My Favorite Coat: Fox-y, Furry and Fancy

     I've come to discover that aside from shoes, you can never have too many coats and jackets.  There are so many different occasions and circumstances in which you might need a certain kind of outerwear. 

     I have quite the assortment these days, but it has its holes.  I'm still looking for a great car coat, an overcoat to wear over a suit, a more casual overcoat (like this moleskin number from Banana Republic) and a toggle coat (this one would be nice.) 

     However, I'm happy to be able to say I have plenty of barn jackets, a blazer (which desperately needs an upgrade), a couple of sports coats, some nylon outdoors jackets, a wonderful Brooks Brothers rain coat, a Gap jean jacket, some Polo zip-up jackets and this lovely thrift store find from Fox Knapp...

 

Just hangin' out.

 

Collar down.



Collar up.  Keeps me from having to bring a scarf.

     Now that I have this coat, I'm very drawn to faux fur collars (just take a look at some of my Pinterest pins.)  I still can't believe in what flawless shape this coat was when I found it.  No stains, no tears, no shedding, nothing.  The stitch holding the rear vent closed was still intact.  Its condition is even more impressive when you consider this coat was probably made in the 1970s (the wide pocket flaps are a tell.) 
     My only complaints about it are: the body is a little boxy (that can probably be removed by a tailor) and the "woven leather" buttons are hard plastic.  Overall, though, I love this piece and look for reasons to wear it.  It's warm, has an attractive herringbone pattern and its "fur" collar makes an elegant statement (with a Victorian English accent, I imagine.) 
     If you'd like to see more of Fox Knapp's outerwear, you can find a lot of it on eBay.

My First Time with Florsheim

     Anyone who knows me or has read/seen this blog knows I have pretty conservative tastes in fashion.  I prefer classic designs that have stood the test of time, like knitted ties, argyle socks, saddle shoes, bucks and penny loafers.  They always look good, which means you won't spend money on something that's going to look awful and dated in 2 years.
     With that in mind, it makes sense that I developed an interest in Florsheim shoes.  I've always had an appreciation for American clothing/shoe brands (although these days it's likely that companies which started out American-owned and -operated back in the 19th and 20th centuries are now owned by foreign companies.  However, I am happy to report that Florsheim is owned by the Weyco Group located in Glendale, Wisconsin.)  For those unfamiliar with Florsheim, it was started by Milton Florsheim of Chicago in 1892.  Florsheim boots were worn by soldiers in the Spanish-American war of 1898 and in both World Wars.  Florsheim still makes classic shoe styles, but it has also partnered with Duckie Brown to add some modern twists to timeless designs. 
     A few days ago, I was poking around my local Nordstrom Rack store in search of whimsical socks.  That proved fruitless, but since I was already there, I decided to see what kind of shoes were available.  I'm glad I did.  I found a pair of Florsheim Lowell tassle loafers at a motivated-to-sell price that I couldn't pass up.  Not wanting to rush to purchase, I tried on both the 11s (hard to get on and instantly binding) and the 11.5s, which wound up being very comfortable.  I'm confident of this because I wore them to walk around the store to look for the size 11s.  Since I got such a great deal on them, I decided to get a pair of cedar shoe trees to deoderize and maintain them (Nordstrom Rack has a great price on cedar shoe trees as well.) 
     I am so glad I got these Lowells.  They're my first pair of Florsheims, my first tassle loafers, a great pair of dress/casual nighttime shoes and they have leather soles.  Anyway, enough blabbing from me - here are the shoes!
    

Lookin' good!

 

 

 

     For those of you who'd like your own pair of Florsheim Lowell tassle loafers: they're available at 6pm.com for 26 percent off retail price.

 

     If you happen to be in the Austin area and would like to see what a Nordstrom Rack store has to discover, click to find out the North store's location and hours here and the South store's location and hours here.

Trying On the Cartier Calibre aka Never Meet Your Heroes

     Ever since I discovered the Cartier Calibre (check it out here) earlier this year, I had been drawn to it, especially the pink gold/steel model with two-tone metal bracelet and white dial.  I even wrote an earlier blog post about my attraction to it (read that post here).  I had resigned myself to the idea that I would have to go to Houston or Dallas just to try it on.  That all changed with a casual visit to the Sak's Fifth Avenue store up in north Austin.  They sell Cartiers!  It was a shock to be in a store that sells high-end watches as well as handbags and shoes.  However, this pleasant discovery soon became tempered by disappointment after I tried the Calibre on. 

I'll make it simple: it looks way too damn big!  It's a good looking watch, but its white dial and the way its bezel flows into the crystal add up to make a 42 mm diameter watch look absolutely massive.  It's like Eva Mendes' face atop the body of an NFL player.

However, it was not all bad news at Sak's.  I got to try on a beautiful Cartier that I had forgotten all about.  Keep scrolling down to find out which one it was (hint: both President Clinton and Usher have one).

                      This watch looks like a wrist wrecking monster on my 7-1/4" wrist.  Way too butch.  Makes me think I should have no neck, a fake tan and a tendency to call everyone "bro" just to wear it.

                      Even the sapphire set into the crown is too big.  Makes me think of how American cars are designed - every element is oversized.

                      This is a nice color combo.

 

                      The black dial helps disguise some of the enormity of the dial and looks good with the stainless steel case.

     Despite the disappointingly hulking appearance of the Calibre, I was pleasantly surprised by the Ballon Bleu in stainless steel and yellow gold (Ref.: W69009Z3).  This, too, is a 42 mm watch, but its proportions are much more visually subdued and tasteful than those of the Calibre.  It is a very round watch (ballon meaning ball or balloon in French), but its attractive two-tone bracelet, large Roman numerals, contained and fluted crown and opaline dial with guilloche finish are more than enough to distract me from that.  This watch has a charming, old-fashioned appearance that makes it look like an heirloom piece already. 

Notice the subtle "C" shape formed by the indentation of the date window.  It makes for a pleasant-looking assymetry.

 

                      I could get used to seeing that.

                      The Ballon Bleu even appears round when viewed from the side, thanks to its curved synthetic sapphire crystal and rounded caseback.  I don't think I've ever seen a watch that looks like this one.  I like it, even if it does look a little thick (13 mm).

     If you are as smitten with the Cartier Ballon Bleu as I am, you can click here to learn more about it.

A Send-Off for Seersucker

     I've always loved seersucker, ever since my mom introduced me to it by way of a pair of J. Crew gingham shorts over a decade ago.  Fortunately for me, Austin offers plenty of days of hot weather that give me an excuse to wear one of my favorite weaves.  Being a stickler for season appropriateness, I will be shelving my seersucker garments come the first day of Fall.  To mark their temporary departure from my wardrobe, I decided to take some shots showing my stripes (and whimsical, warm weather colors.) 

What Am I Wearing?
   -Ray-Ban Original Wayfarers in Tortoise
   (I bought mine here.)
   -Pink and blue medallion pocket square (bought at Nordstrom Rack)  
   -Brooks Brothers Madison Fit Seersucker Sports Coat
   (This is the closest to it left on their website.)
   -Brooks Brothers Traditional Fit Washed Oxford in Pink
   (No longer available.  Sorry!)
   -Omega Seamaster Professional chronometer watch (Model #2531.80)
   (My model is no longer in production, but here's the closest, modern approximation: Model #2220.80.)
   -Brooks Brothers Football Leather Briefcase
   (You can get your own here.)
   -JC Penney St. John's Bay Straight Fit jeans
   (Follow this link to see JC Penny's selection of St. John's Bay jeans.)
   -Bass Linwood Weejuns penny loafers in 75th Anniversary Sombra Seahorse brown
   (My particular shoes went the way of the dodo, but here's the link to the Bass website.)

 

 

(Thanks for taking the pictures, Mom!)

On My "Watch" List (Literally!)

Hello, again!  I know it's been a while, but now I'm back with a watch-related post.  I've loved watches since I was a little kid and in recent years my tastes have leaned towards Omega and Rolex, partly for their designs and partly for their (relative) accessibility (especially on the secondary market.)  Lately, my horizons have been broadening and I've been developing a knowledge of and interest in brands like Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Universal Geneve, Zenith, Audemars Piguet, Bulgari, Girard-Perregaux, Frederique Constant, and Vulcain, among others.  Below are two watches from 2 other brands that have caught my eye.  Let me know if they strike your fancy as strongly as they struck mine. 

 

Cartier Calibre de Cartier (Reference: W7100036)

I've always thought of Cartier as a jeweler, first and foremost, but more and more these days, I find myself being attracted to their watch designs.  Their Santos 100 XL is already on my Wish List and this is the next entry.  I'm a sucker for gold and stainless two-tone watches with white dials and gold bezels as it is and this piece gives me even more to love.  The separate seconds dial at 6 o'clock and the 1-in-3 date window at 3 o'clock give this watch some character and keep it from looking too symmetrical.  The sapphire spinel planted in the middle of the crown is a nice touch, too.  One thing that really stands out to me is the way the flange-like bezel recedes into the crystal.  I don't really see that a lot.  The case is interestingly shaped, as well.  The lugs appear to curve down more dramatically than they do on any other watch I've seen.  Inside the unusual case is the in-house, 27-jewel, 1904 MC movement with a 48 hour power reserve.  Given how attractive this piece is and its in-house movement, it's hard to believe that this is an "entry-level" Cartier watch.  The Cartier Calibre is available in pink gold, stainless steel, or pink gold/stainless steel with either a leather strap or metal bracelet.  The watch pictured above goes for about $12,000.  (Check out the entire Cartier Calibre line on their website.)  

Ralph Lauren Stirrup (Reference: RLR0021700)

I'm usually not one for buying certain goods from manufacturers not known for making them.  For instance,  I would never buy a vacuum cleaner from Ford or a pair of shoes from Microsoft.  So it would make sense that I would be reluctant to accept a watch by Ralph Lauren.  However, to say this is a true Ralph Lauren watch is misleading.  In 2007, the fashion house decided to add a line of high-end watches to its product portfolio and partnered with Richemont, the corporate umbrella under which Jaeger-LeCoultre and other illustrious watchmakers such as Baume et Mercier and IWC reside.  I think that's a great idea and one that should give comfort to hard-core Ralph Lauren customers who want a well-made timepiece that matches their style and watch collectors who value original, attractive design as much as watchmaking pedigree.  The example above houses the manual-wind, 22-jewel RL701 movement made by Jaeger-LeCoultre specially for Ralph Lauren.  I typically don't like gold-on-black, but this combination of a rose gold case with a black alligator leather strap pops in an attractive way.  Leave it to Ralph Lauren to make a watch the same shape as a horse stirrup.  I wonder if any owners will actually wear this watch when they play polo.  If they decide to leave it at home, it will stay wound for about 70 hours.  But if I had a $16,000 watch like this one, I would want to wear it all the time.  The Ralph Lauren Stirrup Collection is available in 3 different sizes in stainless steel, rose gold, white gold, and platinum and almost every model comes on a leather strap.  Chronograph functionality and diamond-set bezels for certain models are also available options.  (If you would like to learn more about this watch line on the Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Co. website, click here.) 

Cadillac Crazy!

     I've had Cadillacs on the brain the past few weeks.  I can't stop thinking about the stately designs of the older cars and the bold, unique styling of the current cars.  Every time I see a knife-edged CTS coupe going down the road, I daydream about being the guy behind the wheel of such a statement-making car, parading stylish American automotive design up and down the streets of Austin.  I love some of the recent (produced) designs and have rediscovered some of their best looking concepts, such as the Sixteen and the Ciel (below.) 
     I never used to be a Cadillac fan, which makes sense because I was not in their previous demographic: retirees and the elderly.  The fuddy-duddy image of Cadillac was shattered with the first utterance of Cadillac's Art & Science design language and the company's new focus on engaging, sporty, performance-oriented cars in 2002.  I love the way the new models look and the fact that you can get an American rear-wheel-drive sedan with a supercharged Corvette motor and a 6-speed manual transmission. 
     However, as I've gotten older, I've become more familiar with Cadillacs from years past and have discovered quite a few "grandpa-mobiles" that really catch my eye, my age be damned.  (I still haven't developed an extensive knowledge of or appreciation for Cadillacs before the '80s and '90s; perhaps I will one day.  My tastes reach farther back in time as the years go by.) 
     (Big thanks to Autoblog's John Neff for helping me tweak this post.)
     Anyway, here are my favorite Cadillacs, both production and concept:

PRODUCTION CARS

1992-2002 Eldorado Touring Coupe (ETC)

This is kind of a "drug dealer's car," but I still like it.  The lines are simple and straight, but softer than those of the modern Art & Science cars.  I've always driven sedans and tend to favor them not only because I'm familiar with them, but because their lines are given more room to express themselves than they would be in coupe form.  I find a lot of coupe versions of sedans to be visually abbreviated in an unflattering way.  However, the lines of this coupe are fully voiced and form an attractive personal luxury coupe (a very indulgent, yet sensible, ride for a single guy like me.)  (Take a peek at the ETC's Wikipedia page.)

1993-1996 Fleetwood Brougham
What a majestic highway barge.  This is like the tuxedo of sedans, especially in this particular color scheme.  I love the broad swaths of chrome along the bottom and the landau roof.  I couldn't drive this particular specimen every day, though.  Being that it's the tuxedo of road cars, I would only drive it to special occasions, like weddings.  It would be a ton of work to keep this behemoth clean and looking its best, but it would be worth it.  This is the kind of car that wouldn't look good at all with road warrior scars.  After all, who wants to wear a dirty tuxedo?  (Here's its entry on Wikipedia.)

2000-2005 DeVille
We all know the prices on luxury cars and American cars depreciate like crazy, which is what makes one of these such a tempting purchase.  I love the looks of these DeVilles and the idea of picking up a wood-and-leather-lined, V8-powered piece of American luxury for a steep discount.  I'm a big fan of road trips already, but if I had one these, I think I'd invent reasons to go on one and treat my friends to the experience of riding in a Cadillac.  (Here's a link to more info on the DeVille.)

2006-2009 XLR-V
I love the decidedly non-curvaceous styling of this car as well as its, at times, awkward geometry and unforgiving, committed straight lines.  It might not be the prettiest car out there, but, by Hell, it makes a statement.  It's different and refreshing and stands out, for better or worse.  The fact that it has a supercharged, 443 horsepower Northstar V8 makes it even more attractive, although, for $100K, you'd think Cadillac might have chosen to put the 556 hp motor from the CTS-V or the 638 hp motor from the Corvette ZR-1 into it.  A missed opportunity of sorts, but still a bad-ass car.  (More information about this car can be found on its Wikipedia page.)  

2013-? ATS
I saw one of these being loaded into a truck a few weeks ago and I haven't been able to forget it since.  I love its evolutionary CTS styling and its tidier size (and more accessible price), as well as the inward-biased positioning of its dual exhausts.  I grew up with Japanese sedans and I still love them, but this is the first American non-muscle/sports car that's made me want to buy a Detroit 4-door.  Mayhaps I should go test drive one when they come out...  (See more of the ATS here.)

2011-? CTS-V Coupe

I know I said at the beginning of this post that I'm partial to sedans, but this is another coupe I really like if only because it's so odd-looking and unique.  Like the XLR-V, it has an attractively brutal geometry to it, but it also has a dramatically raked rear window and a quirky, high-riding rump that is chiseled off to a cool, dual-outlet center exhaust (it looked good on the first generation Jeep Cherokee SRT-8, too.)  The icing on the cake is the 556 horsepower, supercharged V8 and the 6-speed manual transmission.  Sometimes I day-dream about driving this 2-door American rocket cross-country.  What a quick, but stylish, trip that would be.  (Check it out here.)     

CONCEPTS

2003 Sixteen
It's such a shame this was never produced.  It harkens back to the days when Cadillac was known as "The Standard of the World," both in terms of styling and powertrain.  It has presence and the paradoxical restrained outrageousness of a Rolls-Royce and a 16-cylinder, 1,000 horsepower engine.  Cadillac really pulled out all of the stops with this one.  If I were insanely wealthy, it would be tempting to have one of these custom-built and legalized for road use or, at least, buy the concept from GM.  (Learn more about the Sixteen concept on Wikipedia.)

2011 Ciel
Like the Sixteen, the Ciel makes a hell of a statement that quotes old-school Cadillac adages, at least visually.  The hybrid-assisted 3.6 liter, direct-injected V6 is an unpleasant surprise for such a grand piece of sculpture.  While I'm not crazy about the squared off front end, I do love the profile and rear end.  "Ciel" is French for "sky" and this 4-seater convertible is made just for that.  I fantasize about wafting down a sunlit coast line with 3 of my closest friends in this glorious land yacht.  (I wonder what it would look like with its top up.)  (Learn more about the Ciel on Cadillac's website.)

Welcome to Watches, Whips, and Wardrobe!

Hello, everyone!  Welcome to my new blog on 3 of my favorite things (aside from acting): timepieces, cars, and menswear!

I've been interested in them since childhood.  I can remember collecting little cheapo watches (among other things, like Ninja Turtles and basketball cards) in elementary school and my dad taking me with him to pick up old Detroit iron, like a '56 Chevy BelAir or an old '50s GMC truck.  My mother is responsible for engendering a love for dress clothes in me.  Every time we would go to the symphony in elementary school, I would dress to the nines, complete with clip-on tie, just the way my mom showed me.  (I would like to think my taste in fashion has come a long way since then.  I still love to dress up, though.)

My vision for this blog consists of posting pictures and little blurbs about things on my wishlist and reviewing the things that I currently own, as well as reviewing my experiences at various stores and establishments (with occasional shout-outs to helpful staff and good stores thrown in.)

With that said, let's get into it.  I must admit, when it comes to things I like, a lot of times I've just found my "flavor of the week."  Some things catch my eye and then lose it, but some catch my eye and then my money.  At this point, I don't know which category the following fall into, but I'll share them with you, anyway.

WISHLIST

Watches:                                                      

Rolex Sky-Dweller
Probably not the prettiest or even most original looking watch or Rolex out there, but it is still handsome and full of trick features in a stream-lined design.  I can just imagine being on a plane, in first-class, flying out the West Coast and setting this bad boy up to keep track of Central Standard Time and Pacific Standard Time.  It's the most complicated movement Rolex has produced in quite a while, which I think is cool.  The fact that they packed a GMT function, a date wheel, a concealed Ring Command bezel mechanism (which allows you to select which function to adjust), and an annual calendar into a handsome design while keeping the face simple and legible is even cooler.
(Check it out here.)
 

Cartier Santos 100 XL

This one kind of sneaked up on me.  I used to be a fan of the Cartier Tank Francoise and then forgot about it.  A few months ago, I came across this lovely creation and haven't been able to forget it since.  I'm a sucker for gold-bezeled, white-faced watches.  And I've always had a latent attraction to tank watches.  The blued hands and roman numerals are a nice touch.  This watch is visually interesting but not loud about it (which is how I think all interesting things/people should be.)  I can see myself wearing this with a cream/brown plaid suit and some matching brown monk straps and even passing it on to my children (if I ever have any.)
 (I discovered this watch on Bernard Watch Company's website: http://www.bernardwatch.com/)

Whips:

1966-77 Ford Bronco
Don't get me wrong - I like big, bad, hairy-chested SUVs like the last gen Bronco and Mercedes G Wagons, but the fact that this first gen Bronco is relatively small and not all ate up with differential and knobby mudding tires makes it rather charming.  It's a cute rig and is blessed with old school American good looks (like old Jeeps.)  It looks like something out of a Tommy Hilfiger ad and I'm OK with that.
(Check out the Ford Bronco Wikipedia page.)

2009 Cadillac XLR-V 

I love curvaceous cars like the Lamborghini Miura and Maserati GranTurismo, but this car is very different and I love it for that.  It's pretty much a C6 Corvette rebodied with rulers and powered by a supercharged, 443 hp Northstar V8.  What I don't understand is why Cadillac chose not to use the 556 hp LSA motor from the Cadillac CTS-V or the 638 hp mill from the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 for the flagship model from GM's flagship brand.  (Take a look at Cadillac's website.)

1966-1970 Buick Riviera
It's hard for me to think of an ugly Riviera from the '60s or early '70s.  They all look good in their own way.  The '63-'65 models have that early '60s Detroit Iron cool to them and the early '70s models have the novel boat tails.  The '66-'70 Rivieras are kind of a cross between those 2 generations - restrained like the previous generation, but  provocative like the next generation.  I'd love to cruise around in one of these and feel the vinyl seats under me and smell the gas and oil being devoured.  (Check out the new Buicks at http://www.buick.com/.)

Wardrobe:

Johnston and Murphy Dolby Saddle shoes
I do not own a pair of wingtips.  My black dress shoes are monk straps and my brown dress shoes are cap toes.  For some reason, I find traditional wingtips to be boring.  However, these, while lacking the brogue detailing at the toe, do have a wingtip design and I love them.  Their spectator look only adds to their appeal.  I'd love to wear these with some summer-weight pants, a short sleeve button-up, and some Wayfarers.  (You can buy a pair, here.)

Florsheim Gaffney boots
I love my Johnston and Murphy Runnell chukka boots (in brown and grey), but they're suede and have a crepe rubber sole, so they're not what I'd call "dressy" boots.  These Florsheims do have a lug rubber sole, but the wingtip and brogue detailing dress them up sufficiently.  I'd have no hesitation in wearing these with a suit, but I could still wear them with jeans.  (You can buy a pair of your own, here.)