MOUNTAIN MEN by DARRELL HARTMAN
Born in Maine and based in New York, Darrell Hartman writes about society, fashion, adventure travel, and other topics. He’s covered the Met Gala and worked as a ranger in the U.S. Forest Service. A recent backpacking trip in Utah inspired him to write about mountaineering style in his first post for SL. He tweets at @darrellhartman and keeps his writings on darrellhartman.com.
DH - Menswear has been on a mountain high lately – never mind that the majority of guys wearing these alpine-inspired looks are hiking up to the third or fourth floor at most. But hey, he’s capable of reaching great heights metaphorically. He’s got a sense of adventure. (more…)
THE 5 BEST WAYS TO HANDLE MONEY
I’m not talking about your 401K, that’s not one my strengths, I’m in fashion for gods sakes. I’m talking about how to literally handle your money – taking it from your wallet, paying a check, tipping, using a credit card, etc.
1. THE DATE. I recently watched a guy completely deep-six any chances of getting action following an otherwise stellar dinner date. Once the bill was presented, he leaned to his side like he was suffering stomach cramps and pulled out the biggest wallet I had ever seen. Not so bad, yet. He then put it up directly in front of his face like he was going to smell it and began to slowly review each bill, as if admiring a sweet baseball card collection. I could tell his date (more…)
SAN FRANCISCO RETAIL INTEL
Editors Note: Grant Taylor is a man-about-town in San Francisco who will be reporting in from time to time on all things west coast style. Here is his first post:
SAN FRANCISCO: A city with style, but not too concerned with fashion. The Northern California ideal of achieving cool without really trying defines the sartorial spirit of the city by the bay. While in many ways SF is the antithesis of LA, this is still California, and the blight of the hoodie lives on. Casual comfort is the theme, but SF does have an edge up: generic hipster has given way to a more thoughtful, vintage-loving and well-proportioned wardrobe (as evidenced by the only Freeman’s Sporting Club outside NYC, in the Mission District). It’s easy to dress in lace-up leather boots, hometown Levi’s, and a Pendleton jacket year round in fog city. (more…)
BEST OF: ZARA
I just returned from a two week trip to Italy and Spain and found it interesting to see the differences between Zara in Spain and here in the U.S. Despite the intimidating Euro, prices can still be cheaper in Europe, which was a surprise. Take the jacket above, my favorite item in the Zara store in the massive Madrid airport. It was priced at 99 euros, or $143 dollars based on today’s (more…)
GEORGE CLOONEY FOR OMEGA
I’d love to know how much George Clooney was paid to be the spokesman for Omega watches. This is a beautiful lifestyle shot, capturing him in his summer getaway destination, Lake Como, Italy. Just a short drive from Milan, it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. I spent a week there in July years ago following the men’s fashion shows in Milan. For a hidden gem restaurant visit (more…)
THE MAINE GUIDE ROLLING DUFFLE
I finally broke down recently and bought luggage with rollers. I didn’t like the look of pretty much everything out there and always just carried everything over the shoulder. An upcoming trip to Italy and Spain with kid in tow made that no longer possible. The Maine Guide Rolling Duffle is the perfect size, you do need to check it, but fits tons of clothes and gear. The look is rugged and the waxed cotton fabric durable. It doesn’t quite look like a roller, with subtle handle and wheels. If you’re in the market, this is a good choice. $250, available at LL Bean.
FALL LAYERING WITH PATAGONIA
Patagonia is such a cool brand, if you’re a guy who spends a ton of time in a city or at a desk, just flipping through the catalog will make you feel like a wuss. Every dude featured in it is either hanging off a precipice sans rope or barreling down some ridiculous trail off piste with nothing but skis and a bright orange Patagonia ski parka. There are however lots of great items for guys (more…)
URBANEARS FROM STOCKHOLM
These bold headphones are on just about every subway car in NYC this summer. Made by Urbanears from Sweden, the Plattan sounds more like a piece of furniture from Ikea but there’s nothing boring about them. Name aside, these are fantastic headphones with 15 colors to pick from and many great features. Number one would have to be the Zoundplug, a socket (more…)
AUGUST ESCAPES: TOSSA DE MAR SPAIN
Just two hours north of Barcelona lies Tossa De Mar, a stunning little seaside town with beautiful beaches, happy outgoing people and a massive, dramatic castle set into a stone outcropping at one end of the bay. While everyone else flocks to Italy or Greece, go your own way and explore the coastal area along the Mediterranean (more…)
GETAWAYS: LAKE MUSKOKA CANADA
Just 90 minutes north of Toronto lies the district of Muskoka, a vast area with over 1,600 beautiful lakes, rivers and waterfalls. It’s as unspoiled and picturesque as you can get and the options for finding the perfect retreat are endless. It seems like everyone in Canada has a summer cottage, and with only 33 million people in a country that’s bigger than the U.S, it makes sense. Lake Muskoka is the chicest (more…)
OLYMPUS TOUGH
According to the press release, the Olympus Tough is the “World’s Fiercest Shockproof, Waterproof, Crushproof, Freezeproof Cameras that Capture Your Life Even Better.” That’s a big promise, as long as it doesn’t bust when you drop it, count us in. A camera made for adventure. $250, available at Amazon.
CAPSULE SHOW INTEL: DAY 1
At today’s New York Capsule show the energy has been pretty good with a steady stream of guests walking the space. What’s interesting is that for every retailer and editor, there are about two fashion bloggers from all walks of life. Here are some highlights, but unfortunately you’ll have to wait until next Spring to get the goods. (more…)
STEVEN ALAN BEACH BLANKET
As soon as you kick back and relax with an over-sized beach blanket, towels look start looking like those little hand wash clothes you’re expected to (more…)
ROLLING INTO NYC THIS SUMMER
Mayor Bloomberg has been pushing hard for a bike-share program and it might soon become a reality. We like the looks of the bike above, part of London’s bike-share program run by BIXI, one of the two finalists to land NYC’s bid. The test program (more…)
1929 CHRIS CRAFT COMMUTER LIMOUSINE
If you could pick any type of boat to own, what would it be? In the 1920′s Chris Craft started a commuter service between the mansions of Long Island sound and Wall Street, picking up young tycoons in this stunning beauty and ferrying them to work. Men would literally come aboard in their PJ’s, (more…)
ROBINSON LES BAINS
If your summer vacation plans include St. Tropez, Portofino or any hot spot along the Mediterranean, this is the swimsuit to pack. Robinson Les Bains is a French luxury swimwear brand launched in 2007 that designs each collection (more…)
KNOW THIS BRAND: PENFIELD
Penfield is a small clothing brand, established in Hudson, Massachusetts in 1975, specializing in outerwear, shirts and backpacks. For a versatile, lightweight summer jacket, try the Walpole Field Jacket. Made of durable wax cloth, with (more…)
BROOKS ENGLAND
Since 1886, Brooks England has been creating beautiful bicycle saddles, bags and wire baskets. It’s about time you dusted off your bicycle, added a few new accessories and went cruising. Our favorites are the highly practical Camden Tote and (more…)
GETAWAYS: ISLA MUJERES
Our favorite location this month for a last minute getaway is Isla Mujeres, Mexico. This sweet little island just off of Cancun is the best value in the Caribbean, with hotel rooms running about $150 a night, fish tacos $5, and ice cold Pacificos $2. This relatively unknown island is a short 15 minute ferry ride from Cancun and is just 8 miles long by 1 mile wide. Golf carts and mopeds are the most popular means of transportation, but you can easily navigate (more…)
PIPISTREL VIRUS 12
Have you ever wanted to learn how to fly a plane, even if it’s just for that moment when both pilots get sick after eating the chicken? With the introduction of the Sport Pilots License, it’s never been easier. You can be up in the air flying after 20 hours of training, vs. the 40 hours it used to take. Here are the rules, and they’re A-OK with us: no flying at night, no flying in inclement weather, and stay away from complicated aircraft. The Pipistrel Virus line of planes fit under the Light Sport category and will run you about $100K. Winner of the 2008 General Aviation Challenge by NASA, the Virus 12 is a nimble, fast and sleek looking plane. And the best part, it has a ballistic parachute rescue system, which “saves the complete aircraft together with the crew in case of severe emergencies.” That’s something we’d like American Airlines to adopt.
Training for a Sport Pilots License will run you between $2,500-$5,000, depending upon where you take the course. As summer is quickly approaching why not really go for it and learn something new? Just don’t expect your friends to come flying with you. For more info on training courses near you check out sportpilot.org.
