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December 14th, 2007
We here at PPFM (Catholic, Jew, and Protestant alike) tend to refer to the holidays as a guilt-fest, whatever year it is. The obligatory gathering provides the opportunities for the "why haven't I heard from you in so long?" and the "why don't you call more often?" situations to arise. Don't get us wrong, we love our families. It's just that we have uber-busy lives and a complete lack of interest in things mundane, medical, and concerning more successful cousins. Our other gripe is that we, as men, are often wrongly criticized for not putting as much effort in our gift-buying processes. If they only knew the hours we spend shopping. Okay, it's just an hour, and half of it’s online, but when you’re trying to find something "just right" on December 23rd, it's a damn hectic thirty minutes! Not to mention the sleepless nights of stressing about it. The sacrifices we make, gentlemen. The sacrifices we make. That said; Happy Holidays. Now go shopping. |
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Portland Picks: |
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| 1 | Live Like Royalty Remember Marcello Mastroianni in “8 ½”? He was the epitome of style. He had a casual elegance and could wear the hell out of a suit. And what a sharp-looking suit it was, too. It’s a shame you can’t find suits like that anymore … Well, not until Duchess came along, you couldn’t. Not only can you get that particular suit and dozens of other vintage-inspired suits, but you get them custom made. That’s right. Made just for you. The fine folks at Duchess help you pick out fabrics, take 30 different measurements, and work with you to design an entire ensemble. Then, in 6 to 8 weeks you meet to put the finishing touches on your very own custom-made, vintage-inspired suit. Best of all it’s ridiculously affordable at just around $500—a 60’s suit at 60’s prices. While we can’t guarantee you’ll get lucky as much as Marcello did, we can guarantee you’ll look just as sharp. Call for an appointment, and tell ’em Portland Picks for Men sent you to get a free tie with your new suit! Duchess Fine Clothier |
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| 2 | Sublime The first moment you step onto the 1960 Vegas-casino carpet, you notice the wonderful vintage artwork that looks like something from Mike Brady's den. Then, as if viewing the rest of the details through the gold filtered lens of Boogie Night's cinematographer, you begin to take it all in. The marbled mirrors and leather, the campy lamp shades that used to be everywhere before Denny's remodeled. The prices for pitchers of beer are something out the 70s too, and are accompanied by some of the best roadhouse grub we've seen in Stumptown. The whole scene is capped off by the joint's two jukeboxes. The first being a free-to-operate monster full of 70's rock and country, the second one full of old-time classics that, when played, will operate one of only two "band boxes" in our state. In a word, sublime. Sloan’s Tavern |
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| 3 | Icebreaker We love kiwis—not the fuzzy fruit, but the adventurous blokes who hail from New Zealand. Naturally we were thrilled to learn that New Zealand-based Icebreaker, maker of pure merino-wool clothing, would be calling Portland home for their U.S. Headquarters. |
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| 4 | Travel in Style Ages ago, we made our first trip back home after graduating college and securing our first real job. Admittedly we had a certain swagger to our step as we met our father and walked down to baggage claim. We'll never forget dad's words when our duct-tape-repaired blue monstrosity of a duffle bag made its way lazily around the carousel: “How you arrive goes a long way in saying that you have actually arrived,” he said. We took the cue and have tried to travel with some semblance of style since. If you’re already set in the luggage department, one will still find hundreds of products and gadgets that make travel a bit more safe, convenient and comfortable. With so many of us traveling for the holidays, why not heed the old man's advice and pay Portland Luggage Company a visit. |
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| Ask a Style Coach | |||
Bored with the Same Old Same Old? Q: How can I still look presentable without wearing the typical polo and khakis? A: Yawn … you aren’t the only one bored with the predictable polo-and-khaki duo. Women want you to add a third piece. Wear either a jacket, sweater or vest over a T-shirt or button-down shirt for a modern and layered look. Pair it with a slim-fitting jean or flat-front pant and we’ll be all over you! Ask a style coach! Contact Jandi Girard: info@inspirestylecoaching.com |
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| Necessities: | |||
| 1 | Eins, Zwei, Drei It's a fact gentlemen, that reaching for a condom in the middle of heated passion is not exactly, well, conducive to the mood. Spending any more time than necessary can be the difference between a slight blip in the process and a full blown monkey wrench. Leave it to the Germans to implement efficiency accordingly. Just pull effortlessly from this beautifully functional stainless steel dispenser and let that be the last thing you do like a German for the evening. |
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| 2 | Axis of Irony We feel that the hipster phenomenon of irony on t-shirts is, well, a little passé. But we can't resist some of the great designs from NYC outfit Dangerous Breed. The juxtaposition of the traditional calm beach scene of a Hawaiian shirt with the name of an "axis of evil" nation is just too good. We love the "Surf Saudi" one the best. Plus, word is they might be moving their operation to Stumptown, so it's practically like shopping local. |
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| 3 | Hands Down, Awesome In our opinion, not much enhances a good glide down the mountain like the perfect tune. We recommend the obvious “Mountain Song” by Jane's Addiction. That's why we're enamored with Reusch's Sonic Control gloves. Big beefy buttons on the back of the glove that control your iPod? Genius. And because it works on a radio frequency, there need not be a "line of sight" with the iPod itself, so shred on! |
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| 4 | Put Your Money Where Your… A lot of us Portlanders earn our dollars in pretty creative ways but carry them in unimaginative black wallets. (The one you didn't even clean out until your chiropractor insisted it was necessary for back health …) While looking for a more dynamic way to carry our hard-earned dollars we found these interesting artist-series wallets from local outfit Tinymeat. Sure, they might not be taken too seriously, but it's what's inside that should do the talking. |
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| 5 | Forget It, Kramer Sometimes it can be challenging to shop for the artists in our lives. No more. This oversized coffee-table book is a giant blank sketchbook (696 pages) that over time can become the collection of a lifetime. One can invite other artists to leave a sketch when they visit, and its value, as a conversation piece and otherwise, will continue to grow over time. Pages are thick enough to sustain most marker drawings too … the holiday price is just $24.95. |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 2 | PPFM Discounts + Cocktails at Mario’s Yet another reason Mario's makes all the "best men’s stores" lists is their Holiday Happy Hours. Join them Thursday night at either location and enjoy a complimentary signature cocktail (courtesy of Indio spirits), and for you lucky PPFM readers, mention Portland Picks for Men to receive 10% off any one item. Pick any one. You can't miss! What: Happy Hour + PPFM Discounts at Mario’s |
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| 3 | Share the Warmth at Lizard Lounge Look good and do good! The “Share the Warmth” promotion has kicked off at Lizard Lounge. Bring in any used jacket to Lizard Lounge and receive $20 off your next purchase. All jackets will be donated to Transitions Projects, the largest provider of shelter and services to Portland’s homeless population. What: Share the Warmth at Lizard Lounge |
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| 4 | PPFM Discount on Flowers from Geranium Lake See the photo at right? Give it to your lady and watch her melt. Red blooms like roses, celosia, tulips and cool textures of berries and collared leaves are very, very romantic, and the low design will sit perfectly anywhere your recipient sees fit. The version shown is $45, take it up a notch for $75, or go for broke for $125. Mention Portland Picks for Men to receive 10% off your flowers! What: PPFM bouquet discount at Geranium Lake Flowers |
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| 5 | Give the Gift of Great Style Guys! Our style coach doesn't just work for you! It’s every girl's dream to have her wardrobe professionally assessed so she can always look and feel her best. Put a Gift Certificate for Inspire Style Coaching in your daughter, girlfriend, best friend’s or wife’s stocking, and this will be remembered as the greatest holiday ever! What: Gift Certificates to inspire style coaching |
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| 6 | If You Can't Take a Cruise, Try a Bazaar Anyone who digs unique cocktails—or appreciates a finely honed alcohol art form—won't want to miss Sub Rosa Spirits’ first public tasting at the 2nd Annual Booze Bazaar! Sub Rosa Spirits offers up Tarragon- and Saffron-infused vodkas that you must taste to believe. Event is 21 and over. Free! What: Sub Rosa Spirits First Public Tasting |
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LOOK FOR US IN TWO WEEKS! That's right, we're going bi-weekly starting this month thanks to all of you spreading the word. Help us go weekly by forwarding PP4M to 5 friends right now … the more we grow, the more discounts we can dig up for you, the more cool events we can put on your calendar, and the more in-the-know you'll be about looking, feeling and living well in Stumptown. Go on, click that forward button. It just feels right, doesn't it? |
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