Friday Wrap-up: End of July

Jeff buys a suit and Seth steals Jeff's clothes. Everything is right.

• JBrand launches J World. See if you can find the tall drink of coffee water himself, Jeff.
  Give up, Waldo? Click here.

THRIFTY THURSDAY: A. P. (pre) C. (iate)

Guess who finally bought his first suit? This guy.

Your first suit should be one that fits you. That's first and foremost.

Your first suit should be altered to your body with the help of a tailor.

Your first suit should be probably be grey because you can dress it up and dress it down with separates. Black is always formal—think: weddings and funerals—and navy may be a little too casual for a black-tie event, because we all know I'm invited to black-tie events so often...

Well, I bought a midnight navy one, and it fits me perfectly off the rack. Hat's off to you, A.P.C., for making such a finely tailored suit that fits a 6'2" man with a 36" chest, girlishly small arms and a terribly long inseam.

Seth's note: Uh, Jeff, where are the photos of the suit?

Jeff: Wait, you thought after all that talk I was actually going to show you photos of the whole thing?

midweSTYLE: Yves dropping

Anthony: "Okay, this pose is good, Jeff. You look like a tool, and the city looks dope."

Anthony: "Good, now go ahead and step forward, and let me grab a shot of Seth."

And apparently, I look my best post-nut-tap gasping for air and making sure nothing ascended into my stomach.

A magical Saturday roadtrip

June 4 was a busy day. Like a driving-across-the-state-of-Missouri kind of day with lots of stops along the way and a little hop over to Kansas. (Map of our gallivanting and peregrinations.)

9 a.m.:
Jeff: Wake up in Columbia from wedding-dancing-coma and shacking at 1613 for the last time. I call my mother because I'm a good son (that, and I'm driving—you always gotta make those check-in phone calls when you've got a good commute). She tells me that she and Bill (step-dad) are going to NASCAR like any good Midwestern, blue-collar family does on a Saturday. They have extra tickets. I say, "Hell yes."
Seth: Wake up in Joplin and ignore Jeff's phone calls and demands. (Editor's note: because he is legitimately busy with reporting on tragedy and devastation.)
Cam: Sleeping.

11 a.m.:
Jeff: Stop by my favorite place in Independence, Cargo Largo. It's the island of misfit toys with sweet finds, like Sperrys, Jack Spade dopp kits and Clarks.
Seth: Car troubles. Turns out his car just needed a little T.L.C. Come on, Seth. Don't go chasing waterfalls.
Cam: Sleeping.

12 a.m.:
Jeff: Go back to my homestead and consume various forms of food that I won't buy for myself.
Seth: Back on the road.
Cam: Still sleeping.

1 p.m.:
Jeff: Hop in Seth's car.
Seth: Let Jeff hop in Seth's car.
Cam: Get up to go pee and then go back to bed.

2 p.m.:
Jeff & Seth: Arrive at Kansas Speedway and drink beer.

My thrifted brown woven and wine fringe leather loafers by Allen Edmonds.

At the end of the race, the winner does a little dance.

4 p.m.:

Drive to Columbia, surprise our friend Kimberly at "the Winery." We sneak out back and romp around in the vineyards.

Straw fedora with chambray trim ($14) by Target; thrifted shirting; khaki shorts by J.Crew ($20); thrifted woven loafers ($4) by Allen Edmonds; thrifted woven leather belt ($1); watch ($18) by Timex.

Shirting ($30) by J.Crew.

5 p.m.:

Eat a pint of Lavender Honey from Sparky's. Lament the fact all the cicada ice cream would be gone. (But not to worry; there would be plenty of cicadas later.)

This is the only ice cream you need to eat. Lavender Honey. It will change your life.

7 p.m.:

Leave Columbia and head to a pool party.

9 p.m.:

Arrive in St. Louis. Hop in the pool.

10 p.m.:

Someone pushes Seth over the edge and he eats a cicada.

11 p.m.:

To Duffy's! Kirkwood's frattest finest.

The early-morning hours of the next day:

@katiestipo and @emlew: "What are you doing, Jeff? Carrying your shorts like a school boy?"

@jeffkies: "Yeah...."

Thrifted shirting ($3); floral board shorts ($40) by EVER; blue lobster shorts (gift); thrifted woven belt ($1); canvas tote by Filson; waxed dopp kit ($50) by Jack Spade.

THE GOOD GUYS: (Patio) Seth on Wrightwood

Meet (Patio) Seth.

He's a recent graduate from Tel Aviv University (you know, in Israel) with a degree in Public Policy and a double minor in long-boarding and vagabonding. Between schooling and world traveling, Seth's been using his green thumb and spending a few weekends in Chicago before he embarks on another journey. He's headed out west to Colorado on a fellowship handling public affairs at an alternative high school. Oddly enough, I met Seth two weeks ago while friends Katie and Emily were also visiting...

---

"Do you know that there is a half-naked man asleep on your patio," says Katie, full of sass and already on her second cup of coffee as she cracked opened my bedroom door.

"No, what?" I reply as I rolled over on my (air) mattress.

"Yeah, come here," Katie shouts. Then, across the hall: "Hey! Emily, come check this out."

As the sun beamed into the screened in patio, Katie, Emily and I peered out the kitchen window and saw our newly found patio denizen. Shirtless and decked in board shorts with his hands trying to shield his face from the 8 a.m. sun, Patio Seth held onto slumber on a thrifted Persian rug next to a empty box of Wheat Thins from the night before.

Emily: "He looks hot. I mean, like it's gotta be hot out there."

Katie: "Yeah, there is no way that is comfortable, sleeping on that floor. Why isn't he on the couch right next to him?"

Me: "I'm not sure. I wonder who he is."

Luke, my other roommate, from out of nowhere: "Oh yeah, Seth stayed the night last night. He's one of my buddies from college. He just got back from Tel Aviv. I guess he slept on the patio."

Luke trails off and reaches for breakfast. He continues nonchalantly, "Naw, he's cool."

---

ON PERSONAL STYLE: "The west coast influence of long-boarding inspires my style with the bright colors, and much of the same comes from my time in Tel Aviv. My clothes are generally brighter and lighter than most of my Midwest friends' style."

Seth grew up in a small town an hour or so outside of Chicago with a handful of siblings. While you and I spent our summers putzing around internships and lifeguarding at pools, Seth spent his summers being dropped out of helicopters to extinguish forest fires. See:

"Helicopters would give us lifts to fires and we'd tackle the beast. It was the perfect: daily doses of adrenaline and making my wallet thicker. It doesn't get much better."

He's already checked off long boarding and world traveling from his list. With blue-collar roots and homeschooling under his belt, Seth saved his pennies from forest fire money and set sail for the other side of the continent.

"I picked up long boarding after I came home from traveling in Asia for a year. My younger brother taught me when I was 24. We'd be done drinking and hit the roads, skating for an hour or two at a time. I felt like a kid again."

On Seth W.: The "Henley" jean by Baldwin Denim; denim button down shirt by Topman; thrifted denim jacket by Wrangler; engraved silver bracelet from a jeweler in Katmandu, Nepal; skate shoes from Castro in Tel Aviv.

Photography by Jeff Kieslich.

midweSTYLE: Summershine

A couple of weeks back, when we were finally getting used to the sun warming up the streets, Jeff and I caught up with our compadre Anthony Barlich, photographer extraordinaire.

The three of us generally palled around for the afternoon, first snapping some frames on a defunct freight track (known to some as the "Bloomingdale Trail")*, then running away from the rain, then scarfing down a few sweet, tasty Epic Burgers.

Solid day between hard-working friends.

Sartorially, I'll keep it brief. Here, I suppose, I'm endorsing the idea of fit and a splash of color. I don't think I'll get tired of a non-baggy silhouette any time soon. It makes us short-folk look not quite as dumpy. I've also been noticing that there's way too much blue in my closet. In school, I found that the color worked for me and overstocked. So I've been experimenting with other stuff. Took me a while to warm to the idea of sea-foam and grey, but there it is. I've also found myself woefully undersupplied in the short-sleeve shirt area. But no need to go out and buy a new shirt if it's not in the budget; just roll 'em sky high.

So, folks, buy something that fits. (Don't fulfill GQ's read on Kansas City.) And if you get the chance, throw a pop of color into the mix. Just a little.

On Seth: Button-front shirt by J.Crew; slim-fit carpenter trousers by Levi's; natural leather belt by Urban Outfitters; thrifted loafers by Giorgio Brutini.

Photos by Anthony Barlich.

*An earlier version of this post misidentified the Bloomingdale Trail, which was actually a track for freight transport from a manufacturing district on the northwest side of Chicago. It discontinued service in the 1990s, and these days there's a campaign to beautify, restore and develop the land into a park and trail for commuters, contemplators and those who would like to find "refuge from daily urban life." There are also 12 schools near the Trail, so it could double as a safe way for kids to get to class. For more info, check out the group's website.

Friday Wrap-up: July 15

Refinery 29 caught up with Jeff today and snapped a quick photo. Athankyouverymuch for the shout, Amy and Shani.

On Jeff: Wax-coated jacket by Comune; button-up by Scotch and Soda; skull-and-bones bow tie by Rugby; white denim by A.P.C.; loafers by Allen Edmonds; bag by Jack Spade.

Elsewhere around the Interwebs:

• An intriguing look into the world of handmade shoes. (Via You Have Broken The Internet.)
• Lesson No. 124: Character Matters More Than Style. (Via American Gentleman.)
• "A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age." (Via Robert Frost and Fresh Every Day.)
• The Dark n' Stormy. From the archives, a perfect summer drink now that it's actually summer. (Via The Paupered Chef.)

Now: Get to the weekend!

PHOTOS: 8,000 Words on Dose Market in Chicago

July's Dose Market, by all accounts, was a smashing success. The place was packed with loads of people—farandaway more than last time—possibly wooed by the promise of a complimentary Grant Achatz cocktail. We hear (and hope) there's more menswear coming in the future.

Champagne cocktails from The Aviary (video).

Ties from Fresh and Proper.

Meat from Old Town Social. 'Nuff said.

Tats of the trade.

Pure joy from Max Wastler (AllPlaidOut), ladies and gentlemen.

midweSTYLE: A block away

Button-down shirts are an essential in a man's wardrobe, or anyone's wardrobe for that matter. Fit comes first, next the texture and weight and finally the print.

For summer, try a linen blend and then go from there. We're digging this horizontal color-blocked shirt from Topman right now. It would even look nice paired with a navy or olive trouser going into fall.

How dope are these khaki-colored shades? A great alternate for the typical tortoise that we love.

The rucksack is a solid find, especially great for hauling items with a little more construction to them than the bag itself. Alone, the bag is a little floppy—but throw a blanket in it and bottle of wine inside the blanket and you're good to go.

On Seth: Lavender block-stripe shirt ($56) courtesy of Topman; off-white tailored shorts ($70) courtesy of Topman; khaki circular sunglasses ($28) courtesy of Topman; canvas and leather rucksack (thrifted, $5); 106 "moc" leather shoe ($60) courtesy of Vans Shoes.

Photography by Jeff Kieslich.

midweSTYLE: Yalie duds

Two summers ago when I visited a buddy of mine who went to Yale, I checked out the thrifting scene. Thrift stores and microbreweries. Those are the first places I check when visiting a new town.

Shoes and belts galore, I found—although at separate stores. The shoes and the belt matched each other so well in color and texture. Rich and buttery. The shoes were from a hole-in-the-wall thrift store a block or two away from Yale's campus for $8, and the belt was about $2 belt at another location that escapes my mind.

Probably some Yalie's duds. Now mine.

Is that a purse? Listen, on my beanpole frame I wear slim jeans, slim shirts and slim jackets. Hauling around a wallet, phone, house keys, Motorola pager, roll of quarters, sunglasses, compass and other goods in my pockets kills the sleek silhouette. And "No, I'm not going to carry a cross-body." I loathe those scoliosis-inducing, foul creations. Not for me.

Ok, a clutch?

I had been looking into clutches/dossier/pouches for a while and stumbled upon one while looking at garage sales over the summer over in West Plaza. It's an original Coach clutch, in horrible (read as: "great") condition for $2. Sold. I'll carry it to weddings, running errands or throw it my tote to hold my planner.

Look, function over gender. It's like a big leather wallet, really. It may be woman repelling, right next to my dress shoes with the inch heel. Somebody hand me a fur coat and I'll be ready for Halloween.

On Jeff: Cotton oxford shirt (retail, $58) by American Apparel, small; charcoal welt-pocket trousers (retail, $69) by American Apparel; woven leather belt (thrifted, $2); leather dress shoes (thrifted, $8); vintage clutch (garage sale, $2) by Coach; grey sportcoat (reg. $680, sale $220 at Halls) by Billtornade, small (Halls for $680, sale $220); light grey tie (thrifted, $1.50).

Photography by Jarred Donalson

---

BONUS: If you like sports photography, check out Jarred's latest updates to his photography blog.

Friday Wrap-up: Dose Market and Style Tips from the Pro

Happy Friday. First thing's first: Dose Market is coming. Again. Sunday. July 10.

We've been hearing some remarkable buzzing about this startup market. European. Food. Furniture. Fashion. Festivities. All of those sound like good things to us. Did we mention complimentary cocktails by Grant Achatz? You might know him from The Aviary.

They're working on beefing up the menswear offerings, but there are quite a few things to be excited about. We caught up with Jessica Herman, the associate shopping and style editor at Time Out Chicago and also one of the four "Dosettes," and she was full of intrigue about what'll be there:

• Red Belly Boardshop is bringing sporting equipment and apparel
• Apartment Number 9 doing custom shirts and NSF denim
• Contacts & Specs is bringing deadstock '70s and '80s frames for men and women
• Fresh & Proper is doing out-of-the-ordinary ties
• Fix Boutique is bringing mostly menswear, too

Dose is a monthly deal that began in June; unfortunately weren't able to attend that first one, but you can bet your bottom dollar we'll be there Sunday. And of course, we'll be reporting back with photos and interviews. If you're in Chicago, we hope you'll join us. And if you can't, well, you'll just have to see what you missed the morning after.

Dose Market

at the River East Arts Center

435 East Illinois Street

Chicago, IL 60611

photography by Nick Welch of Scout Photography

We'll leave you with this tip from Gerard, the photographer-husband of Concrete Catwalk, the stylist at Style & Pepper and a hip-hop enthusiast-at-large. He says:

"Sensitive thugs, y'all need hugs."

Wait, that was Jay-Z.

Gerard lends a few words on taking some sartorial jumps into mixing patterns and prints:

"When styling someone, the first thing I ask is 'Do you like it?' It's the most important thing. If you don't like what you are wearing, then people feel that and respond accordingly. You won't have the necessary confidence to pull it off. But if you like it, wear it. Just make sure it fits right."

BADASS WHATEVERDAY: Ernest Hemingway

*Bonus: LIFE just posted some previously unpublished photos of Hemingway. Don't say we never gave ya nothin'.

Saturday was the 50th anniversary of Ernest Hemingway's death. He wrote. He was succinct. He was part of the Lost Generation. Regardless of what you think about his character, or what you believe about his ideologies, he made an impact. If you're not familiar with his work, you're missing out, so we suggest you get that way.

He was, of course, a writer not a sartorialist. But when I look at his writing style, I learn things about my dressing style. In his writing, he was a master of "economy and understatement." So, too, in his attire.

"We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master," he famously said, talking about writing, not clothing. But I'd wager it's applicable. Clothes are the means, not the end.

Hemingway wrote while he was in love, and he wrote when those women stopped loving him. Some quotes:

• "I've been in love (truly) with five women, the Spanish Republic and the 4th Infantry Division." — in a letter to Marlene Dietrich (July 1, 1930).
• "All good books have one thing in common: They are truer than if they had really happened."
• "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed."
• "Forget your personal tragedy. We are all bitched from the start and you especially have to be hurt like hell before you can write seriously. But when you get the damned hurt, use it—don’t cheat with it.”

More bullets. There are a couple of things we like about Hemingway:

• The Kansas City connection. (True story: Hemingway and I both worked at the Kansas City Star.)
• The Chicago connection.
• His impact on American literature.

Fifty years dead. Let's remember by reading. We like people who read.

[Photos via Google Image Search.]