Summer=white shoes

Summer is coming along by and its time to whip out the white shoes. I live in Vancouver so its rainy so I haven't worn these since last August.


This is a pair of Visvim FBT white elk that I purchased in Japan a while back (it released back in 2007 or 2008). The elk leather is buttery soft!! It's really hard to put it into words...
Visvim is a Japanese brand founded by Hiroki Nakamura with his fashion sense inspired by native culture (thus the fringes and beads). Visvim is also very popular for their 20L ballistic nylon bags. If you are interested then prepare your wallet and luck as they cost quite a bit (300+ on shoes, 400+ on bags). They are also very limited even in Japan so hunt them down! Be wary of fakes though if you are purchasing online!

I'd recommend Rakuten or Yahoo auction Japan as you can find used Visvim goods at affordable prices. (I got my FBT elk for 13000 yen =around $150 from Rakuten)

In-N-Out

In-N-Out is a fast food chain restaurant located mainly in California with some in Nevada as well. They boast fresh and inexpensive hamburgers and fries powered by 10+ people in a small kitchen. The hamburgers are made to order and the fries are freshly cut and soaked in water throughout the day. I used to live in San Diego for 4 years and I have never eaten McDonald during that time as my family's go-to burger joint was always In-N-Out. Despite busy lunch hours, they still manage to dish out neatly organized burgers that can be customized to your taste (grilled or raw onions, no dressing, etc).

One of the secret of In-N-Out's success is its small menu. The burger section only consists of Hamburger ($1.90), Cheese Burger ($2.20) and Double-Double ($3.20) which is already cheaper than other fast-food restaurants. The rest of the menu includes french fries ($1.50) and shakes ($1.99). Aside from the menu that is seen above the cashiers, there is also a (not so) secret menu (http://www.in-n-out.com/menu/not-so-secret-menu.aspx) with the most popular being Animal Style Fries which is fries loaded with In-N-Out's special spread (it tastes like thousand island dressing) grilled onions and cheese.

In-N-Out is also recommended by Gordon Ramsay (the star of Kitchen Nightmares, Hell's Kitchen, etc). Ramsay was quoted, saying about the experience: "In-N-Out burgers were extraordinary. I was so bad, I sat in the restaurant, had my double cheeseburger then minutes later I drove back round and got the same thing again to take away." (wiki)
so they must be good! (they really are!)

In-N-Out's menu

Child waiting for his food


Two Combo 2 (Cheeseburger+fries+drink *1 with Animal Style Fries)

Pure Blue Japan

For denim enthusiasts: Pure Blue Japan (also known as PBJ) is a Japanese denim brand originating from Okayama, Japan that is known for producing and supplying luxury brand labels with denim. Okayama is also home for other popular Japanese denim brands such as Momotaro, Strike Gold, Samurai Jeans. So what makes PBJ special? They are known for the slubby feel of their denim which makes the fading process a bit harder but ultimately rewarding. PBJ can also be recognized for the leaf stiching on the right back pocket which nicely accentuates the simple yet gorgeous pair of jeans.

Pricing: $200+
Opinion: $200+ on a pair of jeans may sound expensive for those new to the denim game but if you think about it, you only have one body. Why not invest in something that will grow (fade) with you.
http://www.purebluejapan.jp/


My pair xx-011 Tapered slim fit. Buy it true to size. The thighs will be tight at first but will loosen up with wear.


The signature leaf stitch.

First

This blog will share my thoughts on recent F&F (Fashion & Food) that is on my mind.