WHOWHATWEAR
Living the motorcycle lifestyle
WHEN JEFF CAMPAGNA and his wife Tania LaCaria decided to put down roots in a local community, they set aside one passion by celebrating another. The couple, originally from Mississauga and Woodbridge respectively, spent the better part of the past decade travelling around Central and South America and Europe, developing a taste for the vintage motorcycle lifestyle that seemed so popular in the countries they visited.
But Campagna, now in his 30s, says Canada was calling. So they moved to Hamilton,
determined to share their enthusiasm for vintage motorcycles with the Hammer.
A little over a year later, Steeltown Garage Co. was born on Barton near James, where like-minded riders can browse leather jackets, vintage-inspired Biltwell helmets, gloves and all manner of motorcycle lifestyle products (except motorcycles), all while sipping Steeltown Garage Co. branded java at the in-house coffee bar.
“We were exposed to this sort of concept time and time again in Europe or Latin America,” Campagna says of the vintage motorcycle shop/café concept. “And it’s kind of a natural concept because if you’re riding around on a motorcycle, you really shouldn’t be stopping in bars and drinking beer and booze. So motorcyclists tend to gravitate toward coffee shops.”
The shop oozes with Campagna’s lowkey style. Rich leathers mingle with the soft cottons of the shop’s own line of STLTWN T-shirts, designed by Campagna. Black, white and grey dominate, punctuated by the occasional pop of red, a colour he confesses rarely makes it into his own wardrobe.
“It’s a less is more approach which is the case with a lot of things I do, whether I’m building a motorcycle or whatever,” he says of his minimalist look.
And even though here he wears a white convertible long-sleeve T-shirt from H&M over grey Pull&Bear jeans, Campagna says that most days he opts for black tees over black jeans with his black Luigi Sardo leather boots.
Patches and pins that hold personal meaning adorn the bib and lapel of Campagna’s Buffalo leather jacket, including his family crest, a Steeltown Garage Co. patch and a pin from the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, a global event in support of the Movember Foundation.
“I rode in the one in Toronto last year and it’s a very fun event,” says Campagna of the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, which he helped bring to Hamilton this year.
“It’s only for vintage motorcycles or sidecars or scooters and everyone has to dress up very dapper, like Sunday finest kind of thing in tweed and wax moustaches and stuff.”
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride takes place all over the world on Sept. 24. Campagna says so far, they have 65 registrants for the Hamilton event. If you’d like to join him and his 1977 Honda CB550 Café Racer, please register at: www.gentlemansride.com
or get in touch with Campagna at his shop here: steeltowngarage.com Most eye-catching piece On my self I don’t like eye-catching clothing or accessories. I don’t wear any jewelry, in fact I can’t wear rings which is why my wedding ring is a tattoo ... I take pride in my tattoos …
Wardrobe must-have A perfectly fitting white T-shirt. Best purchase These (Luigi Sardo) boots. I’ve had them for two riding seasons now and they hold up really well. And the leather is such high quality that it takes on a patina over time. The more beat up it gets, the better it looks. Regrets buying Sometimes I regret buying jeans that are too tight. Like I try to stay modern with more fitted jeans but then sometimes I just end up with jeans that are too skinny. Loves to shop at Steeltown Garage Co. … I’m such a bad shopper; I really just stick to clearance racks at H&M and Zara. Ridding his closet of
I tend to hang on to clothing past its prime. Because I like distressed, worn-in clothing, sometimes it sort of crosses the line. Which is when Tania rids my wardrobe of such items. I tend to not really. I’d sooner throw away a brand new shirt I’d bought that I don’t really like than a ripped old T-shirt that fits me perfectly. Splurges on Leather. Boots, jackets, that kind of stuff. Beauty product he can’t live without Bearded Nomad Beard Oil.