The highlight for me are these roughout suede chukkas and I’m torn between getting a pair of these and the unlined chukka boots on the Leydon last.

* J.Crew has picked up some Seil Marchall bags to add to their growing list of 3rd party products. The Spring/Summer 11 lookbook has also been released.

* Pictures of Victim’s Spring/Summer 2011 collection are now available.

* Tailoring house Anderson & Sheppard has an interesting blog going which follows the work of many of the apprentices.

* Imogene+Willie has a new online shop.

* End Clothing has a preview of a few SS11 items from Universal Works on its flickr page.

* Très Bien and Pete Anderson visit NYC.

* The WSJ recently had an article on those small shirt collars. The truth is that they suck because you can’t get a good roll out of them.

* Engineered Garments FWK Spring Summer 2011 pictures have been released.

* Pictures of SS11 collections for the other Nepenthes brands are also now on its website.

* More importantly, Bond 23 is back on schedule for release in 2012.

There are also lots of other cool stuff available including Andrew Zuckerman’s Creature book, Caran d’Ache crayons, and a Schleich T-Rex toy.

Even the neighborhood cat was interested.

Two absurdities: expensive cashmere socks and the high markup on copies of My Rugged 211 (see my previous review).

Weekend update! There are two interesting items shown in the current catalog that are not available online (yet). The first is the Regent peacoat made with wool from Fox Brothers. The item number is 31725F and the cost is $595.

Update 2: It’s now online.

The second is a zip cardigan from Inverallan. Item number is 34128F and the cost is $395.

Update 3: This is now online too, only a size 38 left.

Other Reviews and Photos

Tyler Thoreson for Gilt Manual:

The tone-on-tone riff on the classic toggle coat, right, was a true standout, and I’m certainly not about to argue with the footwear, which was made by the Massachusettes-based brand Alden. Those now-signature oxblood Alden for J.Crew brogues were were in full effect, but the dirty bucks below were my favorite. Note the metal grommets, which bring an industrial edge to the Southern staple.

L. Ruano for Hypebeast:

Amongst the highlights for J.Crew’s upcoming campaign was a steady dose of slim cut blazers, plenty of knits, outerwear, and footwear collaborations. Colors were keep muted for the most part, focusing on a nice array of blues paired with grey and khaki tones.

Expect to see more info show up tomorrow and through the weekend!

Other interesting pieces include corduroy shirts and a down parka (maybe a good alternative to one of those Nigel Cabourn parkas, if you don’t want to spend $2k).

Update: There are now some extra Mister Freedom pieces, the return of the deck jacket and the new chiller vest.

An LL Bean chamois cloth shirt in the Signature line catalog. Their copy says that it was first introduced in 1933, but I’ve seen references that state that LL Bean first introduced chamois cloth shirts around 1927-28 – perhaps they’re referring to a particular version of the shirt? The design has supposedly not changed much over the years.

Update: Here’s an explanation on the difference in years (click on the chamois cloth shirt image).

Made of thick brushed cotton to mimic the supple feel of chamois leather, ”Bean’s Leatherette Shirt” first appeared in a Fall 1927 catalog. Five years later it returned as the Chamois Cloth Shirt, and as Leon Leonwood told his customers, ”This is the shirt I personally use on all my hunting and fishing trips.”

In the coming decades L.L.Bean would introduce dozens of chamois shirts, varying the styling and colors slightly to keep up with changing times. This model harks back to the original.

So, same shirt, but with a different name.

J.Crew’s new version in their utility shirt cut, it’s much better fitting if you’re not looking for an overshirt.

Old magazine ads for chamois cloth shirts – just about all outdoor clothing companies made them.

I don’t know what they were thinking with these $350 patchwork chinos of theirs though. They don’t even look good.

I’ve always purchased a few pairs every year since they first introduced them, thinking that it would be good to have backups just in case holes start to develop in my worn pairs, but as of yet none have done so. All they need to do now is to make versions of these in wool.

My recommendation: don’t buy, and splurge on something nicer instead.

Update: I just tried to put an order through for the navy tweed sportcoat and they’re already out of stock in my size. Why does it feel like I continually run into inventory problems with J.Crew? It’s even worse in their retail stores.

A chamois utility shirt.

Ludlow sportcoat in navy herringbone tweed.

Lots of great knitwear, I’ll be picking up several of the turtlenecks this season.

Shawl collar cardigans – still nothing in navy though.

A fair isle crewneck.

Now all I need is a free shipping code.

Button on the back of the collar.

Except for the crepe soles, these remind me a bit of the roughout boots worn by some servicemen during WW2.

Below, an example of one being worn from Ralph Lauren. These types of buckles are usually very small (about an 1″ or so in height), but they provide a nice visual break for your clothing when worn. The other benefit to these is that the leather straps can be easily switched out with other colors/materials.

A few buckle options available to purchase online:
- Sid Mashburn, $175. Also available in a lesser expensive brass.
- Brooks Brothers, $228.
- Tiffany & Co, $215.
- Ralph Lauren, $150.

Both Brooks Brothers and Sid Mashburn sell the needed 1″ leather belt straps.

How do you come up with novelty, given the inherent limits of men’s wear?
Men’s wear is almost like a framework. All the shapes are there and you can tweak them, but you have to keep it understandable. You want a guy to recognize it. There are only so elements you can play with. That’s a challenge, but it’s also what I find interesting.

Which artists inspire you?
Many. [Constantin] Brancusi, Fairfield Porter – he’s a great American painter. The Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen – I love his clean lines. The photography of Irving Penn… I also look at nature. I love the California coast – Big Sur, Muir Woods. I’ve always been a bit of an outdoorsy guy, and that translates well [in my designs]. Nothing is too precious or too elegant – there should always be a tougher, masculine edge to it.

Who are your style icons?
They’re all dead, but I love Montgomery Clift and how he dressed, Jacques Cousteau’s striped Ts, The Clash, and Brancusi – he had great style. With people like this, it seemed more genuine, less thought out. There were no hair and makeup people. It’s hard to see personal style anymore.

What’s up next?
For fall, we have Crescent Down Works and Russell Moccasins. [Russell's] factory is about as big as this room, and their process has been in place for such a long time now. It makes me appreciate the craftmanship even more because you know what’s behind it.

On a side note, the first issue of Menswear is pretty decent and has some interesting profiles on several different designers and companies along with current industry trends – pick it up at your local Barnes & Noble. I know I’ve spent six dollars on worse things.

Related post: Frank Muytjens in Free & Easy

See previously: J.Crew Fall/Winter 2010 Presentation. Secret Forts had some extra scans up as well.

Also new is a video from the presentation where they highlight a jacket made from blue tweed – an unusual fabric today that was more common decades ago (it’s easy to find vintage J.Press jackets made with it in fact, along with other unusual patterns).

And in other J.Crew news:

- it was announced today in WWD that J.Crew will be working with Imogene + Willie, a high-end line based out of Nashville. Read more on imogeneandwillie.blogspot.com.

- browsing their website today, you might notice that J.Crew has added a new chat feature where you can talk with sales specialists – this is a great idea and will be very convenient to get answers right away instead of having to call. Look for the “chat now” button on the top right corner of the page to see if someone is available.

More companies should take advantage of these types of technologies if they have the resources and staffing available to do so.

On a side note, I’ve been wearing my Selima Rivington’s more often lately and I’ve come to appreciate their lighter weight compared my Persol’s – thinking I might like another pair in tortoise, I was surprised to see that J.Crew is now charging $75 more for them than they were a year ago. I don’t know the reason behind the increase, but it seems they were priced more competitively in sub $250 market as they’re better made than Wayfarers, but are not quite as good as Oliver Peoples.

I was originally looking forward to getting a pair of the 484 version back when they were due to arrive in spring, but with fall/winter shipments starting in just a few weeks I will probably wait until next year before buying any more jeans.

A Stetson made for Brooks Brothers with a nicely colored band.

An open weave center dent style fedora sold by Brooks Brothers, made in Italy.

A straw trilby from J.Crew with a narrow brim. These are pretty average on the quality scale and are made in China – however, if you’re on a budget or just need a hat that you don’t want to worry about, these are not a bad buy.

And here’s a true panama hat that they’re also selling. These were marketed towards women, but could be worn be men as well (it was even featured in Monocle a couple of issues back). Having checked one out in store, the only problem I have with it is that the brim does not hold its shape well.

A rather nice one from Borsalino, an Italian maker – it’s only unfortunate that they stamped their logo on the band (not something you’d expect on any hat that costs over $100).

Some more models made or sold by Stetson (their panama hats are made in Ecuador and finished here in the U.S.). You’ll probably notice that they brand their hats as well, but unlike Borsalino, the logos are either just a simple pin or label attached with a light adhesive that are meant to be taken off easily.

When I first received the shirt I was also surprised by the detailing that J.Crew put into it, which are comparable to the same details found in work shirts made by companies like Engineered Garments and RRL.

The smaller cigarette style flap pocket. The bottom portion is not sewn down which allows you to put stuff in it without it pulling on the fabric around it.

The larger tool pocket. There is a separate working partition for a pencil or pen.

There is a hidden button underneath the bottom of the placket on front of the shirt, which allows it to keep a vintage inspired look without loosing the functionality of a modern shirt. It would be cool to see Engineered Garments do something like this on their 19th century button down shirts.

The seams along the sides and sleeves are triple stitched.

The cuffs are squared off instead of rounded, and there are two double pleats instead of one. Another vintage inspired detail.

Hidden holes under the collar to button it down. The throat latch is really the only detail I don’t care for.

If you don’t want to spend $150 or more on work shirts from other companies, J.Crew’s utility shirt offers a great value at just under $100.

The catalog cover for June is also pretty good for once, and it has a sort of Monocle style photoshoot look to it.

J.Crew has also added new items to their spring sale: it wouldn’t be a bad time to pick out shorts if you needed any.

And lastly, Rugby marked down some of their inventory 25-50% as part of their insider sale.

Update: J.Press starts their sale tomorrow on May 7th. Use code PSMAY10 for 25% off at checkout.

The only thing that’s missing that I was looking forward too are the special Warehouse jeans, but hopefully those will show up within a few weeks.

I can think of a couple good scenarios that it would be nice to have a light cardigan like this, but I don’t really live any of those out (so back to the store it goes). Recommendation: Don’t buy.

I should have really just ponied up for Albam’s version when they were still in stock.

They’re also available in a pen stripe pattern.