things back to basics. and by the looks of it, we should follow their lead. the ”james” shirt embodies the brand ethos by taking what’s old — in this case a bespoke french dress shirt from the 40s — and turning it into something that feels new. the upper half of the shirt is a showcase in precision tailoring with a short collar, defined shoulders and a slim back yoke which act as the structural frame. to imbue movement into the garment, koyama employs back gathers, double-paneled sleeves and a signature billowy hem split with deep side gussets. what you get is a shirt that is both smart or easy depending on your disposition. the pictured white comes in a italian royal poplin; it’s also available in a cotton chambray and a brown floral print this season (ss21). see also: the “rob” band collar shirt for another modern classic from this fledling label.

while fishing-inspired gear is a trend, actual fishing gear is not, and at it’s core, south2 west8 is the latter. helmed by kaname nagaoka as part of the nepenthes family of brands, south2 west8 carves out it’s identity in fishing and biking. while thematically specific, both hobbies require specialty gear that are both rooted in performance and utility — qualities that crossover easily into city life. the tenkara parka is the swiss army knife of jackets, originally designed to be worn while fly fishing. the modular design means the sleeves and hood detach completely leaving behind a utility vest equipped with a set of protruding pockets, including a game pocket in the back. all details are geared towards easy access and security to give anglers some peace of mind, whether you’re angling in the streams or on the streets. in that case you are fish-curious, the tenkara parka is built to outlast the the hype.

like to think that this is his (subconscious?) way of subverting sizeism within a culture and an industry that has marginalized the big. that, or he’s just a shrewd businessman capitalizing on a trend. social politics aside, the take it or leave it proposition that is the oversized bd shirt has found a fanbase of all shapes and sizes. the shirt, as the name suggests is cut wide (pit to pit is nearly 32”) and boxy with ample room throughout the torso and sleeves. while it’s easy to excuse it as just another big shirt, the pattern is cut and assembled in a way that gives the garment dimensionality. the standard version comes in a long-staple cotton braodcloth which has the feel of high thread count hotel bedsheets. it’s also available in a sturdier oxford and linen (ss21). there’s something beautifully egalitarian about a single shirt for which no two fits are alike depending on the wearer.

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bone motif. it’s a hodgepodge of homage and art that Toshikiyo and Kiro Hirata — the father and son duo behind the brand — churn out from kojima, okayama. kapital’s lineage in bandanas can be traced back to the elephant brand which is widely recognized as the original american bandana, established a decade into the turn of the century. prized by kiro, who dedicated a museum to the heritage brand, continues the tradition of kerchief as canvas at kapital. on display like records mounted on a cardboard back, the bandanas are a little memento for a taste of those wavy kapital vibes. each an emblem of the kapital‘s blue collar spirit and idiosyncratic wit, the bandanas are akin to the (poor man’s) millennial version of the hermes silk carré. in the near post-pandemic world with face coverings a semi-permanent fixture, the kapital bandana is the easiest way to put a smiley on your face.

came the hoarding of deadstock then reproductions, which eventually lead way to the reinterpretations of the classic forms — a remix, but nevertheless a new expression. engineered garments is an amalgamation of suzuki’s influences as an active, fashionable youth who put the american lifestyle on a pedestal. as a nonnative helming a brand that follows in the american sartorial tradition, suzuki committed to design clothes that americans should be making, but weren’t at the time. the bdu jacket is an homage to the battle dress uniform jacket in use by the the u.s. army from the 80s. available in the standard olive cotton ripstop, it’s the variation of fabrics and colors that give this nostaligic military garb new life as a perennial piece in eg’s collection. sometimes it takes an outsider’s perspective like suzuki’s to put what we already have back into focus.

into their designs. an anchor item since the label’s founding, the comfort shirt best encapsulates the yaeca philsophy. the button down shirt comes in thirteen different silhouettes in varying combinations of widths and lengths accommodating all body types and fit preferences. the most notable novel design decision is the substitution of the traditional shirt buttons on the placket and cuffs with plastic snaps. this minimizes the struggle of buttoning and unbuttoning a shirt, a small but on a long enough timeline a meaningfully timesaving innovation. not to mention it’s a commendable, all-inclusive universal design decision. in addition, the traditional breast pocket is replaced with two deeper seam pockets on either side of the garment. paired with the snap buttons, the pockets gives the shirt a second identity as a makeshift coach’s jacket.

that comprises both the upper and outsole material, and is typically stitched above the instep (referred to as a 'gathered toe') and down the heel with sinew.

At the age of 17, I was discovering the same functional benefits and beauty in the shoes that Native Americans had worn for centuries before me. They were unlike any shoes I had ever worn before: an upper that covered the foot and wrapped around the whole outsole area, made from natural tanned elk leather that was incredibly soft and well-aged from years of wear. This particular pair that I was wearing were already modified for city life with an add-on rubber outsole; like the plains and desert dwelling Native Americans who had added an extra layer of hard leather to the bottom of their moccasins, I had learned that a rubber sole is an absolute necessity for someone living in an urban environment.

take on the tielocken coat — the lesser known predecessor of the modern trench coat. originally developed in 1895 by burberry for the british army during the second boer war, the tielocken resembles a mark one prototype of the trench. devoid of the hallmark trench design elements added on to better assist in combat, there’s a purity to the tielocken’s form. the waist belt, for which the coat is named for as you tie and lock yourself in, is the only notable detail it share with its successor. there’s a simple elegance to the design with the clean a-line silhouette that is both familiar and fresh. the coat can be worn open letting the knee length garment drape like a cape, or cinched at the waist for a cleaner profile. like the original burberry model, comoli puts out a cotton gabardine version for the warmer months, and heartier garments like serge wool for aw.

and helly hansen business licenses in japan. well-versed in performance wear, honma set out to develop marry function and fashion for his own line.

the soutien collar coat is an unassuming piece of outerwear. the classic three quarter length a-line mac coat is decidedly traditional in appearance. but there’s more than meets the eye. the textiles taped seam constructed of the coat consists of three layers — a cotton outer layer, a 100% gore-tex® mid layer, and a nylon inner layer. what you get is the best of both worlds: weatherproof function in a refreshingly discreet, and thus more wearable, form. the signature sky blue lining is evocative of the open skies, befitting of a brand that takes its name from the seven seas. as expected from an industry veteran, all the components of the coat are considered and are in service of functionality.

denim brands can’t, sourcing the highest quality textiles to create the ultimate jeans.

the suvin cotton straight leg denim is that jean. using the iconic 1966 levi’s 501 silhoutte as the base, arasawa makes a significant upgrade by opting for the highly coveted indian suvin cotton for the weft threads. considered the king of cotton, this long-staple cotton is a smooth as silk and as supple as cashmere. the warp threads are rope dyed with genuine indigo that lends a naturalistic hue to each pair that gets better with wear. the waist is a little cinched, giving way to a slightly ballooned hip. it’s recommended to size up one or two sizes and let the jeans sit on the hip bones. coming in all the standard colors and washes at 13.5 oz, if you ever wondered what the ceiling for jeans were these are the pair to get for that upgrade. if you can get your hands on them that is.

kashiwazaki pushes the dialogue forward in japanese leatherworks.

the forged union of the old and new is on display in hender scheme’s manual industrial products, or mip, series. the line of iconic, contemporary sneaker silhouettes reproduced exclusively in raw vegetable-tanned leather, constructed, stitch by stitch by hand, is a case study in form. this is impressionism for sneakerheads. now in it’s twenty-fifth edition (sa21) with an homage to nike’s airmax 90, hender scheme has rendered many of the classic shapes starting with the nike air force one, vans era, air jordan four, and the reebok instapump fury, etc. by reconstructing these ubiquitous products in a methodically manual manner, kashiwazaki invites us to examine the difference between modern industrialization and good old craft.

accent that punctuates his pieces. for such a cerebral label such as digawel, their claim to fame is something rather straight-forward and pedestrian. it’s the source of inspiration for this oversized wallet which a little off kilter that keeps it on theme. the garçon purse is a nod to the change pouch carried around by the bustling parisian waiters, or garçons, who can’t be bothered to give you the time of day, or your check for that matter. while we maybe headed towards a cashless society, in parts of the world cash is still king, and a coins are still abundantly in circulation i.e. japan. that’s when a coin pouch, like the riri zippered one in the garçon purse come in handy. there are also 2 cash and 3 card slots all bound in an accordion design that helps alleviate unsightly bulging when overstuffed. the one pictured here is in a sturdy bridle leather that will patina over time; there are more delicate calf leather versions as well.

track pant was at the right place, at the right time — draped across the legs of one pretty flacko as the needles’ bohemian hippie vibes found footing in the more-is-more aesthetic of internet culture. as if the kaleidoscopic colorways were a/b tested and calibrated to pop on our screens. but no, we caught onto something that’s been out in the ether since ’08. inspired by films like american graffiti, and having imported adidas atp tracksuits into japan during the heyday of run-dmc, shimizu modeled his version off of a kid’s track suit he found at a vintage store in berkeley. paying homage to the adidas version with a logo on the upper thigh, keizo embroidered the now-famous butterfly, inspired by the film papillon, on his pair. it was his intention to design pants that would become a staple that could replace jeans. and by the looks of it, he might have succeeded.

discreet, dress code appropriate package. the latter, which designer daisuke kamide refers to as “class”, is in his view the wallet pants and the broader teatora collection’s critical function. originally conceived as the contemporary approach to workwear, kamide obsesses over the needs of the modern day desk worker. case in point, the wallet pant is designed to help us do the thing we do most: sit. with pockets placements that promote access while a user is seated, kamide hopes to alleviate some of the stresses of everyday work life. constructed in a silk-like nylon and cut in a straight leg, the wallet pant can be dressed up with a matching jacket or dressed down with the drawstrings hanging out. coming in a business-friendly palette of dark navy, charcoal and black, the wallet pants are an essential piece in the contemporary wardrobe for any occasion.

about what the forms are made of.

if auralee is a label that let’s their textiles stand on their own, the stand-up tee is a the literal manifestation of their ethos. while every other brand zigs towards a softer basic t-shirt, auralee zags with this boxy beefy offering. using a proprietary plated high-density cotton-linen weave, the stand-up tee feels far more substantive than the standard tee. it definitely takes some getting used to and needs to be tamed through wear. but once you get over the novelty, you realize you’ve never experienced anything like this before. the garment kind of hangs on the frame, and the stiff fabric holds a boxy silhouette, not clingy like your regular tee on a sweltering summer day. while not as practical as the everyday tee, auralee makes a case for t-shirt as statement piece with this modern classic.