Oi Polloi Lo Cut Mocc

Oi Polloi have slowly been filtering their own products to their online store, alongside a strong list of great brands. They are back with another moccasin shoe. The Lo Cut Mocc with a crepe tan sole looks really nice for the summer months ahead. I think the profile of the sole looks really great slimmed down to the size of a boat shoe sole. The treatment on the leather also is perfect. My vintage Top-Siders are almost the same color exactly and it's perfect. They go with everything, have some nice character and welcome the daily scuffs and marks that make them your own. *Upon second look, they appear to be sold out and I'm not sure if these are a new version of what they released in the fall althought they are in the latest stock section of the site. If not, they should restock. Also, please let us see a larger picture of products on the website. Thanks.

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Stussy Deluxe & Calgary Chapter

Today starts a big week for Stussy in North America as the S/S '09 Deluxe line hits stores today and the latest Chapter store is set to open in Calgary this time next week. The spring offering from deluxe is another strong collection of fairly basic essential garments. As usual, some good looking t-shirts, denim and accessories to go along with what I think is always the best part of the line, the jackets. I'm really liking the M65, coach and denim jackets this time around and I'm sure the construction, materials and fit are as high quality as usual. The opening of the Calgary Chapter store on March 14th is exciting for the face of retail north of the 49th parallel as it makes it the 3rd Chapter store to open in Canada in just over a year. Perhaps other companies will start to take notice. See more of the line below.

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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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