100 Days of Ties: Day 60: Amusement Tuesdays with Enjoi, Louie Barletta, and pandas and wools.

Sweater: Enjoi / Tie: Billy Reid / Shirt: Lands' End Canvas / Belly of the Beast: Cluttered / TV on DVD: Watched and Rewatched many a-time

In my prior life, I might just have been an eleventeen year-old girl as I have had an affinity for all things panda for as far back as I can remember. It’s what I named one of my first solo projects after (if you know me, you’ll get the title of this post better), it’s what I have been for Halloween, and the love of the animal is what initially drew me towards the fine product of Enjoi. Though the antics of Jerry Hsu, Louie Barletta, Colt Cannon, Caswell Berry, Jose Rojo and Marc Johnson (now gone) kept my attention, I was on a quest back in my skating daze to acquire most of their collection. So, when i was cleaning out my closet recently (you can’t tell from the picture), I was pretty stoked to come upon the Enjoi Panda Sweater that took me a LONG time to find back in the day.

So, with that in mind, kill some time watching Louie Barletta’s spot from Enjoi’s first video, Man Down. My fave point comes at 1:23….

100 Days of Ties: Day 59: A holiday recap and remembering Leslie Nielsen

Sweater: J. Crew / Shirt: Lands' End Canvas / Tie: The Hill-Side / Shoes: LL Bean Signature / Self: Sleep-deprived

Man, I really don’t know what happened last night, but I was only able to score maybe 3 hours of sleep in between some of the most messed up dreams I have ever had. It could be from the momentous weekend or the anxiousness of getting back to work today. That, and for whatever reason, this Leslie Nielsen death is hitting me quite hard. I actually choked up telling my father the bad news last evening. The Naked Gun trilogy as well as the old Police Squads were a special thing to my brothers and my father and me. He took us to see NG at such an early age, I had no idea what some of the jokes meant. Now, obviously, I get them, but I gotta hand it to him… He’s a pretty cool dad to have taken his children to see those flicks back then.
So, with the tip of my hat to one of the bygone comedic geniuses of our era, and of those prior, I say, thank you Mr. Nielsen for so many moments that brought not only smiles to this kid’s face and laughs to my soul, but for also providing my family with quotes that will serve as inside jokes for years and years to come.

“Hey! You call this slop? Real slop has got chunks in it! This is more like gruel! And this Château le Blanc ’68 is supposed to be served slightly chilled! This is room temperature! What do you think we are, animals?”

100 Days of Ties: Day 58: A Canadian Tuxedo in time for Thanksgiving (?)

Tie: The Hill Side Raw Denim in Indigo / Shirt: J. Crew Chambray / Denim: Levi's / Jacket: Gant Rugger (obviously) / Coffee: Circle K Supercharged / Hair: Windblown

So it was a decent and almost pleasant walk through the morning air in Denver today en route to the bus. I thought, “Well, seeing as how last night I expected snow on the ground, today is going to be great.” Then, BAM! I get to boulder and the wind is whipping harder than Indiana Jones. It was one of those lean-forward-like-you’re-in-a-cartoon winds, too. Not fun. I then realized that, damn, if it weren’t for the scarf and jacket, I’d be a regular Denim Dan. I must’ve been tired this morning. But what’s done is done, and I’m now owning the J. Crew / Hill Side / LL Bean / Levi’s / Highland Home Industries get up. It’s all I can do. Just gotta go out there and give’r.

If you get that reference, we’re friends. Good friends.

UPDATE: I was just informed by my coworker that the outfit is more of a Canadian Casual Friday than a Canadian Tuxedo.

Contributor Spotlight: Born in the USA – Ties from The Hill Side

A few weeks back, I had my first experience with the waxed canvas tie from The Hill Side when I copped one from Rob and Co. at Wharf. Since, it has made its way around my neck on a number of different occasions from regular work garb, to a close friend’s wedding, and out and about in a casual setting. The weight, color, and feel of the waxed canvas was ideal. I was worried first off about the bulkiness of the knot after cinching up a half-windsor, but I gotta admit that after the tie, it was no larger than that of a silk knot. And opn that note, I have to say the classic silk tie might be among my least favorite to tie. Without fail, something gets tangled when I do.

The Hill Side - Selvedge Chambray

The Hill Side, known for its dedication to quality neckwear is only made better when you consider all product is made right here in the good old United States of America. I am happy to wear a few offerings they sent my way, which I have done so already. The indigo raw denim selvedge I wore a few days back is quite special, as I failed to read the warning printed on the packaging (see below). But that’s another thing, each tie comes with a different description, obviously, but it’s not written like a company threw it on there. It’s like your friend is writing you a note. Which, in this day and age aside from an @ reply or DM or “like” to your status update, is not just nice but welcomed. So, thanks, and keep up the good work, Hill Side cast and crew.

100 Days of Ties: Day 57: I haven’t worn Dockers in maybe 15 years

Tie: Gitmn Bros. for Bonobos / Sweater: Lands' End Canvas / Shirt, Socks: J. Crew / Pants: Dockers Khaki Waders / Shoes: LL Bean Ranger Mocs / Witty Comment: Missing

I think it’s been since maybe grade school or a time I had to borrow a pair of pants from my father for church that I donned a pair of Dockers. But when I read about their khaki waders on Jeremiah’s blog I decided to give the brand that I until now attributed to that of which my mom would buy for me another go. The fit, the break, the color are all good. But what really got me, I s’pose was the fact that even if I wasn’t too keen on the pants when they came, the pricepoint of less than $50 (pre-tax, etc) made the purchase feel less like a commitment and more like a “Why the hell not?”

And you pair them waders with a Lands’ End / J. Crew / Modern Amusement / LL Bean kit? Tuesday, so far, is looking good, both physically and professionally. Boosh.