Chinos

As far as I know, they are hard to come by. Sure there go to the Gap and they have 20 different pairs, unfortunately I they only have one pair that isn’t as wide as my shoe at the cuff. There must be a magic pair out there somewhere. I’m not familiar with any by J. Crew and some of the other American brands like Gant, but I can’t image that are pioneering the perfect slim chino. Probably the best options I’ve seen are the slim chino by BDG, Urban Outfitters in-house line. Although I don’t like UO, they do an incredible job and their chinos actually feel and look pretty decent, however the fit is still a bit off. The other good option I’ve seen and not been able to try on are the Our Legacy ‘George chino‘ which they now have in a slimmer cut. The pants look great, and come in some good colors, so I would be quite interested in getting my legs in a pair. Kyle from Dejour has a pair from the spring collection and was quite happy with the quality, so it comes down to the fit now. If anybody else has found a good pair, feel free to let me know. I’m starting to think that chinos were just made to be a be more loose fitting and I’ll have to deal with that.

*Update: I was thinking about chinos during morning class and had to jet over to UO to try again. They have a new chino cut this fall and it looks worse, plus they added external branding. However I found a pair of the spring ones, sized down, and got an actually great pair of chinos for $29.

J. Crew Houndstooth Hunting Jacket

While blazer style jackets are beginning to become an option again after being fairly shunned from a young man’s closet, there are till only a few that I would be excited to get into. I’ve been eyeing up a couple chino sports coats lately but then I stumbled onto this hunting jacket by J. Crew. I thought it looked really nice with the casual looking pockets and slim cut, then I saw the elbow patches and it was a sure thing. I’m actually not a huge fan of houndstooth most of the time, but I am willing to accept it with this coat. I think something about how the model’s shirt is quite worn looking as well adds something to the look as it feels easy to wear and quite effortless. I think my favorite shot might even be the one of the sleeve from behind, it seems to hit on the perfect spot of the wrist, accented by the four buttons (which seems like too many but it works) and of course the elbow patches.

A.P.C. Saharienne D’Hiver Coat

This is a really dope jacket I think. There have been a lot of good ones this fall by Raf Simons, A.P.C., Our Legacy, Ralph Lauren, Engineered Garments, Nom de Guerre, all that I would gladly wear, but this A.P.C. coat might be my favorite I’ve come across. If you can’t tell from my obsession with Nom de Guerre, bags, and boots, I have a thing for military inspired garments. A big thing, that takes over my brain and I can’t think about anything other than clothes. It’s a bit scary sometimes, but it allows me to keep up the blog at least. Anyways, this coat is great. The pockets, color, buttons, collar, and then topped off with a really simple belt make this a stand out. One thing A.P.C. does so well is not take things too far. This is almost a big extreme for them even, and I definitely respect that about the line. A lot of designers would have tried to do too much but by using restraint and an obvious influence of urban fashion military ranks, the result is a jacket I might NEED to buy.

Robert Geller Stand Collar

I’ve always had a thing against these ’stand collar’ shirts with the one button and no folding over collar. I don’t know what it is that just seemed to rub me the wrong way. Maybe I’d never seen anyone really make them look right, or maybe the right one hadn’t come across my eyes yet. However over the past couple months my desire for one of these odd shirts has been intensifying rapidly. I still hadn’t found one I liked until recently. Either the material was too thin or it fit poorly, or there were some other details that ruined the shirt. This fall however, Robert Geller has put together a nearly perfect version. I say nearly because I have not tried it on yet, so I’m not confident enough to award it such an honor. The cotton is perfectly weighted however, it apparently has a nice slim cut, has no bad details, and looks about as classic and timeless as a shirt can. To be honest since I saw it, I’ve been emailing around and checking with people I know if they have it in stock so I would not have to pay retail. At the moment the only place that I’ve seen it is at Gravity Pope’s Tailored Goods spot in Vancouver. I have no given up searching around but I will definitely be at least trying it on this weekend…

Redwing Round Toe Workboot

As Redwing puts the pieces of the puzzle together slowly and realize the market they can actually be making some money from, we being to see more and more of their models slip into some of our favorite boutiques. Although the Gentleman’s Traveler and the 875 are the most popular Redwing boots among the aesthetically driven, there are some alternates like this round toe work boot that would also offer a stern foothold in the urban environment. I’m still not sure how Redwing has been able to formulate the best colors for boots and never strayed from the basics. I mean they never even ran the Easter color way once. The worn browns, light khakis, and deep cherry colors look and age amazingly on the Redwing products. I definitely think these are an essential piece for a mans wardrobe. I’ve been enthusiastically encouraging my friends to get some, and now it looks like there is another good model to choose from. Available at Oi Polloi.

Dunks

I like shoes, a lot, and always will. While my tastes in footwear have changed as I’ve grown older, I still have a reverence for dunks as they were one of the shoes ‘did it’ for me. This pair of perforated black suede lows is the best pair I’ve seen (and kind of want) in a long long time. They remind me of the OG Gino SB pair from when SB first came out (one of the best SB’s ever). It’s not an SB though, so the tongue is nice and thin and the laces are the same. The white sole is the icing on the cake for me. I could rock these with anything pretty easily. I’ve only seen these at Caliroots where they’re pretty pricey for Dunks. Still, Im hoping they will show up on our shores sometime soon. Read more

Visvim Wallets

More Visvim, I know, I can’t help myself though. These wallets are dope and I’ve been keeping my eye out for a new one lately. I always thought I was strictly a standard bi-fold kind of guy but I keep seeing and liking ones with zippers around and now I want one. Especially one of these two-toned leather joints. White leather with the red accent preferably. Not too fat nor too long the one in the middle looks like the baby bear of wallets; just right. They’re much cleaner than their Comme des Garcons counterparts and probably a bit cheaper. And being Visvim you know they’re likely still made from the best, softest most succulent blend of nubuck and leather around. They’re available now at Supply. Read more

Woolen Mills Field Jacket

As the end of summer approached I worked crazy hours to make sure I could save up and have a guilt free shopping trip in London on my lay over en route to Switzerland. In my head, it was my intention to buy timeless pieces that will last  (which usually come at a premium price). When I started shopping I just could not bring myself to do it. While I look at some of the more expensive pieces in my wardrobe, I can say I have had a lot of them for a long time and am happy with the purchase. I remember feeling guilty spending the money when I did not have the money to spend on the purchases! And there I was in the opposite scenario feeling guilty only a month ago. Right now, I am debating this field jacket from Woolrich Woolen Mills. For a fall jacket, I would have to be pretty certain I would get a few seasons out of it (given its price). Available at Oi Polloi, Coogles and Context to name a few - in the right color paired with my cognac wing tips from Billy Reid, I would be pretty much unstoppable.

Mjolk F/W

Back when I was in New York for Capsule, we first got a chance to met Lars, the designer of Mjolk. He was one of the most friendly, interesting guys we came across on the trip. We met up with him for an afternoon cocktail and talked about his experiance as a costume designer, studying in Japan, and of course designing and producing Mjolk. There is a real genuine passion and talent that comes through the collection, from the footwear to the bespoke shirting to the beautiful leather bags, Mjolk has become one of my favorite collections to look at. Although the spring collection is up on the website, we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves. Here’s a look at some of my favorite looks from the fall collection.
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Paul Smith Boots

I’m a big fan of boots, especially military inspired, black leather, well made, good looking boots. I’ve been a huge fan of the Wings+Horns Dayton boots that dropped for the first time last year, now it seems Paul Smith has picked up on the look and created a very nice version. It seems like Gravity Pope is a serious resource for dope stuff these days as they just received these boots for fall. The height is perfect, the leather looks awesome, the cut is basic, well executed, and overall it appears no mistakes were made on these pieces. Once again, with a premium piece of footwear we see a high price along with it as these Paul Smith boots run $595 Can. I feel like whether its the W+H boot or these Paul Smiths, the time will come to make a commitment to a piece like this that will last a decade or more. They will always look good, and I’m sure they will always feel good when you’re putting them on. With any sort of discount, you might even call it a deal.

Matt & Nat Bags

I was a little hesitant on this post. Once I heard about these bags I decided to check out the website to find a rather varying stock list and some suspect ‘models.’ However it is hard to judge a brand solely on some of their business decisions, so I thought I would continue with the good review. Matt & Nat is a bag company that came out of Montreal, Canada. In spring 08, they decided to make a completely synthetic line made from recycled goods. This fall the line is made from a felts and leathers. The line has a really nice looking, simple aesthetic. The bags are very modern with nice zipper details, simple branding, and a very fair price. The bags are running about $220-340 and are now available at one of Ireland’s finest retailers, Indigo & Cloth. The boutique also has a good collection of Edwin, Nom de Guerre, Folk, and Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair.

Tivoli Audio

There are a few companies dedicated to making well designed products that also focus on the quality in which they preform. A lot of those products are featured here on h(y)r collective, so here’s another one, Tivoli Audio. The speakers, sub-woofers, and iPal components are some of the nicest in terms of quality and aesthetic design for their price. Tivoli has a goal of making the best possible products for the best price. The modern wood encasement gives these products a very homey feeling. The modern living quarters are generally small, compact, clean, and make the most of their price and size. Tivoli is dedicated to this modern customer. These speakers are available internationally, and now on hynee.store.com.

Creative Organization

I’ve noticed a couple books on the market lately that promote the organization of your creativity and daily activities. Behance is a company that have developed some interesting books and ‘Action Sheets’ which make it easy for you to layout your plans, ideas, and how you’re going to accomplish them. They are fairly nice in terms of their own design and layout, but is there really a lot of people that buy and use these products? I think the Moleskin product is an easy sale as it’s quite classic and Mozart used them, if I’m mistaken correctly. Then there is this Quo Vadis book I found on allbeams.com that again, promotes creative organization. I like the idea of these books, but everyone is so different, especially more creative folks, so I’m curious to know if people are actually using these materials and which of them seems to be more efficient or most flexible. I personally use the back of white pieces of paper and scribble all over them until I carry about 20 piece of loose sleeve, hand written ‘to do’ lists.

Albam F/W

Albam was brought to our attention by Kyle from Dejour back in the summer, and now we see a couple pieces from their fall collection. Thanks to SlamXhype for the heads up, Albam has now updated their website with the recent season’s offerings. There are definitely some nice shirts, coats and footwear. I particularly like their take on the deck boots and the over-dye workshirt. Also their basic coats make for an easy wear and a likely essential for a rainy day. The prices are also not too bad on the English line, as shirts run a little over $100 US and coats around $200-300, which is quite fair. It seems like there is a lot of brands on the same page in terms of their cuts, colors, and general items. I don’t think people are biting or anything, it just seems like the people who make things they want to wear are creating the same aesthetic as those who have been making classic American styles for decades so the market seems to be in sync more than any other time recently. More items if you Read more

Sunday Sunglasses

I am sitting at work on a Sunday and it’s a glorious day in the Alps. I am not thinking about going hiking or enjoying an espresso with the weekend papers on a terrace. I am instead thinking of sunglasses amongst the fall sun. I lost my pair of Anon’s I had this summer at a wedding and since have not got a new pair. I have never been a sunglass person. I wear glasses, not contacts - and the jury is still not out on laser eye surgery for me. Anyway, as I fain my disappointment on the popularity of the wayfarer this summer season I ask myself “what is left to wear?” Are classics not supposed to be classic and therefore not popular? FYI everyone - if you wear wayfarers next summer you will be a loser. So then I see an advertisement for Mosley Tribes in Antenna and spend some time on their site looking at their look book. It’s a Euro photo shoot and I like it. Nice shades too.