Scotch commentary

If you haven’t caught this already, and you’re a guy who’s into some scotch (or maybe you’re not, and would like to be), then check out the latest episode of Wine Library TV, featuring Gary Vaynerchuk (as usual), and WordPress guy Matt Mullenweg, as they check out a few scotch options.

 
Check out the full post, comments and all, here.

But what about The Hanger Project

As I was perusing my RSS feeds tonight, I came across an ad for The Hanger Project, which is doing just that - offering great hangers. Their goal, much like what ours is supposed to be, is to keep your clothes in great shape while they’re getting their hang on in your closet.

Checking back, I see that Will from A Suitable Wardrobe wrote about THP way back in February, and I can’t believe it hasn’t gotten broader pickup, because it’s a great idea. As someone who has the privilege of dressing casually for work every day, I’m still rocking the suit from time to time and they spend a lot of time just hanging in my closet. I’ve been good to use some decently priced wood hangers (those metal ones from the cleaners kill me) for most of my dress gear, but these jobs might be worth checking out, especially if they’ll turn you from being just a clothes horse from one who has clothes that have been stomped on by a horse.

Check out The Hanger Project and spend a couple bucks - might be worth it for that $1,000 suit you just bought.

$80k for champagne? Yep.

Over at Polka Dot Bride (another site on the I read ‘em so you don’t have to list), they’ve got a good rundown on an absolutely expensive, yet awesome, offering for those who really like their champagne. Turns out the fine folks at Perrier-Jouët will let you “build” your own case of 12 bottles of champagne for only 50,000 Euros. It’s not just a blind order of 12 bottles - there’s “work” involved and all - and maybe you’ll actually learn something. So, if you happen to have hit the lottery or just have that sort of coin around, then knock yourself out.

Need some three-stone rings?

The Bargainist posts about Amazon’s 40% off deal. Turns out, buying certain three-stone rings will get you an extra bunch of bucks off.

Just a thought.

Thomas Pink Summer Sale

Jeremy tips us off to the fact that the always awesome Thomas Pink is currently having its Summer Sale, so you probably should check that out. Additionally, he lets us know that they just recently opened an outlet store at Woodbury Commons, so if you’re in the NY area, you might want to check that out.

Learn something about your feet

Men’s Flair ran a post this week by Simon Crompton, where he gives some really great ins and outs to picking some good shoes. Turns out, as I’m sure you’re all quite aware, the shape of your feet has a lot to do with the types of shoes that work for you, but there’s truly one thing that makes the difference, the sole of the shoe. Head over and check it out.

Rocking in brown oxfords (or not)

Over at Metro Style Men, Colbert Low posted about some brown slip-on oxfords that are just right to fit into your rotation. Those are Fitzwell Duncans, and they run about $51 and change, which is a great price. I’m currently rolling my regular brown shoe-ness in these loafers, codename “Turnstyle,” from Banana Republic, if you’re so inclined to want to try on your shoes and you’re near the retailer. Either way, it makes for comfortable formalness, and who can complain about that?

Continental’s on the gift registry wagon

While I’ve previously expressed that I’m not so in love with the idea of having people pay for your honeymoon as a wedding gift - it’s just not for me, really - that doesn’t mean that it’s not a popular option. I’ve heard a lot of discussion where people say that they’re not against it, especially when it’s a second marriage, marriage of people who are maybe a little more successful, salary-wise and don’t “need” a lot of things for their home(s), and so on.

The latest thing I’ve caught is Continental Airlines’ gift registry, which allows gifts starting at $25 towards a travel registry for Continental.com members. Saw it advertised in my regular update as a Continental OnePass member, and figured it was worth posting about. Perhaps I need to rethink my concept of what this all means, huh?

A little sports under her dress

I’m not sure whether or not the garter tradition still goes for everyone (I’d say I see it 50% of the time at weddings I’ve gone to in recent years), but Bel at And Stanley Makes Three… points out an interesting item, sports team-emblazoned garters. You can find them at GartersbyKristi on the awesomely-creative Etsy.

Who doesn’t love a hot ride?

While most of the things that will be covered here at Groomify aren’t mean to be uber-expensive or completely out there, there comes a time that it can’t be missed. One thing that absolutely qualifies is something that has been in my drafts for weeks now, and I just got another swift kick in the rear - the one that isn’t the almost daily mention by Craig Carton on WFAN’s Boomer & Carton Show on the morning drive - to point to Vulcan Motor Club. On Friday, Gear Patrol’s Marc Arevalo dropped dime on what appears to be one of the more badass opportunities to drive almost any killer ride you can think of - but it’ll cost you.

With annual plans starting at $9,500 - which gets you 10 days of driving cars like the Lamborghini Gallardo or Audi R8, and 1,000 miles - and going all the way up to the Platinum plan at $25,000, getting you 40 days, 4,000 miles, vehicle delivery and up to 7-day “rentals,” it’s not for the faint of heart - or wallet.

That said, however, Vulcan offers one badass gift that I’d either pay for myself, beg and plead for as a wedding gift for myself, or perhaps get for my best man. Check it out - it’s the Wind and Fire Tour. Wind and Fire, for $1,195 for one person to get 5 hours of driving, switching to a new car every thirty minutes, or $598 for each person in a pair (you and your dad, or best man, for instance?) where you swap cars, and positions, every thirty minutes. I don’t know about you, but that’s pretty fantastic, and $600 isn’t unreasonable at all. Okay, so you’ve gotta get to Chester, NJ to start it all off, but if it takes you on some of the roads that I’m guessing it does within a five-hour circuit in the area, it’s going to be well worth it. These badboys are selling like hotcakes for 2008, and July 23 is the next “open” date you can get your butt in a seat for.

Yep, that Rod Laver

Over at Kineda, Terry Ng kicks it into high gear with a post about some new Rod Laver Vintage Lux shoes (I can’t call them sneakers!) featuring a snakeskin look that wants to wear its way onto your feet, and you know it. If you happen to be doing the beach thing with the white suit or tuxedo, maybe this is something to sneak into a ceremony or reception, since you know the bride’s going to have slippers or something else on.

Why isn’t this Shampowder for guys, too?

Upon reading about Shampowder today, I’ve gotta ask - why isn’t there an option for guys here? I’m sure if I started digging around I could find a version that doesn’t have pigments or vanilla scents, but why start elsewhere when the fine folks at Buttercream Cosmetics have clearly figured out a way to make it work for the female population?

Let’s take this as my official declaration that Shampowder for guys would have to be a popular item, maybe even taking part in the college shower phenomenon.

Do I rock the glasses or the contacts?

Glasses or contacts, contacts or glasses. Yes, that’s right. One of the questions that grooms (yeah, and brides, too) have had to choose between for all … er, since glasses and contacts were even an option, I guess, when it comes to the big day. Why bother even having this discussion? Well, pictures, of course.

I hadn’t really thought much of this until this morning, when I was taking some head shots for work, and they asked if I’d like to take some without my glasses - just to take a little bit of reflection out of the shots. Huh. So here lies the rub - I’m typically pretty recognizable in my glasses (that’s right - they’re Pumas), but if I really had my druthers I wouldn’t need them to help me see. I definitely dig my contact lenses more (especially that they let me rock sunglasses), I’m just a slacker most days and don’t feel like putting them in, or am just having a typical guy morning and rushing through it all. What do you do when that happens?

I’m probably already decided on this, and I’m 99% sure I’ll go with the contact lenses, because it’s just one less thing for me to have to deal with cleaning or dropping or breaking or whatever. But that has me thinking, since most of my friends and family see me with glasses most days, if they’ll look at our wedding photos and be like “dude, where are your glasses?” It’s a legit question, and it’s not like I *never* wear contacts, but am I just faking it for the photos or is it an up-and-up decision?

Invitation Madness

Last weekend, The Fiancee and I went to visit with the florist and to check out some other things in the area where we’re getting married next year. While we were speaking with the florist we’ll most likely be going with, she recommended a local shop down near where I went to college that does a really great job with invitations and other custom work, so we popped by. Since I’ve been designated “the creative one” (no, really - she said it), I was actually into this, since I wanted to have something cool and yet serious and not silly.

A few weeks ago, The Fiancee had seen Carlson Craft’s Pockets line, and thought I would dig them. Needless to say, I definitely did. Essentially, the concept gets rid of something I can’t stand - the stacks and stacks of envelope after envelope and misplaced cards that come with many invitations (Yes, I know many of them look gorgeous, I just know that many a guy has misplaced a directions card or something because of all of it), by putting everything into a nifty order of all things wedding.

Yep, that’s right. Just like in the little screenshot here, you, too, can get a line of things such as directions, places to stay, a response card, and lots more that are organized in different-sized cards so they stay organized. Forget about saving envelopes and whatnot, and don’t fret when you put the invitation in your desk drawer, only to be found two months from now. Just worry about finding the invitation in the first place.

If that’s not your thing, though, there are plenty more options that you can look into. design*sponge shares some screens of options from Swayspace and Thoughtful Day and some scriptastic ones from Linda + Hariett.

[Thanks, John for the inspiration and some links!]

An unlikely tuxedo source

Over at Manolo for the Brides, Never teh Bride shares a tip received from one of the site’s readers about how a wedding party managed to get their tuxedos from Volcom. Yep, that Volcom.

I actually concur with the assessment that Men’s Wearhouse Tuxedos are a great option, but I’m also one digging a creative option on the side, if you will. Anyone else found a creative or alternative option for tuxedos or formalwear that you might not have found otherwise?

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