Profiles in Vintage: Liberty Motor Wear

What do you get when you cross an unapologetic Twi-hard with a Louise Brooks bob and a mustachioed, wise-cracking biker?  The answer is Liberty Motor Wear!  Liberty Motor Wear, producing the finest in reproduction vintage motorcycle clothing and accessories, is run by husband and wife team, Paul and Amber Umbriaco.  We are friends with Paul and Amber and are fortunate to live close by, but it took going all the way to Viva Las Vegas this year for us to catch up with them so we could interview this dynamic duo about their business, their style, motorcycles, and Paul's predilection for lycra swimwear and gardening.

Meet Amber & Paul, the masterminds behind
Liberty Motor Wear.

WT: How do you feel about being interviewed?

LMW: How do you feel about doing the interviewing?

WT:  I don't understand, that's too "confucian."

WT: Tell us about your product line. 

LMW: We make reproduction vintage motor wear: motorcycle hats, sweaters, belts, etc. made in the USA.  We also have some original vintage items for sale.

Do you have a favorite piece?

Paul: My favorite items are the motorcycle hats.

Liberty Motor Wear Motorcycle cap (available in black & khaki)

Amber: I love the red and black sweater.

Liberty Motor Wear - Scarlet Sweater with Black Trim

WT: What got you started in the business?

LMW: We have a passion for casual vintage wear.  We wanted to reproduce clothing items that are more rare and difficult to find.  For example, if you were to find an original motorcycle sweater that is moth-hole ridden and pretty much unwearable, it would start at around 900 bucks.  So we figured we would start reproducing hats, shirts, pants, sweaters, and many more things to come, all made in the USA, at an affordable cost.

WT: Your attention to detail is unparalleled.  Has it been hard to find manufacturers who understand your vision?

LMW: Yes, definitely.  It can be trying at times.

WT: Is owning your own business everything you thought it would be?  Is it more or less difficult than you imagined?

LMW: We have to say, it's a bit more difficult at times to be able to find the people, material, and resources to have items manufactured the way we want them, here in the USA.

A Liberty Motor Wear cowhide purse with hand-stitched binding.

WT: Paul you handle the production of your hand-tooled leather goods, are you trained in leather working or are you self taught?

 LMW: It's funny, I went in to Tandy Leather a while back to ask them how to fix a leather watchband, and the next thing you know, after a handful of Saturday morning classes and $3500 in leather tools, BAM, I'm a leather craftsman.

And how!!!

WT: We're not trying to start any fights, but you seem to fill a unique niche in the vintage marketplace, is there a lot of competition out there?

LMW: There's not a whole lot of competition out there, and some of them have moved into 70's motorcycle trends.  Tthe ones that are left somewhat do the same thing as us, but have their own niche.

WT: Motorcycle culture, like cowboy culture, seems so definitively American.  Do you get a lot of overseas clients?

LMW: Yes, most of our customers at the moment are overseas.  They really appreciate American vintage style, sometimes more than Americans do.

WT:  Your work would come under the heading of thoughtfully reproduced, well-crafted, handmade motorcycle wear.  "Repro" can carry a negative connotation; do you think of "repro" as a bad word?

LMW: No, because it's what we make.  We actually use the word all the time to describe our line.

Liberty Motor Wear hand-tooled/studded
wristbands and keychains

WT: Your merchandise can be found online (libertymotorwear.com) and at select shows/events.  Would you like to open a brick and mortar shop?

LMW:  We would love it!  There are a few prime spots in Old Town Orange that would be a dream come true for us.

WT: Speaking of dreams, have you found your dream job?

LMW: Yes.  The sky's the limit. It's just going to get better from here.

WT: You are hands-down the best dressed couple.  Who are you style icons?

LMW: Wow, thank you so much!  Our style icons are regular everyday people in old snapshots.

Amber: ...and Louise Brooks for my haircut.

Paul: Don Knotts is also my style icon. LOL!

Or maybe not so "LOL".....

WT: What are your favorite eras?

LMW: We're really in love with the early to mid 20th Century, especially the 20's through the 50's.  The clothes, the hair, the houses, the furniture, the motorcycles, the cars, the music, the attitude.  We can go on and on.  It was just amazing!

A wacky tacky personal favorite!!!

WT: Much of the vintage community adheres to a very strict, and often unrealistic, standard.  You have definitely developed a distinct personal style but it doesn't seem to hinder your participation in all kinds of events (20's, 50's, motorcycle, etc.).  Do you ever feel the need to defend your style or participation?  Do hardcore vintage enthusiasts ever question your loyalty/commitment?

LMW:  We both have outfits from the 1920's through the 50's so we can go to different types of events and not look completely out of place.  We haven't been questioned about our loyalty to a particular era.  Sometimes when we go out, we wear our casual vintage motor wear, and people are interested in it; they don't see it very often.

WT: What do you collect?

LMW: We only collect things we can actually use, like vintage clothes, furniture for our house, etc.  If we don't use it then we sell it on eBay.

Amber:  I love 30's beach pajamas and 40's-50's tshirts. 

WT: Amber, you do have the finest collection of beach pajamas we have ever seen!!!

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

WT:  Now we get down to the real business.  Do you collect motorcycles?

LMW: We have a 1940 BSA and a 1935 BMW with a sidecar.  The BMW gets a lot of looks, but let me tell ya, the BSA makes you feel like a Chinese jet pilot!

A patch detail from a Liberty Motor Wear t-shirt!

WT: What is your most prize possession in terms of motorcycle history?

 LMW: I wouldn't say it's my prize possession, but I do own the earliest known model of a BMW R12 motorcycle, which is from 1935.  It served on the Russian front in WWII.

WT: What is your dream motorcycle?

Paul: I would love to have a 1937 Indian.  It's the epitome of the American motorcycle.

1937 Indian
(Source)

WT: Do you always wear a helmet?  I mean aside from when you are on a motorcycle...

Paul: I usually wear a helmet and speedos when watering the front lawn.

Amber:  The neighbors love it when he does that! 

That sounds like a punishable offense.

WT: One last question, what do you have spinning on your turntable right now?

LMW: Flatt & Scruggs

"Foggy Mountain Breakdown" - Flatt & Scruggs

Thanks, Paul and Amber.  If we ever have a foggy mountain breakdown, we hope that you'll be there with the BMW and side car to give us a lift!  Please be sure to check out the Liberty Motor Wear website for all of your vintage motor wear needs.  You'll be glad you did!

Liberty Motor Wear

libertymotorwear.com

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Collecting: The Crazy Hat Lady

Our good friend Lauren over at Wearing History hipped us to an estate sale that was taking place close to our digs, so we decided to check it out.  Normally, I'm not a big estate sale guy but if I have learned anything, it is to trust Lauren implicitly; she knows of what she speaks!  

Seriously, estate sales just aren't my usual bag.  I should know better, having seen the brilliant treasures that my blogging pals Eartha, Lisa, and Rae (be sure to check out their blogs) unearth at these sales.  Don't get me wrong, if I am driving and I see a bright pink poster board duct taped to a telephone pole that reads "Estate Sale," I will more than likely skip my own birthday party to see what is being offered.  I just can't bring myself to do the research.  That, and I am seriously uncompetitive.  The thought of waking up early and standing in line (a horrid pastime) to get a number to be the first to bust down a dead person's door so I can fight for their things just isn't my cup of tea.  I still want their stuff.  I still want to see the inside of their house.  I just don't want to fight about it.  In all honesty, I am more of a swap meet/flea market and thrift store kind of guy - mostly thrift stores, really.  I've told you many times, I'm lazy; I like the idea of merchandise being separated into departments, however loosely defined those departments might be.  I still have to dig but I get to dig with direction in a climate-controlled environment without too much competition from other hoarders.

We ended up getting a pile of stuff for a very reasonable price, but the trophy was this Cuh-razy straw hat.  I like to believe it was some ill-conceived Mother's Day gift that the recipient HAD to wear to church and pretend that she liked all day long.

The best part about the hat is the abundance of stories it tells.
A Hawaiian-style, one-eyed (I prefer to think that she is winking at us),
 lady golfer with pipe cleaner arms, styrofoam head, and yarn smile
is just the beginning. 

Cleaning is a major theme of the brim.
How cool are the miniature cleaning agents and sponge?!

While "Soilax" is a name that should have been lost to the ages,
how could the wearer be anything but CHEER-ful in this custom-
designed chapeau?

You can just make out the sponge mop in the lower, left-hand corner.
I think the clusters of berries and grapes add just the right amount of
freshness and zip to an otherwise work-weary headpiece.

Lest she forget that a mother's work isn't done with just cleaning,
Tru Rise reminds her to put on her thinking cap and get baking!

And what says "Happy Mother's Day" more than a zombie-
eyed, lute-playing, crown-wearing baby chicken.

Oh yeah, there's a sequined peacock too.

Is it an homage to a wonderful mother?  Is it an assemblage to be entered for exhibition at the county fair?  Is it folk art?  Is it a wacky tacky creation of the highest order? Is it possible to be all of the above?  The easiest way to decide is to see it in action!

The crazy hat lady
Mary styled an outfit that included the fish net
over striped-knit sweater (also procured at the estate sale),
 some day-glow orange clam diggers, and that HAT!

I would be hard pressed to think of anything we needed less at our house than a hat covered in a golfing, cleaning, baking, flora and fauna motif, but now we each have one.  Only kidding, it was essentially free, so how could we be expected to leave it behind?  So tell us, are you an avid estate-saler?  Have you found anything cool lately?  Let us know what you're thinking,

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Chow Time: Chips

Have you ever seen that documentary special called "Things That Aren't here Anymore?"  It was a two-parter ("More Things That Aren't Here Anymore" was the sequel) that may have just been played on Southern California PBS stations because it is mostly about Los Angeles.  It is the thrilling and depressing documentation, as delivered by Ralph Story, of some truly amazing landmarks of early-to-mid 20th Century California - thrilling because the footage and images of these spectacular places make one's heart sing, depressing because the title is no joke, these things aren't here anymore.  It is a despicable tease and although it comes on pretty regularly, I have a hard time watching it because I get really bummed out knowing that I'll never be able to visit these "things."

Ralph Story (August 19, 1920 - September 26, 2006)
Unfortunately, he too joined the ranks of
"Things That Aren't Here Anymore."

The first time I saw the program (and after every subsequent viewing), my first thought was to be horribly disappointed and start preaching the gospel of "They just don't make them like they used to" and "There is nothing cool left in this world" and "Why don't I have a time machine?"  Then I consider how many places I have the privilege of knowing, that bring me tons of joy, and I realize how grateful I should be for all of the things that are STILL HERE (and for the polio vaccine)!

The fact is that there are still all kinds of amazing hot spots around town that are just waiting to be appreciated; one of these places is Chips Restaurant in Hawthorne, CA.  My photos do not quite do the googie architecture justice, but believe me the details are there.

It is impossible to capture in one photo all of the angles
that define the slanting, serpentine roof line.

Chips has all the hallmarks of my favorite eateries - terrazzo
flooring, cantilevered barstools, counter service, great service,
and good food.

 

Sure the decorations, pretty much limited to a few vintage clock radios, may be a little lackluster, but I don't go into an authentic 50's cafe looking for Elvis and Marilyn Monroe.  I appreciate the subtlety of the decor and more importantly, the ability to see the original finishings.

Like the cabinetry behind the counter with the recessed hardware...

And the old-timey cash register

That isn't to say that there aren't a few photos of James Dean and the gang
and some hot rods.  But even those pictures have faded with time and hardly
detract from the original beauty of the restaurant.

There are booths and counter seating on the interior of the cafe.
 The spacious patio is the ideal setting for a wacky tacky weekend meet-up.
What do you think? 

A view of the Chips uniform and those tiny cereal boxes
that always seemed like such a treat when I was little.
Until I remembered, of course, that my capacity for cereal
is far greater than could ever be contained inside one
of those tiny, little boxes!

Beyond single-serving cereals, the menu offerings are pretty standard diner fare. The execution of the dishes, however, is pretty darn tasty!  They even had my vegetarian brother excited to go because there were a few veggie options.  We say we're trying to stick to our "healthier habits" plan, but sometimes one needs a little reward after a hard week!

Mary got the Baja Burger - chiles, cheese, bacon, and grilled onions.

I only ate a couple of the onion rings and tried to convince myself
that a turkey salad sandwich was the healthy option.
 Gimme a break, I'm workin' on it!

You might remember our visit to Pann's.  Pann's is sort of Chips' slightly-younger, more glamorous sister.  Its chrome is a little more polished.  Its colors a little more vivid.  Its pace a little more energetic. Roughly five short miles away, and maybe just slightly more plain, Chips has been serving delicious diner delicacies since 1957 and somehow it feels a bit more intimate and a bit more like a neighborhood hang out.  If you live in, or are traveling through, the greater Los Angeles area, we highly recommend that you check out both Pann's AND Chips so you can do your own thoughtful comparison.  We're pretty sure that you'll fall in love with both - and perhaps have to get a seatbelt extender!!!  With continued support, we can keep these beautiful places from going the way of things that aren't here anymore!

Chips

11908 Hawthorne Blvd

Hawthorne, CA

(310)679-2947

Open 6am-8pm, 7 days a week

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Kitsch-en Kounter: Peanut Butter Maple Cookies

This post would seem like one that could lend itself to being very short, sweet, and to the point.  How much could one possibly have to say about a recipe?

Well, the joke's on you if you keep reading; more than likely, this is going to be one long ramble built upon jumbled childhood memories that have translated into sordid adult neuroses.  Trust me, this recipe is delicious, but only incidental to the greater story.

"C is for Cookie"

I should begin you telling you that I AM THE COOKIE MONSTER!!! Which, it turns out, runs in the family.  My two-year-old nephew recently asked me for a cookie and when I handed it (half a graham cracker) to him, he took it and, while mashing it into his face, said, "Cookie, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom."  It was hilarious to me because he doesn't have a lot of tricks and the surprise of the new behavior had me rolling on the floor!

Cookies of all kinds (generally not of the store-bought or jam-filled variety) make me the jolly (read overstuffed) person that you have come to know.  Of all the dessert possibilities, I will always gravitate towards cookies.  My favorites?  Chocolate chip-less (a brown sugar cookie), sugar (with sugar sprinkles), snickerdoodle, oatmeal/chocolate chip/date/walnut (a grandma classic), shortbread, biscotti, lemon, Mexican/Italian/Greek wedding...I could go on.

I don't have a very good memory (part of the reason I started this blog) and memories from my childhood are hazy at the best of times.  My love of cookies and the forthcoming recipe are based on two very distinct memories from my formative years that are fundamental to the type of adult I have become.

The first story is one of embarrassment.  Keep in mind that this story was probably only embarrassing to me and actually comes in a distant second for most embarrassing sleepover story.  In the second grade I was invited to spend the night at a friend's house.  The thrill of sleeping at anyone else's house but my own filled me with equal parts joy and dread.  On one hand, while I would still be sharing a room, instead of my dumb old brothers it would be with a cool friend.  On the other hand, as a natural born worrier, I could clearly see the folly of being so far from my parent's room were I to have a bad dream.  I made it through the night okay and joined in the revelry of my friend and his siblings when their mom announced that the breakfast menu would feature french toast!  We sat at the table grinning like idiots at the sheer joy of promised french toast.  Their mom set the first plate of food before me and after thanking her, I looked around and uttered the words that no gracious guest should ever speak, "Where's the peanut butter?"  The sound of a pin dropping would have easily shattered the eardrums of anyone close enough to hear my foolish query.  Where's the peanut butter?!?!?!!  (Here's the part where I mention that I didn't realize that we were the only family in the entire world who puts peanut butter on french toast - which actually explains a lot about our family).  Trust me, it only seems strange when you are confronted with the realization that this flavor profile (peanut butter AND maple syrup) is unique to you.  Everyone else at the table happily spread their toast with a healthy portion of butter and doused the whole thing in syrup; if I recall correctly, powdered sugar may have been a key player as well.  As embarrassed as I was, I begrudgingly ate my french toast in the fashion of my friend's family, as not even an ounce of peanut butter was proffered.  Needless to say, I never spent the night at that friend's house again - not because I wasn't invited, but because I knew that the demands of my sophisticated tastes could never me met in such a house.

(Source)

+

(Source)

=

DEEEEEEE-licious!!!

The second story is one of humility.  When I was of the appropriate age (I can't remember exactly), I was in Cub Scouts (not by choice).  Every week one of the kids was assigned to bring a treat for the group (den? pack?).  Translation, some poor kid's mom had to take time out of her schedule to prepare snacks for a bunch of creepy, uniformed kids that she didn't care about.  When it was my turn, I hesitated telling my mom because even as a child, I knew it would stress her out.  How thoughtful of me!  What a relief it must have been for her to be spared that information until the morning of the meeting when she was racing to get all her own kids off to school.  She handled the devastating news like a real trouper, and told me that she still had enough time to make chocolate-covered graham crackers.  Chocolate covered graham crackers?!?!?! The embarrassment of such a low-brow confection left a huge knot in my stomach. All day long I tried to use the powers of my mind to get the clock to work in reverse but no such luck.  I anxiously counted down the hours until school let out and the cub scout meeting began.  Really, chocolate-covered graham crackers?  I could just picture the den mother removing the lid from the Tupperware and, upon seeing the humble, homemade treats, sneering at me and saying, "What are you, poor?"  Who would eat chocolate covered graham crackers besides us anyway?  They were just something my mom made up when we didn't have cookies, right?  There is no way that other kids would "get it;" they would just think we were weird.  After the great peanut butter boondoggle, I was a little gun shy anyway, and I knew these choco-grahams would seal my fate as a first-class freak.

When the time came for the meeting I slipped out the front door unnoticed, "accidentally" leaving the container of misbegotten sweets behind.  I figured that it would be so much easier to sheepishly explain that I had forgotten the treats than it would be to endure the tireless ridicule that would deservedly come from being "the kid who brought chocolate-covered graham crackers."  The den mother accepted my lie without hesitation and said that she could easily whip something up for my ravenous group of would-be tormentors.  She went into the kitchen and I breathed the sigh of a pardoned criminal as every part of my fiendish plan started falling into place.  After a short time the den mother returned with the afternoon's refreshments.  The anticipation of what was to come had built to a deafening crescendo; the greedy fingers of the cub scouts readied themselves for what was sure to be the penultimate cub scout treat - the legend of which I was sure they would certainly regale their children and even their children's children.  Sweat dripped from my brow as I pawed at my kerchief which seemed to be tightening around my neck with each passing second.  Every bit of air vanished from the room as the den mother unveiled her masterpiece - CHOCOLATE-COVERED GRAHAM CRACKERS!!!

Lessons learned:  One, not everybody eats the way that you do, so don't go out into the world with the expectation that they do.  Two, listen to your mom.  Three, everybody eats weird combinations of food, so be proud of your weird cookies and don't be afraid to share your recipes with the world.  In an effort to "share my weird cookies,"  I offer you Maple-Glazed Peanut Butter Cookies!  This peanut butter cookie recipe (pre-glaze) is one that has been passed down in our family.  It is flourless (pretty hip) and because it is so simple and tasty, it is the only recipe that we use for peanut butter cookies.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Maple Glaze

Cookies:

1 C. Peanut Butter - your favorite brand, creamy or chunky (I'm definitely a chunky man - no wise racks!)

1 C. Granulated sugar

1 Egg
(Seriously, that's it)

Thoroughly mix all ingredients and scoop (I use a small ice cream scoop) onto a prepared cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 12 minutes.  Let the cookies set up for a few minutes (they tend to fall apart if you remove them from the cookie sheet right away.  Yields about 18 cookies. 

Glaze (this is mostly a guess, you should know by now that I don't like exact recipes):

2 C. Confectioner's sugar

4 Tbsp. Maple Syrup

Splash of milk
1/2 tsp. Maple extract (optional for that extra maple flavor)

Sift confectioner's sugar to break up any lumps and beat in maple syrup and milk. Place the partially-cooled cookies on a wire rack and spoon the glaze over the cookies to coat them completely.  If you can control yourself, allow the glaze to set and then DIG IN!!!

I know the peanut butter/maple flavor profile might seem odd at first, but once you try the taste sensation, you'll realize that it is a combination made in fat kid heaven and you won't be able to think of peanut butter in the same way again!  As a fair warning, there is enough sugar per ounce in these suckers to make your teeth spontaneously fall out of your face.  So, if you're a dentist, a diabetic, or just not feeling so adventurous, the cookies can definitely be enjoyed glaze free as is or with the delicious addition of chocolate chips (a major crowd pleaser).  Remember, if you do try the recipe, please be sure to let me know how everything turns out.

Did somebody say, "Breakfast?"

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny