Moleskine Notebooks

As someone who is constantly taking notes, sketching out ideas and regularly trying to sound witty and knowledgeable on such elusive topics as cashmere v. merino cardigans, I pay attention to notebooks. Like any other personal accessory, a notebook says as much about you as your shirt or watch. Do you grab an anonymous spiral bound book from the office supply cabinet, or do you spend weeks searching for just the right exotic handmade Florentine creation bound in leather with marbled pages? Me, I fall in between, and my personal favorite is Moleskine.

While I admit that I have a weak spot for nice blank books and handmade papers, I really love the elegant simplicity of Moleskine journals. These subversive little black books with the elastic band almost beg to be written in. While an admittedly elegant lambskin journal from Smythson will cost you $250, for under $20, you can get a large format Moleskine in your choice paper style (plain, lined or grid). There is even a handy expanding pocket in the back.

The pocket sized journals have become iconic and are instantly recognizable. Where some journals look like they belong in a museum, eliciting actual panic at the thought of actually writing down a mere “to do” list within those hand tooled covers, Moleksines encourage you to jot down your daily musings.

The Italian company that now owns Moleskine, Modo & Modo, recently expanded their product line to include a variety of elegantly simple diaries – one sits in front of me as I type. Thay also have a line of cahiers; thinner, lightweight versions of the traditional Moleskine journals that are perfect for slipping into a shirt pocket or leather folio on the way to a meeting.

The latest and most exciting edition to the lineup are the newly launched city journals. On the outside they have the traditional Moleskine black cover, but inside are filled with a combination of maps, city guides, and tabbed sections for listing such vitals as restaurants and stores, and room for travel notes. It is a great tool for travelers, perfect for keeping track of stores, restaurants and local events. City journals cover multiple locals including Paris, London, Seattle, Washington, D.C., New York and Rome. Each book has the city name discretely embossed on the spine.

Moleskine has an enormous cult following across the web and one of the best sites is the blog Moleskinerie.com. Also stop by MoleskineCity.com, an amazing blog dedicated to travel and urban exploration in all its forms. Of course, make sure to check out Moleskine.com, the official company website; it is a cool and informative resource for all things Moleskine.

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Men’s Jewelry… Approach with Care

Men’s jewelry is a contentious topic for many. Some people feel very strongly that men’s bodies should remain strictly unadorned except of course for a watch, while others favor the increased self-expression that these items bring. Whatever the case, when investing in men’s jewelry, it’s best to leave the flashy items for FlavaFlav and aim for accessories with some dignity.

Bracelets

A bracelet should not be sexually ambiguous. It should be big and chunky so as to differentiate itself from more feminine styles. Unless you are Jay-Z, it is furthermore unacceptable to be dripping in diamonds and showing off your bling-bling. I think bracelets for men can work well when they are simple and sturdy. Your best bet is to go with a chain-link bracelet or something similar.

Pictured one from Dolce and Gabbana is undeniably masculine and stylish. I am not, however, a fan of leather wraparound bracelets, which are too S&M-inspired to be worn in most respectable locations.

Watches

A watch tells more about a man that any other article of clothing or set of accessories and neither a man’s wardrobe or identity are complete without one. If you are going to splurge on any item at all, it should be a watch as it both the item on which you will most likely be judged and is often (justly or unjustly) used as a marker for success. A high-quality watch is something that can be passed on from generation to generation as a family heirloom; as the slogan of Patek Phillipe goes, “You never really own a Patek Phillipe, you merely look after it for the next generation.”

Rings

Besides a wedding band, it is hard for a man to pull off wearing a ring without looking either like Phil Leotardo from the Sopranos or a car mechanic. At the same time, it is still not impossible.

Rings like pictured one from Gucci are simple and attractive while not overwhelming. Basic rules for making rings work is to not wear any diamonds in them and also to steer away from gold. One absolute is that your class ring should remain off your finger until a meeting with your alma mater’s dean to try to get your legacy child into the same prep school (when applicable).

Necklaces

Necklaces again are a tricky item to pull of and it can really only be done well by certain types of people. Long chain necklaces look good on thin, hipster types who have a tendency to wear low-cut V-neck as well as open collard shirts. Necklaces made of string, shells, hemp, or any combination are reserved for middle school children and surfer punks. Middle-aged men should stay away for fear of again looking like a Mafioso.

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What Gloves to Wear

I have a tendency to lose gloves. I cannot, no matter how I devote my best efforts, keep them more than a year. My habit of misplacement has led me to rifle through bargain bins at H&M; I cannot countenance spending significant cash on something I will likely leave somewhere, or allow to fall from my pocket.

Many people feel this way about sunglasses. I can empathise with them, but I think my record with sunglasses improved somewhat when I took the plunge and spent over £100 on a pair. Now I am accustomed to expensive frames, I am no longer anxious and have ceased to create cynical fictions in my mind of the wretched things being stolen. They dominate my thoughts far less because of the norm of having them. I am determined to apply this proven theory to gloves, for I have seen some handsome and graceful gloves that have caused me to question my stoic reliance on cheap elasticised black cotton.

Having said that, elasticised black cotton gloves, especially the Thinsulate variety, are extremely useful; they’re versatile, very warm and look well on a fine hand. For more casual wear, with weekend jeans, a corduroy jacket and a v-neck jumper, they are perfectly adequate. However, if you want to give your winter outfit that extra polish, then a pair (or perhaps two pairs, or three?) of finely made gloves are just the ticket. Aside from being very practical in preparation for the elements, gloves add a genteel finesse to an ensemble.

Leather ‘gents’ gloves

One of the most popular choices for gentlemen is the lined, or unlined, leather ‘gents’ glove. For comfort and luxury, some men will choose a cashmere or fur lining. This is certainly recommended for the gentleman who wishes to treat his fortunate fingers, but beware that linings can bulk a glove somewhat; hands that appear large are unbecoming.

Dents make some of the finest leather ‘gents’ gloves. Using soft nappa leather, deerskin and lambskin, their gloves are well-made and reasonably priced for their fine quality.

Leather ‘driving’ gloves

Due to the preponderance of roofed cars and the arrival of power steering, driving gloves are rarely used for their intended purpose. However, that is by no means a reason to condemn them to the scrap heap; driving gloves are youthful and natty, and give the wearer a cavalier élan and a romantic allusion to the daredevil racing drivers of the roaring twenties.

Dents also make some fantastic driving gloves too. The colour range is a little limited and you can find more daring creations in high-fashion retailers, but they are of a good quality and they are, once more, very reasonably priced.

The ‘gauntlet’

Although it may be tempting to call these gloves archaic, they are extremely comfortable and useful for those who ride motorcycles and vintage open top cars. My mother also finds them tremendously practical when picking holly in the woods for the festive wreath. They are perhaps a little large for wearing with the double-breasted suit and scarf, but they have many other uses.

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Ski Apparel: What to Wear On and Off the Slopes

I miss the mountain air. There is something about it that is so crisp and energising; it’s no wonder the cast of The Sound of Music skipped through the Austrian hills so briskly, shrilling about pedagogical techniques of sight-singing and ‘raindrops on roses’. An Alpine atmosphere is a feel good tonic if ever there was one.

My rose-tinted ruminations of areas of altitude do not stop at the quality of oxygen either; I miss winter sports bitterly. It has been a good long while since I last skied. I must have slipped down a few notches by now – more red and blue than black these days. And yet, despite my trepidation concerning my downhill technique, I can’t wait to be back on the slopes again.

And it’s not just about the ruination of knees through parallel turns that tempts me. The après-ski, the exhilarating lifestyle, the cosy lodge fires, the warm punch and hot Jacuzzis catalyse my resolution to return to the winter sporting world with relish.

I am worried though. The skiing does not concern me; moguls or no moguls, I shall maintain. It’s the complete lack of appropriate skiwear. Concerned as I am not to shame my own skiing further with graceless choices of apparel, let me share with you the light research I have completed into concocting modish slope attire.

On slope

There is no schussing away from it: on-slope gear needs to be practical. You can’t be a frosty fop but, damn it all, you can give your style conscience a fighting chance. A lot of clothing on offer for the winter sports market is heavily sport-focused. What I mean by this ugly hyphenated phrase is that large writing, meaningless numbers and frustratingly ineffectual flashing lines and shapes prevail. A Savile Row tailor would shiver at the frighteningly cheap looking clothing that, due to the patented technology involved, can cost over $1000 to buy.

If you’re going to invest in ski-wear, it’s best to invest in styles and materials that are going to last. Cheap jackets are not only a poor investment, but they also tend to make the wearer look like an out-of-work second division soccer coach.

Unfortunately, unlike other areas of fashion, very affordable and stylish snow-wear is like the Abominable Snowman; people claim to have seen it, but when they return to prove their sighting, the evidence has vanished.

For jackets and pants in skiing and snowboarding lines, Ralph Lauren’s RLX range combines sleek style with the best in clothing technology.

Off slope

Après-ski clothing type depends on where you are staying. Larger and well established resorts often have heated pavements, largely, it seems, in order that frail maidens of the mountains can teeter along Main Street in Manolos. However, despite this, there are plenty of remote resorts and snowy streets that call for practicality. Gucci, Giorgio Armani, DSquared and Ralph Lauren are examples of sturdy and elegant options for times off-slope.

The key is to keep the footwear practical, and retro-looking, and also to add a little colour or exoticism to the ensemble to avoid it looking mercilessly functional; striped scarves, traditional patterns, fur and leather add sufficient spice to keep the cold at bay.

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Classic Style is Always Green

A few months ago, an interesting article appeared in the International Herald Tribune about how employees at Eni, Italy’s largest power company, agreed to shed their ties and cut back on air conditioning in an effort to help fight global warming. The company’s Rome and Milan offices began a tentative experiment in what it called, “lighter and cooler office attire.” It was by all accounts a success, though employees made it very clear that expected to return to proper clothing as the weather cooled into autumn.

Italians ditching their ties, are you kidding? Those often fantastic, large-knotted creations that men the world over vainly attempt to duplicate, gone for an entire summer? Well, if nothing else, you can bet the loss of a mere tie did not send office standards into a sartorial tailspin as it has in too many offices across America. Tie or no tie, Italians have standards.

This article, though remarkable from a cultural perspective, is actually an excellent argument for paying attention to what you wear, buying for quality, and focusing on real, timeless style. In fact, it is a great teaching moment that focusing on style actually does help the environment – as it should.

Put simply, when you buy quality clothing, you are making an investment that lasts. By quality, I don’t just mean well-made, I mean a purchase that is also well thought out. By actually considering what you buy and editing your wardrobe, you are less likely to make an impulse purchase that will just wind up in a landfill by the end of the year.  Everyday clothing is now relatively cheap and abundant, but there is an enormous price to be paid for such mindless convenience. The environmental costs of sourcing, manufacturing, packaging, transporting, storing, selling, and eventually disposing of these cheap products are large and global.

As opposed to Americans, Europeans tend to be more selective in their clothing choices. Due to higher prices and limited storage space, each piece must be thought out and chosen for its quality, longevity, and versatility.

Does that pair of pants go with more than one outfit? Can you re-sole those shoes? Do you actually need that jacket or another shirt that’s virtually identical to your favorite one? These are all factors you should consider when making any purchase.

Make deliberate choices; don’t buy cheap shoes that you will just throw out when they wear out. The same holds true for tailored clothing. While more expensive than off-the-rack, a well made custom suit will last for years. A classic cut can transcend fashion and a good tailor can make adjustments as your dimensions change over time.

By being selective, you can build a wardrobe that both meets your needs and reduces pointless waste and duplication. Which brings me back to the Italians; I have no fear of track pants and tee shirts showing up in Roman offices or flip flops in Milan. If anyone can assemble a stylish and absolutely classy “casual” work wardrobe for any weather, it is an Italian.

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