Nova Clutch

Francesco Maglia Umbrella

I thought I would tell you about my Francesco Maglia umbrella as its been pissing down the last couple of days. This umbrella is a thing of beauty, not just to look at, but to hold & use also. So sturdy...... whilst other umbrellas are being turned inside out this one is like a force-field & you can literally hear the wind & rain howl & spit in frustration as you nonchalantly deflect them away.

Francesco Maglia is an Italian company that has been making umbrellas since 1856, not cheap, but something you will have for a very long time & will take pride in every time you use. I felt pretty self concious the first few times I used this brolley as its that posh, infact its so posh that I have to dress down whenever I take it out.

Our Legacy Sweater

 

Our Legacy is a newish brand based out of Sweden, the clothing has a very relaxed informal feel whilst being very 'Proper' at the same time. For those of you that find brands such as Nom De Guerre or A.P.C. a little uptight then this is the label for you, very classic without being too serious. This particular piece is called the 'Proper Collar Knit' it has a shawl collar with a 2 button placket & is made from 100% Grey virgin wool, ribbed at the cuffs & waist, the upper half of the sweater is in a slightly smaller square knit pattern than the bottom half - subtle but very effective.

Engineered Garments Sweatshirt

It was my friend Brian's birthday yesterday & I suppose I know him well enough now to just get him a scented candle...what is it with scented candles any way??               So I braved yesterdays arctic conditions & made my way over to Stuart & Wright - my neighborhood clothing shoppe, & got him this gorgeous Engineered Garments sweatshirt.
He was grinning from ear to ear all evening after opening his prezzie, & I think he's still grinning right now as he's driving upstate with his new sweatshirt on feeling like a million dollars. It's in a Heather Navy Cotton, with ribbed cuffs & waist, the collar has a nice cross-over detail, the gusset is elasticated which makes it easier to put on & also adds to the level of comfort, & finally the reverse side is in a real warm fleece-like fabric...or maybe it is fleece, dunno.

Billingham Camera Bag

Billingham is a family owned business formed in 1973 in the West Midlands, UK.
They originally manufactured fishing bags until in 1978 the owner, Martin Billingham began noticing that his bags were being used by New York photographers & thus started producing bags geared towards photography whilst keeping the original shape. The first bags were so popular that almost all production was shifted from fishing bags to camera bags within a year. This one is called 'Packington' & is one of the original models from the late 70's. The main body is a heavy canvas with tan leather trim & brass fittings, it has a quick release opening & the inner is padded & equipped for your camera & accessories.

And if you don't have a camera it's still a really good looking, beautifully made, functional bag that you'll have forever. I actually bumped into a lady in the city who had been carrying one for 20 years - it had aged so well, & prompted me to post this.

*photo courtesy of Billingham

Lavenham Quilted Jacket

Lavenham is a British company founded in 1969, they originally made horse rugs (to keep horses dry in wet weather as well as protecting their coats) A few years later Lavenham started producing matching quilted jackets & waistcoats. I purchased this red one straight from their website, it has a detachable hood, corduroy piping & collar, 2 hand-warmer pockets as well as an inside chest pocket. Its a little bit posh & really warm - should come in useful later this year.

Woolen Mills by Woolrich - Cruiser Shirt

OK, here we have a Woolen Mills Cruiser Shirt from the AW2008 collection, its made from a stiff cotton chambray fabric, with reinforced elbows, cotton lined inner collar, cuffs & pocket flaps, contrast white stitching & buttons &  a sneaky little inner pocket on the reverse side of the chest pocket so you can keep your weed or love letters close to your heart, although mines got 30p in it from a recent trip to the UK. I like to keep love letters in my Engineered Garments Mountain Parka, which has a very secret, secret pocket.
I picked this shirt up from Oi Polloi in Manchester, UK, who were one of the first few stores worldwide to stock this brand a couple of seasons ago. This season it seems that the distribution has increased with, Odin, Steven Alan, Barney's & Ernest Sewn all joining Bergdorf Goodman as New York stockists, as well as other stores all over the US.

Albam Carpenter Shirt

Our friend Tommy told me about Albam sometime last year & I finally got round to ordering some pieces from them a few weeks ago. A British company with a shop on Beak Street in London, their philosophy is to make simple clothes that can be worn everyday using great fabrics, whilst also striving to be affordable. Producing as much as they can in the UK, with shirts being made in Portugal & some of the fine knitwear in Italy. Obviously they have been approached by many other retailers wanting to sell their product but have so far stood firm as this would affect the retail price greatly.
I picked up 5 pieces, this black & white check shirt being my favorite. Made in Portugal from 100% cotton, the shirt has 2 chest pockets, reinforced elbows, a placket that runs half way down the front with contrasting white buttons & the collars are also a really nice crisp shape.

*If you fill out their questionnaire, they'll give you 20% off the first order, which is what tipped me over the edge.

The Soul Stylists

My Ipod broke a little while ago, so while it was in the garage being fixed I decided to take up reading........something i haven't done since maybe 1998.
My journey to work changed for the better.

This book explores the relationship that exists between American black music & British working class style, tracing a mod tradition that began in Soho, London just after the second world war & continues to this day.

"From Mod to Casual, from Skinhead to Northern Souler, The Soul Stylists are an eclectic family joined together by a tradition of secrecy, exclusivity & absolute difference to the outside world. They pass unnoticed because soul stylists always shun the spotlight.
To them attention to detail is far more important than attention seeking"

For me this was a pretty inspiring read, the whole book is made up of quotes from people who were actually around during these times, wearing the clothes & listening to the music from the early 50's  onward.

Paul Smith Check Shirt

I haven't worn any Paul Smith clothing in 3 or 4 years but happened to pick this check shirt up a few weeks ago. Was really impressed by the colorway & the fit - tailored yet relaxed.
This piece is in a medium weight cream cotton with a red & green check, the buttons are off white & slightly oversized & most interestingly, the shirt is loaded with subtle details.

F-Troupe Saddle Shoes at Opening Ceremony in SoHo

In a moment of desperation for relaxation, brainless activity and the remote possibility for unplanned enjoyment, Natasha and I headed out late Sunday morning for a walk across the Manhattan Bridge to that seldom explored island across the East River. After a obtaining some nourishment and a caffeine boost at Brown, we headed nowhere and everywhere with our ultimate destination being Stefan's place to catch up on the last two Tivo'ed LOST episodes. All along, and not shared with Natasha, I was on a vision quest for some new spring footwear. A beautiful pair of trainer shoes for $345 was tempting, but out of the question considering that I would be submitting our taxes on Monday. A small shop in Chinatown offering Paul Smith rip-offs just didn't seem right considering the $125 price tag for some less and considered craftsmanship. Even a trip to Bloomingdales SoHo basement for a pee and a quick look at their footwear offering found that it was all too easy to walk away from a Joey Bagofdonuts looking white Stan Smiths from Adidas and a pair of Asics Tiger white three-quarters that were so detailed and right that I felt the designers of the 1958 Ford Edsel finally had their second go.

Tired and lacking the caffeine buzz that had powered me earlier in the day, Natasha pushed me on to "one last stop", Opening Ceremony on 35 Howard Street. Having never been impressed with their overpriced selection of Top Shop contraband or the workingman's Red Wings for $225 and up, I was bowled over to find on a lower out of the way shelf these amazing F-Troupe canvas and suede saddle shoe-like trainers for $100. Beautifully designed and proportioned these babies take their cues from traditional saddle and boat shoes, but cut a shape and form that is nothing but modern and owned by F-Troupe. Understated details such as the waxed laces and large weave natural canvas pair will with the white suede and beautifully embossed rubber bottoms. Clean stitching and not a drop of sloppy gluing where the canvas meets the rubber tells me the people at F-Troupe care about the execution as much as the idea. No wonder I took home the last of these Spring 2008 trophies for shopping fortitude and patience.