Endurance, Beauty, and Perseverance: The Fedora Story

The title says it all; there is no hat that has stood the test of time.  From its height of popularity with Justin Timberlake, to its recession when Kevin Federline poisoned the trend, the fedora has survived almost anything imaginable.  Today the fedora is the most versatile hat in modern history.   The fedora has the look that says you’re all business, but its time to party when business over!

The beginnings of the fedora are relatively unknown.  The origin stems from 1889 during the play Fedora Sarah Bernhardt where the character Princess Fedora debuted the hat.  However, the inventor is not known to this day, adding to the sexy as eff mystique of the fedora.

Between 1889 and 1995 the fedora had a cult underground following in the hipster scene (which explains why you probably never heard of it).

JT Being GQ with the Fedora

That was until one man who was GQ enough set the world on fire with the fedora in 1995, that man was Justin Timberlake.  From that time on, the popularity of the fedora spread faster than a herpes infestation on a small university campus.

The fedora reached the peak of its popularity during 2002 when it appeared in the Justin Timberlake video Like I Love You.  Stores could not keep up with the demand of the fedora.  Extreme measures had to be taken to keep up with demand; prices for fedora were $100 minimum.  The fedora became so expensive; the average person could not wear this beautiful hat, which led to its downfall.

The fedora became exclusive to the rich like the D&G brand, a symbol of wealth.  This should have secured the popularity of the fedora.  However, one infamous d-bag was lucky enough to marry rich.

Kevin Federline nearly taking the Fedora off the map

That man was the ex-bf of Britney Spears, Kevin Federline.  From that point on, nobody wanted to touch the fedora.  Not even Justin Timberlake who trailblazed the trend.  The fedora’s popularity faded faster than HD DVDs or croc rubber shoes.

Stores were backed up with the inventory of fedoras; they couldn’t get rid of them.  The fedora nearly saw its extinction when store’s had to burn most of their supply to make room for other products.  With the absence of the fedora, men needed a new hip headpiece.  Everything was tried, trucker hats, flat caps, upside down visors, one by one they all failed to replace the fedora.

All hope was lost, until one man’s dedication to the fedora paid off.  That man was Ne-Yo.  His gentlemanly appearance was the ultimate counterbalance to K-Fed’s douchebagery.  With Ne-Yo giving the fedora credibility, the conditions for the fedora to return came together.  Society regained its respect for the hat.

Ne-Yo Bringing the Fedora Back

Store’s ensured than fedoras were only sold to respectful men.  Which leads us to today. When you see a man wear a fedora, you will know he carries the qualities of a gentleman.  You know that man will understand what cutlery to use at a table, how to serenade royalty, likes his martinis shaken not stirred, and you know he will ‘always return the favor’.   We owe a great deal of gratitude to the Ne-Yo.  Thank you good sir.

100 Facts about John McCallum – Part 1

John McCallum is the MP for Markham-Unionville in the House of Commons. He also happens to be SDP’s favorite MP and one of the guys who first got us interested in politics. So we wanted to show him some love. But that’s not really important… what is important is few have challenged J-Mac to a gauntlet of physical events. Those that have haven’t lived to tell the tale. Here are 50 of our 100 other actually important facts about the big man in the HoC:

1. Chuck Norris was going to run for MP in Markham-Unionville.. but he didn’t want to get roundhoused by John McCallum.
2. John McCallum would golf… but he has no off season.
3. During question period… the speaker directs his comments to John McCallum.
4. John McCallum is the only MP who uses his desk to store an extra set of fists, just in case.
5. John McCallum is asking the IOC to make parliamentary badassery a sport so he can win the gold.
6. John McCallum gave Colonel Sanders the special recipe.
7. Jay-Z and Kanye wanted everyone to Watch the Throne because John McCallum was sitting on it.
8. John McCallum wrote the lyrics to every song the Beatles ever played.
9. John McCallums comforter isn’t full of down… It’s full of $100 dollar bills.
10. John McCallum isn’t allowed to compete on Iron Chef because they know he’d win every episode.
11. The Real World approached John McCallum to be on a season but he was to busy saving the Canadian banking system.
12. When they wrote the book “Too Big to Fail” they were talking about John McCallum.
13. John McCallum was the fifth man on Canada’s 1996 Olympic 4×100 relay team.
14. John McCallum used to be Ryan Reynolds workout partner. Oh, and his fashion consultant.
15. When CBC goes off the air it’s because John McCallum had a day off.
16. Twitter was invented because John McCallum was sick of texting.
17. Barack Obama only ran for President because John McCallum was busy gardening.
18. Everyone wanted the caribou to be Canada’s national animal… but John McCallum is a beaver man.
19. John McCallum was asked to be on Dragon’s Den… but he refused to give up the whereabouts of his lair.
20. The Liberals lost seats in southern ontario because there wasn’t enough room for them with John McCallum in the caucus.
21. Besides the Governor General, John McCallum is the only person allowed to prorogue parliament.
22. Steve Jobs resigned because he thought it was the only way to get John McCallum to agree to be CEO of Apple.
23. John McCallum and Mike Holmes are renovating west block with their bare hands.
24. John McCallum is the only man who a downpour has never been sustained on.
25. John McCallum posted the first video on youtube.
26. John McCallum has so much gravitational force the moon revolves around him.
27. After first reading all bills go to John McCallum.
28. Paul Martin legalized gay marriage because he thought he had a chance with John McCallum.
29. John McCallum is the only man to ever swim the Pacific Ocean.
30. McDonalds was talking about John McCallum when they said Big Mac.
31. Blockbuster went out of business because John McCallum tweeted that it wasn’t cool to go there anymore.
32. Micheal Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team because the coach only needed one player… John McCallum.
33. John McCallum directed E.T. but put his friend Steven Spielberg’s name on as an alias.
34. John McCallum was the only reason any province joined confederation.
35. John McCallum wrote the script for Good Will Hunting.
36. Cuba Gooding Jr. is a b-list actor because John McCallum was bored.
37. John McCallum was once in two provinces at the same time.
38. In mythology, John McCallum was the only warrior with the fortitude to pick-up and use the Canadian shield in battle.
39. The Littlest Hobo was cancelled in the eighties because John McCallum was kind enough to adopt the dog.
40. The Rockies were created when John McCallum went for a morning jog.
41. No one knows John McCallums age.
42. The only reason we have stock markets is because John McCallum was bored of running the entire worlds financial system.
43. When the U.N. security council has a vote they need to teleconference John McCallum in so they don’t do anything rash.
44. John McCallum gave Mr. Dressup all the clothes.
45. John McCallum owns every season of The OC.
46. The first call Alexander Bell places was to John McCallum.
47. John McCallum is a man, a myth and a legend.
48. John McCallum invented google so people had a way to find him.
49. Some politicians give speeches… John McCallum gives wisdom exposures.
50. The first issue of Gentlemans Quarterly has John McCallum on the cover.

BOOM. The next 50 to come soon. If you have any ideas for JMac facts please just drop an email to sustaineddownpour@gmail.com

Ultimate Debate Drinking Game

Here are the rules:

Drink 1 for each of the mentioned

• Canadian Families
• Coalition
• Accountability
• Quebec Sovereignty
• Balance the Budget
• Change
• Canadians are saying….
• Hardworking Canadians

Drink 2

• For each time Layton says he wants to make Parliament Work
• For each time Layton mentions credit card / atm fees.
• For each time Layton mentions kitchen table or some metaphor for a canadian home.
• For each time a candidate says something hopelessly idealistic
• For each time a leader is too polite when arguing with a candidate
• For each time Harper calls the opposition reckless
• For each time Harper says X party’s plan will raise taxes
• For each time Ignatieff uses a word that you don’t understand
• For each time Ignatieff mentions past Liberal governments
• For each time Ignatieff mentions a five point plan

Finish Your Drink if the following is mentioned by another political party

Elizabeth May / Green Party

Harper says Ignatieff didn’t come back for Canada

Harper gives his sympathies to Ralph Klein

Layton compares himself to Barack Obama

If your still alive after this game we’d love to hear from you. Things could get real.

SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS

Getting into Club Harper

Harper rallies are extremely easy to get into, that is, if you follow a simple set of rules. It’s sort of like trying to get into a nightclub: you need to wear the right things, say the right things, and you definitely need to make sure you don’t have anything murky in your past. We at SDP have put together a simple list of requirements for entry into Club Harper:

Harper enjoying a beer at Club Harper.

• Show up alone! Friendships are for socialists.
• Quebec ID? GTFO!
• No Ed Hardy.
• Frosted Tips? I think you want the Green party rally down the street.
• No red ties, shirts, pants, jackets. Please just don’t wear red.
• If you’re an environmentalist you must consent to a full body cavity search, hippy.
• Don’t come with any questions unless they’ve been vetted  by one of our staff… only the first four will be accepted.
• No jerseys or long necklaces.
• Thursdays are Criminal Record Holder Night™: VIP Line for our friends… Mega jails for everybody else.
• Long Guns welcome.
• No gays.
• One week before the event your Facebook profile will be vetted for any ties to the CPC enemies list. Prepare ahead.
• Dress code: sweater vests only.
• Be able to produce ID, no one under 35 allowed.

Remember if you bring your bible you’ll get no line no cover and be entered for a $100 bar tab*. Just remember that if you want to head to a rally before May 2nd we have everything you need to know right here. The bar is running a big deficit so make sure you hurry down before the bank calls in our loan.

 

*to be used for red communion wine only.

Replay Rainstorm!

 

New feature on SDP is the Replay Rainstorm! From time to time we will make sure that you can catch all the real action right here. So if you haven’t been paying attention for the last week be sure to check this out.

Thus Bespoke the Leaders

From time to time someone needs to weigh in on the fashion choices that our federal leaders make. There is no question that style factor wins and loses elections. Without a doubt every federal MP, especially the party leaders, do their best to make sure that they have only the finest in tailored suits.

That’s why today rather than listening to who said what or what the narrative was, SDP was way more concerned with who wore what. The person who looks the best on confidence day is going to be the person who gets a boost in the polls next week. Canadians really do care about what our federal leaders are wearing. Does that tie clash with that shirt? Does their suit come off as too plain or just perfect? Who does Gilles Duceppes hair? These are the questions that Canadians want answered and thats why SDP is here for you.

The Leaders

Stephen Harper

Professor Harper?

As the current prime minister you’d really think that Harper would come out and try to set the tone. The glasses were an absolutely great touch to Harpers outfit, he looks professional yet approachable. To be honest he looks like he could be lecturing right now, but it’d have to be at a middle class university. He’s probably not smart enough to cut it at McGill. The red and white tie is a little bit awkward and just doesn’t really fit his general style. You’d think Harper would want to come out swinging with a bit of bad boy tory blue. The lapel pin is also a great touch. Overall he’s going to come out with a B grade, he could have brought the heat a little bit more but from his outfit you can clearly tell the man is stressed.

Michael Ignatieff

Gettin Iggy With It!

The guy is clearly trying to win an election. He’s got the red tie going and he looks as fierce as a child ready to hit the playground. The suit is a bit plain but the shirt more than makes up for it with its nice light blue and white stripe combo. Gorgeous shirt selection, the man clearly went straight from Brooks Brothers to the house. Yes, Brooks Brothers with its pure american style. Iggy may not have come back for you, but he sure does look good.

Jack Layton

"I could just get undressed for you right now..."

Yup thats our boy Jacky. Honestly if there is one thing that I can say it’s that none of the leaders have any swagger. All of them came in with the plain black suits. Will give props to Layton for his tie as it’s a pretty aggressive shade of purple. I think he might be trying to channel some Nenshi-Mania right here. The shirt though looks like…. well looks like its a pretty average white shirt. Thanks for coming out Jack.

Gilles Duceppe

UH, What?

Hair. If you had to describe Duceppe in one word it would be just that, hair. I really want to know not only where this man goes to get a cut, but also what product he is using. Because whatever it is it’s really getting the job done. I don’t think you could get that hair to lay flat if you took a iron to it. Once again we see the average black suit selection, so nothing original here. He does have a bit of swagger level with the blue and grey striped tie, but more so because he effectively utilizes the tie clip. This is one guy you don’t want to mess with, because he means business. Also he gets extra points for using the statement, “We didn’t stay on our knees…” when talking about how they supported the first two Tory budgets but can’t this one.

Elizabeth May

Ya, I don't have a seat in the commons... whatev.

Oh Elizabeth, you have much to learn. I’d ask if she recently got her hair done but we don’t see enough of her to know if it’s changed at all. Once again the black suit selection so not much to comment on here. Although the green shirt is a nice touch. Overall I think Elizabeth is just trying to channel her inner Hillary Clinton.

The Supporting Cast

Yvon Godin

Best Looking Acadian? Maybe

If there was one man who above all came to party today, that man would have to be Yvon Godin. He’s got a nice tan suit that looks like the first edition of the spring line from Bellissimo. Just a gorgeous looking tie that Godin is able to pull off extremely well with his suit selection, overall the man was dressed to impress. Further I just want to mention that it seriously looks like he took a buffer right to the top of his head before entering the house today. Gotta keep it fresh!

Lavar Payne

Ya I'm Old.

Straight up, Lavar Payne just looks like an old man here. The dark brown suit with the dark brown tie to match looks like something my grandfather would wear to mass on a sunday morning. He really didn’t spice it up at all and I don’t think he’s bought a new suit in probably a decade. You really didn’t even come close to bringing the PAYNE Lavar, not even close.

Denis Coderre

Denis, Denis, Denis. Definitely toed the party line with the beautiful tone of red tie you chose today. It goes relatively well with the nice light blue shirt. Only real problem you have today is your hair. Denis looks like a boy who went to prep school and let his mother lick her hand and slick his hair over everyday. Unfortunately thats swagger level minus 100.

Gerard Asselin

I forgot to memorize my lines.

First thing that comes to mind when looking at Gerard is that he went bold today. From shirt, to tie, to lapelle pin he went bold. You gotta show him some love for that. Unfortunately looking like you were in Who Framed Roger Rabbit just won’t cut it on confidence day. The orange shirt is just completely unnecessary and the tie is to much. A 2 striped tie is good, 3 stripes is probably crossing the line. Sorry Asselin, but you take home the title of worst dressed today my friend.

Honorable Mention

Rosemary Barton

I'm listening for the loudest outfit

Rosemary is cupping her ear to try and listen for the loudest outfit. Unfortunately she should have factored in the fact that her outfit is so loud that it’s drowning out anyone in a 20 metre radius. So loud, but oh so good. The purple just looks good, and yes Rosemary you made the right choice last time you were at the mall. Keep up the good work.

Outcome

To close to call. Everyone came to play today and there were some winners and some losers. If I had to pick, I’d say that Rosemary is the one who did it for real. She was loud but modest and just played all her cards right. Sorry boys, but you’re going to have to step up next time.

Remember folks, SDP is here for all your entertainment needs so be sure to send in any topics you’d like us to blog about to sustaineddownpour@gmail.com. We’re here for you: All real talk, all the time. BOOM

 

OH YA, the Harper government lost on a confidence motion today. Something about contempt of parliament? From what I hear it was the first time that’s ever happened. Oh well, election timez!!!!

Rain All Year Around

Sustained Downpour is here for one reason and one reason alone: to make sure that there is a constant rainstorm across our great country. There is no better time than now for the great people behind SDP to jump into the blogging lifestyle for so many reasons:

Rebecca Black has 44 million views on youtube.

Justin Bieber got a haircut and the boys at SDP followed suit.

Jack Layton is punking us all into thinking there is going to be an election when he really plans on voting for the budget… I know Ashton K’s just waiting to jump out.

Finally here is how the boys at SDP see the rest of the world:

End of the day the SDP boys are here to stay… but only until we get a follow friday from Mike Tyson on twitter. Because really we all know that no one starts to blog or twitter for any other reason, other than to get a #ff from the big man.

We’re here to talk about politics, news, current events, pop culture, food, alcohol and absolutely anything you want. So please drop us a line at sustaineddownpour@gmail.com with ideas on what you’d like to hear about and we’ll be sure to give you some social commentary. BOOM.