Author Archives: Punto Verde

Boxing Day

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If the above image is what pops into your head when you hear “Boxing Day”, then Frazier wasn’t the only one who missed! Of course if you happen to be American, you’ve got a pretty good excuse. In spirit, Boxing Day is one of the nicer and more charitable days of the year, but it’s sadly disregarded here in the US. The exact origin of the term is unclear, but there are several related versions. The one I grew up with is that Boxing Day was named for the day when people in service would receive their Christmas boxes as well as the day off from their employers (having been working for those employers on Christmas Day, no doubt.) A related definition is that Boxing Day is the time to give out Christmas boxes to tradespeople, having spent Christmas day with your family. There are other versions related to charity boxes set out to collect for the poor on St. Stephen’s Day (also Dec. 26th.) Today a vast number of countries celebrate Boxing Day, or a close variation, such as St. Stephen’s Day in Ireland, or Second Christmas Day in The Netherlands.

Whatever its origins, Boxing Day  has become a time to relax with family for one extra day after Christmas, prolonging the good cheer and encouraging an extra bit of relaxation before we all jump back into the fire. It’s a really nice sentiment that we all to often don’t see, giving a bit of extra time for family and friends to help us remember what counts most in life. So here’s to hoping that wherever you happen to be right now, you’re feeling warm and cozy whilst taking it easy with loved ones, courtesy of Boxing Day.

 

What We’re Wearing – Heritage Boots by Red Wings

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Above: # 9013 Beckman Boot

Red Wings are a long established American shoe company, probably best known for their tough work boots. Started in 1905 in Red Wing, MN by a local shoe store owner named Charles Beckman, the company has gone on to thrive ever since, and has really become a very iconic American brand. My memories of seeing them growing up are mostly associated with guys who made their livings buildings houses, or working in the forests, or something similar. To me, Red Wings have always been the ultimate no-nonsense boots. But beyond their utilitarian roots, Red Wings have always had a very cool sense of style about them, going back decades. The coolest of the cool from throughout their long history have been collected together in their Heritage line, and that’s what we’re wearing.

The Heritage boots differ pretty greatly from Red Wings modern collection, in looks and construction. First of all, the Heritage boots are really just the timeless classics that Red Wings has made for decades. So while one half of the company tries out new materials and looks, the Heritage line sticks with what they know works. In an age where it seems every company is constantly throwing the baby out with the bathwater, and fixing things that weren’t broken to begin with, this is a really refreshing and welcome approach. In keeping with this ethos, Red Wings does it all themselves, from providing the leather form their own tannery, to building everything in the same town the company started in over a century ago. More than that, these boots and shoes are actually still manually made on machines that go back a hundred years in some cases. The company boasts that even today they have third and fourth generation shoe-makers working in their factory, working on the same machines their parents and grandparents did. Again, in an age where people often change jobs as frequently as they change their socks, this is pretty cool.

Building boots at the factory in Red Wing, MN…

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Guitars We Love – The 1962-1975 Fender Jaguar

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Nearly immaculate 66 Jaguar in Sunburst finish (Image courtesy www.fenderjaguar.net)…

There might not be another guitar in the world that has had such a scrappy rise to fame and fortune as the Fender Jaguar. From a debut full of big hopes, to a slow decline into the cheap seats, to a meteoric resurgence that ended in a  permanent place in guitar history, the Jag has had quite a ride so far. Equally loved and hated by guitar players and collectors, the Jaguar is a one of a kind guitar, and my personal all-time favourite.

Amazing condition 1965 Jaguar in very rare Charcoal Frost finish (Image from Jay Rosen)…

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A Quick HIstory-

Introduced by Fender in 1962, the Jaguar came loaded with all sorts of bells and whistles, and was meant to be Fender’s new top-of-the-line model (priced accordingly higher than a Stratocaster!) For better or worse, this plan didn’t succeed. Most customers felt the Jag was a bit too flashy or weird looking, and the Stratocaster remained the king of the Fender line-up. Fender then began marketing the Jaguar largely as a  “Surf Guitar”, as Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys were known for playing them at the time. They also tried to lure customers in by offering custom nitrocellulose lacquer finishes for a 5% add-on to the sticker price. But alas, even the cool finishes couldn’t do much to boost the popularity of the Jaguar. By the late 60’s the Jaguar had been relegated to the backseat of Fender’s line-up, and production of the original guitar finally ceased entirely in 1975.

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What We’re Wearing – Doyle Mueser / Against Nature

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Above Image Courtesy: Against Nature Copyright 2013

The second profile in a series on my triumvirate of top notch New York City tailors to bring to your attention is Doyle Mueser, a small but very stylish label founded and run by Amber Doyle and Jake Mueser. Ms. Doyle and Mr. Mueser bring a very young and cool sensibility into their tailoring, woven into a foundation based on the traditional English tailoring of Savile Row. They maintain two shops in NYC. Doyle Mueser, located in the West Village, and Against Nature on the Lower East Side. I visited them at the Against Nature store recently, where I snapped a few pictures of their shop.

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Ms. Doyle & Mr. Mueser in their workshop

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What We’re Listening To – “Don’t Ever Let Me Know” by The Bobby Fuller Four

The song of the day is “Don’t Ever Let Me Know”, by The Bobby Fuller Four. Bobby Fuller is one of the lesser known heroes of early American Rock & Roll, which is sad because he wrote a lot of really good songs in his all too short career, releasing 17 singles between 1961 and 1966. While many musicians were turning away from rock and into psychedelic music in the mid 60’s, Fuller stayed true to his roots, and no doubt would have gone on to release more great music, had he not died at the tender age of 23 under suspicious circumstances.

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What We’re Listening To – Three Great Non-Reggae Songs Built Around Reggae Riffs

After my last post about Joya Landis’s version of “Angel of the Morning”, I thought it would be cool to take a look at how three distinctly non-reggae bands incorporated some reggae influence into their music. All of these songs are built around reggae guitar riffs, the key attribute of which is “the skank”, or striking the chords on the off-beat (think hitting the “and” in a “1 and  2 and 3 and  4” progression.) What I love about all three of these songs is that they maintain their autonomy. They’re not reggae rip-offs, but instead do a great job of building that influence into their music. So here we go…

First up is “Eyes of a Stranger”, by The Payolas.

Being of Canadian blood myself, this one is my sentimental favourite. However, it’s also just a great song. Probably best known as the standout song on the “Valley Girl” soundtrack, the boys from the Payolas did a great job on this one. The riff doesn’t kick in until the first chorus, but when it does it sends the song into a completely different and unexpected groove that is pretty brilliant, and certainly sets it apart from all of the other radio hits from that era, making it a pretty timeless groove. You can find the song on their album No Stranger To Danger, produced by the great Mick Ronson, available on iTunes or on Amazon.

Next up is “The Dreaming Moon”, by the Magnetic Fields.

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What We’re Listening to – Angel of the Morning by Joya Landis

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Angel of the Morning is one of those great songs that that is so great it’s been been covered countless times by countless artists, and they all sound pretty good. For me though, the best of the best is the 1968 version by Joya Landis.

Landis was an American, but she recorded the track for Treasure Isle records, the Rocksteady/Reggae label run by Duke Reid in Jamaica. Ms. Landis’s version rides the fence between both genres, but to me it leans further into the Rocksteady category. It has everything that makes the genre great – the grooving guitar riff, the swagger, the tempo, the horns, the back-up singers, and of course her beautiful vocal track, which sounds relaxed and powerful all at once.

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What We’re Shaving With – Musgo Real

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Brooklyn…home to the newest cultural renaissance here in NYC. Visit us and you’ll find a treasure trove of artists, artisans, and craftsmen, all producing some pretty magnificent stuff. And of course, you’ll see beards. Lots of beards. But while many of our beard-wearing brethren here in Brooklyn wouldn’t know a razor if they fell on one, a few of us actually do shave! I remember watching my Dad shave as a kid, fascinated by what I saw as one of the simplest and purest embodiments of maleness. The guy could ski double black diamonds with ease, fix any broken down car by himself, and seemingly attract the attention of any beautiful young woman (often 20 years his junior.) So needless to say, as a kid I paid close attention, and I came to see shaving as a symbol of the conflation of masculinity and refinement. I mean seriously, can you picture James Bond with a beard? Not happening.

Having decided years ago to be a clean-shaven man, I’ve had time to try many different shave creams. It’s a very important part of shaving that is often glossed over, as silly as that may seem. Many people pay attention to what type of razor they use, whether they shave with the grain or against it, etc. But the fact is the shaving cream you choose will make a big difference. Using a good shaving cream will spare you lots of nicks and rashes, and leave you smelling elegant and, dare I say, attractive. For me, the creme de la creme of creams is Musgo Real.

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What we’re watching – C’était un Rendezvous

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I thought today I’d dedicate a few lines to my favourite short film of all-time, Claude Lelouche‘s 1976 high-speed masterpiece, C’était un Rendezvous. The film is only 8 minutes and 38 seconds long, but if you love cars like I love cars, it’s one for the best films out there.
The premise of the film is simple. A camera is mounted to the front of a car and the audience is given a front row, drivers point of view as an unknown man takes to the streets of Paris just before dawn, and drives fast (and I mean really fast), through the city streets just as Paris is beginning to stir, to finally reach a street in Montmartre where we find a lovely blond woman waiting for him. Hence the title, “It was a date.” Of course what makes the film exciting isn’t the plot, it’s watching the streets of Paris whiz by at breakneck speed as the anonymous driver handles the car beautifully through every dangerous curve he encounters. It’s 8 and a half minutes of adrenaline, screaming engine, squealing tires, great driving, and beautiful scenery. Here’s a clip, showing the last 2 minutes of the film…

After seeing this movie for the first time, I had all the questions one would expect. Who was driving that car?! What kind of a car was it? Did they block the streets or did they really just go for it, outlaw style? Now we know all of the answers. Continue reading →

What we’re wearing…Shirts by David Reeves

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One of the great decisions (and good investments) a man can make in life is to dress himself in good clothing. By good, I don’t necessarily mean a well known name or a huge price tag. I mean well thought out, well cut, well constructed. By this logic, a perfectly tailored suit, a high quality boot, and a really good pair of jeans all fit neatly into the same category. You want to steer away yourself away from the idea of “fancy”, and concentrate on “fine”. Finely made things look good and last. Which means they make you look good. For a long time. That’s a good deal.
Some of the finest clothing I’ve found in a long time is made by David Reeves, of David Reeves Bespoke here in New York. Having cut his teeth on Savile Row at famous houses like Gieves & Hawkes and Richard James, David struck out on his own here in NYC, and has been making beautiful things ever since.

Mr. Reeves is probably best known for his finely crafted bespoke suits, but today I’m going to focus on his shirts. Like everything from David Reeves, the thing that distinguishes his shirts from the rest of the pack is attention to detail. The construction is flawless, and he throws in very cool (and labour intensive) flourishes like hand gathering of the sleeves at the cuffs, instead of a traditional pleat. Or, say you happen to order a check pattern shirt…you can count on the patterns lining up flawlessly at every seam, pocket, and cuff. These may seem like little things, but they make a huge difference in how the shirt looks on you. The details are so precise that they’re not something most people will readily see, but they’ll feel them, and that’s true tailoring.

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