It’s summer. And you don’t want aluminum ruining your clean ass white shirts do you? No, you don’t. Maybe you’re a chemist and you already know this, but, deodorants that contain aluminum can inflict some serious yellow-colored blotches in the pit area when they’re mixed with only a few mLs of sweat.

I’m not trying to promote Malin+Goetz, but I’ve been using this eucalyptus odor-covering stick (also known as the poop stick, ‘round these parts) for some time. It was tested on koala bears, so you know it’s good. Just kidding, no koala bears were injured in the making of this deodorant. I tend to go undershirtless when I wear my whities and happily I’ve experienced no stains. I do have to reapply on really hot days, though.

If you’re a Complex reader (I flip through it just to see what the hipsters are wearing from time to time.), you’ll know that Jake Davis is pimpin’ another poop stick option. If Jake’s nose is anything like his aesthetic, the Dr Harris Arlington potion is probably not a bad choice for a summer scent. This stick most likely contains aluminum, the roll-on version does, so I wouldn’t suggest wearing it your whities.

Do you have any favorite aluminum-free deodorant brands?

What’s your favorite smell?

Do you like koala bears?

I know what you’re thinkin’. “Rob has given up. He’s no longer interested in filling the souls and brains of us fashion blog consumin’ types.” Well, let me tell you. I haven’t. I’ve just been slammed. Work has been busy and I’ve started working on a new web project with a friend that is consuming a great deal of my bloggin’ time at night. K and I have also been trying to avoid the heat with by staying in theaters and close to the water. Anyway, I thought I’d take a second to tell you about a great place to tube in Oregon.

This Saturday, we woke up early (grr..), slapped on some sunscreen, mixed up some gin & juice and headed out to Carver, Oregon. It took about 40 minutes to get there from Portland and it’s best if you take two cars. One person parks at the end of the tubing run and another at the starting point. If you’re new to tubing, there’s not much you need to know. Just bring a hat, maybe some paddles and get yourself a tube with a cooler. Oh yeah, and if you can’t swim, you might wanna bring a life jacket. You probably knew that, though. As far as the tubes go, we went with some friends and we all had River Run IIs. They didn’t let us down. We even tied them together and floated as a group most of the trip. 

I’m from the South where the rivers are gross and so I was delighted to see that the Clackamas river was clean. I didn’t see the first poop log. Once we plopped ourselves in the water, we were floating for the next 4 hours. It’s an all day thing, so set aside the time. You’ll probably at least need an hour of floating in circles to sober up, too.

photo credit: Compound Gallery

Last night I attended Portland’s once-a-month extravaganza in the streets. Around these parts they call it First Thursday. It involved a bunch of artwork in the streets and free beer and wine across an array of galleries. The kids were bustin’ out their freshest denim and pimps were rockin’ they freshest stunna shades.

One of the galleries that I popped my head in to was Compound. This place is like the Louvre of Nikes and they have a selection of toys that’ll get your inner child all giddy. K never makes impulse buys, but last night she insisted on getting a keychain. It wasn’t just any keychain, though. According to her, the toy coffee cup that she purchased resembles those seen in NYC, and more specifically Law & Order—she’s quite the fan. 

The intoxicating array of colors from the sneaker wall wasn’t jiving with my Old Weller 107 bourbon, so I decided to make my way over to a glass cabinet that looked like it was holding Wayfarers. I figured at least I could throw on some shades to block the blinding Nike rays. After tripping and spilling a couple people’s drinks, I made it over and realized that the shades were actually from a Portland-based brand called Shwood. Quickly, I noticed that these were unique. They were all made of wood. Which I think, is pretty cool. 

Today while outside chillin’ in the sun rays, a friend who was also outside enjoying the weather mentioned, out of the blue, that the brand Shwood has partnered (or vice-versa) with Compound and they’re makin’ a limited edition frame. It’s debuting tomorrow (August 7th, 2010) and it’s the first frame that Shwood has ever made that contains two different types of wood. I’m not usually attracted to many collabos, but I’m a sucka for classic design and I love the smell and feel of wood. I look forward to seeing what other models they make. If they really wanna make me happy, they’ll make me a pair that resemble those Oakley bug-eyed cyberpunk joints. I never did get a pair of those.

I’m curious to know how these break in over time. Does the wood get smooth? I’m sure the color changes, but how much? If you have answers, please tell me. If you have pictures, submit them.

When I visit Winn Perry, I not only try to drop as much dough as I possibly can on quality garb; I also take notes on what’s being stocked. Jordan at Winn Perry has the best eye for menswear in Portland—no doubt. The other day while browsin’ the store, I noticed a new brand in the Perry lineup. The Hentsch Man shirts were basically staring at me and sayin’, “I’m a fine lookin’ quality trim shirt. Why don’t you try me on, or hell, take me home, Rob?” Well, the temptation, the voices in my head, my empty wallet and many things were happenin’ during that moment. I’m not sure how, but I kept my sang froid.

Not to frighten the delicate Hentsch Man garments, I crept slowly towards them and observed the attention to detail and hand of their material. What I saw and felt was good. I decided to keep the wallet closed, and headed home to do a little more research on the brand. 

The Hentsch Man is London-based and they started from the realization that the menswear market needed another brand that produced basic staples e.g. a white button down shirt. So the childhood team of friends-cum-partners, Alexia Hentsch and Max von Hurter, put on their marketing caps and picked up their 96 pack of crayons and got to work. After what I’m sure were a few long months of tweaking and hair pulling, the team finally came up with a white shirt that they liked. And today they’re stocking a full kit that’s selling at Opening Ceremony. Hoorah! 

Hentsch Man by robksawyer on Polyvore.com

I believe the following coat was inspired by the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox.

There are more Moras up on eBay. You’re a lucky soul if you’re a size 13D, 12E, 14EEE or 9 1/2 E.

I’m selling a Summer jacket that contains a hand sewn blue and white gingham interior. You can find it on eBay.