Edge's Landrover Defender 90

Few cars on the road today are as badass as the Land Rover Defender. The Defender has a certain purity and anachronism about it. The car itself could not be more minimal. Land Rover has made few changes to it since they introduced the new model in 1983. It is still assembled by hand in England. The Defender is one of those rare cars that seems to be at home no matter where it goes. The Defender is the car of choice in many of the problem spots around the world. It represents a symbol of colonialism, mainly because of the introduction of the earlier Series I and Series II models in East Africa by the British. Land Rover imported only about a thousand Defenders into the United States between 1993 and 1997. One of their appeals is the fact that they are very hard to find on American streets. Like a good dog, the Defender is an extension of a lifestyle.

Filson Store: Portland Oregon

Ever since the Filson store opened in Portland Oregon in early November, I have been itching to visit. Nestled in the Confectionery building in the vibrant Pearl District, the 2400 square foot store (one of three flagships) has four main sections: Men's, Women's, Hunting, and Luggage. The store has an awesome array of products with all of the staples you would expect from Filson, (however I did not see a Wool Parker Jacket).

On a side note, I talked with the store manager about my blog and about men's wear. He had some interesting things to say about bringing Filson to the Japaneses market and the potential problems with sizing. For example, the Filson Mackinaw Jacket (pictured predominately in the NYT article, The Fashion Report of 1920), starts at size 38 and goes to size 52. For reference, I am 6'3 and 175 and size 42. The Japanese market would need sizes down to 34 for petite men. Apperently Filson's Japanese distributer had been in the store earlier looking for ideas for a potential Tokyo store.

In addition to quality products, the store is decorated with awesome vintage magazines, pictures, and books documenting Filson's history and the foundations of its ethos. I will have a separate post about these pieces.

Here are some photos to give you a feel for the merchandising and products, if you don't already know them.

Luggage

Tin Jackets. People mainly talk about Filson's wool coats and often overlook their Tin Cloth Jackets. Personally, I like the heavy duty Tin Cloth jackets more than a comparable Barbour Bedale.
My Blue Alaskan Guide Shirt!

Womens Section.

Tim and the Tree

Growing up, my brother Tim and I spent the majority of our time in the Woods of the Columbia River Gorge. A hollow cedar tree five minutes from our house was one of our favorite destinations. This morning as the first snow of a winter storm fell, my brother and I ventured into the woods.

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap

I think it's important to take inspiration from diverse sources. I look to Sergio Leone movies for fashion inspiration, essays and books by Ernest Thompson Seton for lifestyle inspiration, Travis Parker for inspiration for snowboarding, Jacques Henri Lartigue for photograph inspiration, and well, hippies for hygiene. This may sounds weird considering hippies are often regarded as unclean and gross, but at the heart of their ethos is a multipurpose hygiene product called Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap.

Known for their cluttered packaging and all organic and fair trade ingredients, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap boasts 18 uses ranging from shampoo to tooth paste. The multiple applications of Dr. Bronner's makes it perfect for light traveling and minimalism, both motifs that I aspire to. Instead of bringing shampoo, tooth paste, soap, shaving cream, and face wash with me wherever i go, i just bring a bottle of Dr. Bronner's.