Jacket: Chinook (3)

(you can’t see the following because of my coat)

Shirt: White Zara button down

Tie: Revl - a very chic tie that I got from the local Bay Area label. I love the purplish coloring.

Pants: My lovely blue A.P.C. corduroys (3)

Boots: Franceschetti (4)

Bag and Beanie: Target

Yes, I think I have worn a similar outfit before, but ah well. I love this streamlined look. Plus I was trying to keep warm and have air resistance in New York.

In case you’re wondering where I am, I was at the New York’s Museum of Modern Art. I was standing in an installation called “Wende >80< (Turning Point >80<)" by Hanne Darboven. It’s a bunch of framed sheet music (amongst other things) with music being pumped into the room. Sometimes I just don’t get modern art, but that’s the fun of it.

Sweater: Gap - I swear, this is the last thing I bought from the Gap. I think it was in 2004.

Shirt: H&M - This black-and-white striped V-neck is one of my favorite layering pieces. I definitely use the horizontal stripes with caution. It can either make me look very Euro-chic or it could make me look like the Hamburglar.

Pants: A.P.C. (2): I really love this French label which has been often dubbed as “the French Gap.” The fit of the deep blue corduroy is perfect - but before trying these on, I tried on a pair of their skinny jeans. They could make a man sterile. Good thing I went with these.

Shoes: Franceschetti (3): These boots are slowly taking the place of my ratty, but beloved Steve Maddens.

Beanie: Target (2)

Accessories: My dad’s dog tag (3)

What the hell am I doing in this picture? Now I understand why people say modeling isn’t as easy as it looks.

It was a rough week last week…and for reasons I can’t explain (although, some of my cohorts may know what I am talking about), I was in desperate need of some therapy.

What better way to cure my blues than to give my credit card a work out at the new Barneys New York in San Francisco.

The few times I have gone there, I was in awe of all the sartorial delight. The one thing that is the Holy Grail to me is this:

This was from the 3.1 Phillip Lim collection as seen at New York Fall/Winter 2007 Fashion Week. The unattainable object is the double button chunky cardigan (or is that considered a sweater?). I am in love with it. Every time I go frolick in Barneys I see it. Staring at me. Taunting me. Tempting me. Then I see the price tag: $775.

I don’t think I need to say another word.

Instead, I put a nice dent in my credit card when I bought a pair of A.P.C. indigo corduroy pants. I would’ve bought the A.P.C. jeans, but they were skinny jeans. And I have my own personal qualms with skinny jeans on guys.

After I bought the delectable treat, I walked around the city with my signature Barneys black shopping bag and felt much better. I was drunk with luxurious power.

Now, I am paying the price. I feel like I have this shopping hangover. I’m lazy, unmotivated and I am even surprised that I am typing this post.

It’s not that I regret buying the pants, I just realized that I haven’t really solved my “issues” at hand - but I know I will look fabulous in my new threads.

P.S. If anyone is willing to contribute to Dino-Ray’s “3.1 Phillip Lim Cardigan Fund” please contact me. Remember, all funds that you contribute are tax deductable and go to a GREAT cause.

As I continued my walk down Austin’s South Congress, there was this new cube-like shopping center that didn’t exist when I was living there - and it was very chic.

The center had a boutique grocery store called Cissi’s Market and another branch of By George, an upscale luxury goods store that carries modern garb with prices that were not within my budget. More or less, it’s very “L.A.”:

Around the corner from these two spots is a store that I used to frequent called Service Menswear (the website is still under construction). Actually, it was in a different location when I lived in Austin, but now it has a brand new space, with the same top quality clothing.

The store carries modern, clean cut GQ-esque menswear for a gentleman that knows style and doesn’t want to over or underdo it. Jack Spade bags lined the countertop while genuine Levi’s jeans hung on the racks. They also had some great square cut swim trunks as well as a considerable selection of sunglasses, Haviana flip-flops, Modern Amusement apparel and other luxe brands that would make a dandy man grin.

I remember one time I came in during a big sale and scored some awesome Cardboard Robot and Modern Amusement tees for $5 each! That said, they do have some really good sales!

…and of course, they had a hearty amount of chic, Texas-style leather goods and accessories:

The final stop on SoCo was Factory People an uber-hip boutique that sells some of the best street fashions for the punky rock n’ roller. The industrial warehouse space is so cool, that as soon as you walk in, you feel like a rockstar:

Unfortunately, the sole employee working there told me that they will be closing the space soon and focus on their internet store (click here to visit). That is a shame, because I loved to come here to gawk at their A.P.C. merchandise (one of the few stores in Austin that carried the label) and funky home decor like their Ramones throw pillows:

…and if you haven’t noticed already, the place is bleeding with classy grafitti. The whole store merges renegade punk with rhythmic nuances of hip-hop - and it definitely draws a crowd. They are known for having live DJ’s during the day and their rooftop played host to many-a-parties and club-environment trunk shows:

During my whole rebellious t-shirt phase, I remember when I bought some Milkcrate Athletics tops on sale - at a good price. I also got my signature Han Cholo B-boy necklace from here.

Before I met up my friends for a friendly happy hour and dinner, I had to make a stop at the coolest place in Austin…

…my old apartment. Can you believe I paid $505 a month for this 505 sq. foot studio? Those were the days…

Stay tuned for more!!!

It was good to visit my ol’ stomping grounds of Texas. I immediately felt the southern hospitality as I stepped off the plane - and I also felt the humidity that I was once used to.

I arrived in Austin on Wednesday night to be greeted by my friends Jen and Zaid (sounds like “jade”). I didn’t do anything exciting the first night except get used to the two hour time difference and watch “Ever After,” but it was a good time to rest up and catch up with my pals. It also gave me time to get ready for a weekend where I wouldn’t get to sleep before 4 a.m.

The next day, I ventured off to lunch with my friend Janet to the Whole Foods world headquarters (in case you didn’t know, the organic store is based in Austin). I tried taking pictures inside the football field-sized “granola”-friendly supermarket, but one of the employees chastised me in trying to do so. But I did get a pic of the exterior:

Afterwards, I went to the trendy SoCo (South of congress) district, where I spent many of my days roaming and shopping. The first stop was a store called Parts & Labour, a place that sells jewelry, clothing, housewares and anything else made by local designers. In fact, I use to sell handpainted shirts and jewelry there…

And here are some really quirky items sold there - and I must warn you, one of them has the “F” word in it…how naughty!

Right next door to Parts & Labour is New Bohemia, a great place to find some top-notch vintage garb. From old-school hard-shelled luggage to vibrant ’70s ties to classic women’s gowns - it’s all in there:

A couple blocks down, I passed up more Austin-esque stores. Uncommon Objects is exactly how it sounds. It’s a store that sells a bunch of antiques that you may or may not need. Yard Dog is pretty much the same. Both of them are like garage sales but more fun.

Of course, you can’t have a strip of shops in Texas without having a fancy Justin’s Boots store:

A couple more blocks down, there’s this Tex Mex restaurant called Guero’s - and might I add that they shot a scene from Quentin Tarantino’s portion of Grindhouse here? In all the time I lived in Austin, I never ate here - but if it’s Tex Mex and it’s in Texas, chances are that it’s really good:

Before I go on, I’ll give you a little break to let this all sink in. I know you’re DYING to see more pics!