my stuff

Hat: can't remember, Shirt: Ralph Lauren, Tie: The Hill-Side, Trousers: Lacoste, Shoes: Camper, Watch: Timex

I love driving caps. I have a pretty good collection, although I always have my eye out. I also have a soft spot for gingham.

Ralph Lauren is always a good bet for a solid shirt. It might not be the brand of the moment, but it will always fit well and last for awhile.

The Hill-Side is an amazing new company. If you're in the market for a tie, handkerchief, or bandanna, this is the place to go. The guys at The Hill-Side use sturdy, unconventional fabrics like chambray, denim, and waxed cotton which lends their ties a nice edge. I'll probably wear this indigo selvedge denim tie as much as possible. It works well with a suit, as well as with my shirt untucked. Stay tuned for an upcoming post on The Hill-Side.

I don't really have a lot of stuff from Lacoste, in fact these trousers may be the only thing I own. But I do like them. A good chocolate brown trouser is a nice alternative to khaki or navy. To roll or to cuff? I tend to roll my trousers in the summer. It's because I have sexy ankles. When you got it, flaunt it, right?

My plum selvedge chambray bandanna. This will be in my back pocket, around my neck, or folded as a pocket square every day. Can you tell I really like the Hill-Side?

The contents of my pockets: Billykirk card holder in tan leather and the Hill-Side bandanna. I plan on owning these pieces for a long time.

Franny is normally around when I take pictures of myself. I think she was getting a little jealous. She kept shooting me the 'you actually take pictures of yourself ?' look. No one likes it when their dog calls them on their slightly narcissistic activities. This is her stare off into the distance pose.

my stuff

Becs, the fashionable lass from Style with Benefits, asked me what the tattoo on my arm was. His name is Uncle Wiggily Longears. Howard R. Garis wrote a series of children's books starring Mr. Longears starting in 1910. My mom used to read me these stories every day. And she didn't half-ass the reading-all the characters had different voices. The voices weren't just my mom's voice in different octaves. No no no. They had accents, some were southern, others were British, and Uncle Wiggily's nurse, Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy, had a very distinctive, gravely voice. To put it mildly, I was a big fan when I was little. Finding copies of the books became a hobby for my mom, dad, and I. Everywhere we went, we always perused the local used book stores for the Uncle Wiggily books. Hence my enduring love of this place.

So when my sister and I went to get tattoos, I figured I'd get Uncle Wiggily. He was always helping people and had great advice for all the other animals in the forest. So, not only is he a good role model, he's a little tribute to my mom. (much to her chagrin)

If you're interested in the stories themselves, check out Project Gutenberg for a few free online copies.

ps. If you're wondering why he has a cane and an empty bottle, it's because Mr. Longears has rheumatism and was on his way to the apothecary in this scene...

my stuff

straw hat, chambray j.crew workshirt, apc new standards, camper shoes

I've had this hat forever. Although there are a lot of cool straw hats in the fedora and panama style, I never felt like I could pull them off. I do like a good baseball cap. The straw is perfect for the summer heat and sun. J.Crew and I have had kind of a rocky relationship throughout the years. But I always find myself grabbing a shirt or sweater every now and then. I really like the chambray workshirts they did this season. I grabbed the indigo and I've had my eye out for the white chambray. It's no secret I like new standard jeans. Although they could stand up by themselves when I first got them, they are breaking in amazingly. No washes yet. And no, they don't stink. I promise.

my stuff

cap:can't remember, glasses:my grandpa, shirt:hanes, jeans:apc new standards, shoes:clarks

On monday, barney's co-op had a 40% off sale on pretty much their entire inventory. The first thing I thought of: a.p.c. new standards. APC rarely goes on sale. Their denim never does and for a good reason. It's probably some of the best denim your money can buy. It comes highly recommended by bloggers and random hipsters alike. I was never really into the raw denim thing (only because of my pocketbook), but I jumped at the chance to get a pair of new standards for under 100 bucks. Now I don't think I'll ever go back. So if you see me this summer, I'll most likely be wearing these jeans. 

A few sites suggest sizing down a few inches to allow for stretch. I bought mine pretty much at my exact size-there would be no way I could bear stretching out a pair that were a few inches too small. Plus, I don't really rock my denim very tight. I haven't had a lot of experience with 'quality' denim but honestly, these are best fitting jeans I've owned.