VintageGent’s Menswear Daily

North Face Frugal Tip

Your antique top coat might be great for church, going to visit Great-Grandma and Grandpa or for the Gatsby ball, but it doesn’t quite cut it for shoveling the snow. That is, if you want to keep it nice. Buying current-year clothing has its advantages sometime.  A few friends of mine have been very happy with the North Face Jackets, particularly the Denali Jacket. The bonus, for me, is the pockets. The thing I miss about not wearing barn coats in that application is the sore lack of pockets.  So do I choose pocket-happiness or do I freeze? Since the aforementioned jacket actually has more than two pockets, it could make me sufficiently happy.

The frugal tightwad that I am, I struggle with “buy once/buy good,” yet not wanting to pay full retail. I sussed out a little trick. If you buy the Anemone Green or Phantom Red colors, if you can find them, you will save a bundle, as they are last years colors for the North Face Denali.  You may only find an odd size, maybe just a small or so, but it is worth a try saving $65.00. For Boys, try looking for Swamp Green. For girls, you’ll want Bacio Brown, Mistletoe Green or Moonlight Ivory, with sometimes luck with Black. The discount is less dramatic on wee sizes, but a savings nonetheless. Of course, it isn’t a bargain if it doesn’t fit.  $165.00 is still a fair price for a jacket that may last you ($185.00 for XXX sizes).

Handbags for My Sis, The Brand Snob (Don’t Tell Her I Got a Discount)

My sister is so had to buy for. For most people, her Christmas list is a cake walk, filled with household-name brands.  I am more the type to buy someone the antique whatsit they were eyeing, or a higher quality vintage version of their style. If I did buy something brand-new, it would have to be high quality and at a discount.  However, the “buy once/buy good” adage doesn’t always apply to trendy items, as it will go back in the closet long before it wears out. I suppose it just becomes the vintage treasures of tomorrow, then.

If you do decide to gift someone with a vintage handbag, I would steer clear of buying Prada handbags unless you really really know what you are looking at and know your stuff. There are so many fakes out there.  Actually, there are two tiers of “fake.”  One is a decent quality bag with a Prada emblem sewn on. The first category would be a bag of a quality you would be happy to own…so why do they have to pass it off as something else, or why can’t they just make a high quality bag of an original design? The second is a cheap knockoff of poor quality.  Only buy Prada from a known, reputable retailer that is an authorized dealer and would not be duped either. (By the way, the Prada bag, at left, is suspiciously reminiscent of some frame bags from yesteryear, no?)

Rebecca Minkoff handbags come in popular slouchy styles, and a few structured tambourine-like styles. Handbags have only been introduced into her line in 2005, so you won’t find as many folks cranking off knockoffs. The bags show case the natural grain of the leather. If you are looking for a vegan-approved bag, they aren’t it, but you won’t find yourself sinking several hundred dollars on a vinyl or plastic bag.  The smaller styles, like the Rose clutch shown at left (inspired by something we have seen before, no?) can be had for around $99.00 at discounted sites.

Oddly enough, even though she rejects vintage clothing, my sister really liked the vintage-inspired styles Marc Jacobs came out with a few years ago. Pretty ironic. This year, the marc Jacobs handbags are not entirely vintage-inspired, although there are a few. It just astounds me sometimes that someone who is buying a $20 handbag looks for a deep discount, but someone looking for one in the $200-2,000 doesn’t. They just snap it up. Do yourself a favor and look around for sales at reputable online stores and department stores before you buy…then sit back and enjoy a hot chocolate.

Scrubs (Minus the Kitten Prints)

While dressing for work may allow latitude for originality at “creative” companies, jobs requiring uniforms are not as stifling as they may seem. There is something comforting, in some ways, about a routine. As long as one can keep up with the laundry, going to work in a uniform lends some anonymity for some, and tailored style for others. While the most famous uniforms, such as military dress blues, cut a dashing figure, surgical scrubs are often the same shapeless sacks as they always were.

Maybe I am being a bit harsh, but while gentleman sometimes have an advantage, as many were made for the male form originally, the designs are sometimes equally unflattering to both genders.  Scrubs for men are often limited to plain blue, as the patterns are frequently populated by kittens and pastel unicorns. For women, the baggy profile make most ladies look formless.

Next time you look to buy scrubs online, take a gander at Blue Sky Scrubs.  The contrast-stitching on the pockets gives the plain designs some visual interest.  The scrubs come in both male and female sizing scales.  There is also a fitted top for ladies.  It is not inappropriate or revealing in any way. It merely eliminates some of the superfluous materials under the arms that create a boxy silhouette. In the medical profession, extra fabric is not necessarily modest. It is a safety hazard when flapping sleeves get caught.

Gifts for Her: NARS Cosmetics (Splurge)

A sale was held after the estate clean out of a town socialite. Back in her day, she was always in the press for her role as patron of the arts and many charities. Since she paraded around a small Southern town, her name was never quite on the lips of the New York social set. Specific possessions were sold, at her request, to benefit her favorite cause. Several ladies, and men who purchased gifts for ladies sifted through the Avon bottles and glass perfume applicators and asked if there might be leftovers of “Haughty Lillies” or “Sundrenched Shoulders.” While the tubes of art deco lipsticks might be collectible in their own right for their brass cases, they were purely looking for the contents to smear on their Lipgloss, well past the recommended pitch date for lip stains.

I wonder what women and makeup designers will search for in 30 years, hoping for a glimpse of their old favorite color, which might have long congealed in their containers.  More so, I wonder what cosmetics today will be sought after tomorrow.

If you are looking for a high end makeup gift for a lady on your list, the offerings of Francois Nars comes to mind. He is responsible for many editorial looks in Richard Avedon’s photos, as well as in the pages of Vogue.  Most famously, he makes up Kate Moss, and in the 90s, Madonna. For the holiday season, the Bento Box lip set was introduced. It takes the concept quite literally, pairing a rectangular box with a chopstick-like applicator and two soup-bowl-like lip pots, shown above and below. In the $125 range, it may not exactly be a modest stocking stuffer, but it may have collectible appeal in some future age.  Too steep?  Nars also has individual Lip Lacquer colors for $24, with colors such as Diablo (A Spicy Red), Sweet Charity (pale lilac), Hit Wired (hot pink) and Chelsea Girls.

Buy the products on the NARS company website, or select retailers, such as Saks and Sephora.

What do you think? Future cosmetic collectible? Worthy splurge? Or Needless Luxury?

The Doctor

Guest post written by Kendra Newsome

I’ve never called myself a fan of science fiction. I haven’t even watched all of the Star Wars movies before! I think that I’m probably one of the very few Americans that can actually say that though. I thought that my boyfriend might break up with me when I told him that because he’s such a huge fan. Lucky for me, he dates me for my other merits. So when he told me that I needed to watch the TV show Doctor Who, I was reluctant. But he finally convinced me and now it’s one of my favorite shows.

I did some homework online with my ClearWirelessInternet on the show and after I read so many great reviews on it from websites that clearly weren’t just about sci-fi stuff, he talked me into watching it.

One of the reasons that I like it so much is that it’s funny and it seems like every single thing in history is connected to something that The Doctor did or helped prevent. To put it simply, I’m hoooked on the Doctor Who show and can’t wait for the new season to start.

I Love To Watch The Capitals In High Definition

Thanks for the post, Vernon Lowe

With the advent of high definition television has come the awesome experieince of watching hockey on high definition television. The crisp and very clear picture makes it feel like that a person is right there at the arena and the rink and watching the game live.

My favorite hockey team to watch play in the NHL is none other than the Washington Capitals. They have always been my favorite hockey team, ever since the days when they used to play at the Capital Centre where FedEx Field stands at today. Dino Ciccerelli was my favorite player for the team back then and since those days of the 1980′s I became big fans of Jaromir Jagr and now the Capitals huge star and one of the best in the entire league in Alexander Ovechkin.

Another great thing about the Washington Capitals is that they are always one of the top teams in the NHL each year and are always a playoff contender. There is nothing any better than watching the Washington Capitals play on satellite tv .

Save on or Snag an Ugg (Discount. Win.)

(At left: Goldfinger—or Lady Gaga— would approve. A Gold Ugg Boot. )

Just a Swatch is to a Watch, Uggs is to an Ugg. That doesn’t make sense, does it? Don’t I mean “like Uggs is to boots?” Recently, I learned that an “Ugg” is a traditional style of boot hailing from Australia and New Zealand. Uggs® brand makes the style of boot and has registered the plural form, and did not “invent” them. They popularized them, and now interpret them in many other ways. So, what are “real” Ugg Boots. Well, a real Uggs® boot is made by Uggs®. A real ugg boot can be made by a number of companies or can be made traditionally. There are multiple companies that make this traditional style of boot that was co-opted by mass production. Whooga is one such company that manufacturers the boots. Although the boots are no longer made by cobblers in the Kiwi or Aussie countryside, the linings are still New Zealand Merino wool.

Want to compare for yourself? Whooga is offering VintageGent Readers 10% off through November 25th if you use coupon code 862VINTAGE when checking out. This is not limited to American or British Readers. Whooga ships internationally. Good on any boot. . Click on the photos for additional colors and options.

Just a word to the wise: Measure your foot in centimeters to arrive at your size. Measure from the back of the heel to the tip of your longest toe.

In addition, one pair of boots are being given away at the end of every month. To enter, simply sign up for the Whooga newsletter..  It is free to enter. However, to ensure that you receive a pair of boots, take advantage of the discount to snag a few Christmas gifts and if you win, expand your wardrobe!

If you order a pair of boots or win, let me know what you think.

Flip His Lid: Give a Warm-Weather Hat for Christmas

Christmas and other late-fall-to-winter gift-giving occasions are not quite here yet, but they soon will stare us down the barrel. While I hope I don’t see a candy cane in any store for quite awhile, there is a little detective work you need to start doing now for successful gift giving. Ever try to buy a ring or a hat for someone at the last minute without having amply snooped for their size? Of course, the trick is, to do it without immediate suspicion.  In the middle of November, its far enough off to perhaps make them forget you asked.

You can stumble through a guy’s Fedora Hats collection to read labels, but which one does he begrudgingly wear too tight?  Do you know if he doesn’t complain. If you don’t go to a super high end milliner who charges $400 for a hat, many hats are available in Small, Medium, Large, Etcetera. But what is Large? If you look at various hats, anything up through a size 6 7/8 is considered “small.”  Other sizes corresponds as follows:

Medium: 7- 7 1/8
Large: 7  1/4- 3/8
Extra Large: 7  1/2-7 3/4

If the recipient falls in between sizes, order the next size up. The sizes only apply to Fedoras, Panama Hats, bowlers, and trilbys. Baseball caps and other casual styles do not always follow suit.

While the serious hat collector may be very particular about their beaver felt hats, and demand precise sizing, more casual versions of their favorite shapes, like straw fedoras offer a change of pace and more flexible sizing. For something a bit different, try one of the many Panama hats for men. You may picture Panama Hats as requiring a white linen suit or, at the very least, sandals, unless you are Harry Truman, a wide variety of styles are made today, including the plaid stingy-brimmed style shown (upper left).  While the term “Panama” may evoke a certain hat silhouette, the hats coming out of Panama are more diverse today.

So get going. Sneak a look at hat bands. Insist on getting his hat off the hook at the 5-star restaurant and take a gander at the inside tag. Casually bring up the subject of hat sizes. When all else fails, be blunt. Just say you are writing a statistical report about heads.

“In a World…” Where Vintage Shops Can Advertise

When I was more active as a vintage clothing merchant (still am, re-launch coming soon), I wondered why more shops and online sellers didn’t take advantage of promotional or advertising opportunities. While some of my colleagues really only wanted their business to be a small hobby they could choose to work on or not, and they couldn’t handle the increased demand, others came across with either a poverty mentality or an elitist attitude. They just didn’t want the “public” to paw through their wares, or more so, thought people just wouldn’t know how to appreciate them properly. Well, I’ve got some news. Vintage clothing has become very popular either from the perspective of being a frugal option, or to mimic the selections of the stars.  What better way to educate people to NOT stuff themselves in a fragile antique World War I flight suit that is ten sizes too small, or to appreciate the workmanship of a forty year old designer gown than to create your own platform.

Of course, except for the occasional upscale consignment slash vintage shop slash antique store in a highly commercial touristy formerly quaint village, the niche is absent from the airwaves.  It is daunting, I will admit, once you search talent and put some sort of script together. There are media production companies, such as Studio Center, that pull it all together for you. The field is wide-open being that no antique establishment or antique shop has really come up with a memorable ad campaign locally or otherwise.

Did you know that there is such thing as an “Anti-Announcer?” An “Anti-Announcer”-type sounds like a regular person rather than a Don Pardo/Ed McMahon/Don LaFontaine type. (You know the late Don LaFontaine for his dramatic move trailer work). Don’t confuse this with pulling your neighbor’s attractive granddaughter into the shop. What we may think of as a “normal/regular voice” doesn’t always translate the same on the reel.  We all have different speaking habits, some of which are unnoticeable to us in daily speech, but are glaring on play-back. A voice actor (or actress, though I consider “actor” unisex) classified as a “non announcer” is articulate, but doesn’t have the timber or formality of delivery as a traditional announcer.

So, take a plunge? Being “traditional” and “classic” doesn’t mean people shouldn’t know who you are.

Try Sunglasses at Night…

There is a growing list of retailer that use a virtual modeling software for you to visualize how clothes would look. There are several body types to choose from and most of them are not male. If you want to try a virtual “try on” that seems to work a bit better, ZenniOptical.com has a tool for you to try sunglasses and prescription eye glasses on.

For best results, use a photo of yourself looking straight at the camera. If you are a bit centered and your eyes are about 1/3 down from the border it works best. After the upload, you’ll be asked to click on your pupils so the software can do a better job of placement.

I was having a little bit of trouble with Corey Hart here. Since he insists on wearing “Sunglasses at Night,” I couldn’t manage to get him to take them off. I stacked another pair on top, that ended up sliding down his nose. Maybe he’ll choose a less opaque pair. But then again, we wouldn’t be “Afraid of a Guy in Shades” because we could see his eyeballs through the fashionably lightened lenses. Dilemma, no? You’ll fare a bit better, I’m sure.

Hell’s Angels – 1 Alexandar McQueen – 0

(At top: The recently discontinued Alexander McQueen finger duster. Below: The Hell’s Angels logo. A direct copy? You be the judge.)

In the design world, it was bigger than the Chanel vs eBay/Tiffany vs eBay battle royale.  Hell’s Angels recently challenged the late Alexander McQueen’s design house for co-opting their trademark winged skull motif in a “finger duster” ring.  The ring sits on the index finger and covers the front of four of your digits.  The suit alleged not merely infringement by name (the ring used the name “Hell’s Ring), but inference.  There were several other items, including a dress with a very differently rendered winged skull.  While elements of the skull differ from the Hell’s Angel patch, such as the elimination of horns and a more elaborate helmet, these details are apparently merely visual semantics.

Eight days after suit filing, the house of Alexander McQueen not only ceased production, but recalled all merchandise from online retailers such as Saks and Zappo’s and ordered the rings, dresses, and pashmina destroyed before due process.  In other words, if anyone got their hands on this stuff, its sure to be a major collector’s item.

I do agree that a winged skull ring may be construed by some as synonymous with the group, and that being so, it may be falsely identify fashionistas as members. However, the design house’s reaction was puzzling…to a point. But is it precedent setting? In the future, will designs be measured on a broader scale of what is similar and what is copied? Fashion is not merely an art, but a business, full of the business decisions and analysts.  Symbols are powerful, and occasionally something stays on the drawing board for reasons of liability. Not often. But it happens.  Wouldn’t you think someone would have noticed the similarity?  It could be, since the design was not exactly the same, thoughts were that the merch was “inspired” rather than copied. Either way, work and merchandising proceeded. Fashion, unlike logo trademarking has a long history of adaptation.

Secondly, under any other circumstance, I have not seen a company drop its cookies so quickly.  Even the World Wrestling Federation stuck it out over the battle with The World Wildlife fund to keep, but ultimately lose, the battle to retain the acronym WWF. Either they felt immediately that they had made a grave mistake, or perhaps they feared some sort of retaliation? The threat of the club wanting profits from the merchandise may have also cost the company gravely. Unusual? Or a case of the little guy making good and beating out the big company?

If you are creating an art piece or tie or dress, do suits like this make you think differently about selecting items from your environment or the media? Symbols are powerful and demand a reaction from others, but does it cause you to pause and self-censor?

No conclusions here; just more questions to ponder.