A Little Spring in My Step

     I'm excited about March 20th, the first day of spring.  I've enjoyed wearing lambswool sweaters, corduroy pants, camel hair flat caps, my beard and colorful scarves this winter, but I find spring clothing a lot more fun (and plentiful in my closet).  I love the texture of seersucker, the coolness of linen, the "pop" of pastel pinks and lavenders, and the refreshing, clean look of white bucks and accessories (like the Swatch White Rebel). 
     Being a hard-liner for things that mean nothing to others, I won't shave my winter facial hair until the first day of spring.  I'll also wait until March 20th to break out some very spring time shoes (I'm looking at you, linen) that I haven't worn yet: the Johnston and Murphy Ellington Wingtips.  Jos. A. Bank had a great sale on these that I stumbled across, so I had to get them.




Johnston and Murphy Ellington Wingtips

   I think these shoes will go well with this outfit...



     A little info: These Ellingtons started life as the Dolby wingtip saddle shoe last year.  I spoke to the manager of the J&M store a couple of months ago and she told me the only difference between the Dolby and these Ellingtons is the material used for the sole.  So glad they decided to keep this design because I didn't get a pair of the Dolbys in my size when I had the chance.
     So here's to spring!  I hope you all have a wonderful one full of good times and wonderful memories.

P.S.  If you've never checked out Jos. A. Bank before, take a look at their site.
    

GREAT NEWS!

     Thanks to the help of two reporters at the Austin American-Statesman and an old friend of mine, I recently received my first freelance automotive journalism assignment from the editor of the Marketplace Cars section (check it out here.) 
     I interviewed about 5 or 6 different tuner shops around town to find out what kinds of trends there are in the aftermarket scene given the down economy.  Fortunately, Austin has been in an economic bubble relative to the rest of the country.  Money is still flowing toward additional horsepower and performance in the ATX.
     I've learned a lot and have had a great time speaking with shop owners.  They've all been very pleasant and more than happy to discuss cars and mods with a fellow gearhead.
     My interviewing technique needs work (being smoother with my questions and integrating the use of my voice recorder) and I hope I learn how to attend events and do the work I need to get done, but still have fun and be myself.  Afterall, I'm going into automotive journalism because I really enjoy cars.
     If my editor decides to publish my article, I'll be sure to post the link on WW&W.
    

"And the Award Goes To..." : Oscar Fashion

     I've been acting in community theater plays and independent films for several years now, so you'd think I'd watch the Oscars.  You'd be wrong.  I never gave them a second thought.  I didn't even give them a thought this year, but, out of boredom, I ended up watching them.  I'm glad I did.  They reminded me of how many great-looking movies I need to see, and I got to see Daniel Day-Lewis win his 3rd Oscar.  (I fell in love with his acting after seeing this: Milkshake.)
     I also got to see Hollywood stars in their finest attire (most of the time.)  Below are some of the fashion hits and misses from the 2013 Academy Awards.  (Thanks to Esquire for the pictures.)

Black lapels, black shirt, sparkly black bow tie?  Looked like a hole full of night time below Jamie Foxx's head.  No pocket square?  Another chink in the armor.  Both jacket buttons buttoned?!  Come on, man - you're killin' me!  You're too cool a guy to look that goofy.    

Christoph Waltz kept it simple and classic with this one-button number.  No embellishment or excess here (unless you count his jacket sleeve length, which doesn't allow any of his shirt cuff to show.)  A very clean, classy look. 

I'm not crazy about skinny lapels, but some people are more able to wear them than others.  Steven Spielberg is one of those people.  However, his peak lapels were so thin that you could barely see the "peak."

I was surpised by how much I liked Chris Pine's tux.  I'm wary of double-breasted jackets as they are tricky to pull off.  Mr. Pine certainly did it right.  The lapels were wide enough to make a dramatic statement, but not wide enough to land a fighter jet on; the sleeves allowed him to flash just enough shirt cuff; the jacket fit his body perfectly; and he left his bottom right button undone.  The bow tie seemed a little too wide, though. That breast pocket looked like it could've used a friend, too.  And what was with the scraggly neck?      

Hugh Jackman is a tall man (6'2", according to Google) and has a great build, but his unique shawl collar double-breasted tuxedo jacket made his torso look absolutely HUGE.  Perhaps that's an accurate image.  A nice touch: his satin lapels matched those of his wife's jacket. 

Congratulations on winning Best Picture for "Argo," Mr. Affleck.  Your tux won't be winning any awards, though.  The peak lapels looked great, but given their width, they made your vest look like overkill.  Your bowtie was a mess, too.  It looked like it was, somehow, crumpled into a rectangle.       

The Wild Card: Samuel L. Jackson threw the Academy a style curveball with this luscious crimson velvet jacket with gunmetal piping.  I loved the rich color, the lustre of the fabric and the subtle color of the trim.  Points off for: the lack of a pocket square, the cheesy metallic shirt, the exposed bowtie band and the outfit's jarring contrast with the sea of black tie.  Mr. Jackson was a cardinal in a colony of penguins.