At a Whim

While at the Hickoree's Hard Good's Pop-Up Shop the other day we received our first shipment of our first print-based periodical. No it is not Free&Easy or Lightning or any other magazine that like the rest will fade into the online realm. This periodical stands out among the rest for it's impecible attention to detail and it's attention to the finer points in life.

Whim Quarterly is a "humor" periodical done the right way with a well designed layout and hilarious articles by writers from Urban Daddy, The Daily Show, Cash Cab (both Cash Cab and Cash Cab: After Dark), National Lampoon, The Late Show with David Letterman, and more plus Emmy award winners and nominees with other greats such as Elliott Kalan, Devon Coleman and Craig Robinson.  At only $4.00 you get your money's worth.  If I had a penny for each time I laughed I would have made the $4.00 back by the 3rd page.

The articles are amazing with the Whim Exclusive Ayn Rand's Newly Discovered Picture Book and Why Robots Are Cooler Than Cars: But Not As Cool As Dinosaurs to Street Names of New Drugs Your Kids Are Taking and "Water: It Tastes Like Crap!".  But my absolute favorite is the Excerpts from The New Astronaut's Cookbook whose main ingredient in each recipe is a secret ingredient we are carrying at the Hickoree's Pop-Up Shop.  Plus, you get a free toy with your purchase.  So come on by and pick one up along with the secret ingredient for your next astronaut meal.

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Vintage Vanity Fair

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Stolen from the Source | GQ's The Hair Primer

With the new season of Mad Men coming this August 16th -- you bet your life I'm counting the days -- People are looking to the show yet again for style influences. From tie bars to collar stays to french-cuff dress shirts with beautiful cufflinks the style that these men have is undeniable. But their style was head to toe and the head was a very important part of their image. Now make it one of yours with this guide from the gentlemen at GQ. Get a cut and take some advice from the true Mad Men at GQ.

C’mon, who among us doesn’t suffer through a bad-hair day now and then, or obsess about what kind of product to use, or stress about going gray? We grabbed six very different real guys, threw in a heap of expert advice, and figured out how to make the most of the head we’ve been dealt.

Six Things You Need to Know Now

• Do go to a hair salon if you’ve got a longer, more elaborate coif.

• Don’t go to a salon if you want something standard, like a side part or a pompadour. An inexpensive barber will do.

• Do shampoo and condition your hair.

• Don’t wash it every time you shower—a couple of times a week is enough. (Your hair’s natural grease is healthy.)

• Do get a fresh cut in preparation for a big event, like a wedding.

• Don’t get it done the day before. Unless you’re Kid Cudi (see slide 4), your hair needs a week after a cut to look its best.

Scott Ewald, 36

Visual merchandising coordinator, Hickey Freeman

The Throwback

Want to look like Cary Grant? First, determine which direction your hair naturally falls. Then notice how Scott combs his hair to the side and back at an angle, not directly across. He also reaches for Queen Helene hard-to-hold style gel to get that shellacked look. A choice side part, however, starts with the right cut. Find a barber you like, get him to follow these steps, and return every two or three weeks.

1. On Top: Trim and layer with scissors so hair lies back on top and fades into the sides.
2. On Sides: Electric clippers with a No. 2 guard.
3. In Back: No hard lines—fade the hair naturally down the back of the neck.
4. On Top: Every third time Scott sees his barber, he has him thin his hair by shearing it with toothed scissors.

Kid Cudi, 25

Musician (new album: The Man on the Moon: End of the Day)

The Neo-Fro (And How To Manage It)

1. The look Cudi calls “grungy” is actually very tidy. His barber uses electric clippers to create clean edges that frame his face.
2. He does let his curls go a bit, however. But who doesn’t right now? Just check out Kanye and Jay-Z.
3. Bigger hair, though, doesn’t mean a bigger beard. (He ain’t Rick Ross.) Cudi keeps it trim, fading seamlessly from his sideburns.

Kid Cudi on his ever-evolving do: “When I lived in Cleveland, I had a barber who was by appointment only. We’d just kick it in his shop—I’d play him some of my music, and we’d crack jokes and watch movies. In high school, I kept a Caesar for a while, I had a Mohawk, and I used to apply these texturizer kits so I could have the bomb S-curl. I used to think I was [singer] Carl Thomas. Now I’m letting my hair grow out a bit, and I have this guy called Lyte who cuts my hair twice a week. Since I’m letting it go longer, I just get a trim and a lineup. I don’t really get the full cut anymore. I’m embracing my grungy look.”

Kurt Schroeder, 42

sales, Ever Clothing

The thinner—or more receding—your hair, the shorter you should keep it.

Get a Grip on Pomade

Kurt Schroeder has sported the same rockabilly-inspired haircut for twenty years. The key to its success is pomade.
• If you’re hard-core about your pomade, you can’t go wrong with Murray’s. It’s heavy-duty grease that essentially doesn’t wash out. (Just be careful: When Kurt got married, his wife got tired of throwing out pillowcases and made him switch brands.) Here’s how to apply it: Open the can and run hot water in it. When it’s nice and lubed up, dip your fingers in and scoop out a little bit. Rub it between your fingers, then run your fingers through your wet hair. Comb, like Kurt, or style with your hands.
• If you want a pomade that doesn’t rub off on your wife’s linens, consider water-soluble pomades, like 360 Style (which Kurt digs) or Cool Grease (a popular Japanese brand).
• If you’ve got thick hair, consider clay-based pomades by brands like Baxter of California, American Crew, and Fekkai for Men. They’ll give a grittier feel and a matte finish.

A Good Barber’s Secret Weapon

All text and Photos courtesy of GQ

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Find of the day | Two 1937 Esquire Magazines

When it comes to men's fashion there is no magazine that has done it better for longer than Esquire magazine. Since I was old enough to know the difference between an oxford and a broadcloth I have been subscribed to Esquire, but to own a piece of their history is something I want nothing more. But I will give you the chance to join me.

ESQUIRE- Two Vintage Issues Jan. & July 1937 Risque Mag

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Find of the day | 2nd

You might be telling yourself that American-made products are the way to go in this economy. Keep the money in our hands and it will come back to us in the end. And I am 100% with you on that but with everyone looking towards what the next best American product will be we are loosing site of what the best international products are now.

While on my lunch break I went to the only good place to eat in Gardena, Marukai Pacific Coast. Marukai is an all in one Japanese market with a supermarker, cosmetic counter, food court and Asahiya bookstore. Asahiya with 4 locations (Torrence, Gardena, Sawtelle and one in New York) is the only reasonably priced place to find Free&Easy and Lightning and is where I usually find myself browsing the sale section.

But today was different, I wasn't in search of Free&Easy or Lightning I was just bored when a cover caught my eye. With about 30 well dressed Japanese men on the cover and a bright pink title I couldn't help but pick it up. "2nd" what a strange name for a magazine but after scanning the pages and price, on sale for a little over $5.00 I had to have it. The magazine was filled with a series of "Head to Toe"s, new shops, what they called "Vintage Museum" on vintage clothing such as LL Bean, Woolrich Woolen Mills, Orvis and more, and their article which I could not read on Steven Alan. I was in awe. Why have I not heard of this before? The layout was simple, attractive and had enough English for me to know what was happening. With a sale price for the last issue at $9.00 and the one before at a little over $5.00 I about the oldest one I could just to start and will be going back tomorrow for the others.

This is a find worth noting for anyone interested in great menswear. Find your local Japanese bookstore and grab yourself one. And always browse you never know what you might find.

The newest issue of 2nd magazine

The Issue before the one I currently have

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