A new adventure begins. CK Bradley Ribbon Belts brought endless scavenger hunts, contests, and dapper belted boys. CK Bradley Dresses brought fun and frolic to the everyday cocktail party, and the ever growing desire for me to do things in my CK Bradley Dress that hadn't been done before. I have been getting restless with the confines of a dress, and have found another design realm that NEEDS MY HELP.
Ski Mountains.

I'm SICK of not having ANYTHING to wear skiing. I don't want to look like a boy in baggy snowboarding pants, or some technical genius in the latest in high tech gear with reflectors for search and rescue teams when I've probably fallen right beneath the lift. I don't want the cougar look with some getup that's tight in the rear and poofy up top covered in embroidered dragons, leopard print and tassles. Don't get me wrong...I like animal prints, but way better hidden beneath my ski suit than splattered all over it. And vintage stuff is great...but old and cold.

So enter my next adventure:

There are bibs beneath which are actually the HOTTEST part of the suit

OK, so not that hot on me, but give me a D cup and these things start flirting on their own.

The navy blue racing stripes down the sides also are also throughout the Jacket back and arms...and are Spandura - a heavy weight Spandex. A size Small fits a 4-6 and is so darn comfy you might want to replace your bathrobe with the bibs. In fact you don't need to ski to own one of these...just live in a cold place. I tend to think these bibs (pants) fit me better than my favorite pair of jeans - which means I might be wearing these out to bars this Winter.

The colorful outer fabric is Nylon Rip Stop, and there is a layer of insulation as well. Comfy, warm...SEXY!!!!

I am taking pre-orders now. The Bibs are $550, Jacket $450. Ready to ship beginning of January, 2011.

I will be hitting the road starting in Vermont, then headed West to every big mountain January 1st. If you are going to be skiing this Winter, Apres might just be there. Any leads on trunk shows in different mountain towns, let me know so we can set them up. Otherwise look out for us on the slopes, and on the road. I will update as the adventure expands.

-Hot Dog, Bradley

Interested in investing in Apres? Email ckbradley13@gmail.com

Ta-Ta for Now, CKB

After 11 fun years of living and creating CK Bradley, I am closing our doors for now. Later is another story, but rest assured that I have something brewing...

What an incredible trip it has been:

from our first photo shoot at Hammersmith Farm in the bridal collection circa 2002
to many run ins with the law during the shoots....

to belting the boys
the girls
and myself.
We had impromptu photo shoots on random afternoons in NYC,
and hot afternoons in farmers markets,
at the beach,on the dock,
on beautiful boats,
off beautiful boats,
and up the mast on boats.
We had run ins with people ALL wearing CKB at summer clambakes (ooops)
out an about at night,
outside the Whomper,
on random sunny afternoons,at wedding receptions,
and in our NYC store.
We've had fabulous Punch parties
Dorrians parties,
tailgate parties,
race to Tennessee parties,
wear orange Dickies parties,
and fake wedding parties.
We've had Cheerleaders,
cheer boys,
and bowling boys testing out CKB boxers.
There have been stores in Charlottesville and Richmond,
in Newport, NYC

and at temporarily at the Javitz center.
We've had belt contests with entertaining entries: Beach Bum
Banana Hammock,
and the winner, Beer Goggles.

We've had incredible CKB girls...(Vieve and Ebbie and MANY more)

Vieve, thank you for inspiring me to keep going and sticking by all my crazy ideas for so long!

-When One Door Closes Another Opens, Bradley

ps. the blog is stayin:)

To be Listed or not to be Listed?

I grew up in a time when everyone had land lines and answering machines. If you needed to call a friend, you'd thumb through the telephone book and find their home number.

In my case, the telephone book was the very BIG Manhattan Directory, BUT our name wasn't in it.

Dad wanted to maintain privacy and be unlisted, but it cost .50c a month to be unlisted. Rather then pay, Dad made up a name...Archimedes I. Zzzyandottie, with enough zzz's to earn the last spot in the world's largest telephone directory. I thought it was normal to have a last name beginning with a B, but listed telephone number under three Z's.

Add that to my list of abnormal normalcies.

Needless to say, this attempt at privacy got a lot of press and prank calls.

Kids prank called it all the time, Playboy featured it in June 1963 AFTER HOURS, and authors created characters inspired by this mysterious Archimedes.

"We regret to report that- as is often the case with sequels-Alexander Graham Bell’s recently published Manhattan Telephone Directory doesn’t measure up to the promise of the authors earlier work…Speaking of numbers, the author has audaciously undertaken the abandonment of the Romantic tradition of lettered prefixes (such as Murry Hill, Gramercy…)in favor of the futuristic device of the digital dialing system-doubtless in an attempt to depict the elimination of individual identity in an age of expanding automation. The effect , ironically, has been so dehumanizing his characters and the book itself. But perhaps most culpably, the redoubtable Archimedes I. Zzzydottie - a picturesque and familiar figure in all of Bell’s more recent works, has the distinction of taking the last bow in the book..."

From Collecting Telephone Books by Gwillim Law:

"We began to see elements of beauty and utility in telephone books. Archimedes I Zzzyandottie was last in Manhattan but first in our hearts. Our neighbor Charles suggested that we write to him and say that his name had been selected at random from the telephone book. (We didn't.)"

Even mentioned as a character in John Crowley's book: Little, Big:

"And the phone book, when (just hypothetically, there was no immediate need) he consulted it, listed surprising columns, whole armies in fact, of Rodriguezes and Garcias and Fuenteses, with great pompous Christian names, Monserrate, Alejandro, such as he had never heard her use. And talk about pompous names, look at this last guy, Archimedes Zzzyandottie, what on earth. "

-I wonder what names I can muster besides Camilla, Bradley

Cover Shoot

In case you wondered what happens when you mix salt and silk...
This months Quest Magazine cover.
(I may pay your dry cleaning bill if you send me a pic of you topping this pic)
Camilla Bradley in the Oscar Dress in Pink and Ryan Jones in the Cortina Dress in Yellow.

-Still Salty, Bradley

Spotted...

Spotted in CKB at the IYRS Gala.
L-R: CKB in the white Oscar Dress (with a belt from Mom's closet from the 70's)Barrett in last years Beachcomber, but available in 2 colors this season, and Jennifer in the Cortina Dress in yellow dupioni.
IYRS is the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport, RI. Their annual party is one of the most fun summer parties out here...they transform the enormous workshop where wooden boats are brought back to life into something that resembles the a chic downtown night club in NYC. Well done whoever did it!
Later on at the Cooke House CKB Summer 2008 was Spotted... Gretchen on the far right in CKB 2008 blue birdsilk. Not to mention Ebbie in red, caught out and about after a tough day at the CKB store...and her sister Katie in CKB 2009, Pom Pom dress in white. Go girls GO!

And I am caught leisurely blogging on a sunday morning...wait make that LUNCHTIME on a sunday afternoon! Time to walk the puppy....

-Hoarse Voice, Bradley