Tuesday, January 5, 2010

First Look: Will Leather Goods

AC who works for ENK Shows was nice enough to give me a first look at a new leather goods company that is debuting at their trade shows later this month.  Bill Adler has been in the leather business for quite sometime, but Will Leather Goods represents his contemporary line, which is as heritage inspired as it is forward thinking.  Here some of the words and images from the literature AC sent over:

"Bill Adler has been designing handcrafted belts from full-grain leathers and unique metals since 1981. Specialty techniques, embellishments and buckle finishes have created a lasting impression.

The Will Since 1981 line raises this artistry to another level. Soft, hand-distressed Italian leather, vegetable tanning, and antique patinas combine in each stunning piece. As denim transcends generations, so does our enduring style."














Spirit Leatherworks
3215 Meadow Lane
Eugene, OR 97402
1.877.467.0436
www.billadlerdesign.com

-L.A.S

Special thanks to AC for thinking of me and sending this over.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Always Strapped

I've got some more watch strap goodness for you guys...NATO (by Maratac) straps are highly coveted, but are often tough to find.  Even when you come across a stock of them, you're more than likely going to be limited in your options with only the solid military styles represented.  Thankfully Gnomon Watches has the hook-up.  These guys not only have the obvious selections, but a bunch of great regimental stripes choices as well (the most popular being the "James Bond" model).  I know I post about watch straps constantly, but I am becoming a bit of a fanatic.  After checking out some of these maybe you'll join me.  All straps seen below and more available here ($14 +).

And for some more info. about the straps themselves: 

"NATO Straps are made from straight weaved nylon with solid polished 316L stainless steel buckle and strap keepers. Quality made with laser welded joints. All edges and holes are laser sealed as well for a no frill no rough edges finish. All NATO straps come with an extra flap that rest behind the watch."


 
 
 
 
 
 

-L.A.S

The Bean Boot Project: A Teriffic Life Guest Post

Submissions are still trickling in and I can't think of a better time as temperatures approach frigid even in my neck of the woods (I wore this badboy all day).  Mr. Aaron Kirsch, fellow Debonair Magazine contributor and blogger, sent over his own personal history with the Bean Boot and pics of his brand new pair.  Aaron, besides having one of the best named blogs in the business, has been a reader and commenter at Sartorially Inclined for a very long time and runs a pretty swell blog in his own right.  I am happy to present his submission after what can be best described as me begging him to send his thoughts over for quite some time.

"I grew up in a rich suburb of Boston and attended private schools with dress codes my entire life. My father and mother are big fans of L.L. Bean, whenever I am at home I check out the latest catalog. As children, my siblings and I all had the initial monogrammed backpacks, chinos, jackets and last but not least the Bean Boots. All of this stuff was bought for its utility; these items worked. My parents also appreciated the iron-clad guarantee that Bean on its products. Not until college did I begin to care much about style, and low and behold L.L. Bean items still get heavy play in my wardrobe's rotation, for BOTH style and utility.

The Bean duck boots are arguably the best footwear for New England winters in our rural, suburban or even urban settings. Slush is where the boots shine. In Boston, the weather is pretty volatile, it could be snowing New Year's Eve and 55 degrees a couple days later and then back to the negatives. This volatilitycreatres snow, then slush, then ice and all three of those conditions are when I bring out my Bean boots, and they never let me down. My current pair has Goretex and Thinsulate to keep my feet dry and warm and the rubber tread keeps me on my feet rather than on my ass.

Not only does the Bean boot perform, but it is also pretty stylish, in its own rugged way. Not only those of us who romatincize the outdoorsy, backwoods, Maine look (Pop up Flea crowd HOLLA!) dig the boot, but those of us (and our parents) who simply want traditional men's and women's clothing that lasts regardless of what's on the cover of GQ and in the boutiques on Soho and Brooklyn. The colour of the leather and the contrasting rubber goes with everything, even a suit for those slushy commutes from Commuter Rail Station at South Station to one's place of employment."


-L.A.S

[Note: Head here for the project's backstory. Also, If you are reading this and I requested a submission from you or if you would just like to participate please feel free to submit (contact via email). Your participation, as always, is still much anticipated and appreciated.] 

Spring Anoraks

If there ever was outerwear for your warm weather jaunts it would have to be a lightweight anorak.  Breezy California style is embodied in these hooded numbers and when aiming to layer in the upcoming months this should be a go to.  When topping off that uniform of a white tee, cuffed chino shorts, Vans and a pair of shades grab an anorak like those shown below.  You'll be simultaneously channeling The Beach Boys and 80's skate/surf rats before you know it.  If your goal isn't to be the most gnarly dude with the most radical gear when the temperature peaks then I guess you can skip the rest of this post.  Hopefully as S/S '10 lines start rolling out there will be plenty of options to choose from in a range of prices and I will be sure to highlight them over here as they pop up.


 







-L.A.S

[Editor's Note: First anorak via Prepidemic Magazine's Club Monaco Spring 2010 preview.]

Bastard Barracuda Pt. II




[Pictured: Merc Harrington jacket starting from $121.00.]

After some of the comments from yesterday's post I figured I should head back to the drawing board per se.  Apparently there are a few other options when looking for an affordable Baracuta G9 Harrington alternative.  I need to thank my readers for opening my eyes to the offerings from both Merc and Ben Sherman.  If you are going based on some of the praise thrown around, these two options are quite impressive and should also fit into your budget assuming you don't mind dealing with shipping and exchange rates.  Merc has some crazy plaid options and a firetruck red version I talked about previously, while Ben Sherman keeps it pretty standard with the usual solids.  Also be sure to check out these two Ben Sherman x Baracuta G9 Harrington Jackets for the ultimate high/low statement, but act fast because at $121 they are a steal.

When all else fails, just remember W.W.M.W? 100% foolproof.


 

-L.A.S

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Bastard Barracuda




[Pictured: Gap Barracuda Jacket available for $79.50.]

Sorry for the excessively harsh title, but what can I say...I am a slave for alliteration.  My brother just put me on to this new offering from Gap and at the very least it is an interesting take on the original Baracuta jacket.  I won't deny that this is pretty much a straight steeze bite on Gap's part, but with the price (and just flat out coolness) of the original I can't really blame them.  Baractua rip-offs are nothing new, but this is by far one of the better ones I have seen.  The details aren't really all there, but according to my brother, who ended up buying one, the jacket is pretty awesome in person.  This version apparently swaps out the traditional plaid lining for something of the cotton/chambray variety, which is a nice way to try and differentiate itself.  Also of note is the zippered detachable collar, though I am not sure why anyone would want to change up a pretty essential detail to the whole jacket.

While the original is something that has been on my wishlist for a long time I am not sure if I can find it in myself to drop the coin usually required to snag one of these.  Even scouring the annals of eBay will still turn up some pretty pricey numbers so this might be the way to go.  For whatever reason (saving a shred of credibility?) Gap decided against producing a firetruck red version, which would normally be my first choice as far as colorways are concerned.  The Gap jacket comes in both a khaki and navy version and could easily be your go to outerwear in the moderate temperatures of both fall and spring.  I guess at the end of the day while this jacket is the red headed step child of a classic it doesn't necessarily deserve to be handcuffed to the furnace in the basement.



-L.A.S

Salmon Sneaks



[Pictured: J. Crew x Sperry Topsider CVO sneaker available for $75.00.]

The idea of Nantucket red anything didn't really enter my mind until college.  All the southern gents and frat dogs seemed to rock it so well that it didn't take long before I was sold.  Some guys look at Nantucket red and see pink, but as far as I am concerned their is not a better shade of any color (sans white which isn't a "color" anyway) when it comes to S/S wears.  Case in point are these new Sperry sneaks available at J. Crew.  All the new S/S gear is starting to roll out and these shoes (also available in a "birch" colorway) are part of Sperry's 75th anniversary collection.  The rest of the kicks are so-so in my opinion, but this pair is a stalwart.  I've been thinking a lot about "salmon sneaks" (thanks in part to this post by ADG, one of the best dressed gents on the information superhighway), but had a little trouble finding the right pair.  These classic canvas joints are just what I am looking for and will go real well paired up with some seersucker shorts, a white crewneck tee and some shades.  Everyone in the blogoshere has been all over clean white sneaks for a while, and while I endorse this move as well, it never hurts to add something a little different to break things up.  When looking for summer sneaks I'm either going the JFK route or 80's skate rat route. These fall squarely into the former.

-L.A.S