[eagle2250]

Review of TLB Mallorca museum calf -

You video selection for today fit right into my wheelhouse. Watching an episode of The Elegant Oxford is always an informative and entertaining experience! I really enjoyed that.....thank you.

 

[eagle2250]

Review -

TLB Mallorca; Best Value Goodyear Welted Shoe?

Another great video....it both entertains and educates the viewer. Thanks!

 

[eagle2250]

Review: Carmina Shell -

Great video...I love shell cordovan, I love long wings, and I love The Elegant Oxfords you tube videos. They are entertaining and always educational! Thank you for sharing.

 

[eagle2250]

Leonard Logsdail's story -

I cannot imagine anyone being able to watch the video above and not come out of it as a fan of Leonard Logsdail's . The sartorial world is a better place because all those early employers fired Logsdail, to the point that he eventually struck out on his own. The simplicity of his business philosophy is it's genius!

 

[eagle2250]

For fans of Cheaney shoes. Which this somewhat older video taught me is pronounced Cheeney rather than Chainey as I had been mispronouncing it. Long owned by Church's, it was purchased a number of years ago by brothers from the Church family when Church's was sold to Prada.

Long a solid mid-quality English shoe, while still largely conservative, they have moved upmarket both in terms of quality and price. Nothing ever wrong with them, but finish and materials have gotten even a bit better. I consider myself blessed to have 3 pair, and they are particularly handsome, comfortable, beautifully made traditional English shoes.

Another great video. True to my nature as 'The Manic Shoe Shopper', I do seem to more greatly enjoy the shoe construction/care/sales videos over the others dealing with garment construction, etc. As you confessed above, I too have been mispronouncing Cheaney shoes since I first became aware of them. I've greatly enjoyed the pair(s) on my shoe racks.

 

[eagle2250]

50 year old Harris Tweed -

A garment may eventually reach the end f it's useful life, but the mighty Tweed never dies! It is simply resurrected as a new garment.

 

[eagle2250]

A minute and a half in America's greatest men's shop. Such a description is a bold statement. I assert it by virtue of the average level of taste and quality, and diversigty. Top level classic offerings stuffed into every nook and cranny of a comparatively small space, all of fine quality, and refined taste. Well described by their spokesman as "The highest common denominator."

A look inside O'Connell's -

Consider me a well satisfied customer of O'Connell's. Unfortunately it's been a mail order/Telephone call relationship.. I've planned a couple of road trips to visit their store, but something has always come up to foil those plans. They don't happen to have a 30+ minute video tour of the store, do they? :icon_scratch:

 

[eagle2250]

I agree with the Shoe Snob....I am not a fan of white contrast stitching on a black boot, but it was an interesting video nonetheless.

 

[eagle2250]

Oh, well . . . . :angry:

View attachment 63390

LOL, the presentation is rated a 9 and the shoe/boot itself rates just a 6. Fair enough.

 

[eagle2250]

I'd never gotten to a point of giving up white shirts, but the Man was sufficiently convincing in his arguments for the return of the white shirt, that I will continue to wear mine without interruption.. LOL

 

[eagle2250]

An interesting video and a handsome pair of foot gear, as always, but I must tell you there will never be the day I would be willing to pay $1650 for a pair of shoes made in China, machine made or hand made. If I am spending that much it will be for a new pair of Made in the USA Luccheses. I presently enjoy six pair of such classics, but could always use a seventh! LOL.

 

[eagle2250]

I've seen a few Lucchese Boot making videos before, but not this one. Very enjoyable to watch...did you see that boot maker dump that box of nails in his mouth and then get to work? Jeez Louis, I hope he doesn't forget and swallow! :crazy:

 

[eagle2250]

Deconstructing the myth of bespoke that "You can have anything!"

This is possibly the best video of a discussion of the process of commissioning bespoke that I have ever found. It is candid and realistic, rather than idealistic, based upon an abundance of real life experience, and 100% consistent with my personal experience. It covers all of the essential pitfalls and unrealistic expectations often brought to the process, and what is most successful instead.

I.e., tailors cut clothes, the way that tailors cut clothes.

The video above is perhaps the most helpfully informative videos in this thread. Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[eagle2250]

A more relaxed, presentation style that adds to the appeal of what we are being told about his new shoes. I am a fan of suede shoes, with pairs of sand, tobacco, dark olive and navy suede shoes on the racks, but I'm not sure black suede shoes are my cup of tea. My one gripe about my navy blue suede Allen Edmond's wing tips is that when worn, they all too quickly and clearly show any dust that gets on them. I suspect black suede shoes would present the same way. A very good presentation though!

 

[eagle2250]

Handmade, custom cowboy boots.....literally a dying art! It's going to take some time for Wheeler Boots to age out and fade into history, but the legendary Mr Dave Wheeler has already taken the last measurements for boots that he will be making. Paul Bond, another arguably legendary custom boot maker, passed away almost 10 years ago and now Dave Wheeler will be riding off into the sunset of retirement. Kind of sad!

 

[eagle2250]

If you like fine hats, or would like to like fine hats, the time invested listening to a master discuss them is well worth it!

Two very interestinf and entertaining videos on hats. I am a confirmed fan of hats, but I seem to have passed through the fashion phase of fur and wool felt fedoras and have moved on to more pragmatic versions. Frankly, never in my life have I worn hats more frequently/constantly than I do in my present phase of life, but alas, my fancy hats, several Borsalino and Stetson fedoras sit unworn in the closet, while my collection of Tilley Endurables are worn almost every day. The last time I wore the Borsalino's and the Stetsons with any regularity was back in Hoosierville, before we migrated to central Florida In the heat and humidity of central Floerid I sweated up the fur and wool felts pretty quickly and the woven plant fiber hats didn't take much longer. I wear hats for protection from the sun and occasionally to keep the rain off. The Tilley's are maintained/restored by throwing them in the washer on a gentle cycle and air drying them. I am a practical man and some argue that I'm pretty cheap. I don't like to quickly ruin my more pricey hats! Nuff said on that.

 

[eagle2250]

The Elegant Oxford really does a great job of unboxing a pair on in this video, three pair(s) of shoes. Watching him handle all that fine leather and listening to his praises of the beauty of the shoe art he holds in his hands leaves no doubt that the loves his work and particularly the piece he presently holds in his hands. As a confirmed shoe whore, I really do love my shoes and boots....but perhaps, not quite that much! LOL.

 

[eagle2250]

We must cherish our eccentrics! They provide us with a whole other window on life. :icon_saint7kg:

I learned something brand new from the video on Top Hats. Specifically that "Mad Hatters" were self made men, their madness probably a result of the mercury they ingested when licking their fingers repeatedly as they smoothed and repositioned the threads in the fabric of the top hat. The fellow doing the video might want to take note of that fact. LOL. Thank you for this new tidbit of knowledge.

 

[eagle2250]

It is encouraging to see such a dedicated young artisan getting involved in the Trade.....'Hope for the future!'

 

[eagle2250]

An excellent presentation, but I must tell you, I disagree with the Shoe-Snobs conclusions on this one. The triple Oak soles on those 'dress boots' are decidedly overbuilt and the patina he is so impressed with just looks overly splotchy to my eye! To each his/her own!