The Posh Pirate

A look into the life of a man who drinks like a pirate, acts like a pirate, thinks like a pirate, but dresses like a Kennedy

[grant-tolson-blog]

In celebration of our (@pirateguys) brand-spanking-new website, seadreamco.com, we're offering 20% off all items for the entire week. Enter code PIRATESOFSUMMER at checkout to receive the offer! Enjoy! 😎☠🌴☀️🌊⚓️💎⚔⛵️

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It’s been fun working for Ellsworth Toggery this Summer as their social media director.

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Why Fashion? Scotch Fire Edition

   Fashion brings with it a bundle of contrasting personalities. The clothes people wear carry a certain image–they tell the story of a poor man, a rich man, a war man, or a hippie man. The industry of fashion will never die, for it’s against the law to walk the streets naked. It’s a booming business, and I’m trying to not only get my feet wet in it but to jump right in.

   I’ve always loved dressing up. Always seeing my grandfather sport his madras pants and Ray Ban wayfarers at the Club probably helped me in choosing a preppy outlet. Some of the best times in my life happened when I was dressed up… to get messed up. In fact, I, the extremely handsome gentleman in the picture above, organized a Christmas party where only the top-dressed were allowed entry. It was a grand, old-fashioned night.

   Fashion has always played a role in my growing of age, for my father, a VCU Arts graduate, along with his roommates, created the Sea Dream Leather brand and grew it all over the Old Dominion for thirty-plus years. Being his son, my interests in fashion and owning my own business grew. After years of buying Vineyard Vines t-shirts, I decided that I wanted my own preppy brand with my own preppy logo. Thus, Sea Dream was reborn (as a prep) with a brand new logo. The company’s logo and name is currently being reviewed by the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office. **Click on the links to see both!

   Working at Brooks Brothers has also widened my knowledge of what I now know about the fashion business as well as the materials used in fine clothing. Brooks Brothers was the leader, for many years, in preppy fashion innovations, such as the argyle sock, peacoat, made-to-measure suit, and the button-down collar, along with many more. Though preppy fashion usually doesn’t change and is always a “classic,” it’s history and classiness very much intrigues me.

   If fashion has gotten me to where I am now, I can’t wait to see where it will take me next.

[grant-tolson-blog]

Mexico is Losing

Mexico and the U.S. have always traded textiles; however, in recent years, Mexico’s exports to the States have been on the decline because of an outside attack from a third-party country.

Vietnam has been exporting other countries’ exports through its own to the United States for the past couple of years. Countries, such as China, can export their goods through Vietnam to be taxed much less. This is in part because of Vietnam’s inclusion in the TPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which allows certain countries to have free trade agreements. Mexico used to be a large source of cotton for the U.S., but now, much of those imports have gone to other countries. Juan Alfonso Ayub, the president of a major textile trading lobby in Mexico said, “fifteen years ago, we were the number one or two supplier to the U.S. Now we are the fifth or sixth” (Castano). This is ripping at Mexico’s wounds. “’This is a one-to-one advantage,’ Ayub added. ‘For every square meter of fabric it buys from the U.S., Vietnam can buy a square meter of fabric outside the region [TPP] and take it back to the U.S without paying duties’” (Castano). 

To battle this ongoing dilemma, Mexico has revamped its textiles industry, hopefully, attracting the United States. “’We are making more intelligent fashion and printed fabrics like denim with Tencel, modal or bamboo as well as polyester yarn,’ Ayub said, adding that Mexico is also boosting synthetic, microfiber, thermal knit and thermo-cool fabrics output. There are also plans to develop agave-based fabrics” (Castano). 

The Spanish country believes the U.S.’ manufacturing will increase in the future to have a larger demand for Mexico’s textiles. For now, all the country can do is hope and pray (and wait).

https://wwd-com.proxy.library.vcu.edu/markets-news/textiles/mexico-textile-industry-tpp-loss-10366389/

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Fur: It’s What’s on a Bear

Fur, a lavishing material, can be paired with almost any outfit, depending on the style, color, or accessory. It’s pretty great to look at, too. Depending on what animal it is, it can come in many different forms, feels, and colors, and becuase of that, it’s making a comeback.  “ Resort’s [2016] most notable furs channeled a fun, young vibe via novelty cuts and vibrant palettes” (Allende). Our generation is used to our grandma’s big, chunky fur coats (which, I still like, but most of my generation doesn’t). Valentino’s (to name just one) new line of fur is a huge change.

I’ve always been on the pro-fur side; however, I wasn’t paying attention to what was going on behind closed doors. Many countries (CHINA) have terrible method’s of de-coating the animals. They don’t even kill the animals beforehand, and the poor creatures die in tremendous pain. I am for fur, but I’m only for it if the animal is killed in a painless manor.

http://wwd.com/fashion-news/trends/resort-2016-trend-fur-10174164/

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Well, I’ve Learned a Lot.

During my time here at VCU, I’ve seen the polar opposite of what I’m used to seeing at good ol’ Hampden-Sydney. It’s taken a good bit of getting used to, but it’s been a fun and satisfying trip along the way.

I’ve attended a fashion show, something I never thought would ever happen just a year ago.

I’ve learned (some of) the ways about keeping a business accounted for.

I’ve cooked for the first time in my life--I make some great chicken alfredo.

I’ve learned how to drive a stick shift car.

It’s been fun.

Anyways, this semester has been one for transition, and I think the transition has finally been completed!

The most important thing I’ve learned this semester, however... is how to lure eight girls into thinking that I’m Hugh Hefner (for a picture, of course).

Thanks for everything Mrs. Arrington! It’s been great, and I can’t wait for next semester with ya!

A video posted by Grant Stone Tolson (@gtolson8) on Oct 30, 2015 at 6:44pm PDT

[grant-tolson-blog]

Home Fashions

When thinking of fashion, most people think of clothing, shoes, or even beauty; however, the world of fashion stretches on to home decor. Like any of the other fashion industries, home fashions have their own forecasts each year, where predictions are made on styles, colors, and fabrics of home decor. Instead of men’s, women’s, and children’s, there’s dining room, living room, bedroom, and kitchen. It’s a different land inside of a, oh so familiar, world.

Town and Country took a look inside some of Palm Beach’s “most whimsical homes” (Glynn). People love decorating their homes and making them their own—“locals have a knack for putting their own, often idiosyncratic stamps on their homes” (Glynn). Two of the Palm Beach cottages’ interiors were designed by Liza Pulitzer Calhoun... yes, that’s Lily Pulitzer’s daughter. Like Liza’s mother, her work is beachy and full of color.

Designer, Peter Marino creates a Turkish Pavilion inside of the below mansion by “forming carved wooden doorways framing views of a Persian garden” (Glynn). The linens, glassware, and soft goods all melt together to create a “orientalist dream” (Glynn).

Read more of this article at Town and Country Magazine.

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With the release of the Apple Watch, a smart watch, coming in various colors and metals, not even gravity stands a chance at pulling Apple down.

You’ve got to give it to Apple though. They made an extremely well-functioning watch and made it stylish; however, they brought back something from the past when doing this. They brought back the “same cachet that luxury handbags used to have before retail became more democratized”—in a smart watch sort of way (Strugatz 2015). For if you want the 38mm 18-karat yellow gold watch, it’ll set you back a whopping $17,000. Yeah, you can, of course, just get the boring, cheaper Apple Watch, but what people really want... is the gold. Apple already leads the technology field in “luxury,” but they topped themselves off by adding a hierarchal scale within their own brand (which, really, isn’t a bad thing!).

So far, none of the other smart watch brands can compete with Apple’s lux fury. Rachel Strugatz from WWD writes, 

“Apple singlehandedly determines how big the smartwatch market is and everything else is a rounding error. Whether or not the smartwatch becomes mainstream is dependent almost entirely on Apple’s next product release and if they can tackle some of the challenges of the watch.”                  (Strugatz 2015)

Making themselves even more fashionable, Apple recently began a partnership with Hermès, creating eloquent and stylish new bands for the smart watches.

WWD article: http://wwd.com/accessories-news/watches/fashion-apple-smartwatch-market-10272832/

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Taking Over the Industry Through Social Media

Kiel and Sarah know what they’re doing, and it’s working extremely well. 

Through their use of social media, this Rhode Island couple has created a fantasy for virtually all preppy girls and boys to live up to. Kiel James Patrick and Sarah Vickers, Kiel’s fiancé, have been building up their ocean-inspired clothing company since 2008. This year alone, they’ve added boat shoes, hats, and many new bracelets to their large collection of accessories sold. The New York Times wrote, “Kiel James Patrick bracelets were selling so well, the designer couldn’t keep up with demand” (Kurutz, 2014). Their success in selling has largely come from the couple’s social media platforms such as Instagram, where dreamy oceanscapes, filled with beautiful New England scenery fills the frames. Classic and timeless wardrobe pieces are always being sported by the couple and their friends, such as the fair isle sweaters worn above. These fashion icons portray the life that many of us want to live, which ultimately leads us to want to look and act like them (and buy their products)! Though the photos that people see look like complete preppy fantasies that are unreachable, they're not. Every summer, KJP, as people call him for short, invites up a select few kids to enjoy a summer of exploring the Cape, sailing around Nantucket, eating lobsters, and bike riding through the streets of Bellport... not to mention partying like rockstars at extravagant New England mansions. These events are all photographed and posted to various social medias. Kiel explains that the problem with other companies’ shoots is that “they [aren’t] living this” (Kurutz, 2014). This squad will never have to pose as friends because they’re already life-long friends. I met the whole team this year at a Brooks Brothers/KJP event in Georgetown and can fully say that they are as outgoing and friendly in person as they look on screen. Hats off to you, Mr. Patrick and Miss Vickers.

Other companies are catching on. Ralph Lauren used Periscope, a social media platform that captures live video, to broadcast their collection at this year’s New York fashion week. “Just as models are stepping onto the runway in Manhattan at Skylight Clarkson Sq, thousands of Londoners passing through Piccadilly Circus will simultaneously be able to catch every last spring 2016 look on a nearby screen before the designer takes his final bow” (Feitelberg, 2015).

Social Media is the key to taking your brand to the next level.

[grant-tolson-blog]

Why Fashion? Scotch Fire Edition

   Fashion brings with it a bundle of contrasting personalities. The clothes people wear carry a certain image--they tell the story of a poor man, a rich man, a war man, or a hippie man. The industry of fashion will never die, for it’s against the law to walk the streets naked. It’s a booming business, and I’m trying to not only get my feet wet in it but to jump right in.

   I’ve always loved dressing up. Always seeing my grandfather sport his madras pants and Ray Ban wayfarers at the Club probably helped me in choosing a preppy outlet. Some of the best times in my life happened when I was dressed up... to get messed up. In fact, I, the extremely handsome gentleman in the picture above, organized a Christmas party where only the top-dressed were allowed entry. It was a grand, old-fashioned night.

   Fashion has always played a role in my growing of age, for my father, a VCU Arts graduate, along with his roommates, created the Sea Dream Leather brand and grew it all over the Old Dominion for thirty-plus years. Being his son, my interests in fashion and owning my own business grew. After years of buying Vineyard Vines t-shirts, I decided that I wanted my own preppy brand with my own preppy logo. Thus, Sea Dream was reborn (as a prep) with a brand new logo. The company’s logo and name is currently being reviewed by the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office. **Click on the links to see both!

   Working at Brooks Brothers has also widened my knowledge of what I now know about the fashion business as well as the materials used in fine clothing. Brooks Brothers was the leader, for many years, in preppy fashion innovations, such as the argyle sock, peacoat, made-to-measure suit, and the button-down collar, along with many more. Though preppy fashion usually doesn’t change and is always a “classic,” it’s history and classiness very much intrigues me.

   If fashion has gotten me to where I am now, I can’t wait to see where it will take me next.

[grant-tolson-blog]