Although I mostly rely on my Lotuff & Clegg briefcase, Ralph Lauren fishing bag, and Filson 256 for my everyday carry, I’ve been getting a remarkable amount of use out of this Brooks England backpack. I picked it up last December after attending an in-store event with Brooks England and Grant Petersen (who was there giving a talk about his book Just Ride). The showcase of Brooks products included, of course, those beautiful bicycle saddles for which they’re most known, as well as a small collection of their somewhat newly acquired PeDALED line - a Japanese label that makes clothes with practical, technical details for bicyclists, but in a way that’s bit more visually acceptable when you’re off a bike.

Brooks’ bags are similar in that they’re designed with a bicyclist in mind, but not necessarily limited to just bicycle use. This Pickwick model, for example, is made from a water-resistant canvas and has leather trim detailing, metal slide-in buckles, and a tidy-roll up closure. There are two smartly placed, well-hidden pockets - one at the back and one at the bottom - that allow for the convenient stowage of things such as documents and bike locks. Water-resistant zippers give those pockets added weather-protection.

I really like the design for its simple, streamlined form and reliance on quality materials rather than over-detailing. The canvas is somewhat rigid and helps keep’s the bag’s shape reasonably well. The generously sized main compartment has two interior pockets for organizational ease, but is otherwise free of any dividers. This gives me enough room to carry a bunch of miscellaneous things (such as the eBay packages one might need to ship in order to pay for such an expensive bag) when my briefcases prove too small. For practical use in the city with very causal clothing, it’s pretty ideal. 

I only have two complaints. One is that there’s no interior pocket for a laptop, which is surprising given how forward thinking Brooks England and the bag’s designer Andre Klausser seem to be. Not having a separate pocket means my laptop slides to the front of the bag when there’s not much else inside, thus making it slightly harder to carry. The second complaint is that Jon Moy over at Four Pins says it looks “like a giant lunch bag” … which, it admittedly kind of does. 

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I don’t know if I can still rightfully keep my blog’s name after this post, but let me tell you about one of my wallets - the one I use when I’m wearing jeans. Back when commerce still ran on cold, hard cash and people had to go to stores to buy things, truckers and bikers kept wallets like this one in their rear pockets. They were tethered to their owners with a chain so they wouldn’t be accidentally left at diners or fall out during a bumpy motorcycle ride. At some point in the 1980s, they were picked up by Japanese brands (first Redmoon) and remade for the niche market of Americana enthusiasts. As the Japanese are wont to do, these reproductions had incredibly high-end details, such as handcarved, sterling silver conchos and intricate tooling designs. 

My wallet is made by Flat Head, a Japanese company principally known for their denim, although they produce jackets, shirts, and other men’s accessories as well. The bulk of the piece is constructed from untreated steerhide leather, which originally came in this pale, natural color you see below, but eventually darkened to the beautiful, golden, honey brown you see above. All that was required was a few years worth of regular use, exposure to sunlight, and routine applications of Obenauf’s Heavy Duty LP. Additionally, the ring at the back is made from sterling silver, and the threads, which have been used to hand stitch the entire wallet, are made from intertwining strands of cow tendon. The interior is also lined with an exceptionally soft, yellow pigskin, giving the area where you’d actually store your cash a nice, smooth finish. 

I love my wallet, and find that it goes well with the kind of things I typically wear with jeans (e.g. leather jackets, motorcycle jackets, etc). My chiropractor hates it though. She noticed it one day and mentioned that I could really do damage to my hips from sitting on such a bulky thing. “Is there a reason why you always have to have it in your back pocket?” she asked. “Can’t you get something slimmer, like a card case?”

What could I say? That keeping this in my back pocket helps develop the crucial indigo stains you see below? That those indigo stains give the surface some real visual depth and character? That the threads are made from cow tendon? That the wallet was handstitched in Japan? That I’ve put years into this wallet so it would develop a beautiful, golden patina? That although this ring prevents me from leaning too far back in my chair (for fear that it will puncture the seat’s fabric), it’s made from sterling silver? 

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Fall collections are starting to finally trickle into stores and one that’s caught my interest is this new collaboration line between Barbour and Norton & Sons. Barbour ended their arrangement with Japanese designer Tokihito Yoshida last season (though Yoshida purportedly checked out well before that). Given how celebrated that line was, I’ve been curious to see where Norton & Son’s Patrick Grant will take it next.

The pieces are actually quite nice in person, but you would never know it from looking at websites. The problem is that none of the line’s good qualities come through in photographs. Whereas Yoshida’s jackets had complex designs and unique details (some would say “fakakta pockets”), the new incarnation is extremely simple – almost to a fault. There are few things that would capture your imagination if you were just scrolling through pictures in an online store, so you really have to try these on in person to see whether you’d like them (I know Barney’s is carrying the line this fall, but I don’t know which other brick-and-mortars).

The strength of the line is in the fabrication. The jackets, for example, have a real heft and sturdiness to them, and the materials make for nice, rugged silhouettes. There are also details, such as hidden layers underneath plackets, that sometime reveal themselves as folds in the lapel. Additionally, the low-gauge knitted sweaters are remarkably thick and warm. Some are a bit rough, such as the Shetlands, while others are quite plush, such as the rollnecks. You would never know any of this from photos though, and so far, all the online marketing has been fairly poor. The lookbook seen here gives the best view of the collection, but there are only four images and one is cropped from the chest up (who made that decision?). Photos from online stockists are worse, as they look like they were taken out of utility-wear mail order catalogs.

Not everything in the collection is great. This waxed coat, for example, is a bit too stiff and columnar to be flattering, in my opinion. On the other hand, the Barra jacket (available in sandstone and navy) would look nice with a pair of jeans or some beat up corduroys, and the Guernsey-inspired pattern on the Baleshare crew knit would do well layered underneath … well, a Barbour jacket. As with much of the line, that sweater unfortunately doesn’t photograph well. You can’t see the pattern in many stock images, and Oki-Ni (the one place where you can appreciate the pattern) for some reason pulled the sweater so far down that it looks like a women’s knit (in reality, the hem can stop at the hips, like a regular men’s sweater). My guess is that the poor presentation will result in every piece making it to end-of-the-season sales, and at half off, some of these will be great buys. 

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Drake’s released their fall/ winter 2013 collection yesterday. It hasn’t received that much fanfare on blogs yet (even in the ever-quick Tumblr-sphere), which is surprising given how many fantastic things there are.

Like last season, this collection seems to have a nice focus on textured neckwear. There are the traditional things, such as raw silks and tussahs in both solid and patterned designs, as well as plays on standards, such as variations on the traditional grenadine. In addition, there are some nice designs with a 1950s/ 1960s sensibility, such a fuzzy mohair blend and a range of boucles. The word boucle comes from the French word boucler, which means “to curl,” and it refers to how the yarns are formed. The fabric is made with a series of looped threads, typically with one being a bit looser than the others. This looser thread forms a small curled loop in the fabric, while the others form the anchors. The effect is a fabric that looks very textured and interesting, and feels slightly rough to the touch. I think of it as a fall/ winter version of raw silk and like to wear mine with tweeds.

Alongside their neckwear is Drake’s usual mix of other men’s accessories, such as their beautiful, finely woven scarves, which this season comes in a range of tartan, Fair Isle, Navajo, and Kelim patterns. I also lusted over their knitwear. Some of their Guernsey and Aran sweaters looked very much like those sold by Inis Meain, which makes me wonder if that’s not who manufactured them. There are also some Shaggy Dogs, cabled lambswools, and Shetland knits in birdseye and Fair Isle patterns. Oh, and the four-ply cashmere shawl collar cardigan pictured above, which is not new, but so great that I’ll use any excuse to use the photo.

Two big highlights for me include their sport coats and pocket squares. I believe this is their first season offering tailored jackets online, and I suspect if it goes well, we’ll see an expansion of offerings in the future (previously, the only way to really buy their sport coats is to go to their London store). This season’s selection of pocket squares is also quite exciting. I think it may be their best yet since their medieval prints many years ago.

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I’ve been daydreaming about what kind of sport coat I’d like to get next, and somewhere on the list is a Shepherd’s check, which I’ve long thought of as a very Italian pattern. It may have something to do with this old photo shot by The Sartorialist. That jacket isn’t technically a Shepherd’s check, but if you squint hard and use your imagination, it’s close enough. 

A true Shepherd’s check is a simple black-and-white pattern that looks something like it’s familiar cousin - gingham. It’s one of the oldest checks in existence, and it known to many as a Border tartan for its association with the Anglo-Scottish border. In its most primitive and traditional weave, it’s comprised of six black threads and six white threads, with the white threads being made up of untreated sheep’s wool, and the darker threads being the same, but taken from black sheep. 

The pattern is so old that it’s been the basis for a number of other Scottish patterns. The ever popular houndstooth, for example, was originally made in the Lowlands as a Shepherd’s check variant. There are also a number of Scottish estate tweeds, such as the Glenfeshie, which is essentially a Shepherd’s check decorated with a scarlet overcheck. That was made in 1840 to help distinguish men of the forest from shepherds, and there have been many other estate tweeds based on the simple Border tartan since. 

Despite the strong Scottish roots, I still think of the check as being very Italian. Maybe it’s because the few times I’ve seen it, it’s usually worn by Italian men or used in ready-to-wear Italian garments. Either way, I’d like to get my own one day - ideally in a mixture of a mid-brown and tan, or mid-brown and chocolate, like you see below. I think if I wore it, I’d have to talk to people like Luciano Barbera is doing above. With one hand up, in a pose that seems to say “I’m telling you about the handsomeness of Shepherd’s check, but will you listen?" 

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I realized sometime last year that my wardrobe is sorely lacking in good dress coats. They’re harder to find now that fewer and fewer men wear tailored clothing, but they do exist. You can find them in traditional shops such as O’Connell’s and some more modern ones such as Brooks Brothers. You can also go vintage, which is an especially good option given how well coats tend to hold up (and how much money can be saved between buying a new vs. used). The third option is to get something custom made, which is what I’m hoping to have done. 

On my wish list is a deep navy Guard’s coat, which I plan to use for formal occasions; a traditional camel-colored Polo, which will less formal; and a tweed Polo, which less formal still. I fell in love with the idea of a tweed Polo after seeing Michael Alden in one here and here. (Michael has disallowed the embedding of his videos, but his coat is fantastic, so you ought to click through). Beijing1980 also commissioned something similar last year, which you can see in the photos above and below. Both are truly magnificent. 

Thus far, I’ve bought my fabric: a 21oz herringbone tweed that looks like the crust of a freshly baked loaf of bread (perhaps the crust that will protect my ever-expanding, soft, doughy belly?). It was woven by Molloy & Sons, a small woolen mill located in Donegal, which as many readers know, is a mountainous county in the northwest coast of Ireland. Donegal is famous for textile production, but the number of mills has dramatically declined over the years. Molloy & Sons is one of the few remaining, and is run by a father-and-son team (literally Molloy & his son). Everything is done by them in-house, except the finishing, and the workshop is located right next to the family’s home, where generations of Molloys have grown up. 

Despite being small and new, Molloy & Sons produces pretty exceptional fabrics. The one I have is hefty, but soft, and has a nice, springy bounce when you pinch the material and roll it between your two fingers. Like other Donegal tweeds, their fabrics are valued for the many, irregular flecks of color that decorate the surface. As Jesse wrote at Put This On, these are produced by washing and felting small bits of wool before the materials are spun into yarn. Because these bits are felted, they don’t stretch out, so they “glob onto the yarn like bubble gum on a piano string.” The result is a fabric with tons of earthy character, which makes it perfect for a fall/ winter garment. 

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Clothes can be much more than clothes. At best, they remind us of special memories, which can give meaning to our lives. Over the weekend, I had lunch with my oldest friend, Matt, who I’ve known for twenty-four years now. When we were in high school, during the mid-1990s, Matt and some other friends of mine were ‘Lo Heads – a type of clothing aficionado that collects Polo Ralph Lauren. What was deemed collectable at the time was largely determined by street style culture, hip hop music, and a blooming freestyle dance scene. In fact, I spent much of my youth in the mid-90s going to underground hip hop clubs, which people attended for only three reasons (none of which had anything to do with women, as women never attended these things). The first was to dance. The second was to see people dance. And the third was to admire certain people’s sense of dress, who more often than not were wearing Polo Ralph Lauren.  

One of the most coveted pieces back then was this black, handknit sweater you see above. It’s a thick, low-gauge, cotton knit decorated with the side profile of an Indian chief’s head. The design is actually a second generation, with the original being a women’s sweater made in early 1990s for Ralph Lauren’s short lived Polo Country Store. You can always tell which is which because the woman’s is a wool rollneck, with a white drop shadow on the RL insignia, but has no date. The men’s, on the other hand, is a cotton crewneck with an all red insignia, and is signed “RL 94” (as it came out in 1994).

Today, you can find the Indian head sweater on eBay trading between $300 and $750, depending on the condition and whether some Japanese collector is watching (they used to more than they do now). The problem is, the sizes are almost always large, and this is 1994 sizing. The cut is boxy, the shoulders dropped, and the ribbing at the hem isn’t terribly elastic. I actually don’t mind, as I think it gives the knit a nice, slouchy look, but I haven’t been able to find a size small anywhere. I’d love to buy one, however, as the sweater is much more than a sweater to me - it’s a symbol of a certain time in my youth, one filled with music, dance, art, and many good friendships. 

Matt has the sweater (in a size large), and I mentioned to him over lunch this weekend that I wish it would be re-released. “Well, if it’s ever going to happen, it’ll be in next year,” he said, “when the sweater has its 20^th anniversary.” Indeed, Ralph has re-released other pieces from the past (this Indian head shirt, for example), and recently dedicated a whole site to vintage collectors. If it’s ever going to happen, it should happen next year.

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I’ve been really into leather jackets lately. Companies such as The Real McCoys, Toys McCoys, and Good Wear Leather for vintage reproductions; Ralph Lauren’s Purple Label, Enrico Mandelli, and Maison Martin Margiela for high-end fashion stuff; Valstar for that unique Italian take on the A1 blouson; and Temple of Jawnz for (relatively) affordable made-to-measure.  

Another company I’ve been admiring is Chapal. Having started in France in 1832, the company has belonged to the same family for the last seven generations. In the early-20^th century, they made military flight jackets and pilot uniforms for the French air forces, and in the mid-century, they made garments for auto racers. Today, they’re a luxury brand manufacturing for their own line, as well as other companies, such as Jaguar and Bugatti. Everything is made in France and designs are mostly drawn from their aviation and racing history. There are a number of blousons, including the classic A1s, A2s, and G1s; some sport racing and roadster jackets; and a pretty incredible shearling originally worn by French pilots during World War II.

Prices aren’t cheap, but they’re fairly comparable to what you find at other luxury houses. The downside is that, unlike many of those other houses, Chapal doesn’t seem to go on sale. In fact, the only US stockist I know of is Bench & Loom, and although they’re having a sale now, Chapal isn’t included. They also rarely show up on eBay (though one blue racer jacket popped up last month). So, for now, they only seem to be available at full price, and that price will deter many.

But damn if their stuff doesn’t look terrific.

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For the last few years, Inis Meáin has been making flecked wool sweaters every fall and winter season, which their stockists describe as “Donegal knits." Not because they’re actually made in Donegal, but rather because the flecks are reminiscent of the hallmark tweeds that come out of that region. Little bits of wool in differentiating colors are allowed to glob onto the knitted yarns in irregular ways, giving the garment a beautiful, earthy feel.

In the past, I’ve only seen these made from a relatively thick, pure wool. The flecks are usually a bit nubby and add some texture. The Bureau Belfast and Nitty Gritty used to carry them, but they’re all gone now. Manufactum still has the grey one, however, and that’s the version I have. The flecks are a bit more prominent in real life than they appear in the photos. When the sweater is worn, it almost looks like you’ve somehow wrapped your torso in granite. I admit, I find the pattern a bit overpowering by itself, but it looks fantastic when layered underneath a waxed cotton Barbour jacket or a Loden coat.

This season, there are softer cashmere versions - both to the touch and to the eye. Those are available at A Suitable Wardrobe and Frans Boone, with the second carrying two more colors than the first. The navy version, however, is what I think is the real gem, and that’s available at both stores. Little bits of orange and light blue yarns decorate the surface and give the navy sweater some beautiful depth. 

Unfortunately, these they’re pretty expensive, with the lowest full-retail price starting at $500. For something more affordable, A Suitable Wardrobe has a ribbed wool-cashmere blend on sale for about $332. And although not flecked at all, Hartford York has a pretty nice green knitted scarf by for $50. It’s not decorated in the same way, but even the frugal should be able to stay warm.  

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For a long time now, I’ve been skeptical of single monks. Not the kind with a swept back strap, like those on John Lobb’s Vale or Edward Green’s Oundle (I actually think those look kind of rakish), but rather the “garden variety,” where the strap goes horizontally across the tongue. Those always looked to me like something a friar would wear – a literal form of the “monk shoe.”

My prejudice started chipping away two years ago, when I was shopping for shoes at John Lobb and one of the sales associates bent down to fit me. Right underneath the cuff of his trousers flashed the slight glint of a buckle strap. He was wearing a pair of single monks, and I thought they looked pretty good. Sophisticated, even. Then, in the last year, Voxsartoria posted a nice looking ensemble he wore on vacation – a golden brown, checked, lambswool sport coat with a blue shirt, knit tie, grey flannel trousers, and a complementing pair of green suede single monks (I believe from Saint Crispins). And more recently, I started noticing photos of Antonio Liverano and George Cortina in single monk shoes. All of them looked great.

So, with trepidation, I decided to try a pair in what I think might be the most wearable design of all. Edward Green Mercers built on the shapely 82 last and made from the company’s antiqued dark oak leather. The straps on either side are slightly crossed, like an “X,” which I think helps mitigate the friar look. The buckle is also slightly dulled, so it doesn’t shine like a gold coin. These are from Edward Green’s recent sale, but you can buy the brown suede version from Axel’s.

When worn, I think they look pretty good. More sophisticated than a double monk, but less formal than a lace up, these seemingly go well with a casual sport coat and a pair of odd trousers. I admit, I still have some reservations, but the photos of Antonio Liverano and George Cortina below are doing a lot to change my mind.

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