How It's Made #4 - Esquivel Shoes

The more time I spend in the USA the more I am impressed with the quality and craftsmanship of locally-made items, despite being quite biased due to my European upbringing. I talked about the Alden shoe factory a while back and now I want you to introduce you to a west-coast, California-based Luxury Shoe Manufacturer: Esquivel.

Even though Esquivel markets these marvelously finished pairs as Women's shoes,  there's nothing that I see that would make them unwearable by men. 

The following video is a slideshow of stills taken during the making of Esquivel shoes:

The Esquivel website does not feature an online store, however Esquivel shoes and boots can be purchased at Endless.com

There's just something I love about green leather

Fashion Forward #5 - Slim on the Inseam

Summer is upon us and what better way to be fashionable and avoid the torrid heat than sporting  a shorter and slimmer than usual (see Fashion Forward #4) short?! It's definitely not a new trend since it was popular a little before my time in the 60s and 70s and is slowly resurfacing.

While that-which-shall-not-be-named is present in two of these photos, I would like to think it was all part of the photographer's artistic vision and therefore ignore it. What I would like everyone to focus on is how good and natural short shorts look on these guys! Even Sean Connery, as James Bond wore them and we all know Mr. 007 is a stylish gentleman.

While it is still harder to find shorter shorts at larger retailers, there are a few shops out there that only sell short shorts. One of the companies I like the most because of their simplicity and affordability is California-based YiMPS, whose motto is funnily "There is glory in short shorts".

YiMPS is a new company and so far only offers two short designs, both featuring a 4 inch inseam:

The Original Fit

Vintage-style men's corduroy shorts with a roomy hip and leg fit. Length is mid-thigh (4 inch inseam). This fit is perfect if you have a bulkier or a more muscular physique. This design comes in sizes 28 to 38 and retails online for $41.99.

The Slim Fit

Vintage-style men's corduroy shorts with a slim hip and leg fit. Length is mid-thigh with a 4-inch inseam. This fit is perfect if you are lean-bodied and going for the hipster look. This design comes in sizes 28 to 34 and retails online for $37.99.

Tips

- While sporting the short short is in itself a more difficult task for the average man who is more or less guided by mainstream society, my personal recommendation would be rid yourself of leg hair, at least whilst wearing short shorts. Not only will this help define your leg muscles better, but will also fend off any captious observers that would rather find fault in looking at your bodily hair than at your bare legs. 

- Keep in mind that your thighs might be of a lighter complexion than the rest of your leg if you have no exposed your thighs to the sun at all. A few sessions of sunbathing, artificial sun-tanning or some home-applied self-tanner will quickly remedy this issue and ready yourself for a great short short wearing experience.

For more on short shorts there's always MenShortShorts.blogspot.com