Just An Observation

I don't understand how people can just "do nothing."

(To explain my current thought process here's a quick little anecdote: Today I went over to an upperclassman's apartment to make dinner with. Since we were making pulled pork, we had to wait 4 hours for it to cook. In the period of time the two friends I have that live there played a computer game, and watched a hockey game, respectively. I consider video games to be one of the most pointless things that somebody can do, and yes at times sports can be entertaining, but for 4 hours?)

I need to be doing something, at almost any given time. I have this innate tendency to keep myself busy, and I wouldn't like it any other way. If I'm not running around like a madman trying to fit everything in, I'm not being me. So when people "get bored" or have "nothing to do" I just quite nearly implode.

So I consider this quote.

"Time you enjoyed wasting, was not wasted time."

Of course there are times where I just sit and talk with friends, or something along those lines. I'm not technically doing anything. And here is where my sociology class kicks in; although I don't enjoy spending countless hours playing a video game or watching a sports team play, other people do. Does this mean that it is not wasted time? I have some trouble completely believing in this quote for this reason; just because you enjoy playing video games, can you play for 48 hours straight while you neglected other tasks (because lets be honest over the course of 48 hours you really should have something else you should be doing) and still consider that time not wasted?

I suppose that I was raised under the precedent that there is always something to be done, somewhere, for something. My mom told me that "only boring people get bored." Of course I didn't want to be boring, because who likes boring people?

I find things to. Productive things. I see no productivity in certain activities. I suppose my perspective on productivity follows an economic model, which in a broad sense has regards "of or involved in the creation of goods and services to produce wealth or value." The best example I can think of is when I'm picking weeds, I like to see that I have, in fact, made a difference in the landscape. Does that make sense? It's the fact that something of value has occurred, positively affecting my or somebody else's life.

 This has largely been a random, ranting post in which I try and understand social things.

Hot Hot Heat.

It's supposed to be 90 degrees tomorrow so I started thinking about my wardrobe, and the fact that I don't own any good summer clothing. I put together a 'wishlist' of clothing and accessories that I would love to have for the summer. This list includes:

... A Chambray button-up

... A Button-down shirt in essential summer plaid

... Broken-in chino shorts

... A Slub jersey polo

... A pair of flip-flops

... A new pair of go-to sneakers

... Some Real boat shoes

... A pair of nice sunglasses

.... A nice watch

.... What might be the most nautical belt ever

... And a duffel bag to go everywhere with.

I would be completely satisfied owning only these article this summer. On a side note, I have been looking for an all-purpose bag for a while and this canvas one seems to be perfect for all occasions. I plan on doing a bit of traveling this summer and as of now I don't have a bag that I can just shove things in and leave!

For all those female readers, you too should consider some of these items! A chambray shirt is perfect for summer weather, breathable and versatile. I didn't particularly care for boat shoes until I got to the east coast and realized that my feet need to be sockless, and they cannot continue to wear boots. And find something nautical; stripes are easy, as well as the theme of anchors, and the rough texture of rope.

Prepare yourself for summer and all of it's activities; it is coming faster than you realize!

Easter & Instagram

Happy Easter, and Passover for all of you who celebrate either. A few of my friends and I were invited to our friends home for the weekend and had a great time. On Easter we went out for brunch at their family's Country Club (fancy, right?) and enjoyed a good meal.

On a completely unrelated note, Instagram is now available for Android! This means I will be taking way too many pictures from my phone and editing them on instagram. Although it's become rather cliche to do, I really like how the pictures turn out. That is why I took all of these pictures seen above.

Only 5 more weeks of school! 

#Menswear?



If you've been following this blog for a while, you would know that originally this was a collaborative style blog between myself and my good friend Briana. And from that I learned that it is very hard to do a collab style blog when you're working with somebody with a different choice in style. So we went our separate ways and now I'm here.

Anecdote aside, I would to get back into style blogging. (Although being a college student I am not in the completely proper setting, a.k.a. I apologize for the fact that these are all taken in my dorm.)

Thursday                                                   Tuesday                                               Wednesday          

Most days it is just a variation of this, one might even call it my personal uniform.

Tuesday I only have Sociology so I dress comfortably:
•Button up Grey Checker Shirt, J.Crew • Maroon V-neck sweater, J.Crew •  Vest, Banana Republic •Levi 511 Jeans • Grey boat shoe boots, Urban Outfitter •

Wednesday I had a Midterm critique for my Studio, so this is me "dressing up":
• Denim Button up, L.L. Bean (thrifted)• Grey V-neck sweater, H&M • Black Peacoat, Vans (thrifted) • Maroon Corduroy 511's, Levi's • Maroon/Black saddle shoes, Florsheim (thrifted) • chambray bowtie, American Apparel •

Thursday I just had physics and then studio later that day, watching more presentations.
• Plaid flannel button up, Pendelton (thrifted) • Jacket, Virgin Poet Society/UO • Levi 511 Jeans • Clarks Desert Boots •

These three outfits I wore last week, and you can start to see how I like to dress. Usually a button up, a rather neutral palate, and dark outerwear.

I do realize that the majority of my followers are female, but I would like to get back into style blogging, even as haphazardly as this post appears to be. Obviously I am not that pleased to be taking pictures with my camera on auto-timer in my dorm, but what do my readers think of this?

Comments and suggestions are especially appreciated.

Nostalgia Is My Favorite Word

 

1) Steven Alan Slicker 2) J.Crew Plaid 3) Navy Chinos 4) J.Crew socks 5) Clarks Desert Boots

It's supposed to be raining/snowing this weekend and I do not want to be cooped up inside. On days like this it's hard to get the motivation to get dressed up, but I always feel more productive and energized when I look good.

In college, weekends are the best part of the week. Part of this is because now that swim season is over I don't see a lot of my older friends during the week and the weekend gives me time to hang out and catch back up with them. In addition to catching up on homework, of course.

April is just around the corner and it's hard to believe that I have only six weeks more of school. Freshman year just flew by and I haven't even had the time to realize what has happened. So many new experinces, people, places; and almost every single one of them was amazing.

I'm feeling nostalgic and reflective and happy.

It seems like every spring I loose all motivation to blog.

It's not even like I haven't had enough time, because I definitely have. My classes this semester are less time consuming (although I feel like I'm getting worse grades somehow) and one of my classes was only a half of the semester, meaning that it ended two weeks ago.

So here's what I've been up to:

-February flew by, and swim season built up and then came to an end. I did surprisingly well at our championship meet. I also participated in a tradition RPI men's team has which involves bleaching your hair, then cutting it into ridiculous things, then shaving it all off right before the meet. So now my hair is short.

-March is somehow coming to an end. Spring Break came and gone, much too quick for my liking. I explored Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia with some of the upperclassmen on the swim team, one of who was kind enough to invite me to his house over the break since it was too costly to go home.

-Last week we had some sort of heat wave in Upstate New York and is was high seventies and low eighties all week. Ridiculously warm, but I got to break in a pair of new J.Crew shorts. (On a tangent, I don't understand how to dress for warm weather. I try to wear heavy sweaters with shorts or tank tops with corduroy pants and boots.)


See? Confused.

- But now it's really cold again. Like a high of thirty degrees cold. I just don't understand.

- Tomorrow is my midterm for Architecture Design studio and I have more or less despised this semester. My professor is ridiculous, our assignment is vague and nonsensical. I have literally learned nothing. I just need to work to get an A and get excited for next semester.

This is part of what I'm presenting in my midterm. Not nearly as cool as the other sections work.

- I have been spending a lot of money on food lately. Having friends that drive + on the weekends the college food is pretty bad = going out to eat. I need to replenish my bank account.

That's more or less it. I'll be blogging more, and I'd like to get my act together and put together some more menswear related posts.

Peace out.

Unfortunately, That Cliché About ‘time flying when you are having fun’ Is True

Today is Sunday.
Classes start up tomorrow.
I'm not ready.

What happened to January?

I suppose that I do actually know where it went, but it went by much too fast. Having to head back to RPI on January 1st was disappointing since it was great to see all of my friends from back home. After a horrible travel day that involved 2 delays, a missed connection and expensive airport food I finally ended up in Albany after midnight, a total of 12 hours of travel. Then I was here, with nothing but the swim team and curiosities of what was to occur.
Being in architecture the first semester was a challenge to balance swimming in my life, and although I knew the entire team I didn't really feel like I KNEW them. (You know what I mean, right? Like that I hadn't spent enough time with them to individualize each person...)

On the third of January we went to Puerto Rico.

The men's team has a tradition... of looking insane during the travel day of the training trip.

And in between practices we had time to nap... ON THE BEACH.

Or besides the pool. It was nice.

IT WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE.
I trained harder that I had in my life, and got to spend all of my time with the swim team, in a tropical location. That is where I defined my friendships with the team, and my god do I love them. (Well, besides a few select individuals.) But in all seriousness I had a fantastic time, and made acquaintances into friends and friends into some of the best friends I've had.

After 8 days we headed back here, to Troy, to continue training. And after a little over a week and a half later here I am telling you about all of it.
And tomorrow I start school again.

I'm taking Building & Thinking of Architecture II, Materials & Design, Architecture Design Studio 1 (which is my studio course that takes up all my time), General Physics, and Sociology. Last semester felt kind of surreal because I was just dipping my feet into what to expect at college, but now I feel like it's time to get serious. In general my goals for this semester are to keep working hard academically, spend more time with members of the swim team, and to not stress myself out about the little things.

Listening to a CD that Natalie sent me, I wish you all a good luck on wherever you are in life right now.