Spot On.

There are times when you just don't require a jacket with too many quirks, features or pockets. You just need something simple to stop the rain from getting in. This little gem – a Velo Jacket by Universal Works – looks spot on for these occasions.

Based in London and fronted by David Keyte, Universal Works is enjoying a growing reputation in many circles. Inspired by vintage workwear (although to be fair, who isn't at present?) as well as classic British fashion, this is a label that values honesty in its products and this piece is no exception to this ethos.

Following the "less is more" mantra the Velo is a lightweight jacket with just two pockets. It's basic but that's where its appeal lies – in its simplicity. Universal Works are offering the jacket in two colours. While a navy jacket is always a safe bet, I find it very hard to put a foot wrong with a yellow jacket and were I to pick this up then it would definitely be in the yellow, where I would compliment it with a nice pair of raw denims.

Norse Projects x Oi Polloi Waxed Parka

Manchester favourite Oi Polloi has a history of collaborations having worked with R. Newbold, a subdivision of Paul Smith which has a very large fanbase in Japan, a few years ago and it seems that a return to these collaborations may be on the cards. This waxed parka is the first glimpse of their project with Scandinavian label Norse Projects and it's a promising first sign indeed.

Given that Manchester is known for it's wet weather and Norse Projects is inspired by the very similar Scandinavian climate, this seems like a reasonably good and well thought-out venture. The jacket will be available in three colours – military green, navy and beige. Furthermore it's made in England which can only be a good thing. There is branding present but it's very subtle with a nice patch detail somewhat reminiscent of the Belstaff logo present on the left sleeve.

"If you've heard all they've got to say..."

Formed from the ashes of the La's, Cast were one of the finest and most underrated band of the Britpop era. These Scouse lads lost their way slightly following their debut album but that album is up there with Britpop's best, filled with tunes such as "Sandstorm", "Finetime" and my personal favourite – "Walkaway".

The lyrical content of the song is pretty self-explanotary: being stuck with something and realising the only way out is to accept it's going nowhere and move on. John Power delivers the lyrics fantastically well with a real sense of heartache coming through his voice. Britpop may have been an era rife with ballads but this effort remains one of the best.

Albam: Autumn/Winter 2010 Preview

Albam is one of those brands that is ticking all the boxes for me at present. It's understated, great quality, (relatively) reasonably priced and boy, does it look good. What's even better is that it is still relatively under exposed and there are very few stockists at present. I picked up a pair of their selvedge denims for my old man (dead generous, I am) and they, like the majority of their stuff, look and feel great.

Established in 2007, it's fair to say that to many people a lot of Albam's offerings may appear to be a little plain and perhaps even boring upon first glance but once you begin to notice the details and philosophy behind the brand then it's fair to say their simple and classic designs are some of the best coming out of the UK at the minute.

For this winter they are pursuing a "cleaner aesthetic" as well as looking to develop their use of fabrics. Each piece will see a limited release (of 100) and this only adds to the appeal for me. The knitwear, as is most often the case with Albam, looks spot on while the jackets also appear to hit the spot.

I'd imagine that much of this collection will be manufactured in Great Britain where possible.

Below are some photos they've released to whet our appetites.

Jonny Monk

A friend of mine from the Casual Connoisseur forums, Jonny Monk is a photographer based in Oswestry. While many photographers come from 'arty' backgrounds, Jonny grew up in a family with no real artistic inclinations. However he believes this has helped him to develop a unique style as a lack of obvious influences to draw upon has forced him to experiment in order to discover the best results.

His interest in photography wasn't apparent at an early age but was instead sparked by a present from his father. Jonny explains, "my interest has only been harboured in the last two to three years after my father bought me an old Canon EOS 300D camera to take on a school trip to New York." Since then Jonny has described photography as an "absolute passion" which started with travel photography but then moved on to more artistic and unique takes on well known local areas and landmarks.

Jonny is quick to maintain that photography, in general, isn't an obsessive interest. "I don't carry a camera round with me all the time. I just wake up one day in the mood and see how it turns out. Except when I'm on a photography assignment or a job." He also believes that photography is accessible to everyone in form or another. "Personally, I think that photography is one of those past times and interests that everyone seems to have, whether they pursue it in an artistic sense, just the annual holiday and Christmas snaps, or even just to capture the odd memory of nights out with friends. So in that case, one could argue it's been an interest in everyone's lives, for all of their lives."

Jonny is entirely self-taught and is a firm believer in 'individualism'. But, in his opinion, this has clear benefits. "You won't get noticed if you're the same as everyone else now will you? Picasso was self taught, apparently demonstrating sublime talent during his youth, and look where he is now. (He's dead, but you know what I mean.)"

While he believes that different cameras can open up different possibilities in regards to special effects, Jonny believes ultimately that it is the skill of the man behind the camera who makes a good photograph. "it's down to the photographer to use his/her vision to come up with an aesthetically appealing image. Cameras create the opportunity to expand the image artistically, be it depth of field (how blurred selected parts of the image are), film effects, exposure settings etc. But overall, I'd say it's down to the skill and keen eye of the chap or chapette holding the thing."

Despite struggling (or not wanting) to pinpoint his style, Jonny is most interested in taking unique slants on an area or location, even though it often contradicts the common conception of that place. "Bringing the overlooked to people's attention is quite interesting. A personal representation of an everyday item, which makes people think about it and notice something new is a nice experience. I take pride in bringing beauty to a decayed urban area for example. I also like finding imperfections in areas deemed as 'beautiful'."

An admirer of the works of Gregory Crewsdon and Martin Parr, Jonny is currently pursuing photography as a profession. Armed with a range of both digital and film cameras (and an iPhone app called Hipstamatic) Jonny says "the commissions are building up quite nicely and it's finally looking like it might well happen".

Jonny's photos can be found and bought from his website. You can also follow him on his new blog.

Recent Purchase - L.L. Bean Baxter State Parka

I recently picked up this L.L. Bean Baxter State Parka. It's a proper vintage effort although I'm not exactly sure how far it dates back. The jacket was made in America and so would have been produced in the early 1990's at the latest as following this the brand opted against continued domestic manufacture and instead shifted production over to the Far East.

L.L. Bean was established in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean (hence the L.L.) and has had a notable reputation for producing some of the best outdoors apparel ever since. The company is still headquartered in Freeport, Maine just down the road from the original store.

This parka comes with four pockets, providing plenty of room to keep all your essentials in and meaning you're unlikely to require lugging a bag around with you. Other nice features are embossed buttons and a lovely navy blue lining on the inside of the jacket. This is absolutely ace!

"Talent Borrows, Genius Steals"

Without doubt one of the most popular online shops out there, Oi Polloi has struck a chord with people from all walks of life. Based in Manchester, Oi Polloi was founded in 2002 by Nigel Lawson and Steve Sanderson. The shop can claim to having played a large part in the increased popularity of numerous brands such as Fjällräven and Filson. Oi Polloi has become famous for keeping its finger on the button and has no doubt brought something to someone's attention at one point. As well as constantly searching for new brands and updating the collections for their favourites, Oi Polloi have also produced some of their own clothes before. One notable collaboration saw them work with R. Newbold which, although a subdivision of Paul Smith, is nigh on impossible to find in the UK as it's main source of custom is with the Japanese.

Below are some photos of Oi Polloi's new store, having relocated to a bigger store relatively recently. I've yet to visit Oi Polloi but when in Manchester this will undoubtedly be my first port of call.

Suave.

Here's a little look at a few nice pieces that have recently hit the ever reliable Oi Polloi's shelves.

First up are some lovely jackets from Mackintosh – the brand made famous by making the first ever Mac as well as for revolutionising outerwear techonology with the innovation of vulcanising rubber. These three jackets are very nice indeed and I'd gladly wear all of them (not at the same time, of course).

Elsewhere we have the Pendle Jacket by Universal Works. Made with Harris Tweed, this little stunner is somewhat reminiscent of the Cameraman by Nigel Cabourn but for money it's just as nice, and importantly it comes it in at a fraction of the price.

Finally there's the Fred Perry Authentic Wax Anorak with a definite Albam influence on it. Regardless it's a very nice jacket indeed and is made from Millerain cotton (as are many jackets in Albam's collection). This belter comes in a cracking teal colour and while the fact it's Fred Perry may put some people up from first glances it looks to me like a highlight piece.

Mackintosh Kellas Jacket

Mackintosh Kellas Jacket

Mackintosh Forrest Jacket


Universal Works Pendle Jacket


Fred Perry Authentic Wax Anorak

The Winter Wishlist

Winter is, at least for me, the best time to pick up nice clothes. It's probably also the most important because staying warm in our cold winters is a must. Thankfully this winter has thrown plenty of things my way which I really like the look of. Having got myself a job recently I'm full of hope that I'll be able to actually pick some up, as opposed to staring wishfully at a computer screen which is my normal practice for stuff I cannot afford.

Anyway, without further ado and in no particular order, here are my ten winter wants:

This Universal Works Parka is a thing of beauty. I make no secret of my love for parka coats and this is one that has definitely caught by eye. There's no fur or no frills with it which in my eye can only be a good thing. Universal Works is all about being understated and the clothing is based on a simple mantra: good quality, good looking and affordable. This coat is no different. Featuring a chest pocket and two handwarming pockets, the jacket also has some lovely black buttons which compliment the deep navy colour of the coat wonderfully well. If more colours are available I may opt for something different from blue – not because it doesn't look suave in this colour (it does!) but because my wardrobe is crying out for a splash of colour.

If it's polo shirts you are after then you need not look any further than Ralph Lauren. After all, Ralph and René (Lacoste) are the two men who made the polo shirt popular. Whereas some feel Lacoste has suffered with quality problems recently, I have had no such problems with the 'preppy' garments that Ralph has been churning out. For the winter I will be after some long sleeved efforts. I don't want anything with huge logos or flags on it so I'll be sticking to the small polo player shirts. As for the colours, I'm undecided but these Ralph Lauren Long Sleeve Polo Shirts in chocolate brown and forest pine green look rather nice indeed.



Oliver Spencer takes the best from Americana and Japanese innovation and applies his own classic English touch to create and design the clothes that feature in his range. Sound good? That's because it is. Everyone needs a slightly heavier shirt for the winter and this Oliver Spencer Button Down Shirt is made from 100% cotton flannel and looks to me as if it will hit the spot pefectly. The shirt has a nice quirk with a rounded pocket on the left part of the chest and is also a slim cut shirt so should highlight my ever expanding gut quite accurately - unfortunately.



Everyone needs something to keep their head warm in winter, don't they? My choice this winter will be a Casual Connoisseur Bobble Hat. This label is predominantly renowned for their unique and original tee shirt designs but they are expanding into other areas of clothing. Their first forays into hat making have been suitably successful with the bobble hats flying out as quickly as they came in. For this winter they will be producing two hats. One will stick to the same design but feature new colours while the other will showcase an entirely new design. They should be arriving in a few months or so – my money will be waiting for them.



Winter is not the time to be going out in your rare suede adidas trainers and a good, sturdy pair of boots or durable shoes is a must. These can be expensive at the best of times so I may have to wait for the sales if I'm to grab myself a pair. This pair of Red Wing Wabasha Leather & Canvas Boots have caught my eye. They've got a lot going for them – they're hard wearing, made in the US of A and not least, they look fantastic. One drawback is their price; they weigh in at over one and a half ton although I would guess it is a case of you get what you pay for with these beauties. I think I shall see if they get reduced in the sales otherwise I'll have to settle for some Clarks or Timbies, maybe.



Like a piece of headwear, a pair of gloves is another winter essential. It's all good and well having the warmest coat in the world but you can't allow your hands to freeze now, can you? A smart pair of leather gloves usually do the trick but these Folk People Gloves look ace and the vibrant colours and patterning are very novel quirks. Speaking of quirks, the fact these can be rolled back to keep your arms warm is another cracking feature.

I'm all for a bit of old school Americana and a classic 60/40 Parka certainly falls into that category. Many notable outdoors brands, the majority from Colorado, were responsible for the 60/40 innovation of using 58% cotton and 42% nylon (rounded for convenience) and these shells were hugely popular prior to the increased use of other materials such as goretex. They're pretty damned elusive to get your hands on but I've seen a number of stunners on a certain auctioneering site although none of these have been in my size. I guess the hunt all adds to the fun though, right? I'll keep on trying. What brand will I be looking at? All sorts in honesty – Columbia, LL Bean, REI, Sierra Designs and Woolrich are among them. The 60/40 parka is a fantastic example of outerwear innovation that inspires countless coats and jackets today.

The winter weather can on occasion get so chilly that wearing a heavy, lined jacket simply isn't enough. For these situations you'll need a good piece of knitwear to nestle in between your shirt and coat. When it comes to high quality knitwear there are few who do it better than Saint James. This French label makes some of the greatest fisherman's sweaters out there. The use of tight and heavy stitching helps to waterproof the garments as well as keep the piercing cold of the wind at bay. This Saint James Cancale II Sweater is a fine example of this while its shoulder button placket is a clever feature.



If chinos are the trouser of summer then there is no doubt that cords are the trouser of choice for the colder months. The cold and rain don't do wonders for your raw selvedge denim so if you want to avoid seeing big blue stains all over your new mountain boots then getting a pair of cords your grandfather would be proud of seems a wise move. These beige Paul Smith Cords tick all the boxes for me.



This last one is very much a case of wishful thinking because, but for a lottery win, I don't foresee anyway for me to be able to picking this up. I'm only sticking it up because it's the one piece that has truly taken me aback. The Nigel Cabourn Cameraman Jacket is based on the coat worn by Wilfird Noyce on his photography trips to Everest. This belter features an off white Mackintosh upper and an authentic Harris tweed lower section. This is a truly fantastic jacket. To anyone out there who can afford it, I truly envy you – fancy lending me a spare £900?

size? x adidas Glasgow

The latest in the 'size? x adidas' collaboration series is the Glasgow trainer, which is scheduled for a release on the 4th September. In exactly the same fashion as the previous issues of this special series (London, Manchester and Dublin) the trainer will only see a limited release whereby only 500 pairs will be available to buy with each person restricted to one purchase.

As has become the norm with these releases, very few details were given away and speculation and rumours were rife on various forums and messageboards across the net. Some claimed that they would be blue and green in a nod to the city's two most famous football clubs while others speculated that they may well be released in 'Irn-Bru' colours. Size? only encouraged the speculation further by promising those who signed up to their newsletter a 'sneak preview' of the trainer.

This is all a load of bollocks, but as I said before this has become the norm with these size? releases. Why not just release a photo and allow people to decide whether they like them or not rather than trying to get more people signed up to your newsletter? The only explanation I can give is fairly simple and straight forward – they can afford to. No other retailer can gather as much hype and interest to their trainers than size? can. They have, in effect, cornered the trainer market.

Now all of this could have been forgiven had the trainer actually been any good. Well, now that I've seen the photos, I won't be forgiving them. In my humble opinion, they're absolutely vile. The white sole unit makes them look cheap and like something straight out of JD. Furthermore there's a horrific mismatch of colours which contrast rather than compliment one another. Sure, the shape of the trainer is okay, but this itself is based on the Spezial, one of adidas' most popular models.

It's all very lazy. The colours weren't a nod to the Old Firm or a popular Scottish drink (though I doubt this would have been much better in all honesty). Instead they were modelled on the Glasgow tartan and as you would expect with colours designed for being put on cloth in a pattern, they simply don't look very good on a trainer.

The adidas Glasgow also features scroll writing as opposed to the standard lettering. This is down to them being part of the new 'Signature' series and not 'City' issues but they just make the trainer look even more naff at the end of the day.

I could maybe understand collectors or people from Glasgow picking these up. After all, it isn't everyday adidas do a trainer based on your home city. But anyone picking these up for themselves might want to question themselves as to whether they would really be prepared to fork out £70 of their hard earned if these weren't a special release. I doubt they would in all honesty.

Could these look better with a gum sole? Maybe.

Could they look better in the flesh? Maybe.

This release (like the Dublin before) hasn't filled me with much hope for the next releases of the size? x adidas Birmingham and Cardiff trainers and I'm beginning to question when was the last time adidas released (not re-released) a decent trainer? I'm probably being harsh as I'm basing this all on one photo, but to be quite frank I'm a bit sick and tired of all this size? nonsense. As I said before, they may well look better in the flesh, but I for one will not be queueing from the early hours of the morning to find out.

Depression Era America in Glorious Technicolour

This great selection of photographs was recently brought to my attention by a poster on a forum I visit regularly. The photographs are some of the only coloured images in existence which depict the effect of the Great Depression on rural towns in America.

They have, as you would expect, got a proper old school Americana vibe to them and it's certainly the sort of images you conjure up in your head when reading any of John Steinbeck's works.

Here are some choice photos, but follow the link for the full selection - they are well worth a proper look.

La Masia - Football's Best School

FC Barcelona is not a club alien to having some of the finest players in the world on its books. A mere glance at some of their previous sides and you will quickly see just how many of the world's greats have played there - Cruyff, Maradona, Ronaldo, Stoichkov. For many Catalans however, more pride is placed in there domestic talent than in the numerous foreign stars they have held over the years. It is a region of Spain where many yearn for independence from the rest of the mainland and key to their sense of regional pride is their football team, and in particular the graduates from their youth academy known as La Masia (The Farmhouse).

In recent years English football has been riding the crest of a wave, domestically at least. This year's Champions League final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich was the first time in six years that an English team had not contested the final of Europe's most famous club competitition. It is Barcelona who have been the scourge of both Arsenal and Manchester United, have dispatched them both by simply passing the ball around them in the past two years. Arsenal, billed as England's own answer to the Barcelona way of football (despite possessing very few English players) were humbled 4-1 at the Camp Nou earlier this year while a Manchester United team possessing both Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney were powerless to prevent the Catalans' march to European glory in the final in Rome in May 2009.

Barcelona's starting eleven in that match at the Stadio Olimpico featured seven players who had graduated through La Masia. Among them were Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernández – all of whom have been nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year award.

So, what is the secret to their success?

The answers may well be found at an eighteenth century stone farmhouse situated beside the Camp Nou.

Built in 1702, the farmhouse saw its first use by FC Barcelona in 1979 when it became the residence of the club's youth recruits. Players come to La Masia at a very early age. Club legend and current manager Pep Guardiola, for example, joined the club as a thirteen year old boy. He made a 70km journey from the village where he had spent all of his early life and took a huge step to becoming the player he went on to be.

It is estimated that around 450 others have taken a similar journey to Guardiola. Their origin may have been different but their destination remained the same. Over 40 of these players have gone on to represent Barcelona at the highest level while another 40 have represented other La Liga clubs. Others, such as Arsenal's Cesc Fàbregas and Liverpool's Pepe Reina, have found considerable success abroad.

Carles Folguera has been director of La Masia since 2002 and he believes that it is not only responsible for the developing of the players as footballers, but also has educated individuals. He has gone on record as saying, "At no time are there any loose ends in the effort to make sure they can develop as normal kids."

Unlike the majority of youth academies in England, La Masia is a full time programme. It is "twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week". While this may sound intense, especially as a significant number of players join the system before their tenth birthday, Pep Guardiola has fond memories of his time at La Masia. "I remember from the first day when my parents dropped me off that they gave me very good food," he said. "The Masia is a vital part of the club - searching out talent, welcoming in those that cannot live in Barcelona and educating and training them is one of the most valuable things we can do. It's the cheapest investment over the long term and something the club should continue and develop."

Guardiola's comment regarding cost is an interesting one to note. La Masia costs only €6 million per year to run. Sure, for every success there will be another four or five failures, but when the standard of those successes is so high it will always be a better financial option than signing talent in to the club. This can be proven when one takes a look at the two starting elevens that contested last season's second 'El Clásico'. Real Madrid's starting side cost a staggering £208 million while Barcelona's cost only £63.7 million in comparison. Indeed, the Catalans would go on to triumph in that match which was one that would go a long way to deciding who eventually came out on top come the end of the season.

Life as a young footballer is a stark contrast to life at any major academy in England. Emphasis is placed on nurturing not only footballing talent but also lifestyles an attitude. As Guardiola said, the importance of healthy eating is underlined as is the virtue of an early night. The players eat meals together in a communal fashion while they share bunk-bed dormitories with one another. Once their homework is completed and their work is done for the day the players are free to relax, often by playing PlayStation with one another. The players are kept away from distractions and perils, things that often engulf a younger player in English football.

The players are transported around the city where they can enjoy schooling at some of the city's finest educational institutions. After a morning's work, they return at 2pm for lunch and a siesta. This is followed by around two hours of intense football training each evening, before homework is completed and relaxation enjoyed.

The boys are taught to adopt three main principles in their play. They are urged to be more sporting than the opposition, giving away fewer fouls and being less aggressive in their play. They are also instructed to play in an attacking, expressive fashion with the emphasis on a reworked brand of 'Total Football', a style made popular by club legend Johan Cruyff. Their final and perhaps most obvious principle is to win on the scoreboard although Alberto Capellas, the club's senior youth coordinator, maintains that they do not wish to complete the third aim without fulfilling the first two.

Leaving family life at such an early age is not problem free however. Two of La Masia's most famous graduates, Cesc Fàbregas and Andrés Iniesta, both struggled to adapt upon their move to the club. To counter these problems the player's families visit frequently and the boys are encouraged to form strong bonds with their contemporaries. Lionel Messi and Fàbregas met each other at La Masia and have remained close friends since.

The current poster boy of Barcelona, Lionel Messi, perhaps wouldn't have made it anywhere else. His move to the club as a 13 year old boy was the result of the unwillingness shown by domestic sides in Argentina to pay for the growth support drugs he needed. Whereas size and strength are often highly prioritised by scouts at other clubs, Barcelona prefer to do things in a different way, highlighting the importance of ball control and distribution at an early age. There is also an outlook that the bulk of the team should be comprised by youth graduates. Anything less than 50% and eyebrows may well be raised.

Whatever it is, La Masia must be doing something right. The Barcelona team at present are arguably the world's best and contain arguably the world's three best footballers, all of whom are youth graduates. This success has not gone unnoticed and many other clubs, ranging from Liverpool, Manchester United and even Wigan Athletic, have sent representatives to La Masia to try and unearth their own unique formula for success.