While Junya Watanabe’s SS12 runway show had some outlandish gear, the pieces carried at Jack Straw are much more approachable (and wearable) – my favorites from this season include a fair isle pattern rollneck sweater and round collar Mackintosh jackets in navy and green.

Very interesting navy captoe boots from Yohji Yamamoto can be found in the back area.

A selection of Dries Van Noten pieces, including several light unstructured jackets for warmer weather.

Not pictured – the Boglioli patch pocket sportcoat in a shade of blue that would overload tumblr. From what I hear, some more great lines are on the way for this next fall/winter as well.

Get it from InspirationLA.com or Self Edge.

Related posts: King of Vintage – Part 1, An Interview with Larry McKaughan

If you’re a whisky fan, it’s worth tracking down a bottle I think. I’ve ended up with two myself – one for opening now and the other to save for years down the road.

Related: Looking for liquor references in Shackleton’s book

Into the Silence, by Wade Davis. George Mallory only has a small role in this historical recount of early expeditions to Mt. Everest, as the author also writes about other mountaineering personalities of the time who were important in the exploration of the mountain and nearby regions. In an interesting approach, he also ties in the impact that WW1 had on each of the men.

South Pole: The British Antarctic Expedition 1910–1913, by Christine Dell’Amore. To coincide with the centenaries of several Antarctic expeditions, publishers have released a steady supply of related books over the past two years – in the photography category, Assouline’s book stands at the forefront for best page layout and design with great writing by the author summarizing Captain Scott’s attempt to reach the South Pole. Should money be no object, it’s also available in an oversized $1k edition, or $3k if you want it waterproofed (apparently publishers will do these sorts of things after members of royalty write the book introductions).

The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott, by David M. Wilson. This is a more than just a picture book, as the author writes extensively on the subjects of the photos and how they fit into the overall expedition. The photos are also published in the order which they were taken (sorted with the help of diaries recovered), and you can get an understanding of how bleak things increasingly become for Captain Scott and his men.

Side Notes

Into The Silence included a few pages of small photos, a few of which I hadn’t seen before. It would be great to see an author and publisher work together to release a photography book focusing on the pictures taken during the early Mt. Everest expeditions, as I’m sure there is lots of unpublished material available in the Royal Geographical Society’s archives.

A handful of the portraits shown in South Pole: The British Antarctic Expedition 1910–1913 which were among my favorite pictures included.

L’Arête nord du Weisshorn (4505 m) est vertigineuse. Le parcours de cette crête se fait constamment au-dessus de précipices très profonds. – The northern ridge of the Weisshorn is breathtaking. The course of this ridge goes over very deep precipices.

Les Aiguilles Rouges de Chamonix se dressent en face du Mont Blanc au nord de la vallée de l’Arve. Ces pointes constituent un terrain idéal d’ entraînement et sont vite dégarnies de neige au printemps. – The Chamonix Aiguilles Rouges stand in front of Mont Blanc to the north of the Arve Valley. These are ideal for training and are free of snow in the spring.

Salève.

Versant est de la Kingspitz (2621 m). – Eastern slope of the Kingspitz.

Passage clé de l’arête sud du Salbitschyn (2989 m). Massif granitique qui domine Göschenen et qui offre au varappeur une série d’escalades de premier ordre. – Key passage of the ridge south of Salbitschyn. Massive granite dominates Göschenen and provides a series of first order climbs.

Gabelhorn de St-Nicolas (3135 m). Monolithe qui ne peut être gravi qu’à l’aide d’une corde lancée par-dessus le sommet au moyen d’une fusée. Trois des plus grands guides suisses sont en train d’en faire l’ascension. – A monolith that cannot be climbed with the aid of a rope thrown over the top by a rocket. Three of the largest Swiss guides are in the process of making the ascent.

Les Périades (3401 m) sont une succession de petites aiguilles situées entre le col du Tacul et le Mont Mallet dans la chaîne du Mont Blanc. Leur escalade est très acrobatique. – The Périades are a series of small needles located between the neck of Tacul and Mont Mallet in the Mont Blanc massif. Their climbing is very acrobatic.

Escalade de Dalles au Piz Balzetto (2863 m). – Climbing slabs on Pizzo Balzetto.

La Fiamma (2400 m) est un véritable flamme rocheuse du massif de Spazzacaldera et qui est facilement accessible en une heure de la cabane Albigna. – The massive Fiamma Spazzacaldera is easily accessible within an hour of the Albigna cabin.

Dent Blanche, versant nord. – North Side.

Escalade du cervin par l’arête de furggen. – Climbing the Matterhorn via the Furggen Ridge.

Denti della Vecchia. Près de Lugano, au nord du Monte Brè et du Boglia, se dresse une série d’aiguilles dolomitiques qui émergent à peine de la végétation. – Near Lugano, north of Monte Brè and Boglia stands a series of needles with sparse vegetation.

Aiguille de Pèlerins, versant ouest. – West side.

Petite Dru, ascension par la face nord. – Climbing the north side.

L’aiguille du Chardonnet (3822 m) est un beau sommet de la chaîne du Mont Blanc situé à la frontière franco-suisse. Le parcours de son arête faîtière constitue une superbe ascension de neige et de rocher. – The top of Chardonnet is a beautiful summit near Mont Blanc on the border between France and Switzerland. The course of the ridge line is a beautiful ascent of snow and rock.

En montant dans le versant ouest du dome du Gouter (4304 m) au Mont Blanc (4807 m). Cet itinéraire grandiose est rarement utilisé. – Going up the west side of Dôme du Goûter on Mont Blanc. This grandiose route is rarely used.

Sur le sommet du Galenstock, avant l’orage. – On the top of Galenstock before the storm.

Related posts:
Yosemite in the Sixties
The 1921 Mount Everest Reconnaissance Expedition
Thirty Years of Patagonia Catalog Photography

• Grafton Hunt Boxing Day 2011, by James Rudd
• Bicester And Whaddon Boxing Day Hunt 2011, by Peter Greenway
• Country Pursuits, by Carol F

I always enjoy checking these out after Christmas – see more on flickr.

To perceive Christmas through its wrapping becomes more difficult with every year. There was a little device we noticed in one of the sporting-goods stores – a trumpet that hunters hold to their ears so that they can hear the distant music of the hounds. Something of the sort is needed now to hear the incredibly distant sound of Christmas in these times, through the dark, material woods that surround it. “Silent Night,” canned and distributed in thundering repetition in the department stores, has become one of the greatest of all noisemakers, almost like the rattles and whistles of Election Night.

Continue reading more.

While first published in 1949, it still feels relevant today. The essay was later republished in the The Second Tree from the Corner under the title of “The Distant Music of the Hounds”.

The one thing to take away from this book: there is much more to style than just clothing.

The book itself seems to also be a main inspiration behind the Inis Meain clothing line, and indeed, just about every Inis Meain stockist I’ve visited seems to have a copy of it on hand. Bill Doyle’s other book, Images of Dublin, is also worth checking out.

Left – Drake’s snowflake patterned scarf. Right – Nigel Cabourn’s hooped scarf.

The snowflake patterned scarf from Drakes can be found through several online retailers – Mr. Porter, J.Crew (which also has the fair isle scarf), and Frans Boone (in the white/chalk base colorway).

The hooped scarf from Nigel Cabourn came in a few different colorways this season and are still available through many stockists. Its construction is very basic as far as an old-fashioned knit scarf goes, and this gives it a tendency to roll inward (a feature to love or hate). The only detail I could have done without is the leather patch, which will soon be fixed with a seam ripper.

In cases where I cannot decide on which color to pick, I usually just get both.

Saint James was also recently featured in Men’s File Issue 4 where they visited the factory and wrote a short piece about the manufacturing – apparently some the equipment is so old that punch card programming is still used. During their visit, they were able to check out a number of vintage sweaters shown below and it inspired the creation of two modern pieces for bikers and cyclists (both made by Saint James).

More reading – Archival Knitwear: Saint James Matelot

I hope Mr. Porter expands its selection over the next few seasons – ordering hats online is not quite ideal, but at least the company makes the return process easy if there are fit issues.

Extra reading material: Lock & Co. has a care guide [pdf] for its tweed hats. It’s interesting to note that they recommend a strong spirit such as lighter fluid to help clean stained spots.

“Harris Tweed has always resonated in the minds of the few. But increasingly the people of Harris and their traditional ways are striking a chord with the many. It is hard to think of another product so deeply connected to both the landscape in which it is born and the people who create it. It has life, this tweed: it is filled with life by those who weave it it, it is coloured by the land in which it lives.” – Patrick Grant, Norton & Sons

In the book, Lara Platman follows the production of Harris Tweed fabrics over the course of a year and along the way profiles many of the people who are involved in the process, from those raising and shearing the sheep, to those who inspect the final product before it’s shipped off to suppliers and designers. When I was finally able to sit down and go through it, I couldn’t help but think of my own Harris Tweed jackets and the work that went into them – likely many of craftsmen featured in the book could have worked on the very same fabrics that my jackets were made from.

Along with tweed fans, anyone in the industry who is in the business of selling Harris Tweed garments should have this book on hand. I don’t think there’s anything else quite like it that captures the entire production process into a single volume and presents it in such an appreciative way.

A few examples of the photography included in the book can be found through Platman’s photoshelter website and it can be easily ordered online through several sources.

Engineered Garments Flannel Workshirt
The Engineered Garments workshirt design is available in several cotton flannel patterns this season, and the one I picked out is as close as I’ll be able to get to the colorway used in the older flannel binocular shirts (years later I still regret not getting one). While it can be a bit too bold to wear on its own, it will be perfect for layering under other casual items like a corduroy Bedford and ripstop field vest. Where to find: a good variety of flannel workshirts are available through Blake, Drinkwater’s, and Inventory.

Butternut Squash Soup – recipe
This recipe is time consuming but worth it. For turning the squash mixture into a soup, I use a food mill instead of a blender (this one in particular) – this works well for most soups I make, and if it’s for an occasion where presentation is important, I also put the soup through a fine sieve to make the texture consistent.

Roasted Chicken on a Bed of Root Vegetables – recipe
My favorite part about making this is that there is not much of a mess to clean up afterwards – all of the work can be done in a single roasting pan or cast iron roaster and I often just cut up the vegetables right over the pan with a paring knife without bothering with a board.

Baked Eggs (Oeufs en Cocotte)
This is a nice treat for anytime of the day. Basic steps, borrowed from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking: boil some water, turn your oven up to 375F, line the inside of a ramekin with butter, crack two eggs into the ramekin, pour in a little bit of cream or olive oil, add salt and pepper, place the ramekin into a deep sided baking dish, pour the boiling water into the baking dish so that the water comes up to about half the height of the ramekin (this will help the eggs cook through consistently), place the baking dish with the ramekin in it inside the oven for about 10-16 minutes depending on how firm you’d like the eggs to be.

There are countless variations and techniques for this, and you can add all sorts of ingredients. At Le Pichet for example, they have a signature egg dish which is baked under a broiler called Oeufs Plats, Jambon et Fromage (eggs cooked with ham and cheese).

Sauerkraut Platter (Choucroute Garnie)
Choucroute Garnie is very common in France and Germany, and it is basically cooked sauerkraut served with different preparations of pork (I prefer bratwurst, blood sausage, and pork loin). While my method is not this complicated, I like the steps outlined in this piece on Saveur.com and will try it next time I make it:

He began by melting a generous dollop of duck fat in a Dutch oven, the first step in making silky sauerkraut. He pointed out that it’s also important to rinse the choucroute before putting it into the pot: “In the end, the flavor should be delicate, like wine, not brine.” After seasoning the fermented cabbage with salt and pouring in a few cups of dry Alsatian riesling, he added a bouquet garni of bay leaves, cloves, and juniper berries. Now it was time to add the cured pork. There were two types of slab bacon, salty and smoky, and échine, a delicious cut from the back of the pig’s neck that I’m sorry to say isn’t available in the United States. While the pork and sauerkraut baked in the oven, chef Schillinger simmered the sausages on the stovetop: frankfurter-like knackwursts; garlicky, cumin-flecked Montbéliards; and mild, white boudins blancs. A thick round of boudin noir, or blood sausage, was cooked separately and sliced before serving.

Note the use of a bouquet garni, an important part of many preparations. If I have leeks on hand, I make them by binding up the herbs into two wrapped leaves. For a drink pairing with this dish, try a hard cider – my favorite being a recent vintage of the common Etienne Dupont Cidre Bouché Brut de Normandie.

My second favorite, slightly larger than the brass one above.

An older barrister bookcase in good condition. I prefer these to most other types of bookcases.

Vintage metal signs sell for unusually high prices. Add 25% if it’s from Europe.

Styles from the late 18th to 19th century are easy to find here. Not quite what I’m looking for though.

A great looking lamp, though the shade needs to be replaced (and likely the wiring). I might return for this later.

Leather wingback chairs are uncommon, and are often bought up quickly.

There is an antique farm table in just about every other vendor stall. They make for great restoration projects if you have the place to put one.

Linens and such. There are a few vendors selling items like this, along with specialty lighting and hardware fixtures.

A great midcentury marble top table for an excellent price.

Bertoia wire chairs are also easy to find. I think people tire of them quickly and unload entire sets at once.

An art deco style cane that caught my eye. One of the many trinkets available.

Spotted a small set of stereographs.

A charming school house style bookcase/locker. More suitable for a house over an apartment though.

Redwing crockery? There was a very large set of these.

The seller wanted $600 for a pair of these military wool blankets. I laughed.

Stone lions.

I’m going to steal this framed chalkboard idea.

This was once used to haul ice around after it was cut into huge blocks. It would make a good centerpiece over a mantle or long table.

This metal game table hidden under an antique spool cabinet has some potential if restored.

Idea for some reupholster projects.

Trunks of all types are common, including this military footlocker.

Taxidermy specimens dot the stalls, though quality can range from great to horrible.

One such horrible specimen. The poor thing should have been thrown in the incinerator long ago.

A cabinet system in a style that I’m looking for.

An overpriced school science table, complete with scratched out graffiti from bored students. It brings back memories.

Army field cabinets, reasonably priced.

Industrial style pieces command high prices, and are few in between. This style is popular with the designers and dealers right now.

More furniture shopping to be continued…

Other books include one on golf jackets, another on gardening fashion, and the fifth one called Telemark, which I’m guessing is a reference to a region of Norway and could possibly cover the country’s bunad. The sixth essay, After Dark, is another one by Nick Foulkes and will be published later this year.

Back to the two books I ordered – while very short, both were very well written and informative and I’d recommend them to anyone interested in obscure clothing topics. A few photo examples are also included, and the Duke of Windsor makes several appearances (his extensive wardrobe included both a Tryolean suit and several guayaberas). My only complaint that should be noted – the page layouts are terrible as the publisher chose a large 20 point font for the text. The costs of the books individually are a bit steep as well for what you get and I do not think I will order anymore until they hit the bargain book sections or until a single smaller volume is released.