A Fine Man Once Said:

"Part of the 10 million I spent on gambling, part of it on booze, and part of it on women. The rest I spent foolishly."

- George Raft





Thursday, June 27, 2013

The Armoury: Coming Soon to NYC?



There's an interesting blurb on the Tribeca Citizen site on The Armoury possibly opening a location here in NYC. Interesting news, as The Armoury has garnered quite a following in the last few years as one of the premier haberdasheries in the world.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

The Dobbs Summer Fedora




I've been trying to make more of an effort to break in my hat collection, especially as most of what has attracted my eye are perfect for summer. I'll try to take pictures of everything in the next few weeks, but thought I'd share some pictures of this interesting one first - a lightweight fedora from Dobbs.

I'm not entirely whether this hat even qualifies as vintage, new old stock or dead stock, since I have no idea when it was actually made. When I purchased it, the hat was pristine - unworn with an unsoiled inner band. Dobbs has been making hats since the 1930s, and it seems the quality of the company's offerings have varied dramatically over time.



Its possible this is a more recent model, as it doesn't seem to be of the highest quality. On the other hand, the label indicates that the hat was made in the USA, which strikes me as something of a rarity these days - I know of only one hat maker working in the 5 boroughs of NYC these days.



Regardless of the possible quality issues, I like the hat because of its light weight feel and ability to keep its form. This is the first model made of 100% Verona that I've come across from any maker - its not quite as sturdy as a straw panama, but there is something about the flimsiness (for lack of a better word) and breathe-ability that is perfect in the summer heat.



If I recall correctly, I originally purchased the hat with a black and red band. That color scheme seemed a bit too serious for what I had in mind, so I took the hat to J&J Hatters on Fifth Avenue to see about replacing the band. I picked out what I think is a cheerier light blue and yellow color combination.



I've only worn this one on the weekends so far but hope to get it into wider circulation soon.


Tuesday, June 4, 2013

All The Pretty Cadogans: More Edward Green Semi-Brogues for Cole Haan



I first came across Edward Green's Cadogan for Cole Haan some time ago (you can view a previous post here). Although that pair is way too small for me (I think the shoes are a size 7.5), I decided to keep them because the shoes were in pristine condition - one perhaps once or twice - and I'd paid so little for them. That particular pair sits on a shelf on my third floor hallway. Since then, I've come across several other great examples of the Cadogan made for Cole Haan on Edward Green's now-defunct 33 last.





Unfortunately, they're never quite right for me, size-wise: I have a pair in size US 10.5D that are just a touch too big for my size 10 feet. Recently, I came across another pair - these were tagged as a 9.5D, but are just a touch too tight for my left foot. I've been contemplating whether to have those stretched, but I still haven't decided what to do just yet.







One day, I'll get the sizing down. In the meantime, I'm left to enjoy these fine examples of the high standards of shoe-making once held by the venerable Cole Haan company.