On the Hunt: Suede Loafers - Alden, Crockett & Jones, Sid Mashburn, etc

Alden loafers are produced not too far away from me in Eastern MA.  I have had a number pairs over the past few years, but the pair I am currently looking for is a suede pair of loafers.  Brown snuff suede is great, and in a loafer form is awesome.

Alden $472 @ The Shoe Mart

Crockett & Jones Harvard $595 @ Ben Silver

Suede Loafers $295 @ Sid Mashburn

Tod's Gommini $425 @ Nordstrom

ATL Essentials: Mid Summer Edition

 Summer is in full swing, and has it been a hot one here in the northeastern United States.  I have been loving getting out there and enjoying summer as best as possible.  I decided to put together a short list of the things that I can't live without during the summer, and a short write up on each of them. 

Loafers, no socks.  This is my footwear of choice, although I occasionally go for sneakers or more formal options, loafers are the summer stand-by.  They go great with both pants and shorts and sockless is the only way to go.  I prefer the full strapped loafers, but penny loafers, driving shoes and many other variations work as well.

Seltzer.  I used to be a big soda drinker, pre paleo, but now I get my carbonation fix from seltzer water.  Zero calories, ice cold, and refreshing on a warm day.  Many people prefer the imported Pelligrino, but I really like Poland Springs, especially the lime and mandarin orange flavors.

Vineyard Vines neckwear.  Bright colors, summery motifs, these are my favorite summer ties.

Patagonia Standup shorts.  I am a pretty big Patagonia fan in general, and the stand up shorts are possibly my favorite item.  They are designed for climbing, with the big pockets, but I think they look great and the fabric is incredibly thick.

Leatherman Ltd Motif Belts.  Leatherman makes affordable belts and are a product of Connecticut!  I prefer the nautical, sport, or fishing patterns, these are great summer belts.

Tennis.  I have recently picked up playing the sport, as a result of my wife taking classes.  We both have improved dramatically, and it is really a great competitive past time for us now.

Fresh produce.  Summers in New England are the best time for us to get fresh produce.  Grocery stores, farm stands, and farmers markets are the places to pick it up.  I love tomatos and really prefer the locally grown heirloom varieties, so I make sure to get my fill while available!

Duffle Bag.  Duffle bags are essential for a weekend getaway to Cape Cod, Maine, the Hamptons, Narragansett or any of the other great summer getaway locations near by.  Luckily Red Clay Soul, a blog I really like, written by a guy out of Charleston, gave a great rundown on duffle bags recently, and I urge you to check it out!

Check out other ATL Essentials posts.

Alden for Brooks Brothers Shell Cordovan Full Strap Loafers

Alden is my favorite footwear producer.  I wish I could afford every single model in their portfolio.  I have owned tassel loafers and found several other models over the years while thrifting.  Recently, I acquired my first pair of shell cordovan loafers from Alden.  They came via a friendly seller on Styleforum who offered me a great deal.  Although they are not in fantastic condition, they look good and feel great.  I am considering getting the Alden recrafting process done, although at $145 it is a decent investment, much better than $600 for a new pair. 

Worn here with my standby Uniqlo socks and some cheap J.Crew trousers

Trad Shopping List

I guess my style can be somewhat "trad" at times, but even if I am not full-time blue blooded trad, I borrow from the style and am influenced by the styling and details tremendously. With that said, I have put together a list of trad items that are on my long term wants list. All of these items are high-quality and intended to last many years and are somewhat "fancy" to the uninitiated, which lines up quite nicely with my personal philosophy of only buying quality items and not caring what the general populace thinks. So without further ado I present my Trad Shopping List.

1) Alden or Allen Edmonds (MacNeil) or Florsheim Imperial (Kenmoor) Longwing Bluchers (referred to by trads as LWBs) respectively




2) Southwick Douglas, available either off the rack (OTR) or made to measure, (MTM) is a three button sack center vented with flap pocket coat, like the rest of this list, a classic.



3) Smathers and Branson Needlepoint Belt, these belts are so detailed, its amazing. Pictured here are two possibilities for me, the "Dark and Stormy" and "Beers on Black." These are available through O'Connell's of Buffalo, which happens to stock a number of other trad items as well if anyone is interested.



4) More oxford cloth button downs, If there was one item that defined the trad look it could very well be the OCBD. Two choices are the J.Press model, which can be had with button down pockets as well or O'Connell's delivers again with their Heavyweight OCBD.


5) Bill's Khakis go with your navy sack blazer, madras jacket or tweed jacket. I will go with the flat front variety as I avoid pleats on principle, the model is M1 which is based on World War 2 original chinos, always go with the classics when it comes to trad.


Of course a true trad wardrobe includes tweeds, a number of suits, repp stripe and regimental and knit ties, bowties, plaids, tattersalls, Bass Weejuns, Lacoste Polos and a million more things, these are just five pieces that I would like to borrow from "trad-dom" for my wardrobe, by no means an exhaustive list!

Christmas Wish List

These are the five items that I really hope Santa leaves under the tree for me this year.

1) Alden - Cordovan Norwegian Front Blucher Oxford - in "Dark Burgundy Cordovan" $615 - Realistically I will probably get a non-cordovan pair, that is $440.


2) Gitman Vintage - Pinpoint Oxford Button-down - this wonderful shirt is 100% Cotton and American made, produced on the east coast. It features a v-stitch pocket, box pleat, and narrow split yolk. The back collar buttons down for business, or can be popped for parties. A beautiful shirt, fairly priced at $132.


3) Patagonia - Lightweight R4 Jacket - The R4 Jacket is made from a warm, durable, microfleece, combined with a full-stretch laminate for windproof protection in cold conditions. I have always wanted a nice Patagonia fleece, and although I prefer a vintage deep pile fleece, I do not want my loved ones scouring Ebay and the local thrift stores to find one. $225


4) J.Crew - Whitman Tweed Herringbone Sport Coat - I need more tweed and other sport coats as I expand my wardrobe and this J.Crew coat with the herringbone pattern is a prime target. Make sure to take advantage of the 15% student discount, if you still have a college id card, and can pass as a student. $265 retail price, but but would cost my wife $225.


5) Sperry x J.Crew - Original Nubuck Chukka Boat Shoes - although these are a little steep, the 15% student discount plays to my advantage again. I love Sperry boat shoes and need a new pair, and do not want to drop the money for Quoddys, although they are awfully tempting. I love the chambray lining detail of these, as well as the fact that they are chukkas, not low tops. $125

Link Roundup - October 28

I consider myself pretty entrepreneurial, and I have always wanted to run my own business. This article is an exploration of that subject, extolling the benefits and drawbacks of being your own boss. The pros are the freedom to do what interests you, passion for your business, and the pride for being responsible for a hopefully successful business while the cons are that it is actually a lot of work that can be lonely, and being solely responsible for the dull details. (mailing textbooks in this case) At least consider the idea, you may just find yourself with the best job ever! (manvsdebt)

Alden, one of the last few American shoemakers. The region south of Boston in Massachusetts used to be one of the most heavily concentrated with clothing and shoe manufacturers a century ago. Alden is located in Middleborough, MA, 30 minutes south of my parents home, in a very similar town. Epaulet of Brooklyn has a forthcoming collaboration with Alden on a Brixton boot and was able to make a very professional video and photo gallery of their visit to the factory. (epauletshop)

A favorite blogger of mine, Foster, who interned at Rogue's Gallery helped create a mural for Alex Carleton, also originally of Rogue's Gallery. The "inspiration wall" was for the LL Bean Signature, which has already had and will continue to have play here, event that happened a few weeks ago in NYC. Foster gathered a number of images relating to LL Bean and he posted some to his blog for those of us who couldn't make it (weren't invited) to enjoy. (a restless transplant)

The financial crisis of the past 18 months is no secret, and as a close follower of the finance world, this article hit home for me. Although it comes from a fairly technical site, maybe my favorite on the web, anyone who is interested in the fate of America should read it. Comparing the classic "bust out" scene of the local restaurant in Scorsese's Godfellas to the swindle that AIG and the Private Equity firms have given the taxpayer is pretty much on point. (zero hedge)

Great set of fall images. I have a deep respect for James' eye for quality and details. I admit that I have a bit of a thing for image posts and blogs, but this one is seriously top notch. (secret forts)