Get Up, Get Down

My buddy Nick, who you may know from ATG, just started a great new project - The Get Up And Get Down.  Nick has created a place on the internet unlike any other.  Despite all the talk of heritage, factories and craftsmanship in the blogosphere there was still no singular place highlighting and compiling true, original craftsmanship.  That's where TGUAGD comes in.  This new focus on the individual - "that person pouring their heart over what's being created in front of them" - will not only direct you to hard working folks making incredible things, but also help you become you own craftsman.  By adding "how to" guides the site not only spotlights those already doing it, but turns the spotlight on you.  It's ambitious. It's challenging. It's the real deal.  Along with all this, collaborations between Nick and the good folks highlighted will add a third engaging dynamic.  I don't know about you, but I'm excited.  Nick has a serious eye for style and it's going to be killer seeing his aesthetic taken to the next level.  So check it out and get involved. Send over your own work. Let the world know what you do. And we'll all be better for it.

-L.A.S

Wooden Sleepers

So I meet this gentleman, Brian Davis, while in NYC through a mutual friend and he just so happens to not only be an awesome guy, but an incredibly stylish cat as well.  On top of that Brian runs the best Etsy shop around. Seriously.  If you are a guy who fancies vintage gear you should probably check out Wooden Sleepers ASAP.  The backstory is pretty simple.  Brian and his girlfriend love to go vintage shopping all over the northeast, hitting up the secret spots that nobody knows about.  From these buying trips Brian curates a pretty amazing selection of top notch second hand goods that would fit right into your closet and home.  Everything's affordable, unique and just as rad as Brian's own personal style.  It's one of those little corners of the internet that once you visit you wish you had known about months ago.  Wooden Sleepers works really hard at recreating that incredible vintage spot that's near and dear to your heart - I think they've nailed it and I'm sure you'll agree.

-L.A.S

Biased Cut S/S 2010

When I last talked about Biased Cut I introduced one of the best new players in the online made to measure shirting game and, more importantly, a great brand making great goods.  Biased Cut was nice enough to give me the first look at their fantastic new S/S 2010 offerings, which you may have already got a sneak peek of in the latest Pierrepont Hicks (another great company) S/S 2010 lookbook.  I liked BC before, but they have really stepped their game up.  The contrast, club collar shirt is one of the best looking shirts I've seen this season and I will surely be picking one up soon.  If it wasn't enough that the gear looked sharp, the crew behind Biased Cut is top notch - another deserved entry into the people who are doing things right category.

-L.A.S

Interview: The Windmill Club

When I stumbled upon The Windmill Club I was just as enthralled as I was curious.  After watching their A/W '09 teaser video more times than I care to share I contacted owner and designer Kevin Burrows for more information.  After speaking with Kevin extensively about himself and his brand my appreciation for everything he was doing and planned to do only grew.  Kevin is an extremely intelligent guy whose talents are matched with an ambition to do great things within the realm of menswear.  He couldn't have been any nicer and our conversation touched upon many things ranging from his heritage, to his background and all the way back to his personal aesthetics.  He is the perfect example of someone who embraces his own personal style and is willing to go out on a limb and share that with the world.  I left our conversation excited for everything The Windmill Club is attempting to do and just flat out inspired.  Kevin was nice enough to do a formal interview, as well, and I hope it helps shed some light on a project that will in turn inspire and excite you as much as it did me.

L: Can you speak on your background in both design and otherwise.

K: My first formal experience in design was this past summer when I was interning at Apolis Activism. The Parton brothers are truly outstanding guys and a blast to work with. It was a great introduction to menswear and the industry and I can't thank them enough. As far as general background, I grew up in Southern California and I'm currently based on the East Coast about to finish up my senior year at Harvard.

L: To those unfamiliar with The Windmill Club can you explain the brand.

K: The Windmill Club is small line of ties and bow ties made in the USA. The first collection is Autumn/Winter 09 and consists of six ties and two bow ties. I also run a side blog where I post photos, music, and everything else that inspires the brand.

L: Assuming you didn't wake up one morning with the epiphany of starting your own neckwear line can you talk a little about your motivation behind starting The Windmill Club.

K: It's been an interesting progression to be sure. It wasn't until the past couple years that I really got into menswear and design largely in part from reading various blogs. It started with me getting into streetwear and brands like The Hundreds, Only NY, and in particular The Award Tour (shouts to Phil and the great stuff he's doing over there). At a point in time during the summer before junior year I kind of got fed up with a lot of stuff I was seeing and couldn't really find pieces that worked with the style I was trying to create. So junior year I started up the blog and did a small run of graphic t-shirts that I sold to friends (kind of a beta-test). The Windmill Club really solidified this past summer when I was interning with the guys at Apolis Activism. Working in menswear and talking with them really helped to focus my vision for The Windmill Club and what I wanted to create with the line.

L: From what I've seen of the line it appears both heritage and collegiate inspired.  Can you boil down The Windmill Club's aesthetics?

K: I definitely draw from a heritage and classic college aesthetic. Also thrown into the mix is my dutch heritage (hence the name) and my appreciation of the cats who were killing it way before I was born.

L: As a designer what or who do you look to for inspiration?

K: I read a good number of menswear and style blogs which are probably my main source of inspiration on a daily basis. I've recently been looking at a lot of older photography as well as films from the 60's and 70's which were drenched with style.

L: Do you have a specific creative process and if so can you break it down for me?

K: What's most important is that I have strong vision of what I want before starting on a project. For example, I have a gigantic folder on my laptop that is filled with any images I come across that catch my eye. Sometimes it's a whole look, others just a detail or often the tone that the image evokes. When starting on something, I'll go through and pull out the shots that have the feeling I want. I can't necessarily describe the look or the style but I can recognize it and try to re-create it in what I'm working on.

L: Manufacturing, especially of the domestic variety, is a hot button topic in the menswear community.  Can you discuss the processes that go into making a Windmill Club tie?

K: Sure. For the fall line all of production was done in Los Angeles. I sourced my fabrics at a shop that stocks surplus from various productions. From there I worked back and forth with a small manufacture (the guys at Apolis were kind enough to put me in touch with the shop where their ties are made) to get the sizing and details right and then the ties were hand crafted at their workshop. It was important for me to produce the ties locally so that I could be there in person and get to know the people crafting the products. Also, the added benefit of supporting American businesses is a definite plus.

L: Who do you envision knotting up one of your ties? Who is the Windmill Club customer?

K: The Windmill Club customer is a member of this new group of young men who appreciate classic style and what it means to dress well. Men who seek out real substance and adventure in their lives.

L: Both iconic brands, such as Polo by Ralph Lauren, and current stalwarts, such as Band of Outsiders, started with neckwear before expanding their line.  Is this the direction you see The Windmill Club going?

K: For sure. I'm going to focus on neckwear for the time being, but down the road if the opportunity is there I would love the chance to work on expanding into a larger collection. It'd definitley be a lot of fun to throw my twist onto some other menswear staples.

L: What can we expect from The Windmill Club in both the not so distant and distant future?

K: In the not so distant future, we'll be launching our online shop on January 10th (in the meantime orders can be done via email directly). As for the distant future, I see The Windmill Club continuing to produce quality menswear pieces including an expanded collection but also working on presenting the line through more adventurous projects be it video or otherwise.

-L.A.S

[Editor's Note: Expect a hands on review of The Windmill Club's neckwear very soon. It's The Windmill Club. Damn straight.]

Hands On: Taylor Stitch

It's a simple and honest manifesto...Taylor Stitch wants to put a well-made, well-fitting and affordable made to measure shirt on your back.  Whether a dress shirt for work or a sport shirt for heading out after work, guys deserve something great.  Buying made to measure, or custom, shirting is not a route many of us have taken or plan on taking, which is a shame.  Assuming ridiculous prices and a complex process, mass produced goods often feel like the only option.  Thankfully brands like Taylor Stitch are filling a much needed void and dispelling notions once deemed unwavering.

While I'll leave the in depth brand story and vision to my good friend Paul, who has what should be a fantastic feature in the works, Taylor Stitch is an upstart San Francisco "online shirtmaker and men's outfitter purveying well crafted goods."  When I first heard of these guys I immediately reached out for more information and since then have developed a solid relationship with a brand I have the utmost respect for.  When I was given the chance to get my hands on a custom shirt I jumped at the opportunity to not only get my feet wet with made to measure, but to evaluate a product that on paper seemed pretty spectacular.

After putting in my order back in early November I was finally able to rip my package from the evil grips of my apartment complex's office and get up close and personal with a shirt I helped "design".  See, that's the greatest part about made to measure.  For the first time ever I really feel like I have a personal stake in an article of clothing I own and that feeling in itself is pretty invaluable.

The above oxford cloth button down from Taylor Stitch is the fruit of our labors and I couldn't be happier.  I won't comment too much on the fit since that would prove pointless as these are my measurements and my tweaks arranged specifically for me.  I will say that the specs I worked on with Mike of Taylor Stitch fully come through in the final product.  Being a complete novice with only ideas of how a shirt should fit wouldn't seem to bode well, let alone yield such a great fitting final product, but luckily for me that's where the experts come in.  Since day one Mike was with me every step of the way discussing the intricacies of measurement and overall fit.  I don't know many brands who jump at the chance to get on the horn and talk every detail from the collar down to the buttons, but then again, I don't know of many brands like Taylor Stitch.

As far as quality is concerned, the shirt fires on all cylinders as well.  The grey oxford cloth is just thick enough and just refined enough that it will easily transition from meetings to the bar.  I'm already looking towards a very classy event next month where this oxford is going to feel right at home.  The custom red contrast stitching on the second button hole and cuff also came out perfect and add some character to the classic garment.  With a wide variety of fabrics and colors, but not enough to overwhelm, Taylor Stitch has curated both a shop and shopping experience that appeals to both menswear geeks and novices.

Made to measure is truly an enjoyable process everyone should try at least once.  You don't need to be a Wall Street goon or a tastemaker to appreciate and afford the process.  It is something that when given the proper time and thought can turn out some great gear and I can't think of a better starting point than Taylor Stitch.  With customer service that puts the White House staff to shame, an actual desire to help their customers dress better and a product that speaks for itself I think we can file a new chapter under "people who are doing things right."

-L.A.S

A big special thanks goes out to Mike and all the TS guys for the shirt, their constant assistance and attention.

People Who Are Doing Things Right: Pierrepont Hicks

If you follow me at all on Twitter you'll know that I've been championing a few smaller, upstart brands that I think people should know about.  Let's be honest, "people who are doing things right" are much more worthy of your hard earned dollars.  Pierrepont Hicks is a relatively new brand making men's neckwear who falls into this very category.

Mac and Kat are a husband and wife team from Minnesota who run Pierrepont Hicks.  Kate has experience at both Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, among other noted brands, and Mac's background is in real estate development and construction.  The birth of their daughter signaled a new direction for the couple and they formed Pierrepont Hicks.  Kat designs and Mac crunches the numbers, and together they have created some of the coolest neckwear I have seen in a while.  Just forward thinking enough, while still taking cues from the classics, these ties and bowties are just perfectly bold so you stand out.  The collection is something that I cosign 100%.  To top it all off, their ties are made right here in America, in the NY garment district, a place I know and love.  Mac is a great guy and is always looking to chat with customers and talk about his ties.  Check out the website here, follow them on twitter here, and be sure to check out the digital lookbook as it's really a treat.  Three cheers to Mac and Kat, Pierrepont Hicks and people who are doing things right.

-L.A.S