Old LL Bean catalogs can be really fun to flip through this time of year. To be sure, they print and mail out catalogs year-round, but it’s their rubber duck boots, handsewn moccasins, and heavy field coats that feel so representative of the company – and so quintessentially fall.

I’ve collected some of their catalogs throughout the years. Here’s one from 1959, which was printed just a short while after they first introduced their women’s wear collection. Like with most mail order catalogs (at those dealing with clothing), the women’s stuff is put at the front of the book, while menswear is placed at the back. Included in this one is also LL Bean’s outdoor gear spread throughout. I’ve skipped the women’s wear and outdoor supplies for the sake of brevity, but there are still plenty of menswear things to keep one amused. And impressively, fifty-five years later, also plenty of things I’d happily buy. 

The whole Americana trend seems to have passed, as fewer and fewer menswear blogs talk about brands such as LL Bean. However, as the writer behind Heavy Tweed Jacket once wrote about this stuff (when he was still writing), they feel forever appealing because they have a sense of “genuineness” to them. Perhaps a little hokey, but also hard to deny. 

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Despite ever-climbing prices in fashion, there are still some things that remain both good and affordable. For the kind of rugged belts you might want to wear with jeans, Scott Willis over at Don’t Mourn Organize makes some of the best around. His company’s name comes from the old pro-labor rallying cry of Joe Hill. A miner and labor organizer, Hill was framed for murder and sentenced to death in the early 20th century. In the days leading up to his execution, he sent a message to his friend Bill Haywood (co-founder of the IWW), where he wrote: “Goodbye, Bill, I die like a true blue rebel. Don’t waste any time mourning. Organize!” Those would be memorable last words, except Hill later followed with another telegram. It was a much more pragmatic message that read: “Could you arrange to have my body hauled to the state line to be buried? I don’t want to be found dead in Utah.”

Scott says he started his company around the ideals of the labor movement – honest prices for honest labor. It sounds hokey in today’s glut of pseudo-heritage marketing, but I find that he does indeed offer great value. Much of what he makes suits the kind of rugged jackets and boots one might wear with raw denim. All over-the-top in terms of durability, and appreciable in how they age over time. 

Most of his belts, for example, are made from skirting leather, which is a kind of thick, vegetable tanned cowhide. When it’s been left “raw,” it’s called saddle leather. When it has some oils and waxes to it, it becomes harness leather. When it has even more oils and waxes added, it becomes bridle. All three are called so because of they’re typically used for – to make horse saddles, harnesses, and bridle reins. They’re incredibly durable and strong materials (as they need to be for horse riding), but they differ in terms of their finishing. The less finishing, the more character a leather will develop as it ages. 

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What is it about vintage clothes that make them so fun to look at? Photographer Jin Hidaka shot these vintage shoes and posted them on Flickr earlier this year. Many of them are in surprisingly good condition, given their age, which suggests maybe they were owned by a collector or just recently recrafted. 

Seen here are a bunch of John Lobb shoes from the 1980s and ‘90s; a pair of Poulsen Skone formal pumps, made for Alan Flusser’s label; some custom, limited edition, suede derbies from Alden, with a unique punch detailing around the quarters; 1980s espadrilles from Barney’s NY; and a pair of New & Lingwood’s butterfly loafers, which I’ve been thinking about commissioning a version of through Foster & Son. 

Some of my favorites, naturally, come from Ralph Lauren. The double buckle boots you see above, for example, is Ralph Lauren’s take on the M-1943 service boot, which was worn by American servicemen in the Second World War. I recently bought a pair of boots that look very similar. I also really want these alligator penny loafers, which apparently were sold at Ralph Lauren’s flagship store in 1983, and these Russell Moccasin boots from the late '70s. 

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Exciting news for readers interested in bespoke tailoring. Rubinacci’s head cutter, Gennaro Paone, has decided to leave and start his own firm. Gennaro represents the last of his kind when it comes to Neapolitan tailoring. Having started in the trade with an apprenticeship at age nine, he makes the kind of softly tailored, old-school silhouettes that has made Naples famous, but surprisingly, younger tailors find difficult to produce. From what I’ve seen, there are really two kinds of Neapolitan style. The older generation cuts something slightly fuller and comfortable looking, while the younger generation makes something slimmer fitting and more influenced by local fashion brands. Neither better nor worse than the other, but for those who admire the look of men such as Vittorio De Sica, there’s a clear winner.  

To be sure, this isn’t Gennaro’s first stint on his own. After studying full time under master tailor Antonio Schiraldi, Gennaro set up his own workshop in the town’s main shopping district of via Chiaia. After eight years, he was asked to return and become the head tailor of Sartoria Schiraldi. Then, in the summer of 1992, he joined the famous London House (aka Rubinacci), where he’s been for over twenty years. 

At the moment, Gennaro is planning to visit clients in The Netherlands and Hong Kong. A New York City trip is also very likely and I’m trying to get him out here to San Francisco. Partly because I think this is a unique opportunity to get something special, but mostly because I would like to commission some things for myself. More details to follow in the coming weeks. 

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For those who can’t get enough knitwear, Esk Cashmere is worth keeping an eye on. The brand is a new ready-to-wear label by the knitwear factory Esk Valley Knitwear, which is located in the southwest of Scotland. Having started in the 1960s, the family-owned business has been making knitwear for a number of high-end British brands for years. Now, they’ve gone into the ready-to-wear business for themselves.

Esk Cashmere’s line is split into two parts. There’s the more contemporary seasonal collection and a permanent classical line. The latter is fairly straightforward – lots of basic crewnecks, v-necks, cardigans, and sweater vests made to the highest standards possible. Many are constructed from four-ply cashmere yarns or higher and seamlessly knitted on Shima Seiki machines. Being fully fashioned, the panels are knitted to shape (like a sock) rather than cut from larger pieces of cloth and then sewn together (like you would do for a shirt). The pieces are then skillfully assembled by hand-linking each stitch, point-by-point. This not only results in a smoother finish, but it’s also a slower, more labor intensive process that’s typically reserved for higher-end garments.

The contemporary collection is made to the same standards, but the designs are dramatically different. Ex-Joseph designer Lorraine Acornley works to make the sweaters look modern and distinctive, but also subtle. This fisherman knit, for example, has contrasting, intarsia, color block patches at the forearms, while this 10-ply cashmere sweater is made with a chunky collar and button detail. For something more discrete, check out these Shetland crewnecks. They’ve been knitted to be double-faced, so that a soft lambswool faces the inside, while the more traditional Shetland wool faces out.

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My friend Réginald-Jérôme de Mans – who writes every Tuesday at A Suitable Wardrobe – likes to give me crap for my blog’s name. He once joked that I should change it to Workwear to Die For, given what I now sometimes wear. Maybe I should. Lately, I’ve been really into Stevenson Overall Co., a Japanese label that offers the kind of quality you see from brands such as The Real McCoys, but is much more than just a straight vintage reproduction company.

Take these Santa Rosa jeans, for example. They were inspired by jeans made in the 1920s, before the invention of bartacking machines, so all the belt loops have been secured by running a single needle machine back and forth. In fact, the entire garment is single-needle made – even the two lines you see running around the curved pockets are just two single needle stitches running parallel to each other. The back pockets, coin pocket, and belt loops also feature a subtle scalloped design, which allow these to feel vintage without looking like straight reproductions. And of course, the unsanforized denim fades uniquely and beautifully. Just check the photos below and compare them to the smoother, less textured fades you see almost everywhere else.   

Perhaps my favorite piece from them is this brown cotton twill bomber. Absurdly simple, but with a trim fit, shearling collar, and an alpaca and wool lining, it’s been an easy go-to for me as temperatures drop. Even with just a t-shirt layered underneath, I feel comfortable enough for some of the Bay Area’s chillier nights.

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Maison Martin Margiela’s German Army Trainers and Common Projects’ minimalist sneakers are on sale right now at Oki-Ni. Use the code MID25 to take 25% off the listed price, and then after you buy, email the store and ask them to remove VAT (assuming you’re exempt from European taxes, of course). The discount code will bring the listed price down to about $300, and VAT removal will bring them to about $240. 

Probably the lowest price you’ll find at this point for something like the Achilles Lows and GAT high-tops. 

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Despite the explosion of new brands in the last few years, very few offer anything unique. That’s because most are started by enthusiasts – people who love men’s clothing, but don’t know how to make it, so they scout around for the same fabric suppliers and workshops that everyone else uses. As a result, we have dozens of companies at this point offering the same raw denim jeans, Macclesfield silk ties, and made-to-measure shirts.

This past Monday, my friend Agyesh launched what I think is one of the more interesting brands in a while. The company’s name, Stoffa, is Italian for “the stuff things are made of” (and sometimes used colloquially to mean “he’s got the right stuff”). Stoffa is about materials and process, which here are unique because of Agyesh’s background. He’s graduated from Parsons, is skilled in the arts, and worked for a while at Isaia. As a result, he’s familiar with the supply chains, how to design, and how to make clothes on a technical level. 

Take these scarves, for example. Most scarves are made on large, modern looms, which produce rolls of fabric that are then cut down to size. Stoffa’s scarves, on the other hand, are produced on old, wooden, jacquard shuttle looms in Biella, Italy. They’re engineered to produce scarves to size, which means the scarves are finished with a selvedge edge. Since this is old 19th century technology, it also means that there’s no digital modeling for the patterns. Agyesh made these by actually investing in the equipment and experimenting with them – designing on the spot by adjusting the warp and weft threads here and there.

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Textures are often a lot more interesting in casualwear than they are in traditional, tailored clothing. Pictured above is a cream colored knit is from the relatively new label A Kind of Guise. It has a groovy pattern – both figuratively and literally – that I think has a nice sense of playfulness. The dark green A-1 blouson is from Valstar (which at the moment is on deep discount at Yoox). It’s constructed from a rough, basketweave wool that has a much more visible texture than the pictures let on. Next, the straight-legged jeans are from 3sixteen. They’ve been worn-in enough that the streaky grain on the denim has started to show. Finally, the suede Alden chukkas are unlined, giving them a floppy and more relaxed character. 

You can get good, textured casualwear at any number of places. Carson Street Clothiers has a navy Eidos bomber made from Casentino wool (which, along with all outerwear and tailoring, is on sale today at 30% off with the checkout code OW30). Much like the teased out fibers on a brushed Shetland sweater, Casentino wool is beaten until it achieves a charming, pilled look. For knitwear, No Man Walks Alone has some modern looking pieces from Stephen Schneider, while S.N.S. Herning offers some really great designs rooted in traditional Nordic clothing (I really want this dark striped sweater). Even with more traditional fabrics and designs, when they’re paired in unexpected ways, you can achieve a much more unique looking garment. 

As usual, if you don’t want to wear a bunch of crazy patterns or colors, you can always try textures. Casualwear often has the more interesting ones. 

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Ralph Lauren just started their Friends & Family pre-sale promotion. That means select items have been discounted by 30%, but you can get an extra 15% off if you shop before the sale goes public. You have to hit the site through a special link, however, as the sale hasn’t yet been announced on the company’s main webpages. Once you do, you can use the checkout code MSALE14 to receive the discount.

Some items I think are notable:

• Outerwear: Ralph Lauren’s Polo Label has some nice looking outerwear this season. This B-10 bomber could serve as an alternative to the more ubiquitous A-2s and MA-1s you see everywhere. I also have an old version of this quilted jacket, which is a perennial for the company. I bought mine five years ago and still wear it today with jeans and chukkas. For something more affordable, check out this hooded anorak and nylon field jacket.
• RRL: Although they’re expensive, I’ve been really happy with my RRL outerwear. This season, they have a sueded ranch jacket, black leather moto, and Western-inspired quilted coat. I suspect the first two look better in person than in photos. For something more affordable, check out RRL’s shirts and knits. They have some indigo pieces in there, such as these two shirts, a henley, and a sweatshirt.
• Shoes: In the footwear section, there are some Allen Edmonds-made longwings and quarter brogues. There are also these ankle boots that look very, very Ralph Lauren. 
• Polo Label Shirts: Previously marked down items from last season are made cheaper through the current sale. For example, I saw two designs for madras shirts and some slim fitting Bengal stripes. Prices go as low as $33.
• Sweaters: Affordable Shetlands in lots of colors. You can probably remove those elbow patches with a seam ripper without any issue. Stitching holes rarely show up on wool – especially on something like a knit.
• Bags: Some canvas briefcases and carryalls. The canvas on these aren’t as heavy or rugged as Filson’s, but I like the designs. Just imagine the bags without those luggage tags (which are removable).
• Clearance: Some stackable discounts in the clearance section. There’s some Purple Label and RRL stuff in there, which you can see more easily if you sort the listings by highest price first.

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