Monday, September 27, 2010

Funding the Julian Boots. A Papa Sale?

Friends of the Papa, your ear for a moment if I may.
In thinking of ways to fund a pair of custom Julian loggers boots I was wondering is it worth posting a bunch of my stuff here for you to view and perhaps buy or should I go to ebay? I have a bunch of early McCoys shirts from the mid 90's, all their catalogs dating back to before their bound volumes, A Buzz Rickson nylon L2b in olive drab with a Bell experimental patch, McCoys duck work pants and an assortment of other vintage goodies. Im just time poor at present and the listing process on ebay is such a drag.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

40's Aviator sunglasses.



My 1940's aviators really set off the USN herringbone cap I had made whilst away in the Indian Ocean. Im thinking these are perhaps American Optics 18K G/F, a little more interesting than your straight up Ray Bans eh?

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Lace to Toe Julian Smoke Jumpers.



These Julian handmade boots would have to be one of the most magnificent things Ive seen in a long long while. I know they're bound to cost a fortune but Im thinking I've just got to have a pair. Does anyone know his contact details? Through Rising Sun Jeans perhaps?

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Teenage Ingenuity.



Despite my pleas my son went ahead and got his first ink. Although I wish he hadn't I was also secretly pleased that he at least chose a Sailor Jerry flash. In his efforts to be able to wear shoes without rubbing, Chip came up with this solution, "Van-e-drilles" I suggested, "no Vans Homme" he counted.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

John Ford Style Icon


My good friend Federico Hill and I often discuss our favourite war movies, there's so many, but for me its usually the early 40's flicks because I love the character actors who seem to turn up in every film like William Bendix, Lionel Stander, George Tobias, Lloyd Nolan and Preston Foster and there's always a guy from Texas and the cabbie from Brooklyn and the young kid from the mid west. The best of these for me is 'Guadalcanal Diary' but for Federico its all about 'They were Expendable', a great early PT boat drama starring John Wayne and Robert Montgomery and directed by John Ford. Above is the most fantastic stylin' photo ever of John Ford on the set of this movie wearing his G-l jacket. I had to share it with you all, its a beauty!
Below is a couple of stills from the movie and under these is a rare look at some early production sketches that were done in 1942.





Sunday, August 22, 2010

Padang Padang Cup 2010 pre-party.

So anyways hanging around the beach we met up with some crew that took us off to a pre-party for the contestants of the Rip Curl Padang Padang Cup surf contest. After a great free BBQ we settled down to watch a movie on the grassy slopes of a villa overlooking the famed Uluwatu reef break. The Papa snapped off a couple of night shots of the screen and was pleasantly surprised by the results.


Another perfect day in Seminyak.



For 21 days in a row the trade winds blew straight up from the roaring forties and marched southwest across the Indian ocean pushing iridescent swell lines pulsating towards the coastline to peel and crash against dark volcanic sands, right outside my hotel door!

Gilligans island?

Wandering along the beach last week I came across the amenities block for the Legian Beach Hotel and couldn't help but to make parallels to Gilligan's and the Skipper's Hut, well albeit a little more glamourous. I think it was the life preservers that provided the visual associations to the S.S Minnow.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Holiday style the Papa way.

The Papa is home!
Be it a grass skirt for the folks back home, a boars tooth bracelet for a sweetheart back in Pearl or a hand hammered silver Shilling ring for that nurse on Tulagi, you can rest assured that there was a resourceful, enigmatic and entrepreneurial sea bee, sailor or marine that could put his hand to the manufacture of accouterments to enhance his government issue kit.
In the true spirit of the fictional South Pacific Sea Bee Luther Billis 144th USNCB unit, the Papa has been busy.
Ah yes show me a third world tailor and watch the sparks of creativity fly. In an eternal effort to create the perfect summer beach kit the Papa came up with some new items including beach pillows, 40's style trunks and his fave piece a version of the rare BA-2 USN deck cap which during the war was an experimental garment under limited release and was available only in indigo denim.



Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Papa goes AWOL


Well folks the Papa is off on vacation in the South Pacific so I will be taking a hiatus from blogging. See you all back here in 21 days time.