Dappered | Style Scenario: Santa on Christmas Eve

[()] --------------------------------------------------------------- [Style Scenario: Santa on Christmas Eve] Posted: 21 Dec 2016 03:00 AM PST What are you going to wear? Or in this instance, what is HE going wear? St. Nick has a huge job ahead of him. Lots of miles to cover, lots of soot filled chimneys to get down, lots of cookie crumbs & milk spills to avoid. It’s a dirty job, but that doesn’t mean Santa can’t look sharp while doing it. Here’s what he might wear while putting another 25k-50k miles on the sleigh. (Top Photo [Credit]) [Style Scenario: Santa on Christmas Eve | Dappered.com] The Sweater: [Orvis Lambswool Royal Air Force Aircrew Sweater – $129]. St. Nick is a classics kinda fella, and it doesn’t get more classic than this. Great for keeping the arctic blast off his neck. All wool. Just know that it’s almost certainly going to be more of a classic fit. So if you’re looking to pick one up for yourself? And you’re not shaped like Santa? Might be a little generous through the middle. Want something cheaper and possibly slimmer? [Try this option from UNIQLO]. It’s mostly acrylic with a little wool, but it nails the texture bit. The Watch: [Orient Adventurer World Time Automatic – $299]. To keep track of who is sleeping and who is awake, St. Nick needs a watch that can tell him what time it is, in any given time zone, at a glance. The Ventura kids in [the Azores] try to catch him every friggin’ year, so Santa has to be on top of it. And the Adventurer from Orient helps him keep track of all of the world’s time zones, while also delivering plenty of good looks. In house automatic movement. Power reserve indicator. [Review can be found here]. The Belt: [Perry Ellis Stretch Belt – $18.99]. Yes that’s a stretchy woven belt. Y’know how many cookies he’s got to wolf down that night? The Coat: Custom Gore-Tex Cashmere-Lined Topcoat w/ Horween Leather Belt. One of a kind. Made by the Mrs. w/ R&D by the Elf Q Branch. Not pictured: Matching hat with interior crash-padding, drop down night vision equipped face shield, and a wireless blue tooth ear piece connected to North Pole flight control & [NORAD] via the on-sleigh wi-fi hotspot. The Base Layer: [L.L. Bean Made in Canada Cotton/Wool Union Suit – $69.00]. Again, Santa’s a classics guy, so although the new-fangled neoprene base layers may wick moisture better, he’s still going with a traditional union suit. At least it does have a layer of wool in there, so that’ll function a bit better than the super old-school all cotton long johns. The Socks: [J. Crew Italian Cashmere Socks – $48.65] w/ HOLIDAY ($69.50). Stupid expensive, but… the man works one hell of a shift on Christmas Eve, so, let him have a little luxury. The Boots: [Allen Edmonds First Avenue w/ V-Tread Sole – $395] ($445). [Port Washington] isn’t that far from his place, so Santa’s been frequenting Allen Edmonds for years. The new First Avenue boots shot to the top of his own personal “most wanted list” as soon as they debuted a few months back. Great shape, simple cap toe, and a slim, grippy V-tread sole. Perfect for Christmas Eve, with all of those slippery rooftops and what not. The Air Freshener: [Car Freshener Royal Pine – $0.77]. You try sitting behind eight tiny reindeer (or nine, depending on the weather) for an entire evening. Whichever asshat of an elf thought it’d be funny to feed Dasher and Dancer veggie chili for dinner on the 23rd is getting [reassigned to quality control]. The Nice/Naughty List + Pen: [Waterproof Field Notes – $9.95] | [Fisher Space Pen – $34.05]. Were you expecting an iPad? The master list stays on the scrolls at the pole, but for the big night, a duplicate is transcribed to a pack of weather resistant “Expedition” Field Notes. Meanwhile, the pen works in extreme temperatures and will write from any angle. Even in zero gravity. And that’s perfect for maintaining order on the list when Blitzen gets a wild hair up his tuckus and leads the team on spontaneous inverted aerial maneuvers over the Aegean. The Gloves: [Ralph Lauren Quilted Nappa Leather Gloves in Black – $64.99] ($88). Warm, but also offers the dexterity and durability to handle the reins with authority. Because. Well, Blitzen. Seriously. It’s Xmas, not the X games. The Goggles: [Mark 4 Split Lens Flight Goggles – $88]. Sheepskin face cushion. Prescription lenses by the Reykjavik Costco Optical Department. After market heads up display via [DARPA]. The Mask: [Made in the USA Krampus Mask – $54.93]. [Krampus]has been holding out for a new contract for over a year now (thanks [Boras]). So for the SECOND Christmas in a row, Santa has to pull double duty. Not only does he have to reward the nice, he’s gotta scare the living daylights out of the naughty. Lochete, prepare to poop your speedo. Numbnuts. The Pants: [Bonobos Made in the USA French Corders – $75.60] w/ GIFTIT ($128). Pricey, even with the extra 30% off code, but the French milled corduroy really is something to behold. No really, hold it. It’s nice and soft, but still durable feeling. A little bit of comfort can go a long way when pulling an all nighter. Code exp. 12/22. [Set the Bar Series: Beginner] Posted: 20 Dec 2016 02:00 PM PST The “Set the Bar” series is meant to give anyone the tools to have the best home bar for their budget. This is for that person that occasionally scrounges up a bottle of schnapps from the freezer, and for the person that keeps more than 3 gins stocked at home. From beginner to pro, this series will be a fun guide to setting up the right at-home bar for all budgets and tastes. Moving on, this is the first of three articles in the series. This (being the first) will serve as the foundation for any good bar. Just because it’s the beginners guide, doesn’t mean you need to slum it. You won’t see crappy wells here, just solid low cost bottles. Recipes are simple, and mixers are minimal. The Tools [bartending-tools] [Shakers] – this isn’t a necessary tool for person that’s interested in drinking a vodka soda or bourbon on the rocks, but it’s nice to have. You can buy a ton of different styles, and I prefer to use two [weighted tins] or a tin-on-tin Boston shaker. They take a little time to get used to, but they feel less complicated than the standard [cobbler shaker.] Strainers – If you want to use any fresh juice in a cocktail, I would suggest purchasing a [hand juicer] as well as a [tea strainer] and a [hawthorne strainer.] The tea strainer will insure that your juice has no pulp, and the hawthorne strainer will allow you to decide how much ice you want in the end resulting cocktail. Again, if you’re just looking to have a rum and coke – skip these. Jigger – There are a million different kinds of jiggers, and they really only come in handy when mixing cocktails. I prefer a [Japanese style], but [OXO] makes a good one too. The Mixers [bartending-mixers] Ice/Soda – I’d suggest having 2 full ice trays at all times in your freezer, and any [special ice trays] you may desire, and whatever sodas/etc you fancy. [When looking for ginger beer], keep an eye out for [Cock’n Bull] (sweeter, more soda like) , or [Goslings] (drier, less sweet). For tonic, Q is drier and more floral and herbal, while traditional tonics are much sweeter. Syrup – For this beginner article, I’ll just suggest you have a bottle of simple syrup on hand. [You can buy it], but it’s [so easy to make] I’d recommend that route. It’s nice to have on hand for cocktails but also for coffee or iced tea. Bitters – Again, we’ll get into bitters in later articles but for now a bottle of [Angostura] is all you need. You can find it online, in liquor stores, or usually in a grocery store. The Booze (with recipes) Bourbon For me, a base level bourbon shouldn’t be painful. It should be wallet friendly while still being structured enough to be able to be sipped on ice. I would drink either of these straight with a smile on my face. [ancient-age-evan-williams] - [Ancient Age – $10.99] - [Evan Williams – $10.99] A simple recipe to make with bourbon is the Old Fashioned. Add 2.5 oz bourbon, 1 teaspoon simple syrup, and 2 dashes of bitters to a mixing glass (like a pint glass). Add some ice and stir. Strain into an old fashioned glass over ice, [preferably one large cube]. Garnish with lemon or orange peel. Gin Finding a cheap gin tends to be a bit more difficult. The best that I’ve found for the price is Seagrams, ringing in at about $15, and sips fine with a little ice. Beyond that, you have to spend a little more to find something that won’t hurt. [seagrams-beefeater] - [Seagrams – $16.49] - [Beefeater – $23.99] One of the simplest gin cocktails out there (beside a gin and tonic) is the French 75. In a cocktail shaker add 1 oz. gin, .50 oz. lemon juice, and .25 oz simple syrup. Add ice and shake it up. Strain into a champagne flute, and top with sparkling white wine. A perfect cocktail to offer guests if someone had previously brought over a bottle of bubbly, and you just have no idea what to do with it (other than drink it on its own). Vodka There’s no reason to drink garbage vodka, and for me it seems like cheaper vodka is more apparent in flavor and texture. If you’re looking for a vodka that doesn’t set your mouth on fire, you do have affordable options. [gordons-pearl2] - [Gordon’s – $11.99] - [Pearl – $14.99] Put your vodka to good use in the delicious Moscow Mule. Just combine 2 oz. vodka and .50 oz lime juice over ice in a glass (or one of those [fancy copper mugs]), and top with ginger beer.  Garnish with a lime wedge. And there we have a basic, but quite solid foundation to a home bar. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Keep some citrus fruit on hand, and you’ll be able to offer a guest any number of cocktails depending on their palate and what they’re in the mood for. Up next, we’ll move on to the intermediate tools and bottles, and finally, the more advanced equipment and spirits for those who want to go the extra mile. [AshleyPic100]About the Author: Ashley R. is Bartender in Boise, Idaho. She’s known for challenging traditional expectations regarding what a cocktail should be, and having an intuitive understanding of the way flavors interact. You are subscribed to email updates from [Dappered Style Mail]. To stop receiving these emails, you may [unsubscribe now]. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States