VintageGent’s Menswear Daily

One, Two, Three Four: I Declare a Toe War

Last month, I was yammering about the unusual appearance of the Five Toed shoes. Actually, they are properly called the Vibram Five Fingers. It’s actually a misnomer because they don’t have any fingers. What is actually going on is separate toe compartments to simulate the experience of walking barefoot. Some of my readers scoffed a bit, wondering about toe injury, but I don’t blame them. Anything a bit out of the ordinary just computes as weird to the brain.

The real story behind the story is that the different toe-regions areas are intended for muscle movement. Being able to fully use your toes, such as a raccoon or ring-tailed lemur strengthens them. In other words, maybe I will be walking around with either the most shapely or muscular toes after wards. Maybe I could finally peel a banana with my feet like the monkeys at the zoo. As I recall, I don’t know if I have actually seen one peel one with just feet. Rather, they might hold it steady with a foot to actually strip the banana with their hands…or maybe they are called their “front feet.” Yeah, that’s what I probably will call my hands when my toes become just as dexterous.  The playground chants of the next generation will be: One…two..three…four…I declare a TOE war. Thumb wars would be “so last century.”

I guess these are my big questions about Vibram Shoes:

1) What if someone has big toes, or there “index toe” (?) is just a hair longer than their “big toe?” Is there something like a size “9 long” where the regular 9 and the long 9 are the same length but the longer toe one is a larger toe-to-sole ratio? I totally get the swim shoe style, the material flexes easy, but in the leather styles, I would imagine it would be an issue.

2) How do they address people who hate wearing flip flops because they don’t like things between the toes? Or are feet cushioned like a comfy sock?

3) What if you break your toe when you are not wearing a Vibram shoe. Will your toe fit or will you have to go barefoot?

I wonder if its something I will kick myself for not ferreting away every color so in 30 years from now when we are watching “I Love the 2010’s on VH1″ I will be prepared for the nostalgia purchases on them.  Maybe not. At any rate, depending on the style, they run in the $80-130 range (Free shipping and sales tax at Kayakshed.com, I do believe). In other words, pretty comparable to other non-tennis shoe sports shoes.

It remains to be seen if pretty soon we will be making sure we are buying Real Vibram Five Fingers or the ones people are knocking off on the street corner because they became so popular. I have a feeling either patents are in place, they are hard to duplicate or people, except hardcore extreme sports enthusiasts are still weirded out.

Red Handed…I Mean Wristed

Do you wear a funky watch, or is it something a bit more pedestrian? I am actually contemplating going back to a pocket watch because whatever I pick can’t possibly match every season, activity and occasion. Silly me, I didn’t know I was supposed to have a trove of 20 watches. If you think watches that aren’t plastic and $10 come in other than in white, black, or pearl faces and black or tan straps, check out this jacques lemans watch.

Um…it’s just really “out there” isn’t it? When you see it, you can’t un-see it, but it definitely coordinates in an all-red outfit or provides contrast to black.  There are parties these days where everyone is supposed to wear white or orange or something, and if someone has a red party, you are all set.  Everyone will know if someone has stolen your watch and will make the pilferer own up to it.

On a serious note, if worn judiciously, it can be a signature accessory. In addition Jacques Lemans has provided different time measuring devices, such as chronographs to race tracks and airlines.  If a plane can be landed on time, or at least that’s their aim, or a race can be measured in tenths of a second, you surely can get to the meeting or the open mic night on time.  The watch will do its job, you just have to do yours and pay attention to it.

The Jacques Lemans watch retails in the $150-175 range and is available at retailers and BlueDial.com

Rugby Team Wows the Crowd…on Their Shirts

The French Rugby team Stade Français has a new rugby jersey, and its not striped or color-blocked. “The Crowd” will debut at the August 14th match. The uniform will inevitably scramble a few television camera and is certainly atypical for a sporting team. Part of it harkens back to the days of 70s photo prints on button-down shirts, albeit far more cartoonish. T

here is a method to the madness. It’s all about merchandising. The team hopes to rope in sales from design aficionados, rather than strictly Rugby fans. This kind of potential shark jumping also gets the team a lot of press.

There was a study years ago that suggested sometimes the color of a uniform made a difference in the mindset of a team. What does having 70 people on a uniform do? Give the athlete the impression they are being cheered on by a crowd, or jeered at? Time will tell, and certainly sales figures will tell once the design is made available to the public at large.

What do you think? Brilliant marketing or a an ill-fated move?

What’s New in Watch Features

I’ve seen plenty of sports watches, and have to say many of them are merely “sporty” rather than the type to take a beating and still look halfway decent.  Recently, I have explored the world of ocean-oriented watch features rather than exploring watches that are interest on looks alone. (Yes, some watches still have a secondary function that does not remotely include texting or keeping track of appointments)

Many of the Rip Curl Watches hold up to their “waterproof” claims, boasting immersion capability up to 100 meters. That’s a little more than three 30-yard dashes. The watch laughs in the face of a toilet or claw-foot bathtub. You could drop it in some parts of the lake, and find it three weeks later and it may still be ticking unless it ends up in the belly of a marine mammal. I don’t really want to try it, so can’t comment on the validity of the marine mammal stomach acid interference factor.

Nixon watches offers a series that is also inspired by the sea.  However, they are less for diving in the ocean and more for predicting the behavior of the ocean or large lake with a secondary tide dial. With a touch of the button, you can set the watch to keep track of tide times for where you happen to be. It’s ideal for surfers, boaters and fishers.  Aside from that, its just a novelty. My grandfather, who is long removed from surfing and professional boating, would get a kick out of it because he’s interested in the statistics of the day.

The RipCurl watch shown above retails for around $180. The Nixon Tide watch comes in a variety of band and face options, and ranges in price.  The general range is $270-400.

Have you seen any watches with extra functions that you can’t live without?

The Old New Corduroy Levi’s Jacket

Thanks to a tip from our pals at ABCNeckties and the unusually named Thighs Bigger Than Your Head blog, I was alerted to the newish Levi’s Cord Jacket look.  Instead of the trendy hipster corduroy jacket of several autumns ago that preferred the tight and high armholes of the 70s and wide lapels, this is a comfortable jean jacket look.  While the mode last time was to wear it with matching cords if possible, the suggestion is that you refrain with this one.  It is currently available in red and khaki.

Levi’s does market this as an updated version of a 1967 trucker jacket, only a slimmer cut. Thank goodness this is where the inspiration for slim cuts leads and Levi’s did not go down the angry road of introducing jeggings (please, no!).  It retails for $69.50  at the present time. Colors available are “Thorn” which is roughly khaki, at left, and “Madder Brown,” which I would consider an autumnal red.

Suggestions? With the slimmer cut it might make a good “boyfriend” jacket for gent-ettes as well as something to be worn by guys.  Pairing it with jeans would probably be the preferred mode for men. White T-shirt would be most classic, but a crazy pattern shirt wouldn’t be out of the question, either.

Check out the jacket on Levi.com and fine retailers. Or maybe not so fine retailers. Okay…how about retailers that have an adequate Levi section.

Toe Shoes…But Not The Kind You Think

There really is nothing too terribly new in fashion these days, particularly footwear. Most looks are just recapitulations of clothing that has already been. In some ways, classic style is perennial and always appropriate, but we are far from the masses wearing the silver jumpsuits the us of the 1950s we thought we would be wearing in the year 2000.  Everyday clothing is pretty much the same.  Sure, there are the occasional gimmicks like platform shoes with things moving around in the lucite heels, but none of that is made terribly well.

I should have been careful about what I asked for. I asked to see something “new” and little did I know that Vibram Five Fingers shoes would be trotted out. At first, I mistook them for a novel aqua shoe**, as the Vibram Five Fingers Classic does resemble them. However, they also come in a kangaroo leather hiking style, shown at left.  The gimmick is that you will feel as if you are running or climbing barefoot…but with rubber between your toes. My immediate thought was that one of my toes would be cut off by accident, but I was assured that the midsole offers protection from stone bruising. On the other hand, maybe they give you the flexible but slightly protected feel of a jazz shoe.

While I sometimes take fashion risks, I am still a little squeamish about this one, folks. Granted, these shoes look like a fun novelty, but for my foot size/height ratio, I fear my footprints being mistaken for a Yeti. I’ll have to ease in with a pair of bright blue of camouflaged ones. You can get away with a lot more when your shoes are retina burning-ly bright. They’ll notice the shoes rather than the feet.

I wonder if vintage clothing aficionados will purchase these and ferret them away to see if they will be sought after as oddities in the future.  Of course, that is unless they catch on to every man, woman and child. If you do decide to partake of some Five Fingered shoes, check the sizing charts for each style. Every style fits a little differently.

**= There is actually a true aqua shoe version, the Vibram Five Fingers Flow.

The Men Pen: Concealer for Guys?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of The Men Pen. All opinions are 100% mine.

In the past, mens cosmetics fell into two different categories. The Halloween category, full of pastes and pancake makeup for ghoulish looks, was the first category. Medical makeup for men with disfiguring burns was the second category. For the most part, guys accepted blemishes or scars just as a part of life.

Now, there is the Men Pen. Sure, it’s a concealer without a pink tube, but is the average guy going to go with it? This sort of mens makeup has been used for years on the stage and in film, but I still wonder if it will truly catch on. To my surprise, there were more comments that seemed to be from average guys, rather than only guys that were models or were into the club scene. There was a Gent named John who uses it to cover up a big scar on his face he has had since he was a kid.

One Gent named Kyle said: I discovered The Men Pen works great for covering Tatoo’s (sic) I have a tatoo (sic) on my arm and It can’t be seen at work. I can actually hide it using The Men Pen. Thanks much. At $17.95, I guess it is a BIT more economical than tattoo laser removal. I wonder if it is a similar item to what was used to cover up Angelina Jolie’s many tattoos for the Tomb Raider movies. One Gent, Kevin, commented that he ran out after a year. Maybe guys should take a cue from ladies and dispose of it every six months, and get a new one at that time, because of bacteria. He probably will find he has to cover up acne less using a clean Men Pen. Just a thought.

What are your thoughts on products such as the Men Pen? Do you think that its something that works for a niche, or do you think it is going to catch on? Some people believe that something like this is just a “gateway” and a slippery slope to men wearing a complete foundation application and curling their eyelashes. I don’t really think that’s the case. I am also wondering if this isn’t just the same makeup that is made for ladies, just in a tube that is a bit more manly? What are your thoughts? Currently, I don’t know of any men who use products like this, but maybe that’s the point…I can’t tell.

Bestest…I mean Worsted…Wool is The Best

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ramblers Way. All opinions are 100% mine.

When browsing photos of turn-of-the-century Coney Island, you’ll see proper ladies in gents with wool britches, layered skirts and parasols. In another scene, there might be a mustachioed gent in a full bathing suit – long legged one piece and all. It all looks rather picturesque until you realize that the photo was taken in 90 degree weather at the peak of August. The idea of heatwave wool makes me itchy and dehydrated just thinking about it. Sure, will is durable but the idea of tailored suiting or corsets in the heat makes me glad that anything seems to go nowadays.

The use of wool sure has been relegated to the winter months these days. However, the way that cotton t-shirt and underthings wear out with washings and sweating and general abuse, I wish that they had the durability of the 1940s suit stashed in my closet that looks great after all of these years despite heavy wear.

Rambler’s Way offers wardrobe basics, such as T-shirts, made of superfine worsted wool. Superfine has a similar thickness to a synthetic fabric, such a polyester, rather than to standard wool. Worsted wool is created by setting the wool fibers in the same direction, rather then twisting them around each other, as in standard yarn.  The result is a stronger wool product with a smoother hand. The material is suitable for undergarments and provides superior moisture wicking.

What’s more is Rambler’s Way garments are 100% made in the United States.  Garments are assembled in the United States and the wool comes from a network of family farms full of happy sheep.  One of the sheep on the Maine farm is Isaac, at left.  While his impressive horns look intimidating and he is a great protector of the flock, he has a gentle side.

Rambler’s Way exclusively markets wares on their websites. Samples of the wool are available so you can see for yourself, or should I say feel for yourself.

Logos A Go-go

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PacSun. All opinions are 100% mine.

Pacsun has recently rolled out the Ken Block Gear, which is a collaborative effort between Ford Motor Company, DC shoes, and, of course Ken Block. Oh yeah, Monster is in on it too. Motor and racing related gear has a special type of style all of its own.  In other words, its the standard ratio of logos to square inch of fabric.  Once the golden ratio is executed correctly, a desirable shirt or hat is born. Now, you can’t have 40 tiny logos on it or otherwise folks will think they are polka dots.  Polka dots and fast cars don’t go together unless your sponsor is Wonder Bread or you are restoring a Clown Car. On the other hand, it can’t be TOO big.  If the logo swallows up one arm and 3/4 of one’s torso, it wraps around and no one can read it.

To demonstrate my theory, feast your eyeballs on the right side image. I mean left.  Whoa, I am mighty dyslexic today. Or is that spacial orientation difficulties?  I digress. Watch the hand placement of Ken Block emphasizing the primary and secondary logos.  The width is harmonious, and in addition, for creative folks, it appears that the Monster “M” is about to land on the Ford Blue Oval landing pad.  That could be tentacles or landing gear.  I am not sure.  The secondary logos are cautiously bystanding.  The white font allows them to be read clearly, yet not scream for competition. Bonus: Skull on the back. Skulls right now are still bigger than Hello Kitty.

And there you have it.  The perfectly proportioned logo-rific racing shirt. It is a true balancing act between white space (or dark space), logos, and graphics and squiggles.  Good fit doesn’t hurt either.

Oh, yeah, you didn’t come to read about racing related items to not see some fast cars.  Here’s the money shot:

Watchful or Watchless?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Victorinox Swiss Army. All opinions are 100% mine.

A close friend of mine made a horrifying confession to me recently. He doesn’t wear a watch. That’s not shocking. I can’t mentally recall if I ever noticed him wearing a watch. Of course, I notice watches but people could have them covered up by gloves and jacket cuffs in the winter, and therefore I wouldn’t have seen it at all. The bigger confession is that he has not worn a watch in at least ten years. They get lost, cracked, and bands break. Oh, and then forgetting to take it off before taking a shower and waterlogging it is another consideration. You would think something like the Victorinox Swiss Army would be durable enough. How does he tell time? His cell phone!

With the onslaught of PDAs and phones with their own perceivable IQ, the wristwatch is a real throw back because it only does one thing, or two if you are lucky.

I personally choose to wear a watch because -

• It’s low tech. A battery or wind up watch doesn’t emit any electromagnetic flim flam
• I am the Shadow. No one can punch in my coordinates and figure out where I am located on the globe.
• Accessorizing. A watch, much like cufflinks can pull a formal outfit together.
• Memento. A watch given by someone special can be worn everyday. You can look at it and say, “hey, THEY gave this to me.”  My grandfather still wears the watch everyday that his dad wore every day.
• It tells time. Yep. I know that’s obvious but when the power goes out, it still ticks.
• Life saving. If you give a kidnapper or burglar your watch when they ask for it, maybe he or she will forget about your wallet and the 18th century scrimshaw sharktooth in your pocket or your life. Maybe not, but you never know.

Are you old school like me and like to wear or collect watches? The whole line of Victorinox Swiss Army watches and knives have their own Facebook fan page. Of course, almost everything besides VintageGent’s Menswear Daily has a Facebook fan page now, so it is not really that surprising. Hey, what a novel idea.

April’s Worst Shirts: Maybe Not THAT Bad

The New York Magazine fashion blog, The Cut, opined on the best and worst fashion editorials for April 2010.  On the “Loser” list were these selections from the April issue of Details

Worst Men’s Shirts – Details

There is maybe one acceptable shirt in these two pages, and that is the white one in the top left that is barely visible. The girl in the yellow dress with her hands in her ears screaming “LA LA LA LA LA” has the right idea.

Do we agree?  No and Yes.  Fashion is sometimes about the appropriateness for the application and how confidently one can pull it off.  Fashion is surely the ability to identify what is best suited to one’s frame and personality and come up with a look where the person and not an overbearing shirt or hat is what is the first thing noticed.  However, sometimes we are in danger at scoffing at creativity.  “Creative” dressing is snidely and condescendingly relegated to someone who is an “artsy” type and it is assumed one is referring to baggy and unkempt.

While the delivery may not be what the editor of this “worst” gallery would like to see, the man on the right is sporting a look that could easily be pulled together using vintage clothing elements as long as it was worn with confidence.  The shirt pattern and color combination may be too casual for the suiting material and boutonniere hole by traditional views or tried and true styling rules. However, it seems that the editor is objecting to the shirt rather than the suit.  To me, the shirt is what is setting the tone here and my eye instantly goes to wanting to alter some details of the jacket to make it work a little better. There is nothing innately wrong with that shirt for the right gent if one can carry it off.  In trying to aspire to this look, pair a vintage shirt with a jacket of a different era, otherwise you will look like you are playing “dressup.”  If you are a 20 year old hipster, you may get away with it, of course.

If you are looking for a patterned shirt to try the first look in your own way…here are three worthy candidates from three different decades going with a cooler color palette. Hawaiian shirts purposely omitted, as that throws things into a whole atmosphere.

Left to right: “Jailbird” 50s striped shirt from FastEddiesRetroRags, Polyester oxford on Etsy from stephaniegeisler, 1960s Atomic shirt from DressThatMan.com

However, the gents in the upper left don’t fare as well, individually, unless they were aspiring mimes.  In numbers, however, it appears that this is some sort of “happening,” or they a part of a deliberate group. I am not sure what the “group” is set out to do. I most likely would steer clear of the whole bunch. While the shirts may not be as noxious paired with jeans, the ties are what influences me to believe someone put this together to be ironic.   Oddly enough, I looked again and there are only two striped shirts here, and two ties, but not both on striped shirts.  I suppose my feelings about the shirts just made me believe there were more of them out there.

Kiss My…Face?

Popular Fleece brand, The North Face, has recently been lampooned by the small,  upstart The South Butt. The South Butt busts its muse’s intentions of seeing its products warming Alpine climbers, and exposes the true demographic. Product descriptions, rather than outlandish designs, support the parody:

Because you deserve to look good at the coffee shop – a sign of serious commitment to relaxation. Embroidered logo on front and back. Available in mens and ladies 

If you are heading for yoga or the neighborhood bunko game the classic South Butt T-Shirt could be your best wardrobe choice.

Our South Butt Mall Series Jacket – nothing better for quick runs to the mall or market, and of course what could be more appropriate for that occasional visit to your econ lecture.

Now, The North Face is suing The South Butt, alleging “product dilution.” While parodies are a protected area of free speech, profiting on it may be another matter. Up until the media attention, The South Butt, started by Jimmy Winkelmann to help offset college bills, was a tiny operation. Sales were relegated to a local pharmacy and Winkelmann’s website.  With the media attention to something that could have easily petered out as the 19 year old Winkelmann lost interest or graduated, sales have jumped and now the clever lad has enough money to put himself through college.

While at VintageGent.com, blatant ripoff of designer dudes-a.k.a fakes-are appropriately dissuaded, Winkelmann did not set out to confuse the public, nor believes any of his merchandise will be mistaken for its inspiration.  Even if the suit holds and The North Face wins, it is sure to create dialogue on the big guy picking on the little guy as well as lend a more scrupulous eye to the motto “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

Fashion on the Cheap…Worth the Price?

I used to wear glasses when I was ten to twelve years old. All optical shops were the same. You got in, and for the “special” you got very unattractive frames. To get anything cool costs an arm and a leg. Forget the ads that encouraged people to buy multiple pairs so they can change “with their mood.”   Most people do not live their lives like the imaginary people the models portray in fashion magazines.  They don’t have one pair of studious looking eyeglasses, sport glasses, and sparkling ones for going out.  You either stuck out a sore thumb at the grocery store with flashy glasses, or looked like you were going to play racquet ball at the theater because you couldn’t choose both.

I reading about Zenni Optical in an Examiner Article. I have heard the name before, as I have read about their “too good to be true” $8.00 frame deal before.  Apparently, its NOT too good to be true.   The price is not a “come on.”  There are extra charges for bifocals and such, however. Shipping is typically $4.95. What does this mean for retro fashionistas like us? Zenni has several retro inspired styles, but for purists, you can drop big bucks into a pair of authentic 1950s Buddy Hollys or horn rims, or 80s Wayfarers, but stock up at Zenni for your everyday kick around glasses. That’s a different and economical way to preserve history!

The big drawback of Zenni is the several weeks it takes to receive your glasses, and the fact that they are made in China. The quality is there, but on principle, I am not sure about that for myself.  Of course, some of the glasses at my local optometrist are also made in China, but there have to be some that are not as well. There is always a little quirk or a trade off, isn’t there?

Until Next Time…