arrowsmithshoes.com

Dennis Rodman has his number retired

2011-05-10T15:17:00.001-05:00

Dennis Rodman is our kind of guy. I say that tongue in cheek as the gals in the office are not so sure. Rodman was a Detroit Piston before he became a Chicago Bull and I believe he is one of the most underrated players in NBA history. Now that the Bulls are tearing up the finals paying tribute to Dennis Rodman seemed appropriate and timely.

Sure, he's a weird guy and definitely walks to the beat of a different drum but you cannot deny his skill under the boards. He was a rebounding machine and if you follow Pat Riley's three "R's"advice on how to win championships "rebound, rebound, rebound" Rodman was the guy to have on your team.

Just recently a Detroit Gentleman's Club retired his number and will hang it on the wall inside the club. I don't know how much money you have to spend at a club to have your number retired but if you know anything about Rodman, I'm sure it was plenty. Way to go Dennis!

Craig

Become a preferred customer!

2011-04-15T14:23:00.006-05:00

Take advantage of the becoming a preferred customer and join the arrowmsithshoes.com mailing list. Once you do you immediately receive a $10.00 coupon code that you can apply to your order. You also receive notifications of any sales, promotions, or incentives before non members and joining is free. (Some sites charge for this service)

As a preferred member of arrowsmithshoes.com we encourage you to "tell a friend" about us and any referrals you send our way where a purchase is made can get you free gifts. Our past promotional give-a-ways included a Starbucks gift card, Marcus Cinema movie passes, and music CD's.
You can also friend us on Facebook as we post sales and promotions there as well. Please visit right here and become a lifelong member. We would love to have you!
Mandy

The grey jean option. . . !

2011-04-04T12:55:00.003-05:00

Recently, we've been posting some important tips on choosing the best style of jean for the spring and summer. However, we tend to look at jeans as an item you can wear all year long and have a hard time believing that you need a huge wardrobe of jeans.

Granted there is a summer jean and a winter jean but that doesn't mean you're limited to one or the other based on the season. Summer jeans are definitely thinner by a couple of points so wearing them in the hot weather makes sense. But I wear winter jeans in warm weather, especially at night.

Gray jeans can easily be your go-to jean this summer as the trend for this color has become popular all over Europe and in London. In most cases they're more than a little worn and washed and you can get them in different weights so you can bring them out in the fall and winter. The beauty here is that gray goes with everything!

We have a complete jean report and you and it shows that you can easily wear almost any kind of footwear with gray jeans. I like a trendy sneaker or a carmel slip on with gray as its trendier than most things you would think to wear with jeans. You can also role up the cuffs and go on a day trip or off to the country.

Mandy

Tommy Ton in Paris

2011-03-29T13:18:00.006-05:00

This year at Paris Fashion week, Tommy Ton has been on the loose capturing street scenes from the city of Lights. Ton is even more famous since I reported on him last year and he now shoots and assists style editors for fashion magazines, designers and big name stores and boutiques. Stylists pay him big bucks to capture real images from real people and then they design their clothing labels around fact and not a guess.

Every big fashion show has a special seat for Ton and he has improved his equipment to a $30,000 Hasselblad camera. Nice! Most photographers have to rent them but not Ton. He can afford the really good stuff.

Above you'll see some of what Paris Fashion Week looked like and what kind of street scenes Ton will photograph. Just about everything he shoots has people in the shot and all of us at Arrowsmith Shoes have been following Tom Ton for quite some time. We use his images to help in our buying so you get the 'what's-happening-now-look' and your wardrobe is up to date and stylish.

Stay tuned for more on Paris Fashion Week.

Craig

The Denim Guide. . .

2011-03-28T18:15:00.010-05:00

Denim for men has gone the way of the 'skinny.' Well, sort of. I'm not a fan of skinny jeans for men but I have to say that some of these jeans are pretty nice and I can get used to the look depending on how you style them. These jeans really accentuate the footwear. This pair by J. Crew is one of the most reasonably priced, best-fitting selvage options on the market. Seriously, any guy looks studly in these and they can be dressed up or down just as easily. This is not a true skinny but a straight leg jean, which I like. $225 at J. Crew.

Winner for Best Name for a Fit Ever goes to denim obsessive Brandon Svarc of Naked & Famous. this jean is called the "WeirdGuy" which I don't really understand but what do I know. It's got a tapered leg with a little more give up top. Perfect if you like a skinny jean but still want to have kids one day. Not perfect if you're looking for something on the lighter side. These are jeans with some serious, 'bulletproofish' heft and they're priced at only $135. Here's a great style that looks fantastic with this jean.

The essential Montauk-y vacation jean without the baggy fit you generally associate with sandy locales. With just the right mix of holes and abrasions, this vintage wash is specifically perfect for the warmer months. And, yes, it's another you should flash a little ankle with I love this jean and it's only $69.00. I love this jean and it looks great with all kinds of casual footwear.

I hope you like some of these styles as I think you can easily fit them into your lifestyle.

Chris.

Otis Redding - One very cool guy

2011-03-08T14:33:00.007-06:00

Black History Month paid tribute to many past performing artists and their incredible contributions to the world. And, for anyone who's curious, cool and stylish was probably invented by the likes of Miles Davis, Sammy Davis Junior and just about anyone who went to the Cotton Club. Black History Month was started 80 years ago so Arrowsmith Shoes thought it would be cool to mention it here in the popular blog.

Style is a inner thing and cool is an observation by others. Some people think they're cool but those people are so obviously not cool that it just doesn't work at all. Some people are naturally cool and you can instantly tell by the large crowd of people that usually hang around them. The first thing you notice when you see someone is how they're dressed and the first impression you have of them is probably correct. You think cool or not cool. At least that's what I do.

Who was cooler than Otis Redding (above). He played music and had that voice and probably never worked a day job in his life. He looked cool and he dressed cool because he knew he was cool and it worked for him. He wasn't faking it. Tragically, on December 10, 1967 on a cold and foggy day, he was killed when a small airplane he was riding in crashed into Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin killing him, his manager, the pilot and four members of his band. There was one survivor, Ben Cauley who was also a band member. Otis was 26 years old at the time. The plane crashed about 100 yards off shore and urban folklore that still lives today was that a brief case full of cash was never discovered. Even in death, Otis Redding was cool. Sitting on the dock of the bay was recorded three days before Redding died.

So in honor of Black History Month, all of us would like to give a nod and a toast to one of the coolest and most stylish person ever, Otis Redding.

Arrowsmith Shoes

Spring styles for 2011

2011-03-07T14:33:00.002-06:00

It's that time of year again and I have spring fever so bad I can hardly stand it and, as usual, I hate everything in my closet. This happens to me every year when the weather starts to get warmer and the days get longer.

Right about now I feel like changing my hair style or think about getting a tattoo and this is what happens to people when they live in a cold climate like Chicago. As much as I love the four seasons the winter doldrums hit me the hardest.

I do like my selection of ties this year as the trend didn't change too much from last year. Bright colorful ties were all over London Fashion Week and when I saw the Tommy Ton pics I was pleasantly surprised.. I have a lot of what is shown on the streets of London and I'm a huge fan of Tommy Ton. Plaid ties are cool and they're fun. You're not straying too far from the terminally dull styles of everyday men and you're not trying to shock even the trendy by wearing them You can wear a plaid tie almost anywhere and feel right at home.

What I saw this year is about a new generation of plaid ties that will add a refreshing hit of vibrant color to the suits you wear to the office week in and week out. The secret? Deeper, richer, darker colors. That's easy! Even if you don't have deeper richer colors softer tones will work perfect.

What I like about plaid ties is that you can wear a stylish colored shirt with pockets and casual trousers or you can wear them with jeans. If you dare, depending on the material of the tie, you can wear it under a vest with a three piece suit.

When you think of plaid try to make sure that plaid is plaid and let everyone know that its plaid. Let's see it. Ralph Lauren made a gazillion dollars with plaid and he ought to know style if anyone does, so wear plaid in all kinds of combinations.

Chris

The Value of Time

2011-02-14T16:27:00.006-06:00

Arrowsmith Shoes and all of us in the CD (Creative Department) are followers of Positively Positive on Facebook. They always post fascintating articles and videos on everything positive along with interesting interviews with people who have overcome incredible odds and adversity. In these trying times, being positive is a great and important thing.

Here's a video that I think you will love and it keeps things in perspective, expecially if you're having a bad day.

Happy Valentines Day.

Julie

When a man loves a woman. . .

2011-02-14T15:17:00.004-06:00

Hi everyone! When writing about Valentines Day I wanted to add my two cents in on the best and most romantic love story that was made into a movie. It should also be noted that when it comes to love stories Meg Ryan seems to be the woman everyone wants for the female lead. She's as cute as can be and just has that 'love story' quality that I enjoy in movies. If you think not too hard by the way you can rattle off some of the more romantic comedies she's been in. French Kiss, When Harry Met Sally, You've got mail and the list goes on and on.

I love this story and every woman who watches will love it to so guys, if you want a romantic movie to watch on Valentines day, rent this one.

The story revolves around Andy Garcia who's an airline pilot and his wife are forced to face the consequences of her alcoholism when her addictions threaten her life and their daughter's safety. While the Meg Ryan enters detox, her husband must face the truth of his enabling behavior. He loves her so much even with all her problems. I could cry just writing this blog.

If you want to surprise the woman you love with a dinner and a movie kind of night rent this movie and watch what happens.

Mandy

Love songs and . . . ,

2011-02-09T05:30:00.001-06:00

This Monday is Valentines Day and for me personally, it's one for the record books. For some reason I've had three men in less than a week ask me out on dates and for me, that never happens. As a "non girly girl," I don't get asked out as much as I like because I always seem to attract men who are only interested in girly girls. By 'girly girl' I mean the lipstick, perfume wearing girls who get all dressed up to go to the health club. That isn't me. Not by a long shot!

I love to be romanced, however and my last boyfriend was very romantic and would sing songs and send me cards and flowers. We no longer date because he was transferred to Florida for his job after graduating and the long distance thing just didn't work very well. Actually, it didn't work at all.

One of the fun things I remember was that we used to play old love songs and create play list of love songs that we would put on a CD and listen to them in the car when taking love trips. We would sing them like we wrote them and the Paul McCartney song above was one of them. Listening to it now makes me sad and I hope the date I have likes musice. Nothing brings out love like a love song.

Jill

Save me a spot!

2011-01-28T08:01:00.003-06:00

As taken from the repoters article in the Milwaukee Journal.

This job affords me some incredible opportunities. Being a member of the FOX 6 Sports team means I've been able to witness and report on events and people that many can only admire from a distance. I never take these situations for granted and sincerely appreciate being involved in whatever capacity each permits.

Monday marked just the most recent case as I had the unparalleled privilege to be a part of Aaron Rodgers charity event to benefit the MACC Fund, a charity towards eradicating childhood cancer and blood disorders.

Scattered throughout the crowd of rabid Packers aficionados, were the people who I consider the event's real MVPs. They are the families who've been forced to deal with one of life's toughest sentences - the loss of a child.

Those who sprung for the tickets were not disappointed. In a world where many athletes regurgitate canned and rehearsed responses, the Packers quarterback was refreshingly candid. Aaron addressed a number of topics with in-depth, honest reaction - even some that if reprinted and mass distributed might raise some eyebrows.
Aaron stressed the importance of availability and accountability. In his opinion, it is a player's responsibility to attend all of the team activities as they are all intended to better the team as a whole. And then, similarly, he addressed the importance of taking the heat/criticism when one falls short of expectations and duties.

He is never nervous to take the field. Aaron is supremely confident in the preparation he's put in during the week leading up to Sunday's match up. The way the 2009 season ended was disappointing, but his self-confidence was not affected by the outcome. One of the toughest realizations was that that combination of players would never take the field together again. He likened the team to a family and admitted that conflict can and does occasionally exist, but they try to handle such situations with maturity and civility.

He talked music and his love for tunes at a young age revealing that his mom used to sing and play lullabies and country music when he was a child. Aaron's record label Suspended Sunrise is a product of this passion, but also a contingency plan for life after football. His favorite song is Ben Harper's 'Forever' and he's envious of John Mayer's guitar skills though not his tabloid reputation. He appreciated my affinity for Keith Urban, but gave the audience a thumbs-down when I mentioned fellow country crooner Kenny Chesney.

His favorite book is The Bible and he tries to read it every day, not just when life's challenges and struggles surface.

His favorite movie is The Princess Bride which he admits he's caught flack for but says he and his childhood friends can recite every line from the film and it is simply a great story.

Rodgers' answers to questions on this night were certainly admirable. And I honestly didn't think I could respect Aaron more. But I was wrong.

My friend, the father of that young girl who passed, was there that night. He was one of several attendees brought up on stage where he caught a football thrown by the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers.

He asked Aaron to sign the football he'd caught. He wondered if he'd make it out to his daughter. It isn't shocking that Rodgers obliged. What caught me off guard was the dedication he made. It wasn't until after Aaron left that I first saw the autograph.. and the simple yet sweet message that brought tears to this father's eyes:

"To Cheri the angel. Save me a spot. - Aaron Rodgers"

I hope that Packers fans realize how lucky they are to have such an upstanding young man leading their team on the field every weekend. I hope they appreciate the challenges that were thrust upon him and acknowledge the maturity with which he handled them. I hope they stand behind the kid and respect him not only for his incredible talent, but for his intelligence and honesty, poise and compassion.

My job has afforded me the chance to watch Aaron Rodgers play football for the last few seasons. But I am truly thankful for the opportunity to see the other side of this impressive young man. And pass on some of what I witnessed to you.

Go pack!

Jim

Black Cordovan's on sale!

2011-01-25T12:12:00.005-06:00

These Black Cordovan shoes by Mezlan have been marked down as low as they can go. Mezlan is one of our top selling brands and to have a show like this go on sale is a buying opportunity you shouldn't pass up.

An excellent dress shoe, Mezlan is known for quality and style and Arrowsmith Shoes has sold this brand name for years for those two basic reason.

You don't have to be an executive to wear this shoe just someone who is used to the finner things in life or at least wants and looks for the very best.

Enjoy!

Chris

Next up will be an article on the survey that we held and what top brands and looks you should have for spring.

Don't punt to Devin Hester. . . !

2011-01-23T06:54:00.005-06:00

The Green Bay Packers have devised and tested the ideal solution to stopping dangerous punt returners such as the Chicago Bears’ Devin Hester.

Just don’t punt, at all!

It worked perfectly in their playoff rout of Atlanta but I don't think the weather conditions is going to allow that happen. Hester will be able to ramble and run free with the multiple punt return chances he's going to have because the Bears defense is very good and it's freek'n cold out there today. The weather will affect him less than anyone else, although, this is strictly my opinion. But it's game day and I'm pumped. . . ! I have friends coming over and this is going to be fun.

Speedy agile guys always have the advantage when it comes to poor field conditions and Hester is one dangerous weapon the Bears have. We were talking about this the other day in the creative department of Arrowsmith Shoes and trying to count how many times a special teams player made a difference in the outcome of a big game or any game for that matter. I personally could not remember any player or game where this happened but I could recall many games where a field goal kicker won the game with no time left on the clock. But a field goal kicker is not a special teams player.

Hester is wicked good and that means the Packers’ special teams will once again have their hands full with him Hester is the NFL’s career leader in combined punt and kick returns for touchdowns with 14.

In a recent interview from one punt returner to another, Green Bay’s Tramon Williams is impressed.

“Natural ability,” he said. “From watching film, everything Hester does is great. He has the vision and the ability, everything. … Coach said he’s the best ever, so I feel the same way.”

Indeed, Packers coach Mike McCarthy called Hester the “best player on their football team” before playing the Bears in the regular season finale — a significant statement, given the fact that defensive end Julius Peppers and linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs anchor the Bears’ defense.

I think that in order for the Packers to hold true their plan of not punting at all during the game they had better leave their punter in Green Bay so as to not be tempted. If you don't bring him the option is no longer there.

Go Bears!

Craig

Milan's Fall Fashion Week 2011

2011-01-21T15:14:00.007-06:00

Milan Fall 2011 Fashion week went off without a hitch and if you saw the images I wold have to say that the looks for men can only be described as "awesome". In this industry, everything is always six months out but you get the previews now.

In their first full season since joining the venerable shoe brand, Brits Graeme Fidler and Michael Herz dug deep into the 150-year-old shoe brand's archives to translate it for the modern world. The resulting collection worked well, mainly because of the way its incredible accessories — the new versions of the top-of-the-range Scribe shoe; large, the yet functional luggage — worked with Bally's clothing, which was sophisticated but did not try to steal the show. Reversible wool pea coats, robust knitwear and luxury suede parkas put the emphasis firmly on function, while the red of the Swiss flag punctured the palette of grays and browns.

Fidler and Herz subtly re-establishing Bally as a Swiss brand by adding the word Switzerland in tiny gilt lettering under its logo on leather bags. These little touches are bold and confident step in pace with the new era of the brand Read more.

This looks for fall also seemed somewhat random as a little bit of this and a little bit of that all came together in one look. I like that in some ways but in others it appears as though I'm trying to hard to be fashionable. I'm a little more conservative when I get dressed ans some of the wacky fashions from Versace are way to out there for me. Armani was incredible, as usual. You get to be a billionaire fashion designer because nobody likes your stuff.

Shoes and boots looked amazing and so useful. I saw multiple styles that would look fantastic with jeans or dressed up for work. When you look at fashion designers today, they believe that men are looking for something interesting to wear, or a new twist on the old styles. I can't argue that point of view as I get tired of my closet and wish for a new more interesting look.

Fall is the best time for fashion in my opinion. It's easier to wear nice items and it's not so hot and sticky. I look forward to picking up a few new pieces of fall 2011 when the time arrives.

Go Bears!

Craig

Javier Bardeem

2011-01-20T11:27:00.003-06:00

It's award season! Do you know how I know this? Every week there's a new awards show honoring anyone and everyone who's ever acted in television, movies, commercials, music videos, Broadway, a school play, YouTube videos, and anything where someone watched someone else do something and that's just the USA. Trip across the pond and there's ten more awards show you've never even heard of, except for Cannes. If you were an average actor you would be busy the entire year just going to awards ceremonies where people love to honor you for.

Yes, I'm all wound up about this because it drives me crazy. Don't even get me started on reality TV. The housewives of anywhere send me right over the edge. To me these shows pass over the really talented people who actually deserve to be recognized like - Javier Bardem.

This is one crazy good actor and if you saw the movie "No Country for Old Men", you know exactly what I mean. He's been up for best everything anytime he makes a movie and is in big demand when serious roles are called for. I've never seen him do a comedy so I can't speak for him on that.

I like Bardem because he's cool, a little controversial, and married to Penelope Cruz. He's always well dressed and stylish and although he doesn't consider himself an actor: he considers himself a worker. Hmmm! Ok! what do I know. Bardem didn't really make it big in Hollywood until 2000 and spent all of his acting career in Europe winning dozens of awards. It wasn't until John Malkovich approached Bardem in 1997 to do a movie that anyone even heard of Bardem in the U.S. Bardem tunred down the role because he couldn't speak English. He was then approached for several more leads in Hollywood and Bardem decide to learn to speak English as well as dropping thirty pounds.

In 2008 "No Country for Old Men" won Bardem an Oscar for best supporting actor and the rest is history. Those freaky eyes from that movie made me buy the poster and frame for my movie room. I had to have it.

Craig

Philipe Petit

2011-01-13T12:28:00.004-06:00

1974 wasn't that long ago but this amazing photograph of Philipe Petit tight rope walking across the World Trade Center towers looks like it was taken back in the 1800's.

I only bring this up because several nights ago I was working late at my home office and I was looking for a little diversion. I channel surfed the OnDemand section and stumbled upon a movie/documentary called Man on Wire. I read the intro and it looked interesting and when I turned it on my work ended and I was glued to the TV. All I have to say is "big cahones" because after watching this show there isn't a chance in hell I would have ever done what this crazy guy did. Wow! But as it turned out he's really not that crazy. He's just wicked good at tight rope walking.

His name is Philipe Petit and I won't soon forget it. Petit was born in France in 1949 and was obsessed with tight rope walking even as a child. He perfected the art early on and when he heard that the World Trade Center Towers were going to be built in New York he started to plan the walk between them before they even broke ground. Petit had walked the towers of Notre Dame and some towers in Sydney, Australia while the Trade Center towers were being built. Now that's determination and it was later called "the artistic crime of the century."

It took him six years to secretly plan this "coup" as he likes to call it and after watching the show you will discover why it took him that long. This was not an easy thing to do and not get caught. Some of the actual footage that was shot made you dizzy and all of the people he had to have help him each had a job to do in this event. All of them knew they were going to be arrested at the end but this was Petit's vision and he didn't care.

They had to use a bow and arrow to shoot fishing line from one tower to the other and gradually increased the thickness of the rope to eventually pull across 450 pounds of steal cable and securely fasten it from one brace on the tower to the other. they had to create a fake business with fake invoices to get past security and on August 7, 1974 he walked his way to fame. The cross balancing bar weighed in at 50 pounds and on the walk Petit did some tricks on the wire to the amazement of hundreds of spectators in the street. One woman's job was to get spectators to look up from the street. (Why do the act if nobody sees it, right?)

As it turned out Petit was arrested but all charges were dropped if he performed a circus type show for kids in New York, which he graciously did. He later became famous for his walk and actually made the towers famous and is credited for getting office space rented as before the walk they were having problems filling the space. He was then given a life time pass to the towers observatory platform and actually signed a beam near the location where he crossed.

Great story and I highly recommend it.

Jim

Dress well. . . Live better!

2011-01-10T11:18:00.005-06:00

It isn't hard to dress well if you change how you think and really care about how you look. Dressing well isn't about spending a ton of money on the very best designer clothing but is that who you really are? Nobody in the real world gives a hoot about that. I know some people who do that but even they don't need to.

Dressing well and looking good has many variables to it. Billionaire investor Warren Buffet says the he can make a great suit look cheap and I know he has a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor but the statement can ring true none the less. His buying off the rack is more about his charming personality than anything else and he's capitalizing on that. Good for him!

Keeping physically fit and eating right has a lot to do with how you look even if you have inexpensive clothing. There isn't a slight of hand magic trick to eating right and getting some exercise. There has to be ten thousand books written on this subject. Get off the couch, put on your athletic shoes and go for a walk. If it's cold outside, no big deal, dress a little warmer.

When Arnold Schwarzenegger was competing in body building he had one simple rule of thumb for losing weight. Eat 500 calories less per day and burn 500 calories per day from exercise and you will lose weight. His favorite exercise for losing weight was "push aways" Push-away from the table that is! It's a very simple formula and he ought to know.

Buying the right clothing to fit your body is a great way to wear clothing better. Do not buy clothing to fit the way you "want to look" after your weight loss. Unfortunately, that never works out very well and unless your seriously committed to getting healthy you just wasted your money. Weight loss takes time and no matter how many adds you see on this topic Arnold has it right: push aways work the best and the average person with exercise is only going to lose about five to six pounds a month at the most. Practice looking good while you drop the weight.

At Arrowsmith Shoes we help our clients all the time with some of these issues but being a better shopper isn't hard to do at all. Shop often and buy smarter is what we tell our clients. think of ways to incorporate many looks from a few quality items. A great jacket and nice shoes are a great place to start.

Craig.

What article of clothing is the most important for you

2011-01-03T13:57:00.001-06:00

online poll

Joeseph Altuzarra: Designer

2010-12-30T10:26:00.004-06:00

Every so often a designer comes along with enough skill to charm editors, enough charm to seduce socialites, and enough good sense—for both hemlines and bottom lines—to make you believe he just might stay a while. Introducing: Joseph Altuzarra

In the five seasons since he launched his namesake collection, Joseph Altuzarra’s carefully constructed, unabashedly body-conscious clothes have been embraced by such disparate icons as socialite Lauren Santo Domingo and pop star Rihanna. Though the Paris-born, New York–based designer interned at Marc Jacobs and landed his first real design job under Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy, his most obvious influence is Tom Ford during the glam Gucci years. The result of his careful study? The sex goddess is returning to a runway near you.

As is typical with the night owl generation, Altuzarra works odd hours and has his most creative ideas between 2 and 4 am. Ouch!

Here's a portion of an interview he recently gave to Robert Haskel of W Magazine.

It’s 7 p.m. and you’re having a coffee. I’m drawing tonight, and I have a weird schedule when I draw. I end around 5 a.m. I really can’t work during the day.

But it’s a Friday night, and you’re a 27-year-old fashion designer. Shouldn’t you be out doing cocaine or something scandalous?I’m afraid of drugs. I honestly think that with our generation—Alex Wang, Prabal Gurung, Jason Wu, Christian Cota, Robert Geller—there’s a different expectation of what our behavior should be. People expect designers to be good businesspeople and PR people, and I don’t think partying is a part of that persona the way it used to be.

A stylist friend of mine described your clothes as “whorish.” That’s funny. It’s important not to take all this fashion stuff too seriously, and I kind of love the idea of cheesiness. But, yes, the clothes are definitely for a woman, not a girl. They’re in the vein of Azzedine Alaïa.
You didn’t go to design school, but you’re clearly educated. Does that give you an inferiority complex or a superiority complex? When I started in fashion after studying art history at Swarthmore, I definitely had an inferiority complex, because I didn’t learn about any of the technical stuff. The best and the worst thing about fashion is that anyone can do it. But because fashion can be the most unintellectual thing, you have to turn it into an intellectual exercise just for your own sanity. You have to start with a conceit.

Do you feel that the socialites who like your dresses have put you on the map?Whether it’s Lauren Santo Domingo or Mary J Blige or Carine Roitfeld, it would be dumb of me to say that famous people wearing my clothes doesn’t do anything for the brand. Let me say this, though: I’m aware that many people are not wearing them because they like them but because they think it’s what’s hot right now. I’m comfortable with the idea that I’m the flavor of the moment and that in a couple of years people might not think I’m cool anymore.

Julie

Look cool on a budget

2010-12-28T12:05:00.005-06:00

Online and store customers ask us this question all the time. “How do is make myself look better on a budget?” We get it and understand the concern. Here are some tips that every man should know for looking great on a budget.

1. Wear more color I’ve mentioned this in other articles--a great way to liven up your look is to incorporate more color into your wardrobe. Perhaps this is just a matter of wearing a brightly colored shirt under a v-neck sweater, or sporting a new shirt or sweater. Adding color will liven up otherwise dull neutral tones. But the most important thing is to wear color near your face since that is where it will have the most impact and keep you from looking washed out.

2. Seek Out a New Pair of Glasses/Sunglasses Glasses are a great way to express yourself and adding a nice but inexpensive pair adds a great deal to your look, even on a budget. The interesting thing about glasses is that you could simply be wearing jeans and a t-shirt, but with the right glasses you suddenly look fashion savvy.

3. Treat Yourself to One or Two Super Pieces Throw out the old and bring in a few new pieces that look great and go with a wide assortment of items. If you can possibly afford it, I believe in buying one or two great pieces that will really keep you looking stylish. This may be a cool sport coat, a leather jacket or an awesome pair of jeans that really show off your assets.

4. Sport a Snappy Belt Accessorize! Accessorize! Accessorize! Take a page from women here guys and add a belt or a new tie, anything that adds a nice touch but doesn’t break the bank.

5. Avoid Tattered Looking Shoes. Never, ever, ever wear torn or tattered shoes. Period! I’m not just saying that because we work at Arrowsmith Shoes. This is a fashion fact. Buy a nice pair of shoes or two and watch your attitude change. They don't need to be $500+ just a few great pairs that you love.

6. Get a Groovy watch I have a friend who has a thing for watches. He likes to match them with what he is wearing, and he doesn’t spend a lot of money on them either. Since men don’t have many options when it comes to jewelry, this is a great way to express yourself as well as liven up your look. You can buy fun watches for under $100. Sure, it’s not a Rolex but you probably have an iPhone so what do you need a $15,000 for?

I hope this helps.

Craig

Goodbye Ron Santo!

2010-12-03T12:16:00.008-06:00

I was saddened today to wake up today and hear the news that Ron Santo had passed away. I'm a Cubs fan like the rest of the world and this is news that cuts to the heart.

The Cubs and Chicago will deeply miss him as he is as much a part of Chicago Cubs baseball as anyone in recent history. What also saddens me is that he is equally known as a tragic figure from suffering terribly with diabetes as well as being denied a worthy entry into the hall of fame. I don't kn0w how the Hall of Fame committee votes on those matters but to be passed over time and time again means that he was at least considered but I know that he was depressed he was never selected.

I think tonight I'll toast him on his journey and count my blessings.

Craig

Can't resist: LeBron James

2010-12-02T11:40:00.003-06:00

LeBron James shows his face in Cleveland tonight on his new team the Miami Heat and from everything flying around the Internet and the sports blogs, James is going to be in for a rough landing, at least at the introductions. After that, I'm sure the fans will settle down and the game will go on uneventful. Remember, the hype of an event is always worse than the actual event.

I for one will watch the game even though I lost all interest in the NBA years ago and I'm sure after the first quarter, I will turn it off or switch to something else. Like a test pattern or something.

However, I must join in on the fray of dissenters with regards to LeBron James and cast my opinion like a sloppy mud ball in his direction as well as all his handlers. Spppplattttt!

His incredible rise to the top using his sold-his-soul-to-the-devil talent is only equalled by his incredible tumble to the bottom. Here's a guy who was loved and respected by the world and in one incredibly stupid and selfish move, (which he and his buddies orchestrated) ruined all the hard work and previous achievements. I was stunned and I'm still stunned. I was rooting for him and now I have a sour tasting mud ball in my mouth. Yuck! "Iwant to take my talents to South Beach" in the hopes of winning a championship. People tend to forget that James has been to the NBA finals twice with Cleveland. It seems to me that Cleveland had the talent to win a Championship. But what do I know.

Not only that, he's become, of all things, a whiner and has started pointing the finger at others including his coach and has even lowered himself to answering Twitter posts from people who don't like him. Seriously! C'mon man! He needs a world class publicist who could teach him a few things. The hate mail is piling up in bags at the post office and the inbox for the Heat website is at the gigabite limit.

The Cav's are going to gear up for this game and beat the Heat at home and the fans will go wild. The sad part is, James won't care because he will have gotten his points and to him that's all that matters because this way he can blame someone else.

Craig.

Mad Men cool!

2010-11-30T16:51:00.011-06:00

I rarely watch television! I actually dislike immensely and I feel a lot smarter because I don't watch television. Some people would say that I'm happy in my ignorance but I beg to differ. I would rather read than watch. Plus, I don't like commercials.

I do however watch Mad Men when I have the chance as I can download it late at night and skip the commercials. I really like the characters in this show. Hard drinking, chain smoking womanizers who appear to be lonely even standing in a crowd. These guys are cool and rarely laugh or even crack a smile. Cool guys don't need to laugh or smile, they're to busy brooding and being cool, even the logo is cool. Actually, the logo is brilliant. The lead Character's name is Don Draper! Seriously, how cool is that! The women on the show are cool and whoever crafted all these characters did a hell of a job capturing the era of Madison Avenue Ad execs and the women who work with them: Mad Men! I even love the the name and how they came about it.

These are creative guys in the highly competitive market of advertising in New York and they drink and smoke all day long. Every office has a bar and they make use of it. Creative people struggling for accounts in an era where television, magazines and radio ruled the advertising world. We're creative people here in the Creative Department of Arrowsmith Shoes and we struggle all the time. It's the nature of the beast. However, we don't drink Scotch all day and none of us smoke. And, nobody is sleeping with anyone who works here either, at least I don't think anyway.

When watching the show you get the impression that the entire business is about reputation and appearances. They dress impeccably and when you see the actors when they put their feet up on the desk they all wear this type of shoe. Always in suits, they work their skills in the office or at the bar where picking up the tab goes with the territory. Getting the client drunk is a forgone conclusion and holding your liquor is a badge of honor.

Some of my favorite quotes from Mad Men:

"Fear stimulates my imagination"

"Get out of here and keep moving forward as this never happened. It will shock you how much this never happened."

"Adding money and education doesn't take the rude edge out of people."

The women are secretaries working in a mans world and the actresses play the roles perfectly. They struggle for love, acceptance and happiness at a lower level where the glass ceilings of today didn't exist.

If you like creative television then I highly recommend Mad Men.

Jim

Muhammed Ali: The greatest of all time!

2010-11-30T15:04:00.004-06:00

As a self promoter, nobody and I mean nobody, does it better than Muhammad Ali. He's one of my all time favorite sports figures and general personalities. He cracks me up too and when I saw him light the torch at the Olympics Opening Ceremony I was saddened by his illness but not his spirit.

As far as his successes go, he's way up there at the top of any ones list for accomplishments and if you read his biography you would certainly agree. Like athletes and celebrities of any kind, Elvis, Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, even Tiger Woods to name a few, every once in a while someone comes along that pushes the envelope of stardom, skill and achievement where the bar is raised so high it appears that no one will knock them off. At least not in our lifetime. Muhammad is one of those people and he's still draws a huge crowd wherever he goes.

Quietly generous and can barely utter a sound now he is one of the most recognizable people in the world and it suits him perfectly. Muhammad Ali understands his place in the world and in history and although he had is personal ups and downs he always stayed calm and handled it. Things are different than they are now and he was the reason I watched heavy weight boxing. do they even have heavy weight boxing anymore? I have no idea who the champ is. Now they have that crazy Ultimate Fighter and that just doesn't interest me at all.

We've been having discussions about sports stars since Derek Jeter and LeBron James keep making headlines and it made us wonder what happened to all the fun guys like Ali, McEnroe, Pete Rose and Mike Tyson. Like I always say about Tyson, you have to admire a guy who can squander a half billion dollars.

Craig

Derek Jeter: Free Agent

2010-11-29T16:47:00.002-06:00

As much as I don't want to I'm compelled to throw my paltry two pennies into the fray regarding Derek Jeter and his demand for $23 million per season to come back to the NY Yankee's in 2011. He's a free agent now and the negotiations have started but as of this writing no other team has shown any interest in him. I know it's early and several teams would love to have a guy like that but he doesn't want to go anywhere else. His legacy (unlike Brett Favre who apparently doesn't understand the meaning of the word) is with the Yankee's. The Yankee's want to pay him $13 million per season and the two are pretty far apart in the early stages and tempers are flaring.

Hmmmm! Now don't get me wrong, I like Derek Jeter. As far as an athlete goes he is a class act and a first round Hall of Fame player for sure, but, he's a 37 year old base hitter and had a terrible year last year and he's not the first name you think of when you think about the Yankee's. Of course, Jeter doesn’t see it that way, which is why the gulf between him and the Yankees remains so wide. He considers himself a generational superstar, the Michael Jordan of baseball, an integral part of five championship seasons and he as clean as a sports superstar can get. However, lets not forget that the Yankee's have paid Jeter $205 million in the past ten years so they know he's worth the money.

Jeter has two or three years left, tops to play at his own set of high standards for calibre of play but age and history are ganging up on him fast. He's in decline and the Yankee's know it. When you hit 40 everything goes to hell in a hurry.

Jeter is great and everyone knows it but $15 million is all he's going to get. I'm not sure he can live on that. It's $92, 500+ per game! Poor bastard!

Jim

Jeff Bridges: Man of Style

2010-11-28T10:30:00.004-06:00

Jeff Bridges has long been one of my favorite actors and style icons and it seems to me that he gets better looking every year. He's now developed into a Kris Kristofferson kind of look which suits him and Kris perfectly.

When I recently watched the movie Crazy Heart I was so impressed with his acting skills that half way through the movie I knew he was going to win the Oscar. He nailed the part perfectly I actually thought he should have won the Oscar for The Big Lebowski but the movie was kind of odd and not really an Oscar favorite. However, was fantastic as "the dude".

His newest movie about to be released is True Grit and after seeing the trailer I'm looking forward to it. I find it interesting that he's playing a John Wayne character and that I can think of only a few actors who could play this role. The other interesting thing is that True Grit is a Coen Brothers movie which also stars Josh Brolin.

The Coen Brothers make incredible movies and it seems that actors would work for free just to say they've been in one. They also stick with what works when it comes to actors and when Josh Brolin played the cowboy in No Country for Old Men I was impressed with Brolin's performance as well as Javier Bardem's vicious character and so were the Coen Brothers. Bardem was one scary guy and those eyes haunted me for days. That was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time and the acting was outstanding.

I'm interested in Jeff Bridges because we were talking about style the other day and it always appears that movie stars seem to be the first named when it comes to style for both men and women. I guess it makes sense but many non famous people have style and you probably see them anonymously every day. I look at what style probably the same way you do at first and I think that everything about Jeff Bridges is stylish. Look at the above picture. He looks fantastic and he's handsome in a rugged masculine way. Great hair and. of course, leading man movie star looks. He would probably look fantastic mowing the lawn. In this picture he also looks like he should be running for office somewhere but he pulls it off nicely.

True Grit comes out December 22, and if anyone see's the movie before I do, post a comment here and tell me what you thnk.

Jill

Save 15% with promo code "thank15"

2010-11-24T13:10:00.003-06:00

All of us at Arrowsmith Shoes want to wish you and your family and friends a happy Thanksgiving and in doing so you can enjoy a 15% discount on all shoes and boots when you use "thank15" at checkout. This offer is good through Monday, November 29th.

Thanksgiving Day was voted one of the best holidays by us designers and techno geeks in the creative department of Arrowsmith Shoes and we devoted many hours these past few days of drawing turkeys and other crazy creatures on the white board for marketing ideas and promotions. I'm not really sure why because I don't think we used any of the ideas we created but it's fun and everyone is in a festive mood.

I'm the only one here now as everyone is gone for the weekend and there is still a lot of work to do. I'm most envious of Craig as he left early this morning for his family cabin in northern Wisconsin for an old fashioned family Thanksgiving. I've seen the pictures of the cabin and the lot it sits on and although it's rustic the place is remote and beautiful! Wow! They did a fantastic job fixing it up over the years. As of this writing he's already there and I'll bet they have a roaring fire going in that big stone fireplace right now.

I don't have to travel far and our entire family is together this year for Thanksgiving. I can hardly wait.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Jil

Best gift ideas for the love of your life!

2010-11-22T12:55:00.008-06:00

Hi Guys! It's that time of year again where every man I know struggles with that big problem: what to give that special woman in their lives for Christmas. I have compiled a short list of ideas for you that are sure to be a hit on Christmas morning. I have asked a small group of women of various ages for honest answers so this is a random poll for you to use and take advantage of.

1: Spa treatment - $$$$ This was at the top of the list when given the list of choices. This is a special gift that every woman loves! Trust me on this. If you give a weekend get-a-way at a spa you will have given a gift that will last for a very long time in the memory bank. Women love to be pampered, it's as simple as that. They love to get-a-way and we love that you care ahout what we like. Not only that, this would be a surprise and women loved to be surprised. If you're in the Chicago area I highly recommend Sundara Spa in Wisconsin which would be simply amazing and it's only a three hour drive away. The nice thing about this is that you're pretty well covered in the gift area and this would be fantastic. You could pick up little things that are related to the weekend and both of you would enjoy this immensely. Check out the site! Even the music playing on the website is relaxing.

2. Jewelry - $$$ Every women loves jewelry but each women polled gave a different answer as to what kind of jewelry so the jewelry gift is going to require some work on your part. Chances are a beautiful watch or some diamond earrings would be a great idea. However, every women Iasked said that this gift can be pricey and only works if you really need a watch. Some of the watches the gals liked were a $1,000 to $2,000. The Spa gift idea is still #1.

3. Tickets to the theatre - $$ If there's a play in town and that you can surprise her with great seats and a night on the town I would highly recomment this as a gift idea. What women doesn't love the theatre! I also recommend Wicked as a play to go to. Think about this, dinner at her favrotie restaurant and drinks after the show. . . ! Tough to beat this for cost and enjoyment. Keep in mind that women love the entire event surrounding the theatre. Getting dressed to go out is fun for us. The bath, the champagne, the outfit, the entire experience is a great feeling. Plus, having a man who enjoys the theatre is a big turn on.

These are three great gift ideas that will take the stress out of what to get that special women in your life if you struggle with Christmas morning. Picking up bath lotions and anything personal as little openers are great and then the big gift makes Christmas morning fun.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jill

Positively Positive

2010-11-18T10:32:00.004-06:00

As a follower of Positively Positive this video commercial was one of the Best I've seen in a long time

Academy Award winning documentary film director Errol Morris, who is responsible for films such as "The Fog of War" and "The Thin Blue Line," directed the commercial.
"Working with Errol Morris was so much fun," Scott said. "He was one of the funniest people I have ever met. He made the shoot extremely enjoyable for me and was a pleasure to work with."

Nike contacted the United States Olympic Committee, and they had a vision of the commercial and a description they wanted to fill ? a strong and athletic, disabled athlete. Fortunately, Scott was selected the role.

"They interviewed a lot of athletes, and a lot of them are great athletes as well," Scott said. "They decided to choose me. Good choice, I think!"
When Scott arrived at the commercial's location, he said he was treated with the utmost respect. He didn't expect to be treated like a celebrity during the four-hour filming, but he "enjoyed every minute of it."

"Filming the shoot was amazing," Scott said. "As soon as I showed up to the site, I had VIP treatment right away. They treated me like a star the entire time. There were lights and cameras everywhere, and all eyes were on me."

Despite the amount of special treatment he received, it was still a bit nerve-wrecking for Scott.
However, the assistants Scott worked with made sure he was relaxed for each take.
"I had goose bumps the entire time," Scott said. "But it was awesome! You would of thought LeBron James showed up when I got to the site. I was welcomed by an entire crew of people who all worked hard to make sure I was comfortable for the shoot. I really felt like a superstar. Everyone involved made this a positive experience."

Nike is currently involved in a fitness campaign, and Scott was pleased with Morris' idea for the commercial. Although Scott wasn't involved in any of the decisions made for the shoot, he didn't have a problem remembering the script.

"I didn't come up with the idea; they already knew what they wanted," Scott said. "They just needed a pretty face to get the point across. The script had a list of excuses on it. If I forgot any of the excuses, I would just make some up on my own."

Tracy Chynoweth, the head coach of UW-Whitewater's wheelchair basketball program, said the sport will gain more recognition because of Scott's role in the commercial. Many people will become aware of wheelchair basketball and people with disabilities, in general, and what they can accomplish.
"The entire experience was an incredible one," Chynoweth said. "There are many people that have been exposed to wheelchair basketball, but only because they either have a disability or know someone with a disability. This commercial will air nationally to millions of homes and expose millions of people to wheelchair basketball, most of who have never heard of it before."
Scott may be a nationwide celebrity after millions of people watch him on TV, but he is already considered a popular role model around the Whitewater community despite being unable to walk his entire life.

"I have been referred to as an inspiration by individuals on campus," Scott said. "When I see people in social situations, people compliment me on my charisma and outgoing attitude. I'm always going to carry myself confidently, and I think that's something people respond positively to."
Scott, a Detroit native, will join basketball players Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, tennis player Serena Williams, baseball player Derek Jeter, and football player LaDainian Tomlinson ? all who were endorsed by Nike.
"It was most certainly an honor to be recognized by such a prestigious company," Scott said. "Nike, in my opinion, is the best athletic company in the world and has endorsed some great athletes. I am proud to be one of them."

Enjoy and just do it!

Craig

The lace up boot. . . !

2010-11-05T11:03:00.003-05:00

My favorite boots are the lace up style and when I think about why I discover that this style is what I wear on most weekends. I have some dressy boots for work but I find myself wearing shoes during the work day and boots on the weekends.

I also don't have any preconceived notions about who I am or where I'm going so wearing a lace up boot can sometimes give the impression that you're too casual. I have developed a pattern and this is how it is. I normally don't wear boots in the summer either. My boot selection is based around cold weather and in Chicago, it gets cold and snowy.

Arrowsmith Shoes has an excellent selection of casual boots and I own several pairs of GBX and I wear them all the time.

I noticed a big trend in casual lace up boots shown on the runway this fall from some of the biggest names in fashion like D&G, Armani, Gucci, and Salvatore Ferragamo to name just a few. I was pleased to see this trend becoming stronger and it doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. Anyone who lives in a cold climate will appreciate this style of boot and when you walk around the city in the cold weather the cement can give you a chill. I also love that fact that you can wear a thicker grey sock with this style of boot and you can actually build an outfit around your footwear.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm going to northern Wisconsin this year for Thanksgiving as it's our turn in the rotation at the cabin and the cold morning walks and hikes through the trails require lace up boots for several reasons. I can hardly wait.

Craig

Damien Hirst for Converse!

2010-11-04T10:36:00.006-05:00

The All You Need Is Love butterfly painting by artist Damien Hirst which incidentally sold for $2.42 million at auction is now being plastered all over a Chuck Taylor All Star High Top tenny shoe.

You can buy this little keepsake for $100.00 at Converse.com and it will be available on November 15th.

It seems to me that Converse is trying to take some market share away from Ed Hardy. Good luck! Hardy is now everywhere and they even design home furnishings. Hmmm!

Jill

Gucci Fashion Show 2011

2010-11-03T11:33:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone! I'm new to the site and part of my training is to write about topics that interest me with the hope that they interest you as well. I'm a graphic designer by trade and a fashion nut by hobby and one of the most exciting things I get to do for this job is go to fashion shows and then the after party. Later on of course I have to write about it so I secretly take notes on my iPhone and while I'm doing that it looks like I'm sending an email or a text. It's actually pretty sneaky.

Gucci is one behemoth of a fashion brand and although I didn't actually get to go to this show I found it on YouTube for you to enjoy. I love everything Gucci! Men's and women's Gucci and if my boyfriend is out there reading this I'll give you a hint regarding the perfect Christmas present. That Gucci watch we both saw in the window the other day. Remember? ;) As a reminder for any of the guys out there if you are clueless about what to get your wife or girlfriend for Christmas, a watch is an excellent gift idea.

Gucci shows us in this video why they are where they are in the fashion world. At the top. Style and a fashion sense similar to an artist creating wonderful pieces of clothing to make you feel one of a kind. The other interesting thing about Gucci is that they're know for more than just clothing. They have large product lines in watches, shoes, brief cases, ties and a wide assortment of accessories and even home products. Gucci is another word for excellence similar to Armani and Prada.

So watch the video and leave a comment if you like.

Jill

Free Shipping & Easy Returns!

2010-11-01T14:22:00.005-05:00

In case you haven't noticed, Arrowsmith Shoes is now offering Free Shipping & Easy Returns! What does this mean, you ask? Well, shipping is free but I'm sure you already got that, but "Easy Returns" means that there is a return label already inside the box that's shipped to you with your order. In case you need to return your purchase, all you have to do is just peel off the back of the pouch your return label is in and slap it on the box your order came in. Then, take it to your nearest UPS store and drop it off. Presto-chango - Easy Returns!

It doesn't get any easier than that. You are then charged a small fee that is deducted for the returned item.

Craig

Biker Inspired Burberry Spring 2011

2010-10-23T15:27:00.004-05:00

Since I'm the only "woman" in the CD of Arrowsmith Shoes who rides a motorcycle, I know that we have many women customers and I like to think that they are stylish and trendy - like me! I also like to think that these fashion gals follow the fashion shows like I do but if you don't this spring you're going to see a lot of motorcycle inspired trends for women.

All the big designers have some sort of presence with this trend and I love it. I love ride motorcycles so I'm especially interested when I see this sexy trend growing. Look at the jacket in this photo. I would buy this jacket right now if it was available and I could afford of course but I love it. I know I would look so hot wearing this jacket.

What I find interesting is that this trend is a men's wear inspired trend started from the 50's when Marlon Brando and James Dean made bad-boy names for themselves riding motorcycles in the movies. Fashion always seems to follow the movies because it's kind of like free advertising and research. No plagiarism involved and it's not that hard to do.

A trend can start when a movie is made and when you see people start to bringing the characters to life through fashion or somehow in their own way and interpretation, the designers will pick up on it and there it is. Can you name a few trends that started like this?

The Matrix comes to mind recently with the long trench coat. How about the leather bomber jacket that Tom Cruise made famous in Top Gun. What about Madonna! Can you name any big trends she started. What about Flash Dance and leggings. the list goes on and some trends last longer than others but they have to start somewhere.

Movies are one thing but what about musicians and hair! Posh made her hair (and breasts) famous. The Beatles, Rolling Stones and now Justin Bieber. (Yes, I know I just said Justin Bieber. Sorry.)

Take a look at the new biker inspired jacket that just came in from Sean John.

Signing off for now.

Julie

Casual Friday's . . . ?

2010-10-14T14:14:00.008-05:00

I can't stand catch phrases. . . ! Duh like whatever, it's all whack but no worries, at the end of the day which usually happens on casual Friday I'll see da plane, da plane and then I'll be back, bummer dude! I got a lot of them in one ridiculous sentence and I hate myself for it.

We do not have casual Fridays here at Arrowsmith Shoes. And, to answer several comebacks I can hear already, it doesn't matter that we sell casual items because if you followed that attitude if we worked at Victoria's Secret that would mean the gals would have to wear Lingerie to work. That will shut them up. We've been having some fun discussions here in the CD of Arrowsmith. Everyday is a blast.

So, let's be honest here friends, the way our culture dresses everyday as it is we're one small necktie away from casual everyday so what more do you want. I live in my own humorous little caveman world and I like it and as long as everyone cares about how they look Casual any-day doesn't really come into play.

Old phrases bring with them an old attitude. Let's try some new words and new attitudes.

Jim

Face down your fears. . . . !

2010-10-14T12:11:00.009-05:00

Women of the world, . . .unite and face down your fears. You're more than just a pretty face and arm candy. Aren't you? It was the guys against the gals last week in our lively little discussion group as we were pummeled with all the stuff we can't do and our "why would we want to" responses were mere fodder for more pain from our "male superior" counter parts. Blah! Blah! Blah!

It all started with a minor repair that need to be done on my desk drawer and I was unable to distinguish between the different tools that were needed to get the job done as well as the stupid names that identify them - it went downhill from there.

Guys, for some reason know this stuff and I think that we pretty little things do not have a need to know them. That's what guys are for. If God wanted me to bend over and fix stuff all the time he would have put diamonds on the floor. Right? That's sound logic there my friends.

Here are a things women need to improve on to help shut the guys up. (Jim in particular)

1. Using power tools - Yes it's true. Guys aren't always going to be there when you need them for this stuff. Why is a Phillips screw driver called Phillips anyway. I always thought it was the 'pointy screwy' thing.

2. Being disliked - Guys don't really care that much about this problem as I was informed but I'm upset if I even think a cab driver doesn't like me. Even Mother Teresa had people who didn't like her for God's sake. Why do I care if people like me or not?

3. Going to the gym - I only go to the gym with other women and will rarely set foot in the weight room. Too intimidating!

4. Saying "I don't know" - If you're wrong admit it. If you don't know something say it. Learn it if you must but it's OK to not know everything, (hint hint, Mandy you were no help)

5. Asking a guy out on a date - This one will take some time. I'm a girly-girl and the wires are locked firmly into place by sisters and mother on this one. Although. . . .there's great looking guy who parks at the other end of our parking lot . . . . .

6. Decorating - I'm embarrassed to have friends over to my apartment because I have nothing on my walls except old ridiculous posters and my furniture sucks. How hard is it to learn how to decorate a little bit. It's upsetting to think that my apartment hates me.

These are a few thigs we discussed and lost at. Men are not superior beings as they like to tease me about but I will get even.

Julie

Great boots from GBX. . . !

2010-10-12T06:50:00.007-05:00

When it comes to fashion and getting dressed I like to have a style that fits my personality which I think about first and then I accessorize the rest of me. This is more of mental thing in the beginning because I like to think I know who I am and what I'm trying to do but getting dressed in this industry means you have to look the part. Fashion can be fickle and trends come and go like the wind. This process started when I was a kid and I developed a routine like this for most of the things I do. I'm very regimented with the process of most things, especially in fashion and I don't particularly care for this trait at all. I'm too restricted. I need breaks to clear my head of left brain thoughts so, up north we go.

I believe that's why most people have a hard time changing to a new style or trend in fashion and for everything else for that matter. The saying 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks' is actually true and pathetic at the same time. As a person in a creative position, my regimental traits directly conflict with the 'free wheeling' right side of my brain. The bridge that connects the two halves is crowded, so to speak. While the rest of the crew is flying kites in their heads I'm crossing the mental bridge from the left to the right on my way to the park to help them fly that kite. I have a process to complete before the creativity begins. Writing ads, blogs, product copy and video work is a mental task and getting away clears my head.

So, this Thursday I pack up the laptop, grab the little woman and go up into northern Wisconsin to winterize our family's little cottage. Winterize is a word we use lightly but little isn't. It's three small bedrooms, a bathroom and shower, a big living room and a kitchen. A large deck was added years ago which really added to the look. The cottage sits on twelve beautiful acres and a small lake and it's getting cold up there so I picked up these GBX winter boots to take along with me. If you site on the deck long enough you'll see Bald Eagles, deer, fox, wild turkey's, you name. It's a four hour drive from Chicago and getting in the car to go is a great feeling.

There's no snow yet and there are boots up there but they're old and have been worn by everyone for years. It kind of grosses me out every time I stick my foot in them so the new boots will be nice but I won't leave them for my brother and nephews. They can get their own boots. We cut some old dead trees down last spring and we now have to split the wood for winter as our family uses the cottage all winter long. The big stone fireplace is a great place to gather when the snow and wind blows. There's no cable but there is an old tube TV and a gigantic selection of VHS movies. Perfect!

We're spending Thanksgiving there this year and right now it's more like a party cabin than a house on Walton's Mountain so we need to clean it up and decorate. Over the past three years we've been "redoing" the old garage that holds the snowmobiles and "the old boat" and we finally finished it this summer. It's pretty obvious that we are not a wealthy family of carpenters but, it's a remote fantastic little place and we love it. My grandfather did good for us.

That's all for now.

Craig

Everything is amazing. . .

2010-10-07T10:15:00.007-05:00

but no one's happy. . . !

The other day I was riding the train with some friends and we were going downtown to spend the day shopping and having lunch. This was a girls day and the train was kind of crowded. I like riding the train as I get to people watch and see what they're wearing, listen to their conversations, etc. I especially look at the shoes people wear for obvious reasons. On this particular day I was at the end of the group I was with and I was in perfect ear shot distance of a guy and what looked like his wife but not positive on that.

This guy was bending her ear about all the struggles he had over the past week. In particular, how the Internet wouldn't work on an airplane. I was listening to him squawk about this horrendous inconvenience flying from Chicago to San Francisco. This guy looked educated and was dressed nice so it's not as if he's an idiot or something but this conversation made me think. The woman was right there with him agreeing with this guy about how awful it must have been. Seriously? It was awful?

First of all, the fact that you're sitting in a comfortable chair flying to California at 36,000 feet is an amazing accomplishment on its own and that it will probably take you about three hours to get there perfectly safe and within minutes of the scheduled arrival time is nothing to sneeze at either. These obvious facts go completely unnoticed as this whiner forgot that not too many years ago people would go the same distance in covered wagons and would take months and people would die from a long list of dangerous things. Too long of a list to post here. It's like a year long camping trip only 10 times worse. This guy is there in three hours. It takes that long to have dinner at Charlie Trotters.

I wondered to myself if this person is so accustomed to having everything that he doesn't realize how incredible anything is. He's complaining about not having Internet on an airplane. . . ! that's awful. . . ! I would sue that airline. . . . !

I got off the train and my friends and I spoke about this at lunch and we came to the conclusion that people should keep their conversations quiet for fear they may end up a bullet point on a blog.

Everything is completely amazing and people are still unhappy.

Julie

My name is Marc. . .

2010-10-04T10:43:00.008-05:00

. . . my emotional life is sensitive and my purse is empty, but they say I have talent.” ~Marc Chagall. My kind of crazy!

People ask us all the time in the Creative Department of Arrowmsith Shoes: “What’s your job there?” “What do you do?” I’m usually annoyed by these questions because I always thought it was obvious. Well, in short, we think in Technicolor! That’s our job. It’s not to say that other people don’t think this way but I’ll be you a lunch they don’t think like we do. I don’t see the world the same way you do. I believe that humans get in the way of themselves

We think all day long and then we come up with creative ways to apply that thinking to our jobs. We are creative thinkers, artists and writers and we want to apply that craft to marketing so that you see the world in a different way. When I tell people that our job is to “think” they look at me as if I think of myself as a genius of some sort or I get a smug looking face of doubt in the comeback. Granted, I could have been a lot more specific but I need to have a little fun to but, I know what they’re thinking: ‘he’s pretty stupid for a thinker.’ For the most part when you think of thinkers you immediately come to some type of math conclusion or Stephen Hawking or even Shakespeare. Right? I think Paul Simon and Van Morrison are geniuses.

None of us here have a need for the analytical left side of our brain. We could probably donate that side to science although science would probably send mine back. Left brain thinkers worry too much about being wrong. They worry about everything. We don’t live in that world. We don’t care about being wrong and were not going to worry about it if we are. Actually, we learn more from being wrong than from being right. We are driven by wrong. Our entire crew is not afraid to think differently and those silly worries about always having to be correct never come into play. Therefore, we have no boundaries and no limitations. We are FREE to think about anything we want and how it will apply to our work. Do you know that when you start to think this way you can actually work longer and become more efficient? I don’t know of a bean counter that puts in overtime.

I actually believe in our early days of schooling that we are taught not to be creative because you can’t make any money in life thinking about the things we think about. “Study math or education not art or music. You’re not going to make any money as an artist or a musician . . . !“ Did your parents ever tell you that? I believe we are educated out of creativity and that’s why there are so few of us in the world. Think about this. The worlds is always in turmoil and it’s not because it’s run by dancers, artists, playwrights, musicians and poets.

Picasso (who I believe was a genius by the way) once said “all children are born artists; the problem is staying an artist as you grow older.” Exactly Pablo, thank you!

A fun little story to tell is that a teacher was concerned about a little girl who sat in the back of the class and would doodle and draw all day long. She wouldn't pay attention to any other subject but when it came to art she was exceptional. One day the teacher walked back and asked her what she was drawing and the little girl said; 'a picture of God!' The teacher said that know one knows what God looks like. The little girl said; 'they will in a few minutes. . . !' Send that girl an application.. . . Quick!

Jim

The Social Network. . . . Awesome!

2010-10-03T11:56:00.010-05:00

Jim sent me to the movie The Social Network. . . ! It was my turn to go to a movie and write about it and this is a topic of particular interest because I am a Fan of Facebook. As the list of people who read Arrowsmith Shoes blog is growing I had a big responsibility to write an accurate review. My review in short is this: I love this movie and so will you!

The Social Network is fascinating and the dialogue is impressive. The two hours it takes to see this movie goes by so fast that the only disappointment I can write about is that the the movie wasn't three hours. This is a fascinating movie. I'm a techie and freely admit it so I was anxious to watch how this incredible phenomenon started.

It makes an untellable story clear and fascinating. I've heard that its supposed to be impossible to make a movie about a writer, because how can you show him only writing? It must also be impossible to make a movie about a computer programmer, because what is programming but writing in a language few people in the audience know? Yet director David Fincher and his writer, Aaron Sorkin, are able to explain the Facebook phenomenon in terms we can immediately understand, which is the reason 500 million of us have signed up. Including me!

For brining us Facebook, we possibly have to thank a woman named Erica. "The Social Network" begins with Erica's date with beer sipping Zuckerberg. During the date, Erica gets fed up, calls him an asshole and walks out. Zuckerberg is a social moron of course, and a total geek and he gets upset over being treated this way and Facebook is born out of revenge. Zuckerberg goes home, has more beers and starts hacking into the "facebooks" of Harvard dorms to collect the head shots of campus women. He programs a page where they can be rated for their beauty. This is sexist and illegal mind you, and proves so popular, it crashes the campus servers. After it's fertilized by a mundane website called "The Harvard Connection," Zuckerberg grows it into Facebook. Incredible. . . . ! (I work for a company that is kind'a similar in nature. :))

Is Zuckerberg a genius? Yes! Did he create Facebook alone? No!

Zuckerberg may have had the insight that created Facebook, but he didn't do it alone in a room, and the movie gets a narration by cutting between depositions for lawsuits. Along the way, we get insights into the pecking order at Harvard, a campus where ability joins wealth and family as success factors. We meet the twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (both played by Armie Hammer), rich kids who believe Zuckerberg stole their "Harvard Connection" in making Facebook. We meet Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), Zuckerberg's roommate and best (only) friend, who was made CFO of the company, lent it the money that it needed to get started and was frozen out. And most memorably we meet Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), the founder of two legendary web start ups, Napster and Plaxo.

It is the mercurial Parker, just out of work but basked in fame and past success, who grabbed Zuckerberg by the ears and pulled him into the big time. He explained why Facebook needed to move to Silicon Valley. Why more money would come from venture capitalists than Eduardo would ever raise with his hat-in-hand visits to wealthy New Yorkers. And he tried, not successfully, to introduce Zuckerberg into the fast lane: big offices, wild parties, women, the availability of booze and cocaine.

"The Social Network" is a great film not because of its fascinating style or visual cleverness, but because it is very well-made. Despite the complications of computer programming, web strategy and big finance, the director makes it all clear, and we don't follow the story so much as get dragged along behind it. I saw it with my fiance' and we both loved. This film is very interesting and I highly recommend it.

Julie

The Chairman of the Board. . .and others. . !

2010-09-24T13:50:00.005-05:00

The world hasn't been the same since Frank died. The coolest of the cool had a presence about him like no other before or since.

Many questions about his life and loves will come to mind whenever his name surfaces - some will approve and some will disapprove. But there is one thing that everyone will agree is that Frank had style. My kind of style.

Hard drinking, hard living and always obnoxiously generous, he would command a room even in the White House. Dressed to the "t" all the time and wearing hats to finish the look.

Let's take a look at some other famous stars who looked great wearing a hat.

Who better than the King of Pop himself. History shows that Michael Jackson had a huge Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly (both famous hat wearing people) influence and based many of his choreographed dance routines around the hat. Did you know that the hat that Michael Jackson threw into the crowd after his last Billy Jean routine is valued at more than $100,000.

Do you know of anyone today with the possible exception of Usher who could rock a hat dance routine like Michael?

Named after the dog! Indiana Jones gave new meaning to wearing a hat and looking cool and manly. Indy's hat had several important and memorable scenes all by itself. Rolling down the street by itself and being tossed and landing on the hat rack just before seducing a beautiful woman. Ya gotta love Indy and his hat!

Arrowmsmith Shoes has a wide assortment of hats and will add to any look you want to throw it on or take it off with.

In my research on hats I found that most men would wear a hat if the occasion calls for it. Frank and some of the other coolest of the cool thought just the opposite. they believe that everything they do calls for wearing a hat.

I love the attitude.

Craig

Florsheim Classics arrive!

2010-09-23T12:08:00.005-05:00

One of the better shoe designers on the market is Florsheim! They been around forever and the quality and comfort is currently at their highest level. Wing tips like these are no longer your grandfather's shoes. Europeans wear them everyday with jeans, khaki's or dress pants. If you follow some of the Tommy Ton's images you see wing tips all over the place.

The old saying that if you hang onto something long enough in fashion it's sure to come back in style doesn't apply to Florsheim. The example here is that the age of the people who wear this brand and style just got younger! Rolex, Mercedes, and Armani enjoy the same success.

I personally do not wear a lot of dress pants but I do wear casual slack and jeans and I would definitely wear wing tips with most of my looks. I don't own Florsheim as of this writing but at $69.00 I'm interested.

Craig

Tommy Ton in Italy. . . I'm going to change!

2010-09-22T06:25:00.009-05:00

As all of you know, or at least should know by know, we follow street photographer Tommy Ton and so do big name designers. Ton is one of the biggest names in men's and women's fashion and he hasn't designed a stitch of clothing for either. He's the pulse of the fashion world and he's hired by big name magazines to shoot fashion weeks around the world.

On his recent trip to Italy, Ton photographed everyday street life and from the long list of images you immediately get the feel that Italians dress better than Americans. Even when they're not dressed up they just look put together in a better way. Clothing and appearance seems much more important. Hmmmm. . . !

This is interesting! As I look around our little corner of the world I immediately notice that Mandy is very well dressed. She's always dressed nice. Julie is too! Fun shoes and skinny jeans and a great smile. Craig looks nice and is always stylish. funky glasses and probably too thin for a man. Jennifer looks fantastic in a burlap sack and so goes the rule that beautiful women can do whatever they want. I'm a firm believer in that! Skinny jeans tucked into tall boots is a good look on her, let me tell ya'.

Now, lets finally get to me! I look terrible compared to everyone else! My clothes are out dated, I've gained a few pounds and I didn't shave today so I have a little five-o-clock shadow thing going. The looks good on some men but it doesn't on me. I changed my shoes and I now have running shoes on because we have a new model coming in and I need to be comfortable so I gave myself a pass for that, but I look 'shluppy' at best. However, the shoes I took off are sitting there on the floor and they need a polish and look worn out. My running shoes look better. That sucks!

This is going to change right now! Tommy Ton's street scene photo's of Italy has inspired me to change how I dress for every day looks not just when I need to or have to.

Jim

Military looks for men

2010-09-18T10:39:00.003-05:00

I don't know but I've told. . . . . ! You can make up your own verse after that and do some marching too! That will put you on the mood.

Women who don the military look send me a secret message of hotness. I look and secretly lust after them. I can't explain it but to me if a woman is wearing a military look she is into fashion and has an advantage over all other creatures on the earth. Shes' like a super hero or something.

I know that women love a man in uniform but I love a woman wearing the military look even if it's in the slightest form. An army green jacket or some patches on a well worn bomber jacket. But the military look isn't just for women anymore. there's a trend in "fashionable" Europe that is growing in popularity. Men are now tucking there pants in tall boots and the colors of army green and khaki are big for spring of 2011.

The biggest trend is in the military style trench coat in army wool and black that is tailored and streamlined. Dolce & Gabbana and Marc Jacobs started the trend several years ago and it's finally starting to catch on. Usually for these guys it doesn't take that long for them to start a trend but the military look is a tricky one at best. Too much and you look silly not enough and you don't understand it and you look silly. Speaking of silly, I'm a fashionable guy but I saw a trend last year that I think should have never been started and that's the 'man clutch' . For me that's not going to happen and I don't care how they make it or what it does it's still a purse! I digress!

Military looks in fashion outside of actually being in the military is harder to pull off for a man than a woman. If a woman wants to wear my blazer they call it the "boyfriend blazer" and it's cool. If I want to wear her skinny jeans I have to move to Key West and on New Years Eve I get dropped in a ruby red slipper at midnight. Move over Sushi! The switch doesn't work. Fashion for men is much more difficult to find new and interesting changes that don't launch you into therapy. I like the military look for men but only in small items, so be careful.

Women, especially beautiful women, get away with murder. They pretty much can do whatever they want, wear whatever they want, and say whatever they want and get away with it. Nine times out of ten it will become a reality show and they become famous for it.

My bus is here and the driver is wearing a military style short jacket with epaulets and her pants have a French blue stripe going down the side. HOT!

Jim

Kick old man winter right in the. . . !

2010-09-14T17:02:00.008-05:00

Nice try Julie! "A" for effort, but I don't think so. . . .Well maybe! Here in the Creative Department at Arrowsmith Shoes we think about crazy stuff all day long. New campaigns, new ads, new home pages, new blogs, new everything. Personally, the more outrageous they get the better I like them.

We have a big white board with 50 colors of markers to doodle with and when ideas are flowing and you're standing anywhere near it you could end up with an entirely different look. It's been known to happen.

Last Friday we had a brainstorming session thinking of new ways to market some of the great GBX boots that came into the store and that are now on the website. So, we started writing on the board how to tell you about it. Why you would need these great boots and why you should get ready for winter, etc. When you think of boots you normally think of winter. At least I do!

Well, Julie hates winter and she started to scribble on the board about boots and winter. Winter and boots! Snow and cold and boots! Shoveling snow and boots and then she wrote "I hate winter!" We're watching her write stuff on the board and then she wrote - "With new boot's I will kick old man winter in the Jiggly Bits!!" And then she drew a cartoon boot on top and a little guy below bent over at the waist. Jiggly Bits? She said her dad used to use that term! I died laughing. . . !

This was perfect! I loved it! Shocking and funny and kind of crude but absolutely perfect! Kicking someone in the "Jiggly Bits" could apply to a lot of things but doing that to old man winter wearing a new pair of GBX boots is golden, baby! That's a great ad! Who can't relate to that! I'm not a fan of winter either.

We laughed and kicked the idea around bit (pun intended) and finally decided that we would be the only people who would think this is a great ad. If anyone disagrees please let me know. Think about it - this little hand drawn guy could get kicked around all the time in different ads by a great pair of GBX boots. Huh. . . . . ! Let it sink in. . . . !

So, buy these great boots so you can you know what to you know who. . . . !

Jim

Fashions Night out! Fall Starts!

2010-09-11T16:36:00.009-05:00

New York's Second annual Fashions Night Out is the unofficial start of the fall fashion season. Anyone who's anyone is out on the town and looking their best.

I have no problem with this. New York deserves a great night out in the wake of the September 11 anniversary. Good for them! I am only upset because I wasn't there. I would have loved to have been all dressed up going for drinks and then to the red carpet to see and be seen.

The after parties are huge and I have a friend who lives in New york who went to to some of the parties, I should say he was a party crasher. The trend for New York kicking off fall fashion for the season is a good thing. It smell like fall and feels like fall everyday. I'm in the mood for fall too!

Fashions Big Night Out was started a couple of years ago by Ann Wintour and the city was electric! Amazing! And, all the stores and designers had wine and cheese at different locations to support the event.

In Chicago, fall is in full swing too. The stores have changed over although it seems later this year than before but it's still a good thing. Someone should start a Big Night Out in Chicago!

What do you think? Let me know.

Julie

I Love GBX. . . . !

2010-09-10T14:29:00.006-05:00

Now that fall is here, or at least it feels like fall, I clear my head of anything summer and start in on fall fashion. Autumn is my favorite time of year and in Chicago, you really see the change of seasons in nature and in my wardrobe.

Long sleeve shirts and light jackets. Football games and the White Sox have a chance at a wild card chance for the playoffs and hopefully a World Series spot. The days get shorter and the nights are longer.

I've always been a huge fan of GBX and the new Brown Waxy Leather Boots that just arrived are a must have if you do anything at all out doors. There are many styles to choose from with this designer and they are priced to perfection.

This boot comes in brown and in black and at $69.00 it's a good idea to pick up both colors.

These boots are easy to wear with jeans or casual slacks and they're very comfortable. The waxy feel and look enables them to get better with age.

Jim

Mens Suit Trends for Fall 2010

2010-09-08T16:58:00.001-05:00

Men's fashion trends are few and far between; yes, a lot of women's trends are eventually adapted to the men's market, but if 2010 men's hair trends prove anything it is that classics will always rule when it comes to men's fashion. Unsurprisingly it's no different when it comes to men's suits.

While suiting and formal-wear trends for men aren't seasonal (unless, of course, you're talking about the weight of the cloth) and play out over several years, 2010 and 2011 continue the change in men's suiting that rose to the fore in recent years. For the foreseeable future the trend in men's suiting revolves around the classics, but more specifically modern takes on the classics. A good suit for this decade will take the best elements from the peak eras of men's suiting (think the formality of the Victorian era, the savoir faire of the 1930s and the skinny detailing of the 1960s) and apply them to a modern silhouette.

So what elements should you look for?

The Cut of the Suit

In men's suiting there's a move away from the 'skinny boy' suit, but that's not to say slim is out altogether nor that a boxy cut has replaced it. Instead, think of a cut that takes would appeal to a military officer, one that accents a sense of the masculine through three key silhouette elements: broad shoulders a slim waist and slim trousers.

If there's one cut that I'm glad I've been able to return to my wardrobe for this decade it's the modern, double-breasted suit. Those of you old enough to remember the last time the double breasted suit or sports coat was in (the 1980s through to the mid 1990s) may remember the boxy cut it inevitably came with. Fear not, that cut is gone (and if you're still sitting on double breasted suiting from that era, take it off to the tailors to refresh its life). In its place is a cut that pairs broad shouldered with a slim waist, a cut that defies what double breasted suits were originally designed to do: hide a plump figure. Instead their now designed to accent and to heighten the perfect masculine shape: the V-shaped, well worked body.

One additional styling tip: when selecting a double-breasted suit look for the "Kent" cut. Named after a style popularised by the The Prince George, Duke of Kent, it's a cut of double breasted suits where a longer lapel line extends into the waist. That is to say: the part of the double breasted suit that sits on the front buttons on the waist line (as picture on the Duke of Windsor, right). This small detail will convey height and, if cut correctly, a slimmer waist. You'll find the Kent suit cut amongst a number of collections, including D&G Fall 2010.

That's all for now and I'll continue to add to this topic in the coming fall days. Everyone should have a really good suit in their closet and I hope I can help you decide on which one is best for you.

Craig

Spoiled kids today. . . !

2010-09-07T11:41:00.004-05:00

You can tell it's Tuesday morning after having Monday off for Labor Day. I was complaining about something and Jim heard it and went on a rant about how spoiled I was.

Jim reminds me a lot of Robing Williams. Very witty but very humorous when he gets on a rant about how spoiled kids are today. I just want to let you know, I'm 27 years old! I'm not a kid.

Ok! I admit it! I was complaining about some friends of mine who I couldn't reach and it became a huge headache because I was saying that a friend didn't have her cell phone with her putting our entire group at a huge inconvenience. Jim heard the comment and it went down hill from there. Here's a snippet from the conversation. Also, we did this just get get him going because it's really fun to watch.

". . . . You spoiled kids, seriously! You couldn't reach your friend for an hour? OMG the horror of it all.. . . . When I was a kid. (here we go)! there was no Internet, no flippin' cell phones, no email, no texting no Facebook, no nothing. There wasn't call waiting or caller ID. If you made a call and someone was on the line you got a busy signal. I grew up with party lines where 10 houses could share a telephone line and if you wanted to make a call you had to wait until your neighbor got off the phone.. . . . . (what?) Kids today look at texting as communicating. What ever happened to actually walking up the house where your friends house and knock on the f****** door. "What up" and "hey" on a cell phone text isn't communicating or asking you out on a date. When I grew up there wasn't Child Protective Services. My dad actually told all my teachers that they have permission to kick my ass if I got out of line. Not only that, my friends parents had the same permission.. . . . You could get your ass kicked at any given moment. (too funny) You're all soft and a bunch of whiners who expect everything while earning none of it. Your mom and dad paid for your college? Four years of college! OMG! My mom and dad paid for nothing and I went to school and had to work the night shift at the Swiss Colony Cheese packaging plant for three years to pay for it. You're all spoiled rotten and I have to live with it in HD! Holy hell! You couldn't get ahold of your friend for an hour. I'm going to run out side and check to see if the world ended.. . . "

See what I mean! His head spun right off into space. He was on a rant and sounded exactly like a Robin Willaims comedy routine when he would shake his head and flail his arms around but we were dying laughing.

Spoiled Julie! LOL!

New Arrivals from GBX!

2010-08-31T12:28:00.000-05:00

Here's the perfect boot style for the fall and winter months! If you don anything outdoors then the GBX brown vintage leather boot is the ideal shoe for you.

The built in cuff at the top adds a great deal of warm and comfort and the side lace cutout gives you support when you walk and move your feet forward.

All GBX products are great ands the price is incredible!

Craig

One very cool commercial!

2010-08-30T11:54:00.002-05:00

Now we're talking. . . !

2010-08-30T07:30:00.000-05:00

Here in our studio at Arrowsmith Shoes all of us have our little cubicles packed full of stuff. I have discovered over the past years that my "stuff" gets moved back and forth from home to here, everyday. My laptop, my white papers on technology and the latest software and techniques are crammed into a small slot and look like hell because I bring them back and forth in a dingy nylon cheap brief case shoulder bag. I never liked it but I carry it because it was a nice gift at the time. I'm sure all of you have had a similar situation.

My cell phone looks like a bent up beer can from being dropped so many times because there's an outside pocket to slip it into and the thought was to have it handy to prevent digging around inside the bag if the phone rings. Good in theory, not in practice. I also carry 3x5 note cards with me all the time for ideas that I write down and my note cards are all over the place. There's no place for them inside the bag.

When I saw the Arrowsmith Shoes got a new supply of brief cases from Los Altos I went and looked at them and place my name on the list to get this one. Everything I need was inside this beautiful brief case. There's also a strap to carry it like a shoulder bag. Yes it's a little more than I wanted to spend but wow! It looks and feels like you're important. I normally wear nice jeans a great shirt and comfortable shoes and the first thing I thought was that this bag may be too much for me. I'm kind of a techno geek and almost not worthy of this kind of brief case but I'm going to splurge and ask if I can make installments.

Jim

Like zombies wandering the streets. . . !

2010-08-26T15:33:00.001-05:00

I'm sorry friends, but is it just me or does it seem that everyone is walking around like a a bunch of zombies these days. Stress, 24 hr news, the Internet is wearing everyone down. Television is obnoxious these days, politics is ridiculous and is going to get worse, and sports has bored me to tears.

All of us in the creative department took a little field trip yesterday and we went to the lake for a two hour meeting because the weather was fantastic and I could get the sense that all of us needed a break. Cracking a window just wasn't doing it. As I have mentioned before, creative people suck when they're crabby and unable to think. While at the lake we discussed numerous project and prospects and I handed out assignments for the upcoming weeks ahead. But what was weird was that watching other people it seemed more than obvious that everyone was depressed and stressed out.

So, I asked the group if anyone felt stressed out and I received a barrage of complaints and gripes and with everyone (the five of us) all stressed out about everything. Including me I have to say. The range of issues started at relationships and ended up at not making enough money and included tons of other stuff in the middle. The one point that everyone made was the inability to sleep at night. Now that's a health issue that concerns me. If you can't sleep nothing is going to work for you the next day. Then you feel like a zombie. You can also see it in a the eyes. If they're tired the eyes give it away every time.

After the meeting which cancels out the Friday meeting we all went to happy hour and blew off the rest of the day. Sometimes just getting away and venting is the best thing you can do but it doesn't work unless you make some changes. Here's what I did:

Flexible hours and no set time to get in as long as you mark on the board when you will get in and your work is completed and approved.
20% time for personal projects can be accumulated to a half day per week. This gives them a half day of work on a project instead of an hour a day. 20% time is very cool and a great benefit and really lets the staff play with new equipment and think differently. Julie is writing a children's book and working on a billboard design. Without 20% time she never would have tried either one of these projects.
Weekends can be split. This is a trial period only and has never worked very well in the past. But I'm willing to try it.

I'm hoping to relieve some of the stress on the gang and when they're not stressed out I'm not stressed out.

Jim

Japanese Denim. . . .Get a pair!

2010-08-25T17:23:00.000-05:00

The not so latest fashion craze for me these days is Japanese Denim. In doing my research for a client I discovered a few unique and interesting facts about this fabric: One is that it's pricey and two, it's really pricey! However, there must be something to this trend that so many people in the industry keep talking about it. I dug a little deeper.

Japanese culture is famous for its attention to detail, and jeans are no exception. Japanese denim has a cult following in Europe and America because of its amazing look and feel. It’s different because it uses traditional production techniques that have long been abandoned elsewhere. Though far more labor-intensive -- and expensive -- the jeans produced this way have a feel and appearance that is second to none.

Evisu was one of the first Japanese denim labels to become famous outside of Japan in the early ‘90s. The brand’s founder, Hidehiko Yamane, was a self-confessed “jeans otaku” and bought vintage Levi’s looms to produce his artisanal denim. Other brands use similar production methods to achieve a cloth that is stiffer, denser and yet far more comfortable than the mass-produced denim used overseas.

One of the most distinctive characteristics of classic Japanese jeans is their “selvage edge,” meaning that the fabric edges have a woven finish rather than being cut and over locked like ordinary jeans. The selvage can be seen on the outer leg seam when cuffs are rolled up -- a detail that will be noticed by denim connoisseurs and is a sign of the fabric’s superior quality. Another factor in this quality is the dye used for Japanese denim: natural rather than synthetic indigo, with yarn dipped up to 30 times to produce an incredibly deep and rich color that weathers with time.

The reputation of Japanese denim has traveled quickly, and several overseas brands have adopted it for their collections. Cult Swedish brand Nudie uses Japanese denim for all its lines, and Diesel uses it for some of its premium jeans in response to demand for heavy, dense denim from shoppers. Paul Smith’s Red Ear label uses Japanese denim and also styling details and stitching inspired by Japanese streetwear.

Like their manufacturers, Japanese consumers are also sticklers for detail, and the jeans worn on the streets of Tokyo reflect this. This season, three main trends are emerging in men's denim: skinny cut, embellishment and distressed wash. The skinny cut can be seen all over the city, usually in a dark wash and worn long enough to bunch around the ankles. Favored styles include 45rpm’s Sorehiko and Studio d’Artisan’s SD-103XX.

Embellishment takes many forms, from embroidery to chains and elaborate stitching. Evisu jeans are famous for their seagull mark across the back, which constantly morphs into new colors and sizes. This year, pocket-sized squiggles are the most popular, combined with colored tabs and studs. Dark wash has been popular for several seasons, but it is now being challenged by faded, distressed denim which can be seen everywhere on the streets of Shibuya, Tokyo’s youth center. From United Arrows, Eyefunny jeans are streaked with artfully applied paint and grime for a truly lived-in look right from the start. Edwin also provides a take on the look with frayed edges and fading through the legs.

In other cities jeans are seen as a fashion fallback that can be pulled on without thinking, but Tokyo’s trendsetters see denim as a matter for careful consideration, and they are willing to pay more for the perfect pair. And so, it seems, are a growing number of international denim fanatics who feed their habit through overseas stockists and eBay, and who swear that once you’ve tried Japanese denim you can never, ever go back.
Jim

Fantasy Football Lawyers. . . . OMG!

2010-08-25T07:49:00.001-05:00

Seriously? Fantasy football lawyers? Yes, it's true folks! Lawyers have been hired to handle disputes in fantasy football leagues and business is good. Think about it! You have leagues that cost $75 to join up to $10,000 and much more. With that much money involved, people will fight.

It all started with the injury to Tom Brady that left the star quarterback out for the season and left fantasy footballers scrambling and fighting. The idea was struck and stuck. You can also buy insurance for your league as well. When you get lawyers and insurance company's involved, I thin I'll pass. No pun intended.

In doing some research on this I discovered that fantasy football is not a new thing that started a few years ago. I started back in the 60's! Really you ask? Yes! I wouldn't lie!

How It All Began

Legend has it Bill Winkenbach, a limited partner with the then-AFL's Oakland Raiders, invented the game in a New York hotel room in 1962. Reporter Scotty Stirling and a Raiders publicist helped him craft the idea.
The Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League debuted in 1963. The eight teams picked skill players but also offensive ends and individual defensive players.

Players who played multiple positions, such as the Houston Oilers' George Blanda, could be drafted twice. Blanda was drafted as a quarterback and a kicker. Stirling, now scouting director for the NBA's Sacramento Kings, said he saw Winkenbach in 1991. "He told me, 'I told you we should have copyrighted the damned thing.' " Winkenbach died in March 1993.

Craig

The new "Military" Look for Fall 2010

2010-08-24T13:48:00.000-05:00

The cold war lives only in the fashion world these days, . . ! Gone are the fighting super powers, shady spies and dangerous women. (Secretly, I have to say that I like the dangerous women part!)

But, the trends in European fashions for outerwear took a turn toward reviving the 80's look of military jackets and made them contemporary and very cool. What's really interesting is that the 1980s military fashion revival is, however, on the wane. A new decade calls for a new swatch, and the focus on subtlety and quality that I hope will shape the next decade of men's fashion will see the men's military trend evolve in 2010 to be far more articulate.

So if the inspiration no longer comes from the 1980s, then when? The Second World War. An era of rationing, clean cuts, functionality, and, of course, the dapper gentleman off to fight for God and Country. This style even combined a few colors and years of war. Take for example this over coat pictured - The color comes from the desert campaign in Africa but the style is a French cut. You can even unzip the bottom half of the jacket and make it a crop jacket. Very cool and trendy!

As we progress further down you get to the boots. These are not military boots but they build a bigger and more impressive picture as footwear because just as important as the top coat and equally interesting. You can wear just about any kind of boot here. Like these or even these. They don't even have to be tall just a boot style.

So, when you get dressed this fall and winter think about a little fashion history and mix and match a military look for weekends.

Jim

Having a bad day. . . ? Watch this video

2010-08-20T11:39:00.000-05:00

Here in the creative department of Arrowsmith Shoes we are having some fun with our new video equipment and editing software that we just purchased. I have to tell ya' that this is seriously some high quality stuff and learning how to produce and edit our work has been fun and a learning experience. During this process, we have been seeking out videos that "wow" us and as a practice challenge we have to come up with creative ways to duplicate or improve some of the functionality of this equipment.

There is a sign up sheet for time on the station and we are allowed 20% of our day to work on our own stuff and be as creative as possible. There's only five of us but this work station is getting used a lot already.

The video "Validation" is a video all of us here highly recommend to everyone. Don't freak out by the time just put down the texting device and enjoy the best 16 minutes you will ever spend and I promise you will tell someone about it. This video won several awards and was voted the best video by all of us.

Enjoy!

Craig

New arrivals from Mezlan!

2010-08-19T12:03:00.001-05:00

If you're going to spend more than a little money on shoes then may I suggest the designer brand of Mezlan. Seriously friends, this genuine Ostrich & Deer Skin loafer is trendy, stylish and ultra comfortable. For $400 it better be! this is a shoe that you pull

I slipped this little number on my foot the other day and instantly wanted to sign over my paycheck. What I like about this shoe is that it's fashion forward and the color is so rich. The casual look and feel fits right in with my wardrobe and what I usually wear to work and out on the town. The metal brace across top adds a little 50's look which is the trendy style you pick up here.

Great with designer jeans and khaki's.
Craig

Inception. . . . Go see it!

2010-08-17T07:14:00.000-05:00

Here at Arrowsmith Shoes we talk about all sorts of things with our clients and staff. We also spend a great deal of time researching products, fashion, health, style, services, food, technology, gadgets and the best of all - entertainment!

Just this past weekend I saw the movie Inception and was completely amazed. I highly recommend it. Not only that, I was sent to the movie by Jim who wanted a review written and was a nice treat for me and my girlfriend. Movies for two are not cheap anymore and when you add popcorn and drinks you're creeping up on $50! Thank you Jim! I'm a movie buff and this was directed by the same director who did Batman which I completely loved.

The plot is sci-fi to highest degree as Leonardo DiCaprio is a burglar but not the ordinary kind. His team of Matrix like crooks enter the dreams of unsuspecting people to steal priceless information. Is it technical? Yes! Is it way cool! Completely!

Inception is the act of planting an idea inside the dreamer’s mind—something that will influence his behavior—and then escaping unnoticed. That way the dreamer wakes and acts on the idea without ever realizing it isn’t his own.

Cobb (DiCaprio) is forced into a corner by a powerful businessman (Ken Watanabe), must agree to perform an inception in order to buy his way back home to his kids, or else live on the run. His target will be the heir to a corporate empire—Robert Fischer, Jr. (the excellent Cillian Murphy)—and his goal will be to make Fischer want to break up that company’s monopoly with incredibly subversive tactics.

This movie is a mind bender and you have to pay attention. The visual affects are in slow motion at times and will leave you with a sense of wonder.

Is it the best movie ever made? No! Is it a must see ? YES!

Craig

MAGIC in Las Vegas. . . !

2010-08-17T07:06:00.001-05:00

Las Vegas! Home of the largest Shoe
convention in the world!

Hello from Las Vegas! Arrowmsith Shoes buyers and stylists have jumped on board a not so private jet and landed in Las Vegas for the the MAGIC convention. MAGIC is positioned as one of the most comprehensive trade events for giving an insight into the apparel industry. The show is at the Las Vegas Convention Center but spreads out all over the town to accommodate all the visitors and exhibitors. MAGIC provides reliable supply chain venue for the fashion industry at the international level. It proves to be a connecting link for more than 700 manufacturers, fabric & trim suppliers, print & design studios, service providers, vested in more than 40 countries.

This is a huge show and takes three days to get through all of it - if you're lucky and if you have qualified help. At the end of the show, you're exhausted. For me personally, the show is almost wasted on Las Vegas because you would think that in the evening you could go out on the town and have a great time but in reality, you're too tired to go anywhere. So, you go go back to the room, order some room service and then go to bed. Get up the next day and do it all over again. I'm not a big gambler and I don't drink alot which makes me a big fat Vegas disappointment. I'm surprised Vegas even lets me in!

We have scheduled appointments with Mezlan, Nunn Busch, Florsheim, Sebago , Alan Payne and many others. We will bring back the best of the very best styles and fashion for all of you to enjoy.

Anyway, we're in Las Vegas and it's %#@ hot!

Jim

Elephant and dog! Best friends!

2010-08-15T10:29:00.000-05:00

This is the best story I've seen in a long time and completely fascinating. This just warms my heart and makes you feel good! Elephants are amazing creatures and if you don't believe me watch this video.

I have the duty this weekend and our work piled up. I'm taking a break and a friend of mine sent me the link to this video and I thought I would share it with everyone who visits the blog.

Enjoy!

Julie

IT, gadgets & hair pulling. . . !

2010-08-14T07:01:00.000-05:00

We have had some "technical difficulties" in our little corner of the world this week and although we may be geeks, we were stumped and had to call a bigger geek to fix our problem. We are back on track now but all of us learned a little more about our co-workers and how smart or stupid they are. Stupid is a term I use loosely and will even refer to myself with this description.

Here's what happened! We added a new video station complete with a new computer and all sorts of cool gadgets and in doing so we added an online cloud server so that Mandy or anyone else can work from New York at night. Mandy is going to the prestigious Parson's School of Design and all of us wanted to help her and use her skills at the same time. A cloud computer that stores all the folders we use can be accessed anywhere in the world and when we tried to hook up the network to the system and get all the computers to work flawlessly we ran into an unknown issue that grounded us. We could not figure this out and instead of stopping all progress we decided to stop and disconnect and deal with it at another time. When we did that none of the computers would work. AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!

Photo shoots took place and work continued but with no computers. Work piled up and eventually we called a real networking geek who came in and fixed it in about 45 minutes. Seriously? He looked like he was 12 years old and hardly said a word but he did look at us in disgust and he did shake his head a lot.

But, were back online and not so happy campers.

Craig

Great fall looks. . . !

2010-08-09T10:46:00.001-05:00

New York Fashion week showed off some of the top designers in the industry and a few of my favorites were Rag & Bone and Richard Chi.

Try the rugged layering, mixing chunky sweaters with heavy coats, or plaid shirts with a tweed jacket. And don't forget your backpack on this Rag & Bone look. The big fashion trend in Europe is the scarf wrapped around the neck and it doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon so you may as well embrace it. The footwear options are endless and I love tall and casual boots here or ankle boots. Either way give you an urban look that's stylish and fashionable.

The leather jacket by Richard Chi is fantastic especially when you add layers underneath and the scarf wrap. This is a great fall look and will carry you all the way into Spring 2011. As you can see your back to the scarf wrap as just about every designer carried onto their runway shows.

Craig

Women & Motorcycles

2010-08-08T12:15:00.000-05:00

This is how I think I look on a motorcycle!

I'm not a geek although everyone here teases me about being one. I'm the only girl among three brothers and I'm the youngest sibling in my family. So knowing that, I learned more non geek stuff growing up than I deserve to be teased about. I had hand me downs but all of it was sports equipment - baseball gloves, knee pads, hockey sticks, golf clubs and tennis rackets, etc. The one thing all of us kids learned how to do growing up was riding motorcycles. I learned how to ride my oldest brothers motocross bike when I was nine years old and I've been a fan of motorcycles ever since.

I have several reasons why I I like men on motorcycles:

1. The Sex Appeal

A man on a motorcycle turns me on because a man on a motorcycle is automatically bad — a little bit tough, a little bit rugged — and, for pretty much any woman, automatically hot.

2. The Leather Jacket

Leather and motorcycles go hand and hand, and nothing — nothing — is sexier to us than a leather jacket and biker boots. Even if you don't know how to ride yet.

3. The Throbbing Engine

That sound a bike makes starting up? Makes me feel alive. It gets me revved up — gets your heart pumping — like hearing a good rock song. I don't have a Harley yet but as soon as I can get one I will.

4. The Freedom of the Road

A woman likes a sense of adventure, especially when it's spontaneous. And there's something about getting out there on the road — on front, on back, whatever — that lets you see your surroundings in a whole new way. A woman likes endless possibilities. None of the geeks I work with have a motorcycle so therefore they do not have endless possibilities.

5. The Forbidden Drive

Girls aren't supposed to ride motorcycles, and I love breaking stereotypes. Just seeing my Harley-Davidson Nightster in my garage feels like I have an escape vehicle — an automatic sense of empowerment and control, and my outlet to break free. Doing a burnout? Let's just say women like to push themselves, too.

Julie

Conversation Rules you should never break!

2010-08-06T10:35:00.000-05:00

NO.10 - CHANGING THE TOPIC TO SUIT YOUR OWN INTERESTS

Everyone has their own conversation topics of choice -- work, office gossip or early 20th century smelting techniques. There’s nothing wrong with having these topical preferences, just don’t force them onto others. Let the conversation progress naturally; contribute where relevant and on-topic. We know you’re dying to participate, but don’t try to make some forced transition from American politics to your taxidermy collection. We’re not interested

NO.9 - CHECKING YOUR PHONE

Technology has become a distraction for many and, of course, the phone is the worst offender. It’s an extension of you; it’s your life; you couldn’t live without it. We know. But be aware of this conversation etiquette mistake. No matter how important the text, the e-mail or the brick breaker score may be, checking your phone during a conversation is one of the most insulting gestures. In some countries, the “phone check” is punishable by death. And although in Western culture it may only be looked at as a conversational faux pas, it’s still an ill-advised move.

NO.8 - NOT KNOWING YOUR AUDIENCE

Know your audience. You can’t hide behind “I am who I am, no matter who I’m talking to.” Certain people require a certain type of conversation. Your boss sees the PG version, your friends see the R version and, if you’re lucky, you have the occasional X-rated with the wife. But no matter what, you should always be tailoring the act for the audience. Just because the one about the Jehovah’s Witness and the rabbi gets a good laugh with the boys doesn’t mean you’ll get the same reaction at your aunt’s wake.

NO.7 - ONE-UPMANSHIP

It’s not only a conversation etiquette mistake, it’s an alienating trait to exercise. Even if you feel the urge to vocalize your greatness in comparison to others, you need to do your best to suppress this competitive edge. Conversation is not a competition. You don’t have to one-up the other person’s story, their good news, their time to shine in the conversation spotlight. You’ll have yours -- don’t worry

NO.6 - TALKING FROM YOUR SEAT

Time and time again you’ll be at a restaurant, and that friendly acquaintance will come by for the standard greeting. Often, like a lethargic king on his throne, you’ll simply remain seated while the servant-like acquaintance asks about the family. It’s awkward, it’s rude and it can be easily avoided. Just get up. Stand from your seat, shake a hand, pat the back, and ask where little Jenny is applying to college. God, these kids grow up fast. But seriously, stand up.

NO.5 - CURSING

Who doesn’t love a four-letter word? We all do. But conversations aren’t meant to sound like an Andrew Dice Clay set at the Improv. The occasional use of profanity is certainly acceptable in the right situation. You may want to enhance a story, bring back the audience or give an accurate description of the guy at the DMV -- go ahead, but be aware of this conversation etiquette mistake. Being too heavy with swearing is always a mistake when it comes to conversation. Get a thesaurus; there are alternate expletives

NO.4 - LOOKING OVER THEIR SHOULDER

Nothing is more disrespectful then when your eyes drift off, over the shoulder of your speaking companion, as if looking for a better option. Even if Jeffrey Dahmer is approaching with a machete and a lobster bib, the eyes should remain focused. We know it’s tough to stay engaged throughout the whole conversation. Maybe you don’t have much of an interest in your coworker’s medical worries, and the effects of lupus. Hang in there and show some respect.

NO.3 - NOT INTRODUCING THE PARTICIPANTS

It’s a pretty tasteless move to let your companion sit idle in a conversation without the correct introduction. Although it’s many times remedied with a “Oh, I’m sorry, this is...” the repeated offense is inexcusable. If it’s a friend who doesn’t get the introduction it’s extremely unfortunate. With the girlfriend, nothing says “This won’t last more than six months” than letting her stand silent, awkwardly smiling, while you shoot the sh*t with Teddy from back home.

NO.2 - MONOPOLIZING THE CONVERSATION

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not enjoyable to hear one person rant through an entire one-sided conversation. You have to pass the mic. Even if you have zero respect for what might be heard on the other side, if they’re completely incapable of producing a comment worth listening to, you have to pass the mic. It is covered in Conversation 101, and revisited in the advanced classes as well. Don’t monopolize the conversation -- it’s one of the most common conversation etiquette mistakes. It’s a painful practice for all involved. At least look to settle for a duopoly.

NO.1 - INTERRUPTING

It’s the No. 1 conversation etiquette mistake, committed by everybody at one time or another. It’s unbearable for the one getting cut off, and it shows the interrupter truly has no interest in hearing what the other party has to say. The easiest way to avoid it is simple: just listen. Many substitute the listening portion of a conversation with the “what should I say next?” portion. Once that thought is formulated, it blasts right out. Listen. Pretend as though the person talking has a 10% chance at producing a fairly cohesive point. Now imagine how disappointed you’ll be if you miss it. Protect yourself, let them finish, then start pontificating.

Craig

Reebok Planning NFL Jersey Blitz!

2010-08-05T07:19:00.003-05:00

At Arrowsmith Shoes we have a "Creative Budget" which usually consists of one guy (Jim) going to one or two marketing or advertising conferences a year. The rest of the budget goes for research by subscribing to an entire list of cool magazines and publications to sharpen our skills and thought process or software upgrades which takes a huge bite into the budget. A recent article regarding Reebok Shoes caught my eye as a very clever campaign and I thought I would pass it along so you can see what we read and think about around here.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young celebrates the day his mother was born, wearing No. 10 for her June 10th birthday. And Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew recalls the teams that turned him down to play pro football—that would be all 32 in the draft—with No. 32 emblazoned across his chest.

There are some of the stories behind those NFL jerseys, according to a marketing campaign breaking next month. The print and retail ads are part of a collaboration among longtime NFL sponsor Reebok, the NFL Players Association and the Champs sporting goods chain that will try to energize sales of the apparel category dubbed names-and-numbers after years of focus on women, performance and lifestyle merchandise.

“Promoting the jerseys like this gives the players a chance to take off their helmets and tell a story,” said John McMahon, marketing director for Reebok Sports Licensed Division. “It makes them relatable.”

The campaign, running through September, will have a dedicated Web site with video footage of players like New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and safety Kenny Phillips, Kansas City Chiefs running back Thomas Jones, and other stars talking about the origins of the numbers they wear. Fans can upload video clips about their favorite numbers (or the ones they wear during their own games) and enter a contest to win NFL swag.

More than 600 Champs stores will get extensive signage, crew T-shirts and POP for the seven-figure program under the tagline, “Every number has a story. What’s yours?” McMahon said Reebok plans to make it an annual event, eventually expanding to include more players and more tales.

Craig

Moretti Black Leather Flip Flops

2010-08-04T13:51:00.003-05:00

The dog days of August can drive anyone to the back of the closet to pull out some sandals and head to the pool or pier. These "black leather flip flops by Moretti are what all the Italians and French Riviera natives live in during the summer months. Remember, they close down their factories for more than a month during the summer and go on holiday.
A month? Nice!

These sandals come in several different style and colors so if your looking for a variety these sandals right here would work great. You can take a look at the entire selection of Moretti sandals right here if you like.

You wear these beautiful sandals with shorts or a nice pair of khaki pants for the evening. Showing your toes in Europe is no big deal and not a problem in the US either.

This is the pair I own.

Craig

"Brainus Interruptus. . ."

2010-08-04T10:47:00.005-05:00

What did he say? My brain is full! All of us in the creative department of Arrowsmith Shoes have to deal with more interruptions than any other place in the world. I swear to the software Gods that rule my world that if I get one more meaningless interruption my head will spin off my shoulders and roll on down the hall. Kathump . . . kathump. . . kathump. . . ! I hope it lands in the parking lot, starts my car, and picks me up to go to the Cubs game!

I just got a text from a friend indicating that he just bought his seven year old daughter a cell phone. Wow! We have a no cell phone turned on policy in our little asylum but today I had to keep it on to be aware when a client is coming in who has a short time schedule today. I thought the text was from him. It was not. Shortly there after I receive a text from Carrie, the seven year old daughter, who in all honesty is as cute as they come but, seriously? Twenty minutes later and I'm finally done. Still waiting for my client text so I can turn off the phone. I have a love hate relationship with my phone. My smart phone is actually making me stupid.

A recent 2009 study by Timeback Management showed that we spend two hours a day fielding unimportant interruptions. The study in brief said ". . . is the disease of the modern workplace. Its symptoms are familiar to any worker: the inability to complete a thought or a task without losing focus under the onslaught of relentless interruptions which result in a lack of efficiency, a loss of time to solve problems, to think strategically, to plan, to dream – to get your job completed so you can move forward and get from here to there. . ." Really?

I like to call it "brainus interruptus"! I also understand that a large portion of this disease is self inflicted and I'm trying to improve. I read somewhere that admitting you have a problem is the first step towards solving it.

Ok! I have a problem and I admit it, but I don't think my problem is as big as my friend's who just bought his seven year old daughter a cell phone..

Jim

Trends for men? Don't be confused!

2010-08-03T09:09:00.004-05:00

This is fashion for Pete's sake it's not world peace. It seems that men today would rather stay stuck in the 80's then take a chance on a fashion blunder. Personally, staying stuck in the old way of doing things is a fashion blunder. If looks matter than it matters how you look.

We get asked this question all the time - "what pieces should I start with to update my wardrobe?" That's a very good and relevant question but it takes a little personal history questionnaire to really answer it. I need to to know you a little bit you and your lifestyle to put your mind in the right place to get you started. For example: if you're a high school teacher you probably don't need a business suit. You would, however, need a few nice sports jackets and some great shirts to compliment the style. Take the old corduroy jackets with the patches on the sleeve and throw them out. You don't want to look like a movie character that everyone makes fun of. Remember, at some point you're going to meet the parents of your students.

A great pair of casual slacks or even some designer jeans (if you can wear them) would be perfect. And, your shoes should always be cleaned and well taken care of. Casual or dressy shoes can and will make an outfit even better.

If you're Steven Tyler or Eminem your look is completely different. You're a rock star! Wear whatever you want. I know this isn't rocket science for some of you but staying current with the trends can be a lot of work. The Internet can be a fantastic tool to use for this but when your brain is overloaded you gravitate to someone who can help.

All of us at Arrowsmith Shoes can help you style your look with the current and updated trends and the best thing about this is that's it's FREE! All you have to do is ask.

Craig

Sucess (Finally)

2010-08-01T11:37:00.003-05:00

Hi friends and fellow shoe shoppers! I passed my graphic design task and posted a new home page for all to view. Phew! It was touch and go there for awhile but I completed my task and I'm done for the day.

The new Florsheim "Buffalo" Loafers are in and they look fantastic so I created a home page to show them off. I have the weekend duty her in the Graphic Design Bay and I'm making sure everyone is happy and there are no tech issues lingering around out there.

The computer that contains the video software and some other equipment has arrived and it's out of the box but not set up yet. A new desk station is in pieces and it looks like it will be up and running this week. Fun stuff! I'm looking at the manuals now and tech stuff always amazes me.

Summer is closing in around us and fall is right around the corner. I here rumblings of a sale in the near future and if you're a preferred client you will be getting an email about that pretty soon. A few select markdowns have already made their way to the site. This Nunn Bush "Brown Leather" Boot is one of my favorites boots and a perfect fall item. Pick up a nice plaid shirt and a great pair of jeans and you're ready to head off to soldier field to watch the Bears or to your favorite sports bar to watch you're Alma Mater. I'm a University of Wisconsin graduate.

Go Badgers!

Julie

Groovy cool sunglasses!

2010-07-28T15:45:00.007-05:00

Yeah I know that nobody uses the word "groovy" anymore but I've always referred to my sunglasses as my "groovy cools"! I forgot why I call them that. I love a great pair of sunglasses and will protect and cherish them for years. by protect I mean I 'reallllly' protect them. I have severl pairs and I like the aviator styles the best.

This style by Armani is one of my favorites s and I've had this pair for awhile now and I still love them just as much as the day I had to take out a loan to by them. :)

Sunglasses are an important accessory for men; just like good watches and quality brief cases. I don't look at shoes like an accessory like some people do, but I can see their point. Belts are an important piece for me only in the winter because I wear so many shirts untucked and the belt doesn't seem that important. I don't leave shirts untucked in the winter for some reason. I guess I dress better when it's colder.

I hardly ever wear cologne because I have a terrible fear of over doing the spray and I smell like "that guy at the bar" who took a shower in his cologne and you look at him like he's a complete clown or something. You know the guy! He could be wearing the best suit ever made with the nicest shoes but the obnoxious cologne will be the only thing you remember about him. That fear is enough for me to have someone spray my cologne in another room and ten minutes later I'll walk through it and I'm still worried even after that.

I do like a great pair of sunglasses though.

Jim

PS - I had a friend of mine attend a haloween party as "that guy at the bar" and it was the funniest thing ever. Very clever.

Brad's got . . . . STYLE!

2010-07-27T09:24:00.003-05:00

Love him or find his adopting every kid on the planet annoying as all get out, Brad Pitt has more leading man qualities than any other actor in show biz - that includes George Clooney and that is completely my opinion. But as a woman I would like to think my opinion on men carries some weight.

Don't get me wrong, I like George Clooney but so does my mom and that kind of creeps me out a little bit. There's something about Brad Pitt though, that turns my head to look every time he hits the tabloids, makes another movie, or is building another "green" home in New Orleans.

Recently, Brad and Angelina showed up for the premier of Salt and Brad never looked better. He's about 20 years older than I am but looks amazing and when he dresses for the occasion he looks incredible with effortless style and sex appeal.

At Arrowsmith Shoes we scour the web every day looking for "news and clues" to better assist our clients, I am constantly drawn to the leading man looks for style and appeal. It's my womanly DNA and I have no control over it. Thankfully. . . !

Mandy

Rejected. . . ! RELAX. . . !

2010-07-25T11:00:00.005-05:00

This is a tough job and a lot tougher than I thought it would be. When you're new and working with creative people there's an expectation that is 100% results driven only. That's it! There's no faking it. "There's no such thing as perfect in this kind of thing, it just needs to work." I'm struggling with this concept and I need help.

I had my second home page rejected in so many days and received some "instruction" on "speed" and "message" before I was subsequently removed from the assignment and demoted to watching. Yuck! That's like being benched.

I was wearing my Frankie Says: Relax t-shirt and a pair of designer jeans and looked cute as can be and subsequently started to stress out over this and have self doubt in my skills. I have the technical skills but obviously lack the marketing skills. I was told that I should listen to my t-shirt and just relax. So, I decided to write a blog about this to be posted on Sunday.

We create a lot of web and print work during the week and some days you have time to take your time and other days you don't.

Julie Says: RELAX!

Julie

Henri Cartier-Bresson at the Art Institute of Chicago

2010-07-24T13:28:00.013-05:00

As one of the fashion photographers around here we have some of the best equipment money can buy but that won't help you take a great picture if you don't have an "eye" for subject matter and the technical skills to tie it all together. Born in France in 1908, Henri Cartier-Bresson was one of the most prolific photographers of the first half of the 20th century and was also one of the founders of Magnum Agency.

Starting Sunday, July 25 and showing through October 3rd, Henri Cartier-Bresson, has a show on display at the Art Institute of Chicago and next weekend I'm going to go to the show with my girlfriend. Now here's a guy with an eye for subject matter who didn't have an expensive camera but new street life and wanted to capture everything about it on film. Film mind you, not digital. I'm a complete digital nut but I love collecting old cameras and have a couple at my house so, needless to say when a show like this comes around I can hardly wait to go. Henri Cartier-Bresson died in August of 2004.

Were going to make a day and an evening out of this show and after visiting the museum we're going to meet a group of friends and have drink and dinner on a roof top patio (weather permitting) It's a dressy casual affair and since I just bought the new Alan Payne "Vanilla Buck Oxford" Shoe I have several options that will carry me from the show right to drinks and dinner with no problem at all. Walking through an art gallery as big as the Art Institute you're going to want to wear a great comfortable shoe and these Oxfords are very comfortable. A nice pair of brown pants and a dress shirt will be perfect. I'll keep a jacket in the car just in case it's cooler or Sarah needs to keep warm and we're good to go.

Craig

No school like the old school. . . !

2010-07-23T08:06:00.004-05:00

It's 8:00 a.m. Friday morning and I'm sitting at my computer bay and the morning meeting begins in one hour. I'm the newest graphic designer on the team who, by the way, had to take a whole lot of challenging graphic design tests to get the job and I'm ready for whatever the meeting brings. Some of the exam tasks I passed and some of the tasks I flunked. At my review I was told by Jim that "there's no school like the old school" and that I shouldn't forget that. I'm 24 years old don't even know what that means but I agreed and determined that Jim must be old.

Around here we blog, write marketing materials, create beautiful web and print graphics and put our clients needs above our own. You can argue your point on beauty with everyone and if you're smart and persuasive you can keep your projects going your way. Creative release is incredible! I love it.

At Arrowsmith Shoes we have to create graphics and fashion related work for print and web. I've been assigned the Home Page this week and my first release was rejected yesterday. When I was explained why, I had to agree. I lost track of the "reach" as I was told. The graphics were great but the message failed. "Make the message fit the graphics but the message has to come first." Hmmmm! Got it! No school like the old school . . . ! Listening to Jim sometimes can be very entertaining but, you will know quickly when to push the limit and when not to.

We have a jar in the room with money in it and a little cartoon character (Jim) pulling out his hair taped to the jar. (You also learn fast how to read Jim's facial expressions. LOL) Every time you miss spell a word and you "publish" it will cost you $5.00 and you place the money in the jar. Even if you catch the error before anyone else you still pay. At the end of the month we take the money and get a pizza that comes with a lecture. Just so you know, since I started I have place $10.00 in the jar. There's $40.00 in the jar right now and this will not make Jim happy as my co-workers told me. It's a major pet peeve around here and it's because "you're lazy" and "careless."

Anyway, I have new work for Arrowsmith Shoes home page to present today and if it passes you will see the change right away. I hope you like it!

Julie

PS If you see a miss spelled word please don't tell anyone!

Here we go again. . . !

2010-07-22T17:06:00.006-05:00

Boring. . . ! Dull. . . . ! Give it a rest already. This is not news. Model Crystal Renn was "shocked and stunned" to find her picture altered to make her look thinner. What. . . ? To be honest I can barely tell them apart in this photo but as long as she's "stunned" this will make headlines around the world, or at least on the talk show circuit, and I could not possibly care less. Can you tell these two images apart? Or at least enough to be "stunned"!

As a fashion photographer I get asked this question so many times I could just cry! "Do you alter images of models?" And my answer is "YES I DO. . . . !" Who cares! This story is so boring that I have to use CAPS to make my point a little more interesting.

I have altered and retouched so many images over the past five years that I can now classify my self as an expert fix-er-upper. It's not like I take bad pictures its because models show up for a job hung over, tired from jet lag or whatever and they need some work done that makeup can't hide. People are not perfect, they have scars, blemishes, unsightly tattoo's, bags under their eyes, tan lines, gross piercings and most of the time they reek like cigarettes. I mean seriously. Nobody looks like Halle Berry when they wake up in the morning. Unfortunately! Models look great in ads but there was work done behind the scenes.

Fashion is a business that's all about beauty and selling products and the product and the image that surrounds it has to be presented in the best way possible. You don't have to be an MIT graduate to understand this.

I would love to be shocked and stunned so that I can make headline news around the world every time my picture was taken and the photographer me me look better than I am in real life. I can hear myself now, . . "That bastard made me look good. I hate him. . . !"

Jim

Vampire Weekend. . . Contra Cover Scandal

2010-07-21T16:01:00.006-05:00

This "guy talk" all the time around here can make it seem that all you ever talk about is sports, cars, "other women" and tech stuff. I am smarter tech wise than the entire lot of you "guys" put together but I don't go around talking about it all the time. So, let's get down to some serious non essential gossip.

As an investigative blogger of all things fashion I came across an article that hit close to home on several levels. On one level I like the band Vampire Weekend and on the second level we work with models all the time and the former model on the cover of their album Contra is suing Vampire Weekend for unauthorized use of her image.

Where's the rub you are probably asking. Ok! Here it is. Former fashion model Ann Kirsten Kennis was reportedly very surprised to see her doe-in-headlights likeness in a preppy Polo shirt on the Contra cover, when her daughter showed her the disc earlier this year. "Her daughter came home one day and said, "Hi, Mom, see your picture?'" Kennis's lawyer, Alan Neigher, told Entertainment Weekly. Neigher also told EW that the photo was never intended for professional use. "It was taken by her family. It was a Polaroid, not a modeling picture," he insisted. There's another factor to all of this, the photogrpaher, Tod Brody, who sold the picture to the band for a reported $5,000 and then forged Kennis's signature on the release form. Kennis said that the band was duped into believing he was the person who took the picture.

Brody of course has denied this, telling EW: "Ms. Kennis's claim that I didn't take the photo is blatantly false. I took the photo in 1983. The photo was in my possession the entire time, for 26 years, until it was delivered to Vampire Weekend." (Incidentally, the photograph seems to have been removed from Brody's website, www.todbrodyphoto.com, although it was once included in the Portraits section under the file name "Kirsten.")

So there are several questions here. First, who took the photo--Kennis's mother or the photographer, Tod Brody? And if it was the mom, then did Brody really forge Kennis's signature and claim he was the real photographer? And if so, how did he think he'd get away with such a scam, since it was inevitable that Kennis would eventually see the cover? (After all, the album did debut at number one on the Billboard album chart in January 2010, so it was hardly obscure.) Conversely, if it was Brody who took the pic, is it possible that Kennis failed to read the fine print and didn't realize she was signing away rights to the picture 27 years ago?

We deal with models all the time and they sign a release for every picture we take of them, even if the model is a non professional and this is her first shoot. We own the pictures after that but they can use them if they wish for their portfolio.

I am curious to see what happens with Contra and the model and I will follow up as new information surfaces.

Now this is good girl stuff . . . . !

Mandy

Salvatore Feragamo. . . Very cool!

2010-07-21T15:13:00.005-05:00

Everyone loves Feragamo. It's like an Armani kind of thing. Or, an Astin Martin kind of thing and Rolex kind of thing. You can't explain it but you just know it's one of those things.

Feragamo knows how to surprise you in a positive way. And its new masculine collection for next spring is a wonderful surprise. As usual, its habitual customers will stay very well dressed by using this excellent collection. That includes items with inspiring designs, which look classic and very Italian. I'm not sure "very Italian" even makes sense but you know what I mean.

The shoes of this collection are really really elegant… they can be defined with two words: Classic and chic. Those shoes are made of velvet and leather, which are high-quality materials that allow people to rest when walking. As for the fabrics: In this collection you only see fine fabrics, shiny colors such as orange and deep ochre, and an extreme softness for maximum comfort. While the ’80s style is returning for both men and women, Feragamo also gives a chance to wear straight pants and looks with narrow shoulders and a close-fitting waist, without exaggerating the dimensions.

Arrowsmith Shoes has very elegant shoes that will compliment any Feragamo wardrobe you decide to splurge on. One of my favorite pairs for getting dressy is right here, and it's on sale. . !

Stay cool!

Craig

Fashion shows are a ton of work. . .

2010-07-20T10:09:00.008-05:00

but the after parties make it all worth while. As fashion experts and creative geeks (who have a mad plan on taking over the world by the way) we have assisted in numerous fashion shows in our day but much to our surprise we have never video taped them. We have the equipment and the software to bring you something fantastic and we will accomplish this but if you've never been behind the scenes of a fashion show you will know how hard it is to focus on making a video and how many people are involved in doing it right.

Here's a small example of Dolce&Gabbana's summer 2010 fashion show in a behind the scene peek.

Mandy

How to be a better man (person) . . . . !

2010-07-19T11:09:00.006-05:00

You can tell it's Monday around here! We have everyone together and we bitch about the weekend successes and failures regarding our relationships. Personal relationships that is. It seems that the women are looking for something completely different in a man then all us assumed. Now, when you get a creative bunch of geeks together commiserating about what makes a good man even the men will pipe up and add their two cents. We scoured the Internet looking for tips and hints on this topic and then we voted on them.

Here's what we came up with and not necessarily in the right order.

1. Bring a dish. Poet Robert Frost once wrote, "Good fences make good neighbors." That's irony, not prescription. A real man hits the neighborhood barbecue bearing a bowl of potato salad. You won't just fill bellies, you'll strengthen bonds. Bonus: no awkward introductions the first time you want to borrow your neighbor's rototiller. Women loved this men did not!

2. Be nice to "her" dog. Sure, it's yapping at you like you're about to steal the china, and a Frisbee toss could break its face. But it's not like we're asking you to take Fifi for a walk or anything. Just hide some bacon in your pocket. Both men and women liked this one. One co-worker says her boyfriend doesn't pay attention to her dog because he doesn't like dogs. What? Who doesn't like dogs? We suggested that she dump him.

3. Snow blow your neighbor's sidewalk. You're already out there. Be nice and this one will go a long way. Good one!

4. Donate more than dough. Like some time, or your Sunday afternoon. Giving cash to charity is a write-off. When's the last time you helped out some unfortunate kids? Popular for everyone. We all agreed that we don't do enough.

5. Cook her something from scratch. You're not dating Betty Crocker, are you? Be bold. Homemade anything is the way to a woman's heart. Women loved this one and men we're scarred to try this.

6. Sing. Outside of the shower, that is. So what if you're tone deaf? Own karaoke night anyway. Even Axl Rose can't nail "Welcome to the Jungle" anymore. The worse your pipes, the more valiant you'll appear. This wasn't good for anyone on any level. Nobody likes the odds at being fun vs making a fool out of yourself.

7. Read a newspaper. A foreign one. You're not going to learn anything from your local op-ed page that you don't already know. Distance provides perspective. Perspective confers wisdom. You need both. When we found this on the Internet we all laughed because none of us could remember the last time we read the "actual" newspaper. Are they still around?

8. Stand up for someone. If a co worker's being shelled in a meeting, lay down cover. You'll be his hero, and everyone else will see you as a man who weighs in when it matters. Hmmmmm! This was a tough one that had some conditions but all of us thought it should make the list.

9. Watch a fish die. Don't close the cooler lid. This is the gruesome finale to your fishing trip: a desperate animal, poisoned by the very air that sustains you. See it fall still. Nature is no Disney movie. You'll never waste food again if you witness how it winds up on your plate. No one liked this one but we all agreed to never ever waste food again. . . ! EVER!

10. Mail her something—with a stamp, not a click. You check your mailbox every day, even though nothing good ever comes, right? So does she. The women lllllllloooooooved this one. The men never knew how much they loved something like this.

11. Show "thank you," don't just say it. Words are cheap. Stow the ear buds and talk to your bus driver; give the janitor a hand with the can. Real thanks requires a connection, not an empty ritual. Good one!

12. Shut your mouth. People will forget that your buddy called Canada "Canadia," but they won't forget your geography lesson, Professor Buzzkill. Since we have a bunch of know it all's here we all learned a few things from this.

13. Pick up her tab . . . and expect absolutely nothing in return. Instead of slinking over to lay down a pickup line, settle into your own drink with a nod and a smile. Women love confidence. Besides, chivalry shouldn't come with strings attached. Another one that women loved and us men were like, surprised because we all remember times when we tried to buy drinks for women and they looked at us like we were trying to pick them up. The women laughed!

14. Earn a nickname. Great men have fake names. Think about it. The Chairman of the Board. Satchmo. Charlie Hustle. The Admiral. What have you done to inspire yours? All the men thought this was far too risky and you could get stuck with a dreadful nickname. Women had no input and thought the idea was stupid and egotistical.

Craig

Giorgio Brutini. . . New Arrivals!

2010-07-15T12:41:00.003-05:00

Hi friends & fellow shoe lovers! One of the most popular brands of designer footwear we sell at Arrowsmith Shoes is Giorgio Brutini. This brand has been in our store for years and is a long time favorite by all our clients.

This Black Calf Blucher is one of the top selling brands we carry in the dress shoe section. Very comfortable and priced at only $69.98, this brand is hard to beat for quality and value.

For the past two years or so it seems that lace up dress shoes have grown in popularity which is contradicting the dressing down of footwear. It seems that people still want and need dress shoes and if you fall into that category then all of us at Arrowsmith Shoes suggest you try Giorgio Brutini.

Julie

Let's get fashionable. . . .

2010-07-14T12:06:00.006-05:00

One of my favorite designers is Burberry. Yes, I know it's a pricey brand but it's still one of my fav's! I like Burberry because everything I own of theirs fits me perfectly!

The other reason I like Burberry is that I would rather have a few really nice pieces and wear them often than have a lot average clothing that I wear all the time. It's a quality versus quantity sort of thing.

In the recent Burberry fashion show these looks were on the runway and they put the looks together with some awesome shoes. You can have a similar look right here at Arrowsmith Shoes. Take a look at this shoe for a dresser look to go with the look in the middle. You don't have to pay Burberry prices at this shoe is only $60.00!

You can also step it up in look and style right here as well. Yes it's pricier but it's inedible and a very hot shoe! this shoe by Belvedere is amazing and it's on sale right now and would go great with any of these looks in the picture.

I hope you enjoy the day.

Craig

Everyone in Paris. . . .

2010-07-14T10:43:00.002-05:00

. . . dresses better than anywhere else in the fashion world. Style is so important to them these people that even just doing nothing or not going anywhere still requires a sense of fashion and style. I was recently in Paris on a "girls trip" and that was the first thing I noticed no matter where I went.

I've been to New York! I've also been to London and LA and nothing compares to Paris. I'm sorry! However, to be completely honest, Paris is one of my all time favorite cites so it's hard to say anything critical. I also loved Barcelona when I was on a trip there a couple of years ago.

I was reviewing the recent article on Tommy Ton (Below) and have been following his photography and style street shoots for some time. He's a famous guy in the fashion world and have discovered many trends that were brought back to the US after his photos appeared in several French fashion magazines. Check out some of the clever footwear that Arrowsmith Shoes brought in to compliment some of the street scene footwear photographed by Tommy Ton. Take a look at this pair too!

Jennifer

Scene on the street: Tommy Ton

2010-07-12T06:51:00.003-05:00

Street photographer Tommy Ton is a famous guy: in the fashion world that is. He travels the world taking pictures of street scenes hidden in all the trendy and fashionable places, especially in Paris, Milan, London and New York. For designers, they get a strong feel from Ton who shows you what the "real people" are wearing and what the trends are or what they're going to be.

Ton runs the Jak and Jil blog which gives an insider’s view of the international fashion business — both on the runways and what’s happening on the street outside.

Ton hits all the fashion hot spots — from Milan to New York — and posts beautiful pictures of his travels every day.

The photographer highlights some of the things that are left out of the mainstream fashion press — likes the shots he posted of the models coming out of a Dolce & Gabbana show in Milan on Tuesday.

Ton has a great eye and a journalist’s sense of finding subject matter worth preserving and sharing. If you look close enough you can find Arrowsmith Shoes is current with the trends in Paris as the picture above was taken July 2, 2010. Alan Payne designed a version of this shoe and here it is. Cool!

Jim

Well LeBron. . . ! Now what?

2010-07-09T10:20:00.006-05:00

LeBron James went for one of the most beloved sports super stars, who was loved even by opposing team fans, to one of the most hated with this latest stunt. And, he did all of that in the span of about an hour. Wow! Is Brett Favre's on LeBron's speed dial network? I can hear the conversation now. . . "Hey Brett, it's me, LBJ. What should I do?" "Screw everyone man! Legacy is just a word." "But what if they burn my jersey in the streets and riot in the bars?" "You'll have to learn to be hated my friend. . . . !"
"Should I tell the owner about leaving or should I surprise him on national TV?" "Oh definitely surprise him. That's really good TV."

It doesn't even matter that all the proceeds went to various boys and girls clubs. It doesn't matter that he says it's not about the money. It doesn't matter that he was the one who stunk up the playoffs this year and got beat by the Celtics, and got beat in the finals a few years back. What more do you want. You're the star! Win the damn thing. So now you're going to join D. Wade's team. This is is going to work well. You should have come to Chicago.

The self hype and all-about-me attitude has turned me off to even watching sports anymore. I'm tired of it. A-Rod kissing his own picture, Ochocinco just being himself, the yes I am not I'm not Brett Favre, should I even mention Tiger Woods, and now this.

Please! I think I'd rather watch paint dry.

Jim

Pat Riley strikes again!

New Alan Payne Loafers. . . !

2010-07-08T11:31:00.004-05:00

I'm a loafers kind of guy. I love all kinds of shoes but for some reason I'm always pulled back to the old comfortable stand by. They're like an old friend and when you put on you're favorite jeans, I'm telling you, I feel like I'm on vacation.

Michael Jackson was a loafer guy too! I recently saw his last movie documentary "This is It!" and discovered that he had hundreds of pairs of loafers. They were his signature shoe with the white scrunched socks and the high rise pants.

(Getting off the subject for a second but if you haven't seen "This is it" I highly recommend it. It's amazing and he was incredible. What was surprising is that he looked completely healthy and showed no signs of fatigue or any other medical problems that would have caused anyone to worry about him. If you rent it makes sure you go to the special sections feature and watch all the behind the scene extras. Amazing!)

Anyway, these loafers by Alan Payne come in black and brown as well as in Crocodile in both colors too and when you slip them on you will immediately want them. Check out all the new arrival by Payne and I'm sure you will find a pair or two that you love.

Here's a secret code for those of you who read this blog. Use "blog10" at checkout and save 10% on any Alan Payne shoe you order. This coupon is only good for seven days and is not on Facebook or Twitter.

Jim

King James in Chicago. . ? Not going to happen!

2010-07-07T15:28:00.004-05:00

Not in a million years! Too Bad! The latest report from the rumor mill was that the Chicago Bulls sent Lebron James a pair of Michael Jordan shoes and asked him if he was man enough to try and fill them. This is a challenging attempt to lure James away from Cleveland and sign him in Chicago to play for the Bulls. Hmmmmm, . . . . . !

Now if I'm LeBron James, who, incidentally, has publicly stated and even physically tried to have Michael Jordan's number "23" retired for life, I'm not so sure I would have liked that little package. On the one hand to be compared to "His Airness" is without question the biggest compliment you get ever get as a basketball player but on the other hand to try and live up to Jordan's history in Chicago is a completely different matter. Not only that if you don't come to Chicago does this mean he's not man enough to try? That package is like a Trojan horse.

The questions would never end about the comparison between him and Jordan. James would be foolish to play in Chicago because of Jordan. Jordan is the greates basketball player of all time but he doomed Chicago forever after he left. In my opinion which has about as much credibility as the rumor mill but it doens't mean I'm wrong, James needs to stay in Cleveland. I love sports but I am not an authority by any means. I only watch because it allows me bitch'n rights!

We judge sports figures by how many wins they have or rings in this case and King James has none! However, he's only 16 years old! :) That was a joke but he's been in the league for a few years now and has elevated himself on and off the court like a genius and if there was anyone, except for maybe Kobe, who could pull off a Jordan like career in Chicago it is certainly King James. Saying that alone means there is no way he's leaving Cleveland. He would end up like Shaq just playing for the money and he could watch his popularity go down the drain. James, Like Jordan, knows the meaning of staying in one place for one team and wining championships. Look what happened to Brett Favre if you don't believe me. Sure Jordan left and went to another team at the end of his carrer. I have no problem with that. so did Montana and there's a long list of others but LeBron James is only 25! He has a long way to go and if he doesn't stay in Cleveland, I'd be very disappointed in him, even if he came to Chicago.

It's very similar to a woman who dumps her husband for you. Deep down inside you have to wonder if down the road she would dump you for another guy. She''s already shown you she's capable of that. But that's an entirely different conversation.

Jim

Some cool and casual options!

2010-07-07T13:02:00.003-05:00

Hi friends and fellow shoppers! I like dressing casual and comfortable, most of the time that is. For me the days of being a t-shirt, shorts and sandals are long gone.

The 'Strong Force' moc toe oxford by Kenneth Cole has a classic style to it, yet it's not stuffy. It is more updated. This is a great wardrobe basic that can be worn with a suit or jeans.

ArrowSmith Shoes carries several styles just like the Kenneth Cole and one of my favorites is the Nunn Bush "Black Moc Toe" Lace Up. You can easily wear this shoe dressy or casual.

Another nice and comfortable shoe is the Nunn Bush "Black Leather" Lace Up. The two styles may be slightly different but you accomplish the same look and style with both.

In addition, we have an upcoming buying trip to Las Vegas and if you've ever been on a buying trip or a trade show you know that the hours are hell and you're on your feet all day and night. I love this "Driving Shoe" by Steve Madden (pictured) and will wear it on the plane to and from Las Vegas. What's really nice is going through security checks where all you have to do is slip in and out of these little babies and you're off to the check in counter. I love going on buying trips but I'm glad when they're over.

Stay cool!

Craig

Counterfeit Goods: CNBC Special Report

2010-07-06T07:19:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone! I wanted to give all of you a heads up on the counterfeiting special on CNBC this Thursday night. This show should prove very interesting as it affects all of us and it's like an epidemic costing a collective group of companies billions of dollars every year. Fake handbags, watches, and perfumes are a way of the past, the present and the future. (This picture is showing thousands of fake Rolex watches being crushed.)

These factories are the largest underground industry in the world, counterfeit goods bring in hundreds of billions, while sapping the economy, putting lives in jeopardy, and funding organized crime in the process.

This Thursday, CNBC will present "Crime Inc.: Counterfeit Goods," a CNBC Original reported by CNBC's Carl Quintanilla takes viewers inside where the goods are produced and confiscated in a world of high-risk and high-reward.

The one-hour special brings you on raids with the LAPD anti-counterfeiting unit, inspections at ports, and back-room factories where counterfeits are produced. Meet a couple who was paralyzed by counterfeit Botox, a company whose whole brand was copied, and the story of a defense contractor who counterfeit defense parts that found their way into weapons depots in Iraq.

At around 7% of all global trade, Counterfeit Goods are a big business with low overhead. It makes too much money to go away any time soon.

I encourage all of you to watch this show and just be aware of the damage this can cause legitimate stores, designers, and customers.

Staff article.

Weekend shoe. . . !

2010-07-05T06:56:00.003-05:00

I traveled north for to Manitowish Waters this weekend leaving on Thursday afternoon right after the weekly meeting which is supposed to take place every Friday morning. The July 4th holiday gave all of us an extra day off. Thanks Jim!

My wife's parents have a beautiful little lake house that's been in their family for decades and it was our turn to have it all to ourselves. No phone, no TV, and no Internet access, and it's been decided to keep it that way on purpose. Although, if you have an iPhone you can still have worldly access but I have to say that I resist using it.

The first thing I pack is this Steve Madden shoe. I live in this shoe and it's perfect for walking around the little town near by and going out for lunch. I take this shoe everywhere I go if I'm going to be walking around or on my feet for any length of time. Jill's parents have a little pontoon boat and when we pack up to go around the chain of lakes I bring a sandal and this shoe. That's it!

When you work for a shoe company you have unlimited choices of footwear. Trust me friends, the Steve Madden is amazingly comfortable and, it's on sale for $59.95.

Happy 4th of July! (I'm back to the real world.)

Craig

Sorry about that Call. . . . But Here's a Car!

2010-07-02T10:12:00.006-05:00

As marketers, photographers and graphic designers we subscribe to all the trade magazines and websites to improve how we operate and we get the scoop and data from around the world on the coolest stuff.

Recently Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga pitched a perfect game only to have it taken away by the umpire who made a terrible call at first base. It was a horrible call and one the umpire has apologized for a hundred times. It was a bad mistake, what can you say he knows it and he's only human. It's part of the game.

However, even though this had all the makings of a classic YouTube/viral/hey-did-you-see-that moment. Galarraga was unfazed by the bad call and in his honor he was given a brand new 2010 Chevy Corvette for his effort. Later, the offending umpire broke down over his mistake—another video clip played and replayed. You might think the winner here is Galarraga, who's now the poster boy for sportsmanship. And you'd be right.

But there's another beneficiary of this wacky MLB situation: General Motors. The marketer racked up $8.9 million worth of exposure from last Thursday's game through Sunday for that one gifted sports car, courtesy of the hashing and rehashing through media channels, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds and every other form of communication far and wide. That's the estimate from Joyce Julius & Associates, which calculates sponsorship value. GM sat out out last season but returned as a Detroit Tigers sponsor this year. Timing, as they say, is everything.

If all of us at Arrowsmith Shoes, and every other company in the world for that matter, were thinking we would have given Galarraga and the umpire a brand new pair of shoes or boots for the effort. Oh well, we'll just have to wait for the next amazing moment to give away a free pair of shoes to a really cool guy!

Jim

Cole Haan Saddle Shoe

2010-07-01T14:55:00.007-05:00

Hi Friends: I didn't want to confuse anyone one on the last post so I did some research and found a great pair of Cole Haan Saddle Shoes ($148.00) for those of you who just want to ease into this look without freaking out all of your friends.

This is a great shoe and will look fantastic with designer jeans or even a great pair of khaki trousers.
Live in the moment, baby!

Craig

Saddle shoes are in. . . . !

2010-07-01T14:25:00.003-05:00

In the 1950s, and even later it didn't matter if you were a bobby-soxer in a long skirt or Elvis Presley onstage in shiny black trousers—you owned a pair of saddle shoes.

Saddle shoes were the footwear of choice for good girls and bad boys alike. This summer they're suddenly everywhere again, available from niche designers as well as big names, like this tri-tone, leather-soled version from Cole Haan. (And if you dig the old-school rubber-soled style, don't worry—G.H. Bass still makes great ones.)

We may or may not have saddle shoes coming in but if they do I'll post here on the blog and on our Facebook page. You can wear this look with a slim-cut lightweight cotton suit or go sockless in a pair of rolled-up designer jean or skinny chinos. This is a casual look and it supposed to be fun.

This is a great look and stylish without trying to hard. You can ease into saddle shoes by picking up a dark brown over light brown pair where the look is subtle and relaxed. Blue over white is fantastic but can almost have a preppy look to it.

Stay cool!

Craig

Blog interruption. . . !

2010-06-30T05:31:00.009-05:00

Hi friends: A small but irritating technical glitch took out our blog for a day and as you can see it's finally fixed. These kinds of things always stress me out, especially since I had no control over the outcome and because I had nothing to do with the cause. I was an unwilling participant with no control over any aspect of the issue. All of us at Arrowsmith Shoes apologize for the inconvenience.

During the heat of the moment a co-worker asked me yesterday; "If you didn't cause the problem and have no control or input over the solution why stress out over it!" Hmmmm!

To be honest, when he said that to me I had several evil thoughts running through my head as I just glared at him but after a few minutes I calmed down and regained some mental control and had to agree with him. But, tech issues always stress me out. Dropped cell phone calls irritate the hell out of me too. I started to add up the stressful issues that I encounter in any given day and I have a lot of them. What it really boils down to is when I become a "victim" of someone else's error, problem or issue, that is what sends me into the stratosphere. I didn't do anything to deserve this. I get all worked up and the longer it goes the worse it gets.

We all started to talk about the things that stress us out and I have to say that all of us had a long list of different 'stresses'. I was surprised at the things that stress me out and equally surprised at the things that didn't. Also, is irritation the same as stress? Bad drivers irritate me but they don't stress me out. We took on that topic a little too long but in the end all of us went back to work and every once in awhile I could hear a few cuss words coming out of a cubicle and they were tech issues cuss words. I can recognize the reason for those words a mile a way.

So, after all of this I checked the computer before going to bed and discovered the problem had taken care of itself and the world was right again. The Internet is a wonderful pain in the a#@. . !
Jim

15% off at Arrowsmith Shoes!

2010-06-28T19:48:00.002-05:00

Take advantage of our our 4th of July sale and take 15% off your entire order. Just enter in the coupon code area "july15" at checkout and save. You can even use this code in both our locations in the Chicago area.

Happy 4th of July from all of us at Arrowsmith Shoes.

Craig

Lavish Understatements. . . . !

2010-06-27T10:38:00.002-05:00

I've been a big fan of Hermes' for a long time because the look is clean and cool. Everyone can wear this look. Here's a little back story on this designer. Check out the shoes you can wear with this beautiful look. Or, even these.

Thierry Hermès' company began producing saddles, harnesses, and bridles for Russian czars and European nobility in 1837. By the early twentieth century, the company had expanded into clothing (the brand introduced the first zippered golf jacket, in case you were wondering) and accessories. Over the past two decades, men's designer Véronique Nichanian has earned a devoted following for collections that offer a modern take on the brand's luxury heritage—plus the occasional (and season-appropriate) injection of color.

Hermes' is pricey that's for sure but the look is killer! Remember, you always get what you pay for.

Craig.

The Birth of the Blues. . . !

2010-06-25T13:50:00.004-05:00

When Cool was King! This is one of the only times Johnny Carson and the Rat Pack sang together. It may seem old and dated by today's standards but it's priceless. I don't think there was a funnier person than Johnny Carson and who was cooler than the Rat Pack. . . ! These guys were dressed to the nies all the time and back in the day, EVERYONE wanted to hang out with these guys. Drinking, partying till all hours of the night. . . , these guys were like no one else.

Spend three minutes and watch these legends of music and fun. Awesome!

One blog to folow and one review.

2010-06-25T06:39:00.006-05:00

As writers and readers I sometimes take a much needed brain break and sit back and read a good book, or blog, or tech review, etc. One of the most humorous blogs I've read is called the 'bitchy waiter'. This guy is a must read! He's a waiter in New York and tells the funniest stories about being a waiter in the most way. Since I got turned onto him I read his stories all the time and die laughing.

The other light reading all of us at Arrowmith Shoes participate in is tech reports. As the head geek and code lover, I follow all the gadgets around here and pick up the best ones for our business or at least it's supposed to make our business easier and better. If tech doesn't do that I take it back. The latest review and gadget we purchased was the Apple iPad. I'm here to tell you my friends, this is an amazing product and I believe it will revolutionize the computer industry. I know all about the product hype that Apple has certainly mastered over the years They can hype like no one) but I have to say - this is one unbelievable product!

I have reviewed this little gem and highly recommend you picking one up. However, one of the little problems I had wit this product as I do with the iPhone is that you can't watch any videos or hulu or any website that use any form of flash. The iPad uses HTML5 which is brand new and less than 1/1000 of the worlds computers use. For some reason they have a bone to pick with Adobe and so they don't support flash. You can watch YouTube and all sorts of rich media on line but if there's a website site, and there are lots of them out there with any form of flash you won't have the good experience Apple wants you to have.

I review all kinds of products and will keep you informed of the good and the bad.

Jim

Cool looks. . . .!

2010-06-23T12:16:00.003-05:00

One of the better looks for me this season was the dark velvet jacket worn in a casual way with a tailored shirt designer jeans.

I like this look because you can wear it anywhere these days, especially out on the town. I wear this look all the time at work, too.

The jacket is contemporary and easily worn with with a European cut tailored shirt. You can add plaid or stripes here and leave the shirt un-tucked.

Any designer jean will work here but I would not wear this look with torn or shredded jeans. The jacket is just too nice to have that kind of contrast from the upper half to the bottom half.

The shoe options here are endless. Try these by Steve Madden or even this look by Nunn Bush. You can even wear a casual look here too that would be amazing.

Craig

Crocs vs Holey Soles. . . . !

2010-06-22T14:14:00.005-05:00

A recent article in Footwear Plus brought to light a court decision that ruled in favor of Crocs. (left)

Crocs claim was that Holey Soles (right) copied the popular designer of water clogs and the recent court decision ruled in favor of Crocs. The decision stated that to the "ordinary observer" (i.e not a shoe expert) the look and appearance of Holey Soles shows a substantial resemblance to Crocs.

From the look of these two pictures I would have to agree that Holey Soles is almost identical in look and style as Crocs. And, I'm not a shoe expert.

So, what does this means for you, the consumer? Well, probably not much but what it means for the knock-off industry is a pretty big warning shot across the bow. Holey Soles is not a knock off company per say and by "knock-off" I mean the sleazy back alley street sellers of Gucci, Prada, etc., that cost the legitimate fashion industry billions of dollars in sales. Holey soles fought hard to prove they were not stealing Crocs designs and lost. But what it looks like is that Crocs became Holey Soles personal designer in this style of shoe.

However, there will never be an end to the knock-off industry. Imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery. Especially when it costs you millions of dollars in sales.

Craig