Postmodern Gentleman

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taka.

Most people, when I ambush them (typically outside of their place of bathing, or after coitus) are a bit taken a back when I ask for a pic. You would think cocksure** NYers seem prepared at nearly all times for the flash of the strobe and the wink of the shutter. It is not the case.

And the last thing you want to do to your subject, be it a deer or a hipster wearing a John Deere hat, is spook him. I have to trash a lot of pics because people look spooked. They’re tense. Constipated. Or overly self-aware.

Not Taka. The Japanese in NY are absolutely “killing it.” If I had to describe what he was wearing to you without a picture to illustrate, you would have think I had a stroke. Floppy Ivy hat worn a la Leonardo Da Vinci. Tweet blazer and matching vest. Yellow scarf. Long Coat with purple facing. The dude was like the Japanese Renaissance version of Harry Potter.

*I said cock. Heh. Edgy bastard.

Jan 19, 2012 | Categories: Street to Street, The Blog | Tags: hogwarts, leonadro di vinci., street style, streetphotography, taka | Leave A Comment »

outside of opening ceremony.

If you’ve never been to Opening Ceremony, you need to go. For those not knowing, Opening Ceremony is a place where dreams come true, but you must wait for some insanely discounting sale to achieve these dreams. If you’ve ever wanted to feel emasculated and poor, go to Opening Ceremony. Rupert Murdoch once said of Opening Ceremony, “you’ll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.” I love that place.

Also, the people who shop there, even just in passing, look awesome. They explode the typical style archetypes with fists of dynamite and mouths of cotton. I cornered a group of young people (who know doubt were on their way from a music video shoot inside a pho restaurant, as young people nowadays tend to be).

Jan 17, 2012 | Categories: Street to Street, The Blog | Tags: ferris beuller, Opening Ceremony, pho, street style, streetphotography | Leave A Comment »

smoking is cool i don’t care what people say.

Is D.A.R.E. still in play? I won’t go as far as to say it was brainwashing propaganda perpetrated by the Black T-Shirt/Police Industrial Complex, but I’m dubious at its aims. I’m pretty sure right after D.A.R.E. graduation everyone went out for a smoke break. It reminds me of the time when this couple came into our health class to teach abstinence because “you guys aren’t going to be with your high school sweethearts forever.” The couple teaching were high school sweethearts. An orgy followed.

There’s something about standing around with smoldering ember in your hands that make you look badass. I’m thinking this is how cave men used to feel. “Dude, have you seen Oggdor’s new Flaming Wooden Stick? It’s awesome. I think he got it at Best Buy.”

Flash forward like 50,000 years (or three hundred in Bible Time) and go from a savannah in Nigeria to Alphabet City…

Jan 11, 2012 | Categories: Street to Street, The Blog | Tags: photography, smoking, street style, streetphotography | Leave A Comment »

that socal style

Went back to The OC for Xmas.** I’ll say this now and damn the consequences: Most people in Orange County have terrible style. “Terrible” is an understatement. It’s abortion-inducingly bad. Maybe it’s the weather and cheesy travel advertising, but SoCal-ers dress like they’re, at any moment, about to go snowboarding. Lots of cargo pants/shorts/shants. Lots of flat-brimmed hats that make them look like horrible musicians that specialize in a punk/rap/shit hybrids.

But there was a few goodies in there. Take this gent below. Remember that all around him were lowered Civics, raised monster trucks, and tons of grown men dressed like 15-year-old boys.

**NO ONE calls “Orange County” “The OC”, I merely did it to annoy myself. Mission accomplished. Asshole.

Jan 02, 2012 | Categories: Featured, The Blog | Tags: orange county, pics, socal, sorry i know he had that whole burn thing, streetphotography, travis barker, travis barker sucks | 2 Comments »

leffot x alden x my empty wallet

Further to the other day’s posts on shoes of dubious heritage, Leffot has birthed yet another elegant “collab” of sweet agony.

Jesus Christ look at them. Should I wear them or begin lobbying Massachusetts for the right for a man and shoe to be married in the eyes of the law.

I would name my kid “Alden” if I wasn’t sure it would automatically turn him into a neoliberal boutique investment banker with a penchant for sailing.

Oh come the fuck on.

Leffot, you guys are such assholes.

I should really just try to get a job at Leffot. Shoes appreciate in value over time, just like stock, right?

Dec 16, 2011 | Categories: Shop with PMG, The Blog | Tags: Alden, leffot, longwings, shoes | Leave A Comment »

shoe mullets

Tres-Bien I believe is the French for WTFLOLBBQ

Was recently directed to these Tres Bien x Mark McNairy shoes, the type of which seem to be all the raging boner nowadays.

I’m not going to say shoe design is easy, because it is not. It is hemmed in on all sides by so much tradition and convention it’s surprising we’ve seen any revamping lately. What can you really do? More eyelets? More holes in the broguing? I know what we need: more brown.

So when there is some room for rewriting the shoe script, you best bet designers are there with their thesaurus in hand. Whch is why we’re getting shoes like the above, as well as the below, and the even below-er.

Oy. I don’t know. They’re all business on top, and work on the bottom. They’re the shoe mullets of menswear, and there’s no equivalent irony ripped from a blue collar alcoholic beverage to complement.