rants.raves

• Congrats to Stanford for ranking #4 in GQ's "10 Douchiest Colleges in America". Apparently "old Gap jeans [and] Havaianas flip-flops" are pretentious.

• Malin + Goetz (previously featured) were also in GQ. Unfortunately, their "10 Essentials" aren't remotely interesting (or essential).

• It takes some cojones to design a dress like the one in this post. Featured in the A/W 2011/2012 Ferragamo campaign, the brand went black and white to create some great (and not-so-great) designs.

• Spokane bars need to up their game. After several attempts, I'm done looking for a Pisco Sour. I was chided at the Davenport's Peacock Room for mentioning raw egg. Caesar salad anyone? Congrats to WSJ for having a great article about the amazing drink.

• On the topic of disappointments, I'm tired of companies allowing me to buy their products online then sending a next-day email claiming the item is out-of-stock. Saks is a two-time offender but Duchamp was recently added to the list. No links provided.

ferragamo.sandals

Salvatore Ferragamo is a favorite for their ability to balance simplicity with individuality. I first saw the Gancio Bit Sandal in their Union Square storefront and was impressed by how comfortable they looked. The gray suede is padded to create a better feel than the typical rubber or leather. I'm sure the suede will get dirty quickly so it hardly rates high  for practicality but let them be your "formal sandals" (?) for casual but important events. Available for $295 on the Ferragamo website.