Archival Permanent - PDX

In Randonneuring, a perm is a permanent route you can schedule to ride at any time. On Saturday, I rode Michal Young's scenic Alsea 200k loop with several friends from the Oregon Randonneurs. On Sunday, I dragged my friend Bruce up to Portland for what I would consider my favorite Archival shopping perm.  The loop starts somewhere around Eye Styles, migrates over to Little Tee for lunch followed by gabbing and gawking at Blake, coffee at Barista, more aspirational shopping at Lizard Lounge and than a post meal retreat to Cinema 21. Though I rarely make purchases on my perm, I  consistently catch and release the same evidential photos: Japanese eyewear, FWK Engineered Garments, heritage footwear,  denim and print ephemera from the movies.  Contact me if you wish to recreate my route.  I will provide you with a start time, a list of controls and a few informational questions to confirm that you followed the correct route.   Here is some evidence of participation from my weekend:

 

Theo taking a white line nap next to his lovely MAP custom 

Vanilla and Map randos outside John Boy's Alsea Mercantile (via Theo Elliot)

  

Our rando mob (photo by Asta C.)

 

Bruce modeling Barton Perreira...

  ...matching suede green Quoddy mocs

  

Croque Madame at Little Tee

  

Sport footwear check: Oak Street and Arche

  

  

 

Aspirational FWK at Blake

  

  A rare patch from the Jantzen swimwear company

 

Sam's Yuketen boots 

Spot watch check: a Filson rep's Marathon chronograph

Neil sampling frites and cidre at Irving Kitchen

Mildred Pierce at Cinema 21

Archival Eyewear: 8½ (Fellini 1963)

I haven't seen 8½ in ten years and my memory of the film (filtered through Stardust Memories and the Simpsons) boils down to three set pieces: the spa, the rhumba and the rocket. Screening a new Criterion Blu-ray edition, I enjoyed revisiting the film's small transitional scenes and secondary characters. I was further amazed by all the stylish eyewear worn by nearly everyone in the film. As my friend Karen notes: "Reasons to Love Fellini. Number 1: He allowed his characters to be attractive and still wear corrective lenses. "

Archival Eyewear: 1968 Preview

High School (Wiseman 1968)

An article in the June 10, 2009 Thursday Styles section of the NY Times declared round sunglasses the hot fashion trend of 2009. Article author Eric Wilson writes:

This summer...the memo for sunglasses says circles are in. Very round shapes, as round as goggles in some cases, appeared in the recent women’s collections of Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler; and, for men, from Ralph Lauren, Zegna and Lanvin (most costing from $300 to $400). Last month, New York magazine included round sunglasses among the anticipated trends of the summer. And, as predicted, they are already appearing on the streets in numbers not seen since the release of the last Harry Potter book.

I present some eyewear examples from Frederick Wiseman's 1968 documentary, High School, as possible candidates for the next "newest old thing" for 2010.

And an addendum:

2019 preview: "Tyrell" edition spectacles