Albam Explorer Jacket

The latest edition to Albam's outwear offering is their spring Explorer Jacket. The English brands continues to update and upgrade their fabrics as they refine their products and production. The Explorer jacket is a very simple looking jacket but the stripped down details and fabric choices make it extremely appealing. The outer is made from a cotton canvas and is coated in Teflon to help with spring showers. The mid-weight jacket appears to be just right all around as it's not too heavy that you can't wear it in the winter but it's light enough that you could wear it deep into the spring season. It comes in black and navy and has been outfitted in 2-way RiRi zippers to top it off. I'm always a sucker for navy, so that would definitely be my choice for this piece. —

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Albam Melton Wool Bomber

Only a couple days after looking through Albam's sharp fall knitwear, the English soft goods collection adds another great looking item to the collection. The bomber jacket comes in many forms these days but it's often the most basic, simple and seemingly plain that is the most difficult to find. Albam have done a great job at pairing down the basics and making them in England with fine fabrics and improved silhouettes. The Melton wool bomber comes in a dense herringbone which is soft, warm and is exactly what the jacket needs. It's a nice casual staple that works well over BD shirts and white crew neck t-shirts any time of the year. This version is of course best for cool weather which I hear London has plenty of this season.

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Albam Cable Knit Jumper

It feels like the perfect time for layering a nice crewneck over an oxford shirt; whether you've got a family dinner to go to or a long day at the office, its comfortable and looks great. Again, Albam supply us with another great looking knit piece this fall. I really like the ember colour of this particular sweater. It's not too bright and I think it would look great with a nice olive green jacket and pretty much any colour of oxford shirt underneath. The cable size and pattern is the right size and and I'm always a fan of the ribbed cuff and waist band. The only thing for possible concern is the "neat fit" as I'm not too sure what that means. There are a few sizes left and it's of course available at Albam.

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Albam Shawl Collar Cardigan

Albam's knitwear has quickly become one of the strong points in the collection. Observing their online shop and hearing reports from London, the items seem to be flying off the shelves - almost as fast as Inventory issue Number 01 at Albam. The latest item that I really like is this classic shawl neck cardigan. Almost every brand is taking their stab at the essential fall item, but it appears Albam have pulled out one of the best versions of the season. They are made in England from a very soft high twist wool. The updated fit and fabrics from last fall are all coming together nicely as you can see. Only 30 have been made of each colour. The Navy cardigan is almost sold out, but there still seems to be a full size run in charcoal, for now.

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Drake's Lambswool Crewneck

Drakes have stepped up their knitwear game this fall with a couple of beautiful sweaters. While the cashmere cardigan may have been a little pricey, this great looking crew neck is slightly more attainable, but still something special. Made in Scotland from 100% Lambswool, the 2 ply crew neck is really a great looking item for fall, winter, spring or any other time you can wear it without being too warm. The classic stripe pattern is nicely complimented by the brown suede elbow patches on all of the colours. If you'd prefer to be stripe-less, you can also check out Albam's version in a similar aesthetic, available here. —

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Albam Mountaineer Shirt

Albam's unique approach in delivering their collection is nice to see. It makes business for retailers tough when you might receive only one or two deliveries a season and you end up with a stale rack of clothing. Since they only wholesale to a handful of other shops, not only are they able to keep prices reasonable, but we get new product deliveries almost every month, if schedules stay on track. This November the Mountaineer Shirt has landed at Oi Polloi, and it's one of my favorites from Albam. I'm not always overly excited about their shirting but their classic white buttons look nice on the charcoal. The unique pocketing and perfectly shaped collar are night highlights as well.

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Albam November Goods

After Albam's successful shop opening on the east side of London, they have released a couple new products in-store and online. The brand has been steadily increasing the quality and diversity, while seeing an increase in press and coverage. Some of the latest items have been featured in Monocle and Inventory and we're told the best is still to come. So far this month, you can find a couple remaining sizes of their collaboration with Quoddy, their stripped fisherman's crew and the bound knit body warmer. The zip-vest wouldn't be an item I would normally be too interested in, but I can see the inspiration coming from James Shaw's passion for climbing and I feel like the execution could actually be used as a subtle layering piece. Although a bit odd by choice, it's clean cut and interesting shape make it interesting enough.

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Albam Fair Isle Cap

Albam have just opened their second shop in London and continue to release great new items to come along with it. The Fair Isle cap is one of my favourite accessories they've done this fall. It's made from a soft lambswool in England, along with most of the collection. There are three colourways in the patterned hat, all of which seem to be nice options this fall – the burgundy is my favourite. At £45, it's not too tough to swallow and surely will turn into an everyday wear through the coming cold months.

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