Centralia Knitting Mills - Varsity Jackets

A great thing about the internet fashion forums like Styleforum is that you can find people to share your interests and obsessions with. You discover, that you're not the only one digging Donegal tweed or tripping over some new South Korean streetwear collaboration. That's of course all good. But I get really excited, when I see it materialising every now and then, when people get together and buy a specialised product by some of the good makers as a group buy. It's democracy at its finest, especially when they vote over the details and create polls. Beautiful.

When I wrote about the Dehen 1920 varsity cardigan, I started thinking about the company Centralia Knitting Mills. They're a great company that makes great products. Their production is still specialized in making small batches of specialized products for sports teams for instance and nowadays they also cater to the picky Japanese market. 

For some odd reason I've passed on two consecutive group buys of custom made varsity jackets on Styleforum. I really don't know why, but I keep my finger's crossed that it will happen again, and when it happens I'll be the first one to sign up for it.

Here are some of the options that were available for the Styleforum group buy. They were a bit limited compared to the options that Japanese retailers/brands have. But still it shows a great number of options and endless combinations.

Here are some examples that I've found browsing Japanese webshops mostly. I think it really shows, what they're able to do.

Dehen 1920 - Varsity Cardigan

Although I would probably go for a varsity cardigan from Centralia Knitting Mills - Or Skookum as it's also known - because I already own a varsity cardigan from them, and it has performed very well. Very well being an obvious understatement as the sweater is one hell of a sweater with an incredible heft and fit.

However the varsity cardigan that I have is purple with yellow stripes on the sleeves, which sounds a bit worse than it is. I still find it very wearable. But when I walked into the store Brund on my most recent trip to Copenhagen and saw this cardigan from Dehen 1920, I was thoroughly impressed by the quality and fit. It was on par with my Skookum, but the colours were definitely more wearable.

This sweater features a very heavy four end jersey knit and it's made of 100% worsted wool (which basically means it can double as a jacket). Other than that it features some really nice corozo nut buttons and as mentioned a hefty quality that you just don't get much nowadays.

I had my doubts about this company. These days a lot of old, defunct companies are being revamped and some of them aren't that impressive, when it comes down to their products and not just being nostalgic about a long and glorious history. But Dehen knows a thing or two about making a good, solid cardigan and varsity jacket that is for sure.

Tory Leather - Hoof Pick Belt

It may seem strange, that I make leather goods myself, and still advocate for other makers, but I think it's all about making educated choices, when it comes to purchasing any sort of goods. That means deciding between different options based on your own knowledge and preferences, while taking other people's opinion into consideration.

Tory Leather belts are made in the USA of quite good materials. The leather is bridle leather and the hardware seems solid enough, although I don't think it's a solid brass belt buckle, as my own personal belt lost its golden brass luster and now looks like a nickle/steel buckle. But the belt itself is flawlessly made, albeit you definitely feel that it's not a handmade belt. What I like about it, is definitely the equestrian influence. The buckle is actually a foldable hoof pick (for cleaning the horse's hoof) which is used in a quite clever way. 

But here comes the very best part; It's cheap. It's actually dirt cheap. You can pick it up some places for around $40. So if you're on a budget, this is a good deal for a casual belt.

Brady Bags - Severn and Gelderburn

Despite having a very good Filson 257 that has served me very well over the years, I often contemplate about buying a Brady messenger bag. Maybe it's the urge to own a piece from every good maker out there or maybe it's the anglo influence or maybe I'm just more into fishing than into hunting. At least I find myself looking at the beautifully made bags by Brady. I already own a very large tote from Brady, which is a limited edition tote made from raw selvage denim, but I would much rather have either the Severn or the Gelderburn because of their classic, almost iconic, design. 

The recipe is basically the same for all Brady bags. Expertly crafted in England using quality materials, such as bridle leather, solid brass hardware, cotton webbing and layered waterproof canvas. Which is probably also why they are so popular in Japan, and why Brady produce several bags, which are intended for the Japanese market only. Mr Mudd and Mr Gold in Stockholm used to carry some of the Japan-only models, but they seem to have seized their relationship with Brady unfortunately. Speaking of special editions; Nigel Cabourn has also used Brady to produce some bags in both Harris Tweed and if I remember correctly also some woolen fabric from Fox Brothers. But I wasn't, as fond of them, as the classic offerings from Brady.

The Severn

The Gelderburn

 
The Gelderburn is probably my favourite. Especially after seeing a picture of Michael Palin rocking it.

Unionmade Indigo Collection

Indigo dyed fabrics represents something very beautiful to me. Not only is it one of the best shades of blue, but because the dye itself isn't colorfast. Most indigo dyed garments bleed. To me that makes them perfect because the colour will fade and change according to you. You can see, how you affect your clothing. In a good way.

Unionmade is the type of store that you can only love. They are on top of their game and everything they do, they do extremely well. Their indigo collection is a testament of just that. They took some of the best, mostly American, makers, designers and brands and created a small capsule collection filled with perfect, indigo dyed garments.

These are my personal favourites. And if I were to name one stand out it would definitely be the blazer. It's just perfect. But the down shirt would also add a much welcomed layer.

Down shirt by Crescent Down Works

Crewneck sweat by Farm Tactics

Blazer by Golden Bear

Button down shirt by New England Shirt Company

Beauty & Youth - Harris Tweed Blazer

The coming of fall and winter allows you to wear a lot of layers, good sturdy coats, corduroy and finally your tweed blazers- preferably Harris Tweed blazers.

Lately a lot of companies have been using Harris Tweed fabrics in many ways and often I don't think it really makes sense. But when I saw this "coverall" blazer from Beauty & Youth it totally made sense. This type of fun blazer is something, which is obviously inspired by American leisure wear, but again it's totally Japanese. They have a way of mixing fabrics, colours and textures so effortlessly. It's definitely not for the faint-hearted, but it looks damn good.

Unfortunately it's made in Vietnam, which is a deal breaker for me. But it's still worth mentioning for its inspirational value - just like all products at Hickoree's.

Meermin of Mallorca

Normally I would only buy proper shoes, that are made in England, USA, France and possibly Germany. I would of course also consider - some - Italian makers, but they tend to be way to elegant, sleek, refined and not rugged enough for my liking.

Lately however I've been looking into, what some Spanish makers are doing, and I've been quite amazed by Meermin of Mallorca. There is also a good maker in Camina, but they're not quite my style either.

Meermin makes very affordable and quite well-made shoes, as far as I've heard from reliable sources. I mean, a price tag of 160 euros isn't much for a pair of goodyear welted shoes and it doesn't end there. For instance they use suede from Stead in England, leather from D'Annonay and Du Puy in France and  Weinheimer in Germany/Poland (which are famous for their scotch grain/zug grain leathers). Those are all very good tanneries. Other than that it's also possible to get a lot of customisation, which is always very nice.

I would probably try my luck with a pair of their double monk straps in shell cordovan fitted with a rubber Dainite-like sole, but their longwings and loafers are also looking very tasty - in shell cordovan of course. Once I find the sufficient funds, I'll definitely go for a pair of Meermins.

Pictures are lifted from Simply Refined

They even have some nice offerings for women, which is quite rare when it comes to good shoemakers. For some unknown reason shoes for women are always very poorly made, but there are luckily some makers, like Meermin, that makes good shoes for women.