The Silentist - Menswear, Men's Style, Reviews

A vintage shoe rack from an English factory circa 1890....

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:04:39 -0400

A vintage shoe rack from an English factory circa 1890. I’ve been looking for a shoe rack large enough to store my current (and future) shoe collection, however, the $1,500 price tag is out of my budget.

stagdining: Photo: Patricia Chang I’m saving up for a...

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:43:49 -0400

stagdining:

Photo: Patricia Chang

I’m saving up for a shotgun so I can go shooting regularly. This was so much fun.

Rhodia Notebooks — I’m not really a huge pen and paper nerd that...

Fri, 31 May 2013 10:25:00 -0400

Rhodia Notebooks — I’m not really a huge pen and paper nerd that tries all sorts of combinations to find the optimal one, but I’ve been making it a point to write more things down lately and having bought this little notebook more than a year ago I want to give it a recommendation.

Rhodia is a French company that makes a series of interesting notebooks in various sizes, but I’m partial to their 7.5 cm x 12 cm notebook (commonly found as the 3” x 4.75” size).

It’s rather simple: a slightly tougher laminated card stock cover with 12 sheets of paper stapled down the center and folded in half to make 48 pages. Each page is graph-ruled with rounded corners.

I like how small the notebook is. The stapled binding and thin nature allows it to sit unnoticeable in your jacket pocket. Unlike many Moleskine notebooks that are thicker, you don’t feel the weight of this notebook. And unlike spiral-bound notebooks, it won’t catch on the fabric lining of your pockets.

I’ve been such a fan of using this notebook that I’ve gone ahead and bought 10 of them from Pen Boutique for just under $25 shipped.

Having a tiny notebook won’t make you more organized or a better writer, but I’ve just found it handy to have in so many situations that it’s found a regular place in my EDC. I put all sorts of random stuff in there from phone numbers, directions, drink recipes and blog post ideas.

The largest problem I’ve had in writing stuff down was that I didn’t always carry something with me to write things down. You get too large of a notebook and it becomes a burden to keep it around with you. This is so light and slim that it can fit anywhere and removes that friction. For around $2 a pop, I’m a fan.

ADDING: Per jhilla:

“SUPPORT CHITOWN, go field notes!

I have nothing against Field Notes, but their notebooks are too large at 3.5” x 5.5”. Also, they are slightly more expensive at $3.33 per notebook.

My EDC — What I carry with me on a daily basis: Ray-Ban...

Thu, 30 May 2013 23:46:00 -0400

My EDC — What I carry with me on a daily basis:

Ray-Ban sunglasses (prescription)
Inhaler (breathe in, breathe out)
Burt’s Bees lip balm
Clove of garlic (to fight vampires)
iPhone 5 (with Incase transparent case)
Zebra G-301 gel pen
Rhodia 7.5 x 12 cm notebook
Daines & Hathaway card wallet
Seiko manual watch (deadstock navy nylon band)

khakiscarmel: Wearing Warm-Weather Whites With Memorial Day...

Mon, 27 May 2013 23:21:46 -0400

khakiscarmel:

Wearing Warm-Weather Whites

With Memorial Day bringing in the warm weather and the arcane rule of when wearing white, we put together an outfit for the long weekend. The five-pocket optic white chinos are from Gardeur, made from an ultra-light weight fabric and yet still looks like white denim.

The shirt is our J. Lawrence button-down club-collar shirt made from a lightweight purple and green poplin fabric. For a bit of layering warmth, add a linen pocket crewneck sweater from Todd Snyder and a lightweight scarf.

To reinforce the color palette, we added a green woven belt from Martin Dingman and olive suede boat shoes from Eastland’s Made in Maine collection.

Had fun coming up with this today. Happy Memorial Day everyone!

Gustin natural raw selvedge denim — Only 23 pairs and 8...

Mon, 27 May 2013 23:17:53 -0400

Gustin natural raw selvedge denim — Only 23 pairs and 8 days left to cop this. I put my money in for a pair and I already own a pair of white denim.

Stag Dining: Shot and a Beer: The Shoot — Last weekend, I got...

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:45:55 -0400

Stag Dining: Shot and a Beer: The Shoot — Last weekend, I got the opportunity to revisit an old experience and try a new one, too. Through the Stag Dining group, I spent a Sunday afternoon and evening shooting clay pigeons, consuming a six-course beer and food tasting and meeting several new people with interesting stories of their own along Lake Merced in southwest San Francisco.

The event was hosted by the Pacific Rod & Gun Club, which has a long-standing tradition of being the Bay Area’s only place to shoot trap and skeet. Despite its sterling reputation, positive contributions to the community and historic significance in the city for more than 80 years, the club faced a series of hurdles from city bureaucrats, which almost resulted in the club’s lease not being renewed. For now, the issue is resolved with the club having a month-to-month lease agreement.

But after spending the afternoon at the club along the lake, I felt fortunate to shoot there, especially after learning how close they came to being forced out (and they’re still operating without the security of a long-term lease). I saw a wide range of people shooting at the various fields and the group that gathered to shoot and dine reflected the same diversity.

Granted, it’s probably not hard to gather together people around the idea of shooting guns, eating great food and trying new beers from a local independent brewery — Almanac Beer Co., whose 4-packs I sought out at the Whole Foods on the drive back home. But the experience felt like something special.

There were a lot of first-time shooters there and plenty of trained and experienced staff on hand to not just keep everyone safe, but also help you hit your targets. If you’ve never shot before, then it’s hard to describe how much fun breaking clays can be until you’ve done it. It’s really satisfying seeing orange discs burst into pieces.

It’s been about nine years since I last shot. In college I sporadically joined the Illini Trap & Skeet Club, but never got serious enough about it to the point of going regularly or buying my own gun. I wouldn’t consider myself a good shot, but I did manage to shoot 80% for the day, so I felt pretty good about that.

Stag Dining also provided a cheese and prosciutto spread and (non-alcoholic) drinks for the shoot before the dinner.

Stag Dining: Shot and a Beer: The Feast — I don’t have the...

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:45:49 -0400

Stag Dining: Shot and a Beer: The Feast — I don’t have the pretentiousness to call myself a foodie. Like any reasonable person, I like a great meal and take delight in being exposed to food that’s been prepared differently and blows away my expectations. I know a lot of people love to get in depth about techniques, sourcing ingredients and other minutiae, but I just want to eat something delicious and be present in that moment.

The bottom line with the dinner and beer tasting hosted by Stag Dining was this: the food is amazing and the chefs do a great job of pairing the drinks to their dishes, both in theory and in practice. You’re going to eat a great meal.

What’s really fun though about the dinner portion is meeting new people. I went alone and found myself chatting with a bunch of strangers, but had a great time learning about their lives. Eating great food among good (new) company is something Stag Dining seeks to provide in a very casual atmosphere that makes conversation natural.

Of course, alcohol helps, too. The beer pairings were from Almanac Beer Co. and they even offered us a chance to taste a beer that hasn’t been tasted outside the brewery, yet. One of the cool things was listening to the company’s founder talk about his beers and get nerdy about it. It’s always neat to hear people passionate about their job, which I can definitely say is the case with the folks at Almanac, where they spend a lot of time not just on making their beers, but also working with local farmers for their ingredients.

(If you’re interested in trying Almanac’s brews, your best bet is Whole Foods in the San Francisco area. It’s harder to find outside the city, I’m told, which led me to grab a few before driving south toward home for two hours.)

While Stag Dining hosts events similar to this one (in the past they’ve had shoots with wines), they also host a weekly prix fixe dinner for $40 at Off The Grid at Fort Mason Center every Friday evening.

jhilla: menswearhousepodcast: After a brief hiatus, the...

Mon, 20 May 2013 22:00:08 -0400

jhilla:

menswearhousepodcast:

After a brief hiatus, the Menswear House Podcast returns this week with Episode Three.

This episode, Jake, Jeff, and Kyle argue what it means to be a classic American brand in the current retail market and whether or not we’re too driven by a nostalgic ideal. Brooks Brothers, JPress, Paul Stuart, and Kamakura are all in the mix as we examine what it is these companies can do to reach new markets while still staying true to their heritage as America’s leading classic brands.

We also call our listeners lazy for liking non-iron dress shirts. I mean, C’MON, just wear a wrinkled shirt you lazy MF’ers.

Seriously, stop wearing non-iron shirts, don’t they have Formaldehyde in them?

I’ve been a huge fan of this podcast, even though the number of episodes can be counted on a single hand. Keep it up, guys!

noahzagor: I’m co-hosting this shindig. Good music, good food,...

Thu, 09 May 2013 11:50:45 -0400

noahzagor:

I’m co-hosting this shindig. Good music, good food, good drinks, and of course, good suits. How can you go wrong? If you’re in Chicago, you really have no excuse.

Everyone in the Windy City should hit this up tonight! They’ve been putting a lot of effort into planing it, and you can’t ever complain about free food and drinks. Check it out if you’re in Chicago.

womensweardaily: Tom Ford and Joan Smalls Photo by Evan...

Tue, 07 May 2013 22:18:20 -0400

womensweardaily:

Tom Ford and Joan Smalls

Photo by Evan Falk

Absolutely kills it for black tie (again). Check out the turn-back satin cuffs.

stagdining: “Shot and a Beer” is coming your way with...

Thu, 02 May 2013 23:44:13 -0400

stagdining:

“Shot and a Beer” is coming your way with @almanacbeer. Details soon.

Shooting patches are for shooting shotguns.

thenocoast: theodinspire: Teams of six, after the first six...

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:19 -0400

thenocoast:

theodinspire:

Teams of six, after the first six come, we’ll divy up teams.

If you’re good you can take Kiyoshi’s place on my semi-regular team.

I’m that raven mask dude in the corner

Don’t feel the need to live up to my trivia abilities. Given my past performances, you’ll likely surpass them.

fromsqualortoballer: One Year Later: Allen Edmonds McAllister...

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:45:23 -0400

fromsqualortoballer:

One Year Later: Allen Edmonds McAllister Wingtip

I’ve really enjoyed reading Ian’s blog during the past few months and if you haven’t been following him, then consider this a recommendation.

khakiscarmel: A Visit from Ring Jacket We had the pleasure of...

Wed, 01 May 2013 02:40:32 -0400

khakiscarmel:

A Visit from Ring Jacket

We had the pleasure of having Kunichi Fukushima, president of Ring Jacket, and his associate Hidetoshi Sasamoto come visit us here in Carmel to see the store and meet with owner Jim Ockert. Coming in August 2013, expect to see exclusive sport coats, soft coats, and more - made just for our store in Japan by Ring Jacket. Exciting times lay ahead!

Add this to a long list of reasons why I’m excited about my new job.

Albert Ming Arctic Shirt — An interesting innovation for dealing...

Wed, 01 May 2013 02:37:20 -0400

Albert Ming Arctic Shirt — An interesting innovation for dealing with the summer heat: a cotton mesh fabric. I haven’t seen anything quite like this before. It could be useful for casual wear, especially at the beach or a hot summer BBQ.

The Berkeley-based Albert Ming has a few other garments that merges innovative function into the fabrics, like water repellency. It’ll be interesting to see what else they come up with.

BeltCraft custom belts — I thought this was a cool company...

Wed, 01 May 2013 02:25:24 -0400

BeltCraft custom belts — I thought this was a cool company worth checking out. BeltCraft lets you design your own belt and hand makes it for you in just a few weeks.

You can pick from a wide selection of full-grain leathers and also suedes. The hardware is all brass and the belts are made in New York. Prices average around $65, which I think makes them relatively affordable in comparison to what you see from a lot of retailers.

I’ll likely give them a spin myself and buy one in a few weeks (moving costs are taking a priority over wardrobe items right now), but check out their online builder tool and see the options available. I think it looks pretty cool.

Review: UnderFit T-shirts This will be my last review at The...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:16:31 -0400

Review: UnderFit T-shirts

This will be my last review at The Silentist, and it feels a bit weird to have it be about an undershirt. But if you’re the kind of guy who wears undershirts everyday, then you’ve probably been searching for the one that fits better than the one you already own.

I’ve not really talked at great length about undershirts (and only reviewed one other) just because it seems like a very personal preference, but as a guy who wears one I think you run into a lot of tradeoffs. If you buy cheap, then you get more — but they’re not as likely to fit as well. T-shirts are too short, or shrink oddly, or they don’t fit well along the torso.

And then there are T-shirts like those from UnderFit: more expensive, but fit quite well and stay tucked.

UnderFit shirts are simple. The collar is a deep V-neck that stays out of sight when you have your top button undone on a dress shirt. Their color is white. The shirt is designed to taper and hug your torso to avoid excess fabric along your waistline when you tuck it in.

The fabric is impressively soft after several washes. It’s a 57-38-5 modal, tencel and Lycra blend that’s designed to breathe better and resist bad odors, according to UnderFit. I tried wearing the shirt two days on the road while driving to test this. I didn’t think it smelled any worse on the end of the second day, but that’s just my anecdotal take.

This is the second form-fitting T-shirt I’ve tried now and the concept is growing on me a lot more than I thought. Despite being a creature of habit, it didn’t take long before feeling the shirt felt “weird” to not noticing it at all.

The only downside is the cost. At $24 per shirt, having a week’s worth in rotation will take a serious investment for some people. But like any item that fits well and performs better, you will have to decide if it’s a priority for you.

Personally, I don’t think it would hurt to have a few. If you tend to wear your shirts tighter or simply want one for those days when you’ll be out longer and potentially in a more sweaty situation, then an UnderFit shirt could be a solution for you.

I’m starting to view undershirts much like I do my socks: an item I initially balked at spending more on, but later saw the benefits of those which are made with more care in mind. If you’re on the fence, buy one and try it for yourself. If your experience is similar to mine, you’ll probably like it and open up to the idea of buying more as your older undershirts wear out.

Put This On • Professionalism

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:40:08 -0400

Put This On • Professionalism:

My final post at Put This On.

Thanks to Jesse for the opportunity to write for the site that inspired me to start dressing like a grown up and start my own blog. It’s been an honor to have that platform the past few months and access to such a huge audience each day.

Proper Suit Chicago Office Launch Party — If you’re...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:17:48 -0400

Proper Suit Chicago Office Launch Party — If you’re in Chicago next week, then stop by the new office for Proper Suit. They will be having some delicious food and intoxicating beverages for you to consume while you can meet the co-founders and learn more about them. It should be a fun time.

They’ve asked that if you plan to attend that you RSVP (it helps a lot with planning), so please consider doing that. I’ve hung out with the founders quite a bit and they’re eager to meet Chicagoans who are obsessed and excited about tailored clothing.