Nom de Guerre Trench Coat
I know I keep blogging stuff from a few select boutiques but that says something for who is handling their bidness when it comes to online retailing. Blackbird gives us the heads up on the Nom de Guerre Trench Coat they just received in from the fall collection. There are a handful (or two) pieces I really, really like from Nom de Guerre this fall. One being the military shirt which I picked up, second being their chunky knit cardigan, and now this trench coat. I really feel trench coats are the outerwear of the season. They can completely make an outfit and get you feeling good in the cool weather. NDG provides us with a nice cut, great minimal detailing, and their superior construction. This piece is running $1,040 at Blackbird.
Livestock x DVS Rico
I definitely didn’t think that I’d be liking or wanting any DVS shoes anytime soon, or ever for that matter. Then I saw these Rico’s designed by Livestock. A far cry from a typical skate shoe from DVS the Rico has an era-esque silhouette that’s a little more grown up. And the black waxed cotton makes for a pretty good looking (cheap I’m guessing) shoe prime for everyday wear in the fall. There’s also a white semi patent version, but it’s not as dope in my humble opinion.
1LDK
Veteran Japanese retailer Takayuki Minami has set up a great boutique in Tokyo called 1LDK, which stands for 1 Living room/Dining room/kitchen. The shop is located in an old apartment building and resides in one of the small apartments and functions has a ‘friends apartment you can shop from.’ The boutique carries Japanese lines Soe,John Lawrence Sullivan, and oversea designers Adam Kimmel and Patrik Soderstam. As everything gets more expensive and consumers become better educated, concepts like this will definitely have a sustainable future in our shopping markets, especially in cities like Tokyo and New York. I definitely think this is a great idea and would like to see more of it. I find it actually enhances the shopping experiance and makes it more intimate and more enjoyable. It also reminds me that I have a small store in my bedroom, only select items are actually on sale, but feel free to come through. Cash only.
Head Porter Plus Belt
Head Porter Plus seems to be stepping up their accessory game this fall with a series of key chains, bottle openers, and belts to compliment their subtle cut n sew collection of button downs and chinos. I’m still quite excited and looking forward to seeing more of their outerwear and knits. In the meantime however, we have a good look at a nice studded leather belt that’s now available at the Honeyee store. The belt comes in three classic leather colors, some subtle studding action, and a buckle I’m not super fond of. I like the leathers and the treatment they’ve been given, the studs I’m not usually a fan of, but these are tasteful. But when it comes down to the buckle, it’s just not for me. I could see it definitely working on somebody else however. These belts are retailing for a little under $200.
Ralph Lauren Boots - Are you size 9?
I came across these amazing boat shoe boot style shoes by Ralph Lauren today on eBay. I got really excited because I usually find Ralph footwear to fit big and a size 9 might actually fit me. They are vintage, already broken in, and looking perfect. These would be extremely perfect and ideal for the fall/winter months that are approaching quickly. I know some people have a problem buying pre-worn footwear, but I don’t. I’ve purchased a few pairs of shoes that have been previously worn. You can get great deals, find pieces that aren’t made anymore, and don’t have to break in the shoes. So if you are a true size 9 or 8.5, this is a good chance to get some dope footwear for a good price this fall. Just doing my part in helping you, the readers, what can I say, it’s what I do. $49 right now, 1.5 days to go.
Our Legacy Website Update
Our Legacy has now updated their web presence quite substantially with a fair bit of content, information on their fall line, as well as some of their processes, and their illustrated work. The website is meant to look a bit like an office and the way files are stored on older computers. I actually quite liked their previous layout, but the new site definitely offers a lot more content for fans of the line to go through which is nice, and something most designers don’t do. They also hinted at their S/S 09 line which looks amazing. I’m really excited about it, even though they just began releasing their fall line, it seems like the S/S line is another step ahead for the Swedish fellows. It will also mark a strong entrance into the North American market which will be good to see.
Robert Geller Backpack
This Robert Geller bag is a heater. Black leather, with straps, flaps, D rings, and a shoe lace-up feature, damn. It’s really cool looking. The price isn’t particularly cool at about $1100 US. But if you were able to pick up that bag and still had money left over to fill it with stuff, I’d say go ahead and do it. There are a lot of totes, messengers, shoulder bags, hand bags and the like being carried by men everywhere. The back pack is a tough piece to pull off with a lot of more grown up, tailored looks. I think if you owned this bag you’d have to find a way to make it work everyday. You’d have some serious stuff carrying to do with this bag to get that cost per wear/use down enough to justify it. Available this fall at Blackbird.
Issue Five Preview
Well it’s just about that time again. This month has flown by. Summer is almost over, school is starting again for some people, including me. Five issues is a handful. This next time year maybe we’ll even feel established in the web publication game. It’s really only been five months and we are going stronger than ever. Anyways, in our upcoming issue we have some interesting stuff. We talked to one of Canada’s leading distributors, C2Apparel, chopped it up with Jeff Ng/jeffstaple, talked to Brendon Babenzien about his work with Supreme and Aprix, we caught Jake Davis in the middle of filming the short for his upcoming film, Cool Hunter, and hung out in Super Champion with Tyler Lepore. We also included our Fall Essentials and an exclusive preview of Unis’ fall line and of course have your monthly Sneaker Diaries, music reviews, and I want that column plus a little more. Stay tuned for the drop next week.
Where the Cardi at?
No, not Bacardi or Kardinal. Cardigans. I’ve only seen a couple this season, Nom de Guerre, Our Legacy, and Ralph Lauren each have one I like. I don’t know if I’m missing something, but I haven’t really seen any good cardigan sweaters in any of the fall collections? Are cardigans wack and out of style, because I didn’t know. I’m particularly looking for a nice chunky knitted cardigan, but almost anything will do at this point. I like cardigans and pretty much always have. They are versatile, they are warm, comfortable, great layering pieces, they’re great. So where are they?
Porter ‘Triadic Symbiosis’ Wallet
Which also translates to ‘Kanae’ and is the legitimate name of the model. This Porter piece definitely hits the high quality yet thin wallet demographic which is quite difficult to find. The ‘triadic symbiosis’ refers to the three materials used all coming together to create a superior product. The materials are calf, shiny glass leather, and warm nubuck and the simple details brings out the characteristic of each material. The collection includes the original key ring with antique-like engraved mark, which makes the wallet a little more versatile and a little more dope. Available at allbeams.com for about $225.
Hedi Slimane Diary
I don’t know how many of you check out Hedi Slimane’s photo blog. It’s no surprise he’s a talented photographer and has had his work published in numerous magazines and books in the past year or so. I find it funny a guy like this is just hanging out in a skate park, taking photos of young kids riding bmx’s, skating, and smoking. Or am I? Whatever the case he has some beautiful shots of old double R’s smoked out with their mint condition hub caps and hood ornaments. He also has some nice shots of skid marks on ramps, probably my favorite photos recently uploaded onto his blog. What would you do if yo dropped in on a mini ramp and saw Hedi snapping flics of you? Would you go talk to him? Ask him a few questions? Or just leave me be? I think if it was me I would probably have to get him to do a photo shoot of me interviewing him.
Engineered Garments @ Den
I don’t know why I didn’t blog about this when I first read it. Then I thought since it’s already been blogged, I’m over it. But I’m not. Odin is definitely one of North America’s most impressive boutiques, mimicked across the continent and now overseas. However due to their location, they can do what others never will be able to with the Den. Now that those Common Projects are finally out of there, Engineered Garments have moved into the tiny retail space for the next couple months. Engineered Garments has done a great job of resurrecting work wear and re-appropriating it for today’s modern fashion world. The Den is a great place to showcase some of the lines top items and really give the consumer the feel and attention the line deserves. Although I’m thankful for being able to check out the Common Projects occupancy, I do wish I was going to be able to spend some time in with the new inhabitants.
Image via Mens.Style.com
Details on ACL
Can you believe the evolution of blogs today? Details and Mens.Style.com did a quick interview with fellow blogger Michael Williams of A Continuous Lean. He’s garnered a strong following of men and women who are interesting and obsessed with nice looking clothing. He admits to not trying to keep up with other blogs, rather he offers ‘a continuous’ insight into mens wear and the brands and lines he likes. A fan of modern preppy, work wear, and classic American clothing, Michael has been blogging for 8 months now. He has one of our favorite blogs, known for it’s original content, he tries to keep it positive and focus on things that look good. As he says, if you want to see something that looks bad, “you can go outside, (and) you can look at that all day long.” Anyways a blogger being featured by Details is pretty cool to see. Nice work Mr. Williams.
Watch Straps
I saw this watch strap over on The Material Review and it got me thinking about…watch straps, that’s right. A lot of people have been wearing Casio’s the last year or so, including myself. Lately I’ve noticed people going back to a more classic leather strap, older mature man style watch. Since we can’t all have U-Boats, there isn’t a lot of room to get creative with your watch situation. Although these straps may have been better suited to the summer months which are quickly fleeing us, I think they definitely could be a nice alternative to all black or a leather strap. The nautical style is no stranger to fashion these days, I’m curious what kind of watches lumberjacks wear? That could be the next wrist-wear trend, although I have a feeling it’s nothing too exciting.
Monday Motivation
I hate Mondays and sometimes get bummed out thinking about the grind of the work week ahead. I found this quote a few days ago and read it again and am feeling better about the week already. It’s from Anita Roddick the founder of The Body Shop. “…success to me is not about money or status or fame, its about finding a livelihood that brings me joy and self-sufficiency and a sense of contributing to the world.”
