Sporting Life: New Picks from Bureau of Trade

The folks over at Bureau of Trade never stop. Scouring thousands of products and creating the perfectly themed mix of vintage and new goods... Always with an exacting eye, their recent curation Japan Rising had me drooling over (obviously) cool pocket squares, vintage hantens (a type of winter coat), and locally produced bags.

Today they launch the next edit, The Sporting Life. From sailing to equestrian to gambling there is something for every fan. They gave me a sneak peek at the goods and I wanted to share a few of my favorites.

As regularly evidenced by my picks here, I'm a fan of anything nautical. So the selections from The Keelboat Skipper were perfect.This Seamaster watch by Omega, with it's striped band and navy face stood out as perfect for summer.

And no one goes sailing (or to the beach) without a bottle of rosé to keep cold. So the Insulated Sailing Wine Duffle is a must-have for summer trips to the Hamptons and Provincetown.

Another of the events, The Racetrack Tout spoke to another interest (or fanaticism) of mine -- the horse-bit. Starting with my Gucci loafers (now vintage themselves), the icon of the Italian house always catches my eye. This Vintage Gucci Horse-bit Tie will pair with a white oxford and jeans for warm weather parties, and the subletly of the bit will only be caught by the keenest eye.

Also on offer was a selection of horse lapel pins, which I almost snagged for myself, but decided to leave for one of you to enjoy.

Now there is a lot more to check out -- not just within Sporting Life, but on the Bureau's larger selection of products as well. So head over + see what treasures you can find!

Bureau of Trade: Things I Love

I've never been very adept at searching eBay for things I want. When I was looking for some vintage Marais chairs I tasked my friend John with finding them for me. My friend Jeff dutifully sent a number of links for a vintage Rolex... but I could never quite get behind it myself. Until now.

Launched this year is the answer to all of your sartorial and lifestyle needs (although you may not know you need it yet)... Bureau of Trade. Pulling in items from eBay, Craigslist, Etsy, and full priced niche vendors, they provide a veritable treasure chest of men's items across multiple categories.

 

This week I came across these great Bally boots... part of their "August Camping in the Great Lakes" story.

Also in the story -- this fantastic vintage Omega watch. Love it!

When I first spoke with the BoT team my first question was -- what if I love this Omega watch but someone gets to it first? Well they've thought through that, and present multiple (well selected) alternatives. As I was assured, there is a watch for you.

So after poking around the site the past few weeks I've decided to give the whole thing a try... starting this week you'll see the first Men's Threads collection at Bureau of Trade. I hope you like it + there'll be more to come. Enjoy + happy shopping!

Watch from Hamilton: Things I Have

I have been thinking for a while now that I need a new watch. The past few months I've been wearing a trusty Timex with a yellow band. Eye catching and simple, but lacking a certain sophistication.


I'd thought a few times about the vintage Rolex offerings on Park & Bond, and had asked a few friends about sourcing one directly from eBay.


Then this week GQ put out a list of must-have accessories -- bag, tie clip, glasses, watch. For a timepiece they suggested a Hamilton watch, a brand I admittedly was not familiar with. But perusing their website I really liked the Thin-O-Matic with a 60's design influence, a brown croc band, and a hefty 42 mm face.


I reached out to my friend (and watch aficionado) Jeff, who gave me a rundown on Hamilton's history (started in the U.S. 120 years ago, now owned and made in Switzerland). 

With Jeff's endorsement I found the Thin-O-Matic from an online vendor, and had it in my hands (and on my wrist) the very next day. 

I'm thrilled with having a proper watch and can't wait to wear in and soften the band, and get some good mileage out of it! 

Timex Weekender Watch: Things I Have

For the past two years my go-to casual watch was a bright yellow Nixon. I loved it + got a lot of compliments... but it was starting to feel stale and I needed a change!

So the last time I wore the Nixon, someone complimented me on it and I gifted it to them. Which meant I needed a new watch! Timex has been doing some really fun stuff (starting with their inclusion at J Crew stores) and the price point is definitely right.

The Weekender was featured on Por Homme (a favorite site of mine) and I snatched one up.

When I went to the Timex site, they were offering 20% off... hurry up!

Sportswatch from Nike: Things I Want

This may be a slight departure from my fashion-focused 'wants' but I loved the design of this watch from Nike. I am a fan of large rubber watches (I have a growing collection...) and I thought the huge display on this one was really cool.

The watch was done with TomTom (the GPS company) so you can accurately track your distance and route while running. I'm not a big runner... but hey, you never know.

You can read more on Selectism... check it out!

Things I Want: Purple Swatch

Since I just recently wrote about my mission to buy solids, and since I have a thing for bright rubber watches, how could I resist this brilliant color palette from Swatch!

There are twenty different colors, but I think the purple (or Callicarpa as Swatch has named it) is my fav. So cute and would be a really fun accessory for a day out on the town. And at 38 EUR the price can't be beat.

Found these at Acquire (http://www.acquiremag.com/style/watches/swatch-color-codes.php) and the watches are available at colette (http://www.colette.fr/#/eshop/article/580667/swatch/53/).

Enjoy!

Things I Want: Black watch by Tsovet

After years of rockin' only stripes and patterns and plaids, I have lately be focusing on solids. Today for example I wore a bright pink v-neck sweater with my yellow Nixon watch (you may remember it here).

I also have an affinity for big rubber watches. I have a Diesel one in black, Alessi in blue, and again the Nixon in yellow.

Now the watch below, from Tsovet is not rubber but it is still very cool. I love the black and black face and the silhouetted hands. Very cool indeed + I'll add it to my wish list for the next watch purchase.

You can read more about it from the good people at Selectism: http://www.selectism.com/news/2010/01/19/capsule-tsovet-svt-nm85-flat-black/

Things I Want: Cyclops Watch

Saw this watch and it immediately spoke to my fascination with pop color.  I love the bright circles representing each hour and the simple mesh band.  It also reminds me of something from Pantone (which is getting a biiiit overdone these days).

If I hadn't just bought a new watch (see previous post about my rockin' Nixon "sun dial") I would consider picking this up.

If you like it (which you should), read more at Acquire mag: http://www.acquiremag.com/style/watches/mr-jones-watches-cyclops.php.  Enjoy!

Things I Have: Yellow Nixon Watch

It is not news that I am all about yellow right now. And I also have a thing for rubber watches (already have two -- one from Diesel, one from Alessi).
But then I was just in Paris, at colette, and saw this one by Nixon... in yellow! I had to have it and so I did.

You can see it here (plus all of the other colors they have): http://www.colette.fr/#/eshop/article/133205/nixon/95/

Things I Want: Natalia Brilli

I have been reading about Natalia Brilli for a couple of months now, and actually trekked around Hong Kong to try and find some of her awesome leather goods. Now you can pick the smaller items up at Barney's...

She does leather covered pieces like the watch below, or a helmet, a studded wristband, a skateboard. Pretty rockin' stuff & I am saving up to get the watch.

You can check it all out at: www.nataliabrilli.fr