Prep Essentials: Brooks Brothers Etiquette Books

Here's something that every gentleman should own. John Bridges and Bryan Curtis wrote a series of etiquette books that is sold by Brooks Brothers.

The books cover lessons from dressing to grooming to toasts to being abroad, and more. Altogether, there are 11 books in the series, and they are rather quick, but extremely beneficial reads.  I own, and have read, A Gentleman Gets Dressed Up and 50 Things Every Young Gentleman Should Know. I still reference them when I need to quickly look up an answer for appropriate attire, or double-check to see what is acceptable behavior. The books are sold here for $32 each.

A Day in the Life

A lot of people wonder what life is like when college ends and the grind of the working world takes its place. The days of class for a few hours, with time for naps in between (or homework, if you prefer), going to practice and doing homework at night, and staying up late are now behind me. Here's a sample weekday schedule for me:

7:00 AM: My first alarm goes off. I prefer to gradually wake up, so I promptly turn it off, roll over, and try to go back to sleep.
7:15 AM: My second alarm goes off. I unhappily get out of bed and get ready. To get ready, I shower, shave, get dressed, make my hair look semi-presentable, put my packed lunch in my briefcase, and grab some pop-tarts to eat for breakfast.
7:40 AM: Leave for work.
8:00 AM: Arrive at work. The day starts with checking emails, and if necessary, fixing any emergencies that have come up since I left the night before. You'd be surprised how often this happens. I usually like to start my day with the "brainless" work since I'm not a morning person.
10:00 AM: This is when I usually eat my breakfast. It is also when I dive into some of my harder work for the day.
1:30 PM: I eat my lunch. I like to wait until 1:30/2:00 to eat my lunch because then I don't have to stay at work very long after I'm done eating. I eat at my desk (if we eat at our desk, and are available to handle things that come up, lunch counts as part of our hours for the day), and I check various websites for some mind-clearing entertainment.
3:00 PM: For the last hour of my day, I try to find something easy to do and let the day wind down.
4:00 PM: Leave work. If I need to do laundry, or go to the grocery, I try to make these errands on my way home.
4:25 PM: If I don't have to run any errands, this is when I get home. I always change out my work clothes and put on running clothes, and go for a jog, usually about 2 miles.
5:30 PM: I have completed my run, taken a shower, and changed into sweats. I try to decide on something to eat for dinner while mindlessly watching TV. If the weather is nice, I go outside and read on my balcony.
6:00 PM: Make dinner. I never make anything too complicated (mostly pasta or frozen food), and dinner is usually done being eaten within 45 minutes of me starting to make it. I spend the rest of the evening watching TV, or a movie.
8:30 PM: I get ready for the next day at work. I pack my lunch up (sandwich, chips, string cheese, cookie, bottle of water, banana), and iron my clothes for the next day.
10:30 PM: Bedtime. It usually takes me a while to fall asleep, so I feel like if I get in bed at this time, I will fall asleep shortly after 11:00 and still get my 8 hours of sleep.

VV Pink Whales Gear

The Vineyard Vines Pink Whales are a post-collegiate men's lacrosse team out of the Boston area. Here are some photos of their shooting shirts, and team helmets that were done by ZimaGear.

I'm 24

After publishing my post earlier this week about the awkward age of transitioning from college to the working world, I found this video, on the same topic, by Pat Stansik.

Lacrosse Makes Business Sense

I recently came across this article on USA Today about liberal arts colleges in the Midwest adding varsity lacrosse programs. Schools in the Midwest are seeing a boom in growth of high school lacrosse in the region, and noticed that they were losing students to East Coast schools simply because the students were only interested in schools that offered varsity lacrosse (my younger sister and I are both examples of Midwest lacrosse players choosing East Coast colleges).

The article also gets into stereotypes a bit, in explaining that most students who grow up playing lacrosse come from middle-class, or even wealthier, families that do not qualify for financial aid. This means that schools these student-athletes attend, are getting tuition payments at the sticker price of the school--an advantage for the college on the business end.

There was one concern that the schools had about drawing lacrosse players to campus: the lacrosse reputation of being partiers. Most school administrators plan to combat this stereotype by hiring coaches who they feel have the ability to keep players focused on academics and athletics.

The article was very interesting (and does talk about more than lacrosse), and worth a read.

That Awkward Age

I'm 24 years old, and hold real world job, with bills to pay. There's rent, a car payment, cable, internet, gas, and electricity, and then food. This means there's a lot of budgeting for entertainment, traveling (gas prices), and buying things that I'd simply like to have because I can't call Mom and Dad, and get them to give me some more money to last until the next pay day. Despite all of this, I'm young, and not really tied down--the biggest financial commitment I have is the car payment that I'm tied to until 2016.

I work 8 AM-4 PM everyday, at a small company. The people that I work with are all in their late 30s/early 40s, are married, have kids, and own a home. I have an entirely different lifestyle from my "peers;" the people that I'm around on a daily basis. I feel more like a college student, and I feel like sometimes  (hopefully they do this on accident) I am treated like the kid in the office.

On the other hand, I have a lot more responsibility than the average college student. I can't go out late on weeknights because I have to wake up early every day of the week, and I no longer have breaks during the day where I can nap. I do have friends who are in the same position as me (but quite a few of them are getting married or engaged), but the people I talk to most either fall into the 'working and have kids' category, or the 'college student' category.

It almost feels like I'm being torn between two worlds. During the week, I am a responsible adult with a job and support myself, but on weekends I revert back to a college student. It really is an awkward age.

Gotta Have It: Vineyard Vines iPhone Case

Vineyard Vines currently has limited quantities of iPhone cases available. The case is compatible with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, and only available in white. You can order the case here for $38.00. Hurry, though, this item is sure to sell out fast!

Tufts Lacrosse Documentary

After posting the documentary, The Men of Harvard Lacrosse, yesterday, I found this documentary of the Tufts University D3 national championship run in 2010. It is also produced by Drew Innis, and I liked this one a lot better--it tells the story of Tufts historic season in chronological order; plus, I was at the championship game in Baltimore when Tufts (an almost Boston school) shocked the heavy favorite, Salisbury University. Left out of the documentary, though, is when Salisbury beat Tufts to capture the 2011 national championship.

Product Review: iPopper

Manufacturer: iPopper
Cost: $19.95 (www.theipopper.com)

Back in March, I introduced you to the iPopper. About two weeks ago, I got the chance to try out this iPhone case with a bottle opener attached.

Much to my surprise, as I carried my phone around, and for once, actually had a bottle opener, it seemed that I never needed one. I finally did come up with a reason to use it, and I can report back that it does work in opening bottles without damaging your phone. However, the metal bottle opener is not attached to the case, so it does fall out of place without your phone holding it in.

My biggest concern when I saw this product online was its bulkiness. I don't like bulging pockets, and I typically look for the most slim phone cases that I can find. I was pleased though, that although this case was thicker than the bumper case that I'm used to, it was not as bulky as I was expecting from the pictures, so I don't have too big of a complaint there.

Personally, I will be alternating cases depending on the situation. If I'm going more formal, I will use a slim case on my phone to eliminate the pocket bulge. If I'm going out casually, or any event that I feel may merit the use of a bottle opener, I will be bringing the iPopper with me.

The Men of Harvard Lacrosse

This is a documentary of the Harvard Men's Lacrosse Team, which lasts about 20 minutes, and gives  brief insight into what it is like to play lacrosse for D1 team that is a contender to make the NCAA tournament every season, while simultaneously being a student at one of the top universities in the world. The film is by Drew Innis.

Happy Seersucker Season!

Easter Sunday also marked the first day of seersucker season. I celebrated both holidays by wearing a pair of seersucker pants. There was a slight debate at lunch with my sister as to whether or not the Southern Tide Screenporch Sport Shirt went with seersucker. I argued that it was okay because the pattern on the shirt was so small, but she didn't buy it.

In honor of it now being seersucker season, here's a link to an early post I did (last summer, when I had few readers, and I'm sure a lot of people haven't seen it yet). From August 8th, 2011 Prep Essentials: Seersucker.

The Weekend That Was: Easter

For Easter weekend, I was able to fly to Indiana to visit my parents for the first time since January 2nd. Friday night, I went over to Allison's parent's hotel and we did some swimming, and spent a little time in the sauna and steam room before calling it a night.

I had to wake up at 4 am Saturday, and Allison's dad drove me to the airport for my 6:10 am flight. I landed in Chicago just before 9 am eastern time, where both my parents picked me up. This was surprising because my mom is like me: not a morning person. It's about a two hour drive from Midway Airport to my parent's house, and we made it home right around 11 am.

That afternoon, I went to the Notre Dame vs. Providence lacrosse game. ND won easily, 9-1. It wasn't a very entertaining game, but I always enjoy watching lacrosse games in person--especially when the weather is nice, and it was right around 60 degrees and sunny for the game. I even got a bit of sunburn. After the game, we decided to skip out on the extended family Easter--there had been lots of traveling that weekend, and everyone was pretty tired.

In the evening, my family ordered pizza and we watched the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship. Boston College ended up beating Ferris State 4-1, which was a little disappointing since our family was hoping for a sort of local win from Ferris State.

Sunday was Easter. It started off with Easter baskets, and the day before I had to confirm with my mom that we did still get Easter baskets. The last four years, I had lacrosse games of my own on Easter weekend, so it was my first time being home for Easter since 2007. We went to church, and then had a light lunch at Panera.

That evening, my aunt, uncle, and their three kids came over for some ham, and a few other side items. For dessert, my aunt brought over a cake that is shaped like a bunny, which became a tradition in 2002. I was in eighth grade at the time, and someone had cut the entire cake, except for the two pieces that make up the ears. I didn't know the ears weren't cut, so I just plopped an ear onto my plate (it was probably 8" long, and 4" wide at its widest point). The next year, my aunt made an entire bunny cake just for me. My family still brings this up at every get together.

One of the best things about being home was being able to have a yard again. I spent a few hours Saturday, and Sunday, out in the backyard running around with Abby (the dog) and shooting lacrosse balls. Sunday my sister even joined me outside for a game of catch. I just don't get the chance for that type of self-entertainment in my apartment.

Monday morning, I had to wake up at 6:30 am, on my day off, to catch my flight out of Chicago. It's interesting to note that when I wake up for work, I don't roll out of bed until 7:15. I landed in Boston around 12:30, and then spent the rest of the day with Allison.

At the ND lacrosse game.

ND celebrating a goal.

Product Review: Screenporch Check Sport Shirt

Manufacturer: Southern Tide
Price: $99.50 (www.southerntide.com)

Smooth. Crisp. These were the first things that came to my mind when I first tried on Southern Tide's Screenporch Check Sport Shirt. I have worn it multiple times now, and simple ironing before putting it on brings it back to the like-new crispness that every man strives for in a sport shirt.

A key feature of this shirt is its versatility. I wore it to the office, church on Easter Sunday, and out on the town, and the shirt fit in all settings perfectly. This shirt looked great tucked in, and untucked, and I got many compliments on it.

Being tall and lean, I often struggle to find sport shirts that are long enough for my torso, without looking like I'm swimming in the chest, shoulders, and sleeves. This shirt fit me great in all areas. When tucked in, I could sit down, grab something off the floor, and reach for items on the top shelf without the shirt coming untucked. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone.

Special thanks to Rachel at Southern Tide, who helped make this product review possible.

Gotta Have It: Preppy: Cultivating Ivy Style

This 170 page hardcover book, by Jeffrey Banks and Doria de La Chapelle, takes a look at the fashion, history, roots, growth, and offshoots of the American preppy style.

Preppy explores the prep fashion evolution from its origins of elite east coast universities to its influence around the world, and presence on the fashion runway. This book publishes photos from editorials, and personal photographs from the original Ivy elites.

The book looks at all aspects of men's and women's preppy fashion, including: Oxford shirts, khakis, Shetland sweaters, Peter Pan collars, madras pants and Lilly Pulitzer tropical blooms.

The authors also take a look at designers who helped to influence the preppy look, like J. Press, Brooks Brothers, and Ralph Lauren--designers who marketed a lifestyle, as well as a look. There is also a feature on 21st-century Ivy stylists and fashion labels who have combined preppy with modern design.

Foreword by Lilly Pulitzer. Available on Amazon for $28.48.

Sperry Top-Sider Featured in Boston Globe

This morning, the Boston Globe featured an article by Christopher Muther about the reemergence of the Sperry boat shoes in the fashion world.

To summarize Muther, Sperry Top-Siders were extremely popular in the 1980's, as helped by Lisa Birnbach's The Official Preppy Handbook. The clientele was 90% male, and most of them were in their 40s and 50s. According to Ms. Birnbach, "You were saying, 'Hi, I'm Chris, I'm running over to the yacht club.' But you were saying it with your shoes. Or 'I'm going to squeeze in a quick sail in between going to the library and going to a cocktail party' to create this idea of a great life."

The shoe was first invented in 1935 when Paul Sperry noticed that his cocker spaniel had great traction while on the ice in Connecticut winters. Sperry studied the treads on his dog's paws, and created a shoe with a similar tread pattern to give him traction on the wet deck of his boat. The shoe reached the peak of it's popularity in the late 70s and early 80s because it represented a posh lifestyle.

However, the shoe lost most of its popularity in the 90s and was frequently found in discount shoe stores. President of Sperry, Craig Reingold says, "it was clearly a declining brand. That was when they were cheapening the product. They were using a lesser grade of leather. You can't do that."

Beginning in 2008, (to make a much longer story short) the brand was seen on the runways of NYC fashion shows by designers who were looking for "American Heritage" brands. It has been seen on the feet of many celebrities from Kanye West to Blake Lively. The brand has seen a shift, in that now more females are buying the shoe than men.

In spring 2013, Sperry will start selling luggage, watches, and other accessories. In the next couple of years, sunglasses, belt, swimwear, and even a clothing line will be introduced.

You can read all of Christopher's article, here. It is definitely worth a read.

10 Spring Date Ideas

As the weather starts to get warm, but not unbearably hot yet, spring is the perfect time to get outside. It's a chance to show some creativity, and get away from the normal dinner and a movie dates. Below are 10 ideas that I've come up with for some fun spring dates, and they're all outside!

1. The Zoo
The animals are most likely to be out and active in the spring before the heat of summer comes. Going to the zoo will also spark some conversation topics that you might not get otherwise. And, let's be honest, every girl loves cute animals.

2. Sporting Events
Obviously, I'm partial to going to lacrosse games, but baseball games, and spring football games, work, too. If you live near a horse track, you could check that out--any sport that is played outside, really. You may not realize it, but sporting events actually are good atmospheres for dates: you sit next to your date, it is okay to talk the entire time, and you don't have to be self-conscious about what you look like while you're eating.

3. Hiking
Hiking trails are all over the place and going for a walk in the woods is always fun. Not to mention, it's exercise, which will release endorphins. It will be a very scenic walk, as everything is just starting to come into bloom (at least in the North it is; it's already bloomed in the South). Just be sure to pick a light trail if you are in the early stages of dating--no one wants to work up a sweat at the beginning of a courtship.

4. Picnic
This can accompany a hike, or be by itself. It will be fun to pack up a lunch, and take that special someone to a quiet little spot, and have a nice lunch outdoors. Eating by a river, lake, or the ocean will be scenic, and provide some serene sounds if you live near the water.





5. Historic Tours
This one is better for people who live near places where exciting history actually happened, but going on a tour of a fort, battlefield, or something else along those lines would be a great way to spend the day outside and to learn a little bit more about the history of your area. Usually these are offered at a low cost, and many places will let you explore the grounds by yourself for free.

6. The Beach
It may be too cold to swim, but it is warm enough to kick off your shoes and go for a barefoot walk in the sand. Being off-peak season, the beach will be less crowded so it will really give you a chance to talk without feeling like sardines. Go ahead, get your toes wet!



7. The Park
Head over to your local park. If it's a state park, it will have hiking trails, and other activities, to participate in. If you don't live near a park like that, go over to a playground and hit the swings, or let your inner child out, and go down the slides.

8. Outdoor Concert
You may have to do some digging to find out about these, but typically the spring time is also the beginning of outdoor concert series. I'm not talking about big headline musicians, but local bands that put on free (or close to free) concerts for the public.

9. Ice Cream Shop
Springtime also brings a few hot days here and there. On the next hot day, head over to a local ice cream shop (try to avoid the big chain places, if you can), and treat yourselves to a delicious ice cream cone while you walk around outside. If you lack coordination, sit and eat, and then walk after. Pictured is Mad Martha's, located on Martha's Vineyard.
 

10. Mini Golf
What makes a great evening activity in the summer, also makes a great daytime activity in the spring. If you, or your partner, is ridiculously competitive, this may not be the best date idea, but it can be a great way to relax and have some fun. Perhaps putting a friendly wager on the outcome of the game can add a little extra spice?

Cooking for a Cause

On Friday night, Allison invited me to accompany her to Cooking for a Cause at the Seaport Hotel. The event was to benefit East End House, which is an NPO that offers after-school programs that encourage community strength.

Several top chefs in the Boston area were on hand to offer samplings of their creations, from sushi to meatballs to cupcakes to wine, there was something for any and every palette. The event also had a silent and live auctions, with the proceeds going to the East End House. This was my first time ever seeing a live auction, and listening to the auctioneer ended up being the most fun part of the night.

When I got the invitation, and was told it was cocktail attire, I immediately did what most guys do: jump onto Google and see what "cocktail attire" actually meant. The answers ranged from a dress shirt and slacks, to a full suit. Not exactly very helpful.

With Allison's help, I decided to wear this shirt and tie, with my navy blue blazer, and brown chinos. I ended up fitting in just fine--except for the fact that I was 20 years younger, and made about $20 million dollars less than most of the other attendees.

Most males did wear a blazer and tie, but there was also some more casual suits with ties, jackets and no tie, and shirt and jacket, but no tie. Most females wore a nice dress and heels, but slacks and a blouse with flats were popular, too. The best advice I can give is this: when in doubt, over dress a bit--you can always take your tie or jacket off, but you can't add items to your wardrobe that you didn't bring.

US Lacrosse Growing at Every Level

In 2011, more than 680,000 people played on organized lacrosse teams, according to the 2011 US Lacrosse Participation Survey. This number is up from 2010, in which 620,000 people participated in lacrosse in the US. More than half of that number is participating at the youth level (U15), but high school, and college both saw a growth from 2010. Youth lacrosse increased 10.9%, high school lacrosse increased 7.8%, and college lacrosse (varsity and club) increased 4.6% from 2010.

The sport is growing rapidly in terms of exposure, as well. ESPN is airing regular season match-ups, and over 100 games can be seen nationally on ESPNU, CBS Sports Network, and NBC Sports Network. Additionally, the sport is also covered through a vast expanse of internet and print sources. It truly is the fastest growing sport in the country.

Text Tone

People say it's impossible to convey tone in a text message. False. Just think of the different messages conveyed if you receive a text saying "No" versus a text saying "No." The one with the period at the end is clearly a much more firm tone. The same is true with an "I don't know" compared to an "I don't know." The latter is clearly signaling that the sender either doesn't care, or more than likely, is expressing that this is the end of the discussion.

As you can see in the picture, the sender does not know what they are going to be doing in the future, and is not happy about that fact. They also do not want to discuss it further. An "I don't know..." as a response would have a very different meaning: that they were still thinking about and trying to decide the best course of action.

Perhaps the most dangerous situation to receive a period at the end of a text message is when it received from a female. If you ask a girl if she is mad about something, if you get a "No." response, she is very mad. Watch out.

Of course, if you're texting with a parent, or someone else who feels the need to always use proper grammar  and punctuation in text messages, then good luck trying to decipher what tone they are actually using.

Featured Brand: Bonobos

Ever get frustrated trying to find a pair of pants that fit comfortably? Bonobos founder Brian Sparly did, and that's what lead him to starting the men's apparel company. To get started, he borrowed his girlfriend's sewing machine and began crafting his solution. With the encouragement from friends and family, Spaly turned his project into a business venture. His Stanford University Graduate School of Business partner classmate, Andy Dunn joined in, and became the company's CEO. The company then moved its headquarters to Manhattan, and is still headquartered there today. The brand has also expanded from just pants and also sells shorts, suits, sweaters, t-shirts, swimwear, and more for men.

Bonobo's offers a selection of pants made from organic cottons, and other materials. The website also offers discounts to customers working in the public sector, education, non-profit organizations, and discounts in their online referral program.

The company sells its products to customers via its website only. However, customers in Manhattan can schedule an appointment online for a personalized fitting at the Bonobos headquarters with one of their style experts. Bonobos is well-known for the exceptional customer service as well, so be sure to check out Bonobos.