On my last visit to New York, I stumbled onto a leather textile shop filled with various leather bag designs, from leather satchels to messenger bags and purses. Since I have been on the hunt for ‘The Perfect’ leather duffel travel bag, I was intrigued by many of the label designer like shapes and designs. I quickly became a fan of their ‘Style #102’ contrasting brown leather duffel due to its rugged, handmade construction with a thick and supple leather unlike any I have found previous. A beefy, sturdy zipper and water-resistant green ballistic nylon lining sealed the deal. Well worth a look if you are looking for a designer style at a lower price and much higher handmade quality
Category: Accessories
As you may have noticed from previous timepiece postings on my IWC and desired Ulysse Nardin watches, I am quite the affectionado for these man-sessories. That being said, the timepiece strap can really make or break the whole look, much like the right wheels on a car or the frame on a painting- it just brings it all together. I have searched and found the most amazing custom hand-made leather watch bands worthy to be paired with such high-caliber watches. Attila Aszodi crafts these bands from Shell Cordovan leather for their softness and durability. The unique 2 piece leather designs are strong and sporty, with a touch of class. Available in limited quantities, the varying colors and widths make it
Say hello to my new little friend – the IWC Classic Pilots Chronograph (original 3706 ‘Flieger’). I am a huge fan of timepieces. Not only are they pretty much the only real Man-sessory (man-accessory), but they can tell you so much about a person. Take a simple Rolex Explorer – its subtle, classy, a bit dressy and its a Rolex. I would assume the owner much like their watch- well dressed, but subtle. Being that it is a Rolex, I would assume the person either likes Rolex’s, or they wanted a nice watch, but didn’t know much beyond the standard Rolex, Omega, Tag and Breitling. I am an IWC fan. Their watches are classic, not too over the top, but
It used to be your signature was enough, but with fraud more rampant than ever, Montblanc have come up with a very expensive and unique solution. Personalized Ink DNA. If that’s not enough, they give you an exquisite gold plated, diamond encrusted Meisterstuck pen to deliver the ink. If you have enough money to purchase this set, then you probably aren’t signing anything yourself, but damn does it look great! The ink has a special botanical ‘DNA’ which can be identified and traced back to the owners ink and pen. Since I’m a bit scared of the price of the pen set, i can’t imagine how much it costs to extract and match pen DNA if ever there is a
The contrasting stitching and wonderfully slim leather card holder is the perfect man-cessory. Made in Italy from famed designer Tod’s (they also make great driving shoes), their Leather Classic Card Case looks great in black or brown. It holds just enough cash (3 bills is all you need, a $20, a $5 and a $1; or two Benjamins and a Grant if you want to roll a little deeper), two credit cards, an ATM card and your ID. It’s Bellissimo! $95 from Barney’s New York
Cleaning up after a hard day’s work can sometimes make you want to leave the grease on. You tend to leave the shower smelling like your girlfriend or some fairy princess- all glowing and flowery. No wonder after you give a dog a bath, he runs to the first grass field, mud puddle or planter. Finally something rough around the edges for us. No ‘gentle’ loofah or shower gel poof – this super-scratchy scrub mitt will actually get the dirt and grime off. Finish it off with some manly spice Fisherman’s Soap, Spicy Shave Gel, Bay Oil Rum, and Fisherman’s Hand Butter. It will leave you clean and preserve your manliness. Plus the paint can opener can also open your
I don’t know if it is just the beauty of the watch or their targeting marketing towards poor Marine Biologists (of which I myself am), but I am smitten with the new 160th year Anniversary Edition Marine Chronometer by Ulysse Nardin. It has nothing to do with it’s platinum case or sapphire crystals, its just beautiful, classy and understated- just like all marine biologists like their watches. Ref. Nr. 269-65 Diameter 43 mm Case Platinum Dial genuine white enamel dial Movement UN-26 Power-reserve Approx. 42 hours Winding Self-winding Water-resistant 200 meters Crystal Sapphire crystals Strap Leather strap Buckle type Folding clasp With only 160 of them made, I doubt adding a link is going to help you find one (even
Don’t have an iPhone you say? Well its only time, so you better prepare by getting one of these iPhone cases by Orbino. If you do have an iPhone then what are you waiting for? Mature your taste and look with a hand stitched Italian leather case, or go with something more exotic, say Crocodile. I don’t know about the pelican cases though, weren’t those close to extinction a little while ago? Starting at $99 from Orbino
If I was into rings, or wore one say… because I was married – it would have to be cool and unique, and these rings fit the bill nicely. The silver is re-claimed and it is inlayed with rosewood, how cool is that? I don’t know how it is done, but I’m sure it isn’t easy. Hint to you married guys, your wedding ring can actually be stylish and not just a piece of metal on your hand. $295 from Simply Wood Rings via Chic Ecologist [ad name=”go-STIL-smbanner”]
For the ultimate in cool, you have to get a bit crazy with your socks. Not for the insecure, these socks splash color all over your sleek mono-chromatic outfit. Similar to having a red carpet in your otherwise black and grey furnished living room, this will show off your style and pizazz, although leave them at home for Monday night football. £14 from Paul Smith [ad name=”go-STIL-smbanner”]