Duke & Winston

More Satisfied Customers

2012-01-25T13:50:00.000-08:00

GeGi on her new embroidery Dog Bed

Willy Penn on his new Union Jacked Dog Bed

The Showroom

2012-01-12T19:41:00.000-08:00

The Showroom is coming together nicely. Below are some pictures taken on the ipad. Professional pics coming soon!!!

Collaboration: D&W x Paradigm Magazine

2012-01-10T20:24:00.000-08:00

This tee is a collaboration between Duke & Winston and up & coming Philadelphia based publication, Paradigm Magazine. The guys behind the mag reached out to me some time ago for an interview and I found that we shared very similar interests and ideals. The concepts behind their magazine is to showcase the vision & journeys of creative entrepreneurs by really getting into the nitty gritty, the ups & the downs of deciding to drop everything and fully go after an idea....definitely something I can get behind.

As for the tee itself, we decided to combine both of our brand imageries. Theirs being a dime coin and a parachute and mine obviously being Sir Duke himself.

The result is a super super awesome graphic that is hands down my favorite so far (I know I say that a lot).....Duke as a paratrooper on a vintage looking Dime Coin. Awesome.

Check it out below and purchase online here

D&W x Paradigm Magazine Tee

Graphic Closeup

Check Tee out online: http://duke-winston.com/paradigm.htm

New Products for Early 2012

2012-01-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year folks.....Going to be pushing the company ahead in a major way this year so stay tuned. Already got a couple of new product lines almost ready to launch.

The first are branded hats that have been in the shop for about a week now and will be online by next week. Very classic design and based entirely on the logo, I wanted the first run of hats to be simple and familiar. Colorways will be navy and white to start.

The second new product is a men's fragrance based on the Gentleman Duke candle scent. Below is a sample that I received a few days ago and it smells pretty awesome (maybe a little too awesome as its pretty concentrated). Will be working on getting the scent just right over a few more rounds of sampling and should be available mid February.

gentleman duke cologne sample

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

2011-12-26T21:24:00.000-08:00

After a crazy year of 16+ hour work days, couple hours of sleep a night and zero vacation (going on 3 years...and no, the shore is not vacation), how did the duke and I spend Christmas Day?

20 hours of straight sleeping.

Happy Holidays.
Seun O & HRH The Duke

Ze Hoodies Are Here, Ze Hoodies Are Here

2011-12-09T00:20:00.001-08:00

The first set of hoodies (unisex) are finally here. Added subtle & unique details throughout and literally worked through several days without sleep to get the drawstrings exactly how I wanted them (There are a couple of designers/manufacturers/printers out there that probably want me dead because of how hard I pushed to get these done.....Sorrry!!). The attention to detail defineately paid of though and these are already one of the fastest sellers.

Check em out here: http://duke-winston.com/graphics.htm

Union Jacked Beds Getting Some Love

2011-12-05T23:55:00.001-08:00

The Union Jacked Beds seem to be a big hit. Below are some new owners relaxing on their early Christmas presents.

Where Magazine Nov 2011 Mention

2011-11-12T15:08:00.000-08:00

New Products - Dog Beds

2011-11-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

From the start, the idea was that Duke & Winston would be a line for man AND his best friend. Casual yet refined gear for the modern gentleman plus unique, well designed, limited products for his loyal companion.

While the focus thus far has been on getting the clothing side of the company up and running, I've been slowly putting together a plan for the dog line. Initially I was going to put out leashes, collars, bowls and everything else I could think of but realized I don't want to just slap the duke & winston name on a dog bowl and throw it out there. The new approach is to spend time developing the best product that I can, ever mindful of the fact that "this item already exists, what am I doing to make ours more unique/worth spending $$ on?. While there won't be a lot of product with this approach, each item I put out will be unlike most products already in the market and will be pretty damn awesome if I may say so.

Anyway, decided to start with dog beds and I spent the past 4 months developing two initial styles. One is a variation of the Union Jack, based on a flag I saw online, hanging in a Suit Store (in Paris randomly enough)

union jack flag - inspiration for dog beds

One of the many unofficial versions of the union jack out there, this style is the best I've seen and after making sure it was something I could use, I based the dog bed first dog bed design after it.

The beds come in three sizes:

40 x 30 x 4
36 x24 x 4
18 x 24 x 4

The second design comes in two colorways (Natural & Navy) and came about after trying to think of something super preppy & easily sell-able. I'd already been putting together ideas for "all over logo embroidery" shorts/ties and thought the same would be awesome for dog beds. I honestly think these are some of the best looking dog beds I've ever come across (I would) and like I said, easily sell-able because of its unique preppy style.

So there you have it, the first foray into products for Man's best friend. Will slowly expand the offerings as the line grows, with each product being as equally well made and unique as the beds.

Check out more bed details or purchase here: http://duke-winston.com/dogs.htm

New Products - Polos

2011-11-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

The details

http://duke-winston.com/shop.htm

Full Page Feature in November Philadelphia Mag

2011-10-31T23:15:00.000-07:00

Awesome Full Page Feature in Philadelphia Magazine's November Issue.

Link to online version of article: http://www.phillymag.com/shopping_style/articles/seun_olubodun_s_favorite_things/

Duke + Winston Churchill Promo Videos

2011-10-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

Below are all 5 Promo Videos we shot with duke hanging out while several short clips of famous Winston Churchill speeches play in the background. The black & white grainy style is pretty awesome and I've uploaded all the vidoes to the youtubes so they can get a zillion views which will send billions of people to the website to buy millions of tees which will allow duke & I to become stinking rich and buy the Isle of Man, which has been a dream of ours for some time now....sorted

Patience

Position

Never Surrender

Freedom

Great Days

Hoodies For the Fall

2011-10-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

Duke & Winston hoodies are in the works for fall/winter. Preview Below:

A Bit of the Olde Viral Marketing: Patience Video

2011-10-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

"Patience" - Part 1 of 5 of a short video series featuring Duke and a voice-over by Sir Winston himself. We put together these little videos to build a bit of buzz around the coming additions to the product line........"viral marketing" is what i believe the kids call it.

The other videos will be posted daily through next week. Enjoy.

Sneak peek from D&W Shoot

2011-10-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

Below is a shot from the photo-shoot yesterday for all the new Duke & Winston gear. Stay tuned for the new and improved D&W......

Official Clothier of the Brandywine Polo Club

2011-10-04T23:43:00.000-07:00

Was proud to become the official clothing sponsor of the Brandywine Polo Club this summer, one of the oldest Clubs on the East Coast. Our relationship began when I was asked to design the first Club T-shirt early in the spring and have since become a frequent presence at the matches as an official supporter/sponsor & vendor. I hope to continue to grow the relationship with the club as our aestitics are very much aligned and am in talks to design the team jerseys for next season. Below are some pics from the last match of the season between the USA and Mexican Teams on Sunday, September 25th. The Team from Mexico won and trophy presentations took place in front of the Duke & Winston setup which made for a very awesome photo-op indeed......Ralphy old boy, I'm coming for you.

Duke & I with the Mexican Champs.

Rough Store Concept

2011-09-30T01:09:00.001-07:00

Currently working on designing my little living room store/showroom. Below are some very very rough concepts.

Future Ideas for Gear

2011-09-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

A line of bulldog logo embroidered navy colored polos, ties, shorts,.....very preppy & very awesome.

Navy Polo w/t all over bulldog embroidery

Navy Shorts w/t all over bulldog embroidery

Navy Tie w/t all over bulldog embroidery

What in the?????

2011-09-23T10:37:00.000-07:00

Duke pulled some spiderman moves to get up there

Magical Advice - No Matter What, Move forward

2011-09-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

when the going gets tough, keep it moving forward....

At the end of July I thought I was on the verge of blowing d&w up and then everything I'd set up fell apart real quick (again).

With zero working capital, I'd spent the past 4 months begging, borrowing, trading with everyone imaginable to develop the first collection beyond t-shirts and had also set everything up for the most spectacular summer shoot/launch ever. I promised everyone involved that the funds to pay for it all was guaranteed to come "any day now" and I actually believed it as I was having meetings with several big time investors and they all seemed very interested and ready to jump on board. The problem was that I prematurely kept moving full speed ahead so as not to loose any time, convinced that one of the investors would provide the funds needed to pay for everything in no time but didn't have anything actually guaranteed yet. (and had maybe $500 in the bank)

I had a nyc designer putting together a full line of shorts, custom tees, ties, polos, woven's...almost free models lined up from the top nyc agency (how I got models who get paid $5000+ a day to work for free is another story in itself), a nationally known photographer, an entire pet line being sampled...all done by selling everyone on my vision and promising that the funds were on the way (again, i had no doubt that it was happening).

Its pretty obvious to everyone but me that anything involving investors can take a very long time and as soon as it became clear that nothing was going to happen anytime soon, all my awesome wheeling and dealing fell apart very quickly and I had to explain to people who were already putting in hours for me that I had to put everything on hold or cancel. My credibility took a major hit and I took it all pretty badly, angry that everything had blown up in my face and also mad at "everyone" for not "getting it" and not jumping right on board. (what do you mean you won't write me a check this instant?).

After not leaving the house for almost a week, puttering around feeling sorry for myself, I started to clear my head and write down what my current issues where (Advice: WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN). I had one issue: great ideas, insane motivation, no capital. With no one writing me any checks in the forseeable future, the bright spot was I was lucky to have a decent amount of t-shirt inventory still. There was only one solution to raise money: get out there and start selling.

I already had 7 trunk shows set up for the month of August so I hit those hard and I also signed up for a bunch of random events (I ended up doing 16 trunk show type events in August). Sometimes I'd wake up at 5am to drive two hours to a show that sucked but would wake at 4:30am to try another the next day. (falling asleep at the wheel on more than one occasion).

All in all at the end of August, I not only almost doubled my previous best month, my sales for the month were higher than what I brought in the whole of 2009, my first year in business.

Even though it was a ridiculous amount of work on my own, I was able to turn things right around by eventually realizing what any good startup entrepreneur should know, you have to roll with the punches (and some of those punches will come close to knocking you out), adapt quickly to every situation (can't afford to do a full line now like you planned? keep pushing tees while looking for the next opportunity to expand) and do whatever is necessary to keep moving forward.

The reason for this extremely long post is that I meet people all the time now who, like me, are in the startup phases of a line or some other concept and we are all looking for some magical advice to ensure our businesses will take off.

Well, for me that magical advice is that if you've first done your research and still think you have a shot (however small) at building a successful product/brand/whatever, then understand that you are about to take on one of the most harrowing experiences EVER. Things will fall apart majorly probably more than once, sulk and lick your wounds if you need to but get up quickly, assess your situation, adapt and most importantly keep it moving forward at all costs.

btw: based on how I did in August, I am opening up a showroom next month (still with zero backing)..... Details to come.

Front of new d&w showroom opening in October.

Whitebrier Tees - Our First Collaboration

2011-09-12T22:35:00.001-07:00

Developed these tees for the legendary Whitebrier Restaurant in Avalon in return for allowing me to set up and sell d&w products there all summer. There is no better place to be 5pm on a Saturday than at a Whitebrier happy hour and the young professional, fun loving, preppy crowd is my exact demographic so it made total sense to collaborate. The tees came out awesome and have been selling very well at trunk shows as well as online. There is also talk that the restaurant will be making these their official staff uniforms next summer.....I think little collaborations like this can be very beneficial for all involved (the restaurant gets cool tees & I get to be in front of hundreds of my target demographic)...Look out for similar collabs in the near future.

Purcahse the Whitebrier tees here

The Avalon Tees were Everywhere

2011-09-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

The Duke & Winston Avalon Tees were everywhere this summer and they did so well that I'm already planning tees for a few other beach towns for next summer. Below are some pics submitted to the facebook page of people wearing their tees:

I'm into it: Reversable Hoodie

2011-09-10T00:57:00.000-07:00

I saw this awesome hoodie from Japanese brand, Fil Melange at Barneys. Was about to buy it till I saw the price tag @ $500....yikes. Still, from the fabric to the manufacturing & insanely sick reversible detail, it is the best piece of clothing I have kind of almost purchased in quite some time.

http://www.barneys.com/Jem-Hoodie/501420177,default,pd.html?cgid=MHOODSWEATS1

Duke & Winston Union Jacked Dog Bed

2011-08-18T22:50:00.000-07:00

Tim, the guard dog at local clothing store Lodge 215 hanging out on the Union Jacked Dog bed sample, which will be on sale as soon as I get the manufacturing figured out..

DJ's wearing Duke & Winston

2011-08-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

Avalon Tees - Duke's Best Idea Yet

2011-08-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

I love the Jersey Shore..not the "Situation, Snooki, Fist Pump," Shore but Avalon, NJ to be exact. One of the best beach towns on God's green (rated as one of the most desirable zipcodes by Forbes Magazine, so you know its real). Its like New Jersey's version of the Hamptons but not quite as stuffy or pretensions.

Anyhow, while walking around the beach a few months back, I noticed that everyone wears an "Avalon" Tee down there but like standard beach tees everywhere, they are super basic text designs so I decided to come up with a duke & winston Avalon tee and tank top to maybe sell to shore friends and anywhere I could set up. I can't even explain what happened last week when I went down with around 80 shirts. I was totally mobbed and sold out in about 1 hour. A few stores caught wind of the shirts and are picking them up even though its very late in the season. One such store, The Preppy Palm, picked up some shirts on a Friday and were sold out by the next day.

I am now rushing to print up as many as humanly possible to sell through the rest of the summer and will be working on getting picked up by all the local stores by next summer.

I'm also thinking about designing graphics for all the other shore points; Cape May, Sea Isle, Ocean City, Stone Harbor and so on....as for Sea Side Heights where Snooki and company are from, I don't even know where that horrible, awful place is and am convinced it is actually on Long Island.

Check out the avalon tee below and buy on the site @ www.duke-winston.com/shop.htm

Duke & Winston at Brandywine Polo Club

2011-07-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, July 24th, Duke & Winston is hosting the 2nd Annual Philadelphia Cup at the Brandywine Polo Club in Kennett Square.

I will also be using this event as a soft launch for the new Duke & Winston Polo line which has been in development for 8 months.

Gates open at 1:30 and there will be a 3pm Polo Match between the Racquet club of Philadelphia vs the Union League.

Food & Drinks will be served and a good time will be had by all.

The Polos are Coming

2011-07-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

After 8 months of secretly working on a line of polos, the final round of samples are starting to come in and its time to transition out of the graphic tees to the refined line that I had envisioned when launching duke & winston. (new set of graphic tees will upgraded to fit with the new direction)

The polo line should launch online mid August and in the meantime, I am offering most of the current tees at $22 and FREE SHIPPING on all products till I make the switch. Inventory is very limited so get a tee or two today before they are all gone forever.

SHOP TEES

Keeping that Cash Flow Flowing

2011-07-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

The emotional ups/downs of managing cash flow in a startup isn't for the weak minded. After completely mentally breaking down, losing all hope and resigning to become a "gentleman of the evening" down by the train tracks (wink wink) in order to stay afloat, a check from an account you've been waiting on for 4 months might show up and you are saved from being a low rent version of Richard Gere in American Gigolo for another few weeks.

You get on your knees and thank the Gods for saving you from resorting to turning tricks and try to manage your expenses for the next few weeks, holding off on making supplier payments and praying for another check to show up or for a huge sales week. Its a crazy rollercoaster but you almost become an expert at figuring it all out and it keeps you sharp and thinking about how to really push your business forward and past this hellish phase.

Hell, if it comes down to it, Richard Gere kind of made the Gigolo thing look pretty easy.......aside from all that murder and jail business at the end.

Fred Garvin: Male Prostitute

Tis The Season for Trunk Shows

2011-06-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

I think I have about 40 trunk shows planned for this summer. A little ambitious but got to be done to get the word out. Each show is different, some hits some total busts, but even the bad ones work out because you meet people who you'd never be in front of otherwise and many contacts who have gone on to help me in different areas were from shows where my sales weren't the best. Here are pics from the last few:

Taste of Philadelphia Event at Lowes Hotel (looks like a night club but was a very awesome event) - 6/20/2011

Posing with the olde Cricket Bat at Taste of Philadelphia

w/t the famous Jerry Blavat

Brandywine Polo Club 6/19/2011

Cape May Harbor Fest - 6/18/2011

Crazy Helicopter rescue action at Cape May Festival

Dad Vail Regatta - 5/13/2011

Crafty Balboa in South Philly - 4/30/2011

Gentlemen, First Class Candles

2011-06-14T08:35:00.000-07:00

Our first foray into candles, a masculine & modern fragrance developed exclusively for Duke & Winston using the highest quality soy blend wax. Our awesome packaging features the 1892 England men's rugby team with the D&W ampersand and purple strikeout. Stack 4 boxes to create the full image.

click here to buy

The Official Duke & Winston Van

2011-06-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

Duke & Winston now has an official van and its awesome. I decided to buy an old astro van a few weeks back to use to get back and forth from trunk shows but people started texting me that they'd been seeing me & the duke driving around in a "paedo" van.....so it was time to take some drastic steps and turn it into something other than the local creep creeper mobile.

My buddies at Sedso (www.sedsodesign.com) helped put together the layout and my good man Brett over at Brands Imaging (www.brandsimaging.com) added the decals to the van.

I think this is the best money I'll ever spend as its pretty much a moving billboard and should help to increase brand recognition....I also won't look like I've got free candy and ice-cream in the back.

BEFORE (Free candy van)

AFTER (official d&w van)

DJ Royale wearing Duke & Winston

2011-05-31T22:29:00.000-07:00

Pics of Philly's DJ Royale wearing Duke & Winston while opening and closing for the Legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff (and fellow 2011 creative ambassador) at Whisper last week.

Rittenhouse Row Festival Runway Show

2011-05-30T20:41:00.001-07:00

Some pics from the Duke & Winston Runway Show at the Rittenhouse Row Festival last week. This was Duke & Winston's second year participating in the festival and once again the turnout was awesome, over 60,000. Thanks to Jeff Cohn for allowing me to use the images. (www.Jeffcohnphoto.com)

New Styles on Farfetch.com

2011-05-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

LA based online boutique farfetch.com recently stocked some new Duke & Winston Styles.

Check out the tees at: http://www.farfetch.com/shopping/men/duke-and-winston/items.aspx

Long Island Rescue Wearing D&W

2011-05-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

The lovely ladies of Long Island Bulldog Rescue wearing the Gentleman Duke tees with some awesome looking rescues bulldogs.

Check out the Long Island Bulldog rescue website for updates on available bulldogs to rescue or to pledge your support for this great organization.

Union Jacked Dog Bed

2011-04-30T22:02:00.001-07:00

I made this dog bed a while back using the union jacked t-shirt graphic from spring '10. It was supposed to be a one off for Duke to lay on at trunk shows but people have been literally trying to take it from me so enough is enough....Going to put out a limited line in the next couple of months. Will be cleaner and much more detailed than the original.

The Duke is for the Dogs (and Cats)

2011-04-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

As a person obsessed with Bulldogs, it is almost unfathomable to me that anyone could ever give them up for any reason but also as a somewhat rational person, I can understand that they can be a very difficult breed to take care of and sometimes the financial burden can be too much. There are several Bulldog Rescues across the country that take in and find homes for abandoned or abused bully's and all are non profits relying on donations to be able to accomplish their mission.

I decided to get involved and help out, picked my best selling tee (which coincidentally is an image of a bulldog) and will be donating 20% of all sales to Long Island Bulldog Rescue as they also serve most of the northeastern part of the country. We will be doing some events together this summer to show off some of their available Bulldogs which I will post as those come along.

Check out the Gentleman Duke II Tee

Visit LIBR website to learn more

Also wanted to help out locally and will be donating an additional 20% of the Champion Bulldog tee to PAWS, a local Philadelphia non-profit dedicated to saving Philadelphia’s homeless, abandoned, and unwanted animals (I'm not a cat person but they need homes too). PAWS is a really an awesome organization and they literally take in thousands of animals every year.

Check out the Champion Bulldog Tee

Visit PAWS website to learn more

The Life & Times of The Duke

2011-04-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

As the face and namesake of Duke & Winston you would think that the Duke would do a lot more to help me run the business but judging by these pictures, Duke does a whole lot of relaxing and not enough work.

2 New Stores in One Day

2011-04-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

Got picked up by 2 more Philadelphia boutiques today.

Millesime in Northern Liberties and Lodge 215 right on the Northern Liberties/Fishtown border....Not a bad days work.

Millesime
http://www.millesime.us
1001-13 North 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123
(267) 455-0374

Lodge 215
http://www.lodge215.com/
177 W. Girard Ave,
Philadelphia, PA 19122
(267) 315-0961

Some Pics from Lodge:

I'm into it: Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies

2011-03-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

No Comments Necessary.

I'm into it: Crazy Man Made Cloud

2011-03-23T17:28:00.000-07:00

For the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, engineers are developing artificial clouds to cover the stadiums and shade the players and fans since FIFA thought it would be a smashing idea to have the world cup in a blisteringly hot desert country...in the dead of summer.

But alas, FIFA's lack of foresight gives way to incredible innovation as these artificial clouds will be formed by remote controlled giant cell phone looking contraptions hoovering above each stadium. It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie but the concept drawing sure looks cool. Lets hope it doesn't fall out of the sky right when England is finally about the win the cup (still dreaming).

Looks like an Alien Spaceship from "District 9"

This is How I Manage (not in any particular order)

2011-03-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

work hard, work smarter, observe, take advantage of lucky situations, provide value, be 100% honest with yourself, have a strong aversion to bullshit, know exactly what you want, change your mind, observe, rework, listen, don't settle, think, research, find the best talent, convince them to work with/for you, don't ever settle, your manufacturers will work faster, better & for less money, figure out how, be convincing, work, think, lay on the couch when super frustrated, figure it out, ralph lauren started out as a door to door tie salesman, get up and get to it, be calm, loose your shit when necessary, calm down, understand your customers, would you buy your product?, why?, why not? be 100% honest with yourself, rework, work late, rise early (difficult), everything else will wait...guaranteed, you don't see anything wrong with not leaving the house/office for a week straight, try to step outside at least for a few minutes a day, they say its good for you mentally, outside is overrated, research, time is your worst enemy..and your best friend, if you can make this business succeed from absolute zero, it will be the greatest accomplishment ever (aside from whoever conceived and actually followed through on krispy kreme dougnuts).

Where in the World is The Duke?

2011-03-11T22:22:00.000-08:00

Chilling in a CVS shopping cart.....

Spring 2011 is here

2011-03-10T12:59:00.001-08:00

The Spring 2011 line is beginning to roll in and not going to lie, its pretty pretty pretty awesome. We've upgraded and refined some of our favorite graphics while adding a few new styles that are sure to become your go-to tees in the coming spring/summer months.

Shop the new line of tees here

The new Booth Setup

2011-03-02T02:33:00.000-08:00

While I'm hard at work preparing to launch the spring line, here is a little preview of a quick shoot I put together a few days back. The Duke & I are planning on taking the show on the road this summer and this will be the setup at festivals, trunk shows and the like.....Thanks to the superb Lauren Ford for helping me put it all together (while I mostly watched and stayed out of her way) and my good man Dave Austria (www.daveaustia.com) for shooting. Stay tuned for Spring 11.............its 5:30am and back to work I go.

Clearing up the Kickstarter Confusion.

2011-02-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

A few people have mentioned being confused about the kick-starter pledges. Your pledges only count if I reach the total amount I am trying to raise. If I don't reach my FULL fund-raising goal then you don't pay anything and your pledges are returned.

This makes sure that you are helping to fund an idea that will actually get completed as opposed to simply giving money away to something that might not raise enough to get off the ground.

I am pretty behind on my goals but hope to get there in the next 13 days, with your help.

I have a lot planned for the Pet Line so please check out the page and pledge:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1249528304/duke-and-winston-pet-line

Support Duke & Winston on Kickstarter

2011-02-06T10:31:00.000-08:00

I am on the crowd-sourcing site, kickstarter.com trying to raise the capital needed to launch the very awesome Duke & Winston pet line that I’ve been working on for several months.

For pledges starting at $10, receive stickers, tees, bags, first run of leashes & collars, specially made dog beds/bowls and more.

Must raise the full amount by March 14th so please help me get this awesome venture off the ground and bring the Duke & Winston Pet Line to life.

Click below to watch the pet line concept video, check out the rewards and pledge. Thank you all for your support.

Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1249528304/duke-and-winston-pet-line

What has the Duke Been Listening to?

2011-02-02T17:39:00.000-08:00

The Kinks

The Duke and I making out in Philly Mag

2011-01-30T22:38:00.000-08:00

The Duke and I are pictured kissing in the February 2011 edition of Philadelphia Magazine......i look like I was really getting into it and he is staring at me like, dude reeelax.

click picture for larger view

I'm into it: My Future Home

2011-01-28T22:45:00.000-08:00

Another "i'm into it" post for your viewing pleasure...

Don't remember where I found the picture below but I saved it a while back because this here represents my ideal home. If I am ever afforded the privilege of building my own house, I shall show this picture to the contractors and say "good sirs/madams, replicate this".

I'd probably have to fly in some cool minimalist European contractors though as I don't know if I'd trust our local Philadelphia union builders who I feel are more disposed to building something like:

wreckage

NOTE: No offense to actual Philadelphia Union Builders (if there is such a thing)...All in good fun, yes?

Dog Line Phase 2

2011-01-22T13:47:00.000-08:00

Below are very rough concept cad drawings of the collars and leashes I'm going to be putting out in the next 3 or so months. The different styles are still being fleshed out but I'm going to be working with the dudes from Tanner Goods in Portland to further develop, sample and produce the first line.

Ladies & Gents, the Duke & Winston dog line is going to be mental......stay tuned.

notice the purple lining which comes from the strikeout in my logo and is the signature duke & winston colour (will also be used the Polo detailing)

40% OFF, while supplies last

2011-01-20T08:12:00.000-08:00

First off, I want to thank everyone that has been following the brand since I started in a basement just about 2 years ago with zero idea what I was doing. I really appreciate the support and it must mean I am doing something right to have so many of you as repeat customers. I've spent the last 2 weeks planning a major expansion of the line which I will be detailing over the coming weeks so stay tuned.

I'm offering a 40% off sale on all current styles (even stuff already on sale) while supplies last. Type, in GSTD at checkout for discount:

http://dukeandwinston.bigcartel.com/

Duke & Winston Totes

2011-01-04T17:45:00.000-08:00

I made up about 20 of these heavy duty 12oz bags for an event a few weeks back and sold them all in about an hour so I am bringing them back and selling them on the site.....These bags are awesome and sturdy enough to carry almost anything.

Note: Ladies (and some guys), for the love of God, please don't walk around with your furry little dogs in these.....not once, not never.

Scoop one up here today for $12

Duke & Winston on Farfetch.com

2010-12-31T18:29:00.000-08:00

Just in time to cap off a great 2010, the Duke & Winston tophat tee is now selling on Farfetch.com, a site that features products from the best independent boutiques across the United States and Europe. Check the site out below.

http://www.farfetch.com/shopping/any-old-iron/men/clothing/item10063804.aspx

I'm into it: Denham Jacket

2010-12-20T12:51:00.000-08:00

The first of a new series of posts aptly titled "I'm into it". I see things I like, I post them here for your viewing pleasure. Some of you may find that you are not into what I'm into and may feel the need to "comment" as such. To do so would be treason, punishable by public flogging in the village square.

Today, we have this jacket below by Dutch Label, Denham the Jeanmaker
(www.denhamthejeanmaker.com)....the awesome cut, the white buttons, I'm into it.

http://www.store.denhamthejeanmaker.com/Denham/Neptext-28.html?PathCatalog=DHA_all&Refinement_Gender=men

Band of Brothers Cast Interviews

2010-12-16T14:22:00.000-08:00

There are three things that I enjoy most in life; Gin, Ice Cream Sandwiches and Band of Brothers.

My obsession with the latter is so insane that when I found out that "Wild Bill" Guarnere lived 10 blocks away from me in South Philly I was immediately in the car on the way over before I suddenly realized what I was about to engage in was definitely stalking but instead of being a crazy dude in LA trying to jump over some celebrities fence or some nonsense, I would be stalking an 80 something year old World War II veteran which wouldn't go down very well at all....I quickly turned the car around and headed home slightly ashamed of myself.

Luckily for me and for anyone else as obsessed with BOB as I have been since the series first aired, I recently found the best site ever, celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the show.

Ongoing interviews with cast members from the series talking about their experiences during filming, their interactions with the actual veterans they played and how the series changed their lives. Very aweome stuff, to me at least. Check the site out below:

http://www.bandofbrotherswherearetheynow.blogspot.com/

Full Page Feature in Philly Metro

2010-12-15T14:17:00.000-08:00

Got a full page feature in the Philadelphia Metro style section yesterday. The site got a lot of traffic and I sold about as many tees in one day as I'd sold the entire week before....Twas unexpected as I thought most people only scanned through the Metro on the subway and then tossed them out but tis not the case. (400,000 readers a day which ain't not bad).

Read the online version of the article here: http://www.metro.us/philadelphia/life/article/718683--duking-it-out

D&W spotted on NBC 10 today

2010-12-13T14:58:00.000-08:00

The wonderful Jessi Teich performed on the NBC 10 show this morning and awesomely enough the drummer was wearing the D&W tophat Tee thats all over the place these days.

To watch her performace, check out the foloowing link: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/shows/10-show/Jessi_Teich_on_The_10__Show_Stage_Philadelphia-111801209.html

Dog Line Phase 1

2010-12-06T16:33:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in a few weeks because I am actually an 82 year old man who hates technology and I feel like one can't be expected to run a one man business AND find the time to update the twitspace, facelink, and 5square on an hourly basis...but must give the people what they want so here's what I've been actually working on while not spending my time vlogging (that's video blogging for those who don't know)

I've begun to put together prototype sketches together for the introductory line of dog gear based on a lot of the current Duke & Winston brand imagery I have, like the stuff below:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Below are some preliminary sketches for what will eventually be awesome, well branded, high quality, domestically made leather leashes & collars for man’s best friend.

Stay Tuned

HRH The Duke of Philadelphia

2010-11-18T20:15:00.000-08:00

This is His Royal Highness The Duke, inspiration behind Duke & Winston, my personal assistant and right hand man. When you see him on the street, show him some love.

A lil Update

2010-11-12T07:39:00.000-08:00

Got some feedback that the shirts were looking a little rugged on the online store so I did some updating....Ditched the hangers and threw the gear on some people. My buddy Sam Huntington and the always amazing Reinhard model Resnya Hughes modeled the tees. A few new styles were also added. Check em out and treat yerself to a shirt or two.....HERE

Duke & Winston on FOX 29

2010-10-31T23:56:00.000-07:00

I was on Fox philly a few weeks back sporting the Duke & Winston Tophat Tee for a segment on cool fall styles. I'm the third guy in, shaking my head in awkward agreement with everything being said....not a fan of live television at all. Enjoy

Duke & Winston Dream Car

2010-10-22T23:49:00.001-07:00

The most beautiful automobile on God's green....1955 Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing

this interior is beyond sick

Some Local Press From Last Week

2010-10-21T22:17:00.001-07:00

MeggyWorld - October 25th, 2010
http://meggywood.com/2010/10/25/god-save-the-duke/

Blog Mention on Mcjawn - October 22nd, 2010
http://mcjawn.com/blog/2010/10/22/win-a-duke-winston-tophat-henley/

Out of Print Magazine - October 20th, 2010
http://outofprintmag.com/2010/10/news/culture/fashion/duke-winston

215 Magazine - October 19th, 2010
http://www.215blog.com/2010/10/duke-winston-rum-bar-101910.html

New Limited Line

2010-10-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Kept the next set of tees clean and simple to go with the more mature direction of the line. Also added a few women's styles. Enjoy!!!

check em out!!

Recent Press - October 2010

2010-09-26T23:21:00.000-07:00

Feature in Grid Magazine - Oct. 2010 Fashion Issue

Philly Style Magazine - Fall 2010

New Branding pt. 2

2010-09-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

Decided to step it up and update all my handouts/packaging and so on. Clean, simple and awesome:

Business cards

Hangtags

Packaging

Ladies Around the World Love the Duke

2010-09-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

Colleen wearing D&W in Hawaii

Lauren wearing D&W in Australia

Haley wearing D&W in Portugal

An Evening of Comedy to benefit Parkinson's Disease

2010-09-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

A buddy of mine's Dad has Parkinsons and he decided to put together a comedy showcase to raise money and local awareness for the disease. His dad (a stand up comedian in his own right) and a couple of pros from NYC and Philly will be performing at Helium Comdey Club next week Tuesday 21st @ 8pm.

Should be a great night and hope everyone who can make it, comes out for a good time and an even better cause....Below is a flier.

New Branding

2010-08-23T23:36:00.000-07:00

I've been very secretly re-branding Duke & Winston over the past 3 months and was supposed to wait till the end of the year to re-launch but I can't wait any longer....will begin to incorporate the updated direction into the upcoming limited fall line. Just to give people a peak at what is to come, check out the new logo which will be replacing the old one later this week:

Behold the new look of Duke & Winston:

Will post new collateral as it comes in but rest assured that this rebrand + the new gear I have coming out will take things to another level......would love to know what people think of the logo so feel free to leave some feedback.

Thanks to the guys over at Red Tettemer for helping me create the sickest logo ever.

50% off Duke & Winston on Jack Threads

2010-08-20T10:03:00.001-07:00

Duke & Winston flash sale on jackthreads Today through Tuesday (8/20 - 8/24) only.....50% off everything....to join for free and check out the sale go to https://www.jackthreads.com/invite/jckvendor

Greatest Thing Ever

2010-06-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine was in Israel on vacation a few weeks ago and she saw this guy randomly wearing a Duke & Winston Shirt....In a very random market in Israel!!!!

I know things have been going very well this year but as a one man company to see people randomly rocking the gear on the other side of the world is a pretty indescribably awesome feeling.

random guy wearing duke & winston in Israel. so sick

Duke & Winston featured in Fathers Day feature on CBS today

2010-06-15T17:13:00.000-07:00

Duke & Winston was excited to be part of a Fathers Day fashion feature on Talk Philly for CBS today. They also asked me to model the shirt which was pretty cool although as soon as the camera started rolling, I had no idea which one of the 5 cameras I was supposed to be looking at and began to sweat immediately and quite profusely.

The feature was shot earlier this morning at the CBS studios and aired at 12pm today on CBS. Pretty awesome experience. Enjoy.

Duke & Winston on Talk Philly KYW (CBS) - June 15th, 2010 from Seun Olubodun on Vimeo.

Union Jacked...Literally

2010-06-06T21:11:00.000-07:00

I sent my line sheets to a huge UK based online retailer a few months back for consideration and was unable to get them to pick up the line. They then came out with a design that is suspiciously similar to my number 1 selling Union Jacked design.....I don't want to name any names but methinks they jacked my design and I'm not sure I can do much about it....wankers

What do you think??? mine is on the left

Basement Living

2010-05-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

Exactly a year ago I was sleeping on a couch next to the washer & dryer in a partially finished basement. I'd spent all my savings and the pennies I got for my beloved Audi (i miss you so much) on launching Duke & Winston and couldn't afford rent. Instead of kicking me out, my roommates (in exchange for free tees) let me move in the basement. I lived down there for 5 months and sometimes wouldn't leave for a few days at a time trying to figure out how to build a business from literally nothing.....Aside from the fact that my back is still knacked up from sleeping on some 1950's grandma couch every day for 5 straight months and also the fact that I think i'm going to die from inhaling all that asbestos (no windows down there), I loved every second of it. At first it was rough. Girls wanted nothing to do with me (wait I thought you said you own the house? you live on the couch? I have to go) and I couldn't go out (can I pay for the PBR with change?) but I soon realized those were all distractions that previously took up too much of my time and I cut them all out to focus on the business 100%. I honestly wouldn't be at this point today if it wasn't for that dark, musty hellhole.

Here is a pic I found of the duke, myself and skipper's nike's hanging out in my basement/bedroom/office/laundry room back in those rough days circa August 2009.

Rittenhouse Row Festival Pics

2010-05-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

Pictures from the Duke & Winston Runway Show at the Rittenhouse Row Festival on May 1st. The Bulldogs were the biggest hit of the day. Thanks to Jeff Cohn for allowing me to use the images. (www.Jeffcohnphoto.com)

Duke & Winston is for the Children

2010-05-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

I'm speaking to the Freshmen class at the Benjamin Franklin High School tomorrow for their career day. I started to think about what I'll say and realized I don't really know where to begin. I could give them the usual "stay in school and follow your dreams" routine but the truth is, most these kids totally lack the proper support system outside of school necessary to help them fully realize any of their dreams/goals/ideas. A passionate speech is all well and good but after I've left and they go back to the daily grind of underfunded schools, crime ridden neighborhoods and lack of proper role models, how many would even know where to begin to start a business or develop any ideas they have?

My approach is to explain how I started my company, the successes and failures of my previous ventures and the fact that there is nothing in the world more fulfilling than being able to rely solely on oneself, being able to start something and watching it grow. I'll then give them my number and tell them that if any of them ever has an idea they want to run with, they should never hesitate to call me at anytime and I will help them in every way possible to see if we can turn the idea into something.

Also i'll tell them to spend some time alone every once in a while to think about any issues or problems they've come across in their daily lives and see if they can come up with simple ways to solve those problems. The best ideas can often come from thinking about solutions to fix problems (big or small) that we face every day.

I also want to let them know to spend as little time watching television as possible but not sure how to approach that.

I haven't fully fleshed out the speech yet and it may be overly idealistic but I think its better than giving a little pep talk then booking out of there.

Rittenhouse Row Festival

2010-04-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

I got a booth at the Rittenhouse Row Festival tomorrow - 6 blocks of Walnut street are blocked off and about 60,000 people will be out to sample food, drinks, retail and everything else Center city Philadelphia has to offer.

Duke & Winston will also be participating in two fashion shows during the day. The first one at 12pm will feature models walking the runway with a bunch of Bulldogs I've gotten together for the show. It may go well but since bulldogs have a mind of their own, chances are something hilarious/disastrous will happen in front of thousands of people.

Come out tomorrow and enjoy the weather (80+ degrees) and all that Rittenhouse has to offer.

Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival
Saturday, May 1 from 12:00-5:00 p.m.
Broad and Walnut to 19th and Walnut and 18th Street between Locust and Sansom.
Free and open to the public.

women be shoppin'!!!!!

2010-04-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

I had my first trunk show of the spring/summer at the Philadelphia Designers Market this past Saturday and to put it simply: it was nuts. My initial impression upon getting there was that it was mostly geared towards women and I'd have to sit there for 7 boring hours without selling anything....An hour later, I'd sold out of a bunch of styles and I realized that I've been going after the wrong sex all along. I only had a few women's shirts but that didn't stop the ladies from buying men's tees for themselves, their boyfriends, husdand's, the next door neighbour's second cousins.....nuts.

Once I got home after the show, I wanted to immediately turn the entire company into a women's line but I don't know the first thing about women's wear so decided to stick with what I know. But while Duke & Winston will still be a men's line (slow and steady as they say), I realize the ladies need a lot more love so I'm putting out more women's tees over the next few weeks. Below are a couple that I've very quickly sampled and I'll be adding more soon.

How to Make it in America

2010-04-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

After the 5th person in less than a week told me I had to watch the new HBO show "How to make it in America", I gave in and started to watch episodes on my computer (I purposefully got rid of my TV over a year ago and I'm a better man for it..although I'm told that a certain "Jersey Shore" is some of the best thought provoking television in decades).

Anyway, "How to make" it is a pretty decent show and the reason so many people suggested it to me is that my day to day pretty much parallels the lives of the two main characters on the show. They are a couple of guys up in NYC hustling and using whatever connections they have to make a name for their Denim and T-shirt line. (Think "Entourage" without the fame, cash or Ari Gold).....I think these characters are mostly motivated to make it rich quick so they can be like Entourage and get more girls as opposed to trying to build a solid and lasting company but this is an HBO show after all.

I've actually had business meetings in NY at some of the same places they film in and have had to deal with the same rejection over and over again just to catch a lucky break and have the process repeat all over again..day after day. The show captures that emotional rollercoaster pretty well.

The past few episodes have gotten off track a little but because it shows the gritty and non glamorous side of trying to launch a business in a city filled with people also trying to do the same, its definitely worth watching for those in the same boat:

HBO link

Visit our Spring 2010 online store today

2010-03-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

Our spring 2010 shirts are available online as of today. We've been hard at work stepping everything up from shirt quality & designs to create an awesome set of spring/summer tees. Enjoy!!!

Shop the men's tees here:
http://duke-winston.com/shop.htm

Check out our ladies D&W tee here:
http://duke-winston.com/womens.htm

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon

2010-02-15T22:40:00.000-08:00

Duke & Winston got a nice write up in Where Magazine's January 2010 Issue. I sold out of those "Keep Calm" Tees real real quick.....I don't know about the Mag's cover story on those Bacon Brothers but it also highlights the mummers which anyone in this city will tell you is the greatest thing ever and the parade on New Years day is hands down the best day of the year.

Click image to view large pdf

Duke & Winston on 6abc...2 min interview

2010-02-14T16:27:00.000-08:00

This video aired yesterday on 6abc at 7:30pm...It might be awesome but I can't watch myself on TV so you tell me.

The feature focused on African/African decent designers in the City of Philadelphiay

Duke & Winston feature on 6abc...2min interview from Seun Olubodun on Vimeo.

Not so sure about that Vision

2010-01-29T11:28:00.000-08:00

The fashion industry can be very self indulgent, especially that New York/Paris High Fashion world. Case in point, these contraptions below from a recent Paris runway show:

Really?

Why?

How?

When?

The designer who shall remain nameless was praised as being "Fashion Forward" and a "Visionary"....bollocks

Duke & Winston Graphic Inspiration

2010-01-24T20:15:00.000-08:00

People are always asking me where I get the ideas for the graphic tees (exactly one person asked).

I spend a lot of time researching historical themes and I end up collecting a lot of old imagery. I then try to pick out the best images that will translate into cool shirt graphics and that may also have some relevance to current world events/issues... I initially wanted to choose themes from the past that people nowadays might find relatable and maybe even give them insight (learning from the past, that sort of thing) but I'm thinking most people just want cool tees so I'm giving em cool tees.

Most of the imagery I've used to date have British themes but I'm interested in all world history so I'll be branching out in the future.

Below are some images I pulled for Inspiration on the past few rounds of shirt graphics. Click image for larger view.

note: I make sure all the images are in the public domain so don't try to sue me

Spring '10 preview & Women's Tees

2010-01-15T17:15:00.000-08:00

Been hard at work over the past couple of months on the new spring line of tees. Upgraded to softer, pre-washed tees, brought on a couple of very talented graphic designers and generally tried to step everything up for the new year. I think everything looks great (course I do) and def makes all the sleepless nights and near meltdowns worthwhile. I also decided to put out a few women's tees because I've seen too many girls buy the men's tees and cut them all up to make them fit....no longer necessary, relax with the scissors ladies. I'm starting out with 3 designs and may add more depending on the response.

The men's tees should be available for sale online by early March and the women's tees are on sale now. Spending the next few weeks to bring on an experienced sales rep to help me get the line into some national retail stores. Check out the tees below and let me know what you think.

Men's Tees

preview the full men's collection here

Women's Tees

Buy the womens tee's here

Duke & Winston Feature: Philadelphia 360 Menswear Video

2009-11-24T09:29:00.000-08:00

The future of Duke & Winston revisited

2009-11-03T04:59:00.000-08:00

Currently trying to raise capital to help with further marketing as well as to expand the line. Expand and do what you ask? Below are some styles I am currently into (why all the navy?...why all the questions?)

Penfield USA Hoodie - Clean, Simple, Duke & Winston

Franklin and Marshall Sweater - I like stuff that blurs the line between preppy & streetwear

From British line, 1971 Reiss - This may be a little heavier than what I'm looking to do in the next few seasons but its still a pretty awesome jacket.

Jcrew White Collar Shirt- This is an awesome shirt but I've decided not to jump into shirts (or jeans) because so many brands do them so well already and if I have nothing unique to add then not worth it.

Not sure where this is from but I like it. Although prevalent in cities like NYC, people are still slowly embracing cardigans in the US (yo what up with you looking like Mr Rodgers?) but it will definitely become a staple. I'm all over it.

Philly Fashion Week Booth

2009-10-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Fashion Week was here in Philly last week from Thursday, Oct 8 - Saturday, 11th. and Duke & Winston had a booth set up for the three nights. For the first ever Fashion Week event in Philly, it was a huge success. Got a ton of sales as well as future press and retail opportunities. Can't wait till next year when Duke & Winston is on that main stage

For full fashion week pictures click HERE

Duke & Winston Press Mentions:

Philadelphia Inquirer:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/magazine/20091007_Our_all-access_Fashion_Week.html

Philly Chit Chat:
http://www.phillychitchat.com/2009/10/philadelphia-fashion-week-day-3-closing.html

Philly2Philly:
http://www.philly2philly.com/entertainment/entertainment_articles/2009/10/9/22063/philly2phillycom_heads_philadelphia_fashion_wee

PhotoPHILAnthropy Crew in Duke & Winston

2009-09-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

PhotoPHILAnthropy Crew wearing the "Keep Calm" Tees

Check out the recent Philadelphia Inquirer Article on their very inspiring "Working on Wilder" Project. These guys are giving back in ways you rarely see anymore and I'm glad to support their cause. I'm also designing their website, currently a work in progress...www.photophilanthropy.us

The Future of Duke & Winston

2009-08-19T15:56:00.000-07:00

As a fledgling start-up, its easy to look at big successful companies and think that they've always been that big and that successful. Of course the truth of the matter is that each of those companies was at one time in the start-up phase and had to build out their product lines slowly. That being said, while I'm happy to gradually build the Duke & Winston brand with staples like T-shirts and Hoodies, if you asked me what I want the brand to be all about in the very near future, then the jacket below says it all:

That is Duke & Winston

Fall Designs Now Online

2009-08-17T12:05:00.000-07:00

Duke & Winston Fall gear now is now online. Check out the lookbook, new tees, sweats (available online soon.)...

www.duke-winston.com

The images were taken by the always amazing Kelly Turso and the look book was shot at the Architectural Antiques Exchange right here in N.Libs.

Fall Preview Party @ Silk City

2009-08-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

Come check out the Duke & Winston Fall Preview Party Next Thursday at Silk City on 5th & Spring Garden from 6pm - 11pm.

Sponsored by Bluecoat Gin

Fall 2009 Preview

2009-08-06T16:26:00.001-07:00

Keep Calm and Wait for it!!!

Duke & Winston Launch at Matthew Izzo

2009-07-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

The Duke & Winston launch party of Matthew Izzo last Friday was a belta (awesome). All the right people came out, the Bluecoat sponsor was great and the response to the line was very positive. Planning more events over the summer including a fall preview party in early august so stay tuned.

Some pics from the party:

Duke & Winston now available at Matthew Izzo

2009-07-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

Picked up by my first retailer yesterday, local boutique Matthew Izzo. Run by a former NYC based Interior designer of the same name, the boutique is very well regarded nationally and they carry a lot of tip top lines like J. Lindeberg, Modern Amusement, Rouges Gallery and now Duke & Winston. I am grateful to those guys for seeing potential in the line. No time to pat oneself on the back though. Got to put my head down, step everything up and replicate this a few dozen times.

Matthew Izzo
www.matthewizzo.com
151 N. 3rd St,
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Quick update

2009-06-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

Added a new design and couple of additional colors to the very popular "God Save the Duke" Tees. Check em out on the site and stock up for the summer...

www.duke-winston.com/collection.htm

Commonwealth Proper

2009-06-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

If you are ever looking for a really high quality, fitted dress shirt, check out Commonwealth Proper, also based here in Philadelphia. They had me in their new shirts for the upcoming season and I don't think I've ever put on a dress shirt that fit so well.....I'm not even a big button up guy and I want them all.

me in commonwealth proper, giving my best blue steel

Check out the rest of the shirts - www.commonwealthproper.com

Into the Storm (Churchill at War) - Sunday May 31, 9pm on HBO

2009-05-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

Recently found out about this film premiering this sunday on HBO. Its a sequel to the 2002 TV movie, the Gathering Storm and has Brendan Gleeson (a damn fine actor) playing Sir Winston.

Goes through his last days in office and takes a look at his greatest moments during WWII. Check out more info on the movie here, should be a good watch.

While you're at it, go buy one of our churchill shirts