With the Day of Labor just around the corner, it’s about time you packed up your white bucks and boat shoes for a long stay in the back of the closet. Naturally, we’ve got a replacement in mind: these new garment-dyed Jack Purcells (hat tip), color-matched to October hues and just light enough to see you through to boot weather. Re-coloring a classic item isn’t exactly a new trick, but these don’t need originality points. The Purcell is a pretty perfect item already and the dyes are exactly the color you’ll want once the leaves start turning. Honestly, we’re a little surprised it took them this long.

You might not know it from today’s swelter, but someday in the next few months, you’re going to be faced with a brisk, drizzly day that’s too wet for a blazer, too dry for an umbrella and too hot for the deep-winter parka.

And on that day, you will need something like this coat.

Designed by the hip minimalists at Folk, it’s part of the same treated cotton genus as Barbour and Belstaff, but it’s a little less impenetrable and a lot less heritage-minded. More importantly, it makes for a perfect outer layer—particularly if you leave the top strap unbuckled and show a little sweater.

And if you have a hat handy, now might be a good time to get it ready.

As a followup to our Fall layering manifesto, we thought we’d draw your attention to this wool scarf from Browns that should be the perfect accompaniment to that tweed jacket we’ve been furiously urging you to purchase.

The bright blue means it’s a good deal more eye-catching than the standard gray and brown versions—and you’ll have an extra reason to pair it with heavy denim. But most importantly, it’s got the homegrown British tweediness that made the look worthwhile to begin with, and it’s important to get your tweediness straight from the source.

Now that you can find pinwale slacks just about anywhere, it’s hard to get too excited about corduroy pants—unless you go with something a bit heavier than what you can find in the other shops.

This wide-wale cord from Margaret Howell is a prime example. It’s the kind of warm and cozy pant that the fall calls for…but thicker and heavier than most of the stuff you know as corduroy.

Here’s our only caveat: unlike the rest of the heavy pants in your closet, this isn’t workwear, so you’ll want to coddle it a little more than normal. In fact, maybe don’t get out of the armchair.

Sad but true: Umbrellas are not a very stylish item. In fact, you usually have to choose between “British nobleman” and “dry-but-silly-looking golfer.” Or just getting wet.

All of which is to say, we’re glad Filson got into the game. This cover cloth umbrella (hat tip) replaces the usual synthetics with a wood-and-waxed cotton approach, which makes it a good deal more rugged than any other rainy-day gear this side of a poncho. It won’t be shipping until October, but you should be able to make do with a golf umbrella until then.

Here’s another one for your post-plaid arsenal: a little trick called Ikat.

This cotton button-up from Burkman Brothers just arrived at Odin bearing a new far-flung fabric trick. Ikat is a pre-loom dyeing process you don’t find much in the states anymore, but it’s used in traditional weaves from Bolivia to Uzbekistan. The result is one of the more interesting patterns in stores, just exotic enough to keep your wardrobe cosmopolitan.

We knew all that world-traveling would pay off at some point.

One of the main things we look for in a tie is texture—whether it’s a knit or a rough-hewn Pendleton flannel. So naturally, this wool mélange item from ts (s) caught our eye…

The fabric’s a mashup of wool, acrylic, nylon and cotton, but the end result is pretty close to felted wool—with enough dappling to keep it from blending in with your flannel suit. It also hits the 3-inch sweet spot for tie-width, making it a pretty much perfect example of the modern fabric-scrap school of neckwear. Find an artfully disheveled cotton suit and you should be just about set for life.

Granted, it’s a bit cruel to dangle a summer shoe in front of you at this point in the season, but this one was too good to pass up.

The shoe is from a French brand called Rivieras, and it’s got just about everything we want in a beach shoe: jute soles, a mesh upper and a playfully colorful look. The French connection means you’ll be the only one at the beach who’s got them, provided you’re willing to brave the shoe size conversion.

2011, here we come.

It won’t be scarf weather for at least a couple months, but we doubt if you’ll find a better example than this one. Courtesy of Thom Browne (by way of Moncler Gamme Bleu), it manages to combine Mr. Browne’s trademark tweediness with a touch of alpine glamour—making it the rare scarf that plays equally well in Mayberry and Lucerne. The designer price tag is every bit as eye-popping as you’d expect…but we can still dream.

In keeping with the late-August crop of Fall/Winter merch, we just got word that APC’s fall winter line has arrived at the British shop End Clothing.

Our favorite so far is this professorial elbow-patch crewneck, if only because we’ve been waiting years for the return of the elbow patch, but there’s plenty more where that came from. Happy digging.

There are many schools of dopp kit, and while we’re partial to the spotless leather variety, sometimes things get a little too messy for perfection.

In particular, we’re thinking of those hazy mornings when your precious case might be inadvertently splashed with a bit of aftershave, facial balm or, depending on how hazy you’re feeling, coffee. If you don’t want to risk anything too handsome, these waterproof dopp kits from Jack Spade should be just the ticket. They’re made from the same tarpaulin you’ve seen on camping trips, so you can count on easy cleaning and absolutely everything inside staying dry.

If you choose the blaze orange model, it might even help you wake up.

It’s a bit too early to jump into boot territory, but if your usual oxfords are feeling a little thin, there’s a whole class of half-boots designed for the next few months of semi-chill. Up front, this new Alaska Boot looks like the standard plain-toe dress shoe, but the sturdy heel and tight ankle are wintry enough to stay in your footwear rotation well through the winter. They’re a good deal lighter than those Red Wings, and the rakish “gentleman traveler” feel should make up for the missing steel toe.

One of San Francisco’s best men’s shops, Unionmade, just opened up for eCommerce, and we’ve been picking through the resulting lucre all day. The haul includes a few Gitman button-downs, Alden boots and Hill-Side ties—in short, everything you’d expect from a modern purveyor of gentleman’s goods.

The big surprise? This messenger bag from an outfit called Farm Tactics managed to spice up the staple waxed cotton satchel with a layer of mesh—perfect for holding any rugged items (including starfish) you may pick up in your travels. It gives the whole item a military quality, which is about right considering the history involved…and thankfully, you won’t have to trek out to San Francisco to pick it up.

The backpack can be a tough item to pull off, but we’d offer the following suggestion: keep it as slim as possible. That means tight straps and yes, a little stretching when you put it on. It also means finding a pack that’s just large enough to hold what you need—and no larger.

This Yuketen Triangle Back Pack in the Inventory shop fits the bill quite nicely, with melton wool fabric and undyed leather straps to keep things appropriately rustic. The triangle shape means it won’t poke out above your shoulders and ruin your silhouette, and the no-frills exterior means you won’t have anyone mistaking you for a college kid. We still wouldn’t walk into any boardrooms with it, but for a weekend grocery run it’s hard to do better.

Just as the average urban dweller doesn’t have much use for an ax, you tend not to see many bags for hunting rifles around. But that’s what trend-setters are for. Take this bison leather gun bag, for example. It was made with safari-goers in mind, but it’s handsome enough to serve any number of ironic purposes, including putting a strategic scare into the opposing softball team. Consider yourselves warned.

Orvis is upping the Americana ante this Fall with its new capsule collection, US Patent. The venerable outfitter for the casually rugged outdoorsman is throwing its hat into the heritage ring with a curation of 50 or so pieces—ranging from flight jackets, to fishing rods, to cowboy hats. The full line will be available come mid-August, but this handsome Hill Climber Jacket has already hit the market as a collab with the newly minted Brooklyn-based operation, Taylor Supply. It’s got the transition-between-seasons functionality of waxwear, but with unique enough details—a shawl collar and button-up front—to not look too Barbour-y (read, British). We’re searching for our hunting cap and briarwood pipe as we speak.

Rachel Comey has been a favorite of well-curated boutiques for some years now—especially Brooklyn standby Hollander & Lexer—but somehow she’s never gotten the name recognition she deserves. It’s a shame because, as you can see, she makes quite an oxford.

This pair, dubbed Uncle Dan Oxfords, are cobbled together from felt, placing them somewhere between a plimsoll and a flashier suede version. More importantly, it’s more or less guaranteed to be the only forest green item in your shoe collection, which should come in particularly handy the next time you decide to bust out that khaki suit.

This Americana-soaked ice bucket comes by way of our favorite Etsy shop of the day. Even having an ice bucket is pretty anachronistic in the age of the hi-tech fridge, but one with wood casing and a breathlessly sincere bald eagle on the front is as close to Eisenhower-era chic as we’re likely to come.

Our only regret is not finding it in time for the fourth of July…but there’s always Labor Day.

Here’s a late-breaking addition to the Must Haves (that little column to the left): a newly arrived zipper coal bag from ACL that just happens to be the perfect beach bag. It’s light, unassuming canvas, easily washable if you get in too much salt, with a zipper across the top to keep out the sand.

It’s simple, but for the occasion, that’s just what’s needed. Well played, Mr. Williams.

The poncho is seen as a lost cause by most of the fashion world, but apparently Oliver Spencer’s a true believer. It’s good news, since we’re bound to see a few nasty rainstorms over the next couple months and it’s just about the perfect item for facing them down.

This newly arrived Quay jacket has all the wood-and-leather hardware you’d expect from Mr. Spencer, but the thirsty waxed cotton and the grade-school coloring put it miles ahead of the plastic competition—and it’ll still keep your head drier than even the largest umbrella in your broom closet. All told, a pretty good piece to have in your closet once fall rolls around.

And naturally, if it gets worn down in a few years time, we’ve got some ideas on how to fix it up.

The knit tie has been an extra credit item for well-dressed men for a while now…long enough that we’re ready to see a few twists on it.

This one came from Camo’s capsule booth, with an important difference from the average square-bottomed knit. Instead of wool or silk, this is knit together from cotton, in a ribbed pattern not that different from the waistline of a sweater.

Apparently it took some serious factory shenanigans to make it work, but the result is our favorite piece of tie technology this season.

Dickies have strayed from their steadfast tradition of blue-collar boxiness with a few splatters of paint. And we couldn’t be happier about it.

These are the product of their latest collaboration with SOPHNET., a Japanese streetwear brand with a knack for abstract prints. This understated, artsy take on Dickies’ flagship 874 Pant is tailored with a slightly lower rise and a slightly slimmer fit throughout and it looks like their edgiest endeavor since…well, 1922. While we’re believers in their tried and true classics, a little hint of Pollock does them good. Think of them as the antidote to the cultural void in your pant collection…or as your summer go-to for lazy mornings spent sipping Bloody Marys.

And they just happen to be making their retail debut tomorrow.

Beach-going equipment tends to be pretty minimal. If you’ve got a good pair of trunks, a pair of sunglasses and some sunblock, you’re probably set. And, of course, something to lie down on…

These lightweight cotton blankets from Steven Alan get it just about perfect, with colorful stripes, a 5’x7’ wingspan, and a clever twist: to make your life simpler, the S.A. folks are randomizing the colors, so after you order one up you’ll get the next color they have in stock. So much for the dream of the matching bathing suit.

It’s hard to compete with Clarks’ poster boot for desert footwear, but we think we’ve found a contender: the Velskoen.

These “vellies” were first made by the Dutch East India Co in the 1600s, modeled on Khosian tribal footwear in Namibia. (Yes, Africa.) Herbert Schier still uses the original model and hide of the native Kudu—which recently found its way onto the ACL x Cole, Rood & Hahn chukka—but with an eight-person shop he’s only able to make 30 pairs a day. Which means you’ll be in very good company.

It’s not exactly cardigan weather—in fact, we haven’t worn socks or wool in well over a week—but in preparation for the colder part of the year, we thought we’d call your attention to this sleeveless one-buttoner from Avon Celli.

It costs too much and the odds are you’ll never see anyone actually wearing it, but we’re hoping to see a lot more like it by the time fall rolls around. It’s the kind of thin Italian wool that filled up Hollywood costume departments circa 1955, but this one’s a little more adventurous. The missing sleeves are a start, but the sternum-level button almost pushes it into avant garde territory.

Pair it with a tie and a white button-up (or possibly waistcoat-style under a suit) once September comes around and the trads will never know what hit them.

Amid the current craze for things that are what they are, we came across this bicycle bell that makes the point just about perfectly. It’s a single hammer against a perfect brass bell, and the same Japanese firm has been churning them out since ’74. In America, you’ll have to go to Cooper Hewitt’s Design Museum to find it. Because, naturally, it’s too perfect to just pick up in a store.

By now, we imagine you’re pretty familiar with the casual charm of boat shoes, but here’s a twist you may not have anticipated: the boat pant.

If these Opening Ceremony grommet pants look familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen that same threaded-cord look on dozens of pairs of Sperrys by now. This is just the first time it’s moved up to the waistline.

Use it right and it could add a deckhand vibe to just about any summer outfit you’ve got—but for moderation’s sake, you’ll want to avoid wearing them both at once.

There’s a whole class of footwear designed to be worn sockless on hot summers, and while the boat shoe was certainly the favorite of 2009, we’ve got high hopes for moccasins this time around. This pair of Quoddys is a pretty good explanation of why. It’s pretty chunky as far as summer shoes go, but the raw leather and oversized hardware give it a Hiawatha vibe that’s hard to resist—even if you don’t have a forest nearby. Better yet, the inner sole will conform to your foot as you break it in, so you’ll have an extra incentive to leave your socks at home.

At the risk of becoming a blog entirely devoted to swimsuits, we’re going to give you one last Paul Smith option before leaving you to fend for yourself.

This one’s for the bold. Swim trunks are dealing with a lot less real estate than more formal attire, so you’re free to try out wilder patterns like this one. And since you’re dealing with the same trim cut as the rest of our offerings, you’ll stay reasonably clear of Hawaiian territories.

Part two in our series on adventurous short-sleeved button-ups takes us to none other than Mark McNairy, who recently dropped this playful oxford shirt at streetwear __ Dave’s Quality Meats over the weekend.

It’s an odd pairing on the face of it—this is the man who resuscitated J.Press, after all—but it follows a certain kind of post-Bixby logic, and it certainly doesn’t hurt the price point. The funhouse Brooks Brothers look is pretty timely at the moment, it’ll certainly keep you clear of the accountant look, and oxford cloth is still oxford cloth. By that measure, we’d say it’s a pretty good item—even if it’s a few steps ahead of where most preppies are these days.

One of the perks of Americana is that you never run short of Father’s Day gifts. This linen handkerchief from Hill Side, for instance, isn’t too different from any other piece of industrial nostalgia they’ve set loose in the past year. Nevertheless, they’re pitching it as the perfect Father’s Day gift, and we’re hard pressed to disagree.

It might be the simple universality of a handkerchief, or the fact that everyone starts longing for a scrap of linen once the thermometer tops 80, but this is the kind of handsome, all-purpose item we usually recommend for gifts. And since you’re jumping generations, it probably doesn’t hurt that it came off the assembly line a few decades back.

Previously the patron saint of nebbish frames, Moscot’s put together a pretty impressive catalog over the past few years—including a few frames that are a good deal more sleek than the thick black squares you’re used to. Case in point: these newly released Grovers. It’s a shape that’s surprisingly hard to come by these days: a little less boxy and a little more goggley than the sharp corners Moscot built their name on. It’s the same hazy, bookish acetates, but a little more adventurous and a whole lot less professorial. Which, all told, is probably a good thing.

The short-sleeved button-up has been getting a lot of attention now that it’s too muggy for oxford shirts, but it’s a remarkably tough shirt to wear. Play it too safe and you’ll end up looking like an accountant. Our suggestion: get adventurous.

This Native Son shirt does it just about perfectly, with oversized stripes to elevated it out of CPA territory into something a little bit riskier. The box pleat in the back and generally shrunken cut keep things slim, and the button-down collar means you’ll emerge with your preppy cred intact.

It’s the rare class of shirt you can wear under a suit or above a bathing suit, which should be a pretty useful trick once July rolls around.

The gents at Hill Side just dropped this throwback graphic tie into their Hickoree’s shop, and it might be the non-plaid summer tie we’ve been waiting for.

The pattern might look familiar from 60s-era souvenir shirts, but taken in small quantities it can add a bit of nostalgic charm to just about anything. (We suggest a plain white shirt sans jacket, or a cotton suit if the heat lets up.) Because of the large-print graphic, it’s perfect for all manner of GQ-style pattern-mixing if you feel like going the extra mile.

And if you’re really committed, an actual trip to Jamaica wouldn’t hurt.

In honor of the newly opened Freeman’s online shop, we thought we’d draw your attention to this handsome waxed cotton chore jacket—which doubles as an explanation of why New Yorkers are so taken by the shop in the first place.

You probably won’t need it until September rolls around, but by then it’ll be just about perfect: the rare beautiful item in your closet you don’t feel bad seasoning with a little rainwater and axle grease. It’s not as trendy as it was a few years back, but this is the kind of gear that outlasts trend pieces.

Consider this one a late addition to our catalog of favorite swim trunks.

These Paul Smith trunks are pretty slim, but they stop just shy of the knee—perfect for anyone trying to halt the rising hemline of men’s shorts. More importantly, they swap out the usual drawstring for the wonderfully stodgy side-tab—something we haven’t seen in quite a while. It’s easy to forget that behind all that Technicolor, Sir Smith’s still a damn good tailor.

If you’ve been adventurous enough to join in for Bike to Work Week, you may have noticed a slight problem: it’s damn hard to bring a briefcase along on one of those things. Most baskets aren’t large or deep enough to accommodate one, and keeping it strapped to your torso is asking for a wreck. Luckily, it’s a problem Europeans have been dealing with for a while now, and they’ve come up with a handsome leather solution.

It’s called a frame bag, courtesy of a German shop called Retrovelo (hat tip). It’s perfectly sized to hold a laptop, and still small enough to dangle between bike wheels. More importantly, it’s got a handle on the top, so you can unclip it when you reach the office and treat it like a briefcase for the rest of the day. Consider us sold.

A beach can tempt even the most stylish gents into questionable outfits, but it’s not all bad. For instance, this beach hat from APC might be handsome enough to warrant a vacation on its own. Walking the line between native artisanship and cowboy colonialism, it’s our new favorite alternative to SPF. Watch for it arriving in APC shops on Thursday, along with the rest of APC’s new capsule collection, dubbed The Tunisian List.

Gitman Brothers has been on quite a hitting streak lately, so we’re happy to see them branching out into polo territory. And it’s not even plaid…

This polo just arrived in the Inventory shop and while it’s not quite the madras-hued opus we were hoping for, it’s pretty handsome stuff. We’ll have to try one on to see if it obeys the golden rule of polos, but in the meantime we’re more interested in that extra-deep four-button placket. Dov would be proud.

Just in time for cotton tie season, Brooklyn tiemakers Pierrepont Hicks have released their newest lines of summer ties.

There’s still the same double-fabric ties (apparently Brooks Brothers was onto something), but the tweed gets swapped for a light cotton check in deference to the time of year. And more importantly, they’re all cut to the sweet spot of three inches at the widest point—which was more or less what drew our eye to the brand in the first place. Enjoy.

You may have noticed a lot of blazers and light v-necks floating around in the past few weeks, but we’d like to make the case for the spring cardigan. This particular item just arrived at New York’s BBlessing, and it’s lightweight enough to serve as the perfect middle layer until June gets here. Those white stripes are twill, brought in for an extra jolt of twee, which in this case works just about perfectly.

Most summer sneakers fall squarely in the stripped down, retro-minded bracket, so it’s nice to see someone push against the edges. This pair from Creative Recreation adds a few well-chosen bells and whistles along with an unexpected patch of velcro. Well played.

There’s a long, proud history of wearing the American Flag as a scarf. We’re thinking of Cat Power in particular.

This garbstore version is smart enough to switch the design around a little—we always preferred the stars to the strips anyway—but the essence is still a rough cotton item that wouldn’t look too out of place on Captain America. (Peter Fonda, not Steve Rogers.) It’s a pretty cheeky take on Americana, but nobody ever made an impression by beating around the bush.

And yes, it’s made in Japan.

We’ve got a soft spot for rough canvas bags, but Gant’s newest item brought up one we’d almost forgotten about: the laundry bag. This piece from the Rugger line strips down luggage to its most elemental. That means no structure, no side pockets, just a sack of canvas with a zipper and a strap. It’s not that different from the bags sailors used to haul their gear a few generations back, so it should do just fine outside the laundry room.

After last year’s clubmaster renaissance, we’re about ready for a next step. Our favorite contender so far is Philip Lim 3.1’s “Donahue” frames. They come in un-shaded and tortoise shell versions too, but we prefer these solid black versions. It’s the kind of thing you expect to see on the bad guy in an 80s movie, possibly alongside a knee-length jacket and a Miami-level tan. (Sold separately.)

As you may have noticed, it’s beautiful out there. You may not have found a swimming pool just yet, but it’s only a matter of time—and when you do, you’re going to need a pair of trunks.

Fortunately, you’ve got options. Specifically, these five.

Our favorite swim trunks»

Safety glasses have a certain geek-chic that’s never quite made it to the mainstream, but that may be about to change. These tinted glasses from Wintercheck Factory are based on a vintage woodworking goggle (note the guards on the side), which means they should stand up to just about any form of punishment you put them through. So if you don’t want to risk your Clubmasters on the basketball court—and you shouldn’t—they might be a good substitute.

We love a good challenge.

For instance, pulling off a massive geometric pattern without seeming like an extra in a Metropolis remake.

This denim piece in CHCM caught our eye for its post-Navajo chops, but actually wearing the thing should take quite a bit of preparation. We suggest a khaki cotton blazer and some neutral pants—possibly with a roll or two. Do it right, and you’ll have the futurist-cowboy all to yourself.

Blackbird’s new in-house tie line hits just about every must-have item in the neckwear canon—there’s repp-stripe, preppy graphics, chambray, madras, musty wool—but our favorite is this dark floral piece that looks like it was lifted from a Goodwill couch.

Large prints have been mostly left behind in the recent tie renaissance—probably because when they’re bad, they’re very bad—but this one’s subtle enough to slip under the radar. Our only complaint: at two inches, it’s a bit on the trendy side…but nobody’s perfect.

We’re guessing there are thousands of road trips currently being concocted, so it’s good to have a weekend bag handy. We recommend something that can take a little punishment and won’t take up too much room in the trunk. If you’ve got some spare loot—and enough of a yen for canvas to make it worthwhile—we recommend this one from Aubin and Wills. You’ll have to pack light, but that might not be such a bad idea anyway.

Hill-Side is best known for their square-end chambray ties, but lately this canvas version has been popping up in quite a few boutiques. Naturally, we’re a little curious…

It’s the deep end of workwear, not for dabblers, and while we’re not sure we prefer it to the usual chambray (for ties, we usually prefer fabrics you can’t light a match on), the canvas itself has quite a pedigree. It’s shipped in from Japan, alongside all that boutique denim you keep hearing about. It’s quite a move for a material they could have just as easily brought in from across the Hudson, but canvas has its selvage partisans too.

Surprisingly enough, this is not the latest model from Osh Kosh B’Gosh.

Actually, it’s one of the more outré of those Band of Outsiders polos you might remember from January. Now that they’re seasonally appropriate—and arriving in brick-and-mortar shops—we thought we’d take another look…and we were a little surprised at what we found.

Scott Sternberg’s always been interested in digging up slightly retro childhood relics, and there are plenty of items in the cheekily named “This is Not a Polo” line that walk that line perfectly. And, we should say, they’re pretty fantastic—the best polos we’ve seen in years. But if you push the childrenswear vibe just a little farther, you end up edging into strange territory.

This one’s for advanced users only, but anyone who can pull it off without looking like Billy Madison gets a hat tip from us.

Raleigh Denim jeans have been a fixture at Barneys for a while, thanks to an unusually patient approach to craft, but by our lights all that loom and dye work looks even better without the indigo.

This pair of jeans swaps dark blue for a clay color, resulting in the whiskey-drinking cousin of the Nantucket Red. It’s made from selvedge canvas denim and hand-stamped, so it should still be rugged enough to justify the boutique price tag. You’ll still want to try out all those raw denim tricks, but all those wear patterns will be working themselves out on a new backdrop.

And it should go a little better with that chambray shirt.

One of our favorite parts of summer is going sockless, so it’s good to have a pair of canvas sneakers around. This Chukka-esque pair just arrived from zuriick, and it might be our favorite of the season—especially now that the canvas oxford gold rush seems to have tailed off. And if you’re wondering why it’s so much more than a pair of Chucks, take a look at the sole: that slab of leather should be going strong long after the rubber equivalent has gone to pieces.

Blame the Olympics, the Germans, and all the vintage photos, but mountaineering seems to be having a moment. It’s good to know those beards won’t go to waste…

The good news is, it’s producing some pretty fantastic gear. This Albam Summit Pack was designed for carrying carabiners and ice axes, but it wouldn’t look too out of place carrying a stack of LPs through Brooklyn on the back of a fixed gear. And since it’s from the London-based Albam—who you might remember—the whole thing’s sewn together in England, where they’ll hopefully remember a thing or two about Alpinism.

Normally we wouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but since all travel kits are more or less the same, we feel a little better about choosing the one with the best box.

In this case, that means the latest package from Molton Brown. The inside is the usual travel essentials—shampoo, deodorant and so on—but what we really like is the shoe box-style exterior, adorned with what might be the most dapper x-ray we’ve ever seen. Consider it the next time your dopp kit’s at the cleaners.

Sometimes conversations work better boiled down to their most basic elements. What does an elaborate introduction do that a letterpressed “hello” card can’t? That is, other than all that “social graces” business…

Fortunately, You, Me and the Royal We (via NotCot) has put something together for all occasions, or at least the three biggest ones. In this box, you’ll find cards reading “hello,” “fuck you,” and “I’m sorry”—a fairly common progression, if we may say so. We assume “stop calling” is soon to follow.

In not too long, it’s going to be time to mothball our winter stompers and break out something a little lighter. If you couldn’t tell, we’re literally counting the days—and naturally, we’re not the only ones.

In anticipation, Converse has let slip a few hundred pairs of their latest Chuck Taylor update, made with the grand discovery of 2009, chambray. As a trend item, it’s a little late, but it makes up for it by being a genuinely good idea.

Chambray breathes a lot better than the treated canvas you’ll find on the standard Chuck Taylor, so this should be a more summery version of a classic summer shoe. (We’d even recommend going sockless, but each to his own.) Odds are it’ll also wear out faster than the average Chuck—if that’s even possible—but if you’re careful with it, it should see you through at least a couple summers.

Best Made Axes had quite a moment a couple months back, but we always thought it stopped just short of the full package. After all, if you’re going to chop all those logs, you’re going to need something to carry them back in.

Which is where Partners & Spade come in. Naturally, Andy Spade has a pretty good eye for bags, so he fixed on this log-carrier from Hudson’s Bay Company and tied it together in a handsome bundle with one of Manhattan’s coolest axes. The result is a one-stop kit for all your urban lumberjacking needs. The only problem: Where in the world is a Partners & Spade regular going to find a felled tree?

Alden has turned out quite a lot of boutique collaborations in the past year, but this might be our favorite—and the first shoe we’ve considered dropping more than $400 on in quite some time.

It’s called the Greenwich Boot, and it’s the result of some spectacular taste on the part of the West Village cobbler Leffot. It combines just about all of our favorite dress-casual moves: ornate wingtipping, a navy wash, and waterproofed nubuc in place of the usual impenetrable cordovan. And, of course, it’s got the Barrie welting that means, with regular resoleing and the occasional boost to the waterproofing, it’ll last just about forever.

And with only 20 pairs kicking around, we’d call it an extremely limited edition.

These Band of Outsiders suspenders just arrived at the Context shop—an overdue men’s version of a women’s item they’ve had for a while—and they commit what might be one of the most overhyped faux-pas’s of the style world: the clip-on suspender.

Clearly, in a maximally elegant world, we’d all have suspender buttons and use the fancy kind of shoulder strapping, but there’s no shame in something a little quicker. For one thing, finding a pair of trousers with the right buttons takes some serious searching. For another, you won’t be wearing these out in the open anyway: You’ll have a cardigan or blazer on to keep things proper. True, it’s a little more laddish than the buttoned-down style—but that’s not such a bad thing.

If you happen to be reading this somewhere in the Northeast, you’re probably familiar with the following sartorial conundrum:

It’s gross out. From the moment you step outside, you’re battered by winds, snow, and unidentifiable flecks of water from all angles. But strangely enough, it’s not actually that cold.

But by some miracle of happenstance, the perfect garment for this situation seems to have arrived in Brooklyn at the same time as the blizzard. This Mackintosh shell, dubbed the New Kennedy, should be familiar to Barbour aficionados, but with two important updates: a thorough embrace of the pouchy pocket and an icy blue color (colour?) to complement the surroundings.

Stay dry, everyone.

Harsh weather calls for gear from a harsh climate. This one comes from Denmark by way of Manchester, thanks to our friends at Norse Projects, and it can’t get here fast enough.

The Breton-striped crewneck is having quite a moment, but this is our favorite of the crop thanks to a medium gauge-knit (which means it’s not too thick to layer under your ultra-chunky duffel coat) and certain Scandanavian intangibles. When the chips are down, we’ll take it over the French equivalent any day.

These socks from the UK’s Smart Turnout add an extra element to the comfortingly twee world of colorful toesleeves: The stripes are code for the British Adjutant General’s Corps.

It’s the same trick tradition-minded Brits usually play with ties and scarves—check out J. Press for the stateside equivalent—but it usually doesn’t reach to socks for the simple reason that nobody’s supposed to be able to see them, or at least not well enough to get a read on the color. But now that high cuffs have made them more visible, this idea might be ready for its moment.

Now that everyone we know is instantaneously available, the postcard is getting pretty anachronistic. Luckily, it was never that useful to start with.

These cards embrace the retro vibe square on, borrowing the covers of classic 60s-era Penguin books. With a little cleverness, the former tourist staple becomes an ode to the tangible pleasures left behind in the digital age, whether it’s the dusty paperback, the hand-written missive, or the postal service. Now you just have to remember where you put those stamps…

Lost among the recent shuffle of APC gear, we dug up this gray suede derby that might be our favorite item of the lot. Our favorite part? The soft gum-crepe sole last seen on our beloved Clarks desert boots. Well played, Jean.

Today saw a lot of Engineered Garments gear arriving in stores, but our favorite so far is this linen boater. The madras strap gives it some sartorial heft, but mostly the draw is light, summery fabric and a design that went out of style with the telegram. Happy boating.

With January taking a brief vacation, the east coast has been looking surprising English. Fortunately, we’re the adaptable type.

This Trapper Hat from Heritage Research takes after hats that have sheltering North English heads since the industrial revolution. It’s waxed cotton—with just enough waterproofing to withstand the winter rain—and a Stormy Kromer-style flap to fend off any gusts you might encounter. The design was taken from classic northwestern hunters caps, with fabric lifted from a factory north of Manchester and stitched together without leaving the country.

As for the Heritage Research itself—you guessed it—it’s Japanese.

Billy Reid has been a fair amount of backwoods jackets in his catalog, but this is the first bit of outerwear that looks like it could take you through a northern winter.

It’s dubbed the Mountain Coat, and while he doesn’t say which mountain, it seems like it’s built for chillier places than his native Alabama. Our favorite part, aside from the tweedy check pattern, is the comfortingly fuzzy lapel, both of suggest Mr. Reid isn’t afraid to dip into thrift store style, and come out with a sturdy, beautiful garment.

It’s coming in a bit too late for this winter…but there’s always next year.

Despite what Mr. Timberlake would have you believe, doffing a brimmed hat is still a pretty dandyish move. But as dandyish moves go, it’s one of the better ones.

This green felt trilby from BillyKirk isn’t that different from the one you might find in J.Crew, but the belted crown and forestry-ready coloring make it one of the more effortlessly Edwardian items we’ve come across in quite some time. And for 2010, the style makes quite a bit of sense.

We’re not sure if this means we’re headed towards duck hunting outfits and Gosford Park revivals…but it’s certainly not the worst that could happen.

If you’re following ACL’s lead and decking out your apartment like a hotel, this item may come in handy: classic canvas-and-steel laundry carts. (Hat tip) It’s via Restoration Hardware, so the Americana cred is a little less than impeccable, but it makes up for it by being the genuine article—made by a company that’s been supplying hotels for almost a hundred years. Hopefully your whites will know the difference.

There are a lot of bags out there, but we’ve always thought less was more. Which means if you’ve got a bundle with you—maybe a few books, a notebook and an iPod—it may be easier to strap them together into an easy-to-carry brick, possibly with this Australian device. It’s a minimal solution, sure…but those are usually the best ones.

Corduroy is usually a little too delicate for the workwear crowd, but it looks like it’s finally getting its day in the sun.

This pair comes from Engineered Garments’ Workaday collection—the cheaper, staple-oriented diffusion line—and while there aren’t any cargo pockets or extraneous seams, it’s a lot more solid than what you’ll find at the outlet shops. And more importantly, it gets the color just right.

This shade of red might be a bit heavy for a pair of pants, but it’ll surprise you how well it goes with just about anything in your closet. It’s well on its way to becoming a staple—and we’d choose this pair over just about any of the others.

London may be seeing more snow than rain these days, but it’s still nice to have a brolly on hand.

This one from London Undercover (hat tip) caught our eye for its bright black-and-white houndstooth—a trad move, despite what Alexander McQueen would have you believe. It doesn’t pack quite the aristocratic punch of the more expensive models, but for 50 pounds ($80), we doubt you’ll do much better.

The chambray march continues! And while most sartorially-minded folk are using it to add a little texture to the dress shirt, Wings + Horns are eager to make the move to outerwear.

This Baracuta-style item should be landing at Roden Gray in a few weeks, in anticipation of sunnier days, and while we never saw chambray as outer-layer material, we’re ready to be convinced. It’s certainly rumpled enough to stay casual. If you’re feeling adventurous, you might even try a matching scarf.

With chambray popping up just about everywhere, the good old denim shirt is in danger of being overshadowed. Luckily, it’s pretty cold out there, and you’re going to need something a little stronger than lightweight cotton.

This shacket-style workshirt from Filson is loose enough and tough enough to sandwich between a button-down and a duffel coat—a combination that should protect you against just about anything the gods of winter can throw at you. It doesn’t come within a mile of slim-fit—Blackbird even suggests sizing down, which we haven’t heard in years—but if you’re really bundling up, you might appreciate the extra room.

J.Crew’s done a pretty good job bringing workwear flavor to their stock of button-ups and work staples, but it’s hard to know what that means for more practical items like a laptop case. What does a fisherman keep his MacBook in?

Well, it’s probably something like this. SwipeLife drew our attention to this collab between J.Crew and the Quebecois design house Want Organic (also known as Want Les Essentiels de la Vie), which brings together sustainable Norwegian leather, organic Turkish cotton, and a surprisingly spare design aesthetic. There are interior pockets for a smartphone, business cards and a few papers, but in general it’s as stripped down as possible…which feels about right, given the gear it’ll be sharing the store with.

More fuel for the flecked sweater trend: They keep popping up at the world’s cooler boutiques.

Opening Ceremony, for example, just dropped the price on this speckled knit from the Tokyo-based Sabatino. At sale prices, it’s a good deal cheaper than the APC equivalent, and if you’re moved to jump on this particular bandwagon, it’s a pretty good place to start.

We’re entering the 11th hour of the gift guide roundup, but we’ve got a couple more that should be worth your while. You can see the full list here to catch up.

Temple specializes in deadstock WWII gear—mostly army green scarves and repurposed bags—but for their gift package, they had a very good idea: put it in a stocking. Specifically, it’s an army issue sock, with a wallet, keychain and a skeleton key necklace thrown in for good measure. It’s all good, rugged gear…and about as festive as military chic gets.

It’s tough to pull off a pocket square without coming off like a trad, but if you choose wisely, it can give a staid suit some much-needed playfulness. Our advice: nothing too flashy and per A Suitable Wardrobe, stay away from silk.

Which is why a touch of homemade can be extremely useful. Like cufflinks, this is an instance where you may find the best stuff on Etsy. These cotton squares range from chambray and navy stripe to more complex graphic patterns—depending on your irony tolerance—any one of which would go over pretty well at a holiday party, if tucked into an appropriately rugged blazer.

As popular as skate culture has been in the past 20 years, for one reason or another its influence has yet to reach the interior design world. But the nesting skater is finally getting his due, thanks to this clock, now available through its very own Paypal-fueled webshop.

It’s a ragtag outfit, make no mistake, but we’re actually a little charmed by this one. It might be the hub-and-spoke design, or the junk-shop vibe of the skate wheels, but we’d actually be pretty pleased to have this on our wall. Especially now that we’re open and have to be places on time…

If you’re suffering over your bag choices as much as Guy Trebay is, we may be able to offer some assistance. Don’t worry, it involves waxed cotton.

Previous Killspencer creations focused on rescuing great fabrics from the trash pile—specifically disused military tarpaulins, conditioned to withstand just about anything—but this time around, for the Classic Collection, it’s a little more basic: a black filter twill recipe dug up from military outfitters circa 1837, treated with water repellant wax and stitched into everything from a weekender satchel to a briefcase.

The collection hit the online store launched this morning for your browsing pleasure, and while you won’t find any day-to-day totes, but we’re guessing this utility bag would make a pretty good substitute.

This one is for advanced gifters only, but if you’re intimately familiar with a particular gift-worthy acquaintance—and she’s got an appreciation of carefully considered design—this might be just about perfect.

It’s called the Form 2, and judging by the cleverly cordless charging system, it’s staking out an early claim as the iPod of vibrators. It’s also waterproof and stereophonic (hence the name) and comes with packaging impeccable enough to be a pleasure to unwrap. The first of many, naturally.

This might be for tie aficionados only, but if there’s a particularly accessory-minded person on your list, you may want to consider wrapping up a cravatte or two. As the trend pieces may have told you, it’s not just for grandmothers anymore.

This Band of Outsiders crest tie is piece of sly preppidom currently on sale at Aloha Rag and, while it’s not as obvious as candy stripes or snowmen, something about the tongue-in-cheek classicism says holiday spirit to us. Now you just have to find a matching sweater…

The latest crop of APC gear is landing in stores this week, which means the usual assortment of close-cropped flannel, some intensely speckled sweaters…and this hat.

We’re not quite ready to call it a trend just yet, but we’ve been waiting quite a while for a faux-fur earflap hat that didn’t make us look like a Cossack or a duck hunter—and we suspect we’re not alone. This one doesn’t ditch the woodsy vibe entirely, but adds enough rough plaid grunginess to give urban dwellers a little cover. And since it’s a good deal warmer than all the equally handsome alternatives, the cold should do the rest.

Palladium Boots generally deals in heavy cloth-and-rubber boots, so we were pleased to see them moving in a sneaker-y direction with this Pampa Boot. It’s essentially a beefed-up version of the Chuck Taylor, but the rugged rubber bottom means it won’t fall apart after a year like every latter-day Chuck we’ve ever owned. The result is something light enough to wear through the summer, but heavy enough to take a few concerts’ worth of stomping. The light canvas version hasn’t found its way to retailers just yet, but if you can’t wait, you can find a heavier ones here.

Despite the mind-boggling volume of men’s mag articles on the subject, shoe maintenance is never going to be fun, sexy or exciting. But, with the right set of gear, maybe it can be handsome.

This truffle leather shoe cleaning kit contains everything you need for a vigorous session of loafer scrubbing—including three brushes, two tins of beeswax polish, a rubbing cloth and a shoe horn—but the important thing here is the dopp kit style, which lets you keep it on your closet shelf without feeling like you’re prepping for a second career at a stand in the airport. It’s a radical idea but a good one: If your cleaning gear looks good enough, you might find yourself inspired to use it.

Schott’s Perfecto motorcycle jacket is in the midst of quite the revival lately (it’s better known as a Ramones jacket, if that’s not ringing any bells), but the biggest surprise of the movement has been the non-leather side-zips popping up in its wake.

This Haversack knit, for instance, takes the style to the twee confines of the cardigan, swapping in a shawl collar for the Schott’s iconic notch collar, and ends up with a light jacket that looks considerably more rugged than it is. It won’t stand up to any wipeouts—even if you’re on a Vespa instead of a Harley—but if you’re looking for a clever twist on biker style, it’s the best one we’ve seen so far.

When weighing gift ideas, it’s hard to go wrong with a handsome, marginally useful trinket—which is why we find ourselves inexplicably drawn to this card holder.

No one actually needs a card holder—a rubber band in your pocket and a desk drawer in your office will do the job every bit as well—but they’re nice to have, and all the more memorably for being unnecessary. Throw in a clever film-slate design and you’ve got a placeholder for just about anyone on your list. That is, as long as you can’t think of anything better…

Fjällräven made a splash in New York last week thanks to a brand new retail outpost—including a wall-mounted rainbow of waxed cotton mini-backpacks—but their best item may still be under the radar. The cropped city pack is fine, but if we had to pick one, we’d go for something a little chunkier…

This retro twenty-liter pack has enough strapped pockets to stand in for your weekender bag on any interstate voyages you may be taking this week, but unlike almost every other pack that fits the bill, it’s sharp enough to bring into first class. Pick one up at the store and they’ll throw some Greenland wax in with the bargain, in case it gets banged up enough to need rewaxing.

Most of our winter gear tends to be bulky outer layers, but it may be time to revisit one of the unsung heroes of the ski set: the long john.

And thanks to Uniqlo’s heat-tech gear, they may be a bit slimmer than you remember. The latest models use special weaves to stay dry, trap in heat, and generally protect your bottom half. We’d opt for a non-waffled pair to preserve the drape of your trousers, but don’t be surprised if these trunks are thinner than you remember. We always knew technology was good for something…

The lightly structured blazer has been a favorite item of ours for quite a while now, but we’re always glad to see a new one hit the market.

This item, dubbed the Shanahan Blazer, comes from Company of We, a “democratic luxury” brand hitting the wholesale market in January, but available through eCommerce in the meantime. And, in the spirit of Movember, if you order before Dec 1, they’ll donate 20% of your order to charity—provided you put in the right coupon code. Sounds democratic to us…

Pharrell can be grating, but he still manages a flash of brilliance from time to time. Like this. Or, more importantly, the item on the left.

To be fair, he had a lot of help from Moncler—who have a bit of experience with this sort of thing—but the basic conceit is unmistakeably his: a “pacifist” bulletproof jacket. Of course, it’s not exactly bulletproof. In fact, it bears a striking resemblance to a style of puffer vests currently making its way onto boutique shelves, but this one’s a little darker, a little stranger, and a whole lot more interesting thanks to the sinister undertones.

Ralph Lauren’s take on Americana has had a lightly ironic touch to it, but it’s been getting heavier in recent years.

Case in point: This latest pair of slippers, which tops off a handsome plaid pattern with a pair of playfully kitchy hunting figures. If it were just the gentleman with the long gun, we could take it in stride, but the sight of a Canadian Goose in mid-plummet was almost enough to make us laugh out loud. Which, for a pair of cozy Sunday slippers, is a pretty good quality to have.

Call it a case of bad timing.

This Our Legacy shirt is one our favorite items to come out of the recent plaid revival…but we’d wait at least a couple months before you put it on.

It’s not quite in espadrille territory—i.e. you won’t catch pneumonia—but as long as the sun’s touching down before 5pm, anything this colorful is apt to be downright depressing. Of course, if your summer wardrobe needs a refresh, we still heartily endorse picking one up, but you’ll have to delay gratification for quite a while.

On the other hand, we bet it looks great in sunlight.

Adidas’ Rod Laver has seen a lot of different variations over the year, but the latest version is enough to catch our eye. It seems like furriness is having quite a renaissance in the sneaker world. If you count these Vans, that makes for just one shy of a trend. We’re guessing Spike Jonze has something to do with it…

We tend to be pretty wary of high-concept tees, but this pair (via NotCot) does just about everything right. There’s a simple, geometric design, low-key colors and an unmistakable message. The only downside: if you were pondering a purchase, you’ll have to get both or neither. Wouldn’t want to be too optimistic…

As you may have heard, the Olsens are trying their collective hand at menswear. And surprisingly enough, they’re pretty good at it.

Exhibit A: this narrowly double-breasted cardigan. The big loose-knit, shawl-collared style makes for an extremely cozy item, and a little overlap between the buttons only makes it cozier. It’s one of the best deep winter sweaters we’ve seen all season—and easily their best work since Passport to Paris.

These Persol-ish shades come from an unlikely source: Fiat heir and occasional Kempt icon Lapo Elkann. His Italia Independent marque tends to the “millionaire playboy” look—we can’t imagine why—but if you’re looking for something to get you through ski season, this may be the perfect item.

The design crowd prides itself on being able to turn just about anything into an art object, so it was only a matter of time before they got around to toys.

These tops come from Herman Miller’s workshop, supposedly inspired by Charles Eames preoccupation with childhood playthings. Of course, because it’s a serious design house, the tops are all lathed and lacquered like the leg of a dinner table.

Watch your back, Hasbro.

Last time we checked in with Hard Graft, they were reinventing the wallet with a little help from raw felt, but it looks like they’ve been plenty busy in the year since.

Today, they unveiled their latest creation, a gray leather satchel that can transform into a laptop case, a portfolio or a weekender bag. It’s called the 3Fold, and depending on how you button, snap and fold it, it can be perfect for anything from a coffee shop run to a weekend in the country. Hopefully the leather’s tough enough to stand up to all that creasing, but in the meantime you’ll get a little extra use out of the day-tripping bag that usually sits in the back of your closet.

We’ve heaped a lot of praise on vintage flannel, but we’ve finally found a new model that measures up. Naturally, it’s from Gitman Vintage…

The menswear archivists have finally worked their way around to the flannel part of the fabric archive, and the result is a handful of new shirts that provide brand new renditions of the same pleasantly fuzzy shirts you’d find in your neighborhood vintage shop. This particular item just arrived at Roden Gray, but you can expect plenty more making their way into stores over the next few weeks.

By now, you’ve probably got a few ideas about winter coats, but the coming snows require a pretty specialized set of footwear too. Our suggestion: something thick, heavy and completely impenetrable.

This newly arrived Wolverine Montgomery Boot fits the bill quite nicely, with thick leather and an inch and a half of rubber separating you from the slushy wilds. Throw in a rust-belt history that rivals Red Wing, and you’ve got a bonafide American stomper. Hopefully you’ve also got an industrial-strength shoehorn handy…

This shirt comes from What Comes Around Goes Around, which was best known as the most selective, semi-secret vintage shop in New York until this year, when they started putting out clothes of their own. Not surprisingly, it’s got a bit of a retro feel…

It’s called the Iggy Shirt, and while they say the inspiration is 80s punk, it strikes us as closer to early 60s mod. We wouldn’t be surprised to find a shirt like this on Mick Jagger or an ex-mod like Pete Townshend.

Or on the shelves at Paul Smith, for that matter.

Lobster aside, Prince Edward Island’s main exports seem to be cold fronts and grandmotherly affection, so it’s only natural they make a hell of a cardigan.

Brooklyn outlet C’H’C’M’ just restocked their knitwear section with a few hats, scarves, and this cardigan from PEI’s Northern Watters. The color scheme is pretty twee, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and the wool is thick enough to inspire all sorts of warm, fuzzy feelings.

Your move, Nantucket.

This tweed-on-tweed tie comes from Motto and Crest’s New Forest line, available online as of this morning. The double tweed is a nice twist on the usual wool tie, but more importantly—like most of the rest of Motto and Crest’s stock—it allows for a uniquely stealthy sartorial move.

If you’re wearing it under a jacket (or waistcoat, or cardigan), you’ll only show the lighter top half of the tie, turning a piece of deconstructed neckwear into a surprisingly staid item. And later, possibly after the boss has left the room, you can unbutton and put your bifurcated sartorialism on full display. It makes for a pretty versatile item…provided you don’t blow your cover.

We can never get enough English wool ties…and apparently neither can Alexander Olch.

The latest version isn’t too much a break from his earlier work—the same impeccable English wool and rough weave—but the story behind it is a little more complex than usual. It’s part of the first batch of Ryan Willms’ Inventory stock, which means the wool was selected by Mr. Willms himself, and the 20 ties he has in stock are the only ones of this kind you’ll find anywhere.

Of course, you could always look elsewhere in the Olch catalog if they sell out…but that shade of navy seems worth snapping up early.

With the weather taking a turn for the brisk, it may be time to revisit our favorite supergroup-inspiring heritage item, the rubberized cotton raincoat known as the Mackintosh.

Now that their J. Crew collab’s a bit harder to find, you’ll have to track down the real thing. You can find one at C.H.C.M with classic tan instead of the showier black watch plaid. Stroll through the virtual shop and you’ll see extra details like adjustable shoulder pads and riveted vents under the arms that never quite made the transition to its stateside counterparts. Of course, heritage isn’t cheap, so it’ll also set you back just under a thousand bucks.

Just close your eyes and think of Scotland.

The double-breasted peacoat has been a staple since the days of the Victorian navy, so it could use an update.

This Comme des Garcons jacket keeps the basic pea coat design, but makes three very important tweaks. They raise the hem (for colder legs but a trimmer cut), they swap navy blue for electric blue, and most importantly they take the whole thing into the world of synthetic fabrics. The futuristic shift is classic CDG, but it also means the jacket should stand up to the wind a whole lot better than plain old wool.

The rules of the flight bag are pretty simple: Keep it slim and keep it simple. If you do it well, you’ve got a

And in this case, BillyKirk did it very well indeed. This flight bag brings together waxed cotton and beautifully worn leather trim for a one of the better carryalls we’ve seen this year (at least of the ones that didn’t say Filson on them). Luckily, the retro vibe didn’t stop them from sizing it just large enough for a laptop.

But it should fit in that overhead compartment.

If you were wondering what the cargo-pant resurgence was all about, here’s a helping hand: It should look something like this.

This field pant from Woolrich Woolen Mills packs bonuses like ripstop fabric and a pleasantly colorful plaid lining, but we’re most concerned with those pouches on the front. It won’t feel too different from jean pockets (give or take a snap), but the look is a pretty big leap forward. And because of the central pleat, you should be able to stash a blackberry in them without throwing off the drape. Eddie Vedder would be proud.

The goretex school of outerwear makes its name on gadgety extras like foldaway hoods and Velcro fasteners, but the older gentleman-hunter style has a few tricks of its own. And if you don’t mind a little adornment, you might even prefer them…

This Nigel Cabourn Rucksack Parka packs in gadgetry like a built-in leather belt, a contrast-colored throat tab and a something called a “storm flap” that acts as both a hood and an impromptu cape in case you need some sudden waterproofing. It’s refreshing to see in a bit of old-world outerwear, but it’s also just plain fun to play with. And since the gold standard of parkas is still whether they’ll keep you warm and/or dry, a little extra functionality is always appreciated.

So far, iPhone cases tended towards the organic. We’d wager that most of the sleeves you’ve actually seen in use are either leather, woodgrain or some variation on matte black.

Which means the world of the iPhone case is ripe for a little new wave jolt.

This jagged black-and-white shell comes from Gareth Pugh, with a little help from Colette and AnOther magazine and a laptop case in tow. It manages to avoid both the usual organic patterns and the friendly-alien aesthetic you find at your friendly neighborhood Apple store, in favor of something that might be more at home on an album cover.

Let’s just hope your mp3 collection can keep up.

We ran across this short collared oxford in Gant’s 60 year Anniversary catalog, and we couldn’t help indulging a little nostalgia. Dubbed the “Rugger,” it debuted in the early 70s and finding its way back into stores (specifically Barneys flagships and New York’s Gant outpost) on the heels of the brand’s 60th Anniversary.

But for a shirt that’s pushing 40, it’s handling the years pretty gracefully. It’s a combination of the oxford and the rugby shirt, both longtime staples of the Gant catalog, but the last few years of Americana-fiddling make it look strangely adventurous. That white placket, for instance, wouldn’t look too out of place at a Gilded Age show. Fortunately for the price point, Gant got there first.

With the threat of winter already looming, it may be time to examine your footwear options. Galoshes are fine enough and by now you’re probably familiar with a few indestructible worker boots, but you may need something else to round out your options. Something a bit…puffier.

These Moncler slippers are a direct translation of their famous bubble coats into the world of footwear. That means they’re a little better suited for indoor lounging than outdoor trekking, but provided you don’t have more to do than fetch the paper, they should hold up just about perfectly.

And if you need to do a little trekking—you can always break out the boots.

A Swiss army knife does not really need a holster.

But shell cordovan is a terrible thing to waste, so the leftovers from Alden’s factory floor have become these handsome (if unnecessary) trinkets, sold with a Swiss Army pocket knife tucked inside. Luckily, it’s always nice to have a bit of leather in your pocket as a lucky charm, especially when it’s as perfectly tanned as this.

And if you happen to run across a few Phillips head screws…

Little-brother brands usually specialize in cheaper, simpler versions of the flagship brand’s gear. But Rogues Gallery’s kid brother Never Sleep is starting to have a few adventures of its own.

This baseball jacket from Never Sleep is the kind of item we like best: an Americana-soaked classic given a new cut and a new color scheme to pull it into modern times. In this case, that means a high school staple that can suddenly stand alongside the more adventurous shackets in your closet. Granted, the logo over the back is a little younger and more punk than we’re used to from RG…but what else are little brothers for?

No sooner did we gush about Seavees’ Gitman-inspired madras model than this flannel Chuck came down the transom from Woolrich. It’s not quite as drool-worthy as Gitman’s sneak, and both the flannel and the hijacked-Converse model land it pretty squarely in the grunge revival camp, but it’s a trend we’re happy to see continuing. Now if only the folks at Clae would come into some remaindered suits…

Hypebeast just brought word on the latest batch of Seavees and we couldn’t help but ogle their Gitman Brothers collab. You don’t see madras and suede rubbing shoulders very often, but Seavees’ SoCal low-top works surprisingly well with Indian cotton on the toe. How long until we can get one in Glen Plaid?

Streetwear’s usually an all-or-nothing proposition, but if you’ve got a taste for flashy side items, it’s easy to cherrypick a wallet or a t-shirt without delving into the world of fitted caps and spaceman sneakers.

Or, in this case, a pair of sunglasses.

These come from BBC, apparently designed to match these jeans, but they should do all right on their own. The silver lenses give it an even spacier feeling—supposedly inspired by NASA—putting them worlds away from the more understated clubmasters of the world. But if you’re looking for a few edgier accents, a little astronaut flavoring might be just what you need.

We’ve admired raw felt computer gear before, but it looks like it’s filtered down to the Etsy crowd.

So while this felted laptop sleeve (hat tip to NotCot) may not be quite as sturdy as the Hard Graft version, it’s a solid $100 cheaper, which should make up for quite a bit of it. And since it’s made on a smaller scale, it’s full of DIY touches like leather clasps reclaimed from a car seat, not to mention the option of your own logo stenciled on the front gratis, if you decide to get personal.

Gitman Brothers Vintage is best known for their intricate checks, but they’ve got a few more tricks left in the archives.

This Baby Cord shirt reminds us of a few of Band of Outsiders’ more recent overdyed button-ups, but since it’s from Gitman, this is the real thing, rather than a retro recreation. As for pulling off purple, we’d say this model has it about right: find a subtly contrasting tie and a good pair of jeans and you’ll do just fine.

In the spirit of the wood radio, an enterprising Dane (via NotCot) has set up this radio out of rock and a few choice wires. It’s minimal—just two knobs and three connectors in the back—but it gets the job done, and it’s bound to look better on top of your receiver than whatever you’ve got currently. And the Flintstones would most certainly approve.

The shacket has been a hipper-than-thou staple in New York circles for some time—here’s the culprit, if you were wondering—but it mostly stuck to equestrian tweed and aside from a few flagship models, there wasn’t too much variation.

Luckily, Band of Outsiders is picking up the mantle with this heavy plaid shirt, which arrived today in Blackbird. It makes sense, since you can find that quasi-Buffalo check on both overcoats and button-ups. And while you can wear it in place of a blazer, like the gentleman in the picture, in less wintry times you can also throw it on over a light t-shirt and count on the lining to protect you against any errant breezes. It’s one trend that definitely deserves its second act.

The liberty prints are piling up, but this is the first one we’ve seen that doesn’t bother with cloth. The shade designers at Super plastered three of the more iconic liberty patterns across the top bar of their best clear-bottomed frame, and the result is pure trend candy. We wouldn’t count on wanting to wear these when next summer rolls around, but for the next few months they’ll be just about golden.

These flourescent sneakers just landed online as part of Lacoste’s new Stealth Collection, and we can safely say they’re the coolest retro-futurist kicks we’ve seen all day. They’re supposedly inspired by Back to the Future (think 2015 via 1985), but with dots like these, we’d say the greater debt goes to Roy Lichtenstein. It’s a pattern that you rarely see outside of the Sunday comics, but if you’ve got a pair of dark jeans handy, it not be any harder to pull off than plain white.

The ID holder tends to be overshadowed by the wallet, but as long as you’ve got two back pockets, there’s no reason not to carry them both.

Marc Jacobs’ new Rosetta Stone-style card holder has the benefit of well-kept leather and the basic beauty of Chinese script, but it’s also priced at only $8, which makes it the most attainable thing we’ve seen from Mr. Jacobs all year.

Most importantly, though, it presents you with a choice of virtues. You can pick up holders devoted to happiness, love, health, wealth or luck…which, depending on your priorities, might present quite a conundrum. Just remember: it’s better to be lucky than smart.

We’ve been seeing a lot of railroad stripe, both on the racks at the (capsule) show and among Penfield’s recent gear, but our favorite so far is this APC jacket from a season past that just landed at their sale annex in Brooklyn. The nautical peacoat shape might be a bit unwieldy, but it makes the most of the thickness of the cloth and the result is the kind of offbeat stateliness APC does best. And if it’s a season or two ahead of the curve, all the better.

Summer’s days may be numbered, but we finally came across the perfect getaway bag.

This Porter carry-all blends linen, rayon and cotton for a material that’s not that far from your favorite August button-up, then stitches it all up into the kind of weekender bag that’s just begging to be thrown into the back seat of a beach-bound car. It’s not quite as indestructible as their canvas offerings…but you’ll only need it to last through Labor Day.

It took a little help from guest designer Isaac Reina, but our old pals at Limoland may have found the perfect venue for their cartoony style: the wallet.

After all, the restrained gentlemen of the world might balk at a bright orange raincoat, but be a bit more comfortable with a bright-blue wallet as an accent. The smaller the accessory, the more room there is to work. Maybe it’s time they tried their hand at cufflinks?

As heritage brands go, Quoddy has managed to keep its cred the old fashioned way: lots of small runs and lots of good shoes. The latest crop of Maliseet oxfords just landed at Winn Perry with a limited run in dark brown. They’ve also got the classic peanut-colored Maliseets and a navy and red brick sole version for the hip crowd, but something about the words “limited run” always gets our attention…

APC’s Fall/Winter gear arrived in their shops last week, and along with it, the latest entry in their ongoing collaboration with K-Way, the Quebecois windbreaker brand.

The design corps spiced things up with a tricolor stripe this time around, but more importantly, they opted for the pullover parka rather than the usual zip-up. That means a bit less convenience on your way out the door, but a more impermeable feeling once you get outdoors.

And the way New York weather’s been lately, you may not have to take it off all day.

This year’s crop of Spring Courts offers a lot of variations on the iconic white tennis shoe, but our favorite is this oilcloth version, which just arrived at Steven Alan as part of the fall/winter shipment. It’s the first shoe we’ve seen from them that looks grungy enough to be out of place on a tennis court…but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

In honor of the beginning of Fall/Winter (in shops not calendars, of course), we thought we’d call attention to this skewed overcoat from Vivienne Westwood that just arrived at Sefton Men’s boutique in London. It’s not a bad way to kick off the season, especially if you’re gearing up for a brisk yet uncannily refined winter.

And if you have a top hat handy…now might be the time.

Porter’s bags have been a favorite of workwear aficionados for a while, but their first sneaker collab just landed in stores as part of Adidas’ F/W ’09 shipment, and it’s got a lot of the same panache that makes their duffels worth picking up. The stitching looks familiar, and so do the Samba-esque stripes, but the master stroke is the zipper that runs up from the heel. Maybe they lost their shoehorn?

The oxford has gotten a pretty thorough reworking lately, but leave it to Maison Martin Margiela to give the trend a classical twist. This velvet oxford wavers somewhere brown and gray thanks to its unusual texture, and while it might be a bit more brittle than the leather or even the canvas editions, it should be worth the care.

If your spaceman obsession is still going strong, we suggest this timely item from friend-of-Kempt David Hart.

The bottom have is taken up by the Apollo lander, but there’s an ejected spaceman towards the top if you’re inclined to look, and both illustrations manage to be whimsical without crossing the line into kitsch. We’re guessing they’re a big hit at NASA.

Building a better band-aid may be a lost cause at this point, but the packaging can always use a little sprucing up. And a better name…

Help Remedies makes two minor but crucial improvements over the drugstore brands. First, they change the color from a sickly beige to a medically pristine white. Then, they wrap the whole thing in a tastefully embossed pocket-size package, in case you pick up any nicks on the go.

Our first pick of today’s capsule show comes from the Spanish sneaker brand Camper. This particular pair combines two of our favorite shoes: the canvas oxford and the espadrille.

That means jute soles, breathable fabrics, and a laced upper for a better overall fit. It’s the brainchild of designer Jaime Hayon, and it might be the perfect summer shoe…if only we didn’t have to wait until next year to get our hands on it.

In a world of Flash games and Xboxes, a carved wooden puzzle can seem a little anachronistic. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing…

Pacific Puzzleworks has been making the rounds at craft fairs for a while—most recently at the Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco. This particular model—which goes by the mathematical moniker “Knot Mass 36”—consists of three dozen slotted wooden tabs, which can either be assembled into a cube or left in an unassembled pile on your coffee table.

If you’re prone to fiddling, it’s a pretty good way to spend half an hour…especially if you’re in the mood for an entertainment that doesn’t involve a screen.

Modfather Fred Perry is celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Specials’ landing on the world stage with a set of appropriately two-toned gear. The folks at World’s Best Ever were partial to the polo, but we’re feeling this referee-style striped number a bit more.

We’re not quite ready to call them “one of the most seminal and influential bands in British music history” like Perry does, but it’s a safe bet that there’s plenty of Britons (and a few style bloggers) happy to be reminded of the ska pioneers. All together now…

Old school sports shoe are pretty fantastic, but so far most of the love has been concentrated on one particular model. It might be time for some new blood.

This Japanese pair from Master & Co. fit the bill pretty nicely, with a pleasingly retro off-white and two rubber patches on the side to keep it out of knockoff territory. Let’s just hope the soles are a bit more durable than the average Chuck Taylor.

A well-managed handkerchief is more than just a pocket square. Used properly, it’s an emblem of chivalry.

Primarily used to comfort distraught women, it’s an indispensable accoutrement for the modern man, and Tom Ford seems to understand it pretty well. The pattern makes this one a bit too noisy to wear peeking out of your jacket, but it’s better off in your side pocket anyway. Who knows: you might need to use it.

Hollywood’s been trying for upwards of fifty years now, but 3D movies have just never caught on. Our theory? It’s the glasses.

So these aviators from Bless should be good news for more than just painfully hip Angelenos. Sneak them into the next enhanced Up screening and you’ll be the most comfortable person in the theater…just be sure to trade them for something a little less disorienting before you hit the streets.

We tend to prefer an old school board short, but a few tweaks here and there are enough to change our mind. Make it a little shorter and a little slimmer, and suddenly you’re back in the realm of gentlemanly beach attire.

Quiksilver’s “Limited Collection” (which should be hitting their site any day now) makes both those tweaks, and drops a bit of science in the bargain. They’ve developed a new fabric—inexplicably named Diamond Dobby—which should dry twice as fast as the shorts you’re used to. They’ve got plenty of the classic 80s patterns if you’re feeling retro, but there’s a few more muted versions in there as well, like this plain green pair.

Paul Smith’s fashion empire just got a little more diverse, with a new line of Moleskine competitors bearing a few proprietary doodles from Sir Smith. The lucky brand is a French marque called Rhodia, which has been making notebooks for just over 75 years. The cover’s a little less satisfying to touch…but we’re hoping it makes up for it in artistic cred.

Adding a touch of formality in warmer weather can be a tough thing, but we suggest the following uniform for your next buttoned-up barbecue: shirtsleeves and an invaluable item called the summer tie.

This particular item just landed on 3sixteen’s online shop (via HypeBeast), but you can find similar items at any number of preppy-minded shops. A bit of citrus-tinged gingham against a white shirt can work wonders—especially if there’s a bit of sunshine in the mix. Just try to keep it away from the barbecue sauce.

We’re in favor of elbow patches in just about all their forms, so we were glad to see this zip pullover come down the transom from Michael Bastian. We’re crossing our fingers for a trend here, but only time (and Parisian runway shows) will tell. And like anything, it’s always possible to take things a little too far.

Maison Martin Margiela has been dipping their toes in the sneaker game for some time, but usually they favor a style of spaceman high-top that, like most avant-garde sneakers, appeals more to streetwear shops than the haute crowd.

Luckily, this season finds MMM taking that same monochrome sleakness to a soccer-shoe model, and the result is pretty envy-inspiring. The silhouette may be treading on Puma territory, but the all-leather approach and the perfectly chosen shade of blue place it a few cuts above the competition. Not that we’d expect anything less…

On the heels of enlisting the photographer behind the Marlboro Man for his fashion week presentation, Adam Kimmel managed to sneak this tie into shops. The stripes are missing, but the stars on their own do a pretty good job of signaling an Americana vibe that appears to be Mr. Kimmel’s new stock-in-trade.

It’s all the more impressive because this is still a skinny tie—hardly a cowboy staple. Think of it as a well-timed cross-cultural purée.

Clocks have been stuck in the same design rut for a while now, so we’re glad to see someone try out the “towel bar” look. This acrylic creation may not give you the instant recognition of a two-handed version, but it should be worth it for the oddball factor alone.

Gingham always gets pretty popular around this time of year, but there’s more to the style than just button-ups.

This Moschino jacket is a louder cousin to the standard seersucker version, but fortune favors the bold and sporting a few outer checks has a few benefits of its own. Naturally, you’ll want a more subdued shirt underneath it all—and possibly accessorize it with a mint julep or two—but then you should be ready to hit the racetrack.

The water cooler is getting pretty tired, even by the standards of office equipment. Of course, we’ve got nothing against water, but maybe it would taste better coming out of something that looked a bit less industrial. Might we suggest…a samovar?

This ceramic job does a pretty good job, mostly because it looks as likely to dispense coffee or tea as water. The bottom bubble holds a staggeringly complex filtration system without giving up any old-school cred. Of course, 19th century style doesn’t come cheap, so this is probably an item for well-heeled offices only. Anybody have some TARP money leftover?

We’re no pilots, but we’re also not above a little light co-opting when the moment calls for it.

This hand-sewn pilot’s cap comes from Bentley with a design that’s straight from the 20’s. It might be a bit more costume-y than our usual objects of desire, and we’re not sure we’d drop $200 on something that’s almost impossible to wear outside of a cockpit.

But if you’re looking for something to wear to your pilots exam, this is it.

The taxidermy enthusiasts at Freeman’s Sporting Club in New York just unveiled a new belt with a little help from Billykirk. The vegetable dye gives it a lighter sheen than usual, which fits in with their frontier aesthetic just about perfectly…even if they always struck as suspender men.

We’ve been digging canvas sneakers for a while, but Acne seems to have taken the look to its natural conclusion: the sailboat. These Stroll Low sneakers aren’t obviously nautical, but those grommets do look awfully familiar. Of course, actually wearing them on a sailboat would be the preppy equivalent of the trucker tux, but as long as you ditch them in the marina you should be fine.

At the risk of seeming literal-minded, we’re going to suggest that an item from a brand called Mackdaddy might not make such a bad Father’s Day present.

First off, the wallet is the staple of the accessory kingdom, not bound up with status like a tie and not too modern for its own good like a few mewelry trinkets we could mention. And this particular wallet manages to fit together classic leather with a patch of color, which should make it something dad isn’t too resistant to keeping in his pocket.

In fact, the biggest strike against it might be the name.

It looks like Kanye’s favorite suitier is getting into jogging.

Lanvin’s latest collection just hit stores with what the designer calls “a mix of couture and jogging,” which in this case means a hat and gloves to match your suit and an artfully bunched one-button version…which we suppose boosts your wind resistance. We’ll stick with this classic two-button, which keeps the curveballs limited to a bit of contrast fabric on the collar.

And if you feel like picking up the matching gloves, you’ll know where to find them.

Pointless gadgetry has a real track record with most dads, so we thought we’d add this timepiece to the Father’s Day pile.

Of course, it’ll help if pop’s a surfer. The Quiksilver Deep X works as a compass, heat timer and virtual thermometer, but the real prize is the tide data stored up for thousands of prime surf spots throughout the world, all of which should put his Timex to shame. Not every Dad’s got a yen for useless info gathering, but if he does, this is one of the better ways to get it.

We’ve never been much for safaris, but they do tend to put a camera through its paces.

So Leica’s latest Safari Edition has its work cut out. The army green should match your pith helmet, while the presumably lion-proof aluminum body strips down the usual point-and-shoot functions to the bare necessities. Sadly, you won’t be able to get your hands on it until August, but hopefully you can find something a bit lighter to tide you over till then.

There are a lot of odd nooks in British sartorial history, but if you hang around Paul Smith stores long enough, you’ll see just about all of them.

This shirt takes its cues from the famous Liberty of London floral prints, which have been popping up often enough lately to qualify as a mini-trend of their own. Mr. Smith takes a bit more impressionist approach—we’d guess Renoir deserves a little credit too—but the basic approach is more or less the same, and both styles are probably best viewed under a more subdued jacket.

And we’d keep the matching tie a safe distance away.

There’s something to be said for taking a couple months to break in a pair of work boots and earning a few blisters along the way. But on the off-chance you don’t feel like putting in the hours, you may want to explore the vintage option.

Seattle’s Blackbird just reloaded their stock of vintage Red Wings, and New York’s Stock has been dealing in second-hand stompers for some time. We aren’t usually fans of the vintage shoe market, but when it’s something as durable as work boots, we’ll make an exception. No matter how beat up they look, it’s a safe bet they’ve got at least another decade in them.

You can also try digging through grandpa’s closet…assuming he’s your size.

The leather-on-suede-on-leather brogue is a classic, but that’s not to say it couldn’t benefit from a little refreshment.

This industrial gray version comes from London’s b store, a boutique label that’s caught our eye a few times before. Naturally, if you need something to wear with your three-piece, we’d stick with the traditional brown-on-brown. But if you’re trying to class up a pair of semi-faded jeans, these might be just the thing.

That is, if you don’t mind doing a little math to figure out your British shoe size.

Madras has been picking up steam as a look for some time, but it’s still best kept to the fringes of your outfit to keep from overdoing things. Maybe a bowtie or two?

Luckily, the ur-preppy outfitters at J. Press (via ACL) happen to be in the midst of a spring sale, meaning you can walk away with this particular bowtie for less than $40, and plenty of statelier neckties for only a little bit more. And if you have a seersucker jacket handy…it might be time to get it out of storage.

Whether it’s a wedding or a beach trip, odds are you’ll be hitting the road at some point in the next few weeks, with a well-chosen two-day supply of clothing securely in tow. And while your bag options are vast and many-splendored, we’d like to throw this waxed cotton duffel from Jack Spade into the ring.

It’s smaller than the “duffel” tag might lead you to believe—just over two feet from end to end—and the outside is an unbroken swath of the waxed cotton that you may have seen on a jacket or two. There are pockets on the inside for your razor and toothbrush, but the outside is as simple as a beach weekend would suggest.

Don’t say we didn’t warn you…

[This polo] from Japan’s Neighborhood takes an unusually direct approach to the Navajo look, taking one of the busier patterns and splashing it all over a loose collared polo shirt. It might be a bit more than we bargained for on its own—the eye can only take so much—but enough neutral layering might do the trick.

It’s amazing what a bit of whimsy can do…

Paul Smith will unveil this public garbage bin at the London Design Museum next week, and it would appear his animal fixation is entirely intact.

It’s not all leporine whimsy, though; there’s some real function here too. As designed, the rabbit ears will light up every time someone tosses something in, which is as effective a litter deterrent as we can think of.

But anyone passing through the park at night without a full knowledge of the latest design developments will be in for quite a shock.

If you were looking for a new bike, you’ve probably already found it by now. But we’re guessing it could use a few accessories…

These saddlebags from Brooks come via the UK, where bike culture has been in bloom for a bit longer, so they’ve got a few tricks you might not expect. For one, they can fold into inconspicuous rolls when you’re not using them, only to unfurl the minute you’ve got groceries to haul.

And of course, it’s always good to have a bit more waxed cotton around.

We’re not sure how the Brits at Belstaff became Hollywood’s coat-makers of choice, but they’ve done a better job than anyone in California could have. This particular item was whipped up for Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, and we’d say the combination of the oversized fur collar and the European slant of the pockets place it above anything you might have seen in Benjamin Button.

The knit belt isn’t for everyone, but as the knit gets tighter, it gets a whole lot easier to pull off.

This (via acquire) is one of the smoother ones we’ve seen. It comes courtesy of Billykirk, who stepped out of the leather shop for just long enough to dip their toe in the nautical style.

The shawl collar smoking jacket can be a tough look to pull off, but it’s pretty much the ne plus ultra of sophisticated loungewear.

Robert Geller’s latest model tightens up the fit a bit, adds a ticket pocket and mixes a bit of speckle to the usual flat black fabric, but otherwise it’s the same item that’s graced the shoulders of gentlemen of leisure for centuries.

It’s the kind of bold update you’d expect on the heels of a GQ/CFDA prize. Maybe now he can think about taking on the velvet slipper?

The world of men’s style doesn’t leave room for a lot of trinkets…but there are always a few if you’re willing to look.

This Shipley & Halmos case just landed at Seattle’s Blackbird, and it might be the most businesslike thing they’ve turned out all year. Of course, if you prefer your cases a bit more monolithic, there’s always Mr. Browne….

There are a lot of different opinions as to the perfect summer shirt—a bleach-white t-shirt is perennially strong candidate, for instance—but for our money, it’s hard to do better than gingham.

This gauzy Tim Hamilton version is just about perfect. The large-check pattern keeps things from getting too businesslike, and enhances the general picnic mood. We’d check to make sure you won’t clash with your picnic blanket…but otherwise we’d say you’re pretty much set for the next four months.

We could stand a short-sleeved version too, but you can always roll them up in an emergency.

This Band of Outsiders bowtie just made an early appearance at Seattle’s Blackbird, and we’re immensely pleased. Of course, after last season we already have a bowtie or two in our closet…but there’s always room for one more.

There are a lot of wallets out there, but given the strain of carrying something in your back pocket for most of your life, we usually look for the most rugged thing we can find.

So we were naturally drawn to the latest CDG wallet, which looks like it’s already been through a few rough days. (The technical term is “predistressed.”) The rough suede and a large-gauge steel zipper should hold up under the roughest of situations, and match up with any of the more rougher denims you’ve got in your dresser.

The Lincoln style revival has taken its time getting started, but it looks like it’s finally coming around.

This “Abe” stove pipe hat from Quintin is part of the larger 21st century Abe project, which brings artists together to celebrate Lincoln’s mark on contemporary times. There’s a handful of artists and musicians involved—including The National’s Bryce Dressler—but so far this is the only style item.

The brim gets an update, and it comes equipped with a historic note from the man stuffed in the ample top in true Lincoln style…but the appeal is still a bit more historical than sartorial. Is it too much to ask for a commemorative suit?

As we’ve noted before, aviators are in the midst of a serious revival. When well executed, the effect is something along the lines of an iconoclastic French novelist. When done with less skill, it’s easy to get into trouble, so allow us to steer you towards the correct path.

These frames (via SwipeLife) aren’t quite the glorious 58256s we gushed about before, but it’s hard to go too far wrong with Persol. Naturally, you can get them as shades too…but not without cutting into your French novelist cred.

It’s definitely the weather for shades, but we wouldn’t go overboard. A slight purple hue is all the protection you need…at least until those rose-colored glasses get in.

This pair comes from L.G.R., whose stated goal is combining Italian and African styles. It makes sense here: The frames are all Italy, but the lenses have a certain Sarahan glow. Which should be just about right for the west coast…

We tend to be a little wary of high tops, but this Clae pair has just about everything we need. They’re desert boot-ish without being desert boots, and the white soles give it a contrast missing in more earth-toned sneaks. And we can always use a little more matte black.

Naturally, we’re big fans of style. But sometimes the best thing about an item is what you can do with it.

Tretorn’s latest galosh does just about everything you’d hope: tasteful colors, striking white lines and generally something every bit as stylish as whatever you’re slipping them over.

But as usual, we’re most excited about what it would look like stomping through the latest batch of puddles.

We’re of the opinion that tweed can never be in too many places. So it’s nice to see it expanding into the summer shorts.

These slim shorts from London’s Blaak Homme might be a bit warmer than the usual seersucker, but it’s worth it to introduce a bit more texture into your weekend suitcase. We wouldn’t take them on the beach, but it’s hard to do better for the rest of your summer outings.

As for the cargo pockets…tweed heals all wounds.

The soft-shoulder blazer has gotten a bad rap, mostly thanks to outlet shops who went after it for low margins. It’s worth remembering what it looks like when it’s done right.

Selectism just leaked this Rag & Bone version from their pre-Fall ’09 Collection, and it’s reminding us of more than a few things we like about the style. The lightly wrinkled fabric, visible pocket seams and slight lapels all give the jacket a casual feeling that even the slimmest hard-shoulder version can’t replicate.

And the summery weight couldn’t be timelier.

Unlike dress shirts, a messenger bag only gets better with the occasional stain. It’s not damage; it’s character.

Of course, a little waxed cotton helps. These Earnest Alexander messenger bags (via Refinery29) aren’t blowing any minds, but it’s good to have a source for rugged satchels that just happens to stitch them together in New York—a locale with more than its share of style locavores.

Just be sure it doesn’t match your jacket.

With bikes are well on their way to becoming status symbols, it might be time to consider upgrading to something a bit more European…

This Opa from Dutch Workcycles sports a sprung leather saddle and powder-coated frame for an old world look, but the touch that sets it apart from the Schwinns of the world is the covering on the back half, including the encased chain, that lets you hang saddlebags over the back—or an adventurous companion, if you’ve got company.

Just watch out for thieves.

This pattern’s popping up more and more these days, usually in canvas. But we’re always willing to try something new…

In this case it’s a Killspencer-ish ripstop fabric, courtesy of the British marque French Connection (via World’s Best Ever). A threaded check pattern softens the shine, but it’s still a bit of a dicey proposition. You can count on canvas for a simple, earthy feeling, but goretex will either come off as futuristic or just plain oily.

For just over $50 a pop though, you can probably afford to find out.

With Monocle steadily making its way through our favorite brands, it was only a matter of time before they got around to Woolrich Woolen Mills.

Daiki Suzuki’s current marque teamed up with the London lifestyle mag for this spring jacket (via Hypebeast), which does as good a job of showcasing Suzuki’s unique style as anything we’ve seen.

The lightweight, unstructured fabric is simple enough, but a closer look shows all kinds of oddball details, from the ticket pocket on the right side to the puzzling cutaway around the middle button in front.

In keeping with their usual small-run strategy, only 110 of the jackets were produced (half in navy, half in olive), but we’re betting it won’t be too hard to come away with one. They’ve only been on the market a few hours…and £370 is nothing to sneeze at.

A.P.C.’s 2009 accessories just hit the market and these belts were the item that caught our eye.

The usual rule is to match your belt to your shoes—brown to brown, black to black, and so on—but in this case, there’s a stronger affinity between the belt and the tie. We’ve already seen A.P.C.’s waist-bound response to the skinny tie, and this latest belt seems built to match its less trendy cousin, the knit tie. It’s a good idea, and it might even be a new style law in the making.

While iconic, the white handkerchief can begin to look downright unsanitary after it’s been through the wash a few times. We recommend something a bit more colorful…

This handkerchief comes from Muji’s recently unveiled online shop, and while we probably won’t have to find our way around Akasaka any time soon, we never mind having an extra map around. There are Paris, London and New York versions, but coming from Muji, Tokyo seems like the appropriate choice.

Provided you can keep from sneezing on the palace grounds.

Back in the heyday of the wristwatch—which we’d place somewhere between the 30s and the 80s—it was common for a team to receive watches as a corporate gift. It wasn’t exactly the coolest way to stockpile gear…but it makes for a hell of a vintage market.

Hodinkee just dug up this 1940s Hamilton Canteen made to commemorate the short-lived bureau of ships. It’s more of a document of military bureaucracy than a timeless source of style, but it still wouldn’t look half bad on a well-dressed wrist.

And what would vintage gear be without a story or two?

Japan’s Porter has been building steam as a cult brand for some time now, but even after a Monocle collab and a string of gushing writeups, their bags are still pretty hard to get a hold of. We were set to hype up a shipment that just landed in Seattle’s Blackbird, but the two-way briefcase we were looking for already sold out. We’re not quite up on our economic lingo, but we believe that’s referred to as “demand.”

Outside of boutique shipments, your best bet is to brave overseas shops like this one with a little help from Google Translate. And like a lot of cult goods, it’s still relatively cheap…at least before you add in shipping costs.

Boutique dress shirts have run through just about every kind of collar there is—from spread collars to club collars to tuxedo-style flip-point collars—but polos have been lagging pretty far behind.

Luckily, Lacoste is making a go of it. These spread-collared polos came about thanks to a collab with Japan’s United Arrows, who slimmed down the silhouette and curved out the collar for something that looks a lot more current than most of the alligator’s usual gear. (Apparently John Waters was onto something.)

Of course, we’ll give extra points to the first polo that gives us a club collar…but we’re not holding our breath.

If you don’t feel like going the vintage cufflinks route, we suggest getting a bit stranger. Maybe a few feathers?

These fishing lure cufflinks (via SwipeLife) from Coto should be suitably eye-catching. There aren’t many conventions for what you need on your cuffs, and it’s far enough out of the way that it won’t intrude on your otherwise impeccable outfit. Those hooks are blunted, so they won’t chew up the inside of your suit jacket, and otherwise they’ll offer a woodsy alternative to the usual polished silver.

Now if you could just find the right lapel pin…

For some reason, the wallet has always struck us as the likeliest site for the next new wave revival. And we’re glad Comme des Garcons agrees…

These Summer 2009 wallets are still the usual cowhide, but the bright colors nudge them farther than usual into the world of hairspray and synth-pop. Our only complaint: they should have tipped their hand entirely and churned out a rubberized version.

After all, once you’re making a bright green wallet, you’ve probably already lost the Brooks Brothers crowd. Why not go the whole hog?

See more of CDG’s wallets»

The club collar has been having quite the resurgence lately, so it’s nice to see one that’s still on the rack—and without the usual banker-style color contrast.

This faded gray oxford from Patrik Ervell sums up the appeal pretty well. It’s not flashy, but the rounded collar gives it a subtle nineteenth century feeling that’s hard to get without looking like you’re in costume. The subtle gray is just unusual enough to be remarkable, even under the standard issue black suit.

Get ready to see a lot more of these.

The second in our ongoing series on Tom Ford’s Italian jaunt, this herringbone silk jacket takes things in a new direction.

The broad, curvy peak lapels give it the playful feel we’re used to from Mr. Ford, but it’s flashy in a whole new way. The silk is the kind of excess he usually chases, but combined with the vertical herringbone, it has a sense of texture we’ve never quite seen before. It’s the kind of item that looks a little different every time you see it.

Not unlike the man himself…

Cardigans have been getting slimmer lately, but we still prefer our pullovers thin and loose. Preferably with stripes.

This Lars Andersson knit just landed at Blackbird, and it does just about everything right. The fit hugs the torso but eases off around the sleeves, leaving it with a casual, drapey feeling. Meanwhile, the loose-gauge cotton makes it light enough that it’s as much t-shirt as sweater, and we can imagine breaking it out as early as September.

Andersson has a few cardigans on offer too, but this kind of fit doesn’t need buttons cluttering it up.

Another day, another mustache.

We’ve come across a lot of mustache-related design accoutrements, but this one doesn’t seem to have much connection to actual facial hair.

After all, if it were a real soup-catcher, you wouldn’t want it hanging on your napkin all day. And you certainly wouldn’t be writing on it in chalk. It’s a troubling development, and we’re more than a little concerned for the future. At this rate, a decade from now everything we own will have a Selleck attached to it.

It’s a brave new world out there.

Pharrell’s Billionaire Boys Club label is usually too firmly on the streetwear side of things to catch our eye, but this striped shirt caught our eye as a potential crossover piece.

It looks like something we’d pick up at A.P.C.…so much so that we scoured their back catalog looking for this exact item. But the issue isn’t sartorial plagiarism so much as a healthy exchange of ideas. This item made its way from pasty Parisians to hip-hop futurists in just a few seasons.

Does that mean streetwear is going French?

We knew it was only a matter of time before Obama action figures started coming out of the woodwork. But we certainly hadn’t predicted this.

The full absurdity of the toy is best experienced in its original form (via Balk), incomprehensible Japanese script and all, but rest assured, it paints #44 in a whole new light.

If there isn’t an animated series in the works yet, there should be.

It’s easy to overthink bags. Sometimes all you need is a leather sack…

Apparently the fine folks at Mjolk are partial to the sack theory of storage, at least judging by their latest rucksack. It’s not exactly suited to air travel—we’d want a more secure top flap, for one—but it should do perfectly backpacking or thrown in the trunk of a car.

With no pockets to get in the way, the material is on full display, and like most high quality leather, it’ll get better the longer you have it.

And no, it doesn’t come with wheels.

The Members Only jacket has a pretty checkered past, but it may be leaking into thte mainstream.

This Rag & Bone Tarpon Jacket is dangerously close to membership territory, but for once we don’t mind so much. A light nylon, a clever plaid lining and, yes, a few epaulettes just add up to a spring jacket, not a faux-pas.

Time heals all wounds, apparently.

We’ve always been a little wary of denim shirts without being able to say quite why, but this might nail it down for us.

Up until now, the shirts have been a little too “western ranch” and not nearly enough “island prison.” Leave it to Paris to finally correct the error.

The U.S. doesn’t see much menswear from Marc Jacobs, but apparently London’s got more than enough. But there may be a reason for that.

For instance, this double-layer cardigan probably goes over a lot better on Carnaby Street than Canal Street. Something about the British temperament takes to complementary colors better than staid Americans, and the double-layered knit only makes the contrast stronger.

But if you’re feeling anglophilic, you know where to find it.

Summer lumberjacking can be a tough move, but if you feel like hanging on to the woodsy vibe a little bit longer, this might come in handy.

The main advance from this new Penfield item is the stealth pockets in front, but the play between the two panels is enough to give this staying power in our book. It comes in blue and white in case the purple is a bit too much for you…but fortune favors the brave.

For a few years in the 60s, the plaid blazer was the height of country club sartorial adventurousness. But for the past 30 years, it’s been worn with a decidedly different intent.

These days you’re most likely to see it in a record store, accompanied by a Mohawk and a full set of piercings. The off-color patch makes it clear Junya Watanabe is on the latter side of the equation with this Commes des Garcons item. But maybe he should have checked with Vivienne Westwood before he took this one on. He seems to have missed the point.

The appeal of the loud plaid blazer doesn’t just come from the fact that it looks like something Curtis LeMay wore on weekends. It also looks like something you picked up at a vintage store for $5, which might make its boutique appeal somewhat limited…

Laptop sleeves usually stick to neoprene and the occasional hard-plastic shell, so when someone takes a few steps in the briefcase direction, we take notice.

This particular model comes from the Aussie firm Toffee Cases, which took the simple but critical steps of giving the average 13-inch case a textured leather exterior and—most importantly—a handle.

It’s all in the details…

The hunting-style spring jacket is having quite a surge these days.

We marveled over Mr. Ford’s version yesterday, but the folks at Winn Perry just pointed us towards a treated cotton version that offers a lighter hang and adds a ticket pocket in front for anything that didn’t quite fit in the others.

That makes for five total pocket flaps—more than any reasonable man should ever need—but we’re glad to see the ticket pocket outside of a suit jacket. It’s too good an idea to leave to bespoke tailors alone.

We tend to associate Tom Ford with his ads, his suits, and his upcoming film work, but he’s developing a Paul Smith-like habit of developing fantastic, unattainably priced items seemingly out of nowhere.

Take this old-world hunting jacket, for instance. It’s part of Mr. Ford’s latest Italian pilgrimage, and the buttons are certainly reminiscent of Mr. Smith, but it also bears almost no traces of the usual Ford-ian machismo. Which could very well mean all those semi-pornographic print spots may well be a thing of the past…

Say it ain’t so, Tom.

The summer hat is a pretty rare bird, but not because it isn’t useful. We always prefer a light derby to sunscreen, especially if there’s gingham involved.

Comme Des Garcon’s try at the summer hat is the best we’ve seen so far. And if you’ve got any picnics coming up in the next few months, we’d definitely consider it.

You might even match the tablecloth.

There’s still nothing like Italian cobbling.

This particular pair skips the businessman look and goes straight for the renaissance, with a seersucker stripe and yellow lining that’s centuries old in its style. We’re not sure how you’d pair them with more modern trappings…but we’re sure we’ll think of something.

It’s extremely rare that a rug catches our eye…in fact, this may be the first time it’s ever happened.

But this Thomas Paul rug isn’t your average piece of dandelion décor. Spanning eight feet across, all those stems make for quite a vanishing point, to the point that the black spot in the middle starts to look like the bottom of a pit. In other words, it’s halfway between Urban Outfitters and Trompe L’Oeil.

Of course, we’re not quite at the point of paying a grand for it. But it’s still an impressive piece of work.

Every once in a while, we run across an item that’s impressive simply by virtue of being so difficult to wear.

For instance, how does one approach this Band of Outsiders button-up?

Is it too busy to be paired with jeans and left untucked? Maybe under a gray blazer that’s rumpled enough to seem casual? It’s going to take a lot of careful consideration before pulling this one off.

But we’ve never run from a challenge before…

Speaking of canvas Oxfords, this slip-on from Converse by John Varvatos loses the laces and uses the Balmoral front for an entirely different purpose. The result is the kind of laid back California sneaker that Seavees specializes in.

We’d always thought of Mr. Varvatos as an east coast type…but it never hurts to stretch yourself.

Waxed cotton may be overtaking worsted as Britain’s favorite fabric. It started with Belstaff, but now it’s just about everywhere.

This parka from London’s Our Legacy takes the rough material into American Apparel territory, and it works surprisingly well. After so many years of clingy nylon, we’re ready for something a bit more earthy and a whole lot rougher. It gets windy out there, after all.

Best of all, there’s still a little bit of the British savoir faire. Is that a ticket pocket on the gentleman’s left?

Normally we’d ding this for being gimmicky, but the simple fact is, there’s a lot of quality suit fabric out there, and the more of it gets used the better.

They may not be the most durable wallets in the world (we use leather for a reason, after all), but it’s never a bad feeling to reach into your pocket and find a swath of high quality pinstripe.

But we’d recommend keeping it as far away from actual suits as possible.

Much as we love the risk-takers, most designers are judged by how they do with the staples. And our Mr. Benjamin is finally showing his hand…

This blue flax shirt from Benjamin Bixby is a pretty good start. It’s flat enough that it won’t stand out at most offices, but the fabric is stiffer than the usual oxford cloth, and the overdyed hue makes it stand out from the crowd just enough to matter.

Andre’s stated influence is Colonial India—which makes sense given the wash of the fabric—but to our eyes it looks more western than eastern. Are tortoise-shell buttons bigger in Bangalore than we thought?

Timberland’s been keeping a lot more current lately, even if they’ve given up workwear for more street-inspired kicks.

These denim-friendly boat shoes may be coming to the trend a little late, but they might be the first pair made to wear under baggy jeans. For a former preppy staple, that’s pretty impressive.

It’s amazing what you can do just by breaking a few rules.

For instance, you never see this kind of point-creased collar outside of a tuxedo…except when someone’s flexing their design muscle.

And if you had to choose a shirt that’s the exact opposite of a tuxedo, it would probably be this kind of geometric almost-flannel.

Just keep it well-starched.

This object probably conjures up familiar feelings for anyone hoarding a nest egg as their own personal safety blanket. It may not be quite as fuzzy as the average plush toy, but it’s satisfying to touch, and the smell is quite nice.

We see two potential markets: hyper-capitalists with a sentimental streak (for instance…) and their offspring. After all, what better way to train little Dalton the proper banking instincts than by tossing one of these into his crib?

The gray wool pant doesn’t get much credit as a wardrobe staple, but it’s every bit as versatile as those cords. It may give off a bit of a Ward Cleaver vibe at times…but now that we think about it, Ward was a pretty stylish guy.

This pair comes from Wings + Horns and boasts a subtly tapered leg and an almost invisible blue thread in the fabric. An entire suit of it might be too formal, too busy, or just too warm…but a pair of trousers is just about right.

Provided you aren’t afraid of showing a little sock.

There are many paths to good design, but here’s one of our favorites: make something simple, useful, and so innovatively shaped that nobody knows what the hell it is.

For instance, these…things.

The secret is revealed»

We’re on the cusp of white shoe weather, so we were pleased to see this pair of oxfords come down the transom from Paul Smith.

The wooden sole does a lot to separate it from the pretenders, and the perforated material does even more, but look closer and you’ll see the casually uneven dyeing that makes it worth whatever Sir Smith is charging these days. As any dandy knows, looking clean and bright is overrated.

The lightweight jacket usually gets passed over, but a good one can get more wear than a suit. And, as usual with outerwear, the trick is finding the right texture.

This houndstooth jacket from A.P.C. gets it just about perfect, offering a zig-zag of patterns that averages out to a neutral gray from far enough back. This being A.P.C., the collar is just about perfect, and the cut is every bit as narrow as you’d want.

It’s waterproofed too, but we’d still recommend keeping an umbrella handy.

Our jones for historical hats is well-documented, but we didn’t realize quite how many gems there were out there.

This wool cap comes from Michigan’s own Stormy Kromer, and boasts a design circa 1903. The upper flap pulls down to cover your ears in particularly brisk moments, but that’s just one of the clever design touches. Our favorite touch is the tie in front, which gives it a turn-of-the-century flair it would be hard to find anywhere else. Best of all, they’re only $30 a pop, making them easy picking for any workwear-minded boutique owners out there.

Although something tells us they won’t be interested in the camo version.

The season for white canvas shoes is almost upon us, and luckily F-Troupe is fully prepared.

Of course, you’ll have to manage bringing it over from Paris (and navigating the European shoe sizing chart), but the flash of color in the laces and soles should make it worth your while. There are also blue, green, and purple versions, but we’re going with the one that matches our Thriller jacket.

Our latest favorite selvedge shirt comes from the Tokyo label 12-bar. Normally we’d steer clear of the western look, but this shirt manages to do it exactly to the limit. There are snaps but no arrows, and the discreet white piping wisely steers clear of nudie suit territory.

The herringbone fabric gives the fabric some texture, and the denim-blue keeps everything in manageably urban territory. This is how cowboys dress in Tokyo.

Watches aren’t all sophistication and nostalgia. Sometimes you have to go with the blocky engineer look of our forefathers.

The EP Martin Cartridge watch takes after the military high-performance watches of the 40s and 50s, with the squared off watchface that later generations pared down. It’s a pretty bold statement, as timepieces go…but it’s as close to the workwear aesthetic as we’ve seen any watch come.

It was only a matter of time before the hobo look caught on.

This bit of Japanese hobo footwear comes from Russell Moccasin, who have finally embraced the “motley” look by patching together different leathers in the same shoe. It’s appropriate for any economic climate…but we’re guessing it goes with hoovervilles better than anything else in your closet.

The henley can be tough to pull off without a touch of skeeve creeping in, but as usual, it’s all in the details.

Most henleys tend to be perilously close to pajamas, but with a little heavier fabric and a few superfluous buttons running up the neck, this one’s slowly becoming our favorite collarless item of the day.

The shirt in question comes from the British firm Junk de Luxe, which specializes in precisely-cut slacker garb—which is a pretty fair description of henleys in general, now that we think about it.

Disposable bags are none too popular these days, so it makes sense that we’d gradually replace them with more durable versions. Still, we’re a little surprised leather is getting so popular.

This faux-paper bag comes all the way from Rotterdam, which is far enough from Japan that we imagine they haven’t heard of this similar Postalco folder. As it turns out, the right dyes can make leather a pretty good sub for paper, and a more durable one at that.

Just don’t leave either of them in the rain.

If Mr. Sayler’s namecheck has you wondering what Pendleton looks like, this is a pretty good specimen.

Western shirts aren’t exactly on trend these days, but that mostly applies to the exaggerated cowboy version. Pendleton is too much of a heritage brand to focus on things like trends, or even much marketing for that matter.

As a result, this shirt isn’t that different from the ones they were churning out ten years ago—that is, the ones that started the trend in the first place.

The deck shoe is enough of a staple that it’s about time we started giving it a few twists. F-Troupe has a good idea with these Crepe Deck Boots, going after the leather lacing that sets the boots apart.

Adding a few extra loops is simple enough business, but it changes it from the usual preppy standard into something a bit more rugged.

John Varvatos has made his name by channeling old school masculine icons, so it was only a matter of time before he worked his way around to the Hef.

We ran into velvet Lexington loafer at the designer’s SoHo outpost, and couldn’t help but notice Mr. Varvatos’ latest style obsession. Apparently Mickey Rourke picked up a pair during his most recent New York soujourn, and we can’t say we’re surprised. There’s a whole generation of men looking to Mr. Hefner as their sartorial guide, and these loafers might be the first time that impulse has served them well.

And if Mr. Varvatos ever feels like ditching rock photography for a more stirring kind of store décor…let’s just say we know where to look.

Now that we’re heading into the rainy season, it might be a good time to get your outerwear in order. And if you’re more into hoodies than parkas, we’d recommend this lightweight shell, known to the Nau crowd as the Rebound Jacket. (Hat tip to acquire)

As usual with Nau, the fabric is space-age, silent and much lighter than you think, but the best part is that it’s knit instead of woven, so it breathes without letting through rain or the occasional gust.

After this, you may have to take up jogging.

The signed cast is one of our more iconic memories of childhood, so it’s surprising no one tapped into it before.

This helmet extends Les Ateliers Ruby’s hitting streak, thanks to a little well-timed design help from Maison Martin Margiela. Splitting the difference between street art and sixth-grade summer camp, we’re guessing it’s got something for just about everyone on a motorscooter.

Gingham is already a summer staple, but there are always a few new ways to do it. This Black Dollars Double Check is one of the best. The outer check is the kind of madras-flavored pattern that makes summer clothes worthwhile, but the gingham lining is the real treasure here. Look close and you’ll see it through the larger check, creating the kind of double-patterning Tom Ford is so into these days.

See detail shots after the jump»

One of the nice thing about having a particular style is that it lets you turn old staples on their heads.

By now, Daiki Suzuki’s style is pretty well-known. Under the Engineered Garments label, he’s championed simple, trim workwear items from the beginning, and birthed a trend in the process. Now he’s taking on the traditionally bulky leather bomber jacket…and turning into a slim cotton twill jacket that looks like exactly what you’d expect from Suzuki.

Take notes; this is how brands are made.

See Suzuki’s bomber jacket up close»

Now that we’ve got digital displays everywhere we look, the old mantle of clock is going to have to go a few steps beyond analog if it’s going to stay relevant. In other words, the pendulum is ripe for a resurgence.

Yasuki Takamori’s 269 Clock is a pretty good example of what it looks like when it’s done right. The walnut plywood keeps things minimal and organic, but the real highlight is the pendulum swinging behind the bottom window. It’s amazing what a little movement does to put you in tune with the daily passage of time—especially when it’s not on a digital display.

If you felt compelled to replicate this gentleman’s vintage blazer…we may have something for you.

This boating blazer from Paul Smith is a good deal more traditional than the punkish pink-on-black, but the overall effect is remarkably similar. In fact, it’s so traddish that Smith forgoes his usual slanted pockets except for the chest slit.

Something tells us it would go well with a straw hat.

Some of our favorite shoes are the most lightweight—espadrilles and top-siders in particular—so it’s nice to know this particular shoe won’t be weighing us down too heavily.

Sweden’s Gram labels their shoes by weight, and they rarely reach above 500 grams. This one is the 366g, stitched together from denim and kept as light as possible at every stage in the process. We wouldn’t recommend wearing it under jeans (or getting it wet, for that matter), but don’t be surprised if your summer wanderings take you a little farther than usual.