Men’s Clothing | Mister Crew

November 14, 2012

A Hat for the Rain

Lock & Co’s water repellent Rambler hat is perfect for these cold rainy days when the umbrella can be left at home as its Teflon treatment and simple construction makes it ideal for daily use without having to worry about ruining it if rained on or crushed (for traveling, just flatten it and roll it up).

There are some more affordable options out there for this type of hat, but I think Lock & Co’s is about the nicest looking you’ll find. Printed directly inside is the charming Lock & Co Hatters logo (for good reason, it lacks a lining typically found in more formal hats).

An Antique Menswear Dictionary

From a dictionary published in 1908 for members of the tailoring and retail trades:

Armenian cloak – a fashionable overgarment of 1851 composed of one piece of cloth (except for the sewed-on wide turn-over collar) and with no seams except the underarm seam of sleeve and the underarm body-join, the collar and front edges trimmed with velvet or wide braid, and the garment fastened at the neck with cord and tassels.

Bags – slang for trousers.

Crusher – a soft felt hat not hurt if stuft into a bag; much loved of travelers.

Derby sack – a single breasted s. coat with the regular front, with a short under-arm cut terminating in a waistline extending back to the side seam, meeting a body-shaped back part which has a center vent reaching to the made waistline, and finisht with inverted (side) plaits also reaching to the waistline.

Evening dress – the swallowtail and Tuxedo as opposed to frock coats for day dress and sack coats for business and lounge wear; vulgarly “full dress”.

Fashion monger – one who affects scrupulous attention to fashion; a dandy.

Many are still used today, but more interesting are the descriptions and names for esoteric cloths and silks from specific producers that no longer exist. Continue reading more.

October 10, 2012

British Military Uniforms from Contemporary Pictures

More illustrations and paintings via British Military Uniforms from Contemporary Pictures, published in 1957 by author and historian W. Y. Carman.

October 3, 2012

Casual Trousers for Fall

Top: Engineered Garments Desert pants with an updated pocket design. Below: Engineered Garments USN pants, which are great alternative to the Workaday fatigue pants if you find them too loose fitting.

Other good options this season include the half lined Cambridge trousers and the milsurplus styled ground crew pants.

October 2, 2012

Quick Release Belts

Just received in time for autumn: quick release belts from the Worcestershire Leather Company. I was first introduced to these years ago when they were often featured prominently in the early collections from Engineered Garments, and they’re now more commonly sold in Japan under other brand names.

The suede and bridle leathers are fairly strong and among the nicest quality I’ve seen used for heavy duty belts like these (cheap bridle leather in particular is often too stiff and uncomfortable to break in). The unique hardware is also top notch, and the lesser imitations that occasionally show up on second hand markets can’t be compared.

Prices range from £80-85, though you might find one for less on the studio stock sale page.

October 1, 2012

Vintage Menswear

Authored by the men who run the Vintage Showroom in London, Vintage Menswear showcases the highlight pieces of their collection in three main sections: Sports & Leisure, Military, and Workwear. Items are nicely photographed with focus on details that make them unique, and the page layout is similar to the books from Rin Tanaka (who has largely defined this niche area of publishing) – however the authors here improve on the style by expanding a bit on the history of items shown, which is often the largest draw for enthusiasts.

It is also welcoming to see a collection with items sourced mostly from Europe rather than rural America (one can only look at so many pictures of old barn jackets, sweatshirts, and jeans), and it seems every few pages there is an example of a design that has been adopted by Nigel Cabourn or RRL. If you’re interested in vintage clothing and history, this is another great resource to have around. Read more

September 19, 2012

Maintenance and Repairs

The lull in between seasons is a good time to inspect your clothing and accessories for things that can be repaired – when caught early, small holes, tears, and loose stitching can be easily fixed and extend the life of your items. In many cases, a needle and thread can get you pretty far, and even an inexpensive sewing machine can be handy for the more difficult tasks.

One such item of mine that I found in need of a fix was my Superior Labor Engineer bag. Despite lots of wear and tear over the past three years that I’ve had it, it’s still in remarkable shape. The problem I found though, were small tears caused by abrasion in two spots near where the leather strap attaches to the brass o-rings. To fix this, I just simply sewed on small patches of denim.

September 14, 2012

New North Sea Clothing Sweaters

I’ve been shopping around online lately for fall knitwear options and just noticed that North Sea Clothing has updated its site recently with several new versions of its sweaters along with an “Engineer” model based on an older military design. The new releases are timely as I just pulled my favorite Expedition sweater out of storage in anticipation for the colder weather and it’s still holding up strong.

The new “Marine” cable knit version of the Expedition, which I’m pretty enamored with:

August 8, 2012

The Cabourn x Viberg Boots

Being new to Viberg, I was not sure what to expect out of these boots but they’ve quickly become my favorite pair in the month that I’ve had them. Sold as part of Cabourn’s SS12 collection, the small details set these apart and they feel much more sturdy than others.

The leather laces are a nice touch and do not have to be pulled tight (regular fabric laces were provided as well though). The tongue is also stitched up along the sides of the suede uppers preventing it from slipping down, and is something I’d like to see other boot makers do.

Tag view. Some of the nail work can be seen inside as well.

The pre-distressed thick suede leather and Dainite soles have done a great job in Seattle’s weather, and I’m already looking forward to the new Apsley Cherry–Garrard boots that they’re making for the Expedition collection. Viberg’s blog has another preview (also here, and this one too) – hopefully they will be a bit easier to find this time around.

For further viewing and reading:

The Viberg Boot Blog, run by the company.
Down to the Brass Tacks – a short video on Viberg by Inventory.
Viberg Factory photos by Free/Man.

July 31, 2012

Men’s File Issue 7

The latest issue of Men’s File is now available. I’ve been looking forward to this one for a few months now after finding out about the photo shoot for Nigel Cabourn’s new Antarctic Expedition collection (scans on the Cabourn team’s blog).

As usual, Self Edge is a great resource to purchase a copy from if you’re in the U.S. Otherwise, check to see if you might have a local retailer who’s carrying it.

Men's File Issue 7

Mister Crew

A collection of things on men's clothing and culture

Category: Men’s Clothing (page 2 of 74)