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.

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.

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.

The Big Three

Women have purses. Who knows what they carry in them. I'm sure there's a lot of variety from woman to woman as to exactly what goes into the purse--some have entire drug stores, some have entire liquor stores, and some have more surprises than Mary Poppins. Honestly, I'm afraid to even ask/look at what most women carry in their purse.

However, men really only have three things that they need to carry with them. Some may have others, like a pocket knife, or other tool, but there are really three basic needs that men have when they go out. Well, the three things they need, plus whatever items a lady has given him to be in charge of for the night. Conveniently, all three of the man needs comfortably in the pockets of any pair of chinos or jeans. A simple tap on each of the three pockets before going out the door is a fresh reminder that you have everything you need. On the other hand, going out without one of these items when it's not needed will be the cause of constant mini heart attacks because you don't have it. Like most things with guys, the reason for needing them is obvious. The essentials:

1. Cell Phone
I keep mine in my front left pocket. Times that it has accidentally been put in the front right pocket has lead to numerous split second freak outs because I thought I had lost my phone. It was immediately returned to the proper pocket. The cell phone is essential because it allows you to keep in contact with everyone (only in emergencies if you're out with other people), and now you can play endless games, watch videos, and surf the web. It's like a hand held laptop that allows you call and text.

2. Wallet
Mine is always kept in my back right pocket. I know a lot of guys keep their wallet in the back left pocket, but since I'm right-handed, it's easier for me to reach for my wallet with my right hand. Having the wallet is important because it holds so much essential stuff: cash, debit and credit cards, ID. I also keep business cards, frequent flyer cards, and a few loyal customer cards in my wallet. Wallets come in many different materials, colors, and styles, but I've always preferred a black (fake) leather tri-fold.  

3. Keys
Yes, if you're wondering, that is a picture of my actual keyring. I keep it in the front right pocket. The keyring holds the keys to my Jeep and my apartment, my rewards program cards (although, I think I can get rid of the Borders one now), and the key chain. Mine is a lacrosse key fob, but the key chain is an chance to have some self-expression in The Big Three. My office keys are kept in my briefcase because I rarely use them, and bulging pockets look good on exactly no one.




The Big Three: don't leave home without them!

What Happened to Abercrombie & Fitch?

Remember, back in middle school, when all the popular kids were wearing Abercrombie & Fitch? A&F used to be the "it" brand, and in fact, back in the day it was very preppy. If you don't believe me, just check out Lisa Birnbach's The Official Preppy Handbook from 1980. It's no longer in print, but you can still find some used copies online if you search for it.

Anyway, here's a brief history lesson: A&F was founded in 1892 by David Abercrombie and Ezra Fitch in Manhattan. Abercrombie & Fitch was an elite outfitter of sporting goods, including: pricey shotguns, tents, and fishing rods. Very preppy. In 1976, the brand filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and the flagship store in Manhattan closed in 1977. The brand, at that time, was very similar to still preppy L.L. Bean.

In 1978-79, Oshman's Sporting Goods bought the Abercrombie & Fitch name, and their mailing list. A&F was now a mail-order store for hunting wear and novelty items. It also opened stores in Beverly Hills, Dallas, and New York City. The brand was sold to its third owner, The Limited, in 1988.

Now the brand is clothing-only, mainly worn by guidos, preteens, and high schoolers--although their target audience is 18-22 year olds. A big shift in the clientele occurred through the brands advertising: they primarily use photographer Bruce Weber. The style is slightly racy, using gray-scale photos, usually taken in outdoor settings, featuring models who are semi-nude.

The brand has been accused of promoting the sexualization of preteen girls by marketing thongs to 10-year-olds and padded bikini tops to 7-year-olds. It has also gone through lawsuits for discrimination in their hiring. The in-store costumer service reps (called "models") were recruited to work based solely on their looks (primarily they were Caucasian), and they used to have to buy (out of their own pocket) A&F clothing to wear while working.

So, where did the brand go so astray in the prep world? My opinion is the marketing. Going for the hardcore sex appeal is not in line with preppy traditions. Compare Abercrombie & Fitch's marketing to Vineyard Vines or Brooks Brothers. Anyone can see the difference immediately. Preppy women want to feel, and look, classy and sophisticated; the men want to look dapper and refined. The two images simply no longer coincide.

To further drive this point home, just take a look at MTV's Jersey Shore. Many of the characters wear the Abercrombie & Fitch label as they go to night club's, and other places, while getting sloppily drunk, and looking for meaningless sex. The brand has now adopted that image, despite it's preppy, outdoor roots.

And that's what happened to Abercrombie & Fitch.

Spring Proof

Further proof that it is now spring time. Because you never know when you will get invited to go sailing.

Brooks Brothers Light Blue Garment Dyed Chinos


Sperry Top-Sider Classic Brown Leather Authentic Original Boat Shoe

Whalehouse Sale Success

This is why I love the Vineyard Vines Whalehouse Sale. The photo above shows all of the stuff that I got at the sale, but the truly great thing is the price. If all of this were purchased in a Vineyard Vines store or online, the total would've been just shy of $600. Whalehouse prices were roughly around 40% off, and the total at the sale was just over $300.

It gets better! On Saturday, when I went to the sale, everything was 40% off. I was able to get everything for just under $200. It's hard to argue with that type of savings.

Happy First Day of...Pastels

 "As you can see I got a lot pastels. I went to boarding school; we always rocked pastels." -Brantford Winstonworth

Welcome, Spring! Today marks the first day of spring, which, more importantly, also marks the first day of Pastel Season. If you're anything like me, which you probably are, your closet is overflowing with bright (some might say "obnoxious") pastels.

In the form of not only polos, t-shirts, and button-downs, but also pants and shorts, pastels should make up a large percentage of your wardrobe. Wearing Carolina blue plants with a yellow oxford, or Nantucket red pants with a white oxford are classic preppy looks, and will certainly turn heads. To the people that matter, their heads will be turned in a positive look.

J. Crew, Vineyard Vines, and Brooks Brothers all have a great selection of pastel tops and bottoms for the season. Also be sure to check out the selection they have over at Southern Tide.

If you're ever in doubt about what to wear this spring, remember: you can never go wrong with pastels.

Preps by Region: Mid-Atlantic

Here's a look at those preps in between The Southeast and New England: The Mid-Atlantic preps.

Family: Based around Baltimore and Washington, D.C., the Mid-Atlantic prep is from "old money." The money either came from Baltimore's shipping industry, a powerful political career in D.C. It is possible that the political career in D.C. brought on "new money," but the old stuff is more respected. Names like Landon, Tanner, and Bryce are popular for boys, and popular girls names include Avery, Ryan, and Ainsley.

Summers: The Mid-Atlantic prep will summer at Virginia Beach, the Maryland or New Jersey shore; or perhaps North Carolina's Outer Banks, or even the Hampton's. The time will be spent sailing, crabbing, and playing lacrosse on the beach. A common summer wardrobe staple is the lacrosse pinnie. The rarer the pinnie, the more respected it is.

High School: In the Mid-Atlantic, preps will go to lacrosse-factories, known as single-sex boarding schools. Gilman, Boys' Latin, and Georgetown Prep are a few at the top of the list. Other high school activities will include sailing, crew, and some dabbling in football. Crab cakes and lacrosse: that's what Maryland really does.

College: Many of these preps will continue the private school education route in college. If not private, then one of the "public Ivy" schools: North Carolina, Virginia, William & Mary. For the lacrosse players, it will either be a top Division I school, or a Division III powerhouse like Salisbury, Roanoke, or Stevenson. A few will even continue with the single-sex education, and males will enroll at Hampden-Sydney, and females will head off off to Sweet Briar College.

Career: Political and law careers are very popular among the Mid-Atlantic preps. These are the ones who will stay close to home. Others will take careers in finance, prompting a move to New York City, and they will return to the Mid-Atlantic region to summer.

*This article is meant to poke fun and laugh at stereotypes, and not meant to offend anyone.

Preps by Region: The Midwest

Here's the third installment of my look at preps throughout various regions of the country. Today, we take a look at the Midwest Prep.

Family: In the Midwest, the preppy family comes from "new money." Most likely, a relative got in at the ground floor of a start up tech company, and rose to the top. The family lives in suburbia, probably even a subdivision, but the parents work in a bigger city. As a result, they will have a good-sized yard, but nothing like the plantation homes in the Southeast.

Summers: The Midwest preppy will summer at the lake. The lake will either be one of the Great Lakes, or a tiny lake somewhere that has good wake. One of the most popular locations is to actually head north to Michigan's upper peninsula. In addition to the summer house, the family will also take a vacation to somewhere in the Gulf region.

High School: In the Midwest, preppies go to a private/prep day school that they can commute to from home. Being the Midwest, it will be a Catholic school with a strict dress code. The Midwest prep will play football, basketball, and either baseball or track. The preppy girls will pick up soccer, volleyball, and cheerleading. A select few will navigate towards hockey or lacrosse, but that is rare.

College: Much like SEC schools call to the Southeastern preps, the Big 10 calls to the Midwestern prep. Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, and Indiana will be the most popular choices. Many will still pledge a fraternity or sorority, but this isn't a requirement. Football and basketball season will be the highlights of the school year activities. They will major in business, or a technological field.

Career: After graduating, Midwest preps will most likely find themselves starting a career in the greater Chicago area. If they aren't around Chicago, they've completely left the Midwest and starting a life somewhere else. Florida, New York, and California are popular destinations lately.

*This article is meant to poke fun and laugh at stereotypes, and not meant to offend anyone.

Preps by Region: The Southeast

Here is the second installment of my series on preps around the country. Today we take a look at preps from the Southeast.

Family: The Southeastern prep will also come from "old money," but their family likely has roots in the plantation industry and the money came in from that era. Many of the families will still be involved in farming, raising horses, or some other agricultural field. The family will also spend a lot of time together hunting and fishing. This is the region that makes camouflage a preppy color.

Summers: Where do you summer when you live where the rest of the world vacations? The summer home of the Southeast prep will likely be at Hilton Head Island, the Outer Banks, or Sanibel Island. These places provide plenty of summer employment opportunities with all of the tourists, and plenty of nice weather to relax in on the days and nights off.

High School: While there are plenty of preppies in the Southeastern United States that do attend private, and boarding, schools, the majority will be getting their education at large public high schools. While in high school, the young prep will play football, playing quarterback, and play baseball as nice spring past time, while the girls will take up equestrian. If a Division I opportunity arises, he will take it, but DII and DIII just don't sound as appealing.

College: The SEC is the only way to go. Schools like South Carolina, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Alabama all scream their name. In the fall of their freshman year, the prep will rush and pledge a fraternity, or sorority. College highlights will always be the football games (tailgates), with basketball and baseball serving as time-killers when it isn't football season. They will wear their Sunday best (as long as it is their team's colors) to all sporting events because the Southeast is "God's country." They will major in a variety of academic subjects, but the real major will always be partying.

Career: Thanks to the connections made in Greek life, it is much easier for the Southeast prep to find a respectable job upon graduation. If they don't end up going to work for their father, or some other relative, a fraternity brother or sorority sister, will be there to get them an in somewhere. This is important because raising horses is expensive, after all.

*This article is meant to poke fun and laugh at stereotypes, and not meant to offend anyone.

Vineyard Vines Whalehouse Sale

Preps by Region: New England

Like accents, food, customs, and most other things, preps tend to vary throughout different regions of the country. This is the first installment of a series of posts that will take a look at some of the stereotypes of preppies throughout different regions of the country. Naturally, I'm starting with my personal favorite region in the country: New England.

Family: Most New England preps come from "old money." Somewhere down the line, an ancient relative helped found Boston, or some other trade of historical distinction; probably something nautical. They will be taught proper manners, but as life goes on, they will forget all about these lessons in everyday life, and only apply them at formal functions that they will frequent.

Summers: The New England prep will spend his or her time summering (yes, "summer" is a verb) down Cape (Cape Cod). The ideal spot is Nantucket, but Martha's Vineyard, or somewhere Lower Cape will do just fine. Block Island, in Rhode Island, or the coast of Maine also make acceptable spots for the family to summer.

High School: In the New England states, most preps will go to a prep school. The school may be co-ed, or strictly male or female, but it will more-than-likely be a boarding school. Phillips Andover (MA) and Phillips Exeter (NH) are two big ones with some very distinguished alumni. The preps are likely going to take a liking to sailing, soccer, ice hockey, rowing, and lacrosse. It is also common for the New England preppy to take a PG, or post-grad, year to get those grades up before college, or to look a little more appealing to college scouts.

College: Almost certainly, the prep will go to a small New England liberal arts school, or any Ivy League school. They will choose to major in business, communications, or pre-anything. He or she will also play for the school's DII or DIII sports team; whatever they were the best at in prep school--especially if that sport was hockey or lacrosse. Upon graduation, they will go to grad school, of course.

Career: Once grad school is complete, the New England prep will enter the workforce. The ideal job is in law, writing, medical practice, and finance. A career is needed that will pay well enough for the summer home on Nantucket, and to put the eventual two kids through expensive prep schools. They will undoubtedly find another prep to marry as they approach 30, and kids will be on the way in the mid-to-late-30's.

*This article is meant to poke fun and laugh at stereotypes, and not meant to offend anyone.

Snooki is Pregnant!?

She is going to be a mother?

I've never actually seen a single second of a single episode of Jersey Shore, but I feel like I still know plenty about Nicole Polizzi, better known as "Snooki."I know she wrote a book (and by "wrote a book," I mean I'm sure she had someone write it for her because I highly doubt her ability to form coherent, fluent English sentences). I have no idea what the title of the book actually is, though. I also know that she gave a talk at Rutgers University and got paid more than the actual relevant person that spoke at commencement.

I don't typically follow celebrity gossip, so if I know that she is pregnant, than I'm sure the rest of the world does, too. This women is essentially only famous for being a really tan bimbo-type guidette, making fashion choices that barely (and sometimes don't) cover her lady parts. Now, she's pregnant. I don't think it really comes as a surprise to many people; perhaps the bigger surprise would be if this truly was the first time she has been pregnant in her life.

I can only imagine what life would be like being raised by Snooki. I feel pretty certain that the child will be extremely embarrassed when his or friends start showing YouTube clips of Snooki making a fool of herself every week on MTV.

As I've come to say quite a few times: the world needs more Audrey's and less Snooki's.

Casual Friday/Saturday

From True Prep by Lisa Birnbach.

The Weekend That Was: Chatham

The weekend of February 10-12 was a pretty fun one. On Friday the 10th, I got out of work a couple of hours early (don't worry, I worked later the rest of the week), and went to Boston to pick up Allison for a trip down Cape Cod to Chatham. If you think of the Cape as a flexed arm, Chatham is in the elbow. What is normally about an hour and half drive, took closer to three. Traffic was horrendous. I'd expect that from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but wasn't quite ready for it in February. We made it to the Chatham Bars Inn around 6:30 Friday night and got settled in our room. Dinner was at the main lodge of the inn.

Saturday was very snowy, but that didn't stop us from going out. After an all you can eat brunch buffet, we explored Main Street in Chatham, and luckily, most of the stores there are open year-round. We also took a little drive to the Chatham Lighthouse, and to a couple of beaches. The fireplace in the room was definitely needed when we got back to rest up before another dinner at the main lodge.

Sunday was a day to sleep in a bit, followed by another all you can eat brunch. After checking out, we did drive a bit further down the Cape to Orleans, but found nothing worth getting out of the car for. It was a very cold, and very windy day, so it would've taken a lot for us to get out of the Jeep anyway.

View from Sunday brunch.

Our cottage.

The beach right outside the inn.

Chatham Lighthouse.

Main lodge at Chatham Bars Inn.

Dressing for the Occaison

From The Art of Manliness.

Preppy

The Jeep Wave

I just found out this existed a couple of days, although I always thought there should be something between Jeep owners; I know I always love seeing other Jeepers on the road. Since I drive a Grand Cherokee and not a Wrangler, I think I'm technically excluded, but I may start doing it and see if I get any responses. However, being from Massachusetts, I'm not counting on too many friendly drivers. Here's the best description of the Jeep Wave that I found on Urban Dictionary.

		The Rules of the WAVE Warning Owning, registering, insuring, or driving a Jeep implies knowledge of and intent to abide by the following rules. Failure to obey the rules may result in your being ignored by other Jeep owners as you sit along the side of the road next to your stalled vehicle in a blizzard surrounded by Saturns, Yugos, and Hyundais. Definition: The Jeep Wave An honor bestowed upon those drivers with the superior intelligence, taste, class, and discomfort tolerance (exception to 97 and newer Jeep owners) to own the ultimate vehicle - the Jeep. Generally consists of either a raised hand waving or 4 fingers extended upward from the steering wheel, but may be modified to suit circumstances and locally accepted etiquette. Examples of commonly accepted modifications: Top off: One handed wave above windshield or outside body tub. Top off during blizzard: Shiver and nod, hands may remain frozen to steering wheel. Southern/rural locations: No wave, just a nod. General Rules: 1. All Jeepers are responsible for upholding the tradition of the Wave. It seems that generally the Jeep wave is only practiced by Jeep owners driving the following Jeep vehicles; CJ, YJ, TJ, JK. 2. All Jeepers are required to return the Wave even if it's a Grand Cherokee or Compass. 3. Do not EVER wave to Hummers, even if you know the person. Guy 1 is driving his Jeep and sees another Jeep so he gives the Jeep Wave. Guy 2 waves back.