Attn: L.L. Bean Signature Summer 2010 Arrivals

While many of us wait patiently to see what Alex Carleton has cooked up for F/W, L.L. Bean Signature has just gotten a fresh shot in the arm with a handful of summer arrivals.  Highlighted by some wonderful outerwear (sweaters, blazers) the vibe that made Signature the talk of the blogosphere is alive and well.  You can check out all the new gear here.  It's safe to say the Day Sailor sweater, complete with contrasting blue trim, is making its way into my closet as we speak.  This should be enough to hold me over until the leaves start falling.

-L.A.S

L.L. Bean Waxed Cotton Rucksacks

Just like when I do any post on bags I lead off with this disclaimer in some form or another - I really could care less about bags and whatnot so it takes a lot for me to get worked up.  That brings me to these really impressive waxed cotton rucksacks currently being sold by L.L. Bean.

No argument for or against masculinity needs to be made when talking about rucksacks.  Unlike with various totes or carry-alls, the rucksack's badass ruggedness speaks for itself.  Both of these numbers are done up in waxed cotton and fit the aforementioned bill.  I guess what made these post worthy in the first place was their surprising pricepoints.  Not that L.L. Bean isn't always an affordable option no matter what you are looking to purchase, but the blogosphere has conditioned me to expect stuff like this to cost around $300+.  Well done, L.L. Bean, well done.

-L.A.S

Gant S/S 2010

With all the talk about their Rugger collection and their big time collaboration with designer extraordinaire Michael Bastian lest we not forget that Gant has a main line as well.  It's very different than the two aforementioned lines (or "ranges" as they call them), but stays true to the Gant aesthetic - well tailored, goods rooted in American style with a healthy does of European influence.  The S/S 2010 collection finds itself falling into two categories. The first of which is heavily nautically centered and inspired, while the remainder seems focused on colorful woven and tailored goods.  Overall, it's a wearable, well executed effort that plays it relatively safe - sometimes a little more fashion than style and sometimes a watered down Ralph Lauren.

-L.A.S

Persols And Boulders

Do yourself a favor and watch Sexy Beast (2000) sometime. It's one of the all-time great British flicks and Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley are absolutely superb as per usual.  It also features arguably my favorite opening scene ever - all I'll say is Persols and boulders.

-L.A.S

Attn: Michael Bastian White Jeans on eBay

If you've made up your mind that white jeans are for you, but you're still not sure what kind to get you might want to check out these "new", as in unworn, Michael Bastian white jeans being hawked on eBay as we speak.  The top rated seller has a 32, 34 and 36 up for $160 a pop compared to their $435 retail price.  I am not sure exactly what season these are from but they look great.  The back pockets have a flap closure and are pleated, which is a nice touch that separates them from your standard 501's or what have you.  These are easily some of the most luxurious white jeans around so if you need some new pants before you take your yacht out to sea for that manatee safari you have planned this summer I would pull the trigger no questions asked.

-L.A.S

Attn: WWM Front Pocket Shorts On Sale

Yoox is always adding a ton of new gear to their website each season so it can be difficult to keep up with all the good stuff before it sells out.  Luckily for anyone in search for some new shorts I just stumbled upon a pretty great deal on some Woolrich Woolen Mills front pocket shorts.  With two versions currently on sale, a shorter safari/bush style and a longer cargo style, most people should be covered regardless of personal tastes.  The various front pocket pants and shorts Daiki designs for WWM are always my favorite and when you can get them for around 100 bucks, well, that's just a flat out steal.  If you haven't already, head over to Yoox and take a quick browse.  There is some seriously crazy stuff to snipe, but be wary of their terrible styling.  They have a curious habit of making awesome items look like garbage.  Happy hunting.

-L.A.S

Lusting After: Nike x A.P.C. All Court

Some of you might remember this collaboration between Nike and A.P.C. from springtime last year, but these shoes are too clean not to revisit for a quick second.  The All Court model was first introduced by Nike in 1975 and served as a precursor to what would later be referred to as "cross trainers".  Before the idea of a multi sport shoe became common place within modern sneaker lexicon, this was Nike's attempted to create a shoe you could wear for all your athletic pursuits.  Apparently this shoe was perfect for A.P.C. because of its "simple, sophisticated clean lines" and fit right in with their unisex and simple brand strategy - I can't say I disagree one bit.  The All Court, to me, always seemed to be Nike's response to the Jack Purcell sneaker (purchased by Converse in the mid 70's) and one look at the rubber toe cap seems to confirm this.  Add the JP's signature "smile" to the All Court and you have a pretty much identical shoe.  This doesn't bother me at all considering how much I love tennis style and the All Court is right up there with some of my other favorite canvas shoes that get a lot of face time on Sart Inc.  These babies are hard to track down today, but they do pop up on eBay for a little under their original retail price of $150.  The collabo came in a few classic colorways, with my favorite being the red and white.  Lots of people struggle with the idea of all red kicks as they can be perceived as quite gaudy, but the red accents on this version of the All Court are perfectly understated, much like most of A.P.C.'s renowned gear.

-L.A.S