A Saturday morning story

Went to Hubbard St Diner for breakfast with an old friend this morning. Had a huge omlette and a root beer. The omlette was a little on the salty side but I liked it.

On the way home, took a detour into an old neighborhood built next to the woods. Saw some neighbors on a stroll.



Stopped at a random park (Owens). They have spartan but clean restrooms.



There was another group of people in the park too. And that is how I became a Madison Area Weed Warrior, protecting our environment from wild parsley and garlic mustard pulling one weed at a time.

The end.

Denim Wish List

Day 2 passed without any busted seams or blown crotches...A little worried about that since people on the Nudies forum have constantly complained about that happening to their pair of Slim Jims, particularly the Dry Japan.

After visiting Context I fell deeper into the denim pit. My current denim wish list (what I'm currently salivating over):

Iron Army Toshiro Ito

Toshiro Ito is also the name for some plant biologist working on the east coast.

This Toshiro Ito is rinsed brown denim with orange contrast stitching in a skinny fit. According to Sam, they're also popular with the ladies. The cut looks good as well as the unusual brown denim.

Leg opening: 7"

Earnest Sewn Kyrre XX Dry Selvedge

One of the only raw skinny/slim fits out there that still contains the selvedge. Most patterns are cut so that while it may use selvedge denim, the selvedge itself isn't going to show up. APC's New Cure is one example. Interestingly, Ernest Sewn rarely does selvedge/raw denim.

The details on these jeans are amazing. Amazing. Button-fly, orange and yellow top-stitching around the button-fly, paisley pocket bags, and 4 inch cuffs. I tried this on before I bought my Nudies and almost went to heaven.

These jeans are motivational enough to slim down. I would probably remove the stitches holding the cuff and hem it down a few inches for myself.
Women would probably like this; it's a very slim cut for men.

Leg opening: 6.5" - 7"

Nudie Thin Finn Dry Black Coated

Sam was urging me to give these a try, but I thought that because I already own a pair of slim black jeans, I refused. Now, after browsing the Nudie forums, I truly regret it.

The Thin Finn falls between the Slim Jim and the Super Slim Kim regarding the cut. This particularly pair is coated with some type of wax. I assume that it's a natural coating, in accordance to Nudie's stance on the environment. The harder you wear it, the shinier it gets.

I'd wear this as an alternative black pant for work. The back pocket stitching is also black so it's all quite subtle. I would probably buy this mid-summer (and ten pounds lighter) and prepare them as my "nice" fall pants.

Leg opening: 6.25 - 7"

Nudie Super Slim Kim in Yellow Denim

Having a hard time finding these for a present. Uncertain if they're raw, but I like the concept of SSK for women; it's a very slim, straight leg cut that's not too skinny. The carnival canary color is also really appealing, but I've been only able to find this in the rust red version.

Nudie Slim Jim Dry Japan

I walked into Context the other day, hoping to get a pair of APC New Cures. I need an "all-around" pair of jeans that are relatively slim cut; with my body build I find that slim cut jeans actually look like a straight cut. Sad, but true.

Sam was out of New Cures in sizes above 28, although I did try a pair on, which I regretted immediately. It doesn't pay to be short and chunky.

Walked out with a pair of Nudie Slim Jim Dry Japan, which I wasn't expecting. I also hadn't done my research, so it felt like an impulse buy, the kind that tears a chunk of your wallet in a bad way. Doubts loomed in my head and I wondered about exchanging for a different pair or waiting for a new shipment of New Cures. But my trip to HK is next week, and I wanted to start breaking them in this weekend.

The SJDJ are a slim cut with a "tube-leg;" that is to say, there isn't really any tapering. I would say it's like a Levi's 514 but slightly slimmer. The Slim Jim falls between the Thin Finn and Even Stevens, cut-wise. The leg opening on a 30 x 32 measures 8". Not selvedge but it is Japanese denim. This also obliged me to register at the mynudies.com forum. All right! Another forum to the list! Sam also gave me a sweet twenny percent discount, as there was a party for the Iron Army guys in town.

I have to admit that I'll need to lose some weight. The thighs are slim, but barely large enough to contain my thighs without looking like a sausage casing. I'm currently wearing them around the house unzippered, like some pervert, in the hopes of stretching them out some more. While it's looking like a tough week ahead, I know once they loosen up they'll fit perfectly. At times like these, I hate being a desk jockey, but I'm promising myself to wear them when I get home every night.

Me me me

NPR and some various other news sites have been speaking to the topic of narcissism among today's youth. I tried listening/reading but lost interest and decided to check myself out in the mirror once more.

Peanut Buttered Roast Squid

I really want some right now. Typically I hate dried seafood in all its incarnations, but I fell in love with this snack when I was in S Korea a few years back to see friends.

You typically find them everywhere, sold from carts. Peanut butter roasted squid are best when you get them freshly made as opposed to getting the kind that's been sitting around for a while. Not quite dry, a little moist, chewy, and the slightest of peanut butter flavor, it truely is a unique snacking experience. Who would have thought that this was a good combination? Koreans, that's who.

Terrible breath afterwards, though.

ETA: A site that offers peanut buttered roast squid and other squidy snacks. I can't read Korean.

Thom Browne, Fall/Winter 2007

What can I say? There was a lot I hated here, but I can also see where Browne is going. The general concepts are great - bowties, short pantlines, a dapper look - but are blown way out of proportion. But if you consider the dilution of runway trends by retailers for the masses, it makes sense. A couple inches longer on pants, more structured outerwear...It could be incredibly influential on what passes for menswear these days.

Of course, when Hot Topic introduced its "one-leg pant" for men, not even the most sheep-like of mall goths went for it. Also, the overgrown schoolboy look makes me uncomfortable.

Still, I think Browne lives up to the hype his line and vision receives.






evil santa?


undercover cop trying to bust a pedophile ring.

Palladium Pallabrousse

Another great shoe is Palladium's double-buckle Pallabrousse. While the original Pallabrouse - canvas and vulcanized rubber - was only ankle high and popular with the French Army, scouts, and outdoorsy people.

A mid-calf version was introduced and popularized among the French Foreign Legion - who wore them to Indonesia, Africa, and the Middle East - as well as during the early part of the Vietnam War. The extension of the boot included a double-buckle flap that covered the front leg after lacing up. The higher boot allowed the men to tuck their pants for blousing.

Various names for this include: French Foreign Legion boots, French Army boots, French Army Double-Buckle boots, French desert boots, etc.

A few years back Palladium re-introduced a version of this boot, calling it the Ranger Boot. The men's version came in black and a distressed brown, both made of canvas. The women's version came in the same colors, along with a forest green and a brown, both corduroy.

I own a pair in distressed brown and find it comfortable for walking in the city and hiking. Winter-wise, the sole is too thin and loses heat rapidly. They're currently out of production but one could find them on Ebay.

Ridge also produces their own interpretation, the Scorpion Desert boot. These are also made of canvas, lightweight, but quite sturdy. The flap actually zips off to become an ankle boot.

As usual, you can find more photos on my Flickr account.