Deck Jackets for AW11

Ok, the truth is you're more likely to be wearing these walking down to Tesco's, rather than on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. But you'll still appreciate the warmth they'll offer in the face of a chill autumn wind. Not to mention the opportunity to look a bit like a young Paul Newman.

From top:

Buzz Rickson's N1 Deck Jacket

Saturdays NYC Oliver Deck Jacket

Albam Windisle cotton Deck jacket

Spiewak waxed Deck Jacket

James Dean's Red Harrington

The red Harrington style jacket worn by James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause has to be one of the most iconic pieces of movie clothing ever worn, ranking alongside Brando's Perfecto in The Wild One, Bogey's trenchcoat in Casablanca and Bruce Lee's yellow catsuit in Game of Death. Walking past Albam's store front in Soho today, I noticed they've now starting selling a new range of Harringtons in different colours, including one in a Rebel red.

I haven't the guts to wear the red one personally, as I feel you'd have to look every bit as good as the Deanster to carry it off, but I must admit that I do still love the look of it.

Panama Stowaway Overshirt from S.E.H Kelly

S.E.H Kelly's latest creation further blurs the line between light unlined jackets and heavy overshirts, being fashioned from a rigid, robust Lancastrian twill. Cut-wise, the body is narrower and the arms slightly shorter than Kelly's previous overshirts, with two roomy front pockets and rounded collars. As the manufacturer states, it's happiest worn over a t-shirt or shirt as an easy top layer. Which is another way of saying it's perfect for keeping you warm on a chilly summer evening when you're strolling back from the pub.

Summer jackets from Albam

You may have noticed I'm a big fan of a well-made jacket. And I'm also a big fan of Albam. So when Albam turns out a well-made jacket I'm doubly happy. Recently however, they've gone one better, and turned out two well-made jackets, both excellent for the sort of summer evening when a shirt alone won't suffice.

First up is this very neatly constructed Shawl Collar Deck Jacket, which comes in a 100% cotton 'loopback' fleece. Details include two pockets with studs and a zip front with hand-cut leather pull.

Next is their cotton twill Jean Jacket, cut from the same Italian cloth as their excellent chinos. I like the unfussy minimalist design of this one, just a single breast pocket and seven buttons at the front. And the classic jean jacket details at the back with two tabs.

To be honest, I haven't tried either of these on yet, but I'll definitely be popping down to their Soho branch in the next few days.

Mood Indigo

A quick round-up of this season's best garments, all available in indigo.

From top to bottom:

J. Crew Indigo Fleece Crewneck Sweatshirt

Margaret Howell DB Utility Jacket Indigo

J. Crew Indigo Deck Jacket

Woolrich Woolen Mills Indigo Anorak Shirt

Oliver Spencer Summer Deck Jacket Chambray Indigo

YMC Hunting Shirt

Engineered Garments Overdyed Indigo Painters Pant

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.

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.

On Sale: Folk Grafters Jacket

Now on sale at Folk is their 100% cotton Grafters jacket from the AW10 collection, reduced from £160 to £110. It comes in Charcoal, Mid-Brown (pictured) or Tan, and is light enough to wear under a coat, or by itself once the weather warms up. And yes, it will warm up at some point this year.

The Filson Tin Cruiser

The Filson Tin Cruiser I ordered from the U.S. finally turned up yesterday. It's a tough looking jacket, steeped in paraffin wax, similar to a Barbour in thickness and finish, but obviously cut to a very different design. I love the front and side handwarmer pockets, as well as the large rear pocket that runs the full width of the jacket.

First impressions? Well, the fabric is as stiff as a board and slightly oily to the touch, and there are nice details on the sleeve and interior. As for the fit, it's intentionally quite snug on the chest (I bought a 38, though I'm usually a 40), it's perfect on the arms and just right lengthwise.

With all the press studs done up, the Tin Cruiser feels almost armour plated, like it can handle anything the weather will throw at it. Well, it was originally designed to keep loggers in the Pacific Northwest warm and dry. With winter on its way and a million chores to do in my back garden, I'm sure this jacket's going to be earning its keep.

Why I like Albam

I've been impressed enough with Albam's simple, stylish collection to buy a few items from their Beak St store recently. Their Cotton Casual Blazer and Regular Leg Jean have impressed me in particular. I already own a number of unlined cotton blazers from places as diverse as Beams in Japan and Margaret Howell in London, so I know what I like when it comes to this sort of functional, lightweight garment. And what Albam has created here, I like a lot. The jacket has a sturdy construction, being fashioned from thick cotton, with narrow lapels, three outside pockets and a small inside pocket. There are nice touches, such as smaller pockets within the lower patch pockets, which are big enough to hold your iphone 4 or a small wallet. Like Oliver Spencer's Portland Jacket there is a small white tag to help you fasten the lapels together, should a chill autumn wind blow in your direction. It's just a good, solid reliable item, as the sales assistant said, "the sort of thing every man should have in his wardrobe". I couldn't agree more. In fact that's why I bought two of them, one in navy, the other in dark green.


Then there are the jeans. These are a similar cut to my Levis 505s, with a regular leg tapering to a seven and a half inch bottom. Actually, the rise is slightly lower than the 505s, which I personally find a lot more comfortable. The rear pockets are a simple design with no stitched adornment. There is a small ticket pocket at the front with steel coloured studs at the corners and the jeans are made from Japanese denim with a red selvedge. As far as denims go, these are simple, classic pants, something you should wear every day and not get too precious about. In a few months I'll keep you updated how they're bearing up to the daily grind.

Lastly, the thing that I really like about Albam is that their clothes are remarkably good value. £135 for the blazers, and just eighty quid for a great pair of jeans. The only downside is that with prices like these Albam tends to sell out their stock very quickly, as their stuff tends to be made in relatively small numbers - once they're gone, they're gone. Maybe I should have kept all this to myself...

The Return of the Donkey Jacket

Forget "Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt". Forget the garb worn by bin men, and hod carriers, navvies and skinheads. The Donkey Jacket, re-imagined and updated by some of menswear's top designers, is back for winter 2010. It's smarter, made from finer fabrics, real leather and waxed cloth. And with a level of detailing our Selwyn could only dream about. Magic.

From top to bottom: Nigel Cabourn, Oliver Spencer, Blaak Homme, Barbour and Paul Smith

Eagerly awaiting: Oliver Spencer AW2010

The AW collection at Oliver Spencer is due to hit the shops in mid-August. I managed to get hold of one of their new catalogues a little while ago from Tom, their manager at the OS store on Lamb's Conduit Street, and got a sneak peek at what's in the collection. As usual it's a blend of traditional and modern tailoring, in medium to heavy weight fabrics for the cooler weather. I reckon I'm going to go for a Portland jacket and waistcoat in 'Beck Navy' herringbone fabric, funds permitting, as well as one of the check button down shirts. Can't wait.

btw, they're not dodgy scans, the catalogue photos are actually part black and white, part colour.