Wearing Labour Day After White

So we've all heard our parents say it, or at least we should have, if our parents had any inclination of the duties of fashion, "don't wear white after labour day!" We may have questioned it silently, but has anyone actually delved in to the reason why? If you grew up in the New England States then the reason is no surprise to you, there were more than 7 months within the year where white isn't acceptable.

The adage dates back some years, I don't know how many exactly, but let's say long long ago, sometime in the distant future. Labour Day marked more than a day off of work, if you lived not in the South, it meant the first day of Fall or Autumn, or true North, Winter. With those months came muggy, rainy days, dredging mud and salty, dirt filled walking paths. Based on that information alone, white was most absurd a color selection if not being adorned as a dress shirt. But none of that happens here so why do we adhere to such a non-regional concept?

So I have given it some thought and my final date of appropriate removal of white is after Halloween! Here is why. The month of September for us relatively warm and with the passing Hurricanes behind us in late August we have no pending threats of rain for at least 1 month. The highs in September average 93 and the low's 79 with approximately 10% of the month experiencing precipitation. The reason white is so popular a summer color is primarily due to its light weight feel and fall, and the brilliance of cleanliness it exudes. If we can maintain that desire to stay cool in hot temperatures, then why not acquiesce?! 

October marks the start of High School Soccer Season here in Louisiana, and if I know anything about High School Soccer, the games are cold and wet! So with November bringing us Thanksgiving, which is hit or miss for warm or cold weather, I think October makes an ideal month for habiliment transition. The temperatures begin to lull to a cool 70/60 and hopefully lower. 

I hereby extend a formal request to prolong the date of white clothing departure from the Southern region until November One! All in favor say "I", all oppossed, go away!

Quest for the Black Pearl

Gravati Wagner Monk

There is always a search for the perfect black dress shoe! So lacking in creativity and style, black is the last color selection of the unimaginative searching refuge and salvation from an inability to select proper colors. Be that as it may, black dress is a necessity to a man's wardrobe so long as that wardrobe is not completely compromised of the said black beauty. 

I have never been satisfied with the black dress shoes I have owned, ergo, I don't wear black much. I own 1 black suit, nothing fancy, and recently I found a pair of Mezlan Tyson dress shoes in black in the back of my closet...

I found these shoes at www.Berenshoes.com and immediately became entranced. The attention to detail and supple leather selection, it didn't take long to deduce these shoes were made by 1 of 3 companies; Canali, Romano Martegani or Gravati! Of course with those names comes a small price, in this case about $575 worth.

Fall, Fall, Fall...

This may be premature, but since I am orchestrating my wardrobe already for the fall, I figured I would impose my ideals on all 5 of my readers! Fall has many more options than what are normally accustomed to.

Trussardi Fall 2012 Show

Fall colors are not just about brown's, oranges & grays! Fall is regarded as the most colorful time of the year, and the colors that accompany do not disappoint! Spring overs certainly more vibrant colors, but the selection is stymied by pastels and Easter!

Start your wardrobe right! Just don't wear white! I will judge you.

 

The Dark Knight & Ermenegildo Zegna

So I recently had the pleasure of viewing The Dark Knight Rises and I have to admit, Bane was my favorite characters. Not just my favorite character of the movie, but one of my favorite Batman Movie characters of all time. I enjoyed his intellect, whit, attention to detail and overly ruthless mentality albeit a thinly veiled aura of passion was always present. Be that as it may, there was something a bit more that attracted me to this brash warrior - his style. 

Despite his upbringing, being born in darkness, his eyes were certainly open to the best in style the wardrobe director had to offer. There were a few jackets in both the adverts and the movie that left me wondering what they were. The one pictured beneath, I was certain was a Robert Comstock (a favorite designer of mine in the jacket world). I was later proved wrong, the jacket was designed by my favorite suit designer Ermenegildo Zegna. Recently GQ magazine released a post on the most amazing jackets you'll ever see and this Bomber Military jacket appeared at number 3. 

Retired & Hired

Donald Pliner Embossed Jimmy

So here we are, in that inevitable time of the year. Summer is upon us in the most horrid of fashions, although today it was quite nice out. In a series of unfortunate circumstances, or so they seemed at the time, I was forced to retire some of my more coveted articles of my wardrobe. Most notable are my Moreschi Deer Skin Monk Straps! You may remember them from a shoe shine video a month or so ago. (I am assuming I have blog readers). In that retirement also came 2 dress slacks navy and brown, 2 Chelsea Boots Brown & Stone/Navy and one of the more indelible pieces, Donald Pliner Jimmy's.


So the quest began to find suitable replacements for the continuation of a stylistic wardrobe that offered style & fashion in both form and functionality. The slacks were easy, I am huge fan of Jos A Bank dress slacks, so as soon as a sale hit I was on it. Recent purchase, Navy Executive Dress Slacks MSRP $225, sale price $44.99. The shoes have been a bit more difficult. Thus far I have not successfully found a Bordeaux Oxford or Monk Strap that fits Style and Budget, even if I remove budget, style is still elusive.

Other nominees however, to push forward with the journey are quite brilliant in their representation. In the Oxford Category we have the following:

Mezlan Endicott

Gravati Full Brogue Wing Tips

Allen Edmonds Strands Full Brogue Cap Toe

There is never a time when expanding your shoe collection is a bad idea. In fact, multiple pair of the same shoes can be highly recommended. If the company represents more style than fashion it's not so much imperative to double up, but in a fashion forward company of less stylistic quality but maintaining desirable proportions of aesthetics it may be in your best interest to purchase more than one. I am, to this day, regretting not purchasing more than 1 pair of Donald Pliner Radley-61's. I have owned these shoes for 10 years and although they still look great, there will come a day...

As It Stands

As it stands I will never run again. I am forgoing the use of my running blog at www.ClaimYourJourney.com, that site is for runners, and as it stands, I am not... presently. Moving on, I WILL NEVER RUN AGAIN, I SAY. This injury has loomed far too long.

Side note 1: In Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Ernest" there exists one of my favorite quotes. "If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life." To that I say bollocks. 


I am absolutely at my wits end. If you want to fully understand how deeply rooted this narcissism goes, read on. I was scrolling through some photos of me and other people that I have run with. I ran across a few pictures that depicted a scenery from around Louisiana with the appropriate clothing for weather conditions. The enigmatic portion of human psychological control as calibrated by Ivan Petrovich Pavlov would have been given to the association of 1st year children when I tell you I became upset to realize I would never be able to wear my CW-X Compression tights again!

This is the juncture of my current juxtaposition, sanity & reality. Where is reason? Where is rationale? Where is inner dialogue for the sake of perennial stability? Although I don't think this will last 2 years.

I guess what I am saying is, I am ready to run again. I was hoping to be back by the end of July. Here we are; in my most recent reenactment of a dance seen from House Party 1 where Kid and Play do that foot thing and dance in a semi-circle, I have yet more strenuous pain in my Achilles.

Fin

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my amazing wife, wonderful mother & best friend!

Pic of the Week

iCuff, the smart cuff! 

I am thinking of having all my shirts hemmed so that my watch is always accessible, I started with this shirt and I think I like it.

Pic's O' The Day

Jeremy Zenon in a dashing pair of Donald Pliner's

Me in a startling summer Saddle Shoe by Ralph Lauren

Two great summer looks, two completely different styles.

Es OC K Es

Maven Men's Wear

On a recent Twitter @mention by my good friend @Pele1410 I was pleasantly introduced to the company mention on the left of this page. Maven Men's Wear is one of the newest haberdashery's to grace the Greater Lafayette area. I had the fortunate pleasure to meet the owner Christina Barbier and we were inclined to share fanciful stories for our shared love of the industry. To whit the weather became almost insufferable and held me in her store for far longer than anticipated; be that as it may, it proved most worthy of the time spent.

Office Photo

On a more frequent account of stores I attend, I dropped in to my beloved F Camalo Men's Clothier for a gander at a pair of Gravati Shoes I have been eyeing, and with my 29th birthday approaching I thought it'd be a novel idea to pick my pleasure in birthday shoes. On my way out I spied these little diddies of brilliance. A deep grey Marcoliani dress sock with hot pink polka dots. I was smitten by the design and furthermore, intrigued by the option to take them home. It wasn't long before they adorned an outfit accordingly.

Remember, never be afraid to wear brilliance. Anyone can wear a great suit, but never shy away from the accouterments's that separate you from the masses. Often times, it's found in a sock.

XKCD

Lease

What's Poplin Seersucker?

The Poplin

Seersucker

 There's no doubt about it, summer is here. We have crested what is to be the final days of cool fronts & cool mornings for quite some time, that is however if you excuse the hail storm that came through last Monday!

Though the weather may be as it chooses, we are still called by either social obligation or painstaking desire to attend the same solemnities as they come about. And despite the heat people still think it a grand idea to get married in the beauty of the season's sun. So shall it be, some good people came up with a great solution to stay cool in the summer, and for the more formal occasions, still look great.

The Poplin Suit is nothing new to our culture. Poplin was first recorded in Avignon, France around the late 1400's. It derived its name from the word "papeline" given by the papal residence of Avignon itself. Poplin found its original use in men's daily garments, shorts and sports shirts mainly. But in the realm of fashionable innovation it was utilized later for more formal needs. If I am not mistaken, one of the original Poplin Suit manufacturer's in America was Brook's Brothers.

An interesting history forgoes the existence of Seersucker in the mainstay of the traditional gentlemen's summer wardrobe! Until the 1920's Seersucker was worn by poor southerners to beat the heat. In an attempt at reverse snobbery, a group of college graduates wore it to a graduation. Now it is the staple to a true summer wardrobe. The weave of the suit is what makes it seersucker, there is some speculation to the name, that it derives from a Hindi & Urdu translation of a Persian word meaning "milk and sugar". It goes on to discuss the relationship between smoothness and textured feel much like that of milk and sugar. Be that as it may, if a wedding calls, or any other carousal beckons in the heat of the southern Spring & Summer, go light but stay classy.

Cultural Changes

On June 3, 2011 Actor and Comedian Tracy Morgan was called down by the LGBT for making a comment about his kids being gay. He apologized for his comments and all was forgiven, or so. However, in 1989 Eddie Murphy stood on stage and said, "Faggot's aren't allowed to look at my ass while I'm on stage !That's why I keep moving while I'm up here.You don't know where the faggot section is, you gotta keep movin'. So if they do see it, quick, you switch, they don't get no long stares at your shit... ...so that their imagination is flowing about my... I know when you're looking, 'cos my ass starts to get hot. I'm afraid of gay people. Petrified.I have nightmares about gay people..."


He goes on for about 5 more minutes about gays, and not a single person breathed a word about it, there was no apology, no broadcasting company issued an apology to the general public. So my question is this, are we being more prejudice by not acknowledging people's ignorance (even if it's comedy) or are we being prejudice by pointing out everyone's "prejudice"? The question also bears, is it ignorant to point out someone's color in reference to them, or to be so ignorant as to say you don't see color? Where is our generation going with all this right to be offended and take action against the offender? Freedom of speech? For whom? Rights for all? Really? 

New Arrivals

Cole Haan Colton Nubuck Suede

The wardrobe is expanding, the style is curving with a slight rise in the form of fashion. Be that as it may, there is no perennial dictum mandating any facet of shoe ware that would consider these purchases trivial. Despite them coming at great opportunities both in time and in price, I have found myself smitten by their establishment of residence in my closet.

One of the first anomalies to note is the brand of shoe. I thought for certain I had finished with the line of Cole Haan. When I first started my trek to style Cole Haan was there to greet me. I spent the lot of my money acquiring what I thought was the height of shoedom. I was later introduced to many other lines, more prestigious lines, that left me desiring a more hand-crafted shoe. I left the Cole Haan line in search of accolade of Italian fashion moguls. My quest led me to Gravati, Donald Pliner, Romano Martegani, Canali, Toschi, Martin Dingman and many others. As life comes full circle...

Cole Haan Paul Chukka Boot

                                                         It was not an intentional purchase to return to Cole Haan, it was a matter of a sleepless night searching for great shoes. I had not owned a pair of Chukka Boots and thought the new craze of jean wear would intrigue, and a what is intrigue without action to satiate.

Tan/Cream SeerSucker Pattern

As for the Colton Suede Cream beauties, that was a, last minute I need to go to sleep but these shoes are tugging at me, purchase. What's a wardrobe without cream suede shoes for the next Yachting party you are invited too?! A nice Taupe/Brown or Brown/Cream SeerSucker Suit with a donning pair of suede shoes to match, brilliant says I.



A few websites I have recently found quite useful:
www.BerenShoes.com
www.Pelleline.com

But remember, if you can, support your local retailer's like:
F Camalo
Moseley & Hollard
Steve's Clothier
Partner's
Gentry



                                                                             

Ole Glory Crossfit

They're doing it right. I will start by saying just that.

As many of you know, I embarked on a desire to start doing Crossfit a couple of months ago. It was a catastrophe. The gym was super nice but the people were less than impressive. The relationship ended as quickly as it had begun. This is the point where I could say, "the search was on" for a new gym, but it wasn't, I was ultimately done. The only other gym I knew of was on Cajundome Blvd. and I wasn't travelling that far to workout, for all that I would have gotten a membership to Red's. (On a side note, I have heard wonderful things about Ragin' Crossfit)

A few weeks ago, on a Saturday, my and family and I were going to Morvant's in Broussard to grab burgers. Driving past I saw a building with a huge tractor tire out front, I thought, "I want a tractor tire!" It was then I realized I was looking at a Crossfit gym, a gym right here in Broussard, La. I noted the phone number to memory, it was easy, clearly a cell phone, and made a point to call on the following day.

I spoke to one of the owners, a husband, Bo Armentor. Everything about the conversation was delightful from the greeting to the information provided about the gym. I was really excited to give it another go. I arrived the following morning at 0500 as noted and I was immediately introduced to everyone in the gym. All were laughing and joking, at 0500 mind you, and it seemed like a good time.

Long story short I am really happy at Ole Glory. Bo and his wife Natalie have been wonderful hosts and the patrons are equally as delightful. It has been a few days shy of 1 month since I signed up but the relationship has blossomed and so have my results. Everyone is helpful and encouraging and most of the time really sweaty.

Bo & Natalie, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to get back in the swing and cult following of Crossfit. I look forward to our relationship growing exponentially over the coming years.

PS - I think there are more girls than guys at this gym!!! Perhaps that's why Bo was so nice to me, he needs me to knock down walls with him for expansion!!!!!

It's Just a Shoe

This picture arrived in my email from my beloved sister who seems to know the very way to my heart. As it turns out, Prada is allowing personal color customization of their latest Spring shoe line. Their forward progressive ideology is pining at my soul to become yet again a patron of the fine stylistic establishment. Hats off to you Prada, this is by way of great innovation Prada may find themselves back in the forefront Milan and Paris.

Enjoy!

Today's Big Idea

One shoe can change your life.

-Cinderella

Happy Feet

Before Washing

After Washing

There is something brilliant about donning a new pair of shoes. There is something even more alluring when an old pair of shoes gets new life and revitalization. I was in the Garden Square Building in down town Lafayette for a meeting and on the way out I saw a shoe shine booth, "Mr. Gloss". I was currently wearing the shoes that were involved my unfortunate flood and they needed new life blood. I approached Mr. Gloss with a smile and he was happy to acquiesce.

The shoes are Moreschi Bourdeaux Monk Strap Deer Skin Slip-On's. I was very impressed with his attention to detail and charisma in application of employment.

I've been looking for an old school shoe shine booth for a while, finally found one. The before and after pics are astounding. 

I Made A Deal With The Devil

I made a deal with the Devil

The Devil made a deal with me

I shall race him to the end of time

With the wings of Mercury at my feet

This race, no cheers no prize

My knowledge of Beelzebub

Undoubtedly the bane of my demise

I shall bate him with a hook

To wit he will not know

There is no need for throwing the book

My ego shall grow and grow

The moving finger writes

and having writ moves on

And the flag that once flew is dropped

The morning once here has gone

The moon has beckoned our souls

The Lord of Goats has sound the horn

There shall be this race alone

To wit a child shall be born

A Demon he shall be

A child more vicious than I

Consuming the livelihood of man

They shall die

They shall die

They shall die

I made a deal with the Devil

The Devil made a deal with me

I shall race him to the end of time

With the wings of Mercury at my feet

This Is My Monday

I was stopped behind a vehicle on Burleigh Lane across the street from my office, the water lifted my truck and put me in the nearest ditch. I joined 2 other people in the joy of flooded vehicles. 

Conversation

So I joined Crossfit Lafayette and quite frankly I am not sure how long this relationship will last. I have been a runner for some time now and I am enamored with my running family. We feed off of each others positivity and encourage each other despite our current state. This morning was my first official crossfit class and my before my first workout even started this exchange took place: (Note, Girl #1 is mid 30's and ends all of her sentences with upward inflections)

Girl #1: Hey (speaking to Girl #2), the other day I went to the store and the woman behind the counter was all like, you must be a runner. I was like, um, do I look flabby and out of shape to you? Ugh!

Girl#2: I think she was trying to compliment you.

Girl #1: No, people who run are flabby, it's like, oh my god I work hard at this crossfit to be fit so I don't look like a runner.

Girl #2: Well that guys a runner and he's toned, look at his legs! (pointing to me)

Girl #1: You're a runner?

Me: (nodding yes)

Girl #1: Well I just can't believe he's not flabby!

Now I am fully aware of her ignorance and her implications at runners, but that doesn't mean I can't take offense to her comments. I credit my running ability to years on a soccer field, and I would take the same offense to someone who was ignorant enough to say soccer players are out of shape! I am not in crossfit to make friends, and although I will get along with most people I meet I will not get along with everyone. This woman probably has never run more than 3 miles in her life. So she doesn't understand that to run 3 miles or 31 miles it all starts with the same first step. We runners are a proud bunch. I ran my first 50k (31.1) miles in the Talladega National Forest a few weeks ago. I ran for 8:50:34 and covered over 8,000 ft. of elevation gains. I was proud of myself, and proud of every single person that finished. The only things I heard in that time of the trail were encouraging words. No negativity. Negative people don't make it in the Ultra Marathon World. I respect the weekend warrior who can only make it out for 1-2 miles at a time, and I respect the 100 milers like Edie Riedel, Brad Delcambre and Donald Cleveland for their resolve as well. My mom is 48 and ran her first Half Marathon in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago, she started running 5k's the same way every other ultra runner did.

The world of working out, this doesn't include athletics like soccer, basketball or even running. But the world of working out is a world of gateway drugs. Stepping stones if you will to the next big thing. The egotist wants more of what he is looking for, so that gym membership leads to boot camp leads to crossfit leads to crossfit game competition and whatever is next.

This post wasn't suppose to be this long. My apologies. Please file all requests for refunds of your time with Benjamin Franklin.

Attitude Toward Death, The Teaching of Tecumseh

Live your life that the fear of death
can never enter your heart.
Trouble no one about his religion.
Respect others in their views
and demand that they respect yours.
Love your life, perfect your life,
beautify all things in your life.
Seek to make your life long
and of service to your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day
when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting
or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place.
Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.
When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light,
for your life, for your strength.
Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.
If you see no reason to give thanks,
the fault lies in yourself.
Touch not the poisonous firewater that makes wise ones turn to fools
and robs the spirit of its vision.
When your time comes to die, be not like those
whose hearts are filled with fear of death,
so that when their time comes they weep and pray
for a little more time to live their lives over again
in a different way.
Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.

The Teaching of Tecumseh

It's In the Socks

There is much to be said about wearing dress socks everyday. I get text messages quite frequently about why peoples feet smell after a long days work? Most peoples initial diagnosis is because their feet sweat, nervous foot syndrome we shall call it! Well that is true, but your arm pits and thigh perspire throughout the day, with that reasoning we should all stink by lunch time, at least in the summer months. The key element of course is hygiene, bathing properly and washing efficiently. But that is not the only thing. Most people use the wrong soap for their skin type or perspiration needs, not going to get in to that now, but suffice it to say the soap you use does make a difference. I don't use the same soap for my feet as I do for the rest of my body all the time but I take precautions for my feet perspiration.

I wear dress socks everyday, and not once has my wife complained about my feet smelling. The secret, I wear white cotton socks underneath all of my dress socks. It is for the same reason we wear cotton shirts under our daily wear habiliments, so the skin can breathe. Cotton has the best breathing availability of all the fabrics on the market, second only to linen, but linen is too abrasive although wool is another winner, if you can get it in an undye'd white. But yeah, white cotton socks. In addition to the breath-ability, it also adds comfort to my daily commute. When your sweaty foot merges with the dyes and materials of a sock, well it's like adding one more hydrogen atom to a Methyl!

Note, wearing a beautiful suit is one thing, but the superfluous additions make it everything. Don't be scared of a dress sock that is "out of the norm". Just be cognizant about when you wear them. 

Alabama Shakes - Hold On

I am really digging this band! Love the sound, love the style.

The Small Things

Or in this case, the small people. My Angel.

It Was Cold That Day

    

I woke up on Thursday morning knowing full well the course of my day. I truffled painfully out of bed and mossy'd along to the closet down the hall. When the door opened I felt the full extent of the outdoor freeze. It was cold, and for some reason that excited me. I rummaged through my tops, matched a few with sweaters and settled on slacks and shoes, but then when I turned to head to the restroom to shave and do my morning personal hygiene, I saw this coat! It had to be worn. I immediately scrapped my present habiliments and went for a cashmere sweater and built the outfit around a brown Wool trench coat, and a cashmere sweater. It was a great day for heavy coating, I wore a small bop cap but it was removed after several hours of travel.

The coat is a 100% Heavy Wool w/ Silk Lining Luciana Barbera
The Shirt is a Jos. A Bank Button Down w/ Company embroidery
The Cashmere sweater is courtesy of Pronto Uomo
Slacks, 96% Wool 4% Cashmere Jos. A Bank
Shoes, Monk Strap Bourdeaux Moreschi Deer Skin
Socks were a navy/sky knee high Marcoliani