Short Shrifted

Yeah, so my only computer died. Oh, the soul-crushing pain. Actually, it was kinda nice to have no internet at home. Didn’t miss it. But a barely-2-year-old/$2k piece of machinery crapping out after the slightest of dings to its brushed-aluminum shell (pretty, but about as protective as tinfoil), thereby voiding the AppleCare warranty? That hurt. A lot.

Anyway, it’s reeeally hard to blog at the library. So if you’ve noticed a drop-off in the churn of posts here lately, that’s why. But a new laptop has finally been procured. And regular posts should return in the next week or so.

Meanwhile, this tragedy is a great opportunity to remind you to please SUBSCRIBE to Short Shrifted. If you haven’t done so already, you can do it now (RSS or e-mail). Then you’ll know the minute posting starts back up again.

To whet your appetite, here’s a few of the things I’m working on for Short Shrifted’s return:

My Official Reviews Of:

Guest Bloggers Covering:

More Pix on ACML:

Personal Stories:

Advice and Theoretical Flights of Fancy:

Feel free to send me your gripes for that last one so I have some good quotes to use.

I’m trying something new. An experiment of sorts…

Every Friday here on this site, I’ll post a link to my new Tumblr Blogger photoblog. My idea is to put together a lookbook of shorter guys with good or interesting personal style. From the images I collect, maybe you can draw inspiration for your own wardrobe.

Shortshrifted.com will still be my HQ, updated with all the posts you’ve come to expect. The Tumblr Blogspot series is a side-project — I’m hoping it’ll handle images better and be good for keeping them together in one place.

Check out my kick-off post for Short Shrifted’s Concise Men’s Lookbook:

TONY FROM 21 UP

Our Tony’s an East End boy, a diminutive scrapper with a heart of gold, an irrepressible hustler, a self-described pest. A failed jockey (“Better to be a has-been than a never-was”), but a dreamer nonetheless, cramming The Knowledge so he can become a London cabbie. It’s 1977, but he’s pure 1955 in James Dean knock-offs. It’s not the clothes; it’s the spirit.

And he’s just one character in Michael Apted’s brilliant decades-spanning documentary series Up! — a must-watch in my book.

After you visit the Lookbook, let me know what you think of the project/design/layout/images/etc!

Cheers,
Josh

Short Shrifted hits the 3-year mark this week (NYC Readers: Don’t forget to celebrate with me this Wed. 3/24). Holy heck! That’s more than 1,000 days of blood, sweat, and html-related tears I’ve spent making this blog. So, what do I have to show for it? Over 130 posts on everything from the best small chairs to Jason Schwartzman’s style and from shortscale guitars to who makes the shortest neckties. Here’s the ones you liked best:

TOP 10 ALL-TIME MOST POPULAR POSTS

1. Indochino made me a Great-Fitting Custom Suit
2. Top 5 Reasons to Shop for Ties on eBay
3. 197 Links for the Sharply Dressed Short Man (Actually, it’s now 213. And counting…)
4. Threadless T-Shirts: Good Fit for the Skinny
5. The #1 Best Chain Store for Short Men
6. A Tailored Suit made me a Custom Dress Shirt
7. Q&A with Robert Rufino of House Beautiful
8. Graniph T-Shirts: Shorter, Roomier, Cooler
9. Store Review: TopMan
10. Beyond Vertical Stripes

Wow! It’s been a great 3 years. But I need your help. I want Short Shrifted readers to participate more in this blog — it keeps me going and it helps build an online community. Please:

Thanks to everyone who came to the site, subscribed, commented, shared advice with other readers, and connected with me over the past year. Looking forward to Year Four of Short Shrifted!

Cheers,
Josh

To celebrate this blog’s third anniversary, I’m going to have myself a beer. Or two. Possibly three. And you’re invited.

If you’re a Short Shrifted reader and live in the NYC area, I’d love to meet you.

The plan: I’m going to plant myself at a nice, little bar on the Lower East Side on Wednesday (March 24) after work. Please stop by and say hi, have a drink, tell me what you think of the site, brainstorm some ideas for where it could go in the coming year, whatever. Very casual.

Here are the details:

SHORTSHRIFTED3YRBEER

Date: Wednesday, March 24
Time: 6ish to 9ish
Venue: Marshall Stack
66 Rivington Street, NYC

Hope to see you.

City swelter. New baby. Demanding day job. And that infernally addictive August “news” cycle. They all conspired to derail Short Shrifted recently.

I’d like to say it was something more carefree, glamorous, and globetrotting. The kind of stuff the well-dressed short bloke in this snapshot was accustomed to. Oh well. (But really, who has time to read this stuff in the summer anyway?)

That said, I’ll be returning to a more regular posting schedule in September. Just wanted you to have something to look forward to after Labor Day.

It’s been two weeks without a post. Chalk it up to the summer doldrums. And a family vacation to the great state of Maine. But rest assured that I’ve got some irons in the fire. Here’s a list of reviews I’m working on that you can look forward to seeing over the next few weeks:

In other news, short-guy specialty retailer ForTheFit.com is running their Summer ‘09 sale now through the end of July. Check out their: