TEXANS

ON BENJAMIN (RIGHT):
BILLY REID shirt
LEVI’S jeans
DETAILS:
EVISU bag, TIMEX watch, INDIAN sandals

ON EDGAR (LEFT):
ACNE shirt
NAKED & FAMOUS jeans
DETAILS:
COLE HAAN shoes, IN GOD WE TRUST necklace, CARTIER bracelet & watch

Hey guys! Where are you headed (8/26)?
Well apparently a hurricane is coming, so we are evacuating, ha!

Well thanks for stopping, it’s nice to meet you, what are your names?
Nice to meet you too dollface, I’m Benjamin Stelly (right)
Although the Starbucks cashiers insist on calling me “Hector,” my name is Edgar Gonzalez (left).
**I found these guys at the Starbucks on 7th and 43rd.

What do you gentlemen do?
Benjamin: I am a student at NYU/photographer. I also write, The Benjamin Almanac.
Edgar: I am finishing up my final semester at FIT, studying Advertising and Marketing Communications.

What are you wearing today? And… did you mean to be wearing matching outfits?
Benjamin:
Hahaha no, complete coincidence!

I am wearing a Billy Reid shirt and the first pair of Levi’s jeans I ever bought (nearly 5 years ago). My Indian Sandals are from Timbuktu — an Indian boutique in the East Village. Timbuktu is a great place to find leather goods, decor and textiles. I picked these up when I was looking for a gift for my niece’s first birthday, and they have done me well with the summer heat! My bag is Evisu the watch Timex and my necklace (the ring on the chain) was a gift from my Grandmother.  The ring is a bit much for my hand, so I wear it proudly around my neck everyday.

Edgar:
I would like to add, that we are wearing what I call “a Texas Tuxedo,” we are both from Texas, this look is in our blood.
My denim button-down is Acne, I love the two-tone detail that really makes the shirt unique. My jeans are Naked & Famous, great fit and I am convinced that they have only gotten better over time.  My shoes are Cole Haan — a shoe every guy should own.  I get compliments every time I wear them AND they are comfortable! What more could you ask for?

As for the jewelry, here we go…Around my neck on a chain I have collected a variety of items. One is a heart from In God We Trust. It says, “In It to Win It.” The second charm is one of my wisdom teeth  that I decided to get dipped in gold (people find it very cool or very creepy– I say it’s a little bit of both). That last is my most recent addition, a small brass Texas charm.

Finally, on my wrists I have collected an assortment of things through the past couple of years. The watch is a Cartier Pasha. Gifted to me on my 20th birthday, it is such a great watch I wear it almost every day! The two woven bracelets I bought on the beach last summer when I went to Costa Rica. The silver bracelet was made by a close friend of mine from Austin, TX. It is embossed with a bunch of B’s and E’s all over it.  The last piece is a rose gold Cartier Love bracelet given to me by my boyfriend, which of course, makes it very special.

Thanks for all that! Anyways, Edgar, I know you weren’t listening to anything when I stopped you two, but Benjamin, I noticed your headphones.  What were you last listening to?
Jonsi, “Tornado,” was the last song I listened to.

Tell me about the song, what should I know about it?
My roommate introduced me to Jonsi last year after her trip to Iceland.  Jonsi is the lead singer from the more popular band Sigur Ros, who I saw last November at the Hammerstein Ballroom. It was a totally unique production, a great live show.  One interesting thing about Jonsi is that he and his fellow band members are all from Iceland, and they created a made up language called Hopelandic of “nonsense syllables” for their lyrics.  Tornado happens to be sung in English, but you can check out their other songs to hear it.

Finally, if I had to hear one song on each of your playlists right now what is it and who is it by? How did you find it?
Benjamin: I am currently hooked on Paul Simon’s, “American Tune.” I am a sucker for folk sounds and great lyrics. This song seriously delivers.

Edgar: I saw Arcade Fire perform at Austin City Limits Festival and they performed “Haiti,” which is now one of my favorite songs. Listening to it in the huge park under the vast Texas night sky surrounded by hundreds of people made my adrenaline rush. Every time I listen to it, I am taken back to a place in time that I cherish.