Updated: Feb 29, 2020
Light stirs inside men’s souls; people resuscitated report seeing a light before death. It’s a force that both pushes and pulls. It keeps ships at bay, and welcomes us into skylines.
Advertisers know its value. Using bulbs and shaping neon to pull us into their walls. Signs are faces, and like the faces we see every day, some you pass and forget, and some grab you, and require a second look.
I grew up on the fringe of Austin. We regularly drove on I-35 to get from A to B. Counting the strip clubs became a pastime for me (For over twenty years Rick’s Cabaret has served as a land mark that you’ve left Austin and entered Round Rock). At night the signs twinkled, and the parking lots were full. Acceptable, I muttered, forehead pressed against the window. But, driving to hockey games Saturday mornings I worried about the car owners who were still in Rick’s parking lot.
I imagined them weary, and slouched in stained chairs. Unconcerned that the sun caught them. Did they hope that the next dance would rejuvenate them? Give them the wanted reprieve before resuming their lives. Poor souls. There is, however, an alternative. Like the strip club, they offer a service for men, they prefer cash, and when you leave you are marked with a smell. If you own one of the cars in Rick’s parking lot on a Saturday morning, renew your spirit at the barber shop–where the poles are outside.
They are tucked in pockets of skyscrapers; and sown in towns pulled from Norman Rockwell’s The Saturday Evening Post covers. New hope grows for the trade as men return. But why are men drawn back to the smell of bay rum? The chair made of wood and leather? The smooth shave with a straight razor? A clear answer evades me. But, I can offer an anecdotal theory: traumatized by salon style books from decades forgotten, and waiting areas filled with old Cosmopolitan magazines, men escaped the shampoo chairs and entered a barbicide awakening. Enlightened, a haircut was no longer a chore–but a ritual, looked forward to like a monthly date at the brasserie.
You need skilled hands to handle your head. Combs create parts. Clippers shape beards. Hair maintenance is a task that requires focus. Once, my mom took my brothers and I to a salon for a routine trim. It was in a strip center near our house. It was plain and forgettable. We asked for simple cuts–no highlights or layers–but, simple doesn’t mean easy, and a simple haircut still needs focus. My mom’s passive nature was deteriorated when my brother returned from the chair. A hybrid between a broom and crew cut sat on his head. She sent him back–twice. But it was unsalvageable. Mom asked the stylist to shave it off, and still gave a tip. It was inferior quality at a great price.
New barber shops serve local craft beer as you wait. It is, however, bad taste to choose a shop based on hops. Quality barber shops share traits with people you want to surround yourself with: humble and authentic. Pool tables, and flat screens are thoughtless gestures. But it's more than that isn't it? My favorites cover their walls in stories: they sponsor little league teams, hang pictures next to clippings of local celebrities, and fundraise for first responders. They have an authenticity that can’t be remanufactured.
Here the banker and busboy are equal. Bad sports teams, and stories of rogue tourists on scooters are traded and debated. The stress of life carried by tense shoulders relax. Your fellow customers become the thing you need most at that moment: a judge or dad, an accountant or meteorologist, a veterinarian or film and food critic. The problems of the outside world are on pause. You leave facing the day renewed–and with a clean neck.
Updated: Feb 29, 2020
Since I can remember, a white dress shirt has hung in my closet. It accompanied me in church pews with a clip on tie, my college graduation, and my first job interview. It enjoys an open door policy: accepting all colors and patterns into its ranks. Friendly with handed down ties, and corduroy jackets from your grandfather, it knows no foe. It’s the backup singer supporting all ensembles, the humble hero serving outside of the spotlight.
It’s typical for sartorial minds to be infatuated by the suit, and rightfully so. Hand stitched lapels and spalla camicia shoulders are luxurious details performed by artisans, and should be appreciated and celebrated.
But we forget the white shirt serves us like a canvas serves a painter, a vessel for inspiration, only limited by one’s imagination: a coral knit tie can nestle with a button down collar and olive sport coat; an orange and green regimental tie fits between a semi-spread collar and a navy blazer. An outreached arm might reveal stitching on a cuff, a subtle mark of expression.
The need for individuality does not cease at the white shirt. Shirt makers have given us the power of choice: broadcloth or linen, semi-spread or button down, lined or unlined, horn or pearl, initials? On the collar, cuff, or pocket?
But proceed with caution. Avoid fads and extremists. Sartorial bliss lies within its simplicity, details only you and the maker know, quality only appreciated within distance of a kiss, fit that boosts confidence, and erases doubt.
The white dress shirt transcends class, generations, and occasions: from classrooms to boardrooms, postgrads to presidents, and galas to dive bars, the white shirt is part of the fabric of our society.
Its style is timeless, like Sinatra, good bourbon, and manners.
Updated: Feb 29, 2020
I was contacted to review a pair of shoes from a company I had never heard of before. I approached it with a moderate level of skepticism. My influence on social media encompassing a dedicated few. But nonetheless, I responded to the inquiry, picked out a pair of shoes, and was pleasantly surprised when they actually arrived at my office. In all I am humbled that someone reached out to me for my opinion, and owe a debt to provide the company with a thorough review. But my obligation to you, the reader, to give an honest opinion precedes all.
Beckett Simonon is a direct to consumer brand focused on footwear and leather goods. Manufactured in Bogotá Colombia, their aim is to give customers exceptional products at a reasonable price. Conventional thinking among the sartorially inclined is that the correlation between price and quality is very real. The idea is that you save money in the long term by purchasing higher quality, more expensive items, compared to continually purchasing cheaper products that fail the test of time. This should ease the sting out of the upfront cost of quality shoes. Especially if they last for decades.
I confirmed with Adela from Beckett and Simonon to review a pair of shoes. She promptly sent me a few options to choose from. I quickly claimed the brown Dean Oxfords. It was a color and style of shoe I needed in my closet. I knew it would be extremely versatile, harmoniously pairing with suits and dressing up my more casual outfits. The only caveat; because they are made to order you will have to wait for the shoes to actually be created, A process they claim will take between 8-12 weeks. This is sometimes the case for products requiring a craftsman's touch, but remember, patience is a virtue.
When the shoes arrived I was immediately impressed with the outwards presentation. I’ve kept the box, unable to deliver a beautiful vessel to its demise among banana peels and empty wine bottles. I found the shoes tucked in dust covers. Black bags made for, you guessed it, preventing dust from getting on the shoes when not worn. Also inside the box was a pair of inserts and extra laces. Upon removing the dust covers, and paper inside the shoes I started my inspection. I scanned over the cap toe oxford and immediately noticed its unique body. A slim silhouette starting with a rounded cap at the tip of the shoe that widens as it moves back towards the toes, and starts tapering closer to the foot as it reaches the ankle. The leather sole and full grain leather upper accentuates the high quality construction. It avoids the stuffy bullet shape shoe, while not drifting into the extreme pointed toe and elongated bodies found throughout some fashion forward retailers. My only complaint was when I discovered the shoes were a size larger than I requested. An unfortunate occurrence that has allowed the shoes to be more susceptible to creases over the toe and sides. I now use the provided inserts to help fill the shoe and limit the leather from folding.
Beckett Simonon built their company in an efficient and simple way that saves their customers money. They only sell their products via their website, removing retailer markups. They create their products in small batches by the order, thus eliminating excess inventory. They have their own factory for manufacturing, eliminating outsourced labor costs. Doing all of this while remaining completely transparent about their process and products (see their website & blog). Overall I can confidently recommend this shoe for someone who is looking to add to their rotation.