Is this Idiot, you?

Tue Jun 4 2013  |  V. Sikka

Collar Stays.  As custom dress shirt makers, we know a thing or two about ‘em.  We know that almost all of us take them for granted.  For the most part, they sit undisturbed in their original slots never requiring maintenance and/or assistance. Keeping your collar points from creeping up is an inglorious job but they do it well and they do it quietly — which in turn keeps you from looking like a total buffoon.

We’ve all been in this position at one point or another.  You look in the mirror and realize, something isn’t quite right.  Your collar points have crept upwards like a pair of adolescent sparrows — eager to leave the nest.  Your heart skips a beat as you realize that while you were unconscious on your uneventful flight to San Antonio a Southern Shuckster absconded with your $0.11 collar stays.  

With­out those plas­tic gems, your whole look has been trans­formed from DiCaprio ala Incep­tion to Randy Quaid circa National Lampoon’s Christ­mas Vaca­tion.  

Real tomato ketchup, Eddie?

No woman has ever said to a man, “…Sweetie, can you wear that awful shirt with the col­lars that point 180 degrees the wrong way?”  Insert­ing a pair of col­lar stays acts as a pair of cement shoes, putting those uppity spar­rows back in their damned place.

The solu­tion to this dilemma is one of those moments that I can sadly look back upon on as one of my crown­ing achieve­ments. It didn’t result in mon­e­tary gain or reg­is­ter as a moment in human tri­umph.  Quite sim­ply, I made my own col­lar stays out of a hotel key card.

So if you’re in possession of a shirt with collars weaker than a Utah cocktail, there’s no need to despair.  Your trusted Deo Veritas style advisors have provided a photo narrative describing the ridiculously easy process:

Part 1 — Gather the nec­es­sary mate­ri­als (Sharpie, Scis­sors, Hotel Key Card). Exist­ing col­lar stay optional

Part 2 — Sten­cil out the col­lar stay out­line with a Sharpie. You don’t need an existing col­lar stay — you can just hack away.

Part 3 — Using a plain old pair of scis­sors, cut out the out­line of the stay. One thing you’ll notice with these key cards — they’re much thicker than the original stays that come with the shirt.

Part 4 — Insert the new “bad ass” col­lar stay into the collar slot. Those spar­rows have now effec­tively been muz­zled and bolted to the floorboards.

Here’s one way to approach the subject. I’ve always been the artsy type yet never really understood art valuation–it’s completely an abstract interpretation. But after this goodread, although valuation is not taught outright, the appreciation that leads to valuation is.

–Jay

Creativity and lifestyle is an artsy endeavor. Reading Machiavelli is one thing and applying it is another–an artsy endeavor nonetheless. This post is not political; it lays the requisite foundation to crowning yourself the Prince of your kingdom whatever that kingdom may be …

Newly married, my husband, Eric, and I moved to a new home with our kids. Now we would start trying to blend our families.

From the beginning, it was total chaos. There were endless chores, to say nothing of the logistics of caring for four kids under 8 (two from our previous marriages and two we’d had together). At the same time, I had just started a new full-time job writing legal briefs from home, and I was trying to finish a dissertation for my Ph.D. in history. All of which meant that I was trapped inside for days at a time with my kids, whose constant bickering was driving me nuts.

Like millions of other modern moms, I tried to change them by yelling and nagging. This, of course, only made their behavior worse. After one especially trying day, I stomped off to my home office. Too exhausted to work, I sat at my desk and stared at a dusty shelf of books. And there I saw it: an old copy of “The Prince.”

Pulling it from the shelf, I studied its cover—a portrait of Niccolò Machiavelli. His determined eyes stared out humbly at me; his thin lips turned up in a slight, knowing smile; his stance, powerful and confident—everything that I was not at that point in my life.

Sean McCabe

I opened the book and began reading. Machiavelli’s name is synonymous with duplicity, deceit and the cunning, ruthless use of power. But the more I read, the more excited I became.

Machiavelli began writing “The Prince” in the midst of his own crisis. Fired from his position in Florence as a high-ranking diplomat, he had been arrested, imprisoned and tortured for his alleged role in a conspiracy to assassinate Cardinal Giuliano de’Medici and seize the government by force. Upon his release, exiled to the Tuscan countryside, he resolved to write a primer on politics in hopes of gaining favor among the Medicis and obtaining a new government post. Thus was born “The Prince,” the most revolutionary and widely maligned political tract of all time.

Machiavelli never wrote the infamous phrase often associated with him: “the ends justify the means.” His methods weren’t about acquiring power for its own sake. He saw power as a tool for securing the safety and stability of the state. He wanted to show princes how to ensure the happiness and well-being of their subjects.

A stable and safe home? Full of happy and prosperous subjects? It sounded like a worthy goal, not just for a prince but for a parent too. Maybe I could use Machiavelli’s rules to help me reclaim my own kingdom.

Niccolò Machiavelli

Being permissive and nice hadn’t worked with my children. Begging, bartering, harassing and even politely asking hadn’t worked either. But perhaps a pragmatic, tough-minded Machiavellian strategy would. With “The Prince” in hand, I set out to become a full-fledged Machiavellian mom. I was soon following several of the great political adviser’s key maxims.

‘Nothing wastes so rapidly as liberality, for even whilst you exercise it you lose the power to do so, and so become either poor or despised or, in avoiding poverty, rapacious and hated.’ 

Because men are fickle, hypocritical, greedy and deceitful, Machiavelli argues, their loyalties can be won and lost. To guard against shifting allegiances, he advises a prince to develop a reputation for generosity. He cautions, however, that an overly generous prince will quickly bankrupt the state and only increase his subjects’ greed for largess.

I thought immediately of my kids.

Like all moms, I was struggling to meet their every material need. Yet as I read “The Prince,” I realized that the more things I gave them, the more they expected and less grateful they became. So, on our next trip to Target, I applied Machiavelli’s advice to my unsuspecting young subjects.

Teddy: Had her eye on a new backpack, but too much liberality dissipates a ruler’s power.

Usually, on such outings, they would greedily toss DVDs and dolls into our cart. If I insisted that they remove the booty, temper tantrums would ensue. This time I had a plan. Instead of waiting for disaster, I stopped at the entrance and handed each of them $10.

“What’s this?” my 7-year-old daughter Teddy asked.

“It’s a 10-dollar bill,” I said. “And it’s for you to use today, but that’s all you’re going to get, so use it wisely.”

Once inside, my troops carefully examined the price of each item they liked. “What? $29?!” Teddy protested upon discovering the price of a  Justin Bieber backpack. “Well, that’s just ridiculous,” she mumbled as she put it back on the shelf. “It’s not worth that much!”

Our shopping trip went much more smoothly than in the past, my kids were more appreciative, and they learned the value of money.

‘A Captain ought…[to] endeavor with every art to divide the forces of the enemy, either by making him suspicious of his men…or by giving him cause…to separate his forces and, because of this, become weaker.’

Daniel: Wasn’t making the grade, until mom decided to divide and conquer.
Daniel: Wasn’t making the grade, until mom decided to divide and conquer.

I was already familiar with the strategy of “divide and conquer”; our kids are masters at pitting my husband and me against each other to get what they want. I decided it was time to use this maxim to my own advantage.

To that end, I “divided” Teddy and my 8-year-old stepson Daniel by pitting them against each other in a not-so-friendly competition over who could do better in school.

“Excellent!” I praised Teddy when she brought home a nearly perfect second-grade report card. I then rewarded her with a celebratory family dinner at the restaurant of her choice. On the other front, Daniel, whose report card wasn’t so stellar, got nothing, other than the shame of losing the competition—to his younger sister no less, as I reminded him.

But this defeat ignited his competitive spirit, and by the end of the school year, both Teddy and Daniel brought home outstanding report cards. Bottom line: By setting my kids against each other, I ultimately got what I wanted from them…and they both benefited.

‘Those princes who have done great things have held good faith of little account, and have known how to circumvent the intellect of men by craft, and in the end have overcome those who have relied on their word.’ 

With that victory scored, I turned to the part of “The Prince” where Machiavelli shifts emphasis from dispensing concrete advice to describing the personality traits of a great leader. It is critical for a prince always to appear honorable, he writes, but he cautions that a prince shouldn’t honor his word if doing so will threaten his rule. And since all men are dishonest, he adds, “a prince must be deceitful if it is to his advantage.”

Trevor: Never saw through the small lie that gave his parents a much-needed retreat.

This might make sense in politics, but I didn’t know if it would be wise to apply at home. But then my husband and I were invited to a golfing event in Santa Barbara for the weekend.

All parents know that weekends are dictated by kid-centered events, from sports to birthday parties to play dates. This particular weekend was no different, and all my kids had multiple events that I was supposed to attend. But I desperately needed a break, and suitable child care could be arranged.

So, to minimize resistance and feelings of unnecessary abandonment (“You’re going golfing? Can we come?!”), I told my kids that their dad and I were going away for the weekend on a business trip. And I didn’t feel a bit guilty about it. The result: When I returned home, I was well-rested and relaxed, and my kids, who had worn out their grandparents, were thrilled to have me and their dad back home.

In other words: Don’t feel guilty for lying to your kids if it makes you happy and relaxed…because having a happy, relaxed mom always benefits a child.

‘A prince, so long as he keeps his subjects united and loyal…will be more merciful than those who, through too much mercy, allow disorders to arise.’

I admit to pausing when I encountered Machiavelli’s advice that “good laws follow from good arms” and that the very legitimacy of law rests upon the threat of coercive force. I should make it clear that I do not, as a rule, believe in spanking a child of any age. But this issue came into play when Katie, then 5, tried to escape from our house one day when she thought I wasn’t watching.

Katie: Kept running away, until mom switched from mercy to gentle coercion.

Katie has Down syndrome and is happiness personified, but she can also be stubborn and defiant. Some of her misdeeds include dumping a full bottle of water on my laptop and frequently escaping from home and school. On this particular day, I gave her a quick pat on the behind.

Katie’s eyes opened wide with surprise, but she didn’t let out so much as a whimper or whine, much less a cry. When she tried to pull the same trick the next day, I gave her another quick pat that was met with a slight grimace…followed by a wide, defiant grin. Clearly, this strategy wasn’t only ineffective, it was aggravating the situation.

I scoured “The Prince” and stumbled upon his maxim that “when princes have thought more of ease than of arms they have lost their states.” A few days later, Katie sneaked outside again and tried to hide in the backyard. This time, I led her straight up to her room.

“You know you’re not supposed to leave the house without asking,” I said sternly. She nodded in acknowledgment. “Then you’re getting a half-hour timeout in your room,” I announced. “And from now on, whenever you choose to break this rule, that is what you will get. Every. Single. Time.” Then I slowly closed the door and walked away.

That might seem extreme, especially if you are not familiar with the unique challenges of disciplining a special-needs child. But when it comes to parenting and politics, context is everything. And if that kind of pragmatic and tough-minded Machiavellian strategy was what it was going to take to keep my sweet, spirited, stubborn young daughter safe and sound then, in my mind, it was in her best interest.

When I walked into her room a half-hour later, she was sitting on her bed flipping through a picture book. When she looked up, she sheepishly smiled.

“You ready to come out now and behave?” I asked.

“Yeah!” she giggled and clapped.

‘In the actions of all men, and especially of princes…one judges by the result.’

As peace and predictability began to prevail at home, I turned to Machiavelli’s most infamous advice. Though often mistakenly recalled as “the ends justify the means,” what he really says is subtler: that others will ultimately judge actions by results.

Eric: Wanted another child, but received a tough ultimatum instead.

Either way, the maxim came in handy one night when my husband got into bed, pulled close to me and said, “You know, I’d really like to have another kid.” To which I replied, “That’s nice, honey, but what you’re going to have instead is a vasectomy.”

With our four boisterous young kids finally coming under control, adding another to the mix—an obvious threat to my hard-won dominion—was a result that I could not accept. My husband resisted this edict at first, but when I told him that until he accepted it he shouldn’t expect any affection in bed, he quickly agreed to an appointment with a doctor.

There is nothing scheming or manipulative about following the path set down by Machiavelli. It is all about maintaining power and laying down the law with a firm hand. The great Florentine would be proud of his new disciple.

—Ms. Evans is the author of “Machiavelli for Moms: Maxims on the Effective Governance of Children,” to be published by Simon and Schuster/Touchstone on April 9. Suzanne Evans–author. Courtesy of the Wall Street Journal.

–Jay

Takashi Miike, Photograph by Nigel Perry (esquire.com)

To some, December 21, 2012 spawned the age of awakening–ubiquitously. Emotions became nostalgic. We long for that “vintage”, when things were what they were. No hidden ingredients. No misleading fine print. Removing the boundaries of control in search of the essence to all things, human or manmade.

Fine tailoring is a reflection of that longing with a return to androgynous couture. Keying in on structure and shapes the androgynous part. And minimalism, the elegance of “less is more”.

Between 1960–1968 the minimalist movement reached its academic apogee. It was sartorial ready-mades: the little black dress and the day suit. It was emptiness and abstraction that replaced decourousness and elaboration. It was reductive geometry. (Dimant, Elyssa. Minimalism and Fashion: Reduction in the Postmodern Era. New York: Collins Design, 2010. Print.)

“The basic forms of 1960’s clothing–the cube, the cylinder, the conical sheath–were the perfect reductive shapes to champion either graphic print or uninterrupted monotone. It was a strategy that dethroned the primacy and destabilized the paradigm of western fashion.” (Dimant, Elyssa. Minimalism and Fashion: Reduction in the Postmodern Era. New York: Collins Design, 2010. Print.)

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What “was” minimalism?

It was linear patterning …

David Bailey, Queen , 1964 [unpublished]

It was checkerboards …

It was polka dots, ziggurats and chevrons …

Actor Steve McQueen with Peggy Moffitt (1963 Ferrari GT Berlinetta Lusso car), Associated Press …

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The abutting planar juxtapositions contrasted the overly fettered New Look silhouettes of the previous decade. “In New York Fashion, historian Caroline Renolds Milbank deciphered the broad trend of linear patterning and abutting planar juxtapositions in 1960’s textiles, which owed their decorations to the geometric formations of the 1920’s garment.” (Dimant, Elyssa. Minimalism and Fashion: Reduction in the Postmodern Era. New York: Collins Design, 2010. Print.)

New Look:

(wikipedia)

The sleek aesthetic, with planar textile draping along the body gives shape to the garment, not the other way around.

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“In 1967 Yves Saint Laurent configured a suit (dubbed Le Smoking) as modern as it was adherent to traditional menswear. It was simple, approachable, and, most importantly, imitable enough to be copied by department stores and specialty boutiques.  It illuminated an innovative aesthetic of reduction.” (Dimant, Elyssa. Minimalism and Fashion: Reduction in the Postmodern Era. New York: Collins Design, 2010. Print.)

“In POPism: The Warhol Sixties (2006), Andy Warhol and Pat Hackett asserted, “The idea that anybody had the right to be anywhere and do anything no matter who they were and how they dressed, was a big thing in the sixties. The girl on the street, as both consumer and influencer, echoed and enriched the welcoming experiential environments of the minimalist gallery and the fashion boutique.”” (Dimant, Elyssa. Minimalism and Fashion: Reduction in the Postmodern Era. New York: Collins Design, 2010. Print.) 

Avant garde animal print.

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Grid Print, Peggy Moffit: her suit designed by Rudi Gernreich and supplemented with a black suede balaclava by Leon Bennett and pumps by Capezio, was featured in Vogue’s September 1, 1964 issue. (Dimant, Elyssa. Minimalism and Fashion: Reduction in the Postmodern Era. New York: Collins Design, 2010. Print.)

The simple grid pattern is of the essence here. The futurist implications of the minimalist style renders a gaze to the stars.

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“Coco Chanel’s little black dress emerged as a ready-made that conveyed discreet, refined chic. The couturiers first Little Black Dress is typically dated to a 1926 dress model of wool crepe and silk satin, which Vogue dubbed a “Ford signed Chanel”.

The reference allied the French designer’s reductive black shift with principles of automated American Fordist production: mass appeal and paramount accessibility.” (Dimant, Elyssa. Minimalism and Fashion: Reduction in the Postmodern Era. New York: Collins Design, 2010. Print.)

Hence, at the frontier of the minimalist fashion movement were “Pret-a-Porter” and “readily available”; it was “commodity accessibility” challenging the conceit of eviable haute couture. With attention to democratization and universal socioeconomic promotion, minimalism created a vocabulary of easy dressing that would come to define modern fashionability. (Dimant, Elyssa. Minimalism and Fashion: Reduction in the Postmodern Era. New York: Collins Design, 2010. Print.)

I started this post in deep reflection of the minimalist undercurrent in our daily lives–from global financing to our diets & lifestyle. Our search for the very essence and source of all things human or manmade.

The swinging sixties, “a period of optimism and hedonism (wiki)” concludes [part 1 of 2] of the minimalist movements apogee in my take on fashion & lifestyle.

–Jay

P.S.

Swinging Sixties William Klein Photography

Of importance, DeoV is back in blog mode–ready to deliver the best in mindshare.

Sincerely,

Deo Veritas

A collaboration between four close friends, Warby Parker was conceived as an alternative to the overpriced and bland eyewear available today. Prescription eyewear simply should not cost $300+. The industry is controlled by a few large companies that have kept prices artificially high, reaping huge profits from consumers who have no other options. By circumventing traditional channels and engaging with customers directly through our website, Warby Parker is able to provide higher-quality, better-looking prescription eyewear at a fraction of the price. (WarbyParker.com)

At Deo Veritas we like a custom fitted dress shirt that compliments focal, precision cut eyewear. Give someone a deep stare from the spire of the castle down, show them you care, keep your eyes behind thy glass curtains in regal Warby Parkers, good will hunting in ethereal eyewear.

Frames We Like:

Larkin in a lunar fade (men’s) …

Holt in a blue slate fade (unisex) …

 Winston in an old fashioned fade (unisex) …

Carlen in a striped evergreen or amber (women’s) …

Begley in whiskey tortoise or midnight blue or greystone (women’s) …

Sibley in amber …

This time of year we cull for our best spirits. The holiday mood enables us to bring cheer to those near and dear. For those who set our tables and to those who fill our bellies we are thankful. We thank the Good Lord for all his blessings and holiday cheer.

Don’t be afraid, carry on newbie; tickle your fingers with miscellaneous food grade in the kitchen this Christmas. Here’s a guide to help you show off to the boys. Ho, Ho, Ho. We call it the “Mad Men of Christmas”. Thanks us later.

Or shall we say, thank them… click to view the blog:

]]> http://www.deoveritas.com/blog/xmas-qualms-what-to-cook-with-vintage-cocktails/feed/ 0 http://www.deoveritas.com/blog/dopp-kit-for-christmas-be-wise/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dopp-kit-for-christmas-be-wise http://www.deoveritas.com/blog/dopp-kit-for-christmas-be-wise/#comments Wed, 19 Dec 2012 05:12:36 +0000 Jay Wen http://www.deoveritas.com/blog/?p=5049 Read More »]]>

I preface to all mankind, whether you travel the Oregon Trail by horse & carriage or fly Virgin Atlantic whilst sipping clear liquids, a wise man always travels with a dopp kit.

Ladies I advise you enable men to be wise and buy them something worthy this Xmas. For all men shopping for other men, this is a great gift nonetheless.

A collaboration from Black Point Mercantile and Portland General Store, whew …

Don’t get any fancy ideas now ladies, we don’t consider this unisex; it’s strictly for a man’s tools.

–Jay

P.S. If you order online I hope it arrives in time

-

Below the Han river is a blend of Eastern and Western cultures that only the Fashion Oracle may describe. The area falls within the Gangnam district and is heavily concentrated with nouveau riche fashion heads.

It is here that you may find artist PSY seeking the Fashion Oracle to question what to wear this fall. Thereafter I suspect you’ll find him draped in gingham and moving swiftly on his feet in padded leather wingtips–doing it none other than Gangnam Style.

Gingham like Gangnam entails more than a bit of history. PSY may ask, how do I wear my gingham?

The Oracle: PSY my son I see you’ve created a following. With power comes many a set of eyes. Dress leaves a mark. See to the windy city… it is there you’ll find Deo Veritas, the makers of “leave your own mark made-to-measure, bespoke”. The wisest of men take cues from Don-Draper-and-crew; Thunderball, 1965 may guide in dressing it down and don’t be shy, Connery is intimidating to many in gingham. If you’re still searching for the light, see to the Mods.

Click here to view the embedded video.

 Image courtesy of Tomandlorenzo.com

Deo Veritas gingham lineup:

Our Tessitura Monti Daria Classico …

The Elite Blue by Tessitura Monti, a medium weight fabric for year-round comfort …

It’s called Pompei by Tessitura Monti and comes in Royal Blue or Lavender Pink or Rose or Charcoal Black—80 thread count …

Lavender Pink or Light Copper or Cornflower Blue gingham check by Thomas Mason—100 thread count, medium weight and great for this winter …

Magenta by Thomas Mason. Medium weight, 100 thread count and great for this fall.

The mini grid print on this Italian cotton is fascinating; 100 thread count, medium weight, makes for great looks in the Fall and comes in none other than Rose.

Prince Rose superfine Italian Cotton by Tessitura Monti; 140 Thread Count, light to medium weight and hues of white ground with small blue check.

Ceil Blue or Lava Red mini gingham check by Thomas Mason …

100% Italian cotton mini gingham check in black—80 thread count and light-to-medium weight for warmer Fall days …

Return to our homepage to learn more about custom dress shirts.

–Jay

If you choose to join the God of the grape harvest in his trance-inducing quest to liberate humanity, you shall prepare to make the Champagne region of France your new abode. To all nymphs: “Come hither” says Dionysus.

Champagne is one of the world’s most famous wines, beloved by connoisseurs and laypersons alike. It enjoys a glamorous reputation, and it is of course de rigueur when it comes to celebrating anything. However, it doesn’t require a special occasion: it’s just as good to drink on an average weeknight as it is on New Year’s Eve.

When speaking of Champagne, it’s important to remember that the word refers exclusively to wines made in the Champagne region of France. This is not snobbery, nor is it an insistence that one drink only real Champagne. There are plenty of excellent sparkling wines made in other regions of the world: I would personally recommend those by Roederer Estate and Iron Horse in California; Gramona and Raventós i Blanc in Catalunya; or Bründlmayer and Schloss Gobelsburg in Austria, for example. Yet as good as these sparkling wines are, they shouldn’t be called Champagne. Why? And why does it matter?

As with other French wines, such as Bordeaux or Burgundy, Champagne is named for a specific place. Wine from the Champagne region exhibits a particular and inimitable character, derived from where it is grown and how it is made. The late Pascal Leclerc, proprietor of Champagne Leclerc-Briant, liked to explain it this way: “Champagne can only be made in Champagne. Why? First, we have very bad weather. Second, we have our three grape varieties, and chalky soil and all that. Third, we have 330 pages of regulations.”

The joke is funny because it’s true: strict regulations detailing authorized grape varieties, accepted viticultural practices or minimum length of aging all play a role in shaping Champagne’s character. But most fundamental of all is the geographical location of the Champagne vineyards themselves. No matter how faithfully and diligently one applies the same winemaking techniques, a sparkling wine made outside of the Champagne region can never achieve an identical character—it will not necessarily be inferior, but it will be distinctly different, due in large part to differences in soil and climate.

For many people, this is entirely trivial. Most consumers pay little attention to what’s in their glass, so long as it’s fizzy. But for those who are interested in the details of things (and you wouldn’t be reading this blog if you weren’t), a little exploration into the subject can be intriguing. It’s often true that the more you learn about what it is you’re engaged in, the greater your enjoyment of it becomes. Knowing the specific properties of Neapolitan tailoring or Northampton shoemaking, for instance, allows one to better appreciate these things (and, I might add, makes one more willing to pay the price that they command). In the case of Champagne, you may be a partisan of a particular brand, and indeed, the marketing of Champagne has historically been heavily brand-oriented. It’s rewarding, however, to go beyond the brand and discover what makes a particular Champagne special, and to learn how good Champagne differs from the merely ordinary.

I encourage you to explore the world of sparkling wines, including both those from the Champagne region and those made elsewhere. Just be sure to call them by their proper names.

This post is courtesy of A Suitable Wardrobe.

To look presentable before the God of Trance, return to our home­page to learn about cus­tom dress shirts.

–Jay