I figured out how to post videos (that other, cooler people made)

In an attempt at making my blog more interactive, I’ve been posting more videos. I know that people don’t want to read words when they can look at pictures and videos. Its the way of the Interweb. So here is a video I saw today and liked. I liked it because not only is Kate Macucci in it, but there is also reference to a cat.

I am willing to accept that I haven’t actually met a girl…

And may very well never do. Last post I mentioned that I had met a girl. I should clarify, because after telling the story to a friend I realized that I had never introduced myself, nor she. I just assumed she knew my name because I’m an idiot, among other things.

I’m not smiling anymore in these photos because I don’t like to smile and don’t often do it as a matter of course. This is one of my favorite ties, in fact, it may just well be my favorite. Its got a dark blue base with little burgundy and pale gold flowers on it. Its not particularly fancy, or posh, I just really like it. I also shaved on Monday and had a haircut yesterday so I look like 15 year old Brett instead of 24 year old Brett; and my friends and family have had no trouble pointing that out to me.

Thats the reason I don’t shave, because every time I do someone makes a remark like; “are you losing weight?”, or “you look 15!”, or “are you sick? you look sickly?”. I can always count on my aunt for remarks like the last one and others entirely too colorful for this forum. Although my mother usually is relieved that I don’t look like I’m homeless anymore. I keep track in my head the things people say to me that are totally offensive and I don’t do anything about it; because they obviously think they are perfectly reasonable things to say. A good friend’s wife once told me I looked much better since the last time she saw me, because when she saw me last she went home and told her husband to keep an eye on me because she thought I might be depressed. There really is nothing like knowing that someone thinks you might kill yourself, its endlessly entertaining and it makes me feel bad for panicky, over medicated people.

Speaking of Global Warming/Climate Change…

And then click on the link to the left for Len’s site and read his article on Climate Change, or just click this link.

I hate children and so does David Mitchell

And I’m not going to apologize for it, and neither should he.

I’m going to be 25 years old soon and I’m not ready for that to happen. Although its pressure off my back to do things while I’m still young, it still means that I’m going to die sooner than I was around this time last year. The questions from friends and family won’t revolve around college, backpacking in Europe, obscure French literature, or reactionary politics. They will now turn to marriage, children, network television, obscure Russian literature, and becoming a republican; none of which I have any interest in; except maybe for the Russian lit.

There is finality in doing adult things, as though you are unconsciously acknowledging your own mortality. So, turning a milestone, buying a house, attending graduate school, or knocking up some bird, are all things that reaffirm your ticking clock. I just don’t want to be the guy who wakes up one day and he is 45, single, and grey, just because he never bothered to notice any earlier.

That said, I am fairly excited for the future. The sun is starting to come out more and its warmer during the day. Although it is supposed to snow the rest of the week. I don’t think I would give up the Spring in New England for “all the tea in china”. I love Spring in Rhode Island, it means boats go back in the water, you can drive with the windows down, and girls start wearing close to nothing and walking around the streets to make sure boys haven’t forgotten what they look like and that they are of mating age. Its nice really. The motorcycles start blazing through the neighborhoods and it makes me feel like I’m 15 again. Not much has changed in 10 years, now that I think about it.

Well, I’ve bought a new car and I hope that cheers me up at least a little bit, should be fun to drive something different. I’ve rekindled some old friendships and have tried to make an honest effort to do things with people I may not ordinarily, and I’ve met a girl. The last bit is still a potential depression-bomb waiting to explode but on the other hand, it could come up Millhouse, as it were. I have at least taken action; if giving a bartender my number to give to a waitress is considered an action.

I may post about this mystery waitress in the future, although it is unlikely. Although there is a funny little story regarding that transaction. I realized once I was in the car on the way home, that I had written “BRETT-401-835-####” on a napkin, folded it up, and handed it to the bartender; whose name was also Brett as it turned out. So the scenarios are running through my head that either the bartender thought I was giving him my number, or the girl who I intended the note for would think that he had just given her his number. I hope that is just my mind trying to reason to myself why she hasn’t yet called. Of course I know the reason she hasn’t called. Its because beautiful women don’t call strange men who patronize their restaurants and make nervous, inarticulate conversation.

On a lighter note: Astrology is such horse shit!

New shoes and trousers back from the tailors’

I just bought a duplicate pair of shoes from Bass while I was in Maine last weekend. I really like the tan wingtips I posted about on February 19th and Bass was having a 75% off sale so I picked up a pair in black and a half-size smaller. They are taking just as long to break in as the tan ones and the creases on the front are not so pretty, but hopefully they will work themselves out. I needed a good sturdy pair of semi-casual bluchers to wear with odd trousers and a shirt. All of my other black shoes were a little too formal for more casual events. I keep polishing them with Alden’s boot polish in the hopes that it will ease their break-in.

I also took delivery of a new pair of tan burnished calfskin Footjoy bals that I really like. This is my first pair of Footjoy shoes and I like the fact that they are made in Fairhaven, MA and that they are made by actual people. Golflocker.com had them on “blem sale” and I jumped at the chance to have a $290 pair of shoes for $90. Sure they are last year’s model, and they have a “B” stamped into the sole, but I can’t tell where the blemish is and I’ve since stopped looking. They look red in the right light and offset brown and grey wool trousers nicely, plus, they are the softest leather shoes I’ve ever owned. No break-in required, out of the box they are good to go.

Today I decided I’d wear a pair of the wool trousers I bought at Express a few weeks ago since they are back from the tailors. I also picked up some new shirts at the Brooks Brothers outlet while I was in Maine last weekend. I didn’t have a coat to wear with this outfit so I just put on a burgundy fleece jacket and it looks nice and keeps me warm. Fleece vests and jackets give your business dress a sporty, young, look and I need all the help I can to look sporty and young. I took the picture without the fleece and the outfit actually looks better with than without because it quells the patterns in both the glen plaid trousers and the tattersall button down shirt. Without the fleece, the patterns tend to melt together into a blurry mess.

Also, I’m trying to smile more in these photos to appease Brandon who commented on the last post that I looked as though I might hit someone. So here’s a smile.

Pink Panther

Today I made a mistake in choosing a shirt and tie combination. I don’t like to use a monochromatic color scheme when I dress because I end up looking like Regis Philbin, and that’s exactly what happened today. I don’t know why I thought it would look good, but it obviously doesn’t. I am wearing my Internet suit which now actually looks charcoal, mostly because I’m not wearing any blue. The shirt is from Van Heusen and the tie is from Jones New York. I promise you that they look good independently of each other but don’t play well with each-other.

These are some of my favorite shoes. They are vintage Florsheim Kenmoors with double leather soles. They are long-wing tips and have open lacing so I suppose technically I shouldn’t wear them with a suit but who cares. They are a dark brown and weigh about 10 pounds each on account of the double soles. I almost fell down this morning walking through the lobby of my building because they hadn’t swept up the dust from all the renovation work they are doing. I slid and caught myself and when I tried to start walking again I slipped even more. I suppose that is the price you pay for wearing leather soled shoes and walking through a construction site with marble floors. I didn’t fall and thats the important thing and nobody saw me doing my little falling dance so I also was able to save face.

These socks are pretty fun and this may be the last time I can get away with wearing them since Spring is nipping at our ears. They have a wintry reindeer and snowflake design on them in red and white. The design is pretty high up on the sock so its not noticeable in meetings or by passers by, but if I pull up my pant leg I can look at the wintry scene and I smile inside a little, so that’s nice for me. PS: I never get comments so you should feel encouraged to comment.

Until next we speak…BNP

February Aquisitions

This February was a busy month sartorially. I scored some great deals on some great items this month. Here’s a list of the cool grabs I got and their corresponding source.

I picked up this great seersucker blazer on Ebay. I am a sucker (no pun intended) for vintage items that came from Anderson Little (AL) for two reasons. They were made locally in Fall River, MA until the factory closed in 1987(?) and there is always a good possibility that a friend or family member had something to do with the garment. Fall River was a center for fabric and garment production and other related goods. My grandmother was a part of the International Ladies’ Garment Worker’s Union and every time I look at the Amalgamated Clothing Worker’s Union tag on an old coat I think fondly of her. Secondly, they fit great! It is crazy to think but every AL garment I own fits better than any new piece I buy off the peg. Most of these garments are older than I am and I don’t have to have a lot of tailoring done to them. I have to have the sleeves raised on this number.

It will be a great spring and summer coat that I can wear to the yacht club. Now I just need to find a yacht club to sneak into. This blue blazer is also an AL model and I think its probably the coolest Salvation Army (SA) grab I’ve ever made. Its just a plain wool blazer with gold buttons that have the AL logo shield on them. Tailoring of this piece will be required to raise the sleeves and trim the back and sides out. But this is another Trad/Preppy New England essential that I all-of-a-sudden can’t live without. I suppose it fits that I bought it at the SA in Newport. The piece de resistance is the bright red lining that contrasts so well.

Another nice coat to wear to all those lawn parties I get invited to on Bellevue Avenue. Ahem. Anyone?

I also picked up a corduroy jacked at the SA in Newport. Its a nice piece with a ticket pocket and working collar buttons and closures. Its a real quality piece, however, it doesn’t have any labels or tags aside from the “Professionally Dry Clean Only”, which is good because I’m a bit of an amateur dry cleaner myself. Its got a strange geometric lining that could use to be replaced but otherwise its in top shape. It was really gross and dirty, but thanks to Cleanorama, its as clean as new, if not for smelling like Perc.

I have added a three-button blazer to my stable of odd jackets and I have mixed feelings about it. I don’t like three buttons as a rule, but this coat had double vents and fit very well. The jacket has some nice shape to it and is green tweed, which I can’t seem to get enough of. Its a Michael Kors and although it was on sale, it wasn’t cheap (for my standards, I’m kindof a tightwad). I figured that I deserved a treat for having a good year in 2007 and spent some of my bonus on myself. The sleeves might have to come down about 3/4″ but I haven’t taken it to the tailors yet. Its a lot greener in real life, the camera adds an olive tone to it which is most displeasing.

Express was having a sale a couple weekends ago. I never shop there because I think their clothes are unreasonably expensive and aren’t really all that interesting, and because I bought a shirt there a while back and I hate it; but I poked my head in for a laugh and to be made fun of by cool people and I made a discovery. They had three racks of clearance items which included their Producer Pants. I don’t currently own any of them but a good friend likes them and I thought he looked good in them and figured I might look into getting a pair. They are too wide at the bottom for a small chap like me so they have to be re cut by my tailor, which isn’t cheap. It adds $20 to the price of a pair of pants and more if they need hemming. So I took that into account. But they were marked down from around $125 to $39.95 so I bought three pair. A grey glen plaid worsted, a black striped flannel, and a cotton dress chino. When I got to the register, the teenie bopper asked if I wanted to sign up for an Express card, if I did I could save 45% on today’s purchase. 45%! I immediately signed up and got the pants for a steal, now the tailor’s bill won’t hurt so bad.

The last bit is an accessory. I am trying to make use of accessory items and I figured I could start with a scarf with some color in it. This is my first purchase from Bobby from Boston and I love it. Its a tad short but it will be good for the Autumn. I went on Saturday and was completely overwhelmed with all that they have to offer. Next time I’ll go on a weekday because it was a little crowded (5-6 people is a crowd for me). The gal working there said I ought to call next time and make an appointment to see the warehouse and do a walk-through with her. The showroom only makes up about 10% of their total stock and its all premo schwag. The scarf is wool and the colors are just awesome; I wish I could have a coat made out of the pattern, it would be so bad-ass.

Until next time…BNP