Leading the way.

A Shepherd with his sheep. Fantastic photo.
Treviso, Veneto, Italy. via Flickr blog.

Woolrich Woolen Mills.

Time for some serious coat content now, I just took delivery of this ace Woolrich Woolen Mills ripstop field jacket which I think is from a couple of seasons back. Features include a corduroy lined hood which can be worn three ways, super heavyweight two-way zip with button-fastening storm flap, leather trims, storm flap shoulders, flapped, bellows chest pocket, two massive lower bellow pockets which are cleverly flapped by the handwarmer pockets above them, and made in the States. Thin quilted lining with hunting print which is the closest you'll get this quorn muncher to shooting ducks, but if it's good enough for them...

He wears it.

You may have already seen this, but if you haven't, what could be cooler than Boba Fett and his step dad on a rare day off from bounty hunting to model some nice clobber? this is the work of illustrator John Woo (not him what made Face Off) Oh, Darth Vader's in there too, dressed like an American dad.

Woozoo

First Look.

Sam Gilbey.

I stumbled across this chap whilst browsing and thought I'd share it, I like his style, you may have seen his work from the likes of MTV to ITV2, plus magazine articles and specially commissioned posters for trendy arthouse cinemas. It looks a bit like Drew Struzan who did most of your favourite ace 80's film posters. Sam Gilbey

Dog Pound.

This could be pretty interesting, it appears that Alan Clarke's classic, controversial and brutal borstal rite-of-passage Scum (1979) has gone transatlantic, moving from the late seventies England and retold in the modern day via Enola Vale Youth Correctional Center in the US, whilst Scum was one of the most mind blowing films of my youth, and one which still stands up to this day it also made a household name of handy actor Ray Winstone, this looks promising, I just hope it's more Animal Factory than Green Street II. This is released next week.
Dog Pound.

Chalwa - Poland's favourite Halva.

So, I was down the shops the other day, thought I'd treat myself, there's an ever growing small Polish section these days, had a quick look, thought 'that looks alright' upon spying the large bar called 'Chalwa', aye, I'll be a bit more cultured today, be daring, forget the usual Mars or Double Decker, I'll see how some Poles might snack, and plumped for the self dubbed 'Poland's Favourite halva', this whilst still wrapped looked pretty nice, I felt like young Charlie Bucket rushing out the shop to get stuck in, though there was no golden ticket, I was still quite excited.

Upon unwrapping, I noticed it had the look, and consistency of wet cement, or a sorry piece of cardboard left out in the rain for quite a few days, this didn't look too promising, but I took a bite, maybe I thought it was going to be like a Nik Nak, looks hanging - but tastes great, I was left cold, disappointed even, it tasted like something you'd find at the bottom of a rock pool. If anyone can come on and redeem these, then I'm all ears, it was bloody horrible. I've still got it if anyone wants it?

Norse Projects x Oi Polloi.

I recently spotted a preview of a forthcoming collab between Oi Polloi and Norse Projects, the two have collaborated in the past but this jacket really caught my eye, having heard about it already, and being the vintage outerwear obsessive that I am, I knew straight away where the origins of this one came from. I could be wrong but it looks very like a reworking of a Belstaff parka endorsed by our old favourite Mr Bonington, and a very loyal reworking it appears to be too, with a nod and a wink to Longton's finest with the inner label and old school embroidered patch on the sleeve taking off an early logo. Suave.

Update: Mikkel from Norse Projects sent me this info:

Oi Polloi have been leaders in the return to traditional values and quality products. Steve Sanderson, owner of Oi Polloi describes the inspiration for the collaboration: “For me, it's all about the rambling, walking & camping in mid to late seventies, it's the kind of jacket the old guys would be wearing. At the time we thought they looked pretty cool.”

“The jacket we found and chose to use for inspiration is one my favourite wardrobe pieces. It was in part designed by a legendary British mountaineer Chris Bonington.... we love that it's cotton, just using 2 layers...superb simple design...the hoods a great shape, the length a little longer than most jackets, but not so long as to make it a fully fledged mod parka"

Recent Pick-ups.

More bargain hunting over the last couple of months, concentrating on footwear, I'm going to end with more shoes than a fucking WAG if I don't seek help. We'll start from the top - Finn Comfort London Havanna, I got these German shoes named after the English/Cuban capital from Ohio USA, they are pretty expensive now and harder to find. Finn Comfort Conventry, once you put a pair of the self dubbed Finest European Walking Shoes on Earth on your trotters it's understandable to want another pair, as I've just proved, Jacoform 332 in Moos Nubuck, I've got these already, but not in Moos, as said up there, once you put some of the world's other comfiest shoes on your feet, you go back again and again, Clarks Ashcott which I got via those very friendly and reliable folks up at Hanon, a top summer shoe, a bit of a hybrid, but it works for me, based on the original Clarks/Padmore design which is over 30 years old with Hanon's own touch and Northern Soul vibes, old reliable next with some Clarks Nature, the timeless geography shoe, and Clarks Oberon in slate, a bargain at thirty boff again via Hanon, Red or Dead 'Mr Briggs', who you calling a poof? to be fair a brand I'd not normally look at, but these caught my eye, and kept making me go back for another look, so I got them, like the sucker I am, they are a bit like Jacoforms, and I remember the original founder Wayne Hemingway used to endorse those on Oi Polloi's site in the earlier days, so there's a link, I know they look a bit like something your Grandmother might wear to bingo, but there's a fine line, and they're on the right side of it. Other than that I also nabbed an ace Paul Smith Super Chino t-shirt, a tee with massive bellow pockets, it's like a mille miglia in t-shirt form, staying with that I also found an old harrington jacket with a cool phone/sunglasses pocket, the tee's too big and this is a touch too small so I'm trying to move it on, but I've taken nice pics now anyway. Shirts now, I got a nice original lilac 6876 shirt for seven pounds fifty, and a couple of Garbstore's excellent flight shirts in beige and hickory stripe, which are perfect all year rounders, I love the large hidden pocket on these ones.