Coolest kids bike ever! "Early Rider"

If I learned to ride on a bicycle like this, I promise you I would never have gotten off again.

You can get it at the Chopperdome in Amsterdam. The Chopperdome was the first real chopper and cruiser bicycleshop completly dedicated to quality and fun in Europe.

My personal Japanese jean hunter!

I just had to share this jean with you. It has the craziest fade I've ever seen. I bought them off a guy in Japan. Yes I'll admit it; the fade is not my doing. Still I challenge everybody to send me pictures of jeans that can compete with this one.

The guy I bought them from hunts the Japanese vintage markets for cool jeans in my waist size, so you could say that I finally have what I've always wanted; my personal Japanese jean hunter!

You can expect more posts like this in the future...

Azuma Makoto

“I don’t make things, but works of art. Each one is different. I can’t make the same thing twice.”
~ Azuma Makoto

My new arrivals

Finally found my perfect varsity jacket. The reason why it took so long is because I didn't want one with leather sleeves, nor did I want one with multiple colours in it. So here it is; a nice cotton version in ton sur ton navy, which because it's cotton I can also wear in summer.

I also loved the Band of Outsiders varsity jacket, which you find further into the blog, but that one was just way too expensive.

[apologies for the crappy photo]

My new arrivals

My pair of Boldstar* arrived today from Oki-Ni (insanely quick shipping). In real life they're actually even nicer than on the photo. If you also would like to get a pair, they're exclusively sold at Oki-Ni.

Keeping myself warm...

The last week it has been snowing like crazy here in Amsterdam, which shifts your thought process regarding clothing. Not only do you want to look stylish, but now you need to take in consideration the practical side of your garments. The master of utility wear is of course the army, so that's where I went to keep my ears warm. I've had this army winter cap since last year and it has not let me down yet.

Bought it for €5,- at the army dump.

Yellow Treehouse Cafe - New Zealand

Trust in numbers...

Levi's jeans with a single stamped digit (2, 5, 6) on the back of the top button are older than jeans with a 3 digit stamping. Authentic vintage Big E non-reproduction jeans will have either no or a single stamped digit.

Common 3 digit stampings are 524, 558, 555,554. Reproductions like for example from the Levi's Vintage Clothing collection will normally be stamped 555. 555 stands for that the jeans were made on the original looms at the Valencia Street factory in San Francisco (that is now closed).

Banksy

Some say he is a sell out, some say he is just brilliant. I belong to the latter group. You can't blame him because he excels in what he does and therefore became well known. And even if he sometimes does take on commissioned jobs, the man has got to eat. A lot of people do graffiti, but Banksy is one of the few that can actually be named a graffiti artist.

Cigarette ad from 1930

This advertisement from 1930 asserts that 20,679 physicians say that Lucky Strike cigarettes are less irritating. Funny how ignorant we were back then. Of course I don't think that smoking is cool, but what I do think is cool are the old school graphics and colour.

Lanvin s/s 2010 campaign

[photo by Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin]

Loving the oversized cardigan on Laura...

Zaha Hadid

The first woman to win the Pritzker Prize for Architecture in its 26 year history (architecture's equivalent of the Nobel Prize). Zaha Hadid has defined a radically new approach to architecture by creating buildings with multiple perspective points and fragmented geometry to evoke the chaos of modern life.

National Geographic Image Collection

National Geographic Image Collection: an unprecedented journey through one of the greatest photography collections on earth.

[photo by Robert Garret]

Holiday gifts "DL & Company"

Check out DL & Company for your holiday gifts. Above: Black Gold 4.5 oz. Candle.

George Nelson's "Pretzel" chair

When it was created in 1952, American designer George Nelson's plywood masterpiece was simply known as the "Laminated" chair. Its sweeping curves rapidly earned it the nickname "Pretzel", which has since stuck. If only I had more space and budget...

I really don't know why I have such a fascination with prescription eyewear "PRISM"

PRISM glasses are designed as an accessory – not simply a functional product. Though always deemed less important, for people who wear glasses they are as important an accessory as any other, but these are even more immediately visible than say a new pair of shoes or a bag.

WWII Paratrooper Folding Bicycle

Inventory Magazine

Inventory is my new favourite magazine. Twice yearly produced it is one of the most informed magazines I have come across. Issue one features interviews and in depth features with Nigel Cabourn, Mister Freedom, Engineered Garments, Yuketen, Duluth Pack, Chris Gibbs, Willo Perron and a date with offal. Amazing imagery backs up well thought out content. Well worth the investment.Only 5000 produced for the global market. Its also printed on some very nice quality paper too, a pleasure to hold and read. 140 pages deep.

My addiction "Californication"

Ok ok, I know the show is shallow as hell and doesn't even come close to real life. But f*ck it, the show is perfect to forget about the troubles of everyday life (if you have any).

Added info;
For christmas I got season one and two from Laura. I went through them in two days (that's 10 hours of DVD).

Why shout when you can whisper?

No branding at all is in my opinion the way to go but if you must, then do it subtle. Above you see examples of subtle branding on garments. I know for sure that a lot of you will recognize the brands, although in one case it's just a number and the other is just a few stitches.

Ceramic speakers by Joey Roth

The speakers are made from hand-thrown porcelain in a workshop that usually makes vases. Their stands are made from Baltic birch off-cuts (smaller piece) and Paulownia wood (larger piece). Paulownia is a fast-growing tree that's best known for its use in surfboards, guitars, and traditional Japanese pottery boxes. The amplifier is made from stainless steel, and has a raw cast iron base and Paulownia volume slider.

My goal was to bring the speakers out of the fast, trendy, disposable consumer electronic/ iPod accessory realm and make them objects that could last a lifetime, but are interesting in the moment.
~ Joey Roth

Want...

Band of Outsiders varsity jacket.

Are you in the know?

I like details, just little things that somebody else may not notice, but tells a tale about the garment or its owner. The details can uncover value, quality and craftsmanship. Recognizing these tell-tale signs is what I mean with that you are "in the know".

Example:
Let's say you are a businessman that just bought a new watch and are sitting in an executives meeting with 10 other guys. 9 of them are wearing big shiny watches like the Rolex or Panerai. You reach for your water, which lifts up your sleeve unveiling a very small and subtle stainless steel watch. These 9 guys laugh ha ha ha what a cute little watch, but the tenth guy is quiet, because he recognizes the vintage Patek Philippe worth a 100k. This guy is "in the know" and this is the guy you want to impress.

A true story

"Ever wondered why a pair of jeans should cost 300,- or more?"

The guys from Cheap Monday did and decided to do something about it. They felt that the other brands where cheating the consumer out of their money, as the jeans were not that special and heavily overpriced. So they said: let's make a product that is fashion forward (tight jeans) and sell it for as cheap as possible. They didn't want to put their well designed product in the cheap stores, but in the good stores where they want to shop themselves.

The initial idea was to sell the jeans on Mondays, because on Monday you are hung over from the weekend and basically broke. So why not be able to buy a cheap pair of denim? The demand for the jeans appeared to be so high that they also began selling the jeans on Tuesdays etc.

Cheap Monday doesn't think fashion is about money, but about ideas and how to take those ideas forward. Make the jeans personal in the way you wear them instead of wearing them because of the label or because it's on the ass of a famous Hollywood star. They want the consumer to think:

"I know these jeans are cheap and I don't give a fuck."

How do the jeans become so cheap? Well we know It's not magic, because H&M and the Gap are even cheaper. The reason is because they never fly their product to countries, but ship it by boot. Another major reason is because they don't do any advertising. They had a good product and thought that people would discover it for themselves.

I can tell you their concept worked. To give you an idea: in their first year they did 8.000 pieces, second 350.000 and third 1.500.000

URBANEARS Headphones

URBANEARS, they offer more flavours than your local ice cream parlor.

Clémentine Henrion: Helium Eternal

Clémentine Henrion designed the Helium Eternal concept in reminiscence of a childhood memory of this magnificent, brightly shining balloon you proudly bring back from the park, but which will tragically deflate within few days…

This early disappointment has influenced her to create a new interpretation of the balloon: an ETERNAL one, which would fly forever and never go down again.

The foolish hope to be loudest, the wise hope to be remembered. "Common Projects"

The title is very fitting for the brand Common Projects. In a time where everything seems to evolve around sneakers having the weirdest colour combinations or who collaborated on a design, the people from Common Projects walk a different path.

LEATHERMAN WAVE in black

Leatherman. 17 tools in one. Perfect for any job.

Personal shopper: bobble beanie

What Goes Around Comes Around NYC

WGACA consists of a blend of high-end women and men’s vintage garments including vintage Chanel jewelry. The vintage garments are complemented by contemporary brands such as Belstaff, Brixton, Gilded Age and Levi's LVC.

The Vintage Luggage Company

The Vintage Luggage Company, specializes in rare and vintage pieces from the houses of Louis Vuitton, Goyard, Oshkosh, Hartmann and other great luggage makers.