Sunday, January 23, 2011

Remember How...


Toys were fun and you owned nothing but. You made things yours, maybe by playing with it, giving it a personality, a name - even yours.



Everything had its place and some things just could not mix, while so many other things could, in the most imaginative of ways. You made the rules.



There was so much to learn: why things were the way they were, how things worked. You wanted to know everything and to do it yourself. You tried, got frustrated and kept trying. Things would fall into place, somehow they always did.


Friday, January 21, 2011

All in the Bag


As bags are useful, I can understand why people would want to own several. For business, travel, day, evening, woman or man, each situation demands its own bag. There is the duffle for clothes and the odd short trip, briefcase and portfolio for papers and the day's newspaper, clutch for the evening's necessities, tote for shopping, and luggage for getting away; not to mention the cases for laptops, and bags for shoe, makeup, toiletries and even lunch. Hard-sided or soft-sided, in different colors and materials, hand-carried, messenger-style or over-the-shoulder, there really is no end, nor does there need to be, to bags.

A fantastic bag makes a fantastic accessory - a window into the wearer's personality and mood of the day. Maybe an unstructured bag for a change of line, or a hard-sided brief for an air of seriousness? I like my bags to have simple lines and a sense of purpose as they are entrusted with carrying my possessions. Whatever the case, you carry the bag, do not let it carry you.

How you use your bag is up to you. I will only say that it is not nice to sit on other people's bags, but then it is not nice to leave your bag on someone else's seat either. I like to change which ones I use to suit the mood of the day. I find bags useful as I do not carry things in my pockets but still manage to carry many things with me. To borrow a saying, it is all in the bag.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Downtime


In this day of i-that and e-this, it seems that our sense of touch is ruled by button-pushing and screen-swiping. What of tactile delights and art? I am all for pen and paper. No keystroke has compared to the glide of a well-balanced pen across fine paper. Journals take on the shape of your hands. The feel of wood, paper and leather: warm and soft, with a natural physical beauty. The crinkle of pages whilst leafing through one's thoughts makes for good company.




Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Between the Lines

Monday, January 3, 2011

Another Tie










From top: cashmere tie, cashmere tie, silk knitted tie, cashmere tie and large knot grenadine tie.

What's in a Wardrobe?


I like the idea of having a wardrobe where there is something to wear for every situation - for example, a particular season, each day of the week maybe, anything that life has to throw at you, or just according to how one feels. Being able to mix and match what you have, and looking chic for it, is the epitome of style. Lest a wardrobe gets excessive, remember: a wardrobe is used and utilitarian to a tee, whereas a collection is about, well, collecting.

So what is in a wardrobe? There will be the staples to see you through the day, some special items here and there, and plenty of accessories to make it all interesting. So here is to sock wardrobes, hat wardrobes, and everything else in between. As to a wardrobe of umbrellas, that may be much - even for rainy Vancouver.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Shirt as Example


Building and maintaining a shirt wardrobe is a sartorial journey, one encompassing fit, form, make, material, color and texture. The shirt is felt by the wearer and seen by everyone else, and when done right touches both's hearts. A higher collar. Longer points. More spread. Three millimeters here, 3/4" there. The details are subtle, but curiosity brings about experimentation and refinements are made from shirt to shirt. Tastes, desires and whims evolve. Maybe a darker shade of blue and a fine check this time around.

Ultimately, each shirt has its own personality and brings with it its own experiences. And with each shirt the wearer learns something about the shirt and themselves. A journey indeed.