The Minority Report: Las Vegas

Last week speed by quickly with a 3 day trip to Las Vegas right in the middle. I keep saying it, that city is insane. It's really not my top city of choice, as I hope most readers could guess by the general taste of h(y)r collective - but how bad could it be? I have no problem with guys who like to gamble, get wasted and look at strippers, but since I wasn't doing any of those activities, my options felt a bit limited. I was there on business; covering Capsule, as well as checking out the GUILD show, Project and Magic. Without going deep into all of the negatives of the city, I will say, that more than ever, I have realized that we are the minority. In the world, in fashion, and especially in Las Vegas, USA. The handful of people I saw that appeared to have good taste were so scarce, I couldn't believe it. As I walked the city, the hotel lobbies and the trade shows, I was constantly surrounded by the most terrible clothing I've ever seen. Whether it was Ed Hardy itself, or it's 7th generation knock-off, there were enough sequins, daggers and tattoos on shirts to dress an army. And it turns out this army is spread all around us, spending a lot of money on ugly clothing and Yager bombs. I knew it was going on, but after being in what felt like the center of crapsville, my mind has been boggled. There were of course some bright spots; Capsule and GUILD were both quite calm, had nice crowds, reasonable music and nice clothing on the racks. There were also a couple of needles in the crapstack at Project and Magic too, but not many. It sounded like ENK might have been a decent show too, but unfortunately my time ran out, and I'm again safe back in Vancouver. Sometimes I think there should be standard issue uniforms for guys around the world; oxford shirt, white T, APC denim, white sneakers - would that make the simple items less special? Maybe it's good being the minority, even if it is mind boggling...

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Filson Pullman Twill Whiffin Shorts

The EG shorts have been my favorite I've seen so far this spring, but they didn't feed my hankering for some pleats. A lot of people think the pleats don't belong on the modern mans pants, let alone shorts, but you can't deny them in a somewhat more manly short by Filson. The Pullman Twill Whiffin Shorts are supposed to be Filson's more comfortable material, the "micro sanded finish and is enzyme stonewashed for extra softness" sounds pretty good, and the adjustable waist band is a nice option as well. I think the colors available are pretty classic and these shorts would serve you pretty well whether hunting down a quail or eating a burger on the deck. I would probably put them together with an oxford shirt and some loafers and be set for a few days.

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Coming Soon Spring Items

Coming Soon by Yohji Yamamoto has been doing some really nice pieces since its inception. I like the loose fitting pants and easy to wear blazers. Also, I've seen some great outwear and knits from last winter. This spring Coming Soon have another good looking collection which recently arrived at Odin in New York. The light blazers and soft chambray pants that tie at the bottom are probably my top choices. The colors remain mainly black with small touches of blue this spring, which is good, as the line stays true to it's creative directors style, which producing a lot more wearable, slightly more affordable pieces again this season.

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Gilded Age Leather Belts

Gilded Age is one of those collections that I seem to find one or two absolutely beautiful pieces from each season. Then, I check the price tag, and it's usually pretty close to a thousand dollars. Lark, in Vancouver, just received a nice selection of their spring pieces and there are a handful I am liking, also the beautifully lit product shots don't hurt. At first, I really liked the Henley T shirt, but saw it cost $248, then I saw these great leather belts looking nicely worn in. Again, they look great, but for nearly $300, it is hard to pull the trigger. The products are really nice, so once you take into consideration the quality and the Canadian dollar, it might be worth a second thought.

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Camouflage Pants

I haven't been rocking any camouflage clothing for a few years now, even then, I never went into the full pant. I've now seen a handful of guys pull of the look in a way I quite like. One consistent ingredient in both of these looks is the mixing of army camouflage with a red plaid. The two patterns seem to work really nicely together when layered. Our friend Angelo from Supreme had the camo pants with the Albam deck boots and they looked great when we met in New York - there was also a peacoat involved at the time. Mister Mort did what most could easily screw up and layered camo pants with a camel sport coat and dark green jacket. For some reason the light blue shirt combined with the red plaid make it all work. I can't quite figure out why, but I am liking camo pants on these fellows.

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Common Projects @ South Willard

I know everybody has been saving their recession pennies for some Common Projects this spring. The spring collection has been landing at a few places around the world, but South Willard always has a great selection and one of the best prices in North America. While there is no denying the slight increase in prices, for pretty much every brand, you also can't deny the clean, perfect look of these shoes. The best new model has to go to the safari boot, in either canvas or leather. I am also a fan of the stony/grey color that has been tweaked really nicely for the season. It compliments the revamped court shoe's turn into the Tournament, which would make a great spring/summer sneaker as well.

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J.S. Denim Painter Coverall Jacket

I need one of these coverall jackets. Light, great for layering and good looking. Do you really need anything else in a spring coat? There are obviously a lot of different variations around these days but this is one by Journal Standard is one of my favourites. I think it's a little more wearable for me than a lot of them. Just the two front pockets and four button front makes it a little more subtle than the ones with a bunch of asymmetrical pockets.  Denim rather than chambray or some other material is nice too and the collar belt is awesome. The colour is good but I think it could use a few hours of sunshine to lighten it up. I don't think I'd do much painting in it but every time I look at it I want to put on some Springsteen and Work on a Highway.

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Bass Weejun

I called loafers being the shoe for '09 early in January and since we've seen a few brands bringing out their own versions, or collaborating with classic labels like Bass for Opening Ceremony. I've been searching a fair bit on eBay in hopes to find a good cheap pair and have missed the only ones I was feeling. I am kind of stuck on Allen Edmonds as I have really been liking my brogues from the same line. Bass Weejun however, does seem to be one of the best options on the market. A couple readers have them and seem to stand behind them, the look is great and the price isn't too bad at £85. Oi Polloi has a couple models right now and these are my favorites. I love the deep burgandy color and simple detailing. They definitely need to be leather lined no matter what brand you get, just for those sock less summer days. The loafer seems to be picking up steam and as the summer months approach, I would definitely recommend getting a pair for those days that your boat shoes aren't quite doing it for you.

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