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AUTHOR: Pete
TITLE: Backpack. Er.
DATE: 7/12/2010 04:29:00 PM
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BODY:
I spent a week at the Jersey shore accumulating freckles and sipping Salty Dogs, only to walk right back into the island prison sweatbox that is Washington in July. A suitable cure has been a breeze through back issues of Backpacker magazine on Google Books. Choice shots below--I've cherrypicked some excellent ads from Woolrich, Sierra Designs, and Class 5, too, and will post 'em up later this week.
Backpacker cover, 1977
"How to get your kids to hike with you" was the Runner's World "Shoe guide" article of Backpacker in the 1970s. Nearly every issue had advice on how to make potentially strenuous, certainly boring outdoor fun palatable for the "are we there yet" set. Also from 1977.
Another hiking with your family piece accompanied by some purty shots of Snowdonia. From 1973. In most of the early issues, it looks like the 70s hasn't really caught on with the mountain crowd.
Piece on bringing your dogs on the trail. Maybe my favorite shot.
Appalachian trail? 1973.
From a piece on Grandma Gatewood, Appalachian trail hiker (first through hike at age 67) and one of the "tribe of elders" according to the piece.
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AUTHOR: Pete
TITLE: Blue stuff, and stuff that goes with blue stuff.
DATE: 6/29/2010 07:00:00 AM
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BODY:
Tres Bien Shop has given e-mail notice that their sale on spring/summer merch will start this week--Friday, July 2, 8 a.m. EDT, to be exact. Had my eye on a few things that may or may not exist in my size by the time the sale starts, but I'll be checking in Friday morning for a shot at them. Nearly all of them happen to be variously smurftoned. Good time for a poor rendering of them via polyvore.
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AUTHOR: Pete
TITLE: Pride.
DATE: 6/27/2010 04:54:00 PM
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BODY:
Spent Saturday afternoon in Fairmount Park, listening to mid-90s hip hop, bocce-ing, and dodging poison ivy. Also noted with some concern that my wiffle ball skills are on the decline. Will have to get to the wiffle batting cages.
On the long and frustrating road back down to Maryland, I spent an unreasonable amount of time waiting in line on a highway in order to pay Delaware a few bucks for the pleasure of using that highway. I'm not given to wanton profanity, but fuck you Delaware. And I can look forward to that crap again next weekend. Only Delaware can make me look forward to driving in New Jersey.
To cheer myself up I stopped off in Towson at Ocean Pride (quality suicide food logo there) and picked up some pals.
I originally thought this pic would be appetizing, but it may be a little too macro.
Some Philadelphian cargo made its way down as well.
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AUTHOR: Pete
TITLE: Not-so-vintage t-shirt shopping.
DATE: 6/24/2010 09:00:00 AM
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BODY:
With it being hot and sweaty and summer-y out a boy's thoughts turn naturally to skateboarding. The better angels of my nature have stopped me from purchasing a new skateboard in the last couple of years although I've been jonesing for a new deck nearly as bad as when I used to dog-ear California Cheap Skates catalog pages and TWS issues in my salad days. The only thing more absurd than a grown-ass man on a skateboard is a grown-ass man on a razor scooter. Doesn't mean I can't revel in the accoutrements of skating, which culturally left me behind around 1995, when I realized that although skateboarding was arguably cooler than baseball, they were both at their cores athletic activities, and athletic activities were not going to be where I made my mark.
Some shirts that would look great with a pair of redsand shorts.
Stussy
Slapshot
Uniform Choice--for those keeping the edge
RedsandRusty (thanks KC)
And a few late entries from McNairy Brothers, Mark McNairy's old line (which I never saw in stores)
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Casey Jones
DATE:6/24/2010 04:26:00 PM
I'm a little embarrassed to point out that the "Redsand" picture is actually a "Rusty" logo. I'm pretty sure as I drew it on my middle school binders right next to the Quiksilver logo and the Pearl Jam Ten logo.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Pete
DATE:6/27/2010 04:31:00 PM
I'm an idiot, considering I found that shirt by searching for a Rusty shirt. Just in too much of a hurry to post. Red sand had a kind of unimitatable script, if I remember right. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the internet is short on good images of old Droors, Girl, etc. shirts.
I like to think I'm too good for Fresh Jive.
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AUTHOR: Pete
TITLE: Is it an opulin, Iceland?
DATE: 6/23/2010 09:00:00 AM
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BODY:
This Toots and the Maytals song is the bees knees, and if you feel differently I will fight you. I tried to find the lyrics online, Toots being the James Brown of reggae, and I don't think anyone's getting it right. Admit I'm not a patois expert, but no way is Toots bringing up Iceland in a song that seems to be about everyone dropping pretenses and relaxing on a happy day.
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AUTHOR: Pete
TITLE: The championships.
DATE: 6/21/2010 06:45:00 PM
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BODY:
In a sports-obsessed culture, recurring events take on a weird synechdoche (or is it metonymy? this isn't worth looking up)--they are a calendar unto themselves . If the World Series is on, it's getting a little cold for baseball. March is, well. Derby day marks the start of spring as much as Easter or March 21 do. And I'm bound to watch some of Wimbledon on a sunglared TV set at the shore around the 4th of July.
I was originally putting together a post on the McEnroe/Borg years of Wimbledon, but hell if The Selvedge Yard didn't do a way awesomer job than I could last year. So I'll console myself with some archival photos inhabited by the odd mix of tradition and innovation, exertion and reserve of Wimbledon.
First--a video from British Pathe: Wimbledon 1960-1961 in color. Little too much on how Slazeneger makes a tennis ball, but the beginning and end make up for it. Enjoy the casual sexism from the narrator.
And some stills...
American Big Bill Tilden IN ACTION
American Don Budge ALSO IN ACTION
Kiwi A.F. Wilding post-action
I'm lazy and I forgot who this was, but doesn't she look nice? Straight off the pages of Mister Mort.
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AUTHOR: Pete
TITLE: A negative review of the Sleigh Bells album cobbled together from three overwhelmingly positive reviews of the Sleigh Bells album.
DATE: 6/14/2010 03:47:00 AM
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BODY:
Bands like this only will themselves into existence out of extreme restlessness. Sometimes boredom. Krauss and Miller have been making music for a while--he in the hardcore band Poison the Well, she in some kind of manufactured teen-pop group that never got off the ground--it's easy to see them as a connected band with the right gimmick at the right time. The blown-out sonics trade on some of the last three decades of pop music’s most noxious textures. The volume and power of late 90s rap metal. Tasteless CD-era overcompression. The trick could wear thin quickly, and the duo have managed to extend their uncomplicated formula across 11 tracks. It's hard to say what the songs are about, since so many words are so difficult to make out. They're more than likely to be publicly over by their second album. All of which, for me, anyway, makes the hype melt away.
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AUTHOR: Pete
TITLE: Provenance.
DATE: 5/25/2010 04:14:00 AM
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BODY:
In September 1994, Martin Margiela was one of the first in fashion to go overt with the idea of literally reproducing old clothes. The designer had already manipulated flea-market finds in his early collections, but this collection was different. "Instead of imitating originals, I decided to make complete reproductions," Mr. Margiela told Ms. Suzy Menkes of the IHT at the time--before he became a recluse from press exposure. Each garment carried a label that described the original and called the present piece an "exact reproduction." . . . Margiela was lucid in his explanation. "Every designer looks to retro stuff," he told Ms. Menkes. "I think I always look forward. But it's a nicer feeling for myself to go forward by looking backward."
From Fantastic Man No. 11, Summer 2010
Most of Martin Margiela's lines look great. They're thoughtful, wearable, and exceedingly well-made. But most don't really work for me--too louche, too Euro, or too subtle. Not to mention ridiculously expensive for a salaryman like myself. But I'm always intrigued by the replica pieces (line 14 in Margiela's obscure system). I think I first heard of them in a GQ piece from a few years back on trench coats. There are a lot, obviously, and I still don't own one. But Margiela's exacting reproduction (not interpretation or attempt; he calls it a replica) looked better than most.
The Fantastic Man article quoted above dealt with new and next vintage--chronicling how almost all clothing lines look to vintage for inspiration now, and how the people operate who trawl estate sales for items and bet on inspiration potential. These dealers pick through the old stuff you don't want anymore so makers can create things you will want in the future. The article's even more deeply meta, because among its points is this: they're running out of old things. Or rather, everyone's done something with everything. WWII military, Vietnam-era military, German military, current milsurp. They've done tennis and golf wear from the 1920s to the 1990s. When every conceivable genre of vintage clothing has been mined to the core, what's next?
I was a little surprised to see the quote from Margiela, but I like it--it's still a nice feeling to go forward by looking backward.
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AUTHOR: Pete
TITLE: Es muy bueno.
DATE: 5/23/2010 09:04:00 AM
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BODY:
B'lieve I've mentioned it before, but I've been working on some things for Très Bien Shop, a store based in Malmo, Sweden but with serious worldwide pull thanks to their buys, which range from Filson and Penfield to Maison Martin Margiela and Dries van Noten, and an excellent webshop at tresbienshop.net. Jakob at Très Bien is a sincere and smart fellow and asked me to write some Web content for them--so far, it's been mostly brand landing pages, but I recently talked with Mark McNairy, whose shoes Très Bien stocks, for them. The Mark McNairy interview is posted up the on their site.
We're hoping to put together some more interviews and other pieces for their editorial section--more designer Q+As and profiles of different lines. Thanks for checking it out, and let me say that the shop doesn't need my endorsement--they carry interesting stuff, and their prices are competitive even for U.S. shoppers. Remember that non-E.U. folks don't pay VAT (20%!) and Très Bien is offering free shipping (via FedEx) in May. Time to buy that Engineered Garments engineer jacket and Filson briefcase.
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AUTHOR: Pete
TITLE: Pack your bags; we're going to Milan.
DATE: 5/17/2010 02:57:00 PM
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BODY:
Rivendell Mountain Works Mariposa pack.
This one is based on a 1970s pack design, from a Pacific Northwest brand that's been brought back by a single backpacking enthusiast. Their flagship pack is the Jensen pack, a soft pack in a framepack size that changed the way people looked at soft packs back in the 70s. Of course that's far too large for a simple commuter bag. The Mariposa is amply sized for the daily carry at 2040 cu. in. I could fit gym gear, work stuff, book, and lunch in there. In fact, it's about 50 percent larger than what I currently use. The RMW Lupine is a little smaller and maybe a better fit for daily use. These aren't widely available, or even widely discussed outside of backpacking sites, so it's tough to really assess them. They seem quite functional, though, and the styling is pretty ideal--and the Tolkien reference doesn't hurt. At under $100, the price is also pretty good for a made-in-USA bag, although you don't get the more lux materials and styling of something like Altadena Works. Still trying to decide if the vague, unintentionally vintage Web order form page is charming (like Birdwell's ) or just a barrier.
Great River Canoe Pack wool 50s backpack.
I'm giving this one a shot, despite the crazy embroidery (not all Great River packs feature lettering). I'll just be repping New England for awhile. The Great River bag is made of Pendleton wool and all compartments are closed with a zipper and lined in cotton. The leather and hardware look great. A canvas version is still in stock at Garbstore, listed, suspiciously, under Yuki Matsuda's brand Meg Company, but as a heads up there's a couple Great River bags on eBay cheap. Certainly not as light and a little flashier than the RMW pack listed above or the J. Crew Kelty I have my eye on.
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AUTHOR: Pete
TITLE: Beatific
DATE: 5/07/2010 03:52:00 AM
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BODY:
Will have to check out the current National Gallery exhibit of Allen Ginsberg's photos. Although Ginsberg was a pretty good photographer, what stands out in this collection (and its reason for being) is less the technique than the subjects. In the 50s Ginsberg was documenting the Beat scene before it was even eally a scene. Later he shot more formal portraits of the aging Beat Generation. The photos are candid shots for the most part and I wonder if last year's Levis ad campaign (featuring Beat forebear Walt Whitman) borrowed some from the spirit of these pics.
Ginsberg in the L.E.S., NY, 1953. A number of these photos, obviously, he didn't take himself.
Kerouac, Neal Cassady, and Burroughs after the jump.
Ginsberg in NY harbor, 1947, "Smoking what?"
Kerouac on E. 7th St., NY, 1953. "Making a Dostoyevsky mad face."
Beats, San Francisco, 1956. I think Ginsberg is checking out Neal Cassady.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Casey Jones
DATE:5/08/2010 11:32:00 AM
"W.S. Burroughs, seen here in Canadian Tuxedo."
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AUTHOR: Pete
TITLE: Field trip: NY NY
DATE: 5/03/2010 07:02:00 PM
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BODY:
I spent last weekend on a businessy pleasure trip to the city.
- The weather--warm, beautiful, tons of people out.
The less gooder:
- Missing a handful of desirable exhibits, rock shows, and comedy by a day or two.
- Paralysis by diversity of food choices.
- Not finding the only item I was really shopping for: a goddamn bag.
- The rickety, crowded elevators at the Ace. What were they like before renovation??
- Feeling like J. Crew is always one. step. ahead.
- Feeling like 4th floor at Barney's Madison Ave looks a lot like a J. Crew. A veritable sea of oxford and madras.
- Boltbus passengers. Sometimes I think I should hop on a Chinatown bus and trade the giggly couples for a dude riding with chickens. Nah.
- The weather--warm, beautiful, tons of people out.
The frighteningly real thought for the weekend is that I'm exhausted by the vacation. Always loved seat-of-my-pants budget travel but I am become a sad old man, looking for cheap all-inclusive tropical resorts where I can eat cafeteria food and read mystery novels in the shade of a palm tree that's been replanted from its native soil onto a beach of sand brought there by dumptrucks just for me.
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AUTHOR: Pete
TITLE: L.L. Bean Fall 1948.
DATE: 4/26/2010 09:00:00 AM
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BODY:
I've been meaning to get a post up on this since approximately spring 1949. I got this catalog over a year ago now, wanted to post it, lost it, and have had no access to a quality scanner. So this weekend I busted my bike and figured I'd waste some time taking photos of a catalog, with my phone camera. Not seasonally appropriate, I understand, but this Bean catalog still has some gems, some all the more interesting since the company raided its own archives to design the L.L. Bean Signature line this spring. Let's see if any of these cool weather pieces make it into next fall's Signature catalog. More images and midcentury Mainer folksiness after the jump.
L.L. Bean Fall 1948.
This vest has a lot in common with Post Overalls and Engineered Garments pieces from the last couple of years--most notably the round pocket seams. Would love to see Signature resurrect this one.
This Warden's jacket could be in almost any current collection--water resistant cotton poplin and plenty o pockets.
The catalog is short on marketing copy. Descriptions aren't short, but there's no talk of L.L. Bean's philosophy or mission or anything. However, little text boxes sprinkled throughout give stern advice and ordering instructions. Also, what he hell is balloon cloth?
The man himself. I own this book as well, but it's unfortunately short on illustrations.
Ye olde Bean boot gets the centerfold in Fall 1948.
Would love to have participated in the testing of 80 cans of bacon.
Good deal of solid footwear in this catalog. Also lots of references to the military--Army shoes, "before the war," etc.
The only color page--the back cover, is designated to showing off the crayola-bright strips on a Hudson's Bay blanket.
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AUTHOR: Pete
TITLE: So the show starts at 9:30, or what?
DATE: 4/25/2010 01:45:00 PM
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J. Freedom du Lac--enjoyably monikered music writer, chronicler of culture, Sacramento Bee alum, and current Washington Post quasi-metro scribe--had a great feature in the Post Mag last weekend on Washington D.C.'s own 9:30 Club. Over its 30 years, the 9:30 has risen to near legendary status in the mid-Atlantic, although it's hard for me to grasp its legacy outside of town. The club was one of the first non-mom's-basement venues in the country to allow all ages shows, a choice that opened up the DC rock scene, legitimized local punk rock, and helped launch DC hardcore, most famously via club regulars Bad Brains and Minor Threat.
Of course that was all well before my time. I didn't move to Maryland until the club, originally at 930 F st NW, moved to its current location near Howard U. I work near the old location now. Today 930 F is a pretty bland building facade, with neighbors that include a clothing store selling Peruvian knits, a chocolate-focused restaurant, and a fantastic cheesery--Cowgirl Creamery. Not sure what the old DC heads would think of a fantastic cheesery. The new club (new only relative to the old club) is a fantastic space. Acts that play ampitheaters and athletic facilities in other towns opt to do the 1200-capacity 9:30 here. The sound is top drawer and the balcony provides an enviable view of the stage. I grew up going to the Troc and TLA in Philly (both alright spots, to be sure), but the 9:30 defines a goddamn professional venue. It's a long way from its humble beginnings as a ratty nightclub, and some claim that efficiency and cleanliness have pared away some of its original rough charm. But it's always been a great place to see a show.
You won't get too much out of J. Freedom's piece if you're a nerd and you already own Our Band Could Be Your Life and Dance of Days and watched 930 F Street at its first public showing. But it's a good excuse for posting some solid images and vids. After the jump: Minor Threat, G.I., Minutemen, etc. etc.
Minor Threat live 1983
Government Issue live 1984
Fugazi live 1997--Bed for the scraping--sound is bad but one of my favorites
Minutemen 1984--Sound is great
Today you're much more likely to see Wilco, a band that can play much larger venues but often chooses a night or two at 9:30
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AUTHOR: Pete
TITLE: Abstract J-Press-ionism.
DATE: 4/12/2010 10:00:00 PM
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BODY:
I thoroughly enjoy going to the J. Press shop on L Street. It's not just that I like slightly overbearing, chummy service from the career salesmen. I like the stubborn anachronicity of the store. It's a medium-sized shop selling almost all house-label stuff. There's four shops in the world. I'm not saying it's awesomely rare and exclusive (it's not), it's just weird that that business model is sustainable these days (maybe it's not). I also like that, although the merch is pretty seasonal, it doesn't change a whole lot year to year. So maybe they just put madras shirts out for spring 2010. But some of them have tags from spring 2008! They have sales, but never true clearance, and the stuff is so staid, they can just put out 3- and 4-year-old product and it's never out of place. I'm not an evangelist for "timeless" style, but that's still kind of rad. I stopped in Friday afternoon and was intrigued by a few things.
1. A good deal of waxed cotton. J. Press-label luggage/bags, Barbour coats. The oversize tote below was cool. Can't find it on their site.
2. Madras shorts. These aren't the rarity they were maybe 10 years ago, when J. Press was one of the only sources. Theirs are lined in white cotton. I have an old Brooks Brothers pair like that, and it always seemed odd. If they're for the hottest hottest heat, then why add more fabric? If it's to stop them from bleeding onto your skin, then it's been superfluous for a while, as most modern madras (including theirs) is colorfast. I dunno.
3. An unstructured linen jacket. This piece could have none more lack of structure. It's like a jacket-shaped shirt. Seems nice, but a little un-Press; more Nordstrom-y Tommy Bahamish. Still, you could argue there's a hint of Daiki Suzuki's unlined Bedford jacket to it.
4. Armor Lux breton shirts. Seriously. SAILOR SHIRTS ARE EVERYWHERE. None of the traditional makers are super hip, which seems to make them a more logical fit for J. Press than Selectism. St. James seems a little hipper than Armor Lux, but these are nice and legitly French as well. Boat necks don't suit me, so not for me. Also probably not for you, but give it a shot if you want. Side note, Armor Lux seems to make other pieces, like a fisherman's smock, that seem ripe for interpretation/coopting by the Albams of the world.
Casey Jones
DATE:6/24/2010 04:26:00 PM
I'm a little embarrassed to point out that the "Redsand" picture is actually a "Rusty" logo. I'm pretty sure as I drew it on my middle school binders right next to the Quiksilver logo and the Pearl Jam Ten logo.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:
