January marks the beginning of a number of tradeshows, first starting in London, then moving to Milan, Paris, and New York City. Pitti Uomo is the most important for tailored clothing, although lately, I’ve been paying more attention to London Collections: Men (LC:M), which is a five-day show showcasing a breadth of British fashion talent – from the world’s most innovative designers to Savile Row tailoring houses (at least the ones that now have seasonal ready-to-wear lines). Even for guys who might not be interested in runway presentations, there’s a lot here to admire. From Barbour to John Lobb to E. Tautz, here are eight shows that caught my eye last week.
Anyone who’s ever been to a small, traditional American clothier knows – places such as Cable Car Clothiers and The Andover Shop are treasure troves for new-old stock clothes. Unlined button-down collar shirts, bleeding madras jackets, vintage outerwear, and piles and piles of scratchy sweaters. Mostly things from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, when things were made with the kind of qualities trad enthusiasts like to gush about today.
I recently picked up this deadstock Aran sweater from O’Connell’s, who sells a ton of new-old-stock clothes online (although, they have even more in-store, if you’re able to stop by Buffalo, New York). It’s thick, heavy, and beautifully textured. The inside label reads “Glenshee Woollens,” which is apparently now defunct. The one photo of them I could find online, shown at the end of this post, charmingly shows two old ladies peering out of the company’s window.
Generally speaking, there are three ways to make an Aran sweater:
Mr. Porter just started their end-of-season sale, with discounts of up to 50% on select items. Lots of familiar labels, such as Drake’s, Common Projects, and Red Wing, as well as a number of not-often-discounted brands such as William Lockie and George Cleverley. Some notables that I found last night:
The 1964 film Umbrellas of Cherbourg opens with this beautiful scene of Paris. It’s a wet and dreary day, and the camera pans down to one of the city’s dark-grey and muddy-brown roads. A few seconds in, someone wearing a yellow raincoat walks across the street. Then someone else opens a red umbrella. Suddenly, the screen is filled with bright coats and pastel-colored canopies – and just like with the rain, colors begin to pour across the screen.
I think of that scene sometimes when choosing an umbrella. Black is the only color that should be in everyone’s closet (it goes with everything), but if I don’t need to look serious that day, I usually reach for something more cheerful. Bright yellows and reds are too dandy for me, but the colors that usually work well for neckwear also do pretty good for canopies – British racing green, chocolate brown, and deep navy. If I do pick a black umbrella, it’s almost always the vintage Ralph Lauren with a leather wrapped handle – rarely the plain cherry wood that I thought would be a staple.
Brooks Brothers, Barbour, and London Undercover sell reasonably nice umbrellas for about $50. For something better, however, be prepared to pay anywhere from three to twenty times the price, depending on the construction and materials. Swaine Adeney Brigg, for example, makes beautiful, silver nosed, Malacca wood umbrellas, but they cost more than what most men spend on sport coats (although, still a fraction of what Visvim is trying to charge for this thing).
End is probably the only online retailer that rivals Mr. Porter in scope and quality. Today, they start their end-of-season sale. Take 25% off across the board with the checkout code SALEPREVIEW. Some notables:
Men’s style had it rough in the 1970s. Sometimes referred to as the decade taste forgot, the ‘70s was characterized by tight shirts, bellbottom trousers, and the piles unrotting synthetics that will probably outlast this civilization. The clothes of that age, as well as the lifestyles, were as lurid as they were chaffing.
Not everything was terrible, however. What decade is better defined by corduroy sport coats and shearing collar jackets? Or those puffer vests that eventually peaked in the ‘80s? For as many companies that made flashy, disco-inspired clothes, there were just as many that relied on simpler, rugged charms.
One of those was Rocky Mountain Featherbed, which was founded in the Cowboy State of Wyoming by Francis “Cub” Schaefer. RMFB specialized in down-filled outerwear with Western-style yokes, which became popular with skiers and ranchers across the American West. These were worn during the days when Colorado ski instructors were still likely to be seen in cowboy hats. Unfortunately, after a decade of success, the company went bust in the ‘80s and Cub lost control of his label to bankers.
You know you’re into clothes when you pray for bad weather. After a four-year drought here in California, we’re finally getting some real rainfall this season. I had a chance to break out my Belstaff Roadmaster this past weekend, and was reminded of why I bought this thing in the first place. Built with a waxed cotton shell and a belt for easy closure, this jacket makes for a great casual raincoat – even if it was originally intended for tougher purposes.
Belstaff’s Roadmaster is actually an adaptation of the company’s Trialmaster, which was originally introduced in the 1940s. The Trialmaster’s name comes from the Scottish Six Days Trial, a grueling event where competitors covered as much as 100 miles a day on road and off-road routes for six days. For those harsh weather and riding conditions, Belstaff built them a coat that would be windproof, waterproof, and resistant to tearing. Although it wasn’t the first jacket of its kind (Barbour’s International came out about ten years prior), it’s certainly become one of the most iconic.
Traditionally, the main difference between the Roadmaster and Trialmaster has been the fit – with the Roadmaster being the slimmer of the two. This year, however, Belstaff has reintroduced the Trialmaster in a slimmer body and adjusted pocket design. Gone is the map pocket, and in is a new straight pocket with side zip-entry. They’ve also gotten rid of the belt for those who find it too fussy. Instead, an elasticized draw cord has been put at the waist in order to give the jacket shape.
Call 2015 the year without winter. Although it’s nearly mid-December, and Christmas is just a couple of weeks away, it’s only starting to feel like fall. Temperatures finally dropped below 60 a few weeks ago, however, and I was able to break out some knitwear and outerwear. No chance for truly heavy coats sadly, but any opportunity for layering is appreciated. Here are five of my favorite coats this season, along with some suggestions for alternative options.
Brooks Brothers is having a great one-day sale today on footwear. Take 40% off select models, with free standard shipping within the United States.
There are some obvious exclusions, such as Edward Green and Red Wing, but much of Brooks Brothers’ house line is produced by top-end makers anyway. Crockett & Jones, for example, made these tie loafers and suede boots, while Alden manufactured these flex-sole bluchers, unlined chukkas, and tassel loafers.
I’ve been busy with work deadlines, but I finally had a chance yesterday to pack up some old lengths of fabric that have been sitting in my closet and send them off to my tailor Steed. One is a dark brown Donegal with orange flecks; the other a large-scale glen plaid tweed that was designed by Michael over at The London Lounge, and modeled after something Gianni Agnelli was sometimes seen wearing.
One of the joys of bespoke is being able to pick your own details, and even for a conservative dresser such as myself, there are a ton of options. The cut of the lapels (bellied or straight), shape of the fronts (cutaway or closed), and stitching techniques (swelled or picked) can mean everything in a jacket.
For these two coats, I’m going off my usual order and getting a bit cheeky with the sleeve buttons. Roughly speaking, most English tailors, if left alone, would put four buttons on everything, while Neapolitans prefer four on business suits and three on anything casual. Sometimes those buttons touch (which would be called kissing); sometimes they overlap (which would be called waterfall).
