A PUF Piece, Part II
One lap around the Flea wouldn’t suffice; Cary had to return on Saturday to dig a little deeper, pick things up and put them back down again, maybe even (gasp!) buy something.
After a long, lazy brunch at Nolita House I was recharged and ready to shop on Saturday afternoon. This time I even had company, as my girlfriends agreed to humor my taste for menswear before ditching me to grab dessert. Once again the PUF crowd was steady, stylish, and eclectic with a common theme: Everyone took home first prize for best dressed. Once again men in charge Randy Goldberg and Michael Williams reported bigger, better turn-outs than the first Pop Up event and expressed genuine gratitude and humility for the sartorial movement they support. And once again I wanted to buy everything. Heavy metal caught my eye yesterday (in the forms of finely wrought jewelry and tough biker gear), but today I was in a softer mood. Rogues Gallery ruled with a tricked-out booth in the middle of the room.
While their perfectly edited collection of totes, tees, and Topsiders — crafted with care by Quoddy — caught my wandering eye, a collection of paint cans kept me absolutely rapt. For the (relatively) low price of $68, Rogues fans could design their own reclaimed tee shirts, to be screen-printed – right there! – with custom designs in the colors of their choosing. (Hence the paint below.)
Mister Mort
The dapper Mr. Mort himself designs all pieces in Brooklyn and manufactures them right here in Manhattan’s Garment District so you know they’re legit, and he takes custom orders, which is great for me because until I make that necktie mine (to then gift to a well-deserving and not-easily-offended gentleman) I will dream of it nightly.Check out Mister Mort’s blog.One of Brooklyn’s most well-curated boutiques, Epaulet drew a major crowd today with their Pendleton gear, Alden shoes, and custom-created totes by storied New York sailmaker Wm. J. Mills & Co. Mills has been making high quality nautical gear for years and partnered with Epaulet to offer new, more subdued color combinations for the discerning, city-bound sailor. Their collection of Pendleton pieces ran the gamut from plaid flannel shirts (boasting tags that tell of the tartan’s origin) to bags, scarves, and other cozy accessories. Epaulet stocks their Smith Street store with a rotating cast of independent designers and labels so hop the F train as soon as you can. Happy hunting!
Follow Epaulet’s blog.
JP Williams of Amass offered nothing wearable but instead captured my attention with the largest collection of antique staplers that I have ever seen in my life. Vintage board games and billiard balls, tins, books, and other curios rounded out a beautiful and brilliantly thought out representation of an era otherwise long gone.
A million bows and curtsies to Max Wastler for letting me be his eyes, ears, and pen this weekend. Thanks to Randy and Michael for making it all happen, and thanks to the designers and curators for taking time to chat with me. I am already looking forward to the next Pop Up Flea, but until then, please check out my wish list at Erit Americana and my photos from the event on Flickr.
