kiteless

if we're talking in the lines of spice market (which i don't think very highly of anymore, except for desserts...) i'd recommend public (in nolita, co-owned by the london kiwi peter gordon) which is excellent for sunday brunches also; wd-50 on clinton st (especially if you like the mix of flavour like spice market); riingo (inside the alex hotel) which is the new venture of aquavit's marcus samuelsson, a japanese-scandinavian crossover, jane's and prune - two small mediterranean bistros perfect for soho after-shopping dinners on each side of houston st (west and east respectively) + the soho hotel classics, mercer kitchen (divine wasabi pizza) and kittichai (thai food) inside 60 thompson. as for japanese above the line cuisine: kuruma zushi, honmura an, masa, bond in that order.

sorry to dig out this month old thread;

they look like average-average, like paper denim or ddclab, ie not bad

but i read about them some time ago that salt works would have some quirky details such as fitted pockets for credit cards and iPods - none to be seen....

care to comment, those in the know?

don't sneer at gentrification. you're not only a part of it but a prime specimen of said phenomenon.

if we're talking broader terms, double vent, single or two buttoned, no pleats, thin lapels and shorter jackets (ending just above your knuckles or crotch) have been the rules of the game i suppose for the past two seasons. folded/cuffed legs have been out for the last ten years or so.

as long as we are talking about serious craftsmen, and not some sports brand or a franchise chunking out a matching jacket and a trouser, you'll find little difference between US and Europe. few minor variations as american men tend to prefer shorter sleeves (up to an inch of the shirt showing) while classic savile row says 3/8 in. something about wall street people showing off their ego on their left wrist.

i'm something of a shortie myself (5'10") and i always make sure to have a jacket that's not too long or too much room around its waist. having a couple of pinstripes (fine and no wide patterns) will also help you look taller by tromp l'oeil. also, remember that a double breasted will make you look 'square' and compact - though, they're really coming back.

if you're new to buying suits (hey, we all need to learn to walk before running) ask yourself for how many years you want to be wearing it - if you plan to wear it for more than a year, go for a black/grey/darkblue single breasted with a decent fit. look at the material - safe bets like super 100 wool will last the years to come. i'd say you need 3-4 suits to make a decent wardrobe in the beginning - formal/casual for each season, or think one dark summer formal in light material, one black or pinstripe and one casual. oh and don't forget, nobody under the age of 35 should wear a seersucker. whatever the guy in the brooks brother store is telling you.

without sounding too patronising, i suggest you wear off the peg suits for a few years to figure out and learn how you'd like the suits to fit before you get yourself a tailor and go for bespoke. it's a whole new chapter and a realm of its own for you to discover. to be frank, going to a savile row tailor paying 1500 USD for a suit before your know your proportions and understand the options at hand is a waste. However, there are other alternatives. some designers and houses offer made to measure (from mainstream traditionalists like gieves & hawkes in the UK, Paul Smith at Westbourne House or the edgier Seize Sur Vingt in NY) which will give you a suit made from ten or so different measurements or pre-set fabrics rather than the fully tailor-made bespoke options.

as for names, every suits i've bought for the last two years all come from jil sander (who have a tailor made collection sewn by hand with fantastic fits) except from a helmut lang pinstripe - the best bargain i ever done in my life, from bloomingdales' sale last xmas. i suspect though i won't be buying from either of them again as they probably won't make the transition of the designer walking out of her/his own firm. Very unfortunate.

Edited by kiteless on Jul 21, 2005 at 04:02 PM

this got to be the summer of rooftop parties... with groovedeck, rare view, the maritime and the gansevoort + all the really cool places tourists like me never find their way to...

they've never run a sample sales that i know of - you'll have to go to the sales store in london (it's on avery row, just off bond st) - but they sale regularly, ie in july and after xmas.

i haven't bought/worn any paul smith for the last ten years or so but...

this may be slightly off-topic but you may want to know that WeSC are outfitting the uniforms for the cabin crew of Flynordic, a no-frills airline owned by Finnair.

Edited by kiteless on Jul 21, 2005 at 03:08 PM

sorry to revive this year-old thread ... i need a briefcase that will carry a 17" powerbook

shoulderbags are ruining the shoulders of my suits and jackets

whoever recommended w union sq or other location never stayed at a w - it's like being locked inside a vending machine. i particulary don't like the hotels where everything is for sale and they'll try to charge you for something by anyone's standard should be part of common hospitality - it's not a question of money, just decency.

the rooms are below par, poorly refurbished/furnished and basic stuff like water and ventilation never works. the knowledge and enthusiasm of the consierges are questionable. all surface, no real hoteliers.

same criticism apply for the grand-chain (soho and tribeca) and the new comers into the business, such as the maritime hotel - who, in my opinion, shouldn't be in the business - likewise for the rivington and other ex-banker-cum-lower east side developers who knows nada about hotels. the gansevoor in mpd seems to be an exception to this rule. i stayed there quite recently and the roof top pool is kind of amusing.

my favourite downtown-ers will always be 60 thompson and mercer hotel, despite/thanks to their location.

above mentioned former ian schrager hotels (saunderson, st martins lane) are both central but nothing particular or spectacular, service/facility/amenities-wise. you're probably better off with the somewhat recently opened soho hotel or its sister hotels, charlotte street hotel or covent garden who are across the street from the schrager hotels respectively.

personally i chose my lodging based on what-where my arrends are - if you're going to do the usual shopping, you'll find all of them above pretty convenient - i've also stayed at no5 maddox st twice last year which is literally around the corner from bond st but have a front door receptionist policy of a catholic monestary.

metropolitan is not aging very well, and offer last minute rates and walking distance to both mayfair-bond st and knightsbridge. also, i'd stay out of east end hotels ie grand eastern because well... it's far from everything else if you're there for the first time in years, you're better off with those half way there, like one aldwych on the strand which also offer a decent indoor pool.

"he's so 2003"

you say europe, ie not japan as caramel suggests so:

paris, milan, antwerpen, zurich and either barcelona or madrid (similar stores and variety yet personally i prefer former).

nots: stockholm, amsterdam.

for mobiles, if you have to buy them in Europe, go to sweden (chains hold non network-locked).

i need to scribble something silly here so i can subscribe to the thread

chad chad chad -- didn't i tell you darling to stay off those high street shops? now stop being such a tourist and crawl back to clerkenwell with the rest of us peter saville skanks...

I got a wardrobe full of those from Seize Sur Vingt on Elisabeth St.

Still, I got a good laugh out of it...

look out for the live album - ThirtyDaysAgo - recorded in Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen. Captured the ambience very well...

well i do agree that nobu, bond, masa, matsui don't offer value for money as such -- especially when you're inclined towards orthodox and purist approach to sushi. i for one don't think think the sushi served at Daidaiya (tokyo) is a new renaissance some people claim it to be. in that case - kuruma zushi is the venue of your choice, if you can afford the bill...

the one from dunhill in sidecar leather is immaculate....

- printed matter (non syndicated art books and publications) on 22nd

- shakespeare and co on broadway + other music almost around the corner

- tomoe sushi on thompson

- apt bar in meatpacking district

- seize sur vingt (bespoke shirts on elizabeth st) + cafe cuba down the block. go further down to public for the best brunch in the world

- grocery shopping on garden of eden on 13th st/union sq.

nobu london is just awful. actually i can't stand any of them, except for the next doors on hudson...

depends on how you define cheap but a boutique hotel for those on a budget is Banys Orientals in el Born, which used to be my favourite area with nice bars, good restaurants and most of all, relaxed people.

besides from the previously mentioned:

APT in meat packing district is one of my favourites

Temple Bar on Lafayette

the rooftop on 60 thompson is fun (despite being a hotel bar) during the summer

... and whenever Seize Sur Vingt throw a party...

Doggy Style on Thompson (just above the hotel 60 Thompson, across the street from Kate Spade) is great for that. The people working there are just fantastic.

Fetch on Greenwhich Av is similar but not as good as Doggy Style. For food and generic stuff, try Petco on Union Sq.

kurumasushi is divine. it attracts people all the way from japan.

beforementioned bond, nobu, blue ribbon sushi, masa, matsui (maritime hotel) are all good, but not more - i'd make bond my pick amongst them.

a place noone mentioned yet is honmura an on greene st. they make great sushi besides soba noodles.

a "casual" option is Tomoe on Thompson (which is filled with NYU graduate students during lunch). fantastic.

Also - the izakaya chain En opened in NYC on room interior products' old lot on Hudson. they can't afford to heat the place properly so it's freezing - Nobu for the people on budget. tunnel & bridges warning.

Lounge -- I'll second to that. Had to walk in (looking for some stupid holiday gift) around xmas to this abhorring store. Filled with trash, pornstar lookalikes and the 2001 Ministry of Sound garage annual on full blast. Actually every "multi-brand concept store" in Broadway/SoHo are like that, and I've always wondered people bothered with them as the brand flagship stores (ie G-Star) are usually around the corner. In theory, Bloomingdales falls under this category but was off the blacklist few days ago as I found a Helmut Lang suit I've been looking for since August (on three different continents) for half-price, and with the dollar ratio counted in... well I was on verge of tears.

Also, one particular store in that area that's been enjoying my aggravation lately is Puma. Always in disarray, some retard dj compensating his lack of mixing skills with richter-scale loudness. I found it to be particulary annoying when I found where most of the goods are manufactured.

Edited by kiteless on Jan 1, 2005 at 11:16 AM