The Natural Man's Grooming Guide II

Bearded Men Paintings by Danny Keith.

About a year ago I posted the first Natural Man's Grooming Guide. Here's another. Below are four products that I love; high quality, chemical-free goods: 

Beekman 1802 Tub of Butter: Just a small dab of Beekman 1802 Tub of Butter is all one needs to hydrated dry & damaged skin. Made with shea butter, goat's milk, and a assortment of natural oils this cream brings cracked hands and heels back to smooth and soothed condition in a matter of only a few applications. Available in 4 seasonal scents: Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer. 
0.75 ounce tub for $10.00 available at Beekman1802.com.

Portland General Store Whiskey Old-Fashioned Wet Shave Soap: Made with healing bentonite clay and other soothing oils and butters, PGS's Whiskey Old-Fashion Wet Shave Soap is anything but old. Shaving soap is a great modern way for a man to shave without the harmful chemicals of foaming shaving creams. Use with a shaving brush to get the follicles ready for a trimming and be left with the sophisticated scent of cedar wood. 
240 ml jar for $18.00 available at PortlandGeneralStore.com.

Alder New York Natural Beeswax Pomade: I hate petroleum based pomades that look and feel like a tub of Vaseline. ANY's Natural Beeswax Pomade is a smooth firm pomade great for keeping your hair in place and giving it a sublet sheen without being sticky and gooey. Made from beeswax and other natural oils this pomade has a lovely subtle honey scent.
1.5 ounce jar for $20.00 available at Aldernewyork.com.

Col. Ichabod Conk Pure Badger Travel Brush: I received this brush as a holiday gift and I'm already loving it! Handmade from badger hair in England, this quality brush is perfectly paired with your favorite shaving soap. The best part about this quality brush is that it comes with a screw top container for making traveling a breeze!
brush with screw cap container for $50.00 available at Colconkproducts.com.

Imaging the Lowline

This weekend The Lowline opened an exhibit in the Essex Street Warehouse on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The Exhibit features a preview of what an underground park could look like. Particularly, an underground park in the abandon trolly terminal in the jam packed neighborhood of the LES.
The technology used to concentrate light into the pitch black room looks like something from an alien planet. It's stunning to turn a corner and see hexagonal panels covering the ceiling focusing day light on to a mound of green moss and woodsy vegetation.

When I first heard of the proposed park I though who would want to sit around in a dark underground "park" when there are plenty of above ground parks? But I now understand how special an underground park could be. The warehouse felt like being in the shade of a dense forest. It's not until you look up and see that this forest is man-made. The Lowline could be a great escape unlike any other public space in New York, or the world. This exhibit is definitely worth checking out before it closes on the 27th, so get there soon!

Imagining the Lowline at the Essex Street Warehouse (entrance on Essex Street & Broome Street) New York, NY 10002
September 15th to September 27th 2012 thelowline.org

 

 

Spring 2013: Carleen

Kelsy Carleen Parkhouse is the first winner of the Liz Claiborne Concept to Product Award. The $25,000 prize is given to one graduating senior from the Pratt Institute Department of Fashion Design based upon the work exhibited during the Pratt Fashion Show. As a faculty member at Pratt, I was a big champion of Kelsy's Grand Canyon inspired collection filled with vintage textiles and hand quilting. I'm so happy to see that the Kelsy has expanded her collection to include more looks and has documented her SS13 collection via a look book and video. Kelsy's label, Carleen, seems to be on its way to being a much needed member of the American fashion scene.   

Vote for Shannon South

Shannon South, the independent handbag design studio based out of the Brooklyn Navy Yard is a finalist in Martha Stewart's American Made Awards and they need your help! Vote for Shannon South daily to give SS a chance to win $10,000 and a feature in Martha Stewart Living!

OOAK

Shannon South has some great new clutches made of reclaimed suede in some awesome color combinations each $175. Check out all of Shannon's bags, especially her Coffee Bag Totes, at her website, ShannonSouth.com

Photographic Bottoms

In celebration of Orlebar Brown's 5th year anniversary the mens swim short company is releasing 12 pairs of digitally printed shorts featuring stunning photography from Getty Images. Each short is released a month at a time and 10% of the proceeds of each sale will go to the Blue Marine Foundation, a UK charity dedicated to perserving and protecting the oceans and their wild life. You can purchase a pair here at Orlebar Brown's Online Shop and be sure to check out the release of each new short throughout the following months.

A New Leather Look

Dargelos' new leather accented pouches and bag are must haves for the stylish city biker! Made from   a durable wax coated cotton- hemp blend and vegetable tanned leather, the Trans Porter is not only functional and attractive it is also sustainable! Check out all of Dargelos' products via the website DAR-GE-LOS.com.

A New Place to Stay in the Burg

This past weekend I took a trip to Williamsburg to show a visiting friend around. While stopping at the classic "this is Brooklyn" locations we past a hotel that I've never notice before. I never even realized there was a building at the corner Wythe and North 11th! Apparently it's been there since 1901 when it was a factory that used to produce barrels and casks. The once industrious building over the years grew out of uses and was then bought up and given a new life as a 72 room hotel created by hotelier Peter Lawrence and restauranteur Andrew Tarlow (Matlow & Sons, Roman's, Diner). The Wythe Hotel, along with it's theater, and restaurant, Reynards, opened their doors just yesterday. With views of Manhattan and rates starting at $179 a night this new historic factory turned hipster hotel is sure to have many visitors. Check out the pics below from T Magazine.

DIY: Reclaimed Wood Table

How beautiful is this reclaimed wood table found over at the amazing Brooklyn to West. Ariele, creator of this table, notes that using reclaimed wood to build furniture is not a new idea but she doesn't give herself enough credit. Her tables are just gorgeous.

Club Monaco: Made in the USA

Club Monaco is the next big company jumping on the Made in the USA bandwagon. I only wish it wasn't just a collection being made here in the the good old US of A, but all production. At least it's a small step in the right direction. And in addtional Club Monaco news, customers can now shop online and get free shipping and returns for a limited time at clubmonaco.com.

Spring 2012: Alder

Alder's Spring 2012 collection was inspired by a trip to Mexico City. The bold colors and patterns Nina and I saw on our trip served as the starting point for our acid trip at the country club concept. Neon colors and patterns came together to give classic silhouettes a new look. I'm so happy to share these great new pieces, all available at Alderboutique.com.  

Special thanks to our lovely and talented friends, Julia Reinhard who did the fabulous hair and Carrie Bilbo, who created beautiful jewelry inspired by her recent trip to Peru.

Icons & Derelicts

Now this is modern luxury! 

Simple Reclaimed Tablescape

With the kitchen cabinets filled with so many empty jars, I decided to made it a mission to figure out something to do with them. So I came up with this simple and unintentionally romantic tablescape. I'm not claiming that this is terribly original but I think it looks pretty nice.  I just popped some tea lights in the collection of glass jars and arranged them on my DIY table runner made of reclaimed strips of denim. If I had a date for Valentines day I would definitely be serving diner at this romantic table.

The Natural Man's Grooming Guide

Bearded men illustrations by artist Danny Keith

Men have many grooming needs and there are so many products out there to aid them in taming their hair and skin. It's important to be aware of the ingredients used in these cosmetic and beauty products. There's little to no regulation of these types of products. Many include chemicals known to grow tumors in lab rats, dry and irritate skin and hair, cause neurological and reproductive problem, and contaminate the environment. So I've compiled some of my favorite 100% natural grooming products that won't kill you or your environment. All of these products are made in small batches to insure quality and are created by small American business. So you can look good, smell good, and support your local economy all at the same time!

Beekman 1802 Goat Milk Soap: These 100% chemical free bars of soap have the highest percent of goats milk possible. Crafted in Sharon Springs NY from locally grass feed goats milk. These soaps are great for regular hand washing or for scrubbing down ones whole body. Available in 12 seasonal scents or unscented.
Two 3.25 ounce bars for $12.50 or Six for $34.00 available at Beekman1802.com.

Portland General Store Tobacco Cologne: Inspired by 1920s and 30s recipes PGC Tobacco cologne is a masculine scent with top notes of bergamot, lavender, and neroli. With base notes of leather and wood this cologne leaves a light powder scent throughout the day; because what's worse than when a man walk by and you're suddenly suffocated by the scent of a potent cologne? PGS has six regular scent plus seasonal fragrances throughout the year.
15 ml bottle for $68.00 available at PortlandGeneralStore.com.

Cold Spring Apothecary Citrus Wood Wax Pomade: CSA's pomade is a soft pliable wax-based styling product scented with patchouli and bergamot. CSA produces and sources their ingredients from the Hudson Valley NY area. This product is a great local all natural product for the stylish gentleman.
4 ounce jar for $20.00 available at ColdSpringApothecary.com.

Alder Natural Hair Powder: A talc free hair powder great for those days when you don't have a moment to hop in the shower. Made from natural ingredients and available in two scent eucalyptus and bergamot. Not only will it clean up your hair in a moment but it will leave it smelling great.
4 ounce jar for $30 available at AlderBoutique.com.

Wild Rose Herbs Wild Man Beard Conditioner: A bearded gentleman, such as myself, knows that one needs to keep his beard in order by regularly trimming, shaving, and combing. But what about conditioning?  Wild Man Beard Conditioner is a leave-in conditioner that softens the hair fibers and prevents blemishes. Made with almond oil which mimics the moisture of ones skin and scented with rosemary, lavender, ceder, and lime oils. This conditioner will keep things soft without feeling greasy.
30 ml bottle $6.99 available at Etsy.com/shop/WildRoseHerbs

Portland General Store Wood Thick Hand Cream: It may be thick enough to soften tough, over-worked hands but it's also gentle enough to nourish a dry winters face. This cream works for a man's entire body. Scented with cedar, hiba wood, patchouli, vetiver, grass, and vanilla you won't be able to wait for the next time you need this moisturizer.

120 ml jar $13.95 available at PortlandGeneralStore.com.     

Rock Top Soap Shop Shavin' Soap: I've recently became a big fan of shaving soap. I used to use  shaving creams but quickly switched once I started doing my researching about what's in most of these comercial products. Once I made the switch, I thought what took me so long? RTSS's shavin' soap is made of a blend of oils and cocoa butter to moistures the skin. This soap is designed to create a thick lather perfect for shaving from head to toe, if you're into that.
One 4.5/5 ounce bar $6.00 available at Etsy.com/shop/RockyTopSoapShop

Blaak

This Christmas I receive a wheel of Beekman 1802 Blaak Cheese, Blaak Onion Jam, and Rosemary Creamed Honey from my lovely parents. I also received a Nikon D3100 camera which you are now viewing pictures taken with that amazing piece of equipment. 

I've wanted to get a bite of the Beekman ash coated cheese since the first episode of The Fabulous Beekman Boys. However, I unfortunately had no luck finding a NYC location that still had it stock, nor did I have the resources to purchase a 2 pound wheel. So to say I was ecstatic to finally get my hands/ mouth on a piece Christmas morning is a understatement. 

I first have to say, don't eat the rind! The cheese gets a white mold that grows on it while aging. It smells horrible and tastes horrible too. It's technically fine to eat, however, if the Donner Party was offer Blaak cheese rinds, I swear, they still would have eaten each other!

The cheese, 60% unpasteurized goats milk and 40% cows milk made in Sharon Springs NY, taste great (minus the rind) with the sweet balsamic flavor of Blaak Onion Jam or the delicious rosemary infused honey, both available at Beekman1802.com. The Rosemary Honey is so good, I keep eating spoonfuls like lolly pops. I've currently have been enjoying a slice of cheese on a piece of crusty bread, but it's great on it's own and I can wait to start using it in a recipe or two. 

Eco Undies II

I posted about the launch of the new eco-friendly mens underwear line, Gässling, just a short while ago and I can now give a personal review after receiving a pair of the Falsterbo Button Boxers in mint (pictured above). I normally wear American Apparel briefs but theses new boxers are giving my classic briefs some competition. They may be more than double the price but they are definitely worth it.

ISAORA

ISAORA is a menswear company influenced by snowboarding and adventure. At ISAORA, the designers choose to use high performance fabrics and notions and "take [their] ecological footprint seriously and are always looking for ways to reduce [their] environmental impact." I love their printed poncho and their dropped crotch union suits. You can shop the full FW 2011 collection at isaora.com. 

Eco Undies

Gässling is a new swedish company that creates underwear for men from the finest unbleached organic cotton. Their goal is to create comfortable quality underwear that wont go out of style. You can shop the online store and pick up a pair of boxers in four great colors; white, mint, teal, and grey. Gässling is another great compamy focusing on quality, transparency, and sustainability.  
  

Made Right Here

I've been meaning to post this for a while now... Here's a video of a pilot episode for a show called Made Right Here by All Plaidout. The video focuses on three factories producing clothing and accessories here in America. I really enjoy this video because American made products have become something I really value and I really love seeing skilled American workers making quality goods. This idea is more or less the focus of my company, Alder, quality crafted goods made in the USA. In a time of such economic turmoil in our country, how can you not shop USA?

I'm also going to share another video that shows a man creating a button-front shirt from start to finish (if any of my students are watching this, he should have created a muslin before going to his final fabric). I feel like so few people really understand that people make clothes, it doesn't just come out of some machine, this is what it more or less looks like to create a shirt. Enjoy!

SKELETTE

These dancing skeleton tote bags from German company Bon Matin are a seasonally appropriate responsibly-made item my monster-obsessed childhood self would have loved to have. Buy a tote for your grown up self at Bon Matin's Online Store.