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.
    

I like nice things....but at nice prices.

     In an effort to post every day (and thus follow the advice of a very knowledgeable Austin reporter/blogger who was kind enough to let me interview him about getting started in journalism), I will be sharing my general thoughts and philosophies about cars, clothes and watches (translation: don't expect to see pictures in every post.)

     I have a very bad habit of "Windows" shopping in my free time.  Not only do I look for new arrivals, but I constantly scour the sales sections.  I don't have a bank roll that'll choke a hippo, so I have to be selective about purchasing the items that catch my eye.  I'm all for instant gratification, but you can lose your ass if you're constantly indulging a taste for Brooks Brothers shirts and Johnston and Murphy shoes, price be damned.

     I don't consider myself an especially patient person, but, somehow, I've discovered that if you wait long enough, you can scoop some killer deals.  Granted, those items on sale are typically out of season, but who gives a shit?  If you're buying the right thing, you'll be able to comfortably wear it when the appropriate weather comes around again, and for years after that.  I fondly remember buying a lovely raincoat last year at an end of season clearance sale for 70 percent off.  It's an ecru, 3/4 length raincoat whose only embellishment is epaulettes.  I can wear that puppy for the next 10 years, at least (the 3/4 length might become a little dated in the future.) 

     Patience truly is a virtue when building your wardrobe.  You can buy more items when they're all on sale.  I would rather have a shirt, a pair of pants and a pair of playful socks in a few weeks instead of a shirt right now.  However, there are certain items that never seem to go on sale, such as Tiffany's silver, Coach retail products (although they have an outlet store on eBay and their own outlet website) and Rolex watches (I've heard of people getting slight discounts at authorized dealers, but those discounts don't seem to be as high as those for Omegas.)
    
     For the most part, though, a lot of menswear sites seem to have perennial sales sections.  Keep in mind that the inventory changes with the seasons.  One sales section I always check is Brooks Brothers'.  You could say that, even on sale, their stuff is ridiculously pricey, but when I gotta have it, I gotta have it.

     One of my favorite online menswear magazines, Valetmag.com, has a great section listing all the sales and deals to be had in the world of menswear.  Check it out here. 

     Happy hunting, fellas!

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.)