These are my latest purchase, I tried to cop them in August at 1948 and they didn’t have my size, however on a trip way out west to Shepherd’s Bush, I picked them up from a spot that WASN’T Global Sports. A great little shop on Uxbridge road, opposite Stuart’s, unfortunately the name evades me.
I can’t wait to wear these during the summer with a nice blue wash Chambray shirt and a pair of Dockers.
Possibly the greatest two investments you will ever make in your life are a quality winter coat and a sturdy pair of boots. In the last couple of years I have made two such investments, Barbour and Red Wing provided the brand benefactors, two unrivaled names in their respective fields. Here are my two pairs of incredibly worn-in, loved and cherished, battered and bruised Red Wing boots. I think they look better rough and ready, they’ve seen me through some tough and torrid times, my feet certainly have appreciated them. I’ll clean and dub them come the end of Winter, which really should be today. But this Spring sun will soon come and go, it’s flirting with us right now, the wind and the rain will strike, and you’ll be pleased you made that investment in a quality winter coat and a sturdy pair of boots.
And here is where they came from, courtesy of Complex magazine.
“Red Wing Shoe Company was founded in a small Minnesota town in 1905. A continuous commitment to quality, craftsmanship, durability, and comfort has led the brand to steadily gain popularity amongst American workers who had a pressing need for dependable footwear. Now with workwear-inspired apparel’s new role as trendy everyday wear, Red Wing has become one of the most respected and sought after companies in the market.”
More pictures after the jump.
Coming on the 13th of February
“Stussy and Stones Throw Records have partnered for Raph Rashid’s classic pic of J Dilla on a limited-edition Stussy Tee. This will be released Feb. 13, 2010 in White and Black, available at stonesthrow.com and Stussy locations.”
Some incredible new Barbour product over at Oi Polloi so much choice but I’ve chosen this limited edition collaboration with Japanese designers To Ki To. Fans of ACL will already be familiar with this, as Michael Williams posted a mini-feature at the tail-end of January. He got the scoop, which already alerted fans of Barbour across the globe.
I’ve discussed Barbour a great deal in branding terms and have used them as a case study many times. They’ve retained their classic British heritage while introducing collaborations, new styles, new language and themes, without alienating either end of the market. These jackets are outstanding and if I didn’t already own a Barbour I would certainly be investing in one of these pieces.
My jacket is around 18 months old now and has been put through some heavy handed wear, I’ll be sending it off for a clean and re-wax for the first time this summer. I’ll probably blog that process as I’ve looked into re-waxing myself, and in all honesty it looks like a total hassle I really could do without.
More images of the To Ki To jacket after the jump and the rest of the collection at Oi Polloi HERE.
I’ve just been taking a look through the Garbstore site and came across this fantastic Parka, I think it looks a little lightweight for the Winter, but with Spring steadily approaching (hard to believe I know) this sort of jacket is more than a little handy. After doing some digging, I believe only 30 of these are available worldwide. At £250 a fairly reasonable price when compared to the other great parkas and coats out there by Stone Island, CP Company and Woolrich all pushing the £500 mark, I think this is a snip.
If you haven’t ventured West (isn’t that a novel idea), I think you should, and go and check out Garbstore.
An interesting list by the people of Esquire, a couple of new spots have been brought to my attention, while some staples get duly noted for their great selection of brands and quality service.
Kiosk 78 – Leeds
Present – London
Badger Clothing Company Ltd - Brighton
Ideology Menswear – Sheffield
Oi Polloi – Manchester
Oi Polloi, for those of you who are regular visitors here, or know me personally will be more than accustomed to my outstanding praise for the Manchester clothing mecca. It truly is the best menswear shop in the UK. I hadn’t stumbled across Sheffield’s Ideology before, but it looks like another gem. The breadth of brands on offer isn’t vast, but each compliment the other perfectly, looks like a fantastic shop worth rearing your head at. As for Badger in Brighton, It’s a little disappointing they failed to choose Peggs & Son a far better spot on the South Coast.
Woolrich’s collection for this Spring and Summer is looking great, and it’s good to see the brand famed for creating some of the best winter pieces around transcend the snow for the sun effortlessly.
folk ss10 from Folk Clothing on Vimeo.
I am a huge fan of Folk, my favorite brand of the last year without a doubt. Although generally quite expensive, the quality and attention to detail is second to none. I picked up a lovely cardigan this season, with some hand sewn buttons spelling Folk down the front of the garment, it’s one of my favorite pieces in the wardrobe. The collection for Spring Summer looks fantastic and this video look book is beautifully put together, I would expect nothing less from Folk. I am yet to visit the new store on Dray Walk which filled the recently vacated space once home to Butcher of Distinction. Butcher of Distinction failed for me on so many levels, but the selection of product they stocked was generally very good, and the shop fit was beautiful, but poor customer service prevented me from spending in there and I’m sure it was the same for many other potentially loyal customers. I’m certain Folk will be much more successful, yet the move East for me is a little annoying as once again a hidden gem will now be more readily available but I shouldn’t let my own personal vanity and dedication to oneupmanship get in the way of Folk’s success, and I bet Folk care little about that either.
This Fjallraven backpack is fantastic. I have many bags, brief case, rucksacks, and recently my Uniqlo day pack has been taking a heavy pounding. This is on the new year purchase list. Recently the Sweedish brand has opened a store in New York which surprised me greatly. I would love the brand to come to London but a great selection is available at Manchester’s World beater Oi Polloi.
This new YMC jacket has just arrived at Oi Polloi and I presume It’s also available at their flagship shop in London’s Soho. I think you’ll agree with me that this is an essential purchase for when the winter months slowly depart and a sense of spring approaches on the horizon. I particularly like the large pocket on the back and the detailing on the front.
No Comments