CHAD IN SEATTLE, WA - EMERALD CITY

Seattle - Starbucks - Space Needle

Pike Place Market - watch out for flying fish

Living history

Ebbets Field Flannels

Blackbird in Ballard

Filson Store and Factory

The last stop on my trip was Seattle, the largest city in the Northwestern United States. Just 114 miles south of the Canadian border. Birthplace of Starbucks and Grunge music. It's great to visit Pike Place Market, but be aware of flying fish. Get in line for a cup of coffee in the first ever Starbucks or walk to another corner and get your coffee directly. Near Pioneer Square you find a shop called Ebbet's Field Flannels, here you can buy yourself baseball hats & jersey's of long gone teams. From here it ain't far to the Filson Factory and Flagship store on 4th Av. It's difficult not to buy a canvas bag or some Filson by Sebago boots. My last stop is Blackbird, located in the hip neighborhood Ballard. The store is filled with Filson bags, Aden shoes, Billykirk belts, Obey, A.P.C. etc. 

WORTH WAITING FOR.....

Oh yeah, thank you Mr. Postman. My Sperry Top-Sider by Band of Outsiders are delivered. Let the Summer begin.

CHAD IN VANCOUVER, BC - RAIN CITY

Vancouver, Canada...Poeh what can I tell you about the city of Vancouver? It's named after a Dutch family called Van Coevorden. It's also called Rain City, and the birth place of Brian Adams. My first impression wasn't the best I guess, I arrived late in the evening and the streets (E. Hasting) was packed with homeless people and that gave me a little strange feeling. The next morning, when I hit the streets it was raining cats and dogs, so also that didn't do any good to the city, but.......I found some gems. Walking into the Old Faithful Shop on Cordova Street made me smile again, beautiful products from the Hill-Side and bags from MAKR and Souhtern Fields, special tea from Bellocq etc. all packed in a great atmosphere. I love the canoe hanging from the ceiling. Next stop in Gastown was Inventory Stockroom on Powell Street. Which started some years ago as a web shop. As the rooms of the apartment soon became too small to stock the merchandise, they decided to open a store as well. You might know them from the magazine called Inventory. All this makes you hungry.....waiting in line to order the Sandwich Special of the day at Meat & Bread isn't a punishment, the sandwiches are great! A little away from Gastown on East Broadway you can find a store called Mr. Lee General Store. In a decor of antique props like a frame of a canoe, a Marlin, stuffed animals etc. you find not just clothes, but also coffee, magazines, bow ties, Pendleton blankets etc. When you plan a trip to Rain City be sure to bring some wellies and a rain jacket.

CHAD IS BACK

I'm back, after more then 4000 miles and 2,5 weeks of traveling through the American & Canadian Rockies. I have seen a lot of beautiful nature but also some very inspiring stores, now it's time to upload the pictures I shot, so I can share some with you. (picture of Lake Emerald, Yoho National Park, Canada)

GANT RUGGER - GAME SET & MATCH!

With the Gant Rugger High Summer 2012 collections you hit the ball on and of the court. The shawl collar blazers is the ace you serve when arriving @ the party. Make sure you have "fresh" Addidas Stan Smith sneakers or white bucks this summer!!!! 

CHAD GOES WEST

Just finished packing my bags for my trip to the Pacific Northwest, my journey will start in Denver, Co via the Rocky Mountains to Banff & Vancouver Canada to Seattle, Washington. Looking forward to my trip through the rough outdoors.

J.CREW'S SUMMER STYLE EDITION

J.Crew's men's stylist Jack gives us 7 tips for great Summer styling. If you follow these for the months to come, with sunny days and warm weather, nothing can't go wrong for you. 

A FILSON CLASSIC - THE CRUISER

In 1897, Filson opened his first store, Filson’s Pioneer Alaska and Blanket Manufacturers. With the Gold Rush in full swing, Filson found a niche market providing functional gear and apparel for miners enduring the arduous Northwest conditions. Filson became a trusted label offering a variety of high quality and highly resistant products made from materials that would become ubiquitous with the Filson brand. The original Filson store operated its own mill on-site and manufactured clothing, blankets and knit goods made from the heavy weight, water repellant Mackinaw wool fabric.

The Filson Cruiser was first released in 1914 and would go on to become one of the brand’s iconic designs. The Cruiser name and the unique design were officially patented on March 3, 1914 (US Patent #1088891). A favorite of lumbermen, the Cruiser was named after timber cruisers who surveyed the logging land. In the 1920s, the wool Cruiser and pants were so admired that they were affectionately dubbed the “Alaskan Tuxedo,” the outfit of choice for anyone working in the timber industry. By 1927, the patent was no longer in effect, allowing other brands to reproduce the design. To date, the Cruiser has become one of the most widely imitated pieces and has remains one of Filson’s best selling items today.

Filson’s expertise in outdoor outfitting and his slogan “Might as Well Have the Best” was reflected in his use of materials. Whether active in drenching rain or severe cold and snow, Filson made a natural fabric that would stand up to the worst abuse, and keep functioning for years and generations to come. For more than 100 years, Filson is renowned for its proprietary fabrics including Mackinaw Wool, Tin Cloth, Shelter Cloth, Cover Cloth, Rugged Twill and Bridle Leather.

Filson’s Mackinaw 100% virgin wool comes from a small band of hardy sheep in a special region of the U.S. that is woven to Filson’s unique specifications, it is proven to provide greater resilience and more natural insulating qualities. Last fall, Filson introduced a limited edition of the Cruiser in the original Scarlet color limited to 897 pieces, which was sold out rapidly. But don't be sad there are a lot of other great color options available, for more details click here.

THE AMERICAN DINER

Empire Diner - New York, NY

11th Street Diner - Miami Beach, FL

Nifty Fifties Diner - Port Thownsend, WA

Rock & Roll Diner - Oceano, CA

Sally's Diner - Erie, PA

Scotty's Diner - Fort Worth, TX

101 Cafe - Oceanside, CA

Circle Diner - Latham, NY

Square Diner, New York, NY

Palace Diner - Hauppauge, NY

Denny's Classic Diner - Cortez, Co.

Americans love to eat and nothing could be finer than eating breakfast, lunch or dinner in an American Diner. On my travels to various parts of the States I love to have breakfast in one of those oldies myself as well. The first diner was created in 1872 by a man named Walter Scott, he sold food out of a horse-pulled wagon. The first manufactured lunch wagons with seating, appeared throughout the North eastern US in the late 19th century. As the number of seats increased, wagons gave way to pre-fabricated buildings in the heyday of the diners in the 1950s. We all know those streamlined buildings. The typical American diner serves mainly fried or grilled food, like fried eggs, bacon, hamburger, hash browns, waffles, pancakes etc. The food is usually quite inexpensive and cooked to order. I'm looking forward to next week when I will travel through the Rockies and hopefully can visited one or two of those All American Classics. (above you find some pics from my previous travels)

RUGBY LONDON SS 2012

Preposity posted some pics of the Rugby Store in London. Enjoy the Visual Merchandising of the guys & girls @ Rugby.