Issue #46 | The 2nd Annual Not-a-Gift-Guide Gift Guide
It’s not a gift guide. Plus, an update to the 120-Day Celebrity(ish) Body Challenge.
Hello readers,
It’s that time of year again, when we’re supposed to think about what to give to others but instead look for things we’d like ourselves. At least that’s the spirit of the annual Front of Book Not-a-Gift-Guide Gift Guide. It’s a collection of links I’ve bookmarked and items I’ve coveted in recent months.
Here’s to you beating me to them.
Layering
As you might know, I’ve been inspired by Aaron Levine recently—muted tones, relaxed fits, and fun with layering—and the items below can be mixed and matched to great effect.
Colhay’s Superfine lambswool Rugby Shawl Sweater in cream. Over a shirt or under a bulky top coat, this will be a winter staple for years.
18 East + Earth\Studies MS-110 ESCEP Jacket 18. This space age fleece is looks supremely cozy.
Beams Plus work shirt in black and salmon plaid heavy cotton flannel. That orange-salmon color does it for me…
Merz b. Schwanen RGSW01 men’s sweatshirt, organic cotton, 9,4oz/sq.yd., relaxed fit… and would pair well with this sweatshirt from Merz.
Aaron Levine Shadow Flannel in granite. I had to include a piece from the guy’s new eponymous line, which just launched and is designed for excessive layering.
Outerwear
I love top coats and always will, so I’ve included a few cool ones I’ve spied recently and added a couple jackets for the deep winter months.
Big Rock Candy Mountaineering Alpine Jacket - Pumpkin. For some ’70s style and warmth.
Blue Blue Japan overcoat in navy and blue Roving tweed wool. I would sport this till I’m 100 years old.
Husbands Single-Breasted Coat in Wool Broadcloth - Loden green. To wear to the premier of Nosferatu.
3Sixteen Mac Coat Coyote Wool/Cashmere. 3Sixteen’s F/W line is supreme, topped off with this lifetime buy.
Canada Goose Snow Goose Celestia Jacket. If you look closely, it appears Ethan Hawke’s head was photoshopped into the image. Whatever the case, this reflective shirt jacket from Canada Goose in pretty neat.
A Night On the Town
For years I didn’t wear black. I’m not 100% sure why, other than that black made the ginger in my beard look extra orange. But now that the ginger is turning white, black seems to work better for me and I’ve been enjoying re-incorporating it into my wardrobe. Some days I wear nothing but black and white, and it’s oddly invigorating. In that spirit, here’s a head-to-toe night-on-the-town outfit in the theme of black.
J. Mueser x Buck Mason Troubadour tuxedo jacket. Call me crazy, but this tux jacket can definitely be worn as a separate…
OrSlow 105 Standard Denim - 90’s Sky Blue… with light wash jeans…
Husbands Paris Wide Collar Shirt in silk - vanilla… and this killer shirt from Husbands.
Morjas The Hybrid Hiker - black. You’ll get a lot of wear night and day from these city hikers…
James Perse solid cashmere beanie… same with the James Perse hat.
Accessories
Accessories are tough; I still struggle to pull them off without feeling like an Accessories Guy. But I’m always trying.
Tom Wood Bo Chain Slim. There’s a lot I like from Tom Wood Project, a Norwegian outfit, both in terms of design and price point, starting with this chain.
Good Art HLWD x 3Sixteen Cuban Link Bracelet. Outside my price range, but a sweet piece.
Red Rabbit Trading Co. Red & Turquoise Bead Necklace. A good one for a vintage hound.
David Yurman Forged Carbon Band Ring. I tried on a few rings the other day at David Yurman, and this is the one that felt natural on my finger.
Louis Vuitton Speedy 35. Ms. Front of Book recently forbade me from using her LV Speedy 35 after my lunch accidentally leaked inside of it (I’m sorry!). Which is a real bummer because I LOVED IT. I’m not a luxury brand guy but it was amazing how wearing that bag elevated an outfit.
Travel
I’m always working toward the holy grail of travel, The Perfect Pack, and here are some options to help on that never ending quest.
Filson Rugged Twill Medium Duffle Bag. A durable, decent looking duffle for weekend trips and rugged travel.
Sony RX100 VII Compact Camera. This camera came recommended from a photographer friend as the best around for a small point and shoot with flash and video (and, therefore, made for travel and Instagram).
King Kennedy Rugs Despina Bag. I’m a fan of Moroccan rugs, and so I’m a fan of King Kennedy, especially this versatile tote bag.
RAINS Texel Check-in Bag. I saw the actor Jesse Plemons at JFK picking up a bag like this from baggage claim. I scoured the Internet trying to find it and this one is the closest I’ve found.
Stòffa Pintuck Trouser Dark Indigo Cotton Terry. A trouser that feels like a sweatpant but doesn’t look like a one and can be worn on the plane, around town, and out for dinner and drinks and? This might be the best travel pant ever designed.
Update: The 120-DAY CELEBRITY(ISH) BODY CHALLENGE
Last month I introduced the 120-Day Celebrity(ish) Body Challenge, inspired by a steady stream of Instagram ads I was seeing promising a shredded body like Ryan Gosling et. al. in a short amount of time without giving up foods you love. I enlisted SportsLab’s David Janik, Nicole Kidman’s former live-in personal trainer, to create a program and guide me through it to see if results being promised on these ads were anywhere close to achievable.
I’m six weeks into it now and have a few thoughts and updates to share. The program David cooked up includes four mesocycles designed to increase strength and muscle growth. It’s all lifting, with no designated cardio, although I’ve been playing tennis once or twice a week on top of it.
The first Mesocycle featured five lifting days, each focused on one body part (chest, legs, back, shoulders, arms). There were roughly 20 rounds of 10-15 reps per body group. The workouts took about 70 minutes, with a focus on intensity, tracking and adding weight, form, and rest time.
I’m in the second mescocyle now, which is six lifting days a week (a lot, I know), and two muscle groups per day (chest/back; legs/abs; shoulders/arms).
For diet, I’m eating about 3,500 calories a day, including at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight (so minimum 200 grams per day).
Here are some notes on the program so far:
I’ve gone up about ten pounds since Day 1, which is good. Some of that is fat, but a lot is muscle. It’s noticeable already around my chest, shoulders, and back, and especially my thighs.
On that note, it’s clear that I’ve been approaching eating all wrong during my previous attempts to get in great shape. I always thought if I worked out and ate clean (ie. chicken breasts, fish, brown rice, veggies), that would be enough. Not true. You have to eat a lot of food to put on muscle. Getting up to 3,500 calories or more and 200+ grams of protein is basically like adding an extra big meal per day. I’m realizing this is why I’ve never put on much muscle even when I was lifting five days a week—I wasn’t eating enough food.
The eating at this stage is fun. I’ve taken meal examples from Christoper Perkins, one of the Instagram fitness guys promoting this type of program. A typical breakfast might include a protein shake (almond milk, frozen banana, a scoop of peanut butter, creatine, and two scoops of chocolate whey protein), 4-5 sunny-side up eggs, a scoop of cottage cheese, blackberries, and two slices of sourdough with raw honey. It’s delicious and provides fuel for the workouts and the nutrition needed to recover and build muscle. I’ve eaten a ton of ribeye steaks and chicken thighs and haven’t eliminated anything yet, including deserts, beer, carbs, etc. At this stage, I’m not worried about putting on fat.
The workouts are brutal, but in the best way. The key difference between this plan and earlier ones is that I really try to put in that extra 15-20% of effort and time. I’m adding weight every session and forcing myself to max out at the end of sets. I haven’t missed a workout once, even when I really, really didn’t want to do it. It’s grueling but there’s an incredible zen-like release that comes at the end of each training day. And the results are fun to watch. What was only three weeks ago an impossible amount of weight to do for ten reps is today almost easy. It’s a great feeling.
I was tempted to write that the real test will come during the last month, when I clean up my diet and cut as much fat as possible. But that’s not true. Every day is a test. If I don’t do everything I can to build muscle now, it won’t matter how much fat I lose at the end.
Anyway, it’s a fun, tough project and I’m enjoying the process and learning more about my body and fitness in general. Thanks, David, for guiding me along, and stay tuned for more updates soon.
In the meantime, have a great weekend and thanks for reading.
Mitch
Question? Comment? Suggestion? Caught a typo? Email me at mitch.moxley@gmail.com