That, And An Interview With The Men Behind Them

A sampling of the pants Bonobos has to offer.

Fall is here and if you don’t live in a place where the hottest drink they serve is a rum runner, then pants are now wardrobe de rigueur. Unfortunately though, if you’re like me and don’t want the hassle and cost of tailoring every pair you buy then you were relegated to ill-fitted off the rack choices.

That is until now.

Unlike many sartorially-lazy men; the founders of Bonobos, Andy Dunn and Brian Spaly, saw the problem and decided to fix it by starting a company with one purpose in mind: make quality pants that look good and fit great on everyday guys. No wonder they graduated from Stanford Business School, but more on that later.

Bonobos pants can only be purchased online and that’s part of their genius. By avoiding the costs associated with maintaining a brick & mortar store and hiring sales clerks, Bonobos channels the funds towards high quality fabrics and a customer service department second to none. In other words every dollar of your purchase goes to what matters most to you as a customer, the pants. Furthermore, there’s no need to worry about paying for clothes you can’t try on first, because Bonobo’s return policy is unconditional (literally, read it) and covers all shipping costs.

Experiencing the product spurred my desire to know more about the men behind them, and any advice they might have about starting a business from the ground up. After all, we’re all about advancing mankind.

Luckily the founders were nice enough to sit down with me for an interview (the perks of writing for GP), which we’ve got right after the jump.

So read what they have to say. Prosper from it (sartorially or otherwise).

Read the rest of this entry »

Trim The Cost of Shaving

Normally Brian would be the one reviewing grooming products. However, he shaved last week and isn’t due for another this quarter. So I was more than happy to add Men-Ü’s Ultra Concentrate Shave Creme and Facial Moisturizer Lift to my daily regimen.

In each small travel-sized bottle you’ll be equipped with enough product to cover your shaving needs for the next six months (or the rest of Brian’s life). That’s 22¢ a shave. More importantly, we like saving money as much as you, but we only endorse doing so when there’s no sacrifice of performance. Make that twice as important for anything that comes into contact with your face.

The Ultra Concentrate Shave Creme produces a rich lather in just two pumps proving that more is not necessarily better. Shaving products work by lubricating your face directly. It’s what stays in close contact with your skin and beard that matters. Everything else is a waste.

Editor’s Tip: The best shave starts with a light exfoliation and a pre-shave oil.

The Ultra Concentrate Facial Moisturizer Lift contains glycerin and silicones to transfer and bind moisture to your skin. Refreshing mint and menthol provide a great pick-me up in the morning or a wake-up call for your nocturnal endeavors.

Cost: Ultra Concentrate Shave Creme ($17) | Ultra Concentrate Facial Moisturizer Lift ($19)

Let’s Play Global Thermonuclear War

Image Courtesy: Bethesda Softworks

If there are two things that you should know about me (resident GP Game Guru and father extraordinaire), they are as follows:

• I never miss a chance to insert a WarGames reference.
• I’ve been really, really looking forward to playing Fallout 3 for a really, really long time.

The implication is that you should be equally excited about the latest offering in the Fallout series from Bethesda Softworks, out today. Some have basically called it Oblivion with a fresh coat of post-apocalyptic paint. It’s not that such a description would denigrate an ordinary game, but Fallout 3 is so much more.

It’s a classic boy meets world scenario (minus Ben Savage), only this world is irradiated and populated by hordes of mutant creatures. You emerge from the Vault 101, an underground shelter that has been your lifelong home, to search the wasteland of a nuked Washington D.C. for your father and that ever elusive “truth.” Aside from the vast world and stunning visuals that you’d expect from the Bethesda team, Fallout 3’s game play features keen AI and an immersive story that evolves with your choices. Much better than an elementary game of chess… against Professor Falken.
Cost: Xbox ($59) | PS3 ($59)

Also See: Fable II | Retro Space Home Arcade Machine

Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, we’re here to remind you that the Presidential election is now one week away. In celebration, we’ve gathered some links for you to check out.

Who are you voting for?

For those of you who are still undecided (yes we know you’re out there), spending 10 minutes of your time to take the Glassbooth’s quiz can help you choose the candidate that’s right for you. Simply add points to the issues that matter to you most, take a quiz based on your chosen issues, and let the site inform you about which candidates most closely align with you and why.

Where is your poll located?

Not sure where to vote on election day? Google’s providing a Google Maps service to find your nearest poll. Click here and enter you address to make sure you know where you’re headed next Tuesday.

Take a Breather And Laugh
Finally take a break from the political news frenzy and get a glimpse of the lighter side of politics from these sites.

• Still deciding between Obama or McCain? How about John McClane? Yeah that’s right, yippy ki-yay election mother f*&%$#

• Barack Obama may have been accused of many things during this campaign, but we’re pretty sure stealing your new bicycle never came up. Take some time to click through this simple yet hilarious site to find out about other egregious acts Barack may have commited against you. Who knew he was capable of such things?

• For you Palin lovers haters, a candidates VP choice is pretty damn important. And if SNL wasn’t enough, hunt around the site palinaspresident.com. A site, updated daily until election day showing Palin in action as our prez. Some one clearly has too much spare time.

Enjoy. But more importantly, get out and vote dammit.

A Dour Perspective On Your Morning Cup O’ Joe

I’m not a big fan of pessimism. In fact, it’s a characteristic I find loathesome unless it comes served with two heaping scoops of sarcasm.

Appropriate for Monday mornings, the Pessimist’s Mug is a perfect gift for someone you know (or yourself) that looks upon the day with a certain degree of dour. I’m a relatively can-do kind of guy, but when my first cup of coffee finds its way past my mug’s midpoint, I tend to look upon it with scorn more than caffeinated happiness.

Despite any sullen outlooks, the Pessimist’s Mug is made from high-grade materials, but more importantly built for high-grade sarcasm.

Cost: $10

Also See: Nerf Office Elimination Game | Hot Cold Mug

Ben Bowers… bending it like Beckham.

For many of you East Coasters, Fall golf, and the golf season in general is rapidly winding down. Do yourself a favor and avoid regrets later in the winter when the best you can do is putt on your living room carpet. Squeeze in one last round and immerse yourself in some gorgeous foliage and crisp Fall air. Grab a few of your cronies, skip the cart (like true golfers) and soak it in.

Taking our own advice, some of the GP team here hit up the course this past weekend. Here, we’re teeing off at hole 10 at Garrison Country Club in the heart of New York’s Hudson Valley. If you look closely, you can see the buildings of West Point peeking over the treetops in the distance. Gorgeous day.

It’s Monday, so schedule that tee time now.