Books: As Seen In Vogue

A large library at your finger tips is major plus of attending college. A couple weeks ago, I stumbled across "As Seen in Vogue: A Century of American Fashion In Advertising" while procrastinating on Thursday night. As stated in the title, the book discuses the history of fashion advertising, but also offers an interesting overview of the origins of periodicals and print advertising. Even if you're not interested in female fashion, I recommend this book as background study of the role of advertising in subsidizing periodicals. Here are some original ads from the Vogues from the forties and earlier.

My Vuarnets

Life looks better through the lens of my Vuarnets. Vuarnet, a French ski sunglass company has been making eye wear since 1957. Unlike many sunglass companies, Vuarnet focuses on creating great lenses and looks to classic shapes for their designs as opposed to focusing on pioneering designs first and optics second. Although relatively overlooked by the American sunglass market, Vuarnets are used exclusively by the film maker Wes Anderson. Vuarnets are a great departure from the wayfarer shape and offer substantially better optics than equivalently priced classes. Here are some Vuarnets, similar to the ones featured here, on ebay and some photos taken through the lenses of my glasses.

Fog On the Androscoggin River

The drive along the Androscoggin River on US-2 on Friday afternoon was gorgeous. The last breaths of fall foliage provided a great backdrop and texture, a layer of fog that engulfed the surface of the water. After many question opportunities, I finally stopped to take a picture on a small bridge overlooking the river. Here is the location of the bridge and my route to Middlebury.

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Cutting the Fat

I have too many shoes, jeans and shirts in my wardrobe. Over the last 20 years, my taste has evolved considerably, leaving many articles of clothing untouched. To borrow a line from the venerable Clint Eastwood in High Plains Drifter, these clothes are about as useful as "tits on a boar." Not only has my taste in clothing evolved but my attitudes towards consumption have changed considerably. No longer do I want 30 pairs of Nike's or five pairs of relaxed "premium" jeans. Instead, I yearn for an enduring wardrobe that will remain relevant for years and not months to come. A look through my closet conjures up memories and is an illustration of how I've gained character and grown up with these clothes. In many ways, it's sad to throw away something that at one time I cherished. As the title of this blog denotes however, I am restless and have always searched for new pursuits and passions. This burden requires that I leave some things behind in order to continue my search for greener pastures. Here are some photos of my retiring clothes...
These Desert Boots were put through hell for two winters.
I acquired these pitch and blood stains on a backpacking trip in the Goat Rocks Wilderness during the summer of 2007.
Harsh Maine winters and rock salt on walkways precipitated this fading and distress.