Our resident stylist Andrew Porter waxes casual on men’s and women’s must-haves.

Croakies
I always break and/or scratch my sunglasses. This is usually due to the fact that I put them in my pocket and sit on them. For this reason, I think it’s time to bring back Croakies (pictured above). In 1988, at the age of six, I thought Croakies were really cool. I also thought zinc sunscreen was cool… Maybe it’s a California thing. Anyways, I came into one of these the other day, and I have been loving it ever since. I can’t really decide where I stand on the Croakie, fashion-wise, as of yet. I was hoping it would give off some Jeff Spicoli energy. However, I think other people look at them as the pocket protector of the face, or an accessory best celebrated by professional baseball players and “rad dads.” At the end of the day, my sunglasses are still intact, and I’m happy. Croakies are real cheap, so go ahead and test drive a set.

Baxter of California Combs
Baxter of California is a company that makes fancy-dancy men’s grooming products. I’m pretty sure John Wayne would have nothing to do with this place, but James Dean might. You make the call. Baxter recently introduced a new line of Swiss handcrafted combs. If this doesn’t grab you, then you must not comb your hair. Apparently, these fine tortoise pieces are created from a cellulose acetate, and go through a 12-step manufacturing process all done by hand—Swiss hand—before making their way through your hair. To be totally honest with you, I’m not sure if this comb is going to outperform a comb from the dollar store, but it’s a great small-talk piece should you find yourself caught in an awkward social situation.

Clothing Care
I don’t trust other people to do my laundry, so once every few weeks, I walk a mile to the 24-hour Atlantis Super Wash Center to TCB. If you read this column, I assume you care about your clothing. If such is true, I have two clothing-care recommendations for you. The first is Oxi Clean. I’ve sworn by this stuff for years, but, until last night, I had no clue you could throw it in with your laundry, as opposed to just soaking your clothes in it. Use this with colors and cold water at your local Atlantis Super Wash, and your clothes come out looking brilliant. Adios, yellow collar. Bonjour, bright colors. Oxi Clean is a miracle worker. My second recommendation is the Tide Pen. This is a gimmick that really works. Enjoying a delicious hot dog is a summer must, but spilling mustard on one’s shirt can ruin even the most positive man’s day. Fear not! Hit that mustard with a Tide pen and the stain disappears. The only problem is that the Tide Pen has to be used pretty soon after spillage. So, if you don’t want to introduce a new item into your pocket, I recommend avoiding spills. In other words, go easy on the mustard.