Tue, 21 May 2013 14:06:26 PDT A man's blog for the life well lived. Livewell is affiliated with Bench & Loom, the destination for men's clothing of style and substance. http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell http://www.benchandloom.com/ http://www.benchandloom.com/public/images/bench-and-loom-feed-logo.jpg KohanaPHP http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/10-questions-alan-rabinowitz Dr. Alan Rabinowitz has been called “The Indiana Jones of Wildlife Conservation” by Time magazine, a befitting title for the world’s leading big cat expert and a man of impressive accomplishment. His extensive work has resulted in the creation of the world’s first jaguar reserve in Belize, the largest protected area in Taiwan, the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Thailand, and no less than five new protected areas in Myanmar (formerly Burma), including the world’s largest Himalayan national park and the world’s largest tiger reserve. If that’s not remarkable enough, he even discovered a new species of mammal, the primitive leaf deer. Oh, and he has his instructor certificate in 3 of 9 weapons for the Thai martial art Krabi-Krabong. Dr. Rabinowitz is the co-founder and acting CEO of Panthera, a forward thinking and results oriented non-profit organization devoted to saving the Earth’s wild cat species. As big fans of his we're privileged to have him as the... Bench & Loom Sun, 12 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/the-possibility-machine Was it because of my early association with BMW motorcycles that I was drawn to Ural, or was it because a Ural looks like it’s poised to conquer the Sahara? I’m not sure and it doesn’t really matter. Bloodlines or aggressive posture aside, it’s really the adventurousness of the Ural that’s appealing. The can-do, pioneering attitude that’s ingrained in the American psyche and the urge to see what’s beyond the horizon makes the allure of this twin boxer-engined machine magnetic. There’s an unintimidating simplicity yet reassuring strength to the Ural. It conveys the sense that one can take it to the ends of the world and, in case of a break-down, it wouldn’t require NASA-endorsed hardware to mend.In this modern, hyper-connected, over-scheduled, tech-obsessed world of ours, would a Ural really be used to its full capability? Probably not but the mere fact that it could be is all the rationale I need. Just look at all the SUVs on the road. How many of them actually see... Bench & Loom Fri, 03 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/10-questions-jason-lee For the first in what we hope will be a long series of exclusive mini-interviews with men of distinction, we posed 10 Questions to Jason Lee, the former professional skateboarder and now talented actor whose long list of credits includes Chasing Amy, Vanilla Sky, The Incredibles (the voice of Incrediboy), My Name Is Earl (for which he was nominated for two Golden Globes), Alvin & The Chipmunks, Up All Night, and many more.Where are you from and where do you now call home?  I’m from southern California and live in Pasadena (outside Los Angeles).What's your favorite place in the world and why?  American highways in my '71 Dodge pickup, my film cameras to my right occupying the passenger side of the old bench seat, and nights spent sleeping in the camper with no knowledge of where the following day will take me.What inspires you?  See above.What's your favorite book or work of art?  Photography books and photographic prints.What would you regard as the most beautiful... Bench & Loom Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/travel-observations January and February have been very busy months. With market shows, gatherings and events scheduled just about every week, what normally would be a quiet winter has taken us to/from the following cities: Salt Lake, Las Vegas, Berlin, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boca Raton. The best thing of course is that each place is completely different from the next. So while national and even global homogenization continues unabated, it’s refreshing and reassuring to find distinctions and inspiration with every visit, no matter how obvious or obscure. Louis Armstrong’s melody What a Wonderful World still rings true.Here are + / - for each city. Feel free to tell us yours.Salt Lake: + Awe-inspiring Little Cottonwood Canyon, home to Snowbird and Alta ski resorts / - Utah drivers.Las Vegas: + Incredulous “I can’t believe this place even exists” feeling / - Casinos modeled after ant farms.Berlin: + Wonderful emporium Manufactum / - Absence of beautiful architecture.San... Bench & Loom Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/mechanical-sculpture In tribute to our soon to expire Driving Shop we present this brief visual essay of the dashboard. Bench & Loom Sun, 09 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/objets-dart The auction house Bonhams (est. 1793, London) keeps offering a dizzying array of lustful objects, the beauty of which (never mind the price) are astounding. Regardless of the status of your bank account, window shopping their sales can be inspiring and we recommend it when you have spare time. Here are just a few items that have come up recently. Click to enlarge. Bench & Loom Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/the-most-perfect-car “Good design is honest,” said F.A. Porsche. “A coherently designed product requires no adornment – it should be enhanced by its form alone.” Since the first Porsche automobile was created in 1939, the general design has remained largely unchanged. A 1600cc Porsche from over half a century ago is immediately recognizable as the ancestor of today’s 3800cc land rocket. With such an unbroken visual lineage, no other car can boast such pedigree. In the world of design, timelessness is impossibly rare. In the world of performance design, such a feat is simply unprecedented.  Bench & Loom Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/men-of-characters Sportsmen, adventurers, brigands and poets, these are but a few of our patrons, all of them characters. Bench & Loom Sat, 22 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/a-feeling-in-the-air It’s in the air – that feeling that comes around the end of summer each year, one of excitement and anticipation, one that’s not exclusive to man as dog and horse sense it too. Whether you call it ‘hunting’ or ‘sourcing free-range, organic protein’ it’s a ritual that for millennia has paired instinct and sustenance with appreciation and inspiration.From field and forest to stream and lake, for fish or fowl or game, the draw is the same, the feeling palpable and the experience indefinable.Off all the world’s quarry, it is perhaps the European red deer and its sibling the American elk that have inspired the most poems, stories, sculptures and paintings in Western culture. So here’s a visual essay from the Old World of the approaching season."Hunting is a passion deeply implanted in the human breast." - Charles DickensPictures courtesy of Sporting Classics, the best magazine of its kind. Bench & Loom Sat, 25 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/bonneville-salt-flats For those who may not know, the immense, barren floor of an ancient inland sea in western Utah is a temple of speed where man and machine have gathered for the past century to fight physics and claim title to the fastest.There during Speed Week this past weekend I was able to reunite with friends – Alain de Cadenet of Renaissance Man, Paul d’Orleans of The Vintagent, Yoshi Kosaka of Garage Co., Shinya Kimura of Chabott Engineering – a well as meet new ones – Vincent Prat of Southsiders MC and Wheels & Waves, David Borras of El Solitario, and Lord March Earl of Goodwood, creator of Goodwood Revival. As always, everyone was there to make or witness history and partake of the unique camaraderie and rolling sculpture. Particularly neat was de Cadenet with the one and only John Edgar, factory-prepped 1948 Vincent HRD Black Shadow, the father of the Black Lightning and the bike upon which Rollie Free laid flat in nothing but his swim suit to become the fastest in the world.... Bench & Loom Wed, 15 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/of-stubble-and-wisdom With the launch of The Basics (everyday necessities delivered on a schedule) we’re reminded of the old Burma Shave ads spaced alongside the empty highways of America that provided simple entertainment and words of caution to the male motorist.  Bench & Loom Sun, 05 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/ultimate-motorcycle-collection The MV Agusta Collection: 71 Bikes, 1 Marque, 1 Lot.  This very brave statement and effort is the vision and life’s work of friend Gary Kohs, the world’s foremost steward of MV Agusta history. What is MV Agusta, you ask? Only the most titled, championship-ladened motorcycle in Italian history – the one that carried Giacomo Agostini to his status as the most accomplished grand prix racer of all time (only recently eclipsed by fellow Italian Valentino Rossi), and the motorcycle for which Ferrari developed the F4 motor.In California in August, Kohs will auction his entire collection – the best and most complete in the world – as one lot. That means one bid for everything, something that is unprecedented. Whether it’s foolish or brilliant remains to be seen. Whatever the result, it is bold, just like the man himself.Kohs recently sent us this auction catalog, which comes enclosed in a hard protective case and is designed and illustrated beautifully. It’s extremely well... Bench & Loom Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/dynamic-duo-lalanne There’s no denying the genius and magnetic appeal of sculptors like Frederic Remington, the American master, and Rembrandt Bugatti, the Italian prodigy (brother to Ettore, another prodigy), but what about French couple Francois-Xavier and Claude Lalanne? The husband and wife duo produced their most prolific work during the 1960s and ‘70s when sculpture wasn’t, well, as refined or regarded as it was at the turn of the 20th Century. Considered silly and obtuse (and plain ugly) by many, their art has withstood the test of time to prove just what virtuosos the pair really was. Perhaps more interesting is their relationship as a couple – meeting young at a gallery exhibition, intertwining their lives forever through marriage and art, working jointly but independently (Francois-Xavier preferred sculpting fauna while Claude preferred flora) and never tiring of each other’s inspiration.Different parts Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Surrealism, glimpses of Mucha, Erté and Dalí can be... Bench & Loom Mon, 09 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/happy-birthday-america "Never was so much owed by so many to so few." – Winston Churchill*If America symbolizes one word, it’s freedom. And we’ve all heard it before: Freedom isn’t free. So this Independence Day we tip – no, remove – our hats to those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice. From those valiant ‘rebels’ that first served under George Washington to the millions of families that have made untold sacrifice over two and a quarter centuries, we thank you.We also salute those men (and women) of character that have contributed in so many other ways to make this country better and more interesting, whether it be exploration, science, politics, business, culture or anything else. From Davy Crockett to Andy Warhol, from Mark Twain to Martin Luther King, from Elvis Presley to Steve Jobs, the list of those that have made indelible contributions to America – and many times the world – is a mile long.So here’s to the characters that have shaped America and here’s to her... Bench & Loom Wed, 04 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/glorious-goodwood As promised in the Unique Events Calendar posting, we bring your attention to one of the greatest events on Earth - "Glorious Goodwood."Last September I had the incredible pleasure of attending the 15th annual Goodwood Revival in England, the largest historic motor racing event in the world.Taking place on the manicured estate of Lord March, Earl of Goodwood, about two hours south of London, Revival was an experience beyond all expectations.Nearly 140,000 people over a three-day weekend dressed in obligatory period attire from the 1940s-1960s converged around a private racetrack to celebrate cars, motorcycles, airplanes and the heroes and glory of a post-war, Anglo-American-centric world.The best, rarest and most famous cars on Earth were all here in the flesh, doing what they were built to do: race. Regardless of the fact that many of them are worth tens of millions of dollars, there they were breathing, rumbling and roaring around the track. Then there were the vintage... Bench & Loom Mon, 18 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/failure-glory-antarctica Robert F. Scott was a brave fool. He was ill prepared and it resulted in the death of him and his men. Although overconfident and naïve, he was nonetheless courageous. But as Sir Edmund Hillary famously replied when asked if George Mallory was actually the first to reach the top of Everest, “Victory is only achieved if you return alive.” To be clear, Scott did reach the South Pole but he was beaten to it by Roald Amundsen and then perished on the return trip, a victim of poor planning and worse weather.Amundsen on the other hand sought advice from native arctic peoples and applied it to his transportation methods, provisions and particularly clothing. These critical differences, not to mention his own foresight in selecting the route, resulted in total victory for him and his team.Why, then, is Scott so glorified and romanticized? Is it because of all the pre-expedition media attention and the fact that Britain still ruled most the world at the time? Or is it because of his... Bench & Loom Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/peking-to-paris In 1907 a Paris newspaper challenged the sporting men of the world to dare the impossible: Drive a motorcar from Peking (now Beijing) to Paris.The automobile was still a novelty and such an idea was brash, reckless, even ludicrous, yet five teams rose to the challenge. With no rules, no maps and many times no roads, they slogged their way across the immensity of Asia where no motorized vehicle had ever gone before. After more than 9,300 miles and nearly three months afield, Prince Borghese of Italy was the first to cross the finish line.It was a sensation. At the time such as feat was akin to when Armstrong first stepped onto the moon. By sheer determination aided by technology and sweat, frontiers had been rendered meaningless and man had conquered triumphant.In response to Prince Borghese’s big win, the color of his Itala car (which had been painted a brazen and "distasteful" red) was adopted as the official racing color of Italy – one that’s been famously worn by... Bench & Loom Sat, 05 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/a-few-of-our-favorite-things-ii These are a few of our favorite things. Inspired by Carl Akeley, our January–February Man of Character. Clockwise (click image to enlarge): 1. Boruca Tribe carved wooden mask. 2. Wolverine 1K Mile leather boots. 3. First World War East Africa Askaris lead soldiers. 4. Masai Tribe double-edged knife in rawhide covered      wood sheath. 5. Bell & Ross Vintage Chronograph wristwatch. 6. "Art of Instruction" book of vintage illustrated charts. 7. Tortoiseshell sunglasses. Bench & Loom Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/unique-events-calendar Summer is approaching and it's time to start planning adventures. Here are a few uncommon and totally unforgettable events. (Scroll down to see pictures. Click to enlarge.)Big Loop RodeoJordan Valley, OregonMay 19-20 No tourists, no commercialism, no circuit riders or governing bodies, just a weekend rodeo (and hootenanny) that draws its participants from all the remote ranches within a 100-mile or so radius. It’s one of the last authentic, true-grit rodeos left in America. The closest airport is Boise, Idaho, about 1.5 hours away.Naadam FestivalUlaanbataar, MongoliaJuly 11-13This is Mongolia’s version of the Olympics – a three-day pageant of nomadic culture and outdoor sporting event consisting of wrestling, archery and horse racing, that’s been taking place since the days of Genghis Khan. Families converge from all across the steppe to participate.Bonneville Speed Week, SCTABonneville Salt Flats, UtahAugust 11-17The most famous speed trials event in the world for anything on... Bench & Loom Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/a-few-of-our-favorite-things These are a few of our favorite things. Inspired by the Mr. Freedom Mulholland Jacket. Clockwise (click image to enlarge): 1. 1932 Brough Superior SS-100 "T.E. Lawrence" model       in 1:12 scale by Minichamps. 2. 1950s license plate from Belgium. 3. 1936 Crocker Speedway model 1:32 scale. 4. 2006 Legend of the Motorcycle featured marques      Brough Superior & Crocker steel plaque. 5. Solid brass Brough Superior belt buckle by Jeff Decker. 6. Carbon fiber and lambskin St. Germain helmet by Ruby. 7. Roadster Aviator goggle with removable lenses by Jeantet. Bench & Loom Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/ads-well-never-see-again No explanation required.(Not the best quality but still legible. Click images to enlarge.) Bench & Loom Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/father-of-the-bicycle It was Frenchman Pierre Michaux who, in the 1860s, was responsible for attaching pedals to the two-wheeled “dandy horse” and giving birth to what would later be called the bicycle. According to legend, this novel concept was sparked after Michaux watched his son struggle uphill on his wooden dandy push-bike. With pedals and a crank fashioned and affixed, his design proved a success. Next came a brake and new frame of cast iron to replace the wood. The new invention, called the velocipede (roughly from Latin "swift foot"), was enthusiastically received and, in 1868, Michaux opened the first mass-production bicycle factory in history. [Interesting side note: This is also the reason that the word velo is used today in French for bicycle.]Now so common as to seem mundane, the bicycle offered human kind – for the very first time in history – an alternative to the horse as a personal, rapid form of transportation ("the freedom machine" as Susan... Bench & Loom Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/bridging-ice-age-new-age It’s believed that the first people to have ever skied were the ancestors of the Sami who inhabit modern-day Lapland, a region that covers sections of northern Norway, Sweden and Finland. Petroglyphs of skiers 5,000-years old have been found on rocks in Norway and the oldest known ski ever found –discovered in a bog in Sweden– dates to 3,200 BC. In fact, the very word ski is derived from an Old Norse word meaning stick of wood.It’s no surprise, then, that it’s a Norwegian who’s regarded as the father of modern skiing. In 1850 Sondre Norheim from Telemark devised a binding that allowed skiers to ski without losing their skis, as well as crafting a shorter, curved flexible ski that allowed for easy turning. These techniques pioneered by Norheim helped elevate skiing to a sport as opposed to simply a means of auto-transportation. A couple decades later in the Swiss Alps, the loose-heel binding of the Telemark or Nordic-style ski was adapted exclusively for steep descent,... Bench & Loom Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/american-brand-icons Iconic. Defining. Instantly recognizable the world around. These are but a few of the ways to describe what evolved from a mere brand into a legend. To say such a logo is historically and culturally relevant would be an understatement.The lead image was taken in North Carolina in 1939. Few unstaged pictures could be more representative. (Click to enlarge.) Bench & Loom Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/there-was-a-time There was a time when motor racing was still very much a blood sport, when speed was the only consideration and safety was an afterthought. And there was a time when the men that dominated those machines were elevated to a status somewhere between mortals and divinity. These were men like Tazio Nuvolari, probably the greatest motor sportsman that ever lived, Woolf Barnato and Sir Henry “Tim” Birkin. Not only was their skill and daring legendary but their motorcars–those handbuilt vehicles that allowed them to achieve speed records, medals, fame and glory–were even more so. Imagine my astonishment when, last week in Scottsdale, Arizona, I was able to admire in the flesh Tim Birkin’s 1929 Bentley 4.5 liter supercharged ("blower") Brooklands record-setting racer. Sitting in it, examining it and hearing its engine roar to life was surreal. If anything embodied the archetypal grandeur of yesteryear’s Britannia this was it.Belonging to a private British collection,... Bench & Loom Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/skiing-heroism-racing Around this time over eight centuries ago two Norse warriors became the first celebrity skiers in history by accomplishing a feat that’s now commemorated in a famous annual competition. The event is called the Birkebeinerrennet and it’s the oldest annual cross-country ski race in the world. Held in official sanctioned form since 1932, it commemorates the dramatic rescue of the infant king of Norway, Håkon Håkonarson, in 1206.In 13th Century Norway there were two main factions, each claiming the crown. Baby Håkon of the humble Birkebeiner faction was just a year old when his father, the king, died. The opposing faction sensed an opportunity and began a ruthless manhunt for the only royal heir of the Birkebeiners.Håkon’s mother knew she must get her child to the safety of the Birkebeiner stronghold of Trondheim, a treacherous crossing over some of the most formidable mountains in Norway. So on a moonlit night around Christmastime Håkon’s mother – with her infant... Bench & Loom Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/farewell-to-motoring As we bid adieu to the Specialty Motoring Shop and welcome in the Specialty Ski Shop, this photograph seems wholly appropriate. It pictures E. Paul du Pont, former owner of the Indian Motocycle Company (sic) and heir to the chemical company fortune, in his bi-plane with a 1911 Indian strapped on ready for take-off. Isn’t this every man’s fantasy – especially if Bridget Bardot or Sophia Loren were the passenger?This past week in Las Vegas, Bonhams Auctioneers sold the du Pont Family Collection of motorcycles which consisted of nearly 50 historic machines, including this very 1911 Indian. It was an impressive sight.In commemoration of the pioneers of motorcycling, here are some archival photographs (click to enlarge) of real men doing real things. We hope you enjoy them and we thank you for making the Motoring Shop a hit. Bench & Loom Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/color-blindness "A house divided against itself cannot stand." - Abraham LincolnPromise: This will be the only political posting we ever create. In this new year, a year of election, we would ask you to rethink the oft-used terms “Blue State” and “Red State.” Pointedly, we feel these labels are an affront. No matter how innocuously they came to be, they are now polarizing. They are a metaphorical Mason-Dixon Line that divides our country, just like “The North” and “The South” once did. As Americans, we believe we must come together. That’s our strength as a nation and that’s the beauty of America – unity inclusive of differences. We do not live in a patchwork of opposing Blue States and Red States. We live within United States, no matter for whom we cast our vote.  Bench & Loom Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/new-year-cowboys-creed Roy Rogers Riders Club Rules1. Be neat and clean.2. Be courteous and polite.3. Always obey your parents.4. Protect and help the weak.5. Be brave but never take chances.6. Study hard and learn all you can.7. Be kind to animals and care for them.8. Eat all your food and never waste any.9. Love God and go to Sunday school regularly.10. Always respect our flag and our country.This list of rules was created about the time Leave It To Beaver was meant to represent the average, middle-class American family, when Lucille Ball embodied good, honest mischief, and when a boy’s hero was a singing cowboy named Roy Rogers. Gene Autry had a similar “Code of Honor,” Hopalong Cassidy had a “Creed For American Boys & Girls,” and there was also the “Lone Ranger’s Creed.” All were faithfully repeated aloud by thousands –perhaps millions– of children each Saturday at matinées across America. It’s still wholesome advice today and (note to self) may even make for a good New... Bench & Loom Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/siberia-by-motorcycle-in-winter A couple of the more adventurous guys from Chapal decided to test the functionality of their 1914 coat model. After all, Chapal designed it nearly a hundred years ago for the French pilots of The Great World War in their open cockpit bi-planes.To see if the traditional design still had merit, the guys took it to Siberia, in winter, on motorcycles. Riding Russian-made Urals (somewhat-updated replicas of the 1940 BMW R71) attached with sidecars for gear stowage and stability, they rode a good section of Lake Baikal, the world’s oldest, biggest (by volume), and deepest lake, not to mention one of the most remote.As the pictures prove (click images to enlarge), this 1914 beauty does have brawn. Pictured is the winter version, completely lined in shearling. We recommend the 1914 unlined version with detachable shearling collar since, even in the Siberian-like winters of Chicago or Boston, it’s a bit more practical. To read more about Chapal’s unique history, go to our Workshops... Bench & Loom Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/when-men-were-men A photographic essay curated with items from the shop. Was this indeed a time when men were more manly or is that just the perception? Bench & Loom Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/detroit-could-amaze When we think of advances in the automobile industry we’ve been programmed to think German. But that’s just not completely true. Although it doesn’t seem like it, America was and still is responsible for a majority share of the innovations made to cars, whether through invention or application. For some reason though, once we’ve implemented these technologies we just can’t seem to market them well, combine them with good styling or handling, and/or the Germans –or Italians– simply execute them better. Case in point: even though the Corvette ZR1 is pretty much equal to the Ferrari 458 in performance, which would you rather have, even with the $100,000 price discrepancy?American car manufacturers are responsible for a long list of firsts such as the electric starter, 4-wheel drive, automatic transmission, cruise control, electric windows, auto dimming lights, air conditioning, airbags and more. And, yes, America’s auto industry was even at the forefront of design at one... Bench & Loom Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/inspiration-air If words form the sinew and muscle that hold societies upright, then pictures form the organs that power them. Bench & Loom Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/year-round-stripes Stripes are not just for summer. They’re rightly associated with the sea since they’re part of many nations’ naval uniforms, and particularly that of France since the French navy officially adopted stripes back in the 1800s. But for centuries stripes had been widely believed to make a man overboard more visible, so stripes on woolen sweaters have been keeping the sailors of France –particularly those on the rugged coasts of Brittany– safe and warm for generations. So while today’s association with stripes may be that of a seaside summer holiday, the reality is wholly functional and based on survival.One company that has been weaving striped wool sweaters and cotton shirts in traditional Breton form is Armor Lux of France. Established in the 1930s, they may not be the oldest of their kind but they quickly gained a reputation for superb quality. Perhaps that’s why their garments were worn by some of the most influential people of the 20th century. Pictured here are a few... Bench & Loom Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/ruby-snapshots-kiehls-life-ride For two years now we’ve have had the privilege to be invited to participate in the Kiehl’s Life Ride for AMFAR, a private charitable motorcycle ride.Created by the forward thinking “apothecary” Kiehl’s Since 1851 to raise awareness and funds for AMFAR, the leading agency for global AIDS research, the two rides have thus far raised over a quarter million dollars and a ton of positive media exposure.Each year a core group of about 15-20 riders, most of them celebrities, is invited to participate and ride the beautiful roads of America, making scheduled media stops at specific Kiehl’s stores.The inaugural ride (August 2010) took place along the beautiful Pacific coastline of California. This year’s second ride (again in August) was more ambitious and took in 1200 miles of roads across greater New England, finishing with a block party at Kiehl’s original, landmark shop in Manhattan.[Travel Tip: the historic Hancock Shaker Village (founded 1780s) near the town of Pittsfield... Bench & Loom Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/max-bill-architect-of-purity Even his name seems intentionally succinct and visually balanced. Max Bill, the Swiss creative genius, was an engineer, architect, artist (painter and sculptor), graphic designer and industrial designer. In fact, he’s influenced aspects of your life without you even knowing it. As a typeface designer, he had the single most decisive influence on Swiss Typographic Style, the hallmarks of which are asymmetric layouts, sans serif fonts (like this one) and flush left, ragged right text (like this). Educated at the famed Bauhaus in Dessau, Germany, in the late 1920s under such masters as Kandinsky and Klee, Bill became revered in his life for his perfection of proportions. Regardless of the medium through which he labored, his work always embodied cleanliness, functionality and balance. This “wholeness of symmetry” approach won him disciples, distinction and honors around the globe and led to his works being collected by the following museums, to name a few: Museum of Modern Art, New... Bench & Loom Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/art-of-the-motorcycle-poster The subject of our first Specialty Shop is motoring. While it focuses specifically on motorcycling, we liked the more general term “motoring” because it references a time when a motor sportsman was as likely to ride a motorcycle as he was to drive an open wheel motorcar or fly a fixed-wing aeroplane (think Tazio Nuvolari or even Steve McQueen). It was a time when the accoutrements for either pursuit were interchangeable and elegant in their functionality. A time when driving skills, mechanical knowledge, and courage were all required in equal parts.An often-overlooked visual record of this golden age of motoring is the advertising poster. Just like today, manufacturers did their best to convince the consumer that their product was the best. The difference between then and now, however, is the execution. Today it’s about hard-facts specifications or straightforward sex. Back then it was about romance, adventure and art. How many motorcycle advertisements from the last decade... Bench & Loom Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/man-of-character-hemingway Inspired by men of style and substance, we launch with Ernest Hemingway as the first subject of our Men of Character campaign, with special focus on the author’s two favorite places, Idaho and Spain. Please take a look and tell us how “Papa” inspired you. Maybe you’ve fished streams near Ketchum or Navarra you could recommend, or perhaps you know of a hidden, true-grit  rodeo or rejoneo to experience. In the meantime, here are some great pictures of the man.First, Idaho and the Sporting Life. Then, Spain and the Drama of War and Bulls. Bench & Loom Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/a-solution-for-menswear “Images of masculinity have either been diminished in the 21st century in favor of the more seemingly cultural palatable beta guy (the Friends guys, the Sex and the City partners) or co-opted by subcultures as ironic. Isn’t this unfair? Isn’t this counter-intuitive to global thinking anyway? If men are allowed to be men, they should be encouraged to dress like men too – the romantic hero, the Marlboro Man, the sports champion, the Hell’s Angel, the adventurer. Menswear (should) feel gratifyingly manly. Don’t resist – it’s in the genes.”  I recently read this while waiting in Paris’ CDG airport. Not only did it articulate the very purpose of our Bench & Loom vision but it made me smile because it came with boldness from the editor of British GQ Style – a magazine that is wholly dependent upon advertising revenue from the fickle fashion... Bench & Loom Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.benchandloom.com/livewell/a-journey-begins “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark TwainWe grew up in families that had a real passion for travel. The sights, the sounds, languages, cultures and traditions taught us to cherish the things that make a place unique. And it inspired us to start Bench & Loom, sourcing unique, hard-to-find clothes made by craftsman in workshops around the world.For us, this company is a journey in itself. We sail away from our safe harbor and work to build something we believe in. We will explore, dream and discover and we hope you’ll join us. – Brooke & Jared Bench & Loom Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700