December 2010
6 posts
3 tags
The Economist--The History and Possible Origins of... →
I came across this article and was surprised at how thorough it is. It covers a couple different theories as to the origins of the modern suit and discusses who and where many of the details came from. Definitely worth a read.
5 tags
The Fair Isle Sweater
The colorfully patterned sweaters known as Fair Isle or, depending on where you’re from, ski sweaters, christmas sweaters or even snowflake sweaters, always come to mind this time of year. This style of symmetrical horizontal patterned knits originated in the Shetland Islands north of the British Isle. The very small, barely six square mile, island at the southern end of the Shetland...
5 tags
L.B. Evans Slippers
One of the many heritage new england shoe making names, L.B. Evans goes back to the early years of the 19th century. Although it wasnt until 1841 when the second generation of Evans took on the trade that the L.B. Evans name was established. The tradition continued for well over a hundred years and is know owned and operated by the Daniel Green shoe company which has its own storied history.
My...
2 tags
English Pewter Pillow Flask
Pewter is one of the oldest man made alloys on the planet, having first been used sometime in the 14th century BC. It is made primarily of tin, alloyed with hardening agents such as copper, antimony and bismuth. Low grade Pewter also used small amounts of lead but, that is no longer common practice.
Although this simple alloy has been around for over three thousand years it is most well known...
4 tags
The Classic Duffle Coat
Named for the town in Belgium where the material of the same name originated, the Duffle Coat has been a tradition in the UK since the late 19th century. It owes its modern popularity to the fact that they were issued to British Royal Navy officers during WWI and WWII in a camel color. Like most things, after the war there were large surpluses of unissued coats which made it onto the civilian...
4 tags
The Duck Boot
The duck boot is a perennial classic. Originally introducted by Mr. L.L. Bean himself back in 1912. It was one of the first products that L.L. Bean produced and became a quick favorite among ivy leaguers and people living in the cool wet north.
Personally I have been looking for the right pair for a long time but, I have never lived some where so cold that I need the heavy leather version. So,...
