Dandy and Wit

Cloth of the Sun

2010-01-02T20:13:57Z

Now that the holidays are over and you're banishing the tasty decadence of the season, we recommend heading back into your own kitchen. These dish towels will brighten up any rack or oven. (Maybe it's time for a little gift to yourself).

Les Toiles du Soleil has been making this beautiful cloth for 150 years from the French Catalonian town of Saint Laurent de Cerdans. Although it has switched hands and families a few times over the last century, the latest incarnation brings us the most fantastic colors around. Think of a rough hewn Paul Smith stripe in durable thick cotton weave.

]]> espadrilles, but now you can now buy many accessories made with the glorious fabric or simply buy it by the yard and make yourself some slip covers for those beach chairs.

Les Toiles Du Soleil
www.toiles-du-soleil.com

261 West 19th Street
New York, NY 10011-4020
(212) 229-4730

Holiday Music

2009-12-14T13:46:59Z

This brings us back to 2007. But all the links are still relevant and awesome. Enjoy some holiday tunes!

It's that time of year again. We're winding up for the aural assault that is the holidays and bracing for the impact of that joylessly grating cacophony called Christmas music. This post will be updated (if possible) as we find more worthy entrants but, until then, here are our three picks for sticking with the season and spreading some holiday cheer.

xmas in Frisco by somaFM.com

Christmas Lounge by somaFM.com

The Rumor Mill's Christmas on Clinton Street (iTunes)
]]> SomaFM.com is the best internet radio station (period)

They have 13 stations of the most insightfully curated collections currently streaming.

Christmas Lounge: Chilled holiday grooves and classic winter lounge tracks. (Kid and Parent safe!)

Xmas in Frisko: SomaFM's wacky and eclectic holiday mix. Not for the easily offended.

The Rumor Mill's Christmas on Clinton Street was a charity album recorded in 2006.

"This dark and stormy Christmas concept album was produced and arranged by J. Ralph with Arthur Pingrey, and imagines what Christmas could feel like if soaring temperatures continue to melt the planet. With unique and unexpected song arrangements, it features performances by Angela McCluskey, Rain Phoenix, Rachelle Garniez, Megan Wyler, Leah Siegel, Nicole Renaud, Baptiste Ibar and other special guests."

Proceeds from the sale of the album are donated to www.stopglobalwarming.org

For more information visit www.savefrosty.org

Single Purpose Tweet Machine

2009-11-20T03:01:56Z

Those crafty cat's at Poke have done it again, this time Baker Tweet. (We were very big fans of the elegantly simple umbrellatoday.com site they made - find the new iPhone app for that one here).

Dandy and Wit has been touting the imminent rise of Twitter since the early days. Twitter is just now starting to really shine, and it is projects like this that really warm our hearts. Baker Tweet is an exercise in focused purpose that can not be beaten or whipped. The idea is a big stable analog interface for up-to-the-minute tweeting about freshly baked goods.

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A true steam-punk kitchen accessory and perhaps the first single-purpose Twitter box. We love it.

Check in at Pokelondon.com for a look at how it was done. Or bounce to the Albion Cafe, home of the first installation.

A Golden Fleece of a Different Sort

2009-09-26T12:19:46Z

This accessory hails from England, via our favorite trove of hipster-everything Colette. While the slight reduction in eco-impact may not be the easiest sell, anything in gold leather is always worth a second glance.

]]> You keep this coffee muff in your bag and dazzle the baristas with your fashion-forward-eco-friendly-super-preparedness.

The Gold leather is our favorite, but it also comes in a black woolen fleece, silver leather as well as, what appears to be, Chewbacca fur

Gold Leather Coffee Muff
by Zumi & David
£40 @ Colette.fr

Shirts on Film

2009-09-18T18:18:51Z

That purveyor of perfect shirts, Steven Alan, has just released a beautiful short film which highlights his spring / summer 2010 collection.

The film stars montreal based actress, Liane Balaban, alongside New Yorker Matt Creed as they battle the serenity of the country and contemplate the conveniences of the city. Watch it below.

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Dandy and Wit parent, Ghost Robot produced the film.

Aeropress Espresso, Yes Please

2009-08-23T15:18:35Z

It goes without saying that we love coffee. At home the french press rules, at the office it's a thermal carafe. But neither offer a good, quick, low maintenance cup of espresso. Enter the AeroPress from Aerobie. (yes the makers of your favorite flying ring).

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Instead of a long-winded description of how it works, we jumped into the Kitchen Lab to shoot a bit of video.

Thanks to Sara and Matt for the tip!

Dandy and Wit recommends La Colombe coffee.

a collection of ties

2009-08-23T13:32:09Z

As we wait for the cooler fall weather to find us, we are dreaming about a return to buttoned up collars and sport coats.

In comes The Hill-Side, based in Brooklyn and Connecticut.

]]> Japan, these ties, pocket squares and handkerchiefs finish with the selvedge of the fabric. This 'self-edge' side is a result of the fabric's manufacture and is what keeps the woven fabric from unraveling or fraying. They've turned this oft-hidden edge into the focus of the accessories.

Available at Steven Alan.

Visit their site www.thehill-side.com for a list of all shops.

Still Kicking It Live, The Beastie Boys & Mexican Summer

2009-07-08T13:15:29Z

I won't deny that we've been swept up in the vinyl resurgence of late. After years of mindless internet radio, passive and unending chillout beats wafting from the hifi, we've jumped back into the analog world (even picked up a new record player.)

The wave is just begining so keep your eyes peeled for a massive vinyl comeback. But for the short term if Urban Outfitters isn't satisfying all your retro needs, check out these two awesome efforts.

]]> THE BEASTIE BOYS

Not much needs to be said, other than remastered 180gram vinyl of some of the fattest beats and dopest rhymes of the last 20+ years (yep, count em').

Head over to www.beastieboys.com to check out remastered versions of the classic albums.

MEXICAN SUMMER

www.mexicansummer.com

Mexican Summer is a limited edition vinyl and digital only label. They have a monthly vinyl subscription where you pick from their current releases and your records are delivered straight to your door. We say go for it, give it a shot. You'll hear new music and it will resonate out of the warm tones from your recently unearthed record player.

When you receive the vinyl in the mail you also get a card with a code for downloading the digital version.

Mi Adidas, Bespoke Kicks

2009-05-30T15:14:59Z

We've always loved the idea of custom sneakers but the barrier has always been the styles available for customization. Adidas has broken out of the pack with the classic Stan Smith (along with over 10 other styles) available through Mi Adidas.com.

As we studied the possibilities in the Dandy and Wit shoe lab, we found the focus to be not how crazy we can make our shoes, but how much we can strip them back.

We visited the Soho store to sit in their custom barber's chairs - replete with Matrix style screens and solid metal keyboards. But, you can also tackle it online.

Dandy and Wit Stan Smith Model #1

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Sadly, the Adidas stores in the US haven't caught on to the shoelace-bling like their Japanese counterparts - ours was picked up in Shibuya.

Our Recipe:

Base: White
Print: Perforated
Heel: Yellow
Stiching: Slate
Tongue & Toe Cap: White
Lining: Chrome
Eyelets: Multi-color
Laces: Slate
Tongue Logo: White Base Black Type
Customizaton: None
Lace Jewel: Trefoil (abandoned too weak)

Take Back The Wall

2009-04-25T02:46:23Z

While we just moved into a lush new HQ on Howard Street, wall space is still at a premium. As we sit and wait for the heated arguments about decoration to subside, we'll turn the walls into our planning ground. World domination never looked easier than when the entire wall becomes the map.

IdeaPaint takes your plain white walls and transforms them into the dry-erase battleground for corporate tactical intrigue. One Gallon covers 50 sq ft.

We're sold. Now where's the paint-on roof deck?

IdeaPaint via Behance Outfitters

Essential Art House

2009-04-01T19:47:50Z

50 DVD box set from Criterion. Need we say more.

ESSENTIAL ART HOUSE:
50 YEARS OF JANUS FILMS
(50-DVD box set)

www.criterion.com

Izakaya - The Japanese Pub Cookbook

2009-03-14T12:42:18Z

Author Mark Robinson opens the door to the recipes and customs of one of the world's best pub food cultures, Japanese Izakaya. This is the first English language tome to explore the variety of small plates and comfort food that make up the Izakaya menu - which rarely makes it's way west.

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The book has over 60 recipes in its 156 color pages of photos, stories and history of these mouth watering morsels.

Some of our favorites include: "Chicken and Vegetable 'Nanban' Escabeche," "Summer Scallop Salad with Spicy Tomato Sauce," and "Fried Tofu Stuffed with Raclette Cheese"

Chocolate From the Metro-Gnomes

2009-03-01T19:33:31Z

This bearded bunch are artisanal chocolatiers based in Williamsburg. The Brothers Mast set up shop in an old factory and plan to start their own self styled chocolate revolution. We simply appreciate a solitary focus on craft, especially when it ends with a sweet dessert.

]]> Mast Brother's Chocolate
www.mastbrotherschocolate.com

You'll find a list of locations on their website, or stop by one of our favorite brooklyn eateries to grab a bar or two.

Marlow & Sons
81 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Lux, you will be missed.

2009-02-08T22:19:47Z

On Wednesday February 4th Lux Interior died in Glendale, California. While the correlation between a dandy's costume of liberty pocket square, Barker Black brogues and a bespoke three piece suit and Lux's stage costume of patent leather pants and high heels or even simply, leopard print bikini briefs, may not be immediately apparent, it is the conviction to a confrontational aesthetic. His is a bold statement which holds the mediocrity of conformity in contempt and is itself a flag of self-assurance held high for the world to see. For carrying that flag we salute him.

Burton, Love

2009-01-22T00:34:15Z

In honor of the Sundance Film Festival, currently in full swing in Park City, Utah, we decided to look to the mountains for inspiration. While we know that sports and scantily clad women go hand in hand, as easily as a Liberty print and a pocket square, rarely do we find taste and restraint in those same circles. Enter the Burton Love line of snowboards. The top graphics of these boards feature perfectly posed beauties in the buff, the photography an homage to the fetching soft-core of 70's era Playboy spreads. The base of the boards don more revealing posterior profiles. In an era of excess, dumbed down, over-the-top everything and far too liberal nostalgic looting, these boards have found a way to land on the side of class and not kitsch.

Available Size: 152, 155, 158, 162
Price: US$429.00

Burton.com

In New York: Paragon Sports
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Well, lest we offend, the gang over at Jezebel, certainly don't appreciate these graphics. Jump over there to see the other side of the coin.