You'll know what we know.
Winter is upon us, and for the next two months all your chances of surviving the outdoors turn on a single item: your winter coat. And since you’ll be brothers-in-arms until at least March, we thought we’d put together a few pictures showing off the best the winter coat has to offer—from classic duffels to mountain-ready waxed cotton coats. It’s going to be a good winter…
| ALL Big Picture |
TAGS
|
There’s a lot of camo out there—and if recent events are any indication, we’re adding new patterns as fast as we can. It can be a little daunting, so we’ve stripped things down to the bare minimum: the five patterns that matter circa 2011—from digital to duck hunter. So before you buy that elegantly military pocket square, you may have a little research to do.
via sig et al.Look Back in Beastie: The Men of Beastie look back on 25 years of hell raising. [Interview]
Quinton McCracken, We Hardly Knew Ye: The 60 best names in baseball. To give you some idea of the competition, “Ebenezer Beatin” only made it to #8. [The Awl]
JFK Still Owns It: The navy shawl-collar cardigan, through history. They forgot the Oliver Spencer version…but we’ll forgive them. [A Headlong Dive]
Deep Coral: Talking style with a VP from Isaia. Predictably, he wears the hell out of a DB. [Men of Habit]
| ALL LinkOut |
TAGS
|
The corduroy jacket doesn’t get much love.
It’s too low-class for the Italians, too precious for the waxed-cotton crowd, marred by years as a thrift store staple and wholly ignored by the boutique set. But even through the dark years, it never really went away.
While we’re big fans of the tweed-heavy layering look, it’s not the only way to tackle fall. If you prefer a more trim, military vibe, you may want to swap the tweed jacket for another fall staple: the Harrington jacket.
It’s a waist-length waxed cotton shell just slightly warmer than your cardigan, and weatherproof enough to get you through anything short of a monsoon. The classic is the heritage Baracuta model that’s been kicking around London since the 30s, but plenty of more modern options have popped up in the meantime, including this newly arrived ripstop jacket from Engineered Garments.
Our advice: Find the slimmest one you can, keep the pockets buttoned closed and don’t zip it past the belly button unless you’re in danger of catching a cold.
And if you were wondering how that lightly scarfed look works, the heavily tweeded gents at Oliver Spencer were good enough to provide a master class on the subject in their latest lookbook. The big lessons are as follows: find yourself a light jacket, pile on as much texture as you can, and don’t be afraid to go unbuttoned.
| ALL Good Idea |
TAGS
|
The poncho is seen as a lost cause by most of the fashion world, but apparently Oliver Spencer’s a true believer. It’s good news, since we’re bound to see a few nasty rainstorms over the next couple months and it’s just about the perfect item for facing them down.
This newly arrived Quay jacket has all the wood-and-leather hardware you’d expect from Mr. Spencer, but the thirsty waxed cotton and the grade-school coloring put it miles ahead of the plastic competition—and it’ll still keep your head drier than even the largest umbrella in your broom closet. All told, a pretty good piece to have in your closet once fall rolls around.
And naturally, if it gets worn down in a few years time, we’ve got some ideas on how to fix it up.
| ALL Object |
TAGS
|
As you may have noticed recently, just because it’s summer doesn’t mean it can’t start pouring rain at any moment.
And now that the first crop of trend-inspired waxed cotton jackets and bags are getting a bit weathered—and, consequently, a little less waterproof—it might be time to look into re-upping your wax coating. Fortunately, it’s a lot easier than you might think.
| ALL Good Idea |
TAGS
|
The Big Easy: Ellen Von Unwerth proves her mettle the way all modern photographers must: with a set of Eva Mendes nudes. [SwipeLife]
Oliver!: Oliver Spencer takes to the web, with his Johnny Depp lookalike securely in tow. [Valet Mag]
I Hope You’re Happy Now: A long but worthwhile read about what makes people happy throughout their lives. Apparently the secret is a good pair of espadrilles. [The Atlantic]
The Pleasure Principle: The yield curve is finally put in terms that the average man can understand. [The Awl]
Lapels have been migrating north for quite a while now, and in this Oliver Spencer blazer—pulled from his latest lookbook—they seem to have moved all the way to the collar.
It’s not for everyone—Tom Ford is on record as hating the look—but Spencer knows how to pull it off better than anyone.
You’ll want a smaller collar than usual and a thin knot to keep everything roughly in proportion, but the real trick is leaving the top button unbuttoned. The jackets in question are usually three-buttons, and fastening the top one is every bit as bad as fastening the bottom.
And if you want to throw in a quick lapel trinket to show off how clever you’re being, we’d say you’ve earned it.
| ALL Good Idea |
TAGS
|
Between Savile-obsessed trads and an older tribe still reliving the British Invasion, it’s easy to forget the younger generation of British designers, even when they’re churning out goods as impressive as anything you’ll find in New York. For example, our old friend Oliver Spencer.
Spencer’s Fall ’08 line has a lot to recommend it, but what caught our eye was the rough fabrics, long pirate-style peacoat, and his clever twists on the cardigan. Add in a little classic tailoring, and we’re pretty much sold. What else would you expect from Keith’s tailor?
| ALL Labeled |
TAGS
|
