Search Results for: spring

If Marie Kondo left you with a clean closet, but nothing to wear, Unionmade is holding an impressively good sale from now until the end of Tuesday. Take 30% off any order with the checkout code GETHAPPY. The code applies to both new arrivals and the sale section, although only new arrivals are returnable for a full refund (the website’s return policy suggests otherwise, but I called Unionmade’s store in San Francisco to clarify). 

Unionmade is a great shop for workwear, heritage brands, and hard-to-find Japanese imports. They carry everything from Levi’s to Deveaux, but the clothes come together in a way that can be roughly described as a semi-classic, casual West Coast aesthetic. There are slim-straight jeans for guys who normally wear sport coats, as well as a huge selection of casualwear drawing from militaria, workwear, and neo-retro outdoor gear.  Here are five things I think are particularly worth a look:

LVC 1947 501s: Levi’s 501s has gone through a number of iterations over the years. The 1947 edition was the first one produced after the end of WWII, and as a result, it featured details that were previously lost due to wartime rationing measures. The watch pockets were made with rivets, and the back pockets regained their arcuate lines (those double needle, “batwing” stitches). It was also made with a classic slim-straight cut – slimmer than the company’s current version of the 501, but with a bit more room in the leg and slightly higher rise than many slim-fit jeans today. If you’re looking for a slim-straight jean that can be worn with workwear and sport coats, you could hardly do better.

I’m convinced that no one who likes clothes can possibly like spring. The clothes are often less interesting; there’s less opportunity for layering. The cuts reveal more than conceal, and few of us look good naked. Whereas dressing for winter can be something of a paint-by-numbers exercise, dressing for spring is more like trying to solve a puzzle. How do you dress well, but also comfortably? 

It always takes me a while to switch wardrobes this time of year, but I often go back to the same things – breathable tailoring, button-down shirts, and loafers. For casualwear, it’s usually a field jacket or chore coat, then some raw denim jeans (gotta get those fades). I also like bolder shirts nowadays with unusual collars. If you’re looking for some style inspiration this spring, here are three things I’m really into at the moment. 

Some Spring Tailoring

One of the things I love about Drake’s is how they’re able to present classic clothes in a way that feels a bit fresher, a bit newer, without veering off into the bushes. This season, the company shot their spring/ summer lookbook in Charleston, South Carolina, where they’ve mixed their English ties and Italian tailoring with some of their favorite pieces from the heydays of American style. And at a time when prep feels beleaguered – sometimes dated, sometimes lacking in self awareness – Drake’s presentation makes me think, “oh yea, this stuff is pretty good.”

In an old post at Put This On, my friend Pete once wrote a great essay on what’s happened to prep. In the mid-2000s, “J. Crew sales were booming – critter shorts and tiny collared OCBDs abounded. Grosgrain enthusiast Thom Browne won a CFDA award and got his own line at Brooks Brothers. Ralph Lauren launched an over-the-top youthful prep brand allegedly named after Ralph’s dog, Rugby. Old prep labels such as Gant were resurrected, and Barneys stocked new, prep-riffing labels like Band of Outsiders and Benjamin Bixby. The author of the Official Preppy Handbook was writing a sequel.” 

Now in 2018, Rugby and Bixby have shuttered, Thom Browne is no longer at Brooks Brothers, and J. Crew and Ralph Lauren are struggling to find their footing. Even the term preppy feels pejorative again. It’s sticky and gross, referencing a sense of smugness, as well as the squeamishly elitist things we blissfully ignored ten years ago. Pete writes: “Prep implies privilege and inherited money; some of prep’s charm comes from the unquestioning self-confidence bestowed only by independent wealth. Today we still like our wealth obnoxious. But not smug or entitled.” To the degree prep feels relevant, it’s often through generic things that have simply become “clothes.” Flat front used to be preppy, but now they’re just common attire for everyday office workers. 

When it rains, it pours. End-of-season sales are coming down this week, with the newest one being from End – a UK-based shop that carries a range of inventory rivaling Mr. Porter’s. At the moment, you can take 20% off with the checkout code VIPSALE. That might not sound like much, but remember the prices here are already about 20% lower than US-based boutiques (thanks to automatic VAT discounts). If your order is worth less than $800, they’ll arrive duty-free. Shipping is also free on orders over $250. 

Since the inventory is so large, your best bet is to scan through the site’s list of brands. Some that I think are notable:

• ArkAir: ArkAir is the civilian-wing of an old English company, Arktis, which has been providing standard-issue military wear to special forces around the world since 1985. Over the years, they’ve sold to everyone from the French Foreign Legion to UK’s Royal Marines. ArkAir is inspired by those original military jackets, but the clothes are cut in a way that makes them practical for civilian use. Best of all is the price. With jackets nowadays commonly landing north of $500, these hover around $250. With the checkout code, that brings them to $199. 
• Barbour: One of the best times to get a Barbour jacket is during End’s promotions. Being that prices here are, again, lower than most places, the 20% discount just makes them even more affordable. Along with core-line models, such as the Beaufort and Bedale, you can find things such as the Ashby (which is basically the Bedale, but with a slimmer body and longer sleeves). See my Barbour Buyer’s Guide here. 
  

Mr. Porter always has the most exciting sales, and they just discounted a wide range of their spring/ summer stock by as much as 50%. I picked up a Drake’s scarf, linen Margaret Howell sweater, and some Orslow washed jeans (the 107 fit is great if you want something on the skinnier side, but with a higher rise than APC’s New Standards). The nubuck RM Williams Chelsea boots were also tempting. 

If you’re reading this Monday night, know that some of the sales inventory is still being added. Given how quickly things sell out, however, you may want to browse the site now, then check back in the morning. You can use Mr. Porter’s filters to narrow down the inventory or go through their list of brands. If you’d like some suggestions, however, here are some things I think are particularly special:

• Eidos: A terrific Italian-inspired casualwear line. The topcoat I bought from them last season has become one of my favorite outerwear pieces. This spring/ summer, they have some incredible looking Ghruka pants (size up) and cotton knitwear. See Rubinacci for more Ghurka-styled trousers. 
• Camoshita: If you’ve ever admired Yasuto Kamoshita’s easy-going, louche style, you might want to take a look at his line. His shirts and polos are especially good this season. 

• Drake’s: Do they need any introduction? One of the best men’s accessories brands in the world. The spring scarves are especially nice. 
  
• Chimala: This Japanese brand makes things that feel like they’ve been dug out your favorite vintage shop. The clothes often fit nice and loose, but in a way that’s flattering, and there are often interesting pre-distressed details (I promise they’re done tastefully). One of my favorite workwear brands.
• Kapital: Do you want to look like a wandering hobo pirate in some post-apocalyptic world? If so, Kapital is for you! Not the easiest brand to wear, but certainly fun. (I’m actually wearing a Kapital Aloha shirt while typing this).
• Valstar: Civilian-styled A-1 suede jackets from an Italian company that has made their name off this design. Can be worn with either tailored trousers or jeans, which is what makes these so useful. These really come to their own when you layer them over textured knitwear. 
• Velva Sheen: Simple, great t-shirts. The selling point here is that they’re knitted like tubes, so they don’t have any side seams, but they’re really just soft, easy-fitting tees that flatter. Be sure to size up. 
• Battenwear: Something like a surf version of Engineered Garments. Lots of beach parkas, shorts, and camp collar shirts. All done in contemporary cuts that feel more stylish than their baggier American-made counterparts. For something similar, check Arpenteur. 
• Inis Meain: One of my favorite knitwear brands. Their sweaters are inspired by archival Irish designs, mostly those that have been worn on the Aran Islands. The quality here is just excellent – a considerable step-up from the Aran companies that mostly sell to tourists. 
  
• Maison Margiela: If you don’t already have a pair, Margiela’s German Army Trainers are really useful. They’re a little sportier than Common Projects’ Achilles, which in some ways makes them less versatile, but they still go with almost anything short of tailoring.
  
• Viberg: You rarely see Vibergs on sale, but Mr. Porter has the Canadian company’s popular service boots and Chelseas discounted by 30%. The service boots in particular are great – to workwear what boat shoes are to prep (I mean that in the best of ways). Just an easy-to-wear, versatile boot if you have rugged clothes in your closet. 
  
• RM Williams: The iconic Chelsea. Theirs is a wholecut design, which I think looks better than Chelseas with side seams (surprisingly common, even on boots retailing for over $1,000). 
• Gaziano & Girling: A rare sale on Gaziano & Girling shoes. Just note that the lasts here are on the slightly sleeker side of things. 
• Onia and Orlebar Brown: Great for swim shorts. Orlebar Brown’s shorts are made with side tabs, which I think looks nicer than elasticized waists. Onias, however, fit me a little better, so they might also work for you. 
• Jeans: Mr. Porter has some of my favorite jeans. As mentioned above, Orslow’s 107 fit is nice if you want something skinny, but with a manageable rise. Then there’s Our Legacy’s First Cut, which is fuller through the thigh, but has a nice taper below the knees. Finally, LVC’s 1947 501 jeans are a forgiving slim-straight cut. Probably more useful for guys with classic sensibilities, although the wash here might be hard to use with sport coats. 

The heart of spring/ summer style for me is a good pair of slip-ons. My usual go-tos this time of year include penny loafers – worn with soft sport coats and button-down collars – then camp mocs whenever I’m in denim. 

Lately, however, I’ve looking for a pair of leather slippers. Something dressed down from traditional leather shoes, but more sophisticated than beach-ready espadrilles. Without the ornamentation that comes with penny loafers, tassel loafers, and embroidered Prince Alberts, these feel a bit more causal and contemporary. Something to wear when you’re hanging out at a local cafe or strolling down the boardwalk with friends. 

Antonio Ciongoli, the talented designer behind Eidos, frequently uses leather slippers in his lookbooks. They’re often paired with smartly tailored chinos or drawstring linen pants, as well as striped Breton shirts, long popovers, and loose-fitting pullover jackets. Unionmade recently used the same slippers in a seasonal presentation (lots of shorts and casual summer outerwear here). And Yasuto Camoshita below shows how great slip-ons can look with tailored clothing. 

Lookbooks don’t always have to be instructive. Especially for casualwear brands, they’re more often than not meant to serve as style inspiration – showing the idea or spirit behind a collection, rather than telling you how to wear something. 

For the last year, however, The Armoury has been putting together seasonal presentations that feel both fun and grounded. Even if the looks are at times a little bold, many can be tweaked here and there to fit modern life. Last season, they did something in conjunction with illustrator Fei Wang (aka Mr. Slowboy). This season, they shot something inside one of their Hong Kong stores. 

There are lots of great takeaways here. The main one is how easily a suit or sport coat can be dressed down with a pair of slip-on shoes, whether they’re tassel loafers, penny loafers, or those Belgian-esque styles from Baudoin and Lange. Similarly, just like how tweed sport coats can be worn with the right pair of jeans in the winter months (I like Drake’s for these purposes), you can do the same thing with linen jackets on warmer days. The one below from Ring Jacket is cut a little trimmer and softer, which makes it easier to bridge the gap in formality between tailored clothing and denim. 

There’s a pretty narrow window for when you can wear a spring scarf. And that time is basically now until the end of May – when the weather can be wildly erratic. Crisp mornings are followed by warm afternoons and cool evenings, with a constant chance of spring showers or gusty winds throughout. On those days, having a small, easily packable accessory that can keep you warm isn’t such a bad idea. 

I also think men look better with a bit of neckwear. Bruce Boyer said something similar in his book True Style, which he opens with a chapter on scarves: 

Call it what you will – ascot, cravat, stock – the scarf at the throat is the tested and true answer to the naked neck. It is also the answer for all those baffling formal but “dressed down” occasions when a coat-and-tie are too stuffy, but slacks and a polo shirt are too scruffy. A scarf at the neck provides the right accoutrement to a cashmere cardigan, tweed jacket, navy blazer, or summer sports coat. Nothing so exactly achieves the air of casual elegance, of sporty self-confidence, as a mannerly fold of fine silk or lightweight cashmere with an open collar. 

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It’s been great seeing Drake’s develop into a fuller menswear line. Fifteen years ago, most people would have never even heard of the company, even though they’ve been around since the 1970s. For much of their history, Drake’s served as a private label manufacturer located in London’s East End, where they produced classic neckwear for a variety of top-end brands. As the wholesale market has gotten squeezed, however, Drake’s has had to reposition itself – going from a private label manufacturer to a consumer-orientated brand. First came the ties, pocket squares, and scarves bearing the company’s name. Then, in more recent times, they’ve added shirts, sport coats, outerwear, knitwear, jeans, and small leather goods. 

All of this has allowed them to put together seasonal lookbooks – models fitted head-to-toe in things you can find at the Drake’s store. The outfits are somewhat stylized, to be sure, but they’re great for inspiration. 

The new one for spring just dropped on Drake’s site. I particularly like the cream-colored sport coat they put together with navy trousers – a refreshingly modern take on the dark jacket with grey trousers most of us wear. They also have a navy wool seersucker suit, which I think will age better than its cousins in cotton. Cotton suiting can be great in the summertime, but given how it fades, it doesn’t always age well in darker colors. 

When it rains, it pours. End just started their end-of season sale, where you can take 25% off select items with the checkout code SALEPREVIEW. There are some exclusions (the code won’t work on Common Projects or already marked-down inventory, for example), but it applies to most of the store. 

Perhaps the most exciting inclusion: Barbour, where export restrictions have now been lifted. For the last two years, Barbour hasn’t allowed EU retailers to ship to the US (mostly as a way to protect their other distributors). End confirmed with me this morning, however, that US orders are now fine and the code applies to mainline models such as the Bedale and Beaufort. If you need more info about how the jackets differ, refer to the Barbour buying guide I wrote for Put This On. 

I also like Margiela’s German Army Trainers. They’re little old-hat at this point for style enthusiasts, but easy to wear and incredibly versatile. Additionally, Inis Meain, Inverallan, and SNS Herning make wonderful sweaters, while Nigel Cabourn and Mackintosh are always good for outerwear (I like especially like Cabourn’s Surface and Aircraft jackets). Filson’s canvas bags are also really useful.