Sandals...on a Sunday...

Just this last week I shared with all of you my ardent love for Sunday and its myriad of sartorial selections one can indulge in. Last week it was HOT. Hurricane Earl, which turned out to be a minor prolonged period of late-evening drizzle, had yet to sweep away the unbearable heat and the city was the typical image of the American city in August...heat rising in waves off the pavement, snarling traffic, horns blaring, fans blowing, steam rising, and taxis swerving...it was like a bad establishing shot for Law & Order. Dun dun...

Yet still somehow people were adequately dressed for a Sunday. While Boston CERTAINLY isn't the most sartorial of cities, men were still in blazers, women in dresses...or both sexes at least in collared shirts. So why then? Did I just get back from a long-winded bicycle ride through Newton, Brookline, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, East Cambridge, Harvard, Porter, Davis, and greater Somerville...In full suiting mind you, and see such lack-luster effort. Clearly they're not reading my blog...which is abhorrently apprehensible...But in all honesty, I've never seen so many flip flops.

Flip. Flops. ... !....?....!!!! lets just unpack that word there. A pedial accoutrement device involving two straps of leather and usually a foam or leather sole, depending on how fancy-pants you feel. And they call them Flip. Flops. the very words conjure how you'd expect them to sound. Loud, obnoxious and throughly, thoroughly undignified.

Now that Earl has passed, and the weather's cooled to a perfect 72 degrees with nothing but whisps of clouds between you and a brilliantly blue sky...I'd expect a little more decorum. Perhaps its my insanely outdated puritanical sensibilities, or just that fact that ALL of college-dom has now officially moved into Boston, but I was honestly caught off guard being the ONLY blazer-clad bicyclist in all of Boston.

...photo from my new favorite bicycle blog...

I know I'm crazy...this is something I'm well aware of. I know that most people don't honestly rifle through their winter storage the FIRST day of mildly unseasonable cooler-weather to find scarves, wool blazers, and sweaters to wear, all the while thinking..."I could wear this Icelandic wool sweater if only I just stay in the shade and out of direct sunlight to keep me from overheating"...In fact some people detest the cooler weather and all the layering possibilities which go along with such a season. Take my friend and co-worker Samantha Chu for example, while certainly the LAST person to break out her winter wardrobe on such a sunny day as this...she also manages to be the best dressed person at ALL TIMES!!! She's the sort of style minded individual whom if you were to show up to her house on a Sunday you'll find her vacuuming carpets in high-heeled patent leather shoes, full jewelry regalia, and evening gown adorned. Its that sort of person who is so whole-heartedly swept up in their own "personal rules to live by" that thankfully make me feel like I'm not alone in the world.

...check out her blog! Its 100 ways of awesomeness!!!...

That being said, lets just you and me get one thing straight. As I'm writing this, and you...must be reading this...you must think me an absolute purist J.E.R.K. While I personally would never be caught dead in sandals; alot...and I mean ALOT of the people I know wear sandals and do so frequently. Do I hate them for doing so? NO. Do I secretly scorn their sense of style? N.O.!!! While I don't share their likes and dislikes I also make a point of it NOT to be a jerk about these things. We every one of us need a little variety, and there are days when I'm 20 minutes late for the bus I SHOULD have taken, but didn't, because I'm still pulling out my hair stressing over "not having anything to wear" and standing in front of the mountainous heap of clothing strewn about my room having just been wrenched furiously from the hangers in panicked grasping for a "coherent look". Its days like these that I wish I didn't mind so much, get caught up in my own rules-to-live-by, and just go with the flow. But thats just what I'm trying to get at.

Each and every person has their own set-of-rules that they live by. Its usually dictated by what they feel looks best on themselves, but we all share this in common. And while Sandals certainly may not be in my personal repertoire...er...or unless they're Chloe and fantasmagorically well-executed...(never say never), I certainly won't hold it against you if you find yourself wearing them in my presence...

Its ok, I promise. We can still be friends.

Sartorial Sunday

Sundays have always been my favorite day of the week. Some people dread it like the plague, being the last day of freedom before Monday rolls around. Some people prefer Fridays for its festive nature signaling the end of the work week and the beginning of their time for post-work debauchery...Saturdays have a cool sophisticated air, perhaps the benefit of being situated between the Licentiousness of Fridays and the Sanctity of Sundays. Its a day of strolls in the park, brunch on terraces overlooking tree-lined avenues and sailing along the Charles...But Sunday. Oh Sundays really take the cake...

Being that Sunday is a day of worship, one is especially expected to dress in a manner that they don't usually aspire to. While I'd say I'm usually conscious of what I wear most every day, its Sundays that give me carte-blanche to engage in the pursuit of sartorial gains. Boston in general certainly may not be the most sartorial of cities, but at least on Sunday you'll see people wearing things a bit nicer than they usually tend to...the leggings are gone, the madras stays at home, and every once in a while you'll see a blazer or a tie. As for myself, and being that its so ungodly hot today, I chose to keep it simple this Sunday with a light blue western, some professional looking raw-denim, Gucci horse-bit loafers, the crocodile attaché, a good pair of Persol, and my light blue Hermes belt...the closest thing you'll ever find to me wearing that features a monogram of logo from a designer brand...I buy things for their quality, not for their social prestige...

I attend services at the Arlington Street Unitarian Universalist's congregation of Boston. Apart from having truly mind-blowing sermons they also have strong ties to the Symphony and the Longwood conservatory, which often means some truly amazing performances. This Sunday's piano-piece was Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy. Its an old classic, but I thought you'd enjoy the modern way in which its presented...

...heres to a wonderful Sunday...

SALE!!! Allsaints

Newest kid on the block, Allsaints of Spitalfields, which opened its doors to Boston's Newbury street masses not two months ago is already having its end-of-season SALE! I took a mosey on through the store when it first opened and was quite frankly shocked at the prices they were asking for some, if not many of the chicly distressed a-symmetrical garments they carry. The quality seems good, tight seems, good textures, well curated graphics by season, and the line seems to be a younger, slightly more publicly palatable Rick Owen's-esque luxury basic, which is a hard thing to do in a recession when the spend-thrift masses tend to tread more conservative waters...

Needless to say, there are quite a few leather jackets, some A-symmetrical zip hoodies, and a proliferation of neo-1890's-esque-hipster-hiking-boots I've had my eye on...which is why I practically jumped for joy the moment I saw their sale signs out in the window. While I still may not even be able to afford their wares at the deeply discounted 70% off in my currently unpaid status as intern, it just goes to show there's still hope for me next season. So if you've the luxury of a job that pays you legal tender, then I'd soundly suggest a trip to your nearest Allsaints of Spitalfields...

Boston Location:

122 Newbury Street between Dartmouth and Clarendon...or just have a look at the fine map I drew especially for this occasion!!!

Thou shalt not covet women's sandals...

I know I'm not supposed to, and everything in the very fiber of my being says NO! NO! NO! Avert your eyes lest you become tempted and become hegemonically debauched! But I. Do. CRAVE. a ...[*tear***] yes you guessed it, Women's Sandal! Just hear me out on this one guys...

...after seeing this photo posted to one of my all-time favorite blogs, Jak and Jil, I just couldn't stop thinking about these sandals. Clearly its a woman we see in the shot wearing the, yes you guessed it, women's designer brand sandals, but theres just something about those rough hewn leather straps and that primitive canvas ankle cuff that I just can't get my mind off of...

...Being the relentless google-search-hound I am, it didn't take me long to pull up dozens of photos from nearly every angle...and I'm going to share them with you and hopefully you'll feel the same way...Naturally being Chloé...they're extortionately expensive. As an unpaid intern for a Boston Design Center showroom, I'd ironically have to sell my own legs [feet attached] just to pay for these sandals...which I'd then be entirely unable to wear...what then? electrical tape mantle-piece ornament perhaps?

...I've always liked that militaristic look, and these sandals have that aesthetic pegged perfectly... but what I don't get is why women get to delight in such innovative detailed footwear. Normally I'm a loafer-wearing, chuck-toting, wingtip-scuffing, top-sider-boating kind of guy, but for some reason designers seem to put so much effort more into a proliferation of women's accessories, shoes, hats, etc and we all get why...men hate to shop. But still...it leaves me in this awkward situation in a Barney's shoe salon where I'm doing my best not to steal furtive glances towards the gender-bending sandals I so dearly adore...

...I think its the looping belt-buckle like straps and the mixture of texture, material and colour which are what I find the most appealing about the sandal. And because the canvas part ultimately loops around your ankle it provides a certain ability for one to alter the look of the sandal. For example, take the sandal pictured above...doesn't it almost look like it might have stepped out of World War I with that height they've given the ankle cuff, whereas the one pictured just below the Barney's Ad looks much more...[dare I say it to please myself...yes.] Masculine?

...At the end of the day, what with my current financial status, [I work literally for sun-chips, free fabric and the odd carpet sample] I wouldn't even be able to afford a heavily discounted pair on sale let alone the full priced $595. However, as with many things I so severely covet, I think someday, someday soon... I'll spend a lazy-Sunday feverishly tearing apart canvas bags, stripping leather belts, and sewing a cobbled version of my own to love and to cherish for all the cobble-stone sidewalks of my days...

Alek Wek's Brooklyn Brownstone...

One of my favorite models currently on the runway is none other than Alek Wek. The Sudanese native isn't a stranger to struggle having fled her native homeland during the bloody civil war in 1991. Spotted in a food-market in Central London by a model scout, she's since taken the world by storm appearing as the first African face on many publications, the first African model to wear the finale piece of Haute-Couture, the wedding dress (if you don't get it, its a HUGE deal in those circles...which can often be a bit...xenophobic). Apart from modeling she's also known for her Handbag line, Wek 1933, inspired by memories of her father's briefcase, sold exclusively through ultra-luxe brit-brand Selfridge's. And whats more, by all accounts, she's an entirely enjoyable person to be around...and we do so love models that are more than two-dimensional...

Alek with just a few of her Alek Wek 1933 creations...covet them...

...But most Importantly, we loves her beautiful Brooklyn Brownstone...

...while it may not be the most well-edited abode I felt it important to include the homes of "non-professionals". Our homes and the things we put in them are reflections of ourselves, our aspirations, our desires, our past and our roots...I also like to re-assure myself an "eclectic" mind doesn't necessarily mean magpie-insanity...

...just a few of her creations in her work room...

...Gasp! and whats more! she paints!!!...

...the ultimate..."Me and my favorite things shot"...and that smile...Is it just me or does she seem to FORCE you to have no other option but to be happy and want to smile back at her. There are very few beautiful people who are also a reflection of the beauty within themselves...

...Camelias in Profile...possibly my all time favorite Wek photo...

...Alek Wek in one of her more formal photo-shoots...

...Alek Wek! UGH! See, this is EXACTLY the sort of thing I was talking about, now you have no other option but to be a happier person for having seen this last photo...brilliant.

Lanvin Menswear - Fall 2010...

For some reason there has always been a great divide within the Fashion industry which perpetuated a disjointed aesthetic between Menswear and Womenswear. For some reason the looks walking down a menswear show beared little resemblance to their womenswear counterparts even insofar as having completely different inspirations, stylistic themes, colours and construction. However, thankfully enough, that has begun to change. More and more designers are looking to create an aesthetic which unites both menswear and womenswear under a unifying vision, or quite literally the "perfect couple".

"The perfect couple", you ask? For so many of the great fashion houses who've always been known as leaders in the womenswear field, this drive to create the "boyfriend, of the girl who wears (Insert Designer name here)", is a welcome change from the previous collections of recycled tired old suits, ties and the odd shoe simply to please the investors and keep duty free stores stocked full of ties, watches, and cufflinks that have little to nothing to do with the brand's aesthetic. When a menswear collection can hold its own against its zeitgeist making womenswear counterpart (Balmain, Givenchy, etc), that is a truly rare designer. This is why the new Fall 2010 Lanvin collection is such a welcome change from the norm.

The women's collection began as being loosely inspired by the North African desert regions, yet managed to infuse an ethnic albeit thoroughly modern urban aesthetic into the collection. The mens collection, maintains this modern ethnic vibe and expands upon it from a men's perspective. As is to be expected from Alber Elbaz, the Lanvin women's collection naturally is a billowing, well draped and graceful collection even if it has that hard urban warrior edge to it. From the men's perspective I got much more of a...hate to say it...starwars vibe here.

Now just hear me out on this one...

One of the first looks down the runway features this very tribal metal piece under

a suit which for me helped set the stage right off the bat as more of an ethnic collection...

...But modernity quickly became apparent once one took a closer look at the shoes; a sort of snake skin ethnic / modern age version of a wingtip with those modern adjustable straps in place of the traditional shoelace...

...And this was where I got that Anakin skywalker-esque

North-African inspired merchant-mercenary-airplane pilot look...

...With the billowy striped shirt and the pants that looked like a parachute material?...

...And the stringy, laced-up canvas satchel...

...North African merchant-mercinary modern interpretations of the leather duster?

...sort of an interesting gauze-like sci-fi-esque shirt...

...cut-off sleeves, longer tunic-like over-coat reminds me of a blacksmith,

or possibly a mechanic within this post-apocalyptic vigilante desert world...

... definitely a tunic...note the rough construction and a

wrinkled quality to both the pants and the vest...

...The materials call to me the most as being very

aeronautically related, but in a futuristic sense...

...wonderful juxtapostion of the rough and satin like textures, reminds me

of a tuxedo...the most modern sort of paired down sense of the gesture...

...True to form they did have suits, but even these re-enforced the design aesthetic...

...Saw this shot. Loved it. Its not entirely the sort of thing you'll ever see me personally walking down the street in, but it has that rare moment when everything comes together. The photography, the billowing overcoat in the background expressing a lightness and a movement, the rough, almost unfinished quality to the cuff of the sleeve and the lightness of the pants which seem to have been in some sort of explosion or near an awful lot of sparks judging by the singed holes in the pants, and the fanny pack? satchel? that adds a utilitarian harder edge to what would otherwise be a very airy-looking delicate shot. perfect combination...

...This was my absolute favorite shot in that it captures more of a refined look. Theres a much more constructed quality to the garments, less of a loose edge to them, but still a bit rough around the edges. Wonderful mixture of textures, colour and pattern. This shot to me was the most Mechanized-Machine-Age-Post-Apocalyptic-Sky-Captain-Meets-Star-Wars-esque with all the straps and laces to the satchel, the rough, but refined motorcycle jacket, and mostly the pixelated hexagonal gilded pants really reinforced this vision...

The Children are Bored on Sundays...

advertisement campaign for Oliver Peoples 2010 Campaign

...starring Shirley Mason, and Elijah Wood..."in a Role that will inspire"...music by Zee Avi

I had COMPLETELY forgotten all about this little cinematic gem until I was scouring my room top to bottom looking for my sunglasses while telling myself..."les enfants s'ennuient le dimanche"...which is odd since I've never had a day of French lessons in my head, but then again, given the sheer number of French foreign films I watch I'm often finding myself saying words and phrases I just don't comprehend. The phrase isn't French garble my brain pieced together from various French films, No, its the title of a cinematic advertisement from Oliver Peoples and stars Shirley Mason (lead singer of Garbage), and Elijah Wood (of Hollywood fame...). Literally translated, it means "The Children are Bored on Sundays", and as today is Sunday, I thought...Blog that Shit. As far as film advertisement go, of which there have been a proliferation amongst the fashion crowd recently, this one is actually descent, and very evocative. The film has a very...1920's wealthy Hollywood eccentric vibe and does some really unique ways of showing off their product (optics if you aren't familiar with Oliver Peoples). I think its marvelous, I'm loving every high-gloss minute of it, and so should you! Enjoy!