By C.J. Harte

Old Leather Motorcycle Jacket

New leather jackets are slightly gauche in that they have not yet acquired a patina, a history, or a narrative worth telling; they are often purchased by middle-aged people trying to regain some semblance of lost youth and cool. An old school motorcycle jacket tells a tale. What tale? Well, maybe they hint at a tale rather than tell it, which is mysterious and therefore imbued with extra cache. As someone recently said to me, “The older the better.” They are also quintessential rock ‘n’ roll, as well as a punk garment. Think the Ramones and CBGBs.

When it comes to Motorcycle jackets, the style of jacket that is perhaps the most iconic comes from the type worn by one of Hollywood’s all-time historical icons, Marlon Brando. Namely, the jacket in the classic movie The Wild One. This cut features an asymmetrical side zip and a partial double-breasted top. Personally, I prefer those with a red satin-type lining for a more passionate, carnal pop.

And if you ride a motorcycle, all the better, as you have from and function in thick cow-grain leather to protect you on the road. If you don’t, then it doesn’t matter, as you will still look cool af.

Tailored White Singlet

With the white singlet, we meet and function again. On a coolish evening, you can rock one of these under your jacket and be both smart and casual. You can wear a shirt over the top and leave it unbuttoned, giving you a Sopranos, Latin-style gangster look. If you are going to get a white singlet, do yourself a favour and get a nice tailored one rather than just grabbing a Bonds Singlet. My one from COS features intricate boning, giving it a textured horizontal stripe and nice seams, but there are many other small, independent clothing labels offering this iconic staple.

La Corsia’s Cherry Intarsia Knit

Look, I love this label at the moment, and if I had more money, I would buy more than just the Cherry Intarsia Knit/Sweater. The quality of this piece, considering the price, is phenomenal. The weight, the structure, the weave of the cherries, the colour, the feel, I love it all. It has an external seam on the shoulders, which, I didn’t know when I purchased it, but this extra level of detail and structural panache made me realise that I can trust this Brisbane, Australia label.

It’s spring, and although there are still cool nights, I wouldn’t normally wear a jumper with shorts. However, I like this jumper so much that I would rather wear shorts and this jumper than a t-shirt and pants to reach my optimum homeostatic temperature.

Corsia also does a really nice singlet, too, by the way.

Loafers

“It’s what all the cute boys in Italy wear”, one of my favourite little fashionista friends said to me recently. If it is good enough for hot boys of Milan and Rome, then it is more than good enough for me. This is a look that is both timeless and very comfortable, if you get the right pair of loafers. Wearing loafers has the feel of wearing slippers around town, but with the look of a million bucks. Obviously, they are best paired with white socks and are the ultimate in smart casual style. Loafers can be worn with anklet socks if you want to show some slutty ankle, but the mode de jour is to wear them with white socks.

Doing this, they will look incredible in both long pants and a longish pair of shorts. I will be living in loafers and a nice, crisp white sock all spring, summer, and autumn as I slink between my favourite cafes, bakeries, and bars; bring it on.

p.s. I don’t own slippers!

San Pellegrino Sparkling Water In a Glass Bottle

It’s warming up, so you’ve got to stay hydrated in your flesh prison. Also, it’s Spring, so what better time to talk about Spring water? You could drink water out of a massive 50-gallon sipper, or you could drink the nectar of the gods from a glass bottle. I know which looks cooler. Drinking water from plastic bottles puts you at risk of microplastic exposure, which is why it is better to drink water from a glass bottle. But remember to recycle it, kiddies. Spring water contains various minerals that are often found in much modern tap water. These various minerals are essential for overall health and mood maintenance. Trust me on this one, my daytime job is working in mental health. Many people are magnesium-deficient, so why pop some gross pills when you can get the magnesium you need and a bunch of other good stuff, apart from sheer H2O, from what you are drinking?

Sparking water is also fun water. It dances the Cha-Cha on your tongue. It’s infinitely more fun than that flat stuff that comes out of a god-knows-how-old pipe. It is also a palate cleanser, and if you have a bit with your coffee, the coffee is digested so much more easily. This is why, at truly exceptional coffee shops, they sometimes offer this for free. It can counterbalance the acidity in the coffee. For me, San Pellegrino is the coolest water there is, and the green bottle itself is iconic. In summary, San Pellegrino in a glass bottle is the iconic tonic.