VintageGent’s Menswear Daily

How To Dress Like a Roughneck

For fall 2008, Style magazine and the eponymous website were singing the praises of “Labor Chic” for men. If you want to describe it in a sound bite, it is “Grunge: But Showered.” It had the plaid element and the work boot factor that the grunge movement of the very late 80s and the early 90s had, but with far less ennui and a bit of a better work ethic. In other words, you looked as if you were actually doing something. However, you didn’t have to break in a pair of denim for ten years; you could buy them sanded and painted to just the right level of fray.  He looks a bit like a roughneck, working the oil fields of Texas.  However, compared to the real ones, he looks like he is wearing a costume…a little too neat and tidy.  So, how can you determine if someone is just being fashionable, or is actually in the oil industry by profession?

According to this clip from Black Gold, exclusively on truTV, our buddy would need fewer layers due to the hot sun and the weather.  He would also need to dump a few cups of water on him to replicate sweat.  Of course, some salty language and a hot temper wouldn’t hurt him either if he wanted to be one of the truTV BLACK GOLD characters.  Of course, there are many roughnecks who are mild mannered and watch their language, but that would make an instructional video, not a reality show.

Black Gold does for roughnecks what Ice Truckers did for….well, Ice Truckers. The premiere episode ran last week with the second being featured tonight at 10:00 Eastern, 9:00 Central. I wonder if the guys on the show would care what Details magazine said that their attire was “in style.” Probably not. At any rate, the show not only runs on the pressure of a deadline, like Ice Road Truckers does, but on “personality” as well.  To me, it is much more interesting filming people doing something that they have done a good part of their life versus auditioning people from all over the country and stick them in a house. I’m going to tune in to truTV BLACK GOLD tonight, how about you?

They Mean What they Mean, No Mean Joe Green

In the past, I mentioned WaiverWire, the hub for your fantasy football league. I was just musing to myself the other day. Is that the correct usage of the vocabulary? Okay, I was musing. I wasn’t “musing to myself” because musing usually implies a private affair. I digress. Let’s get back on track.

Fantasy football is not truly fantasy. Yes, you can make your own team based on real players and their stats and challenge your friends or make it a test against your own instinct and wits.  However, if it was truly “Fantasy” football, I could pick whomever I wanted for my team. If I wanted Doug Flutie, I’d get him. Joe Namath and “Mean Joe” Green would be two other legitimate selections. Sorry, I can’t choose anyone I can think of from any era.   I could have Courtney Green or Justin Green, but no Mean Joes.

The main reason that you can’t use “anyone” has to do with not having real time stats. You can get all the stat reports at WaiverWire.com when you sign up as a member. Right now they are offering their basic plan, a Stimulus Package, free of charge, to get you in the game. I would argue that you could just use old seasons. Today, however, a different game is played. Guys just seem to be bigger these days, and they seem to be recruiting them younger and younger. (I know, I’ll pick “The Fridge.”)   The game has changed, in a way.  Also, if you could use former players, if you were quite the statistician in your head, you could cheat.  I guess the appeal is that it is a little bit of a gamble and a risk that you see pay off or tank, rather than a matter of fancy math.

Are you a fantasy league coach, or should I say team manager?  If so, how did you get into it?  Does it exercise your mind, or do you find it is an all encompassing hobby?

Fashionable Web Designer Lends a Helping Hand

I’ve received a lot of mail over the past few weeks, and the two most popular topics have been Cavaricci pants and web design.  Off combo, huh?  The ubiquitous pants are from the late 1980s, early 1990s era of fashion.  All of the sudden, everyone wants them but no one can find them.  Sorry, I don’t have any to give you you.   The website comments usually come via compliments on the design of this website.  I have designed my own sites in the past, but this is not one of them.  If you hunt around in the footer, you can find out the name of the talented lady who did put pen to paper, or should I say finger to key, on this one.

For those of you who are hoping for a web design for your business, and you just wanted a few pages and to be done with it, there is a real Professional Website Design that is currently offering a $99 package for a basic site. It includes up to five pages and all coding involved as well. If you go to the “work” page on ReflectStudios.com, you will see some examples. They have done work for some models, but scroll past and you will also see more corporate looking websites if that is more your style.

As you can tell, this is no cut rate work!  What is the occasion for the economy price?  For one, to celebrate the grand opening of the newly designed website, and secondly to lend a helping hand.  Times are tough for some businesses and individuals right now, and it is a way for Reflect Studios to give you a leg up.   Their work is best suited to fashion and web development related projects, but don’t hesitate to bounce other ideas off of them.   You will need to use a coupon code.  That is REFLECT09.

Tiki Doesn’t Have to be Friki

A lot of guys tend to want to put Tiki bars out near their pool.  It doesn’t matter of a Polynesian theme will clash with the rest of the house, especially when one really decides to “go for it.”  It doesn’t stop at swizzle sticks.  It usually involves a thatched roof, and plenty of tikis.   You may not just have a few tiki salt and pepper shakers.  You may end up with something a bit startling.   Your guests will tell you to go return it to the Island, otherwise you will be surrounded in a web of woe, just like the Bradys were.

There are other ways to stock your tiki bar and not have your guests feel that they are overdressed not wearing a grass skirt. Here’s another way to do a tiki theme without feeling like you are going to boil your guests in oil. There are bamboo glasses floating around out there that would bring more of a streamlined look to your fete:

This set is available for a limited time on Etsy.  What is limited? Until someone snaps them up.

What is She Hiding?

More and more companies, particularly start ups, are turning to viral internet campaigns to create buzz or to completely launch a new product. This usually involves hoisting something up on Youtube. One of the latest campaigns has been a “mystery campaign” for Red Chair Confessions. A young woman confesses to an indiscretion in a confessional, meant to intrigue us to wonder what exactly might be in store at Red Chair.  I have my personal theories, but will save that for after the video.

My first thought was that instead of a tryst, she is confessing to some sort of shopping addiction. She may, in fact, be wearing some sort of clothing item or fragrance associated with it.  I at first surmised that the folks behind Red Envelope were behind it. I did not see the Red Envelope logo, and it doesn’t seem like their style, but free association is the name of the game, isn’t it?  I don’t know if the mention of the activity seeming to be a right of passage is a clue or not.   Surely, she hasn’t joined the AARP.  I am going to have to scratch my head on this one for a little bit and get back with you.   I tend to be an “overthinker” and pick up on the smallest of clues, and miss the big ones.  I think that it is all my years of reading Si Arthur Conan Doyle and Hercule Poirot novels that conditioned me.

For now, I am going to stick with something fashion or beauty related.   To me, the handbag fits her outfit, but the scarf just seems a little overdone.  Perhaps the trench coat is meant to illicit seriousness or mysteriousness, as it has been featured so many times in mystery solver fashion closets.   I just seem to think that she is going to take it off, since she is so buttoned up, and is either going to have a T Shirt on that will reveal something about the company, or have some sort of outfit that we are supposed to see later.   Of course, I could be way off.   I know this is going to bug me at 3 A.M.

Fashion is Meant to be Worn, Right?

A few months ago, I reported that Christian Lacroix filed for bankruptcy (read the story HERE.   On August 13, Escada followed suit.  Bruno Saelzer, who used to head up Hugo Boss and recently took the helm of Escada, was not able to change the tide.   

Some may say that this is a sign of recession or depression all over the world.  I don’t necessarily think so.  Some fashion houses, to me, operate with entitlement.  They are sometimes the first to respond with a new color way, but the last to do market research.   There will always be someone with money to buy their items, but the competition is fierce.  If the line does not change with the times, the times will leave it behind.  Once, Escada outfitted Princess Diana.  There are no other icons that I can think of since.

So, where are all the men’s designers in this?  Why are their more women’s designers filing?  Could it be, perhaps, that there is less pomp and pageantry in men’s fashion?  Most men, even the most well healed, will not be humiliated if someone else shows up to an event in the same suit.  It will look so different anyways, based on the way it is accessorized (shirt, tie, etc), the way it is worn (tieless, vest or no vest), and the man’s build.  It seems more creativity comes in the form of casual clothing for men than it does in formal.   Maybe if it is too outlandish, men won’t buy.

Also, I would offer that by and large, men’s clothing is designed for men by men.  While there are women’s designers in the menswear industry, it is not an overwhelming number.  On the other hand, who is designing ladies clothing?  There are many female designers, but a large chunk are men.  Basically, men are designing for women.   Vera Wang, of course, designs for women.   Her styles have a definite niche that can be identified, and to diversify, she has delved into the aisles of Kohl’s with accessories and some clothing.   For the most part, she is known for her wedding gowns and formals.

If things go according to intention, a woman will only need her once in their lives.  Her secondary merchandise not only supplements her bread and butter, but it also serves, and maybe that is the true key, to keep her name in the minds of young women.   Their favorite purse as a teenager was a Simply Vera Wang, so her name will ring a bell when wedding bells ring.   Women who would normally not splurge tend to think of a wedding gown as a high expense anyhow.

Some purists would consider this “slumming.” It dilutes her voice when pandering to a lower price point. However, I would argue, fashion is to be worn, and if no one is wearing it, you do one of two things. You design things specifically that your customer base will want to wear, or with some slight modifications, you find new customers who will want to wear it. It has been discovered that the new customer base is hungry for it. It is “new” to them, where it may be tired to someone else. It may be not high fashion, but its definitely business.

Who will stay alive when its all said and done? Probably the ones who adapt.

Instead of “Must See” Tv It’s “Did You See” Tv

I am looking forward to seeing the first episodes of Black Gold, but in my research, I have found out that there is such a thing as the the truTV effect. Instead of just sitting there and complacently having the television on in the background, the network is devoted to grabbing your attention with true life stores. I call it the phone call effect.  I have a brother who has to call you when something real cool just happened on television.  He has to describe the blow by blow, distracting you from actually turning it on and seeing it for yourself.  Once, I received a phone call at 3:00 A.M.  That is the time I would usually just get horrific news, especially since my brother lived 1200 miles away at the time.

To be honest, it WAS horrific news.  It didn’t involve a relative dying, but involved someone on television falling into a rapids, and then having to eat bugs to survive.  It probably could have waited, right?  But he’s THAT GUY, the guy that needs to share all the exciting details in the moment.  It was akin to the time he called me at 2:00 A.M. from a bar to let me know that “my” team won.  I really had to think for a minute about who was on the other end in my groggy state of affairs.  Now that we live close to each other, he gets in the car, bursts through the door and tells me to “hurry up and change the channel” as I might be missing the most “awesome thing” ever.

Of course, I am a bit impervious to such things. I will admit to being a jumper when it comes to a sudden and shocking crescendo in mood music, followed by a sudden lunge by some falling structure at the screen. You didn’t hear that from me, though.

I wonder what will happen once my brother sees Man vs Cartoon. It’s the show where they test things that happened on the Road Runner cartoons and others to see if they would really work. Grandpa, who is a big fan going back to the 1940s, probably can’t wait for the phone call urging him to turn it on.

Come Fly with Me on Twitter

I have been on Twitter for a bit now. Some of you have already discovered me there, through following people in your address book. Perhaps some of you have merely searched the name of this blog, and found me that way.  You might have also tried out one of those services that gives you a list of people who have certain words in their descriptions.

I have decided to officially come out of the shadows. I can be followed @vintagegent on Twitter. For those of you not up on the Twitter short hand yet, that translates to http://twitter.com/vintagegent.  Come fly with me. I would like to see what’s on your mind. If you follow me, you’ll get updates from the “Daily” as soon as they are published, as well as other random thoughts that are on my mind. If you have something interesting to say, or have some cool duds for sale, I might even retweet you.

If Twitter had sound, what would I sound like? Would I be a songbird? Would I have the scream of an eagle? That is something to ponder. I do know that I can’t match the velocity of an African swallow, but I can carry a coconut in my claws very easy.

“Oil That is, Black Gold, Texas Tea”

I am not much for reality shows because they are not really “reality” at all. The shows that rely on auditions as their format are more akin to variety shows or game shows. The type of shows that hole a mishmash of individuals in a house or on an island is not really “reality” but more of a pit match. Lately, there have been a few shows that actually are going to deliver on their promise, it seems, of portraying real life. Well, it is not really “real life” as in my life, because that would be boring. TV has been taking us on journeys that are far removed from our lives so that we can live vicariously in some way.

I have to admit that I do love some of the competition shows like the Amazing Race, American Idol, and Project Runway, but they feature people that are insanely talented and who you would probably never be like, or at least most of us won’t.  The exception is the Amazing Race, which featured regular, everyday people for the most part.

The latest is truTV’s Black Gold .  It may be the best thing to happen to Texas Tea since Jed Clampett was shooting at some food.  Just like The Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers before it, it offers a look into actual lives and gives you an appreciation for some of the most difficult, dangerous, and dirtiest jobs on the planet.  I don’t know if reality shows started it, but the interest sure got a boost from the popularity of Mike Rowe’s show. Only this time, things are not so neighborly. In Black Gold, we follow the trials of folks working in the Texas oil fields. The challenge is that they must drill four holes in a 50 day period.

First, you will experience the rigors of on the job training.  Could this be the Gordon Ramsey of oil drilling?  If so, I am sure it is a guaranteed hit.  The exception, of course, is that a mistake could be the difference between life and death versus just a fallen souffle.

Of course, being under such duress, the creative language just flies.  Imagine if you could “tell it like it is” on your job? I will have to tune in to see what “dumb” thing was done.

The show premieres tonight, and new episodes appear Wednesdays at 10p/9c. There is more of truTV’s Black Gold trailer on Youtube if you want to check it out. So, will the show be so popular that the “Labor Chic” fashion statements of work boots and flannel will get a boost? I call it “clean grunge,” as it features similar footwear and patterns as in the early 90s, but plus showers. Or, perhaps five year olds across the nation will turn in their red firefighter’s hats and stethoscopes and decide they want to be Roughnecks when they grow up instead after watching this?  Naw, they are supposed to be in bed.  If they do, you know who was sneaking around the house well past their bedtime.

Enter to Win a Laptop Everyday

Even if I am a bit old fashioned, I still do something pretty new fashioned.  I blog.  Unfortunately, my journal doesn’t automatically transfer to the screen.  I wish it did. So, I come home and tap away on the keyboard.  Sometimes I wish I had a laptop, so I could just sit down and pound the keys whenever inspiration strikes.  Right now, it is not in the cards.  Maybe if I win the Laptop-a-Day Sweepstakes at Charter.net, my luck will change. Of course, I would actually have to enter to win, now wouldn’t I?

The contest runs through September 15, and it would be foolish to procrastinate, wouldn’t it?  The conclusion is a long time off, but since you can enter more than once, it makes sense to do it right this second. And in another second on a different day. You don’t need to sign up for service right now to enter, but you do have to be in Charter’s service area. I was surprised when I typed in my zip and address that I was eligible. See, that means I am destined to win, right?  Luckily, you and I can both win, as they pick a new winner every day, so I won’t be greedy.  There are other prizes, such as $25-100 gift cards, too.

Charter.net has given away hybrid cars and gaming systems before, you never know what will be next.  You can be a fan of Charter on Facebook to stay closer in the loop. What self respecting technology oriented company wouldn’t be on Twitter? You can follow Charter on Twitter, too.

By the way, just because this is a “Back2School” promotion does not mean that you can sign up your preschooler to get a better chance.  The winner must be 18 years or older at the time of the contest.  So, mom and dad, you have to be the ones to enter.  You can let your child use it, though I am sure once you get it, you’ll want it all to yourself.  Of course, it is ladylike and gentlemanly to share.  However, they should go outside and play, anyhow, right?

Build A Better Team…On Paper

One of my readers was wondering what “Fantasy Football” was. In a nutshell, you pick players for your team that consist of real NFL players. You can choose anyone you want regardless of team. Then, you use their stats to determine how your “team” collectively does. There is more to it then that, but that is how I would explain it at the basic level. WaiverWire right now has a Stimulus Package if you are a fantasy football coach or manager, or aspire to be. With the service, you can go online and pick the brains of the experts, as well as receive news and stats on individual players right in one place.  Old fashioned people, who would be more like me, probably would rely on the little columns in the newspaper, but for you, this provides a whole efficient world.

To some, this is Dungeons and Dragons for jocks.  Not really, as it is not about the luck of the draw, but in choosing the right players and trading them and changing your roster efficiently.   It involves constant strategy. Does it prepare someone for running a real team? I am not entirely sure.  Just like there are not too many openings for Wizards in the workplace, it is really a very small and elite group of people who move into the position of trading and recruiting real players.

If you have always been curious, the regularly $19.99 stimulus package is free for the 2009 season.  There is an upgraded package that can be had for $9.99 more that includes real time email news alerts and a few additional features.  I suppose it depends on how involved you want to get, whether you wish to check in and do all your fantasizing at a particular time during the week, or you want to adjust your team to stack up against those of your friends throughout the day.

Polka Dot Tie…Oh Man Oh Man

When I saw this tie from Arrow, that darn song kept running through my head. Make it stop! All of the “vintage” films of this song don’t seem to work, so here is a more recent performance of Dodie Stevens singing the song that can’t get out of my head. Now it is in yours. Ha Ha

If you would like to sing along:

Now I’ve got a guy and his name is Dooley
He’s my guy and I love him truly
He’s not good lookin’, heaven knows
But I’m wild about his crazy clothes

He wears tan shoes with pink shoelaces
A polka dot vest and man, oh, man
Tan shoes with pink shoelaces
And a big Panama with a purple hat band

Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh

He takes me deep-sea fishing in a submarine
We got to drive-in movies in a limousine
He’s got a whirly-birdy and a 12-foot yacht
Ah, but thats-a not all he’s got

He’s got tan shoes with pink shoelaces
A polka dot vest and man, oh, man
Tan shoes with pink shoelaces
And a big Panama with a purple hat band

Now Dooley had a feelin’ we were goin’ to war
So he went out and enlisted in a fightin’ corps
But he landed in the brig for raisin’ such a storm
When they tried to put ‘em in a uniform

He wanted tan shoes with pink shoelaces
A polka dot vest and man, oh, man
He wanted tan shoes with pink shoelaces
And a big Panama with a purple hat band

Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh

Now one day Dooley started feelin’ sick
And he decided that he better make his will out quick
He said
“Just before the angels come to carry me
I want it down in writin’ how to bury me.”

A’wearin tan shoes with pink shoelaces
A polka dot vest and man, oh, man
Give me tan shoes with pink shoelaces
And a big Panama with a purple hat band

Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh

And a big Panama with a purple hat band!!

Personal Online Shoe Boutique Even For The Weird

Sometimes, its hard to search for shoes because the internet and some shoe sites tend to organize their wares in a very literal way. You can search for the parts, such as color and heel style. What if you are wanting to search for the sum of the parts? Most of the search features won’t look at the heel and straps and decide something is a gladiator sandal. You will be sifting through rows and pages and rows and pages for something that meets your subjective criteria.

While they haven’t expanded to men’s shoes yet, there is an easier answer for ladies shoes. MustHaveShoes is set up in a most interesting way. The front page does not assault you with color and widgets. It is just a search box with lists of popular searches. However, when you type in to the search box, your own custom shoe boutique emerges, with a banner that relates thematically to what you have chosen, plus photos of all the applicable shoes that you can arrange in several different ways. I have searched peeptoe pump, European, yellow cork wedge and I have found many styles exactly tailored to what I searched for. Just for the heck of it, I typed “weird” in the box just to see how subjective it could be.

I was a little surprised that my “just for the heck of it” search came up with results.   There are only limited sizes available.   Wouldn’t it be funny if these were an undiscovered style and by Monday they were all snapped up by readers for some reason?   I have not seen anything like them, that’s for sure. Of course, I am sure that the system searches a number of tags and is not really passing its own judgment on footwear, whether it is weird, sexy, cute, or busy.  Yes, you will find results for all of those adjectives too.

My cousin was talking with her boyfriend when they first met, saying that she thinks flowers are so impractical.  Why don’t people send people something useful, like shoes, instead?  Wouldn’t you know that when she arrived at work one day, a delivery came.  It was a shoebox that read, “Hope you enjoy your flowers,” with a pair of shoes, of course, inside.  By the way, the two of them have been married for over twelve years now.