Writing, reviews, interviews, photography.

Trove General Store Gift Guide

Posted on December 23, 2013
TROVE_GIFT_GUIDE_MASTHEAD-01

Well, it’s that time of year again when you have to find the perfect gift for that special someone, and you’re all out of ideas. If that somebody is special enough, you’ll want to go the extra mile to get them something that they will be proud to own and use for a good long time. We paid a long overdue visit to our friends Foster and Charlotte at Trove General in Paoli, Pennsylvania, and they pointed us toward a few of their favorite pieces in the shop. There’s a little something for everyone, from an American copper flask for the guy who has everything, to gorgeous candles for your gracious host. Trove General is open Monday through Saturday from 10-6, and Sundays from 12-5 only a few blocks from the Paoli stop off Septa’s Paoli/Thorndale line. In fact, I’m sure some of you even drive by on your way home from work and have no idea it’s nestled in an unassuming little strip mall. Pay them a visit and be sure to tell them The American Classic sent you. Click here to see the ultimate gift guide created with Trove General.

Categories: Photos, Writeups

Jeffrey George Co. Shirts

Posted on December 20, 2013
jeffrey_george_Masthead

I live in Santa Monica, CA. which means that the weather is amazing almost all of the time. While you chumps were out shoveling snow, my friend Wes and I were out shooting shirts for Jeffrey George Co. in perfect 75 degree weather. We went to a park near where I live which was jammed with primarily families as well as a pretty massive group of geriatric residents doing tai chi. Santa Monica is home to many different walks of life but predominantly families as well as elderly folks. I do a lot of photo shoots in my neighborhood; it’s a beautiful place. Every time I do, I get a lot of weird looks and a lot of people asking questions. When we shot the Battle Royale of the American Made Shirt in 2012, I was asked no less than 10 times if we were shooting for GQ. Flattering, yes of course but it got the models in a weird mood and suddenly it felt like we had to put on a show of making this a “fashion photo shoot”. I went to 7-11 before we met and grabbed an Arizona Iced Green Tea and shoved it in a paper bag. No one will ask you questions when you’re carrying a tall can in a paper bag. Thusly, we had a very peaceful photo shoot. I had Wes jump in a shopping cart we found just for fun and a homeless man passed us (you can see him in the photo). He didn’t even bat an eye. Perfect camouflage.

Jeffrey George is a young company designing mens shirts and neckwear. Like most companies, this is a great starting point because there are many manufacturers based in the US specializing in these products and they’re quick sells to get a brand off the ground. Everyone needs shirts. I find that just when I think I’ve got enough and won’t be needing any more, something happens (read: life) and I have to replace one or get another for some sort of event. We reviewed two shirts for Jeffrey George: their standard Blue Oxford shirt featuring Japanese oxford cloth and their denim shirt featuring a very lightweight denim, almost like chambray. Click here to read the review and view the photos.

jeffrey_george_2
Categories: Photos, Reviews, Writeups

Field Trip: East & West

Posted on December 16, 2013

Print

I had been hearing about East & West in St. Louis for a while; being from the area and still having a few friends there, they’d always tell me how I had to visit the shop next time I was in town. I went a year without going back to St. Louis so when I did around Thanksgiving, I made damn sure to check the place out. Brian Simpson runs an incredible shop, which is actually located in the Kirkwood neighborhood, just a little south and west of the city. I was blown away to find out that he carries brands like Rogue Territory, 3sixteen, Teranishi Brand, Apolis, and more. Not only are these all brands we’re huge fans of but any top level shop you’ll see in major markets carries these brands as well. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a little hometown pride. Click here to view the interview and photos.

east_west_4_watermarked

Categories: field trip, Photos, Travels

Field Trip: Blueprint Coffee

Posted on December 9, 2013
Web

I worked in the specialty coffee industry for quite a long time and to finally have an article about a shop, especially one to which I have several connections, is pretty cool for me. I was visiting family in St. Louis over the Thanksgiving holiday and got the chance to visit Blueprint Coffee which was started by my friend and former bandmate Mike Marquard along with several other folks we knew from Kaldi’s Coffee and elsewhere. There’s been an influx of new coffee companies in St. Louis over the past few years; when I was getting my start, I worked for Kaldi’s and at the time they were the only show in town. Most of the new shops are fantastic and do a great job of curating a diverse coffee offering along with creating a pleasing atmosphere in which to enjoy said coffee. Blueprint, in my opinion, does this the best of all of the new shops and they roast their own coffee which gives them a massive leg up in the branding department. Some of the best coffee shops in the world sell other roasters beans but there’s something special about the shop/roaster combo that buries its way into people’s hearts. Blueprint’s clean aesthetic reminds me of some of the great shops around the country (Four Barrel, Stumptown, Intelligentsia, etc.) while pulling a color palette and geometric accents that are uniquely their own. Click here to view all images and read the interview.

blueprint_coffee_14_watermarked
Categories: field trip, Inquiries & Responses, Photos, Travels

The Standard Relay: Outlaw Fasteners, Skinth Solutions, TCM Visits Red Wing, Secret Forts’ Fall Three, and more.

Posted on November 12, 2013

AC TSR

Outlaw Fasteners

Reinventing hardware, one screw at a time

I’m gonna’ level with you, I don’t install many nails/screws/fasteners in my day to day life. The times I do use them, I frequently wish that my drill had more torque or that I didn’t have to pre-drill holes. Maybe the drill shakes or the damn bit keeps stripping the screws (see first issue). Any way you look at it. Ye’ old Phillips head is a bit dated; enter Outlaw Fasteners who just raised over $109k on Kickstarter to kick screwings ass with 18 points of contact. Click on through for more info.

Skinth Solutions

For carrying the important stuff

Skinth has taken everything that’s awesome about military spec equipment and turned it into a beautiful product anyone would be proud to wear. I know plenty of folks who would gladly wear this every day rather than an uglier tool belt or blowing out their jean pockets/waist band. Comes in a range of colors/sizes/styles/options so take a look.

The Coveted Man Visits Red Wing

Beautiful photos from inside the factory

Jesse Lenz and Jay Gullion of The Coveted Man were sent by Barneys to check out the Red Wing factory. Their photos give insight to the process of creating these amazing boots (via A Continuous Lean).

Cool Hunting’s Lou Reed Tribute

‘Nuff Said

Cool Hunting has published a pretty awesome Lou Reed tribute featuring many interesting pieces of his life and career. In case you were missing from the world for the past week or so, Lou Reed has passed away leaving a legacy of amazing music through the years of rock ‘n roll development (via Cool Hunting).

Million Lines of Code

For the infographich lover

This is a cool visualization of popular or important things that use code to operate and how large they are in comparison to others. You’ll be surprised by a lot of these, some of which are much smaller that you’d have expected. Million Lines of Code visualization via Cool Hunting.

The Fall Three from Secret Forts

In the name of tradition

Every year James Wilson, from Secret Forts, publishes brief interviews with heavy hitters in the blog world (and writing/photography/general creative-sphere) about three things that are critical to their fall mindset. Here’s all of them to date, featuring: Matt Hranek of The William Brown Project, Mikael Kennedy from Apolis’ Nomad program, Foster Huntington of A Restless Transplant, Jeff Thrope of Cold Splinters, Chris Black of Done To Death Projects, Max Wastler of All Plaidout, Chris Bray of Billykirk, and James Fox of 10 Engines.

Categories: The Standard Relay