New Hat Alert

  I have been on a quest for a new scally hat. You can call them what you want, but where I'm from, there know as scally hats.
  This is a new hat that I bought on eBay from the Hats of Ireland. It is made in Ireland and is a bargin at $20.oo with free shipping. The wool is new/fresh. The hat is lined. There is enough room for the hat to fit onto the head properly. At $20.oo, there isn't a negative thing I could say about this hat. I'm quite pleased to add it to my wardrobe.

p.s. Be aware that the sizes are UK and not USA.



What I got myself for Christmas

  Every year my mother gives me money at Thanksgiving to buy myself Christmas gifts.  I then buy the gifts for myself and then have her open the gifts on Christmas Day so at least someone is surprised.  This is what happens when you're extremely particular about exactly what you want for Christmas.  You couldn't just get me any Lego set or Nintendo game.  It had to be the exact thing that I wanted.  As I got older and started buying clothes, I would have been cruel to have my parents got out hunting for a jacket in the right brand, size, and color if I knew all along where to get it and didn't mind going to get it myself.
  Well, here we are at Christmas 2010 and I've never been so sartorial in all my life.  It seems that all I want for Christmas are clothes and clothing accessories.  I've bought other stuff over the past year, like an iPhone and a new laptop so I'm all set with electronic toys for a while.
  Here are the things I bought myself for Christmas.


Florsheim Cedar Shoe Trees

I've never owned shoe trees, but I recently bought a pair of Bostonian burgundy longwings at The Barn and they're nice enough to warrant some shoe trees.

Corduroy Mallard Pant from Rugby

I've been jonesin' for some corduroy critter pants for a couple years now, but they can be a bit pricey.  I've been kickin' myself since last winter for not getting the flannel lined lodge chino from Rugby.  But I think these are better and more of what I'm looking for anyhow.

Leather Man Ltd. custom D-ring ribbon belt


This isn't color I got, but you get the idea.  I went a little crazy and got the red roman stripe.

J. Press British wool hunting cap

I've got a guy at J. Press in Cambridge, who will remain nameless, who hooks me up (or at least I like to think that he does).

I've been on a mission to find a new flay/ivy/scally cap.  I've searched online, but a hat is really something that you have to try on before you buy it.  It's all about how it feels and looks when you put it on your noggin.

I'd like to add that I got all of these things on sale and with free shipping.  Cyber Monday and promo codes are beautiful things of great beauty.
Merry Christmas.

Vic Reeves Loves Tweed

  Sometimes I post things here just so I know where to find them later.  That's sort of how I started this blog anyway.  I liked idea of having a blog roll that showed the blogs I look instead of saving the site as a "favorite".   This way I could view the blogs I look at by "Date of last update" rather than check each to see if they've been updated recently (isn't modern technology is wonderful?).

  I came across this on ACL last night.  I don't remember seeing this before, but I thought it was very entertaining, even for someone who has no interest in menswear.  But for someone who IS interested in menswear or tweed, one could only imagine how exciting it would be travel the Scottish countryside in search of the source of Harris Tweed.  And to have your own personal tweed pattern made, that's just straight off the hook!

Enjoy.

Boot Quest

My boot quest has finally ended.  I wanted a pair of good leather boots, that's all.
I wear a size 12 shoe, sometimes 11.5.
First I bought a pair of 8" LL Bean boots, size 11.

Too Big.  So I returned them to a LL Bean store and tried to get a size 10 but they were out of stock of every Bean boot they had.  I know that LL Bean boots are popular, but come on!
So I ordered 3 different pairs of size 10 LL Bean boot and ad them delivered to the LL Bean store in Dedham, MA.  8", 6", and 8" with Thinsulate.  The 8" size ten boot did fit.  So I thought I was satisfied until I was shoveling snow a few days later and the boots started leaking.  I brought them back to the store, nuf said.

Then I figured I try some Dr. Martens.

I ordered a size 12 of the popular 1460's.  I also got some extra laces and a new can of Dr. Martens Wonder Balsam (good stuff).
The boots came and when I laced them to the top, the eyelets met.  WTF?  I didn't think I had skinny legs (I don't).
I sent them back.

Then I ordered Thorogood American Heritage Wedge (non-saftey toe) 6" moc-toe

Made in the USA in Wisconsin.  I liked the look of the boots.  They came quick.  They smelled great.  I thought they were the ones, but...
There was a ton of room in the heel.  My heel came up every time I took a step.
I'm in the middle of sending them back.

Today, after I went to the town dump, I drove to the closest Red Wing Shoe store.  It was a half hour away in Brockton, MA.
I settled on the Irish Setter 6" Wingshooter.

The boots are comfortable, padded on the inside.  They are warm and waterproof.  They look good.  I'm happy.  Thank goodness.
"I am easily satisfied with the very best." Winston Churchhill