DJ Klever, Eleven Magazine & The Ugly Sweater Party

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Hamilton “Clark”

1936 Hamilton Clark

Hamilton Jazzmaster

I was lucky enough to receive, an early Christmas gift… After thanks giving dinner, my grandmother told me she had something she wanted to give me. Turns out this item was a 1936 Hamilton Clark watch. All original parts, still in perfect working order…Needless to say I was surprised but honored. These old watches are pretty cool…simple, and flashy at the same time…

“The Clark is one of those watches that define “vintage.” The case is long and narrow, and makes a wonderful statement.”

To check out Vintage Hamiton watches click here

For the new stuff: click here

By:…

Ignorance Is Not Always Bliss Part I

So I’ve wanted to write this series for a while. I feel like one of the biggest problems people have with wine is that they have no idea what kind of grapes they like because there are so many. That is, essentially, the coolest thing about wine. The diversity, the choices. But lots of choices can be overwhelming. For example, when you go grocery shopping and finally get everything put away and realize you want to make something to eat. Well, you just went grocery shopping so you’re fully stocked. What do you pick? I usually end up staring blankly into the refrigerator for a while before I realize that I can’t choose. I want to try a little bit of everything (By the way I saw a commercial the other day making fun of this so it must be a serious enough problem). Wine is a bit like that. So this series is going to tackle different grapes and what these grapes provide for a wine. I hope this helps because a little bit of knowledge can take a lot of uncertainty out of the choice.

Vinis Vinifera: I like to give a little bit of background so your knowledge of a subject is a little more well-rounded. Now almost all of the world’s wines are made from the vine species Vinis Vinifera and all of the world’s greatest wines are made exclusively from this vine. There are over 1,000 different grape varieties but for the most part a few dozen or so are the “mainstream” grapes that you will most likely see in liquor stores and wine shops.

Cabernet Sauvignon: I wanted to start with red grapes because they are simply, in my opinion, they make the most complex and sophisticated wines.

The Facts: This grape often gives off rich aromas and flavors that can range from black cherries to briery berries. Cabernet Sauvignon has great aging potential and has an affinity to oak. It is one of the most widely recognized red grapes out there and is so for making huge, sometimes overwhelming wines and because it is so resilient to rot and frost. Usually paired with deep meaty dishes, like steak or hamburgers, and isn’t usually drank by itself. Except I do it all the time. *NOTE: Will most likely stain your teeth purple*

My Opinion: A great wine to have for lovers of reds. If you are trying to get into reds or get someone else into reds, this is not one of the wines I would suggest. It is great when used in blends or by itself. A very complex wine that will definitely change as it has time to breath. Best to decant for at least a half hour before drinking but it isn’t vitally necessary. I would really only suggest this wine to lovers of complex wines or if you’re having it with food. The tannins in it, due to the fact that it is such a thick-skinned grape, will give you a nice swift kick in the cheeks and tongue but give it a couple chances. Your taste buds will go through shock with it but once they get used to it, so will you.

Stay tuned for the next parts where I will cover more red grapes that are used in blends, rosés, and sparkling wines.

Ryan Evans – Wine Editor/ The Wine Guy

Recession Fears You Can See

So we’ve all been hit by this recession. It’s getting pretty bad too. No, really. It’s not just on the news where you sit in the comfort of your home, watching your 44-inch new plasma screen TV to see that this big CEO just declared bankruptcy or some bank you’ve never heard of was gobbled up but a bank from Japan. No, now we are seeing it in the stores we go to and some that we even went to a lot as kids. I for one used to, back in my hey-day, shop at Pacific Sunwear. I was a skateboarder and snowboarder (still am) and it fit my style then. I was even employed there for my first real job when I was 16. Pacific Sunwear, as a specialty store of Talbots, is being closed down. Nationwide. Here I have a list of some other businesses that are closing down as well and watch out, if you give gift cards usually for the holidays these stores are still selling them. Only to have them be worthless after January 1, 2009. It’s called Bankruptcy planning and it is pretty low. Check out these other stores that are, to be blunt, going down.

Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide closing
Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine’s to close 150 stores nationwide
Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January
Cache will close all stores
Talbots closing down specialty stores
J. Jill closing all stores (owned by Talbots)
Pacific Sunwear (also owned by Talbots)
GAP closing 85 stores
Footlocker closing 140 stores more to close after January
Wickes Furniture closing down
Levitz closing down remaining stores
Bombay closing remaining stores
Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January
Whitehall closing all stores
Piercing Pagoda closing all stores
Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.
Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ ( New Brunswick )
Macys to close 9 stores after January
Linens and Things closing all stores
Movie Gallery closing all stores
Pep Boys Closing 33 stores
Sprint/Nextel closing 133 stores
JC Penney closing a number of stores after January
Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores.
Wilson Leather closing down all stores
Sharper Image closing down all stores
K B Toys closing 356 stores
Lowes to close down some stores
Dillard’s to close some stores

For God’s sake people, if Disney is about to close almost a hundred stores this must be serious! I mean, it’s Disney for crying out loud!

Ryan Evans – Wine Editor

Listen to the little leather voices…

This is one item to remember for this holiday season. With the torrential downpour of consumer propaganda, we are almost helpless against the inevitable "empty wallet syndrome" post December. This brilliant design by treeswithknees  makes a valiant attempt to curtail exactly that. With witty reminders like "are you sure?" or "think twice" this may be the perfect gift for the person we all know with holes in their pockets.

*images via etsy

By: Eric White – Style

My 5 Day Weekend

Included are photos and links from events a few members of the Eleven Magazine crew have been involved in during our Thanksgiving Break.

A Few Shows

The original Wailers @ Toads Place, New Haven, CT; Photos by: Antonio Aresco.

D.I.M., Switch and A.C. Slater @ Webster Hall, NYC; Photos by: The Culture of Me.

+D.I.M.- Is You (J-La Remix)

Shopping Provided By

UNIQLO: New York, NY and Labyrinth Books: New Haven, CT.

Midtown Photo: Middletown, CT.

Campus Invasions

Weslyan University and Yale University.

Special Thanks

The City of New York, UNIQLO, Webster Hall, Ysa Perez, Weslyan University, Yale University, The City of New Haven, CT, Toads Place, Alex English, Midtown Photo, D.I.M., The City of Middletown, CT, The City of Rochester, NY and Labyrinth Books.

By: Antonio Aresco, Eric White, and Mikhail Budhai

I Can Feel the Chest Hair Sprouting

Like many Upstate New Yorkers, I have been bracing myself for the sub-zero weather that looms in the next few months. Having grown up here, I suffered through the Blizzard of ‘94 when I could climb snow banks up to my roof and shivered during the Ice Storm of ‘99 when there were icicles as big as my leg hanging like stalagmites from the neighbors’ gutters. Not to mention the memories of tundra-like bus stops, and the ever pleasant blue fingers and toes after coming in from sledding. Back then I was bundled up like a marshmallow, covered head to toe in quilted down. Moon Boots seemed to be the norm, and the brighter the colors the better. 

After doing a little growing up, I have come to terms with the fact that neon green may no longer be "my color for winter" and nylon isn’t a fabric that should be in my winter boot vocabulary. The resolution I have found to appease my freezing feet is the logger boot. These NO FRILLS, baby-stompers are all business. They take the age old work boot, and guess what… THEY CHANGE NOTHING. In a world where we are so focused on placing a fashionable "twist" on everything we wear, these unfettered traditional silhouettes stand out. Slip you feet in these and you will instantly feel more like a man (…just try your best not to clomp through the office on an eggnog high, wielding an ax and asking "WHERE’S MY BLUE OX?!?!").

*These are a selection from Redwing and Carolina

(special thanks to salesman David Panosian for convincing me to buy my pair) 

By: Eric White – Style

Dad Has Style

This is a dad and his son in Munich, not only is this a crazy usage of color in a winter outfit, but its used by a dad. Big ups to dads everywhere.

By: !

ps: click the image to see it larger.

The Rolex Blog

I stumbled upon this blog when wanting to check out some things about Rolex. Rolex is a brand that is associated with rich guys with money to spare, but the reality is that Rolex has a far more complex culture than that.

At Jake’s Rolex Blog, there is a tremendous resource on the brand and its ethos in ways that very few (if any) other places are able to match. The blog is awesome and provides you with an understanding of why people decide to spend that much money on a watch.

The reality is that it is more than just a watch, it is a tool. Astronauts, military men, and explorers have all used and relied upon this watch for one of the most important aspects of our lives: time. If time dictated whether you lived or died, would you trust your life in a Seiko? I think not.

The coolest aspect of the blog that I found was the exploration of how James Bond was known the Fleming novels as a man who only could wear a Rolex, yet today he wears an Omega.

The article can be found here.

By: Osama Eisa

The Third Return of the VW Beetle

I was in New York a few days ago and while shopping at Barney’s I noticed their new theme, “Hippie Holiday.” I’m not sure how that theme was decided as what the holidays were meant to be, maybe they thought since there is a recession people like the idea of free love with their extremely expensive clothing?

Anyways, these are some pretty crazy cuff links and at $550, they better be.

By: !