christian ross

A Fashionable Thursday

Since he hasn’t quite figured out how to subscribe to RSS yet, I figure it won’t hurt to throw up a picture or two of my son’s birthday presents before he opens them this Saturday. Mostly because of the fact that I have issues, it took me a while to find just the right pairs of shoes that he is badly in need of. Yes, I realize that I have a problem. If he isn’t the envy of preschool, at least he’ll be the envy of his dad.

adidas Kids Samba® Classic Core

Children’s Place – Classic Brown Boot

It doesn’t get much more classic than the old school white Samba, every kid needs at least one pair. The potential for them to be brown by the end of day one is quite high. For the boots, we could have gone with a standard loafer but he’s been wanting a pair of boots for a while. I wasn’t ready to throw him in a standard pair of cowboy boots and these will pair well with both his slacks and his jeans.

Newton Street Vintage

I run the risk of sharing this fantastic resource I just stumbled across but the finds are too good not to share. From here on out, I’ve got an hourly auto-refresh set on the etsy page to make sure I don’t miss anything in my size. If you and I are remotely the same size, I foresee us going 12 rounds in the near future over *new pieces.

Three current ones that need to be in my closet by the end of the day…

1960s Gray Herringbone Three Button Sack Suit

via Newton Street Vintage (more…)

A Fashionable Thursday

As I look over the entries for today, I realize I must be in the mood for chopping some wood or building something awesome with my hands. Both of which I do regularly. Could also be my subconscious recognition that I might be ready for fall. I’m definitely ready for the temperature to fall below 100°F (38°C).

Betabrand Harvester Collection – Blueberry & Potato Craftsmen Pants ($95)

Not only are these pants rugged and tough looking, they’re created with 100% organic cotton and a bunch of other eco-friendly terms so you can feel good abut yourself when wearing them. I dig the fact that they’re also released in color according to the California growing season. Reminds me of the Field Notes Brand notebooks.

via Betabrand (more…)

A Fashionable Thursday

Since the skin has melted off the majority of the people in the US by now, I figured it time to throw up some things to help you cover up your soon-to-be scarred bodies. A random mix of things I *need to have in my closet by day’s end.

Warby Parker Sunglasses – Thatcher (Greystone)

Surely you know about Warby Parker, but if you don’t here’s a quick low-down: they’re an internet-based eyeglasses manufacturer that does a similar one-for-one deal like Toms shoes with those in third world nations. $95 for a pair of high-class prescription glasses with the added bonus of getting 5 pairs of frames in the mail to try on before ordering and you get to help out another in the process. Win.

Just a couple of months ago though they branched out into the sunglasses market as well. Double win.

via Warby Parker (more…)

AFT – Personal Style Rules (2)

It’s about time to continue my list of personal style rules. The feedback from my last round was both enlightening and entertaining. Some for and some against my rules but all good conversation nonetheless.

Once again, I’m open and encouraged by your feedback and am also be interested in seeing your rules/lists as well.

• I foresee quite a bit of debate from this one but I consciously don’t wear ties with button-down collar shirts. I have no issue with the button-down collar and have quite a few in my closet but I personally feel like it is a slightly more relaxed look than a tie deserves. And while I do my very best not to judge, it is one of the first things I notice on other men.
• Sticking with dress shirts, when wearing a jacket (suit or blazer) I want to see about 1/2-inch of shirt sleeve past the end of your jacket sleeve. I try to keep mine in that 1/2-inch range but I do know it often sits slight shorter/longer. I have a couple of shirts where I’ve even gone as far as safety pinning up under the sleeve to keep them from being so long. Too much shirt sleeve showing though makes me think you have a jacket that’s too small and too little showing makes me think your arms are too short.
• You should find the right fit for all of your clothes but it’s especially important when buying and wearing a suit. I applaud any man making an honest attempt to clean up and wear a suit, I just want to help us all remember that our suits from junior high are probably not the perfect answer anymore. Inversely, people can usually tell if you’re wearing your dad’s suit as well. Put it on, look in the mirror and wait for that feeling that you know you nailed it. If it doesn’t happen, adjust.
• Speaking of finding things that you can wear well, spend almost as much time as your lady-friend does in finding the right pair of jeans. There are a thousand manufacturers and thousands of different cuts to jeans so find the style that fits you best. Pay a little extra and then take good care of them.

  Suggestions:

  • We don’t want to see your business. Too tight and/or too baggy should be avoided.
  • If the pair you’re looking at in the store has scroll-work embroidery or dragons printed on them, you’re in the wrong store (and probably need an age check as well).

Care to debate? I’m all ears: @christianross, comments below or email

A Fashionable Thursday – Take Ivy

Imagine my surprise come Christmas morning when I unwrapped a book that had been out of print for almost 40 years. I had indeed looked into purchasing a used copy of it before but the $200-$400 price tag left me empty handed. Thankfully, my waning desire to track one down, led to my lack of knowledge that they decided to do a reprint some time last year. I’m even more grateful to my cousin for her desire to seek out gifts that she knows you would be floored with. Huge.

Take Ivy

For obvious reasons, the entire premise of this book is attractive to me. The era, the location, the fashion, the culture and the photography. And from cover to cover I’ve flipped and noted multiple times over things that need to be remembered and/or shared. The style and influences from this generation can – and should – be seen in quality men’s fashion today.

Sadly, gone is a time when most of us put much thought into our everyday wear, much less the university-aged student. Too many times do we just grab the first t-shirt from the door to step out into the world. I’m guilty of this same practice and am slowly refining in my own mind the importance of stepping up my game even in my everyday wear.

I wanted to show you a few scans from the book but I would definitely encourage you to look into getting a copy for yourself now that it is readily available again.

Deck Shoes

Actually headed out today to see if I can find a decent pair for myself.
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