Wax Weather

Waxed canvas could be my favorite new fabric. It’s waterproof, wind resistant, supple, and shares many characteristics with leather (minus the whole killing-of-animals part). Autumn is known for crisp air, rain, and chilly breezes. My advice for fall is waxed cotton all the way from boots to hats. Stay dry, warm, and light! The good thing about these jackets is that they’ll last you forever, and since they’re classics, they never go out of style.

Barbour

Barbour makes several styles of really nice waxed jackets and hats. I recently got to view four different jackets, and I was told that all their labor is done in Europe (no sweatshops) and their waxes are totally animal-friendly. The Flyer, below, is my favorite for this fall. It’s lightweight, insulated, and has nice detailing. The jacket has a 100% cotton Barbour tartan lining with 30 gauge wadding for extra warmth. Two way front zip under a studded front, cord inner collar with buckle front tap, knitted rib hem and cuffs. Retail $375

Goes Great with:

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If you are looking for a more edgy jacket, the International Trials Short Jacket, below,  is a slimmer, shorter length version of Barbour’s iconic motorcycle design. I suggest wearing this style over a slender suit, open with the belt buckled. This jacket is in Barbour’s medium-weight 6 oz. Sylkoil wax with a 100% cotton Barbour tartan lining. Two-way front zip under a studded storm fly front with set-in sleeves and ventilation eyelets. PU Coated polyamide inner drip strip for extra weather protection, corduroy collar and cuffs, and multiple pockets. Retail $379 Goes Great with:

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Finally, if you’re looking for a longer coat, the Cowen Commando is one of Barbour’s most famous styles. this modern wax jacket was designed from a historic British army pattern, with a Union Jack badge to prove it. Barbour’s heavyweight 8 oz. Weathered wax with tartan lining. The jacket also features reinforced shoulder panels,  a drawcord waist with adjustable toggles and multiple pockets. Retail $419.Goes Great with:

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Belstaff

Belstaff’s waxed cotton is more expensive than Barbour (averaging around $530). They are gorgeous and leather-free, but they do incorporate Teflon in their canvass, which is toxic, and made by DuPont, a known vivisector and environmental polluter. Therefore I cannot recommend these jackets, and I suggest writing a kind letter to DuPont expressing your disdain for outdated and cruel animal testing, and CC Belstaff!

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David Morgan

For a more affordable autumn jacket, David Morgan offers a oil-finish, waxed cotton jacket called the Shelter Cloth Jacket (retail $160). It has a marbleized color, utility pocket, and moleskin collar (don’t worry, moleskin is actually cotton). David Morgan also offers a pretty bad-ass trench coat called The Duster (retail $285).Goes Great with:

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Goes Great with:

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Wax It Yourself

Do you own a pair of canvas boots or sneaks, a jean jacket, or even a cotton hat? If you want to waterproof it, and give it a chic, slick appearance, you can buy wax and DIY!

Fresh Friday Finds

1. Vegan Marshmallow Kits have landed (in your mailbox)!
Our friend Amy, at the VegCookingBlog tells of a New Zealand company that sells vegan marshmallow kits. Use them to make sticky cubes, crispy treats, smores, or meringue topping! Just in time for summertime campfire-roasting! If you are not a fan of DIY Marshmallowing, Sweet & Sarah offers a selection of dangerously delicious fluffy treats.

You all know what’s in conventional marshmallows, right? If not, prepare yourself for a major gross-out. The gelatin you eat in Marshmallows, Jell-O, and other “treats” comes from cow and pig bones, hooves, and connective tissues.

2. Gridthrifter
Gridskipper offers up a thrifting guide for any city you choose! Here is New York’s Top 7 vintage voyages. My addition to the list is Houndstooth, who has amazing vintage menswear. The 1930s undies in my Time Out New York Spread are from the stylish Michael Kimmins & Maria Chavez. Know of a good menswear thrifting spot? Drop me a note and your review!

3. Honeybee Aftershave
With a select blend of herbs, essential oils and cooling aloe vera, this cruelty-free aftershave is a fantastic way to soothe newly shaven skin and relieve irritation. Available HERE.

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4. Simple Slip-On
Simple has designed a shoe using recycled bicycle tires & car tires, as well as hemp, organic cotton, recycled PET, 100% post-consumer recycled paper, and no animal products. Available at:

5. Mystery Meat Macrophotography

Mike Adams is a photographer who has taken a series of photos of common processed meats at ever increasing magnifications. If you weren’t grossed out by mystery-meat before, bring a barf bag on this photo tour:

6. For Whom Eight Bells Toll
In the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, Eight Belles ran for her life and was fiercely whipped as she came down the final stretch, when she was no doubt already in a great deal of pain. Like 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, she was destroyed because of her racing injuries, caused by the greed that motivates this dirty “sport.”Eight Belles was yet another victim of the cruel horse racing industry, where animals suffer and die for the sake of sport and entertainment. Like many other horses, she was literally “raced to death”. What you can do to help.

7.

Mission Playground is an AFFORDABLE organic clothing company with the mission to create awareness through environmentally conscious and globally mindful designs. They use organic, recycled, and eco fibers and vocally oppose sweatshops. Their aesthetic is western-urban – not my favorite, but some dudes will dig it!

8. Fresh Direct Just Got Veggier!
Whether you’re lazy or so busy you can’t cook a decent meal (and Instead of corner-store comestibles), FreshDirect, a leading online gourmet food purveyors and delivery service, announced last week the launch of their very first line of vegetarian & vegan 4-Minute Meals.

FreshDirect’s EatingWell menu includes:

– Hoppin’ John with Vegetarian Chorizo (Vegan) — $7.99

– Indian-Spiced Lentil & Quinoa Ragout with Roasted Vegetables (Vegan) — $7.99

– Balsamic-Roasted Seitan with Beets, Basil & Farro Pilaf (Vegan) — $7.99

– White Beans, Pearl Pasta & Artichokes with Roasted Tomatoes & Rapini (Vegan) — $7.99

9. Smell Ya’ Later
The range of mens scents at The Body Shop are totally vegan, and totally affordable!

10. Farm Sanctuary’s Gene Baur in Park Slope, Friday, May 16th
I recently had the pleasure of brunching at Bliss with Gene Baur. Thanks to SUPERVEGAN, Folks who missed Farm Sanctuary‘s inspiring founder and Discerning Brute, Gene Baur during his first NYC book tour stop can catch up with him on the eve of the Farm Sanctuary 2008 Gala, Friday, May 16th, at Community Bookstore of Park Slope. Baur will read from and sign copies of bestselling and acclaimed book, Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food.

Friday, May 16th. 7:30pm. Free. Community Bookstore, 143 Seventh Avenue (between Carroll and Garfield), Brooklyn!