#i have only ever owned one pair of chukkas

[menswearmusings]

After You Buy All the Essentials, Then What? My Personal List Moving Forward

Switching focus from the urgent to the important is a vital practice in the business world. Have you ever worked somewhere where it’s clear that instead of thinking critically about the core of the organization’s mission for ways to grow and improve, the focus is instead on whatever the newest, shiniest idea is (or often, whatever the latest crisis is)?

I always had a sense of urgency about buying clothes, because my goal was to dress in cool tailoring every day of the week in ways that I would consider meaningfully different. But being constrained by a budget meant I had to think carefully about what I bought, so I wouldn’t end up with something because it was a great deal, only to discover I had very little use for it. So I created a list of clothes I wanted that I imagined would comprise a complete wardrobe (for my tastes and needs). That helped me stay focused on my goals when sale season started and there were so many awesome things to buy.

Now, though, having largely built that wardrobe I imagined, I tend to get distracted by the new, shiny thing much more. I’ll find some product on eBay or in a shop on sale and become obsessed with it, going back to look at it over and over again. Without that hit list of must-buys to bring myself back from the brink, I always have a creeping sense that whatever it is I end up actually purchasing is maybe the wrong choice for me and I should instead be saving that money for some other, better purchase down the road. I’ve picked all the low-hanging fruit, but I have no personal guidance for reaching higher.

So, in an effort to try and refocus myself on buying what I can consider important purchases—not just those with the urgency of desire—here’s my list of next must-haves.

(By the way, if you’re just starting out and want some help building a wardrobe from scratch, check out my “Guide to Building a Tailored Wardrobe.” In it, I explain just that—how to have the right mindset about buying clothes, plus specific advice for versatility in clothing. Check it out here.)

More cotton-linen trousers for summer

Since becoming a dad—but even before then—dress trousers in wool just don’t get much wear from me. Primarily that’s because pants need cleaning more often, and I hate dry cleaning bills. But it’s also because I prefer a silhouette that just doesn’t work with dress pants, at least in wool. Jeans or even chinos made of denim or cotton twill drape differently and thus can work in the tapered cut I prefer. My previously perfectly fitting flannel trousers with that ideal taper from Spier & Mackay are now too slim because my calves got too big. So I have to go fuller. I’m fine going with that in a drapey wool, but day to day I prefer a slimmer knee and slightly tapered opening at the hem.

This is why cotton-linen trousers exist. Cotton-linen seems to have that perfect balance of cotton’s stiffness with linen’s drape, so they hang well but are forgiving if the fit isn’t bespoke-perfect or your proportions make things difficult. Pure linen just doesn’t give off the vibe I’m looking for typically (it feels a little more louche the way it hangs and rumples than I as a person am). And other options like wool-silk-linen blends are beautiful and amazing (I’ll get those below), but what I like about cotton-linen is I can usually machine wash it myself to no ill effect. Currently I have one pair, so it’d be nice to get another 2-3 to rotate through (much as I have with flannel in the winter). My list would be: 

A second pair of off-white 

Tan / khaki

Deeper brown

Maybe a light blue or mid-navy

Options I have for buying these: Spier & Mackay’s dress trouser fit is still my best bet right now, and I’ve been told they’ll have a crop of 7 colors of cotton-linen trousers in mid-April. That said, I also just purchased some pairs from Brooks Brothers’ Red Fleece line that arrive soon, made from fabric by the same mill as Spier’s, for $37 a pair that might work, too.

A rotation of good chinos and a pair of light wash jeans that fit

Chinos are nice because they dress up or down pretty well (you can wear a tie with them without it being weird, unlike five-pocket pants, but on their own without a jacket they’re good too), and if you get them in the right fabric, they’re pretty hard-wearing.

Finding chinos that 1- don’t have stretch, 2- are made from material that’s a good mid-weight, and 3- fit the way I want is extremely difficult. You wouldn’t think so but man it’s hard to find good chinos. And finding good, faded jeans with similar qualities is likewise hard without spending $200+. That said, if I can find them, what would make my wardrobe happy would be chinos in:

Off-white

Stone

True khaki

Possibly a pair in fatigue, which is a good color when it’s too hot to wear a jacket

Options for chinos are tricky. I like the idea of what fellow menswear blogger Ian is doing with his new shop Lost Monarch; $125 is hefty for chinos, but I suppose if they fit really well and the fabric rules, the investment might be worth it. I also always forget about classic chino maker Bill’s Khakis, which was always hailed as having the highest quality back in my early Styleforum days. They introduced a number of slimmer fitting styles over the years and are still fairly easy to find on eBay. Spier & Mackay’s chinos are a great deal but each time I’ve tried them, the fit’s been off for me in some way or other. I might try them once again this spring. 

As for light wash jeans, I’ll be looking probably at American Eagle, Polo RL, Abercrombie, Banana Republic, and other mall brands. Much as I’d like to get some 3-Sixteens or even Naked and Famous, they’re hard to get ahold of where I live and trying jeans on is critical.

A dark navy blazer in both single and double breasted configurations

I have seasonally appropriate navy jackets—one is wool/cashmere for winter, and one is raw silk for summer—and last summer I added a dark blue double breasted jacket for summer as well. When I recently tried on No Man Walks Alone’s Sartoria Carrara jackettried on No Man Walks Alone’s Sartoria Carrara jacket, which was a dark navy twill, I remembered why dark navy jackets exist: they’re classy as heck. All my navy jackets are slightly lighter shades of navy, which is great, but a good, dark navy blazer brings some gravity to an outfit, looks great in the evening and dresses up very well for more formal occasions.

That said, it’s gotta be the right texture. Hopsack wool is a good option; I would also be interested in some kind of blend like wool-silk-linen or similar. I’m not a fan of mohair, so I wouldn’t do that, and the high twist fabrics are tricky because they tend to look fairly smooth, while I like a little more surface texture. Given how much I like my SuitSupply Jort blazer, I’m hoping they release a double breasted jacket that might fit the bill this spring/summer. As for single breasted, I really, really liked that NMWAxCarrara jacketNMWAxCarrara jacket, so something closer to a 3-season fabric from him would be amazing. Of course Spier & Mackay has staple hopsack wool blazers in both their Neapolitan cut and regular cut, which sold out quickly in my size.

A dark navy double breasted blazer by Ring Jacket (model 6) I tried on at The Armoury in New York City. Click the image to see the product page of this actual jacket at their site.

A pair or two of summer trousers in a nicer fabric

Cotton linen trousers and chinos are as dressy as I need them to be most of the time in my life, but it’s still nice to have a pair of classier dress trousers in summer for occasions that call for it. I’ve had gray hopsack and fresco in the past, but those were more corporate than I was looking for.

Summer is the time for levity in the color palette, so I really like the idea of a light or mid blue (maybe a petrol blue). Every time Greg at No Man Walks Alone does spring pre-orders for Rota, they offer these beautiful wool/silk/linen blend fabrics, including petrol blue in the past, and every time, I love how they look but always stopped short of ordering for various reasons. A sufficiently textured, interesting blend in a light gray would also be nice and would be better than a corporate looking fresco or tropical wool. In the swatches below, which were for this season’s Rota trouser made to order options, the blue and gray at the top hold appeal, and even that green at the bottom.

Swatches for Rita wool/silk/linen trousers From No Man Walks Alone.

Some dress shirts from Anglo-Italian

It feels like I’ve been banging on about this for years at this point, I know, but their reverse stripe OCBD is great and I need to just pull the trigger and buy it. But beyond that, Anglo’s house dress shirt model is essentially the perfect shirt: the collar shape is an ideal wide spread with no tie space and that isn’t too stiff; the fit is comfortable but not baggy; and the details are all there both quality and design-wise. The back shirring is maybe a bit out there for many people, but these shirts are meant to be worn under a jacket, which is how I’d wear them. I’d buy white first then probably their blue end-on-end and maybe the bengal stripe. They’re expensive at $175, but that’s less than other comparable Italian dress shirt companies like Finamore or Borrelli.

A couple additional pairs of suede shoes

I love suede for its versatility in dressing up or down. What I wear 95% of the time are snuff suede penny loafers, snuff suede chukkas and tan suede tassel loafers. I’m looking to get more dark brown suede, which, sorta like true dark navy blazers, brings some gravity to an outfit. My penny loafers have been through some rough times; I plan to resole them (which they badly need), but it’d be nice to have a pair that aren’t so beaten up. I prefer a sleeker last shape most of the time (not pointy, maybe almond shaped) to the round lasts you see from classic Ivy brands like Alden, which are more casual and carry a lot more of that Ivy feeling (something I’m always trying to temper with more rakish aesthetics). That said, a rounded loafer of some kind to wear strictly casually is something I’d like to get to help share the load with the other shoes. I’ve also been really into the split toe derby look the last year or so. I tried The Armoury’s on when I visited there in 2018, and really liked it. 

So, the list would be:

Dark brown suede penny loafers

Dark brown suede Chelsea boots

Brown suede split toe

Dark or mid-brown suede beef roll or similar more casual loafers

I’ve noticed that the most comfortable shoes I love wearing the most are all made by Allen Edmonds, so I’ll be looking at those for sure. The Sea Island in particular looks awesome for that casual loafer. Beckett Simonon has some suede boots and given how comfortable their shoes are, their Bolton Chelsea looks nice. Meermin of course is another option for suede boots, and they have a penny loafer that might fit the bill for me, too. Spier & Mackay’s shoe offerings look very good, including this suede penny loafer. And of course the Armoury’s split toe derby is the one I’m most looking at for that category as I’m sort of picky when it comes to split toe shoes.

So there’s my hit list moving forward. I’ve already deviated from it this season by purchasing an excellent but not-on-this-list jacket from Spier & Mackay in 100% linen by Sondrio in a mid-brown glen check pattern. It surprised me how much I loved it, so I’m letting myself deviate from the list, guilt-free. And at the end of the day, the clothing hobby is all about enjoying life anyhow, and what could be more important than than?

(Help support this site! If you buy stuff through my links, your clicks and purchases earn me a commission from many of the retailers I feature, and it helps me sustain this site—as well as my menswear habit ;-)  Thanks!)

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[psychosistr]

FOWL Facets- Chapter 2

Summary: Domino and the others wake up their captive to ask him a few questions. Will he cooperate, or is he as stubborn as the real-deal?

Notes: Wanted to go ahead and give a trigger warning for some PTSD in this one because Domino’s past trauma plays a big role throughout this story, but it really starts to show in this chapter.

-First Chapter-

“Wake up.” A harsh voice says right before the melanite feels something hard and metallic strike him across his face.

“Nh..” He slowly blinks his eyes open, looking around as he tries to reorient himself in the dark room lit only by a single lighting crystal above his head.

As he takes in his surroundings, he finds that he is seated in a silver chair. Looking down, he notices that he’s tied up with what he at first thinks is a black and white rope, but he quickly learns it is actually the arm of the spinel from before when he sees a grey gloved hand wave at him. Looking to either side of him, he sees the spinel on his left and the star-sapphire on his right. Finally, looking in front of him, he sees the snowflake obsidian glaring down at him with one of his pistols- presumably what hit him across the face- held in one of his hands where his arms were crossed in front of his chest.

“Now that you’re awake,” Domino looks down at the melanite with a menacing expression on his face as he begins the interrogation. “We have a few questions for you. Namely, who you are, who you work for, and-” He uncrosses his arms to reveal that the watch the melanite had been wearing before is now clutched in his hand. “-what you’ve done with my partner.” He puts the watch down on a nearby table, only the corner of it visible in the dim lighting of the room. “Let’s start with who you are and how you managed to activate Steelbeak’s gem-ID-locked beacon.” He narrows his eyes at the other gem in warning. “Now drop the disguise and talk.”

“……” The melanite smirks after a moment. “Gee, was my actin’ that bad? I thought I really nailed the lingo.” His gem glows for a moment as his appearance begins to shift. His body proportions and colors remain largely the same, but his outfit changes from the suit he was wearing before to a pair of black and white pin-stripe pants held up with black suspenders, a white button-up shirt with the top three buttons open and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, black suede chukka boots, sheer black shortie-cut gloves, an undone red bowtie hanging loosely off of his neck, a fedora that matches his pants with a white band holding up a red rose on his left side sitting on his head to push his comb down so that it hangs down to the left rather than sit straight up, and a white surgical mask with a black X and O on the front covering his beak. One thing that doesn’t change about him, however, is his gemstone- the gem still being a black ball-cut melanite in the exact same location. “I gotta know,” He says with a chuckle. “What gave me away?”

“Everything.” Domino looks the gem over, taking in his true appearance indifferently. “Where do I even start?”

“Oh! Oh! I know where to start!” Loony raises her free hand and jumps up and down a few times before looking at the melanite. “You called me ‘sweetheart’. Steely never calls me that! Plus, you said you forgot to bring me back a present- and Steely never, ever, EVER forgets!”

“He also never apologizes for knocking someone over.” Gandra leans against the wall beside the melanite with her arms folded. “If it was Loony, sure, he’d probably help her up, but they’d both just laugh it off. If it was Domino, he’d be too busy running to the other end of the ship. Me, though?” She rolls her eyes with an annoyed sigh. “The big jerk just laughs and tells me he ‘can’t see me down there’.”

“To put it simply, you were way too polite to be the real Steelbeak.” Domino says with a slow shake of his head. “You knocked instead of just walking in- Steelbeak hasn’t bothered knocking on my door for the past few thousand years. You also didn’t try to correct me for using the wrong code- Steelbeak is an egomaniac and loves showing off how much more he knows then everyone else, he’d jump at a chance to tell me that I said something wrong for a change. Not to mention you called Loony and Gandra ‘ladies’.”

“Pfft!” Gandra barely stops herself from laughing out loud at that, bringing a fist up to her beak as her shoulders shake with suppressed laughter. “Wait, he seriously said that?”

“Hahahahahaaahahaaaa!” Loony, on the other hand, doesn’t even try to hold in her giggles. In fact, she ends up falling to the ground and holding her stomach as she rolls around in a hysterical fit of laughter. “St-Steely..calling US ladi-pfft, ahahahahaaaa, I can’t even say it!”

The melanite glances back and forth between the female gems with a cocked brow. “What should I have said?”

“Dames.” Gandra answers first, a grin still on her face from the apparent absurdity of the idea.

“Dolls.” Loony gets out between chuckles as she gets back up to her feet, an immensely amused smile still on her own face.

“Even ‘girls’ or ‘gals’ would have been more acceptable.” Domino seems to be the only one still able to maintain a sense of seriousness for the moment. “Still,” He looks at the melanite’s gemstone, reaching over to tap it with his pistol. “I suppose we can give you some points for the voice and appearance..the stone looks like the real deal.”

“That’s ‘cause it is, bright eyes.” The melanite’s beak may be hidden, but they can all feel the proud smirk in his tone of voice. “I’m the gen-u-ine article: Black melanite, facet 3J8B-NVSB.”

“Another melanite..” Domino muses aloud. “And the same cut, no less…well, that explains how you were able to use his beacon: We hadn’t accounted for there being another black melanite within the closest five solar systems- let alone one with the exact same cut. The odds of that happening by mere coincidence would have to be at least 100,000,000,000,000 to 1.”

“Guess I’m just that lucky, huh?” The melanite says sarcastically. The sarcasm is short lived, though, as the pistol in the snowflake obsidian’s hand strikes him across the face with even more force than before. “Ow! Freakin’ STARS! Can’t you take a joke?!”

Domino glares down at his captive, moving his gun so that it’s pressed to the melanite’s head threateningly- his finger on the trigger. “My apologies,” His tone is calm, contradicting his threatening body language in an unsettling way that sends chills down the restrained gem’s back. “But I’m afraid I’m not one for jokes when my partner is missing.” He brings his empty hand up to grip the other gem’s stone, a thick white barrier appearing over the hand like a glove with the dual purpose of keeping him from directly touching the melanite as well as adding more force to the grip he begins applying to the stone. “Now, tell us who you work for & where they’re keeping Steelbeak and I’ll consider ending your existence painlessly.”

He hisses and winces in pain from the force on his stone, speaking quickly. “Hey, hey, now, no need for any of that, I’ll talk!” He lets out a relieved sigh when the pressure on his gem decreases, though the hand doesn’t retract at all. “Now, I ain’t gonna tell ya who I work for-” He receives a glare of warning, but continues speaking before the painful pressure can return. “-because this ain’t a work-related thing. This is just me doin’ a favor for a friend of a friend.”

“And just who would this ‘friend of a friend’ happen to be?” Domino’s patience is clearly running thin.

“A mutual acquaintance of ours by the name of ‘the Liquidator’.” The melanite watches the previously irritated look in the snowflake obsidian’s eyes briefly change to one of surprise before he schools his features back to their previous state.

“Liqui?” He doesn’t seem to be the only one surprised to hear the name, though, as Loony looks at the melanite with a confused expression. “Why would Liqui take Steely? I thought they still weren’t talking to each other??”

“They aren’t..” Domino eyes the melanite skeptically. “Which begs the question of WHY Liquidator would bother taking him?”

The melanite shrugs. “Sorry, bright eyes, he didn’t give me all the details. Most I know is he wanted t’ talk t’ YOU and your partner wasn’t too keen on cooperatin’.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right for him…” Domino sighs in mild annoyance before looking at their captive again. “I’m assuming Liquidator wants to do a hostage exchange?”

“Wooooow, you really are the smart one here, ain’t ya?” The melanite’s tone is sarcastic again as he leans back as much as he can with Loony’s arm still binding him. “Yeah, that was the plan from the beginnin’. Honestly, actually gettin’ ya to tag along was, like, Plan C. He figured you’d peg me for a fake before we got too far- said you’d be smart enough to tell I wasn’t the real-deal, but even I didn’t think you’d figure it out that fast.”

“Oh, please…” Domino rolls his eyes, quickly getting annoyed by the bound gem’s sarcastic praising in a voice that was far too familiar for his liking. “We’ve fought together since Era One. I could hardly call myself his partner if I couldn’t tell the real deal from a cheap imitation after all this time.” He taps the melanite’s gem to show his irritation and loss of patience with the conversation. “Now, are you going to cooperate and give us the coordinates for the rendezvous, or are we going to have to pry them out of you?”

To his credit, the impostor did a good job of not flinching or giving away how nervous the obsidian’s touch to his gem made him feel. “Hey now, I wasn’t forged last century- I ain’t givin ya the coordinates THAT easily.” His eyes clearly communicate the smirk hidden on his beak under the mask. “Start flyin’ north by two degrees east towards the country called ‘Oilrabia’ for about 500 miles. I’ll give ya the next direction after that.”

“……” Domino glares at the arrogant gem, gripping the melanite’s stone in his fingers harshly once more to make him squirm and wince from the pain. “You seem to forget that WE are the ones calling the shots here- not you. I could break you right here & now and leave your shards scattered around this worthless world for your ‘acquaintance’ to find over the next few years.” He narrows his eyes with a scowl, the look in his eyes speaking volumes’ worth of murderous intent as he grips hard enough that the pressure could start cracking the gem at any moment. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t grind you down to dust and scatter you to the wind.”

The melanite cringes from the pain of having his gemstone squeezed so harshly, knowing instantly that the snowflake obsidian is DONE playing games with him by this point. Well, might as well use his trump card, right?

“You ain’t gonna let another partner you care about get shattered ‘cause you weren’t there, are you?”

“?!” The comment makes not only Domino’s eyes widen in surprise, but Loony’s as well. “How did you-?” He begins to ask, but is cut off by the melanite.

“Liquidator didn’t tell me much,” He relaxes slightly when the obsidian’s grip relents, even if the hand does still stay on his gem. “But he told me sayin’ somethin’ like that would get a good reaction outta ya- and he was not wrong about that.” He glances at the female gems on either side of him. “These two figured me out pretty quick, but you-” He looks back up into startled red eyes confidently. “-YOU knew from just one look that I wasn’t the real deal, right? You only bothered baitin’ me int’ talkin’ as a formality. That means you care about this Steelbeak jerk enough t’ know ‘im like the back of your hand. You did say you were partners since Era One, right? That’s gotta be, what? Five, six thousand years together? Probably longer than that with how close you two are.” There’s that look in his eyes again- the look that shows he’s smirking behind that stupid mask of his. “You know what Liquidator’s capable of…and ya know he don’t like Steelbeak enough t’ keep him alive if he doesn’t think he’ll get anythin’ for the trouble…do ya really think you’d be able t’ handle findin’ his shards floatin’ in the sea just ‘cause you couldn’ get t’ ‘im in time?”

Domino’s eyes are wide as he stares at the melanite- actually, no. He’s staring THROUGH him. The words he’s said echo in the obsidian’s mind, causing images to flash in front of his eyes as his consciousness teeters between the present and a point far in the past:

“…couldn’ get t’ ‘im in time…”

He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, turning sharp corners and using his barriers to keep him from crashing into anyone or anything in his way. His part of the base had just been cleared of enemies, they couldn’t fault him for going to assist the next section, right? He-They weren’t responding, so they must have needed all the help they could get! He would get there in time to help and-!

“…findin’ his shards…”

He froze when he came around the corner into the next hall. It couldn’t be…those shards could belong to anyone, right…? His body moved of its own accord, bringing him closer and closer to the gleaming red and black shards sitting on top of a red scarf that he knew all too well- after all, he’d given the appearance modifier to the fire opal to celebrate their first successful mission as partners…

“…partner you care about…shattered…”

He fell to his knees, his hands trembling as he reached for the small shards and slivers. The once smooth stone now felt so jagged in his palms. But…why…? Why had this happened? He’d just spoken to him- just seen him not that long ago! Why was this all that was left of him?!

…Wait…why WAS this all that was left of him…? There were only a couple of the fire opal’s shards, where was the rest of him? He ignored the stinging tears in his eyes, shouting to get the attention of the nearby eggmen and demanding to know where the rest of the shards were. Their lack of solid, coherent answers only added to the rage and sorrow warring in his gem and he began to lash out at the soldiers. The last thing he remembered was one of the higher-ranking generals pulling out a broken white gem destabilizer before everything went dark. When he woke up again, he was alone with nothing but the red scarf in one hand and his shattered partner’s remains in the other…

“…you weren’t there…”

“Dommy…” Loony sat on the floor in front of him, the two of them in his private quarters- the same place he’d stayed since “the incident” that was both too long ago and not far enough in the past yet. “It’s not your fault…you weren’t there…you couldn’t have-” Her words, some of the words that she’d repeated to him over and over again over the years since it happened, were cut off by a ringing sound in the other room. “Uh oh, I’ll be right back..” She sprung up from the floor and went to the other room to answer the call, accidentally leaving the door open in her haste. “Hiya! Sorry, but Domino’s not quiiiiiiiite ready to talk to anyone yet. Just gimme another year or two and I’ll have him rarin’ to go-!”

“You’ve said the same thing every month for the past thirty years. We are done waiting.” A harsh voice rudely interrupted Loony, making Domino’s eyes narrow and a scowl form on his beak as he pushed himself to his feet after who-knows-how-many-years of sitting in the same spot in the corner of his room. “Now tell him to get in here or we will-”

“There’s no need for that, sirs.” He walked into the room, coming up to stand beside Loony in front of the large hologram-monitor displaying three shadowy gems. “What do you need?”

“It’s about time you finally answered, Agent Domino.” The gem in the middle gave him a harsh look that would’ve made a lesser gem shiver in fear. “You are being reassigned to a new sector. We will have a ship there to collect you and your spinel-” Domino’s fist clenched slightly, but he bit back the usual reply he gave when someone said those words. “-in three days. Do not keep your new partner waiting.”

A new partner? Already? But it had only been-

“Understood, sirs.” He gave the automatic reply and bowed his head, ignoring the thoughts swirling within his mind.

Loony gave him a worried look when he didn’t look back up after the screen vanished. “Dommy? Hey, Dommy? Domini-?”

“-my? Dommy, you okay?” Loony’s neck is stretched so that her face is close to Domino’s, looking him in the eyes with a worried frown.

He blinks twice, shaking off the visions plaguing his mind so that he can return to the present- and to the task at hand. “I’m fine.” He looks past her to the melanite in the chair, the jerk having the nerve to still be smirking at him for his earlier words. “……” He sighs and closes his eyes for a moment to calm himself, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “Fine.” He opens his eyes once more and directs his next statement to their captive. “We’ll keep you alive…at least until we find where Liquidator is holding Steelbeak.” He can just tell the cocky gem is about to say something annoying, so he glances at the star-sapphire beside him instead. “Gandra.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” She takes off one of her fingerless gloves again, the lines on her palm lighting up like before.

The melanite sees the hand approaching him and tries to back away, though it proves futile with the spinel’s arm still wrapped tightly around him. “Woah, hey, that wasn’t part of the-!!” His protests turn into a startled yelp of pain when the destabilizing current makes contact with his head, causing him to spasm and twitch like before until his eyes turn a blank, vacant white color and his body goes limp.

Loony laughs as she unwinds her arm from around the now-unconscious gem, shaking off the stray sparks of white electricity on her extra-long limb. “That always tickles!” She grins before noticing Domino turning the lights back on and heading for the door. “Dommy?” She stretches her upper body over to meet him on his way out. “Whatcha doin’?”

“I’m going to the controls to adjust the auto-pilot’s path.” He looks back at her as well as Gandra with a calm, unreadably neutral expression on his face. “We’ll follow standard F.O.W.L. protocol: Keep two guards in the room at all times. Destabilize or bind him if he shows absolutely any signs of consciousness. Don’t keep him awake any longer than necessary.” He glances between the female gems. “Think you two can handle the first watch?”

“Sure.” Gandra shrugs, leaning against the wall behind her in preparation for a long shift.

“Abso-tootly-lutely!” Loony stretches and loops her arm up to her head so that she can give a playful salute. “You can count on me!” She smiles brightly at him, making him smile back at her fondly.

“I always do.” He says sincerely before exiting the room, leaving Gandra and Loony alone with their unconscious prisoner.

<-First Chapter Next Chapter->

End Notes: Warned you guys there’d be some PTSD and trauma involved in the story. Also, apologies in advance, but the story as a whole DOES involve a lot of flashbacks, as well, so be prepared for lots of jumping around between the past and the present in the rest of the chapters ^^”

On a more fun note, if no one guessed it already, the impostor is actually my own version of Nega-verse Steelbeak, who will likely be making an appearance in my next installment of my Friendly Four series! I wanted to give him an outfit reminiscent of a 1920′s gangster, but tempered with a bit of fun and a relaxed demeanor (hence the rose in his hat, the face mask that hides his metallic beak when he’s out in public, and the tie he never bothers remembering to ACTUALLY tie). He’s a clever and strong guy with a good heart, and while regular-universe Steelbeak specializes in espionage and manipulation, negaverse-Steelbeak specializes in psychological profiling and rescue missions.

[sandmiral]

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Great boot for walking in all weather conditions including rain and snow! Looks great with jeans, pants, leggings, dresses, or skirts. Classic style and neutral colour goes with every outfit. Perfect boot for the spring! Its waterproof construction will take you through wet weather conditions. The only boot you’ll need for all seasons! Shop All Electronics VR, AR & Accessories Shop All Electronics Video Games & Consoles Shop All Electronics Tablets & Accessories Shop All Electronics Computers, Laptops & Parts Shop All Electronics Cell Phones & Accessories 5.Shop All Electronics Cameras, Photo & Video Just make sure to follow it up with Bick 4 to re-moisturize the leather. This is a pretty strong leather cleaner that’s guaranteed to not discolor your tanned leather. If you’re looking for a product to help with stubborn salt stains, give Bickmore Bick 1 a try. After they’ve dried, go through the polishing routine we mentioned above.(Don’t put them next to a heater or blowdry them… if your shoes have salt damage, they’re starving for some TLC, so artificial heat isn’t a good idea) When the stain is gone, let your shoes dry for an hour.It’ll take a few minutes and you’ll have to add more solution to keep working the salt down.Rub the solution into the salt stain, focusing on the ridge of salt buildup.Make a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water.Here’s a salt stain solution worth trying: Salt and weather damage on a pair of double monk straps (photo via The Dapper Advisor)Ī great polishing routine like we mentioned above will prevent the salt spreads on city sidewalks from getting to your leather.īut what if the salt’s gotten to your shoes anyway?ĭon’t worry, they’re not ruined. If you go with the Ace Marks suede chelseas or chukkas, you won’t need to spray with suede protector (but because I’m anal, I probably would anyway haha) 3. Then, just hit it with any suede protector spray- this one from 3M is hard to beat. While you won’t be hitting the suede with cream and / or wax polish (bad idea), you simply need to give it a good once-over with a stiff-bristled brush to get the nap in line and remove any dirt. If you’ve got suede shoes, one good rain is all it takes to ruin that delicate texture. If you’re on a budget or just starting a shine routine, this kit from Kiwi has everything you need to keep your shoes as good as new. The best shine you’ll ever get will be from using Saphir products Saphir is basically the Bentley of shoe care products. finish off with a layer of wax polish if you want extra protection and bling-bling shine.start with an all-over application of cream polish, and.

#Waterroof leather jordans full

I’ll have to save the particulars of a good shine for another article, but in general, if you’re going for a full shoe shine:

while wax polish brings out a shoe’s shine and gloss better, and also adds an extra layer of protection.

cream polish tends to nourish and moisturize leather better.

This topic would be highly debated among leather shoe aficionados, but after a bit of research, experimentation, and general firsthand experience… If you’re buying your first cans of polish, you may be unsure which is better: cream or wax polish? Cream polish or wax polish?Īfter conditioning your leather shoes, you may be ready to give your shoes a good polish.

#Waterroof leather jordans skin

Leather is skin, after all… and it needs to be moisturized just like your own skin does. How much better do your hands feel once they’re moisturized? In general, you want to think of it like applying hand cream on a cold, dry day. Made with a combination of mink oil, lanolin, and beeswax, you really only have to use this a few times a year to give your nice leather shoes a good conditioning, which will keep the leather soft and prevent cracking in the long run.Ī simple product like Bickmore Bick 4 or Venetian Leather Balm is the perfect all-purpose leather conditioner. One of the classic conditioners is Saphir’s Renovateur. For example, pure mink oil is generally used on working leathers (think saddles and work boots) and not fine leather dress shoes. Make sure you use the right leather conditioner for the right shoe. Leather conditioner comes in many forms and names: mink oil, conditioning cream, leather honey. What your boots look like after months of wear and no conditioning or polishing.

[wellwornwornwell]

The Biz-Cas Conundrum

A friend once told me that the world is no better or worse than it’s ever been; our information has just gotten a lot better. It’s a nice little line that explains away a lot of anxiety and uncertainty in a world that seems to be moving in reverse – a calming reassurance that things have always been this bad, you just didn’t know it. But it doesn’t do shit to explain why we still have no idea what “business casual” means.

I was recently asked by longtime fan of the blog Anthony Nonymous, just how one should navigate the waters of business casual:

I’ve been a corporate suit and tie man for the last decade. I’m now taking a business casual job with a local, family-owned company and not sure on this one. Should I just lose the tie and jacket? Can I wear loafers with no socks? Is dark denim with a sport shirt now acceptable? Help!

There’ve been a lot of zeroes and ones strung together in the hopes of understanding where business casual came from (spoiler alert: Silicon Valley) and what it means in practice. While there are many in the iGent set all too happy to do actual research or string together coherent oral histories of the (de)evolution in workplace formality, I’ve never really felt compelled to do so. This likely stems from me not being a fucking nerd.

So let’s start with the basics: There’s a whole wide world out there that knows they don’t want to wear a suit and tie. Where do we go from here?

Find Your Sweet Spot

There is nothing more familiar, easy and routine than wearing a suit. It’s insanely hard to mess up. Just wear some combination of three colors (white, blue, black) and you’re in business. Why did we abandon a uniform that can be readily assembled post-lobotomy? This is why we can’t have nice things.

At any rate, the first step to getting comfortable in your new skin is to recreate that comfort or ease as quickly as possible. Maybe this starts with a color palate, maybe it starts with a closet full of Oxford Cotton Button-Downs, perhaps it’s rooted in a crisp new pair of raw denim. Whatever your sartorial talisman, it needs to be an article of clothing or style of dress you’re already comfortable wearing. Worst case, think about what you’d wear to a reasonably nice bar on a Saturday night.

The goal in all of this is to not completely reinvent the wheel. All too often guys jump from super formal attire straight into non-iron Dockers and “Is that public or private?” golf club polo shirts as soon as casual Friday hits. Just as you gradually ascended to quiet elitism in the suit-and-tie game, your goal here is a steady, safe descent to inoffensive mediocrity.

Build on a Versatile Foundation

Once you have decided where your safe place is, you’re ready to start building. If you’re thinking in terms of palate or coordination, then this step is kind of self-evident (think – “I’m going to wear a light blue button-down and khakis every day.”) However, if you’re building on one item of clothing or type of article, then you need to start thinking of the most versatile and sedate matches.

Chinos deserve OCBDs, denim loves chukka or Chelsea boots, flannel needs an equally sturdy and casual compliment. Thinking in terms of the clothing you already own and wear helps you naturally extend your wardrobe from a place of certainty, rather than buying an entirely new closet.

Keep it Soporific

Think of a business casual wardrobe in the same way you’d think of a formal business wardrobe. You never want to be the guy wearing the bright red satin tie, just as you never want to be the dude wearing flood-hem chinos with unstrapped double monks. Avoid altogether the more “advanced” sartorial notions of pattern matching, sprezzatura, etc. You’re a virgin at prom. Your only goal should be to avoid saying or doing anything that will ruin your chances.

Instead, balance inoffensive hues, textures and patterns the same way you would with a suit and tie rig. Your Alamo is painted in tasteful combinations of brown, blue, beige, black, and green. Just keep it simple and you’ll be fine.

Match your Mood

In all this confusion and gloom it’s worth remembering that the ambiguity of “business casual” invites you to thrive. Wake up in a funk? Then throw on a pocket tee with jeans and send a clear signal to co-workers that today’s not the day. Or maybe you’ll want to reverse your fortunes by tossing an unstructured, heavily-textured sport coat on over some raw denim. Dress to impress and all that.

The point is that as you get more comfortable with the notion of dressing down, and as you build a serviceable wardrobe of versatile casual staples, you can start to inject a lot more personality into you day-to-day garb. And that’s when the fun starts.

Well hasn’t this been a blast?! You’ll excuse me for not listing out the dos-and-don’ts in all of this. The reality is that dressing casual is far harder and less formulaic than dressing formally. There’s plenty to get wrong and a million opportunities to look like a doofus. Fortunately for your likely-soon-to-be-entertained co-workers, it’s a process you have to go through on your own.

Can you go sockless? Yeah, of course. Can you wear jeans with a sport coat? Only if you have shoulders and a pulse. These are questions that have simple answers but no easy means of contextualization. Only you will know what makes sense or when you can get away with certain details.

Best of luck in the new gig. May your surplus of ties finally be used for their most practical purpose – auto-erotic asphyxiation.

[shoeberiler]

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[houseofvans]

ART SCHOOL | Q&A with Martin Ontiveros (PDX)

The art wizardry of Portland based Martin Ontiveros has appeared in various galleries, albums, posters and has even been transformed into diabolical toys and figurines. Ontiveros’s graphic ink and brush style is meticulous and bold, transforming his horned and demonic creations into fun and bad-ass pop occultism. We’re excited to chat with this ink sorcerer in our latest Art School where we talk about technique, studio days, and what is coming up for him the rest of this year. 

Photographs courtesy of the artist.

Introduce yourself?   Hello, I’m Martin Ontiveros, also known as Martinheadrocks, illustrator and wizard. “Marty” to my closest friends and family. I live in Portland Oregon, I’m left-handed/ambidexterous and I have a large ginger cat/familiar named Zeus. Nice to meet you.

How do you describe your art to folks who have never seen it before? Pop-occultism? Creature Chic? What you might find inside an ancient tomb or temple from a previously unknown civilization.

Who were some of your early artistic influences that really inspired you to draw? It started with Star Wars in 1977, and Mad Magazine, especially the work of Jack Davis. Childrens book art by Jim Flora. Books and movies about UFOs, cryptids, phenomena, ghosts and black magic when I was a kid. Later it was Heavy Metal Magazine and the underground artists of the 60s and 70s, S. Clay Wilson, Greg Irons, Spain, etc. 80’s punk and metal pioneer artists like Mad Mark Rude and Pushead. Derek Riggs and his Iron Maiden covers. 

Lots of rock album art. Fantasy/conceptual artists like Mike Ploog, Boris Vallejo, Frazetta, Richard Corben. That was all the stuff that built up the desire, but what really got me drawing were the indie comics of the 80s with people like Marc Hansen, Matt Wagner, the Pander Bros, David Boswell, Dori Seda, Mary Fleener. I really really wanted to make comics by the time I was 17-18. I’ve since discovered it’s not for me. Art of the Ancient World, Mesopotamian and Mesoamerican in particular. There’s more to this list, I’m an old man now and have seen a lot, but we don’t have all day.

What’s a day like in the studio for you? And take us through your artist process –from start to finish on a piece. I used to start work when it was already well into the evening and would go until after the dawn, but in the last couple years I’ve reversed that schedule. Now I usually get up around 4am. I still get the benefits of nocturnal studio time that way, at least until the sun is up—no one bothers me and it’s quiet. I’ve become a Daywalker—I have all of the vamipre’s strengths and none of the weaknesses.

 A typical day is trying to stay focused while fending off my own distractions (I’m ADD) and steering around having to leave the house for anything, ha. I always start with a bit of doodling to warm up a little, then jot down a thumbnail sketch of whatever’s on the agenda that day—usually very small and rough, just to set the composition and borders. 

Sometimes I’ll spend extra time fleshing out details on certain aspects of the drawing, say a helmet or insignia. Then I’ll figure out my dimensions and either draw to size or use my trusty proportion wheel to do it smaller if need be. Next is the hard pencil stage. I like using 2H or 3H lead which is rough on the paper but much less messy than a soft lead. I don’t work with a loose outline, I need a solid and tight map to work from and when I have it on lock, I’ll transfer it to my final surface. 

That method goes for both a black and white ink piece or a painting. I’ll warm the brush up by laying our some strokes on scrap paper and when I feel like I got a grip on it, off I go. If it’s a painting, I lay all the color and shading out first, then put down the linework. And even if my pencils were tight, there’s always room for improvisation, a tweak or two, especially when I’m inking—some happy accidents come up now and then. I should mention that I sometimes have to chuck a drawing and start the process all over again, even if it’s close to completion because if it isn’t working, screw it. It seems wasteful and time consuming and I could probably avoid it by going digital, but I choose to do it old school.

What’s your tool of the trade medium-wise? And is there a new medium you’re looking to try in 2018? I swear by my brush and ink. Nothing gives me more satisfaction. The artists I’ve always admired most are handy with a brush line. Not to say I don’t like pens, it’s just that I’m not as steady using one and leave them for doodling. I love papier mache, it’s not a new medium to me, but I’ve yet to know how to make the time to do it more so let’s say that that is my goal for 2018. If there was any other medium that I’d choose to do over drawing, it would be that.

You’ve worked on many collaborations with bands and created some awesome cover art and posters. What has been your favorite collaboration and what would be a dream collaboration be? Oooh. That’s a toughy. I did a tour shirt for Mastodon this past year and I have to say that was likely the pinnacle so far. When I caught their show later, it was thrilling to see people buying it at the merch table and to know there’s maybe hundreds more out there wearing it. Dream collaboration…probably the Melvins. Or Alice Cooper? But with the Melvins I know I could just probably do me and not worry about whether or not I’m a good fit. I’m not what you would call “conventional”.

What are you listening to when you’re painting your various creatures and demons? Give us five bands you’re checking out at the moment. I listen to music when I sketch/conceptualize and switch to podcasts or play a favorite movie or show when I’m really into the process, it’s comforting to hear people talk during the heavy work for some reason. It’s another long list but some of my go-to bands are High On Fire, Sleep, Windhand, Black Cobra and Slayer. That’s if I want it crushing. If I’m doing something trippier, it’ll be Om, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Dead Meadow, that kind of thing. Podcasts are generally true crime or comedy.

What’s been the hardest challenge being an artist? What do you tell folks who want to travel down a similar path? I don’t recall the artist’s name who said it, but to paraphrase, the quote was that art can often be a dark and lonely pursuit for us. I believe he was referring more to the fact that we spend a lot of our time working in solitude which is inherent, yet it can also weigh you down emotionally. That really speaks to me, even more so because I’ve also wrestled with depression for most of my life. 

Your work can be so entwined with your sense of self-worth, so I suppose the hardest challenge for me is to not let my heart sink when something I make doesn’t receive the attention I hope to get for it. People can be fickle though. I try to remember that, and move on to the next thing. With that in mind I guess I tell folks to make sure they get out of their lairs when possible and share their frustrations with other artist friends, foster a support group of sorts because it helps to know you aren’t alone out there with all these feelings. That and maintain a regular paying job when they start out, because man…it can be tough making a living at it.

In another dimension, what would you be if you weren’t an artist? I’d be that weird old sorcerer living somewhere in the woods that the villagers speak of in whispers. Benevolent, but not to be trifled with. So, not too much different from what I am in this dimension, just with blue skin, maybe.

What are your favorite Vans?  Chukka Low? Old Skool? Era? (I had to look up the actual names). Basically low padded ankle with laces, and always dark colors with a black toe because I don’t like my vision being drawn down to my feet moving under me. I honestly don’t wear any other brand of kicks. I keep a pair of Slip-Ons for doing things around the house. Vans makes good jeans too.

What’s the art scene like in your part of the woods? What do you like the most about where you’re living these days? The scene that I know here is primarily illustration, at least that’s what I keep my eyes out for. Lots of sweet, supportive people without attitude and many that are good friends. There aren’t as many galleries as there used to be but there are other venues to get your work out there. I’m now in a part of SE that I’ve never lived in before, at the edge of being outside of Portland proper but only just so. It’s mellow and quiet here and most things I need are within walking distance. I got a couple stores, a good Mexican food place, a bar, you get my drift. I do wish some of my besties lived closer by though. And a decent art supply store.

Since this feature is called Art School, can you give us your most helpful art tip? This probably won’t make me popular by saying it, but learn the difference between homage and theft. Yes, it’s fun to pay tribute to an artist’s style or someone else’s pop culture/intellectual property now and then, I’ve done it, we’ve all done it, not shaming that…but the difference is, if ALL you’re doing is copying, it comes off as creatively lazy. I don’t care how many followers you may gain from it. Come on. If you’re skilled enough to copy someone else’s shit, you’re skilled enough to make up your own content. Raise the bar, people. Don’t lower it.

What’s on the horizon for 2018? New merch in my shop, a group show in Mexico City, more band stuff, my first trip to NY ever, toy releases, designs and customs, a collaboration or two, hopefully a couple of conventions later in the warm months. I’d like get back into painting on a larger scale and figure out how to take it slower in general, make my work really level up, you know? There’s always room for improvement!  

Follow Martin | Website | Instagram | 

[vmartretail1]

Buy Jeans in Jaipur – 3 trend-proof choices for both men and women!

Jaipur is one of the trendiest cities of India. Both guys’ and girls’ fashion sense has climbed up sharply over the past decade. Thus shopping for fashion-forward jeans is one of the apparel essentials in the city. In this post I would discuss three most versatile, value-for-money jeans – if you are looking to buy jeans in Jaipur and want to be sure to purchase a few pairs which are sure to be in trend, can be paired effortlessly, as well as suit you perfectly, read on!

1. Indigo Blue Jeans

If you were to buy just a single pair of jeans….be sure to pick the classic indigo blue one! These are the most versatile jeans you can ever own as these can be dressed up or down with numerous options effortlessly by both men and women.

For a dressed down look, team indigo blue jeans with a simple white t-shirt in a crew or v-neck, and pull on classic white sneakers. This is an evergreen style. In winters, dress it up by wearing a casual button down shirt and a bomber jacket; slip your feet into Chelsea boots, and you are ready to step out in style.

A slim, dark pair of indigo blue jeans works for just about everyone as it can hide skinny legs; or, downplays bulky bottoms and thighs, whichever body type you happen to be. So, if you have a slim or average build – go for a slim fit pair; if you are bulky, opt for a straight-leg fit as it would be more comfortable and balance out your figure.

2. Solid Black Denim Jeans

The charm of the solid black denim jeans is immortal! It is also a great alternative to indigo blue jeans. Likewise, these can be dressed down or up, depending on the weather and your mood. However, it is more fun to dress them up.

Say, you have to attend an evening party which has a semi-formal theme – what could be more stylish than to pull on slim fit black denim jeans, white button down shirt and a camel color sports jacket. Slip on tan colored Chukka boots and be sure to get noticed by all the lovelies at the party!

On the other hand, if it is just about spending an afternoon about town, wear a t-shirt, a bomber jacket and Chelsea boots for the man-about-town appearance.

Whatever be, you ensure you would always look stylish.

However, do ensure you only go for high quality denim especially when buying black denim jeans. Cheap quality would make you look unflattering.

3. Casual Vintage Jeans

What’s vintage denim? We’re talking light wash denim jeans in blue. Many of these have some form of ‘distress’ and look great paired with all kinds of t-shirts / sweatshirts and sneakers. Dress down or up – either way, these jeans would remain trendy.

Fans of distressed / ripped jeans; bootcut or boyfriend jeans are aplenty. However, these trends might come and go – but the above three types of jeans I discussed would remain in trend for years to come…if not forever – so are your best choices to invest your money wisely when it comes to shopping for jeans.

 Explore these and many other types when you buy jeans in Jaipur online at one of the most popular value fashion apparel retailer, V-Mart. Visit https://www.vmartretail.com/ for more.

[putthison]

Special Guest Post: Taking PTO On The Road

As an aspiring PTOMan, I try to find ways to test out the site’s tips IRL. I recently had the opportunity to travel to Tokyo and Taipei, thus providing me with an opportunity to see how well I've mastered Put This On’s travel wisdom. What ensued was a good deal of trial and error (emphasis on the “error”).

Win: Proper Packing

One of the game-changing lessons I learned early on was how to pack a shirt. Even on a two-week trip, I prefer to live out of a single carry-on and that means being as efficient as possible with space. There’s something very satisfying about figuring out how to properly pack a bunch of shirts to perfectly fit the dimensions of one’s luggage; call it Tetris Syndrome. Just because it’s practical doesn’t mean it can’t also be pleasurable. 

Lose: Forgetting About Breathability

We’re at peak season for brands to pitch us on “summer weight” shirts and pants, but as great as the term sounds as ad copy, it can be a bit of a misnomer. Just because fabric is light in weight doesn’t mean it’s ideal for warm and humid weather. I brought along two pairs of lightweight, supposedly “made for summer,” cotton trousers but both had tight twill weaves, thus preventing the fabric from breathing well. Without enough air circulation to wick away body moisture, the pants turned into a khaki sponges, clinging to my legs.

I had better success with pants made from a more loosely woven chambray, which felt consistently comfortable and airy even in muggy climes. PTO has long recommended tropical-wool pants for this very reason but in my haste, I overlooked packing a pair. That won’t happen again. 

Draw: Travel Shoes

Both Jesse and Derek recommend at least two pairs of shoes for traveling: comfortable sneakers for heavy walking + dressier shoes that can complement a diverse wardrobe. For the latter, both favor brown, pebble-grained chukka boots with rubber soles. I already owned a pair of brown leather zip boots with rubber-stitched soles, so I brought those as a test run.

The results were mostly favorable as they were easy to dress up or down. The main problem I ran into -– and couldn’t have predicted -- is that these boots have a stiff heel counter that made them uncomfortable on during a 10+ hour plane flight. My solution was to simply take them off once I boarded, but that wasn’t ideal. In the future, I could try bringing unlined chukka boots instead or just throw down for a pair of those Crockett & Jones Brecons that Derek likes so much. 

Win: Shirts with Pockets

I humbly submit that shirt pockets are a must for traveling. When you’re on planes, trains, buses, etc., you spend a great deal of time seated. In that position, fishing objects out of your pants can be a pain. Even a modestly sized chest pocket provides a convenient place to temporarily keep things such as sunglasses, a boarding pass, loose bills, etc. To be clear, for any item you want to keep safe, you want a jacket with zippered interior pockets. But in situations where you just need to free up your hands for a minute, especially when seated, I’m grateful for the shirt pocket.

The only problem I’ve found is when some brands (*cough cough* J. Crew) insist on producing shirts with buttoned pockets. I’ve given serious consideration to taking a seam ripper to them as the button flap always gets in the way. Moreover, I’ve just never been in a situation where I felt the desire to button a shirt pocket. 

Tip on Shopping Abroad

As Dan at A Fine Tooth Comb noted, it pays to buy Japanese brands in Japan. Not only do you avoid covering export overhead costs, but many retailers allow purchases by foreigners to be tax-free. Combining the two meant that I could buy local Japanese brands at a 40% discount from what the exact same item would cost in the States. 

For those of you about to travel abroad, it’s worth researching if your destination has a similar tax-free/ VAT refund policy. If they do, just be prepared to go out shopping with your passport (preferably not in your shirt pocket). In both Tokyo and Taipei, depending on staffing arrangements, the tax amount was either 1) taken directly off the purchase price or 2) initially charged but then immediately refunded in local currency when I took my receipt and passport to a dedicated tax-free counter (which will either be in-store or often at the airport). Just be aware, it’s up to each store to set their policy. Some stores didn’t offer tax-free purchases. Other stores only offered the refund if you spent a minimum amount. 

Personal Postscript About Getting Your Fit On

By happy coincidence, we stayed in a Tokyo apartment less than fifteen minutes from the flagship store of one of my favorite Japanese brands: Blue Blue Japan. I’ve long admired their sashiko coverall jacket and as it turns out, they have a new version – not even in their online catalog yet – made from dobby (rather than true sashiko cloth) that’s identical in construction, look and texture but for half the cost (~$175). (That’s the jacket in the photo above).

I had my passport on me that day, so I immediately bought one, but later had a nagging feeling that it was one size too small. It was ever-so-tight in the shoulders. However, I happily discovered that Blue Blue Japan operates a store inside of Narita Airport. On the day we were flying out, I stopped by and they had the same jacket, one size larger. It fit much better and though the clerk was initially unsure if they’d allow an exchange -- understandably, I doubt they get many exchange or refund requests at that particular store -- his manager signed off on it. I left Japan feeling even happier with my purchase. Airport branches FTW.

Oliver Wang is an associate professor of sociology at CSU-Long Beach. He writes the audioblog Soul-Sides.com.

[synuniverse-blog]

Seven Deadly S.Y.N.s

Welcome to our Inaugural post. Instead of giving you a run of the mill Top 10 list of sneakers we love or we think are the best of all time, we decided to bring you a little bit of a different list. It’s the Seven Deadly S.Y.Ns (Sh*t You Need). That’s right, the Pride, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, and Envy of sneakers, from us to you!  We hope you enjoy our thoughts. Leave comments either way, chime in with your own thoughts and stay tuned for more S.Y.N

Pride: (n) a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct.

*In your collection what sneaker do you look at, wear with, or talk about with supreme pride?

Eric Says: For me it is most of my collection but the pair that rises to the top of my list is my Jordan XI Concords (2011) release. They aren’t even my favorite kicks of  all-time but I worked hard to cop and they’re so clean, a true dress up and dress down shoe.

The Cop: On December 21, 2011 I definitely called in late to work in order to stand outside of NIKETOWN NYC on 57th Street. So here I am standing outside on a 65 degree December day waiting for a ticket, A TICKET, that would then allow me to get the sneakers I desired two days later at midnight (this process is dated at this point). After two hours of waiting, by myself, they gave me my ticket (#152) and wasn’t I just the happiest twenty-eight year old sneaker enthusiast going. I then  proceeded to skip my happy ass to work with only one worry in the world: losing that damn ticket in my wallet. Thirty-six hours later on December 22nd with a light drizzle and significantly colder temperature, I waited on a line shortly before midnight until they called #152. As the NIKETOWN employee mumbled my number and asked for my I.D blood rushed to my head and my eyes widened but not because it was my turn to get my box but because I had to secure my route to the train station. I wanted no parts of the dudes that did not wait on a single line but wanted a pair of Concords as bad as the rest of us. Needless to say when I got home and opened that box with its many layers of beauty and removed the sneaker it was everything (the smell, the look, my feelings) I thought it was going to be it was. I have only worn this shoe six times since that day and didn’t even put them on my feet until June of 2012. Each time proud as hell with every single step. That was a lot about one shoe but I think you get the point. 

Eian Says: I would have to say for me the “De La Soul” SB Dunk Highs are by far the cream of the crop.

The Cop: Ha! I can remember this day like it was right around the corner. It was Fall 2005; I was 19 with no job and my mother’s credit card. This was before the crazy hype of Nike SB’s and most people that wore them were skaters. I remember the first store I went to for this cop was Blades on 86th street which is no longer there. They were sold out within 30 minutes, but I knew someone that had the scoop, that DQM (Dave’s Quality Meat) on Great Jones Street had them as well. I called my mom and we made a deal, some may say it was the deal that I sold my soul for but it was worth it. I did all house chores for about three months, an agonizing time that I will never regret because to this day the De La Soul High is my holy grail.

Lust: a passionate or overmastering desire or craving (usually followed by for):

Eric Says: SWEET CHRISTMAS! (Luke Cage reference) Jordan 3s Black Cement are easily the pair of kicks that I lust for. I DO NOT own them, I wasn’t even a fan of 3s until one of my brothers copped the “True Blues” for me. On my feet the 3s are pure beauty which is not easy to say when you wear a size 13 shoe. I now own several pairs of 3s but the Black Cement 3s are not one of them. They are just perfection--they’re also known as “THE” shoe that started it all. Every time I see them on the street (which is rare at this point) I turn into an ogling, clumsy-tourist like New York City pedestrian #SorryNotSorry.

Eian Says: Clean as clean can get: Jordan XI Concord. From the bottom up you have the clear ice sole followed by the white midsole attached to the ever so famous signature black patent leather. Now I’m not old enough to ever own the OG’s but i was lucky enough to get these on Christmas of 2011 as a gift from my other half. I can say it’s been six plus years since I’ve owned them and i have not worn them outside yet. I’m not proud to say it but i have not found the right (perfect) time to wear them. Now I’ve tried them on tons of times with my outfit on, ready to leave the house. Once I take a look in the mirror my heart and soul won’t allow me to walk out the door. This is a sad reality of living in New York City and taking public transportation; you just don’t want to risk the beauty of this sneaker.  

Gluttony: Overcompensation to the point of waste but as we know, nothing thought out and loved that is added to your collection is waste.

Eric Says: Vans SK8-Hi Originals (White on White). Now I know you are probably asking, how the hell did a pair of skating sneakers make any parts of my list but even more, how did it make the category of gluttony? Three reasons: 1. Price Point - In a world of $200 sneakers you cannot beat a clean, classic, all-around stylish pair of sneakers for $65. That is how much it will cost you to add these kicks to your collection. At $65 why would I not own three or more pairs? Some folks build a whole collection on Vans alone.  2. Color - Now this is significant. When I was a kid my mom always said we needed two pairs of sneakers for the summer: a colorful pair and a white pair. I have never abandoned this school of thought and every summer I make sure I have a pair of white on white sneakers. The problem with white on white is that they are hard to keep fresh which leads me to my final reason. 3. Wearability and personal attitude - The White on White SK8-Hi can be worn with shorts, jeans, khakis, chinos, hell even with a suit if you want. Combine this with the fact that when I fall in love with a shoe I will wear that shoe until the soles come off (a pair of brown loafers in my closet can attest to this point). That is exactly why I will continue to buy the Vans SK8-Hi Original (White on White) over and over again.

Eian Says: This is very weird because I would also have to go with Vans SK8-Hi original (Black/White). My reasoning is a bit different, these are great sneakers for the everyday Harley rider as myself. Not only are they bad ass but you can also get them dirty and messy and they’ll still look cool. I have about 10 to 15 pairs of the SK8-Hi but the black/white are hands down the go to colorway. The best part about the Vans for me is that I’ve worn them with a suit and I’ve worn them with jeans or shorts. They can be labeled as one of the most diverse sneakers in my collection.  

Greed: excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions. 

*What sneaker do you or would you have multiple pairs of in your collection? Multiple colorways of the shoe are allowed. 

Eric Says: Jordan 1s High. My, my, my, what a dope sneaker! Just a clean and classic kick. I actually feel like the Jordan 1 High is a Chelsea boot or Chukka disguised as a basketball sneaker. With a very similar feel to the Nike Dunk High (they could be cousins) the Jordan 1 High provides a certain nostalgia that is addicting. Get a pair and feel the power. Or not and that’s cool too.

Eian Says: Classic!!! There is so much to say about the Nike Foamposite 1. Not only is Penny Hardaway one of my favorite NBA players but I think he has one of the best signature sneakers in the game other than Jordan. It’s something about the Foamposite 1’s that always does it for me. Not every colorway but the Royal blues can’t be beat. They are clean on your feet and comfortable at the same time. Now one of my favorite things about the sneaker is that they will never EVER crease, which means they will last forever.

Sloth: habitual disinclination to exertion; indolence; laziness. Basically the sneaker you couldn’t care less about.

Eric Says: Maison Margiela or any designer sneaker that costs well over $300. This will be short because really I don’t care. I want to be clear, I am in no way criticizing these sneakers, the companies that make them, or the folks that buy and wear them. I just have absolutely no interest in spending $595 (at least) on sneakers. I want no parts in being exclusive in that way. Enjoy if you must.

Eian Says: Nike Air force 1 (sorry S.Y.N.ners), I know these are like the mecca of sneakers but for me I guess living in NYC has destroyed my image of the Nike Air Force 1. Growing up in the city this was a must have sneaker and I’ve had my fair share of AF1’s. This is where the name icy whites comes from. When these sneakers are fresh they are fresh, but once they get a scuff or the famous crease they go from a ten to a five real quick.

Wrath: Uncontrolled rage or hatred

Eric Says: Adidas and/or Kanye West. Sorry, I could not pick a specific pair or style here. My issue is truly with the company/designer. The lack of accessibility for any pair of Yeezys in spite of ‘Ye citing that as being one of the reasons he left Nike. The sneaker silhouette is cool and I would definitely like a pair in my collection but I’m past standing in lines and I’m not paying the outrageous resale ticket price. So until Kanye/Adidas make these kicks more accessible I will continue to rage red every time a different pair of Yeezys is released.

Eian Says: Don’t hate me for this but the Adidas NMD and all other sneakers that contain the sock. I have wide feet so I can’t wear any of them. I remember the first time I went to cop a pair of KD6’s Aunt Pearl. Once i had them in my hand I knew something was wrong, the sneaker didn’t look right and seemed to be too small. I tried to squeeze the life out of my feet just to make them fit in that damn sock. I had to try on a whole size bigger just for my wide foot to slide in, and that’s not even the big foot (because you know everyone has that one foot that’s bigger than the other). This is the same issue I have with every single sneaker that has the sock.

Envy: a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another’s advantages, success, possessions, etc.

Eric Says: Olympic 7s OG. This is the kick that started it all for me. In the summer of 1992 we were privileged to watch the greatest basketball team ever assembled tear the world basketball scene apart. It was also the summer my mom brought home the greatest pair of shoes that I have had the pleasure of wearing, the Jordan 7 Olympics. I was not a Jordan fan. I didn’t care too much about sneakers (I was nine) but opening that box, smelling the sweet aroma of new sneakers, and unwrapping each sneaker from the soft tissue paper used to protect the sneaker from all known dangers, I knew in that moment I was going to love sneakers forever. That was the beginning. I need to return these to my collection.

Eian Says: Air Total Max Uptempo: It was 1997 and I was twelve and I was with my uncle and cousin coming from the Gauchos gym (NY youth basketball at its finest) after basketball practice. We went to the mall to grab some lunch and stopped at Foot Locker on the way out. Once I laid my eyes on them I knew I had to have them, but of course, at twelve years old, I could never afford them. At that time I would never even ask my parents for them because the price was so high. I remember seeing kids older than me with them on and it killed me inside every time. I’m still on the lookout for them to this day. i know they retroed them circa 2009 but I missed out once again.

 * We are both very excited about this blog, not just as creators but also as lovers of the culture, and we look forward to interacting with folks and continuing to share our thoughts and ideas with you all. Please come along on this journey with us as we look to explore and grow.*

[ysc003]

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[mycolourfullifeuk]

Today’s post questions are from A Guy Called Bloke‘s blog series called “Question Fun“.  Rory runs lots of interesting little series that I have been meaning to take part in but somehow I always end up missing out.  Rory has posted a series of questions around the theme of “The Fashionistas” and I decided that these were the ones I’d like to take a shot at answering!

Could you cope with buying no clothes for a full year?

When you say New do you mean new new or new to me new?  New new are clothes that are brand spanking new, the kind that is mass produced and then sold in stores, new to me clothes would be anything pre-loved, whether from a charity shop, vintage store or a jumble sale….  I would like to think I could live without new new clothes for a whole year but if I needed to replace something (new new clothes don’t last as well as older clothes as they don’t seem to be made as well…) I’d like to be able to replace it with a pre-loved item.  And, I’m not sure I could ever give up buying pre-loved items.  By buying pre-loved you are not only saving something from landfill, a lot of the time you are buying something that not many others have, something that is unique and has a history, but you are also building your own style and buying something that could last longer than brand new items.

How many pairs of coloured/patterned socks do you possess?

I think all of my socks are coloured or patterned!  Even my black socks have coloured toe and heel pieces to them!

What is YOUR number one fashion rule?

So many times in the past I have liked something and then been dissuaded from wearing it because it’s not in “fashion” and I got pretty fed up with fashion and how quickly things can be in fashion one minute and then not the next.  It’s exhausting and can cost a lot to keep up with all the trends.  My number one rule is…

If you like it, wear it!

What is the quirkiest customised outfit you have ever worn and where and what for did you wear it?

If you could see most of my wardrobe…a lot of it is quirky and I customise things to fit, change hemlines and mix and match most clothing I own!  I do own some very bright patchwork hareem trousers which I love!  They are made from tiny offcuts of material with tons of different prints on, they were made and sold at a festival I went to a few years ago!  I wear them to work sometimes!

In your opinion what are 5 basic but important items of clothing?

Vest tops – brilliant for summer wear, work as a transitional item between seasons, can be worn under dresses that show a bit too much boob and when they are starting to get a bit faded you can wear them as loungewear or as a PJ top!

Long sleeve t-shirts.  These are fab for layering in the cooler months or for wearing under dresses to take them from one season to the next.  I like to wear long sleeve tops under shorter sleeve t-shirt, under dungarees dresses and under hoodies as a base layer!

Leggings.  I have like, a million pairs of leggings!  They are fab to wear with tunic tops, long baggy jumpers, dressing up with heels and something sparkly, wearing around the house, wearing under clothes in the snow and sleeping in!  And while it may be tempting to pick up a load of cheap pairs it really is worth investing in something that is better quality and is less likely to be see-through and show off your pants.

Jeans.  What can go wrong with a pair of jeans?  You can dress them up, dress them down, and they work with so many other items of clothing.

Plain t-shirts.  For the same reasons given above for vest tops and long sleeve tops!

Ok, so Flares? Once popular for the 70’s sure …. but where are they now?

In my wardrobe!  Lol!  I still love a flare or wide leg trousers!  They can look really good if styled properly!

Which are your best three quotes that mean the most to you with regards fashion/clothing/lifestyle?

You obviously have favourite colours you enjoy wearing, we all do – but if you were asked to wear the opposite colours to what you normally wear what would those colours be?

Brown or navy…. not that I don’t have any brown or navy clothes, I do, but brown and navy are not colours I wear much of or really know what to pair them with.

What are the wrong trousers to wear like ever?

I don’t think there is any style that is the wrong trousers but for me, anything that is too short, too long, falls down, is too tight, doesn’t sit right, doesn’t have belt loops (though some styles are ok for no belt loops…) weird zips that never stay shut…anything that makes you feel uncomfortable really…

What is your favourite style of nightwear from the following options?

Baggy T-Shirt, boxers/long Johns

Especially for the spring and autumn months!

Ridiculous looking Pyjamas

A deffo for winter days spent snuggling on the sofa and watching films

Nothing as in bare all over

Sexy attire – you know the naughty stuff

Other

Shorts and vest top, t-shirt and cropped leggings, 80’s style cycle shorts and tops, long sleeve tops…

For you what one single musical track just speaks fashion to you?

The Dandy Warhols – Bohemian Like You

The celebrity whose style you most identify with from the following?

Melissa McCarthy

Jack Nicholsan

Clarke Gable

Halle Berry

Meryl Streep

Lady Gaga

She does what she wants, doesn’t follow any typical rules and she doesn’t seem to care what anyone else thinks.

Charlie Chaplain

Gene Kelly

Other

Would you wear stripes with squares?

Yes!  I think if done in the right way you can mix any prints that you want!

Which out of the following line up are you most likely to wear?

Heels, Boots, Flats, Loafers, Sneakers, Brogues, Thongs [Flip Flops], Running Shoes, Sandals, Wedges, Slippers, Lace Ups, Decks, Wellingtons, Riding Boots, Mules, Ankle Boots, Boat shoes, Chukkas, Chelsea Boot, Slips ons?

All of the above with the exception of loafers and boat shoes!  I think I have had most styles of shoe on my shoe rack at some point or other!

Are hats your thing? If so which styles?

I wish hats were my thing but, I always seem to look silly in a hat.  the only hats I own are either dress up hats (I have a pirate hat…) or winter bobble hats!

For women; last time you wore a scarf and for men; last time you wore a tie?

I don’t really remember the last time I wore a scarf.  I have a few silk neck scarf things that I have worn with dress and jacket ensembles in the past…maybe a year ago?

Have you ever physically suffered for the sake of a fashion trend?

Yes.  So, so many times.  I have worn shoes that have given me blisters, shoes that are too high for me to walk in properly and badly fitting shoes and I never seem to learn.  I have worn a steel boned corset that rubbed my rib cage raw and has scars there now…long skirts and trousers that have caused me to trip up and dresses that, once on I could barely breathe!  I tend to go for clothes that are comfortable now and that I can move and inhale in easily!  I think when I was younger I suffered more for a fashion trend as I was not as confident in my own style as I am now.  Shoes though, they will forever be my downfall!

Question Fun Today's post questions are from A Guy Called Bloke's blog series called "Question Fun…

[damagemirror94-blog]

The Dappered Gift Guide for… The Shoe Guy

Tis the season. And by now you’ve probably been walloped over the head by 82,000 gift guides. So what’s a few more? Instead of doing a highly generalized, throw-everything-against-the-digital-wall gift guide, we’ll be breaking it up by category. Gifts for the guy who likes watches. Or the rugged type. Or the guy who’s always in a suit. Etc. 

Most of us can get by with either applying shoe creme with an old sock, or, two daubers (one for black, one for brown… even with washing them after, you never know). But if the guy on your list is a true shoe hog, having more than a couple daubers on hand can be super convenient. The horsehair on the dauber makes for much easier, more even application of the cream, than compared to when it’s applied with a sock or rag. They will wear out after a while, and once that starts to happen, stray hairs start to muck up your polishing process. Good stocking stuffers. Nice and cheap. Solid quality from AE. Doesn’t ship free on it’s own. AE freebie shipping kicks in at $50. You could always pick this pair from Amazon for ten bucks. Currently shipping free with Prime, but could sell out.

Perfect for storing shoes. I keep my sneakers in there. Gets them up off the floor where I’d otherwise kick them around and it’d be a mess. On a side note, I have a crap ton of pants I never wear. Also, I can’t tell you where all the hangers came from. They just appear. I know some came from the dry cleaner, but I don’t dry clean stuff THAT much.

Widely regarded as the best all-around shoe leather care product on the market. Remember those “liquid gold” mac and cheese commercials that end with “eat like that guy you know” as the tag line? Right. This stuff. This is the real liquid gold. For your shoes. Shine (or, more accurately in this case, clean & condition)… like that guy you know.

Like garment bags… for footwear. Helps keep the dust off, and the soft all cotton fabric protects the shoes from any accidental drops, dings, pet claws, locust invasions, etc., while at home or on the road. And being that they’re all cotton and not synthetic, your shoes can breathe. Which is good.

Perfect for the guys who travel a lot and/or the types who change shoes when they get to work in the morning (say, post commute or post trip to the gym). Sold by Banana Republic, so, always on sale. Want something to ship fast via Amazon’s prime service? Those are available too.

Shoe Shine Gift Certificates

Got a cobbler in your city? Drop in and see if they offer gift certificates for shoe shines. Sure, plenty of guys actually like the process of shining their own shoes, but every so often it’s nice to just hand them over to the pros. They might come back looking better than ever.

Laser engraved with either his initials, name, or even an image. (Which could get… weird?) Plus, Woodlore’s shoe trees uses nice cedar, and smooth acting springs. Not like super cheap shoe trees that can stick and bind after a while.

File this under the category of things most people will never, ever consider buying for themselves, but if someone gets a pair for them, they’ll be eternally grateful. If he loves his shoe collection, then he pays attention to his feet. And nothing says appreciating feet quite like cashmere socks.

Going for soft, laid back, and indoors here. And these are anything but crummy faux-suede/faux-shearling throwaways from the clearance basket at your local discount store. These are the real deal. All wool uppers that breathe (so, no funky foot deep into a lazy morning at home). Lightweight crepe soles. Made in France. I believe solids are only currently available at Best Made Co? Massdrop has done shockingly cheap ($39) drops for these before, but they’re currently inactive. Fair Isle pattern is cheaper, and exclusive to Huckberry.

You want something sturdy. Something that doesn’t wiggle or wobble. Something that you can put pressure on as you buff out a shoe over and over and over again. Just… be careful who you gift one of these things to (NSFW language).

Just because the weather is crap doesn’t mean his footwear has to look/feel awful. I know these get lots of play on this site, but they really are something. A do anything duck boot that’s been updated for the 21st century. Fully waterproof, breathable, full grain leather uppers and fully waterproof suede. They’re claiming sneaker like comfort too. They even look pretty slick.

A pair of high quality Leather, Classic Sneakers

Many a brand is taking classic court shapes, and making them out of high quality materials. And the end result are shoes that have that great, classic athletic look, but last longer and feel far superior to basic Chucks or Jack Purcells. You could spend a fortune on these things, or, you could spend not quite as much. Also, there’s always the cheap but still oddly good quality Stan Smith.

An upgraded version of his favorite style of shoe – $250+

Just make sure you keep receipts for returns in case they don’t fit. Say he’s got a cheap pair of suede chukkas that he loves. Search out a nicer quality pair. Same goes for, say, wingtip boots and chelseas. This obviously works best if his current pair has more than a few miles on it. Doesn’t make sense to upgrade to a new pair if he just bought em’. But if an old, tired looking pair (that he still loves) is ready to give up the ghost, it could be one hell of a treat to go from that entry level pair to a little bit of luxury.

Source: https://dappered.com/2018/12/the-dappered-gift-guide-for-the-shoe-guy-2018/

[albandenoyel]

The art of shoemaking

December 9th 2017

My hand-made shoe by alban on Sketchfab

So here are the main steps I went through, a large portion of it is common for most shoes, I believe.

Picking your last

The shoe last is the central piece of equipment you need. It’s basically a replica of your foot, and you craft the shoe around it. Old lasts were made of wood, but now they are mostly done in plastic, more durable. We used Serena lasts, from Mexico. I went for a 10D (the letter defining width). Side note that when you want to make a full shoe line, you usually initially try to cover 12 sizes, and thus need 12 lasts. As some people noted, it could have been amazing to 3D scan my foot, and make a 3D print of it in order to have a bespoke last with perfect dimensions. But this was a bit out of scope for my first pair :)

Making the pattern

All shoes start from a pattern, as most wearables do. We started by covering the last with paper tape, we then draw the pattern on the tape. Pattern making is a craft in itself. We went for a rather straightforward pattern of a chukka boot (pretty close to a clarks desert boot design). Once it was drawn on the last, we removed the tape and paste it on a sheet of paper. We then cut around the pattern.

Picking and cutting the leather

We had a variety of options  for leather color and types. I went for a thick brown. Turned out to be a leather meant for belt making, very thick, probably buffalo. We initially thought it would be too hard/thick, but eventually decided to give it a go. Next step was to draw the pattern on the leather, for each shoe. We then cut the leather with a blade. I had to make sure to hold the blade as vertical as I could, to avoid any bevel on the leather hedge. It’s important as the back is stitched hedge to hedge.

Stitching the leather

The pattern we went for required stitching in 3 places: each side of the shoe, and on the back. First thing we had to do was piercing the holes where we would stitch. We used a hole punch, which looks like a fork, and hammered it on the leather to make the holes, 5 mm from the hedge. I picked a red waxed thread for the stitch. We used 2 needles for the stitching. The stitching in the back was very long, because it’s double, but the result is a very nice and geometrical stitch. The side stitches are pretty straightforward. Side note that in order to make sure the front pattern will match with the back one, we pierced a small registration hole on each piece. On the sides, we glued the leather before stitching it. Stitching takes a long time, so I had to take some homework and finished it at home :) I broke 2 needles during the process. We also had to pierce holes for the laces, using a leather puncher.

Making the insole

We made the insole in the same material as the rest of the shoe. We just had to draw a new pattern on the sole side of the last, and cut a leather piece from that. We then nailed the insole to the last.

Lasting the shoe

It is the most critical part of the process. It’s when you match the leather to the last. In order to be able to do that, given the leather thickness, we soaked it in water for about half an hour. We then positioned the shoe on top of the last, making sure it was aligned with the middle of the last. We then put a first nail on the top of the heel, and a second one on the bottom. We then reversed the shoe, and did our best to pull the leather as tightly as possible using pliers, and nailed the front of the leather to the front of the last, on the sole side. We then nailed the sides, and finally all around the sole. The leather was so thick that we had to cut small triangles at the front end of the shoe to be able to close it over the last and nail it. We also hammered the top of the shoe to form it around the last.

Shoe lasting by alban on Sketchfab

Gluing and closing the shoe

Once the shoe was lasted, we glued all around, between the sole and the upper leather. We then pressed the upper to the sole, starting with the largest portions, then removing the nails to be able to access the smaller parts. The front part turned out to be very difficult, given the thickness of the leather. Once we had glued, we hammered the sole as strong as we could, to stick it hard. We then filled the middle gap with cork, hammered again, and then sanded the entire sole, along the hedge of the shoe. 

Day #25: Shoe Lasting WIP by alban on Sketchfab

Making the sole

The sole has 3 components: the welt (which acts as a junction between the outer sole and the shoe), the outer sole, and the heel. We first glued the welt to the shoe. Then we traced the new wider shape on the sole material (an even thicker leather), and cut the sole. We then glued the sole, sanded it, cut the heel, glued it, and hammered the entire sole. We then sanded the hedge of the sole, to make it even, and polished it with wood to give it some shine.

And there you are, a finished pair of shoes! It was quite hard to remove the last. I was also very worried about size: I have a track record of getting shoes which are too small for me, so I made sure it would be ok here, and in the end they feel a tad big, but I added an extra inner sole.

I have made a lot of things in my life, but making my own shoes is probably one of the most rewarding things I have ever made. I was expecting them to look ok but not great. They look great, and really feel like actual shoes you’d buy in a store. I almost want to just keep them as a piece of artwork in my living room instead of wearing them :) At the same time, I kind of want to only wear shoes I made myself from now on.

Big thanks to Aaron and Brooklyn Shoe Space, I really had a blast. I got to discover the fabulous world of shoe makers, and can’t wait for my next project. I really want to make sneakers, to be continued…

[tolionplz-blog]

How To Wear Timberland Boots With Skinny Jeans

StyleCartel hit Paris for Haute Couture and after 3 days of excessive heels this fashion editor's ft wanted a break from heels. I was admittedly late to the Timberland craze. Rising up in the Bay Area, the place the temperature hardly ever dropped under 50 F, there was no purposeful motive to put on boots By the time I hit high school within the early 1990s and I might purchase my own shoes, West Coast rap dominated and no one I knew was checking for Timberlands — or anything boot-sensible. I all the time thought of Timberland as a New York thing. Unbeknownst to me, Timberland was rapidly increasing its attain worldwide. I lastly opened my footwear-shopping for thoughts and purchased my first pair of building Timbs as a senior in college, and I have never appeared again since.

How To Wear Timberland Boots With Skinny Jeans

For winter or chilly fall days I offer you to pay attention to coats and parkas As proven under, you possibly can mix your green military, navy blue or brown fur hooded parka with mild shade trousers or denims, beige or white sweater and camel boots. For an informal look you can mix boots with a impartial coloration hooded coat, cuffed denims (or straight jeans tucked into boots), a turtleneck or sweatshirt, a backpack and a knitted scarf. Now you already know that one of these boots could be very easy-to-combine and nice for any outfit.

How To Wear Timberland Boots Female

How To Wear Timberlands With Jeans Mens

How To Wear Timberland Boots With Skinny Jeans

Timberlands former Ceo declined to comment stating that he doesnt need to say if he disagrees nor agrees with the new Ceos assertion. Rappers comparable to Notorious B.I.G. mention the Timberland brand in lots of his hit songs and black people are already thinking hes most likely rolling in his grave after listening to that black individuals are really sporting boots in the summertime time. Tuck your skinny denims into the Timberlands, making sure that the tongue is over, versus beneath, the denims. If carrying flared denims with Timberlands, guantee that the denims are lengthy enough to reach the only of the boots.

How To Lace Timberland Boots

Gangster outfits are trending as of late, so pair these with timberlands. Keep in mind to match inexperienced with brown timberlands for a gangster outfit look. It will make your outfit super trendy and stylish in all seasons and events. The excitement over the re-release of these boots is coming from a variety of males, but it surely's particularly noticeable from Timberland's two core customer bases: the city buyer and the traditional outdoorsman, two seemingly diametrically opposite demographics which have each proven immense loyalty to the brand for many years. The Good American co-founder arrived at the airport in black Timberland boots (store the same style here ) and a matching top and LAZYPANTS ($113; ). Kardashian added an eclectic splash of coloration to the journey-ready look with a camo jacket and Louis Vuiton patterned backpack. While Pharrell Williams personalized his purple Timberlands with scribbles, his equally funky-cool spouse, Helen Lasichanh, styled hers preppy with a striped sweater and a navy blue jacket. On September 5th, the no_chillbruh Instagram feed posted a video of a woman repeatedly who becomes enamored with a person wearing Timberlands after being repeatedly catcalled whereas walking down a sidewalk in New York Metropolis (proven beneath). Inside two weeks, the video gained over 146,000 views and 540 feedback.

In 1973 Timberland built their authentic yellow boot. It was a rugged, durable, waterproof leather boot made for chilly, moist weather. The boot went on to grow to be each the icon and title of the brand, symbolizing a heritage of authenticity and high quality. Today, Timberland is as premium and durable as ever, bringing new model, performance and green elements to each footwear and attire. You possibly can never go flawed with a basic like these Timberland 6″ premium boots in wheat nubuck from Amazon and Zappos.

Experiment with completely different styles, including chukka and sneaker boots, to seek out the one that finest suit your look. While it can be a strategic fashion determination to make your footwear and shirt match, it is just about fully pointless. The singer stepped out in Beverly Hills on Thursday in casual costume and a set of monogrammed Timberland boots ($a hundred and seventy; ). The actor stepped out in N.Y.C. rocking a pair of dark brown Timberland boots (in gray: $190; ) and a Canada Goose coat ($900; ).

How To Wear Timberlands With Jeans Mens

That is my second Timberland pair. These boots are should-have for cool climate. It is really nice that they are water-proof and come in several colours. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the unique Yellow Boot, Timberland has been releasing a slew of special boots, including a return of the sorely missed 6" collaboration, and a few of its hottest and iconic silhouettes (the Super 6", World Hiker and Tremendous Boot) with up to date expertise (Vibram outsole, PrimaLoft insulation, Gore-Tex membrane) and inexperienced-friendly supplies. Top: Gina Tricot, Boots: Timberland, Coat: Stelly, Bag: Givenchy. When she touched down, Melania departed the aircraft in a re-assessment complete with a pair of sensible footwear. The FLOTUS wore a white t-shirt with matching denims and an army inexperienced jacket. She finished her look off with a pair of suede Timberland boots ($a hundred and seventy). Maintain reading to have a look at both of her ensembles forward. Nevertheless, when Groves despatched a personal message to ICandy's official Fb web page soon after the incident, he obtained an unsigned reply claiming that the doorman had made an error: We are maintaining and re-emphasizing our current costume code as we gear up for our anniversary occasion and the spring season. However, it sounds like our door person misunderstood or misrepresented the code. In fact Timberland boots are acceptable, as are sweats and tanks ….

[thebrandtag]

A General Report on General Things via /r/dubai

A General Report on General Things

-1-

Following his father's death, a close friend of mine started making one-hour-long long-distance calls home every Friday as he shopped for groceries and necessities at the Union Co-op. He'd wake up on any given Friday, have coffee, shower, take his car, and go to the Umm Suqeim (?) Union Co-op, and spend an hour and half pushing his cart around and examining the labels on products while drifting aimlessly through a conversation with his now-widowed mother who would have her phone on speaker so my friend's sister, also sat nearby, would listen and interact. He upholds this bit of routine with overzealous precision, and if you call him between 1 and 3 pm on a Friday, you're sure as hell to get a busy tone. The topics they cover in the conversation, he tells me, start with the mutual assurance that all people that matter are alive, don't have cancer and are not in distress, and then they move into general gossip about which cousin or uncle has fucked up and by how much, what fresh scandals are in vogue, and who had a child and what the child's name is. After that she gives him some cooking tips and explains that it's not an arbitrary culinary measure that you should add water to the chicken breasts you're cooking, but that it's necessary for the typically bland piece to be soaked with the ingredients and spices you've incorporated into the meal. When they're done saying all of this stuff, they tell each other that they love each other very much and hang up. I miss that. My own mother passed away ten years ago, and the only people I have home whom I care to call are my father, stepmother and half-sister who's only 11-years-old. I'm constantly chatting with my sister on WhatsApp, telling her that I love and miss her, and that this is how she can set 2-factor authentication on SnaptChat. And I call my father once every three months to make sure he's alive, to which he usually responds by saying: have you fucked up?

-2-

A friend of mine is getting married on Sunday, and he invited me. At 1 pm we're going to a church (don't know which one yet) for the Christian ceremony, and at 5 pm we're to go to a hotel in JBR for the official wedding. He asked me to dress up, but I have an issue with wearing a suit twice a day with a three-hour interval. Should I wear a suit for the church? Can't I just wear a nice button-down with formal pants, formal shoes and perhaps a tie? Let me know if you know.

-3-

Have you started switching off the AC and opening the window for the new season?

-4-

A girl I've been intermittently flirting with over a year has invited me over. I said I can't make it. She's four years younger than I am, and she takes sex and sexuality very lightly, but I don't. I know this is me presuming that being invited over means something sexual, but it is my judgment that such is what I should expect. The problem here is that I'm demisexual and can't casually deal with this without the necessary sentimental build-up and afterweight. We're both Arab. This is all ridiculous, I know, but it's how I choose to live. She's a beautiful person but she's casually expressed that she doesn't want to be loved or in a relationship, and I've guardedly respected that and intend to continue doing so.

-5-

My shoe size is US 13 D(M). I can't find any shoes that fit in Dubai except in Timberland, only the Dubai Mall branch, and only when something's just in. I learned a long time ago that each branch of every store that sells shoes receives an predetermined number of shoes based on historical demand, with the most common shoe size for each gender getting the largest number of pairs, and this number diminishes as you go unusually larger or smaller, and so, if there's a new brown leather Chukka in Timberland, they'll get ten pairs at the size of 11, eight for size 12, and three for size 13, and nothing after that. I've been suffering with this for a while, and have therefore resolved to start getting my shoes from Amazon. This is all fun and games, but two years ago I got these babies and the soles are badly hurt, and they're no longer in production. I want to have the soles replaced, but it's fast looking like a tall order. I went to Minutes Dubai Mall, but these guys are a joke. Do you know an Old System shoe-repair place in Dubai that can make this happen? Is it possible at all? Thanks for any help.

-6-

These are strange times, and time moves on. But I'm glad I'm alive right now, in this day and age, and I love most of you, even though some of you are assholes who will troll this post to oblivion, but even the trolling is endearing. There is a poem I read somewhere about a guy who walks into a grocery store and observes random things happen, and can't help but be reassured by the mere, mundane and pointless sight of some guy ahead of him in the cashier line who'd just bought a six-pack of beers and some flowers, presumably for his wife; he feels that this randomness that's often hostile is what defines us as a species. This is how it goes:

"I like that,

and am reassured,

pleased with the uniqueness

of our whole species.

Because if the sun blows a fuse,

as it must one day, and we're toast,

I don't think you'll ever see anything

quite like this again - trees and clouds,

maybe, and even rain and lightning bugs

on August nights. But

I don't see the six-pack, the tall cool ones

with a picture of a mountain lake on the label,

nor Ardmore Tree Service, nor

the gift of the daisies, presented dripping

in their clear plastic sheath, ever

quite happening again."

-7-

Tomorrow is Saturday, which is likely to be entirely reserved for fear of the future and the blues thereof, even though I'd already taken Sunday off.

Goodnight

Submitted November 11, 2017 at 12:56AM by SeniorBeef via reddit http://ift.tt/2hk0mRf