Things We Like #3

I've been excited for this hat for a while. Last year while combing through different product lines, one of the things we really wanted for the store was a cashmere watch cap, preferably retailing for less than $100. We found a really great line of mostly knit caps that just so happened to have the sought after hat.

Come December, I can see myself not removing this hat for great lengths of time. Its easy to think of occasions where one would wear this - slouching around the house, hung-over bloody marys, waiting outside of Al's breakfast and accidently running over some six year olds on the sledding hill are all things that this hat obviously pairs well with - however I think there is a certain Jacques Cousteau panache that comes from being appropriately dressed except for that little knit hat. It’s the kind of inconspicuous luxury item that we're fans of at mp3.

That being said, we've got quite a few hats from Coal ranging from practical to kitschy, and they've already made quite a splash with the staffers here.

Jameson Cashmere hat $90, other Coal hats from $25

Things We Like #2

Alright, I have a confession to make. Despite my position at the helm of an accessory shop and my propensity to overdress myself with hats, ties, boutonnieres, belt buckles shaped like birds, funny socks, tie bars, cufflinks and lapel pins, I've never really been that into jewellery. I went through a necklace phase a very long time ago, but for the past few years I just haven't really gotten behind bracelets, rings or necklaces (that being said, I am really excited about our newest line, Nikolai Rose). The above list features a few things that technically are jewellery, but I think you get the gist. I'm certainly not opposed to men wearing such adornments, and in fact I've admired a number of well designed pieces that we've had in the store, especially from Tateossian, that I could just not bring myself to wear. It just isn't my MO... save for one very specific type: the ID bracelet.

The primary reason I like ID bracelets is kind of tacky. Most people know that I go nuts for things that have some type of back story or historical pretext (case in point, things we like #1). The thing that tips the scale for me on such a specific piece of jewellery is that its very rare to find a person older than the age of eleven that has engraved anything on the ID plate itself. We have an item that is intended to identify its owner and yet the vast majority of such pieces live their lives unpersonalized. This fascinates me.

Now, I'm a fan of most ID bracelets, but this one has such a feeling of inconspicuous consumption that I just can't help but gush about it. If you see it on a person's wrist, its just a stainless bracelet. With a closer look though, you'll notice that this particular model has 18 karat gold studs in it: a subtle and unique take on something so recognizable.

We have several things with ID links and all are new, so the interesting lack of back story doesn't really apply. But, I hope the next person to buy one will think a more about that little plate.

$115

Things We Like #1

Anyone that has been in the store recently, or ever really, knows that we're pretty much bursting at the seams with merchandise. Enough that when we moved everything down from the original location, I would still find new things one whole month after we were up and running. To this day we still have frequent patrons discovering 'new' things in the store. So it is with this in mind that I'm officially starting our first recurring feature here on the mp3 blog:

Things in the Store That We Really Like and Feel The Need to Point Out Because They Might Otherwise Get Ignored

Or for short:

Things We Like

For our first things we like feature, we'll be taking a look at my absolute favorite single item in the whole store: The Mr. Winter Document Envelope.

The first thing you should know about Mr. Winter's wares is that they are not really designed with convenience in mind. They are the kind of items that generally require the user to adapt to the function of the piece. Usually this isn't a good thing, but in the case of Mr. Winter it feels like adapting to using a certain piece will make you a better person for it. Mr. Winter are the possessions of tough, well traveled men who have seen things the rest of us have merely read about. This particular item is very simple. It is a leather envelope, but it is a leather envelope that must contain documents important enough to be kept secret from the prying eyes of fellow travelers. Not sales orders, but instructions for something no body knows about. Perhaps that is all a bit dramatic, but like I said you'll feel like a better person for using this.The second thing you should know about Mr. Winter is that each piece is adorned with a recast medallion of some kind, usually religious in origin (mostly St. Christopher). This particular icon is a little bit more unique - a two inch image from Shrine of Mary in Holy Hill, Wisconsin. This may not mean much to most, but being that I was raised both Catholic and in Wisconsin it tugs a bit at the nostalgia strings. Holy Hill, in addition to being naturally quite beautiful, has a legendary history. Tradition has it that the hill was first discovered by Father Marquette in 1673 on his return with Joliet from the discovery of the upper Mississippi. A German priest who had been recreant to his vows seeking to do penance in the new world found a reference to this hill in a strangely discovered portion of Marquette's diary; that on his way to find the hill, he was taken ill in Chicago, and when he recovered he was paralytic. He persisted in his efforts to find the hill and when found he crawled to the summit on his hands and knees and was cured of his paralysis. Every year a good number of pilgrims, some only curious, others with faith that they will be healed of their diseases, visit the hill.

Whether you believe all that is really secondary to the fact that for many people that story carries quite a bit more importance than a leather envelope, and paying a little bit of homage to that is exactly what makes it so cool.

$325