If only...

Looking like the bastard offspring of an E-Type Jag and a Ferrari Daytona, the Toyota 2000GT was Japan's first ever supercar. Initially unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1965, it finally entered production in 1967 and sadly for classic car enthusiasts was only built in small numbers - when the last 2000GT rolled off the line in 1970, only 351 cars were in existence. If you can find one for sale today you're going to have to say sayonara to a lot of yen, prices of this highly desirable classic have been known to reach £250,000 at auction.

Nicely Broken In: Albam Regular Leg jeans

Well I've had the Albam Regular Leg jeans for around five months now, and they're breaking in very nicely. Since last September they've been worn at least 3 times a week and had two cold water washes in the bath tub, the first just a rinse, the second with a small amount of detergent. Both times they've been airdried flat. Overall shrinkage was minimal, half an inch on the leg at most. They're starting to take on some wear lines particularly around the pockets and crotch area. In another three or four months I reckon they'll be just about perfect.

Days of Being Wild

One of my favourite films of the early '90s is Wong Kar Wai's, largely forgotten masterpiece "Days of Being Wild". With gorgeously indulgent cinematography by Christopher Doyle, the film superbly captures the nostalgia of 1960s Hong Kong in a similar way to Wong's later and more famous film, "In the Mood For Love".

The late Leslie Cheung was never better than starring as the cruel self-absorbed drifter, with Carina Lau, Maggie Cheung and Andy Lau offering excellent support. The sixties interiors are authentically vintage, and the clothes are a feast for the eyes - thin cut ties and sharp tailoring for Cheung and exotic cheongsams and floral print dresses for the women. You can get hold of a copy on dvd here.

Review: Engineered Garments Cruiser Shirt Jacket

One of the first places in London to stock Engineered Garments' SS11 collection was Dover Street Market, who have had a small selection since the start of February. I recently picked up this navy blue Cruiser Shirt Jacket from there and thought I'd share my first thoughts about it.

The jacket is designed in the classic Cruiser style (as pioneered by makers such as Filson in the U.S.) but with some modern Daiki Suzuki twists. The fabric used is a lightweight cotton ripstop (reinforced with crosshatched threading) which is further reinforced with 'V' stitching in places. There's a storm flap across the chest, storm cuffs on the sleeves, and a small flap to fasten across the collar too. So presumably the garment is designed for the sort of mild spring day when there's a brisk south-westerly blowing. There are diamond shaped patches at the elbow, fasteners at the waist and six exterior pockets.

The jacket has been washed once since I bought it, something that softened the fabric and took out the creases that it came with. I wore it in the mild climate of California last week, and it felt very comfortable over a t-shirt paired with some jeans. So it'll be just right to wear as an outer layer here in the UK in about a month or two. For the time being, though I'll be wearing it more as a shirt than a jacket.

Craft Workwear West Hollywood

Craft's hand painted sign, with a great slogan.

While I had a bit of downtime in Los Angeles last week, I managed to pop into the small but well-stocked Craft Workwear shop in West Hollywood. It carries a good selection of Norse and Universal Works plus American brands like Perfecto and Red Wing, as well as some great stuff by the Okayama-based label Kapital. I was particularly drawn to the Kapital fleece jackets and moc toe Red Wings with leather laces, but in the end chose a couple of simple crew neck tees by US brand Farm Tactics, a snip at $60 for two.

The guy who runs the shop, Bill was very helpful and more than happy to chat about the clothes and pose for a quick portrait.

In L.A. for a few days...

Carhartt State Coat

The new SS11 Carhartt lookbook has gone on line, which features amongst other classic pieces of workwear this tough looking chore coat, dubbed the 'State Coat'. Made from unlined 120z Dearborn canvas it comes in black and traditional brown duck, and sells in the UK for a very reasonable £99. Which is a fraction of the price of the recent APC x Carhartt chore coat. I know which one I'd go for.

Vintage Knitting Patterns

If you know a gran who's handy with knitting needles, or have a girlfriend who knows her vintage 4-ply, then why not get her to knit you one of these fashionable designs from the 1950s and 60s? Patterns available from the Retro Knitting Company.

Absolutely my favourite picture of the last six months

Taken by Don Cox for the book "The Birth of Hot Rodding." Some great American classic clothing in there. And the car's pretty cool too. Courtesy of the Craftworkwear blog.

Richard Phillips at White Cube Gallery

I visited Hoxton's White Cube gallery today for a look at the new exhibition by American artist Richard Phillips. The show, Most Wanted, features paintings reminiscent of 80s style celebrity portraits painted by Andy Warhol. In fact the style of these photo-realist paintings is very much a lift, homage, or appropriation (call it what you will) of Warhol's portraits for the cover of 'Interview' magazine. The ten portraits, which include Zac Efron, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Swift amongst others, are certainly striking, both in terms of size and execution. They may not to be everyone's taste, but if you're into flashy celeb portraits adorned with luxury brand names, you'll love them. Most Wanted runs until March 5th.