Voluntary Simplicity

"The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life. It's so easy to make it complex."

So says the sage figure - Yvon Chouinard - in a scene from 180° South

The quote (and documentary) really resonates with me, but instead of trying to wax poetic on the subject of voluntary simplicity, let me take a simple stab at trying to put the idea into a prep context.

Preps gravitate towards quality, the classics, and the time-tested.  Be it "stuff" like clothes, cars, and furnishings or those pursuits of the mind and soul: education, charity, and the spirit of stewardship.

Tradition. Ritual. They link us to the past and give us a heading for the future. I try not to clutter my closet or my mind with "stuff" I don't need. A "prep lifestyle," or moreover, a "Cascadian prep lifestyle" suits this aspiration.  Fortuntely for me, the people of the Pacific Northwest (for the most part) get this concept. But then again, it's hard to be showy and ostentatious when you're indoors so much of the time or when you don't know whether the person next to you is a billionaire. (Seriously)

Men's Patagonia Rain Jacket

As a company and as a brand, Patagonia also gets this concept. Now don't think I'm getting all weepy on you. One has to be very selective in what you buy from them or you might come out looking like a "Trust-a-farian" - you know a Rastafarian wannabe with a trust fund - or that pizza guy at your favorite summer or winter resort who "doesn't care about money," yet drives an A6 and lives in the corner suite of that new condo complex. Just sayin'.

Keepin' it simple in Cascadia... one "Rain Shadow Jacket" at a time.

(At the time of this posting it's  57°F and lightly raining.)

Follow-up to Nantucket Reds / U2

As a follow-up to my posting on wearing the venerable Nantucket Reds to the venerable U2 concert, I'm sharing this posting from Daniel Rosenthal in Quora.  It's funny and it aptly explains the allure of  U2 and bands like U2 to this Cascadian prep. Just substitute "Nantucket Reds" for "jeans."  Enjoy!

Big Market
Imagine you’re a middle-aged, upper-middle class male.You live in a large metropolitan area. You have a good job. Your wife does Pilates. Your oldest just started Kindergarten. Yes, you’re an adult but you’re still cool! Your jeans cost $125. Sometimes you wear sneakers with a blazer!

You like the idea of being a guy who’s into live music but the last few concerts you’ve been to were a) too loud b) too crowded c) too foreign (you're lucky if you recognize one song). You’ll snap a few photos with your smartphone and tell your bros about it to get some street cred but let’s face it – you didn’t enjoy yourself. There are millions of you. And you’re willing to drop cash to have a concert make you feel cool again.

Product Market Fit

Then you learn that U2 is coming to town – U2! Earnest, melodic, Oprah-endorsed U2! $200 a ticket? No problem. You get a sitter. Your wife is excited – this is going to be great! You invite some friends from college to join you.

On the way, you listen to the “early stuff”. Joshua Tree pumps through the speakers of your Lexus SUV (no judgement - you have two kids!). The harmonies soothe. The lyrics are straightforward. You recall a simpler time before car seats and prostate exams. The nostalgia is so thick you have to wipe it from your face. You haven’t looked at your phone in nearly 11 minutes.

You arrive at the show and see yourself everywhere. Tasteful North Face and Patagonia jackets abound. The stands are awash in earth tones. No one is shoving. No one has a nose ring. These are your people.

Usability

The band begins with A SONG YOU RECOGNIZE! You’re on your feet. You’re drinking “craft” beer. Everyone is singing terribly.

And the best part – YOU CAN DANCE HERE! 80,000 people surround you and there’s not a coordinated movement in sight. Even the band sets a low bar. Bono doesn’t so much dance as lunge and bounce. The other guys seem content to nod and rock. All around you, middle-aged people are rocking and lunging and bouncing and singing badly. Is that guy wearing Tod’s loafers and a Barbour jacket? Yes he is. And he’s in the zone.

The set is basically a greatest hits playlist. The band graciously performs two new songs that no one recognizes to give you a few minutes to use the john and grab another IPA. They might as well flash an intermission sign.

Even the political statements go down smooth: “Democracy!” “Fight AIDS!” How could you possibly disagree? You’re not only dancing and reminiscing – you’re spreading freedom and reasonably-priced medicines to distant lands!

And the kicker: not one but TWO encores, the ones you know best – the ones you first heard that summer you painted houses or kissed Katie at the beach party. You’re closing your eyes now. This is sad and sweet. You put your arm around your wife. You’re wondering if Katie ever got married. A third of the crowd departs after the first encore. It’s no big deal – some of us have work in the morning! Anyway, the traffic will be better if everyone doesn't leave at once.

Nantucket Reds in Cascadia

Just a quick little posting to say that my faith in Cascadians is restored... at least temporarily.  I donned my relatively new Nantucket Reds at the U2 concert at Qwest Field (Seattle) Saturday night and was met with compliment after compliment. Most kudos came from drunken rabble-rousers, but their words were positive, nonetheless.  Giant-sized grunge guys, middle-aged suburban women on a "Girls Night Out," and Vancouver Canucks fans down for the show all paid tribute to the "Reds." (Congrats to the Canucks who won Saturday's game of the Stanley Cup.)

U2's 360 screen from the floor of Qwest Field

a surreal experience

Since the Mrs. and I had general admission floor tickets (putting us on the crowded field), she appreciated my wearing them since she could see me a mile away - I easily stood out in a sea of blue jeans, baggy brown cargo shorts, and fully-tattooed legs.  There must be something about U2 which causes one to have an open mind because I really thought I would be jeered, not high-fived by my fellow Cascadians.

The pants are great, but you have to choose your venue wisely.  The U2 show was absolutely incredible, and they chose their venue wisely - a metropolitan Cascadian night. 70 degrees F, not a cloud in the sky... only stars and the dulcet tones of The Edge's guitar.

Filson - "Might As Well Have The Best"

No self-respecting Cascadian prep or general man's man would be caught dead without his side adorned with a Filson briefcase. Quite simply THE. BEST. BRIEFCASE. EVER.*

the mark of [cascadian]excellence

I have the "Original Briefcase" in otter green, which today sells for $210.00 (a steal). Made from rugged twill glazed with oil, it is indestructable; and if you do manage to rag it out, the good people at Filson will repair it or replace it free of charge.

Shop floor at Filson

At their flagship store in Seattle, Washington, one may view the factory (sewing) floor from the showroom, which reveals several of the sweetest-faced little ladies from SE Asia you'd ever want to know made your briefcase.

interior of Filson

Have you noticed the "Harley wave" or "Porsche wave"? You know, when owners of these vehicles see another enthusiast, they give the two-finger signal, as to show membership in the same club.  With Filson, it's no different - get in an elevator or on an airplane with it, you are sure to get the nod or that two-fingered gesture in recognition of your impeccable taste.

* NB:  Not suitable for all professions or in all office environments. If you wear a suit to work, this style of briefcase (and brand) may not be appropriate, any more than wearing brown shoes to a black tie affair is. However, if insouciance is your MO, take the case and the brown shoes to that black tie affair, and have a one-fingered gesture at the ready.

Polo Wars

It's not what it looks like! (The author on right)

It was 1992 or 1993. In our downtown apartment over looking the lake and city lights, my roommate and I thought it would be a good idea to settle a score at long last.  Who was preppier, him or me? 

Instead of side arms, we entered this preppy duel equipped solely with the cotton arsenal in our closets and dresser drawers. The rule of the contest - who had more individual pieces of Polo Ralph Lauren clothing. (We were bored seniors in college and mildly intoxicated, so this seemed like a stellar idea.)

Back then, Polo was the standard bearer for quality and preppiness just as one could argue it is today.  Being young fools, we had wrapped so much significance in this brand of all brands to the point that we equated one's future success in life (wealth and enduring popularity with the opposite sex) with how much Polo we owned.

And so with a Shiner Bock (or was it cheap scotch) in hand, we headed to our respective bedrooms to  tally our ponies.

Me:  (3) button-down oxfords; (6) short-sleeved polo shirts; (2) pair of shorts; (1) twill baseball cap; (3) pair of boxer shorts; (3) pair of socks; (1) old bottle of Polo cologne

My roommate: (4) button-down oxfords; (3) short-sleeved polo shirts; (2) pair of shorts; (2) twill baseball caps; (6) pair of socks

Smugly, I thought I had this in the [tote] bag! 19 Polo-branded items to his to his paltry 17. But just as I was reaching for my bleeding madras crown, he slapped me down. "Not so fast, young Jedi," he said. "I don't have 17... I have 20." He reminded me that we said "individual pieces of clothing." I counted pairs of socks, and he counted individual socks. Beaten on a technicality.

He would go on to be a high powered attorney in New York, writing contracts. I would go on to IT middle-management in Pugetropolis, writing blogs.  But to this day, I still get great satisfaction from the fact that he didn't catch that my cologne was not an article of clothing.

The devil and the preppy are in the details.

Red Clay Sole

Not shot in Portland, Seattle, or Vancouver

Roland Garros is in full swing. At the time of my writing this, there are still a few North Americans left in the tournament. My fearless prediction - not to be confused with a lack of patriotism - is that no American will advance to the finals this year - men's or women's. I have history on my side. No American, in Men's Singles, has won since Agassi in 1999; and no American, in Women's Singles, has won since Serena Williams in 2002. You can't really blame us.  How many clay courts do you see in your typical North American city or suburb? Here in Cascadia, I can't think of many - besides the three at the Seattle Tennis Club - and they are not accessible to the average Joe or Josephina.

Seattle Tennis Club

You either have red clay in your soul or you don't.  We don't and here's why.  Clay courts are slower than hard courts, making it harder to hit "winners."  Americans like instant gratification; we like things fast. Clay courts require more maintenance than hard courts.  Americans are a "fix it and forget it" lot; maintenance is a fixed expense few cities or schools want. And most importantly, clay courts are "dirty" and will render our new white canvas Tretorns a rust-colored mess. And we just can't have that!

a Northwest Twist on a Classic Cocktail

First, let me say that it's really hard to beat a good London Dry gin, but in the spirit of keeping libations local, try this recipe:

2 oz. Washington Dry Gin (from Dry Fly Distilling out of Spokane, Washington)

Tonic water

Splash of Campari

Squeeze of lime (a germaphobe I know said not to throw the lime in your cocktail - it takes up room and it's full of bacteria!  I'll take my chances.)

Hemingway drank these while on safari in Africa, but he used Gordon's Gin. Source: "True at First Light" 

If you're in search of another local Cascadian favorite, check out Dry Soda for their all-natural, low calorie sodas. "Lavender" is the author's favorite because it reminds him of his prurience in Provence, but each of their flavors are unique and make excellent cocktail bastardizations mixers for gin, vodka, and tequila.

"In the sweet summahtime" Bob Seger, Night Moves