a guide to heritage clothing, canvas bags, steel bicycles, and Japanese web shops
It’s June so naturally I’m shopping for a new down vest. In the past few years, I’ve gotten sidetracked by Rocky Mountain Featherbed and Western Mountaineering. But this summer, I’m checking back in on an old friend, Crescent Down Works. If you recall, Archival did a collaboration with CDW back in the day using Swiss …
I primarily supply my field bag needs from Brady but I’m tempted by one of these potentially unavailable waxed cotton field bags or totes from South 2 West 8 (likely made for them by Brady or Chapman or Hardy or some other venerable UK subcontractor from the usual ingredient list: canvas, leather, webbing and metal …
Browsing eBay for second hand Sandringhams, I spotted this fetching Nigel Cabourn x Fox Brothers pack. Since I typically only admire but don’t buy bags made from tweed, I don’t need to fret over the $1,249 asking price. What I love in this bag (and what I’d buy in an all canvas edition) is the …
There’s still time to think about last minute gloves to replace the ones you lost in a snow bank over the holidays. My replacement pair is going to be these ribbed goalie gloves by Nigel Cabourn in 100% Bristish Wool & made in Scotland. On sale now at Nigel Cabourn.
I’m creating a visual placeholder for these exemplary cordovan v-tip loafers (and a few blucher oxfords) by Makers (Japan). I first spotted these on the handsome Jelado gent featured in one of the more recent Clutch Cafe IGTV videos. Per usual, I’ve launched a fruitless search via my usual go to Japanese proxy sites and …
Since 2018, Barbour has been collaborating with Japanese label Beams Boy (dedicated to producing clothing for women women who “love the strength and function found in men’s fashion”) on a capsule collection of waxed and quilt jackets. Here are few of the pieces pulled from Japanese web pages that you won’t be seeing at your …
Working from home, I have zero need to update my wardrobe. All summer, I’ve slipped into a sloppy fitting uniform of nautical tops, Orslow trousers, cardigans and Birkestock slides. In my mirror-facing paper doll pose, I vaguely resemble one of the unisex models from my fave Rakuten shop, Takanna. For fall, I’m considering a few …
The Archival blog started in 2006 as a place to presevere ephemeral print, digitized scans and new digital catalog content. Originally, I posted scans of my own outdoor clothing catalogs from the US and UK. Later, I expanded to include images from Japanese web shops selling Japan-only garb by US and European outdoor labels like …