Inner City Style

Working in the house: I'm exhausted.

2012-02-09T21:22:00.005+01:00

Today I had another day off to work in our new house.

So that's the reason for not posting very much lately.

I tell you: Wall cupboards on the kitchen's plasterboard walls are quite a challenge! I hope they won't come down...

Tomorrow the next day off, then moving on saturday.

You like to help me? Just drop by.

Cheers
Mike

A day off to work in our new house.

2012-02-03T08:56:00.009+01:00

-Driver's cap
-Pea coat
-Flannel shirt
-Cardigan sweater
-Denim
-Caterpillar suede working boots

Fighting the cold.

2012-02-02T19:22:00.008+01:00

-Driver's cap
-Double collar trench coat with detachable quilted vest
-Black leather gloves
-Turtle neck sweater
-Black and grey herringbone tweed jacket
-Salt and pepper trousers
-Brogues

Today's attire.

2012-02-01T21:26:00.006+01:00

-Herringbone tweed jacket
-Oxford button-down shirt
-Silk tie
-Woolen pocket square
-Chinos
-Double monks

What I wear today. Soft attire.

2012-01-31T20:12:00.008+01:00

Herringbone driver's cap
Cashmere scarf
Barbour Liddesdale

-Herringbone tweed
-Cashmere tie (10 Euros at TKmaxx)
-Rust-colored sweater
-Herringbone woolen trousers
-Half brogue oxfords

Today's attire: Meeting the client.

2012-01-30T21:49:00.013+01:00

Yes, I re-tied the tie before leaving the house.

Custom made 3/2 roll lapel (steaming iron at the tailor).

-Cinque salt and pepper wool suit with side vents and ticket pocket.

-Hemlock tie by Anson's.

-H&M cardigan.

-John Crocket brogues.

Sporting my Swims because of snow fall.

About workwear

2012-01-29T20:19:00.011+01:00

Yesterday and today we were working at our new house, we'll move in the middle of next month.

So me and my wife (and some friends) spent the weekend packing boxes, talking to the painter, driving from the old home to the new one (3 minutes!) several times, vacuum cleaning the upper floors, get all the space bags and other stuff from our cellar to the new attic, the buggy and the pram as well (we'll need the pram from august on), perforating the two small ponds in our garden (It's not good to have a pond and small children. Remember "Don't look now"?), cleaning up the cellar, and so on.

I'm done! I'll relax with some Gin and Tonic.

-Pre-destroyed Diesel baseball cap
-Bandana from my backpacking trip to Dominican Republic in 1995 ('cause it was frosty today)
-Hooded Champion sweat shirt
-Carhartt jacket (18 yrs. old)
-Longhorn working gloves
-LTB pre-destroyed denim
-Caterpillar Colorado

Tom Ford Documentary

2012-01-27T21:43:00.006+01:00

Today's get-up: Tie-less again.

2012-01-27T18:48:00.007+01:00

Corduroy jacket
Pima cotton sweater (it's red, but the camera didn't get it)
Dockers chinos
Burlingtons
Brown wing-tips

Rhum Créole

2012-01-27T10:04:00.001+01:00

Today's get-up

2012-01-26T23:08:00.009+01:00

Donegal tweed
Knit tie
Houndstooth trousers
Argyle hosiery
Suede wing tips

Today's tieless get-up

2012-01-25T19:38:00.014+01:00

Tweed
Crew neck sweater
Cord
Timberland

Blucher

2012-01-21T16:15:00.004+01:00

This is the Alden for Leffot Blucher shoe.
But still I'm not quite sure if I like this style at all...

About Rolex - Part II

2012-01-20T21:41:00.007+01:00

I received a letter from Rolex today.

They checked my Sub in detail and found out its oils and lubricants were nearly used up.

The only way to solve this issue is a revision.

Expenditure: 577,15 Euros.

That's what I expected.

Oh dear!

Let's get on with it!

The worst tie knot ever!

2012-01-20T15:07:00.002+01:00

How could hell be any worse?

Silverware

2012-01-18T19:45:00.029+01:00

Dear readers,

today, I'd like to write a little about silver, i.e. silverware, being inspired by my fellow blogger Paisley Curtain and my maternal grandmother.

When my grandmother passed away in 2006, I inherited her beautiful Jugendstil or Art Nouveau silverware, I always admired.
She knew I loved it very much, so I think she would be glad that I have it right now.

I'm not quite sure how old this silverware is, but I do know, that it once belonged to my grandmother's parents. So it must be quite old, as she was born in 1918.

But that's not the point. It's large, it's heavy and it adds style and elegance to our table.

We only use it on ceremonial occasions like Christmas, Easter or birthdays.

In total this is (only) a set for 6 people à 5 pieces plus fish knive, fruit knive, beef fork, sugar spoon and a cake lifter.

It feels so nice, having dinner with this treasure. And really, it feels like my grandma is still with us.

The plain area hasn't being monogrammed. Maybe I'll do it one day...

Walter Peter Solingen

Compared with ordinary IKEA cutlery. Pls. notice the size!

That's what I call massive.

Some years ago, I found this nice Art Deco silverware in a thrift shop for furniture and stuff. It was a big mixed lot with many different shapes and designs. So in the end, I gathered up a set for 8 people à 4 pieces. It wasn't really cheap for 50 Euros, but it's pretty cool for every day use.

In fact, we do not use it everyday, because you can't put the knives into the dishwasher. So we use our IKEA cutlery most of the time. Except the weekends.

Even a little bigger then my grandma's.

Art Deco vs. Jugendstil.

And finally, here she is. My grandma:

A few months before her death.

When she was a young girl.

This one's for you, wherever you are, grandma.

My hat from Tegernsee.

2012-01-16T21:19:00.006+01:00

Enzo Bonafé

2012-01-15T11:55:00.004+01:00

Me like

2012-01-13T16:48:00.002+01:00

iPad, notebook bags

Book review: British Style (British Tradition and Interior Design) by Claudia Piras and Bernhard Roetzel

2012-01-10T21:19:00.023+01:00

Dear readers,

most of us know Bernhard Roetzel as the author of "Gentleman - A Timeless Guide To Fashion", for me one of 2 leading books about clothes and style for men.

But did you know that Mr. Roetzel is co-author of a wonderful book called "British Style" (in Germany) or "British Tradition and Interior Design" (in the US and UK)?

This book takes you on a journey to british lifestyle and culture. On 340 pages you'll learn everything about Britain's architecture and history of palaces, mansions, manor and city houses, furniture and accessories, the Great Hall, dining rooms, living rooms, studies, country life, etc.

Fireplaces...

Bone china craftsmanship.

The dining room.

The full english breakfast.

Studies.

College life.

Timetable with monarchy, styles, historical events, arts and culture, science and technology, architecture and design, international sensations.

If you fancy british culture just like Bernhard Roetzel does, this book is a must-have for you.

Buy it at once!

Cheers
Mike

Home decoration

2012-01-08T12:02:00.009+01:00

About Rolex

2012-01-06T19:17:00.014+01:00

I bought my Rolex Submariner Date on a saturday in april 2007. It was the watch of my dreams since I was 18 or 20. But always way too much money to spend. Until that day.

You can imagine how excited I was when I walked right into the store, announced my request and walked out with this precious timepiece.

Years gone by and it never let me down. I kept in on my wrist at work, while passing security checks at airports, at home, on the beach, in the ocean, while running and only put if off when I went to bed.

But it always was some minutes fast in one week, so I had to correct it from time to time.
It did not mean a thing to me, because there wasn't any doubt because of its chronometer certificate.

Then came the day (I guess one month ago) when I put it on in the morning, realizing the hands stood still. After some shaking, life came back into my Sub, but still I knew something was wrong with it.

So the week before Christmas, I let my Sub check by some high-class jeweler on Kö. The guy with the magnifying glass told me, that there was a divergence (is that the right word?) in the clockwork. Too bad!

So today I went to Germany's Rolex headquarters in Cologne for maintenance.
The master watchmaker told me, that he had no clue what was wrong with the movement and that he wanted to check it in detail. And after that he'll send me a cost estimate.

I mean: What? A cost estimate? Rolex want me to pay for maintenance on a 4 year old expensive watch because there's something wrong with it? Maybe since I bought it?

Are you serious?

I'll tell you how this story will end in a few weeks.

Cheers
Mike

About thrifting.

2012-01-03T21:30:00.012+01:00

Dear readers,

here I am. Back again. Happy new year and stuff. Missed you folks :-)

Well, most of us know AAW for quite a long time and worship his ability to discover real treasures among rags.

Thrift shopping in Germany isn't quite as cheap as in the US when it comes down to brands. So usually you won't find those classic american brands like Brooks Brothers, J.Press, L.L.Bean but of course german and british brands.

A couple of weeks ago I payed a visit to little second hand shop (how we call thrift shops) right in the middle of Düsseldorfs Altstadt. They offered kind of anything: Furs for the ladies, duffle coats, some lace ups, some ties, Barbour jackets, Burberry trench coats and loads of sports jackets.

So here's what I found:

A nice Harris Tweed 3/2 patch pocket sports jacket by Tommy Hilfiger.
BUT: 120 Euros! Ok, cheaper than retail, but still no bargain.

It does fit great and keeps me warm.

What do you think?

Aachen: German history at its best.

2011-07-31T19:26:00.017+02:00

Dear readers,

not much about fashion this week: Too much work and bad weather conditions in Düsseldorf are to blame. Or only me in the end? Who knows.

So this weekend, we decided to pay a visit to my wife's relatives in Belgium.
Before that we spent some hours in Aachen. Amazing city, with loads of German history, especially Karl der Große or Charlemagne (742 – 814).

Here are a few impressions of the Cathedral Treasury:

Charlemagne's real bones in this relic.

Shot without flash or tripod with my Nikkor AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8 G.

Purple hosiery

2011-07-27T20:39:00.006+02:00