As the Fall lookbooks begin to flood the blahgs, there have been a few that really standout. Two being cousin lines SOPHNET. and uniform experiment. SOPH may have gone a little heavy on the camo but there are some really great items and looks in the collection. I particularly like the rich mix of earthy tones and navy blues - those tones paired with the camo and plaids make for some great color and texture mixing.
And if the SOPHNET. collection is a guy’s weekend look then uniform experiment is surely his weekday source. U.E. has a definitively slick maritime aesthetic but it seems perfect for ‘city living’. It has a much stricter palette then SOPH - sticking more sternly with deep navy blues, black, and khaki - giving the line a clean and polished feel. Either way I don’t think you could go wrong mixing elements of both these collections this Fall.
I’ve been all about the raglan 3/4 sleeve for a long time and Deluxe has another beautifully simple option available. It’s easy to do, just pick a neutral and where… a lot.
I’m loving Bedwin’s “East LA gangsta on holiday” look with their Spring/Summer 2010 collection. The fact that their model looks like B-Real’s little brother drives that image home even further for me.
The looks featured here have a lot of the things I’m really feeling. Virtually every season Bedwin does a black crewneck sweater shirt with some sort of white print on it - classic in a badass motorcycle club kind of way. Perfect worn simply with denim or done, as seen above, with and oxford and patterned tie.
Other stand outs are the cropped chinos paired both with lightweight wallabees and a beefier soled chukka. And also, as I discussed yesterday, the Hawaiian printed shirt and short. Keep it a simple two-color option like these and you’ll be golden this Summer.
I’m finally getting a chance to double back on my thoughts on all the ‘breaking fashion news’ that everyone has been racing to share.
nonnative always gets a lot of attention here, and I must say that there probably isn’t any other label in the world I’m more enamored with season after season - at least from a wearability point of view. Sadly it’s the same old story - not easily available and extremely expensive. A full-proof strategy on their part.
Their Spring/Summer 2010 collection brings us more of what we expect from them with their usual adjustments in color palette. They have a much stronger black story running through the line than you would typically expect in a Spring collection but it pairs perfectly with the intense royal and orange color pops within the collection. That bold trio of colors mix in very well with the softer side of the collection made up of washed and worn blues, heather grey, and natural earth tones. This season they mix up the collaborations a bit with boots by Tricker’s, eyewear with Kaneko Optical, and Birkenstock thongs.
Some of the true stand out items from the looks above are the black over-dyed oxford and courrier coat (top left) and the orange student blouson (top right). I will be breaking down the collection item by item in the coming days.
Spring was a tangible idea to me for the week I spent in LA, but the weather has been brutal in NY since I returned home and it was like a slap in the face. So it’s been difficult for me to wrap my had around Spring being around the corner. But I’ll get to the Spring lookbooks soon enough, and I will get to my thoughts on NYFW soon after as well.
Before we go there I think there is still plenty of great product to be featured from the season we’re still living in. An item I think would be worth picking up if you’re the right size (sizes are limited) is ts(s)’s Blue Sole Wingtip. This whole trad thing everybody is on right now is great, anything to get American men to dress better, but there is a fine line that can be crossed transforming a young man into old-man territory. Young guys should be keeping things youthful and a shoe like this is a perfect remedy. There is a lot of product that we feature here I would make little tweaks to but I have to say that this is simply perfect. The shoe has a great classic shape and the clean black suede, natural leather welt, and royal blue popped outsole is great combo not only for the rest of this season but for a good part of Spring as well. Wear these with a contrasting bright sock and pop the blue someplace else as a jacket or accessory mixed in with a neutral palette and you’ll be golden.
And when I say useless, I mean useless to me. I haven’t owned or used a comb in over a decade - I always assumed that is what fingers were for - and I only have one key to speak of, so I literally just carry the key by itself in my pocket. Keeps me light and streamlined. But I have to tell you, Deluxe’s comb makes me want to get a haircut that suits using one and the key chain makes me want to own more things that keys belong to.
From beast (see previous post) to beauty… Beauty & Youth’s Nordic Knit Cashmere sweater is the perfect option for when your thrift store ugly joke sweater isn’t appropriate. There isn’t room for many of these sort of sweaters in most men’s wardrobes but if you had to have just one, this would be worth tracking down.
Never mind the 12 year old models - R.Newbold is seriously good. Check the boat shoe and plaid vest combo below. The vest has a great chevron stitch & puff pattern running down the body. I can see myself wearing those two pieces and mixing in everything around them in so many ways (just not with the matching messenger bag).
It’s rare that we feature Nike here (rare as in never), but this is just too cool not to show. But leave the zipper lace-cover off please. Image courtesy of Plog.
I’m still jonesing for a varsity jacket even though the season it would most heavily be used in is coming to end soon. nonnative knows how to do this style right and always has an option every Fall, but my gut says this is just lust and if it’s love I will pick one up next year.
More portions of the Fall/Winter 2009 nonnative collection has hit stores and it just keeps getting better. I don’t mean to beat you over the head with this, but if you’re not on the royal blue and brick red bandwagon yet it might soon become unavoidable. And as much as I have been resisting, pre-worn and washed denim is starting win me over again. All in all, the pieces I’m featuring here and on the next page are exactly how I’m dressing right now, a mix of black, greys, navy, browns, reds and royals mixed in all sort of untraditional ways.
Anoutcommunemeta is one of the few places I know where you can find obscure brand Unused. Their collection has many great things to offer but it is their accessories that I’m drawn to most. I have to admit I don’t wear hats as often as I used to, but there are occasions when you live in the Northeast that it is just a necessity. And for those times, however often they are, Unused’s Shetland Wool Knit Cap is just about as perfect an option as there is. Simple core colors, in a great thick knit, and the brandless label is just enough to let you know it’s not generic.
Always a fan of Japanese label nonnative, and with an upcoming trip to Tokyo in my future, I was excited to see the latest Fall releases from the label. The Fall/Winter 2009 collection moves the label away from their historically earthy outdoor style and goes with a slightly cooler darker palette which includes lots of black, grey, and blue. Ironically I’ve pulled some of the lighter shades amongst the collection as my items to look out for. Don’t get me wrong, I still love raw denim (no matter what the trend reports are saying), a shiny black puffer vest, and a rumpled gingham shirt, all of which are in there. But it’s the beige Mountaineer Down Vest, mixed with the light grey denim, y-neck 3/4 length sleeve tees, navy cotton worker vest, and the royal accessories that are truly special. I just hope I can find some of these in my gaijin sizes.
It’s never too late in the season to show flashes of color. The London by Anglo 13-Ply Woven Belt by Nepenthes is a perfect pick-up for the coming months. The belt is from the labels Spring collection so was clearly intended for Summer wear but this belt would truly shine this Fall. Just because the temperature drops does not mean we have to get all drab and dark. Mix this belts with some dark khaki, a blue oxford, and a navy jacket with another pop of color by way of your shoes or another accessory and you have a true winner. The belt comes in Multis, Browns, and Blacks and retails for $210. Available at Maps.
Takeshi Ohfuchi’s Post Overalls is the seminal American made Japanese workwear brand, having been around since 1993. The label’s roots are derived from vintage work clothes, military outfits, and outdoor garments, and has stayed true to that from the start. The labels Engineer Jacket epitomizes that having been in the line since it’s inception.
We have another video feature with Mr. Ohfuchi coming soon. Stay tuned.
We’re now at the halfway point of Summer and for the third Summer in row I’m finding that I have resorted to my warm weather uniform again - the crisp white v-neck tee - with just about anything, shorts, denim, chinos, etc. Of course there are situations when a white tee doesn’t entirely feel appropriate, like when I’m at a restaraunt I can’t dine outside at. But in most other casual situations there could be nothing better. Japanese label Deluxe, who’s product seems to sell out before you can blink, posted up their DELUXE×Hanes V-Neck T-shirts yesterday and word is they will be released on July 25th and will retail for a whopping $54. I’m enjoying the faux-retro packaging and Deluxe woven label at the bottom hem all of which seems to be adding to that markup.
The duster is sort of the forgotten jacket style. The trench and peacoat get so much attention, the duster becomes an afterthought. Well it’s not an afterthought for Japanese label Corona who specializes in ever-popular American workwear. Besides the traditional cuts and details Corona is known for, their material and color palette is always pitch perfect, as you can see with the examples pictured here in hunting ox khaki, gingham chambray, and deep navy light linen canvas. And all made in Japan.
