Boytoms

Posterous was bought by Twitter a while back. Didn't really care, since Twitter's cool. Recently sold my 11" MBA for the New iPad. After a few weeks of blog inactivity, I realized that it is impossible to write a post to Posterous and upload multiple photos. So I'm moving (back to) Tumblr now, to simply. Hope to see you there.

Posterous got bought by Twitter. And I am having trouble posting multiple photos onto Posterous using my new iPad (MBA gone!). So to make things simpler, I am moving (back to) Tumblr. See you there.

 

boytoms.tumblr.com

I used this 1200 cu in Patagonia pack for lugging books and my laptop in college. After college, I used it on day hikes and bike commutes. I'm disappointed to see there isn't anything remotely similar from Patagonia available today. The padded back and shoulder straps are extremely breathable, and the slim profile of the pack hugs your body. The pockets leave something to be desired, as the internal narrow hydration bladder holder and front pocket holds very little, due to its limited stretch. The bright yellow lining is ingenious for finding items, and it is a requirement for my future bags (Topo Designs, Tom Bihn). After 7 years, the bombproof gray outer fabric is like new, but the zippers are finally starting to go. It's a dear bag, and I hope I can find a good home for it soon. It's future replacement? The worthy Topo Designs Light Daypack. It looks like a lighter bag with minimal padding, which makes it able to be rolled up and easily brought on a backpacking trip, something that I could not do with the Patagonia bag.

Recently I swapped a handmade belt for a hand-dyed wool tweed cycling cap made by my talented friend Tandra Peters. It's the nicest headgear I've ever owned, and it is super warm, even too warm at times. She has made 6 or 7 in the past few months, and is selling them at our local bike shop.    

The alpine softshell Storm Light (previously thought it was a Rain Shadow) has been my main rain jacket for the past two years. I got it 30% off as a Patagonia Web Special, and when I received it, the fit was much larger than I had anticipated. However, the extra layering space has turned it into a versatile outer shell, proving invaluable for riding my scooter on a wet day and for blocking wind when traveling to colder climates. The tiny sleeve pocket is pretty useless, but the long inner pocket is where I store my glove liners and boarding passes. A major issue I have with this jacket's design is the velcro zipper flap. When wearing any type of sweater underneath (wool is the worst), the velcro easily catches on the sweater and wrecks the area when you pull it off. A surefire way to reduce the longevity of your favorite jumper. The top velcro piece also tends to catch on the Patagonia label, which is pretty annoying and IMO reduces the resale value. The hood is somewhat bulky when rolled up in the collar, but boasts 2-way adjustability for a tighter fit. Other people I know went with the more affordable and equally rain-resistant Torrentshell jacket. However, I don't like the plasticky look and feel of that style. The Rain Shadow is much more comfortable with its cottony fabric and added mesh liner for breathability. Lastly, although the jacket has succeeded in keeping my dry, the H2No nylon fabric is disappointing in that it quickly soaks up water and darkens, making the jacket much heavier after a few minutes in the rain. Fortunately it doesn't rain too much in Texas... at all.

Great for: hiking/ scooting in the rain, travel

Not so good for: cycling in the rain, layering with sweaters

Made in Vietnam

$189

 

This fine insulated jacket was my 2011 Christmas present to myself. To be honest, I had previously been saving up for a Barbour Utility Jacket after trying one out at Orvis, but I soon gave it up. 1. I'm not ready to invest in a jacket for life. 2. I've never owned any piece of clothing over $300, and I didn't particularly wish to start now. Actually, for the past year I had to lusting after the Patagonia Nano Puff pullover; the rave reviews, roomy fit, and quilted design intrigued me. Sadly, it didn't pass the husband approval test, so when I walked into the downtown Patagonia store last December, I was extremely pleased to come across the new Solar Wind jacket, which is basically a Nano Puff jacket with a GORE Windstopper shell. Since I ride a scooter, this was the perfect windproof jacket that was slim enough to fit underneath my daily worn Revit Tornado mesh jacket. After 3 months of wear in the Texas winter (29 - 65 degrees), I am quite happy with how this jacket has performed. It's certainly not as warm as a down insulated jacket, and it works best when you are moving around and generating heat. The GORE Windstopper fabric is relatively quiet, soft, and effectively blocks out wind; the only wind that got in when riding was through the sleeve openings, which are cinched by velcro. Another I love about this jacket is the minimal, urban styling. Patagonia states that it is designed for technical activity, so I have no qualms about wearing it on our next ski trip, but to me this is a more affordable, suitable alternative to the hyped lines Arc'teryx Veilance or Aether Apparel. I always demand for functionality in my outerwear, but I appreciate design that hides this, and isn't ostentatious.

Great for: mild winters, running, cycling, scooting

Not so great for: standing still in the cold

Made in Vietnam

$249

If I had to choose one store to shop at for the rest of life, nanamica would be it. They take merge the highest quality technical fabrics with classic American designs to create super practical, yet flattering clothing. Perfect for the urban life with an adventurous bent. 

Filson Red Label totes

The North Face women's down shorts

Filson Red Label 

The North Face Purple Label

 

Found a little nook/store called Journal in Ebisu stuffed to the gills with vintage and vintage-inspired American outdoor gear. The lights were covered by all the merchandise, these are the only photos that turned out OK.

Rivendell Mountain Works hiphugger

Beckel Canvas rucksack

Modern 60/40 patch

 

On our way to the arcade in Shinjuku, we walked through a tasteful home goods and book store. It was as if the home section of Urban Outfitters grew up 5 more years to appeal to late twentysomethings.

Hutte: a hiking apparel magazine for women. I want to dress like this every day.

60/40 parka made in China

http://bhs-nyc.com/

Ebisu, Tokyo, Japan

During my 4-day visit to Japan last December, I made a special effort to visit this supposed distributor of Archival Clothing, as it is my favorite blog/ maker of sturdy goods. I say supposed because following a short-lived hooray over finally locating the tiny shop after hours of stumbling around using a static Google maps and the iPhone compass, I quickly realized that there were no AC goods to be found. The lone employee explained in broken English that they weren't restocking until 2012. Oh well... there was plenty else in the shop to document:

 

The front door

Rising Sun duck vest and Stronghold aprons

Stevenson Overall Co.

Left Field NYC shirts (not pictured: chinos)

Viberg boots

Arrow moccasins

Arrow moccasins - not for sale

More photos of my adventures window shopping in Tokyo to come tomorrow!

Tom Bihn is a man and bag company who listens to their customers. Their utilitarian designs reflect a obsession with creating the perfect solution to hold your stuff when you're constantly on the go. Their singular dedication to function (at the expense of style, one could argue) reminds me a bit of Grant Peterson. But what really sealed the deal for me is their use of bright Dyneema fabric in the interiors and packing shapes. 

I first came across the site via the Cool Tools posting about the Western Flyer model backpack/ luggage pack. This was of interest to me because my latest international trip to Asia with my GoLite Jam Pack and Beckel Canvas War Bag signaled the end of me overpacking on trips of any length where I have to carry my things further than to the car and back. Fully loaded, the Jam pack killed my shoulders when sprinting to catch a layover, and the War bag, in all its hunter green thick canvas beauty, was simply cumbersome. I vowed to adopt the philsophy of packing light and have been keeping my ears and eyes open for a mid-sized, fully unzippable backpack. Actually, I much prefer the look and story behind the stealt Goruck GR2, but that kind of money is for health insurance and electricity bills. I'm gonna keep looking, as we're not making any big trips in 2012 until my husband leaves the land of unemployment.     

I haven't paid much attention to the raw and selvedge denim craze these past few years, because I never saw any of it in stores that I, as a woman, could try on and wear. B just recently picked up a pair of raw slim jeans by Obey, and we are really liking the look of them as they wear in. Naturally, I started sniffing around for something similar for me, because quite frankly, I can't bring myself to buy BDG jeans any more. Even my favorite rail straight Madewell jeans are frustratingly made in China. Womens' clothing is often so disposable, and I want something well-made to hold on to. This past weekend, I went to Hem, a premium men and women's denim shop, to check out their offerings. They didn't stock any raw or selvedge for women; reason (their words): it makes your butt look flat! you need some stretch. And I pretty much believed them, since it was so impossibly hard to find. I tried on a pair of Nudie jeans for the first time, and they fit like a normal pair of skinny jeans, nothing special. (And what's the deal with being made in Italy? More details please) I left disappointed, and then remembered a blog post on Denim Therapy a few months back celebrating the arrival of selvedge jeans for women. They are made by Railcar Fine Goods out of Arcadia, California. They have five (!!) womens styles on their site. You'd be lucky to find 1 on any other American-made denim boutique site. The selvedge styles look a bit on a baggy side to me, and as tempting as they are, not being able to try them on before buying is a dealbreaker. The Viper 004 12 oz. non-selvedge stretch is at first sight a perfect compromise: Cone Mills denim, minimal wash, bit o' stretch, all at a very reasonable price. I wanted to buy them on the spot, but with jeans, having the right fit is so important. This is a seriously awesome clothing company, and I want to throw all of my disposable income at them to keep them in business.