Until writing this post, I’d never really thought that Tom Selleck could have existed without his moustache. Surely he’s always had it, from birth, hasn’t he? According to the commercial below, the answer is no, he once had a life where he was ‘tache less. And apparently he smelled like a man should smell, thanks to Safeguard soap!
The Retroist has looked at the commercial life of Selleck before, if you want to see more.
I have always been a big fan of Magnum PI and I find the older I get, the more I find myself coming back to the series again and again. I think at some point in my youth, I determined that when I grew up, I would like to be Magnum. Sadly, the ship has sailed on most of the steps I would need to take to live a Magnum lifestyle. So what is a Magnum wannabe to do? They learn how to Dress like Magnum PI!
Sure, why not! You do not need the detective skills, combat training or exciting lifestyle when you have the gear to make you resemble the coolest private detective this side of Kauai. So here are my suggestions for dressing like Magnum.
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of course….
, but for my money, if you are trying to pull off the Magnum look, I like the Glacier Mountaineering Sunglasses he wore when he was out Surf Skiing. Those are pretty difficult to find nowadays, but the Julbo Vermont Classic Sunglasses look like they would be a good substitute.
. They might look a little different today, but the Easy Rider has not changed much since the 1970s/1980s. If those classics aren’t available, check out this list of retro Pumas. Most of the classic Pumas will work for the Magnum look.
The “boat shoes” were Sperry Topsiders. I think the off-white ones he wore were called Seamates and in a few episodes he wore a Standard Brown Sperry Topsider.
and if you are face follicley challenged remember there are alternatives
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Yes, there are a dozen other pieces you could add to your wardrobe or arsenal to make yourself more Magnum-ish, but this is a good start and will certainly get you looking like Magnum in your day to day life. Of course it helps if you live in an oceanfront house or drive a Ferrari, but with this gear you will be half way there for when Robin Masters finally calls you up.
If you just want to show your a fan, maybe you should just check out this very retro, Magnum P.I. Toys Chopper and Ferrari Gold T-Shirt
metagirl, who has an unnatural fascination with Magnum P.I. has been emailing me this link for months now and I just kept forgetting to put it up. This cake was posted waaay back in 2008 and while the cake is long gone. Its memory will live on forever in the hearts and minds of those who desire their own sugary Tom Selleck.
[via] alicia policia
This montage of AT&T ads came from a 1993 Newsweek CD-ROM, when Newsweek thought that one day, magazines would be sent to you in CD-ROM form, sponsored with ads. It’s an interesting view of the future, narrated by Tom Selleck.
About a decade ago, Larry Manetti, who played Rick on the hit TV series Magnum PI, released a book about his memories on the set of the show. The book is called Aloha Magnum and it was a big seller. All copies went out the door and Manetti went back to his normal life. But Magnum PI fans kept hearing about the book and new fans kept appearing. Since only a finite number of books had been printed, the price on Amazon and other sites started to rise. It wasn’t unusual to see copies of the book selling for 100s of dollars. So what is the average Magnum fan to do?
Well Manetti has your back. Realizing that many fans couldn’t get the book, he went and printed up an additional 500 copies to sell online. He is charging a much more reasonable $20 + shipping for the book, which is completely worth it if you are are a fan of Magnum PI or have a fan in your life. But act fast, the book is selling briskly and once the 500 are sold, who knows if we will need to wait another decade for another run.
Oh and as a special treat for fans, Manetti will sign each copy of the book you buy. So not only it is informative and fun to read (filled with anecdotes, recipes and episode guide with notes by Manetti), but it is also a piece of TV memorabilia. I am thrilled to finally have a copy.
Aloha Magnum: Larry Manetti’s Magnum, P.I. Memories [@] LarryManetti.com
