Fashion and Function on the Run

I live in the most, shall we say, lifestyle diverse neighborhood in Seattle, so when I’m out on a run, it’s not surprising to receive an up-and-down from anyone, male or female. During the beginning of the reprise of my running life, a lot of those looks seemed to say, “Oh, look at the poor slob trying to run.” Recently, that empathy has been replaced with envy.

ashmei's Ultimate Softshell Running Jacket

How do I know that for sure? The very first time I went running in my ashmei Ultimate Softshell Running Jacket, a guy running in the opposite direction slowed upon approach, did a 180, caught up (too easily, perhaps) and asked, “Where did you get that jacket?!”

True story.

So many of us have spent so much time at Fernando’s Hideaway, that figment of Billy Crystal’s imagination, we’ve started subscribing to the it’s-better-to-look-good-than-to-feel-good philosophy. The U.K.-based company ashmei shows us that we can do both. Not only do I “look marvelous, darling” in my new jacket, I feel that way, too.

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Published in: on January 5, 2012 at 5:50 pm  Leave a Comment  
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The Shopkeeper, Re-Examined

The following rant is brought to you (unwittingly) by today’s visit from Leigh Nelson of Wessco Blinds. This is at least the third house for which I’ve had Leigh do window coverings. I really enjoy seeing and talking to her — and consequently doing business with her.

I’m just not sure a lot of people who venture into retail understand that the essence of maintaining business is building relationships with customers. There is a store that I love in Seattle (my hometown) which I sought to add to what hopefully is an esteemed list here at Derring Dude. The guys who work there are great, the concept is tremendous, but, yes, there is a “but.” It seems this place has a publicist. And, though nice enough in an email, the publicist sent me a release, said I couldn’t take photos and offered me a Flickr stream.

Yeah, really personable, this place.

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Published in: on March 3, 2010 at 3:49 am  Leave a Comment  
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Lost Boys Update: Shoes, Glorious Shoes

After poking, probing and trying on her clothes and thoroughly scanning her cool and inviting Lost Boys space, I asked owner Kelly Muccio if she also carried shoes. “I will,” she replied. And now she does.

SeaVees at Lost Boys

Before we delve into what Muccio inventories in the kicks department at her spot in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., we ask: Should it be an expectation for a clothing joint to offer shoes? I mean, flip it around. Certainly no one expects a shoe store to carry clothes, except for maybe socks (do socks qualify as “clothing”?). But, since the essence of the Lost Boys experience is having Kelly Muccio dress you from head to toe, I would say shoes probably are a must.

So these offerings from SeaVees are a welcomed addition — so much that a bunch of Muccio’s inventory flew out the doors the first day it was offered.
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Published in: on February 26, 2010 at 4:10 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Lost Boys: Found Fashion

She’s tall, blonde and 29, self-assured, effervescent and knows what you want. As DC Magazine recently wrote, “Kelly Muccio plays the role of the girlfriend you’ll never have.” So when she offers you a drink and her attention, it’s useless to resist.

Kelly Muccio, owner of Lost Boys

Falling under Muccio’s spell is the essence of the Lost Boys experience. You don’t walk into a row house in D.C.’s tony, historic Georgetown neighborhood seeking the cookie-cutter store you’d find in Everymall, USA, after all. The lure of a great boutique is the finely tuned vision of a passionate and knowledgeable owner — and so much the better if that vision intersects yours in a meaningful way.

For some, Lost Boys may require thinking a little out of the box. Set in such a seemingly buttoned-down hive that is our nation’s capital, the place has a nice West Coast vibe — cool and on the casual side with an emphasis on subtle quality. This probably is not an accident as Muccio spent some of her formative business years in personal finance out in La-La Land, home of the breezy, sometimes-gritty, details-turned-upside-down look that adorns her store, from display area to fitting rooms.
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Published in: on February 18, 2010 at 11:30 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Leffot: It Must Be the Shoes!

I’ve pounded pavement from sea to shining sea, but you don’t have to walk even a block in my shoes to know the futility of a search for fashionable men’s footwear. Shoes are supposed to be a “female thing,” the purview of leather hounds such as Imelda Marcos, Carrie Bradshaw and their ilk. The New York Post wrote, as recently as a couple years ago, that “it’s only for women that shoes become an all-consuming obsession.”

Based on my own inclinations, and those of people I know (some of whom track the release of, say, Nike Air Forces like others do the weather), I’d say the male focus on footwear isn’t considered at obsession level due only to the absence of available inventory. As a sports journalist, I’ve traveled extensively, killed considerable time in the name of fashion, and can suggest the best places to buy menswear in a lot of different cities. But ask me about a place, anywhere in this country, to buy well-made, in-style shoes, and I’m stumped.

Until now, that is. Until Leffot.
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Published in: on February 4, 2010 at 4:48 pm  Leave a Comment  
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