My attention has recently been drawn to lightweight, technical outdoor Japanese brand Mont Bell. The brand was founded by climber Isarmu Tatsura in 1975 and they produce garments that focus on an incredible warmth-to-weight ratio. New menswear label and store Several have a small selection available and I’m particularly interested in the UL Down Tee which will make for a great layering piece in winter, especially with something like an E.G. wool Bedford jacket over the top. The tee is made from ballistic nylon ripstop which is lighter and stronger than your usual nylon. Perfect for those gruelling weather conditions of central London.
Engineered Garment’s Daiki Suzuki sporting the Mont Bell UL Down Tee
Earlier this year The Bureau got a good update of E.G. Workaday stuff in, with a couple of new styles added to the offering. I made a few purchases from the selection; the Lafayette shirt, the Everyday shirt, and the crossing crew tee, which for the most part has been my uniform all summer. The Everyday shirt, pictured above, has become one of my favourite E.G. shirts. It’s a stripped back version of the mainline Workshirt, with simple chest pockets rather than the mismatched button pockets of the original. The indigo denim is washing really well and has started to get a nice fade on it. I’m also looking forward to picking up some of the more colourful chambray versions on offer sometime in the future.
What happens when Bet Lynch meets Travis Bickle? The answer? This season’s Engineered Garments Bal Coat. Ain’t it something? Sadly this version is Japan only, but the Bureau are carrying a nice selection of more wearable options over here.
The Bal coat has easily been my favourite E.G. piece over the last couple of seasons. It’s a super versatile coat with a relaxed silhouette thanks to the raglan sleeves. I also love that the Spring / Summer version is quite a different option, presented in more modern fabrics and heavier on the details with a detachable hood, asymmetric collar, and hand warmer pockets. The winter version, seen here, is a seemingly simpler garment, but it is infact reversible, often offering a more eccentric alternative to a sober counterpart.
There’s a good overview of the FW jackets from Engineered Garments over at nepenthes.co.jp. Nice to see a focus on one particular type of garment. Re-presented here for viewing ease (the nepenthes site is quite slow).
It’s still 20ºC here in the UK, but thoughts are slowly turning to autumnal gear. As a lot of the new E.G. season is now in the shops, it seems a good time to recap on the FW looks of 2014. It’s a quintessential Daiki collection, that reminds me of his more trad work with WWM – largely due to the overall ‘chunkiness’ of it. Lots of heavy knits and woollens going on this season. While I think its a great selection, I feel it’s lacking a little modernity this time around. I enjoy the more ‘technical’ garments that Daiki often plays with – notably the Down body vest from a few seasons back – that are often challenging, but very wearable. This season sees the introduction of the Combi vest, which I really like, but would like to have seen it delivered in a more modern palette rather than the classic mixes that are currently presented. Here’s a selection of my favourite looks from the book up on Nepenthes.co.jp.
I’ve been quietly enjoying the development of orSlow over the past few seasons and it has been nice to see a few UK stores offer a more rounded collection this season. The Bureau Belfast bagged some of the strongest pieces with the Type 1 Blouson, Climbing Pants, and check scarves being particularly noteworthy. The quality of the fabrics, unusual vintage shapes, and beautiful details are really setting the brand apart from other offers at the moment.
A hurricane is coming and it’s not for the faint footed. The Teva Hurricane XLT sports sandal is to river hopping hiking hippies what the Nike Air Force One was to Basketball players. Teva (pronounced ‘Teh-vah’) have produced a few collaborations with Japanese stores Heather Grey Wall and Oshman’s in some tasty colour ways. Oi Polloi bring them to British shores in some choice combos. These present a breath of fresh air for the toes of progressive clothing enthusiasts ready to move on from their summer Birkies.
Remember fellers: no one wants to see your fucking toes, so please wear these with some upbeat hiking socks for that classic ‘sex tourist’ look. Many thanks to Neu_76 for the heads up on these – first thing I’ve been compelled to present on S&S for a good while.
It’s been a while since I’ve felt compelled to write about anything for a while. I very recently started my own business which has caused the blog to take a bit of a backseat. But when I stumbled across this website the other day, I couldn’t resist a post. Quite simply, this site – Manufactum – is one of the best curated sites I’ve ever clicked upon. With it’s mix of household utility products, toys, luggage, and tightly curated clothing ranges you could liken it to London’s Labour & Wait, but minus the wistful English charm and rugged clunkiness of some of the products. Slowdownjoe could be considered a cooler cousin, but it doesn’t have the depth and range of product that Manufactum offers. Here’s a selection of just a few things that caught my eye on my journey through. I think my Christmas list just quadrupled.
Viberg Shell Cordovan Boot detailsATOMA Loose leaf bindersFolding travel bagDinkelacker lace-up ankle bootDinkelacker lace-up ankle boot detailClockwise from top left: Forged steel curtain set, Archive box set, Japanese plant knife, Magnetic paper clampsNigel Cabourn Cameraman JacketNigel Cabourn Cameraman Jacket detail
Here at last is the inaugural issue of Kennedy Magazine – a Biannual Journal of uriosities. Brought to the world by the brilliant minds of Mr. Chris Kontos and the late Mr. Angelo Pandelidis, it’s a voyage through the subjects of art, music, fashion, and culture delivered in a beautifully compact, travel friendly format. Features include interviews with artists Olaf Breuning, and Edwin Wurm, musicians Andrew Weatherall, and Eddie Ruscha, and film director Whit Stillman as well as style counselling from Trunk Clothiers London, and yours truly. It’s also beautifully designed with stunning photography throughout.
I feel very proud to have been involved in this wonderful project and that pride was only intensified after the recent news of joint Editor-in-Chief Angelo Pandelidis’ sudden and tragic death. Together with Chris he has created a truly special magazine that will resonate with many people. I only hope that this is just the beginning for Kennedy and that Angelo has helped lay the foundations for a long standing and continually entertaining publication.
I’d love to reveal more, but I’d like you to go out and purchase a copy to pore over and enjoy. Please visit kennedymagazine.com to find your stockist or purchase online, or alternatively (for UK folks only) purchase a copy over at noncollective.com.
Buy a copy of Kennedy Magazine to find out how I smash two of my favourite topics (Seinfeld and Engineered Garments) into one article.
Engineered Garments 19th Century BD Shirt, Pineapple Chambray
It’s so long since my last post, I’d almost forgotten how to use WordPress. It’s been a tumultuous few months for me which will culminate in something exciting very soon, but has meant clothing has been on the back burner for a while. Well, on the back burner until I saw this bobby dazzler of a shirt appear on Oi Polloi which has forced me out of my summer hibernation.
Daiki Suzuki continues his playful twists on preconceived seasonal patterns by adding some tropical fruit to this Fall/Winter’s proceedings. This is a truly special embroidered pattern and it finds it’s home on (in my opinion) Daiki’s finest hour: the 19th Century BD Shirt. He often uses this style as a playground to experiment with fabric and it’s good to see this coming FW13 season is no exception. And for those interested in the 19th Century shirt, I’ve written a piece about it in the newly launched Kennedy Magazine. Hit the link for stockist information.
My attention has recently been drawn to lightweight, technical outdoor Japanese brand Mont Bell. The brand was founded by climber Isarmu Tatsura in 1975 and they produce garments that focus on an incredible warmth-to-weight ratio. New menswear label and store Several have a small selection available and I’m particularly interested in the UL Down Tee which will make for a great layering piece in winter, especially with something like an E.G. wool Bedford jacket over the top. The tee is made from ballistic nylon ripstop which is lighter and stronger than your usual nylon. Perfect for those gruelling weather conditions of central London.
