The Penguin
The Rooster
DAKS 
Discovered in the back of my closet. I swear.
Still on the wagon and belt less. This was going to be about Perrier versus Pellegrino. I like Perrier as a mixer because the bubbles are bigger (swear to God). I like Pellegrino by itself because it's so much softer. Either way, they both go flat in a heart beat. And there's nothing worse than drinking flat seltzer water. I heard about making your own seltzer and did a little digging. /div>
The Penguin, in the Williams Sonoma shot up there, looks like a good deal. The opening mechanism reminds me of gullwing car doors and you can adjust the bubbles. In NYC you can use tap water -- which I don't recommend in Philadelphia. The European seltzer makers are slick looking but run north of $1,000 while the Penguin is $199. Knowing my readers are made up of only the most erudite and sophisticated people -- I have to ask... Has anyone pulled the trigger on a Penguin?
In the late 60's the Rooster Tie was everywhere. And it was the tie to give and get for Christmas. At least in my families circle of friends and relatives. Uncle Clyde gave me one and I gave one to Uncle Clyde...or was it Canoe cologne? I dunno. Anyway, I'd love to tell you this was in the back of my closet. Really... So, I will. This was in the back of my closet because I'm not stupid enough to see it in a tony NYC vintage store on 23rd Street and pay $45 for it. Not me, man.
About the time Rooster Ties were all the rage - - there was the beltless Sansabelt slack. Made by those two famous designing sisters, Polly and Esther, they were particularly revolting in a light blue favored by men who paired them with white patent leather loafers. The DAKS (from "Dad" and "Slacks") waistband was created by the Brit, Alec Simpson in the early 30's and has nothing to do with Sansabelt. It's a favorite detail at Alan Flusser's shop and is popular with corduroys from the UK. There will always be that friend who will point and laugh at DAKS but these are the people you keep around for your own personal amusement.
isi (italian)makes a seltzer maker for about 50.00, butt-smeller
ReplyDeleteThe Penguin. I actually don't like it. There's nothing more annoying than taking existing designs with all their simple beauty and "updating" them. The Penguin is a perfect example - another new gadget aimed at a new generation of cocktail drinkers and their at-home bars. Over-designed, phallic vibrator-like, and worst of all, function following form. Also egregious is the notion that I wouldn't know how to even turn the thing on. It's a classic case of "just-because-you-can-doesn't-mean-you-should." IMOHO.
ReplyDeleteContrast all that with a mental picture of Alec Guinness in "Our Man In Havana" standing at his bar with a classic old school seltzer maker: a bottle, a CO2 cartridge, a button. It just works. That's what I want in my bar.
-DB
Condolences on the wagon thing. My wife has the same in mind for me. And she will surely have her way eventually. But not tonight.
ReplyDeleteNice tie. Nice post. But the pants? Only seeking to amuse.
lw
Good memories. Your grand mother used to send me conservative ties from "Lord and Taylor." Superior quality.
ReplyDeleteDecent button-down collar shirts from "Gant" inexpensive and iron free.
Men's slacks by "Farah" inexpensive and sturdy.
"Montagnard" black home made, embroidered shirts for casual wear.
German lace-up mountain boots.
Hand-made Mexican riding boots.
Business suits tailor made in Hong Kong of top quality British fabrics.(Just walk in a shop with a page torn from "Play Boy" and say I want one just like this. Cost only slightly more than "Jos Banks." (Incidentally, is there a time when Jos Banks are not on sale?)
Great post tintin. The Canoe reference called for an audible here in my office. Evoked other toiletry gifts from that era...Brut 33 ... British Sterling ...and Soap on a freakin' rope from Avon.
ReplyDeleteRooster...I only had their knit ties. Daks...one of my first suits as a kid, when I was old enough to get to the Men's Department was a Daks...36 reg. Damn.
Beltless myself today. Side tabs.
ReplyDeleteHad one of those mesh covered seltzer makers and used it until it died (dry rot on the gasket thing.) I miss it. There was always a Harpo wannabe at a party who would get hold of the thing. Sometimes it was funny. Sometimes.
Agreed about the Perrier vs. Pellegrino.
Love the Rooster. I recall a tie with a picture of Lassie making the rounds in my brother's crowd. Still on the wagon - what gives? You in training for something?
ReplyDeleteMy dad cuts grass, weed waks and plays old man softball in DAKS.
ReplyDeleteHey anon "butt smeller" guy. Are you, by chance Brandon Mylenek?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theonion.com/content/news/local_idiot_to_post_comment_on
Mr. Tin.
ReplyDeleteYou musta POed wona them Style Forae elaquent gents what's acusin' youa eau d'anus sniffification.
You sure that ain't a upscale potable DirtBuster photo with refreshments after a hard five minutes a vacuumin' for change and pretzel fractions under the chaise loungue cushions?
You absolutely sure of the provenance of them "Daks" photos?
When you gonna do a Cheerwine & Carolina Coveralls feature?
Regards, Tater
Awesome tie and definitely wise to stay clear of the pricey vintage shops.
ReplyDeleteFor those of us that haven't been around as long as that piece and are looking for a bargain on something like this, Red White & Blue in Paterson is definitely worth a trip.
www.yelp.com/biz/red-white-and-blue-thrift-stores-paterson
Great warehouse selection, unbelievable prices, Salvation army charity.
I've been shopping there since 1997 and have never come out disappointed.
DC, however, has thrift stores that I would put up against anything else on the east coast. A reservoir of Dior and YSL that never seems to run dry. And plenty of Britches pieces that would no doubt bring back memories of Georgetown for you!
I must agree with anon DB, the shape of the Penguin actually made me blush! Friday Freudian Belt Post, indeed. By the way, why the sudden urge to make your own seltzer water? I make my own cakes only because they taste better than store bought. D
ReplyDeleteWhere are the best DC Thrift places?
ReplyDeleteFamous Ohio madame of French ancestry, Poly Ester DuPont D'Akron, had an upstairs bordello called Sin Th'Attic.
ReplyDeleteSawray, Tater
Classic tie and colors. Always a fan of yellow in madras.
ReplyDeletethe trad likes to take a sip from the penguin after smelling people's butts!
ReplyDeleteUncle Remus is back...
ReplyDeleteAnon- Thanks for the lead:
ReplyDeletehttp://isinorthamerica.com/consumer/c_soda.shtml
But not what I'm looking for.
DB- Check out the butt smeller's recomendation. There's no off/on switch with the Penguin or batteries. Just push down on the beak after loading a CO2 cartridge that looks like a 155 shell.
LW- I remember when the ex scolded me for having a 5th Sharps when I was on the wagon some years ago. It's their nature.
Dsd, I remember those suits and the HK labels. Whatever happened to them?
Easy & Elegant- Thanks for the warning - - you may have just pushed me over to the Penguin.
Tessa- The Rooster was the hip tie in the late 60's. At least I though so. My wagon has a bar.
Allie- I aspire to your dad's great style.
Anon 12:12- You may have outted the butt smeller or there's just a lot of them. OMG. LOL.
Tater- You got G-2 on anus sniffer? OMG. LOL. It does look like a dirt buster doesn't it? I would'a thought this the perfect opportunity for butt sniffer to comment on farting in a bathtub and bottling it. Those DAKS are mine but you know who made them doncha? Can't get cheerwine up here. May have to settle for Dr Pepper and a rope belt.
DCB- Great suggestions but ADG wants some details on the places you're keeping secret. I remember Junior League always has some decent kit.
D- Water is heavy and here in NYC...very expensive. Hence, my 'green' strategy to save my back, some dough and one less case of fizzy on the cargo plane.
ADG- I'm working on it.
Tater- You mean this one:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063693/
HTJ- A beauty isn't it? I just wish I paid $3 for it.
Anon- You're spelling's improving or should that be smelling?
Allie- Remus and the who-ha lady should get a room.
I think you can still buy Canoe colonge these days - I'm sure I've seen it somewhere recently - maybe a drugstore. I always liked it. My wife liked the ladies version of the same scent - can't remember the name of it though.
ReplyDeleteThere are several alternatives to the Penguin reviewed here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/dining/10fizz.html
All are below $100.00
I have the less expensive version of the penguine from Sodastream - it's perhaps $20 less? I absolutely love it. It's incredibly easy to use and I always have fizzy water in my fridge. Awesome.
ReplyDeletehonestly making your own sparkling water seems sacreligious. i realize that saying that is incredibly pretentious and proably just wrong, but it just seems to me like the best part of drinking a nice glass of sparkly is opening the cold bottle and hearing that fizzle as it hits your lips.
ReplyDeletealso, i just had this conversation with my dad. i guess it was a father's day either/or type of game. Pellegrino is definitely smoother, while Perrier can be so damn sharp. However, lately I have been pretty into Calistoga. I guess mostly because I'm so close to the source, it feels right, but also because it's so....crisp, clean. It's a lot harder to find glass bottles of Calistoga though; and to me, that is one of the joys of drinking sparkling water.
I need to stop myself; I'm talking about water with the same self importance as wine snobs.
after browsing a lot of crappy blogs today, thisone is different!
ReplyDelete