You'll know what we know.
pic via Ethan DesuIt’s a safe bet you’ll be kicking through some leaves in the near future, and you’re going to want to be dressed for it.
So we thought we’d break down the vagaries of rugged footwear into three distinct categories. Each one has its own brands and its own rules—from the rugged Red Wing to the gentlemanly cordovan equivalent—and we’ve got a favorite in each category.
Now that we’re fully into sockless season, we’re noticing a lot of multicolored boat shoes around. It’s only natural for the boat shoe to get a bit peacocky now that it’s been in the trend spotlight for a few seasons…but we didn’t expect the result to be quite so sharp.
The beginner versions are from standbys like Sebago and Sperry (the latter is reportedly Errol Morris’ favorite shoe), but those are just your subdued options. Once you’ve graduated to the genuinely eye-popping models, you can entertain yourself with Yuketen and Band of Outsiders’ latest. Imagine that flood of colors next to a blanched khaki and a bare ankle…and you’ll start to see why we’re so excited.
And judging by the neon-hued Sperrys at Band of Outsiders’ Pitti show, this is just the beginning.
Blackbird just kicked off their semi-annual sale, so we thought we’d guide you through the stock in the language of the market. Here’s what to buy, what to sell, and what to hold.
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Yuketen just unleashed their new Fall/Winter (but mostly Winter) lookbook, including this impossibly toasty snap. If you’ve got the means, we recommend picking up every last item on display here—starting with the fireplace.
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The backpack can be a tough item to pull off, but we’d offer the following suggestion: keep it as slim as possible. That means tight straps and yes, a little stretching when you put it on. It also means finding a pack that’s just large enough to hold what you need—and no larger.
This Yuketen Triangle Back Pack in the Inventory shop fits the bill quite nicely, with melton wool fabric and undyed leather straps to keep things appropriately rustic. The triangle shape means it won’t poke out above your shoulders and ruin your silhouette, and the no-frills exterior means you won’t have anyone mistaking you for a college kid. We still wouldn’t walk into any boardrooms with it, but for a weekend grocery run it’s hard to do better.
We stopped by the semi-annual floor show that is the (capsule) show yesterday, and while we aren’t quite ready to spill the goods on everything we saw, we thought we’d start off with a roundup of some of the best-dressed gentlemen on hand.
Naturally, there was a lot to choose from, but one of our favorites was this gentleman repping Yuketen boots. The bowtie is crisp, the round glasses are on-trend and the boots are impeccable, as expected, but the real genius here is the perfectly tanned leather apron. It’s a legit workwear item, even if it’s a little too extreme for mainstream consumption. (We predict an apron trendlet in fall of ’09, based entirely on this picture.)
We’ve been pushing Yuketen Boots (and the occasional imitator) for a while now, but it looks like the plaid-fortified work boot may be growing into a full-fledged trend.
These Rehancer boots swap the gray tweed-ish pattern for something closer to flannel, but it’s a familiar look. Unlike normal work boots, these are probably trouble if you wear them with actual flannel…but otherwise it’s just making a woodsy boot even woodsier.
