So how do I know about all this stuff?

Some of my friends have asked me how I know so much about what the best "this" is or "that" is. It's a very good question, so I'll address it here.

When it really comes down to it, when I need something, I want the best representative of that item I can find.  I really started to learn about the finer things in life about 15 or 20 years ago just to satisfy my curiosity. I read many magazines, including the Robb Report, GQ, The Perfect Vision, Dwell, Cook's Illustrated, etc., and do a lot of research online. I also had a great mentor in Chicago who taught me how to appreciate wine and cigars. (Thanks, Tony!) I often wonder why things cost so much or so little, and the engineer in me is always wondering how things are made. I have also learned by experience that, generally speaking, you get what you pay for. The big question for most of us is whether the additional benefits derived from the more expensive item is worth the additional cost. For example, I will gladly pay top dollar for shoes because I've learned that more expensive shoes tend to be more comfortable, last much longer, and look better. I'll pay extra to get Riedel stemware, because I know that wine really does taste better from their wine glasses. I will not, however, spend big bucks on a gold plated "this", or designer "that" just for the sake of spending more money. In fact, once I figure out what the best product is to meet my needs, I'll do my very best to find it at the lowest price I can, and if it's still too expensive, I'll buy something else that comes close to that item in terms of function and style but at a price I can live with.

One example of a cost/benefit question in this context is what makes one suit cost $400 and another one cost $4,000 (or $40,000, but we won't go into that here)? The answer is that the materials and manufacturing processes are dramatically and tangibly different. The quality of the fabric and the amount of manual work that go into a $4,000 suit are enormously different from what you get in a $400 suit. In the more expensive suit, the sleeves and collar are attached by hand, with the tailor using different tension in the thread at different areas where the sleeves and collar join the body of the suit. This results in a suit that moves with you much more readily and that can feel more like a second skin. I have an Oxxford suit like that and I can't tell you how much of a pleasure it is to wear it! No machine can duplicate that process. The inner and outer fabric that form the lapels in an inexpensive suit are glued ("fused") together and can be prone to puckering because of that. That's not the case in a more expensive, better made suit in which the lapels are distinct layers separated by a lining material. (You can determine whether or not your lapels are "fused" by trying to gently pull the inner and outer fabric apart.) Now, on that basis, I definitely want the $4,000 suit, but I can't justify the expense, so I look for suits that come as close to that level of quality as possible, and then try to buy them at clearance sales or online. Canali, Corneliani, and Zegna fit the bill for me. (Helpful hint: If you are looking for the best names in designer clothing at great prices you need to check out Bluefly.com. Alternatively, you can go to the big clearance sales everyone has in January and June/July.)

Over the years, I've researched or just learned about virtually every category of product that I've needed or that piqued my curiosity. That would include things such as audio and video equipment, footwear, small appliances, furniture, food and wine (I like to cook), watches, BBQ grills, even women's lingerie! (Yeah, I'm a lot more interested in women than in lingerie, but it was fascinating to read how La Perla makes their finer bras! The looms date back to the 1700s, and modern looms can't work with the fine threads they use and get the same results.  Or so they say.)

That, in a nutshell, is how I came to know about all of these things I'm going to be blogging about. It really comes down to a matter of personal tastes, research, and budget.

P.S. Look for my upcoming blogs on the Big Green Egg and the Harman Kardon Go + Play.

Continental Flair

I just had a new set of tires installed on my car. This is my second set of Continental Conti-Sport 3s. I had forgotten how much I like this tire until I put the fresh set on my car. The ride, handling, wet and dry weather traction, and tire wear characteristics are the best I've found for this car.

I've a hard time finding tires that are suitable for my Volvo S60R because it's a high-performance sport sedan, like the M3 and S4, that requires very high performance tires with a high load rating. The high load rating is the hard thing to find in a tire in this class. I've only found 3 tires that are acceptable for this car: Pirelli P Zero Rosso (OEM tire on this car), Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, and the Continentals. I knew and loved the Pirellis, but they wear out very quickly, and the Michelins didn't do anything for me. When I stumbled across the Continentals on Tire Rack, my first thought was "I don't know anything about these tires." With a little bit of research I found that they are original equipment tires for Bentley, Mercedes, Porsche, and a few other cars you might have heard of. The tires are made in Germany, and I figure that if Continental tires are good enough for Bentley and Porsche, they're good enough for me.

I love these tires because of the great ride and handling they offer, and they last longer than the Pirellis and Michelins. They also happen to be the least expensive of the 3 choices by about $30 or $40 per tire. I highly recommend looking into them if you have a sport sedan or sports car. The reviews on Tire Rack are excellent, and I can vouch for them personally. Word of warning: these tires are intended for summer use only. Thankfully, it doesn't get cold enough in Austin to degrade the performance in the winter. These tires would have virtually no traction in ice or snow like all other tires in this class.

Why Settle for the Ordinary?

The finer things in life can offer a very personal and satisfying means of self-expression and a great way to be content in your own personal space. While a few people have been fortunate enough to be raised in an environment in which they were tutored in how to live well, most of us have had to learn about the finer things of life by osmosis or by chance, if at all. Consequently, we have been missing out on a lot of wonderful experiences that anyone can know and enjoy if they had a guide to explain the how, what, and why of what distinguishes the average from the exceptional.

Some of the best things that life has to offer are about indulging your senses. Pleasing the senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell isn’t about hedonistic self-indulgence in this context, it’s about deriving a sense of well-being by savoring exceptional products made from the best materials and processes. This is about the exquisite fit and feel of a hand-made Italian sportcoat versus a typical generic machine-made (and glued) department store jacket which is little more than functional. This is about the glorious and exciting sound of an audio/videophile’s high-end home theater system as opposed to the merely serviceable sound of a home-theater-in-a-box system you can pick up just about anywhere. This is about the aroma, complexity, and structure of a well-crafted wine rather than the bleekness of a thin and insipid wine. The good news is that you don’t necessarily have to pay top dollar for these experiences. You just have to know what to look for.

In case it isn’t clear yet, this blog is not about how to impress others with your expensive tastes and how much money you throw around. This is a blog about discovering the finer things in life and developing your tastes and discernment for your own enjoyment and gratification. To put it another way, anyone can buy a pair of expensive designer shoes or sunglasses and think that they “make” him look good, but there’s a good chance that he’ll come across as someone who has money but no taste. However, if someone who inherently embodies style and attitude wears those same shoes or sunglasses, those items looks like part of congruous and tasteful extension of the person who wears them. Then again, that same person might look even better and be better served by some really great shoes and sunglasses from another source that cost a fraction as much, but are of comparable or better quality. What you need to be looking for is whatever makes you feel good and projects who you truly are and what you enjoy rather than how much money you spend.

For a related post on the Bootstrap Austin blog go here.