I’m frequently mocked for the number of vests I own (and don’t wear). Here’s a great deal on an Engineered Garments Upland vest I’d like to add to my collection. It’s available via Kanful, one of my favorite used clothing shops on Rakuten (home to a hodgepodge old Archival items). Like most EG items, this …
Restocking my 2020 wardrobe with guernseys from Japan (by way of the UK), I discovered a striking, striped option available through several Rakuten outlets: C-Point, Woody Company and Crouka.
Lavenham, a UK based brand specializing in custom horse rugs and quilt gillets, is everywhere these days (per Instagram). The predominant Lavenham visual in my feed is the new reversible quilt gillet designed in collaboration with Labour and Wait. Today, I spotted a fetching new collaboration between Lavenham and Narifuri (a Japanese urban fashion + …
Patchwork (and multi panel) garb is hard to find these days. A few cool examples kick out of eBay, Etsy and Japanese web shops. For me, these items live as visual reminders of the endless ways to create variations on a classic design. Lesson learned: don’t bring out a million products, just find ways to …
Outside of the UK, Japan is almost the only place where I still Gansey-style sweaters on offer. Ganseys were originally designed as hard wearing (often hand knit) sweaters for fishermen and seafaring folks. Now, they primarily compliment corduroys and Birkenstocks on Japanese web shop models. Here’s a terrific cardigan model (the channel cardigan) by Le …
In 2019, it’s hard for me to get excited about fall product releases. So many of my favorite heritage brands (and shops) have either disappeared or morphed beyond recognition (releasing so may products, collaborations and must-haves that it is nearly impossible to locate items from their core lines)(suddenly: brass match holders and Bison hair drink …
I spend a lot of time on ebay sleuthing pint sized sizes garments from Japan and Europe. Here’s a jacket from Beams Boy that I’m catching and releasing. It’s a style that frequently appears in the Beams mix in a range of fabrics (primarily poplin and cotton duck). I’m a sucker for the doll-sized hunting-esque …
I have a thing for cycling breeches and plus fours (aka knickers). When UK outdoor custom clothier Hebden Cord closed shop, I bought up ten pairs of breeks in assorted fabrics (cord, tweed, ventile) on eBay. True confession: I admire these garments more than I like to wear them. In practice, on my bike, I …
Thanks to a twitter pal for tipping me off to this waffle-knit sweater from Japan. Filson makes a cotton version but I much prefer wool for layerable, lightweight warmth. Available via Rakuten Global Market (alas, there doesn’t appear to be sizing for women).
What are your expectations for an iconic brand collaboration? In the case of Barbour x Engineered Garments, I’m looking for more of a Shackleton crackup, corduroy collar meets crazy pocketing. These jackets are a little subdued for my tastes, a too polite exchange of zippers, snaps & fabric.