For guys who follow denim boards, 3sixteen’s Kibata jeans might be the most anticipated release of the year. They were actually supposed to come out in late-2014, but with delays at the mill and a dock strike in Long Beach, they finally just hit stores last month. 

Kibata is Japanese for unsanforized, which means customers can now get a fuller, end-to-end experience with 3sixteen’s jeans. That includes being able to customize the fit at home through various warm soaks, and appreciating more of the denim’s natural character. Sanforization, for those unfamiliar, is a process whereby a manufacturer takes all the shrinkage out of denim. In doing so, however, they also tend to flatten the fibers, which means you get something that’s a bit smoother and more uniform. Unsanforized denim, therefore, is the denim’s state as it comes off the loom, which gives you the ability to appreciate the subtle nuances in the fabric before they’ve been pressed out. 

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Much like suit jackets and sport coats – which can look dramatically different depending on their silhouette – the shape and cut of a shoe can be just as important as its general style and color. I don’t think I really appreciated this until I recently received a pair of Saint Crispin’s chukkas. When I originally ordered, I was worried that these might be too similar to another pair of chukkas I own from Crockett & Jones – specifically their Brecon model (available at Pediwear, although Ben Silver has better photos). When put side-by-side, however, you can see that the two couldn’t be any more different. 

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Let’s be honest, few of us are handsome enough to look good in just a shirt and a pair of pants, and summer doesn’t offer many chances for layering. To make up for the lack of outerwear this summer, I’ve been relying on slightly more oddball shirts. I have a patchwork piece from Neighborhood that I sometimes use as an overshirt, and then this linen popover from Visvim that I like to throw over thin tees and henleys. 

The nice thing about popovers is that they’re interesting enough to wear on their own. Dressier versions such as this one from G. Inglese can be worn tucked-in with a pair of trousers for a classic Agnelli look, while more casual versions can be worn out with a pair of jeans and sleek boots. This one from Visvim is made from a soft, enzyme washed linen, and features a painted and distressed button, as well as a uniquely frayed collar line. Together with the dropped shoulder, boxier silhouette, and antique-inspired print, these details give the shirt a slightly more vintage sensibility. I typically wear it with jeans and some suede Chelsea boots, and then roll up the sleeves. 

You can find Visvim at any number of places. Speciality boutiques such as Haven, Union, and Shiprock Santa Fe carry a nice selection. Mr. Porter also carries the line, and some of their pieces are discounted at the end of every season. For the best prices, however, you’ll want to buy second-hand through eBay, Grailed, or Superfuture. There’s also Stylistics Japan, who will sell you something straight from Japan (useful given the strong USD-to-Yen exchange rate). Lastly, you can check Rakuten and Yahoo Auctions Japan, although with those, you’ll want to know what you’re doing. The downside to buying second-hand or from an overseas shop, of course, is that you can’t return something if it doesn’t work out – but on the upside, prices can be a lot cheaper. 

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Before we had Tumblr, Wordpress, and Blogspot, some of the best menswear blogs were obscure Japanese sites that looked like they were designed during the heydays of Geocities. Centipede and Cobbler’s Web were among the best, but neither have been updated for a while. Until now, anyway. Cobbler’s Web is apparently posting again – both as a blog and on Instagram – under the name “Not Fashion, but Style.” (It’s admittedly a bit corny, but I’m hardly one to judge bad blog titles).

The blog is unfortunately written in Japanese, so unless you know the language, you’ll have to rely on the rough translations provided by Google Translate. He does write some English captions on his Instagram account though. There, you’ll find photos of bespoke shoes from G.J. Cleverley, Koji Suzuki, and John Lobb of St. James in London; vintage Edward Greens from the early John Hlustik days; and suits from Henry Poole and Liverano & Liverano. There’s also the only known (headless) selfie of the man behind the site, which I’ve included at the end of this post. 

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I can’t believe it took me over a year to get these boots. The market for shell cordovan, if you haven’t heard, has gotten crazy. Leather is a by-product of the meat trade, which means the decline in equine meat consumption has made it harder and harder for tanneries to get horsehides. Combine that with an increase in demand and the fact that it takes six times longer to tan shell than calf, and you have an increasingly rare leather. 

Horween – the Chicago tannery that makes most of the shell cordovan used for footwear – has responded by focusing on dark colors, such as their famous #8 (a deep brown with hues of purple and red). That’s because light colors are trickier to tan and require completely unblemished hides (which make up only a small fraction of what Horween gets in). As a result, you can still get color #8 pretty easily, but almost nothing else. 

There are some exceptions. Vass sometimes gets unusual colors in, and they’re happy to make things on a made-to-order basis (if you’re in the US, you’ll have to order through No Man Walks Alone). Carmina is another good source, and Viberg is slated to produce mahogany shell service boots later this year. Meermin has also switched to Japanese shell cordovan, which is slightly lighter and thinner than the Horween stuff, but just as beautiful and hard-wearing.

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Is it too late for a Father’s Day post? Each year, Free & Easy dedicates an issue to what they call “Dad’s Style,” which is their way of referring to classic or traditional men’s clothing. Of course, when Free & Easy talks about classics, they mostly mean it in the hip sense. If your dad actually owns anything featured in this magazine, there’s a good chance you were conceived at Pitti Uomo. 

Still, previous issues have featured men such as Bruce Boyer and Christian Chensvold, both of whom have genuinely classic (and good) taste. I also like some of the things they photograph. There are the usual things that Japanese style editors fawn over, such as Brooks Brothers jackets and Alden shoes, to more unusual items, such as vintage bags and raincoats from Arnys and Invertere. I also really like those split-toes from JM Weston (misleadingly described below as “u-tips”). They look like Edward Green’s Dovers on steroids, and possibly just the thing to wear with heavy cavalry twill trousers.

Granted, even among the genuinely classic pieces, I don’t know how much of this really reflects “dad style.” But if the last few weeks of menswear sales are any indication, Father’s Day isn’t really aimed at fathers anyway.  

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Some surprisingly early price drops this morning from Mr. Porter, as well as a bunch of new inventory adds. You can now take up to 70% off seasonal items. Included are some heavily discounted Edward Greens (the lowest I’ve ever seen them offered), as well as a handsome Kingsman-line boot from George Cleverley and this season’s Common Projects b-ball high tops (be sure to size down a full size). You can check out everything here. 

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UK clothier End might be the only webstore that rivals Mr. Porter in terms of selection. They start their end-of-season sale today, where you can take 25% (almost) everything with the checkout code SALEPREVIEW. Some notables include:

• Outerwear: There’s some really great outerwear from Aspesi, Ten C, and Nanamica. Battenwear is worth a look if you want a hooded parka that’s slightly slimmer fitting than what you might get from Sierra Designs. There’s also a large selection from Barbour, although only certain models can be shipped to the United States. 
  
• Nigel Cabourn: One of my favorite designers. I’m really bummed End didn’t pick up this season’s tan Aircraft jacket in a size 36. 
  
• Sneakers: Lots of nice, minimally designed sneakers from ETQ, Buttero, and Common Projects. There’s also a great selection from Nike, as well as a couple of basic German Army Trainers from Maison Margiela.
  

• Rainwear: I really like Mackintosh, although if you want something more casual, there are some nice models from Elka and Stutterheim. 
  
• Basics: For the kind of warm minimalism I wrote about a few months ago, you can check out APC, Norse Projects, and MHL.
  
• Workwear: Yea, yea, yea, blog’s name and all. Anyway, there’s a nice selection of workwear this season from RRL, Orslow, and Levis Vintage Clothing. Neighborhood also has some nice flannels, while Engineered Garments has some outerwear. 
  
• Knitwear: Check out the textured knitwear from Inverallan and SNS Herning. Last season’s fall/ winter stock has been heavily discounted.
  
• Bags: Head Porter’s designs can be a little funky, but I like their simpler models, such as this Tanker briefcase. Master Piece is also worth a look for backpacks (I was kind of tempted by this one last night).
  
• Orlebar Brown: The pared down designs and adjustable side tabs on these swim shorts make them look a little more refined than the loud, drawstring models you see elsewhere. 
  
• Comme Des Garcons: A great niche label for fragrances, although you might want to be familiar with the scents before buying online. For what it’s worth, I wear Wonderwood (which smells woody) and 2 (which smells inky). 
  
• Sunglasses: For summer, there’s a nice selection of sunglasses from Randolph Engineering and Persol. 
  
• Sale stock: Also worth a look is End’s already discounted sale selection. The sale code doesn’t seem to stack, although the discounts are pretty good already. 

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The latest issue of Free & Easy has a nice little feature on sneaker repair shops in Japan. From resoling the bottoms to repairing the linings to even recoloring the uppers, these look a bit more like what a leather dress shoe might go through during a recrafting process. Fingers crossed, I’m hoping to compile a list of similar shops in the US, which will be published at Put This On. 

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