Snowflake Knitwear

There seem to be a nice number of Norwegian pattern items coming out this fall but I've also noticed the more simple and normally unwearable snowflake making an appearance. I first thought I should save this post for December but it's already cold and that's enough for me. Two of my favorite brands have come with snow-flaked knitwear this season, Engineered Garments and Nigel Cabourn. While Mr. Cabourn's comes from a very direct reference from the photo which sparked an evolution in his own career and the Ascent of Cabourn - the Engineered Garments cardigan seems to not quite fall into place with this fall's collection, but still looks like something I wouldn't mind wearing. The actual sweater itself is a great cardigan and the added unusual pattern is off-key enough to be interesting but the colors are simple enough to be fairly easy to wear, at least in the winter.

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Workaday Corduroy Pants by Engineered Garments

I had to delay this post slight as I didn't want to fall victim to the "blog effect" as Mr. Davis puts it. Engineered Garments created the basics collection titled "Workaday" with an extremely simple goal of making comfortable work wear for daily use that would last a long time. The items included are heavy weight fleece, one wash denim, heavy oxford BD shirts and these perfect corduroy pants. The khaki color in particular grabbed my attention this fall as my corduroy pant selection is next to none. The color seemed a little more interesting than the brown and a little easier to wear for then the burgundy. It fit perfectly into my closet and the fit appeared to be spot on for a corduroy pant. The Workaday collection is ironically very difficult to come by as it's supposed to only be awarded to long time EG stockists with great relationships. The Bureau now has an exclusive for Europe with the Workaday pieces, so I was fortunate enough to snag my size in the cords as they are sure to sell out quickly I would imagine. The black, burgundy, brown and khaki are all great options for this fall but the khaki was definitely the perfect injection of color for my pants.

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Beams Fall Catalogue

Michael at ACL just scanned in some images from the fall Beams catalogue and I for one am thankful, and will probably try to get myself a copy. The photography is beautiful as usual and the styling is classic Beams work. White people in Japan dressed in American inspired digs being sold to Japanese, got it? This particular image jumped out at me as something I would love to be wearing this fall. Of course I would make slight changes like a flat end bow tie perhaps. Overall the Japan exclusive Engineered Garments safari jacket in khaki, tattersall shirt, Norwegian knit are complimented with nice styling touches of the rolled sleeves and nice watch/frame combination come off just right. Beams is without doubt one of the leading retailers on planet Earth and their own catalogue being far better than most, or any brands, look books is just another simple reason why.

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Engineered Garments Workaday Fatigue Pant

Our three part series on cargo pants last month received a lot of comments. Many of you were against the idea and seemed quite steadfast in your views. I fully understand that and though I still believe the right pair are a good option, I don't expect everyone to agree. These, on the other hand, feel like the perfect middle ground. They may have a similar aesthetic but I also think they'd be much easier to wear. The key is probably the absence of thigh pockets which makes the overall appearance a bit more refined. Part of EG's Workaday collection, they feature the same high quality and attention to detail as the main line. They're made from reversed sateen and the mid-green would work well with almost anything. This versatility also extends to the styling. The front and back pockets provide a point of interest but don't intrude too much, ensuring a more subtle military reference. If you're not convinced by cargo pants but want an alternative to denim, cords and chinos, these are definitely worth considering.

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Engineered Garments Knitted Argyle Waistcoat

In the same way as the Ralph Lauren knit Owen posted earlier, this waistcoat is a great intermediate piece. I know in isolation it might seem like a tough option but consider it among layers and hopefully you'll begin to think differently. For me, winter is perhaps the easiest season to incorporate patterns. You're likely to favour more muted tones and so introducing some depth and texture is always a good idea. If you look at the image from EG's lookbook, you'll see exactly what I mean. I'd probably forgo the striped shirt and wear it with a selection of block colours but I think it works perfectly as a point of interest. The additional bonus of a plain back - no cinch, no silk - has me seriously considering it and I'm heading to Dover Street Market tomorrow to try one on. Also available at Context

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Friendly Fire

Shoes: Would you wear these? I hope not | Dries Van Noten Shorts: These are my favorite shorts for the summer, they fit well and look great | Engineerd Garments Blogs: I haven't been reading for a little while, but I'm back in. Some honest humour is always refreshing | Kempt Food: Arguably the best thing about the weekend. Can I have a side of hollandaise? | Eggs Benedict Listen: The Monocle Weekly No. 11 is up. Geneva, retail and watches | Monocle

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Ralph Lauren Varsity Shorts

Tucked away in Oi Polloi's little stock of classic Ralph Lauren items are these really great vintage looking varsity shorts. They are some of the best I've seen this season, for one of the best prices. The length looks to be just about right and you can't go wrong with the navy blue with the red horse accent. They also happen to have the elastic waist beach shorts I've been looking for. I haven't actually bought anything from Oi Polloi before, mostly because of the UK currency, but these days it's just about on par with the US dollar for Canadians. Between Woolrich Woolen Mills, Engineered Garments and these Ralph Lauren beauties, Oi Polloi has arguably the best selection of casual men's shorts in the world!

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Madras Ties

Whether you want to double up on your madras shirt or go with a more subtle shirt, these ties by Engineered Garments are pretty good looking. The navy blues with red and white look really nice in these patterns, which could easily go with a number of oxford shirts. Gitman Vintage also make ties in most of the patterns and materials they make their shirts in, so you can be sure to find a tie version of that great short sleeve shirt out there somewhere as well. I think this spring could see a few bow ties and neck ties incorporated into a lot of looks. There aren't too many better options than seersucker and madras in my opinion.

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