Red Wing for J.Crew Rugged Chukka

J. Crew have recently release their latest effort in collaboration with Red Wing Shoes. These are probably my favorite result of the American relationship and I can seem them selling very well – so don't wait if you want a pair. The use of of the waxed canvas looks really nice and feels good. It showed up in  Red Wing's SS10 Lifestyle collection, but the J. Crew team actually helped re-work the cut and details of this shoe slightly. The pattern around the eyelets is a bit different to accommodate the canvas and still have the same strength. Also the suede tongue piece looks quite nice. I'm not usually one for two or three tone combinations but this is looking very tasteful and an easy wearing shoe.

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INVENTORY @ Roden Gray

This Friday we launched INVENTORY magazine at Roden Gray in Vancouver. First off we'd like to thank everyone that came out for the drinks, chat and support. We had a great turn out and a few people left with some new reading material fortunately. Aside from a nice evening with our wonderful hosts at Roden Gray, we also had a shop-in-shop set up that will continue to occupy the corner in the Vancouver boutique. Along with the official launch of Volume 01 Number 01, we also launched our fall collaborations with Inverallan - including the shawl neck cardigan and knit caps. They knitwear is only available at Roden Gray until next week when we launch it in the Inventory Stockroom. Of course our Bucks, ties and Duluth Packs are on hand at the moment too. So, if you're in the area, it would be great to see you down at the shop while we're still there. Thank you again to everyone who came out and we look forward to the release of issue Number 02, just give us a few months. —

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National Anthem Hunting Jacket

Another gem from our homemade National Anthem is this fall hunting jacket. It is actually from the FW08 collection, but if you've got your proxy lined up, there are still sizes left online. I was able to try this piece on and was pleasantly surprised to find that the sizing wasn't too small. A size large fit me perfectly and I generally wear a medium in Gitman or EG. The treated cotton was the perfect weight to layer over a warm crewneck or chambray and the material felt quite strong. The pocketing, placket size, branded buttons and cuffs were all exactly as I would make them. The jacket is a very nice piece and is made in Canada, like the rest of the collection. Now, I can't read Japanese but it appears this jacket might even be on sale. If it is going for the price I think it is, the jacket is a great deal at under $200 and probably worth the effort in tracking down. —

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Porter Trip Pack

Porter continues to grow it's world wide retailers and we continue to see more items and bags that we may not have come accross before. END Clothing in the UK have just received a nice selection of models and styles from Porter, but it's the simplicity of this "Trip" package that grabbed me. I love how they finished the bags in black Ripstop. It's an ideal synthetic material that fits well with the Yoshida aesthetic and mentality, while being one of the best options for the package of small pouches and bags. For traveling, its great having a few bags to separate possibly spills from more valuable pieces. Each bag fits into the larger size for easy-to-pack use and they also come with a karibeaner as a nice and potentially useful bonus.

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Beams Plus Windstopper Coat

When simple and functional come together, there isn't much better. The Beams Plus collection is filled with not only great items, but obvious examples of what brands around these parts should consider making. This deck coat styled jacket retails for about $300 USD and looks great. The shape, pockets and colour are perfect for the fall and beyond the aesthetic, it comes lined with GORE Windstopper and thermal insulation to keep you warm through the winter. A fairly simple design with the proper silhouette and function materials - that's a pretty good formula to stick to I think. —

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Post Overalls Waistcoats

The waist coat is undoubtedly a key layering piece within the world of work wear. Brands have delivered many versions in the last few seasons and some of my favorites have come from Engineered Garments, Filson and National Anthem - however the king might be Post Overalls in my book. After getting to try on a couple different versions and feel the weight and touch the lining, I feel that Post Overalls' vests have the perfect feel and weight to them, plus they come in ideal colors and material options. From heavier twill cottons, to soft wools, to the diagonal quilted version - the differences aren't in your face, but they're there. I feel like we can get past the non-sense chatter about how most of us don't currently work the labor jobs that these vests were once built for. These are made for 'fashion' minded people and hence they are made to be worn in fairly friendly conditions. That's fine with us, because that's what we're looking for and that's what Post Overalls is making best.

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Friday Filler: Shelves & Supreme

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Shout to Angelo Baque who worked on most, if not all of the Supreme shooting.

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Pendleton Vintage-Fit Rider Shirt

Pendleton's array of great woven fabrics and assortment of patterns has made me always like the brand's aesthetic. Like many heritage brands like it though, the clothes just aren't made to fit the way I'd want them to: too big in the shoulders and arm openings and very boxy. They've just addressed that problem though with a new cut of shirt dubiously dubbed 'Vintage Fit'. While the name threw me off at first the new cut is actually a trimmed down cut of shirt that fits really nicely if you're looking for a slimmer more fitted shirt. The Rider Shirt is the classic outdoor shirt made the way they should be with with few details other than simple flap chest pockets. Made from a nice warm Umatilla wool the shirt's construction sturdy and built to last. The navy plaid version is my favourite of the four colourways it comes in now as it adds a bit of vibrancy as a middle layer and looks good with basically every other colour combination.

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