Recent Purhcase - Universal Works Mountain Jacket

We're well into winter now and with it, well into big jacket weather. This little offering from Universal Works is the latest addition to my wardrobe. As with the vast majority of the Universal Works range, the design itself is simple enough. Clearly the inspiration for this jacket has been drawn from the functional 60/40 mountain parkas first produced by the pre-eminent American outdoors brands of the 1970's, yet the detailing and quality propels the jacket into a league of its own.

If you're after more information on the Universal Works label, check out this interview with their main man David Keyte.

The Big Picture.

Above are some choice from photographs from the annual photo contest run by the National Geographic. Touching and beautiful in many different ways, I'd strongly recommend visiting the Boston.com website for a wider selection of these truly breathtaking images.

Ben Sherman: Modern Classics - A Return to Form?

"Why should I have any interest in Ben Sherman?"

This is a question many of you may be asking yourselves. The label, while originally both exclusive and innovative, suffered the overkill that plagues many success stories and has seen the company reduced to little more than catalogue fodder. However with the imminent launch of the 'Modern Classics' range, does this brand merit a place in your wardrobe once again?

Having founded the company in 1963, Ben Sherman began making shirts himself in a small Brighton factory and with it laid the foundations for a clothing company that would become essential wear for many youth subcultures, from the mods to the skinheads. With the launch of Modern Classics, Ben Sherman hope to use over fifty years of knowledge and experience in order to update and reproduce some of the classic items of menswear.

There's chambray shirts, button down collars, fisherman's jackets, naval knitwear, chinos, bobble hats and scarves. All classic items, all given a modern twist whether it be through a new interpretation or an updating of fabrics. There's a clear influence from the likes of Saint James and Albam and from what we've seen it looks pretty decent indeed.

To promote the range, whet our appetites and provide a different slant to that of their usual products, Ben Sherman went to Kilchoan, arguably the most remote place in the UK, for a photo shoot. The following photos are a choice selection from that shoot.






More information about the Ben Sherman Modern Classics range can be found at their official website.

Retro Advert of the Day

A great retro advert, full of fifties vibes.

Winterweir

I recently acquired this bobble hat from the fine gentlemen over at the Casual Connoisseur. With winter getting closer and temperatures falling at a rapid rate, it's bound to become a staple part of my wardrobe as I look to keep my head warm over the coming months.

Christened "the Weir" due to the late Scottish broadcaster Tom Weir's love for bobble hats, this is the Casual Connoisseur's third run of this geeky cool bit of headwear. The hats, one of the label's most popular products, were limited to a run of just fifty in each colourway and unsurprisingly flew off the shelves.

Fortunately, I was quick enough to grab myself one in time – and the quality is immediately apparent. The hats are made of double layered acryllic which allows for warmth but reduces bulk and itchiness, whilst all the manufacturing takes place right here in England. Furthermore, they are designed so as to allow them to stretch to fit bigger head shapes, something that has come as a great relief to me and my oversized napper. More information about these hats can be found here, over at Sabotage Times.

For those who weren't rapid enough to get one before they sold out, never fear. Realising the huge demand for these bobble hats, the chaps at the Casual Connoisseur have come up with a new design which should be available by December time. Click here for more details.

Recent Purchase - Woolrich Woolen Mills Raglan Chambray Shirt

It's all been quiet on the blog front recently, hasn't it? I've been buried under a seemingly neverending pile of work recently but this hasn't helped curb my spending habit one bit.

My most recent purchase is that wardrobe essential: a chambray shirt. A timeless American classic which was famously donned by Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke, the chambray shirt has its roots in workwear. In fact, it became so widely worn by American workers up and down the country that it even led to the coining of the term "blue collar". That's one for you, fact fans.

This chambray is from Woolrich Woolen Mills – a label which is as American as it gets when it comes to appearances yet, ironically enough, is designed by a man from Japan.


That man is no other than Daiki Suzuki, who you'll all no doubt be familiar with if you hold any interest in who designs your clothes or if, like me, you spend far too time reading about clothes while on the interest. Suzuki's story is an interesting one either way.

Suzuki moved to Boston in 1989 where he worked as a buyer for several of Japan's finest menswear stores. He oversaw the introduction of handmade moccasins, functional outerwear and Ivy League styling to the American market and in doing so marked himself out as one of the foremost experts on America's traditional outdoor and hunting wear. This soon led to Suzuki going from buyer to designer in 1991 and eight years later his first Engineered Garments line was produced, totally American in style yet exclusive for the Japanese market.

The success of the Engineered Garments label was immediate and well deserved. Suzuki then set about resurrecting Woolrich Woolen Mills, using both traditional manufacturing methods and original fabrics. The first WWM line was released in January 2006 to similarly successful acclaim.

This particular chambray shirt is from Suzuki's last season designing for the Woolrich Woolen Mills brand and has all the hallmarks you would expect from a Suzuki piece. Attention to detail is spot on with features such as reinforced elbow patches, shoulder lining and three button-fastening pockets all very nice touches. Deliberate made to be loose fitting, the shirt is at its best when worn with an under garment because of its curved hem.

A very nice shirt, indeed.