30th Century Man

The Rig Out, a popular men's style zine in our little community, presents their first foray into film.  30th Century Man is a collaboration between various individuals who are as unique as they are similar, at least in the asethetic sense - photographer Antony Crook, stylist Glenn Kitson, world-record breaking cyclist James Bowthorpe and Scottish band Mogwai.  Read all about the project below, which features clothing from Woolrich Woolen Mills' spectacular F/W 2010 collection.

"Last summer, photographer Antony Crook, stylist Glenn Kitson and world-record breaking cyclist James Bowthorpe found themselves in the isolated Norwegian countryside in the middle of the night. 'It was August and we were so far north that the sun never set. We found ourselves in this incredible landscape in the bright sun at 2am with nobody there,' says Crook, who was there with Bowthorpe and Kitson on a shoot for men’s style zine The Rig Out in collaboration with fashion label Woolen Woolrich Mills and menswear store Oi Polloi. 'Glenn and I had seen an outfit from the collection by Daiki Suzuki for Woolrich Woolen Mills. It was when seeing that outfit that we first visualized James cycling on a road in twilight.' He shot the film based on this image and Bowthorpe’s incredible solo journey around the globe. 'I wanted the film to somehow give a sense of what James had achieved and the idea of him being alone, so I thought of shooting somewhere wild and isolated.'

Crook was working with Mogwai at time and the band had sent him some new demo tracks when he was in Norway. Listening to How to be a Werewolf? on repeat while driving around looking for locations, he says, 'I was immediately drawn to this track of the demo because it seemed to fit perfectly with the landscape.' When the band members from Mogwai saw the footage, they decided to remix the song, tailoring a version of it for the completed film.

The result is moving image that captures the abstract notion of circumnavigating the earth, a journey from beginning to beginning. 'We found the perfect backdrop to tell this story of somebody who points his bike at the horizon and then doesn't stop pedaling. It's a film about never giving up,' says Crook."


The Rig Out - 30 Century Man from Antony Crook on Vimeo.

-L.A.S

Engineered Garments Silk Patchwork Neckties

Absolutely not for the faint of heart, Engineered Garment's F/W 2010 silk patchwork neckties are typical Daiki - classic ideas matched with an inventiveness most designers aspire to.  Context has stocked 6 distinctive models, each one as batshit crazy as the next.  The reason I dig these or, at the very least, appreciate them is due to the fact that these ties makes patchwork F/W ready.  Normally you are not going to see patchwork anything outside of S/S, which is a shame for those of us who appreciate a certain go to hell sensibility.  Accessories like this are surely not for everyone, but if you've got the cojones a silk patchwork tie makes a nice statement piece for the colder months ahead.

-L.A.S

Attn: Grenson Online Shop

I'm not sure how many of you guys were patiently waiting for it to launch, but Grenson's online shop is now open for business.  I'm also not sure how many of you guys need a new pair of shit kickers, but this would probably be a good place to start.  Grenson knows how to make both seriously classic and more "forward" footwear so, no matter what you're currently looking for/lusting after, your tastes should be accounted for.

-L.A.S

Sartorial Summer Etiquette

Thomas Riley of P.JOHNSON Tailors gives us an Aussie's look at sartorial summer etiquette.  Geographical differences aside, pretty much everything in this video is gospel as far as I am concerned.  I know S/S is probably the last thing on your mind right now, but I'll be damned if this this isn't a primer for a dapper summer.  Shout out to the great Ethan Desu for tipping me off to this one.


Sartorial Summer Etiquette from Daniel Hartley-Allen on Vimeo.

-L.A.S

Dear J. Crew

Dear J. Crew,

There are two things you probably don't know about me: 1. I wear your camp socks exclusively during these colder months, so props on that and 2. I'm not as big of a sweater-phile as these other bloggers.  Anyhow, I recently got a pair of your new lightweight marled cotton/acrylic/nylon made in the USA socks in authentic red.  Obviously, they are now my favorite pair of socks I have ever owned.  My question is this, can you guys make a sweater out of these?  I don't care if it's the same fabric blend or 100% wool.  That doesn't matter to me.  What matters is getting more of this incredible marled "authentic red" in my wardrobe.  Seriously, it is that boss in person, but you probably already knew that.  I'm thinking a boatneck knit or maybe a crewneck.  But, ultimately, that doesn't really matter either.  If you guys can make that happen I'd pay handsomely for the results.  I'll keep my eyes peeled, but won't hold my breath.

Cheers,
Lawrence

Gift Ideas For That Dude Who Owns Way Too Many Shoes

This time last year I rolled out an entire holiday gift guide and while I would love to do something similar I do not have remotely the patience or time to compile something similar.  Instead, I will highlight a few things here and there that I think would make great, affordable gifts for either yourself or any of your style obsessed loved ones.  Today I want to highlight two necessary accessories from Duluth Trading Co. for that guy you know who owns way too many shoes.  Of all the guys I know that would, unfortunately, be me so my word is bond on this one.  Both of these items, a leather shoe horn and cedar shoe trees, are great because, as many of you probably already know, they will help extend the lifespan of your shoes (kinda like those Dainite soles I just talked about).  For items that are so important to shoe upkeep I'm always surprised how many guys lack them.  So, why not help him out?  Duluth is great because they bring the quality and don't assassinate you on price.  The shoe horn and shoe trees are great value items that few guys buy themselves and that right there is the perfect definition of a gift.

-L.A.S

Sole Power

If you're up in the northeast today you already know how shitty the weather is.  This got me thinking about various footwear options for this time of year.  Most of you guys are familiar with my very public love affair with Bean boots, but not everyone shares my sentiments.  And, quite frankly, I don't work in an environment that even allows me to wear Bean boots to work, or any type of rugged footwear for that matter.  If you find yourself in a similar bind or with an aesthetic lean towards "hardbottom" shoes, let me implore you to pick up a pair of shoes complete with a Dainite sole.  Dainite are famous for their studded rubber soles, which have been made in England since 1834.  Most guys who care about clothing balk when they hear the term "rubber sole", as they very well should.  Rubber soles, over time, have become analogous with shit quality "dress" shoes made by blind child slaves with one arm overseas in countries ravaged by civil unrest.  These soles, often glued onto shoes, are main offenders that need to be avoided.  Dainite's soles couldn't be more different - they trade out carbon black for Silica and aluminum silicate and are welted to the high end shoes they often grace.  Long story short, there is not a finer, more highly recommended rubber sole that I know of.  So let's get down to brass tacks, why the hell should you buy a pair of F/W shoes with a Dainite sole? Well, for starters, they don't look like rubber soles.  That next level rubber science mumbo jumbo I mentioned earlier yields such a high quality sole that Dainite's rubber soles could be easily mistaken for something much "nicer" (my own Dainite clad shoes often have).  Their heft and look makes these a form purchase as much as a functional one.  Then there are the obvious benefits of a rubber sole - traction, durability, comfort, blah, blah, blah.  When it's raining or snowing this time of year you would be an absolute fool to break out your leather soled gems.  Water damage, along with the various other stuff all over the place (i.e. gravel), seriously cuts the lifespan of a shoe and that's the last thing you want for your latest and greatest longwings or brogue boots.  You can always buy galoshes, but, let's be honest, that's not always the best look for some of us.  Moral of the story, before you spend that Christmas bonus on some new kicks do yourself a favor and at least think about how you are going to wear your new shoes.  Do you walk to work? Or spend a lot of time outdoors this time of year?  What's the weather like in your neck of the woods?  You get the idea.  Dainite soled shoes can be easily found at many top UK shoe brands (and some US brands such as Rider Boot Co.) since the weather on the other side of the pond sucks.  Something to think about on a rainy day...

-L.A.S