I recently became acquainted with the work of Oliver Hemming, an award-winning designer/maker of very distinctive clocks and watches. From London, Hemming originally worked for private commissions but now has his own unusual collection available on his website (oliverhemming.com). Working with his own team and his own factory in Hong Kong, he succeeds in balancing detail, quality and affordability.
The first episode from season two of the wildly popular Serial podcast was released today. The new season is about Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. soldier who walked off his post in Afghanistan in 2009 and was captured and held by the Taliban for five years.
I should start by saying that I was a happy Indochino customer for years. They enabled me to afford some of the best-fitting suits I’ve ever worn and suits that rival far more expensive premium brands. I get compliments every single time I wear one of their suits or jackets.
This “fantasy rebrand” is an effort to raise the bar for the first company to put made-to-measure into the hands of men who – until Indochino – could never afford it. I think Indochino is great, but I think it could be amazing. The challenge is to elevate the brand from an entry-level “first suit” brand into a bigger league among heavier players – something that would also be attractive to a more seasoned and sophisticated suit buyer.
Fragrance is the intangible accessory. I’ve written about smelling good (or at least smelling clean) from a personal grooming perspective several times here, but I’ve never written about ambient fragrances.
I imagine most people don’t consider the way a room smells unless it’s bad or overpowering, like many hyper-scented retail spaces I’ve experienced. But our sense of smell is a strong one that consciously or subconsciously ties us positively or negatively to our experiences with people, places and things. For that reason, I’m very sensitive to aroma and I’m a big fan of a room that smells nice.
I’ve written before about uniforms of powerful men – men who don’t have the time to figure out which tie goes with which suit, shirt or pair of socks. President Obama got rid of all of his suits except the navy and gray ones (and that tan one) because it meant one less decision in a day filled with far more important decisions. Extremely busy men who pull serious power levers in their lives need to be able to reach into their closets blindfolded, not screw up and be dressed and out the door before many men have decided on a pocket square. As someone who really doesn’t like to belabor the what-goes-with-what process, I really appreciate such efficiency.
For busy men who like a little color and flair with the daily suit and tie, my friends at ShirtCycle have created a smart solution. To supplement their handy and well-executed custom shirt subscription service (my review here), ShirtCycle has added coordinating ties and socks to their offerings.
In this episode, I talk about Jessica Jones, a great new original Netflix series that is also part of the Marvel universe. Like its terrific “brother” show Daredevil, it takes place mostly in Hell’s Kitchen, NYC, in the wake of the alien invasion incident from The Avengers.
Speaking of Hell’s Kitchen, I was recently sentenced to a day of community service after being stopped on Ninth Avenue by NYPD for making a rolling stop through a red light on my bicycle. In the interest of safer streets in the city, NYC has implemented an initiative called “Vision Zero,” which I wholly support with its interest in safer streets for everyone. However, ticketing bicyclists is an exertion of energy and resources toward the wrong target, in my opinion.
I’m also putting the finishing touches on my December 2015 Spotify playlist for your enjoyment.
Thanks for listening!
Dave's back on the grid with a new video for "Blackstar," a new song from the forthcoming album of the same title. Directed by Johan Renck, the video is more like a short film. http://youtu.be/kszLwBaC4Sw The album Blackstar will be…
This is not a time of innovation. It’s a time of disruption. Old business models have been challenged by new delivery systems, bringing high quality goods and services with incredible savings and convenience directly to the consumer. It happened in the entertainment industry with music and video; it happened in grooming with shaving subscription models; and it happened in menswear with online made-to-measure, custom shirts, shoes, accessories, etc.
A nice new entry into the men's grooming circus from Bulldog Skincare for Men.
Here's a little more gorgeous to hold us over until Adele releases her new album 25 on Friday. The video is a live recording of a new song called "When We Were Young." In a recent interview on Sirius XM,…