Collections: The Dandy Project's Jewels

Everyone's obsessed with something and our Collections series will highlight a few of our favourites. The original post celebrated Steve's collection of shoes. The rest of the series will expose other people's obsessions.

It didn't take too long for us to decide that The Dandy Project would be the perfect candidate to continue the feature. Izzy's knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for clothes and accessories is apparent in all of his posts. After viewing our recent post on the Bunney studs and reading our (well Steve's) slight hesitation towards wearing anything particularly ostentatious, Izzy opted to showcase his own impressively eclectic collection. Below is an introduction from the man himself followed by plenty of shots of his collection in full and a closer look at a few of his favourites...

Jewellery does not make a man. One will not freeze to death or get shards of glass in his foot if he steps out of the house un-bejeweled. But I think that when a piece of jewelry has a certain element of intrigue, it does wonders at bringing out one's character. When I brought out all my baubles for this shoot for Style Salvage, I shocked myself with the sheer volume of jewellery I had amassed within the past few years. But when I looked at the collection piece by piece, I remembered how each one had an interesting back story to it, and I knew that my treasure chest, though bursting at the seams, was one to keep for at least a little while more.

An overview of the collection in full

Collection - pins
(clockwise from far left) vintage silver turtle from the 80s, beer bottle pin from the Heineken Brewery in Amsterdam, vintage athletic medals, vintage chewing gum badges from the Brooklyn flea, Husam El-Odeh for Topman climbing man pin, vintage green alabaster cabochon pin, heart print pin under resin cabochon from Old Hollywood (http://oldhollywoodmoxie.com/), vintage sterling silver astronaut pin with moonstone head, vintage hairdresser pin from Amsterdam

Collection - bracelets

(clockwise from far left) leather bracelets from Hermes, Margiela "batman" cuff, vintage wide silver cuff from Amsterdam, narrow metal cuffs from Number (N)ine, Husam El-Odel for Topman, and Philip Crangi

Collection - Necklaces 1
Japanese kimono belts knotted into a necklace, belly-dancing belt from India, Ann Demeulemeester lambskin "thorns" necklace, necklace with feather from chicken I had for dinner, Margiela necklace with dice inside

Collection - necklaces 2
Red leather and silk tassel necklace by Filipino designer Proud Race, bead necklaces in white turquoise, opalite, and gray pearl from the gem market in Manila, DIY matchbox car necklace, zipper necklaces by Marc Jacobs

Collection - rings

Cross ring from my friend Kathleen, oxidized silver and recycled green stone ring by Norbu Bijoux in Brooklyn, red coral ring from Barcelona, vintage turquoise ring, and way too many others...

Collection - watches
Black rubber watch by Casio, calculator watches in silver and gold by Casio, Cartier Roadster watch, Rolex watch

Now, having offered the requested cross section of his jewels, Izzy could not resist offering a closer look at a few of his real treasures. What follows are his descriptions of seven of his well loved and well worn jewellery combinations.

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The ones from the earth and beyond...

Vintage sterling silver astronaut pin with moonstone head and silver turtle from the 80s on vintage Pierre Cardin overcoat with a Barbour furry liner layered over.

I think pins are a great way to get a man comfortable with jewelry: just stick them on a coat and you can forget they're there. The vintage spaceman pin was a lucky eBay find; what boy never dreamed of being an astronaut at one point? I like to wear it with the turtle to keep things down to earth.

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The ones that climb and that dangle...

Husam El-Odeh for Topman brooch, vintage salon brooch from Amsterdam on Muji tartan wool scarf with April 77 denim jacket

The climbing soldier pin might have to be my favorite out of my entire jewelry collection, and people seem to always be fascinated by this little silver man climbing up my lapel or hanging from the edge of a jacket pocket. The salon brooch is a vintage, with the middle dangler, a hair dryer, actually detached from the piece. It reminds me of my obsession with hair.

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The one least blingy...

Martin Margiela nail ring, tailor-made shirt and trousers

By far the subtlest out of my entire collection, I think it's one of the cleverest too. A lot of the jewelry men wear (chunky silver chains, plain band rings) can tend to be superfluous; they'd look better without them. But I think that when jewelry is intriguing enough to warrant a second look, it does wonders for one's persona.

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The one from my hometown and the one from my father...

Grey pearl necklace from Manila, Cartier watch. DIY jacket, Gap shirt, tailor-made trousers

Philippine pearls are prized the world over, but are most affordably priced in their city of origin. I decided to take a risk and don a strand of gray pearls; I thought the jacket was boldly eccentric enough to dispel any notions of "little boy trying on his mother's pearls". The watch was a gift from my father after getting good grades in college. The navy alligator strap is a special order, and is quite versatile despite it being strikingly luxe.

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The one that I made, well, sort of...

Silk kimono belts used as a necklace, worn with Ivan Grundahl jacket and H&M shirt

I purchased a vintage haori (which is the kimono equivalent of a tuxedo) at Kiteya in New York, and got three traditional silk belts to tie the haori closed. I ended up always wearing the kimono open anyway, and found myself wearing the belts as a necklace knotted loosely.

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The ones that are oriental...

Pave eagle head ring, vintage "traffic light" ring from the Brooklyn flea

I have an obsession with Orientalia; I think people wear too much Western clothing that they forget about the other half of the world. These rings, with the eagle, dragon, bright red and deep green stones, help evoke that feeling.

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The ones that are my favorites, old and new...

Badge by Barbour, vintage green alabaster cabochon pin, heart print pin under resin cabochon from Old Hollywood

The old favorite would have to be the one with the vintage heart print under a cabochon of clear resin; it's a crowd pleaser and it goes perfectly with that vintage-eccentric aesthetic I'm quite fond of. The new favorite is the oval cabochon of green alabaster: it's ever so faintly green, and isn't even polished, just roughly cut giving it that matte finish. I think it's enchantingly spare, and quite enigmatic.

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We are sure that you'll agree that The Dandy Project has quite the collection of well chosen trinkets, precious discoveries, investment eye catchers and successful DIY projects that are successfully used to embellish and add layers to his attire. It is the collections like this that really open our eyes to opportunities that have been previously unseen or overlooked. Perhaps you, like us, will be inspired to try out more and different types of jewellery in your everyday wear.

Collections... Shoes

"I have just caught the shoe bug and would love to see a cross section of your collection Steve. Would make a great post..."

Anonymous Reader

What follows is a direct result of the above anonymous comment received on our Style Stalking feature and an enthusiastic nudge Bukit Hijauistered by EJ. The shoe bug is indeed contagious and I could not shirk the opportunity to unveil my collection. Now, as you all know, the ever changing pursuit of building the perfect wardrobe is a lifelong one so here is a snapshot of my present collection. The much appreciated art of wardrobe building is not a fast or haphazard activity: instead it is developed and nurtured over time. Of course there will be the odd irrational purchase or taste questioning gift but over time these items will be forgotten and you'll be left with a true indication of your style at a given time.

In recent years, I have attempted to focus my attention on one specific area of need at a time. The last eighteen months have seen me refine, edit, purchase and lay the foundations of a shoe collection fit for my tastes of today, and hopefully tomorrow. This period began with an acknowledgment that it was time to bid a fond farewell to eight pairs of pavement abused and gig sullied Converse All Stars and a plethora of well loved Adidas trainers. Following this difficult period of trainer cleansing (of course the odd, well preserved favourite was kept), I began investing in footwear that my feet craved. The collection, once reduced to its bare essentials, has slowly but surely grown to its current level of seventeen well loved pairs. This weekend I decided to take a snapshot of the current collection and highlight a few of my favourites...

The current line-up in full

Varying heights and styles...

From Boots to brogues to lace ups to trainers to high tops...

A few trainers remain alongside a couple of new pairs.

Now, having offered the requested cross section of my shoe collection I could not resist offering a closer look at a few favourites. What follows are descriptions of seven of my well loved and well worn pairs. I've always loved the idea of a man's wardrobe providing an eloquent narrative of his life less ordinary. Here's what my shoes have to say...

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The shoes that...are always on my feet...

Kudu boots by Lodger worn with suit trousers by Reiss.

After interviewing Lodger's Nathan Brown back in September 2009 my imagination was overwhelmed following his description of his September shoe of the month, the Kudu Brogued Boot. From this moment on I day dreamed about them gracing my feet during the upcoming winter months and beyond. Having bought them, the reality was just as good. I feel as passionately about them now as I did then. The boot is an eight eyelet brogue style, and has a skeleton lining of the same Kudu leather as the upper, and a full lining in a plush purple velvet from Scabal. The craftsman in Northampton created something truly beautiful out of that antique African antelope hide and I feel special every time they grace my feet.

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The shoes that...are the newest...

Lanvin Hi Tops worn with socks from Uniqlo and trousers by Tim Soar.

You might recall that when I hit the quarter of a century mark, Susie knew me all too well and bought me the best present ever in a pair on Lanvin hi tops. Fast forward a couple of years and Susie saw that my eyes had lit up thanks to a wool and leather combination for AW10. She opted to treat me to a pair of these flocked grey, navy and maroon weave hi tops as an early Christmas present. Since then, these texture rich trainers have been worn countless times.

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The shoes that...receive more longing looks than any other

Orwell Stingray by Mr Hare worn with socks by Topman and trousers by b Store.

Mr. Hare's passion for fine shoes is infectious and for all to see over on his blog but it is even more apparent in his designs. For me, there is one particular shoe that made me look at footwear differently. The Orwell Stingray is an apron Derby shoe in patent leather with stingray built on a Blake construction. “When you absolutely, positively got to kill every motherfucker in the room. Accept no substitutes.” This sentence uttered by Ordell Robbie in ‘Jackie Brown’ was the only sentence that came into Mr Hare's head every time he looked at the Orwell and I can certainly see why. He declared that the "Orwell is an apron derby that has all the attitude of 60s Kray run London and the joie de vivre of Sammy Davis Jnr. I just received the Stingray version which is sick." After wearing them for eighteen months, my feet always feel as though they a ready to dance around town in a bygone era. They set the shoe bar ridiculously high.

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The shoes that...I saw being made...

Mentor Brogues by Joe Casely-Hayford for John Lewis worn with socks from Marks & Spencer and trousers by Tim Soar.

Back in September, I was invited to watch the Cheaney craftsmen at work at their Desborough factory, to learn more about one of England's master shoemakers and see the fruits of their collaboration with Joe Casely-Hayford for John Lewis. I eagerly followed and snapped away at each well honed and practiced process from start to finish in the factory that has been their home for well over two hundred years. It was a pleasure to be able to watch each stage unfold in a space that has seen the same processes come together for over two centuries. It is little wonder why Joe Casely-Hayford partnered with them once more. After the deserved success of last season’s Pukk brogues (they had this blogger's heart skipping a few beats), Casely-Hayford has taken the much appreciated design concept a step further. During my time at the factory I was able to see firsthand snapshots of the creation process for the latest Joe Casely-Hayford for John Lewis, Cheaney brogue; the Mentor. I was fortunate enough to view the finishing touches being applied to one of the final dozen due to be dispatched to John Lewis. A few weeks later and I received my own pair.

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The shoes that...are as comfortable as slippers...

Harris Tweed Desert Boots by Clarks worn with socks and trousers by Uniqlo.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Desert Boot, Clarks Originals created six unique new designs (three for women and three for men). It still amazed me that these stylish staples were first invented in a Burmese military outpost by a young Nathan Clark. The original boots inspiration is a crepe soled boot made from rough, suede in Cairo's fabled Old Bazaar and it was soon the off-duty English Army officers footwear of choice. There are of course a plethora of different desert boots out there made by all sorts of names but why deviate from the original? To mark the anniversary Clarks Originals created a look inspired by each of the six decades that the Desert Boot has spent as an essential fashion item. As soon as the anniversary boots were released back in September my head was turned by the Harris Tweed, 1950's pair and they have provided me with comfort ever since.

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The shoes that...remind me that I'm in the PDG...

Flocked Polka Dot shoes by Dr Martens worn with socks by Sock Mate and trousers by Omar Kashoura.

As one of the founding members of the Polka Dot Gang (EJ is the other) these shoes make me incredibly happy. In addition to adding much needed colour to my ever expanding shoe collection, they also add a sense of fun. While excitedly poring over Dr Martens AW10 models I fell head over welted soled heels for a pair of purple polka dot lace ups but unfortunately for me they were one of the jewels of the women's line. The product team at Dr Martens are also huge fans of polka dots and have been experimenting with flocking techniques for some time. The result is something quite special. Made all the more special because they are (currently) entirely unique. You might think that I'm wearing a girls shoe in a larger size but you'd be wrong. Instead of using the women's DML comfort last the Dr Martens team made my shoes on the 84 last. The 84 is unisex and is much narrower and has a slightly more pointed toe. Every time I look at the flocked polka dots I will let out a wry smile and will remember just how special they are...

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The shoes that...feel like a holiday...

Striped Oxford by Lodger worn with socks by Happy Socks and gingham trousers by b Store

Back in July 2009 my head was turned by yet another offering from Lodger's all too tempting shoe of the month unveiling. The breathtaking Striped Oxford was duly added to my shoe list and after saving the required pennies, I decided to invest in a pair. Inspired by the Duke of Windsor (undoubtedly one of the best dressed men of all time) the design is an interesting blend of fine Scabal striped linen and burnished French calf. It is this combination which makes it a great addition to the shoe pile for the warmer months. All in all, these have made for a fine investment. Now, I just long to find more sunshine at home and abroad.

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The piles of footwear choices strewn throughout my flat are a constant reminder (Susie calls them a nuisance but she really can't talk!) of my fondness of footwear but I have to confess that I've never really considered myself as a shoeist in the same vein as Mr. Hare or Queen Imelda. No doubt my collection will grow and I'll update you as and when it does...