If there’s any country that knows how to make cold-weather clothes, it’s Scotland. Heavy tweeds, cabled sweaters, and what I think is the best cashmere in the world. Recently, David Marx – the author behind Ametora – wrote a great essay on how Japan has become an important export market for traditional Scottish clothes and textiles. The article was first published in Vanguards Magazine, a bi-annual publication celebrating design and products. 

Marx’s essay starts with how traditional Scottish goods landed in Japan in the first place. Mid-century American clothes, marketed as Ivy Style, originally brought things such as Harris Tweed to the island. Pictured above, for example, is Tailor Caid’s Yuhei Yamamoto (photo by Mark Cho), wearing a classic, soft-shouldered, American-style overcoat. It’s this sort of tweedy look that would later open up the Japanese market to other Scottish specialities, such as fisherman knits and teaseled scarves. Marx’s essay is republished in full here with permission, but if you like it, check out Vanguards’ second issue, from which this is taken (there’s a graphic novel in there about Aero Leathers). Vanguards is also selling a specially designed bandana that accompanies this story.

Each autumn in Tokyo, there are a series of annual rituals which alert shoppers that crisp weather and burgundy maple leaves are just around the corner. First, traditional menswear retailer Beams Plus covers an entire wall with stacks of fluffy Jamieson-made sweaters in a crayon’s box worth of color variations. Next, stores such as United Arrows, Tomorrowland, and Ships join Beams in bringing out piles of thick wool shawl cardigans from Inverallan, each with a tag certifying the sweater’s hand-knit origin. In November, men celebrate the bountiful harvest of late summer trunk shows: their made-to-measure Harris Tweed sports coats have arrived. They match their herringbone and dogtooth jackets with explosions of fair isle patterns and tartan scarves to scatter festive color across the Tokyo streets.

Keep reading

I’ve always thought clothing should be written about like food, rather than technical equipment – less stitch count, more mouthfeel. A few weeks ago, I was having drinks with a friend, who was telling me about a dinner he had at a local Michelin star restaurant. A multi-course meal there runs $750 per person. Or in his case, $1,500 for him and his wife. On the menu? Avocado toast, supposedly the reason why Millennials can’t afford to buy homes (OK, maybe true here). 

“So, how was the toast?,” I asked. My friend shrugged. “Pretty damn good – the best I’ve had. But, you know, it’s avocado toast.”

That’s about the best I can come up with for Marol’s new collaborative shirts with Bruce Boyer, which cost a dizzying $585. Marol is an old, Italian shirt factory based on Bologna, having started in the late 1950s. Recently, the company was sold to new owners, as the current owners don’t have someone in the family for succession (as would be typical in Italian businesses). For much of their history, Marol made their way by producing private-label, finely tailored shirts for top-end companies. Under their new management, however, they’re starting to branch out and develop their own brand. 

Keep reading

A warm, heartfelt thank you to everyone who nominated me for “Best in Media” in this year’s Permanent Style awards. To be honest, I was surprised to see my name come up even once, and the fact that this award was given through a popular vote means a lot to me. By the end of the voting period, I did feel vaguely horrified for Simon, knowing he’d have to write the words “Die, Workwear!” on his otherwise beautiful site. Mine is easily the worst name for a blog – let alone one about workwear. Still, Simon was nice enough to do an interview with me about winning the award, which you can read here. 

While I’m at it, I should say most of my writing is at Put This On, and I’m really proud of the work my colleagues do there. We’ve been working for months – months – on a re-launch. Fingers crossed, the new website will go up in February and I think it’ll be something special. 

In the meantime, I promise to work tirelessly to bring you quality content on bespoke tailors almost none of us have access to, as well as Japanese products that look identical to things available in the United States, but require going through a Byzantine labyrinth of proxy services to buy. Thanks again for your support (genuinely). 

Keep reading

Even with the explosion of online media nowadays for men’s clothing, it can be a challenge to find good, relatable content for how to wear a coat-and-tie. Much of what’s celebrated online is too aggressively styled for most offices – tightly cut suits, heavily patterned fabrics, and unusual accessories. Great for Instagram and menswear blogs, but less so for the day-to-day grind of most people’s lives. 

Which is why it was such a pleasure for me to talk with Mr. Kazuto Yamaki. He’s the CEO of Sigma, a Japanese manufacturer of camera lenses, flashes, and other photographic accessories. He’s also an exceptionally well-dressed public figure, but so far removed from the world of menswear blogs that I had to try a few times to convince him that I was not, in fact, joking when I said I wanted to interview him about how he dresses. 

Much of what Mr. Yamaki wears will be familiar to anyone who reads this site – softly tailored Italian-influenced suits and sport coats, paired with tastefully designed ties and solid colored dress shirts. Where I think he makes a distinction is that everything looks relatable, something you can wear to most offices today. It’s thoughtfully considered without being obsessive; informed without nit picking. And in being so, it looks more naturally put together. 

Keep reading

The Japanese are often presented online as being masters of their craft. The toiling shoemaker who’s a bit more meticulous and focused than his European counterparts, producing things to the highest level of quality. There’s a strange and sometimes unsettling strand of Orientalism that runs through these narratives, but if there’s anything that can be said of Japanese production, I find it’s more about design.

Japanese companies are tremendously good at design, especially if you have a penchant for classic clothing but want something that feels relevant and updated. Kaptain Sunshine, one of my favorite casualwear labels as of late, is something like a quirkier version of LL Bean. The designs are a little more creative; a little more daring. The silhouettes and details are playful in just the right ways, making them more than just literal reproductions from history.

The same can be said of bags. Before the heritage revival in the US went mainstream – encouraging companies to dust off their archives – Japanese brands were already making their versions of the 1970s-style hiking backpacks, helmet bags, and classic carryalls. If you want a casual bag, it’s worth looking towards Japan. These can be expensive, ranging anywhere from $150 on sale to a whooping $1,000 at full retail, but the designs go a little further than your basic Jansport. And while similarly priced US options are just as nicely made, they’re often too technical – sacrificing form for function.

Keep reading

Barbour holds a special place in my heart, but from their expansive collection, the only pieces I wear are the Bedale and Beaufort. The first is a waxed cotton jacket with ribbed storm cuffs, which is great for layering over sweaters; the second is similar, but a little longer so you can comfortably wear it over sport coats. This fall, however, they’re introducing a special collaboration with Daiki Suzuki of Engineered Garments and I couldn’t be more excited. The collection was recently unveiled this past Saturday at London Men’s Fashion Week, although the jackets won’t be available for sale until fall. If you couldn’t wait for last year to be over, this collection is a good reason to pine for the end of this one. 

Each jacket is made from Barbour’s signature waxed cottons, in neutral colors such as olive, black, and navy. Waxed cotton, as many know, is one of the more traditional forms of water-resistant fabrics, but unlike others, it develops a unique patina over time. Before British sportsmen wore the material to cover themselves from the rain, British sailors covered their capes in grease in order to protect themselves from the sea’s sprays. 

Daiki Suzuki says Barbour reached out to him for the collaboration, and given how much he already draws from hunting clothes, the partnership was natural. “I personally love Barbour and hold in my collection a Bedale, Beaufort, International, Cowen Commando and vintage reissued cape given to me by WP Lavori,” he said. “One of the main elements of Engineered Garments is its classic military styling. It was a challenge to think about how to go about working with such an iconic brand and one that I hold dearly." 

Keep reading

Mr. Porter just made their second round of markdowns. It’s still pretty early into the sale, so not all the product pages have been updated yet. However, you’ll see the newly adjusted prices when you take things to checkout. I imagine the prices on the product pages will be updated in the next couple of hours. 

At the moment, select items are discounted by as much as 70% off. And, surprisingly, there’s still a lot of stuff left. The key at this point in the sale is to just browse the sale section and filter by garment type and size. That way you can stumble upon some good finds while not wasting time hopping from brand page to brand page. Note, Mr. Porter’s sale at this point moves very fast, so be aware when considering something. Google Chrome can also be a bit buggy sometimes on the site, so switch to another browser if you experience problems. 

For more specific product suggestions, see this old post. 

Keep reading

Everyone’s favorite sale of the season, Mr. Porter’s, just started. The sale isn’t advertised on the homepage yet, but you can see prices already marked down on select items (just browse around). If history is any indication, more items will be marked down as the night moves on. And by tomorrow morning, the entire sales inventory will be up. 

Things here tend to move fast – very fast – but I’ll be updating this post in the next half hour with some of my favorite finds. If you’re having trouble accessing the sale, use a browser other than Google Chrome. For whatever reason, Chrome occasionally glitches on Mr. Porter’s site. 

Some favorite finds so far:

Keep reading

The next week or two are going to be big for end-of-season sales. Some are just starting to roll in, although at least one store (End) is on their second round of markdowns. I’ll be rounding up some of my favorite sales over the next week, but here are five this weekend worth checking out. 

End: The thing to remember about End is that they’re located in the UK, which means that listed prices tend to be about ~20% lower than what you’ll find at most other shops (since they automatically deduct for VAT). Add to that their current 50% off promotion and things become pretty sweet. 

Some of my favorite brands here include Nigel Cabourn, Engineered Garments, Blue Blue Japan, Battenwear, and Levi’s Vintage Clothing. Margiela’s German Army Trainers are also on sale, along with a ton of other shoes from Common Projects, Buttero, Spalwart, and Yuketen. For chunky, textured knitwear you can layer under casual coats, check out Howlin by Morrison and SNS Herning. The second is especially good if you have a lot of workwear in your wardrobe, although you’ll want to size up. SNS Herning runs pretty slim. 

Keep reading