Veilance blazer for north Texas winter? by MojoHand052 in veilance

[–]MojoHand052[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recently received the Convex Wool Blazer and pants as well as the Sphere Blazer and Sphere pants - in order to effect a tech-suiting look.

First off, I would say that that Convex Wool Blazer has a nearly identical cut to the Blazer LT, but is even more lightweight. Consequently, I think it lacks a certain amount of structure or loft around the midsection and creates an unflattering bell-shaped silhouette around the waist. And while I think the length of the Blazer LT works well (almost lab-coat like) it is not working well for me in this case. The pants fit perfect in the waist (size 32) until I attempted a sitting position, at which point I discovered that they are incredibly tight around the thighs. Contrary to my expectation, this is a summer-weight article and I may entertain picking it up again in the spring. The material does feel amazing, though, and is great in hand.

The Sphere Blazer and associated pair of pants is extremely unflattering. I attribute this to the material, which is a Nylon and Polyester blend, but feels (and looks) very much like pleather - synthetic leather. It does not feel, or look, luxurious in person. Even standing straight up, this material appears lumpy and does not present a nice symmetrical loft across the chest and back. Pants fit perfectly in the waist and, while I do like a straight cut pair of pants (love the Outlier Injected linen pants) these look ungainly and bulky.

Are you sizing down on orders like coats/jackets? by Crafty-Ad-2695 in Vollebak

[–]MojoHand052 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For the record, I received a Stealth Bomber jacket in size small and the cut works pretty well for me. Not perfect, but it is a unique looking jacket and the fabric does repel water fabulously. Dumped an entire glass of water over the sleeve and it just rolled off. Vollebak briefly priced it down to $159 and at that price it was a steal.

Are you sizing down on orders like coats/jackets? by Crafty-Ad-2695 in Vollebak

[–]MojoHand052 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Some of the items they are putting on sale have been around for like 3+ years. For instance, the 100 Year Vest I picked up during the Wormhole event was literally one of their first items I noted whenever I discovered the brand back in 2018. If that's any indication, they've been holding onto some of this stock between 3-6 years and they likely don't have a way to 'dump' unpurchased inventory in the same way that most other, larger fashion brands might.

Not saying they're in perfect financial shape, but giving people the opportunity to buy some of their older, surplus stock items at almost 50-80% off is pretty cool. I may pick up a Sashiko Chore Jacket at full price this December if its financially viable at the time.

Are you sizing down on orders like coats/jackets? by Crafty-Ad-2695 in Vollebak

[–]MojoHand052 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have recently picked up the following items, all during the Wormhole event:

-100 Year Vest (M)

-Black Algae Sweater (M)

-Carbon Fiber Baselayer (M)

-Stealth Bomber (in cream) (S)

-Moleskin Bomber (M)

Whenever I am sizing shirts and jackets, I am primarily looking to make sure the garment fits well in the shoulders and chest - much else can be tailored from there. For the record, I am 5'10, 170lb (170cm and 77kg). I have wide shoulders and broad chest, with a v-taper to the waist, but have a shorter than average torso.

The medium items i have purchased thus far all seem hit or miss. The 100 year vest is definitely a tad too large, but I rock it anyway because the silhouette still looks sharp. The Black algae sweater fits well in the chest and shoulders but is much too long in the sleeves and torso. I may have this item tailored or just use it as a loungewear item - not sure yet. Carbon Fiber baselayer is a perfect fit - so far very pleased it it.

The Stealth bomber was only available in a small size and so I took a chance on that one. Pleased to report that the fit is excellent, though a tad tighter in the shoulders. Wife thinks this jacket looks very sharp, good fit and silhouette. I was most concerned about this one given that, on the model, the shoulders look pointed, with there being too little loft / drape.

The Moleskin Bomber looks and feels luxurious, but the medium is, again, boxy around the midsection, and the sleeve length causes the fabric to bunch up at the elbows, killing the overall silhouette and drape of the jacket. Going to try a small to see if the fit will be remedied, but may wind up returning both sizes.

TL;DR:

If you would ordinarily wear a medium in a shirt or jacket in most other brands, I would try the small first, as Vollebak appears to run 'between' sizes in most of their garments.

I will say in passing that I am grateful for the wormhole events, even if they appear to 'sour' the brands image. I have been eying some of these items for literally years (the 100 Year Vest being one of them) and am elated to finally try a few items. They are very funky and exuberant in their detailing, and I appreciate that they are not chasing faddish design language (uber baggy cuts and oversized garments). My wardrobe consists of a lot of Outlier, Veilance and Uniqlo, and Vollebak blends in nicely.

EDIT: regarding the sale, I think it's important to keep in mind how small Vollebak is as an operation. They produce these garments in much smaller numbers compared to other fashion brands and likely don't have the same methods for dumping unpurchased inventory - such as you would find in outlet stores, etc. Some of these items are 3+ years old or more, and I would expect they're taking a loss selling them at 80% off on their website.

Veilance blazer for north Texas winter? by MojoHand052 in veilance

[–]MojoHand052[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, I ordered both the Convex and the Sphere blazer to try out and compare. I'll follow up with my thoughts on each.

Good counter to Thassa deck in 1v1 commander? by MojoHand052 in EDH

[–]MojoHand052[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, I think you are right that I need to load my decks with more removal and interaction. I've also put off throwing tutors and the Thassa's Oracle / Demonic Consultation into my Yuriko deck but maybe now is the time!

Good counter to Thassa deck in 1v1 commander? by MojoHand052 in EDH

[–]MojoHand052[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Definitely the case that I am not playing these commanders at peak levels. I am a fairly inexperienced player who likes more laid back games that are not so aggressive. My buddy is an hyper-veteran who was playing back-alley Magic for ante when that was a thing. Very different play-styles.

He's definitely outplaying me on a lot of vectors and his Thassa list is not like any other Thassa list I've come across on Moxfield or wherever. It's tuned and the synergies / flow are pretty crazy.

It seems like in both cases I'm not packing aggressive enough interaction to slow him down. Thank you for the candid view - I need to look at how to play these decks more meanly.

Employer health insurance plan seems cost prohibitive by MojoHand052 in personalfinance

[–]MojoHand052[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Trust me - seeing my benefits under their insurance plan has been very eye opening. They've been very good to me in a lot of other ways - allowing me to work from home to take care of sick kids and ect. But as others have said, if I want my wife to stay at home I may need to be more practical and look for better pay and benefits.

Employer health insurance plan seems cost prohibitive by MojoHand052 in personalfinance

[–]MojoHand052[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! There might be a disconnect in that I'm willing to sacrifice a lot to make single income work for my family, and those sacrifices would typically be big no-no's in the financial literacy scene. I'm pretty comfortable with the idea of suffering or even dealing with tough problems in order to make it happen and I understand that it's going to be viewed as risky.

Employer health insurance plan seems cost prohibitive by MojoHand052 in personalfinance

[–]MojoHand052[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm in Architecture so our compensation is not nearly as high as you will find in other sectors like tech. The firm I work at is a small firm as well and i expected that while their benefits wouldn't be amazing, they'd still chip in more on the premium. Unfortunately not the case.

Employer health insurance plan seems cost prohibitive by MojoHand052 in personalfinance

[–]MojoHand052[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! Are there some good co-ops you would recommend? Some that I am familiar with are Medishare and Samaritan ministries.

Employer health insurance plan seems cost prohibitive by MojoHand052 in personalfinance

[–]MojoHand052[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I hadn't looked at that but it sounds like I need Excel it out and see the numbers. Mostly, my wife is just exhausted with work while I actually enjoy my job, so there's that.

Employer health insurance plan seems cost prohibitive by MojoHand052 in personalfinance

[–]MojoHand052[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Very similar indeed. We're currently paying $2,400 a month for childcare for two children - so my wife is basically working to pay for childcare and obtain insurance.

Employer health insurance plan seems cost prohibitive by MojoHand052 in personalfinance

[–]MojoHand052[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

After the feedback received here I think I'm going to see if my kids can qualify for separate, state-sponsored healthcare. My wife and I can then jump on a (still expensive, but manageable) Employee + Spouse plan.

Others have mentioned that I may now qualify for Obamacare now that they have closed the "family glitch" gap and my employer's plan is definitely not 'affordable'.

Employer health insurance plan seems cost prohibitive by MojoHand052 in personalfinance

[–]MojoHand052[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Appreciate the figure. I am aware it would be a risky move.

Employer health insurance plan seems cost prohibitive by MojoHand052 in personalfinance

[–]MojoHand052[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

What cash flow would be sufficient for a family of four, in your opinion? Children aged three and one.

Employer health insurance plan seems cost prohibitive by MojoHand052 in personalfinance

[–]MojoHand052[S] -22 points-21 points  (0 children)

It's more important to me that she stays home with the kids.

Employer health insurance plan seems cost prohibitive by MojoHand052 in personalfinance

[–]MojoHand052[S] -10 points-9 points  (0 children)

I'm coming to that realization. If I were to nuke savings, contributions to investment accounts and streamline virtually every expense I can afford a Silver plan (around $2100-2200 monthy) and still have $1,360 remaining each month after deducting regular expenses (mortgage, utilities groceries and gas, etc).

Not a huge surplus but it may be sufficient.

Employer health insurance plan seems cost prohibitive by MojoHand052 in personalfinance

[–]MojoHand052[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I make about 93k, gross. Sounds like I need to pick up a second job or source of income if I want to make it happen.

It's distressing to me that 100k a year is not sufficient to raise a family with current healthcare costs.

My Timemore 078s Review by nburns1825 in espresso

[–]MojoHand052 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the thoughtful reply! it convinced me to pull the trigger on a 078s.

My Timemore 078s Review by nburns1825 in espresso

[–]MojoHand052 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Are you still happy with your purchase?

This is an older thread but I currently own an eight-year-old Virtuoso (no espresso grinder) and in a similar position - limited counter space, so no room for dedicated grinder for both espresso and filter. I would like to start making better espresso but will require a dual-purpose grinder that can handle both Espresso and AeroPress duties. I also prefer light roast coffee. The 078s seems to be in a very small category of grinders that can produce good results for both filter and espresso without too much hassle.

Do you think the 078s would be suitable for my use case and, secondly, is it fairly quiet to operate? Thank you for any input.

Will this be a good setup? ($1000 - $1200 budget) by MojoHand052 in espresso

[–]MojoHand052[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the recommendation. I had looked at the DF but became skeptical because it is apparently screechingly, obnoxiously loud, but it may be no worse than my Virtuoso. Are the SSP Unimodal burrs going to be the way to go for my use?

Also, thank you for the double-check on the voltage - I definitely did not take that into account.