VintageGent’s Menswear Daily

Vintage and Handmade for a Cause

Several vintage and handmade merchants have joined forces to raise money for Saving Shelter Pets, Inc. 20% of all proceeds goes to the charity. The fundraiser only lasts for 2 more days, but that’s still plenty of time to snap up some vintage finds. There is not as much menswear as ladieswear, but there are plenty of items for the home, including cufflink boxes, shoe stretchers, kitchen items and more. Even if you don’t take advantage of the promotion, it still gives you a chance to put some new sellers on your favorites list that you know are supportive of good causes and lending others a helping hand. What am I buying? I won’t tell you, because then you’d snap it up first, right? Have fun exploring.

You Can See Dead People With Ghost Whisperer

Thanks for the guest post from our friend Kristofer Bartlett

I was annoyed when Joan of Arcadia, one of my favorite television shows at the time, went off the air, to be replaced with “Ghost Whisperer,” another show with a supernatural theme but a worldview that was much less Christian and more New Agey.

I was determined not to like it, but then I happened upon an episode in which Melinda Gordon, a young antique shop owner who is capable of communicating with the dead, befriends the ghosts of several orphans who were killed in an orphanage fire several decades earlier. Her task was two-fold: to convince the boys to “cross over” and to persuade their onetime companion, now an elderly mogul, not to destroy the building where they still reside.

I found myself so touched by the story that I couldn’t help giving the series a bit of a pass. One thing I had to say for Melinda: she was a lot less angsty than Joan. Played by Jennifer Love Hewitt, Melinda is a very kind woman who never charges for her psychic services. She also tells very few people what she is capable of doing. Her husband Jim knows, though, and is used to her abilities taking her life in very strange directions.

Now, whenever I catch “Ghost Whisperer” on tv since I had my satellite dish installation, I tune in to see how Melinda will help the ghost of the week.

Friday Night Lights Makes My Friday Night

Guest post compliments of my friend Dong Wood

Direct tv has brought me many hours of great viewing. One of the finest is “Friday Night Lights,” which airs, appropriately enough, on Friday nights on NBC. Although this series has never garnered a huge audience, critics continue to appreciate its complex characters and realistic plot threads, and this year, both of its leads received long-deserved Emmy nominations for their work.

Kyle Chandler plays the tough but ethical high school football coach Eric Taylor, who molds students both on and off the field, making them into better players and people. His wife Tami, played by Connie Briton, also influences young people frequently in her job as first a high school counselor and then a principal. The two enjoy one of the warmest television marriages since The Cosby Show and struggle together with their teenage daughter Julie.

The Taylors anchor the show in familiar territory as starring students graduate from high school and move on to other ventures. Two teenage characters who have remained prominent from the beginning are the rugged Tim Riggins, a guy who is rough around the edges but wants to be a decent person deep down, and Matt Saracen, who starts out as a shy young man forced into the role of quarterback after the team’s star player is critically injured.

New characters emerge each season, winning our hearts and challenging our prejudices.

Give It a Kick on Route 66

A few folks I know have been toying with the idea of driving their hot rod or classic car down Route 66 all the way to California.  What they don’t realize is that you can’t just jump on Route 66. You have to travel to the start of it, meaning that you need to drive from where you currently live over the highways to get to the start of it which is someplace west of Chicago.  So, if you are on the east coast, you can’t exactly take a car that you are afraid to drive on I-94, I-75, the Pike, or what have you. If you do decide to drive that “3 quarter done” thing, have the number of a reliable Chicago auto repair shop that understands the old stuff on hand.  A friend of mine had gotten the idea since my dad drove his 1966 Corvette all the way to LA.  However, what he failed to note was that when dad did it, the 1966 Corvette was only 2 years old, which makes a huge difference than the box of rocks my friend intended to take.

Inevitably, the water pump blew out and he had to stop.  Ironically, it was not the water pump in the Corvette with the door strapped together with tape, but that of the Toyota Corolla that was following him with supplies just in case something happened.  It couldn’t be fixed with a kick like Fonzie would do and they were held up for awhile. I guess the moral of the story is that they don’t make things like they used to, but in this case it was all just dumb luck.

Anyway, while it may seem like a romantic idea to cruise down 66 in your 66 Corvette, the chocolate and roses are sort of blown off of it when your sweetie has to follow you and someone breaks down.

The Best Menswear/Ladieswear Loafers

Calivintage opened up the floor to poll folks on what their choice of footwear was for her.  More specifically, she was looking at loafers and can only buy one. I was alerted to the new Bass Wayfarer loafer, which has a decidedly menswear-inspired look for women. While this style isn’t at the cutting edge in menswear at the moment, its classic style, available in patent leather and other finishes, lends to both casual and not quite so casual occasions for ladies.

The patent variety retails for just under $90.00 at Nordstroms and other department stores.  On the web, there really is no alternate price, until perhaps the shoes are last year’s models, but that remains to be seen.  The easiest to find colors are black, burgundy and Karicole. Don’t ask me what Karicole means, but its the color above, sort of a warm brown.  Elsewhere on the ‘net, the shoes are available in red, black and white and navy.  The suede version doesn’t look quite as dapper. The driving loafer-like style lends itself to jeans, trousers, suits and more.

This classic style seems like it would be a menswear-inspired wardrobe investment for many years to come.  When you grow tired of it, ladies, just put it away for a year or too and I guarantee it will come back around.

Do You Have a Song Stuck In Your Head

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

Its addictive to wander around YouTube and job your memory with old commercials. The Arby’s twins were slightly more annoying than the Double Mint twins, which surely means that even if you were an infant at the time, their voices are firmly scratched into your memory. I don’t remember babushkas being restaurant attire back then, but for some reason waaayy back in the noggin somewhere, I remember them being worn. I won’t tell you if it was my mom or sister who wore it to not reveal my creaky age. At any rate, if you have a song annoyingly stuck in your head, consider it unstuck when you listen to this commercial. I guarantee that the song will be replaced by Twin Voices…

Arby has a very different marketing strategy compared to 1978, thank goodness. They are reaching out on the internet to snag some nostalgia-seekers with the retro looking Arby Junior.  I vaguely sort of kind of think Arby Junior was used on paper placemats for kids back then, but my brain is really fogged over.  Do any of you remember?

You can create your own Create Your Own Personalized Arby’s Jr. that talks and can even look like you…in the face, anyway. You can choose a background and type in dialogue for your guy to say.  The male voice sounds a bit more realistic than the female voice, which sounds more like a computer.  Then, send it to friends via email or post it to social sites, such as Facebook.

When you want to waste an aimless three hours at work, test it out for yourself.

“Mad Men” Casting Call by Banana Republic

Banana Republic is holding a Mad Men contest where the winner will receive a walk-on roll in the popular AMC series, to be filmed during the summer of 2011. The top 10 vote-getting gents and the top 10 vote-getting gent-ettes will be passed on to the producers, who will choose a winner. Runners-up will be chosen online by public vote. At first, I thought they were looking for someone who exemplified the “Mad Men” look in dress, styling and overall physical appearance (It doesn’t matter if you are heavy or thin, but the folks who can carry off the look.)

First, if you’d like to enter, go to Banana Republic and pick up a Mad Men Style Guide.  In it, you will receive a code. Enter the code on the website when you enter the contest. The Style Guide features photos from the show, but also points out which Banana Republic items that tend to veer towards the Mad Men style, in their opinion.

In further reading, “Does the photo reflect the “Mad Men” style – 60%; originality 40%. ” is the main criteria. So, in other words, it doesn’t matter if you have the clothes and “look” down pat, the photo has to be expertly composed, set-dressed and professional. I am sure the winner will be dressed in frockery chosen by the wardrobe department and won’t necessarily wear their own clothing, but I don’t think it means that submitting a recent generic head shot will do it. In other words, this is not a cattle call, but some artistry is involved.   Like any contest, there are plenty of folks who didn’t get the memo and upload a recent head shot styled in full 2010 style.  There are some very interesting entries, but I wonder if it is going to come down to the skill of the photographer and a stylist versus the contest going to someone who just plain dresses like that everyday.  We shall see.

Are you throwing your hat in the ring?  If so, drop a note to vintagent at gmail dot com and point yourself out.  If we think we know you, we’ll give you a plug.

Right now, the “Hey, I know you!” plug goes to Twila Jean aka Exquisite Bones on Twitter, Etsy and other places.  CLICK HERE to vote for her. Now, to find a guy to root for…

Sale of the Summer at PastPerfect Vintage

A little birdie told me that Past Perfect Vintage was having a summer sale, featuring up to 50% off vintage clothing and 40% off vintage patterns.  There are some fine selections including several well-tailored suits for men as well as an abundance of ties.  The selection of ladieswear is not too shabby, either!

I spied many 40s era and later ties in the $5 range and some suits in the $20-30 range.   Everything is zipping out of their fast, so hurry.  Three more items just sold while I was composing this quick bulletin. If you are familiar with the shop, the proprietress always features well-researched antique and vintage clothing in fabulous condition.

Visit Pastperfectvintage.Etsy.com and tell them that a little birdie at VintageGent’s Menswear Daily sent you. No, you don’t have to say that and no, there is no special prize if you do. I just know most folks like to know how their customers found out about them. Hop to it and don’t miss it!

Party like it’s 1995!

Remember back in the day when you could create a free website at Geocities or Angelfire?  Geocities had less pop ups and everyone and their college roommate’s father’s cousin’s best friend’s dog’s groomer had one.  Some were actually excellent, but others…well…we really don’t need to see your grocery list or your collection of Mad Balls.  Geocities went the way of the Dodo, but I got all weepy and nostalgic (maybe not weepy) when I found Hpages.com.

They offer templates and cool tools to use, like a pinboard feature that I wish was available as a plug in outside of hpages for people who wax nostalgic over using a dry erase board instead of an IWhatever to keep track of things. Folks can slide by your site and leave a picture to let you know they were there. Sites also have other bells and whistles like guest books and simple polls.

I don’t recommend Hpages if you want a complex site for your subscription-only services or businesses. It’s really not for that. It’s for the original, old fashioned ** use of letting your kid have a website, showing off your hobby, or maybe the first website for a neighborhood grassroots cause.  With the advent of Blogspot and Wordpress and Typepad, one would think that the Hpages model just wouldn’t catch on.  Not everyone wants something in the blog format.  Sometimes a few polished pages about a subject matter is what you really, really want or need.

All sites are hosted at Hpages, and to create and maintain one is absolutely free. Your dog can have a web page. Your tie collection can have its own site.  It could be a proving ground to teach someone about the matter, whether they are very young, or are a senior. The possibilities are endless.

**= Oh, did I just refer to the 1992-1997 era as old fashioned? I am quaking in my combat boots. Let me qualify it by saying as far as the INTERNET goes, that time frame is INDEED an era of a certain vintage. It doesn’t apply to fashion or any other area of life.

The Finishing Touch for a Restored Home

One way to transform a restored home is to be very particular about the “hardware” of the home. In other words, choose your mailboxes, light posts, and address plaques very wisely.

The first thing your visitors see before the door, however, is the mailbox. Nowadays, they have mail box posts that have an old world look, or have a clean, white cape cod look. You don’t have to go with an ugly metal pole.

For stately manors, or just the look of one, an imposing black, Victorian style residential mailboxes might be in order. You can get them with or without an area for a newspaper. I think it would very ironic to put one on a tiny house. What about putting one on a modern ranch or a small 1950s tract home? It would make it look rather grand, wouldn’t it?

Above, is a streetscape mailbox. My Great-Grandparents had one just like that where they lived in the city. It leaves me a bit nostalgic. Of course, they had a door for the paper too. That one went right through to the living room, and as kids we had a lot of fun with that. In fact, theirs opened on the outside and inside the house. We put ice cream in it once in the winter. Don’t worry, it was a postal holiday. We also tried to get each other to slip something in the mail slot so the other could try to grab it.

Whatever you decide, don’t just pick up the first thing you find. Think about the era of your restored home and with just a little looking online, you will find something that is truly perfect.

Readers Spending My Money

No sooner did I post a reminisce about dumpster diving in New York, an alert reader just slipped a note under my door about rent controlled homes.

The best way to save on rent is to find one of the Owner Financing Homes. Buying is cheaper than renting. If you plan to keep a residence somewhere else, you won’t have the debt ratio banks are looking for because you will try to own two places. An owner might understand your predicament and see that you are using the place in the city to scout out furniture and might be sympathetic to you. The money won’t go down the drain and when you are done, you might be able to rent it out before you sell it and flip it again.

Well, renting an apartment on Beacon Street in Boston or in Manhattan just to see what finds are at the estate sales or what midcentury furniture is cast out when students return overseas is really just a fantasy and not a legitimate pursuit of mine. Sure, rent is cheaper when you rent for the year versus the month and buying is more economical still IF you plan to live there for awhile. On some properties, it takes a couple of years to save, some a lot sooner depending on the market.  Do you think I have a cash dispenser in my wallet, by the way? I may seem like I have champagne tastes, but its only because I bought that ONE bottle of champagne.  And I have been looking at it for the past decade. Just admiring it.    I read through the FTC Overview on Mortgages and predatory lending. However, for me to be prey it wouldn’t be about shifty numbers but trying to confuse me with bursting into discussions about Herman Miller, WWII military uniforms or a sheet of $2 bills.

Curbside Seating

I was talking to a friend from the city, and I was reminiscing over the days of itty bitty Studio Apts that were wedged in the attic of brownstone apartment buildings. I have left that life far behind, but the treasures that people put up on the curb for the trash was amazing. Far from a dumpster diver, I couldn’t help not stop for a midcentury modern chair or a coffee table with a car engine as the base. Folks tossed it rather than stored it if they were a foreign student who went home for the summer, or just didn’t have a buddy who had a pickup truck. I guess when everyone takes the subway, those are in short supply.

Makes one think about getting one of those studios in NYC for a month to camp out just to see what can be had. Sort of a midcentury modern stakeout. Maybe not, as a “cheap” studio apartment in town is quite hefty, but everything is relative. I was shocked when I met someone with a $2,500 hole in a wall. They said they lived in a “rent controlled” building. Seems like that is OUT of control rent. I would need rental assistance big time if that was the going rate for 400 square feet. I don’t think the furniture would earn their keep.

Help Wanted: Special Education

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of USC. All opinions are 100% mine.
Some of my friends are fretting over the current job situation that they are in. Many are employed but a few have found themselves with a pink slip. To me, it is a time to get more competitive and to go back to basics.   The professions that seem to be hiring across the board are in the medical field or, to some extent, are specialized teachers.

Across the nation, school districts are in a reshuffle. As jobs move, some districts find that they need to combine classes to respond to lower enrollment numbers while some are experiencing a boom.  Teachers are getting pink slips in some cases. Luckily, in places such as Washington, D.C., teachers are retained based on performance rather than merely tenure. Even so, the need for new teachers is very much there.  However, the greatest need is for teachers who specialize either in special education or have scientific qualifications to teach technical classes. In fact,  Not that teachers with general degrees are not needed, but the more flexible you can be or the more you have in your toolbox, the greater chance you have as districts shuffle things around.

The problem sometimes is finding the time, or with someone who is unemployed, having the extra resources such as gas money to attend a Masters program.  Another dilemma is deciding to be away from a newborn baby.  If you have found yourself in this dilemma, you may want to check out the program information from the USC Rossier School of Education.

Whether you are a teacher with a Bachelor’s Degree and want to define your niche, or you have a degree in another discipline and want to teach, you can learn from the comfort of your home. There is an extensive online program that includes a tuition reimbursement program and an accelerated program. There are local field based experiences, so don’t worry about just reading a book and not being able to apply it. The school is ranked #9 for education programs among private institutions and #22 nationwide.

Have you considered going for additional degrees or certification online?  If so, tell me what your experiences have been?