRS has the same outcome in mind, I don’t think it’ll be quite so high scoring.  Sorry folks, we’re going to have nothing but an amazing defensive showing from both teams again.  I say Bama will take the trophy with a score of 12-10.  You can’t give the Dark Lord a second chance and expect the same result…

This should be fun to watch… So what say you?  What is your perfect outcome?  Guess the exact score, and there’s a prize in it for you (hint: a hat of your choice from here).

Howard Yount Double Monks

Around the #menswear world, Howard Yount seems to be one of the solid “go-to’s” for trousers and accessories.  They also offer some beautiful shoes, as I’m sure many of you have noticed.  After months of crushing hard on their Cognac Suede Double Monks, I decided to just pull the trigger.  Now that a few weeks have passed, I’m still very happy with my decision.  The rich color of the cognac suede is something I could stare at for days.  While the toe is slightly more elongated than what I am used to, it’s not bad and my eyes adjusted quickly to the look.  HY’s site does recommend sizing down a half size, which I did.  The fit stills seems a little big, but a Dr. Scholl’s insert takes up the extra space.  While there are only few sizes left, you’ve got to check them out.  There aren’t too many double monks this nice under $400, so grab yourself a pair if they’re still available.

Can’t get over the color of these shoes… they’re perfect.

Christmas with the In-Laws

Unless you actually don’t own a calendar, you all know that Christmas is less than a week away now.  While many other blogs have done an excellent job with gift guides (some fine examples: A Headlong Dive’s Sartorial Advent Calendar or RCS Holiday Gift Guide), busy work and travel schedules have not permitted me the time to put anything together.  So instead of telling you what to buy this holiday season, maybe you can at least take some inspiration from what I’m planning on wearing.  This year, I’ll be heading to Chicago to spend a few days with my future in-laws.  On Christmas Eve, we’ll all be getting together at my fiancée’s parents’ home, and it should be a great time.  For this reason, I’ll be keeping it on the more casual side, but still “dressed up” enough for a Christmas celebration.  So instead of a white dress shirt, I’m going with a plaid sport shirt; instead of flannel trousers, I’m going with cotton chinos; instead of nice leather oxford shoes, I’m going with some suede shoes… you get the picture.  Otherwise, I’ll still keep it “dressier” with a nicely fitted blue blazer and a clean silhouette all-around.  Like I said, I hopefully something as simple as this can throw some inspiration towards anyone looking for some.

Navy sport coat, J. Crew; Single pleat chinos, Dockers; Spread collar sport shirt, Rugby; Belt, J. Crew; Suede double monks, Howard Yount; and a poinsettia for the mother-in-law

Should be a perfect time this Christmas Eve!

Outerwear search finished… I hope.

For those of you who have read the few post I have written as of late, you know that I have been searching for a proper winter jacket.  I basically narrowed my thoughts down to a heavy wool coat (like a peacoat) or to go with a warm, down-filled jacket.  I’ve decided to go with the latter for the moment, at least.  In particular, the Penfield Rockford Down Jacket.  While this jacket can be found on Penfield’s site, Sid Mashburn is also carrying the jacket at a slightly cheaper price.  With a water-resistant and windproof shell and an 80/20 down and goose feather filling, I should stay pretty warm.  There are probably warmer options out there since this one lacks a hood and is slightly shorter, but I’ll also keep an eye out for deal on wool topcoat after the holidays.  So for those who have been asking how my search was going… here it is!

Should work out pretty perfectly… I hope.

Chester Mox

I usually don’t get a new wallet all that often.  In fact, I used one wallet for a good twelve years before retiring it.  But recently, I did get a new wallet: one made by Chester Mox, a leather goods maker based in Los Angeles, California.  You may have seen a few other bloggers talk about this brand, like on Red Clay Soul or The Bengal Stripe.  After just checking out a few of their offerings, it’s easy to see that Chester Mox really is doing it right.  The collection is full of very affordable pieces made with Horween leather, much of it being shell cordovan.  And an aspect that’s just as good as the price is the fact that each piece is fully customizable.  You can basically get any style they make in any leather they use, and also get it engraved.  For my wallet, I opted for the Wiry Flap Wallet in tobacco shell cordovan.  And I couldn’t be happier with it…

Go check out Chester Mox… Perfect leather goods.

The Knottery’s Latest Collection

As most saw on Tumblr yesterday, the guys at The Knottery released their latest collection.  With these new additions, it’s clear to see that Jay and Jack are really thinking outside the box to bring us amazing accessories at one of the most reasonable price points around the internet.  My favorites of the current batch of ties definitely have to be the cable knit wool ties and the one inspired by the iconic L.L. Bean Norwegian sweater.  The boys are also expanding their accessory arsenal with the addition of mohair lapel flowers and belts.  The belts, which will be available later this week, come in a hoof pick style and a suede D-ring, and are both made in the USA.  Check this stuff out, and don’t wait on buying anything… some styles are already sold out!

Hats off to a perfect job!  Looking forward to seeing the next batch already…

F.M. Allen Cold Weather Gear

My search for a winter coat was put on hold last week while I was vacationing in Mexico.  But now that I’m back, my search has resumed.  One brand that seems to stay under the radar around the blogosphere (although, I’m not sure why) is F.M. Allen.  The company owner, Will Woods, is a great guy who has an eye for what looks good.  I’m a big fan of what they do season after season, but this years cold weather wear seems pretty top notch.  The jackets are a little out of my price range, but it’s so nice not to post.  The collection is full of quilted jackets with great silhouettes.  All pieces are made in Italy.  Head over and check them out.

Perfection from F.M. Allen…