July 2010
1 post
Wingtip is done. New Blog: Mister Small
New blog, new location. If you’ve been a fan of Wingtip please follow me at Mister Small.
For more updates, please follow me at my twitter.
Thank you for all my support and readership. For various reasons I’m switching to wordpress. This page will stay up for posterity’s sake!
May 2010
1 post
March 2010
2 posts
L.L. Bean Signature Launch: Impressions
It’s not news to anyone that I’m a bit of an L.L. Bean fanboy. Naturally, I was pretty excited to see what Alex Carleton (formerly of Rogues Gallery) would do with the new line. The waxed-canvas Bean boots, unveiled in January, set the stage for some serious hype among the menswear blogosphere.
L.L. Bean Signature was released online this past Monday and I’m left somewhat...
In Good Company
It’s been a busy month since I’ve last posted. I haven’t had much time for a breather until spring break started this past week. It’s been great catching up with old high school pals, some of whom are similarly interested in menswear and style. Today on a whim, I took a few snapshots of two good friends, Stuart and Jon.
Be sure to click “Read More” to do...
February 2010
5 posts
4 tags
The Dude's Cowichan Sweater
The Big Lebowski is one of those movies people love to put in their top ten favorites. For me, I think it ranks somewhere around #4. It’s hilarious, crude, and bizarre in all the right ways. “The Dude,” played by Jeff Bridges, is arguably one of the most memorable characters in film history. Much to the chagrin of my parents, I’ve flirted with the idea of modeling my...
Snow Day
It’s a little snowy out there…
Snorkel Parka: Alpha Industries
Sweater: Hickey Style
Cords: Engineered Garments
Boots: L.L. Bean
Gloves: Paul Smith
Thermos: Stanley
See my homeboy Start With Typewriters’ snow day post: Here
4 tags
DIY: Artifact Bags
In my previous life I was a bag lady. Wait.. no, that applies to this life too. And maybe you’ve already guessed, but I have a bag fetish - which is sort of odd because I never have much to carry other than a crippling sense of irony and a heavy-set depression.
Blogger/father/vintage+militaria enthusiast Chris Hughes of Omaha, Nebraska is slowly surfacing his homemade project - a...
5 tags
Archived: Tricker's for Norse Projects
Here is a boot I will almost certainly never own due to availability and cost. It is in many ways, however, the perfection combination of seemingly disparate elements. The silhouette is a classic Tricker’s last, the derby Brogue boot (Stow/Marlton) - an iconic staple of English Countrywear. The red brick sole evokes the spirit of the traditional suede Buck, a focal point of the...
4 tags
Canvas Bag Round-Up
From top to bottom:
Wm. J. Mills & Co.
Beckel Canvas
Parrott Canvas
Utility Canvas
Port Canvas
Heritage Leather Co.
Chester Wallace Totes
Duluth Pack
Not pictured but still appreciated:
Filson
L.L. Bean
All made in the USA.
January 2010
17 posts
5 tags
The Find: Hunting for hunting on Ebay
Orvis Hunting Jacket: hand-woven Harris tweed, collar button closure, suede shooting patch and elbow patches, made in England.
Russell Moccasin Co. Bird Shooters: handmade in Berlin, Wisconsin.
Note: As a fairly staunch liberal jewbag, I don’t really condone hunting. But I like the history and I love the clothes.
2 tags
Photo Find: Jacob Wolf Miller
Wingtip blog has an admittedly focused agenda that caters to a rather narrow “niche” interested in an even narrower genre of contemporary (and often less than contemporary) menswear. That being said, I really like other stuff too. Other people’s photography is a big part of that “other stuff” equation. Photography, at least to me, is about the careful combination...
3 tags
In a New York state of mind...
It isn’t at all how I dress, but I have a special place in my heart for streetwear.
Chambray Shirting: Hickey Style
Fleece Sweatpants: Reigning Champ (by CYC)
Gloves: Carhartt
Hat: New Era 506 (umpire cap)
Glasses: Ray-Ban x Beams JP
Footwear: APC x Nike
Bag: Supreme (old)
Album: A Tribe Called Quest
3 tags
A New Year: ArchCloth Resolutions 2010
I know I’m almost a month late on this but I just stumbled on blog favorite Archival Clothing’s 2010 resolutions. I’d like to share them here along with my commentary (in italics).
1. Decide that quality matters and pay for it. In the end, it will save you time and money.
Think of it this way: A pair of Goodyear-welted wingtips with quality uppers (i.e. Alden) will last...
3 tags
Bean Boot Revisted
It’s no secret I love L.L. Bean’s Duck Boot. I’ve guest-blogged about the boot for Sartorially Inclined, and it’s something I wear on a near-daily basis. As the L.L. Bean brand nears its centennial anniversary, the boot becomes relic of cultural connectivity between past and present. It is a design so innately pragmatic and pleasing that it supersedes the shifts of...
4 tags
The All American: Pointer Duck Chore Coat
Pointer Brand (not to be confused with London based Pointer Footwear) hails from the quaint Southern city of Bristol, Tennessee. Their manufacturing specialty: carpenter clothes, overalls, and blue jeans. ACL ran a piece about their denim chore coat some time ago, but I think their duck canvas coat deserves a second visit. Hickoree’s Hard Goods had Pointer’s Brown Duck Chore Coat in...
5 tags
Daiki Suzuki's S/S '10 Shirting
Some choice pieces from Engineered Garments and Woolrich Woolen Mills S/S ‘10. A year ago today, I wouldn’t even think about wearing floral print. Daiki has me second guessing this Spring.
Images via Odin NYC, Drinkwater’s Cambridge, Oi Polloi S/S preview, and other collected clippings from Japanese retailers.
2 tags
TIDWOE: J. Peterman Mailbag
This morning’s TIDWOE (Things I Didn’t Win on Ebay) is a J. Peterman mailbag from the late 80’s. The current iteration can be found here.
3 tags
Crotch Blowout + Repair
It was always an inevitability. My go to pair (Lee Gold selvage 101z) split a hole. I suppose it happens to all of us. See: Jake Davis. The remedy? A crude emergency repair with a swatch of university stripe oxford cloth shirting, an homage to the juxtaposition of prep and Ivy influences with denim and workwear culture. In retrospect though, it kind of looks like a pair of patterned boxer...
4 tags
Back from Holiday: College Look
Blazer: Hickey
Shirting: Steven Alan
Trousers: Woolrich Woolen Mills
Vest: Hickey
Neckwear: J Press
Watch: Orvis
Shoes: Alden
Bag: Apolis Activism x Filson
Not actually what I’m wearing at school, but I think you get the idea. An Ivy-inspired outfit with casual sophistication. Swap out the traditional harris tweed sack for a finer weave donegal tweed. Add a J Press silk tie and...
3 tags
Previous Level: Gentleman's Quarterly
Long before I was born, GQ was readable.
JFK, March ‘66
Cary Grant, September ‘62
Rex Harrison, September ‘63
Fred Astaire, September ‘64
Henry Fonda, March ‘65
Sean Connery, April ‘66
2 tags
The Find: Super Bad Brad
Not remotely menswear related, but awesome nonetheless.
Super Bad Brad A.K.A. Brad Prowley (wikipedia)
4 tags
Two Ties: Pierrepont Hicks and The Windmill Club
There is something kind of romantic about purchasing ties from a company that only sells ties. Two recent upstarts, Pierrepont Hicks and The Windmill Club are doing just that. Made in USA.
Links:
Pierrepont Hicks
The Windmill Club
1 tag
Photo Find: Will Govus
One of my amateur-photo friends showed me Will’s work. It’s refreshing to see a kid my age take photos like these, recognizing the beauty and mystique of nature in an ethereal state.
I’VE LIVED ON A DIRT ROAD ALL MY LIFE (2008) by Will Govus
2 tags
Steven Alan Sale: Hunting Jacket
One of my favorite SA pieces from this season is on sale. Made in the USA from Woolrich Woolen Mills fabric. Only a M and an XL left.
Link: HERE
2 tags
The Onion: Man Unable to Wear Nice Clothes
via Put This On via The Onion
5 tags
A New Series: TIDWOE
This is the inauguration of a frustrating new series called, Things I Didn’t Win On Ebay (TIDWOE).
#1: Vintage L.L. Bean Baxter State Parka
Sure I already have a blue Woolrich 60/40, but this gem is lined in a beautiful red check flannel, has a nylon goretex coating for superior performance in the rain, and a zipper from the now defunct Talon Zipper company. Sold for $102.50
December 2009
12 posts
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year from the LIFE Archives.
My Dinner with Andre
Just saw this 1981 classic today. It’s a weird movie. Worth another look if you’ve seen it before. And worth taking a chance if you haven’t. I couldn’t help but notice Andre’s shawl collar cardigan.
3 tags
Open for Business: Archival Clothing
Busy with finals, I let this one slip under the radar. Lesli Larson and Tom Bonamici of Archival Clothing have followed the footsteps of Michael Williams, opening their own line of bags. From blogging to retail, that seems to be the general course people are taking these days. (see Inventory)
Archival Clothing’s first item for sale is a waxed-cotton musette bag, in ranger tan and...
Happy Holidays!
And for the goyim out there, Merry Christmas.
Shirting: APC
Sweatshirt: L.L. Bean
Trousers: Engineered Garments
Hat/Socks: J Press
Shoes: Quoddy
Bag: L.L. Bean
3 tags
Awesome: Hand Knit Patchwork Tweed Cardigan
Mister Mort dropped a bomb today.
It’s ugly. It’s beautiful. I want it.
4 tags
Inspiration: Motel Lookbook
Obscure Japanese brand? I don’t know. Just enjoy the photography.
Dysfunctional website here. Found on Fashionista.
3 tags
The All American: Schaefer Ranchwear
Here’s one curiously absent from The American List. Schaefer Ranchwear, made in New Mexico. Almost all of it is too cowboy for prep-Americana (prepicana?) tastes, but there are certainly a few gems.
In their words:
Each Schaefer Ranchwear garment is proudly American made in our family owned and operated factory, which means we design, engineer, cut, sew and inspect each and every...
Busy: College Finals
Real posts will start again after my finals and the slew of papers I have to write in the coming week. I apologize if the subsequent posts are intermittent and lacking in breadth. College is hard work, yo.
Source: LIFE Archives
4 tags
Inspiration: The Bean Boot Project
The Bean Boot Project, assembled by L.A.S. of the excellent weblog Sartorially Inclined, is a collection of musings/images/anecdotes on the iconic L.L. Bean boot as told by other menswear bloggers. So far, L.A.S. has received some quality submissions from some quality people, including The Trad, A Time to Get, Alex Grant, Components of Enthusiasm, the venerable Mister Mort, and more.
L.A.S. was...
4 tags
Classic: Wallabees
Either you love them or you call them orthopedics.
Classic: Glengarry Glen Ross
To be honest, I don’t really like Alec Baldwin. He’s always struck me as being kind of sleaze-bag, for no reason in particular. But, like anyone else, I can appreciate moments of fine acting. This iconic scene from Glengarry Glen Ross is one of my favorites.
Always be closing.
3 tags
The Find: Woolrich 60/40 Parka
Just a few days ago, while on Thanksgiving break, I took a look in the family coat closet. Tucked away, back behind London Fog and a torn-to-pieces L.L. Bean coat, I found a surprising gem. It was my older brother’s long forgotten 60/40 parka, from Woolrich, made in the USA.
The 60/40 parka, popularized by Sierra Designs in the 1970’s, lends its name to the material composition of...
November 2009
9 posts
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hope everyone had a good meal. For me, a great Thanksgiving dinner is synonymous with lying in the fetal position on my living room floor, trying my very best not to throw up.
2 tags
Watching: Grosgrain/Nylon Watch Bands
Without question, the single most ubiquitous compliment I receive on any item of clothing or accessory from friend or stranger is “nice watch.” The funny thing is, they’re talking about a $25 Timex. But I suspect it’s the grosgrain watchband people are drawn to. Replacing the bland leather band that the Timex is stocked with, the watch becomes an entirely new...
3 tags
Open for Business: The ACL Shop
Michael Williams, of A Continuous Lean, opened his online store today. In his words:
Good things come to those who wait. After touting the launch of the ACL Shop for months, the day has finally arrived for me to offer a small but ever expanding collection of unique goods. Things we personally want to use and wear. To launch the site we collaborated with designers like Billykirk, Cole, Rood...
2 tags
Icon: Pete Seeger
Bring ‘em home.
3 tags
Sweater History: Ohio Knitting Mills
If you frequent the American menswear blogosphere, chances are you already know Ohio Knitting Mills. For those who don’t, the story goes something like this:
In 1928, Harry Stone founded the Ohio Knitting Mills in Cleveland, OH. Over the decades, the mill became one of the largest garment manufacturers in the nation, producing knitwear for stores like Sears, Lord & Taylor, and...
3 tags
Photography: Old Streets (London & Paris)
Old folks.
It’s a rumpled elegance, an unpretentious grace, and a sartorial charm that characterize those elderly individuals who take command of their presence. It’s something Ari Cohen (Advanced Style) and Mordechai Rubinstein (Mister Mort) know well. The gray-haired are a part of very fabric of the street itself; Archetypal exemplars in the ever-changing aesthetic of the sidewalk...
3 tags
Classics: The Timeless Three from L.L. Bean
Some things never change.
Links:
Barn coat
Tote Bag
Bean Boot
3 tags
Inspiration: A Restless Transplant
If I could pinpoint one impetus for starting this blog, it would be Foster Huntington and his internet gem A Restless Transplant. Foster, a Colby College (Maine) undergrad, writes and photographs the things he loves: American lifestyles, clothing, the outdoors, vintage goods, and the odds and ends encountered in the Northeast. His perspective on menswear is informed by the lifestyle and...
Wingtip: Inauguration Day
Wingtip is a directory/collection/anthology of: Stuff I like. Stuff I appreciate. Stuff that inspires. Stuff that enthuses. Stuff that makes me laugh. Stuff that makes me think. Stuff that makes me poop. Stuff I wish I could afford. Stuff. “Stuff” includes but is not limited to: Menswear Style Design Food Americana Photography Fiction Humor
Cheers,
Dan S.