Perhaps global warming will cause the fashion industry to rethink its seasons. The way things are now, probably only because "it's the way they've always been", we receive overcoats, gloves, and scarves in September, when it's still nice enough to do without any of those items. By the time it's cold enough to need them (January), it's time to start making room for Spring's arrivals. Trust us, seersucker shorts are a tough sell in February!

With Fall merchandise scheduled to start arriving in late July and early August, we are asking your help in making room for Fall. Ironically, from our vantage point in San Francisco, the weather is just now perfect for madras shorts, sun washed Polos, and sandals (high-60's today, mid-70's tomorrow). And while the old Mark Twain canard about "the coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco" -- which happens to have never been uttered by Twain -- means that San Franciscans might really want corduroy and cashmere in July, the rest of the country would rather wait.

At the end of the day, it just means now is a great time to pick up those seersucker pants, madras shorts, sun-washed polos, sun-drenched twills, and poplin sportcoats. Our Spring sale showcases some great savings on Bills Khakis Spring Limited Edition pants, sportcoats, and sport shirts, Ike Behar casual shirts, Michael Toschi shoes, Hommage razor sets, and much, much more.

Way, way back in 2005, when gas was only $2.50/gallon in California, I wrote of our adjacent neighbor -- Club Sportiva. Club Sportiva was the first "luxury carshare" concept, started back in 2003; today, clubs like it are popping up all over the country. In late 2005, On The Fly moved in next door to Club Sportiva, and the two companies are separated by a gate that is left open all day so Club Sportiva members can peruse our merchandise, and our customers can ogle their cars. 

But thanks to the growing legion of readers of our blog, Club Sportiva has offered to let me take some of their cars for a spin in exchange for mentioning Club Sportiva six times in a single blog. Club Sportiva. Done. The first car up was a 2006 Aston Martin DB9 in navy blue with whiskey interior.  

Let's get one thing clear: I am not a professional driver. I barely know how to pop the hood on our company SUV. If you want a detailed descriptions of horsepower or torque or reliability, you best find another blog. I will approach these cars from the perspective of someone who will appreciate how the car drives, how it looks, and who looks at you in it. Sound narcissistic? I've been called worse.

The Aston Martin DB9 is a huge car. But to me, that is quintessentially Aston Martin. The new, smaller Vantage could easily be mistaken for a Toyota sports car to the untrained eye, whereas the DB9 makes a clear statement. For this reason, I actually regret not wearing something a little more bold; I opted for a safe Fairway & Greene golf shirt & vest, Bills Khakis Chamois Cloth pants, a Mulholland Brothers Hippo Duffel in Bridle Tan and a pair of one-of-a-kind Michael Toschi wingtip prototypes to match the interior of the car. The sound of it helps as well. The engine is louder at 20 mph than at 80 mph, and it's loud in the best way possible (the beautiful roar made me snicker at the Lexus-like commercials showing a driver in the car unable to hear anything outside).

The ride was surprisingly smooth, although I enjoyed more like someone scared to death of crashing his friend's car than an owner. It accelerates well, although the paddle shifting is not as responsive as other systems I've driven in the past. Fear of fishtailing kept me from testing its cornering capabilities, but a reasonable 180-degree long, curvy onramp near Candlestick Park had me driving faster than all the traffic on the freeway way before having to merge.

Of the entire inventory of cars available to Club Sportiva members -- and you'll see the rest in the coming weeks -- the DB9 has always been one of my favorites. Driving it only reinforced my opinion.

Bills Khakis are back. And better than ever, we might add. 

We will spare you the details as to why we have not sold them for a year (the Scooter Libby trial may have had something to do with it), but a lot has changed since they were last on our website, and all of the changes make the world's best khakis better than ever. What has changed?

Expanded in-stock program. The number of pants that Bills stocks in different fabrics, colors, and models has grown significantly. One example is the 5 Pocket Weathered Canvas is now an in-stock pant in two colors (Sand & Tobacco), for those looking for a casual khaki-like pant in a jeans model.

New M3 Model. The M2P is still the best-selling model, but the new M3 model is the most trim model to date, and will satisfy those that prefer a less-baggy cut on their khakis.

For Fall, we have a truckload of Limited Edition pieces coming, including the first ever batch of Corduroy Sportcoats from Bills, 11 Wale Cords (not to be confused with the 6 Wale Cords stocked year-round), a new Driving Twill, the Cavalry Twill which seems to be a Fall Limited Edition staple, 13 oz Denim, and a new Patched Khaki that looks like the pair you've owned for a dozen years already.

Customers buying now will be top of the list for Fall Limited Edition pre-orders, and for our first Virtual Trunk Show for Spring 2008 which should kick-off in August. Let's all welcome back Bill!