Stephen Walters Tartan Ties

Another historic UK brand still making great products and having a history dating back to the 1720's is Stephen Walters & Sons. Known for their fabrics and patterns, they continue to push into different markets around the world with their top notch materials and production. The brand name isn't likely one you're too familiar with, and neither was I until stumbling onto these beautiful neck ties at Muesum Ark. The colors of both tartan patterns look great and would be perfect for matching with a striped button down or chambray. While I find that green is often a tough color to wear, mixed in nicely with a plaid and on a tie might be my favorite place for the infusion. Although the plaid pattern and Stephen Walters company are both very old, these items have a generally refreshing feeling about them.

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Nepenthes Hathorn Boot

It's been almost a year since we first mentioned these boots from Nepenthes but they're back. This time around in a beautiful smooth leather. I don't know what it is about deep chestnut brown coloured leather on footwear but it has me swooning every time. I've always been a fan of the Hathorn thanks to it's simple three-piece upper and sleek silhouette and I've been entertaining the thought of a lower cut boot more and more lately. I think combined with the classic Vibram sole the smooth oxford boot has a great contrast about it that can be worn across any number of different styles. The gold eyelets and multi-coloured laces offer that much more detail. Taking inspiration from a certain 100 poster around here, I think with some cropped pants and  maybe even a pair of Fair Isle socks you'd be well on your way to a great looking autumn look.

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Studio Visit | Nigel Cabourn

On Tuesday, my friend James and I went up to Newcastle to see Nigel at his studio. As Ryan mentioned recently, I'm working on a feature about him and we needed to shoot some portraits. I've been looking forward to seeing behind the scenes for a while now and wasn't disappointed. While James worked hard getting some great shots of Nigel, I took some pictures of my own. You'll see the space properly as part of the feature but these should give a hint of what to expect. The studio is housed in a beautiful two storey building at the bottom of Nigel's garden. It's full of not only his own designs but also an amazing array of reference material. This includes one of the most impressive vintage collections I've ever seen. Nigel's worked in the industry for over 40 years but still has an incredible enthusiasm for what he does. We had a great day listening to his stories, trying on clothes and watching as he worked on designs for next winter. I'd like to thank him and Drew for being so accommodating, and Nigel's daughter Sophie for getting us back to the station just in time for our train. I hope you enjoy the pictures; we'll have much more on Mr. Cabourn very soon.

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Pendleton Drifter Bag

Blackwatch is one of my favorite patterns and Pendleton certainly know how and where to use it. Their Drifter bag is a nice little number that would be ideal for daily travel or a short weekend jump. The simple design works well and has been in the line up in the past. The canvas interior has two pockets, as does the exterior. The nice brown leather is a perfect match for the dark Blackwatch plaid, which is classic USA Pendleton fabric. I would ideally have a jacket, blazer, sweater, tie, shirt and pants in this pattern, but why not start with this bag? It's available through their website at the moment, along with a couple other nice material options.

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Chimala Par Avion Shirt

Chimala is a brand we haven't really ever mentioned on the blog but not for any particular reason because they make top quality garments that fit well and look great. It's a splinter brand from 45rpm which explains the similar aesthetic and makes it a little easier to trust. It's also a little more accessible as I first saw it at Lark here in Vancouver.  While I've liked pretty much everything I've seen of the brand the Par Avion shirt is a personal favourite that connects with me. Very clean and utilitarian looking but with all the right details and impeccable construction. Made from heavy greyish/brown cotton twill the shirt is a little thicker and has a nice texture to it. The inner seams are finished with token orange tape stitch for a unique detail and the large square flap pockets without a button are something lacking in my closet. It might seem boring I suppose, seeing as it's just another greyish button down shirt, but Bart Simpson wears the same red tee and blue shorts every day and I always thought he looked cool...

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Look | 100 Posts

In the grand scheme of things it's a fairly minor milestone but this is my 100th post. With that in mind, I thought I'd put together an outfit using some of the things I've written about over the last few months. Although some of them are no longer available, they should still provide plenty of inspiration. Looking back, there was any number of possibilities but I particularly like the way these items interact. There might be a variety of colours and textures involved but there's a simplicity about their combination. It's an outfit that very much reflects my own personal taste and in keeping with the overall tone of h(y)r, I've always written about things I love. I've tried to provide as much depth and personal insight as possible, focusing on things I have direct experience of or a genuine admiration for. I hope you've enjoyed my contributions so far. I really appreciate all the comments and encouragement, and I'd like to thank Ryan and Owen for asking me to be a part of what they've created. Jacket: Visvim - Cardigan: 45rpm - Shirt: Studio D'Artisan - Cords: Levi's - Shoes: Russell Moccasin - Tote: The Real McCoy's

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Nigel Cabourn Cameraman Parka

If you could only ever have one parka in your closet for the rest of your life, it should probably be this one. Nigel Cabourn takes no prisoners when it comes to fine materials and clean design and this parka is sort of the epitome of what he produces. This masterpiece is made from two of the UK's better known fabric specialists, Mackintosh and Harris Tweed. Both produced in Scotland, Mr. Cabourn was able to keep manufacturing close at home while most of his market remains in Asia. The woolen body of the jacket is sure to keep you warm while looking really great, and nicely complimented by the tonal grey top. There aren't a lot of good grey parkas on the market, and although this comes in navy as well, the grey is really the most impressive. The price tag is of course high, but it's a piece you'll only have to buy once. It would go with everything, be nicer than other options and buying a vintage version just wouldn't be the same. Nigel Cabourn really does improve on the classics with an updated manufacturing process, higher quality materials and a very tidy aesthetic, it's really an impressive piece. Available at Supderdenim

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SNS Herning Fall Knits & Shop

SNS Herning is definitely one of my favourite knit sweater companies in the world and I'm excited to see they now have an online shop up and running. This fall's collection isn't fully represented, but I could easily find about five pieces I would love to have right now. Fortunately I was able to get in a couple personal orders and am anxiously awaiting them as the weather has already turned to fall in Vancouver. SNS's philosophy and outlook on both themselves and the products is really great. I haven't met many people as nice and I was excited to meet them in Paris last season. The fall sweaters dig into the archives again and include some new styles. It's usually the classics that get me excited and the two sweaters pictured would be very ideal to have on hand for the next few months. Be sure to check out their website and browse the recently opened online shop if you feel so inclined.

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