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How to wear a dress shirt

Posted on: May 10th, 2012 by rpgadmin No Comments

This is a pet peeve of mine.  If your collar is too tight it looks uncomfortable and if you’re wearing it you must be uncomfortable. You can’t hide it so make sure you buy a shirt that fits right around the neckline.  Here’s a good rule of thumb.  If you can get one finger between your neck and the collar you have it right.  If you can get two fingers in the shirts too big.  We’ve all seen the kid wearing his dads clothes and how silly he looks trying to be a grown up, can you see yourself looking like this in a smaller way but still? Buy a shirt that fits!

Cris

Happy Halloween from Las Vegas

Posted on: October 30th, 2011 by rpgadmin 1 Comment

While many beautiful women choose Halloween costumes that are revealing, supermodel Heidi Klum has taken the idea to a whole new level. The Project Runway host managed to surprise everyone at the Halloween party she hosted in Las Vegas with a second-skin costume of what’s under her skin.

Like a model out of the traveling Bodies exhibition, Klum looked exactly like a skinless corpse and was even unveiled on a hospital gurney attended by two bloodstained doctors, in a macabre bit of theatricality. Klum, 38, said she wanted to go for a different look for her Halloween party at The Venetian hotel’s hip nightclub TAO in Las Vegas.

“This is my thirteenth Halloween party this year and I wanted something different,” Klum said on the red carpet Saturday night. “I was thinking how it would look if I had all my skin ripped off, and so…voila!”

The gorgeous mother of four’s bloody creation was not something most people could try at home. It required Klum to wear a skin-tight bodysuit that was then hand-painted (along with her face) by artist Martin Izquierdo, who’s known as the master behind the elaborate angel wings at Victoria’s Secret lingerie shows.

“We started in July,” Klum explained to Us Weekly. “We started with a body suit that was white. And then, basically, everything had to be hand-painted.”

To make sure he was accurately rendering the human body, Izquierdo used anatomical photos as a guide. Once he was done, the bodysuit itself was easy for the internationally famous model to wiggle herself into, but the rest of her look required an additional three hours of work.

“I don’t mind that,” Klum said. “I’ve been body-painted for 12 hours, so three-and-a-half hours is not that bad.”

But this is one ensemble Klum’s four kids will not see their mommy in: “Yeah, this one was too scary. They would be very scared to see me!”

Please watch this video. It’s AMAZING!

Posted on: September 29th, 2011 by rpgadmin No Comments

Do yourself a favor and eat your lunch at your desk and watch this video.  All of us in the Creative Department of Arrowsmith Shoes are members of TED and we strongly encourage you to become a member and stay current up with the email updates.

Jim

Jimmy Johnson’s fitness routine

Posted on: September 28th, 2011 by rpgadmin No Comments

Even if you don’t follow NASCAR you have to be impressed with the winning record of Jimmy Johnson.  With his record five straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships, Jimmie Johnson is arguably the greatest driver in NASCAR history (he even has his own Mario Kart–like video game, Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With an Engine). Guiding a monstrously powerful stock car through traffic at 180 miles per hour is an incredibly demanding physical task. It’s no surprise, then, that Johnson is no slouch in the gym.

Change Your Program Often

Johnson attributes his five titles, in part, to never being satisfied with how his workout is going. That same mindset can help you grow in the gym, too. “Every three or four months, I add new elements to my training,” he says. Most recently, he’s been doing more cycling to help him with his cardio. His advice: Switch up your program often to get the best results. Reorder your exercises or structure a different progression. If you’ve been lifting heavy for weeks, mix in a “light” day with high reps. If you’ve been doing all cardio, start lifting. Make sure you keep adjusting.

Keep Your Head in the Race

Look to whatever inspires you for motivation. For Johnson, it’s his ride. “You can’t hurt these cars,” he says. And that’s what keeps him going. He wants to always be fit enough that his car will wear out on him before he wears out on it. Do the same. “When you make a commitment to fitness, it’s a job,” he says.

Work Your Weak Points

Because NASCAR is a sport of left turns, Johnson taxes one side of
his upper body much more than the other. But he’s careful to train the opposite side to make up for possible deficiencies. “Any trainer will tell you, when you have a muscular imbalance, that’s when injury happens,” he says. Treating imbalances is also a good way to bust through perpetual plateaus. If you work out with a trainer, he can test you to spot potential problems. If you work out alone, try swapping to unilateral movements (single-arm or single-leg). They’re an ideal way to make sure each side gets the same attention.

Always Fit in Your Meals

Like most elite athletes, Johnson tries to eat every three to four hours. Since his job requires him to drive for long stretches, it can be hard to make his schedule work. But that doesn’t stop him: Johnson actually drinks protein shakes while he drives. “They’ll pass one to me at the pit stop,” he says. “Under caution, that’s mealtime for me.” If Johnson can get a meal while speeding around a track at 185 mph, you have no excuse not to make a tuna sandwich before work or grab a bag of turkey jerky and stash it in your desk to help your body stay fueled up for workouts.

Chandra Johnson is the wife of NASCAR Nextel Cup driverJimmie Johnson.  The Wilhelmina model was introduced to Jimmie by his teammate, Jeff Gordon, in 2002. In December of 2003, he proposed on a mountain top in Beaver Creek, Colo. where the couple was enjoying a skiiing-snowboarding adventure.   Chandra reportedly cried all the way down the mountain.  They were married on Dec. 11, 2004 on the island of St. Barts, the location of their first vacation together and where Jimmie first told ‘Chani’ he loved her.  The newlyweds honeymooned on #48 team owner Rick Hendrick’s 150-foot yacht.

Chandra holds the responsibility for managing the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, the charity she and Jimmie launched in February 2006 which strives to help those in need, particularly children, achieve their dreams.  That August, the Foundation announced its first grant to Kyle and Pattie Petty’s Victory Junction Gang Camp. The Foundation raised several hundred thousand dollars to build Victory Lanes, a 5,000 square foot, four lane bowling alley, complete with a shoe counter, arcade games and a refreshment stand, which opened in 2007.

Jim

Baseball lore

Posted on: September 24th, 2011 by rpgadmin No Comments

Ouch!  Baseballs most memorable blunder!  Can you imagine going through the rest of your life knowing the entire world will never remember anything else that you’ve ever done but make a major mistake.  Can you imagine that.

October 25, 1986: Baseball has plenty of heroes, but Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner’s failure to field a routine ground ball in the 1986 World Series unfortunately makes him the one of the game’s all-time goats. With a comfortable 5-3 lead in the bottom of the 10th in Game 6 (and a series lead of 3-2), Boston allows the Mets to tie it up. Mookie Wilson’s ground ball to first looks like the game will go to the 11th, but Buckner (playing on bad ankles) lets the ball roll between his legs as the winning run scores. It not only propels the Mets to an improbable Game 6 victory, but opens the door for them to win the Series in seven. “It’s a shame that Buckner, who was a very fine player for many years,” says John Thorn, the MLB’s official historian, “is now remembered for one play.”

One of my favorite memories is this one with Rick Monday.  You gotta love it!

April 25, 1976: Rick Monday was a US Marine for 6 years, which made him uniquely qualified to be patrolling center field for the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium on April 25, 1976. Monday noticed two protesters in left-centerfield, preparing to burn the American flag. He swooped over and snatched the flag from them. ”I was angry when I saw them start to do something to the flag, and I’m glad that I happened to be geographically close enough to do something about it,” Monday told the Washington Post.

Later in 1976, Dodgers exec Al Campanis gave the flag to Monday. He still has it—as well as a place as a real American hero. ”I know the people were very pleased to see Monday take the flag away from those guys,” Manny Mota, who played with Monday, told the Post. “I know Rick has done a lot of good things as a player and as a person. But what he did for his country, he will be remembered for the rest of his life as an American hero.”

More great moments in baseball history to follow.

Jim

Baseball’s best time of year and finest moments

Posted on: September 23rd, 2011 by rpgadmin No Comments

I love basball and every year around this time I cannot wait for the playoffs to start.  Of all the major sporting events in the US The World Series is the best for me.  Much better than the Super Bowl, The NBA finals, The Masters and anything related to tennis, horse racing.  The World Series rules the roost for me.

But, what are some of the most memorable play and players in baseball history?  Lets take a look.

October 18, 1977: “Any moment that can create a nickname is amazing,” says Richard Puerzer, a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. It was during Game 6 of the 1977 World Series that Reggie Jackson got his. In the fourth inning, Jackson hit the first pitch he saw from Dodgers starter Burt Hooten into the right field seats. In the fifth, Jackson lined reliever Elias Sosa’s first offering to about the same spot. And in the eighth, Jackson smacked Charlie Hough’s first pitch, a knuckleball, 475 feet into dead center field. 

Reggie certainly is one of the best players in history but is especially great in the World Series.  You don’t get a nickname that sticks like this unless great things happen.

August 19, 1951: Bill Veeck, the St. Louis Browns owner and baseball’s greatest promoter, created one of the game’s iconic images when he signed 3-foot-7-inch Eddie Gaedel to a contract and sent him to bat as a pinch hitter. “The picture itself is so hilarious,” says Neil Lanctot, author of three books on baseball, including Campy: The Two Lives of Roy Campanella. “Gaedel looks like he’s really ready to hit.” Gaedel, whose strike zone measured all of one-and-a-half feet, walked on four pitches and twice tipped his cap to the crowd before being lifted for a pinch runner.

The Cubs and the White Sox are both eliminated from the playoffs this year but it should be exciting to watch the playoffs, once again.

I’ll post more memorable photo’s and baseball stories throughout the playoffs.

Jim

Fall fashion from around the web

Posted on: September 6th, 2011 by rpgadmin No Comments

Fall has arrived and it’s official.  Cool weather and really cool nights are the clear indication that you can start moving your summer clothes to the back of your closet and bring your fall fashions to the front.  The change from summer to fall wasn’t even subtle this year.  It was almost overnight as last week it was so hot I had the air conditioner on and this weekend I had all the windows closed because the temperature at night dropped to 42 degrees.  Wow!

Fall is the best time of year for fashion because there’s so much more you can do with your look.  Add an overcoat and dress shoes along with long trousers and socks.  The jeans become darker and the sweaters are comfortable.

Burberry gave us some really good looks this year and I like the fact that your look can pull double duty in more ways than one and is not just a buzz word.  The master designer has gone back a few years and recreated the double breasted overcoat that you can dress up and down.  I like that because I always follow the great designers and then try and incorporate the look in my own way.  I would definitely wear this coat with jeans and a great pair of shoes.  At Arrowsmith Shoes we are always trying to combine great fashion with stunning footwear because all of it has to flow together.

I love this look because it’s extremely young and all worn in a casual way. None of these coats are worn over a suit and I think that more and more I’d love wearing and overcoat as they can be a cool thing to wear on the weekend. If you won’t try the double-breasted suit, the double-breasted coat is a cool thing because once you button it up, it keeps you twice as warm.

The important thing for a double-breasted coat is it has to fit right.  Actually all your clothing needs o fit right to look good.

Here’s a second look that’s perfect for fall work or weekend days.  I love this look and Michael Bastian does a fantastic job putting everything together on a budget.  I would think that if you’re into fashion you can probably pull this look together right from your closet.

The bold stripes in the sweater and the grey tweed jacket are fantastic together and the look is stylish and comfortable.  You have many options to wear for a shirt or a belt and your choices for shoes are endless.

One of the things you have to think about is that materials and fit are key trends this season.  Make sure everything fits well because that tells the world that dressing well is important to you.  At least it’s a mature mans way of dressing.  Style and trend watching isn’t hard but it is time consuming but if you need help just ask one of the stylist at Arrowsmith Shoes.

Chris

What article of clothing is the most important for you

Posted on: January 3rd, 2011 by rpgadmin No Comments

To view this quiz you need to have Flash Player 9 or newer installed and JavaScript enabled. QuizSnack is an online poll creation tool which allows you to embed your polls and view the results instantly.

Can’t resist: LeBron James

Posted on: December 2nd, 2010 by rpgadmin No Comments

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.

I Love GBX. . . . !

Posted on: September 10th, 2010 by rpgadmin No Comments

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

Vampire Weekend. . . Contra Cover Scandal

Posted on: July 21st, 2010 by rpgadmin No Comments

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

Click here to visit our new Facebook page!

Posted on: August 21st, 2009 by joeadmin No Comments

Please friend us on Facebook we love to see your face!!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Chicago-IL/Arrowsmith-Shoes/109816550062?ref=ts

Giorgio Brutini Shoes Receives 2009 Best of Evergreen Park Award

Posted on: August 17th, 2009 by joeadmin No Comments

Our Evergreen Park (Southside Chicago) Store won an award!!!

I am pleased to announce that Giorgio Brutini Shoes has been selected for the 2009 Best of Evergreen Park Award in the Men’s Boots category by the US Commerce Association. Award Image

In recognition of your achievement, a 2009 Best of Evergreen Park Award has been designed for display at your place of business. You may arrange to have your award sent directly to Giorgio Brutini Shoes by following the simple steps on the 2009 Best of Evergreen Park Award order form. Simply copy and paste this link into your browser to receive your award:
https://www.us-ca.org/AGST3-MSPK

Each year, the US Commerce Association (USCA) identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Also, a copy of the press release publicizing the selection of Giorgio Brutini Shoes has been posted on our website. The USCA hereby grants Giorgio Brutini Shoes a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, distribute, and display this press release in any media formats and through any media channels.

An Award Code has been assigned to your company that can be used on our website for quick access to your award information and press release.

Your Award Code is: GST3-MSPK

Sincerely,

Ashley Carter
Selection Committee Chair
US Commerce Association

The intended recipient of this notification is the Marketing Director for Giorgio Brutini Shoes. If you have received this email in error please forward it to the intended recipient. If you do not wish to receive further advertisements from Best of Evergreen Park Award Program, please mail a written request to: us-ca.org, 2020 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC 20006 or simply click to opt-out.

gmail finds your tracking numbers!!

Posted on: August 1st, 2009 by joeadmin No Comments

Now gmail scans your incoming email for UPS tracking numbers and then builds a clickable link to the right of your message! I love how creative Google programmers are one of the first things we did as a company when I got here was to move over to gmail and we are very happy about it. Look how nice they build up conversation threads from our messages with customers! ~Jake

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Sailing sale!

Posted on: July 21st, 2009 by joeadmin No Comments

We are building a sailing shoes on sale section soon so here’s to getting talking and showing how much I love boats and the water.

For those of you who know me… I’m a little nuts for sailing on Lake Michigan. Last time we went out was a blast info here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=93240099653&ref=mf

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