Maple Time

Heading to Quebec City tomorrow. A couple of friends and I are driving up (which takes approximately nine hours from NY) so it should be a great time to sing, talk and travel.

Below are some of the items I'll be bringing with me to the trip. Packing is always such an exhausting activity for me. I never really bring anything that is too (emotionally not financially) valuable. If it's something that would be send me into a depressive spiral if lost, I don't travel with it. But because we're driving,  I'm a bit more daring with my choices.

My first pair of espadrilles. They'll look great with skinnies or even too-short shorts. 

School's out for summer

Sartorially, I'm not particularly adventurous. There are things I know will work, and I just stick to them with religious fervor. And by stick to, I mean I look the same everyday.

Here's my foolproof summer uniform.

The wardrobe:

• A lightweight blazer is absolutely necessary for coolish nights (when dining or drinking al fresco)
• A slew of easy, crisp white shirts almost makes a guy look more put together
• Henleys are just like any t-shirt out there, except sexier
• Horizontal stripes are classic details that telegraph the balmy atmosphere of the season
• Who wears shorty shorts (no one needs to full length pants. I don't care what those dumb clubs say)?
• Chucks are essential to mindless kickin' around

Dye Chuck Taylor! Dye!

It's sample sale season, and I'm trying my best at something called self-discipline. But because I am a work in progress, I did venture to check out the goods at a few: Buckler (Amazing), Jil Sander (Pretty good -- better for women, really), Opening Ceremony (Ok), Steven Alan (It's been better) and The News (Same old). I purchased a few really great items that I think will blend seamlessly into my summer wardrobe.

One of the items I'm most excited about was something I came upon purely by accident. I was waiting for a friend to meet with me for dinner, and in my impatience, I decided to check out the Gap for basic, short-sleeved henleys (one can never have too many). Sadly, no henley at the Gap proved good enough for putting me in further debt. There were however a selection of Chucks on markdown, exclusive to the ubiquitous American brand. Most were variations on blue denim and some in pink. I fell in love with a pair of tie-dyed low tops that I can't wait to wear all the summer long. Perhaps with the the yellow trousers I snagged from Buckler.

Here they are below. I'm terrible at taking photos so these really do not do them justice. Eh, next time.

Another fun factoid: these Chucks come with two sets of laces: one white, one blue. A nice touch.

Put on my blue suede shoes...

As I said in the post below, I will be taking greater care in showcasing my collection of footwear -- a collection I cherish with alien devotion.

My first is, strangely enough, a pair I rarely wear, because I don't want to destroy the awesome baby blue suede. They're Lambertson Truex, and I bought them at Bloomingdale's a few years ago (for dirt cheap). The friend I was shopping with couldn't get his head around why I would want baby blue shoes, but why not? I think they're awesome and perfectly encapsulate my sartorial point of view. Everything about them is pretty subdued - - the classic silhouette and the soft pastel. But I think they still add an unexpected touch. Plus, they are incredibly comfortable. Comfort is not usually a factor in my shoe-buying excursions, but it has to be noted how wonderful these are to wear.