I was asked by a reader: ‘what’s on your Christmas list?’. You know, that’s a good question. We talk about all sorts of good stuff here on the blog, but most of it is fashion-based. While this is fine, I’ve found that it’s rare I ask for clothes for Christmas (or my birthday). There is too much risk.
I was asked for a list from my family this year, so here you go:
Sid Mashburn garment-dyed Levis 501s in Olive. The garment-dyed Levis 501s have quickly become my favorite pants. I have quite a few colors, and am always looking to add more to the stash. Enter Olive…the least desirable shade of khakis, but a very smart looking pair of jeans. These with a navy sweater or an oxford blue button down and brown shoes are just what the doctor ordered.
Yard tools. It’s been a little over a year since Mrs. RCS and I moved into our house (from a condo), and 95% of our focus since moving in has been on the interior. While we’ve done a little work on the landscaping, we have a LONG way to go. We are going to need lawn tools to make some progress…and Christmas is an excellent time to stock up.
Sonos Play:3. We’re pulling the trigger on Sonos for our house. We have an over all plan that includes a Soundbar, a 3, and a couple 1s, but we’ll start slowly. I have quite a few buddies that swear by Sonos, so we are excited to get going. The biggest decision is black or white…right now we’re leaning towards white, as we don’t want it to look like an appliance.
‘Order to Kill’ by Kyle Mills. It was heartbreaking when the ultra-talented Vince Flynn passed away, but he left a legacy of books that are incredible. Mitch Rapp and I became buddies back in 2001 when my dad gave me a stack of his books. I’ve ready every one since, and need to add the latest.
Basics: Shotgun Shells, Golf Balls, and Razors. I call these the ‘adult’ gifts. As an adult, I am glad to buy myself just about anything I want (within reason), but there are a few things I HATE buying: shotgun shells, golf balls, and razors. They are all boring, and quite frankly don’t need to be wrapped, but I can guarantee that they will all get used. Boring, but perfect.
What’s on your list this year?
I covet those garment-dyed Olive 501’s from Mashburn as well. I have a few of their lighter shades but the Mr. Green Jeans pair is on my list.
Quick question: What tailoring if any do you have done to your 501s? I usually have them tapered slightly.
I’ve gotten a couple of pairs of 501s over the course of the last year and they are so great, really wanting to do the shrink to fit process at some point. Have a Merry Christmas JRS.
Check out Harry’s razors
Great Christmas idea is upping your razor game to a safety razor. I got a nice Merkur double-edged safety razor a few years ago that I love. Couple that with a nice shaving brush (badger hair of course) and nice shaving cream (Truefitt & Hill or Taylor’s of Old Bond Street) and you are good to go. It’s the best shave you will ever get with significantly less irritation and will save you a lot of money compared to disposables.
Aside from garment dying those 501s, does Sid make any other modifications? I noticed (based on the descriptions from Sid’s website) that they appear to have a slightly smaller leg hole than the other 501s that Sid sells.
James and MRS, according to Mashburn, their 501’s are laundered (wash and dry) multiple times during the dying process. This account for some shrinking of the denim, mostly in length. There is a slight reduction in leg and thigh, but not a ton. I usually buy 36 x 34 and then have the legs tapered to 8 or 8.5″ across at the hem. The tailor does this from the pocket on down to avoid the pegged look. They’ve turned out great for me, but you should try them on, in the store, and have the tailor eyeball them. When you get them home, wash when necessary and hang to dry. Incidentally, I wanted the Stone 2.0 version two years ago and they were out of 36 x 34 so I got the 38 x 34 and washed and dried the hell out of them multiple time and they really never tightened up in the waist, so caveat emptor!
And regarding razors, avoid those plastic handled razors. The Mach 3 is superior to Harry’s flex-hinge blades, by a long shot. I’d recommend a nice handle from Art of Shaving or other to go with the Mach 3 blades.
If you really want to up your shave game, Tanner knows what’s up…Merkur double edge safety razors are like nothing else out there. Get a heavy handle and practice. Whatever blade system you go with, the badger brush and quality shave cream (in the bowl or tube) is the ticket.
Merry Christmas!