Welcome to Perfectly Imperfect #71 👋

If you’re newish here— welcome! Perfectly Imperfect is a 2x week newsletter featuring good ol’ fashioned curated recommendations from real people and once a month we like to drop some hot recs of our own. Check out the archive for more posts and as always, join the Perfectly Imperfect Discord to keep the conversation going.

Without further ado

Tyler Bainbridge (instagram, letterboxd, last.fm)

👕 🟨 Paa Yellow Rodeo Shirt

At a steep $298 this shirt is definitely pricy (like most of Paa's stuff...) but I think if you just stare at it long enough and come back after a few drinks, your finger may just end up on the "ADD TO CART" button. 4-5 business days later it'll show up on your doorstep and you'll forget how much you spent on it until someone asks. But yeah, this is my favorite clothing purchase in a minute, I mean c'mon, just look at the huge spear point collar.

👟 🟩 Asics GEL-1090

Not sure that I'd normally go for these, but I saw them styled so well on someone's IG that I had to snag a pair myself. They definitely have big Spy Kids and/or Matrix energy with the neon green, black, and silver, but pair em with an otherwise low-key fit & let them steal the show. Really great shape & super comfortable too.

🚬 🥃 Mezcal Negronis

If you copped Molly Yelon's Zine that is raising money for Send Chinatown Love (donate if you can!), you'd know Negronis are my goto cocktail for summer nights. Now, I'm usually a purist with this kinda thing, so 9 times out of ten I'm making it with Gin, but that 10th time... oh boy we're smoking it up with some Madre Mezcal, because the bottle looks cool, of course.

💆‍♂️ Head Massager Scalp Scratcher

A+ impulse buy, this thing has changed my life in the mere 48 hours I’ve owned it. I’ll paint you a picture: it’s late, your friends have left, you’re sitting on the couch, all those Mezcal Negronis have knocked you out, and this thing lands on your head… best $9 I’ve ever spent.

🎥 Miami Vice (2006)

With lines such as "I'm a fiend for Mojitos", it's bound to be a classic. The theatrical cut throws you right into its world without wasting any time, and for the next two hours you're in Mann’s world— so enjoy the not one, but TWO Audioslave mic drops, speed boats, crime, Mojitos, and more. Not to mention, Collin Farrell in this movie (slicked back hair, handlebar mustache, open shirts, etc) is the style blueprint for summer ‘21. This movie rocks.

👞 Vintage Gucci Rubber Sole Loafers

Big shouts to Kathleen from Chickees Vintage (keep your eyes peeled for her PI feature 👀), she’ll source you a pair of Vintage Gucci Loafers in under 3 months for $325. They’re v high quality and have a big chunky sole— really can’t go wrong. So graduate from the Weejuns, support Chickees, and embrace this iconic loaf.

🍓 🔪 🎵 Strawberry Switchblade - Since Yesterday (1984)

I found this song way too late, but it's so so so good. A super fun and bouncy track with dynamite production and some darker elements sprinkled in. Been on repeat recently. Perfect pop song.

🎥 Rebels of the Neon God (1992)

Urban decay, teenage angst, loneliness, neon, and most importantly: lots of denim. It’s what one may describe as a "vibe" movie, which isn't a diss, I love quiet movies that look really really good, but this movie actually has a lot going on beneath its neon-bathed graininess. At the very least you'll be humming its sticky theme song for the rest of the night.

🎵 Gal Costa (1968)

This is one of my favorite records from the 60s, which is really saying a lot!! Gal's beautiful voice floats over Tropicália instrumentals (essentially Psychedelic Rock meets Bossa Nova) that are equally impressive and at times wonderfully weird. A record that often feels like it's about the fly off the rails, but then that next chorus hits and it all makes perfect sense.

Alex Cushing (instagram, twitter, last.fm, goodreads)

🤤 Pirouline

I’m not huge on sweets, so when I pull out a dessert rec, you know it’s going to be a great one… the ultimate snack. Pirouline’s exactly that, a thin & crispy wafer filled with cream and dark chocolate. Buy a tin of these and you’ll find yourself snacking on them all the time.

☕ Coffee Subscriptions

Getting into coffee can be a commitment. The time I used to spend looking into cool roasters for every bean re-up quickly piled up, and I was ready to cave into a coffee subscription to handle the load for me. At first, I tried the Blue Bottle sub since I knew their cold brew was A+, and that was actually pretty great. I stuck with that for a few months, before hearing about Trade Coffee. Trade intros you with one of those BuzzFeedy quizzes to pinpoint what notes and roasts you’re into, and then sets you up with your subscription, giving you several options for each shipment. After each order, I toss the coffee a 👍or 👎 which might influence the coffees I’m recommended(???) Idk really, I haven’t looked into it much, but I love the variety and find it to be a great way to get delicious coffee from small companies without dumping hours into research.

🛏️ Linen Bedding

Ready to upgrade your bedding? When my wife and I moved, we did it all — upgraded the mattress to a king-sized mail-in foam mattress, tossed that onto a nice natural wood platform frame, and (the cherry on top), spruced the whole situation up with some linen bedding. Most of what I love about the linen bedding comes from the look. It looks lived in but still luxurious, like it cost 2+ times the price of normal cotton sheets (ok they do, but worth it!!!) Beyond the aesthetic wins, are even more benefits. The linen (at least on our set) is dirt repellent, strong, and softens over time for actual years. We went with the Tuft & Needle sheet set because we bought that mattress, but I’ve heard great things about Parachute too.

🥖 No-Knead Bread

A few weeks ago I bought a Dutch Oven, almost solely for the purpose of trying this recipe. There’s no smell better in the world than fresh-baked bread, and when I saw I could bake bread without breaking out the stand mixer or hand kneading for what feels like forever, I knew I had to try it. As it turns out, the recipe is as easy as advertised, and more delicious than I imagined. It’s so basic but so good, one of those recipes that takes hours to complete but only actually requires hands-on interaction or attention for minutes. Since my first try, I’ve made a no-knead loaf maybe 10 times and have started to experiment with different varieties (honey oat 😍). BONUS EDIT - looks like Kenji just re-visited his no-knead bread recipe today!

🎖️ All Quiet on the Western Front

I recently got my first mechanical watch, a Hamilton re-issue of a 1970’s British Air Force style (look into vintage W10 watches - really interesting/cool think of this as a rec within a rec), and I immediately wanted to dive into classic war books. I was laying in bed trying to find something that was available on audible (so much less time to read post-baby) and I landed on this classic. This is one of those high school curriculum books that a lot of people have “read” but most of them haven’t really read it. This book is an anti-war book without being an in-your-face anti-war book. Written by a German soldier from WWI, about German soldiers in WWI, it’s real and HARSH. The contrast of what these young teens expected when enlisting (heroism, glory!) to what they really experience (disease, death, trench foot) is shocking and ultimately very sad. All Quiet on the Western Front is a heavy read but so worth it, it’s a classic for a reason.

🎵 ASMR Ambient YouTube Videos

When I'm working I like to have something playing in the background. Usually, that comes from youtube. As I've mentioned previously in recs - sometimes it's Kenji videos, but often it’s random ambient youtube playlists. Whether it's ambient forest sounds, libraries, or whatever your favorite fictional world is (yes I play ambient harry potter music), there are endless several-hour-long videos on youtube for you. This is ASMR at its finest.

Serey Morm (instagram, twitter, vsco)

🍺 Lunar Hard Seltzer

Our lovely friends gifted these craft seltzers to us, and these are far from your typical White Claw or Truly. Lunar was started by two Asian Americans who wanted more representation in the seltzer business. They accomplished their goal through incorporating only Asia-based fruit flavors such as yuzu, lychee, and plum. My personal favorite was the deliciously nostalgic lychee flavor. I’m not sure if these are widely available at your local liquor stores, but they can be shipped for free!

🎥 Two Distant Strangers

Although this short film is only 30 minutes long, there is a lot to unpack. The story revolves around Black Americans and their encounters with the police. More specifically, this film follows the perspective of a Carter James, played by Joey Bada$$. I don't want to give away too much, because this is a short film, but the story being told in 30 minutes made it feel like two hours. A good two hours.

🎵 When It's All Said And Done... Take Time (Spotify, Apple Music)

I don't know if this is a call for help, but I've been exclusively listening to one album for almost two months now. This masterpiece dropped in March, and I've clocked in about 300 listens, but who's counting? We are. Bonus rec, the boys and I have linked our Spotify accounts to last.fm to keep track of every song we listen to.

Giveon has such a unique, well rounded, really deep voice. This is one of those albums where every song hits for me. Never thought I'd say this, but I think he may have even knocked Daniel Caesar off of my R&B artist throne.

💆 Benton Aloe BHA Toner

Being cooped up inside for the last year, I've had a ton of time to sort out my self-care routine. The key step to any skincare regimen is toner. I've gone through a few bottles of this aloe toner now, and it's going to be in my lineup indefinitely. BHA is great for minimizing pores and evening out your skin tone, and I've definitely seen improvements in my skin, big rec for those looking to minimize their pores.

👩‍🍳 Tiny Whisks

Okay, if you follow Binging with Babish, you know the deal with these tiny whisks. I've finally gotten myself a few, and man.. they are a life changer. These are great for mixing things in small cups or bowls. Personally, they've been great for beating a couple of eggs.

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