Thursday, April 21, 2011

Trad Spring Break and the Jay Kos Giveaway

LFG and I are back…momentarily…in Old Town before we execute our next sortie. First stop…Gotham. And trust me when I tell you that sortie-one was all about LFG. Oh, and her travel companion. It’s no longer sufficient to ask that I, the Daddy Rabbit…fun daddy that I am…be the sole travel partner on holiday. This was our first spring break endeavor involving one of LFG’s schoolmates. And it was a blast—rain and all.
A cloudy Gotham mist was predicted so we swathed and shod accordingly. Butcept LFG outgrew her rain slicker. That would be procurement one when we arrived in New York.  I left Union Station already shod for the day. White moleskins from Cording’s and Bean bluchers.
The Waldorf Astoria…A suite… and a couch for daddy in the parlor and of course, the girls get the bedroom.
See that closed door? That be the bedroom. And daddy’s not invited. It’s a new day for daddy…and a cloudy one not only outside the walls of the Waldorf. Just kidding—kinda. I read Flashman while they giggled and did girly stuff.
 I’m sorry that I’ve had to distort the lovely visage of LFG’s little friend but not everyone campaigns their kids mugs on blogs like me. Sorry about that Miss K.O’.
First stop…Dylan’s Candy Bar. 
They even had a section for me. This is the Southern White Boy Department.
And speaking of Southern White Boys...I was particularly offended by this.
I told you that this trip to Gotham was not in any way about my agenda or where I might want to go. I found solace rather quickly though, in the form of M&Ms.  Only one sartorial stop by me...and it was completely by accident and...with LFG's permission.
Back to the Waldorf for an early room service dinner. Belgian house shoes de rigueur. It was rainy so I left my new Suitable Wardrobe Willgians at home. 
And yes. Shut up in advance. These Cordings trews are pulling a bit. I'm up about eight pounds. But I remain thinner than you.
Room Service...nine hundred dollars. Creating memories for/with my only child? Don't ask about the total tarrif. Keep in mind...I have a zillion travel points.
The fun quotient equaled the tarrif...this episode in terry.
Really...what could be better than a post prandial evening carriage ride? I wanted to go in the Snoop Dog lowrider illuminatamobile. I got voted down.
"Pay the man, daddy" Ok.
Then on the walk back to the Waldorf, we passed Jay Kos and learned about his moving sale. He's decamping from Park Avenue to SoHo where his eclecticism will be better appreciated. Kos has evolved his edgy tradness towards a bohemian genre that, even though is less my thing, remains style-rich. And he's giving stuff away post haste.
They are blowing the goods out the door and have little time for you to call them and ask what's left. But if you can stop by, chances are you'll find a stunning bargain. Kos does THE best odd trousers in moleskin, corduroy and linen...favoring the top-pocket design that I enjoy. Trousers...three to five hundred bucks...all of them now...one hundred clams a go. And they are going.
The next morning saw us heading over to Rockefeller Center for the Top of the Rock visit. Butcept LFG and K.O'. wanted to stop and scream at some chorus guys from Glee. I'm way out of the pop culture know.
Top of the Rock
And then down to SoHo where LFG asserted that even in the rain, we'd make good on our Paul Frank, Balthazar, Pylones and Evolution junket. And we did. That's the now slickered LFG buying something at Pylones. She carries her own bit of money and pays for things without me standing there with her. I don't like it. I don't like it. She's not growing up. She's not growing up. She's not growing up. Shut up.
Umbertos was looking a little worse for wear. I suppose you can only trade on the lore of Joey Gallo getting popped in your restaurant for so many decades.
ADG mob lore. I know it all.
Evolution remains for us, one the the coolest stores in SoHo.
LFG spent seven dollars on fossils. After I spent thirty on a slicker. Shut up.
Once again, just as I did on our first visit to Evolution, I physically blocked LFG from approaching this area of the bone department. Poor, poor Raccoons.
En route to Pearl River I spotted the J. Crew Men's store on Broadway. With LFG's permission, I walked in for a moment. Nothing, nothing short of an insulting joke. Really. This whole artisnal, vintage, reinterpreted scam is nothing more than a third world sweatshop, poor quality farce. One day, when I'm in the mood, I'll write about why I give Ralph Lauren a pass on his version of this strategy. 
The only thing worth a second glance was this old Jack Londonesque, unrestored oil painting.
Pearl River...I got more use from my Flusser Mac this week than all the time I've owned it. Popped collar and the belt tied behind the jacket. You can spend money on the goods but if you have no sense of style, you won't know how to tweak it. When you posses limited charm like me, you learn how to evolve your style tweaking strategy.
Onward...planning our next little sortie for the week. With a mostly salt...and and little remaining pepper... beard.

ADG, II and LFG...Travelling.

27 comments:

Pigtown*Design said...

I am the biggest fan of Pearl River mart. I never leave empty-handed.

Have fun!

Let The Tide Pull Your Dreams Ashore said...

It looks like you all had a fabulous trip!!! I have memories of being a kid staying and at the Plaza…room service, carriage rides and FAO Swartz were the coolest things ever! Dylan's is one of my favorite places in the city! xx
ps: Great rain coat!

Patsy said...

You look like Edward Mulhare playing Captain Gregg in the last photo.

Ugh, Dylan's Candy Bar during school vacation week, you are a great Dad.

Main Line Sportsman said...

Cracker..LOL

Anonymous said...

Well said re J Crew...how long will people keep buying their marked-up crap I don't know. They certainly do have some nerve to charge what they do for what they sell.

Anonymous said...

I kind of imagined that your closet would look like that first pic of the Jay Kos store!

JMW said...

What a fun trip for you guys - she'll have such fond memories of this. Love a girl who spends her spring break money on candy and fossils. :)

ilovelimegreen said...

Love the shot of LFG and pal in the robes. Now that LFG is spending on her own, without your consent, WATCH OUT.

PS - Whenever my father would start to grow a beard, he would shave it the minute his beard became a bit more salt-y rather than peppery-y.

Anonymous said...

Bacon Lip Balm, makes girls think of you as undefinably dangerously, attractive.


What a coincidence, I am reading FLASHMAN, too. You me and a million other guys.

Just like that girl in seventh grade...


Alexander (Leggo) McCracker, IV

Anonymous said...

The former anon stole my thoughts. I found a catalog of J Crew's from twelve years ago and much like Abercrombie and Fitch, these stores have gone off the deep end.

Anonymous said...

We had almost an exact suite at the Waldorf this summer! (http://theclassicpreppy.blogspot.com/2010/08/madras-monday-summer-fun-in-review.html)
Don't you love it?? Great place to stay.....so old New York!

Sounds like a great trip!!!

ADG said...

ClassicPreppyOne...Yes, and there's very little Old New York left.

AnonDeepEnd...indeed. I don't expect Abercrombie to still posses inventory, knowledge and legacy for outfitting Safari and Expedition groups like they did in years past, but it would be nice if they would turn the freakin' music down and stop peddling child porn in their ads. Amazing how conservative one become when blessed with a daughter.

AlexLegCrackIV..."Bacon Lip Balm, makes girls think of you as undefinably dangerously, attractive"...yes, that and the condom ring that shows through the outer covering of my wallet. Been there for thirty years.

LimeGreenerette...My beard is gone. LFG ixnayed it.

JMW...candy and fossils indeed.

JoeMiddle...kinda actually.

AnonJCrewMarkup...Theirs really is a poorly thought out joke.

MainLiner...yep. They's cracker specific prejudice now. Let's sue 'em.

Patsy...the beard is gone now. And Dylan's wasn't bad...AND there was a lady giving out samples of Graham cracker bits covered in chocolate. I just stood by her and ate that stuff for the first fifteen minutes. Then I went to the bacon department.

TideDreamer...yes it was great. FAO is a bit faded from years past but it's still a good stop. LFG is now intrigued with SoHo however. And the Plaza...a bit of a tragedy given that their efforts to go mostly condo hasn't gone so well. LFG's mom and I were having martinis years ago in the Oak Bar, not knowing that LFG was now with us, in her mommy's tummy.

MegTown...I miss you. I'm coming up sometime soon ok?

Suburban Princess said...

Looks like a fun trip! I miss NYC.

I sent you an email the other day, dont know if mine are ending up in your spam folder.

ADG said...

Suburban....Could be spam filters or my crashed hard drive. I'm restoring files right now.

T said...

Now THOSE are some daddying skills. I'm sure LFG will remember that weekend fondly.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, the rubber stamp job you did on the robe pic is somewhat horrifying. Zoom in on your daughter's friend's face. brrrrrrrrrr. She's absorbing your daughter's likeness...for purposes unknown.

Unknown said...

Now, if only we can get you into a proper hat.

Anonymous said...

"Now, if only we can get you into a proper hat."

You get to him on the hat, and I'll see if I can get him to lose the prepped UP collar and the prepped BACK damn sash. Max, c'monnnn. You're too fine for that lingo.

Laguna Beach Fogey said...

Your style remains an inspiration, as always. Much of what you sport I couldn't pull off (not that I'd want to, but you get the drift).

I'm sure your family is very nice, and I'm certain your Soccer Mom Contingent (SMC) audience appreciates the photos, but did you manage to get drunk anywhere in midtown or the village or the lower east side? Get chased out of a strip club? Smoke cigars whilst strolling though the park? Get in a scuffle with angry vagrants? Wake up with hangover in a side street?

If not, do let me know and we'll make it happen.

ADG said...

LagunaFogeyMon...None of the above on this particular trip.

Flo...have no clue what you are suggesting.

David....that is a proper hat... Bugatti owners club hat.

T...yep. Weird ain't it.

Summer is a Verb said...

You and your extra eight are cordially invited to join me this morning, since the visiting bff just texted her bail, for a li'l insanity workout. Leave the Jay Kos bucks at home though cuz sweat makes the pastels bleed. Fondly yours, Officer von SummersButt

Reggie Darling said...

Hey-ho, what a trip! This will be the stuff of fond memories in the LFG department for many years to come. What a fine and thoughtful Daddy you are. And a most-amusing one, too. I agree with you about JK--I preferred the (only) slightly less edgy UES looks he once specialized in. Loved the Chines/Mexican/Crackers shot!

ADG said...

Reggie...LFG said "daddy...you told me that I had an eccentric Uncle Reginald who lived here in NYC and who was going to send me to Yale. Are we ever gonna meet him?" "In time LFG, in time...."

CeceliaMc said...

"Bacon Lip Balm, makes girls think of you as undefinably dangerously, attractive."

Like nitrates!

CeceliaMc said...

I love that tie and shoe display like I love my favorite bra!

Anonymous said...

Did the same trip with my 8-year-old this week, all he wanted to do was ride the subway. He wanted to ride every line at least once, but that wasn't gonna happen.

Love the Waldorf, but a friend in the hotel biz tells me it's bedbug central. Glad you made it unscathed.

Unknown said...

Bugatti owners Club, huh?
Didn't know they fielded a baseball team.

ADG said...

David...yes indeed. And they're looking for a catcher.

AnonBedBug...YES...I learned about it after we returned. Luckily that was a few years ago and they've eradicated them. Wait a minute...something's itching....

Cecelia...me too. Bofe.