Best...Thing...Ever?

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... A Word From Our Sponsors

From black gold to 80's street gangs, they just don't make them like they used to. Have times changed, or have we, because hair, body styling and music aside, I just don't think a few of these concepts would fly today -- the Mercedes spot doesn't count.

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Time To Get Illuminated

I have an oven, a cable box, a computer, and a phone, but no clock. In our fast-paced world of light weight gadgetry, we've come to expect our electronics to multi-task like summer interns, and have forgotten the loyalty of those single-action appliances. Yes, loyalty. Like a bowing servant, a clock wants nothing more than to tell you time. It works for you, it lives for you and wants nothing in return. I can't say the same thing about my phone. Sure, it tells me the time and splits restaurant bills, and gets my email and takes my photos, but I also can't help but to feel it does something else -- owns me. It does so much and plays such and integral role in my day to day, I feel like I punch the card for it. And it's only getting worse.

So, what can we do, (enter segue) we can buy a clock. After a long day at the office and with sore thumbs from pounding on 6" screens, we can come home and allow the clock to please us, to fulfill its destiny, and tell us the time. Like a loyal lapdog, it will be there waiting. My offering to the homage to appliances-gone-by -- the Nixie clock. Old technology done right, and it looks better than my phone. Hit eBay, or a spend a few bucks on this one from Puhlman.

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I Read It For The Articles...

And the pictures of naked girls. August,'62, a good month for Playboy. Not only because of the great illustrations of style we wish were more present in Playboy today, nor because of Gesa Meiken and her pouty perfection. But a good month because it is also the issue where James Jones published his first of three essays titled, The Thin Red Line, before his book of the same name came out. I wonder if bloggers used to sit around posting about how style and goods were better "back then," back then.

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Nothing Silver Can Be Torn

To continue the theme of goods made for campers who don't like camping, Silver Tears makes some of the smallest, most amazingly awesome campers I've seen since... okay, ever. Maple, aluminum, hand-crafted -- words not normally associated with outdoor goods, but words I like to see while reader descriptions of campers I'll probably never actually buy. Made in Roanoke, VA, this camper may not ever see the back of any car of mine, but may see the back of my yard -- guest house done easy.

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The Great Outdoors

A buddy of mine turned me onto this Japanese, outdoor outfitter a few days ago and I've been hitting the site everyday since. Nope, don't even need to be outfitted for the great outdoors, it's just that Snow Peak does camping gear better than most people do anything. With how good this stuff is, next time you come to my house you'll be drinking coffee out of the most beautiful titanium, handleless mugs you've ever seen, sitting in a canvas and bamboo folding chair, and if you decide to crash, sleeping on a cot... in a tent... in my living room.

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This Is Ghost Rider Requesting A Flyby

Although tedious, I uncover a few gems from time to time during my internetting for handmade goods made by craftspeoples for my other site, The Get Up. It makes it worthwhile when I can provide a place where more than just a few Etsy viewers can find great pieces of work. The bag below by De Bruir in Ireland, is my latest find. A unique design, the bag is intended as the perfect carry-on bag with easy access from the top and saddle leather that will last the lifetime of even the most seasoned of jet-setter. Good things made well by better people.

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Sing It Out Loud

I used to have a job that required a lot of international travel and was lucky enough to see the world on someone else's dime (god bless the corporate fashion world and its large budgets). Before my iPhone, a 35mm was usually in tow and saw a lot of action back then ("back then," see: 2 1/2 years ago). When I got home I would separate out my "work" photos and catalog the rest. I ran across a "Sydney" folder the other day -- images I had scanned and forgotten about. For better or worse, I decided to throw them up here. A piece of home, a distant memory or a bucket wish -- Ye Olde Opera Haus.

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Final Four

Someone asked me the other day what the most important things are to a man's everyday look. I thought the answer was simple -- a good watch, pair of sunglasses, wallet and shoes. You get those taken care of and it almost doesn't matter what else you throw on -- from cut-offs and a vintage tee to khakis and an oxford. As unimpressive as it may be, this has pretty much been my kit for the last while. Although everything changes from day to day besides the wallet, 7 out of 10 times you catch me out of my house, it'll probably be close to this.

So what is it, what's on you right now? What are the 4 most practical and classic staples? If you could have one watch, one wallet, one pair of shoes and a pair of sunglasses for the rest of your days, what would it be?

*Updated with a few pics from readers... keep 'em comin.

Ryan C.

Noah

Craft Workwear

Matt @Makrgo

Ryan Shimala

Lorenzo Diggins

Christopher Swift

Chris Leeuw

Skorj

Eric Schwesinger

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