Allen Edmonds Coppell

To be honest, I'm not sure why I like Allen Edmonds any more than other old fashion American footwear brands. For some reason the brand comes off cool to me. I love my two pairs that I have, although purchased for cheap on eBay - the shoes have taken a serious beating over the last half year and are still looking and feeling great. I've been looking for a new loafer that will be my all summer shoe, it turns out Allen Edmonds actually released a new model that might be it. The Coppell shoe takes a classic beefroll penny loafer and adds the rubber sole and a saddle calf leather upper. The shoe isn't a huge departure from the boat shoe ruggedness, but also includes the hand-sewn class usually associated with AE's footwear. I think this shoe has the perfect balance between a dressy loafer and the casual nature of the boat shoe, and won't be found on every UO mannequin in a city near you (I hope).

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Grenson Cooper

I plan on wearing tan/beige/khaki coloured shoes (preferably oxfords) pretty often this spring. I don't have any yet, but I saw these 'Coopers' by Grenson at Gravity Pope the other day and they're definitely looking the part right now. Great colour, the suede is buttery soft and smooth and I love the shape and simplicity of them. They're like Vans for grown-ups. Normally I like a nice leather or wooden sole but I'm feeling the rubber one on these. These would go perfectly with those CdG SHIRT chinos down below. I can't wait for summer.

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Alexander Olch Seersucker Tie

Speaking of Mr. Olch, his website has been updated fairly recently with the spring/summer collection of ties. In the growing selection offered this season, the red and white seersucker is definitely my top choice. The grey wool tie was definitely my pick of last winter, and I'm going to have to go with these colors and material for the spring. Why, you ask? Well, with all of the blue shirts, pants, shorts and jackets coming out right now, I think a little bit of red could be a nice classic accent to your blue oxford button down. The tie also appeals to me because of the casual nature of seersucker. I am not particularly into wearing full suits and silk ties too regularly, but I still like to wear a tie, so it needs to fit my casual ensemble easily. Designed and made in New York, retail $130.

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Issue 11 Preview

While the short month of February snuck by pretty quick, we've been as busy as ever trying to pull together our latest offering. Issue 11 is on the way, but its still a few days away. I'm pretty excited about the issue as we spoke with some really great and interesting people, as usual. We have a nice feature on The NEWS, one of New York's best showrooms, Alexander Olch, Dana Lee of A-Z Collection and we are taking a look at Tres Bien's new location and their big changes on and offline. We also caught up with Angelo from Supreme just as their spring campaign is in full swing and the new collection is set to drop next week. It should be another good read, and of course there are some pretty pictures to go along with it.

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Caminando Boots

It's pretty obvious I am really liking navy blue suede these days. It's nothing that new I guess as I picked up a pair of navy blue suede desert boots from Opening Ceremony last fall and still quite like them. These boots by Caminando look really nice. The light colored section on the top of the mid sole is the perfect contrast to the navy and the black bottom. I am not too sure what the material is, whether it's leather or not - due to the fact these are another Journal Standard find. I've been wearing boots pretty much non stop in the last few months, so I'm actually kind of looking forward to boat shoe and loafer weather coming soon. But if you were somewhere a little chilly or just felt like wearing boots in the summer, these are a pretty good option in terms of the color and styling. They also aren't too bad on the wallet at around $200 US.

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Comme des Garcons SHIRT Chinos

Although the name might sound a little confusing, the chino pants are pretty straight forward. I'm actually not 100% on what market the SHIRT line is supposed to reach, but I'm in it. One of my favorite items in my closet is a CDG SHIRT wool blazer from the fall and these chinos are definitely among my favorites this spring. I really love the pop blue and subtle contrast in the light colored buttons. The fit also appears to be perfect on these pants, which as I've mentioned time and time again, is hard to find in a great chino. While the price tag of $297 isn't on the low side, luckily they are available at Tres Bien and us North Americans can't get enough of that lovely Swedish VAT - 25% off.

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hobo magazine No. 10

Hobo Magazine is most definitely the nicest printed piece coming out of Vancouver, and surely one of the tops around the world. I particularly enjoy the  general aesthetic and vast amounts of white space in the design. Although I wasn't directly looking at it a lot when I was first pulling together h(y)r collective, I have to say the direction over the last year has been influenced. The content in issue no. 10 is just as interesting and unexpected as past editions as well as they caught up with Nick Cave, Billy Bragg, Paz de la Huerta and more. There are also a short list of interesting contributors as per usual, along with some beautiful photography. One of my favorite parts is the opening conversation between the Creative Director, Shawn Dogimont, and Brian Hendricks about the direction of the magazine and print vs. online media.  Also worth mentioning is the nice feature on Wings+Horn's Service boots which are back again this spring. Also in the fashion section is a great spread of Filson's classic bags. Definitely look to pick up a copy if you can, try to support the printed art that exists.

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Opening Ceremony Spring Footwear

Opening Ceremony are no stranger to making good looking shoes. I do sometimes question the quality of the materials and the construction for the price you're paying, but you can't deny how nice looking models are every season. The footwear collection has expanded nicely over the last few seasons, sticking with the winners and continuously trying something new. For me, this spring, the brogues and the loafers are my top choices. Their suede desert boots look good as always with the thin leather sole, but these are so classic looking. The color of the brown looks perfect, the height of the sole, everything. Now available at Tres Bien.

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