ATL Essentials 2012 Winter Edition

Let me begin by pointing out the new ATL Essentials page on the top of the blog.  These posts are some of my favorite on the site, and I really hope that people who read my blog will chime in with comments.

1) Merino Wool.  My favorite brand is Ibex, but I also like Smartwool and Icebreaker.  Merino wool is the best material you can buy.  It is good for the planet, sustainable, great for performance, and looks great too.  I stay warm in a variety of base and mid-layers.  My favorite piece is the Ibex Shak.

2) LL Bean Boots of varying size and color.  Great for slushy weather, and they look cool.

3) Arc'teryx Goretex Shells.  The best piece of outerwear money can buy.  Also, some of the most expensive.  Alpha SV is the highest end, and is on top of my wish list right now.  I would settle for an Alpha LT though!

4) Bloody Marys.  Use sriracha. I also like eggnog, and if you are going to drink craft beers, avoid the winter warmers and pick a nice stout or porter.  I don't have a problem, honest!

5) Reading.  I always love to read, but this is the best season to read indoors, by the fire, with a drink in hand.  I really don't have a problem.

6) Salmon.  Wild. Sockeye.  Here is How I Cook Salmon.

That's all til Spring folks.  Check out the other ATL Essentials post from Summer and Autumn!

Old LL Bean Catalog: Field Coat and Maine Guide Field Boots

Don't these boots look just like the Red Wing 875s that everyone has been jocking nowadays. They are $89 for the uninsulated ones and $110 with Goretex and $10 more to add Thinsulate. The moccasin toe look is my favorite for boots, just like the 875.

Also the Upland Field Coat looks really good as it was the subject of a recent post over at Heavy Tweed Jacket. The cotton lined joint is the one he picked and I cosign. I have a bunch of LL Bean items and I really admire their quality and the outdoorsy New England aesthetic.

Holiday Shopping List

This list is by no means exhaustive, and is certainly not going to be the best of the blogosphere, but I hope the readers of this blog will enjoy and potentially utilize this. Anyone who receives one of these gifts is going to be mighty happy. Also, feel free to send this link to your clueless grandmother or significant other...


1.) J.Press - Shaggy Dog Sweater - $165 - A J.Press classic made of Shetland wool, exclusively for Press. I buy my Shetlands here or at Andover Shop but the key decision making factor for me recommending the J.Press variety is the color! Bright colors are a huge part of trad, why wear forest green when you can wear kelly? Navy when this particular shade of blue can be had?


2) Filson - 222 Medium Duffle Bag - $280 - An awesome bag that has been discussed consistently in the blog world, and for good reason. Fine construction, good aesthetics, and amazing utility make this one of the best duffle bags money can buy. Perfect for the hunt or the weekend trip with the in-laws. Tan color, naturally.

3) Apple - Magic Mouse - $69 - Apparently simple, but remarkably sophisticated, courtesy of multi-touch sensor enabled mouse. Watch the video to be convinced quickly.


4) Ommegang Brewery - 10th Anniversary Gift Pack - $23.99 - Satisfy any beer lover with this set from Cooperstown, NY based Ommegang Brewery. Consisting of three 750 ml bottles of their favorites: Hennepin, Three Philosophers and Chocolate Indulgence. Also included is a logo glass, this might seem expensive for beer, but I consider this a bargain.



5) LL Bean - 8" Bean Boots w/ Goretex and Thinsulate - $134 - "Keeping Feet Dry for 95 Years" is no small feat for a pair of boots. Freeport, Maine based LL Bean's signature product, discussed everywhere, but a favorite of mine is by my fellow blogger L.A.S. of Sartorially Inclined. These are one of the most stylish yet utilitarian gifts you can give, unisex and useful. Personally, I have had a pair of these since I was a child, couldn't make it through Boston slushfest (November - March) without them.



6) Field Notes - Colors Subscription of Notebooks - $129 - As a huge fan of Field Notes and pocket notebooks in general, this is an AWESOME gift. I have always wanted to pull the trigger on the colors subscription, which if you read the image above gives you 24 pocket notebooks over the course of the year, 6 of 4 different shades. While I admit that's a fairly high price, these notebooks are the business! Cool details, great quality and always by my side. Moleskine is a viable alternative, also ATL recommended!


7) Supreme - Suede Front Sweater - $179 - The only word to describe this sweater/jacket is RAD. I love the vintage styling, and although it is a small percentage acrlyic, which I usually avoid on principal, I want this sweater so bad. As of now, only available in store, but I assume it will become available before 12/25 on their online shop. Supreme usually puts out one or two dark horse pieces per season, and this is definitely one of them. If you have an art collector on your Christmas list, instead grab him a Damien Hirst x Supreme dot deck, available Monday (11-23)!



8) Clarks Originals - Wallabee Weaver Moccasin - ~$120 - Available across the pond only for now, this revival of a classic Padmore & Barnes design has been making me salivate for months now. I have the original, which I also got from a fellow in London, and although they are getting old, they are still one of my favorite shoes. I may rationalize myself into buying the brown as I already own the sand. Either way, this item of footwear is a sture thing: stylish, comfortable, and timeless.

9) Freestyle Games - DJ Hero Bundle - $98 - Everyone has heard of Guitar Hero, but the newest offering DJ Hero allows the "Disk Jockey" to mix two tracks together from a massive pool of R&B, Hip Hop, Techno and so forth. Samples and effects can be added in via the unique and proprietary controls that mimic a realistic mixer and fader. Check out the video for a demo!


10) Gold Futures - currently a bargain at $1150/oz- according to Ambrose Evans-Pritchard who says Gold could easily reach $6300, which is the equivalent value that it reached in the 1970s when similar economic conditions spooked central governments into the precious metal. With the Federal Reserve and US Government destroying the dollar's value and likely sparking inflation in the near future, gold is going to continue going up. This gift will be appreciated more than any a few years down the road much more than a savings bond, which will probably lose value for your children or grandchildren by the time they cash it.

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)

Link Roundup

A video look at the blogger behind Secret Forts, James Wilson. A soft-spoken, interesting cat who makes his home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I enjoy his blog and it was cool to see the man behind it in moving pictures. (acontinuouslean)

I am from New England, grew up on the South Shore of Boston, and cranberry bogs are something so common to me. The author took a trip from Boston down to Carver, the town next to Plymouth (Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth Rock, Mayflower replica etc) to see a bog being harvested. Great pictures of the bog and of the food the writer made with the cranberries she was gifted. (La Tartine Gourmande)

Hamilton's 1883 shirts look amazing and there was plenty of coverage at the usual suspects, because Hamilton set up a group of "Tastemakers" to sample the shirts and for an exclusive photo shoot. These well-heeled bloggers included Mister Mort's Mordechai Rubenstein, Hollister Hovey, All Plaid Out's Max Wastler, Michael Williams of A Continuous Lean and previously discussed James Wilson from Secret Forts.

I am super excited about the LL Bean Signature line designed by Rogue's Gallery founder Alex Carleton. There will be 100 pieces for both males and females, and I will have to restrain myself from buying a large percentage of these. (valetmag)

Help me decide

Need to add a few more jackets to my wardrobe for this coming Fall/Winter, please help me decide, or if you have any other recommendations, feel free to submit them in the comments!
Supreme - Timberline Jacket

Vintage Sierra Designs

J.Crew x Baracuta - G9 Jacket khaki

Crescent Down Works - primary blue/red Montagne Parka Goretex

Cresecent Down Works - 60/40 army green montagna parka

Vintage LL Bean

DQM x Crescent Down Works - 60/40 Montagne Parka

Barbour - Beaufort waxed cotton jacket

Albam - The Hill Walker