Verginia for Ark

Museum Ark seem to have enough clout in the outskirts of Tokyo to keep a solid number of collaborations coming through their store. One of my favorites recently are these deck shoes by Verginia for Ark. The beautiful deep navy blue looks great on the all white mid sole. The buttery looking leather lining is calling my foot's name. I've really been loving the feeling of nice leather on my feet in a good pair of shoes, so I'm looking forward to the warmer weather coming and loosing the socks again. The obvious defining detail has to be the pull string lace-up function going on. I think I would normally be against this kind of addition, but on a boat/deck shoe I kind of like it. It almost makes sense in terms of being functional and it's been kept subtle enough to not take away from the other nice details in the shoe. I'd definitely be into wearing these this spring.

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The New Order | Issue 1

The guys over at SlamXhype have been working hard behind the scenes of their website. Again they have been able to utilize what they've established online and bring something good into the real world. We saw them first curate a pretty good art show a few months ago, and now they just released the first edition of their printed magazine, The New Order. I really feel if you want to make the magazine you've dreamed of making, you probably have to have other revenue streams to make sure you're not relying on any and all advertisers. I have only seen a couple pages of the magazine through SlamX and Honeyee, but I look forward to my copy arriving in the mail soon.

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Bell & Ross Vintage 123

I've mentioned my desire for a Bell & Ross Vintage 120 in the past, previously I'd been 100% stuck on the leather strap. Upon a brief lesson in watches and the Bell & Ross line, it turns out I might actually prefer the Vintage 123. While I still am in love with the leather strap, after getting a good look at the 123 with a metal bracelet and off-white face, I am much more open to the metal wrist band. I am not claiming to be a really watch knowledgeable person, but I know what I like when I see it, and I haven't found anything I like more. Bell & Ross fit great, the weight is perfect and the design is so clean and extremely balanced. I think that lends itself nicely to a lifetime of wear and timeless style. I've actually had plans to start savings plan for one of these watches, now I'm slightly more torn between the leather or metal strap.

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Our Legacy Sneakers

As we've mentioned already, Our Legacy seems intent on expanding their collection to cover the majority of men's products. I think they are one of the only new labels doing it well in terms of capturing an aesthetic of a lifestyle. Whether they are just trying to make as much money as they can, or just feel they've always wanted to make these items, so why not do it now - the look of their products is always right on the mark. While it might be hard to actually improve on the deck shoe after Vans, Sperry, Visvim and Aprix have offered a great range of clean versions. I would have to say these are probably the exact colors I would have made the shoe in, and the dark stripe around the midsole is a perfect classic touch. I thought the shoes looked good in person, but for a sneaker I think you really need to wear them around to determine their qualty. Now available at Tres Bien for $98

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Men.style.com Spring Trends

Is this not suppose to be one of the go-to magazines and/or websites in North America? After reading a very correctly worded post on The Selvedge Yard calling GQ, Getting Questionable, I still had some faith in this iconic American publication. I thought they could probably still hold it down online and help men find their way. Unfortunately hope is lost. While there were some spring trends predicted that weren't totally off the mark, like Ralph Lauren. (How is that a trend?) But specifically calling out an ugly D&G boat shoe that costs $500 US? Really? That's a trend? It could have simply been 'Boat Shoes' and then take a picture of 3 different ones, that cost less than a house in Fishtown. Then we come to the full outfits. While the poor fitting D 2squared looks from Italy aren't quite doing it for me, the styled model shots look about half as interesting as an Urban Outfitters mannequin. There were a couple gems in the mix such as Yuketen's mocassin, Supreme's parka and the Cresent Down Works Parka we blogged a little while back, for the most part, the article is, as usual, very uninspiring. The market is getting educated, we know you can do better, you have every resource at your fingertips - sell me something good.

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KZO Cardigan

KZO is an pretty interesting label that has an unique mix of influences coming from Japan and the US. There is a mix of traditional elements and pieces, often mixed with an unexpected detail or material. For next fall they have a handful of pieces I really quite like, and this spring isn't bad either. This terminal cardigan is one of my top picks so far. The elments taken from a sport coat in terms of the cut in the front, flap pockets and cuffs on the arms, all give the sweater a unique but classic look. The fit seems to be spot on and I'm a fan of the simple button choice. Now available at Blackbird

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A.P.C. Pioneer Denim

A.P.C. have brought back their washed out denim, without having some random person actually wear them this time. They used to make a pair quite similar a couple years ago that were available in the Cure and the Standard cuts. I managed to track down a pair on eBay about a year ago and they've been my favorite pair of jeans since. While A.P.C.'s standard cuts are among the most universal on the planet, they managed to reproduce one of the most natural looking washes available. This new Pioneer version has a little bit more detail in the wear wrinkles, but still have a pretty natural look. These are not totally unlike the version Our Legacy have in their spring collection, but I would imagine A.P.C.'s version to have a slimmer cut. Again, there are higher quality denim pants in the market, but for the price and cut, it's hard to beat A.P.C.

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What Would you wear in your Secret Fort?

I saw this post over on allplaidout and I love it. The two bloggers met up recently and a third party exclaimed to James of Secret Forts, "You look like your blog." Of course he does right? With the million and a half product blogs out there, how many bloggers actually practice what they preach and pine after the products they post, or actually wear the outfits they post? My guess is not very many. So I feel that's why there has been a tight circle of blogs recognized in this little niche market. The sense of honesty and actually living your blog in the real world is important. I personally wear the items I write about (unfortunately a small portion) but still, the ones I really can afford or want. I know Michael over at ACL and Jake also are in the same boat, and there are others. It's the reality of our tastes that help us connect with each other, as well as the readers. It's always been something that urks me about some other sites I suppose, but I've never really touched on it. So there it is, practice what you preach. Thanks to the other bloggers out there for making the Internet more interesting. *In Addition: I do realize a lot of blogs have to get traffic and actually rely on making money for their job. So personal accounts and thoughts might not have a place. There is a balance, and it can be tough.

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