Grilling Out

Now that Labor day has come and signaled the end of Summer, I try try to get in as much grilling as possible before the weather makes standing outside unbearable. On cooler evenings I like to wear a long sleeve shirt - roll up the sleeves while I'm by the grill and roll down while I dine out on the patio. 

Everybody has that favorite band tshirt they like to wear, I just decided to also wear one of my favorite long sleeve shirts along with it. The tshirt is one I got from Rise Against's 2015 tour when they played at the FirstMerit Bank Pavilion here in Chicago (Killswitch Engage opened for them if you were curious). The long sleeve shirt is a slim fit pearl snap from H&M I picked up a couple years ago. Pretty sure it's considered a flannel, but it's a lightweight one so it's a great weight.

Black slim jeans are one of those quintessential rocker style pieces. I don't consider them 

T-Shirt: Rise Against - 2015 tour | Pearl Snap: H&M | Jeans: Uniqlo | Shoes: Converse | 

Glasses: Warby Parker

Polo & Jeans

It's been a while since I've been on the blog due to a hectic summer of travel for work, but I'm finally trying to make a habit of being back here.

Polo's are one of my go to shirts from spring through fall. On what warm days we have left as the year goes on it's nice to avoid wearing long sleeves while you still can. With the wide variety of brands out there who make quality polo's it shouldn't be too hard to find a cut that fits just right either. My personal favorite style is the pique polo - you know, the iconic Polo brand polo with the ribbed collar and elastic sleeve ends.

Being on the taller side, my shopping choices are a little slimmer, but not by much. I'm a fan of Banana Republic's polo's because of their fit, feel, and length (thanks to tall sizes being available online). Other companies have great tall polo's too, but Banana is always good about having sales (can typically find them on sale for under $25) and free shipping for orders over $50 helps out too.

Eddie Bauer has tall polo's as well, and while I'm a happy customer of theirs when it comes to button downs, I can't speak to their polo's. A cheaper alternative is Gap, and while the quality doesn't match up to Banana, they have sales often as well and have the same $50 standard for free shipping (as they are under the same corporate umbrella). A nicer option for tall polo's would go to J. Crew. They don't have sales as frequently so their classic pique polo is more likely to run you north of $40, and the shipping deal is free for orders over $150 (or $5 flat rate for anything under).

Polo's work so well for me because of how versatile they are - they can fit in a business casual office with a pair of slacks, as well as happy hour at the bar with a pair of jeans. It's even trendy for polo's to be worn under a suit jacket.

Polo: Banana Republic | Jeans: Joe's | Shoes: Aldo | Sunglasses: Target

Riverside

April has been a little colder than I'm used to here in Chicago, but the weather is starting to turn. Hit the 70s on Sunday, and I think freezing temperatures should be gone until Fall. I can't quite put away my long sleeve shirts for the weekends. Soon though, the only long sleeve shirts I'll be wearing will be reserved for the office. Unless it's my hockey jersey - go Stars. 

Shirt: Eddie Bauer | Jeans: Joe's | Boots: Aston Grey | Sunglasses: Target

Drink Local

I am an avid beer drinker. Lagers, IPAs, Stouts, I love them all. I am always happy to crack a Miller Lite, but nothing is better than beer fresh from the source. That's one of the many reasons I love drinking craft beer. The smaller the brewery the closer to the source you have to get it, and some beers you can only get at the brewery itself.

When I lived in Indiana I of course enjoyed the Indianapolis staple of Sun King, they have 3 great year round brews and a host of seasonal offerings. You can even buy Sun King at Banker's Life Fieldhouse while taking in a Pacers game. But Indianapolis has a great craft beer scene. Grab some Tow Yard, Black Acre, Beir, Daredevil, Three Wise Men... the list goes on! Of course I lived an hour from Indy, so Columbus was a much closer option, being home to Zwanzigz and 450 North (both serving delicious pizza as well).

Now that I live in Chicago though, there are breweries all around. Most everybody is familiar with the big ones Goose Island (and their nationally distributed 312 Urban Wheat), Lagunitas (which brews in both California and Chicago), and Revolution (who has been canning their Anti-Hero IPA and Eugene Porter since I started enjoying craft beer). But there are so many in the city that I have 6 within a mile of me.

I have made to Half Acre (creator of the Daisy Cutter IPA in North Center) and Begyle Brewing (who brews the easy drinking Freebird American Pale Ale, also in  North Center) so far. But Dovetail Brewery and Spiteful Brewing are an easy walk, and Green Star (part of the Clark St. Uncommon Ground) and Corridor Brewery & Provision (Southport Corridor, owned by the same people who have Dry Hop over in Lakeview East) are not much farther.

Buying beer directly from a brewery is much better for them as businesses, rather than selling to a distributor who then sells to a retailer. It not only bet economically for the brewery, but it is better for the environment and most likely better on your wallet as well. Take a look at a common growler: they are generally made of glass (some are metal), which is recyclable. Now I'm sure you're thinking "Drew, glass bottles and aluminum can are recyclable too", and you're right. But a great many of them don't end up being recycled. It is also a much more intensive process to set up a bottling or canning line than it is to just fill growlers in a tap room.

The next time you go out for beer, go get some from a brewery if you can. You'll be happy that you did.

Early Spring

So I don't know how it's been in the rest of the country, but in Chicago Winter has tried to fight that rascally groundhog's prediction of an early spring. Highs in the 60s some days and lows in the 20s others. I've packed away all the gloves and winter hats, and it's really just pride keeping me from getting them down on the cold days.

Hopefully the Spring weather we've caught glimpses of will stick around for good soon, and I can let this jacket rest in peace for a few months. Tomorrow is April after all, baseball finally starts back up, the NHL & NBA playoffs start, patios & rooftops open - it really is one of the best times of the year. So today I don the bow-tie in honor of Spring and everything great it brings.

I think every guy should at least learn how to tie a bow-tie, even if they choose not to wear them often. It used to be the go to for grooms on their wedding days, but the matching tie and vest combo has become very popular recently (at least from the past few I've attended). There are some great how-to's on YouTube to learn from or refresh yourself. Plus, those pre-tied ones just don't look right.

If bow-ties are good enough for Bill Nye and The Doctor (Matt Smith), they're good enough for me.

Coat & Shirt: Banana Republic | Bow Tie: The Tie Bar | Pants: Express | Shoes: Aston Grey

Interview Suiting

So I just moved to Chicago, and I start my new job next week as a Systems Engineer! But before you can get the job, you have to nail the interview.

Now nothing is more important than being truthful about your resume and actually know about the company you're interviewing for. The next most important thing though I think is how you dress. Whenever I look good, I'm much more confident. As stressful as an interview can be, making sure you walk in with you head high is key. 

I always go full suit for my interviews, even though a majority of jobs in the Engineering field are business casual. I believe wearing a suit and tie shows how seriously you are taking the interview. Engineering is also a more conservative field so you should play to your audience. In my case, I went navy suit (this one a slim cut from Topman), and then a solid and a pattern. No pattern mixing just in case, I'm not interviewing to work for Tom Ford or anything.

I actually interviewed in this white button down (from Uniqlo) and this slim green and navy tie (from the Tie Bar). The most useful tip I have received regarding tie width is to try and match the width of your tie to the width of your suit lapels. I had another option ready to go for my interview just in case, but didn't make the choice until the morning of.

I like to pair my navy suit with rich brown shoes and belt. The dark brown is the only option to me, because I think light brown just doesn't have the same effect. Never go with black shows or belt, you can just save those for black or gray suits.

Suit: Topman | Shirt: Uniqlo | Tie & Socks: Tie Bar | Boots: Aston Grey | Belt: Levi's

Oil Change

I firmly believe that everybody who owns a car should know how to change their own oil. Now whether or not you choose to or are physically able to is one thing, but again, I think it is a skill every car owner should possess.

I actually enjoy changing my own oil, there something almost cathartic about it. Getting dirty (and you will get dirty) to help my car to run better, having a chance to take a closer look at a machine that most people generally don't understand. I think to think it helps me stay more in tune with my car. Knowing what is normal on your car and what isn't can save you a lot of money.

For example, one day driving to work my check oil light turned on and off a couple times. I know that is strange, so I made a mental note to check my oil level after work. When I drove home, the same thing happened (again, strange). I popped the hood, checked the oil, and lo and behold it was almost empty. Investigating under my car I found I hadn't tightened my oil filter enough and had been dripping oil for a couple thousand miles... Now since I found it the day my car sensed something was wrong, it was only a $35 mistake and required a friend to drive me to Autozone. If I had kept driving on it I could have done some Serious damage to my engine and may have even been driving a new car by now.

Anecdote aside, here are the easy steps to changing your oil:
1) Remove your oil drain plug (the oil will drain faster if it is hot so maybe run to the auto parts store first).
2) Replace drain plug after the oil has drained, making sure the plug is wiped clean. If your car has a crush washer, you will need to replace that as well (another mistake I have made in the past...) and they're usually cheap - mine are about $5 for 3.
3) Remove the old oil filter.
4) Wipe some old oil on the new filter's gasket and screw it into place. You don't need to crank it as tight as possible, just make sure it's tight.
5) Add fresh oil until full, using the dip stick to confirm a couple times. I generally fill 4 quarts and then turn the engine on for a few seconds before checking.

I highly recommend having plenty of automotive paper towels at the ready as well as rubber gloves (which I clearly did not have with me this time). If you don't have any rubber gloves, you should probably get some hand cleaner - there are plenty of options at your local automotive store. You can actually even get oil change kits, usually for less than $30 that come with a funnel, oil catch pan,

I also take the time to change my engine air filter, cabin air filter, and check my tire pressure whenever I'm changing my oil.