Lighten Up Will Ya

Lighten Up Will Ya

By BillieBLVD for Leaf-and-barrel.com

While packing for a trip I became cognizant of the amount of things that I had to pack outside of my clothing.  So many power cords, so many devices, and if you are a cigar smoker remember that we need a cutter, lighter, herf or carrying case, cigars, puncher, cedar spills, and matches (that should be the complete list).  While I can hardly do without my power cords for my camera, phone, laptop, and smart watch I know that there are a few things I can do without when it comes to cigars.  

Nowadays when I walk out if the house on the way to the smoking lounge I only need a pack of matches (that’s it; it's one of those weird instances whereby losing something you actually gain something).  My Leaf&Barrel cigar shirt carries three cigars, the pockets are made of a hybrid material that does not breath so the cigars remain humidified, and each cigar has its own separate compartment that does not allow the cigars to rub together.  I no longer require a herf or a zip lock bag, and did I mention that these shirts look good.  Stylish yet conservative, they are made of Japanese cotton with custom colored buttons and subtle accents.  

With a quick Cuban cut (see the video here) using my thumb to remove the outer cap of the cigar the only accoutrement that I need is a match which is usually provided at a cigar lounge.  The Cuban cut forces me to get up close and personal with the cigar because you have to taste the cap to loosen it from the body of the cigar.  Not that I am shallow but wearing a cigar shirt already makes me look like a serious cigar smoker, but when other cigar smokers see me cutting the cigar without a cutter and lighting it with a match or cedar spill lets just say that it's clear that I belong here.