Guess where dressing like the walking wounded, complete with faux bandages and booboos, is all the rage. C’mon, this is easy… [The F Word]

Victim fashion picture after the jump »

What Goes Around…: A Gauliter jacket was the big prize ($11,600) at a rare Paris vintage-menswear auction. [AP]

Green Jeans: Biodegraded denim recycled into auto fuel. Cargo pants still bound for landfills. [Treehugger]

Bidders Beware: Watch yourself when shopping for bargains on big-ticket jewelry gifts on eBay. [Family and Twist]

Big In Japan: A fascinating deconstruction of the market forces behind trends in the trend-happy East. [Clast]

Tom Tomorrow:: Is Hifiger SoHo bank or bust—decide for yourself on Thursday. [She Knows Best]

White Wizard: Men.Style gives a whole lotta love to Jimmy Page’s silver fox look. We prefer Jimmy as pictured… [Material Interest]

Tim Hamilton does Uniqlo

In the tight circle of New York designers and the rising tide of young, American menswear creators, indie comer Tim Hamilton is a clear standout. As well, his limited collaboration with Uniqlo, the Japanese superstore that has also recently worked with Loden Dager, is a far cry from the designer-stamped wears one might find at Target. In anticipation of the line’s retail debut on Friday (show up early, guys) Hamilton gave us a handful of his precious minutes to explain the origin of the line, how it differs from his signature collection and his favorite Japanese dishes.

A conversation with Mr. Hamilton»

Mr. & Mrs. Z: Jay-Z once rapped,”Y’all be frontin’, me give my heart to a woman? Not for nothin’, never happen’, I’ll be forever mackin.” He lied. [US Magazine]

“Why does anyone in New York buy ties fully priced?”: Good question, mate. [Permanent Style]

Team Polo: While the Olympic Torch is struggling to stay lit, Ralph is busy outfitting American athletes. [Reuters]

Party Politics: Pro war. Anti war. Conservative. Liberal. The only thing that really matters is where the candidates stand on beer issues. [Huffington Post]

Fresh Fruit: BR Monogram opens today in the Village. [WWD]

Kempt Kept Men: Thanks to the changing face of Japanese sexual politics you can finally be a geisha. [CNN]

The Great Pants War: Two competing revolutionaries, Bonobos and Cordarounds, square off against the “Soviet Bloc” of vertical corduroy with the introduction a horizontal variation on the classic fabric. Watch out for the crossfire. [VanityFair.com]

The Long Haul: Back off you vultures. Giorgio Armani ain’t going nowhere. [WWD, 2nd item]

Russian Male-Order Bride: Iron-fisted autocrat beloved legally elected Federation President Vladimir Putin tries his best to emulate Nicolas Sarkozy’s recent marital success. Fails. [Gawker]

Wigging Out: Unofficial Kempt mascot Rachel Bilson plays blonde for a day. [Egotastic]

Loop de Loop: Harajuku t-shirt maker does it oldschool. [PSFK]

More Celebrity Stink: James Franco, who we actually like, will be the face for Gucci’s latest scent. [Luxist]

Boob Tube: Because he hasn’t reached complete market saturation, Tommy Hilfiger will soon have his own TV channel. [DNRNews]

Madras Explosion: Ahh! Our eyes! Our eyes! [A Suitable Wardrobe]

Despite what Kanye might tell you, the market for high-end streetwear based on sci-fi movie in-jokes is somewhat limited. And for A Bathing Ape, the Pharrell-endorsed Japanese import, time may be running out.

More on the week in synergy»

Funny Money: In these penny-pinching times, who couldn’t use a little more levity in their wallet? [Refinery29]

The Family Business: Father-and-son art aficionados bond over checks and English cuts. [NYMag]

Brooklyn Boys: Racked takes the F over to Boerum Hill’s new And Then Some. [Racked]

Drip Dry: Forget the cleaners. A new Japanese suit is designed for cleaning in the shower. Loofa anyone? [Theindian]

The Great Rock and Roll Swindle: Legendary venue goes from club to store, back to club and then right back to store again. Protestors still desperately searching for lives. [Vanityfair.com]

Sky King: Per usual, Prince William makes us commoners look like chumps. [Daily Mail]

Hail Married: Eli Manning wraps up his improbable championship season by beating both brother Peyton and arch-rival Tom Brady to the alter. [UPI]

A lot of good stuff has come out of Japan recently, but they haven’t had much in the way of suits. Until now, anyway.

Our friends at A Continuous Lean tipped us off to the Japanese brand Whereabouts, currently on shelves at L.A.’s H. Men.

Free of the pop-art touches we’ve come to expect from the land of Mario, Whereabouts seems content with thin lapels, tasteful tailoring and impeccable fabrics. The look has served them well in Asia: they’re stocked in more than 20 boutiques and department stores in Japan, with four more locations in China and Korea. In the States, however, the label’s still under the radar.

More on Whereabouts»

This week’s Loose Thread comes courtesy of the nonist, who just introduced us to the Japanese concept of chindogu, or unuselessness.

The utili-tie to the left is a prime example. At first, it seems like the ideal combination of the sartorial charms of the necktie with the practical need to carry safety scissors, a set of paper clips, a ruler, a passport, and various other office essentials. But after you consider it for more than thirty seconds, it becomes clear that the tie is wildly inefficient at both its intended uses. It’s not entirely useless, but even if it existed, it would never be used. It is, in other words, Chindogu.

More on this intriguing categorization»

When manga artist Takashi Murakami was first tapped to collaborate with Louis Vuitton, he opened our eyes to the burgeoning cultural renaissance taking place in Japan.

Now the Japanese avant-garde is getting the full treatment in Ian Luna’s Tokyolife: Art & Design, which showcases the work of over 80 creative types pushing the boundaries in those fields as well as architecture, film, photography and of course fashion. While some names like Nigo of A Bathing Ape are already widely familiar and influential, others have yet to make their mark on the West.

Here’s your primer.

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»

So far they’re most popular among the hip-hop crowd, but Clarks Desert Boots are one item that’s ripe for crossover. The desert part means they’re impervious to sand, but the main appeal is the roomy, bubble-like front.

The Japanese have already caught on. Clarks is going halfsies with Japanese brand SHIPS to land in select Tokyo retailers with a rare ebony-leather version of the classic boot. They don’t look half bad…from here, anyway.

Digital cameras are good for feeding blogs, but analog has charms all its own, as we’ve noticed a few times before.

This twin-lens model comes from Superheadz in Japan, where lomography is already a full-blown trend. The shutter opens manually, so you’ll have to count on your own reflexes to make sure you don’t overexpose the film or end up with a picture that’s too dark to use.

It takes a while to get the hang of it…but that’s half the fun.

The Block: A guide to getting Don Draper’s hair. Be warned: you’ll need a partner’s salary to afford that much pomade. [The Moment]

The Shawl: The debate over shawl collared sweaters rages on. [Magnificent Bastard]

My Dinner with Hodg: The inestimable John Hodgman deigns to participate in a livechat. [WashingtonPost]

The Spoils of the Orient: Apparently Japan is a treasure trove of specialty labels. We must not let America fall behind! [A Continuous Lean]

FashionIndie turned us on to these pictures from Tokyo line Man of Moods. They alternate between monochromatic winterwear and Brazilian-style color freakouts, but it’s surprising how well they blend the two. It’s not the most wearable stuff we’ve ever seen…but one or two of these items—the button-ups and scarves in particular—could do a lot to brighten up the coming winter.

More pics after the jump»

A Continuous Lean’s Japan jaunt has unearthed a lot of good stuff, but this is our favorite so far.

Classic Americana brand Red Wing has been making this model for the Japanese model exclusively. Of course, it’s still stitched together in good old Red Wing, MN, but it’s a little stocker and smaller to accommodate Japanese feet. And, of course, we imagine it looks quite a bit different in a culture that’s more used to sneakers and oxfords. Stuff like this is rugged enough too be eye-catching in Los Angeles. We can’t imagine what they make of it in Tokyo.

A closer look»

As you may have noticed, things are a bit different in Japan. An American storefront means the usual hole in the wall—maybe one with a little history and exposed brick if you’re lucky. But apparently Japan has a little more flexibility on the retail end.

A.P.C. finally finished up their Kita-Aoyama store (with help from architecture firm Wonderwall), and it’s quite a sight. It’s less a store than an all-encompassing bungalow, with a touch of feudal-palace thrown in for good measure. It’s not quite as location-appropriate as their industrial-throwback Brooklyn outpost, but we know where we’d rather spend an afternoon. And if you want to pick up those pajamas in person, we can’t think of a better place to do it.

See more after the jump»

To cap off our recent Japan fixation, we’re taking a look at Limoland, a Murakami-esque line out of (you guessed it) Tokyo.

The icon this time around is Limo, a wide-mouthed cartoon head adorning various brightly colored goods from totes to parkas to laptop cases. Some of it verges into M.I.A. territory, but we like Limo himself. We’ve seen enough logos that it’s nice to see a genuinely fresh face.

A few more pictures»

There are a lot of oddball inspirations out there, but the post office is easily the strangest. It’s the perfect example of the workaday drabness most designers go out of their way to avoid. As a general rule, there’s nothing less glamorous than spending twenty minutes in a cordoned line. (That goes for modern air travel too, if you were wondering.)

But after this envelope/briefcase, we may have to think again. It comes from Postalco, a Brooklyn-meets-Japan marque that takes inspiration from the international transport industry. This particular item subs calfskin in for the usual manila paper for a handleless briefcase that’s both innovative and completely low key. After all, who looks twice at a man carrying a manila envelope?

As expected, Japan is already making a play to be the go-to source for Americana. Exhibit A: the latest line from Tokyo-based Hare, which delves into both workwear and the previously unnamed mountainwear, which consists mostly of flannel and nylon vests.

As is becoming the rule with Japanese designs, it’s familiar but stripped down enough to seem a few steps ahead of the stateside curve. There’s a lot of emphasis on scarves and boots, but somebody has to pick up the accessory slack.

More from Hare»

Watchmakers have tested out a lot of different gimmicks, but this is the first time they’ve given stealth a try. The result is this sample model from Hiranao Tsuboi, and we must say, we like what we see.

It’s not just the leaking light vibe. The whole outfit looks like a wristband, and while it may not be the most attractive wristband, it has a lot else going for it. After all, how often does a watch give you the element of surprise?

Strong Cheesecake: The famous Pirelli calendar hits newsstands, edited by Kempt favorite Peter Beard. Somehow, we expected more baboon action. [Men.Style]

Louis Louis: Mr. Vuitton feels the pinch. Save us, Yeezy! [Luxist]

The Long Tail: Sameer Reddy peers into the dark economic soul of the fashion industry. [Newsweek]

The Kimono Strikes Back: Traditional dress gets a resurgence in Tokyo. Now if it just crossed the Pacific… [Monocle]

Stronger Cheese: Not to be outdone, Campari strikes back with a calendar featuring the recently pregnant Jessica Alba. European culture is so…fulfilling.

Axl Rose is Axl Rose is Axl Rose: Apparently Guns n’ Roses isn’t very good commercially either. But what does this mean for the struggle for Chinese Democracy? [Vulture]

Electric Sheep: A Japanese cell phone service introduces a “virtual wife” program. But not in the exciting way. [Jezebel]

Good Fences: A graphic tale of neighborly bonding and a “70-something showgirl.” [SmithMag]

A lot of interesting stuff comes out of Japan, so we’re always glad to see it a little earlier.

The Pursuit Aesthetic put us on to our Eastern connection. It’s called Style from Tokyo, and we’ve already seen more loose-weave shawl collar sweaters than we ever expected to find on those shores. Unlike most street style blogs, Style from Tokyo seeks out the unusual, so don’t be surprised if you see a few too many hobo-chic drifters sporting blaze-orange blazers. That’s just how Tokyo works.

It’s a nice place to visit, but we wouldn’t want to live there.

In Vogue: Blake Lively makes the magazine rounds, but it’s still not enough to get us to watch Gossip Girl. [Vogue]

Not a Number: Zack Handlen weighs in with the definitive Patrick McGoohan appreciation. [A.V. Club]

Rosie the Riveting: The female mechanics calendar is fascinating in ways we cannot fully describe. [BoingBoing]

Mecha Mecha: Japanese style comes into its own. Our theory? It’s all the robots. [The Moment]

Whether it’s punk rock, kanji or toaster ovens, Japan is often better at interpretation than invention. As a result, Tokyo’s status as a style capital is less about their brands than about their collaborations. So while Barbour may not have the international name recognition it deserves, but you can bet it’s on a lot of minds in Tokyo.

And vice versa apparently. This collaboration between Barbour and To Ki To (from Tokyo, naturally) just came down the transom, and it’s pretty close to the heavy raingear collection of our dreams. Without exposing themselves to too much London drizzle, To Ki To managed to nail the rain-soaked British charm, with a few curveballs added in translation.

Kind of like Guitar Wolf…if you’re into that sort of thing.

See a few more of the jackets»

As American as it is, workwear has always been a good deal more popular in Japan—see Engineered Garments, the endless stream of Red Wing collabs—which means in addition to the domestic stalwarts who keep producing the way they did 80 years ago, there’s a generation of designers in Tokyo trying to put a futurist spin on things.

Comme Des Garcons is hardly the most rugged label on the map, but Junya Watanabe may have brought out the outdoorsman in them. You’ll have trouble getting hold of his latest collection unless you’re passing through Hong Kong this month—hey, you never know—but it’s interesting to watch the way it blends L. L. Bean-esque fishing gear with more urban nylon vests.

At the very least, they’ll be ready for the rain.

See more of the line»

A good high-top boot is always welcome, but these caught our eye mostly because they come from Japan’s Lad Musician label.

We’d call the cut Italian, but we’re all cosmopolitans these days anyway. But given that the rest of Lad’s equipage looks like post-Armani streetwear, they look like they’re poised for more interesting things in the future.

We’ll certainly be keeping an eye on them.

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.

Japan is so culturally voracious, it takes most lines a while to incorporate some of their homegrown influences. Luckily, it looks like the fine folks at N. Hoolywood are up to the task.

This one’s another Wrangler collab, but now they bring genuine East Asian flavor to the cowboy staple, via those imprinted crossbars running up and down the central placket. It’s straight out of a traditional Japanese farmer jacket, but it couldn’t work better in denim.

The only problem? So far it’s only sold in Japan, and we bet it’s a whole lot more appealing to our side of the Pacific.

Modeling has progressed a lot in the past few decades but—unbelievable as it may sometimes be—models are still just flesh and blood.

Except for this one.

This winsome young android is Japan’s answer to America’s endless supply of cheesecake: a semi-lifelike real doll, capable of touring a runway, shuddering rhythmically, and lifting up to five tons.

Something tells us Heidi is not exactly shaking in her boots.

See a video of the android in action»

We’ve gushed about Japan’s N.Hoolywood before, but this is the first time we’ve seen a runway show, and we’re cautiously excited.

There are a few too many synthetics and a few too many Blade Runner moments, but they nail the Old Hollywood look better than anyone else we’ve run across. It’s also the first time we’ve seen varsity jackets sharing rack space with patterned ponchos, which suggests they might want to give their muse a tighter leash next time around. But in all, it’s a pretty promising bit of work.

Take a look around»

Even though you’ll almost never see them on shelves, Japanese lines are worth a look or two for the ways they comment on stateside style—both on purpose and by accident.

This S/S 09 line from Japan’s Lounge Lizard is the perfect example. They give the usual khaki and denim a pleasantly washed out flavor, along with a few salmon-colored jackets just faded enough to work. Throw in a Browne-ish striped suit, and you’ve got yourself a collection that’s foreign enough to .

And while they might be inappropriately indulging in the deep V-neck…we’ll forgive them just this once.

See the rest of the line»

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.

The performance parka has a lot of potential—especially now that we’re headed into the rainy season—but so far nobody’s been willing to put their chips behind an ultra-high end version. At least nobody outside of Japan…

Visvim deal in goretex rather than the more trendy waxed cotton, but there’s still some serious tailoring involved. This poncho splices the intricate check in just about every way possible, keeping things just this side of optical illusion, and add in a cigarette pouch on the sleeve for good measure.

Of course, that still doesn’t mean stateside shoppers are ready to line up for ponchos costing upwards of $500…but stranger things have happened.

See more of visvim»

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.

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.

It’s official. Workwear has entered its baroque period…or at least Japanese workwear.

This linen blend fishing vest from the Japanese brand Mean might be the perfect example. There’s a reason we haven’t seen one before: If you tried to take it fishing, it would soak through from the tiniest splash. Linen is probably the least rugged material available, which is one of the many reasons it hasn’t found its way into workwear just yet.

In other words, someone is having some fun with us…

All is explained»

No sooner had we gushed about the impeccable mystique of the Japanese bagmakers at Porter than we caught wind of their latest creation: a mesh gym bag.

It’s not a bad item—in fact, it’s probably one of the better gym bags we’ve seen—but nothing punctures mystique like cotton mesh. We were hoping for a catalog full of sleek black briefcases and seamless nylon bags. Adding a string-strapped semi-tote to their repertoire makes the whole enterprise seem a whole lot less monolithic.

On the other hand, you’ll still have to pay for it in yen, so we’d say their cult brand cred is still firmly intact.

The ironic pirate look has taken on a new meaning in the past couple weeks, but if the design for your latest pop-up shop is already in the bag, you may be stuck with a morbidly timely décor.

BAPE is more invested in ironic cachet than most brands, and it looks like it finally backfired on them. Their latest pop-up just debuted in Nagano with enough Disnefied pirate booty to stage Peter Pan, and we’re betting there are at least a few marketing folks wishing they’d gone with the “astronaut” look this time around.

Take a look around»

The office chair has been around roughly as long as the office and, give or take an Aeron, surprisingly little has changed. Of course, that’s just what designers are for…

New York’s Design Week just staggered to a close—the curious can check out Core77’s coverage—and this low-riding chair called the Luxos from Okamura caught our eye. All the cushions are right where you remember them, but the whole thing is about a foot lower to the ground, giving you a more reclined approach to the workday.

There’s a matching desk to keep everything in perspective, but so far it’s not quite clear whether it’ll inspire more productivity or just more naptime. Maybe both?

See the Luxos in action»

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 one of the great ironies of modern fashion that many of the great homegrown brands like Porter release all their best gear in Japan. And, despite their move to Mexico, Converse is no exception.

Hypebeast just rounded up Converse’s ’09 collection, and we’re already considering expatriation. Except for Mr. Varvatos, the stateside models have been downright drab lately…but apparently it’s a very different story across the Pacific.

The Japanese line Whereabouts just sent around pics of their F/W 09 collection, and they would appear to be fully in the grips of our favorite decade, the 1970s.

This woodsy look was what caught our eye most immediately, but there are also Bjorn Borg-ish v-necks, velvet blazers and something that looks an awful lot like a leisure suit. The look isn’t a full blown trend just yet, but with a few sunglasses and little help from Scott Sternberg, it will be soon enough.

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.

Japanese workwear is one of our most rewarding obsessions, so we’re always interested in the latest crop.

Luckily, we just got a peek at a few Spring/Summer 2010 items from the folks at Post Overalls, and it’s enough to get our depression-era nostalgia going one more time. There’s a Suzuki-esque vest, an unstructured white jacket and a full complement of busy vintage patterns. Our favorite is the leafy green button-up…but it’s a crowded field.

See more from Post Overalls»

Mind-boggling surrealism is nothing new in Japanese ads, but it usually tends to the hyperactive, instead of the meditatively crazy.

This Softbank spot comes from Spike Jonze and it seems to have caught him in the middle of a domestic streak. It focuses on the strangely tender relationship between the paternal Brad Pitt and his charge, an infantile Sumo wrestler. We’ve watched it five times now, and for some reason we can’t look away. We’re not sure if it’s the relationship we want with our bank, but it’s nice to see Mr. Jolie show his non-bloodthirsty side.

See the spot»

Tom Ford hasn’t popped up on our radar too much lately—something about the movie business—but his latest Fall/Winter collection recently arrived shops around the world, and Japan’s SENSE magazine put together an impeccably styled editorial spread to remind us why we were so excited about it to begin with.

This windowpaned gentleman, for instance, has taught us to stop worrying and love the loud suit. The colorful tie, the boots and the blublocker-esque aviators all suggest a kind of flash the fashion world doesn’t have nearly enough of. Hopefully Mr. Ford won’t find Hollywood too tempting.

The Pompadour Rises Again: This is as threatening as Natalie Portman has ever looked, including when she was waving a pistol around. [Fashion Gone Rogue]

Just in Time for Movember: An in-depth interview with John Oates and some other guy. [A.V. Club]

Japan Wins Again: Behold the strangely transfixing trailer for a game called My Boyfriend is the President. [Gizmodo]

Take This Broken Menswear and Learn to Fly: Valet sits down with the mastermind behind our second favorite Northwestern boutique, Blackbird. [Valet]

As you may have noticed from certain streetwear blogs, a troubling amount of the really cool stuff in the world is sold exclusively in Japan. But lately, we’re starting to suspect it’s some kind of international conspiracy.

This pack, for instance, isn’t from some obscure hermit-like artisan, or even a brand like Engineered Garments that’s trying to retain cred by letting their gear trickle out in distant markets. It’s from Fred Perry, everyone’s favorite mass-market chav. And while they’ve made some sweet shirts in their time, we didn’t think they were capable of anything like this—certainly not for under 500 bucks to boot.

If we were their brand manager, we’d put one of these in every store, and shout from the rooftops that they’ve finally found a good waxed cotton source. Instead, they dump it off in a limited run in Tokyo and leave Mother England and Her Former Colonies in the lurch.

It’s like they’re taunting us.

Hulu just got a lot cooler. As part of Criterion’s foray onto the free streaming site, they’re hosting six of the famous Zatoichi movies, free of charge. It’s a pretty fantastic move—and Criterion deserves all the buzz it’s getting—but it’s leading to a very understandable question: Who the hell is Zatoichi?

At the risk of gushing, he’s basically awesomeness personified»