u/Mcris64

Finished The Rebel’s Wardrobe. In addition to a lot of vintage photos and illustrations, this includes a mostly-well-edited article about each major clothing element. The most surprising thing to me was recognizing in my own closet and out on the street clothing designs that I otherwise wouldn’t have understood to be connected.

I bought these engineer boots from Brake House. I wear a US 10.5 in most shoes, including Jim Green ARs, Gorals, but a 10.0 in Red Wing 875 & Chucks. These are new & tough to get on, especially the right boot, for which I have to use a bread bag to get in. Once on, they fit comfortably with just a little heel slip. No discernible flaws. I’m interested to see how these break in. Seems like a good boot for the money.

Finished The Rolling Stones: the biography, by Bob Spitz. Well, wow. I’ve been listening to the Stones since buying Some Girls in 1978 as a 13 year old, but this would be a compelling story for anyone who started listening to them this year because odds are you would have heard songs written 60 years apart by the same guys. This book captures that concept pretty well. It leans heavily on the first 10-15 years the heaviest, as it should, but I’m left wanting more on the last 45. Still, good book and worth the time.

OK, who has a source for the white with blue pattern, and what’s the other one? I’m trying to catch up before the next pattern(s) drop.

I stumbled on a pair of Love & Peace Selvedge at Muttonhead a few weeks ago (USD $120.50 all-in, so the WL shirt & each of the Gorals cost more, lol).

Lighter at 12.5oz than I usually wear and seem to sit a half inch or so higher than my other True Guys. Love the fit.

This has got me looking forward to the Vintage Nudes this fall.

Finished Fantastic Voyage, by Isaac Asimov, 16th of the year. Off the pace for a lot of reasons, but mostly because I’m forcing myself through a backlog of books that haven been sitting on my shelf FOR YEARS. Regarding this one, it’s based on a screenplay written by multiple authors and novelized by Asimov. It worked out just as you would expect: not well.

Edit: Just realized my granddaughter put a dog sticker on the cover. I like it.

Received my GORAL x Naked & Famous Denim sneakers today, #11 of 90 pairs.

I’m a US 10.5, followed the GORAL size chart, and ordered a UK 9.5. They’re a perfect fit, lightweight and comfortable out of the box.

The nice thing about preorders is I paid for them long enough ago that it doesn’t hurt anymore, LOL.

Now to figure out which jeans to wear. Need to show these off.

Today I received these 32 oz Japanese Selvedge Denim sneakers from the GORAL x Naked & Famous Denim collab, #11 of 90 pairs.

I’m a US 10.5, followed the GORAL size chart, and ordered a UK 9.5. These are a perfect fit, lightweight and comfortable out of the box. I’m pretty satisfied and can’t wait to put them through their paces.

Finished Memorials by Richard Chizmar. Bought this through Amazon as a promotion to get a Stephen King chapbook. I’ve done this once before with the author. The add-on may or may not be worth the effort, but the book itself is OK. The story has an interesting premise and moves along pretty well, but the characters behave unrealistically, and what was mildly creepy on occasion could have really disturbing if handled better. Worth a read, I guess, but just barely.

Figured I needed a grey pair with all the brown, black, & indigo shoes I’m buying this summer. May need to swap out those laces for a contrast.

My first Oni Denim and ecru jeans, the Oni Denim 271-Ecru, 12.4 oz Organic Cotton, unsanforized and one-washed, in their Just Right Straight cut. They’re high-rise, a slightly relaxed fit, maybe, but they’re so soft I may have to starch the cuffs a little. Beautiful, slubby fabric, and the buttons and rivets are great. I may be in trouble.

Finished A Parade of Horribles, by Matt Dinniman. This is a big book, clocking in at nearly 700 pages. I liked it, although he may have missed a step in comparison to the 7th book it follows. Nevertheless, this still reads nearly as well as the 7th in the series that it follows.

Finished A Fifth of Bruen, a collection of the early fiction of Ken Bruen. I’ve really liked the first few of his books from the Jack Taylor and Brant series, but I had put this on the back burner because sometimes early work by an author can be disappointing. Wow, what a mistake! I have a new appreciation for Bruen. He is a one-of-a-kind Irish noir writer who is as much poet as prose writer, and this collection serves it all up to you.

Received my Mystery Box: Mellor II Low Top Sneakers in Mastrotto Adria Navy Leather. I’m pretty pleased with these. I wear a lot of denim and can see these going well with most of my jeans. Fit and finish is great. Comfortable right out of the box. These are my first, so I was trusting they would be true to size, and they are.

Finished Death Without Company by Craig Johnson. The second of the Walt Longmire mysteries. It’s been over 8 years since the Netflix series concluded, enough time to read these novels without too much comparison to the series. I enjoyed the series, and I enjoyed this book as well. It’s a nice modern western with engaging characters and an inventive plot. Good enough for me.