Robert Geller Drifter Coat

Robert Geller is fresh off his new menswear designer award and spring collection is now hitting stores. I wouldn't expect him to change his ways too much in the near future. He seems to bring an interesting mix of really awkward pieces I would never touch, and a good selection of more classic looking items. This Drifter jacket is one of the pieces that falls to the more classic side in terms of its aesthetic. The coat is made of washed cotton/linen and has been sewn up with some French seams - which I generally find to be a good thing. The color of the jacket is nice and versatile and the casual washed material allows for it to be dressed down nicely, the flap body pockets also help with that. It looks good with the lapel up or down which is pretty important for a casual sport coat. It's now available at Odin.

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Karen Walker Jonestown Glasses

I've had more of a fascination with glasses lately than anything else in the last couple weeks. A friend of mine at work got a great pair of vintage Dunhill frames the Geller Marcello's have my attention as well. I also really like a good aviator and need to get something for summer. These Karen Walker glasses are among my top picks right now. The shape of the frames are pretty classic looking, while offering something a little different from your standard Ray Bans. The metal frames look beautiful with the tortoise arm ends and subtle branding. For the price of $200, these are definitely a pretty solid option that will look great for summers to come. Available at Gargyle

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Beams Plus Chino Pants

Beams in-house line has grown to offer a fairly complete selection from footwear to glasses, to bags and chinos. This spring you definitely need to have yourself a pair of soft cotton pants in one form or another. These Beams Plus chinos come in both navy and khaki and appear to have a pretty ideal fit. Last summer I was really hunting for the slimmest chino I could find and not having much luck. I've let go a bit and find myself more comfortable in a slightly more relaxed fit, although it's just as difficult to find in the right weight, well made and still with a proper straight leg or slight tapper. I'm still really happy with my Wings+Horns chinos, but I would love to get myself a pair of navy blue slacks for the spring. The Beams pants are also lined with a plaid cotton which I'm still on the fence with. I think the idea works better with a winter pant, and might be better concealed the majority of the time. Unfortunately not so good for the tuck-and-roll.

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Rick Rubin and Clipse

Take a look at that photo! I let out a legitimate yelp of joy when I saw it and put two and two together to realize that Rick Rubin is actually going to produce a song (or two if we're lucky) for Clipse's upcoming album. If you aren't familiar with Rick Rubin well shame on you here's a crash course: founded Def Jam, OG Beastie Boys DJ, produced mega-hit albums for LL Cool J, Run DMC and Public Enemy in the late 80's. Then he shifted gears to produce albums for the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Slayer. While he hasn't really made too many forays back into the hip-hop world, his last three tracks have been certified bangers. (Yes even the Lil Jon one, just think of what Weezy should/would/could do with that beat.) I'm always already fiending for anything new from Clipse but now... so incredibly excited. Oh yeah, and they've got a song with Kanye. Link.

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Bespoke Magazines

I just saw this pretty interesting concept that was executed by Cunning Agency and HSBC for their Premier branding. The idea was to offer travelers coming through Heathrow Airport in London and chance to essentially make their own magazine. There were a number of articles to choose from, and each person can pick their favorites and the order they come in and have the magazine bound right there in the airport. The concept and execution does look great, but of course in the large scope it's probably not ideal - especially for publishers. The thing with a printed magazine is that it is becoming more of an art and the composition of the articles and pages and how they are laid out and order are what make it particularly special. For the most part, you can pick and choose the information you want already thanks to the Internet. So taking away a lot of the artistic influence and execution of a printed magazine is something I wouldn't recommend. But they aren't trying to do it long term, and I think for the concept 2-week period, it looks great. Check the video below for more info.

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Sunny Sports Chambray

Here's another good looking option for a chambray work shirt. I am still looking for one of my own, and I am on the fence between this and Engineered Garments. I quite like the pocket detailing, but I have a chambray shirt in nearly the same color of this one, but it's in a western style. As a couple readers mentioned after the last chambray work shirt was posted, these are really ideal for wearing a couple times a week. You can wear them with so much, they are comfortable and casual, but you really won't find too many people wearing them around - it's easy. I think that's what most of us are looking for in men's clothing. So the light weight chambray work shirt might be at the top of the list of spring essentials...find out in Issue 11.

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45rpm Spin Venetian Coat

I'm sure everybody is just trying to find that perfect sport coat to drop a C note on this spring, so look no further. Between that grey Patrik Ervell blazer and this 45rpm coat, you're options should be covered. While the price is beyond my current reach, there is no denying how nice this coat looks. 100% Suvin cotton. Silky to the touch. Fitted with nautical-inspired details. This would be an easy piece to wear 4-5 days a week for me as it would go with all of the denims and chinos I could throw it's way, it might even work alright with some shorts. 45rpm continues to focus on it's high quality, high price, highly nice items. I hope this brand is still doing okay in Asia because I know it won't be able to rely on the North American market in the next couple seasons.

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Reading Material

Even though I do 98% of my reading online in some way, shape or form, I still have that special reverence for books. I go through phases of being obsessed with print every once and a while, and after finally cracking the copy of Wisdom I got for Christmas the other day, I have the '-itis' again. This time I'm hankering for various photography and illustrated books. Anyone else?  Armed America: Portraits of Gun Owners in Their Homes by Kyle Cassidy is a pretty self-explanatory book. The photos of the subjects are so good and it's interesting to see the different responses from the subjects which range from justifiable to mind numbingly stupid (in my opinion). James and Karla Murray's Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York shows the evolution of the city over the years. I really just love seeing all the old typography on the shops. I also want a copy of Max Ernst's Une Semaine de Bonte to go through and maybe frame some of his illustrations. Last on my list is Frank Miller's Ronin because well, I'm kind of a huge nerd.

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