Warming Hearts with Worsted Wool
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ramblers Way. All opinions are 100% mine.
The weather outside is frightful, at least for some of you. This weekend, the temperature was in the single digits. While I was shivering my timbers, I can’t imagine what people in northern Maine are feeling right now. Of course, at the tip of Maine, folks are probably more expectant of cold temperatures, but when you happen to be homeless or unfortunately unable to cover the heating bill, the cold is even more unbearable. The nice folks at Ramblers Way, headed by Tom and Kate Chappell, who you may remember from Tom’s of Maine, are doing something about it. 5,000 pieces of thermal clothing were donating and will be distributed to families most in need. That’s a lot of long johns!
Sometimes corporations give to the United Way or some other organization for a write off, but it is very refreshing to see a company give back in such a significant, and much needed way. The recipients will stay warm, comfortable and dry.
The worsted wool clothing that Ramblers Way makes is made of sustainable unbleached worsted wool. The sheep are Americans and they are sheared by folks on several family farms in the United States. What is worsted wool, you may ask? Instead of being immediately spun, the wool is carded first to remove the short and broken fibers. The remaining fibers are longer and a softer, more supple hand is created. In fact, worsted wool garments are more wrinkle resistant and can also hold a crease if that is what is intended. For the folks that are receiving them, if they are unable to wash them after a wearing, they will find that the material holds up. It wicks away moisture and can be worn, unwashed, for several days. It also will hold up to getting wet.
If you are looking for a company that “Makes Things Like They Used To” and has old fashioned values of helping their neighbors out, you might want to start patronizing Ramblers Way. Their wares are available on their website.
This BirdBrain is on Twitter
I am trying to figure out when my Twitterversary is. Some sites tell the world how long you have been registered. It is not earthshatteringly important, but I was wondering how long Vintagegent.com has been on Twitter. It seems that the past year has just flashed before my eyes, and I can’t recall if I started a few months ago, or a year ago. I know that I have at least been on Twitter over the summer, as I blogged about it. The rest of my Twittertime has all been a blur.
At this writing, I have 393 followers. I have not aggressively pursued followers on Twitter. I followed probably about 5 people initially, and then everyone else came from my announcement of the announcement of me having a Twitter account on this blog, or just finding happening people that I wanted to follow and they were nice enough to follow me back. I haven’t been tweeting in awhile, but once I start, it gets addictive.
A friend of mine said that when you start to follow more than 50 people, you will have a hard time keeping up with everyone. So far, I have not found that to be the truth. I think that the people I follow share my interests, so it is not an arduous wade in hip boots through people luring me into their casino.
If you enjoy reading this blog from time to time, feel free to come join me at http://twitter.com/vintagegent. I might just even follow you back. You’ll get updates when new stuff is posted on this blog, retweets from my friends on fashion, antiques, and anything else that strikes my fancy.
Uncategorized | Comment (0)An Ode to Nikolas Tesla
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of JonasHyde.com. All opinions are 100% mine.
When the wind howls and the streeets are, well….slushy (not too romantic, huh? I mean “romantic” in the Mary Shelley sense, not in the Days of Our Lives sense), I like to sit in the chair with a good book. I fancy the creaky work of Poe, but occasionally when I am running this way and that, I will read Bible Verse or classical narrative poetry, as I can feel completely satisfied. There is a beginning, middle and an end for my soul to ponder that it does not receive from reading the short passages in Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader.
No offense to the great folks who compile the “UJBR.” There is a lot of interesting stuff in there, don’t get me wrong. However, the material in UJBR doesn’t lend towards philosophical pondering that extends through my daily walk or work.
Try this on for size:
Always it was light I yearned to provide,
radiance which would push back the darkened stillness,
and tear down the fear that lived within,
the scared child of perpetual illness,
who no longer wished to run and hide.
Recently, I discovered the work of Jonas Hyde. He is a real, live, breathing dude. In other words, if you read his stuff, you are giving support and encouragement to someone rather than just supporting the estate of someone who is no longer with us. Granted, I think its great for children and great grandchildren to get feedback about their relative’s work, but most of the folks I read tragically died in a gutter with no heirs, or they had dozens of kids but that was eight generations back and they are now a trivia question rather than a memory in someone’s life.
The passage is from O’ this Life (The final words of Nikola Tesla), written by Mr. Hyde. You can check out the thrilling conclusion at his eponymous website. Get your brandy snifter, slippers and smoking jacket ready. Oh, and your laptop. Until a book comes out.
Christmas Means Norelco!
I remember my brother and I staying home with a babysitter while mom and dad went Christmas shopping. We had a really cool babysitter named Renee. We would play games and record radio shows on our tape players. We played “Truth or Dare” and one of the silly dares was to walk outside in the snow without any coat on and yell, “I LOVE NORELCO!” for all to hear. Why? Maybe we heard that slogan on a commercial. We thought it was a funny thing to say, at least when you were five and eight years old.
I remember the Norelco Santa commercials, but had no idea they kept remaking it over the years. For your enjoyment, here is three decades of Santa
Norelco Santa from the 1960s. The commercial was stop motion claymation, produced in the CBS studios.
Here is Santa, as he appeared in 1978.
Here comes Santa Claus….1994 style.
There is one more Santa that I think I remember. He had a pointy hat and looked like he was made of gumdrop material, but perhaps that was for another product. If anyone finds that one, point me in that direction. Have you or a loved one ever went on a razor spending spree for the holidays?
Merry Christmas from all of us at VintageGent’s Menswear Daily.
1960s, 1970s, 1990s, vintage ads | Comments (3)Send Your Baby Subliminal Messages with a Quilt
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Quiltcreator. All opinions are 100% mine.
I attended a car show recently, and had a chance to sit in a few great old cars. Don’t worry. I did know the car owners, so I wasn’t committing a senseless act of putting my grubby finger prints on someone’s hard work. There was an old Chevy that was perfect, but the bench seat hadn’t been restored. This minor flaw was covered by a cozy quilt that was appropriate to the era of the car. In fact, it distracted me and I didn’t even notice that the seats were worn. It wasn’t an old tattered quilt, either. There is something about a handmade quilt that adds some traditional character to a home, or in this case, a car.
Recently, I became aware of www.quiltcreator.com. It is a site that allows you to design your own quilt based on a variety of themes. Color and fabric palettes can next be selected. At first, I was a little upset that I couldn’t just randomly choose colors, but they were smart in limiting your choices to a palette you select. This prevents one from designing something totally hideous and just plain wrong.
I myself designed this baby quilt, at left. The sheer geometrocity of it will stimulate a baby’s mind and mold it into a channel of design and interpersonal greatness. No, I can’t scientifically confirm that. Alternately, your child could have an episode when a friend brings over the Q-bert retro arcade game. They could be inexplicably drawn to it, or perhaps line their future dorm room with M.C. Escher posters. That might be something that science can prove, which is akin to the likelihood of the “freshman fifteen.”
At any rate, right now VG readers can take advantage of two special promotions. Enter Ship4Free to win the valuable prize of Free Shipping, or use code 104You., which will give you 10% your order.
Christian Lacroix: Riding the Rails; Flying the Skies
The very bankrupt Christian Lacroix (or is that just his company who is the debtor) has designed new uniforms for employees of the French Railway, shown below left. Perhaps this is a Willie Nelson move and he is paying down the debt, or perhaps he is doing this outside the auspices of the company. At any rate, the uniforms join his previous efforts of re-imagining the attire for Air France employees, at right.
In my humble opinion, the airline uniforms win hands down. Perhaps my opinion is swayed by the overall styling of the presentation. The uniforms at left appear tailored to the ladies, where the uniform at right could use a bit of a fitting and finishing. In addition, its the bow. While I think an ascot or tie could have worked in this situation, the bow feels fussy and impractical. In a uniform situation, you are going to have a wide range of people wearing it. Some have the savoir faire to tie bows perfectly, with a pleasing proportion of material on each side. Some are going to have their bows looking a little straggly.
I am wondering what the uniform for men has at the neck.Of course, my biggest question is: Where are the guys? What does the men’s version of these uniforms look like? If anyone has a picture, please send it my way. I can imagine that the Railway uniform could be identical, sans bow. Is the cut of the jacket in the navy blue uniform in the airline photo the same, or is it a totally different take? You will have to send me press photos and your vacation photos (with permission from the employees, of course, in having their photo snapped.)
By the way, the VintageGent-ette wants one of those blue uniforms, or at least the jacket, in the worst way. But then one would have to have the skirt because the navy wouldn’t be exactly the same as another navy. But the jacket would look cool with jeans on its own. Oh…and the railway jacket too.
designers, modern fashion | Comment (0)I Was Once a Boogie Singer…
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Popstation. All opinions are 100% mine.
Remember back in the day when you didn’t have to be under 29, you didn’t have to “look like the whole package,” and you didn’t have to stand in line at a stadium hoping to be chosen to be on a reality show to be plucked from obscurity? Where are those shows like the 80s Puttin on the Hits where you could be an average person? (At left, a scene from a 1985 reenactment of the Jett’s “I’ve Got a Crush on You” by the thrilling combination of Stacy, Debbie, and Stacy!) Oh, yeah, and you didn’t have to sing either, you just had to be very good at lip synching. Sorry, those days are gone.
Well, the part about being a regular person with no connections still works in the PopStation contest. You can win without flying to any major metropolitan area. The winner wins a stay at a ritzy hotel in New York City and several days in a recording studio laying down some tracks on your very own album. Those who end up in the Top 100 will also win digital plaques to show everyone on Pop Station how popular your “record” was.
How do you enter? Well, there is something called the practice rooms. You can see lyrics and hear music on your computer, then you can download the Popstation Studio Software and you can record yourself singing the song and making it your own. People from all across the internet who register for Popstation can vote for you. So make it good! I almost forgot, you have to upload the song, and then watch it climb the charts. Publish your own press releases and see your fanbase skyrocket.
You don’t need elaborate props like the “Lion Sleeps Tonight” guy, because no one can see you perform. Of course, unless you put yourself on your album cover. Then they still can’t see you perform, but you could wear a pith hat if you like for whatever foolish reason.
If you enter the contest, write and tell me about it. I’d love to tell my readers to check out your tune!
VintageGent Christmas Gift Guide: The Status Ring
Christmas is right around the corner and Hanukkah has already snuck up on us. It is high time to start thinking about what to get the special dudes in our lives. Not a lot of men go around galavanting with tons of rings on their fingers these days, but sometimes when they go to a black tie event, they might wear something antique or era appropriate to their outfit. Perhaps the bride is looking for an offbeat wedding band for her groom.
This circa 1870’s ring has a surprise to it. Behind the garnet, a white sapphire is mounted. Only the gent that wears it will see it. The ring appears to have a patina, at least from the photo, but it doesn’t take away from the stunningness or marvelousness. The ring is a reasonable size. It’s a size 9, so it could potential fit a guy of today, so long as his fingers are not broad. I would hesitate to recommend resizing it. I am sure it could be done, but you may lose some of the character.
It is made of sterling silver, and is available on Etsy from NoveauMotley at the price of $235.00. Snap it up before it gets away. They aren’t exactly making more of them, are they?
gift ideas | Comment (0)When it Comes to Internet Search, I am so 1995
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of LeapFish Inc. All opinions are 100% mine.
Everyone is so impatient. They just want things now, now now. I was so happy five years ago when I put up a website, and in a month or two, I could find it in the search engines. Now, I find that I have to keep myself from blowing a gasket if I can’t immediately search for what I just wrote. What is becoming of me? I need to rewind myself by a couple years.
Google now has a function that allows you to search in “real time.” You can get the latest information on just about everything. If I could go back in time, the “me” from five years ago would have probably had major culture shock
If you thought the little music box ballerina music was so “now,” Leapfish also offers us a glimpse into live search, incorporating social media. Make a note about what happens at approximately 1:48 into the video. There will be a discussion about that, later.
I am not sure if it is the production values alone, but to me, the Google product seems to poke along compared to the leapfish way of searching. Some bits of it scare me. For my borderline ADD brain, I think with access to so many videos, tweets, and websites at once, I will never get anything done. It will suck the marrow out of any remaining productivity I have. Remember I mentioned to pay attention to what happens at the 1:48 mark? I saw a video for California Toast. What is California Toast? It appears to be a strawberry and Aunt Jemima based product, but are those shards of bananas or shards of bread in there? There’s my point right there.
In the case of Google, it appears that the page is arranged in a safe and familiar way, that it won’t scare me too horribly. I will be able to dink around while still grabbing my security blanket of a nice, linear search that acts as a lighthouse in the sea of my bobbing, drifting mind. Besides, I am entertained by the phony Google pages and the Google Doodles,where the Google logo changes to commemorate a holiday, or whatever they need me to know about, such as to be very aware of meatball eating spaghetti monsters.
Leapfish does use Google for some searches, as you can view what Google, Bing, and Yahoo all have to say about your chosen topic. It lets you customize your own search page, however, and allows you to press a button to get real time search. For me, it might be a little TOO real, because I searched a second ago, and then came back and edited this post to say that I could already find what I just said in search. I better be careful about what I say!
“Muddle” This Idea for Christmas
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of RI Media Group. All opinions are 100% mine.
I have been searching for gift ideas for several people on my list. The ones that have collections are easy. I enjoy the thrill of the hunt, and finding something that they don’t have in their collection gives me as much excitement as they get receive when opening it. However, sometimes I cannot find that perfect item but still want something very unique that they can’t possibly already have. I was really surprised at the unique items they have over at StudBox. Sure, they have some cookware and odds and ends that you could find in other places, but there are many items that I have no seen anywhere else. The offerings are parred down for quality and uniqueness.
Do you have a sophisticated person that you would like to find a gift under $10 for? A gift in that price point may be gifted in addition to a gift certificate. Some folks feel gift certificates are impersonal, and a small gift seems to satisfy the urge to give them something to use now…and later. The price point is perfect for a gift grab, or for giving with a holiday tip to someone who serves you. Have you ever heard of a muddler? It is the latest must have for the sophisticated bartender. An aspiring James Bond can crush the fruit in their drink without missing a beat, or being accused of selecting a girlie drink. The muddler at left is the VIVA! Stick muddler by Liquid Revolutionist, which was designed by a bartender with a waffle end for maximum fruit crushitude. The model at right is a spare, more traditional looking model made of wood. The former is offered for $7.95, the latter for $3.95.
There is a new style fondue set on Studbox that not only is easier to clean, it also does no require seasoning, and is easy to carry. The interior is a more user friendly porcelain enamel, and the unique design makes it easy to carry. The latter is extremely important to me. I find that I like to bring a unique dessert when family and friends gather, and the fete is not always at my place. This style lends itself to easy set up and tear down. It is on special right now for $64.99.
Shipping at Studbox is only $4.00 for orders up to $30, so you can buy all of your friends cocktail muddlers. On orders over $30, the fee is 12%, which is quite paltry considering the weight of some of the items. That’s great news.All of this web window shopping reminds me that it is also time for me to roll out the daily Christmas gift guide at VintageGent’s Menswear Daily.This post is the kickoff. Stay tuned for more great gift ideas for the retro man and ladies they like. In the meantime, I do highly recommend checking out the unique odds and ends on this site. I bet no one on your list has a cocktail muddler, but they sure will be impressed at the sophistication level of the giver.
1974: How to Turn Her On!
Step One: Take her out and treat her like a la-dy…
No, that’s the wrong year and that song is kind of stupid.
In 1974, Clairol knew that the way to “turn her on.” or more properly, connect her to a large supply of electricity that prevented her from going near water, or otherwise there would be an accident. You buy her a Clairol 3 Way Mist Hairsetter, an Air Brush, or a Crazy Curl! And remember those mirrors that made everyone look like they were sitting in front of a bug light and made everyone look orange? Yeah, that’s the way to a woman’s heart.
Take that, 1984 and your jelly bracelets or 2009 and your ipod! This Christmas, ladies know what they REALLY want.
Pump Up The Bass…On Your Phone
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Yamaha. All opinions are 100% mine.
Warning: I am completed dating myself by the following statement. No, I am not involved in the courtship of the image in the mirror, but the other Webster’s Dictionary definition of the term. When I was about twelve, my Walkman and I were inseparable. It did not tag along in my book bag, but was pulled out of a drawer every night when I was trying to study or read a book. I wasn’t too interested in letting other people in on what I was listening to. Somewhere in my teen years, all I wanted was a boom box for my birthday. For some reason, I had a brief streak of extrovertedness, but while the boom box blasted, the Walkman sat. It was scientifically impossible to use both at once, unless you wore the headphones to the Walkman and blasted the boom box load enough to hear both.
Luckily, modern technology has solved that historical dilemma with the Yamaha PDX-60 speaker dock. I first became acquainted with Yamaha when my cousin bought Yamaha keyboard and equipment. It was definitely a step up from my 12″ long Casio with the preprogrammed rhumba drum beat. Oh no. I am dating myself again. Ahem. Any way, you can be all fine and happy with your iPod, but then you can go home and plop it in there, and enjoy being surrounded by your tunes. That may be nothing really earthshattering, but you can also use the docking station with your iPhone. Now, that’s new!
There are so many features and so much media on our cell phones these days that many people consolidate and substitute a high tech phone for an MP3 player and a more pedestrian cell phone. Do you remember the day planners with the big velcro strips to hold your PDA? Well, the PDA bigger than your foot has also been absorbed into the phone. Sometimes the owners of the phones that do everything but your laundry did not consciously consolidate and eliminate all of these devices, but are experiencing MP3, camera and PDA elements for the first time with the features of their iPhone. The speaker dock serves that market well also.
Do you think phones do a little too much these days? Well, what’s one more thing? I am surprised there isn’t a docking station yet to project the contents of your phone on your television, though I am sure Yamaha is working on it. The speakers do have a rich bass sound, so maybe your old boom box won’t beat up your phone at night anymore for being a lightweight.
Those Who Can…Teach
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of USC. All opinions are 100% mine.
A few of my friends are currently unemployed or under employed. Some see this as a second “Great Depression” but those who are smart and have a positive attitude are using this time to sharpen the saw. They are looking for ways they can either become more competitive and marketable, or they are retraining for a job they have always wanted to have. There are still job openings for nurses, but there is a shortage of nurses who go back to school to qualify themselves to teach. Nursing programs are closing for lack of faculty. There is an old adage that “Those who can’t teach.” It was mostly used in the theater indicating that those who couldn’t make it as an actor or playwright but knew the mechanics of it were relegated to teaching it. However, I think that it isn’t entirely too. There are many talented people who teach because they want either a steady paycheck, or they have much to share to make others great.
Also, there are many elementary school teachers and high school teachers out there, but sometimes there is a lack of those who can teach special ed or teachers that have experience in not just teaching, but had some other life experience that qualifies them to teach a specialized topic with enthusiasm. My aunt is a teacher and she said that it is about having enough skills in your tool box where a school or district can find a use for you even if they don’t need to to teach what you are teaching now. She always taught preschool and kindergarten, but by going back for certification in special education and another subject matter, if they ever had a dearth of kindergarten teachers, she could retain a position as a special education teacher for grades K through 6 or could teach science.
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?
Tom and Kate are Back. No, not THAT Tom and Kate
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ramblers Way. All opinions are 100% mine.
If you have read this blog for quite some time, you know that second to being a promoter of vintage fashion, I am a huge fan of clothing that is either sustainable in some way or made domestically. Vintage clothing involves a bit of recycling, but also creating clothing where the maker is employing local people and being gentle with their resources is also of great interest.
Ramblers Way is a small company in Maine that produces basic worsted wool clothing.In fact, the founders of Ramblers Way might be familiar names. Tom and Kate Chappell, founders of Tom’s of Maine, are the friendly faces that represent the company. In other words, they have a little bit of experience in launching successful companies. In 2006, they sold a majority share of Tom’s of Maine to Colgate. In 2007, they began to set up the sheep farm. At right is a photo of farmer Dave Norman and a friend. Or, should I say, a valued employee of Ramblers Way with his friend Dave Norman. I wondered if they were retiring at that point, but my curiosity has now been satisfied. They are just off on another adventure, developing another product line that is designed with sustainability in mind.
Ramblers Way produces long and short sleeved shirts, long johns, and briefs for the men and women. The pieces are in a natural blond color, which is the color of the wool when it has not been bleached or dyed. The wool comes from the Ramblers Way farm, as well as several other family sheep farms throughout the United States. In fact, they pride themselves on not only making their products in the United States, but all components are made in the US as well. From the shearing, carding, weaving, knitting processes to even the buttons and thread, nothing is sourced from or manufactured overseas.
As far as the items, they are exactly what they have set out to be. They do not make coats and suits like another famous American wool clothing maker, Pendleton, but rather stick to the very basics. Although the shirts look clean and neat by themselves, the clothing is really more perfect for wearing in lieu of a cotton T-Shirt. If you are always grabbing for a long sleeve to stick under a sweatshirt or flannel shirt on a dreary day, it is definitely for you. I found that the price point for particularly mens and ladies briefs to be on the high side ($47-65), especially considering that there was no color choice. However, worsted wool fabric has a natural “recovery” element and they will last many years longer than their cotton counterparts. When you look at the clothing prices, you really need to take that into account. They “don’t make things like they used to,” but perhaps Ramblers Way does.
What caught my attention was the claim that it “repels moisture and odors through natural wool fiber. Go days without washing, dries quickly, and stay warm even when wet.” Well, I hope you do wash it. However, when one is camping or in a similar situation, it is good to know it will hold up. Then, it made me think of the old fashioned bathing suits. Suits in the 1920s were in fact wool. I always thought that bathers would be a bit itchy and hot. If the wool was anything like this superfine spun wool, I bet they were really just fine, and their suit held its shape over the years. The suits that survive certainly have.
If someone handed me an armful of cash, I would probably stock up on a bunch of basics. For my family, the men’s crossneck shirt and ladies scoop neck top would be at the top of the list. The ladies scoop neck is low enough to be able to wear under buttoned or V-neck shirts without covering up a necklace, but it remains to be seen if it the material is substantial enough to be worn alone without bra straps showing through. The men’s crossneck looks like it could be worn alone, and not just as a layer, which would be handy when the weather just can’t make up its mind.
As of this writing, I do not know of any stores that carry Ramblers Way, but you can shop at Ramblers Way online. In fact, if you normally have issues with wool and find that it itches, you may want to request a fabric sample on the site to test it out.
You were probably afraid from the title that this was all going to be about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. I am sorry to disappoint you, or perhaps you are relieved, but this is a TomKat free zone.
made in the usa, modern fashion | Comment (0)