Hamilton 1883 - Blog » Houston

2010 Vanity Fair Best Dressed List

Stephen — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:56:50 +0000

Over the summer break we were hit with a some really fantastic news. The September issue of Vanity Fair arrived (Lady Gaga cover) and inside their 5th Annual Style issue was The 2010 International Best Dressed List.

While we perusing the list of stylish elite that made the cut, we stumbled across a HAMILTON SHIRT! There right before our eyes on the Best Dressed Men page…was anchor and managing editor of the NBC Nightly News, Brian Williams – and he is wearing one of our bespoke shirts!

Thank you to Brian Williams for choosing our shirts, and a special thank you to our friends at Mitchells on doing such an amazing job making Mr. Williams one of the best dressed men in the world. Our very small contribution really means so much to us.

Thank You!

We’re Back

Stephen — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 08:56:58 +0000

Open for business! We are rested (sort of) and ready to stretch our legs again! Back to our regular hours – the store will still be closed on Saturdays until September.

Wishing everyone a great summer!

Robb Walsh’s Top 100

Stephen — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:00:51 +0000

Over on the Houston Press website, noted food writer/critic/historian Robb Walsh, has been slowly releasing his 100 favorite Houston dishes in Houston week by week. His final stand-out meals have added to the list and his slide-show countdown is now totally complete. The exemplary dishes that made the cut were included “because they are such quintessential Houston creations, others because of their cultural or historical significance, and others just because they are so damn tasty.”

In addition to reading through this valuable Houston Press master list, a clever guy by the name of Kyle Nielsen (“sometimes I get really bored at work“) has uploaded all these stats and Google mapped it all out for your dining convenience: Robb Walsh’s Top 100 Houston Dishes, Houston Press. Therefore, not only do you get to see all 100 items in one place – you can map out the directions, find out which restaurants are closest, and you can handily download the map into your smart-phone.

Just think…you’ll never have an excuse for a bad meal ever, ever, again.

View Robb Walsh’s Top 100 Houston Dishes, Houston Press in a larger map

Closed.

Stephen — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:46:21 +0000

Hamilton Shirt Co in Houston will be closed from August 2nd through the 13th for our annual summer vacation. The break is a long held (and much beloved) company tradition; we’ll be back soon with a few website updates and some new shirt style introductions for Fall/Winter 2010.

The blog updates might be a little more sporadic – but look for some new entries to pop up here and there!

See you soon.

Bring On The Funk

Stephen — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 08:21:49 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been fascinated by all this corpseflower business over at the HMNS. For example…the odorific “stink-o-meter“.

While the blooming does feel like its dragged on a little too long, it does give the HMNS plenty of time to market the hell out of the phenomenon.

One item for sale, that I have to say I kind of love, is the pack of six buttons. With funny sayings like ‘Team Lois‘ (the plant) ‘Team Zac‘ (Houston’s Heart-throb Horticulturist) and my favorite…’I came. I saw. I sniffed‘. Currently for sale on the HMNS webcam page for $25.00, these pins would look awesome pinned to the lapel of your Brioni suit. Buy yours today!

Yao’s

Stephen — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:26:12 +0000

There is no better person that represents modern Houston better than the amazing Yao Ming.

The 7′ 6″ center for the Houston Rockets has been out for the last year following reconstructive foot surgery, but he will be returning to the Rockets this season for the last year of his five year contract. The centerpiece player for the Rockets, and the tallest player in the NBA, Yao has taken up a special place with his Houston based fans. One of China’s most recognizable and wealthy athletes, its obvious that Yao has been able to rack up many lucrative endorsement deals.

I bet the most special endorsement to Yao must be the Chinese restaurant that the player has opened for his family, now living in Houston. The Chinese Restaurant called Yao Restaurant & Bar was put together as a place for Yao’s parents to sit and relax and enjoy good food while interacting with fans and the local community.

I can’t say that I’ve personally been to Yao’s restaurant, but I really like that he did this for his folks- and it did get rated as the #1 Chinese in Houston by the website Citysearch.

Yao with Patrick Ewing having dinner at his namesake restaurant

Yao Restaurant & Bar, 9755 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77042 ph. 832.251.2588

Houston Fixed Gear

Stephen — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:31:46 +0000

Whether you are die-hard gearhead, or just in the market for one of the coolest bike ever, Houston Fixed Gear is where its at. This bike shop can create the bike of your dreams; for taking on the urban jungle, leisurely tooling around Houston, or just parking in your living room since the bikes are so damn cool looking. Created for you from the ground up using top frames, tires, forks, and bars, these rides are like beautiful works of art.

After you’ve chosen your sweet ride at Fixed Gear, be sure and stop into the menswear clothing store next door called Mortar. This very cool clothing store is a great new addition to the Houston menswear retail scene, and (full disclosure) you can check out some of our 1883 shirts for sale. Make sure you say hello to Sascha and Iris for us!

Check out some of these cool shots from the Houston Fixed Gear site:

Houston Fixed Gear, 1846 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77098 ph. 713.522.8330

Lois, You Tease!

Stephen — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:57:10 +0000

Everyone in Houston is STILL waiting for Lois (the rare and shy Corpseflower) to show herself! Keeping checking that HMNS webcam…one of these days she’ll shed those layers and her big reveal will take place! Lois, stop playing hard to get…you stink! Literally!

The Top 10 Best New Cocktail Bars – Anvil

Stephen — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:19:28 +0000

The new August issue of Bon Appetit arrived (I’m a little food obsessed, no?) and I found a great article on The Top 10 Best New Cocktail Bars in the USA by Andrew Knowlton. The article talks about how there has been a renewed interest in well-made, inventive, and perfect artisanal classic cocktails – all across the country. The magazine describes this revolution as nattily dressed bartenders, pre-Prohibition-era settings, and the careful use of the freshest ingredients available.

A Balmoral and Hanuman cocktail from Anvil. Photo by abstractconformity on Flickr

Of course Houston’s Anvil Bar & Refuge made the list, we’ve all known forever that this is the best bar in town, if not the country. The homemade mixers, bitters, etc…make their drinks some of the most delicious I’ve ever had. Their list of 100 cocktails that you must try is one of the most comprehensive lists of classic boozing to have ever been organized. We’re fans of the French 75 (limit yourself) the Pimms Cup (the best drink EVER for a hot summer day) and the Negroni (transports us immediately from Montrose & Mandel right to the Italian seaside).

Anvil. Photo by Erika Ray on Flickr

Next time I visit Anvil, I think I’ll have to be a little more adventurous – I still have 97 more drinks to try out!

Anvil Bar & Refuge, 1424 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77006 ph. 713.523.1622

Silent Auction To Benefit Gulf Fisherman

Stephen — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:22:20 +0000

I’m sure just like everyone, you’ve watched the footage of the Gulf oil spill and just wished the entire thing could just magically go away. From the initial tragic accident, the environmental impact, the complex politics, to the loss of work for the regular folks who make their living on the Gulf – the repercussions of the spill will be felt for years to come.

Have you wished for an easy way to give back and help out those in need during this crisis?

One very easy way is to check out this group of silent auction items organized by the local group Houston Chowhounds. Organized by Jenny Wang (the food blogger that writes I’m Never Full) along with the rest of the Chowhounds, they’ve amassed a formidable list of very desirable items with all the proceeds going to the Gulf Coast fisherman affected by the BP oil spill disaster. With the help of ticket sales, cash donations, and this online auction, the money raised will go to everyday needs of the fisherman – mortgage payments, food and household expenses, bills, and medical care. The auction has been going great, the goal of raising $15,000 seems to be easily within reach. The auction items come in all price ranges…you’ll be able to find something to bid on no matter how much you can afford to give. Best of luck – you have now though July 19th at noon to bid!

Check out some of these excellent auction highlights:

Dinner for four at Beaver’s Ice House – currently at $325
Pig Butchering class with Chef Chris Shepard of Catalan – currently at $600
Dinner for 2 with Alison Cook of the Houston Chronicle – currently at $550
Private wine tasting dinner for 8 at The Tasting Room with Chef Michael Kramer – currently at $500
Lunch for 4 and restaurant tour with Elouise Adams Jones, better know as “Ouisie” – currently at $300