Outerwear Report | Edifice Weatherwear Collection

With Japan's vastly-expanding fashion industry, it only seems right that a brand like Edifice would collaborate with British brands Mackintosh and Lavenham on a small range of jackets. The result: the “Weatherwear” collection. Not simply a range of trend, but one of history, the collection features the decades-old quilting style in the usual Mackintosh construction. Far beyond superficial looks, the outerwear is constructed out of tweed and nylon, providing the utmost wind-resistance. And the great thing about quilting - it has an odd knack for retaining a classic ease while looking modern as well. Available only in Japan at the moment, you can bet I will let you know once it hits our shores. More views after the jump...

Read more...

Footwear Report | Grenson ‘35450′ Burnt Pine Oxfords

Sometimes we get so pulled in by grand gestures that we overlook the ones that matter - the small ones. Take the color palette, for example. The tan leather sole provides a great contrast with the burnt pine upper and suede throat line. Or the brogue-ing, giving the oxford just the right amount of class. Regardless, this shoe is by far worthy of a purchase, and I'd like to see anyone prove me opposite. Available from Edwards of Manchester.

Source

Read more...

Editorial Report | Modern Day Peter Parker

As if they weren't already impressively styled, Ethan James and Jamie Cockerill decide to show off their impressive 'super-natural' traits for Japanese magazine HuGe. Photographed by Wataru and styled by Tetsuro Nagese, its not their modern-day Peter Parker skills that have my eye...its all the studded Prada that I've spotted.

Source

Read more...

Collection Report | J.Crew Spring/Summer 2010

A fiery force to be reckoned as a whole, J.Crew recently presented their Spring/Summer 2010 collection in a usual J.Crew Ideology - an equal balance between work and play; quality and price consciousness; style and trends. As fiery as the entire range is (each-piece-in-total-sync-with-the-others), nothing seemed to garner as much of my attention as the Fireman Jacket. A clear inspiration from traditional fire fighter's coats, it a contemporary and wearable take: its shape and quick-release clasps are a direct carbon-copy from the original, yet it is slimmed down and far-fetch from fire fighter's iconic yellow. Frank Muytjens, J.Crew's head men's designer states:
"We particularly love it because of its utilitarian purposes and authentic functioning details. We updated it through fit and fabric and picked a gutsy waxed canvas to retain the masculine aura… gave it an aggressive wash to make it look broken in and used, a rugged look.

Source

Read more...

Style Question | American Flag Pin; Flip Flops

Im not a presidential candidate, member of Congress, nor a right-wing TV pundit, but I'm a bit intrigued by this whole American-flag lapel-pin thing. Is there a cool (or right or wrong) way to wear one?

As someone who works in DC and the political field, I don't have an American-flag lapel pin and neither do a lot of my colleagues; I do have a support-our-troops magnet. I have a lot of those, actually. You tend to acquire tons of them when your country is at war and all. Anyways, the lapel pin: Living in DC, its not so much a cool-or-stylish thing as it is a work thing. Its a political land, members of Congress wear them to identify themselves as Congressmen while others wear them to decipher their political party or show patriotism. This doesn't mean I am not patriotic. It sort of means I don't wear pins. I thought it was smart of Obama to avoid the knee-jerk American flag that politicians, lobbyist, and chamber-of-commerce types often sport, and then I thought it was smart of him to pin it on to show he wasn't rigid. But is it cool? No. Unless your a member of Congress, it just proves that you take things too serious. Is it uncool? Not necessarily. I'd have to admit that a Confederate-flag lapel pin would be uncool, unless you dig slavery, but that just means your uncool. But me, I'm not wearing an American flag...one day at a time.

Is it ever appropriate to wear dress with shorts? What about oxfords and wingtips? Ive seen Michael Bastian do it.

Yes, you may wear dress shoes with shorts. You must have missed my reviews from all the fashion weeks for Spring 2010 because shorts and dress shoes ruled supreme. Plus you have to wear something instead of flip-flops, because despite popular belief, flip-flops are not shoes! And as far as I am concerned, if you're bold evough to wear gladiator sandles, you should be prepared to die for them.

Read more...

Buy Report | Comme Des Garcons Shirt Tweed Blazer

Its not like I need to explain the importance of tweed in the fall season anymore...but just to put a quick note down - it evokes a certain vintage feel that goes hand-in-hand with fall. Comme Des Garcons has added just that to their shirt collection, upping the ante from your usual vintage grabs with great cut and quality. Modernizing the age-old material, the lapels are much slimmer than any vintage blazer you will find and the look, as a whole, is everything and more. Though you'd have to dig down deep in your pockets for this one, its a brand that is respected, and quality that will last you forever so. Available via ASOS.

Source

Read more...

Preview Report | Ruffian for Macy’s

What started out as a wakening announcement that gave way to much anticipation has now manifested itself into a lackluster-bunch-of-the-same. Photos from the new Ruffian capsule collection for Macy’s have hit the web and appears to be a big disappointment - featuring striped polos, plaid shirts, striped shirts, and basic jeans, nothing new for Macy's or menswear. Lackluster at best. Something tells me that we have been bamboozled into giving too much attention to an undeserving collection. I can only hope that this review of disapproval will give those Ruffian boys - Brian Wolk and Claude Morais - a wide awakening and the motivation to add some high points to this mess of a collection. Sigh.

Read more...