Mister Crew

Engineered Garments SS13 at Jack Straw

R.A. Schenck — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:00:36 +0000

With deliveries for spring/summer collections mostly done, I recently stopped into Jack Straw to check out its current selections including the latest from Engineered Garments. Over the past few seasons, the size and assortment of its picks have grown and is now one of the best places to track down items outside of Nepenthes NYC and Bureau of Belfast (EG takes up the entire back area of the store in an impressive display).

My favorite picks from this season include the new driver jacket in iridescent cotton twill, the red plaid bedford jacket, and the reversed sateen olive fatigue pants. In addition to the men’s shipments, they also have a nice capsule collection of the more interesting FWK pieces for women.

Western Shirt Patchwork

R.A. Schenck — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:47:34 +0000

After a couple years of frequent use, my favorite western shirt from Engineered Garments started to show some wear and tear around the elbow areas. I first considered doing a single patch piece for each sleeve, but the high button plackets would have made the placement look awkward – so instead, I took some inspiration from Junya Watanabe’s recent collections and patched up the areas with several different smaller pieces.

Starting the work on the patches using a sewing machine. The fabric was sourced from a local store in Ballard, Drygoods Design, which is a great place to find interesting materials for small DIY projects like this.

One of the two trouble areas. If not patched now it would have quickly become a much larger hole.

Testing the patchwork placement before sewing them down.

Attaching them one piece at a time, late into the night. Some handwork was needed for when the sewing machine would not easily do the job.

And the finished results.

Men’s File Issue 8 + The Transportation Archive

R.A. Schenck — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:45:16 +0000

I’ve been wishing for a book version of the photography featured in Men’s File ever since I first read through Issue 1 several years back – the Transportation Archive is the answer to that, and hopefully it will be part of a larger series down the road. Previously it was a bit difficult to source outside of Europe, but it’s now being carried at Self Edge, along with the latest issue which focuses on denim and workwear.

Everest – The West Ridge

R.A. Schenck — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:24:37 +0000

First published after the successful American Everest Expedition of 1963, Everest – The West Ridge documents the team’s journey with narratives by Thomas Hornbein and awesome photography by several other members of the group. Along with the paperback, there are a few different editions available, the most recent being a 50th Anniversary hardcover version (in a rare yard sale find, I lucked out and found a 1st Edition published by the Sierra Club, which features higher quality prints).

The 1963 expedition became an important part of Everest’s mountaineering history – not just for having Americans make the summit, but for showing that the summit could be made via the West Ridge. Along with the book, it was also documented for National Geographic’s magazine and video series.

Tailoring at the South Pole

R.A. Schenck — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:40:04 +0000

A brief look into some of the clothing designs worn by the men of Robert Scott’s Terra Nova Expedition, found on Google Books in a tailoring journal published in 1913:

“Some Particulars of the Clothing Outfits of the British Antarctic Expedition, Which Were Specially Designed Under the Personal Direction of the late Captain Scott.”

Whatever may have been the cause or causes of the tragic termination of the venture of the devoted band that succeeded in reaching the South Pole, only to find that the object already had been gained by a more fortunate explorer, it seems certain that the special clothing which had been produced in accordance with Captain Scott’s own carefully planned instructions was in no way responsible for the disaster. Both the material and the garments were apparently fully equal to the great and unusual strain to which they were subjected. For, writing from the winter quarters of his ship, the Terra Nova, soon after the arrival of the party at Cape Evans, January 23rd, 1911, Captain Scott expresses his satisfaction with this part of his equipment in a letter to the manufacturers which reads as follows:

Winter Quarters, Cape Evans, 23rd January, 1911

Dear Sirs,
I have much pleasure in informing you that the Mandelberg Wind Proof Clothing and Tent Material supplied by you to this Expedition has been highly satisfactory up to the present. I enclose some photographs showing your clothing and tent material in use in the Antarctic regions which may be of interest to you.

Yours very truly,
R. Scott
Captain R.N. (Commanding British Antarctic Expedition, 1910)

It’s arguable that the more fortunate explorer referenced above, Roald Amundsen, had planned and prepared better (especially with clothing, equipment, and food). Continue reading more.

“Robert Falcon Scott’s Pole party of his ill-fated expedition, from left to right at the Pole: Oates (standing), Bowers (sitting), Scott (standing in front of Union Jack flag on pole), Wilson (sitting), Evans (standing). Bowers took this photograph, using a piece of string to operate the camera shutter.” [wikipedia]

Late Winter Reading

R.A. Schenck — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:00:26 +0000

Hoosh – a well researched and wonderfully written look into the history of Antarctic cuisine.
The Last Viking – the latest (and my most favorite biography) of Roald Amundsen.

The Free Book Incident

R.A. Schenck — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:09:35 +0000

The [storefront] has been busy over the last year – after the Hardware[Store] they’ve since hosted several other projects, the current one being an art installation by Mark VonRosenstiel. Prior to this was my favorite yet, “The Free Book Incident” (which itself sounded like the name of a good novel), and it essentially was a community bookstore where the items had no prices – driven by book donations, everything on the shelves were free.

There seemed to be something for everyone and during my own visits I found a number of great books on the history of Antarctic exploration, a collection of essays by E.B. White, and a copy of Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs. A small sample of finds by others were also nicely cataloged on Instagram.

[storefront] can be found at 406 Occidental Ave. S., right between Ebbets Field Flannels and the new Rain Shadow Meats location – and if you’re down in Pioneer Square sometime over the next week, definitely check out the I Want All of This project (more info).

Related posts:
Hardware[Store]
Tom Kundig – Houses

Death of a Record Store

R.A. Schenck — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:15:30 +0000

The day the music died, January 18th, the day that Easy Street Records closed in Queen Anne. The morning after, unsellable inventory was left out on the curb, free to anyone interested. CDs and vinyl records scattered the sidewalk with empty cans of cheap beer from the closing show the night prior, and underneath record cover mural laid the remains of the store’s DIY style plywood display cases.

Two months later, the building has now been stripped of all its former identity and is on its way towards becoming a Chase bank.

For some time afterwards, a tribute was left up by the Mecca (a nearby diner and an old Seattle icon in its own right).

Afield, Whole Larder Love

R.A. Schenck — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:28:36 +0000

Released last fall, Afield and Whole Larder Love both approach cooking with local sustainable foods, advocating home gardens, wild gathering, and game hunting. The recipes found in each are fairly simple to follow if you have basic kitchen experience, and it’s refreshing to see more education in an area where there is large disconnect between dinner tables and food sources.

Page layout wise, Afield has more of a traditional cookbook feel, while Whole Larder Love uses a trendier style (no doubt influenced by the general styles of the publishers – Afield is from Welcome Books, and Whole Larder Love is from powerHouse). Both are worthwhile to have though, and I think are among the highlights of last year’s otherwise stale cookbook industry.

Þorrablót

R.A. Schenck — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:57:25 +0000

Back at home, the annual Þorrablót held by the Icelandic Club of Greater Seattle serves as a great introduction to traditional Icelandic foods. Newcomers should start with the delicious smoked lamb (Hangikjöt) and flat breads, or for the more adventurous, the sheep’s head (Svið) – from there, one can then work up to fermented shark (Hákarl) chased with shots of Black Death (Brennivín).

Iceland’s Landscapes

R.A. Schenck — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:03:07 +0000

A few more photos taken during my travels this last year, salvaged with Lightroom.

Related Posts:
Reykjavik Notes
Þorrablót
Iceland, 1934

Herd in Iceland

R.A. Schenck — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:50:23 +0000

Released last Christmas, the Kickstarter funded documentary Herd in Iceland focuses on the country’s regional annual roundups where horses are gathered from the highlands after being let free to roam during the warmer months. It clocks in around 30 minutes, and I recommend getting the HD download from Vimeo over the DVD option.

The folks involved with the production have received some positive press over the past few years for their photography, which has been featured in both the Big Picture and Lens as well as a number of other print publications.

Iceland, 1934

R.A. Schenck — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 01:06:06 +0000

News of unearthed photos by Dutch photographer Willem van de Poll taken on his visit to Iceland in 1934 have spread fast on Icelandic sites over the past month when lemurinn.is was able to post a large collection of them back in October. The set shows an interesting snapshot of life around the country, as well as Icelandic horses, Glima wrestlers, and natural landmarks that are still popular with photographers today.

Somewhat related is this tourism video from a decade earlier, showing a few similar scenes.

Reykjavik Notes

R.A. Schenck — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:06:14 +0000

A few snapshots taken around town:

Colorful corrugated metal cover the sides of many buildings in Reykjavik.

Outside a clothing store on Laugavegur.

Morning view down Skólavörðustígur.

A Bertie [&] Woosters sign located at the entrance of Herrafataverzlun Kormáks & Skjaldar, an awesome haberdashery found underneath the Bónus outlet. Among the racks of tweed suits and Barbour jackets are impressive pieces from the Kormákur & Skjöldur, the line started by the store’s owners.

Sruli Recht has a new store located in the 101 area, which I was looking forward to visiting during to my trip. It was a bit of a disappointment in person though, as it was only selling a small handful of the designer’s items.

Cats braving the cold were commonly seen in the early mornings and afternoons when the streets were less busy.

Fish lamps at Kraum, a store located in the oldest house in Reykjavik selling goods from Icelandic designers.

At the harbor.

Outside Hallgrímskirkja.

Icelandic Knitwear

R.A. Schenck — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 21:47:00 +0000

Ubiquitous around Iceland, the lopapeysa has become an icon for the country’s wool industry over the past several decades. They are traditionally hand knit with lopi, a coarse but hardy wool from Icelandic sheep, and are quite cozy and warm when worn.

Recently, some groups within Iceland have been pushing to have the sweaters legally protected against companies who produce them overseas and then sell them as being authentic to tourists (a familiar problem that can be found around the world) – Grapevine.is, which has been following the topic over the past year also has a useful guide on how to shop for one.

On a recent trip I picked up an affordable sweater from the Icelandic company Farmers Market, which came in handy during the cold weather and strong winds that came through while I was there earlier in the month. I have no idea where it was made, but I like it well enough.

A Hat for the Rain

R.A. Schenck — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 17:42:28 +0000

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

R.A. Schenck — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 04:52:35 +0000

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.

British Military Uniforms from Contemporary Pictures

R.A. Schenck — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 05:09:55 +0000

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

Officer and trumpeter, 4th Light Dragoons, 1822.

10th (Prince of Wale’s Own) Hussars, 1844.

Regiments of the Line, 1869.

42nd Regiment of Infantry, Highlanders, 1828.

2nd Dragoon Guards, circa 1844.

Irish Guards, 1902.

10th Prince of Wale’s Own Royal Hussars, 1891.

Officer, Royal House Guards, 1888.

17th (The Duke of Cambridge’s Own) Lancers.

16th (Queen’s) Lancers, 1912.

Related posts:
19th Century British Military Uniforms

Fall Inspirations from Andrew Wyeth

R.A. Schenck — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 03:01:17 +0000

Maine Door (Siri’s Pumpkin)

The Ax

Hunters (Hunting Season)

Apples on a Bough, Study for Before Picking

Cranberries

Jack-Be-Nimble

Long Limb

Willard’s Coat

Related Posts:
Snow Landscapes by Andrew Wyeth

Casual Trousers for Fall

R.A. Schenck — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 05:22:04 +0000

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.

Quick Release Belts

R.A. Schenck — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 17:08:00 +0000

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.

Vintage Menswear

R.A. Schenck — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 04:38:05 +0000

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.

Above, an example of a French work jacket from the 1920s.

Leather detailing on a Swedish Army “despatch rider’s jacket”, circa 1930s.

Above, a handmade game bag from France.

Below, RAF “Escape and Evasion” boots from WW2.

My copy was purchased from Amazon, which seems to have the best price at the moment.

Maintenance and Repairs

R.A. Schenck — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 17:14:43 +0000

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.

It’s a bit of a hack, but it works and adds to the overall appearance of the bag I think.

Another item that needed to be repaired were my Stronghold jeans, which had started to develop a few holes over this last summer. It would have been better if I had sent these to a specialist with a darning machine, but I opted for the cheaper at-home method and just sewed on patches to the inside of the jeans where the denim had worn through.

The little Singer that could. Having a small sewing machine around has been convenient and I no longer get large bills from my tailor for alterations. I have the 4411 model, and it’s strong enough to sew through the heavy canvas that Superior Labor uses for its bags.

Over this last summer when I knew I wouldn’t wear them as often, I also sent some pairs of Alden boots back in for overhauls. The Alden restoration service is expensive, but in addition to getting new soles and heel inserts, you also get shoe trees and the convenience of having the company take care of shipping (they send you a prepaid mailing bag).

Now set for another four years.

Polar Documentaries

R.A. Schenck — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 17:58:02 +0000

Frozen Planet

I finally had some free time to catch up on a few documentaries this last month and spent part of the past two weeks watching the Frozen Planet series, which was released to DVD and Blu-ray earlier this year. Its quality matches that of the Blue Planet and Planet Earth series, and I was happy to see lots of behind the scene footage included where the film crews must deal with hazardous issues like hurricane speed winds, leopard seals, and killer whales (in one scene a pack teams up against some crew members in a small boat and push a coordinated wave towards them – the same technique they used to also knock seals off ice flows).

Another bonus was an inside look at the new research stations that have been built in Antarctica, which look like they would be fun to work in.

The Endurance

Released in 2000, The Endurance has an old school documentary vibe where it follows the story of Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition. Two great things about it: it includes much of the original footage taken by Frank Hurley and it is narrated by Liam Neeson. It seems to have had a very limited DVD pressing though, and it’s difficult to find affordable copies on the used market – if you can find it for cheap, it’s definitely a decent film to watch for history fans.

Still Life

R.A. Schenck — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:48:59 +0000

First published back in 2010, Still Life captures the preserved Antarctic huts left behind by the early explorers and Jane Ussher’s artistic photography sets a respectful tone which lets you focus on details which could otherwise be missed in other resources. The book has been in the spotlight lately with the resurgence of interest in Polar exploration history, and most recently was featured prominently in Nigel Cabourn’s Last Expedition exhibit for buyers and press.

Not to be missed, you can also now explore the insides of both huts and see many of the same objects shown in the book thanks to Google: Scott’s Hut and Shackleton’s Hut

New North Sea Clothing Sweaters

R.A. Schenck — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 17:27:45 +0000

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:

A Camera in the Hills

R.A. Schenck — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 13:27:35 +0000

Finding “Images D’Escalades” earlier this year led me to works by F.S. Smythe, a top mountaineer in his day who was also known for his wonderful writing and photography. Among his published books is “A Camera in the Hills,” which is a collection of pictures he took during two expeditions to the British Hills and Swiss Alps between 1938 and 1939 – in addition to the photos, Smythe also discusses the technical details and composition behind each making it an excellent resource for those learning about landscape and mountaineering photography.

The Cabourn x Viberg Boots

R.A. Schenck — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:33:54 +0000

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.

The Eighth Army

R.A. Schenck — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 17:16:31 +0000

Reading up on desert warfare during World War 2 recently led me to source an interesting pamphlet with some great photos published by the British Government in 1944 about the Eighth Army, covering its creation in 1941 through the defeat of the Afrika Korps in 1943. Exploits of the 7th Armoured Division (the Desert Rats) are included, and were an inspiration behind the most recent collection from Nigel Cabourn.

Men’s File Issue 7

R.A. Schenck — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 13:28:15 +0000

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.