Paraboot William

There's been so much hype about the double monk strap. And with good reason. It's a great shoe and a very elegant shoe that could easily hold a place in any wardrobe. But mostly many of them are just a bit too elegant with a single leather sole often. However the French company, Paraboot, makes one of the finest double monk straps available, or in fact they make some of the best shoes available. I especially like their model called William, but I will probably also feature the Avoriaz model and most importantly the Michael model.

The William model features the Norwegian construction (similar to a storm welt), which is something that is primarily used on hiking boots or rugged work boots. This can be seen on the two rows of stitches that hold together the upper, the welt and the sole and it ensures that the shoes are basically waterproof. Furthermore it gives more comfort and strength.

Another fun fact about Paraboot, besides the fact that they are still made in France, is that they are the only shoe company that also produces their own sole. They're definitely one of the shoemaking companies that aren't getting enough attention. They're just so good.

Batten Sportswear

From all of the fall collections that have been landing in my favourite stores, I think I can safely say that Batten Sportswear has made the collection that I would buy the most from. Everything seems to be just right. The theme is still very inspired by American outdoor sports like hiking and surf.

Everything could easily be incorporated into a 70's university look. It's wearable, somewhat utilitarian and simply just great. It's definitely one of my new favourite brands. 

On the Topic of CPO Shirts

As the season begins to change and the weather takes a change for the worse, I find myself thinking about the small updates, that the wardrobe needs for fall. One thing I've been wanting for quite some time now is a sturdy woolen overshirt or rather a CPO shirt or CPO jacket. What got me started was probably seeing some from Engineered Garments or Post O'alls make-ups years ago, but then I read this small anecdote from a member on the forum AskAndyAboutClothes 

"Back in the early 60's most young people I knew wore a wool CPO shirt on very casual fall occasions, typically with khakis, penny loafers and an OCBD. While it will never replace a Shetland sweater, I've recently grown nostalgic and thought I might like to wear one again."

After reading this it all made sense and fell into place. Or maybe it didn't, but I felt that I wanted one even more. It's going to be a perfect layering piece over a OCBD shirt.

Right now I think my best bet is one  by Fidelity, which can be had for pennies in the US, however I'm a bit unsure about the fit. It might just have very short sleeves and a billowy fit judging from the poor pictures, I've been able to find. But the quality is definitely good - 22 oz melton wool (basically the same weight as a heavy commercial peacoat) and made in the US by a company that has been handling contracts for the US navy.

I got really excited, when I saw one from something called Fidelity by Gerald and Stewart in a shop in Denmark. I don't know much about this brand, if it's a private label, designer collaboration or some sort of Fidelity fashion offshoot. But the fit was awful. It was tiny  and I could barely fit into a size XL, though my normal size is something along the lines of L or M. It wasn't any good as an overshirt at least.

Another option I quite like, although it isn't authentic in any way, is the collaboration between the Woodlands Shop in Oregon and 3Sixteen. It's obviously not a CPO, but it's very wearable as an overshirt. Furthermore the fit looks a lot better than the aforementioned options and the quality is still good using Pendleton wool. Another plus are the colours - They're great.

Again, I realise, that this isn't a CPO either, but I've over the years created a saying, that goes "When in doubt, go for Filson". Filson is just great and their Jac-shirt looks like it fits the bill. They basically never do anything that isn't good - but they do quite a lot of things nowadays that aren't made in the States unfortunately.

Other options include Japanese repro brands like The Real McCoys and Buzz Rickson obviously, but they come with a hefty price tag.

Like this one from Buzz

If you want to read more about the CPO, you can gather more information here and if you've got some information on a good and hopefully better alternative, please do share them.

Jungmaven Tie Dye T-Shirts

Today I was sitting in the sun contemplating on whether or not I should start tie dyeing some t-shirts, as I saw this really old hippie walking past me in the streets wearing this really old, tattered, yet vibrant tie dyed t-shirt. It probably wouldn't work for me, but I felt inspired and in the end, I think, that's what it's all about sometimes.

Unfortunately - or fortunately - I discovered, that I didn't have to tie dye anything. I could just buy these Jungmaven t-shirts, which I've also been seeing on the Hickoree's webshop. From what I've been told they're pretty good value for money, however not in any way spectacular. I these colours I would however like to add the spectacular.

In case you were wondering, these are made of a cotton and hemp blend and they're cut and sewn in the United States of America

The Soda Pop King

There's nothing new about this video, but I re-watched it a couple of days ago, and I can honestly say, that I'm thinking about switching trades to selling soda pops or at least leaving this continent, as it's so hard to find anything that isn't made by Coca Cola or Pepsi.

John Nese is one of a kind, that's for sure. I like his passion, his knowledge, his wits and his spirit. Unfortunately I feel like trying all of the different pops because of the way he  talks about them. But I wouldn't be able to find any of them. I have however tried the Fentimans Curiosity Cola and some other pops from Fentimans, and I have to say, that they're delicious. And I'm sure that I would also enjoy all of the other brands and types, that he talks about.