the tumblr.
i am officially moving to tumblr ya’ll. i know i change blogging services every 6 – 12 months, but tumblr is my new home. i don’t know why i fought it for so long.
see you there.
bow tie
the bow tie is a recent development for me. i have always wanted to wear them, but i never owned any and i didn’t know how to tie them. fortunately, my girlfriend got me one for christmas. with some instruction from the internet and a little practice, i now know how to tie my bow tie and it is in regular circulation.
i’d like to take this opportunity to give a plug for getting your clothes tailored. the trousers you see me wearing in these photos are from 2003. i always liked the material, but the fit was always too baggy, especially as the slim fit has become more popular. i recently took them to the tailor. now they fit like a champion and have become some of my favorite pants. don’t buy more stuff. tailor what you have.
loafers. so hot right now. even though these are black, i think they go well with the chocolate brown pants. the beige contrast socks really gives the shoes a nice pop.
this post makes me realize that i need to take photos of my outfits in better lighting. sorry ya’ll. i’ll see what i can do. nice cameras can only do so much with bad lighting.
casio
i like the idea of a watch that is cheap enough to not worry about breaking or getting stolen. i have been really into the “what your dad/grandpa wore” aesthetic lately. my watch is an analog. but, i think there is room in my life for a more disposable digital watch. hello casio.
this faux-analog digital watch is beautiful beautiful simplicity:
okay, this one is a timex. but, it is one of my favorites along the same lines of the casio. i really like the gold:
grandpa geek chic. holla.
canadian tux
i woke up feeling dangerous this morning. how dangerous? canadian tuxedo dangerous. experts only need apply.
the most important thing about denim on denim is making sure the wash of your fabrics are different enough so that it doesn’t look like you were trying to match them. if it looks intentional, you’re in trouble.
i used driving loafers to finish it out. they looked really appealing this morning.
the no-belt with jeans look is a favorite of mine. the jeans have to be really tight though.
how do you feel about canadian tuxedos?
space pen
lately, i have been really into stationery, pens, and the like. in my economics class, we talked about the history of the ball point pen. obviously, the space pen came up.
they use pressurized ink cartridges in order to write without gravity. i have handled them in the past. the combination of their weight, shape, and size is extremely pleasing. it’s on my list
wet shaving: cartridge vs. safety razor
in my last installment of wet shaving, i talked about why the modern shaving industry (gillette via cartridge razors) is corrupt. but, it’s not all bad. there are reasons why millions of men use gillette razors. today, i am going to briefly run you through the pros and cons of using a cartridge razor vs. a safety razor.
i’ll be using the gillette fusion pro-glide as my benchmark for cartridges because most men usually buy the latest and greatest. and to be honest, it is the best cartridge razor ever made.
pros
- this thing is fast. fast. fast. you can get a close shave in just a few minutes.
- easy to use. short of breaking out the blades from the cartridge and slashing at your face, it is pretty much impossible to cut yourself with these things.
- comfortable. there is very little discomfort when you shave with this bad boy.
cons
- expensive. you’re paying about $4 per cartridge for these. that adds up fast.
- poor durability. even though you’re paying $4 a cartridge, these will only last 2 -3 weeks of shaving at best.
- dirty. cartridges are cesspools of bacteria. your pores will get clogged and give you acne if you’re remotely prone to getting acne.
- ingrown hair irritation. the multiple blade system cuts your facial hair below the skin surface, so you’re much more likely to get ingrown hairs.
honestly, if you’re hell bent on using a cartridge razor, i would go with the schick quattro. i think it has the best balance between price, comfort, and getting a close shave. the replacements are reasonable (as far as cartridges go). not to mention, it is also the most aesthetically pleasing design of the cartridges. let’s be honest, gillette’s creations and especially the pro-glide look like probing instruments from an alien abduction. just saying.
the safety razor
i’ve only used one type of safety razor, but it is what most people buy: the merkur safety razor.
pros
- cheap. the replacement blades for these are incredibly cheap. i paid about 20 cents a blade for my last replacement set.
- close shave. if you know how to use one, these will give you a much closer shave than any cartridge.
- clean. there is only one blade, so it doesn’t get clogged with your face juice. and you can easily afford to replace the blades every week. my complexion has improved significantly since i started using these.
- less irritation. you’re cutting the hair at the skin level, so ingrown hairs are basically non-existant with these. i haven’t had any since i switched.
- durability and aesthetics. the actual safety razor looks like a piece of art and will last a lifetime. there are few working pieces, and they’re all stainless steel. if you find a vintage safety razor from the 50s and clean it up, it will still work just as well. see if your mach 3 razor from five years ago will do that. i didn’t think so.
- bad ass. you will feel significantly more bad ass using one of these. i promise.
cons
- expensive upfront. the stainless steel safety razor will probably set you back about $20-$40 depending on what you buy. the merkurs are around $35. you can find razors on ebay though and clean them up. but, you’ll probably never have to buy a razor again.
- steep learning curve. compared to a cartridge, it will take some time to learn how to get a close shave with a safety razor. it isn’t very hard, but it is harder than a cartridge. it took me a couple weeks to get back to pro-glide closeness.
- easier to mutilate yourself. this ain’t no straight razor, there is a safety bar, but it is easier to cut yourself. however, if you know how to shave with a two or three blade without cutting yourself. you should be fine. i didn’t cut myself with it the first time.
- time. these do take longer to shave with. you must take a little more care when shaving, and do multiple “passes” to get a close shave. it takes me a little less than ten minutes to shave with a safety razor.
to help you understand which choice is right for you, consider the following analogy:
think of a cartridge razor like an automatic transmission. you pay a premium to have them in your car and you don’t have as much control over your drive. but, they’re easy to use, easy to learn, and convenient in heavy traffic.
a safety razor is like a manual transmission. they’re cheaper. you have more control over your drive. and you feel like a bad ass when you use one. but, they’re harder to use, harder to learn, and sometimes a hassle in stop and go traffic.
i think the analogy speaks for itself. personally, i am a manual transmission kind of guy. i am also a safety razor kind of guy. you just need to decide for yourself what kind of guy you are. whatever is more important to you in a razor is what you should buy.
top 20 albums of 2010
hey hey hey. spiffy has been around for over a year now. i’ve made a lot of changes like switching to wordpress and covering men’s style, but i’ll probably always talk about music. and, it’s that time of year again. year end countdown lists and the like. all lists are subjective, so these are my top 20 albums for 2010. take it or leave it. here we go.
20. this is happening – lcd soundsystem
alternative-electro-punk revival. the nine minute long “dance yrself clean” with crisp dance beats dropping in midway is a definite high.
19. darwin deez – darwin deez
british moustache/jerry curl rockin’ pop man of mystery. this is his debut album. listen to and watch the video for “radar detector.” you won’t be able to get it out of your head for weeks.
18. nightwork – scissor sisters
the album artwork is visually jarring. but, the scissor sisters are homosexual after all (if that wasn’t clear before). early 80s dance anthem throwbacks abound. the scissor sisters are always catchy.
17. swim – caribou
there have been a lot of generic indie electronica releases this year. caribou’s is probably the best. listen to “odessa” and “kaili.”
16. broken dreams club – girls
girls’ debut album last year was one of my favorites. their sophomore effort is no letdown. angsty basic california surf rock. “heartbreaker” is a great song.
15. the drums – the drums
another debut album from a british band. the drums channel the surf rock sound. so hot right now. “book of stories” is exquisite.
14. the orchard – ra ra riot
ra ra riot is often compared to vampire weekend, but they develop more of their own sound on this album. the orchard is full of pleasing sounds. check out “kansai.”
13. man on the moon ii: the legend of mr. rager – kid cudi
one of two hip-hop/rap albums to make it to my list this year. kid cudi dominates with this new work. catchy and powerful. listen to “revofev.”
12 brothers – the black keys
funky. soulful. catchy. addictive. i am new to the black keys this year, and this stuff is good. it isn’t groundbreaking, but i can’t stop listening to it. “tighten up” is my favorite song.
11. heartland – owen pallett
previously known as final fantasy, owen pallett changed his name to avoid confusion with the popular video game series. most of the “sounds” on this album are actually just different noise variations done with his violin. the lewis tracks (“lewis takes off his shirt” & “lewis takes action”) are fantastic.
10. teen dream – beach house
beach house has a very different, hypnotic sound. “norway” and “used to be” are great.
9. lp4 – ratatat
an absolutely perfect electronica band blend. i could listen to this album for hours. the greek guitar mixed in with ground shaking bass lines are a nice touch for me. “bob gandhi” is my fav.
8. gorilla manor – local natives
local natives are newcomers to the game with this very strong debut album. indie folksy times abound. “airplanes” is incredibly catchy.
7. one life stand – hot chip
hot chip is unstoppable. “i feel better” (watch the video) and “one life stand” are the two best. this album kind of falls apart in the second half, but it is still one of the best of the year.
6. plastic beach – gorillaz
gorillaz (aka damon albarn) are back with more guest features than you can shake a banana at. the whole album is good. i am not sure what genre it is, and that’s one of the reasons why it is so good.
5. treats – sleigh bells
loud. punky. dissonant. catchy. this is groundbreaking stuff. it’s not necessarily new, but it’s new that i like this sort of brand. listen to “rill rill,” “crown on the ground,” and “infinity guitars.”
4. contra – vampire weekend
i saw vampire weekend on this tour twice this year. that alone speaks for itself. the songs are longer and more complex than their first album. perfect synthesis and infinitely pleasing. listen to “horchata,” “giving up the gun,” and “contra.”
3. the suburbs – arcade fire
arcade fire only gets better with age. i connect deeply with this album and its themes. epic and powerful choruses and sounds. arcade fire isn’t going anywhere. listen to “rococo,” “half light ii (no celebration),” and “we used to wait.”
2. my beautiful dark twisted fantasy – kanye west
congratulations mr. west. this is genius. it certainly it is a dark fantasy, but it is only worth listening to unedited. “all of the light,” “monster,” and especially “lost in the world” are works of art.
1. the age of adz – sufjan stevens
there was tough competition at for these top three spots, but sufjan managed to edge out kanye and arcade fire. this album is groundbreaking. i would give sufjan the no. 1 spot for the 25 minute monster, “impossible soul,” alone but the whole album is that good. it a pleasing, moving, and progressive album. i can’t get over it. sufjan is a true genius.
