Collab' Creations

I bought this pair of Air Jordans from the Nike Store in Chicago when I was in High School. I love them.

 

I don't wear them very often, so they're actually in really good condition given how long I've had them. 

As you may have guessed, I'm wearing them today, so it seemed like a good day to write about sneakers. 

Although this pair is pure Nike, some of my favorite shoes are often collaborations between two designers. With this in mind, I started surfing the web and stumbled upon this great list of The Top 50 Sneaker Collaborations of All Time

Here are a few of my favorites.

If you like any of these, or if you're just a sneaker freak like me, you should definitely check out the full list.

Happy Friday,

DB

Grill Season

As you know, Memorial Day is typically the beginning of the summer season. And that means, its time to start grilling.

This summer, I'm using this.

Areaware Star Spangled Spatula $65

Although its beautiful, it is a little pricey. If you're looking to add a little color to your grill game, these cheaper options might be perfect for a July 4th cookout.

Star Spanled Spatula $10

Happy Summer,

DB

My Best Find Yet

A few days ago, I drove all over New Hampshire going to every thrift shop I could find. I bought well over a hundred articles of clothing, and I'm starting to be really proud of my collection.

I love a lot of what I found, and I plan to show you some of it in the coming weeks, but one thing really stood out. So much so, that it didn't even fit in my car. This morning, I borrowed my roommate's Jeep (Thanks Dave), and I drove the 50 miles to Manchester, NH to pick it up.

I did some research on EBAY, and I found listings from between $50 and $250. I paid $22, so I'm pretty happy about it. I have absolutely no where to put it, and it weighs a ton, but I really want to keep it. Its too pretty to get rid of.

Its just so classic.

Feel free to come over and take it for a spin, it works just fine.

DB

Keezer's

Just a quick one today, I lost my wallet last night, so its been a hectic day to say the least. Ugh.

Anyways, after a brutal morning, I needed to escape from the paperwork and 1-800 numbers, so I took a short walk to a store that my roommate Ben had recommended. Until yesterday, I had no idea that I lived just a few blocks from a legendary vintage tux shop called Keezers.

Supposedly, JFK used to sell his suits to this strangely named store while attending Harvard. The store is filled with old tuxedos, suits, and sport jackets. It was really fun to look through their collection, but I wasn't really looking for a big-ticket item, so I focused my attention on their ties.

The people were so nice, so I had to buy something. I chose this beautiful $5 tie.

I liked their note, so I included that as well. And lastly, I just liked this little sign.

See you all tomorrow. I have something very special that I'm excited to share.

DB

Rutland, VT

I was told it was a super store, a giant warehouse lined with vintage button downs, retro t-shirts, and soft crew-necks. I was lied to.

The Salvation Army in Rutland, VT isn't like most rural thrift stores, which are usually large one-room buildings with aisle after aisle of clothing. This was different. 

I pulled up to the address that I had found online, and was surprised to see a little sign lying half-crooked on the door of a basement level storefront. My hour long drive was starting to feel like a waste of time. But I had heard good reviews of the store, both online and in person, so I walked in with high spirits.

It was worth the trip.

Although the entrance didn't suggest it, once I walked inside I saw that the store was a series of dimly-lit rooms, each one filled with an eclectic mix of antiques, clothing, and well, junk. It was a hoarder's paradise, so essentially, it was my paradise. I started snooping around, and almost instantly, I fell in love with this tray.

It was a little dirty, but I checked the stains by scratching them with a finger-nail, and luckily nothing seemed permanent. The picture above is after a good scrub down. 

Next, I stumbled upon this great wall clock.

I haven't tried it with a new battery yet, but I really hope it works. Either way, its one of those obviously cool man-cave items, so I went for it.

At this point, I was pumped to find the tray and the clock, but I really made the trip to buy clothing, so thats what I focused on next. Unfortunately, I didn't have the best of luck, just a few t-shirts. Here's one of my favorites.

Thinking that I had now gone through everything, I was about to leave, feeling good not great. But just as I was making my way to the counter, I stumbled upon a few glasses that really made my day. 

It sort of felt like this.

The reason I was so happy is because I used to have a set of Four Vintage Bird Glasses which I posted about almost a year ago.

Since then, tragically, two of them have broken. Today, although its not a perfect match, I found two similar tumblers.

Cheers to Rutland, VT!

DB

Salvation Army Super Store

If you follow me on Instagram (which you totally should @dann6789), then you may have seen a few of these pictures before. For that, I apologize.

Anyways, I recently read about a giant Salvation Army in Fitchburg, MA. Its supposed to be one of the biggest in the area, so like a kid on Christmas, I could barely contain my excitement as I pulled my car into the empty parking lot.

A giant warehouse stood before me, so I rolled up my sleeves, used a quarter to get some skittles, and went to work.

It was certainly an overwhelming experience. The vast majority of the clothing is terrible; stained Red Sox shirts and wrinkled cargo shorts are weeds in this unkept garden.

But sometimes, you find a flower.

Such a great find, great vintage condition. I also loved the graphic on this next crew-neck.

After a long hour of searching, I ended up buying over 20 shirts, mostly old button downs from Gant, L.L. Bean, Polo, McGregor, Orvis, and Brooks Brothers.

 I love these more remote locations because they are far less picked over than the city stores, and some of the clothing is amazing, and often quite old. Here are a few of my favorite tags that I saw.

The fun continues tomorrow. In the morning I'm driving up to Rutland, VT to check out another Salvation Army Super Store. Let's hope I have the same luck.

DB

Vintage Tie

That is all.

DB

For Richer or Poorer

Last weekend I went home for Mother's day. While I was there, I decided to buy a small gift for my old man, who's birthday was just last week. I started in Brooklyn and found a vintage t-shirt in Williamsburg, and then I bought a pair of Richer Poorer socks from the Steven Alan Outlet on the Upper West Side.

I really like Richer Poorer. Simple and handsome socks, $12 a pair.

I'm all about logos these days, so I had to post that, but now back to the socks.

I kind of want these.

USA MADE - PATRIOT DEL TORO - NAVY STARS & STRIPE $20

But of course, I had to pick the limited editions with a heavy price tag.

DB 

Storage

Five months ago, I posted a picture of my watch collection. Here's what my stash looked like then.

Here it is today.

As Christina Aguilera once sang, it Keeps Getting Better.

But as I'm sure you can imagine, storage is becoming an issue. While many of these are rather inexpensive timex's and novelty watches, a certain few ought to be protected properly.

Thankfully, my friend Daisy spotted this Martinator Watch Case on Uncrate

Very James Bond, but at $300 (which is actually quite a good deal) for this case that holds 18 pieces, I think I'd rather buy a new watch. However, I'm always one to compromise. Instead, maybe for $150 I'll buy this smaller version to protect the more fragile among the collection.

And with the leftover funds, I can splurge on this.

1970's VINTAGE SEIKO AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH $142

Sounds like a plan to me.

DB

I Need your Help!

Hey guys,

So a few weeks ago, I wrote about a pair of shoes that my brother had gotten me for Christmas. I liked the pictures that I used in the post, and decided to recreate it with a new look.

Here's where you come in. I know everyone is getting into fun socks these days, so if you think you're wearing a particularly snazzy combination of shoes/socks/pants, send me a picture (framing it in the same way) so that I can do my first ever interactive post!

In other news, last weekend I went to a flea market in New York City, and stumbled upon this awesome watch.

The Swoosh is actually a moving second hand, which really makes the watch stand out.

DB

Duke and Winston

A few days ago I posted about Hudson River Watch Company, a new watch maker that my buddy Edward had spotted on Kickstarter. Impressed by their story, and captivated by Kickstarter in general, I've spent the past few weeks pouring over the site, watching videos, and reading through different ideas.

And just last night, I stumbled upon Duke and Winston. You can watch the promotional video Here

The company is just a single man who started a clothing line out of his own apartment in Philadelphia. The brand is named after his English Bulldog Duke, and Sir Winston Churchill.

Both the name and logo are featured extensively in his clothing. 

LONG LIVE DUKE T-Shirt $32

CHURCHILL SILHOUETTE $32

I like some of his clothing alright, but I was more interested in the development of his concept. The amount of work that goes into putting together something like this from scratch is rather mind blowing. And stories like this make it clear to me that execution is often more important than an actual idea.  Either way, this guy clearly has follow through, and his branding has been successful as well; he just reached over $30,000 on Kickstarter, well over his funding goal. 

As for me, I'm still working on my concept. To help me in that process, I just bought this book. 

LOGOBOOK $33

Amazon's 1-click shopping is dangerous, especially for me, but I'm excited to look through it.

DB

Zenith

I haven't posted a vintage watch in far too long, and today on Etsy I found two that I absolutely love. Both are made by Zenith.

This first one is a classic look.

Vintage Zenith Wristwatch - Circa 1960's. $390

Very cool, simple and clean. This next watch is also classic, but the colorful band gives it a more modern touch.

Vintage Zenith Sporto Star Watch - Circa 1960's $430

These aren't exactly cheap though, so I'm not really in the market for either of them right now. And while that makes me sad, the bright side is that I don't have to choose my favorite. Not yet at least...

DB

New Bar

Last Sunday afternoon I was walking home from work when I popped into a store called Boomerang in Central Square. Its a nice little thrift shop that actually specializes more in furniture than clothing. When I walked into the store, I instantly stopped, and locked eyes on a vintage bar that was tucked away into the back corner of the store.

Although the price tag was relatively rather small (only $125), this was a big ticket item. Its super heavy, and its not exactly small. I was hesitant. I knew I wanted it, and I knew I liked the price. That said, buyer's remorse is an affliction that I often suffer from, so I decided to sleep on it.

When I woke up the next morning, I was antsy. I had to have it, and I knew exactly where it would go, so I rushed over to the store just as it opened, and sealed the deal on this beautiful vintage bar.

Its amazing, and better yet I now have the distinct pleasure of trying to fill it with vintage glassware, licentious liqueurs, and all other appropriate accouterment; an adventure that I am certainly looking forward to.

DB

For the Wall

Its Friday, and the Knicks game starts in 5 minutes, so I'm going to keep this short.

Earlier this afternoon I went to a Goodwill in the Back Bay. I didn't find any clothing that I liked, literally nothing, and was beginning to get cranky. Luckily, finding this framed picture really turned my day around.

Its huge, and also very good looking. Unfortunately, seeing a marathon of any kind right now does bring about some difficult emotions. But this race was almost 30 years ago, and at least for me it reinforced the idea that we will be running marathons forever, and that while we never forget, great traditions like this cannot be faltered, and I liked that.

This next item is a classic, great for any bar or man cave. I found it last weekend at an antique store in Manchester, VT.

OK thats it for today, but I plan to hit the blog hard tomorrow so make sure to tune in.

Here's to a great weekend,

DB