Category Archives: How to live

What to do, where to go, and what to see.

The Decanter

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 “No poem was ever written by a drinker of water,” the great Roman poet, Horace wrote. Wine has been a part of daily life for thousands of years. Its history dates back to origins in ancient Mesopotamia, and plenty has been written about wine. Take Psalms and Proverbs of the bible for example:

-Psalm 104:15-And wine that makes the heart of mortal man rejoice, to make the face shine with oil, and bread that sustains the very heart of mortal man.

-Proverbs 31:6-7 -Give beer to the ones about to perish and wine to those who are bitter of soul. Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.

According to Persian mythology, wine was discovered by a woman when she drank the fermented juice from grapes stored in a jar. After partaking she fell asleep, and woke up cured of a headache, rather than suffering from the world’s first hangover as expected. Continue reading →

Fatherhood- Happy Father’s Day from How to be Swell

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Psalm 127:3-5 NIV
Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

This year was the second time that I became a father in time for Father’s day. On the first of June my second boy was born, just 13 days before his older brother’s second birthday. Let me tell you, the impact is the same the second time around. Any man who doesn’t get at least a little emotional when his son is born isn’t a real man. A son is a glorious thing. Continue reading →

The Skinny Tie

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There are so many options in neck wear for men today. Some have varied in popularity throughout history, and most are closely related through a common ancestor. The cravat (or cravatte) is the original neck-cloth, dating back to the 17th century Croatian military garb. Next came the Ascot, which was a more tailored version of the cravat, it was designed for casual or “morning” wear (I saw someone wearing an Ascot looking real smart just this weekend). That was very quickly followed by the bow-ties and string ties. I love bow ties as I’ve said before. Some argue that bow-ties and the cravat originated together, or are even one in the same, I believe they are distinctly different. Frome all of those we can derive the modern-day necktie. Since neckties evolved from the early cravats, their width has varied, stretching from barely an inch thick to a ridiculously wide five inches.  Today, the typical tie  is about 3.5 inches wide. Of course these aren’t the only options men have, but if you read this blog don’t even consider items such as the Bola tie unless you are an oil magnate living in Dallas Texas.   Continue reading →

The Art of Manliness

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Here is a quick plug for a new blog that I’ve found. These guys have a fantastic site to visit, it is an open forum type of blog, with a number of great groups (nearly 600). They discuss everything from scotch to bow ties, and from books to guns. I think it is a perfect accompaniment to this particular blog you are reading. Check it out: The Art of Manliness is truly swell. You can also sign up for a daily dose of manliness in your e-mail. If you sign up they send you some free stuff to read as well.

Take a Kid to a Car Show

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The spring weather is here, and where I live it has been for a while. What that means for people like myself, car enthusiasts, there will be plenty of swell events to see throughout the summer. I am talking about classic car shows. I can not think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than strolling through a lush green park, admiring all the beautiful machines of days gone by. I own a classic car and, I love to spend the day with my family and other car enthusiasts, all the while admiring each others cars. Car shows are fun, family events that any one can enjoy, and range from small neighborhood celebrations to full-fledged invitation only extravaganzas of elegance and machinery. One of my favorites is a well known event in the mid- Continue reading →

Wrighteous Jewelry

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Let me introduce you to an awesome jewelry designer. I am really a big fan of Wrightous Jewelry, not only do I like their style and quality, but I also like what they stand for. Their company credo includes vintage ideas of pride and patriotism, faith and love for your country, It is American made jewelry with an American spirit.  They are born in the United States and made in Detroit-the motor city. They follow a similar marketing idea to the Chrysler “Imported From Detroit” theme, which I love. To give you a feel here is a quote from their website:

The Wrighteous Lifestyle is about taking your past and creating renewed vigor for your life with genuine intentions toward your future.  Embrace your life, it’s in your hands, you make the choice on which path you will travel. America has been built on many foundations and principles, hard work, sweat and tears. Grab ahold of that spirit and create with us a New American Renaissance. A renewal in what is the American Spirit.

But, what it’s really about is the style. They have big men’s and a women’s lines, that are both fantastic. The men’s is of particular interest here. The styles are royal, gothic and rock&roll all mixed together. There are some very masculine cues; antiqued silver, crosses, skulls, fleur-de-lis, and the like. All of the pieces are in sterling silver, some have 14 karat gold. Wrighteous makes rings, pendants, cuff links, belt buckles, and a lot more. I think it is one of the best brands in men’s jewelry that I have seen in a long time. They bring back that rugged and bold look to mens jewelry. On top of that it is great to support an American company from a down ,but not out market in Detroit Michigan. As of now Wrighteous Jewelry is pretty exclusive, but I know you can get it at Diamonds & Gold.

Support this brand, They call themselves Wrighteous, I call them Swell.

Mad Men Season 5

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Don Draper

If you think that Donald Draper is a swell dressed guy, then you have Janie Bryant to thank. Janie is the costume designer for award-winning show, Mad Men. Takes place in the mid 1960’s the show follows the lives and goings on of a team of Madison Avenue advertising execs. This show has been on an extended break giving its fans ample time to build up excitement for season 5 beginning on March 25th on AMC at 8pm central time. The writers and designers have done a fantastic job of recreating that vintage feel in the show. There are incredible sets and costumes for the show all through out. The story is pretty captivating, even though I am not promoting the behavior of some of these characters (how not to be swell). It’s worth a watch, its well written and will immerse you in that period, if only for an hour.

I have been watching Mad Men since its inception and I will definitely be watching season 5. I will be on look out for some of the styles in the show and sharing them with all of you as advice on how to be swell

Swell Neckwear: The Cordial Churchman’s Bow Ties

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Bow ties get a bad rap. Some people think they are just for little boys, or awards ceremonies. BUT THEY ARE WRONG.

Sure the neck tie is a standard-bearer, and the skinny tie is back with a vengeance, which I happen to think is pretty cool. To be truly swell you have to consider a bow tie. I am not talking the cheap clip ons or the pre-tied ones that button in the back but a real live bonafide bow tie that you have to learn how to tie. This is a fantastic vintage look that will never go out of style and looks great from casual to “black tie”. There are a few places to get one if you look a little bit, but there is one place  that has it down to an art form, I have a couple of these myself.  They are handmade in every color and pattern imaginable. Every wardrobe needs at least a couple of bow ties.

I took the liberty of borrowing a recent post from The Cordial Churchman’s blog and showing it to you here:

366 Bow Ties: Day 51

How to look swell in trousers.

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I feel the need to address a few quick rules on how to look swell in trousers. I wish to hearken back to the classic days of old Hollywood, when men know how to dress appropriately on and off-screen. Those rule still apply today, that is if don’t you want to look like a little kid wearing your fathers clothes.

First off I feel like I should address blue jeans, even thought this post isn’t really about them, they deserve mention. Blue jeans were invented them as a work pant, don’t forget this. Now, today they are more than just for work and I appreciate that. They are easy to wear and take care of, they usually look good, there is plenty of variety, and they are comfortable. There are still some Continue reading →