Some disappointing news today from Scotland. It seems Hunters of Brora has been sold to a ready-to-wear company, and that company will no longer be supplying fabrics to tailors or individual customers. Instead, all fabrics and archive books will be used exclusively for the ready-to-wear label. The sale marks and end to what’s been a turbulent time for the 114 year-old Hunters name. The company was sold in 2003 and the mill closed shortly thereafter. The retail side was also struggling for some time, but lived on for ten years thanks to the help of a family. 

At the moment, the remaining stock of tweed is being sold to anyone who’s interested (including non-trade customers, such as clients of bespoke tailors). Prices are discounted and negotiable, but you’ll have to contact Hunters for details. I bought a jacket’s length of the Kildary Blarmor Tweed, which has a mixture of birdseye and herringbone. My friend David loaned me some of Hunters’ books a few years ago and I thought that was one of the standouts. Sad to see it’ll no longer be produced for public purchase. 

(Many thanks to Mark for the correction on an earlier version of this article, which said that the Hunters mill will be closing soon, when in fact it’s been closed for some time). 

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Time hasn’t been kind to Scottish cashmere. Like the loss of American denim, the Scottish cashmere industry has been reduced to a shadow of its former self, with most firms having either closed up shop or moved production offshore. In the last few years alone, Caerlee Mills was shuttered, Barrie Knitwear was narrowly saved by Chanel, and Berk lost their location at the Burlington Arcade (although, there are plans to reopen online). Thankfully, whisky and tweed remain, but Scottish cashmere as an industry seems to hang by a thread.

My friend Reginald Jerome de Mans – who has written some of the best articles on this subject – likes to tell me how good Scottish cashmere used to be, before its decline. Densely knitted from long hair yarns, such sweaters are said to not pill or lose shape easily. They were also not as soft – at least not straight of out the box. Instead, softness had to be beaten into them, like character into raw denim. Simon Crompton thinks the softness in modern sweaters is a result of over-milling; Jesse at Put This On believes its from shorter hairs in yarns; one manager I spoke to says its because such sweaters aren’t knit tightly enough. Whatever the reason, it seems most companies have sacrificed durability for a more luxurious hand.

I was finally able to try one of these famed sweaters last year, when I bought a cable knit from William Lockie. It’s a world apart from any cashmere sweater I’ve ever owned. Certainly better than those I’ve bought from Italian and Chinese makers, but even better the ones from Scotland. The Johnstons of Elgin I picked up from Sierra Trading Post pilled easily, while a Barrie-made sweater stretched out after just a few wears. I don’t know if that’s because it was made from a two-ply yarn or because it was too loosely knitted. Either way, at the price Barrie commands, I wasn’t willing to try again.

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Of all the styles of classic men’s clothes to have slowly disappeared over the years, the dressing gown might be the easiest to pull off (both figuratively and literally). They’ve gone by the wayside, unfortunately, like most things involving tailoring. Replacing gowns are sweatpants and t-shirts, which I can confirm are not nearly as comfortable. If made well, a gown and a pair of pajamas are just about the best clothes you can wear at home.

I received my first gown last month. Made by Ascot Chang and modeled after something I saw at The Merchant Fox, it features a shawl collar, deep patch pockets, and contrast piping. The mid-grey windowpane flannel comes in at a 13/ 14oz weight, which feels perfect for this kind of thing – heavy enough to drape well, but not so heavy to feel overly warm. Getting out of my bedcovers in the morning has never felt better.

Although dressing gowns aren’t terribly common nowadays, you can still find them at a number of places. Some traditional menswear stores stock them, such as Ben Silver, Paul Stuart, and O’Connell’s. There are also a number of good, traditional English makers, such as Turnbull & Asser, Emma Willis, and Derek Rose (Mr. Porter carries all three labels, and often puts their gowns on sale, but stock seems low at the moment). Finally, The Merchant Fox carries some by Budd Shirtmakers, while A Suitable Wardrobe has a few versions from various shops around the world (this knockout silk piece was made by one of the more famous French tailoring houses).

If you have a shirtmaker, you can also get something made-to-measure. In this case, the cost of a custom garment isn’t too much more than something high-end and ready-to-wear. Some suggestions, based off of my experience with just this one:

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There’s a nice sale going on today at Ralph Lauren. Take an extra 20% off already marked-down items with the checkout code JAN2015. That puts discounts as high as 75% off. Some notables:

• A blue anorak available at a really affordable price. Possibly good for those looking for a simple and versatile piece on a budget. 
• Brown leather A-2, albeit only available in size XL. Mr. Porter has better photos, as well as garment measurements. 
• A quilted bomber jacket. I have an old version of this and wear it all the time with chinos and jeans.
• Some cashmere cable knit sweaters. Somewhat overpriced at full-retail, but great on sale. I’ve used them as layering pieces. 
• Affordable turtlenecks for those who aren’t sure if turtlenecks work for them. Grey makes for a nice, versatile color. 
• Lots of shirts. Some RRL flannels and indigo workshirts, as well as this Polo line calico-striped shirt that’s RRL in design, but not in price. Additionally, there are some nice dress shirts for those looking for something to wear with sport coats and suits (I like the custom-fit models without the logos on the chest).
• Orange retro-mountaineering backpack. I have a navy version of this that I like a lot. The little logo-ed patch at bottom can be taken off with a seam ripper, if you wish. 
• Cashmere lined leather gloves and Donegal wool watch caps (again, you can take the logo off with a seam ripper). 
• Ralph Lauren has some deeper discounted items in their clearance section. Included are things such as this RRL paratrooper-inspired parka, Polo line chambray, and some last-of-the-bunch Preston-fit trousers (my favorite off-the-rack dress pants, which have been sadly discontinued). 

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January marks the beginning of a number of fashion tradeshows and runway presentations. The London Collections just concluded, and today is the start of Pitti Uomo. After that, there’s Milan’s Fashion Week, Bread & Butter, and a couple of events in NYC.

If you’re interested in following such shows, I find Vogue, StyleForum, the UK edition of GQ to be good sites to follow. The first has runway photos, while the other two will have editorials. The Instagram accounts for Nick Sullivan, Josh Peskowitz, and Eugene Tong are also good for random pictures here and there. Tommy Ton will be shooting street style photography for Style.com and GQ, while Journal of Style will document some of the more classic looks at Pitti. For funny (fake) coverage of Pitti, follow Voxsartoria’s Twitter account.

From the recent London Collections, here are a few presentations that caught my eye.

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It seems like almost every store in the last year has gone through a website redesign. Context and SSENSE are now mobile friendly, Frans Boone is faster loading, and Self Edge introduced a clever feature they call their “Jean Finder.” 

No revamp, however, has been as dramatic as Quoddy’s – the popular Lewiston, Maine maker for handsewen moccasin shoes. The old site was fairly straightforward. It showed their basic models and the limited number of options for customization. It didn’t seem to inspire much, which is why I imagine most people (including me) went to stockists such as Leffot, Unionmade, and Need Supply for their orders. 

The new site, on the other hand, is really impressive. You can now design shoes online and see how they’ll look in-real-time as you click through the different options. Being something like Nike or New Balance’s interfaces, this takes all the guesswork out of designing something custom. 

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NPR had a story a few weeks ago about how mail order catalogs have surprisingly survived in the Internet age, despite other things having gone by the wayside (e.g. the Rolodex, multivolume encyclopedias, and even physical maps). In the last year alone, there were 11.9 billion catalogs sent to US addresses. Supposedly, they’ve stuck around because they help inspire people’s purchases. Mary Winter, a woman who was interviewed for the story, said she enjoys the tactile sensation of thumbing through catalogs at her leisure and marking them up. “I typically go online […] and order whatever I’m getting,” she admitted, “but I still get my ideas from catalogs.”

Maybe this is a story about how old habits die hard (anyone over the age of thirty can probably remember ordering much of their wardrobe through such books). Or maybe there’s something special about catalogs themselves. Compare Ben Silver’s catalogs to their website, for example. We skim things when we see them online, but linger when we see them on a printed page. There’s just something about how things can be laid out. (Incidentally, Ben Silver’s catalogs might be the best in menswear today, and I’m not the only person who thinks so). 

Pictured here are some scans of Brooks Brothers’ catalogs from the years 1979 to 1983 (before the Marks & Spencer takeover). Even when illustrated, oxford cloth button downs look better laid out than they do online, as do Shetland sweaters with little wool swatches set next to them (perhaps encouraging you to imagine what such colors might look like as a full sweater, rather than revealing directly). Most of us probably get our inspiration from online forums and blogs nowadays, but there will always be a special place in my heart for catalogs. 

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If you’ve ever enjoyed rummaging through a box of old photos at a flea market, then you’ll probably enjoy this fantastic photo archive over at Flickr. Put together by The Boston Public Library, it has hundreds of albums centered on themes such as anti-war riots, aviation, and baseball. There are even collections for Victorian-era trade cards (advertising shoes and accessories) and war posters, for those who like vintage artwork.

Shown here are some beautiful images from the set titled “Boston in Winter,” which documents how the New England city looked during the first half of the 20th century. There are lots of charming pictures of kids sledding down hills, families celebrating Christmas at home, postal workers sorting through holiday mail, men and women pushing their way through blizzards, and landscapes of the city covered in snow. Should your town be cold this month, may these images warm your heart as they did mine.

Happy holidays, everyone.

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End started their fall/ winter sale last night, with 40% taken almost across the board. There’s a ton of great casualwear from a number of brands. Here are some notables:

• Barbour: Discounted Barbour (this time available to US customers). Nice, basic waxed cotton jackets starting at about $200. 
• Buttero: Minimalist sneakers for those who want something different from Common Projects. 
• Mackintosh: Rather than going for the poly-blends and cotton twills, I recommend ponying up for the bonded cottons (they’re the ones that retail for $1,000+). The upcharge is worth it. 
• Elka: Casual raincoats that are a little more affordable than Stutterheim.
• Levis Vintage Clothing: Tons of vintage inspired jeans, flannels, and sweatshirts.
• Mt. Rainier Design: Some nice 60/ 40 parkas to help get you through this coming spring. 
• Ten C: Military-inspired outerwear line that I’ve been really into lately. Made from interesting, but highly wearable, fabrics. 
• APC: Tons of shirts, jeans, outerwear, and knitwear.
• Nanamica: If you don’t mind the price, this Gore-Tex parka is amazing. 
• Crescent Down Works: Quilted outerwear for the chill. 
• Our Legacy: A European brand with very simple, wearable basics. Fairly easy to incorporate into any wardrobe.
• Nigel Cabourn: Maker of the coat you see above. 

You can also go through their sale section, which is organized by types of clothing (shirts, jackets, shoes, etc). Possibly easier if you’re shopping for something specific. 

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A surprisingly early price drop just happened over at Mr. Porter. Select items have been discounted by up to 50%. There’s a lot of great stock left, although I imagine most of it will be cleared out by tomorrow morning.

Some notable finds:

• Outerwear: There are some great discounted outerwear pieces, such as this shearling lined 5-zip leather jacket from Margiela, leather A-2 bomber from Polo Ralph Lauren, field jacket from Aspesi, navy topcoat from AMI, Donegal bomber from Private White VC, suede A-1 from Todd Snyder, and raincoats from Mackintosh.
• Knitwear: Among the knitwear, there’s a handsome burnt ochre sweater from Hardy Amies, chunky shawl collar cardigan from Ovadia & Sons, and lots of textured sweaters from SNS Herning.
• Shoes: A few footwear brands are included in the sale, such as George Cleverley, Heschung, Yuketen, Car Shoe, and Common Projects.
• Shirts: Neat patchwork shirt by Neighborhood, red flannel shirts by Saturdays NYC and Ovadia & Sons, and a boiled wool overshirt you can use as a lightweight outerwear piece. Also, check out of some of the shirts by Ralph Lauren, Aspesi, Gitman Vintage, Alex Mill, Emma Willis, and J. Crew.
• Jeans: Some denim available from APC, Levis Vintage Clothing, and Jean Shop.
• Accessories: Lastly, there are some Drake’s ties and pocket squares, Bresciani socks, Anderson belts, and Trianon cufflinks.

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