Have some manners

I don’t want to go all Emily Post here, but I have noticed a general shift away from having decent manners. I’m not really talking about the finer points of etiquette, such as which fork to use, or what to bring the host of a dinner party. I’m just talking about having some common courtesy, and making things a little nicer for the people around you. So here goes.

1) Make eye contact with people, and acknowledge them. Even if you don’t know them, it doesn’t hurt just to look someone in the eye and say something as simple as “Hello,” or, “Good morning.” You can keep right on moving if you like. This isn’t about striking up a long conversation. It’s just being friendly.

2) If you’re talking to someone, and another person comes up to the two of you, make sure they know one another. All you have to say is “Do you two know each other?” If not, introduce them, and say a little something about each of them so the other person has a bit of context.

3) If you want to be a good conversationalist, remember to ask people questions about themselves and give them the time to answer. Be a good listener, and even ask some follow up questions. Resist the urge to take their stories and refer them back to yourself. My wife and I find people like this very frustrating, and not very interesting. You start to feel like you are there just to interview them and to let the conversation revolve around them. After a while I tend to give up and move on.

I don’t want to sound like a nag. I’m just suggesting that you engage the people around you in a way that connects you to them meaningfully. You’ll be more memorable because of it, and you will continue to make friends and acquaintances throughout your life. It’s a relatively low investment in time and energy, and it pays off many times over in the long run.

Santa Cruz, California

To celebrate our wedding anniversary, my wife and I headed down to Santa Cruz for a long weekend. We returned to this great vacation house we had rented a couple of years before, also for our anniversary. We have fond memories of that weekend, as it was our last little getaway with our previous dog, Frannie, and I think it was the last time she ever made it to the beach. Now we have Sophie, and we took her along for this trip.

Frannie

Sophie

As you can see, there are some clear similarities. Mostly, they’re just happy to be at the beach.

The house we rent is in a great location. It’s on a dead end street that has public access to a really nice beach, and there is a good Hawaiian restaurant within easy walking distance. We also drove down to Capitola for an afternoon, I guess as a getaway from our getaway.

Pizzetta 211

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pizza, Pizzetta 211, Richmond District

Sophie and I are on our own this weekend, but that doesn’t mean we are going to stay home and stare at the walls. Today we headed out to a favorite lunch spot, Pizzetta 211, located in San Francisco’s Richmond District. Pizzetta is a tiny restaurant, with seating for about 16 people inside. But since we generally go with Sophie, we nab one of the outdoor tables in front of the restaurant.

Usually we share a starter, two pizzas, a dessert, along with a few glasses of wine and possibly some coffee to finish. Since I was alone today, I got a starter and one pizza. And I made a couple of great choices.

This is burrata on crostini, accompanied by sauteed eggplant, red peppers, and onions. I don’t really like eggplant, but I wasn’t going to let that keep me from getting the burrata. And to my credit, I cleaned the plate.

This pizza has two eggs, bacon, pea tendrils, and shiitake mushrooms. I asked for a recommendation, and since it was a little on the early side, the server suggested the bacon and egg pizza for more of a breakfasty feel. I ended up agreeing with him.

Sophie doesn’t get much people food, but I took along a pocketful of treats for her and doled them out liberally. It doesn’t seem fair for me to eat such a nice lunch without giving her something, too. Plus, I think she’s happy just to be along for the ride.

Note: I’m not happy with these pictures. I took them with my iPhone 3GS, and I have never been all that happy with its photo capabilities.

Pt. Reyes Station, California

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fog, Marin, Pt. Reyes, Sophie

On a recent Sunday my wife and decided to get out of San Francisco and head up to Marin for the day. The city is nice and all, and we usually find something fun to get into, even if it’s just a leisurely lunch complete with wine and Sophie, our yellow lab. But some days you just want a complete change of scenery, and Marin definitely fits the bill.

At first we thought about heading up to Hog Island Oyster Company, which is in Marshall right on the Tomales Bay. But since it was Father’s Day we thought Hog Island might be a little crowded. So instead we opted to head for Point Reyes, a tiny little town out in Marin.

Marin County barn

“Hello, fog.”

The family

Sometimes when you live in San Francisco, with all its summer fog, it pays to get out of town. We call it “chasing the sun.” As you can tell from the photos, it paid off for us on this particular day.

The Oxford Cloth Button Down Shirt

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Bonobos, made in the usa, OCBD, oxford cloth button down, Ratio Clothing, shirts

There may be no other shirt more basic, and more versatile, than the oxford cloth button down (OCBD). It goes with just about anything, it can be dressed up or down, and when you get a good one, it will last a long time, getting softer and more comfortable with age. Last year I decided to pick up a few new shirts, specifically button downs.

The first one I bought is from Ratio Clothing, based in Denver. I read about Ratio somewhere or other and decided to give it a try. They offer an interesting service — custom-made shirts, produced in the U.S., for a good price.

Despite all the options at Ratio, the ordering process is pretty simple. The website walks you through your choice of material (they don’t limit themselves to oxford cloth button downs), collar, cuff, pleats, and all the sizing. I went with a simple white shirt for its classic look. It does take a few weeks to turn the order around, but when I received mine I could see the quality. I hope to order from them in the near future, but I’m confident recommending them based on my first shirt. As an added bonus in the Customer Service Department, I received an email from Ratio about a week after receiving my shirt, just to make sure it was what I wanted and that I was happy with it. That’s good stuff.

My other button down purchases came from Bonobos, a brand best known for its pants. Over the past couple of years they have branched out, and they now offer button down shirts in several colors (added bonus, they are made in the U.S.).

With the use of some store credit, a sale, and a discount code I was able to pick up a couple of shirts for not too much cash, and I have been really happy with them. They are similar in quality to the Ratio shirt, although I appreciated Ratio’s offering of a slim fit, which suits me a little better. But still, I’m not too picky and if my shirt has a little extra fabric around the middle, it doesn’t bother me too much.

Here is one of the colors I picked up. They call it purple, but it isn’t really purple purple.

These shirts have been great for both work and weekends, under sweaters, with ties, untucked with jeans, and pretty much everything else. My wife hasn’t yet slept in one (why does that seem to be such a common motif in movies, ads, etc.?), but she’d probably like it if she did.

Pea Coats

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Golden Bear, made in the usa, outerwear, pea coat, Schott, Unionmade

Although San Francisco does not get a real winter compared to much of the rest of the country, there are still times when the weather turns wet and chilly. Sometimes we even get that in the summer, unfortunately. And what better to ward off the dampness than a pea coat? These things have been associated with sailors for years, but even a landlubber can find a lot to appreciate in the thick wool construction and high collar. Besides, wearing a pea coat can make you look a little tougher than you actually are. But don’t get cocky.

There have been some twists on the pea coat that I have come across recently, but a classic is the version from Schott of New York City. Schott was founded in 1913 and is currently run by third and fourth generation members of the original family. Much of the company’s product line is still made in the U.S. If you’re looking for a pea coat, you can’t go wrong with this one.

Schott Pea Coat

For a twist on the classic, there is this option from Unionmade. It was done in collaboration with Golden Bear and was made right here in San Francisco.

Bodega Pea Coat from Golden Bear and Unionmade

That’s pretty bold, and while I like it, my wife owns a red pea coat of her own and there is no need for us to start dressing alike. Here is a version with the colors reversed, which might be a possibility.

Bodega Pea Coat in Navy

If you want something other than wool, there is also this interesting option, also from the Unionmade/Golden Bear collaboration. The fabric is described as “ring-spun indigo canvas” — I have tried this one on and it retains the heft of its woolly cousins, and I think the canvas would do well against the elements.

Golden Bear Shawl Collar Jacket

So if you are looking for a pea coat to finish out the winter in, you will likely be happy with any of these options. Or, you could always seek out a military surplus store if you are trying to save some money. Just remember to flip up that collar and wear the hell out of that pea coat.

A Look at Belts

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belts, Bonobos, Grown & Sewn, Oak Street Bootmakers

Often when I think about belts I think of David Sedaris. In one of his stories he describes getting hooked on crossword puzzles, and how he had to start with easy ones in order to get the hang of it. A sample clue he related was “It holds up your pants” — the answer had four letters. I’m guessing it was “B-E-L-T.”

It’s easy to forget about belts. They seem utilitarian, and, overly simple crosswords or not, they really do hold up your pants. But that doesn’t mean you should just pick up the first one you find in your size*. Here are some good options if you’re in the market for a new belt.

First up is a ring buckle (also known as an “O-ring” or “D-ring”) from Oak Street Bootmakers. Oak Street has a reputation for its hand-sewn footwear, but they also offer three different belts. The other two have the more typical prong-type buckle, but I like the look of this one the best:

Oak Street Brown Ring belt

Here is a similar option from Grown & Sewn, shown in saddle, chocolate brown, and black. I like either the saddle or the chocolate brown:

Grown & Sewn O-Ring belt

Here is a more traditional offering from Bonobos, the Fourth Degree brown belt:

Bonobos Fourth Degree brown belt

There are many more belts out there.  Don’t worry too much about getting them to match your shoes exactly, somewhere in the same color range will do. And some will say to never buy a black belt, since you should also not buy black shoes, but if you want black, who am I to judge? Whatever you do, find a belt that has nice leather and solid hardware, and you can’t go wrong.

*Why are belt sizes almost always 2″ bigger than your waist size? Why not make them the same?

The Hill-Side

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Hickoree's, made in the usa, The Hill-Side

I feel like I’m a little late to the game in discovering The Hill-Side (I’m tied for last with J. Crew, which features the brand in its latest catalog). It’s a brand of menswear accessories, all made in the U.S., that has garnered increasing notice and accolades.

For Christmas my wife gifted me a Hill-Side tie from Unionmade in San Francisco:

The Hill-Side selvedge chambray

I ended up swapping it out for this one, as I feel more like a “point” kind of guy:

The Hill-Side selvedge gingham

This is my first tie from the Hill-Side, but I had previously picked up a couple of pocket squares, also from Unionmade:

The Hill-Side Starburst Dots pocket square

The Hill-Side selvedge chambray pocket square in Kyoto violet

According to the information provided at Hickoree’s, an online retailer:

The Hill-Side is based in Brooklyn, New York. They make neckties, handkerchiefs, and scarves out of utilitarian fabrics not commonly found in neckwear, such as selvedge chambray, hemp/cotton selvedge denim, left-hand twill, cotton duck, and waxed canvas.

Each piece is hand made at a small factory in New York City.

Hickoree’s and The Hill-Side share their DNA, as they are both products of the Corsillo brothers, Emil and Sandy. It’s good stuff, and now having a few pieces of my own, I can see the care and quality behind The Hill-Side brand. Since Hickoree’s is in New York and I’m in San Francisco I haven’t been lucky enough to visit them but I hope to at some point. Until then I can rest assured that I can find their goods locally at Unionmade, or order them directly though Hickoree’s website, or I can even go through J. Crew if necessary. It’s nice to see a brand like this get some well-deserved attention, and I highly recommend them. If you would like more information about the operation, check out this interview:

http://the189.com/feature/hickorees/

Brown Suede Shoes

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Alden, cap toe, Florsheim, Grenson, J Crew, long wing, suede, wing tip

There is something really great about a pair of brown suede shoes. Perhaps it is their sheer awesomeness. Whatever it is, I think there is always room in a man’s wardrobe for a nice pair of brown suede shoes. The problem may be in limiting yourself to just one pair.

Here are a few possibilities, at various prices:

Florsheim Haviland

I used to think of Florsheim as old-man shoes. I’m not sure if the Florsheim brand has changed, if prevailing styles are different, or if perhaps I have turned into an old man. Whatever the reason, I think these shoes look pretty cool.

Grenson Tom

I have a pair of Grenson Tylers, a smooth brown leather shoe that has a similar shape to the Tom. I like the cap toe on this one, and the brown is rich and dark.

J.Crew Allerton wing tip

This is a recent offering from J.Crew. Apparently it was popular enough to sell out before Christmas. It’s back in stock now (returns, maybe?) but with only a few sizes to choose from.

Alden Wallace Plain Toe Walker from Unionmade

Finally, there is this nice offering from Unionmade’s selection of Alden shoes. The most expensive of the bunch, but I’m sure you can find many guys who will tell you how great Alden is. Whether or not it’s worth it to you, I cannot say.

Unis Gio — Chinos With Color

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chinos, Eunice Lee, made in the usa, Unis Gio

For the longest time I never gave much thought to the color of my pants. Typically they would be fairly conservative, such as khaki, gray, blue, or brown. I spent more time trying to add color to my wardrobe through my shirts. There’s nothing wrong with that, I suppose, but lately I have been looking for pants with more interesting colors. One of the brands I came across is Unis (pronounced “YOU-ness,” after its founder, Eunice Lee), and their Gio pants.

The Unis Gio, in oxblood

I tried on a pair at Unionmade in the week after Christmas, but they were out of the oxblood. For some reason this was the color I had settled on, and so I checked out the Unis website. I had tried on a size 33 at Unionmade and they felt good. Normally I’m a 32 but they didn’t have any 32s in stock — the 33 was maybe a little on the loose side, but given the overall slimness of the fit I thought it looked and felt just fine. And I hate wearing pants that feel too tight.

I ordered a pair of the oxbloods in 33 and I’m still waiting on them to arrive. Hopefully they’ll work out since I can’t return them. If I like them I noticed a few other colors that look good, so perhaps I’ll splurge on a second or even third pair.