I guess we can’t blame Fall for being fashionably late, but thanks to its careless sense of punctuality, we’ve had to endure two superfluous months of the men’s plunging v-neck tee—fashion’s recent, misguided ode to the dude sternum.

For the over-hip, under-dressed, strategically-disheveled American Apparel shareholder who thinks this looks good, we’re tired of seeing you walk around SoHo with that extra-large Famous Ray’s pizza slice cut out from your neckline. You’re better than that. Let’s move on to the cashmere crewnecks and corduroy sport coats of the world. And let’s hope come next September, we don’t have to have this discussion again.

-M.S.

After a prolonged Indian Summer (or Native-American Fall, your pick) it’s finally dropped below body temperature out there. If you haven’t already layered up, it’s time to get yourself bundled before pneumonia sets in. Now we know that in the windy change of seasons, leather jackets can appear attractive. Most of the offerings out there, however, are just mistakes waiting to happen (wait at least until the sartorial specter of The Sopranos recedes before investing).

Instead, pair these more rugged, woolen looks with your Fall favorites. California line Cassette offers up this matte-black number which splits the difference between blazer and hunting coat, Gilded Age has a red-plaid, twill-lined coat suitable for the forest or the streets and this charcoal coat by New York label Unis is corporate-friendly with a daring, expansive collar.

—G.B.

A.P.C. has let loose their fall and winter ’08 lineup, and we’re suitably impressed. Choosing a ginger model is a particularly seasonal touch, but the lineup of tweed, denim and generally tough fabrics is the real draw. They’ve been having a pretty good year—they rolled out a new denim style in April—and a recent Japanese expansion seems to have tempered their usual minimalism.

Naturally, the pants remain slim and the jackets keep their epaulettes.

Another set of pics after the jump»

Speaking of workwear, we’re drawing perilously close to cold weather, along with seasonal appropriateness for our favorite piece of lumberjackwear, the flannel shirt.

This one’s from Penfield—also a solid spot for your coldest-day-of-the-year winter coat—but if you don’t feel like checking online, we recommend a trip to your local vintage outfit. Vintage stores do flannel better than anything else, and you’ll end up with something more offbeat than anything you could find firsthand…as long as you don’t mind sewing up a hole or two.

Rogues Gallery just put this season’s fall/winter gear for sale online and, as you may have guessed from the lookbooks, it’s pretty good stuff.

Their take on the button-down already has us preparing for a nautical life, but our favorite item might be this unstructured cotton jacket. Unlike a fair number of its counterparts, it looks rugged enough to spend a few hours in a cabin-bound suitcase and emerge in wearable condition. Of course, those rough seams are getting to be an RG trademark, but this might be the best use of them we’ve seen so far.

We just got a peek at the latest Fall/Winter gear from southern gentleman Billy Reid, and it looks like he’s been spending a little time on the water.

He hasn’t lost his affinity for seersucker suits and elegantly cut slacks, but now there are a few more nautical pieces mixed in, including a Roguish anchor sweater and an eye-catching bright yellow slicker, which might be our favorite of his outerwear pieces. It’s more Newport than Tupelo, but we’re certainly not complaining.

See the rest of the line here»