small victory

knowing it was unlikely that i'll be riding any more this week, expecting the worst from the 30% chance of "few snow showers" that is forecast for tomorrow, I figured I'd bundle up and hit the road this morning. I believe it was somewhere between 11 and 15-degrees "Eff" with practically no wind.

I did well with this outfit:
Feet: boot socks, skate shoes
Legs: polyester long-johns, double-knee twill work pants (sim. to carhartts)
Top: cotton t-shirt, cotton thermal, flannel shirt, synthetic puff jacket, gore-tex technical shell
Head: merino wool balaclava, fleece neck gaiter, acrylic beanie, helmet
Hands: thick neoprene gloves, windproof mitten shell
Eyes: Cycling glasses with clear lenses in (keeps wind from drying out/freezing eyes)

Plus, a travel mug filled with hot, home-brewed coffee. Priceless.

New tradition

I may have alluded to this before, but recently I've been swooning over traditional craftsmanship that is on the come-up.

Leather, waxed cotton, wool, cork... Materials that I am falling in love with. Here are some companies that I keep running into on the internet superhighway who have a pretty strong focus on traditional craftsmanship and traditional materials, beyond just being handmade crafts.

Billykirk - PA (www.billykirk.com) - Leathergoods, est. 1999

Makr Carry Goods (www.makr.com) - Leathergoods, est. 2009?

Field Notes (fieldnotesbrand.com) - old-fashioned memo books

ML Brown & Co. (www.mlbrownandco.com)

Honorable mentions:

Freeman Transport - Montana (www.freemantransport.com) est. 2006

Rapha clothing (rapha.cc) - England

Outlier clothing (outlier.cc)

Howies "Hand-Me-Down" Collection (hmd.howies.co.uk)

Not to mention the randonneuring outfitters that peddle myriad handmade goodies (Rivendell - rivbike.com, Velo-Orange.com, Carradice Bags, Acorn Bags...)--all worth checking out.

Even a mainstream company like J Crew offers some pretty nice handcrafted stuff that fits into their traditional, maritime theme, and fetches a nice price for good reason...

Suits

This past weekend I went to a wedding in Cincy. I pulled out the one suit I own and wear maybe twice each year. Holy crap it fits so poorly. I remember going into Mens Warehouse... Wearhouse? Whatever. I told dude I wanted some slim, flat front pants. Not sure how I let him convince me that what I was buying looked good. That suit is huge. Baggy as shit. I was really annoyed that I had bought that suit a few years ago.

Anyway, I decided to look up the suit I once saw in a JCrew catalog a while back. Daaaaaamn. They have a nice suit up in there, slim, and lookin fresh. I don't know about suits, but when I'm ready to drop $600 on a suit, that's where I plan to go.

While I'm on the subject, and I almost hate saying it, JCrew has got some fresh clothes. Like, super nice. And a fine collection of wool sweaters, I might add. I would seriously care to buy some ish from there.

For some reason I've just been on this kick to buy a ton of shit. Like I just am on the prowl for stuff. Maybe I'm super bored. Not sure why. I guess the least I could do is ride my bike. Maybe go get some stuff done around the house that obviously needs to be done... Anyone have this recurring problem of wanting to buy stuff you don't really need?

Fabric

I wouldn't admit I'm obsessed with clothes, but I occasionally find clothing companies that really impress me enough that I care to follow them like the lurker I am. In some instances the company uses great, unconventional materials (i.e. merino wool; recycled fabrics); in other cases, the garments are hand made. In all cases, the products appear to be high quality and durable.

In no particular order, here are a few I have enjoyed, in different ways--though, to be honest, some of these I've never experienced personally... An asterisk (*) indicates something I've used well

Mountain Khakis* (Alpine Utility Pants: perfect in every way; soft twill, double knees, gusseted crotch, trade-mark double pocket, triple stitched; utility/phone pocket; superior alternative to Carhartt)

Mountain Hardwear* (among other things, the Epic [rain] jacket: large hood with visor, large pockets, waterproof chest pocket, long sleeves, armpit zips)

Swrve Cycling Apparel - for as cool as their clothing is, their website is terrible and inconsistent, and their logo is wack. That said, I would really love to have their soft shell pants, soft shell Milwaukee hoody, and any of their knickers...

Octopus Inc.* (Soft-brim cycling cap: fold up to fit it into your back pocket; hand made, local, customizable. Awesome.)

Icebreaker* (Apollo Beast merino wool t-shirt: unbelievably comfortable, considering donating all other t's to Salvation Army...) - wool clothing. Period.

Cadence - great website, one of a kind cycling-related garments and art. I hope to test something of theirs soon

Rapha - I've posted about this company before; a gentleman's cycling outfitters; maybe too much "boys club" nostalgia, but definitely quality. Leather, wool... Built to last and look classy doing it. Supposedly starting a women's line soon

Outlier - American version of Rapha; stuff for gentlemen; pricey but seemingly well crafted. Wool, soft shell...

Freeman Transport - okay, okay, it's a bike manufacturer, but they've put out some soft-goods worthy of attention and I anticipate they'll be making more...

Howies - not available in the U.S. Everything looks amazing though. Great materials (i.e. hemp, wool...), great cuts. Although recently bought out by Timberland, still managed by founders
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I'm sure there are other companies, but these are stand-outs...

Oi Polloi

This morning--amidst being really busy at work--I was considering some of my hard-line theories regarding environmentalism. What came to mind was an old favorite band from Scotland named Oi Polloi who's motto was "No Compromise in Defense of Our Earth." I decided to post up the band's logo--and was considering not including any other commentary, until...

As usual, I turned to the almighty Google to fetch the image. To my dismay, the first listed result for "Oi Polloi" was Oi Polloi. No, not the band, this store in Manchester, England. Apparently, as seen in this photo of the store front, their motto is "Talent Borrows, Genius Steals"--which is the ironic sugar in my bitter tea.
A gentleman's outfitters, filled with expensive, delicately crafted garments mixed with random camping and cycling accessories. Funny, because the name is a spin off of the phrase "hoi polloi" which is a derogatory Greek phrase that means "the many" and refers to the masses, or unwashed, proletarians of the working class. I want to puke (metaphorically) and embrace everything they sell at the same time. I love art and design and things that look great. Undoubtedly. I love vintage things and, to a certain degree, "masculine" things. At the same time I hate expensive things that are only expensive because they evoke some symbol or image [esp. when that image is of the working class, when the thing can only be afforded by the rich] or status rather than performing like they should. Or maybe, in some cases, these things would perform but aren't used in they way should... Get it? It all goes back to my love for dirt and believing things should get dirty and people should be doing useful things which probably involve getting dirty... It kinda doesn't make sense and in many ways I'm a hypocrite, oh well...

"Do me a solid..."

Stop talking about Michael Jackson. I thought his over-hyped memorial service would end it, but they were still talking this morning on the news. Gah! I won't be surprised when we find out that he Tu-Pac'ed himself and will be making a comeback soon... and the media is in on it.
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Urban Outfitters is trafficking customizable single-speed/fixed gear bikes for $400+ on their website. Check out Prolly is Not Probably for details...
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Kings of Leon's song "Sex On Fire" is great. Go find it. I would've embedded the video for you but that ish was disabled on Youtube. (Link to video here)
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I bought myself some Levis 512 slim jeans, clean rinse, with an inseam that is 4" longer than I need, and they are awesome. Straight up great jeans.
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Another early B-day present to myself: some Vans 106 SF shoes. "Brown" hemp, with bamboo/anti-microbe insoles, water-based inks & glues, and an injection-molded (no-waste) outsole = relatively earth friendly. Very classy.

Fashion Fit

Big ups to Brandi (Get Buck) for posting this brief article/discussion about clothing. Consumerist: Why the Fashion Industry Can't Make Clothes That Fit Actual People.

Apparently, a wave of designers are halting production of "plus-sized" clothing lines. Unfortunately I don't have the time or patience to navigate through all of the discussion, but have meandered a bit through the replies and found some interesting view points:

"It may or may not be a feminist issue. I have no idea. But it is certainly not a consumer issue, big or otherwise. No one is under any obligation to sell what you want... [we are not] owed what we want and no one is obligated to make and sell it."

"[T]he retailers they're talking [about] deal with semi-high end brands. Thus it doesn't really matter what the average "American" is. They are catering to their 'average rich person' demographic."

"It's not semi-high end, though; it's pure middle America chainworld mall-land. It's absolutely where that average figure shops. ...[W]e tend to assume everybody else is doing just fine and it's just us getting screwed, when, as this thread indicates, everybody has a tough time buying off the rack. And to be honest, I get that it's up to a store to carry what it wants and I'm not really likely to be offended by their decision not to market to me. It's just kind of puzzling that there are so many people keen to buy clothes in these sizes and so few retailers interested in doing so."

C and I also get bummed out that popular stores don't cater to our body types. Pants aren't long enough; the smallest waist size is still too big; shirts are too short or too wide. It's apparent that everyone has a long list of complaints.

Part of the problem is--as I see it--that we are falling victim by believing that these popular, nation-wide chain stores are producing clothing to fit everyone. Also, we hope to fit into everything off the hanger.

Unfortunately, the truth is that clothing lines have apparently accepted a certain range of heights and sizes and produce clothes for that range. I'm assuming they also produce different sizes in different quantities based on "market research." This means I can't buy pants from JCrew; I can't buy shirts at Old Navy; Dick's Sporting Goods and Kohls rarely has men's small athletic pants and shorts in stock. And don't get me started on vanity labelling! [Seriously, I wear a 28" waist at Gap and 32" in Dickies.] I've learned what companies fit me, and am overly cautions when seeking out some new article of clothing. It REALLY sucks when cool, small companies can't afford to offer me clothing in sizes that will fit me. It sucks when I think about it, but generally isn't high up on my concerns list.

In fact I have a way of dealing with this: good old fashion D.I.Y. modification. Not only do we expect clothes to fit us, but we expect the clothing look good too. That is as big of a problem in my eyes. I've been so disappointed with all the shit that clothing companies put out. There is one way to fix it though: modification. Cut some pants into shorts, re-hem a shirt, spray paint on some fabric, alter the elastic, whatever! This was my standard M.O. in high school when getting "scene points" had everything to do with being around and being creative. I wasn't satisfied with anything unless I had modified it in some way [Quick tangent: one big criticism of Punk sub-culture is that "punks" are as uniform and unoriginal as their mainstream counterparts. False! Punk kids learn to be creative with their style and despite looking similar, remain very individualistic. And I'm not talking about an un-modified wardrobe straight outta' Hot Topic. Thoughts?] And it continues today. Just recently, C helped me modify a hat I purchased to fit my abnormally large dome a bit better.

I'll agree, it's not as easy to self-tailor a waist on some pants and you can't necessarily start designing and creating clothing, especially using some of the cool fabrics and technologies that are seen in the market. But we need to stop relying so heavily on mainstream chains to satisfy everyone and we need to start being creative about how we take care of ourselves--in this case, getting dressed.

I think, above all, this discussion obviates the need and demand for new designers and retailers in the market. Get your entreprenuership on and fulfill this demand. Sure, Capitalism can be a dick, but it can also be a good way to satisfy demand and get paid. Right?

Agreed

"The worst male fashion trend is over-designed T-shirts. I mean, that is beyond dead. I don't know how these muscular dudes think it's cool that a Bedazzler blew up on their shirt."
- John Quinn, Co-owner, Tigertree
(From Columbus Alive)

Urban Underminers

Urban Outfitters has produced a series of ugly cycling caps. I am having trouble analyzing my opinion regarding the products. I suppose it seems exploitative or something, as I assume U.O. has contributed little to Cycling. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it becomes extremely accessible to non-cyclists in a setting that has no cycling context and loses history and function as a meaningless accessory...? I dunno. My opinions are usually inconsistent and/or hypocritical, and this instance is probably no different.
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Update:
I found the U.O. blog has a "Transport[ation]" section that has a bunch of entries about bikes...

and they sell a Bike iPod speaker ($50)

Prob more to come...

Conspicuous

In the face of Holiday sales, it's time again when I need to challenge myself to stop thinking about buying certain, unneeded things for myself and consider a target or goal to put my consumption in perspective. For example, there are two things I've been craving lately: a new pair of shoes and a new coat. It might be worth mentioning that for a long time now I have harbored four fetishes including bikes, hats, backpacks, and shoes. Lately, due to the fact that I'm outside more than ever before, I've added jackets to the growing list. This last obsession is at least a little more practical than the others... right?

I've taken inventory of the things I already have which includes nine pairs of various types of shoes and two winter coats. Damn. What this tells me is I need to get better about fulfilling the useful lives of these things before considering replacing them--and when that time comes around, I need to be more considerate about the quality and utility of each thing I buy. That last part has to do with things like proper fit, good materials, and multiple uses.

So, I have set two general targets for myself: no new casual shoes before my next birthday and no winter coat until next year. It will be a good exercise in self-control. Do I hear New Year's Resolution???

Hmm... I've only thought of one other N.Y.R. for 2009: run at least twice a week, every week. See how I am being specific? Oh yeah. Probably more to come...

If you have any fixations, feel free to use the Comments section as a therapy session of sorts. Or, if you have managed to transcend the binds of such mundane compulsions, take this opportunity to confess your superiority. But seriously, write something; participate.

Ball-buster: Attack on Hipsters

Here is a totally brutal Adbusters article excoriating hipster-ism.

An artificial appropriation of different styles from different eras, the hipster represents the end of Western civilization – a culture lost in the superficiality of its past and unable to create any new meaning... While previous youth movements have challenged the dysfunction and decadence of their elders, today we have the “hipster” – a youth subculture that mirrors the doomed shallowness of mainstream society.

I don't have enough time to react to the entire article. It's a scathing critique of "hipster" sub-culture, which [it claims] lacks purpose and originality unlike many youth movements preceding it (punk, hip-hop), and rather it steals from those counter-cultures, while being wholly manipulated by the mainstream. That is, hipsterdom is just fashion. It's not anti-fashion, nor is it apathetic to fashion. The look, which was probably born from creativity and frugality (think thrift stores), is now mass produced and consumable in every facet of mainstream society. The way is shallow and dumb and narcissistic.

There are a couple cheap shots about fixed-gear bicycles. My only complaint is that bicycles (of any type) should be free from association in such criticism. Granted, bikes should be accessible and free from co-optation by elitists. However, I find that by making bikes "cool," cycling might be encouraged in a society built for the automobile to revolutionize how we live, work, and travel.

The article makes good points, but makes no attempt at offering a redirection for the so-called misled youth, save the part about picking up a rock instead of holding an iPhone or something... I guess I would suppose that skinny jeans and passionate, creative, revolutionary purpose aren't mutually exclusive. Now that we got the scolding out of the way, let's be helpful.

Don't do drugs.

I originally found the article here.

Craigslist beef? Bike Nerd v. Bored Asshole

Generally I think Craigslist is amazing. Not only can you find wonderful new and used things at a great price, but it also serves as an outlet to sell unwanted things locally, giving new life to one person's trash.

What transpired yesterday in the bicycle section of Columbus' Craigslist absolutely infuriated me, on several levels. All I wanted to do was to try an sell some jeans that fit me poorly. One anonymous person decided it was his mission to derail my efforts by posting a scathing critique.

I'll enter the two original posts and part of my rebuttal, which was never published, and rightfully so.

My original post - SWRVE cycling jeans $70
I bought a pair of SWRVE cycling jeans (http://www.swrvecycling.com/jeanscotton.html) and they fit a little bit too big on me. The size is 30x31. I'm probably more like a 29 or 28. Either way, I've worn them a handful of times and washed them once--they look unused. Let me know if you are interested. They sell for $100 + shipping. I'll sell them for $70 -price negotiable
[here is where I included some details about the quality of the jeans]. Here are better pics on a UK site: http://swrve.co.uk/jeans.html
The company, out of LA, is really awesome and I'm bummed these didn't work out

Within a matter of a couple hours, our anonymous antagonist posted this:
really?? I typically keep my thoughts to myself, but 100 for a pair of "bike riding" jeans. Never had a problem riding my bike in my regular ole jeans (11 dollar walmart rustlers and damn I look pretty good) didn't realize there was such a high demand for a better pair of jeans to ride bike in. Or is it hey look at me I ride bike and I have those sweet swrve jeans. Whatever, to each his own I have just never heard of such a thing in my life. Good luck I'm sure there's another total bike nerd out there that would love them I'm a 36 so I can't help. Keep on ridin whatever you decide to put on the bottom and take care

Now, I expect that this guy is not alone in thinking he would never spend $100 on a pair of "jeans". That's fine and I don't care--which is fine too! I didn't post this item for sale to hear from anyone the reasons why they don't want to buy the jeans. Craigslist is not a forum for debate.

Beyond the fact that this guy had no business to post his demeaning response, his assumptions and criticisms are flawed. I wouldn't venture to argue with anyone that their pants are inferior to anything I wear--like I said before, I don't care! But let us, for a moment, compare $11 "Walmart" Rustlers to $100 SWRVE jeans. One internet source described that their Rustlers (owned by $7 bill/yr VF Corporation), purchased from Walmart, were made in Mexico. Also, I'll mention there's an organization called Wal-Mart Watch which is "a nationwide campaign to reveal the harmful impact of walmart on american families and demand reform of their business practices." SWRVE jeans (owned by Muriel and Matt, two cyclists that started a company of clothing designed specificially for cyclists) are handmade in the U.S.A. Highlights of Walmart Rustlers include: "men's jeans," "belt loops," and "fabric: cotton." SWRVE cycling jeans boast: "made of 98% cotton with 2% Lycra for ease of movement[;]...seamless gusseted crotch, articulated knees, lower front and a slight rise in the back, back pockets that fit a mini-U lock...[and a] reflective strip on inside right leg that is exposed when you roll up your cuff." Which one is better? Neither. To each his own, for sure. I would probably rather wear one than the other, but I wouldn't dare make someone feel ashamed for choosing differently.

This guy chose to open his offense by saying "I typically keep my thoughts to myself" then says things like "to each his own" and "Keep on ridin whatever you decide to put on the bottom and take care"--as if this somehow amends his dastardly comments or repositions himself as a person free of judgment of others. WHAT THE FUCK! In the response I had crafted and tried to publish on Craigslist I wrote this: "Me trying to sell some jeans has nothing to do with the fact that you are 36, or ugly, or that your idea of a good time, unfortunately, is to haunt Craigslist and make fun of peoples posts. I don't know what's more lame? Saddle up on your Magna or your Next, in your Walmart Rustlers, and try a little harder to keep your thoughts to yourself." I had hoped to expose him to hurtful assumptions to show him how hateful and unnecessary his post was. I don't need to justify my purchase of those jeans to this guy or any other stranger. I'm confident that the quality justified the expense and that, in light of how else I spend and save money, I could afford them. Fortunately I don't think what I had written as a response was published--and it shouldn't have been, just as his post should have never stained the pages of Craigslist. I suspect that the only outcome is that anyone who read his response was put off enough to stop considering buying the pants I am selling.

Anyways, to turn a negative into a positive, I learned a good lesson here: don't judge or make assumptions about what people do with their money. Case and point: Religious conservatives turn out to be more charitable than secular liberals. Be gracious and charitable and don't go out of your way to make someone feel shitty for no reason.

Greed Life

This just in: Good Life clothing company (A.K.A. GLIFE or GEELIFE) of Montreal capitalized on the name that I wanted for my dream company name. This appears to be their mission statement:

Born out of the inner revolutionary stance of everyday street life, at GOOD LIFE aka GLIFE we strive to create art & fashion-forward collectables that reflect our dedication in defining what inspires us NOW… so we can avoid waking up one morning to the horror of having what we all love being defined for us.

Lame.

Collectables? Not only is the word misspelled, but I believe the "GOOD LIFE" should have nothing to do with collecting. Investing is good. Upgrading is fine. But collecting? Don't argue semantics with me--I'm talking about hording stupid shit, keeping it in mint condition (i.e., not using it), and then expecting others to be impressed by your piles of shit. That's dumb. (At the same time, I see value in general record collecting, preservation, and maintenance of other historically relevant artifacts, so don't get it twisted.)

While I realize that all the ideals I've loaded into the term "Good Life" wouldn't ever be embodied in something material, and buying material things won't transfer the thrills and enjoyment of a Good Life to a consumer, I'm still sore that the name has been taken and abused. Of course my definition of the Good Life is meaningless to the next person, but I will continue to live as if my vision (despite its ever-changing nature) is the one and only.

If I had a company that was based on the (real) Good Life, it would have integrity. It wouldn't be cheap designs slapped on shirts. Granted, their concepts are similar to designs I've created in the past, and are akin to designs of other brands that I would care to emulate, but it's been executed in poor taste. I would hope that my company wouldn't even be primarily focused on the merchandise--it's about the message. GEELIFE's Good Life is filled with gang signs, dollar signs, and a crown that looks like the Intel Inside logo's inbred, clip-art cousin. A few collaborations with some established names and Glife is rolling.

Anyways, jealousy and envy have got my blood boiling right now.
Lesson learned? Get on it.

Good Fashion - Part I: The Endangered Thrift Store Experience

One of my guilty pleasures is my relatively high attention to and fascination with fashion trends. I may not be very well versed in the subject of fashion history, the details of design, or the obscurities of haute couture, but I've been developing an arsenal of opinions about popular fashion and shopping culture. This is my first installment of writings about fashion and I hope to uncover a place for fashion within the good life (or my good life, as it were).
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Vintage patterns, clashing colors, gaudy accessories, and the unparalleled comfort of distressed textiles. At one time these words described the coveted treasures of another man's trash: the trophy thrift store purchase. Rare finds and unique combinations of clothing and accessories allow one to construct a fashion identity that separated him or her not only from their mainstream counterparts but also fellow thrift-store creatives. This experience is quickly being replaced. In the past decade, many clothing chains have discovered that sand-blasted denim and tattered fabrics (though mass produced) are loaded, not only with comfort, but with imagery of hard-work, utility, and freedom, to say the least.

Two particular stores have mastered mimicry of the thrift store experience: Forever Twenty-One and Urban Outfitters. Forever Twenty-One offers disorderly racks of clothing with retro color palettes, funky patterns, and unconventional style. They sell seasonal selections of accessories to be paired with their latest mix-and-match outfits. Urban Outfitters pools together brand-name urban-wear, approved retro styles, and have upped the ante by featuring vintage home furnishings. Hordes of angstful, teenage, suburbanites flock to these stores to feed their need to construct an anti-pop identity. The mass produced image is sold/the "identity" is bought.

What is wrong with this transaction? I strongly believe that youth who crave alternative lifestyles should seek out authentic experiences that challenge mainstream culture. The thrift store experience involves a hunt, local knowledge, and discriminating taste. It involves creativity, imagination, and effort. Thrift stores offer at least one inherent benefit, too: by recycling clothing and furniture, unwanted stuff is diverted from the waste stream. This also allows consumption of used materials, rather than new, and dilutes the exploitation of natural resources. Suspend your distaste of materialism and set voluntary simplicity to the side: we can't deny that identity is at least partly a social construction. The thrift store is an essential tool for sub-cultures.
Chains like F21 and U.O. don't need to necessarily replace thrift stores; currently, the two factions coexist. If nothing else, this entry has reminded me to be more creative when amending my wardrobe.