Austin, Texas! One of the Top Ten Dopest Cities in the USA.

I'm not sure what the other 9 "Dopest Cities in the USA" are, I just know that Austin is definitely on that list. I was lucky enough to spend a long, gorgeous sunny day in Austin a couple of weeks ago, and I feel the need to share the awesomeness with everyone. I found the city to be completely distinct from any other one I've seen in the US, and I was able to connect with it far more than I have with any other place in Texas.

Kyle! Wearing the Dubarry Keating jacket and Kerry boots. Gear fit for exploring.

We started the day with a little pre-breakfast hike up to Covert Park at Mount Bonnell. There were a lot of stairs, but the view was well worth it. An appropriately large and Tex-Mexified breakfast ensued, after which I found necessary caffeination in the form of a damn good double cappuccino at Strange Brew. The barista was a total sweetheart and gave tips on cool places to go on our one free day in Austin.

I I headed around the SoCo neighborhood with Kyle (the coolest dude I know) and marveled at the seemingly endless number of awesome, independently owned stores. Sad but true... I generally feel a lot more comfortable walking around men's shops with an actual guy, otherwise the staff doesn't seem to know what to make of me. But, that's fine. 

We went into Stag first, after Weiss Watch Co. gave me the heads up about them via Twitter (thanks for that!). They have a really impressive selection of menswear brands, from RRL to Imogene+Willie, Baldwin Denim, Gitman Bros., Filson, Penfield, etc... and New York's own Terrapin Stationers are there as well! Plus, that bright Texas sun made some new shades a necessity, and they had some Randolph Engineering aviators that fit the bill perfectly. 

Terrapin Stationers at Stag Austin!

Randolph Engineering aviators -- necessary purchase.

We stopped by Archive Vintage and I was pleased to see HELM Boots there, in the flesh, for the first time! They're as well crafted and handsome as I thought they would be. The shop also had a ton of neat vintage stuff, mixed in with new finds from rare brands.

South Congress Books caught my eye... I'm a sucker for used/vintage bookstores and this place DID NOT disappoint. If I lived in Austin I'd be in there on a weekly basis for sure. Though the shelf full of first-edition Faulkner's caught my eye... I picked up a copy of Sartre that I was missing. If you are nerdy, GO SUPPORT THIS BOOK STORE. 

Uncommon Objects was another gem that we stumbled upon. It's the sort of antique shop that you can get lost in for hours. Literally endless amounts of stuff to look through, from classic to bizarre, with plenty of Americana and distinctly Texan artifacts. They had a separate section of jewelry made out of things like antique compasses, pocket knives, skeleton keys, etc. which was completely tempting and I can't believe I made it out of there without buying something.

It would have been remiss of me not to try out some cowboy boots while I was in Texas... so we went to a place that was literally floor to ceiling, aisles and aisles of boots: Allens Boots. I've apparently got a rare size for cowboy boots (after a fitting with Rod Patrick back in October), but I found a pair of black Lucchese that felt amazing. I didn't take the plunge, but, I'm still thinking about them.

For refreshment we found Jo's Coffee, where there was plenty of open air seating and a walk-up window... and lots of cute dogs. 

Our next shop stop was Service Menswear, a short drive away, tucked into a pretty swanky little shopping center. The store was small but packed to the brim with well chosen goods. Kyle fell in love with an arrow print buttondown from Altru Apparel. 

shirt by Altru Apparel.

Another Austin MUST is proper tacos. Fortunately for us, Kyle had a friend there who recommended Torchy's Tacos, where we ate outside in the lovely sunshine and I shamelessly licked hot sauce off my fingers. They were indeed, Damn Good Tacos.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST we rushed over to the Hope Outdoor Gallery graffiti park, which appears to be the ruins of an industrial sort of building that was commandeered by graffiti artists until everyone gave up and turned it into a giant dynamic art exhibit. The view of the Austin skyline is amazing from there as well. It was a perfect and fitting end to a successful day of exploration.

Dubarry Wicklow boots and Ardmore bag, Houndworthy Stag Antler whistle

//EDIT// Oh but WAIT. There was more. Austin's got a killer music scene... that's no secret... and while we were listening to NPR on the drive into town we heard this band Sons of Fathers, who happened to be playing at the Mohawk that night. Carpe diem, baby, so we went down there and saw some great live music, witnessed some legitimate stomping of cowboy boots, and also walked by a steampunk bar that I regret not going into afterwards.

Sons of Fathers tearin' it up at the Mohawk!

VISIT AUSTIN.
>> Stag
>> Service Menswear
>> Archive Vintage
>> Uncommon Objects
>> Allens Boots
>> South Congress Books

How I Managed to Pack the Perfect Suitcase!

Packing for any kind of trip has always been a source of anxiety for me. I always forget something, some crucially important thing. In the past it's been my eyeglasses, my phone charger, pyjamas, socks, deodorant... you get the idea. The day after Christmas I was slated to go on a voyage across the Atlantic to visit London, Paris, and some of the English countryside, over the course of 10 days. It's a challenge for anybody to fit ten days' worth of clothing in a carry-on sized roller bag, and I was traveling during a particularly variable season, as far as the weather was concerned. By some strange stroke of genius though, I managed to pack the perfect suitcase. I utilized everything I had in there (as in, nothing was extra or unneeded), I never lacked appropriate outerwear or shoes, and I still had a bit of room to bring inevitable purchases back with me. 

Here's how I did it!

My suitcase is a standard carry-on size American Tourister bag that I got in Aqua blue because a) I hate how everyone has black suitcases and b) I knew it would be easier to pick out at baggage claim. For the rest of my junk I use my trusty, giant camo canvas tote from the defunct RL Rugby brand (RIP). It's large enough that I can fit my small purse in there, alongside all the other necessities that I won't be able to live without if my luggage gets lost. Awesome brimmed "Manon" hat from Anthropologie ($58), and giant fluffy infinity scarf that I can wrap over my face incase I pass out on the plane and enter fly-catching mode, tops on priority list. I got my neon X-ray yellow luggage tag from the folks at Flight 001, along with a matching Passport cover and 1-qt size bag for carry-on fluids. Very sadly, the subzero temps when I was flying out of NY during the Polar Vortex (or whatever they called it) must have weakened the plastic and my luggage tag came back to me snapped off, so I'm torn between replacing it or opting for a less weather-sensitive option.

As for the contents of my suitcase... here's where the real genius kicked in.

SHOES: 2 pairs
1 pair of waterproof leather boots, comfortable enough for walking all day and dope enough to wear with anything.
--> Dubarry of Ireland "Wicklow" boot in Walnut, $299
1 pair of black flats, not very comfortable but perfect enough for any circumstance that's a bit dressier (or where brown boots wouldn't work).
--> studded loafers from Call It Spring, $15 (on sale)
OUTERWEAR: 2 coats
1 warm, mid-thigh length down coat for chillier temps/venturing out at night.
--> Dubarry of Ireland "Salthill" coat in Black, $299.

1 lightweight, waterproof jacket for wet weather and layering.
--> Dubarry of Ireland "Behan" jacket in Raisin, $479.

Lucky for me, I work for a brand that makes phenomenal outerwear (take a stab at which that is...). Add in a scarf that you can do a lot with... I picked up my rust-colored one at Uniqlo for $12! A pair of beauteous handwarmers from Houndworthy also came in handy for all the mugs I ended up holding (see evidence below).
PANTS: 3 pairs
1 pair dark denim jeans that look good with ankle boots.
--> AG Jeans "Stevie" Straight from Anthropologie, ~$168.
1 pair black motorcycle jeans that still look cool with brown boots.
--> Free People moto jeans circa 3 years ago, ~$199.
1 pair black vegan leather leggings that can be used for a dressy dinner date, or just as easily dressed down.
--> Sanctuary Clothing Mixed Vegan Leather Leggings, $98 (but found on sale at Zappos for $65).

TOPS: the 2 most important things to bring anywhere...
1 chambray shirt. It will be your best friend. Goes over tank tops/tshirts, under sweaters, by itself, etc. I take one everywhere as part of my uniform.
--> JCrew is where I got mine a few years back, but they have new choices every spring for around $78.
1 black merino wool cardigan, on the longer side.
--> Brooks Brothers -- a bit pricier than I'm used to, but it's a wardrobe staple so you should be more willing to splurge. Warm but not bulky, and sharp enough to wear with dressy outfits if necessary.
Aside from that, throw in one warm sweater, a few t-shirts, a couple of tanks, a tunic-length dressier top (for use with black leather leggings), and a few more assorted tops for good measure.

DRESS:
1 black vegan leather bodycon dress, to wear with aforementioned flats and cardigan. Slick enough to go out to a club but elegant enough to wear to a fancy Parisian restaurant on New Years Eve (what I did). Also, folds very easily and doesn't take up much suitcase space. Procured mine from Free People a couple of years back but Sanctuary Clothing had some killer options this season as well.

Sanctuary Clothing Vegan Suede dress, $168.

The best choice I made was undoubtably with footwear. I wore those Wicklow boots every single day for ten days. We walked EVERYWHERE. Not once did I get blisters or tired feet, and on the days where it poured rain (there were quite a few), I didn't get held back. The weather in Europe is tricky to predict during the winter months, and I spent equal amounts of time in my down coat as I did in my rain shell. The waterproof jacket also came in extraordinarily handy, particularly the day we walked around Brighton, England in sopping wet conditions. I was never cold, or wet, or over dressed, or under dressed. In general, everything I own can be mixed and matched... I guess I'm stylistically pretty consistent, but in this situation it worked out for me really well.

great shopping in Brighton

chilly night on Waterloo Bridge

paid a visit to the new Dubarry flagship store in London!

fun fact: anywhere outside of New York, people think I'm Latina.

On a side note... Google is giving me a nightmare of a time regarding my blog domain. dappledwaistcoat.com is no longer working because they would never allow me to sign into Google Admin to renew it, and now that it's expired it seems I can't get it back. So for the time being, we'll be here at DAPPLEDWAISTCOAT.BLOGSPOT.COM until I can sort this out! Any advice on the matter would be appreciated!  xx A