2012 February Want List

I love vintage clothing as much as the next guy, but we're living in a time of some pretty slick NEW clothing too! Once a month, I'd like to highlight some nice pieces found on the internet that may be worth hunting down. 

Granted, some of these items may not be in any of our budgets, but who knows... some day, you may run across them in a sales rack or discount website. So if you like something you see, just keep tabs and wait for that sale! Or, save a photo and take it to your favorite tailor in the hopes he or she can re-make it at a fraction of the designer price. (Also, if there's a book or some music that looks interesting, I'll add to the Want List as well!)

So, the other day, I was having lunch with a buddy of mine (let's call him 'El Brando'). After a nice little meal, El Brando twists my arm (not really) to check out the local Paul Smith shop with him. Well, we're hanging out in there, digging on the socks, the books, and the coats when we come across the shirt section and find their floral-patterned shirts.

Wow! Some seriously beautiful pieces that I started drooling over... until I saw the price tags. "Don't worry, man," El Brando reassured me. "They have some on sale, half-price, over there." Yeah, half-price... still making my wallet weep. But, I did a little Paul Smith online search and found a floral slightly more affordable:

Paul Smith purple 'London' shirt... get it while you still can here.

Guys, this is the business! Amazing pattern, slim fit, great collar, and cufflink-accessible. A casual, colorful way to blow the ladies away! Moving on...

I've had my radar tuned in to Peckham Rye since coming across their shop off Carnaby Street back in October. They were kind enough to open up their doors to us even though they were closed and I felt like we were walking into a candy shop. Luckily, many of their items are available online! Unfortunately, it seems those items sell out quickly. However, after a general search for Peckham Rye ties, I did find this beautiful B&W floral tie:

Click here for close-ups and details on purchasing.

If you look closely at the tie, this isn't a printed pattern... it looks weaved and textured into the tie! Step up your look a notch and grab this awesome piece. Pretty neutral colors so it'll go with almost any suit color!

Guys hip to the current Mod market are already well aware of Art Gallery clothing. Based in the UK, they've been releasing some fantastic pieces of knitwear, including polos, roll necks, and cardigans. For instance, check out their 'George' polo in black, red, and grey:

'George' polo available at Art Gallery.

Now this is on my want list but, full disclosure, I've already ordered (and received) this piece! Soft merino wool in a great fit. What I like about Art Gallery is that they are making the most out of Mod detailing like the broad striping along the sides of the sweater. What I hate most about Art Gallery is that their clothes are made for tiny people.

See, I'm kind of a little guy (height-wise, not necessarily weight-wise)... yet their 'mediums' are too small on me! (I know this because I have one of their medium 'Steve' cardigans, in light blue, which only made me realize I should be eating dust and twigs 3 times a day.) The 'George' I received is a 'large' which fits great and will look even better once I complete a few more weeks months of pushups. Seriously, if you're an American 'medium,' you may want to order their 'large.' And I think it'll be worth it! I kid about the sizing but this sweater is really beautiful and filled with sharp style. And I do plan on ordering more of their items.

A couple of weeks ago, I went on about how I thought vests/waistcoats were an overlooked item of slick, casual dress. Well, over the weekend, I saw a buddy of mine (let's call him Dan Lake) rockin' a great vest that caught my eye and justified that post. Great guy that he is, Dan shared his source. Now, please, ignore the boy-band hipster underneath and try hard to concentrate on the vest itself:

Vest... keep your eyes on the vest offered by One90One.

It's hard... I know! You guys are creative though... imagine a dude with slick, backcombed hair, and button-down, cuff-link shirt under that vest. Okay, you with me? Now, let's move on to the waistcoat: high-gorged, flap pockets, with pick-stitching along those pockets... it's all in the details! This is how you make a vest. Unfortunately, looks like the product may be sold out for now but something worth noting, in case they come back. Or maybe you can use those details next time you visit your tailor!

Okay, guys, one last item for this month and one that caught me off-guard. Earlier this month, His Knibs posted about this new raincoat from, get this, Fred Perry. Usually, I don't follow this brand too much. Yeh, yeh, Mod icon and all, but still... for the most part, they're tennis shirts with a laurel on the chest. Lately, however, they've been releasing some nice vintage-inspired polos. And now, it looks like they're moving into new categories like the raincoat below:

Need more Fred Perry in your wardrobe? Start with this porcelain coat, here.

The color, cut, and shape of this coat look incredible! I have a thing for white or light-colored coats as they can provide great contrast to the dark clothing underneath. And what completes the total look of this coat is the 3/4 length... not too long, so you don't have to look like you're overdoing it on non-rainy, cool days.

My only issue with the coat is the Fred Perry laurel on the chest. Yes, it's standard issue with any FP, but this could have been better if the logo was used in a more subtle way. At least it's in white so that it doesn't stick out too much.

Well, that's it for this month. Payday's coming up for some people, which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how many bills you still have to pay after taking a look at some of these items.

2012 January Want List

The holidays are over, but for me, the gift-giving continues into a month of January family birthdays (including my wife's birthday, which usually lasts about the entire month itself). But it's also the time when I get to start becoming selfish again and think about things I'd like to get for myself! And I've come up with my want list for January 2012. Good thing I'm saving up!

First up, some new records. After a long DJ hiatus, I think I'm ready to start again, but I'd like to add some new things to my collection. My first purchase? This new 45 by the Bay Area's The Incredible Say Whats!, featuring Chris Lujan of Lugnut Brand Records & The Pacesetters and Nick Rossi, of the The Pacesetters, Nick Rossi Trio, The Monarchs, and more! Here, they pay tribute to one of my favorite funky soul instrumentals, Bag of Goodies by the Soul Machine! I've never been familiar with the Twitchie Feet side so am very much looking forward to hittin' this up.

Get your copy at Dusty Groove!

Next up, a DNA Groove shirt which I've been itchin' for for quite some time now. Since starting this blog, I've been wanting to do a write up on DNA, but how could I when I haven't worn their clothes yet? Still, I think this company has been doing some great things with pushing Mod styling away from targets & parkas and into a more fashion-forward direction. Plus, I think it's fantastic that Claudio is working to get Mod males (and other style-fixated guys) to think more about their clothing choices with clips like this:

The shirt I have my eye on? This nicely striped number:

Better place my order quick!

Now I'm ALWAYS on the hunt for good shoes. Sure, I probably don't have any more room in the closet, but no matter! I've been wanting a pair of dark brown, simple shoes for daily work wear. I found these online, which seem to have a nice winklepicker point (but not too pointy!) along with lace-ups. I had a similar pair in black that were actually vintage but, believe it or not, I like the shape of these much more! Anyone familiar with this UK brand? Knowing my luck, they'll last me about a week at most before falling apart. 

Office Mannibago lace-ups. Will they last?

With the above DNA Groove item, my shirt quota should be filled. Still, I think this is the year I invest in a couple of new, bespoke tab-collar shirts. You can always use more white shirts and I've been yearning (yes, yearning) for tab-collars for a while! I cleaned out one of our closets recently and found an old, beat-down and worn-out tab shirt that I kept over the years, thinking that some day I'd be able to afford a tailor-made one. Friends, that day has hit and I'm goin' for it! Going to go for a couple of plain, white shirts with French cuffs and a short, tight pointed collar like this:

And last but not least, some new Levis. No, not jeans! I heard this week that the Levis store in San Francisco has started selling sta-prest again in various colors. So, this weekend, I'm going to go out and explore, and I'll let you know what I find.

Unfortunately, looks like this month won't leave me with much money for food, but hey... after the holiday eating, I can make that sacrifice!

Oh yeah, and before I forget, if you're in the Bay Area and looking for a good happy hour tonight, why don't you come by and visit us as we'll be djing Mod stuff from all around. (Yes, even power-pop, just for the fun of it.) Info here: