If you read my recent shoe collection post you know that I like longwings quite a bit. They’re an incredibly versatile shoe style, and over the years I’ve collected four pairs from four prominent brands. Since I know I’m not the only one interested in this style of footwear I thought I’d dive in to the details and compare the various aspects of each one – each have their little nuances that make them unique in their own way. […]
Taking Stock: the State of my Shoe Collection
I was recently doing a bit of deep cleaning and reorganizing in my apartment, which led me to take all of my shoes out of their little hutch and move them onto the floor. It had been a long time since I’d seen them all laid out like that in one place, so I decided to take stock of everything and see how my collection looked as a whole. […]
Product Review: MUJI Dopp Kit
The dopp kit – is it a travel necessity or just another unnecessary container within a larger container, meant to hold smaller containers? While I have on occasion thrown one in my weekender bag for short trips, I found them to be cumbersome for longer, airplane-oriented getaways. Dopp kits are generally bulky, and it’s not like I have any shortage of pockets when I travel. For a long time now, I have felt that there’s nothing a dopp kit can do that can’t be done equally well by a sturdy Ziplock bag. That all changed recently, when I was introduced to the MUJI hanging case.
Product Review: OrSlow 107 One-Wash Jeans
“Trust me – wear them for a week or two and then they’ll fit perfectly.” This is the bad advice that I’ve heeded and come to regret many times in the past decade – and I have a “shame stack” of virtually unworn jeans in my dresser to prove it. Although I like to wear jeans, I hate breaking in raw denim. Hate it. I just can’t get on board with buying something extremely uncomfortable and hoping that it will change after a month or two of suffering. For this reason I’ve been putting off purchasing a much-needed pair of jeans, but after learning more about OrSlow I decided that a pre-washed pair sounded like an excellent change of pace. […]
One Year Later: Private White V.C. Twin Track Jacket
Over the past year, the rate at which I purchase new menswear has slowed significantly – in part because I’m trying to save money, but also because I have most of what I need. Because of this, I find myself getting lots of wear out of my favorite pieces. For that reason, I figured it would be a good time to resurrect my “One Year Later” series and highlight some of my favorite items that have aged well and are still available for others to purchase. […]
Product Review: Crockett & Jones Skye in Shell Cordovan
When I was in London early last year, I spent a good deal of time at the Crockett & Jones store(s) on Jermyn street, as I discussed earlier. While I wasn’t really planning on purchasing anything initially, the very favorable 1.25:1 exchange rate at the time (along with my ability to try things on – such a rare treat for the online shopper) got the best of me and I ended up leaving with something very special. […]
Product Review: Pierpont Leather ‘Otis’ Cardholder
One of the great things about current state of the internet is that just about anybody can sell things online. The catch is that with all these new makers out there, it can sometimes be hard to find the true craftsmen, the people that have serious skill beyond just the average crafty person. When you do find one of those people, though, it’s that much more exciting. And one of those people is Parker Pierpont. […]
Product Review: Beckett Simonon “Nolan” Boots
A few months ago I was contacted by the folks at Beckett Simonon about putting together a review. I don’t take review requests very often these days, but the company had been on my radar for a while as a young brand putting out aggressively-priced menswear, so I decided to take a closer look. […]
Product Review: Carlos Santos Jumper Boot in Brown Grain
As I mentioned recently, my search for a good, versatile pair of boots and my curiosity over emerging footwear brand Carlos Santos recently collided. Carlos Santos has generated some excitement over their great pricepoint and attractive styles, and I put together a made-to-order run of boots through my good friends at A Fine Pair of Shoes. They were delivered about a month ago, so after a few weeks of wearing I figured it was time for a review. […]
Product Review: Away Carry-On Luggage (& Comparison to MUJI 33L)
I’ve been doing a lot of flying lately. And because of that, I’ve been talking a lot more about how I travel and what I use. My review of the MUJI 33L carryon was one of the top posts from last year, and I’ve received many questions on how it compares to Away, a potential competitor I mentioned in that article. I’ve since acquired one of their carryons and had some time to travel with it – here’s the review you’ve asked for, as well as how it compares to the MUJI. […]