Strait City Trading Co

News and Views

View of the "City on the Straits" from across the Detroit River. Photo by Bob Rolfson

Buckles Reveal Secret Narrative

(2008-05-09) Costumes of comic book superheroes, or their interpretations, are now on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Marking the occasion, an accompanying essay by Michael Chabon has appeared in the New Yorker and the Financial Times and in the Met's own publication.

The idea of the superhero's costume, explains Chabon, is to help conceal his origin. But,

no matter how well he hides its traces, the secret narrative of transformation, of rebirth from the confines of the ordinary, is given up by the costume. Often the secret narrative is hinted at with a kind of enigmatic, dreamlike obviousness right on the hero's chest or belt buckle, in the form of the requisite insignia. Superman's "S" shield only coincidentally stands for Superman: In fact the emblem is the coat of arms of the ancient Kryptonian House of El from which he descends.

Oops. Perhaps you, too, cannot resist the urge to let slip some hint your secret, superheroic hidden self: .

The WSJ on stylish men's belts

(2008-04-21) The Wall Street Journal has offered some advice to help men update their belt wardrobe. According to Teri Agins (April 17), men's belts can be a fashion accessory that can provide a stylish fillip to a look. He suggests that

the garden-variety smooth leather styles with a thin brass buckle are too pedestrian nowadays. Instead, try belts with some kind of surface relief -- such as lizard, crocodile, ostrich or embossed leathers that resemble exotic skins.

To add a little spice to your look he suggests a contrasting rather than matching color for a belt, a dark burgandy belt can give a lift to a navy pinstripe suit, for instance. He mentions braided leather belts for khakis or colorful web belts that accent polo knit shirts.

So he's got you nodding along, I mean how rad is a braided leather belt? But then he mentions how Fred Astaire would wear silk neckties as belts to "impart a kicky look". Whoa! Who is this Teri Agins? I've seen neckties about the waist in Brooks Brothers, but the mannequins were decidedly feminine. But, ahem, I digress.

One might also consider new styles of buckles, perhaps a different metal (silver, distressed brass), perhaps a different shape (octagons, ovals), but avoid the designer logos. So toss out those worn-out belts and start building a wardrobe with a variety of styles and colors.

His article is accompanied with a photo from Nordstrom of several nice belts: . And you will indeed find some very nice belts there. Then again maybe you're like me a few years back. Got my first job and immediately went to Nordstrom's in Fashion Island, Newport Beach and bought some clothes, including a nectie with the Yves Saint Laurent designer logo. My new boss, Perry K., immediately teased me, "We're not paying you enough to buy those clothes".

Well, if your boss isn't paying you enough to shop at Nordstroms, and you'd still like to reload your belt wardrobe, you might like to look at some of Strait City's men's leather belts.

Color, Lies and Digital Cameras

(2008-03-25) Big box stores and name brands may yet take over the world, but there is still an amazing power in a few technologies that have found their way into the hands of individuals. For us it has been the computer, the internet and the digital camera.

Our website and myriads like it, not to mention the behemoths like E-bay, are premised on a very simple idea: use a digital camera and descriptions to market products through the internet. Images are to be faithful representations of the product for sale. For better or worse, mass market cameras, like our politicians, temper truth with flattery. This is not usually a problem, but sometimes it is.

Our particular bugaboo has been the inexpensive olive green web belt. Starting out with our trusty Kodak DC4800, we just kept getting brown when we knew the color was olive. Iterations of camera settings and light sources, and even a move to more expensive Nikon SLR's just never changed brown back to olive.

Then finally, a light broke, so to speak. The Pantone bridge guide provides a palette of colors, each with the combination of red, green and blue that will reproduce it. That allows us to analyze the camera's "improvement" of the color space near a color of interest, like olive. A good pro/am camera like the Nikon then provides enough flexibility to nudge the color back to where it ought to be.

Voila! Olive:

See Red, fight HIV

(2008-02-13) OK, we ragged Damien Hirst just a little too much, and now I've got to take it back, well most of it any way (I'm sure he feels better now). I just read Peter Aspden's "Culture" column in the FT where he relates his visit with expressionist painter Howard Hodgkin. Sir Hodgkin, is one of the artists who have donated a painting to (AUCTION) Red at Sotheby's New York, Valentine's day. Take a look; it's quite appealing:

The proceeds from the auction go towards support of HIV/Aids programs in Africa, and the auction is being organized by Damien Hirst and Bono. Aspden says of Hodgkin, who is 75, that he speaks "quietly, with deliberation and with the deadpan humor that only really makes itself felt in reminiscence." And Hodgkin of Hirst "I am sure he is not an opportunist. He seems to me someone who believes in art. You can't do those things cynically."

Much Maligned Stretchy Belts

(2007-11-21) One of our best selling products, the stretchy belt, just can't get respect. We frequently get calls from customers saying they were glad to find our stretch belts for sale online since they had not been able to find them in the stores.

No wonder.

Perhaps "Agent Booth" in the TV series "Bones" captured the problem. He was reminiscing on his high-school days and how cruel kids could be. In one vivid vignette, he described an outcast as wearing his father's "stretchy belts".

In real life, my own relatives have mocked our stalwart belts by pretending to use them as exercise bungee cords. On one occasion, dear friends came to visit, leaving with a few samples, and we got this wonderful card back from their young son who is already a fine designer/draftsman. Front: . Inside: .

That's better. Moreover, we've had a yoga instructor offer testimonial that stretchy belts are not just comfortable but may even lead to better health by allowing freer breathing. At least he helped us breathe easier!

South Beach Glitter & Leather

(2007-11-04) Recently, we a boutique window shopping stroll along Lincoln Road Mall and Washington Avenue in South Beach. Oversize glittering skulls are still grinning from most every "local scene" display: . So the Damien Hirst phenomenon is still running strong among the glitterati. HOWEVER, there are fissures. Double oversized dragons have entered store windows as have the fleur-de-lis buckles (not to mention the strange resurgence of the large black and white houndstooth): . Seems strange this symbol of the Sun King and even scouting should surface here, but it's common enough that we have it too: .

Belting it out

(2007-10-31) Tatiana Boncompagni caught us up on belts in fashion in the FT weekend edition (10/26/07), although the feature photo of Jemima Khan in a "chastity belt" gave us some serious eye roll: Still, there were some nice quotes.

"A belt controls all that volume a little bit. You need to have something to show there is the body underneath. People work out; they want to show they have a body even if the look is more voluminous," according to Valerie Steele.

Or, from Peter Som, "Belts are great for defining the new body-conscious silhouette thats becoming prevalent. Also, the addition of hardware on the belt gives an outfit that air of tough chic." And, no, he isn't credited for the chastity belt.

However, belts can go wrong, or, as Santiago Gonzalez puts it: "You need to be tall if you are wearing a really thick belt. Otherwise it will cut you in half." The remedy? Clear plastic! . "It highlights the waist but in a subtle way, like you're painting a gloss over it. And this way you aren't chopping the torso in two, says Anait Bian.

And finally, "I put a belt on with just about everything," says Amanda Miller. "They're like jewellery. They're the finishing touch."

Primary Colors

(2007-08-22) Well, it's official now. Simple, bright colors are in style. Here Women's Wear Daily gives its imprimatur to brightly colored accessories.

Seriously, you can't get Ferragamo or Choo or Rossi here, but you can get some of those brightly colored fashion belts you've been seeing around: . And you can do it for very little of the other primary color, green.

Diamonds and Dust

(2007-06-06) Ah, popular culture! First, rhinestone encrusted jolly roger belt buckles started showing up. Here're a couple: . Completely over the top to my jaded eye. Then it seemed a jewelled skull accessory of every imaginable kind was to be found in every edgy South Beach boutique. It was all leading somewhere, wasn't it? Why, yes! To Damien Hirst's 'For the Love of God', a diamond-paved platinum cast of an authentic human skull with genuine human pearlies: . Happily, no blood diamonds were used, just sweat and tears.

Addendum: Look what showed up in the "underground" buckle market! It's not platinum; there are no diamonds; there are no real teeth; no actual human skull was used in casting. But it's got the idea, eh?

May Charm

(2007-05-02) We've seen it twice, so we declare it to be a trend. Tiffany Company is selling charms right now; in particular they suggest a charm on your belt scarf or belt loop and illustrate with this New Yorker-ish drawing: The local J. Crew window display also suggests a striped black and white sash belt to accessorize their "little black dress".

So there it is; striped belt scarves and sash belts are fashionable, and we've got 'em. Striped belt scarves are here: and striped skinny scarves are here: .

Taytu, out of Africa

(2007-03-13) Where do new design ideas come from? In this seasons Business of Fashion supplement to the Financial Times, Venessa Friedman relates the strange confluence of luxury houses and impoverished Ethiopian collectives. It started with a collaboration between the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Trade and Development Conference. They launched an African accessories company, Taytu, and hired Simon Cipriani to run it. His philosophy: "There is no way Africa can catch up with Asia, you need to work with what's there." He illustrated his point with this story:

We were looking for some women to do traditional embroideries on leather, and we found a collective in a very poor village. They said, "But we embroider textiles, not leather" They had never even heard the word "training"--forget going to this big training center. So, our designer went to them and after a few weeks they became more confident and said, "OK."

The results--pliable leather bags with leather floral fretwork appliqued and dripping off the sides; tie-dyed leather clutches; and black geometric embroidered pieces so hard-edged cool they look like they belong on the Givenchy catwalk--were taken to the Premiere Vision trade fair in Paris.

You can see some of these designs yourself as Taytu has its own website; just click here:

Handbag Size and Class

(2007-02-28) Vanessa Friedman at the Financial Times shared a few personal remarks about handbags that resonated with us at Strait City. She starts with an observation, "Recently I have realised that powerful women carry either small bags or no bag at all," and cites women on the world stage like Hillary Clinton and Condoleeza Rice as evidence.

In contrast, she admits to having an enormous bag filled with

1) the essentials of life (wallet, bus pass, keys, phone); 2) various work papers; 3) a book to read on the train; 4) sneakers/work shoes; 5) make-up bag; 6) jewellery to dress up work clothes; 7) scarf; and 8) umbrella. During fashion-show time, when I often leave the house at 8am and return around 10pm, I also carry snacks, water, show tickets, schedules, maps and so on.

She is quite aware the other half looks down on such behavior, paraphrasing (disguising?) a New York socialite who finds these "fashion people with their big power bags" so distasteful she carries only a little envelope in pointed contradistinction. Ms Friedmans rejoinder?

Don't you know they are carrying around these bags because, unlike you, they have no town-car/butler/flunky, and must carry their lives on their shoulders!

There isn't much we can add to that except to note that, clownish caricatures seen on the occasional Hollywood starlet notwithstanding, larger totes like these are favored by customers at Strait City Trading Co.

Leopard Print: Chic or Tacky?

(2007-01-13) An article "How to wear leopard print" appeared in Marie Claire, November 2006, complete with photos of Debbie Harry, Britt Ekland and this famous one of Marilyn Monroe with Joltin' Joe , all decked out in leopard print. Their comment:

If ever there was a look that walked the fine line between chic and tacky, it's leopard print. Seen on the catwalks at Louis Vuitton, Prada and Luella, it can be distinctive and sassy. For a subtle take, add a leopard-print accessory to a grown-up ensemble. For something bolder, but still elegant, try one of the season's printed coats. Worn well, leopard print is the last word in retro glam.

This page in Marie Claire caught our eye not only because it displayed an attractive ensemble featuring dark jacket and pants with a leopard print belt not unlike the one we offer , but also because it illustrated how the Atlantic is also a cultural divide. I somehow imagined the more reserved Brits seeing more colorful American tastes as, well, a bit tacky.

Fashion on the Cheap?: Where new synthetics and efficiency get you.

(2006-11-29) A stylish leather belt at Michael Kors' caught our attention this week. More because we have a similar belt than intrinsic beauty, admittedly. We mention it here because of how nicely it crystalizes the trade-off the budget-minded shopper faces these days.

First take a quick look at what we mean: here is a photo of the belt from the Michael Kors site: , and here is a photo of the similar belt we sell:

The Michael Kors belt promises all the sensuality of leather, but ours sells for less than a twentieth the price ($250 vs. $12 see here). Yes, leather hide lasts longer, but just how long does one need a belt like that to last? I, myself, often marvel at the nice leather-like textures modern chemistry has provided, and like most people, I am still coming to grips with the meaning of the economies of scale the Chinese industrial revolution has spearheaded.

Modernity in a fashion belt...

Chain belts follow trend: Even chain belts worn low on hip?

(2006-11-26) What is a woman to do? Belts are definitely fashionable accessories these days. Chain belts are certainly an attractive possibility when an outfit needs a bit of flash, especially with new designs, new combinations of metal and plastic and leather, even new materials like our new aluminum chain belts. On the other hand, belts are riding lower and lower on girls' hips these days while chain belts traditionally depend on the hips for support.

Here's one approach sent over by the good people at Max 969: . Although, the photo is obviously staged, our consultants say wearing chain belts so low is just fine. What do others think and see?

All News & Views entries