Kangol hats are cool; I mean really cool. They come in updated styles and colors to fit any aesthetic. The summer line is brimming (pun intended) with hats that are easy to wear and perfect for weekends and work days alike. The pork pie shape of the Wheat Stingy may be classic, but the bold color is anything but. You will be seen in this hat, so be prepared to field compliments from friends and strangers alike. Wheat Stingy Pork Pie $54

I love this hat. Made in the USA, the Swirl Pork Pie features a swirl effect on the felt brim. The green is the perfect hue for summer but also subtle enough to transition into fall. This hat will never go out of style or out of sight. Swirl Pork Pie $120

A special thanks to Erica Bushong of Erica Lee Style for these incredible product shots. Another thanks to Kangol for feeding my fix and delivering these two stellar hats to my door. Check out their entire Summer collection online now.

With husband in tow, friend and photographer Erica Bushong of Erica Lee Style trekked into the woods with me to shoot some of the best pieces from Carhartt’s summer line.

Made from a polyester and twill blend, these pants resist stains as well as wrinkles. Twill Work Pant $27

Waterproof and breathable, the canvas Astoria jacket is perfect for warm weather rain showers. Astoria Jacket $180

This jacket is just as stylish on the street as it is in the wilderness.  Twill Work Jacket $50Dressed up or down, this shirt gets the job done.  Long-Sleeve Twill Work Shirt $25

A very special thanks to Erica Lee Style for the amazing photography and Carhartt for providing the incredible clothing.

❘ The Modern Minion: DIY fashion is good. DIY fashion for Femme Friday is incredible. Friend and fellow style fan Amber Coghill delivers a clever DIY that’s as easy as it is affordable. Make sure to follow her on Twitter for all her crafty fashion ideas. ❘

The inspiration for this DIY came from these fantastic crochet detailed Guess shorts I came across in Toronto. They were absolutely adorable but I walked away from them because I couldn’t justify paying $99 when I knew I could come up with something just as cute.

As soon as I found them online, I made a trip to Goodwill to buy an old pair of jeans in a light wash that I could cut off and distress. My next stop was the fabric store to buy a couple metres of lace. After better studying the original shorts online, however, I realized that lace wouldn’t provide the same effect. So I headed to my garage to dig through some of my grandma’s things that had been left when she moved out of her apartment. I came across an old tablecloth that I knew had just the right details I needed.

Materials in hand, I began by cutting off the jeans to a length I was comfortable with. Using a pair of scissors, I added some distressing and frayed the the raw edges.

I looked at the tablecloth and cut out some designs that I thought would work well.

I wanted to make sure that the pieces would stay in place so I hand stitched each one onto the shorts. After working at it for a bit, I understood why the Guess pair was $99. Stitching the crochet took longer than I expected, but I just crashed on the couch and caught up on my shows.

Regardless of the time they took to complete, I couldn’t be happier with my shorts. While the original shorts cost $99, mine came in at an incredible $6, the cost of the jeans. If you don’t have a crochet tablecloth, try hitting up garage sales or local thrift stores. Once you start looking, you’ll be surprised how easy they are to find.

I am in love with these shorts! They look great with everything, from a casual tee to a dressier top. For a savings of almost $90, it’s definitely worth it to tackle your own clever, crochet creation.

Happy Femme Friday!

-Amber

Take a listen and savor the fact that your work week is more than half over.

Dear Chris,

Well done, sir. Well done.

Sincerely,

The Mylar Minion

I struggled with how and when to tell people about my dad’s death. To be honest, most of my friends, including those reading this, don’t know. It took me days to tell even my closest inner circle. I’ve always prided myself on my incredible (and often fictitious) way of handling things on my own. I am my own man and my own island. I’d take the manly route of burying everything deep because I believed that’s what was expected. As I write this, those principles are still at the front of my mind.

I certainly had no intention of sharing this news with my readers. I was so wrapped up in building my brand that I worried how airing something so personal would reflect on The Modern Minion. But The Modern Minion didn’t lose a father. I did. Me. Andrew.

For the past month I’ve been managing the aftermath of my dad’s death. Arrangements were made, lawyers were consulted, and meetings were sat through. For weeks it was a constant storm of bills, insurance forms, death certificates, and paperwork. I was overwhelmed. I was broken. I was exhausted.

Just as things were beginning the settle down, I was offered a new job that I couldn’t decline. I transitioned from the stress of picking up after someone’s life to a long commute, even longer hours, and a seemingly endless list of things that had to get done immediately. But after enduring the fire, the frying pan doesn’t seem so rough.

A very good friend told me I wouldn’t miss my dad until he was missing. He’s right. In all the chaos of the last month, I don’t know that I’ve realized that he’s not coming back. The last time I saw my father is the last time I’ll see my father.

I don’t want this blog to be just a brand; I want it to be an extension of me. These pages need to be personal or my purpose for writing them is lost. They are pieces of me laid out for all to see. Some days they’ll be clever and stylish, other days they’ll be too contrived and fall flat. I think I’m okay with that, though.

The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming.

]]> http://themodernminion.com/2012/06/25/the-modern-minion-rises/feed/ 5 themodernminion mm-5 http://themodernminion.com/2012/05/29/thou-shalt-covet-toms-stars-stripes/ http://themodernminion.com/2012/05/29/thou-shalt-covet-toms-stars-stripes/#comments Tue, 29 May 2012 15:57:33 +0000 The Modern Minion http://themodernminion.com/?p=1026 ]]> For those of you whose patriotic spirits were ignited by yesterday’s hot grills and even hotter weather, TOMS has the only casual shoe you’ll be needing this summer. Inspired by the greatest nation on Earth, this latest style all but guarantees I’ll be sporting TOMS from now until the salt trucks come out of hibernation.

These stars and stripes are something we should all salute this summer.

TOMS Stars and Stripes Vegan Classics $54

Retailers worldwide were quick to offer easy options to incorporate scarf prints into any woman’s spring/summer wardrobe. Pairing a printed blouse or skirt with simple neutrals like white highlights this trend without being overwhelming. Accessories like bags or actual scarves are also a great way to dip your toe into the scarf print pool.

Despite today’s hot weather, look cool and stay stylish and have a very Femme Friday.

Row 1: John Zack dress via ASOS $53; Zara blouse $60 Row 2: Zara blazer $129; Lipsy dress via ASOS $96 Row 3: Gypsy 05 Belted Venus maxi via Piperlime $253; Zara shorts $80

One brand has helped us “run faster and jump higher” since 1937: PF Flyers. For 75 years the Boston based shoe company has been making quality footwear that’s as comfortable as it is stylish. Long before Benny un-boxed his now iconic black Center Hi’s to face The Beast in The Sandlot, PF Flyers built its reputation as a classic, American brand dedicated to “Authentic American Style.”

On Tuesday PF Flyers will celebrate its 75th anniversary by releasing a capsule collection featuring three limited edition unisex styles resonating with the tradition of innovation synonymous with the brand’s heritage. The Center Hi and Windjammer stay true to their roots, while the Grounder II is a fresh take on the original shoe of the same name. Crafted from unbleached linen canvas and veg-tanned leather, each of these PF Flyers is laden with detail, right down to the hand stamped logo. A limited run of 500 pairs of each style will be available at retailers like KITH NYC, the J.Crew Liquor Store, Bloomingdale’s 59th Street, American Rag, and The Tannery.

At the helm of the anniversary collection is PF Flyers’ Footwear Designer James Lee. Mr Lee was kind enough to talk with The Modern Minion about how his team “balanced old and new elements to create a collection that appears raw and handmade” and that honors the brand’s esteemed history.

The Modern Minion: PF Flyers is known for its “Authentic American Style.” What do you think has drawn customers to that style for the past 75 years?

James Lee: American style has evolved over the decades, but PF Flyers has remained relevant through classic styling.

MM: The workmanship on the capsule collection is incredible, right down to the hand stamped logo. Were there sleepless nights spent worrying over getting every detail on the shoes perfect?

James Lee: It was definitely a long process as we went through several rounds of prototypes to craft the details and materials. We are used to making sure every detail is consistent coming out of production, so our biggest concern was actually communicating to our production team that we wanted “imperfect” details on the shoes (i.e. every ankle logo is slightly different due to the fact that they were hand stamped).

MM: The three shoes each represent an iconic PF style that has been popular for decades. What makes each of them so special to fans of the brand?

James Lee: We wanted a collection of three shoes that had very different silhouettes. The Center Hi was an obvious choice as it is an important part of our brand DNA. The Windjammer came out in 1965, so we wanted to include this in the collection due to it’s archival relevance. Lastly, the Grounder II because it’s a brand new model that is releasing in Fall 2012. It’s an update to the Grounder, which was a big shoe for us in the past.

MM: What are you hoping the 75th anniversary collection will communicate to new customers of PF Flyers?

James Lee: The 75th Anniversary Collection pays homage to our heritage, celebrating the era when there weren’t a lot of machines and computers that processed cookie cutter shoes. Therefore, we used raw materials like unbleached linen canvas and vegetable tanned leather to give the collection a raw feel and add further value with the hand-stamped logo and hand-stitched leather.

MM: For people who won’t be lucky enough to pick up one of limited edition pairs, will this capsule collection be inspiration for future Flyers?

James Lee: We always build onto what we’ve created in the past so this collection definitely will, either directly or indirectly, inspire what’s to come in the future.

MM: Last question. We all know Benny would favor the Center Hi style. If you could only wear one pair, which from the capsule collection would you go with? And yes, I know it’s like trying to pick a favorite child or flavor of ice cream.

James Lee: Lucky for me, I got to wear test all three of them! If I had to pick a favorite child, I’d choose the Grounder II because not only is it a new model for us, it has a great aged appearance after wearing it for some time.

—ANDREW SIGMAN

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Center Hi 

Windjammer

Grounder II

Thanks to PF Flyers for providing all the images. 

When we talk about trends this season, peplum is arguable one of the hottest. It’s almost impossible to watch a read carpet event this season without seeing this über feminine throwback trend born in the 80′s. Initially I had my doubts that the style would be flattering on a wide range of body shapes, but peplums create an instant hour glass by accentuating the waist and masking any problem areas in the midsection.

The incredible slimming silhouette of this fashion phenomenon can be had dresses, skirts, jackets, and blouses in styles versatile enough for work or play, weekday to weekend.

Ladies, this spring show off your curves or create new ones by tapping into the power of peplum. Cheers to a very happy and feminine Femme Friday!

-Amber

Top left: Blouse via Mango $45 CAD; Talkshow Sweetheart Dress via Modcloth $53 Bottom left: Dress via Zara $100; Pencil skirt via Zara $80