je veux:

thanks for the support. i've decided to keep writing.


je veux:
in the spirit of christmas, i wanted to highlight a few things i would ask for were my wife to be much richer. i've also included a few items that a not very expensive at all. this list will be spread out over a few posts.

tip for giving a guy a gift:

my taste is hopefully growing up and starting to settle into its own sort of style. i believe that as boys grow into men, they develop their own personal style, and in lieu of branching out into different styles, they explore their own style much deeper. this is, in my opinion, for the best. this is also why the perfect gift to give a man is probably already in his closet - nearing tatters. i read a little quote from mrporter.com that said that the trick to getting a man a good gift is to give him something that he already has, but maybe slightly upgraded. a few great examples are below.

a good shirt, maybe with a bit of heritage.

from j. crew, the thomas mason® archive for j. crew slim shirt in 1905 tartan. tartan is the original english way of saying plaid, and the 1905 stands for the year that this plaid pattern fabric was produced. this is not simply a great looking plaid, it has some heritage. to quote from j. crew:

originally produced over a century ago, this pattern was brought back to life by our design team after visiting the british shirt maker's archives in italy. after combing through their library of over 200 historical prints (some dating back to the 1700s), we hand selected this plaid for its standout pattern, which feels just as fresh today as it did when it was first designed. recreated exclusively for us with the same attention to detail that you expect from thomas mason, this limited-edition plaid can only be found here at j.crew. slim fit—a trimmer version of our regular fit that's cut more narrowly through the body and sleeves.

there probably has not been a solid 4 day stretch in the past half-decade where i haven't worn a plaid. on the other hand, i don't tend to shell out $168 for a shirt on my own. the shirt is classic, plaid, perfectly cut, and probably something i'd already be wearing every other day - the perfect gift.



a new watch.

i need a new watch. but not another cheap one to add to my bone-yard of dead watches that look cool, have survived countless adventures, but aren't worth the price of fixing. for some reason, i want a watch that i can one day give to my son. something hardy and solid, that looks good on a mountain and under a suit sleeve.

with a watch, there's a lot to consider, but at least know these two terms: quartz and automatic. quartz is cheap and easy to make, and keeps the most accurate time. automatic is powered by the movement of the wearer and requires no battery, but does need good upkeep. in my opinion, automatic watches have more heritage and work better for heirloom pieces winning my preference. others may disagree. i have three watches that i feel match me:

bell & ross vintage 126

steinhart nav-b uhr 44 automatic - picture from worn&wound.com

panerai radiomir black seal

three pitfalls in purchasing an expensive watch from gq:

1. too sporty - "there's a difference between a sporty watch and a sport watch. yes, you can wear a canvas-strap timepiece with a blazer. but no, you don't want to wear a rubber, wrist-contoured watch that tracks your time in the half mile with your gray flannel business suit." - gq
2. too big - "is the size of your watch compensating for something?" - gq
3. too ostentatious - "what's more pretentious than a guy in a sharp suit, crisp linen, and a three-figure tie with a giant watch that lights up and is guaranteed to a depth of 660 feet? it might still be ticking there, but the wearer won't. it's like a 200-mph speedometer: the sign of a dick with too much cash. sport watches are for sports, or at least wearing sports clothes. phase of the moon? useful for lunatics, perhaps. the month? if you can't remember that, a watch won't help. the time in milwaukee? i'll bet it's miller time. the truth is that your phone or a $50 watch can do what the $50,000 watch can, and you don't have to worry about it. but a nice slim gold watch—that's a gent's proper jewelry." - glenn o'brien, gq

a new jacket for the mountain. from norrøna.

i found out about norrøna a few years ago and was hooked. the norwegian brand is all business. nothing extra, and no sacrifice for quality. i already have too many shells, fleeces, and softshells, but that's not the point. i don't have this softshell. i know it's a weak argument, but i'll always be in the market to buy a new jacket for the mountain or the sea.

norrøna cuts their jackets very narrow, tapers the sleeves, and cuts the arm holes high. perfect for mobility, looking sharp, and most importantly keeping your jacket out of your gear.



more christmas wish-list next.