Old School

I discovered the blog Shorpy, which is a great resource for photographs and posters from the early 1900s. I've always loved B&W images and vintage posters. Here are some of my favorites.

Wisconsin Crew, 1909

See America, 1939

Yellowstone, 1938

Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority, 1940

images: shorpy.com

Easter in San Francisco

I celebrated my first Easter outside of Ohio this year. I traded a big meal with the family for park full of drag queens and half-naked men. Only in San Francisco! It was a gorgeous day too.

On Friday I went to Alcatraz with friends, who were visiting from NYC. It was another gorgeous day and a truly fascinating visit. Alcatraz is unlike anywhere I've ever been. It's crazy beautiful and eery. 

Prep Me Up!

I officially want to be preppy. 100 percent.

I'm a big fan of shorts, and pairing them with dress shoes and no socks. I would wear shorts everyday if dress codes and weather permitted.

Fun. Preppy casual.

This is what I wish every college boy in America dressed like. Or maybe I wish this is what every college boy in America looked like. 

images: the sartorialist, ralph lauren

Enjoyable: PBS

I've come to terms that not having cable could perhaps be good for me. It makes me much more inclined to watch PBS as opposed to reality crap (Of course I'm not giving up Top Model anytime soon.) I've recently seen some amazing things on PBS. The variety of programming is great and everything is so...engrossing.

Journey of Man is one Geneticist's exploration of the migration of some of the earth's earliest inhabitants. He explains the movement of people over the past 60,000 years and tracks down their modern day descendants through the use of genetics. The explanation of the changes to our physical characteristics (skintone) was quite informative.

Iron Ladies of Liberia focuses on the women in power in Liberia, a West African nation in economic turmoil, including President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and other members of her cabinet. The filmmakers had amazing access to the President and her efforts to rebuild a nation struggling with huge debt and recovering from years of violence. I couldn't help but feel very sympathetic for this woman, due in small part to her grandmotherly demeanor.

Enjoyable: Beach House

I recently discovered the band Beach House and their sophomore release Devotion. The duo of Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand produce dreamy, sparse pop tunes that are perfect for quiet, thoughtful evenings and sunny afternoons. This music reminds me of a lonely beach in New England (perhaps because the band hails from Maryland?), or a bunch of eclectic 20-somethings hanging out at a summer house drinking wine and talking literature.

Standout tracks are "Gila" and "Wedding Bell."

Also not to be missed, their first album, the self-titled Beach House.

image: amazon.com

Enjoyable: Thursday Styles

I randomly decided to buy the NY Times yesterday morning. (I was looking for the new issue of The Onion, but couldn't find it, and I had a lot of quarters at my disposal) I started to browse through my favorite section first, Thursday Styles, and much to my delight there was a nice selection of articles pertaining to mens fashion.

I've always been a fan of Thursday Styles. I use to get a free copy of the Times every day while in college, and the Style Section really brightened my Thursday. (That and the fact that it marked the start of the college weekend)

Yesterday's articles highlighted Opening Ceremony, the it store in NYC, along with an article on the resurgence of bow ties. Mike Albo also had a fun review of the store Atelier.

Opening Ceremony

Bow ties

And I'm not alone in my excitement. The Blog Kempt, the world of men's style/fashion/grooming also acknowledged the section's coverage.

images: nytimes.com

Target: Do I like it?

So I've always been skeptical of the Menswear at Target. It generally looks over-designed and ill-fitting (All the while Target keeps producing tons of great stuff for women. What gives?) The Spring offerings seem a bit more refined, a little bit more trim, and I do love a good pair of shorts. But as they say the proof is in the pudding; it's hard to really say without trying anything on. I do however enjoy the Converse One Star sneakers for $29. Note: I have no idea why the images are appearing blue, but i kind of like it!




images: target.com

Enjoyable: Preppy Things

 Canvas suede bucks, J Crew

 Navy Bogie tote with leather trim, J Press

Navy Stripe pajamas w/ white piping, J Press

 Brown Top Siders, Sperry

 navy polka dot bow tie, J Press

images: jcrew.com, jpressonline.com, zappos.com

A Few Favorites...

Window Display, Angel Street Thrift Shop, NYC
Tote bags are really having a moment. Love this smart window display. I've been carrying a tote for a months and I enjoy it.

Woman who wears only gray, New York Magazine
I love the idea of someone only wearing one color. It doesn't seem limiting to me, more like a strong personal statement. Currently I really only wear Blue, White, Gray & Black, but I may go all Navy someday.

Interior Design by Eric Piasecki
Love the desk.


images: racked.com, nymag.com, designtoinspire.com