L.L. Bean Tries Risqué

L.L. Bean, a long established brand of moderation and traditionalism, featured as the staple of preppiness by Lisa Birnbach in her famous "The Official Preppy Handbook", has recently added a couple of pieces that deviate from their standard collections, as part of their L.L. Bean Signature brand. L.L. Bean Signature, much like Rugby and Ralph Lauren, represents an opportunity for them to reinvent themselves. 

I would like to congratulate their brazen move and advise that they continue to encourage such ideas in the future!

The item combination we'll be looking at today is all built on one very (according to L.L.Bean standards) short pair of shorts, a weekender bag, a nice duck motif leather belt and an earthy hand-sewn pair of leather chukka boots to finish it off.

Leather Eastport Handsewn Ranger Moc ($79), Downeaster Sport Canvas Bag ($54), L.L.Bean Corduroy Shorts ($49) paired with a nice Leather Field Duck Belt ($49)

This look is a perfect match for any guy who likes to stick with the good-ole traditional values but also wishes to keep up with the new trends as well. I am really considering purchasing a pair of these shorts for myself, to wear this Summer and Autumn. Remember though, always buy shorts in your size or one size smaller to avoid the common baggy look or having to pull your shorts up every two steps.

Urban Inspiration #1 - Flower Power

I have wanted to start featuring the most interesting looks I see on the many Urban Inspiration sites out there for a while. Here's the first of the many to come.

Courtesy of Lookbook.nu

This look, featured on Lookbook.nu by the amazing Dennis R. from Manila, Philippines, embodies what I consider the spirit of a warm blithe summer. The trichromacy of the light blue Linen Jacket, the navy Cuffed Pinstriped Shorts and his pink Y T-Shirt is perfectly balanced and the fact that the shoes contain splashes of all three colours is the cherry on top of the cake. Even though those amazing Paul Smith. Loafers are out of this world, I like to think I would have the bravado to pull them off.

The only thing I feel neutral about is his bag, even though my jealousy for Dennis owning so many Birkin bags is ineffable. I feel that a bag the colour of his shorts would have complimented the whole look much better, rather than it being matched with the belt.

Bespokely Bespectacled

Bespoke clothing has long since constituted the epitome of luxury and dandyism. Nowadays, though not as prevalent as in the golden days of the dandy, one can have a myriad of garments made precisely to their measure, bringing with them unparalleled comfort and style. 

Michael Bastian SS'10 featuring a Randolph Engineering design

When it comes to accessories, one can definitely acquire bespoke ties, scarves and gloves but very few companies provide made-to-order services for sunglasses.

Randolph Engineering, featured in Michael Bastian's Spring/Summer 2010 Runway show, is one of the leading companies that specializes in bespoke glasses of all kinds, be it sunglasses, seeing glasses frames, hunting glasses or military goggles.

The customization for most models they offer is  four-fold: Size (refers to the distance between your temples), Colour, Temples (Length of the temples, or the horizontal metal bars that go behind your ears) and Lenses (options for polarized lens usually come for an extra fee)

Their prices in my opinion are unbeatable, all their sunglasses block most of the UV light for your eyes' protection and the varied styles they offer are more than satisfying. I already own a pair of their aviators and would definitely recommend you get one too!

Some of the choices offered in the case of sunglasses

Cheeky Bones, Jaunty Jaws and Clefty Chins

The standard of beauty has always been changing throughout history and nowadays, more than ever, due to such a high exposure to media and "attractive people", we humans are more and more worried about personal our appearance

Even when it comes to men, some of which have been known to be almost oblivious to their physical appearance, the numbers have risen when it comes to men who now are interested in improving their overall appearance.

Contrary to the current beauty standard for women which is more sexualized, in the case of men, there is an increasing push for biologically attractive traits and urveying the current media outlets that portray beautiful men, such as billboards and ads, weight loss campaigns or television and cinema shows that the current standards of beauty in men revolve around two main areas: their faces and their bodies. 

According to Science Daily, men with large jaws, flaring cheeks and large eyebrows are sexy, at least in the eyes of our ancestors, researchers at the Natural History Museum have discovered This post will focus on three male characteristics that are considered highly desirable and therefore attractive, whether all of them or only one is present.

1. High Cheek Bones

Higher cheekbones, on top of offering a more unique look when compared to an average male face, also give the impression of a more pronounced jaw. The attractiveness of this trait stems from the female preference for a less aggressive looking partner. Aggressiveness has been correlated with larger canines and smaller jaws/lower cheekbones. Actors like Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Viggo Mortensen may have gained part of their popularity due to their high cheekbones.

James Marsden is the proud owner of a perfect pair of cheekbones.

2. Pronounced Jaws


Having a pronounced jaw has also become a staple of manliness and this is also not without reason. During puberty and to a lesser degree throughout the rest of his life, the secretion of testosterone in men helps define what are called primary and secondary sexual characteristics. Facial bone definition is a secondary sex characteristic and its attractiveness comes from the evolutionary advantage gained by a female when choosing a partner that is healthy and would therefore generate healthy offspring.

3. Cleft Chins


The Cleft Chin is an inherited dominant trait which manifests itself by the formation of a cleft in the chin due to an incomplete fusion of the two halves of the jaw bone. Biologically, from an evolutionary standpoint the cleft chin offers no advantage nor any disadvantage. The sole probable reason for its apparent attractiveness is again the motif of uniqueness, diverging from the less interesting average male.

Jack Scalia is one of the first male models to feature an exquisite cleft chin

Keep It Cool

Temperatures are finally rising almost all over the northern hemisphere, bringing with them longer days, vacations and happy summers. If I were to ask anybody what their two least favourite things about summer were, the answer would most likely be heat and sweat.

Heat is definitely not an element we can adjust, other than running inside to the AC climate and sweat is  dependent on many biological factors like genetics, diet, weight and hormones. While the latter can be addressed in many ways, that will be covered in a future post.

What SoFla guys would look like without AC

Going back to heat, while it's not very easy to change the actual temperature of your surroundings, preventing its detrimental effects and how you physically feel it are definitely more approachable  issue. Sunlight, besides  its possibly harmful UV component, also brings heat to whatever it touches.Wherever you may be during the summer, you'll most surely feel the heat. Your body responds to heat by sweating, however this leaves the skin dehydrated and smelly, neither of which are desirable in our society.

Therefore, continuing on the same line as my previous post, Of Scents and Manly Sensibility, that dealt with using essential oils to manufacture your own natural products, I would like to introduce you to Men's Body Mists and how to prepare them for yourself.

Women have been using Body Mist for a while now and it's very likely you've seen one or more women extract a spray bottle out of her purse and spray it on her arms, legs and cleavage. What Body Mist essentially does is rehydrate the skin and mask some of the sweat's smell through addition of essential oils. What's left behind leaves your skin feeling refreshed and cooled. I can see how most guys would not feel comfortable doing that in the summer, so I won't push it on to you too much. But remember, dehydrated skin ages much faster than moisturized skin!

The general market does have a few options to offer when it comes to Men's Body Mists (same-ole-same-ole as Women's, maybe with use of other essential oils).

Silver Falls' Men's Body Mist - 4oz. - $8.5                                   Mailelani Men's Body Mist - 5oz.- $5

If you don't want to order it, or you would like to dry making it yourself from pure ingredients, here are two recipes I found online, on Snow Drift Farm's website.

Clear Body Mist I

This easy recipe uses polysorbate 20 to emulsify the mix. The perfumer's alcohol will clarify it. Leaves skin feeling cooled and lightly scented.

6 oz. perfumer's alcohol + 1 oz. perfumer's alcohol (set aside)
1 oz. polysorbate 20
1/4 tbsp ylang ylang
1/4 tbsp tangerine
Mix together the alcohol and polysorbate 20. You should have a clear mix. Add the EO's. You should have a turbid mix. Allow to sit for 12 hours. If the mix doesn't clarify, add another 1 oz. alcohol and allow to sit for
several more hours to clear.

HINT: Add a little glycerin to your facial, body and room sprays. It helps keep the water in place on your skin, and in a room spray, it helps the scent linger a little longer.

Clear Body Mist II

Add a little more perfumer's alcohol and polysorbate to emulsify absolutes and resinous oils such as patchouli.

8 oz perfumer's alcohol
2 oz. polysorbate 20
1/4 tsp. vanilla FO
1/4 tbsp jasmin absolute
1/4 tbsp patchouli EO

Mix all ingredients together. This should result in a clear mix. If not, allow to sit for several hours. If it still doesn't clear, add 1/2 oz. more alcohol.

Remember that as any recipe, a little divergence from the path can be quite rewarding. Experiment with different combinations of essential oils to produce something more to your liking. The Healthguide.org recommends Cedar-wood, Rosemary and Lavender for use in Men's products, however I absolutely love citrusy oils and also almond and peppermint scents.

Personal Augmentation - Volume 1: A Better Camping Experience

This post represents the start of a new series entitled "Personal Augmentation", inspired by Gearpatrol.com's 30 Days of Upgrades: Be a Better Man series. This series will be a constant work-in-progress whereby through means of online references, pictures, videos and books, I will try to highlight some of the things that every person aspiring to, as former President George W. Bush would say, personal embetterment ought to know.

This first post focuses on Camping. Ever since the advent of modern civilization and increased urban aggregation, man has felt an emptiness that stems from a lack of  physical connection with nature, which over the course of the many thousands of years of evolution has become ingrained into our very existence. In lieu of the necessity to hunt or change one's location according to migratory patterns, modern man, supermarkets and all, satisfies its need for said connection by doing an activity which we all have come to have a love-hate relationship with: Camping.

1. Planning Ahead
2. Picking a Campsite
3. Pitching a Tent
4. Starting a Fire
5. Meals on the Move
6. Camping Activities
7. Hygiene on the Go
8. Cleaning-up
9. Misc

A good resource on this topic is Bill Revill's 21 Ways to Improve your Camping Lifestyle:

Esteemed Compendiums

I've wanted to share these great fashion, style, culture and lifestyle resources with you for some time. That's why I created a page dedicated just to listing these online books I have found and read.

Here are some of the titles I have added or will be adding:

- The Official Preppy Handbook by Lisa Birnbach -

- The Official Filthy Rich Handbook by Christopher Tennant - 

- Take Ivy by T. Hayashida -

- Dressing the Man by Alan Flusser -

- The Gale Encyclopedia of Style, Costume and Culture by Tom and Sara Pendergast -

- The Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion by the Scribner Library of Daily Life-

- Fashion as Photograph by Eugenie Shinkle -

- Fashion Artist: Drawing Techniques to Portfolio Presentation by  Sandra Burke  -

- Complete Idiot's Guide to Etiquette by Sandra Burke -

- Historical Fashion of the 17th and 18th Centuries by Avril Hart and Susan North -

- Fundamentals of Fashion Design by Richard Sorger and Jenny Udale-

- Medieval Fashion by Tom Tierney -

- Guide to being a Gentleman by The Art of Manliness -

- Askmen.com's Style Bible -

- 21 Ways of Improving your Camping Lifestyle by Bill Revill -

- Wedding Etiquette for Dummies by  Sue Fox -

You can access it all here. Enjoy!

The Perfect Knot

How many times have you had to bend down in the most inopportune of times and places to retie your shoelaces? If you do a lot of walking and you own any other shoes besides Crocs and/or sandals (although I do hope that having come across my blog means you are not among that kind of people), the answer should be many, many annoying times. 

I used to be very annoyed with having to tie and retie my shoelaces (especially those of my boat shoes) over and over again each day, until I mustered enough angst and googled my way out of this problem. I was lucky enough to stumble upon Ian's Shoelace Site which I also referenced in my previous shoelace post, Spiraling Shoelaces.

Ian features many shoelace knots on his website, however when it comes to simplicity and reliability, his own creation, Ian's Knot stands out the most. While it took a little while to get used to tying my shoelaces this way, it definitely paid off and I now only have to tie them one time only, when I put my shoes on in the morning.

Ladies and gents, I give you Ian's Knot. Use it if you are also encumbered by your slipper shoelaces and let me know by means of comments if you know of any other good shoelace knots!

Surfeit Sputum

How many times has it happened that as you were enjoying a beautiful day someone just spat right in front of you?!

Sadly, this disgusting habit has been increasing, especially among children and adolescents. The lack of any specific rules or laws specifically prohibiting this in the United States and other less civilized parts of the world is party to blame, however the rest comes from a lack of proper education and sense of hygiene. 

Many viral diseases such as the Common Cold or Tuberculosis are transmissible through saliva and mucus, so why should we be exposed to your bodily fluids. Imagine for a second people would start urinating on the streets on a regular basis. Even though urine is very much sterile I believe the popular outcry would not take too long to generate a ban on this act.

So if you find yourself among this category of misbehaving spitters please STOP now! There is absolutely no medical or social reason that would require such an abhorrent act to be permitted. Saliva has an important biological role so spitting it out only worsens your bad breath and dehydrates your mouth and esophagus.

If you are sick and feel the need to eliminate mucus please buy some tissues!

If you are a smoker and dislike the aftertaste, stop smoking or wash your mouth with a strong mouthwash every time you feel the need to spit. 

If you have halitosis or constant bad breath, buy some gum (also a no-no when it comes to spitting) or some dissolving fresh breath strips.

If you just do it for fun, there is no hope for you besides self-education and restraint. Remember the street is a public space and therefore is owned by everyone. How would you feel if I came into your house and spat all over your carpet?!

Close To Perfection

Existence. Ephemeral and Ineffable.

Sometimes awful things have their own kind of beauty.

Having just seen Tom Ford's "A Single Man" has me pondering life's meaning again and I ask myself now, is there a universally distinct human purpose or is our sole animus a preparation for our inexorable destination?!

Exactly what fueled the creation of this blog was my wish of presenting the world and its objects, through their physicality, as being an anchor to all of us, against the flow of time and feelings. Many a poets, directors and other wielders of the fire of creation have ruminated over our irresolute and wayward lives with no avail, and I am certainly not one to claim to have an answer. Purposeful or purposeless, I enjoy the present, fondly remember the past and sometimes think of my future, but at all times I am anchored by my body, my feelings, my friends and my possessions. They are the ones who always remind me of my present physicality and it is they who give my life meaning until the final curtain falls.

In this post I would like to look at one of the things I enjoy doing most in life and that is observing beauty in all forms and shapes. Given that I just mentioned Tom Ford's recent movie I would like to praise everything from cinematography to set design, costumes to actors and their acting and dialogue to music. Nothing is superfluous under Tom Ford's vision and the timing for everything is beyond perfection. I would almost go ahead and call this a work of art but my lack of cinematographical education prompts me not to.

Nicholas Hoult, modelling for Tom Ford

Beauty in its physical human form was embodied most by two characters: Kenny, one of George's (played by Colin Firth) students played by Nicholas Hoult and Carlos played by Internationally renowned model Jon Kortajarena.

Nicholas Hoult as Kenny, in "A Single Man", wearing a nice mohair sweater, featuring a curious boat-neck 

Jon Kortajarena, modelling for Tom Ford

Jon Kortajarena as Carlos, possibly doing a better James Dean than James Dean himself

Enjoy the following portfolio of Spanish Model Jon Kortajarena for the beauty that is channeled through him negates the possibility of a random and purposeless existence since such a world would have no need for it.

Of Scents and Manly Sensibility

Deodorants, Colognes are Perfumes all great and every man should have at least one of each, however one man's journey into the world of scents should definitely not stop there.

I know how most of us guys dislike ironing tremendously, but nothing beats a crisp freshly washed and ironed shirt or set of bed linens. If you think only your mom or the dry cleaner hold the secrets to these you couldn't be more wrong.

Linen Water

Since ancient times, people have used plants like lavender, rosemary, tansy for imparting their homes and clothes with a fresh scent. They freshened their linens by placing fragrant sachets, herbs, and flowers in drawers and closets and fragrance was brought into the homes by hanging garlands of lavender and mint.

With just a simple recipe you can freshen up your clothes and linens, and if you are not very sensitive to essential oils, you can even be used to freshen and uplift your home.

If you ask yourself what do I do with this linen water, the answer is simple. After taking your clothes or linen out from the dryer just spray some onto them and iron as per usual. The heat will not only set the fragrance in but also make ironing a more pleasurable activity.

How to make Linen Water?

While the proportions are not set in stone, linen water is made out of three main ingredients: water, alcohol and one or more essential oils (definitely experiment combinations of two or more if you're more adventurous)

Here's a list of the common Essential Oils that can be used in Linen Water (courtesy of Wikipedia)

Berries Allspice Juniper Seeds Almond Anise Celery Cumin Nutmeg oil Bark Cassia Cinnamon Sassafras Wood Camphor Cedar Rosewood Sandalwood Agarwood Rhizome Galangal Ginger

Leaves Basil Bay leaf Cinnamon Common sage Eucalyptus Lemon grass Melaleuca Oregano Patchouli Peppermint Pine Rosemary Spearmint Tea tree Thyme Wintergreen Resin Frankincense Myrrh

Flowers Cannabis Chamomile Clary sage Clove Scented geranium Hops Hyssop Jasmine Lavender Manuka Marjoram Orange Rose Ylang-ylang Peel Bergamot Grapefruit Lemon Lime Orange Tangerine Root Valerian

As you can see, the choices are quite varied and opposed to most recipes that you can find online, which use Lavender, I like fragrances that are a little more spicy and strong. My favourite oils that I use in linen water are: allspice, almond, nutmeg oil, cedar(masks the smell of wool from adult moths), peppermint (especially for linens) and Rose (shirts)

BEST retailer for essential oils is Snow Drift Farms; they even offer free samples for all of their essential oils

Linen Water 1
2 1/2 cups mineral water
5 ml essential oils, of your own choice (approx 100 drops)
1/8 cup vodka

- add the essential oil to the alcohol then mix with the water
- use in a spray bottle for best results

Linen Water 2 (Floral - not my favourite but it makes a great gift)
2/3 cup mineral water
1/4 cup (50 ml) alcohol
1 1/2 ml (30 drops) lavender true essential oils
1 ml (20 drops) palmarosa essential oil
1/2 ml (10 drops ) rosewood essential oil

- same as Linen Water 1

Linen Water 3
1 teaspoon (100 drops) Bulgarian lavender essential oil
6 oz. cyclomethicone (a mixture of Cyclopentasiloxane & Cyclohexasiloxane; dries very quickly; does not stain)

Pour essential oils and cyclomethicone into a bottle, cap and shake. Spray on dry linens before ironing or use as a fabric freshener (no need to iron and makes for a much better alternative to Febreze).

Line Water 4
4 tbsp. of fresh rosemary
2 cups of water

- chop the rosemary and place it in a saucepan with the water.
- bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes
- allow to cool and strain. discard the rosemary leaves.
- add water up to 2 cups and decant into a large spray bottle.
- works the same way with fresh rose and jasmine flowers or other herbs

Tips:

- use distilled water as tap water contains chlorine which destroys the essential oils
- inexpensive vodka works the same as more expensive one; go for the highest proof
- linen water works best for cotton garments and linens. If you would like to use it on any synthetics, make sure to test it for stains on an inconspicuous part first.

Rugby Ralph Lauren Video Campaigns

One of my favourite labels of all is Rugby, part of the famous Ralph Lauren Empire.Following you will find their video campaigns, which are always original and very appealing, in reverse chronological order.

Spring/Summer 2010

Holiday 2009

Fall 2009

Spring/Summer 2009

Holiday 2008

Fall 2008

Holiday 2007

Clip-on Flip-up

These new glasses from Oliver Peoples, part of their Spring/Summer 2010 collection, function both as sunglasses and as prescription glasses by means of flipping the sunglass lens up or down depending on your needs.

While I am not entirely convinced of their intrinsic practicality, I do think the concept is a little cheeky and quite novel.

What I liked most about Oliver Peoples was their Spring/Summer 2010 campaign video, featuring Elijah Wood and Shirley Manson. I think their choice of interpretation and integration of the glasses was enticing and original which combined with a great musical choice added up to the following:

The glasses can be purchased here.

Vintage Menswear

This 1927 ( my grandmother was born then so quite an old video by my standards ) clip allows a glimpse into what would soon become a dying fashion (capes and hats and bastons oh my)

This 1954 Menswear video is an interesting look at the world of Men's Fashion in the 50s. You can all see that mostly no accent was put on the models' looks (or is it our perception of male beauty that has changed? ) and the fit was mostly loose, especially for pants (I'm sure the dreadful pleat was present).

The shorts/office look curiously portends to some of the modern takes on men's formal-wear (see my previous post on Engineered Garments )