portrait-photo

I'm Kurt Soller, a writer and editor from New Hampshire. In real life, I live in Brooklyn. In digital life, I live here.

I generally write on news and culture for a variety of magazines and websites (see clips below). Right now, I'm the Online Style & Grooming Editor at Esquire, but views here do not represent those of my employer. Clearly.

Uh-oh.

So this site, which at one point or another was considered my “professional” spot online, is not the best use of tumblr. And, now,it turns out some robot bought kurtsoller.com once I let it expire. I guess I should be honored? I’ve made it? Et cetera.

Anyway, for the time being, let’s just go with this:

UNDER CONSTRUCTION. NEW ONLINE HOME COMING SOON.

Aw shit, J.Crew’s done it again: their collab with the Irish company, Baird McNutt, is the best take on the linen trend I’ve seen yet this season. Typically, the fabric is too wrinkled for me to really enjoy, but this macro-gingham will give it a great rumpled-country vibe for any summer day. Just like last year, when I rollicked around Williamsburg in chambray button-fronts, shorts and a t-shirt beneath, I’m banking that this will become my warm-weather layer for 2011. Great to dress down a grey suit, too, methinks. [$79.50, jcrew.com]

Aw shit, J.Crew’s done it again: their collab with the Irish company, Baird McNutt, is the best take on the linen trend I’ve seen yet this season. Typically, the fabric is too wrinkled for me to really enjoy, but this macro-gingham will give it a great rumpled-country vibe for any summer day. Just like last year, when I rollicked around Williamsburg in chambray button-fronts, shorts and a t-shirt beneath, I’m banking that this will become my warm-weather layer for 2011. Great to dress down a grey suit, too, methinks.

[$79.50, jcrew.com]

So maybe it’s kind of pointless to post about a scent here, since Tumblr is great and all but they can’t yet make your computer screen smell. Ah well. Anyway, my friend Parker got kind of crazily, neurotically into “fragrances” last summer — there were books and almanacs involved and, really, he knows a lot now — and this was my favorite find of his. It smells like woods and grass and pepper and man (I think in the fragrance world, this is called “vetiver”) and I’ve decided that Encre Noir is pretty much the perfect thing to smell like everyday. Plus, it’s cheap. [$32.99, amazon.com]

So maybe it’s kind of pointless to post about a scent here, since Tumblr is great and all but they can’t yet make your computer screen smell. Ah well. Anyway, my friend Parker got kind of crazily, neurotically into “fragrances” last summer — there were books and almanacs involved and, really, he knows a lot now — and this was my favorite find of his. It smells like woods and grass and pepper and man (I think in the fragrance world, this is called “vetiver”) and I’ve decided that Encre Noir is pretty much the perfect thing to smell like everyday. Plus, it’s cheap.

[$32.99, amazon.com]

I missed a post yesterday because, unfortunately, the only Daily Want I had was a bowl of chicken soup. But now I’m back with a bonus edition! This morning, I learned that Shepard Fairey’s clothing line, Obey, was collaborating with Generic Surplus, the cult shoe brand, on a line of sick work wear-inspired mesh plimsolls. Then I headed to the Generic Surplus website and fell hard for their other mesh offerings for summer – this time, in eye-popping hues and slip-on models that seem even better attuned to Summer 2011. I love all three of these Daily Wants above, but am almost certain a man needs only one mesh item in his entire wardrobe. How’s a guy to choose? [$60-$66, genericsurplus.com]

I missed a post yesterday because, unfortunately, the only Daily Want I had was a bowl of chicken soup.

But now I’m back with a bonus edition! This morning, I learned that Shepard Fairey’s clothing line, Obey, was collaborating with Generic Surplus, the cult shoe brand, on a line of sick work wear-inspired mesh plimsolls. Then I headed to the Generic Surplus website and fell hard for their other mesh offerings for summer – this time, in eye-popping hues and slip-on models that seem even better attuned to Summer 2011.

I love all three of these Daily Wants above, but am almost certain a man needs only one mesh item in his entire wardrobe. How’s a guy to choose?

[$60-$66, genericsurplus.com]

Warby Parker is clearly well-known by now as the fast-glasses strategy that promises a stylish pair of frames for less than a hundred dollars, including prescription lenses. It’s a good deal, made all the better by their donation policy (you buy one, they donate one). As a dude who wears frames each and every freaking day, I’m always on the lookout but have never fallen for Warby’s wares. Not until now: the Winston, with this sweet brown fade, is growing on me. And, best of all for New Yorkers: the showroom sets up free appointments, meaning you don’t have to guess how they’ll look when you purchase online. [$95, warbyparker.com]

Warby Parker is clearly well-known by now as the fast-glasses strategy that promises a stylish pair of frames for less than a hundred dollars, including prescription lenses. It’s a good deal, made all the better by their donation policy (you buy one, they donate one).

As a dude who wears frames each and every freaking day, I’m always on the lookout but have never fallen for Warby’s wares. Not until now: the Winston, with this sweet brown fade, is growing on me. And, best of all for New Yorkers: the showroom sets up free appointments, meaning you don’t have to guess how they’ll look when you purchase online.

[$95, warbyparker.com]

Yes, please. Now. [$2, your local bodega]

Yes, please. Now.

[$2, your local bodega]

Happy holiday, gals and gents. This morning, I woke up wishing I had the perfect pair of slim cargo pants – worn-in, natch, like these Incotex ones – to wear today, as that seemed like the proper thing to do on St. Patrick’s Day. On bottom. Not on top. This is truly a want, though, not a buy: here I sit, in my green plaid sweater, wishing I had a few hundo to spend on the same pants I refused to wear in seventh grade. [$400, mrporter.com] 

Happy holiday, gals and gents. This morning, I woke up wishing I had the perfect pair of slim cargo pants – worn-in, natch, like these Incotex ones – to wear today, as that seemed like the proper thing to do on St. Patrick’s Day. On bottom. Not on top. This is truly a want, though, not a buy: here I sit, in my green plaid sweater, wishing I had a few hundo to spend on the same pants I refused to wear in seventh grade.

[$400, mrporter.com] 

Today’s rhyme: Star light, star bright, I’m totally buying this marc laptop sleeve on my way home tonight. [$28, barneys.com]

Today’s rhyme:

Star light, star bright, I’m totally buying this marc laptop sleeve on my way home tonight.

[$28, barneys.com]

The latest influx of eye-popping pattern on the runways has me craving some new prints in my life. But usually, when it comes to clothing, it’s a steez that looks best on the ladies. So here’s my solution for my own wandering eyes. How sick is that duvet? Old-world, but somehow contemporary. Colorful, but muted enough. And different, totally different. West Elm, way to go: you’ve created something nice for an era when everyone I know seems to stolidly rely on a solid comforter and plain white sheets. To prepare for spring, I’ve been moving some furniture around, looking to revive my small Brooklyn bedroom. I’m thinking the next step I take will be clicking that little Add to Cart button next to this mosaic’d masterpiece. [$119, westelm.com]  

The latest influx of eye-popping pattern on the runways has me craving some new prints in my life. But usually, when it comes to clothing, it’s a steez that looks best on the ladies. So here’s my solution for my own wandering eyes. How sick is that duvet? Old-world, but somehow contemporary. Colorful, but muted enough. And different, totally different. West Elm, way to go: you’ve created something nice for an era when everyone I know seems to stolidly rely on a solid comforter and plain white sheets.

To prepare for spring, I’ve been moving some furniture around, looking to revive my small Brooklyn bedroom. I’m thinking the next step I take will be clicking that little Add to Cart button next to this mosaic’d masterpiece.

[$119, westelm.com]  

Yeah, I agree, it’s sort of lame to buy jeans that have been pre-cut into shorts. But this spring is all about color for me, and I don’t imagine I’d ever buy real orange jeans (to make into cut-offs like these) so, er, who cares? I want these, and then I’d massacre them a bit higher — I feel like the current length would only make my stubby legs look stubbier. Above the knees, please. [$49.50, levis.com]

Yeah, I agree, it’s sort of lame to buy jeans that have been pre-cut into shorts. But this spring is all about color for me, and I don’t imagine I’d ever buy real orange jeans (to make into cut-offs like these) so, er, who cares? I want these, and then I’d massacre them a bit higher — I feel like the current length would only make my stubby legs look stubbier. Above the knees, please.

[$49.50, levis.com]