I also hate shopping for shoes. I have one foot that is US size 11 1/2 and the other 12. The biggest problem is that they are narrow and it is very difficult to find shoes in size 12 in anything but D width or greater. Since I have to wear steel toe shoes everyday, I have to spend extra for a certain model of Red Wings that is one of the few that comes in narrow widths. The ones I have are wearing out and I am dreading looking for new ones.
Do you know the wonderful sequence in Homage to Catalonia where Orwell buys a pair of bespoke boots because his feet are bigger than any Spaniard's? I put that in the same box where he answers the Ukrainian questionaire as to likes and dislikes and says he loves the red wines of France. When I was 21 I said aloud, "You don't think socialists came up with those, do you, Blair?"
My husband, who also needs narrow sizes, likes to buy shoes from SAS which is short for San Antonio Shoes. We thankfully have a shop within driving distance whenever either of us need new shoes. They have a website, and sell sizes up to EEE if I remember correctly. Some of those need to be custom ordered, but they are excellent quality and worth every penny of the $100 or more you'll spend for a pair.
I love SAS shoes. It's really hard to find well made shoes, with decent support (even the sandals), and to find wider widths for women. There's no place around here that does bespoke women's shoes.
I think every guy I know (myself included) has issues with men's shoes. Maybe there's no such thing as a "standard men's size" and we are all sui generis when it comes to our feet.
I share you shoe anxiety. I’m a 12 B. I wear Red Wing 952 daily, but they have been discontinued, so I’m on the second set of resoles. My steel toes are Red Wing 2233, which fit great, but heavy. I’ve had good performance out of L.L. Bean Cresta Hikers in medium width. That’s about it. And yes, when I look down at my feet, I see Li’l Abner, but there isn’t much alternative. The shoe industry has standardized on D or wider and has abandoned narrower widths.
Yes, please! I like how you phrase that. One is absolutely soulless, the other, you can almost feel the life in your hands. Certainly you feel alive and closer to God while you’re creating.
How does technology (which really, is just about any manipulation we humans do) "destroy the image of God"? Yes, I'm sure it can, but I don't think that's an inevitable result.
Mass produced items have been soulless and "meh" for a very long time. That was even true when cheap concerns churned out crappy goods for the masses in antiquity (for the third time this week I cite survivor bias-- the good stuff has lasted, the shoddy stuff was thrown out long ago).
But can anything be truly "godless". God is in all place and fills all things, so I will say No to that.
What a breath of fresh air this post was! I love hearing about well made items (and bespoke shoes! I feel your pain as my feet have a number of issues that challenge RTW shoes), as well as to hear the joy of the craftsmanship and ownership of them. Thank you for this one! (And, more like this, please!)
My grandfather, the finest man I have ever known, was a tailor. When we we all lived in Brooklyn he would Saturdays take the subway up to Grand Street in Manhattan hunting for treasures. Once he bought the remains of a bolt of khaki and made a summer-weight suit for me. I was four. The purchase completed he would go over to Mulberry Street and dine alone at Luna. Say 1958. He had a pedal Singer sewing machine which, I believe, my cousin still possesses.
BTW, for those interested, I can't figure out from going online whether Luna is still open post-pandemic, but there is a shot of it in the wonderful mixed-up geography of Moonstruck when Loretta goes to buy the split of Champagne. The Castorinis are supposed to live in Brooklyn of course, not the lower East Side.
It was my great joy to live in the Brooklyn neighborhood where the Castorinis lived. Their house was 19 Cranberry Street, which is in Brooklyn Heights -- not a plumber's house today. The Cammareri Bros. bakery was actually a bakery in our neighborhood of Cobble Hill. "Moonstruck" is my favorite romantic comedy, bar none.
What's completely charming is that the exteriors are all scrambled. As I say, the restaurant is downtown Manhattan. In the old days the proprietor, an old hag, would trade insults in Neapolitan with the clientele (that wasn't my grandfather's style), but that's where Loretta parks her car after accepting Johnny's proposal. After spending the night at Ronnie's after La boheme she dances in from the esplanade. It just works. I believe Bobo's place, the Grand Ticino, is or was actually a Village joint (Edmund Wilson used to go there during Prohibition and wave to e.e. cummings.) It's hard to tell online whether any of these places made it past COVID.
I don't think anybody's going to write down Norman Jewison as one of the great directors, but something just clicked in that movie. The script first off, the casting. Everything just works. "This is the most tormented man I have ever known."
My cousin Tony--older than I, dead now--once accompanied my grandfather on one of these trips to Grand Street. (We called our grandparents Mom and Pop.) They had a big plate of sausage and peppers. "Hey, Pop, does Mom know about this?"
From what I know of your timeline, you just got the last of Brooklyn. You wouldn't recognize it now. I certainly don't.
Beautiful machine. It’s not vintage, but, I love my Mother’s Pfaff. I think she purchased it in the early’70’s. Still runs like a dream, problem is finding people who can fix it anymore.
Would some of the issue be finding parts? I pray it’s not actually in my possession for a fair few years, yet, but, I’d love to be able to keep it running. She always took it to a vacuum repair shop. I used it a few years ago and it still runs well. Good to know that perhaps it will not be impossible to keep it chugging along.
Finding electrical parts would be key. The physical sewing mechanism (thread handling, tension, and timing) should last forever for the normal consumer.
The most common sewing machine repair is the needle inserted backwards. If you have big hanging loops of threads on the bottom of the stitch, re-install the needle with the flat side opposite the last thread guide. (I made so much money on that!)
Vacuums are an easy repair, but no one wants to work on them because they are so dirty.
Where would you begin to look for the electrical parts?
You made me laugh and almost spit out my coffee at the needle inserted backwards. Too funny. Now, watch, next time I sew I’ll manage to put in in backwards.
"Where would you begin to look for the electrical parts?"
Google is your friend. There are a few business that specialize in old sewing machine parts. I use to the small plastic trays full of them. I never charged for parts; I charged for labor.
It's about a not-too-distant in the future post US (which has broken up) which is a kind of high-tech dystopia presiding over slums—but one of the new nations, the Lakeland Republic of the upper Midwest, has gone its own way. The Lakeland Republic has revived the old customs of craftsmanship and direct democracy, and old fashioned tech....and people live a kind of 1950s retro existence.
The compare and contrast of the two societies is highly enjoyable and I really recommend.
In the novel people are desperately trying to sneak into Cleveland! They are trying to escape the shoddy bioplastic raincoats and shoes in favour of properly tailored wool suits and rotary dial telephones.
When he was writing it John Michael Greer published a chapter every week on his website the Archdruid Report. The next instalment was the highlight of my week for a while.
Anywhere near the Great Lakes is subject to Mordor-like levels of gloom in the winter, I didn't realize how oppressive that is until I moved to Florida the first time in 2003. For that reason alone I can;t see myself ever moving back up there.
Yeah, it’s pretty awful. This year, I put up grow lights for my indoor plants. I’m hoping that having full spectrum light throughout the house, plus, the usual mega doses of vitamin D will help.
John Michael Greer set the novel there specifically because he thinks it has a good chance of post-collapse survival. If I remember correctly it was to do with the availability of resources and the use of the Lakes for sail-based transport.
In a real life scenario of this type, I would also expect people to be abandoning fast fashion in favor of bespoke, vintage and/or historical clothing of all types. Or even modern styles, but still handmade with good locally sourced materials.
I was looking for a woollen jumper but in the shops they are all made of man-made fibres and they look awful after a few weeks. I am currently saving up for a hand knitted one from a Scottish island.
Recently I've been having fun looking up people who decide to wear bygone fashions full time. Usually things they've made themselves. Zack Pinsent is an example; Bernadette Banner is another on my side of the pond. I don't know about going to that extent myself, but I do like how they make do with fewer, well made items of clothing of all natural fibers that last many years. Such clothing tends to be more expensive up front, but over the long run can actually save money as well as the environment. Plus they just look classy compared to what comes out of fast fashion these days.
I’m looking forward to becoming competent at sewing and knitting so I can start making things for myself. Just gotta keep practicing. Though, when there’s no one around to teach you, it’s kinda hard. I keep bugging people, though, eventually I’ll find someone who won’t tell me to “just go watch YouTube”.
There was a piece in the Atlantic about how artificial fibers lose their freshness quickly and end up looking quite blah and unshapely in fairly short time periods.
I friend of mine whose wife is a nurse mentioned that she has recently been running through some studies that suggest there may be links between wearing synthetic fibers and certain types of cancers. I don't know what the veracity of this (I mean, it seems as though everything gives you cancer and one can go down rabbit holes avoiding one carcinogen only to be actually exposing yourself to another more insidious one which you ignored. Still, she is taking this seriously enough to intentionally try to cycle through their clothing to the point where they shed as much polyester as possible. That's probably a good thing whatever the cause. Something broke in our culture with the ascendency of the polyester leisure suit.
I have custom made hiking boots from Peter Limmer in North Conway NH. 18 month waiting list at that time, probably longer now. The only boots that have ever fit me, made in a traditional Austrian style, to last a lifetime. A gift of my children. Now all my children are given Limmers off the consignment rack. They trade them back in like rentals when they grow out of them, or pass them down. We have completely rejected the cheap glued (although lightweight) boots that don’t last more than a year.
Oh my gosh, the shoes! I've had problems finding decent shoes since I was six, thanks to genetics on my father's side of the family. Occasionally, I will find shoes that are decent, and I'll go with the brand for ages until things change enough that I have little choice but to try to find something different. I've been pretty happy with Sense of Motion shoes the last couple of years, but over the last couple of months, my feet have been killing me almost nonstop. The idea of shoes that actually fit *and* look amazing... what a dream!
I find the amazing amount of youtube stuff on sewing an knitting and crafts and restoration to be a beautiful thing, and I hope someday to learn to sew because I'm sick of how poor today's clothing choices are, particularly for women. Even pulling out a few clothing items I still have from the 90s- it's so evident that the quality even on a lot of the cheap stuff was so much better! I'd like to get off of the cycle, and just do my own thing, but at the moment, I just don't have the time.
They’re in the US, but like Rod mentions above, they’ll make a model of your foot and make you shoes.
They’ve a lifetime warranty. I saw a YouTube video they posted about a fella who had a pair of their boots. He got a goiter, so he couldn’t wear them. They remolded the boots, making a place for the goiter to fit. All free, if I recall correctly.
I bought a pair of their moccasins. I have a feeling they’ll outlast me.
Very nice, and something to keep in mind, but unfortunately, it doesn't look like they make any women's shoes. :/
I was watching a youtube video awhile back talking about making shoes and historical women's footwear. I guess one of the reasons that many of those old shoes look so impossibly narrow is because many of them were made of material meant to stretch a bit around a person's foot. All these things are so fascinating! :)
If you ever are curious, there’s some good ones from Freed of London who make pointe shoes. Even I was able to get bespoke pointe shoes my last couple of years as a student. They were glorious!
It's not difficult to learn to sew but it does take time.
The key is to start with PJs as fit is relatively unimportant and no one outside your own home sees you wearing them. Look for beginner patterns. Don't begin with Vogue!
EVERYTHING you see machine-sewn can be sewn by hand if you've got the time.
Your sewing machine store (do NOT buy from a big box store) should offer lessons on how to use your new machine. Take ALL the lessons they offer. If they don't offer lessons, buy from a shop that does because you'll get better support for your machine when it needs repair and its annual checkup.
The other way to improve your sewing skills is to get a basic mending manual and start replacing buttons, repairing seams, and the like.
Then move on to thrift shop clothing. It's a cheap source of garments that you can take apart and alter. It's a way to learn without buying $15 a yard cloth.
Your library has stacks of sewing books at every skill range. Magazines, too.
I used frequent flyer miles for a machine years ago. It came with a DVD, but only my husband ever used it (and then rarely) because the time commitment is so hard. One day, I keep dreaming! :)
I have curtains that need hemmed... I'm working on getting the table clear so I can pin everything up and then ask a friend to help me with the project!
One of the things I really appreciate about Morgan Donner (among others) on Youtube is her willingness to show how there's a lot of working on a project, making mistakes, fixing mistakes, pulling things apart to fix them, etc. She's incredibly talented, but she's also attached things the wrong way out, or had something just not work, and she's really good about not editing that out (and even laughing over it) and it makes doing it seem so much more possible!
Those are some fancy looking boots. I love to see great craftsmanship.
It would be interesting to know if your subscribers are skilled in any handcrafts. Though I wouldn't say I'm highly skilled, many years ago we had a flock of sheep which led me to learn how to spin yarn on a spinning wheel. I don't spin anymore because it's such a slow process. It took over a year for me to spin enough yarn to knit a sweater. However, I still knit and crochet and have a multitude of hobbies that spark my creativity and keep the traditions alive.
I’ve dabbled a bit in soap making and different rubs and things. I still sometimes do soap, but, I’m out of my depth with everything else. Frankly, I’m a bit out of my depth with soap, too, lack of an instructor is my eternal problem. Would love to learn more. My whole backyard is turning into a kitchen garden and that’s been the goal…grow stuff and make stuff with what I grow.
Every woman on my mother’s side of the family crocheted, and I have fond memories of watching my Grammy crochet. They all sewed their own clothes too. I never learned while I had the chance, even with Home Ec, but have struggled to learn both in the last 20 years. I sew very simple patchwork quilts; and can finally crochet a good blanket with straight edges:) Very fun! Although now my left elbow hurts when I crochet. The price of getting old.
Wear an elbow compression sleeve. I wear compression gloves for all my dry work (can't cook or garden in them). The right compression support garment can save your joints.
Gorgeous boots Rod! I too think the advice you received was good advice, not just for clothing, but for other items as well. Try to buy few things, but what you do buy, buy intentionally and of a quality that will last. It's wonderful being able to buy from a good artisanal brand when you can find it. I am, God be praised, able to buy shoes off the rack so long as I can get something accounting for widths, and recently bought a nicer pair of Allen Edmunds. While not having the nice artisanal story of the family business you were able to find (and believe me, I looked for something that was a quirky family brand who could make to style I wanted at a price point I could afford, I just couldn't find it) I do like to buy American manufactured when I can. A recent find for those of you who love well-made belts, wallets, bags, and leather fly swatters (you heard me right), I highly recommend the leathermaker Colonel Littleton, https://www.colonellittleton.com/, based in the small farming town of Lynnville, TN (not quite two hours south of Nashville). My wife bought me a pair of their unusual buffalo leather suspenders and proprietary cologne (and for those of you young men who have not learned about the importance of using a cologne your lady is fond of, believe me, it's a game changer) for Christmas last year, and since then I have acquired three belts, a knife sheath, monogrammed sunglass case, and a leather bedside table valet tray, and I love using all of these very much. I've also been fond of fine pens for years, while I don't use them every day, I have a number of fine fountain pens which I use when I have important papers to sign.
The other thing I would say about finer made things, is that things that are quality made (even clothing) tends to have a viable aftermarket, and you can often get very good deals on items via Ebay and the like. Slightly unrelated, but it is a pet peeve of mine, I am of the opinion that every young man should take it upon himself to acquire his own black tie formal wear rather than having to depend upon rentals. You can find many amazing good deals on used items to fit any price for a song since these items tend to be worn rarely (for example, I acquired a perfectly fitting Brooks Brothers tuxedo in perfect condition for less that $100 (including shipping) by just checking back on Ebay for about a week until I found what I wanted. Over the years I have made a point here and there of splurging on unique accessories which make it a joy to wear. For example, (and granted, I paid a little more for these than I did for the tuxedo) a few years ago I purchased some silk formal socks made by an Italian firm who had made hosiery for various popes (probably not the current one!) and a hand stitched linen pocket square to complete the ensemble. I justify this by buying most of my day-to-day clothes second hand from thrift stores (underwear excepted).
The bowl is beautiful. I have a handmade bowl my husband bought for my 45th birthday. It’s from North Carolina and maybe one hundred years old. Likely for bread making at the time. It has pride of place on my kitchen island to store onions as I cook just about every day.
This was great Rod! An actual shoe maker. This brings up memories of my childhood when Mom would cart me to the local shoe store and the shop staff would actually measure your feet. Shoe buying was maybe once per year (fall/school), maybe twice if your sneakers wore out or for galoshes/winter boots. They lasted as long as your feet stayed the same size, more or less. Leather, canvas, that was it; no petro-chemical soles back then.
One positive about the modern age is the rise of craft beer, wine and spirits. As a young man, all the beer available was swill, American wines were limited to big California wineries like Paul Masson, and the whiskeys were made by big distilleries in Kentucky and Tennessee. Today, there are hundreds of craft beers, wineries are everywhere even in rural North Carolina where I just vacationed, and whiskey distilleries are common. The EM Walton distillery in Jacksonville, NC is wonderful.
You’re absolutely right about beer. On wine you’re exaggerating a bit . There we’re good independent California wineries but very little outside of California. On whiskey , what’s fascinating is the proliferation of Rye. Not too long ago you’d be lucky to find Old Overholt maybe Wild Turkey Rye. Now a good store may have 30 different types from all the place.
From what I understand, most all the distilleries that produced rye whiskey were shut down by Prohibition, the facilities sold and repurposed or torn down while in Kentucky the bourbon distilleries were moth balled and able to be restarted after the repeal.
There’s lots of local wineries in Virginia, started in the Piedmont & now in the Shenandoah Valley. The wines at Cross Keys Vineyards have won a number of awards.
Yeah there’s a growing number of craft breweries, vineyards, distilleries & cider works all around me. Cider is my favorite and just a few years ago I didn’t even know hard cider was still a thing.
When it's super hot out, I avoid the craft beers and go for the lagers -- Coors Banquet (bottle), Red Stripe (bottle), and the hardest to find, Olympia (can).
Lovely post today! I would love to have custom made shoes. I always look forward to flip flop season because I am such a hard fit. The boots and bowl are both beautiful.
I also hate shopping for shoes. I have one foot that is US size 11 1/2 and the other 12. The biggest problem is that they are narrow and it is very difficult to find shoes in size 12 in anything but D width or greater. Since I have to wear steel toe shoes everyday, I have to spend extra for a certain model of Red Wings that is one of the few that comes in narrow widths. The ones I have are wearing out and I am dreading looking for new ones.
Do you know the wonderful sequence in Homage to Catalonia where Orwell buys a pair of bespoke boots because his feet are bigger than any Spaniard's? I put that in the same box where he answers the Ukrainian questionaire as to likes and dislikes and says he loves the red wines of France. When I was 21 I said aloud, "You don't think socialists came up with those, do you, Blair?"
My husband, who also needs narrow sizes, likes to buy shoes from SAS which is short for San Antonio Shoes. We thankfully have a shop within driving distance whenever either of us need new shoes. They have a website, and sell sizes up to EEE if I remember correctly. Some of those need to be custom ordered, but they are excellent quality and worth every penny of the $100 or more you'll spend for a pair.
I love SAS shoes. It's really hard to find well made shoes, with decent support (even the sandals), and to find wider widths for women. There's no place around here that does bespoke women's shoes.
I love SAS shoes but there is one problem . . . once you start wearing them you can't wear anything else.
I think every guy I know (myself included) has issues with men's shoes. Maybe there's no such thing as a "standard men's size" and we are all sui generis when it comes to our feet.
I share you shoe anxiety. I’m a 12 B. I wear Red Wing 952 daily, but they have been discontinued, so I’m on the second set of resoles. My steel toes are Red Wing 2233, which fit great, but heavy. I’ve had good performance out of L.L. Bean Cresta Hikers in medium width. That’s about it. And yes, when I look down at my feet, I see Li’l Abner, but there isn’t much alternative. The shoe industry has standardized on D or wider and has abandoned narrower widths.
Ooh Rod, can you write something contrasting technology (particularly digital) with craftsmanship (as you describe here).
One destroys image of God. The other provides the setting for expressing the Image of God.
Yes, please! I like how you phrase that. One is absolutely soulless, the other, you can almost feel the life in your hands. Certainly you feel alive and closer to God while you’re creating.
How does technology (which really, is just about any manipulation we humans do) "destroy the image of God"? Yes, I'm sure it can, but I don't think that's an inevitable result.
Not the inevitable result, but the technolog-ism that Rod describes here is godless. It depends on how we see/use it.
In Genesis, Cain and his descendants make great technological innovation and worship that instead of God.
Mass produced items have been soulless and "meh" for a very long time. That was even true when cheap concerns churned out crappy goods for the masses in antiquity (for the third time this week I cite survivor bias-- the good stuff has lasted, the shoddy stuff was thrown out long ago).
But can anything be truly "godless". God is in all place and fills all things, so I will say No to that.
I’m jealous. I need bespoke shoes. This is worth taking a short trip to Budapest from Greece.
What a breath of fresh air this post was! I love hearing about well made items (and bespoke shoes! I feel your pain as my feet have a number of issues that challenge RTW shoes), as well as to hear the joy of the craftsmanship and ownership of them. Thank you for this one! (And, more like this, please!)
My grandfather, the finest man I have ever known, was a tailor. When we we all lived in Brooklyn he would Saturdays take the subway up to Grand Street in Manhattan hunting for treasures. Once he bought the remains of a bolt of khaki and made a summer-weight suit for me. I was four. The purchase completed he would go over to Mulberry Street and dine alone at Luna. Say 1958. He had a pedal Singer sewing machine which, I believe, my cousin still possesses.
BTW, for those interested, I can't figure out from going online whether Luna is still open post-pandemic, but there is a shot of it in the wonderful mixed-up geography of Moonstruck when Loretta goes to buy the split of Champagne. The Castorinis are supposed to live in Brooklyn of course, not the lower East Side.
It was my great joy to live in the Brooklyn neighborhood where the Castorinis lived. Their house was 19 Cranberry Street, which is in Brooklyn Heights -- not a plumber's house today. The Cammareri Bros. bakery was actually a bakery in our neighborhood of Cobble Hill. "Moonstruck" is my favorite romantic comedy, bar none.
What's completely charming is that the exteriors are all scrambled. As I say, the restaurant is downtown Manhattan. In the old days the proprietor, an old hag, would trade insults in Neapolitan with the clientele (that wasn't my grandfather's style), but that's where Loretta parks her car after accepting Johnny's proposal. After spending the night at Ronnie's after La boheme she dances in from the esplanade. It just works. I believe Bobo's place, the Grand Ticino, is or was actually a Village joint (Edmund Wilson used to go there during Prohibition and wave to e.e. cummings.) It's hard to tell online whether any of these places made it past COVID.
I don't think anybody's going to write down Norman Jewison as one of the great directors, but something just clicked in that movie. The script first off, the casting. Everything just works. "This is the most tormented man I have ever known."
My cousin Tony--older than I, dead now--once accompanied my grandfather on one of these trips to Grand Street. (We called our grandparents Mom and Pop.) They had a big plate of sausage and peppers. "Hey, Pop, does Mom know about this?"
From what I know of your timeline, you just got the last of Brooklyn. You wouldn't recognize it now. I certainly don't.
Ditto.
Dick Hyman’s score.
Those old Singers are awesome. Many are well over 100 years old and I daresay thst quite a few will be around 100 yesrs from now.
Beautiful machine. It’s not vintage, but, I love my Mother’s Pfaff. I think she purchased it in the early’70’s. Still runs like a dream, problem is finding people who can fix it anymore.
I still have my mother's Pfaff too.
There's not much to fixing sewing machines. (I use to work for singer a long, long time ago.)
Would some of the issue be finding parts? I pray it’s not actually in my possession for a fair few years, yet, but, I’d love to be able to keep it running. She always took it to a vacuum repair shop. I used it a few years ago and it still runs well. Good to know that perhaps it will not be impossible to keep it chugging along.
Finding electrical parts would be key. The physical sewing mechanism (thread handling, tension, and timing) should last forever for the normal consumer.
The most common sewing machine repair is the needle inserted backwards. If you have big hanging loops of threads on the bottom of the stitch, re-install the needle with the flat side opposite the last thread guide. (I made so much money on that!)
Vacuums are an easy repair, but no one wants to work on them because they are so dirty.
Where would you begin to look for the electrical parts?
You made me laugh and almost spit out my coffee at the needle inserted backwards. Too funny. Now, watch, next time I sew I’ll manage to put in in backwards.
"Where would you begin to look for the electrical parts?"
Google is your friend. There are a few business that specialize in old sewing machine parts. I use to the small plastic trays full of them. I never charged for parts; I charged for labor.
Might I recommend the novel Retrotopia by John Michael Greer to people who are interested in this topic?
https://www.amazon.com/Retrotopia-John-Michael-Greer/dp/1945810025
It's about a not-too-distant in the future post US (which has broken up) which is a kind of high-tech dystopia presiding over slums—but one of the new nations, the Lakeland Republic of the upper Midwest, has gone its own way. The Lakeland Republic has revived the old customs of craftsmanship and direct democracy, and old fashioned tech....and people live a kind of 1950s retro existence.
The compare and contrast of the two societies is highly enjoyable and I really recommend.
Does this mean I have to move to Cleveland?
In the novel people are desperately trying to sneak into Cleveland! They are trying to escape the shoddy bioplastic raincoats and shoes in favour of properly tailored wool suits and rotary dial telephones.
When he was writing it John Michael Greer published a chapter every week on his website the Archdruid Report. The next instalment was the highlight of my week for a while.
If it should come to pass, I’m glad I won’t have to move!
Cleveland isn’t so bad! But, yeah, it’s Cleveland, lol.
Anywhere near the Great Lakes is subject to Mordor-like levels of gloom in the winter, I didn't realize how oppressive that is until I moved to Florida the first time in 2003. For that reason alone I can;t see myself ever moving back up there.
I know a girl in Cleveland who calls it "America's North Coast".
Yeah, it’s pretty awful. This year, I put up grow lights for my indoor plants. I’m hoping that having full spectrum light throughout the house, plus, the usual mega doses of vitamin D will help.
Old running joke in the Detroit newspapers: in April sometime they should run the headline "Prodigal Sun Returns; Mistaken For UFO"
Ha! Too true!
John Michael Greer set the novel there specifically because he thinks it has a good chance of post-collapse survival. If I remember correctly it was to do with the availability of resources and the use of the Lakes for sail-based transport.
In a real life scenario of this type, I would also expect people to be abandoning fast fashion in favor of bespoke, vintage and/or historical clothing of all types. Or even modern styles, but still handmade with good locally sourced materials.
I am kind of doing that already to be honest.
I was looking for a woollen jumper but in the shops they are all made of man-made fibres and they look awful after a few weeks. I am currently saving up for a hand knitted one from a Scottish island.
Recently I've been having fun looking up people who decide to wear bygone fashions full time. Usually things they've made themselves. Zack Pinsent is an example; Bernadette Banner is another on my side of the pond. I don't know about going to that extent myself, but I do like how they make do with fewer, well made items of clothing of all natural fibers that last many years. Such clothing tends to be more expensive up front, but over the long run can actually save money as well as the environment. Plus they just look classy compared to what comes out of fast fashion these days.
You might like the work of Stuart Humphreys. His colour images of the past are amazing: https://twitter.com/StuartHumphryes/status/1308364130110373888
I’m looking forward to becoming competent at sewing and knitting so I can start making things for myself. Just gotta keep practicing. Though, when there’s no one around to teach you, it’s kinda hard. I keep bugging people, though, eventually I’ll find someone who won’t tell me to “just go watch YouTube”.
There was a piece in the Atlantic about how artificial fibers lose their freshness quickly and end up looking quite blah and unshapely in fairly short time periods.
I friend of mine whose wife is a nurse mentioned that she has recently been running through some studies that suggest there may be links between wearing synthetic fibers and certain types of cancers. I don't know what the veracity of this (I mean, it seems as though everything gives you cancer and one can go down rabbit holes avoiding one carcinogen only to be actually exposing yourself to another more insidious one which you ignored. Still, she is taking this seriously enough to intentionally try to cycle through their clothing to the point where they shed as much polyester as possible. That's probably a good thing whatever the cause. Something broke in our culture with the ascendency of the polyester leisure suit.
I read Retrotopia earlier this year and agree with this recommendation. The book raises interesting points about technology and society.
I have custom made hiking boots from Peter Limmer in North Conway NH. 18 month waiting list at that time, probably longer now. The only boots that have ever fit me, made in a traditional Austrian style, to last a lifetime. A gift of my children. Now all my children are given Limmers off the consignment rack. They trade them back in like rentals when they grow out of them, or pass them down. We have completely rejected the cheap glued (although lightweight) boots that don’t last more than a year.
Passionate artistry, regardless of medium, is something to cherish. Skilled craftsmanship, same.
Oh my gosh, the shoes! I've had problems finding decent shoes since I was six, thanks to genetics on my father's side of the family. Occasionally, I will find shoes that are decent, and I'll go with the brand for ages until things change enough that I have little choice but to try to find something different. I've been pretty happy with Sense of Motion shoes the last couple of years, but over the last couple of months, my feet have been killing me almost nonstop. The idea of shoes that actually fit *and* look amazing... what a dream!
I find the amazing amount of youtube stuff on sewing an knitting and crafts and restoration to be a beautiful thing, and I hope someday to learn to sew because I'm sick of how poor today's clothing choices are, particularly for women. Even pulling out a few clothing items I still have from the 90s- it's so evident that the quality even on a lot of the cheap stuff was so much better! I'd like to get off of the cycle, and just do my own thing, but at the moment, I just don't have the time.
Do y’all know Gokey?
They’re in the US, but like Rod mentions above, they’ll make a model of your foot and make you shoes.
They’ve a lifetime warranty. I saw a YouTube video they posted about a fella who had a pair of their boots. He got a goiter, so he couldn’t wear them. They remolded the boots, making a place for the goiter to fit. All free, if I recall correctly.
I bought a pair of their moccasins. I have a feeling they’ll outlast me.
https://gokeyusa.com
Very nice, and something to keep in mind, but unfortunately, it doesn't look like they make any women's shoes. :/
I was watching a youtube video awhile back talking about making shoes and historical women's footwear. I guess one of the reasons that many of those old shoes look so impossibly narrow is because many of them were made of material meant to stretch a bit around a person's foot. All these things are so fascinating! :)
There is one, at the very bottom. Women’s copper boat shoe.😀
If you ever are curious, there’s some good ones from Freed of London who make pointe shoes. Even I was able to get bespoke pointe shoes my last couple of years as a student. They were glorious!
It's not difficult to learn to sew but it does take time.
The key is to start with PJs as fit is relatively unimportant and no one outside your own home sees you wearing them. Look for beginner patterns. Don't begin with Vogue!
EVERYTHING you see machine-sewn can be sewn by hand if you've got the time.
Your sewing machine store (do NOT buy from a big box store) should offer lessons on how to use your new machine. Take ALL the lessons they offer. If they don't offer lessons, buy from a shop that does because you'll get better support for your machine when it needs repair and its annual checkup.
The other way to improve your sewing skills is to get a basic mending manual and start replacing buttons, repairing seams, and the like.
Then move on to thrift shop clothing. It's a cheap source of garments that you can take apart and alter. It's a way to learn without buying $15 a yard cloth.
Your library has stacks of sewing books at every skill range. Magazines, too.
Best of luck to you on your sewing journey!
I used frequent flyer miles for a machine years ago. It came with a DVD, but only my husband ever used it (and then rarely) because the time commitment is so hard. One day, I keep dreaming! :)
I have curtains that need hemmed... I'm working on getting the table clear so I can pin everything up and then ask a friend to help me with the project!
For the curtain hem, pin it up and go slow.
Don't be afraid of your seam ripper. I use mine all the time.
Everyone who sews does. We sew, we rip, we re-sew.
One of the things I really appreciate about Morgan Donner (among others) on Youtube is her willingness to show how there's a lot of working on a project, making mistakes, fixing mistakes, pulling things apart to fix them, etc. She's incredibly talented, but she's also attached things the wrong way out, or had something just not work, and she's really good about not editing that out (and even laughing over it) and it makes doing it seem so much more possible!
And iron, iron, iron! Also, baste everything first….keeps things from slipping around.
Oh, those days when you rip out more than you put in, lol
Those are some fancy looking boots. I love to see great craftsmanship.
It would be interesting to know if your subscribers are skilled in any handcrafts. Though I wouldn't say I'm highly skilled, many years ago we had a flock of sheep which led me to learn how to spin yarn on a spinning wheel. I don't spin anymore because it's such a slow process. It took over a year for me to spin enough yarn to knit a sweater. However, I still knit and crochet and have a multitude of hobbies that spark my creativity and keep the traditions alive.
I am so impressed that you spun by hand.
I don't do handicrafts but I grow herbs and make medicines with them.
I’ve dabbled a bit in soap making and different rubs and things. I still sometimes do soap, but, I’m out of my depth with everything else. Frankly, I’m a bit out of my depth with soap, too, lack of an instructor is my eternal problem. Would love to learn more. My whole backyard is turning into a kitchen garden and that’s been the goal…grow stuff and make stuff with what I grow.
Every woman on my mother’s side of the family crocheted, and I have fond memories of watching my Grammy crochet. They all sewed their own clothes too. I never learned while I had the chance, even with Home Ec, but have struggled to learn both in the last 20 years. I sew very simple patchwork quilts; and can finally crochet a good blanket with straight edges:) Very fun! Although now my left elbow hurts when I crochet. The price of getting old.
Wear an elbow compression sleeve. I wear compression gloves for all my dry work (can't cook or garden in them). The right compression support garment can save your joints.
Thanks!
I would love to have the experience of spinning. I think the feeling of the wool passing through your hands must be lovely.
Wool is so nice to work with. When purchasing yarn, I prefer using natural materials over acrylic.
Me, too! Natural fibers are just so yummy.
Gorgeous boots Rod! I too think the advice you received was good advice, not just for clothing, but for other items as well. Try to buy few things, but what you do buy, buy intentionally and of a quality that will last. It's wonderful being able to buy from a good artisanal brand when you can find it. I am, God be praised, able to buy shoes off the rack so long as I can get something accounting for widths, and recently bought a nicer pair of Allen Edmunds. While not having the nice artisanal story of the family business you were able to find (and believe me, I looked for something that was a quirky family brand who could make to style I wanted at a price point I could afford, I just couldn't find it) I do like to buy American manufactured when I can. A recent find for those of you who love well-made belts, wallets, bags, and leather fly swatters (you heard me right), I highly recommend the leathermaker Colonel Littleton, https://www.colonellittleton.com/, based in the small farming town of Lynnville, TN (not quite two hours south of Nashville). My wife bought me a pair of their unusual buffalo leather suspenders and proprietary cologne (and for those of you young men who have not learned about the importance of using a cologne your lady is fond of, believe me, it's a game changer) for Christmas last year, and since then I have acquired three belts, a knife sheath, monogrammed sunglass case, and a leather bedside table valet tray, and I love using all of these very much. I've also been fond of fine pens for years, while I don't use them every day, I have a number of fine fountain pens which I use when I have important papers to sign.
The other thing I would say about finer made things, is that things that are quality made (even clothing) tends to have a viable aftermarket, and you can often get very good deals on items via Ebay and the like. Slightly unrelated, but it is a pet peeve of mine, I am of the opinion that every young man should take it upon himself to acquire his own black tie formal wear rather than having to depend upon rentals. You can find many amazing good deals on used items to fit any price for a song since these items tend to be worn rarely (for example, I acquired a perfectly fitting Brooks Brothers tuxedo in perfect condition for less that $100 (including shipping) by just checking back on Ebay for about a week until I found what I wanted. Over the years I have made a point here and there of splurging on unique accessories which make it a joy to wear. For example, (and granted, I paid a little more for these than I did for the tuxedo) a few years ago I purchased some silk formal socks made by an Italian firm who had made hosiery for various popes (probably not the current one!) and a hand stitched linen pocket square to complete the ensemble. I justify this by buying most of my day-to-day clothes second hand from thrift stores (underwear excepted).
The bowl is beautiful. I have a handmade bowl my husband bought for my 45th birthday. It’s from North Carolina and maybe one hundred years old. Likely for bread making at the time. It has pride of place on my kitchen island to store onions as I cook just about every day.
This was great Rod! An actual shoe maker. This brings up memories of my childhood when Mom would cart me to the local shoe store and the shop staff would actually measure your feet. Shoe buying was maybe once per year (fall/school), maybe twice if your sneakers wore out or for galoshes/winter boots. They lasted as long as your feet stayed the same size, more or less. Leather, canvas, that was it; no petro-chemical soles back then.
One positive about the modern age is the rise of craft beer, wine and spirits. As a young man, all the beer available was swill, American wines were limited to big California wineries like Paul Masson, and the whiskeys were made by big distilleries in Kentucky and Tennessee. Today, there are hundreds of craft beers, wineries are everywhere even in rural North Carolina where I just vacationed, and whiskey distilleries are common. The EM Walton distillery in Jacksonville, NC is wonderful.
Whiskey: yes, if you can be happy with a thimbleful a night. Long live George Dickel.
You’re absolutely right about beer. On wine you’re exaggerating a bit . There we’re good independent California wineries but very little outside of California. On whiskey , what’s fascinating is the proliferation of Rye. Not too long ago you’d be lucky to find Old Overholt maybe Wild Turkey Rye. Now a good store may have 30 different types from all the place.
From what I understand, most all the distilleries that produced rye whiskey were shut down by Prohibition, the facilities sold and repurposed or torn down while in Kentucky the bourbon distilleries were moth balled and able to be restarted after the repeal.
I once bought a craft six of rye beer. It was so bitter it was nearly undrinkable. Not that I didn't drink it.
Strange because beer made with rye is normally made in a style similar to weis. Hence hopping is low and bitterness not usually a factor.
Maybe it was the hopping. The stuff was dreadful. But I'd be god damned if I poured it down the drain.
What I don’t drink , I cook with. Beer I don’t like goes into sauerkraut.
Wooly Pig Farm Brewery in central Ohio makes a fantastic Rye Dunkel. I have a few in my fridge as we speak.
There’s lots of local wineries in Virginia, started in the Piedmont & now in the Shenandoah Valley. The wines at Cross Keys Vineyards have won a number of awards.
Virginia does have a number of good wineries. I’ve to a few around Charlottesville.
Yeah there’s a growing number of craft breweries, vineyards, distilleries & cider works all around me. Cider is my favorite and just a few years ago I didn’t even know hard cider was still a thing.
When it's super hot out, I avoid the craft beers and go for the lagers -- Coors Banquet (bottle), Red Stripe (bottle), and the hardest to find, Olympia (can).
Lovely post today! I would love to have custom made shoes. I always look forward to flip flop season because I am such a hard fit. The boots and bowl are both beautiful.
If you can easily buy shoes off the rack, consider yourself lucky - true. I know from first hand experience.
I can buy shoes off the rack but I've learned to buy better ones and to stay away from the cheapies.