Just as we have comfort foods, we have comfort clothes – the soft feel of heavy flannel trousers; the familiarity of a button-down collar shirt; and the scratchiness of tweed that can make us feel protected. Last month, my friend David wrote an interesting history on Donegal tweed at No Man Walk’s Alone’s blog. 

As David put it, Donegal tweed is the product of Irish self-efficacy and survivalism. Ireland has always been a major exporter of linen, but for most of its history, its wool production has lagged – thanks in part to British tariffs against foreign wool. As a result, the production of Donegal tweed maintained its labor-intensive methods well into the 20th century since there was no need for mass production. And when England established a trade board to help increase Irish linen production by distributing linen spinning wheels, the residents of Donegal – who lived in a climate too cold for growing flax – took those wheels and ingeniously made them spin wool.

Of course, tweed in Donegal is now woven on modern machines, but its production remains fairly small and artisanal (at least when compared to other mills). Molloy & Sons, for example, is just a two-man operation (literally a Molloy and his son) that weaves in a small building next to the family’s home. Most of what they produce nowadays is for fashion labels in the US, Western Europe, and Japan (this season's Eidos’ field jacket and topcoat was made from their cloth). My friend and colleague Jesse at Put This On made a great video about them here.

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Funny how good shoes can make you welcome bad weather. It’s been drizzly here in the Bay Area, with heavier showers predicted for the not-to-distant future. Shell cordovan boots used to be my go-to rain shoes, but shell tends to spot with water, which requires some annoying upkeep (you can quickly brush them out with a horsehair brush, but it’s work). So instead, I’ve been wearing rubbers lately.

LL Bean’s duck boots are some of the best when it comes to rubber rain shoes. Excellently built and relatively low-priced, they’re backed by a lifetime satisfaction guarantee and – surprisingly – go well with a number of casual outfits. For more serious rain shoes, there are Wellington boots. Based off of leather Hessian boots, which come high and fit trim, these rubber boots are designed to keep the water out when you’re wading through bogs, going through tall grass, or walking across muddy ground.

Of course, few of us do farm work or hunt, so these are a bit overkill for city use. However, if you’re in heavier rain, a tall boot can help keep water from soaking up your hem and migrating to your calf. They’re also good for keeping debris and water from splashing onto your pants. Plus, I think they just look awesome. Arguably better with certain styles of raincoats than the more casual duck boot – and it’s always nice to have options.

Among wellies, I really like Le Chameau – a French brand that seems to spare no effort in reminding you that their boots are handmade (to the degree rubber boots can be handmade) and the preferred choice of European royalty. I don’t know if any of that matters to me, but they are handsome and come with more secure feeling treads. Their flagship model is the Chasseur, which comes lined in a variety of materials. The ones with Neoprene or shearling are insulating and warm, which is nice if you suffer from cold feet. The leather-lined one isn’t as warm, but it’s a bit more comfortable, which is great for long walks. 

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I love old clothing catalogs. For the kind of damp, cold weather we’ve been having, here’s a throwback Barbour catalog from the autumn of 1962 – printed back when the company still offered country suits and shoes. Those shoes used to be made by John White, a Northampton firm that has sadly gone into steep decline (I don’t believe they’re actually even made in the UK anymore). Those, of course, have been discontinued from Barbour’s line, but what remains is what Barbour has always been most known for: outerwear. 

Here you’ll find Barbour’s Thornproof coats for hunting and fishing; iconic belted International jackets (which back then was sold as part of a suit), and rubberproof riding coats. I actually spent a bit of time last week searching for a riding coat online, after having read this post at A Suitable Wardrobe. One seller I found described it as “something great for historical re-enactment.” That admittedly gave me some pause, but probably won’t stop me from eventually buying one. I’ll wear it to costume parties. 

Another favorite is the anorak you see in the second-to-last photo below. Made from a densely woven, light fawn Gabardine, this piece featured an attached hood, a single Kangaroo pocket, and two flapped hip pockets. Internal wind cuffs helped keep the chill out and a drawcord waist helped give the garment some shape. If it were made today, I’d mostly certainly buy one.

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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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