A few years ago when Hermès renovated it’s NYC flagship it decided to exile its men’s shop across the street to its very own stand alone shop. This resulted in a first for the storied French luxury brand, the world’s only Hermès men’s shop. Not only is it exclusively menswear, the shop also boasts one of the most lust worthy bespoke programs ever imagined. It’s like a French Savile Row, except the work rooms aren’t downstairs, they’re in Paris.

The bottom two levels offer a normal selection of accessories and sportswear that have made Hermès the most well respected luxury brands in the world. But it’s when you land on the third floor that you discover the truly magical items — shirts, sweaters, suits, leather goods and, of course, ties — that comprise the Hermès bespoke program.

Bespoke options include optional linings made from Hermès scarves. Next level stuff here folks.

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After watching motorsports of just about every species, I’ve ultimately evolved to appreciate one race more than the others: Le Mans. The 24 hours requires incredible endurance, driver skill and unparalleled reliability. It is unlike any other event in the world and is, in my opinion, the best racing in the world. One other wonderful aspect of the race is the fact that Le Mans has been followed very closely over the years and a lot great footage exists, much of which is on YouTube. I thought posting some of this footage is especially timely with the recent passing of American motorsports legend Carroll Shelby (more on that shortly) and with the race coming up in a little more than a month from now.

And if you haven’t seen Audi’s stunning 2009 documentary Truth in 24, you need to get on that. Audi also just announced Truth in 24 II which centers on the German automaker’s 2011 victory. With subject matter like Le Mans, there’s no way that this new doc will be anything but great.

1954 Part I

1954 Part II

1955

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badass |ˈbadˌas| informal |ORIGIN 1950s: from the adjective bad + ass. 

adjective: formidable; excellent: this is one badass memo pad.

Aaron Draplin.

Not only is Draplin an ACL Hero and American Icon, he’s also half of the wildly popular “pocket material” empire Field Notes. In a follow-up to Draplin’s other famous videos (what’s the status of that documentary?), the native Michigander spends some time “talkin corn” and showing off some of the farmers promotional memo books that served to spur the creation of Field Notes. The more video of Draplin I see, the more he continues to inspire and entertain. Respect must be paid to him for sticking to what he loves and for making great stuff.

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We only got spend one day shopping Brimfield, but there was a lot to see and document, so here’s round II of the photos. You’ll note a giant Westinghouse sign (that came close to coming home with our group), some classic ephemera, a BB gun target and a flock of Ralph Lauren folks plotting their takeover. Part I of our spring 2012 Brimfield adventure can be seen here.

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Walking down Route 20 on a rainy day in Western Massachusetts, I spotted many a familiar face. Brimfield, the expansive outdoor antique show, has become it’s own little trade show for vintage lovers; a place to get your flea market fix and maybe even to buy something. The event is a bit of a phenomenon, some of the people at Brimfield are there for work (you’ll notice those people with their two-way radios), and others are there purely on a voyeuristic pursuit. I’m somewhere in between those two categorizations.

“We could all just meet in the city if we could coordinated better.” -Kings County Salvage

Brimfield for me is more about the journey than the destination. At this point I’m not looking for anything specific, I’m really just in-town on the ultimate browsing session. With that said, I was partially unimpressed with what was on offer yesterday, a feeling that also keep me away last year. Though, that’s the nature of flea markets — they are hit or miss. Often, the success lies in one’s quickness and persistence. You have to know good things (and prices) when you see them, and then you need to have the ability to get to stuff before someone else beats you to it. That’s just if you are crazy about it. I like to wander around and not worry about who gets what and if I buy anything. Lord knows I don’t need any more stuff.

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Clothing should be as much about function as it is about style. That’s part of the philosophy behind the bike-commuter friendly label Outlier. Over the past several years the small upstart label has gained a cult following, not just among cyclists, but also by those that appreciate an approach to designing clothes that places equal importance on both looking good and functioning well. This past week I took a trip out to Brooklyn to visit Outlier’s design studio and headquarters to see just how things work at Outlier.

“One well considered object can take the place of many cheaply made ones.”

The company’s loft in Williamsburg is part R&D lab, design center, shipping depot and warehouse all in one. It’s a bright space filled with energy and a sense of purpose. Tyler and Abe both have a strong feeling for the company’s mission and they seem purposeful in their undertaking. As we talked and looked through a rack of current products (and some soon to be released items), the stack of outgoing packages continued to grow and grow as sales for the day added up. According to Outlier, there is strong customer loyalty and the instance of repeat orders is often. As someone that has worn a pair of Outlier pants, this is a statement not difficult to believe.

Outlier founders Tyler Clemens (left) and Abe Burmeister.

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It’s amazing how you feel once you take the leap from “commodity shoes” that are basically made from plastic which is designed to look like leather (at least that’s what it seems like), to the real stuff that Rancourt & Co. makes from Horween leathers. My affinity for Rancourt started last year with a pair of ranger mocs that quickly became my go-to shoe. After buying those shoes I was hooked. Over the past year I have also come to know Mike and Kyle Rancourt personally and even spent some time up at their factory in Maine witnessing first hand how they do business.

Wearing the shoes, knowing the people and seeing the process all leads me to confirm that Rancourt makes one of the best, if not the best handsewn shoes in the world. It’s a bold statement, but one I genuinely believe to be true. It was with this appreciation that, a few weeks ago, I ordered some new Rancourt shoes — a pair of ranger mocs with Vibram cristy soles and a Horween shell cordovan (#8) beefroll penny loafer. As you can see from these pictures, they turned out as perfect as expected.

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Todd Snyder is an easy person to like. Being from Iowa, he’s got that grounded middle America perspective on life. Generally friendly and easy going, with a good sense of humor.

Nearly twenty years ago Todd took the plunge and moved to New York to indulge his ambition to work in the clothing business. Along the way he’s proven himself at some distinctly American brands, most notedly Ralph Lauren and then J.Crew. Then three seasons ago he launched his eponymous line to much esteem from buyers, press and consumers. After stopping by his studio this week, I can say with certainty that things are even going to get better.

The collection is very much representative of who Todd is as a person: smart and unpretentious. The line mixes military and vintage in a way that is modern, relevant and fresh. The collection includes everything from knits to tuxedos (pictured below underneath a very handsom winter parka), with the standout element being the range of Southwick-made tailored clothing.

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