ACL: LVC

2010-03-11T09:37:00.001-05:00

(posted by Payman)

Wow, two acronyms in one blog post title. You must be thinking today is going to be pretty exciting day for the blog? Well, no, you'd be wrong. Today is one of those blog posts where you come here and I tell you to click and go to someone else's blog. I like to think of everyone who visits the blog as my best friend, and like my best friends always say to me "I really can't see you today. Go away, go somewhere else." I hate my friends...

In any case, the blog I am sending you to is a very good one. I'm going to refer you guys to a great little write-up that our good friend Michael Williams, of A Continuous Lean, did on Levi's Vintage Clothing. He actually got a hands-on look at the LVC collection back in August, and took some great pictures for his website. Why did he get to see the LVC collection back in August? Because he is Michael Williams. Click below to read his write-up on Levi's Vintage Clothing and to look at some of the great pictures he took.

A Continuous Lean: Hands On Levi's Vintage Clothing

STYLEFORUM CONTEST WINNERS

2010-03-09T16:13:00.004-05:00

While I was out of town on business and Payman was being a son-of-a-bitch and going on vacation in the Dominican Republic, Mauro was left feeling a little down and out all by his lonesome. So, to lift his spirits, he had himself a little contest amongst the guys over at styleforum to see who could make him laugh. The winner was none other than blogger Jian Deleon, responsible for this little web-gem:

While Jian was the only one to go all out and make his own video, we did have several photoshop entries that were worth mention as well:

Thanks for the laughs guys!

WOLF VS GOAT CHINOS: COMING SOON!

2010-03-09T16:07:00.003-05:00

We're extremely excited to say that the first batch of Wolf Vs. Goat Chinos have just finished production! Keep your eyes peeled for their official launch at the beginning of next week- we'll even have a little editorial showing you how to rock some colored chinos.

ROBERT GELLER BY MIKE KOBAL

2010-03-08T02:04:00.000-05:00

(posted by Payman)

In anticipation of our Robert Geller Spring/Summer 2010 buy, I went in search of interviews with the designer who was crowned GQ/CFDA Best New Menswear Designer in 2009. I found a really well-done one by Mike Kobal that I thought I would share with our blog readers. While the interview isn't totally in-depth, the video itself is awesome. It's also done in black and white, so you know it's going to be good right from the start. Enjoy!

NYC Creative: Robert Geller, Fashion Designer by Mike Kobal

THE FARINELLI'S GUIDE TO: PARTY ETIQUETTE

2010-03-04T00:58:00.004-05:00

(posted by Payman)

Well we're back, just like we said we'd be back, and once again, we're here to tell you how to live your life. You're probably thinking, "but I'm already doing such a good job of living my life!" Really? You're spending all your time reading a blog, written by a guy who admitted he gets drunk and acts like a pterodactyl (sometimes) in the last "Farinelli's Guide". You really think the life choices that brought you to this blog were good ones? Don't feel bad, we're not here to judge. On the contrary, Mauro, Nathan, and I are here to guide you through the many strange situations you may encounter throughout the course of living.

This week, we tackle party etiquette, and I'm not talking about those parties with all of your old buddies from back home in someone's basement. Not the kind of party where everyone knows one another and inevitably, a girl shows up who has slept with nine different guys who are also there, and you know that's the case, because when she walks in, they all start high-fiving one another and abusing the word "bro." I'm talking about the kind of swanky affair that's usually thrown by some large group (like a company), or held in a really nice hotel/lounge, and is open bar. The kind of thing where you want to walk around and meet people.

Now that I've got your attention (I had you at "bro"), let's get to it:

THE FARINELLI'S GUIDE TO PARTY ETIQUETTE

The pre-game...

Allow yourself ample time to get ready. If you feel rushed getting ready, it's going to affect your demeanor the entire night, and you're going to seem very off-putting to anyone you try to meet. Also, you might forget to do something important, like wear deodorant. If you are the smelly guy at the party, you're going to have a terrible night, and so will everyone around you. Speaking of deodorant, I would like to recommend Jack Black 'Pit Boss', because it works, and it's scentless, so it doesn't interfere with your cologne:

Jack Black 'Pit Boss' Antiperspirant & Deodorant

$15

I use $15 deodorant because I am Persian, and smelling bad would promote a negative stereotype about Middle Eastern men. To the rest of my Persian brethren: while an entire bottle of Armani cologne is considerate, it is not a substitute for antiperspirant. You know who you are, and you are giving the rest of us a bad name...

As I was saying, make sure you have enough time to prepare for this soirée. I like to take my pre-party shower five to six hours before I plan on leaving the house. Then, I make myself a pregame drink (drink, singular) that I can sip on, usually consisting of Diet Coke and whatever liquor I have around the house. Notice that I have not put clothes on yet. This is essential. I feel like everyone should hang out naked in their towel for at least one hour after every shower, and I don't make an exception before going to a social event. Relaaaax. You've had a long day, and you have earned some lounging in your towel, sipping on Diet Coke and Sambuca, time.

While you're relaxing, put on some tunes to help you get in the mood. "The mood" meaning the mood to party. That means leave your Dashboard Confessional records in their sleeves, you're not 15 and your boyfriend didn't just break up with you. Pregame music is music that makes you feel like you are the shit. I like to watch any music video by international pop star, Gunther:

"Teeny Weeny String Bikini" by Gunther

The first verse starts out with "this is your night, everything is right, come light up the lights..." How could you not feel great after hearing such enlightened lyrics? Observe Gunther's facial expressions throughout the course of the video. That's the kind of cool confidence you need to exude at your party.

Getting dressed...

Now that you've lounged and jammed out for a bit, it's time to get off your ass and put some clothes on. Mauro wanted to issue a warning when it comes choosing your outfit: listen to the invitation. Be respectful to the host and the event. If the invite tells you to dress a certain way, do so, even if it means going outside of your comfort zone. If the invitation says black tie, you "get a goddamn tuxedo," and if it says formal, don't show up in jeans. "Don't think that because you're so-and-so the dress code doesn't apply to you," he adds. I agree, unless you want to look like Aaron Carter, showing up in acid wash jeans to the 2010 Grammy's:

Party etiquette tip: ask yourself what would Aaron Carter do? Then do the opposite.

When in doubt, err on the side of overdressing rather than looking underdressed. If you're underdressed, you'll look sloppy. If you're overdressed, it'll look like you think you're better than everyone else; which is ok, after all, you've been listening to Gunther's "Teeny Weeny String Bikini" for several hours on repeat, you probably are in a better place than anyone else there.

Once you know what the dress code is, you can plan your outfit. Similar to how we told you to dress for a blind date, you want to wear something that can start a conversation with people, but isn't overly ostentatious. My recommendation is to keep it simple, wear an outfit consisting of classic pieces that fit perfectly, and add one piece to make it pop, like a bowtie:

Band of Outsiders Clip-On Bowties

$120 (On Sale: $84)

Your arrival...

This is where I differ with Mauro. I believe your arrival is the most important part of the evening. If there's a door, you shouldn't use the handle. Why? Door handles are for the masses, and you are not one to fall in line. Kick that son of a bitch down. Once the loud sound of you kicking the door in grabs everyone's attention, hold their attention. This can be accomplished a number of different ways. You may want to try breaking something, or grabbing someone's glass and throwing it against a wall. My personal favorite? Lighting off a series of roman candles, announcing my arrival. Basically, if you want people to know that you are in the building, you entrance should look something vaguely similar to a WWE wrestler's:

Glowing, pelvic-thrusting, and fist-pumping? This man is in the building!

Like I said, Mauro disagrees with my idea of a solid arrival. He comes from a slightly more discrete school of thought. He preaches coming in, and taking a look around the party. Scope things out, and let people take you in as well. Get noticed, and then go look for the handful of people you may know, or go strike-up conversations with people you are interesting in meeting.

In all honesty, Mauro's advice is far less likely to get you kicked out within the first twelve seconds of stepping through the door.

Drinking...

Drinking is good, it can help calm your nerves, but again, just like the blind date, you need to keep it cool. "Open bar" is not an open invitation for you to drink like one of Roland Emmerich's movies is coming true. Oh, you don't know who that is? Google him! I will guide you through life, but I will not explain my cultural references to you!

Anyway, you don't want to be the guy/girl who has too much drink and starts spilling shit on everyone. On a similar note, Mauro noted that you also don't want to be the guy who tries to pick up on the girl that is spilling shit on everyone. He adds "yeah she might be an easy target, and yeah she's probably going home with someone anyway, but come on..." Seriously, come on!

How do you avoid being "that" guy? Mauro advises that you try to stick to a drink you are comfortable with, and take it easy. His poison? Pimm's Cups:

Mauro's Drink of Choice

Staring a conversation...

The boss man subscribes to the idea that you should show some confidence and not start a conversation by asking people what they do for a living or where they went to school. You're better than that. "Strike up a conversation about something that's not so shallow. I don't really care what people do or where they went to school, I want to get to know who they are as a person." Well said, Mauro.

And that's just good advice, so I won't even try to be funny.

The after party...

Like I said last week, Nathan is the master of the late night, so I turned to him for after party advice. His advice was so good, that I decided to just quote him directly:

"If you don't know where it is, you probably shouldn't go, and if you're going to attend without an invitation, you should make sure you bring a gift you don't mind sharing, like liquor, drugs (if that's your thing, but make sure they're uppers, people don't go to an after party to sleep), strippers, etc."

Don't show up to Nathan's after party empty handed!

Let it be known that any man, woman, or child, that shows up to an after party at my house with strippers in tow is more than welcome.

Nathan goes on to add that you shouldn't be a dick. You're in someone else's house and it's almost morning, so respect them, their guests, and their belongings. Don't puff your chest and try to start a fight, and certainly don't steal iPods. To the son of a bitch who stole my iPod at my party-you have very bad karma hanging over your head, but a very fine selection of 90's music in your pocket.

Finally, if you followed this guide, when you call it a night, it should be day, and you should be covered in the rich stench of a party well-done. As you make your way back home, remember this quote from one of Nathan and I's favorite films, The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting Down (another good guide, if I don't say so myself): "try not to hate the rest of the world as it goes about its business. Remember: it is you that is the freak."

And with that, we conclude our second Farinelli's Guide blog post. I sincerely hope that you guys are taking something away from these blog entries that we've done, and are living a fuller, richer life. If nothing else, hopefully I haven't crippled your social life beyond repair...

ASK FARINELLI'S

2010-03-03T01:36:00.008-05:00

(posted by Payman)

Last week, we told you that we'd be answering some questions from you, our readers, on our blog, whether they were about fashion, life, or why I am so awesome. We've taken a select few of our favorites and answered them:

What are you top five denim brands, whether they are carried in Farinelli's or not?

MAURO

Mauro really likes Ande Whall Denim and thinks he is a designer to watch going forward. The detailing that Ande Whall puts into every pair of jeans is unparalleled, and we all know Mauro is a stickler for detail. Whall is only going to get better with time.

Mauro also likes 5EP, even though they aren't really around anymore. The time spent on finding the right fabric and the right indigo and the right details for every pair of 5EP jeans really set their product apart. Did I mention Mauro is good friends with 5EP designer, Christine Rucci?

NATHAN

Nathan endorses two brands. The first one is Acne. Whether it's fabric, construction, or cut, Acne simply makes good jeans, and they're worth the price of admission.

The second is Kicking Mule Workshop. Nathan's "go-to" jeans are his raw KMW Rockers. Almost a year of wear, and they still have their color. When you finally fade out a pair of KMWs, you should really feel like you have accomplished something, even though all you've really done is worn your pants, so don't be too proud of yourself....

Kicking Mule Workshop Jeans

PAYMAN

I personally only wear Levi's jeans, specifically, the Levi's 510 super skinny jeans. I am pretty much in love with my god-like figure, and I want to show it off, so I wear the tightest jeans I can find.

Just be careful if you too want to rock the Levi's 510s. Super skinny jeans aren't for everyone. I have toothpick legs, so they look good on me. If you're a bigger dude and you try to get into them, you might end up like Frank from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, having to borrow the fire department's jaws of life to get them off.

This is not a good look for anyone

So here are our five, in no particular order:

1) Ande Whall

2) 5EP

3) Acne

4) Kicking Mule Workshop

5) Levi's

If I have nine Ed Hardy shirts, eight pairs of True Religion jeans, and shoes that are white and look like pizza slices, am I a douche bag?

Yikes. Whether you're a douche bag or not is subjective; however, I can safely say that you are probably one of the Ed Hardy Boyz:

The Ed Hardy Boyz 2: The Case of When That Hot Filipina Girl Lost Her Tramp Stamp At Mini-Golf from Jon Daly

"Let's make wow." - Christian Audigier

Genius marketing. I actually want to wear Ed Hardy now.

Why doesn't Farinelli's adopt a new customer service service? I propose guaranteeing an e-mail response within thirty minutes during business hours like the Domino's 30-minute pizza guarantee in the 1980's.

We definitely take pride in our customer service at Farinelli's, and we are always looking for ways to improve in that regard. I feel like we already do a pretty good job of getting back to people who e-mail quickly, but we can always be faster. We'll look into syncing the store e-mail accounts with our mobile devices, which may lead to us getting back to you within 30 minutes, like Dominos pizza. But I will say this: Dominos pizza had to reinvent their entire pizza, mostly because it sucked, so I don't know if they are the company to imitate!

What you should probably know about the store is that we don't have a huge staff. We keep a tight knit wolf-pack and most of the day-to-day activities for the store are handled by a small number of people (like me) who have a number of other responsibilities (like writing lengthy blog posts that most people don't read).

Anyway, while we can always improve, I do think we do a good job of getting back to people as soon as possible, even if it means e-mailing them at 1:00 or 2:00 AM from home, which I've personally done on a number of occasions. Why am I up, working and checking e-mails, at 1:00 or 2:00 AM? Simply put: I have no friends, and my job is my life.

I have a question for Payman: why do you have such bad taste in movies? Is it genetic? Were you taught this?

This question was asked anonymously on the blog last week, but I am almost certain that Nathan is the one who asked it. Nathan has a habit of refusing to watch any movie that I like. Well, Nathan, let me list my top three movies of all time and we'll let everyone else decide who has bad taste in movies. Without further adieu, Payman's Best Movies Ever (in no particular order):

1) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

This one has Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson, and it's a pretty badass movie. Basically, McConaughey is challenged by his coworkers to make a woman fall in love with him in ten days. Unbeknownst to him, the woman he picks, Kate Hudson, is actually doing a magazine article on how to lose a guy in ten days (which is also the title of the movie). Do you see what kind of magical places this plot is headed towards? It's the coincidence to end all coincidences. At one point, Hudson nicknames McConaughey's penis "Princess Sophia!" If that's not funny, I don't know what is! I mean, really, what's not to like here?

2) Fool's Gold

McConaughey and Hudson are back at it again! This movie was originally titled How to Lose a Guy in 11 Days, but they changed the title to Fool's Gold, presumably because you'd have to be a damn fool to not like it. Before I went to see this movie, I checked the reviews, and the majority of critics panned the film. After seeing it, I can safely say that the majority of critics are just cynical assholes.

3) The Hunted

THE HUNTED! After the first two, you weren't expecting that shit, were you? Truth be told, I just got sick of typing "McConaughey" so I decided to change it up and pick what might be the most badass film ever created. Benicio Del Toro stars as as an Army killing machine, and Tommy Lee Jones is his teacher. I have a special bond with this movie, because I think I might be the only person who bought it on DVD... Seriously.

I really don't know why more people don't like this movie. Somebody posted the entire thing on YouTube in nine parts. Part one has roughly 46,000 views. Part nine? Only 19,000. That means that over half of the people that start watching this movie don't make it all the way through. What's wrong with these people?

Go watch The Hunted. Go on YouTube and watch it all the way through, then come back here and say, "thank you, Payman, may I have another?"

What is your all-time favorite restaurant?

MAURO

Mauro believes this is a trick question, because it all depends on how much money you want to spend or what kind of food you want, but, if money isn't an issue and you can go anywhere, Mauro would choose Giovanni Venticinque, one of the finest Italian eateries in New York City.

Giovanni Venticinque

25 E 83rd St.

(Between 5th Ave. & Madison Ave.)

NYC, NY

Mauro had high praise for Giovanni Venticinque (Italian for "25"). The service is impeccable, and the wine list is absolutely amazing. For more info, check out the blog write-up we did on the place a while ago by clicking here.

NATHAN

Asking Nathan what his favorite restaurant is is like asking a parent who their favorite child is. While he can't pick one, there are a couple he likes more than others. Specifically, Nathan is a fan of anything in the Boat Quay/Clarke Quay neighborhoods in Singapore where you can experience fine Asian dining (Thai, Japanese, Malaysian, etc.) at any price point.

If you find yourself in the part of Singapore with all the letters sticking up, you really can't go wrong eating anywhere. Also, tell them Nathan sent you, not that you will receive any benefits, it's just good to sound like you know someone.

You may not have known that Nathan used to reside in Singapore, but that's the point of this blog post. You just learned something about someone you don't know. Fun, right?

PAYMAN

Assuming the Olive Garden is too low-brow for this blog, I'm going to go with my other all-time favorite restaurant, Bread, in Nolita, NYC:

Bread

20 Spring St.

NYC, NY

Ever since the first time my best friend took me to Bread, I've been hooked, and I make sure I eat there if I'm ever in New York. I like how the place is discrete. It's hard to notice unless you're actually looking for it (and it's also impossible to find a good picture of the damn place online, hence the grainy picture I've chosen above). The best part about Bread is that once you get in, all the waitresses look like up-and-coming models. I shit you not. One girl on Yelp actually wrote this in her negative review of Bread: "...the waitresses and bartenders did wonders to bruise my self-esteem (through how thin, pretty, and aloof they were)." In other words, "this restaurant is not good because I am ugly." The audacity on some people... Just be careful with how you interact with the waitresses. It's hard to discern between when they are flirting with you and when they are just doing their job. I'm sorry if I interpret "what would you like to drink?" as, "would you like to go out for drinks and possibly be my long-term boyfriend?"

Oh, the food is good too, not that it matters. You could hand me a plate of grilled garbage from the trash; as long as one of the waitresses at Bread brings it to my table, I'll be happy.

And that concludes our first installment of Ask Farinelli's. Look for another one of these in the next few weeks and let us know if there's anything else you would like answered by the Farinelli's crew!

THE FARINELLI'S GUIDE TO: BLIND DATING

2010-03-01T16:35:00.011-05:00

(posted by Payman)

As the ostentatious title in all caps above implies, we at Farinelli's want to guide you through the do's and don'ts of blind dating. I've consulted the Farinelli's brain-trust (Mauro, Nathan, and myself) and spent several hours reviewing film from old episodes of Blind Date, and I can safely say I'm ready to write this blog post, so let's go:

THE FARINELLI'S GUIDE TO:

BLIND DATING

Picking somewhere to go...

When picking a place to take your date, Mauro emphasized the importance of being able to go somewhere where portions are small (if you're going out to eat) or where you can grab a few quick cocktails. "If the chic's a pig or if you're not having a good time, you want to be able to bail." Amen.

Cocktail bars and tapas restaurants are great choices because both are noncommittal. They say "I'm interested in having a taste here, but I know there's no wifing in the club." Further, you don't want to go somewhere and eat thirty pounds of food, which will inevitably lead to both of you laying around like beached whales. In the spirit of keeping things small, but classy, Mauro recommends the Brabo Tasting Room in Old Town Alexandria, where you can enjoy "classical charcuterie [it's ok, I had to Google it too] and artisanal cheese platters" with a glass of quality wine or beer.

Brabo Tasting Room

1600 King Street

Alexandria, VA

A word of caution - If possible, try to find out as much about this girl/guy before the date. For example, if she's a vegetarian, you probably don't want to take her to a steakhouse, especially if you are Mauro and you like to close out your steak by sucking the fat off the bone. Nicknames like "Wolf" are not given, they're earned.

If there are any ladies who want to go on a blind date with Mauro, he is single and ready to mingle

What to wear...

While I normally like to wear a tuxedo on all first dates, you are not me, and you probably can't do most of the things that I do; but, if you are reading this blog, you are probably a fashionable guy, and it's important to dress well. Mauro noted that you want to stand out, but you don't want to be a total peacock. Then, quite contrary to this point, he added that he usually likes to wear knickers, because they're a good ice breaker.

Peacocking? Who? Me?

Jokes aside, Mauro makes an excellent point. One really interesting piece can be a great conversation starter with your date. If you don't have what it takes to pull off a pair of knickers, you may want to try wearing a Falling Whistle:

Falling Whistle in Original

$34

Not only will the whistle get things going because she will inevitably ask if that's a whistle hanging around your neck, but it also gives you a chance to look like a philanthropist. You can explain that 100% of the proceeds go to rehabilitate war-torn children in Africa. Is it terrible that you are using their plight to seem interesting to your date? Well... Yeah, kinda, but you're still helping, and chics dig a humanitarian. People helping people, it's powerful stuff.

Date conversation...

During the date, you want to make sure you keep the conversation flowing. Communication is very important. Just try to be yourself, unless yourself is boring, in which case, be someone more interesting. If you can tell this is a "one and done" kind of blind date, be sure to lie as early and as often as possible. The more extravagant the lie, the better it is for both of you (you'll both have a better story to tell your friends the next day).

One thing that I feel like I need to address is this notion that it is not a good idea to talk about your ex. I always hear that talking about your ex on a date is a bad idea, and every time I hear it, I just shake my head. You have to think of yourself as a restaurant, and everyone wants to eat at the restaurant that is always busy and has a line coming out the front door. Nobody wants to eat at a restaurant that is always empty and is probably a virgin, that's just crazy. Bring up your ex just so she knows that business is good, but like all things, do it in moderation, or she might think you have vd, which will almost always hurt your chances of a second date.

Eating/Drinking...

Earlier, I said that if you are a boring person, you should try to be someone else. Some of you may interpret that as "drink until you literally believe that you are someone else." This is not uncommon. On more than one occasion I have had too much to drink and started acting like a pterodactyl. You may think you are drinking to relax, but really, you're acting like a fucking dinosaur, and that's not conducive to a good blind date atmosphere. Trust me, you need your inhibitions to have a good date, so don't get sloppy, know your limits!

As for eating, you're at a cocktail bar / tapas restaurant / tasting room for a reason, so control your portions.

An appropriate serving for a date

I'm not sitting here promoting anorexia by any means, but just keep in mind that most people find it unattractive when their date undoes the top button of their pants and lets out a loud, "OHHH MAAAANN I'M STUFFED!" Which leads me to another point about dating conversation: never sound like you are talking in all caps.

Afterwards...

Nathan, master of the late-night, believes that it's alright to stretch the date past dinner. Perhaps your blind date would like to get dessert, go for a walk, or tag a building? Just make sure drinks aren't involved because of reasons I've already mentioned, and because you don't want to challenge your blind date to a series of escalating dares which leads to you marrying a seal dealer.

Arrested Development fans already know

When it's all said and done, just remember these words of advice from Nathan: "A gentleman walks his date to the door. This might mean the door to their house, car, bus, or metro stop, and it might mean getting it shut in your face." Nathan certainly is chivalrous, isn't he? It's no wonder he is the only one out of the three of us that's in a relationship...

When to call...

In this day and age of Facebook and Twitter, Nathan says it's hard to not get in touch within a few days. If you had a great date, don't let the momentum die, text them the next day to see if they'd like to hang out again. It's not Facebook stalking to check their page before calling to see if your date has posted anything about the evening. For example, if he/she posted a Facebook status immediately afterwards saying "tonight's date was like having my head slammed repeatedly in a car door," you may want to wait a couple of days and feel the situation out before making contact. Finally, "if you banged them after the first date, adjust the time accordingly based on how good it was during and how awkward it was after." - Nathan, ladies and gentlemen.

And that's as good a place as any to end this thing. May all your dates, blind or not, be magical, and if after reading this you would like to go on a blind date with one of us, please send all requests to info@shopfarinellis.com.

NEW MARKDOWNS

2010-03-01T15:25:00.005-05:00

Our Fall/Winter 2009 markdowns just got a little better today! To make room for the new Spring/Summer 2010 collections, we have marked down what's left of our Fall/Winter 2009 stuff once again, with some items being marked up to 60% off! Shop the sale at ShopFarinellis.com by clicking below!

ShopFarinellis.com

Click here to shop new Fall/Winter 2009 markdowns!

NOW ONLINE: LVC 1933 501

2010-02-26T12:40:00.004-05:00

(posted by Payman)

If you caught my blog entries from last week on Levi's Vintage Clothing (click here if you didn't) you probably already know that I'm really into the new LVC denim we got in recently. This week, we received another package from the people at Levi's containing the 1933 501, the last of the LVC jeans from this season.

Levi's Vintage Clothing 1933 501 Rigid

$220

And here comes the obligatory history lesson behind every Levi's Vintage Clothing piece:

These are "The Great Depression 501s" because they were commonplace in Hoovervilles across the country after the stock market crash of 1929. I'm not sure if it was intentional, or if it just happened, but the trademark Levi's arcuate on the back pocket looks considerably more frowny than it does in any years before or after 1933. The Great Depression was a serious buzzkill for everyone, and I guess Levi's was showing their displeasure by placing sad faces on the back pockets of their 501s? Levi's also placed a hidden white NRA label to show their support for FDR's National Recovery Act of 1933, which was intended to boost the economy during the depression.

Despite the economic downturn, the 1933 501s don't spare much when it comes to bells and whistles. By '33, Levi's had "invented" the second back pocket (not present in the 1890 501s), allowing people to walk with both hands in their back pockets. This created an entirely new genre of poses, and gave your girlfriend/boyfriend a nice place to put their hands when they grabbed your ass.

Not possible in 1890.

Further, Levi's took the notion that "less is more" and tossed it out the window. These jeans have exposed rivets on the back pockets as well as a crotch rivet. The waist features a bevy of different methods of keeping one's pants up. Suspender buttons? Check. Cinch back waist? Check. Belt loops? Also, check. Needless to say, nobody was singing "pants on the ground" in 1933.

I would like to apologize for the "pants on the ground" reference in the previous paragraph, I promise it won't happen. If you aren't too offended, please go to ShopFarinellis.com and check out our entire Levi's Vintage Clothing collection, the history behind each pair of jeans is jaw-dropping.

SEE OUR ENTIRE LEVI'S VINTAGE CLOTHING COLLECTION ONLINE

THE FUTURE OF FASHION

2010-02-25T14:27:00.002-05:00

(posted by Payman)

Happy Thursday! I was spending my morning reading over one of my new favorite blogs, the ShopMyClothes.com blog, and this morning's post starts out with:

"I think every fashion blog and their mother has written about the Hedi Slimane interview with style.com. His first interview in over three years..."

Uhh... what? What blogs are we talking about? Because this is the first I have heard of any such interview! You may not know this, but I am a huge fan of Hedi Slimane. His skinny silhouette is a big reason why someone of my stature (6'0, 140 lbs of raw muscle) is able to find any clothes these days. I wanted to repost the Style.com article, as Slimane touches on a lot of interesting topics regarding the future of fashion, including the dichotomy between luxury and fast fashion. Check it out below:

Style.com - "The Future of Fashion, Part Three: Hedi Slimane"

Click to read full article

ASK FARINELLI'S

2010-02-24T10:30:00.008-05:00

(posted by Payman)

We are constantly going out of our way to keep the lines of communication between our customers and ourselves open. You probably already know this if you have received an e-mail response to a question at 1:00 AM, most likely, from me. I don't sleep, I just stay up all night to answer your questions. In our ongoing effort to help you guys out, not only sartorially, but in life, we have decided to do a new blog piece called "Ask Farinelli's."

You may have guessed it by the title, but we are basically giving you guys the chance to ask us anything. We are available for fashion advice (how do I wear a certain item?), life lessons (how do I get out of debt?), or help getting out of a dating jam (my girlfriend doesn't look at me when we make love, what's up with that?)-it's a no holds barred Q&A session with the Farinelli's gang.

Here's all the info and how to participate:

ASK FARINELLI'S

How to ask:

1) E-mail your question to info@shopfarinellis.com (use subject line: "ASK FARINELLI'S")

2) Ask anonymously by commenting on this blog post (no comments will be published and posting anonymously is one of the choices when commenting)

3) Tweet us @shopfarinelli

4) Comment on our Facebook fan page here

You can specify who you want to answer the question (Mauro, the Goat, Payman, Nathan) if you like. We'll probably do five answers a week depending on how many responses we get and how fast this gets inappropriate, and knowing our readers, it won't take long for the latter to occur.

Start asking your questions now and we'll answer them in a blog post next week! Deadline to ask will be 10:00 PM, Tuesday, March 2nd. This is your chance to tap into some of the greatest minds in the DC metro area, so don't miss out!

FALLING WHISTLES: GOING FAST

2010-02-23T12:08:00.003-05:00

(posted by Payman)

Well, just like I told you guys, the Falling Whistles are going fast and we are now down to just two whistles total. If you were lucky enough to get one already, good for you! If you haven't gotten one yet, what is your excuse? Do you not want to help kids in Africa? Yes, I am guilt tripping you into buying one, but I shouldn't have to. They look cool, and 100% of the proceeds go towards a really great cause.

Go to ShopFarinellis.com and pick one up so you don't have to wait for a restock!

Falling Whistle in Original

$34

I know I've posted this video a million times but I really like it, so here it is once again:

Falling Whistles - Be a Whistleblower for Peace in Congo from Falling Whistles on Vimeo.

CUSTOM SUITS BY WOLF VS. GOAT

2010-02-22T15:42:00.003-05:00

(posted by Payman)

If you subscribe to UrbanDaddy DC, and I should hope that you all are subscribing to it, because I told you to do so a couple days ago, then you probably got a nice e-mail from them today letting you know that Wolf vs. Goat is now doing custom suiting! Check out the article below:

UrbanDaddy | DC - "Custom Suits From a Denim Expert"

Click to read the full article

This is exciting news for locals, because DC is a suit-wearing town if I've ever seen one. This city is seriously crawling with suits, and a lot of them are ill-fitting. I don't know what the people at whatever department store you are shopping at are telling you, but no, you don't look good in that suit. Your suit is probably the one thing in your closet that must fit spot-on. With sweaters or buttondowns you might be able to get away with sizing up or down, but with a suit, it either fits or it doesn't; when it does, you look as cool as a cucumber, when it doesn't, you look like a moron.

I'm sure there is someone wearing a poorly-fitted suit, reading this blog post at work, crying, because I just called them a moron. First of all, you need to work on your confidence. If you cry like a baby every time someone says something about you, it doesn't matter how well your suit fits, people will always find you a little off-putting. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I want to let you know that it's not entirely your fault. How can you be expected to buy a razor-sharp suit off the rack when half of those suits were patterned off some model? Chances are you aren't a model. I am a model, but I'm also a lot of things you aren't. You don't need a suit cut to fit a model, you need a suit that's cut to fit someone like you-the used car salesmen, the burly nightclub bouncer, the fashion blogger who will probably get fired soon for alienating people.

Thank goodness for Wolf vs. Goat, who takes the guesswork out of sizing a suit. Not only will they measure you so that you get a suit that fits like a glove, they'll feed you, get you drunk, and set you up with expert Savile Row tailors! Now that's full service. I'll be picking one of these suits up to wear to interviews after I inevitably get fired from this job...

SEE OUR ENTIRE WOLF VS. GOAT COLLECTION ONLINE AT SHOPFARINELLIS.COM

LEVI'S 501 ADS

2010-02-19T14:35:00.010-05:00

(posted by Payman)

Writing yesterday's blog about Levi's Vintage Clothing (click here if you missed it) got me really jacked up about Levi's in general, so I went to YouTube to look up some of their classic TV spots from the 80's and 90's. I can really appreciate the job they've done marketing their brand because I actually got my college degree in marketing. That probably comes as a surprise to most of the people who read this blog who probably assumed I never made out it out of high school. False, not only did I fake my way through high school, but I also drank myself on to the dean's list in college and graduated as the unofficial smartest person at the entire school. Impressed? No? Well your girlfriend was... BURN! And that's probably why most of you thought I never made it out of high school...

Anyway, let's take a look at some classic Levi's 501 ads in no particular order (except chronological):

1985 - "LAUNDRETTE"

To celebrate the new stonewashed Levi's 501 jeans, Nick Kamen took off his pants and read a magazine. This particular spot really resonated with me because I often celebrate momentous occasions by taking off my clothes and reading a periodical as well. I can also really appreciate the music choice. Marvin Gaye (rest in peace) really has a song for any occasion, and "Heard it Through the Grapevine" is, according to this ad, lounging around in your underwear reading a magazine music.

This ad would end up being the launching pad for Nick Kamen's career. Just four years later, he would go on to perform a song for the soundtrack of Disney's Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. If that's not the definition of success, I honestly don't know what success means anymore.

1988 -"REFRIGERATOR"

Three years later, and presumably riding off the success of Nick Kamen's ad, Levi's sticks with the pantless theme and creates this highly disturbing TV spot. I have so many questions about this ad. At first everything is cool. It's set at an old bed & breakfast in the middle of the desert, there's a cool motorcycle, Muddy Waters is playing, very Americana-very Levi's. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, this guy walks down the stairs, pantless, with this look in his eyes like no one ever taught him that no means no. Then, he goes and opens up the refrigerator and pulls out... His jeans?... What the fuck were his jeans doing in the refrigerator? Is it normal to put your jeans in the refrigerator on a hot day out west? I guess maybe his jeans smelt bad and he didn't want to wash them so he put them in the fridge (which we tell people to do if they don't want to wash their raw denim just yet, and it actually works). I don't know, either way, I'm left terribly confused, and I felt like that commercial needed an epilogue to explain itself.

I guess that one's relatable too. Everyone has a friend who is always walking around pantless. For me, it's my cousin, Kaveh. He never wears pants and all of us are always asking him where his pants are, and he says "well, I dunno..." Next time, I'll be sure to check the refrigerator.

1989 - "PICK UP"

Again with the guy taking off his pants. I'm beginning to notice a theme here. A complete badass (jeans + jean jacket + red bandana around the neck = badass) stops to help out a very boring looking couple whose car has broken down. Naturally, in good Levi's form, the guy takes off his Levi's 501s and uses them to tow the guy's car. In the process, he steals the guy's girlfriend and actually abandons the dude in the middle of the desert without food or water. Badass.

There's a real "eff you, suit" vibe I get from this ad that leads me to believe that it was directed by Billy Walsh, from Entourage. I mean, that guy in the suit just gets no love. At least this ad does a nice job of demonstrating one of the benefits of Levi's jeans: they're durable. While I can't recommend that you tow cars with your jeans, I can say that they're tough, they'll last, and they'll help you steal the girlfriends of men in suits.

1990 - "CAMERA"

Before he met Jennifer Anniston or Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt took his pants off for Levi's. You'd think a jean company would show their pants on some people in their commercials, but no, Levi's takes that logic and turns it on its side. I don't know what Brad Pitt did to land himself in that desert prison, but judging by the very intense music in the commercial (and the fact that the song is being performed by a band called "T-Rex"), I'm guessing it was something very dangerous. Also, apparently a camera was involved?

The best part of the commercial is when the really hot girl shows up to pick him up. I don't know about you, but it seems to me like this commercial is saying that if you wear Levi's jeans, attractive women will be more inclined to sleep with you, even if you just got done serving time in a desert prison for doing something involving a camera. They say sex sells, and if I didn't already love Levi's jeans so much, this ad would've sold me.

1994 - "CREEK"

This spot features an Amish family on a carriage going somewhere, presumably to not use electricity once they arrive. The two daughters of the family wander off to a creek, where they, pervertedly, watch a guy taking a bath. Right when the guy is about to stand up and you think you got caught watching one of those "banned from TV" commercials, you see that the guy is actually just wearing a pair of shrink to fit 501s, and he's just breaking them in. Please note that this is the first ad (out of five) that I have posted where the guy is actually wearing his Levi's jeans throughout the entirety of the ad.

Remember when I told you in yesterday's blog how to shrink your jeans? That's what this guy is doing, but instead of doing it in a bath tub, which aren't commonplace in the middle of effing nowhere, he does it in a creek. He even gets out of the water and does squats! Also, if you look closely, you can see there are suspender buttons instead of belt loops, and only four pockets (no back left pocket) on his jeans, which leads me to believe that he's wearing something similar to the LVC 1890s we just got in!

Levi's Vintage Clothing 1890 501 Rigid Shrink to Fit

$220

After seeing these ads you probably want to pick up a pair of Levi's jeans for yourself, or take your pants off, or take your pants off and then buy some LVC jeans. Either way, click the link below and check out ShopFarinellis.com, where we have just posted five different styles from Levi's Vintage Clothing!

SEE OUR ENTIRE LEVI'S VINTAGE CLOTHING COLLECTION ONLINE

NOW ONLINE: LEVI'S VINTAGE CLOTHING

2010-02-18T21:27:00.007-05:00

(posted by pai)

Apologies for the delay in today's blog update, but it's worth the wait. Levi's Vintage Clothing has arrived and is now on ShopFarinellis.com, and we are proud to be one of a handful of stores in the U.S. carrying the LVC brand! As happy as you vintage denim fans are, you are not as happy as I am, because I finally have an answer for the sixteen e-mails I get everyday asking when LVC is going to be in.

Levi's Vintage Clothing now online at ShopFarinellis.com

I don't really think of myself as a denim-head. I usually just wear whichever jean fits best (read: tightest) and leave selvedge lines, hidden rivets, and which obscure mill the denim was sourced from to the hardcore kids, but even I can appreciate the history behind LVC's denim. The reason it took me so long to update the blog is twofold. First, each jean comes with a small novella's worth of writing attached to it on various tags, stickers, and letters. Second, I read on a fourth grade level so it took me several hours to get through most of it. Seriously though, I'm not kidding when I say each pair of denim comes with some literature. Here's the proof:

Each jean comes with a history book's worth of information

(Picture presented in vintage styling to capture the essence of the item!)

Every style (except the 1890) comes with an envelope in the back pocket. Enclosed in each envelope is a letter written "to the owner of this 501 jean," detailing the different nuances of the jean and the historical meaning behind them (example: 1944's painted on back pocket arcuate design which was used to conserve thread during World War II). Even the paper that it's written on feels old, like it's some kind of correspondence from the Ghost of Denim Past, delivered via Pony Express.

SIZING / SHRINK TO FIT

I put the word "sizing" in bold and felt the need to dedicate an entire section of this blog post to it because I'm sure the sixteen e-mails per day asking when LVC is going to be in will turn into eighty e-mails per day asking what size you should buy. I don't blame you, it can be kind of tricky, and we don't plan on taking any measurements (unless you really want them, in which case, we can hook it up for you).

The reason we aren't taking measurements on any of the LVC jeans is the fact that they are all shrink to fit. You may have guessed it, but this means the jeans shrink to fit you. Levi's recommends you put the jeans on, fill a bath tub full of warm water and sit in the tub for at least ten minutes. Afterwards, drain the water away, stand up, and do some squats to squeeze the excess water out of the fabric. If possible, and I say if possible because wearing wet jeans is considered a form of torture in some countries, let the jeans naturally dry on you so that they can mould to your body for the best possible fit. Be sure to go through this shrinking process in private, as I'm sure the people you live with will have a hard time understanding why you are standing in the bath tub, wearing a soaking wet pair of jeans, doing squats.

So what size do you buy? The rule of thumb with shrink to fits is to buy two sizes UP from whatever size you usually wear in denim because the jeans will shrink up to 10%. So, if you are normally a 30, buy a 32 in LVC jeans, and after shrinking them you will have a great-fitting pair of jeans that is totally unique to you.

Now that we know how to size them, let's take a look at my two favorite pairs:

LVC 1890 501

Levi's Vintage Clothing 1890 501 Rigid (Shrink to Fit)

$220

I really like this pair because it's the OG 501. If this jean were a rapper, it would be... Well I don't know who it would be. I honestly don't know what constitutes a real OG rapper, but according to Yahoo! Answers (link), I'm not the only one. If I'm not mistaken, 1890 was the first year the "501" number was used. This is also the only LVC jean we received that didn't include a letter in the back pocket describing its details, presumably because paper wasn't invented yet in 1890. Luckily, we at Farinelli's know Mauro Farinelli, local denim guru, who pointed out some of the subtleties of this jean.

Some things to note on the 1890 include the cinch back waist, which you have to break with pliers yourself to get working (I shit you not, there's a tag with directions on how to do it attached to jeans and step 1 is "get pliers"). There are no belt loops to be seen, only suspender buttons in their place, as suspenders were commonplace with jeans during this era. The patch is real leather, not the heavy, leather-like, card stock that you see on Levi's jeans today. Hidden rivets? No sir. It's 1890, rivets are exposed for your viewing pleasure. The selvedge line is completely white (no red line) which was standard for all Levi's jeans made prior to 1927.

There's only four pockets on the 1890 501s, because the second back pocket hadn't been "invented" yet. Instead, they put one really big pocket on your right butt cheek. This is good if you like to horde receipts/business cards/condoms/all kinds of other things in your wallet. Also, I think Levi Strauss foresaw the invention of the iPhone, because the coin pocket is oversized and fits my iPhone in it almost perfectly (only the top part sticks out). For the record, there's something weird about a pair of pants from 1890 housing a piece of technology from 2009.

LVC 1944 501

Levi's Vintage Clothing 1944 501 Rigid (Shrink to Fit)

$220

The 1944 is my favorite LVC jean. Known by some as the "World War II 501s" because every part of the jean was effected by the United States joining the second world war. The United States government required all clothing manufacturers to remove a certain amount of metal, fabric, and thread from their garments, in an effort to conserve for the war effort. Levi's, being a good American company, complied and made the necessary changes.

Some things to note include only some of the buttons being branded with a laurel leaf design that had become standard on Levi's jeans at the time, while some were plain. The explanation? Deliveries of buttons were hit and miss during the war years and it sometimes came down to the manufacturers using what they had on hand. To save metal, Levi's did away with rivets on the watch pocket and crotch, and removed the cinch back all-together (this also saved fabric). The U.S. government deemed the trademark arcuate design on the back pocket of Levi's jeans decorative, and ordered that it be removed to conserve thread. Luckily, the people at Levi's were clever, and removed the thread, but kept their arcuate design by painting it on instead. The paint would eventually wash off after several wears, but Strauss & Co. felt like seeing the arcuate was important when buying the jeans.

Telling you all that makes me feel really informed, but I pretty much just read it off the piece of paper in the back pocket. Either way, the 1944 501 and the story behind it are amazing. These jeans have more character than most of the people I have met in my lifetime. Says something about the quality of company I keep, doesn't it? Maybe I should just start befriending pants...

Be sure to check out all five of the LVC denim styles we have online and read up on all of the unique details on each one by clicking the link below!

SEE OUR ENTIRE LEVI'S VINTAGE CLOTHING (LVC) COLLECTION ONLINE

When you buy a pair of Levi's Vintage Clothing denim, you're not just buying another pair of jeans, you are buying a piece of history. They're meant for those who truly want a pair of jeans unlike any other and can appreciate the subtle differences that make each jean unique.

If nothing else, they're are a great conversation starter. You could always bring up the history behind whichever pair you decide to get, or you could tell them about how they are shrink to fit and literally one of a kind. I'll probably do the latter, and wear them to a bar so I can tell every attractive girl I see, "hey, I wore these pants soaking wet in my bath tub and did squats in them, now, they're really special to me!" Then, I watch them melt. Ladies, look out, Payman and his shrink to fit pants are coming to a bar near you. Readers, keep checking the blog for my forthcoming post filled with my dating tips and guide to being awesome.

FASHION WEEK FAVS

2010-02-17T12:27:00.006-05:00

(posted by pai)

Many of our favorite designers have recently finished showing their Fall 2010 collections in New York, Paris, and other cities that I wish I lived in, and I figured why don't I go through and pick out some of my favorite looks/pieces off the runway from designers we'll be carrying this Spring? My opinion has some weight, right? No? Well either way, it's a walk-off...

BAND OF OUTSIDERS

Click to see the entire Band of Outsiders Fall 2010 Collection

When it comes to sweatpants, I think Jerry Seinfeld said it best:

I absolutely hate when people wear sweatpants. I feel like every time you see someone wearing sweatpants they're over a decade old and have the logo from your high school swim team down the side, and they're always dirty. Why are they always dirty? Because people in sweatpants eat potato chips all of the time. Not Pringles either, Lays, the kind that are greasy and require you to wipe your fingers on your sweatpants to get all the grease off. It's all very disturbing to me. I don't even like it when people wear sweatpants around the house. It's lazy looking. I wear a tuxedo around the house. Get like me.

But this isn't a blog entry about things I don't like. I did that on Monday when I blogged about the Winter Olympics. I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but I really like the sweatpants in this look. They're tailored and slim, so they don't remind you of the ill-fitting high school throwback sweatpants you've acquired over the years. The slim silhouette makes these look like a pair of trousers with the comfort of a pair of sweats, so they look good, and feel even better. Over thirty inches of snow in DC and Payman saying he likes the way sweatpants look-if these aren't signs of the armageddon I don't know what are. Someone call Bruce Willis.

There was also a pair of shoes from Band's Fall 2010 show that caught my eye, and by "caught my eye" I mean, "made me fall out of my chair and begin convulsing." See below:

Holy shit.

Scott Sternberg has gone and turned the fashion world on its head by designing what are presumably Chewbacca shoes. I went ahead and cropped out the rest of the look because it doesn't really matter what else the guy was wearing, this is the strongest look of the show. He could've been stark naked and standing around in these shoes and it would've been cool. I'm hoping these will actually go into production and they weren't used solely for the show's sake. Either way, they make me wanna stand up and make this sound:

On an unrelated note-there are several disturbing clips on YouTube of Star Wars fans attempting to recreate that sound that I wish I had not seen when I went looking for the clip above. Needless to say, I will be having nightmares tonight...

While you wait for Band's Fall 2010 stuff to come out (it's still February, you have some time) check out ShopFarinellis.com because we've marked down our Winter 2009 collection, and keep your eye on the blog as we are expecting their Spring 2010 pieces soon!

SEE OUR ENTIRE BAND OF OUTSIDERS COLLECTION ONLINE

SIMON SPURR

Nothing makes me want to go out and buy a lottery ticket more than a Simon Spurr show, and Fall 2010 was no exception. Every season, Spurr brings us the best in fabrics, construction, and tailoring, and makes our hearts and wallets weep. Each and every look is deadly, but here's one of my favorites:

Click to see the entire Simon Spurr Fall 2010 Collection

Simon did a raspberry red leather jacket in the previous season that Nathan really liked, but I really dig the more muted burgundy this bomber comes in. It's almost too nice. Like if I wore it out to a bar and someone bumped into me or spilt something on it, I'd have to start a fight in the same way a normal person would start a fight if someone said something offensive to their wife. Of course, if you've ever met me, or if you've read the "model is 6'0, 140 lbs" line on the item pages of our website, you know that I have no business starting fights, and owning this jacket would probably lead to me getting my ass kicked. In other words, Spurr's collection is trouble, but if you like to live dangerously and look good while doing it, it may be right up your alley.

Be sure to check out the Spurr Pipe and Classic jeans on our website as they are currently on sale and we are expecting restocks soon!

SEE OUR ENTIRE SPURR COLLECTION ONLINE

BUCKLER

Andrew Buckler is the man, and we were all pretty excited to see his Fall 2010 collection. He didn't disappoint. Here's my favorite look:

Click to see the entire Buckler Fall 2010 Collection

This look stood out for a number of reasons. For one, his show featured a lot of grey and black (which I liked), so naturally, the colorful plaid pattern got my attention. Further, I've always felt like Buckler has always done an amazing job of layering pieces, and the buttondown over a sweatshirt is something I never thought of, but totally dig. Here I am, inside the box, thinking buttondowns should be worn underneath a sweater, and there goes Andrew, flipping it on me.

I really recommend checking out Buckler's entire show. His designs are fashion forward, but at the same time, they're wearable by the every day guy. Needless to say, we can't wait to get our Spring 2010 order from Buckler. In the meantime, check out their Sexy Bastard briefs and socks on ShopFarinellis.com!

SEE OUR ENTIRE BUCKLER COLLECTION ONLINE

ROBERT GELLER

Robert Geller continues to show us why he was the 2009 GQ/CFDA Best New Menswear Designer. Here's my favorite look from his Fall 2010 show:

Click to see the entire Buckler Fall 2010 Collection

Seriously, give me one of everything. I want every single piece in that look. I want the skinny grey jeans so I can tuck them into my black Wings + Horns Service Boots, I want the coat because this is the most miserable winter ever, I want whatever that rope thing around the model's waist is to keep my pants up and make me look awesome, and I want the white fur vest so I can go to the club, be a baller, and pop bottles. I am counting down the days until we get our Spring 2010 buy from Geller!

And that's all for pai. What are your favorite Fall 2010 shows so far? Let me know in a comment so we can enjoy some fashion-related banter with one another! Seriously... I need friends...

NOW ONLINE: FALLING WHISTLES

2010-02-16T11:16:00.004-05:00

We just wanted to let everyone know that the Falling Whistles we talked about on yesterday's blog (click here if you don't want to scroll down) are now online at ShopFarinellis.com!

Falling Whistles
Gunmetal ($44)

We only have a few of each style in right now, so don't drag your feet on this one!

SEE OUR ENTIRE FALLING WHISTLES COLLECTION ONLINE

WINTER OLYMPICS, I DON'T LIKE YOU

2010-02-15T17:46:00.009-05:00

(posted by pai)

The Winter Olympics kicked off this past week in Vancouver, but does anyone really care? Really, I'd be very surprised if the average number of viewers for the Winter Olympics is considerably higher than those of a WNBA game. (And no, that's not me being sexist, that's me coming at you with a heavy dose of the truth. You can count the number of WNBA fans in the world on your hands, and you can't tell me there are more than twelve people who actually care about which country walks away with the gold medal in curling.) I'm still not really over the whole Nickelback thing, and now Canada is dropping this shit on me? It just feels like they are adding insult to injury...

Why am I not surprised that the country that gave us Nickelback is now hosting the Winter Olympics?

Fashion-wise, and this is a fashion blog, the Winter Olympics are an absolute nightmare. All you need to do is watch the figure skating competition. It's like a parade of designs created by someone on some kind of drug I haven't even heard of yet, and I don't mean that in a good way. Case and point: U.S. skater Johnny Weir, who recently made headlines for the uproar his fur outfits created amongst the animal rights community. Surprisingly, there has yet to be an uproar about his outfits in the clothes-wearing-people community. Exhibit A:

Seriously?

Don't get me wrong. I consider myself someone who appreciates avant-garde design. I love all things bizarre. You may remember my blog post about Killers frontman, Brandon Flower's, dinner jacket with pheasant epaulets. Great stuff, really, but every time I see Johnny Weir in the photo above I can't help but think that it's Halloween and he's going trick-or-treating as Ziggy Stardust from Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars:

You can dress like Bowie, but that doesn't make you Bowie-I know from experience.

Ziggy Stardust was actually pretty bad ass, the costumes that figure skaters wear just scare me. Spandex and velour were not meant to be combined in such large quantities, especially if you are going to be making facial expressions like Weir is in the picture above. If I were a figure skater (and for the record, I think I'd crush it at figure skating, even though I have never skated figuratively or any other way in my entire life), I would roll up in a cape. I don't know what else I would be wearing but it would be very subtle, and then I would have a really big, intimidating cape. Why? Showmanship. Nothing says "I mean business" like a cape. Exhibit B:

"I mean business."

Despite how much I loathe the Winter Olympics, I am an optimist. I complain about almost everything, so finding the silver lining in things is important in keeping me sane. The silver lining in the Winter Olympics is that it allowed us to have one of the greatest movies ever made-Cool Runnings.

Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme! Get on up, it's bobsled time!

Cool Runnings is the true story of the debut of the Jamaican bobsled team in 1988. John Candy (rest in peace), who apparently took a break from acting at the time, went down to Jamaica and recruited a couple of sprinters who failed to qualify for the summer Olympics to start a bobsled team. He later added comedian Doug E. Doug (that's seriously his name) to operate the brakes on the sled. Why? Because John Candy had a wonderful sense of humor.

One of the most inspiring moments of the film comes when the Swiss bobsled team, which was apparently made up of a bunch of assholes this particular year, mocks the Jamaican bobsled efforts in a bar. After being heckled by the aforementioned dicks, Yul Brenner (team bad ass), takes his teammate, Junior Bevill, into the bathroom and gives him a pep talk. Check out the video below and watch as Junior becomes a man:

If this doesn't give you goosebumps, go to your doctor and have your heart checked out.

Powerful stuff. Afterwards, a bar fight ensues, because it's not like you're just going to not have a bar fight after a pep talk like that.

Does Cool Runnings make up for the rest of the Winter Olympics? No, but it certainly does make it easier to stomach. I wish all of you luck in finding something else to watch on TV. Take a second to click over to NBC every now and then to validate this entire blog post, and then maybe come back here and make a nice comment about how awesome I am and how I've never been wrong, or maybe just make a comment making fun of Nickelback. I really don't like Nickelback...

JUST IN: FALLING WHISTLES

2010-02-15T16:59:00.005-05:00

(posted by pai)

The wait is finally over, Falling Whistles have arrived! Falling Whistles that makes and sells whistle necklaces like the one you see above. 100% of their proceeds go towards rehabilitating and advocating for war torn children Africa, and we are proud to have them as part of the ShopFarinellis.com lineup. Check out their amazing story here:

Falling Whistles - Be a Whistleblower for Peace in Congo from Falling Whistles on Vimeo.

You know that great feeling you got when you texted "HAITI" to "90999" and felt like you were making a difference? Ride that wave of humanitarianism over to ShopFarinellis.com tomorrow, when we will be posting the whistles for sale, and help kids in Africa. People helping people, it's powerful stuff.

Let's say you're not a humanitarian. Let's say, for some reason, the idea of helping someone out is off-putting to you. First off, what the hell is wrong with you? Slap yourself. After you've done that, go buy a whistle on ShopFarinellis.com (again, they will be posted tomorrow), because even if you are an awful human being, the whistles are a really understated piece of jewelry that any guy can pull off. They're also great conversation starters and make for a great gift, so maybe you can buy one for a friend who's more interested in helping others than you are?

Become a whistle blower for peace. Tell your friends about Falling Whistles and spread the word. This is the one clothing accessory you will want everyone you know wearing.

FALLING WHISLTES WILL BE POSTED ON SHOPFARINELLIS.COM TOMORROW, 2/16/10

FARINELLI'S TACKLES VALENTINE'S DAY

2010-02-11T23:58:00.021-05:00

(posted by pai)

Please watch before continuing:

Contrary to popular belief, this is not the trailer for the sequel to Psycho

The frequency with which that vomit-inducing commercial has been airing on every channel can only mean one thing: Valentine's Day is right around the corner. We at Farinelli's are an opinionated bunch, so naturally, we thought we'd share our views on this "holiday" as a whole, and maybe give you some gift ideas, because you probably waited until this weekend to buy your loved one/mistress a gift, because you really aren't on top of things, or, you've been ass-deep in snow the past two weeks. So, without further adieu, I give you:

A FARINELLI'S VALENTINE:

SEX TOYS, NON-HABIT FORMING DRUGS, AND COMMERCIAL ROCK 'N' ROLL

If you're still reading after watching that Kay Jewelers commercial and reading the title above, thanks. I salute you for holding out this long, and caution you that it is only going to get worse from here on out.

We decided that the four members of the Farinelli's/Wolf vs. Goat brain trust would give their opinions on Valentine's Day and some gift ideas that we would like to receive or give. Let me just preface this and say that this is actually what each person said, and I would not, and could not, make any of this shit up. First up, our fearless leader:

MAURO

Owner of Farinelli's / Co-Designer of Wolf vs. Goat

Mauro "Don't Call Me Mario" Farinelli thinks that it's just as good to give as it is to receive (please don't read into that), so he wanted to provide you guys with two lists: things he would give, and things he would like given to him, the latter being for any women out there interested in courting the Wolf. When reading these lists, please keep in mind that Mauro is brutally honest. Anyone who's ever shopped with him knows that he will tell you when you look ugly in something (or if you are me, he will just tell you that you are ugly), even if it means you don't buy anything from us, and he instills that same mentality in everyone who works for him. Frankly, it's how the guy believes clothes should be sold, and we all agree. That being said, that brutal honesty and his lack of a censor on his mouth can lead to some weird situations, like when you call him and ask him what he wants on his Valentine's Day list for the day's blog post. Don't say I didn't warn you...

GIFTS MAURO WOULD GIVE:

1) Lingerie

Mauro is a believer in giving women lingerie on Valentine's Day, and why wouldn't he be? Getting dressed up in lingerie makes a woman feel sexy, and have you seen some of the lingerie they are coming out with these days? There's something about a really well-designed pair of crotchless underwear that I think everyone can appreciate.

Mauro recommends Agent Provocateur, a high-end lingerie line he's bought gifts from before. The prices are a little more expensive than you might be used to, but I'm not sure why you are used to any lingerie prices. How often do you buy lingerie? And what, you can't pay $100 for a nice bra for the woman you love, but you can buy a pair of $300 jeans for yourself? Come on dude... Don't be selfish, it's Valentine's Day.

Agent Provocateur has a Valentine's Day gift section on their website which should be helpful when getting a gift for your gal:

Agent Provocateur Lingerie

2) Sex Toy

Those who know Mauro know that he doesn't half-ass anything. Whether it's Wolf vs. Goat Work Pants or a steak dinner, the guy believes in quality. That's why he wouldn't just get a woman a sex toy, he'd get her a sex toy of the highest quality. "Like a tempered glass dildo," adds Mauro.

3) Day Spa Certificate

Yup, we just went from dildos to the day spa. Whoever is Mauro's valentine this year is going to have one hell of a day. For locals, Mauro recommends Sugar House in Alexandria, VA:

Sugar House Day Spa - Alexandria, VA

And if you don't want to treat your valentine to a day at the Sugar House Day Spa, at the very least you can click the link above and have them stand next to the computer so you can enjoy the soothing acoustic guitar music on their website together.

4) Flowers

Mauro says that these are a good gift for a girl you are just starting to get to know and you don't know much about. Hint: you should get a girl you've been dating for a long time something more intimate than just flowers.

5) An Impromptu Trip

A weekend getaway to a place like Mexico is perfect for Valentine's Day, especially if you are in the middle of the worst winter your city has ever seen since... ever. Just make sure you have been dating the girl for a while. It's kind of weird when someone asks you to go to Jamaica with them two weeks into the relationship. Michael Scott tried that on The Office and his girlfriend dumped him. Trust me, you don't want to get dumped on Valentine's Day, and I would know, but more on that later!

GIFTS MAURO WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE:

1) Photo Albums

2) Funny Cards

3) Sex

Direct quote from Mauro: "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that sex is the #1 gift you can give a guy. I mean... Guys just want to fuck." Remember when I mentioned that brutal honesty earlier?

HEATHER

Co-Designer of Wolf vs. Goat

Heather, also known as The Goat, is the other half of the Wolf vs. Goat design team and she is as eloquent as she is sassy. Heather loathes Valentine's Day. When she describes it as a holiday, she often puts the word "holiday" in quotes, as if to imply that it is not a real holiday. Did I mention her sharp wit?

Despite the fact that she is not really into the day itself, she does have some decent ideas for Valentine's Day gifts, not that these are things she would like to give or receive...

1) A Home-Cooked Meal

Man-up and make your valentine a romantic dinner at home this year. Why? Because there's nothing romantic about an hour long wait at The Outback Steakhouse with sixty other couples on Valentine's Day, and not because the food is bad; on the contrary, the food is too good, and if you do make your loved one a home-cooked meal, I would not recommend trying to recreate anything off the Outback menu, because you will probably screw it up.

2) Wine / Alcohol... Or pot

Farinelli's and The Goat do not condone drug usage, but if you can't afford the aforementioned impromptu trip, there's a vacation at the bottom of every bottle/bowl. Maybe you're like Heather and you don't really like Valentine's Day and all you want is to take a mental vacation this year. Maybe you want to drink five bottles of wine pretend it's Bastille Day? Who am I to take the wind out of your sails and tell you that you can't?

If that last scenario sounds like something you may be interested in, hop on over to Best Cellars, our old neighbors in Clarendon, and have them help you pick out a bottle of wine or two...Or eight.

Best Cellars

3) Something Sexy to Wear Behind Closed Doors

(See Agent Provocateur lingerie above).

4) Tickets to a Movie/Concert/Ballet/Exhibit/Monster Truck Rally

Tickets to anything make for a great gift. Monster truck rally would be ideal, but if all you can swing are tickets for a show at the Kennedy Center in DC, I think your valentine will tolerate your company:

The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts

5) Flowers

"Cliche, but thoughtful nonetheless. I mean, who doesn't love flowers?" Well said, Goat.

NATHAN

Farinelli's Manager / Photographer / Renaissance man

Nathan is a renaissance man at Farinelli's. He does a little bit of everything, and a lot a bit of breaking the #1 rule at work: no goosing. You and I owe him many thanks for bringing lovely pictures to the ShopFarinellis.com website. If you feel like a simple thank you note isn't enough, maybe you'd like to give Nathan any of the following things he'd like for Valentine's Day:

1) Gummy Candy

Nathan has never been big on chocolate, and who doesn't like gummy candy? I mean, what's not to like there?

2) Ultimate Roses

What is an ultimate rose? It's a six foot effing rose, which was created, presumably, by the scientist in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze. Seriously, look at this:

Ultimate Roses

Holy shit, do you see the look on that chic's face? I'm about to buy one of these for myself, because I don't think I've ever been that excited for anything. Nathan adds that these are perfect to give to another man "because they're so ULTIMATE!"

3) Whiskey Stone Gift Set from Proper Topper

Whiskey stones keep your favorite single malt cold without diluting the flavor. This gift set comes with six of them as well as two crystal tumblers!

ProperTopper.com - Whiskey Stone Gift Set, $68

"I like my men like my whiskey-twelve years old." - Nathan

4) Massage Oil

Nathan recommends the massage oils from Babeland.com, where you can get everything from edible oils to the sex toys Mauro mentioned on his list. One-stop shopping for Valentine's Day, now that's convenience.

5) Fully-Autonomous Five-Function Robot that can Read Minds... And has Feelings

In about 20 years or so, Nathan should be able to channel the inner desires of Modern Family's Phil Dunphy.

PAYMAN (ME)

Farinelli's Assistant Manager / Blog writer / Resident Bad-Ass

And then there's me. I don't think I need any introduction, but if it's absolutely necessary, click here. I don't want to get into my list yet, first I want to tell you a little story. Let's rewind the clocks ten years to February 14th (Valentine's Day), 2000. I was probably the happiest twelve year old you could find. Why? Because I was in seventh grade and dating an eighth grader. See up there where it says "Resident Bad-Ass" in my title? I was laying the foundation for that title in middle school.

Unbeknownst to me, the eighth grader I was dating was a reeeeaal harlot, and I was about to find out the hard way, as we men often do. I am sitting on the bus and this girl's friend yells, "PAYMAN, BRITTANY DOESN'T WANT TO DATE YOU ANYMORE!" And just like that, my world came crashing down around me. First of all, how are you going to dump someone on Valentine's Day? Second, how are you going to have your friend yell it at me on the bus? Why are you putting our business out there for everyone? Finally, was it something I did wrong? I still don't know. What's the point of this story? The point is, Brittany, if you are reading this, I hate you.

Ok, now that that is off my chest-I'm not really a big fan of Valentine's Day. Don't know why... I am good at the gift-giving thing, though, so follow my suggestions carefully and that special girl/guy will love you forever (or until you dump them on Valentine's Day).

1) The Element of Surprise

Regardless of what you give, it should be a surprise. She knows you're getting her something on Valentine's Day, you're obligated to, but flowers on a random Tuesday will earn you big points. Who doesn't like surprises? I love surprises. You could surprise me by jumping out of the bushes while I'm unlocking my door and beating me with a wooden board, as long as I don't expect it, I think it's good that we're keeping the relationship fresh.

2) Now That's What I Call Love

The people behind the Now That's What I Call Music series have decided to do the rest of the world a favor and release a Valentine's Day CD:

Now That's What I Call Love

This record comes jam-packed with songs from artists such as Hoobastank, Taylor Swift, and a number of other performers that truly understand the deepest of human emotions. And because I know you will ask, yes, Nickelback is on there. On a serious note-damn you, Canada, for Nickelback, but thank you for maple syrup. What would our pancakes be without you?

3) Mariachi Band

Fact: Girls love being serenaded. Another fact: you are an awful singer, so leave it to the pros:

If you do go the mariachi band route, make sure they don't actually sing feliz navidad. I mean if you get her the mariachi band for Christmas it's a different story, but that song isn't really appropriate for Valentine's Day. Have the mariachi band perform a song off of Now That's What I Call Love instead, and you should be fine. If she doesn't like a mariachi band performing "Love Story" by Taylor Swift on Valentine's Day, she's probably not worth dating and you should cut-and-run as soon as you can.

4) Cosmetics

Buying a girl makeup for Valentine's Day is a subtle way of saying "hey, you could be prettier." Just don't try to pick the makeup yourself, you will probably get dizzy and vomit as soon as someone starts talking about "liquid eyeliner." What is liquid eyeliner? Why does it exist? These are questions that have no answers, guy. Get her a gift card to Ulta or something and let her solve the liquid eyeliner riddle on her own.

And yes, I just told you to buy a girl a gift card for Valentine's Day. If she has a problem with it, ask her how she liked the mariachi band. You win.

5) Make a Donation in Their Name to the Human Fund

A good rule of thumb when it comes to gift-giving is asking yourself "what would George from Seinfeld do?" The Human Fund: Money for People.

And that's about it for Farinelli's and Valentine's Day. To everyone who is still reading, we thank you very much. To those who stopped reading halfway through because this was such a long blog entry, or because of how shockingly disturbing this has been, we apologize, but I did tell you at the beginning things were going to get kind of rough.

Everyone have a good Valentine's Day weekend. At the very least, I hope your girlfriend or boyfriend doesn't break up with you. Hopefully you all get what you want, but who are we kidding, you'll probably get a box of chocolates and a Build-A-Bear that says an inside joke when you squeeze its hand. Yaaay...

URBANDADDY | DC

2010-02-11T13:35:00.003-05:00

(posted by pai)

UrbanDaddy is one of our favorite online men's lifestyle magazines, and we're all pretty excited about their dedicated Washington D.C. edition. Check it out here:

UrbanDaddy | DC

Whether you are looking for the latest in food/drink, nightlife, or style, UrbanDaddy has got you covered. The entire Farinelli's crew will be at their DC launch party at the W Hotel tomorrow, in our finest threads, mixing it up with the people at UrbanDaddy that have been providing us with the good reads. If you're there too, say hi and share a drink with us!

If you have an iPhone, they have a new app that is one of the coolest local entertainment apps I have seen. The app helps you decide "your next move" when you're out. You can enter what time it is, who you're with (friends, colleagues, mistress), what city or neighborhood you are, and what you feel like doing and the app give you several suitable options as well as a brief review of each. It's a great idea, and the app gets better with each update.

The best part about it is that Washington D.C. is one of the supported cities in the latest update, and it's totally free, so what do you have to lose?

AAAND MORE SNOW

2010-02-10T15:14:00.004-05:00

(posted by pai)

This is getting ridiculous. Another blizzard warning today? I have dug myself out of snow like nine times this winter. Does anyone need a roommate in southern California or Florida or Vegas? I'm really down to go anywhere where it's blazingly hot in the winter and it never snows. I never want to see snow again. The next time someone says "oh man, I wish we got snow where I lived" I am going to punch them in the teeth. I'm sorry, that's just where I am at this point.

Since this is technically still a fashion blog, and not my personal complaint box, I'm going to go ahead and make a recommendation for anyone else trapped in the snow-the RRL Red Parka:

RRL Red Parka

$690 (On Sale: $414)

This jacket is at home in the snow. It looks at a blizzard warning and says "thank you sir, may I have another?" That's why it's perfect for someone like me, a person who looks at a blizzard warning and proceeds to breakdown and cry. I've done a lot of crying recently people, and I'm not proud of it...

More enthusiastic blog entries coming as soon as the sun melts me out of my snow prison!

SHOP OUR ENTIRE RRL COLLECTION ONLINE

MICHAEL J. KRELL SNOW DAY

2010-02-09T13:53:00.002-05:00

(posted by pai)

If you're unlucky enough to be in the DC area, you know that we have been getting hammered by snowstorms recently. The federal government has been closed for two days straight, and they will probably be at home tomorrow as well considering the 12-18 inches we are expecting to get tonight. Finally, Congress has a good reason for not getting anything done. (ZING!)

Man vs. Snow

With the weather being bananas, everyone's shoveling their driveways and trying to dig themselves out of their homes. We at Farinelli's are no exception. Mauro donned his Michael J. Krell x Farinelli's Collaboration Barn Coat, grabbed his shovel, and proceeded to make a landing pad so that he could jump off the roof of his house... Seriously:

Ok, so that wasn't really a cannonball, but you had to have a test run, no? Not one to disappoint, Mauro did a second jump, this time, belly-flopping on to his face:

Anyone remember that scene at the end of Pineapple Express where Seth Rogen jumps on to the bad guy? Click here if you don't...

Mauro would later admit that in retrospect, the belly flop was a bad idea, especially since most of that "snow" was actually ice...

I'm snowed in at my place right now, but Mauro gave me a ring and gave me two important pieces of information: 1) he belly-flopped off the roof of his house and it hurt, and 2) the Michael J. Krell Barn Coat is "warm as shit."

Maybe you want to belly-flop off the roof of your house too, or maybe you just want to stay warm? In any case, the Michael J. Krell x Farinelli's Barn Coats are on sale at ShopFarinellis.com, so make sure you order yours before we get hit by another two feet of snow!

Michael J. Krell x Farinelli's Collaboration Barn Coat

$385 (On Sale: $192.50)

SHOP MY CLOTHES INTERVIEW

2010-02-09T11:51:00.003-05:00

(posted by pai)

Our good friend over at ShopMyClothes.com did an interview with us for their blog! Go to their website and read the interview and take a look at their site!

ShopMyClothes.com Blog - Farinelli's

Look for a follow-up interview in a couple of months as well! Special thanks to Jonathan at Shop My Clothes for making the interview happen!

NEW MARKDOWNS

2010-02-08T10:06:00.006-05:00

(posted by pai)

How's everyone in the mid-Atlantic doing? I hope you have power so you can read this blog post. I'm sure cabin fever has set in and you're pretty much fed up of everyone you live with or chose to get snowed in. You probably thought it was a good idea to get together with your friends and get trapped somewhere together, but I'm going to venture a guess here and say that you guys drank all the beer, and now, after being in close proximity with one another for so long, you're not really liking them as much as you did on Friday. It's all fun and games until you get to the bottom of the bottle, no?

Personally, I'm a free bird. I have to be able to spread my wings. I hopped in my two door coupe and literally drove through a wall of snow to enjoy the freedom I am blessed with. It was all very Bruce Willis in Die Hard. I now know that the "L" on my shifter stands for "liberation" and "D" stands for "doesn't do shit."

This was me yesterday, except I was going faster and there was a huge explosion behind my car as I broke through the wall of snow. Really cool stuff, straight out of Project Bad Ass

Anyway, if you're on the verge of pulling out your hair, calm down, because we've got something for you to do, and that is click your way over to ShopFarinellis.com and check out the new markdowns! That's right fans, our awesome sale just got even awesomer, and spell check is telling me that's not a word, but I don't care, as I've already mentioned, I am a free bird.

You're probably wondering what I like, which is smart of you, I am an extremely fashionable guy and my opinion should carry a lot of weight. I really like the Wings + Horns Wool Nailhead Shirt, and at 40% off it's a real get for the frugal shopper.

Wings + Horns Wool Nailhead Shirt

$418 (On Sale: $250.80)

Don't you think it would be wise to take advantage of this opportunity? We're in a recession, buddy. If you're a smart shopper, you'll hop on these new markdowns, and I know you're a smart shopper because you shop at Farinelli's. At the least you read our blog, which I write, and I am really smart, so hopefully that rubs off on you. So go, go, go! Shop our sale!

SEE ALL NEW MARKDOWNS AT SHOPFARINELLIS.COM