Fall Quarter: Sperry 7-Eye Boot

-In June I posted about a number of great looking deck boot options. Oddly enough, none of those options were by Sperry. That's because, at that point, Sperry was notably absent from the deck boot game. I don't know how long this 7-Eye boot has been out, but I spotted it while browsing the selection at Need the other day. They're the same price ($140) as the aforementioned Sebago collaboration, not limited edition, and certainly not made to the same quality specifications as Quoddys; but my general rule is, if you can go with Sperry, go with Sperry. They look a little awkward laced so tight, but I like that they're the only deck boots out right now with hooks¹ instead of eyelets at the top. If I end up getting these, I'll surely throw some sort of waterproofing treatment on them to help endure the Northwest winter.
1-I don't know the correct name for these things.  more

Fall Quarter: Authentic Aran Sweater

-I recently had the opportunity to visit Ireland with my girlfriend and her family, who moved to the states in 1994. Traveling with natives of the isle was a great way to experience my first trip abroad, mainly because I got to see the worthwhile sights without having to resort to overpriced tourist traps. Apart from the history and the incredible food and drink, the best part of the trip was meeting the extended family, which brings me to the focus of this post: The hand-knitted Aran sweater that Grace's grandmother made for me.
-Originating in the Aran Islands off Ireland's west coast, the super chunky knits have been a part of Irish fishing culture for hundreds of years. Grace's grandmother knits hats and sweaters, which she sells for around $200 a piece, in her spare time. The past couple winters I've been looking for a similarly massive knit, and I'm lucky and grateful to have happened upon one for free. This sweater will definitely be in heavy rotation this winter, especially considering that we try to bundle up rather than pay for gas to heat our apartment. More photos after the jump.








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Summer Vacation: Three Weeks in Ireland

-I'm about to take off for a few weeks in Ireland (pictured above,) so it's not likely that I'll have any new posts. But I am doing some very cool blog-related stuff while I'm gone, so don't forget about us. I'll try to update my Flickr and Tumblr with some preview shots while I'm away, and I'll be keeping people up to date on the Class Act Twitter.
-If you're bored over the next few weeks, be sure to check out some vintage Class Act favorites:
-Newbury Chino Remix
-A visit to Winn Perry.
-A discussion of Chuck Palahniuk  
-A cereal discussion.
-The Loose-Tie Lesson Plan. more

Summer School Supplies: Gitman Violet Chambray

-I posted about this shirt when I first ordered it, but I never gave any commentary once I had it in hand. Based on other chambray shirts I had seen and worn, I expected my first shirt from Gitman to be a bit heavier. In actuality, the shirt is the lightest of any in my closet, and in early March when I bought it, the weather didn't afford me many opportunities to work it into my wardrobe. However, as the mercury has been staying put at around 80 degrees for the past month, this shirt has become my go-to. What you see below is what I've been rocking most days this summer. I don't actually promote doing the half-tuck in most situations, I just wanted to show that the shirt can work both tucked or more casually untucked. I've kept my undershirt rotation tight, switching between light grey and dark grey v-necks, mainly because grey and purple always work well together. Most days my walking commute can get pretty hot, so I prefer to keep it open with a V rather than my usual white Hanes undershirt.
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Summer School Supplies: The White Linen Shirt

-I've mentioned often that, having lived my whole life in Washington, I've always felt more comfortable and more creative dressing for fall. Furthermore, I've been keeping it pretty casual this summer, so I haven't really felt compelled to blog my looks (though I did Tumble this one, this one, and this one.) Living in a temperate climate, I haven't invested much in summer-weight shirts, but I bought this white linen joint from J.Crew about four years ago and I'm really just starting to appreciate its value. I've only handwashed/air dried this shirt, so it has a kind of rugged, rough texture that I think contrasts nicely with its light weight. There's not a ton to say, but the shirt is steezy and breezy, and every guy should have a white linen button-down for summer. Now, if only someone would make one with a BD collar...
-As for the rest of the kit: I didn't have the dough for the Rogues swim trunks I wanted, but I did grab this pair from American Apparel. I wanted a really simple suit, and this navy pair with one pocket, a drawstring and a strip of velcro, is about as simple as you can get. Other than that, you saw my new Top-Siders two posts down, and I take my Duluth Pack everywhere I go these days. I'm going to post a few more of my favorite summer shirts in the next couple days, then I'm out of the country for a few weeks but will still (maybe) be blogging, stay tuned. more

Summer School: Giving my first pair of raw denim their first wash

-My first videos were relatively well-received mainly on the basis that they were marginally funny. You know what's a hard subject to make funny? Washing your jeans. A few people, upon seeing the great still-shot a few posts down, expressed excitement about the coming video, and to them, I am sorry. A combination of lack of forethought, planning, vision, concept, skill, etc. has left me with a video that I think is kind of bad. Sorry. BUT! The jeans did come out of the Pacific looking great, so maybe it's still worth sharing, even if it does wander about not knowing if it should be funny, artsy or neither.

eyefivestyle.com | Naked & Famous Ocean Soak from angelo spagnolo on Vimeo.
-Early on I committed to a kind of dumb and tedious editing decision about the split screen, which I realized about halfway through was a terrible idea, but lacked the motivation to go back and fix. Like everything, this was definitely a learning experience, which taught me that even on non-consequential videoblog posts a plan of action is terribly necessary. I've had quite a bit of video experience, but mostly in the realm of editing, and since I'm planning on upgrading my camera and doing some more video posts in the future, I definitely need some more content/shooting practice.
-In other denim news, I did just get a new pair of Baldwin 77s, so I'll be posting some more coherent denim-related content on DenimDebate in the next couple weeks. more

Summer Vacation: Much Needed Sperry Upgrade

-I finally got around to replacing my old Top-Siders. Unlike a lot of Sperry aficionados, I don't really dig the white sole found on most models, so I sprung for the Sahara colorway with the darker sole. Over the years I've heard of people recommend wearing Top-Siders in the shower or the ocean initially, something I didn't do when I bought my first pair back in high school. After consulting a few experts, I decided to go the shower route, which helps soften the leather a bit and also helps to keep the laces from coming untied. I also cut a few inches off my laces because I don't really go for the bunny-ear look. This time around, I'm going to make a point to shoe-tree my Sperrys after long days of wear to keep them from disintegrating and stinking too terribly. more

Day Off: Video Preview

-This is a snap from the aforementioned videopost coming this week.

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Art School: Charcoal Patina

-Summer weather has finally arrived in the Evergreen State, so today I'm finally going to get to something I've been needing to do for awhile; put on my 10-month old Naked & Famous denim and hop in the frigid (but oil-free!) Pacific Ocean and give them their first wash. I bought these jeans last August and wore them pretty much daily through the fall/winter season. Aside from getting caught in a killer downpour, and being covered by a spilled pitcher of Pabst, they've never had any sort of liquid contact. As much as the stink is demanding a wash, I'll be a little sad to let go of all that acquired grimyness.
-This summer I've been in a drawing class. I'd never worked with charcoal before, but soon found out that the shit gets all over your hands and clothes. I wore these to the first class and then, not wanting to subject any of my finer threads to the constant smear of black gunk¹, continued to wear them to the 4-hour class for the remainder of the quarter. Every time I've habitually wiped my blackened hands on my hips, the charcoal has gotten a bit more engrained in the fibers and has left the thighs of my Skinny Guys with a pretty cool matte look².
-Hit the jump for a few more photos of the jeans pre-oceanwash.
1-I know that charcoal washes out of fabric easily, but come on, I only do laundry like once a month.
2-Also, I know it's a bit a douchy to blog about a somewhat artificially acquired artistic accent³, but I am washing them, right?
3-That absurd use of alliteration was completely accidental.















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Summer School: Our Legacy Versatile Parka

-Can you guess what the weather looks like outside my window right now? Yeah. It's raining on July 2nd. The dudes at Our Legacy probably had the cool Stockholm summer in mind when they thought up this heavy-twill summer parka, but right now I'm wishing I had something like this to help get me through this wet (but not really cold) early-summer. In the previous post I said my new camo jacket was perfect for the light rain that's pervaded my summer, but a hood would be nice, and the neutral toned Versatile Parka might afford me more situational leeway than the military print. The jacket is on sale at Our Legacy's recently launched webstore, but I'd check around at some North American stockists before I risked messing around with customs, tariffs and the like. more

School Supplies: Thrift Find Camo Jacket

-My affinity for military gear is well-documented, and in a lot of recent posts I've noted that I need to get back to my high school thrifting habits. Looking for nothing in particular¹, I stopped by Value Village last week and found this Army jacket for $6. The jacket is thin and a little loose-fitting, so it's perfect to thrown over anything, especially when the temperature is decides to mimic fall (i.e. this week.)

-I don't have any idea what the patch with the sword means², but I dig little military details like that. I'm thinking about removing the name tag, as much as I like old stuff, I don't really like having someone else's name on my chest. Especially now that I'm doing some feature reporting again, and have to carry a number of notebooks, pens and pencils with me most days, I'm really stoked to have found a lightweight jacket with a ton of good-sized pockets.
1-Default things I'm always looking for at thrift shops: Carhartt pants, nice ties, old army shirts to turn into bow ties, old Levi's, blazers, etc. 
2-Update: Our friend Tommy V. did a bit of research, and it seems the patch is likely the insignia of the 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, which is located just a ways down I-5 at Fort Lewis in Olympia. The local connection makes the garment that much better.  more

Summer School: Oi Polloi Sale Outerwear

-You're probably a seasoned enough shopper to know that summer is the time to find deals on outerwear. If you've been reading Class Act for awhile, you probably know that I'm on a seemingly endless quest to find the perfect parka, and since I'm always on the lookout, I thought I'd throw up some of the many outerwear deals available right now in Oi Polloi's sale section.
1- Barbour, Carbon Dry Fly Jacket, $197 down from $327.
2- Heritage Research, Longline Parka Millerain, $250 down from $313.
3- Fjallraven, Telemark II Jacket, $183 down from $260.

4. CP Company, Blouson, $615 down from $880.
5. Victorinox, Spring Parka, $224 down from $370.
6. Engineered Garments, Field Parka, $450 down from $640.
-This CP Company blouson is not quite 'bargain' fodder, but it's the first modern jacket I've seen with a window to see your watch and goggles built in to the hood for extreme weather conditions, which I think is pretty legit.

7-Nigel Cabourn, Packaway Coat, $394 down from $656.
8. Nom De Guerre, Trench Coat, $425 down from $708.
9. Engineered Garments, Nt Parka, $370 down from $530.
-As with all sale shopping, you have to get lucky with available sizes, but if you're in the market for some outerwear, hit up the summer sales before prices get inflated come fall. more

Home Ec: Staying Stank Free

-I finally got around to picking up some shoe trees this week at Winn Perry, and while I bought them primarily for my Alden loafers, I've found that the cedar trees are a really effective method for keeping the stank down in my Authentics¹.
-The main reason for this relatively content-devoid post is to remind people about our other sites. As you might have noticed, this blog doesn't update daily. I found that trying to blog every day led to some forced and not-so-great posting. But if you've got a hankering for daily Class Act goodness, you should check out our Tumblr² . My Tumblr is where I'd normally post a photo like the one above, that doesn't really have a blogable story behind it, but is still worth sharing. Tumblr also has a great Ask feature, where you can hit me with any style/shopping questions you might have. So, if you're interested in that sort of thing, and a bunch of other random but inspiring style images, hit up my supplemental blog. If you'd like to keep up on all the photos taken by Grace and I, visit our Flickr page. And if you'd really like more eyefive, follow me on Twitter, but be prepared for a lot of tweets about basketball, video games, food, tv, movies, skateboarding and really bad emo tunes (in addition to, obviously, clothing and style.)
-If you've taken the time to check out my other sites or to keep up with me on Twitter, I'm eternally thankful for your continued support.
1-See also: Lawrence's freezer method. 
2-I know a lot of you are already following our Tumblr, so thank you, and sorry for the redundant post.  more

Dress Code: Thom Browne Square-Cut Ties

-Thom Browne is, if nothing else, a brilliant showman. But because he takes the 'show' aspect of a fashion show to the extreme, his looks can often leave onlookers wondering "Is this dude fucked in the head?" Despite the wackness of his overall looks, I was actually digging on quite a few individual items in his most recent collection for Moncler Gamme Bleu, none more so than his square-cut ties. I only caught these two distinct versions of the tie, but he used them in quite a few of his looks throughout the show.
-I've never actually owned a square-bottom tie¹, and I kind of brushed them off as overly novelty, but the great chambray models from The Hill-Side, and now these two, are really making me reconsider. Especially in the SS season, I'm thinking a square-end tie with a bit of color and humor might be a great accessory to work into my wardrobe.
1-Aside from my knit ties (which these are not,) I should have made that distinction clearer.  more

Summer School: Sid Mashburn Green Canvas Shorts

-Credit goes to Mr. Joe Gannon for finding these great looking shorts from Southern sartorial champ Sid Mashburn. Looking at my selection of shorts, they're all khaki, save a pair of vintage madras goodness. Though I'm a sucker for military green, my wardrobe is lacking¹ any real/sporty/prep greens. Maybe it's because I developed a sort of aversion to Lacoste as a teenager, or more likely, just because I'd never seen anything so perfectly green as these shorts, either way, I'm definitely on the lookout for some Irish flair now. You can snag these from Taigan for a reasonable $90.
-Now, speaking of $90 shorts, someone should really loan me a C-note so I can snag these Corduroy Supply Shorts from the soon-to-be defunct Hickey².

1- Darian drew this same "not-enough-green" conclusion the other day. 
2- If you've been reading for awhile, you know that Hickey is one of my all-time fave brands. Sad days.  more

Summer School: Rogues Gallery Swim Trunks

-It's still not warm enough to swim here, but it's definitely time to be looking for a pair of proper swim trunks. What I really dig about this line from Rogues Gallery is that they went simple, without being boring. Even though we, as adults men, should be looking for subtler options than the board-shorts of our youth, doesn't mean we should be avoiding bright colors. It is summer after all, and swim trunks should be an item where you can show a bit of personality. I like that these trunks allow you to shorten up and show an alternate color if you so choose. At $85, they're a bit more than I'm looking to spend on trunks, but I've had good experiences with Rogues quality in the past, so I'd wager that these would last you a while for your money. If I end up grabbing a pair, it will probably be the red ones shown here, but if I had the dough I'd get a few pairs. more

Summer School: Topped Off

-Though loose-hanging tank tops have become a staple of hipstergarb, I still get excited for the Northwest's relatively short window of tank top appropriate weather. I picked up this striped Apex Tank from Analog (top left) a few weeks ago, then today I came across this blue/red striped Obey piece at Blackbird, and now I'm really liking the idea of a pocketed¹ tank. I also like the 70s track feel of my American Apparel jersey ringer tank. Bring a light chambray or windbreaker in your bag and a great tank top or even a well-chose vintage basketball jersey can take you from a day at the beach well into a beer-fueled, bonfire-lit evening.

-There are some really nice tank tops from designers like Robert Geller and Patrik Ervell, but I actually think the skate and surf brands do a better job at getting the beach vibe right with with their color choices. And for an item that's so distinctly seasonal (in my region at least,) I'm not looking to break the bank on a designer shirt; $45 is probably as high as I would go. Karmaloop² has some gems scattered among the over-branded streetwear tanks, but as with the polo shirt, a great summer tank is an item you might be able to score at your local thrift shop.
1-For smokes, sunglasses, point-and-shoot, etc. 
2-Karmaloop's models are a pretty blatant example of the stranglehold hipsterdom has on tanktops. Let's take them back.  more

School Supplies: Deck Boot Discussion

-We've seen a lot of these deck boots in the past few years, and given my love of boat shoes, they've appealed to me a great deal. The first pair I saw were from Rogues Gallery, though I think the original deck boot was made by Quoddy (below.) The above pair, from Ronnie Fieg for Sebago, have been floating around the blogosphere in the past week, and even though I'm completely out of money, they're tempting my wallet. As a diehard Sperry aficionado, I really shouldn't be pumping Sebago, but $140 for a limited edition (120 made of both brown and black models,) hand-sewn boot is hard to pass up. The Quoddy version is undoubtedly better made than the Sebago, but it's also $300, and I actually like the look of the leather on the Sebago better. Any of these boots though, even this slightly more expensive but equally dope blue Sebago x Vane pair below, will look great after they've been worn in a bit. The blue boots are icy, but as I'd probably only ever buy one pair of the same style of boot, I'd stick with something a little more workable.

-Depending on how long the supply of the brown model lasts, I may be getting my hands on a pair of these pretty soon. But my one major trepidation is my aforementioned focus on the relationship between leg opening and shoe-width. I'm wondering how a boot that would be so narrow when laced-up would play against the leg opening¹. I keep my denim pretty slim, and I probably wouldn't rock these with anything besides jeans, but still think they might  be a little to slim for a boot. My general rule when wearing boots is to roll my pants a bit and just let them fall how they may. Laced-up, these wouldn't really have any girth for the pant leg to snag on, and might look a bit contrived. The obvious solution would be to rock the boots a bit looser, a practice I support when one is cognizant of the fine line between rugged nonchalance and streetwear contrivance, but ultimately it would depend on how well the shoe fit below the laces. If they could be worn looser without flopping around, then there's really no issue, but I've obviously thought entirely too much about this. Anybody have experience with deck boots?

1- To recap, I'm all about break. Therefore, if you've got a narrow show, so narrow that your leg opening just hangs without break, you can look clowny. There are places where conflicting proportion can work effectively. I don't think the ankle is one of those places. 

-Update: Blackbird recently posted this image of the Quoddy Deck Boot (below) and it shows the details a bit better than the images from the official Quoddy site. The Seattle shop is selling the boots for a $280. I'm not really a fan of black boots, but I didn't previously notice that the tongue on these is deerskin, which I think adds a nice contrast in look/texture to the Chromexcel outer. If you're considering buying Quoddy deck-anythings, be sure to check Jeremy's analysis, which exposes a bit of trouble with the insoles.

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Professors: Bob Cousy

-I shot some hoops in Chuck Taylors the other day and it hurt my feet. I can't imagine playing whole games in them. Having no other inspiration, I've resorted to the played out blog tactic of searching the LIFE archive for inspiring images¹. Basketball competes with skateboarding for the #3 spot in my list of passions (after music and style,) so I think I'll try to make something of this post²: Despite the obvious pain involved with playing  in Chucks, I'm inclined to point out that the original All-Star is stylistically superior to anything modern ballers are wearing³.
-If you're still with me, take a look after the jump for a few more great Cousy⁴ photos by Yale Joel.
1- A tactic usually reserved only for the Class Act Tumblr.
2- If I lost you already, it's okay, this post is obviously reaching for something that's not quite there.
3- Though Rasheed keeps it old school by still rocking Air Force 1s in-game. 
4-Cousy is legit, but I still hate the Celtics vehemently. 







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School Supplies: White Stag 4-Seasons Jacket

-All week people have been talking about the 90-degree weather in New York. Yesterday I walked to school in a 55-degree downpour. I don't know if I've ever blogged¹ about the vintage White Stag 4-Seasons windbreaker I picked up last year for $12, but it's definitely been a lifesaver this wet spring. The jacket is super light, so I've just been keeping it bunched at the bottom of my Duluth Pack, ready to throw over whatever I'm wearing at the first sight of rain. The jacket is completely waterproof and has unique oily sheen and some nice little details like a hood that zips into the collar. With all the designer windbreakers out these days, and having not yet found the perfect parka, I'm stoked to have found this jacket for cheap.
-1: I guess I did blog about this jacket when I bought it.  more

School Supplies: Patrik Ervell Sale Items

-There's some Patrik Ervell items on sale at Opening Ceremony right now and while browsing I was reminded that, though he does some wacky shit, I don't know if there's anyone making as refreshingly simple basics as Ervell these days. Now, if only I had an spare $320 for a windbreaker. more

School Supplies: Polo Hunting

-My wardrobe is pretty complete right now, and as I've mentioned previously, I'm trying to spend less on clothes in 2010 and save for some major purchases. But there are still a couple essentials I need to grab to round out my closet, one of them being a legitimate polo. My polo game is terribly weak; It consists of a $7 white polo from Wal-Mart, and an Abercrombie joint I bought in 11th grade (I still wear it though, buttoned all the way up a la Fred Perry.) For some reason I've never upgraded to a pricier polo. I know there are probably some workable polos from Gap, J. Crew or Rugby (shown.) But because I've loaded up on OCBDs as my go-to, I'll probably only buy 1 polo to last the next couple years, so I'm looking in the $75-150 range. If I'm going to spend that much on one shirt, I've got to do some thorough research. Here are a few initial favorites:
-Rogues Gallery,  Engine Red Faded Seam $88
-Band of Outsiders, Trapped Pocket Polo $135
-Fred Perry, Italia World Cup Series, $86
-Rugby, Sun-Washed Polo, $65
-I'm leaning toward a simple blue or red, or maybe grey, something that works for summer but could be layered and add some color in the fall. I included the Rugby because I'm really digging the sun-faded look, and I know that Rugby fit works for me. I'm going to keep searching until mid-june probably, and may end up settling with a monogrammed joint from Polo. Any suggestions? more

School Supplies: Newbury Chino Remix

-A few weeks ago I blogged about the khaki Newbury Chino Jacket from Rugby, and then (if you've been following the blog you know this already) I bought the navy version of the jacket as well. With the navy jacket I did the same exact look as I did with the khaki, except that I swapped the regular Gap chambray with my new red Gap chambray, and I took the advice of my knowledgeable peers and swapped out my beat-to-shit Top-Siders for some Alden loafers. I've been getting a lot of questions about this jacket since I first posted, so more than just throwing up an image¹, I wanted to illustrate the differences between the khaki and navy models of this jacket.

-The lining of the navy jacket is actually pretty heavy. It's thick jersey, which adds some notable heft to the jacket, and obviously, makes it fit a bit more snug than its khaki counterpart. I pulled the trigger on the navy Newbury because of the sale, but it's definitely an item I'll be working into my wardrobe much more this fall (and I'll definitely shoot some of the looks I come up with, probably September-ish.)

-The navy jacket has plastic, skull-emblem buttons, whereas the khaki jacket has a more traditional button and the "Rugby, a sport of gentlemen" insignia on the inside cuff.
-Overall, I'm glad I purchased both versions of this jacket, though I won't fully appreciate the navy joint until the weather cools down a bit.
1- I know the photo is toned kind of oddly, we were having lighting/angle issues.  more