Hibernation.

Hello all my faithful, bored readers! My apologies for the early, albeit warm winter of my postings. I have been laying low on the internet due to a new job that I have been spending a good deal of time at, all of which has supplied me with nothing but new lessons, experiences, and knowledge. This new position has also helped me gain a lot of things I have been seeking for quite some time now. In the time since my last post I have picked up quite a few pieces I would love to share with you all that get me through the snowy, blustery winter days of New York. Since I last posted my main purchases of note are 3 Junya Watanabe jackets from F/W 09 as well as the boots, all of which were featured on the runway, to this day I can not stop buying things from that collection. I also picked up from my friend who recently left his position as manager at Odin a pair of Diemme boots. I personally never thought I would get into the hiking gear trend but my goodness when I felt how warm, comfy, and feather light they were I could not go with another boot for this winter. Pictured below are all these items with a short write up for each, and I assure you all that you will hear from me again soon, most likely next week!

 

Pictured above are the Diemme and Junya Watanabe boots. I have been living in the Junya boots since I got them around August, almost daily wear with them. Christy last, Vibram sole, Goodyear welt, boot laces on a classic brogue boot, just the perfect amount of quirky workwear on a menswear staple how could I want to wear anything but this boot? As for the Diemmes I have been wearing these with cropped camoflauge chinos and hiking socks, you’d be amazed at how well those 3 pieces all work together. The sole on them is perfect for dealing with the slush and salt of New York and with a Repello Suede upper there has been almost no issue with maintenance, though I wish I could do a little more damage as I prefer suede to be distressed. The more character in a garment the better it is in my opinion.

 

This jacket is a runway show in and of itself, with more patchwork than a quilt…and actual quilting I don’t think I have found a more overdesigned jacket, in the best way. with the black and red flannel wool inserts under the sleeves, insulation and ribbed cuff and collar this jacket may be super lightweight and thin but it is as warm as a North Face and ten times steezier. Junya, as usual has not sacrificed a single detail, all of the stitch work is done meticulously and the overall fit is amazing.

 

The next piece got me through the fall until the jacket above arrived from Japan, a reversible jacket that I wore nonstop during all of Fall and Early Winter. The option of having a very huntsman aesthetic jacket on one side and an aviator on the other was just the versatility that I needed for an everyday jacket and it can twist the entire mood of an outfit from workwear to street wear in literally 5 seconds. The Leather patchwork is buttery soft and the cord is fine as can be. The best detail in my opinion is the raw wool that was used for the cuffs and collar of the aviator side, these are identical to the wool used on my Mister Freedom nightwatch cap which I live in and keeps me warm all winter.

And last but best for sure, the one piece I have been checking Yahoo Japan for relentlessly the last year, the red down workshirt from f/w 09. Now I don’t normally use profanity on here but I couldn’t help but mutter a satisfied “fuck.” when I saw this pop up and in my size. My proxy service Hide san was kind enough to help me with this so speedily and amazingly that I got it for half the price I thought I would have to. The quilted red, the plaid detailing, the corduroy at the cuff and collar and pocket, literally this piece is from my dreams, and it finally has become a part of my wardrobe, never to ever leave it. This is without a doubt my most prized posession.

 

 

So now that I have completed my fashion rant for this week, and work is becoming more and more manageable you will certainly be hearing a bit more from me every week. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and holiday season, and an amazing start to the New Year.

 

See you next week,

Scott.

Just More Junya.

So, it’s officially that time of the year that most who are interested in fashion freak out about, Sales Season! I usually am not too keen on waiting for Sale Season with my size being a usual target for low quantity buying so I usually have to go full price but this time boy did I luck out! I stopped by my usual spot that I acquire Junya from after getting the mailer for their first markdown sale and had to make that trek into Soho. I asked the usual Sales Associates that I chat with if they still have my size in a certain Jacket I’ve been considering for months and he told me he would go downstairs and see if I was in any chance for luck. He comes back up with nothing but the jacket I had pined for weeks for in my size and it fit perfectly. I ended up walking out of Soho with a much lighter wallet but with a grin that could span all of broadway.

It is this amazing Cotton/Nylon blend that has a great texture to it and is perfect for rainy days, I will be living in this thing come Fall. As with all Junya Pieces this has all the lovely details that are not too easily noticeable to the untrained eye. When popped the collar has an amazing red gingham as well as the soft paisley lining and brown contrasting accents. This is definitely going to be a garment that stays in my closet for quite a while.

Perfect Parcels via Proxies.

After months of pining over this baby I FINALLY have acquired what would have to be my most highly sought after garment. Junya Watanabe Man for Comme Des Garcons Fall Winter 09/10 reversible blazer/ hunting jacket. I almost bought this from my favorite shop in NYC but I missed out on it by literally 30 minutes. I hunted all over the internet, Yahoo! japan, even US ebay to no avail. Then the other night while doing my daily scour of Yahoo! japan auctions for Junya items I came across this beauty, IN MY SIZE for a bearable price, I had to jump on it. Many many many thanks to my proxy Hide-san at Sharpservice Japan. Summer has never felt so long to me before, but when I can finally wear this bad boy, man, I will be grinning the entire day.

The details in this thing are amazing, corduroy patches on the elbows, on the collar with a contrast of orange that appears when it is popped, detachable hood, ribbed cuffs, zipper as well as 3 button closure on both sides, jesus I could go on for hours. I must say, this is by far one of the best days I’ve had in a while.

Thanks for reading this post and seeing what has brought me so much joy, I hope every one of you has a garment out there that makes you feel as happy as this one does for me.

Scott.

Gift from a very kind friend.

The other day I was at lunch with my friends enjoying what was possibly the best guacamole dip and some of the most amazing chipotle chicken tacos ever made at La Superior in Williamsburg. We were talking about New York designers and about women and cracking jokes and I felt my phone vibrating. I received a text from my co-worker letting me know that there was a box in the back of the shop with my name on it. It turns out that this box contained a gift from my good friend Jason over at Converse. Jason and I discuss Converse as a brand quite a bit whenever he comes into the store and we both share a very strong passion for our favorite American brand. Last time he was in we discussed the most recent collaboration they did, with now disbanded lable, Number (N)ine. The pictures I had first seen were amazing and complete eye candy. Buttery soft distressed Suede, Asymmetric  lacing in a classic Converse One-star silhouette as opposed to the usual All-star (Chuck Taylor) The thing with this collaboration is that the shoes were very very limited, less than 5 shops in North America were receiving them I believe, 2 of which had a lot of pre-sales. Me being a size 8 was left with quite slim pickings so  I gave up on the thought of owning these shoes.

So I get to the storefront and go into the back and see that the box is indeed from converse, so i grab a box-cutter and open it. What else is inside but these shoes I’ve been lusting for for weeks without hope.

So of course the next day after picking them up I HAD to wear them, and wear them I did. The suede feels similar to butter, so smooth and soft, while the soles have an amazing amount of cushion and support. I am going to wear these a lot once the  summer hits in full swing, which for those of you in New York like myself, have been feeling a bit of.

I just wanted to say thank you again to my friend Jason, thanks for a good friendship and an equally great pair of shoes.

‘Cause all the silver girls gave us black dreams.

Well, it finally dropped just over a week ago and wow, what an album. I am not one to rant and rave about releases but this new work courtesy of The national, entitled High Violet has me hitting play over and over again every day this week. It’s actually gotten to the point where I start my day with a short work-out and a shower all while the album is playing in the background.

Like most popular bands nowadays, The National are based in Brooklyn, though they are quite unique from the rest of the pack. Their music definitely has a very strong and soulful pace and tone through out each song. Some will be slower than others but each will leave the listener satisfied and probably craving more. I started listening to The National back when their album boxer first came out and I fell in love. Mind you this was back when I was on a huge Interpol kick and the whole baritone vocalist thing was really doing it for me. Off of that album the song that stood out most for me was Apartment Story.

With this album I found that my favorites changed every day, discovering new things in every song. High Violet is one of those albums that with each listen you discover something new and beautiful in every song and change your favorite until you really can only say that you love the entire album. Chances are for me this is going to be the best album of the year, perfect for this rainy spring overcast weather and even better for when fall and winter hit New York City like a brick. I strongly recommend this album to fans of Interpol, Editors, or pretty much any other indie rock type band.

Highlights of the album: A Little Faith, Conversation 16, Bloodbuzz Ohio, and England.

Can’t beat the classics.

For many people, when asked what is their idea of an iconic american fashion label you will hear many names listed, mostly Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Eddie Bauer, etc. In my opinion there is only one label that has stayed relevant and a staple in every mans wardrobe, and that is of course, Converse. I’m a huge fan of Converse, the classic and slim, low profile silhouette, the ideal shoe for most occasions, also the fact that I was raised in Converse pretty much from day one and my Father always had a white pair of high tops that he loved.

This pair I have pictured below is now just about 7 years old, from when I was turning 14, in my Freshman year of High School. They’re holding up, but barely, and I still wear them at least once a week around the house or to run errands. The true beauty of a pair of Converse is the stories you can be told just by looking at them, which is something not many brands now have. These shoes literally have blood, sweat and tears put into them, along with countless memories, I grew up in these sneakers.

As of recently, Converse has been collaborating left and right with a whole bunch of high profile designers, whether it be Comme Des Garcons Play line, which I love to death, or the Hiroshi Fujiwara Fragment converse which come out every season in a different color. The most recent collaboration with the European label, SAK, is incredibly beautiful, extremely limited and quite possibly the most amazing shoe I’ve handled in quite some time, mind you they are $600 USD as well as limited to 60 pairs in each color and only distributed to two shops worldwide.

For those of you that read this please do feel free to comment with pictures of your Chucks and let them tell their story.

-Scott

Helping With the Hunt.

There will always be that one brand or one piece that sold out before you could afford it or couldn’t find your size, or hey, maybe the brand was never brought to the USA. This is an issue that I’ve run into many ,many times and I’ve found the solution in the past year or two, Yahoo! Japan Auctions.

Yahoo Japan Auctions is a great tool for those of you interested in very rare and hard to find brands such as Junya Watanabe, Comme Des Garcons, Undercover or Visvim or even Rick Owens. I recently used this website to acquire an old Undercover parka, from F/w 07 in brand new condition via the help of my friend Hide over at Sharp Service Japan, a very reliable proxy service. A proxy service is someone who will purchase a garment and re-mail it to you to avoid customs fees and duties and such, which can add a huge fee, they also make buying items from japan that much easier, as quite a few japanese locations are hard to contact and some do not ship internationally.

Anyway, here is a link to a text file I’ve uploaded which contains ways to find garments on Yahoo! Japan Auctions and if you find an item you’d like to purchase please feel free to contact Hide at Sharp Service.

Brand Translations

Thanks again for reading guys, hope this entry will help you find what you’re hunting for, next for me are some Visvim Virgils, as pictured below:

Well, happy hunting everyone!

-Scott

Are You Alone? Are You Lonely?

This past Thursday I did something very rare as of late, enjoy a film. Thanks to my good friends Ramon and Amit’s endorsement and Amit’s kindness I was able to finally watch the best movie i have seen in years, possibly my life. Mind you I’m no film student even though I took film courses for fun at one point. The movie that we all enjoyed is called, “Last Life in the Universe.” and is a Thai film. the protagonist, Kenji, is a librarian who lives alone and has a strong passion for japanese literature and an even stronger case of introversion. I sadly can not go too into detail or else you guys will not be able to enjoy the film, but I warn you, as the title would imply it can leave you feeling a little sad or lonely. Two factors of this film really made it for me besides the story line itself, The beautiful cinematography and the amazingly haunting and somber score. The muted colors used throughout the styling in Kenji’s outfits all the way to the scenes on the bridge and in his apartment, the movie is hauntingly beautiful to watch. As for the OST, I personally can not recommend a better soundtrack to get your hands on even if by japanese proxy. The music has this almost hollow feeling to it that clings to any feeling of loneliness you have and drags it out to the surface, it’s a purifying listen. I find myself lately after work, instead of heading for the N train, I wander around the East Village listening to the album in it’s entirety before I being my trek back to Bayridge. Included at the bottom of this post are some screen caps from the film as well as the Japanese theatrical trailer. At the end of the day this movie gets 4.5 stars, solely because nothing is capable of perfection.

I hope you all take my advice and watch this as soon as you can.

-Scott.

battling summer, one purchase at a time.

The other day I stopped in at Odin in Soho to see what my options were for some shades, since this past week it has been hot as can be in New York with blindingly clear skies. Of course as I type this now it is a dreary and overcast Friday. So, upon my arrival I went to the case where they usual keep their Sunglasses and right away I knew these were meant to be mine. The brand is called Costalots and has 3 basic models, though this is probably my favorite, The Diego. At a price point of $215 they are not the cheapest but definitely the best quality you’ll receive for your dollars. The main thing that sets these aside from your typical wayfarer from Ray Bans or the like is the lenses they used to make these. The type of lens utilized is known as the Carl Zeiss Lens, which is in essence the best type you can get. Upon researching these I stumbled across their website where I found this statement,

“Premium eyeglass lenses from Carl Zeiss are the result of more than 150 years of advanced research, innovation and German technology. For decades, the world’s scientists, doctors, researchers and engineers have relied on precision perfect optics from Carl Zeiss. From surgical microscopes and lasers to telescopes and lenses used in space exploration, Carl Zeiss is the undisputed expert in premium optics.”

After breaking these in yesterday on a bright day with clear skies I must say, I’m very happy with Costalots. As stated before you can purchase these from Odin via phone or email.

Easter Dinner.

Ham cooking
My Nanny’s famous vodka sauce

Antipasto

Cabernet at my granfather’s recommendationFinished product, with home made meatballs

and of course dessert.

I hope you all had a great day and a lovely meal, many thanks to my friends Rocky, Jordan and Joy, as well as my grandparents.