Style | Blue/White Plaid Shirt

This is one of my absolute must-haves for this fall/winter season. The blue and white plaid shirt. Not that it's strictly a winter piece, it works just as well in the summer but because, well, it's about time.

I was looking at some options this summer but as always didn't really realize I wanted/needed one until it was too late. And then it dropped into the back of my head for a while until I saw this picture from Peak Performance's upcoming premium collection Black Casual which launches in January. Unlikely source I know, but whatever.

Ever since then I've been looking for something similar. And while there seems to be no shortage of blue and white plaid shirts no one seems to be on pair with this one except perhaps the Lanvin one, which is kind of pricey. Maybe I'll just have to wait until January but until then the hunt continues. Below are some examples of what available, if anyone happens to know any more options hit me up.

Gitman Bros

Margaret howell

APC

Our Legacy

Lanvin

The Style Is Right | The Perfect Tee

Sometimes you just want to keep it simple. Nobody really wants to spend an hour contemplating their outfit on a sleepy monday morning. Luckily, there's a special outfit for such occasions. It's called the "perfect t-shirt and jeans"-outfit. It takes some mastering, but done right it's as stylish as it is easy.

Somebody who's got it nailed it down is Très Bien Shop, which they show in the styling for this t-shirt. Sometimes all it takes is that tee which fits you perfectly, your favourite pair of jeans and a nice pair of worn-in boots. Throw on a jacket and your good to go. The pieces in this styling are all Our Legacy, but any brands will work just fine. I myself wore a similar outfit yesterday; a grey t-shirt from Our Legacy, a pair of A.P.C. jeans and a pair of boots from god knows where. As long as you feel comfortable in it, it will work. And that will show.

Just In | Preview - Our Legacy SS10

Okay, so this is not the kind of thing we usually would encourage. I mean summer '09 is still here and blazing so why look at the distant future rather than enjoying the present? But I'm making an exception just to raise some points.

Justanotherfashionkid, a swedish fashion blogger who's been in the game for quite some time points us to these preview pictures (courtesy of King Magazine) from the of the upcoming spring/summer 2010 collection from everyone's (us included) favorite brand Our Legacy, displayed at the ongoing Copenhagen Fashion Week.

Now, I'm aware that we've been praising these guys like crazy in the past and we're hardly the only ones. Still, looking at these pictures I find myself asking: where's the innovativeness? These could have just as easily been pictures of the current collection The denim shirt, the jeans, the college sweater - yep, they're all there and I've seen it before. In fact I had to double- and triple-check just to make sure this really was from the upcoming collection.

I know it's unfair to form an opinion based just upon some pictures off the web that probably just shows a fraction of the collection (one of the reasons I hate the "always one or two season ahead"-mentality). And Our Legacy is still one of my favorite brands. But the featured stuff they've pretty much already done in the past, save for the striped shirt (hideous), the bags (not really doing it for me, but not bad) and the shoes (Did they really put a print of stamps on those high ones? Or are they real? Really like the lower model boots however, though maybe not for summer). The real highlight however is the photo of Jockum Hallin, always the dapper embodiment of the brand aesthetic.

So, is Our Legacy jumping the shark? I really hope not, and I'm going to reserve my final judgment until the collection actually comes out in stores. After all there seems to be some possible goodies in there, like the orange pants and the blue/white-plaid shirt.

(More pictures available at justanotherfashionkid)

Object | Our Legacy - Pocket Tee

All due respect to button-downs, but sometimes nothing beats a plain t-shirt and no season is more appropriate for rocking a t-shirt than summer. White is always a classics, but other solids like black, navy and grey are also good choics. There's two major things to consider when it comes to choosing a t-shirt though; fabric and fit.

The swedish powerhouse that is Our Legacy has perfected both qualities with their pocket tee. The fit is perfect, albeit pretty slim/tight so there's no harm in going up a size if you feel like keeping it a bit loose. The fabric is amazingly soft, the grey color is perfect and the pocket is all the detailing I need, adding just the right amount of spice to the shirt.

This picture does not come close to doing it justice. I bought it myself a couple of weeks ago and I've been literally wearing the hell out of it ever since. Best buy so far this season, no doubt. This is the perfect chickenhead shirt, as Ryan over at h(y)r would put it.

Object | Our Legacy - Deck Shoe Blue

Both the boat shoe and the classic white sneaker has gotten their due attention this season, and even the loafer is brought forward by some as the summer shoe. Sadly, the deck shoe hasn't got nearly the same attention. Luckily, we're here to correct that misstake.

Our Legacy (you didn't think we were gonna forget our weekly dose of them did you?) has you covered, as always. Our french friend Who's Ali swears by them as the definitive summer shoe of this season and there's not much left for us to do but to join in on his claim. Simple, elegant and with that marine vibe that's always essential for your summer outfits.

The blue is a classic but for those of you who prefer something else, they're also available in white and red.

Object | Our Legacy - Summer Check Flannel Shirt

I lost one of my favorite shirts recently and it felt like I'd lost a part of my body or something. It was a special kind of shirt, you know the one that you can wear just as easily on a night out as on the day after. The one that you'll love and wear until it's nothing but threads left. So. I need a new one and I need it now.

When I visited Stockholm a while back I went to Our Legacy's first, and so far only, flagship store. Needless to say, it was practically heaven for somebody like me. Among the numerous things I found there was this checked flannel shirt. It was perfect; the soft feel of the fabric, the slim yet generous fit and the buttondown collar. For some reason I didn't pull the trigger back then, and I've regretted it ever since. Fortunately the swedish store Fever's got it, on sale (in addition to the VAT-tax deduction for non-europeans). Trust me, this time I certainly won't sleep on it.

Inspiration | A Sundried Youth

Our Legacy SS09 Lookbook

Object | Our Legacy - Parka Jacket Cream

The parka is rapidly becoming a spring must-have it seems and there are a lot of good options out there. It doesn't come as a big surprise to me, that one of the best comes from one of our favorites, swedish Our Legacy.

As with most of Our Legacy's pieces this parka jacket is a textbook example of how it should be done. Made in a cream water-repellant cotton fabric from Italy (also available in blue), it's more slim-fitting than many of it's competitors. Plenty of pockets in the front, a big nice hood to protect you from wind and rain and the most important feature of them all drawstrings at the bottom. My only complaint would be that it's a bit on the short side. I wouldn't mind if it had at least reached mid-thigh but apart from that, as stated, this is pretty much it when it comes to parkas.

Object | Our Legacy - Great Sweatshirt

Some items are an essential part of any man's wardrobe. The grey crew-neck sweater is one of those pieces. Though pretty basic it is also very versatile and can be dressed up or down depending on the situation and your mood. Because you'll probably end up wearing the sweater a lot, it's important to find a good one that you like.

Personally, I'm a fan of Our Legacy's version called the Great Sweatshirt., which is just exactly what it is. There's not much else to say about it; the fit is.. well, great and the fabric too. Overall it's pretty much perfect. This season's take on it is the 'inside-out', I prefer the original version though. Also available in off-white and sundried red for those who feel that grey is too dull (or, like me, have way too much grey clothes in their wardrobe already)

Object | Just In - Our Legacy Camo Pant

Our Legacy is mixing it up with their classic chino, which now comes in a camo print.

Honestly, I'm not crazy about this one. Guess it's the bad memories from middle-school. You know that bully, three times the size as anyone else and always wearing baggy camo pants, who used to spend his recession beating up random kids out on the playground? Well, he kind of ruined camo pants for me forever. Only way I could justify this is if I were actually serving in the armed forces, and I'm not, so I think I'll pass on these ones.

Have to give Tres Bien some points for the styling though. The boots give the outfit that military touch that is essential in order to pull this off, while the white cable knit subdues it just enough to not make it look like a costume. And you gotta love the caption:
"Our Legacy - Not so classic chino"

On The Hunt For: Braided Belt

A couple of days ago I found myself in desperate need of a new belt. Belts, I've found, are an easy way out when you feel that you need to update your wardrobe but, like me, feel to stressed out (read lazy) to start shopping for summer clothes. You can usually wear the belt with almost anything in your existing wardrobe and thus create new, fresh-looking outfits. Now, I've already got a number of belts: The mandatory black leather one, the dito brown leather version and some random canvas ones too but there is one that I realised I've been missing out on; the braided leather belt.

So I went browsing the world wide web (that wonderful place where you can find almost anything you're searching for or procrastinate countless hours telling yourself that you are, in fact, searching for something). Turns out there are plenty of good options out there.

First one I found was this one, from Ralph Lauren. Looked to be the perfect width but the color seemed just a bit too light for my taste. I usually prefer a darker shade of brown. Then there was Anderson's D Ring Woven Belt. The color was more to my liking, the width not so much. Asking around for advice, one of my friends sent me this picture (see above) of a beautiful chocolate brown suede braided belt. He didn't know where he'd gotten the picture but identified the belt as being from Our Legacy's AW08 collection. So I went scouting for it but unfortunately for me I was probably a couple of months too late. Instead I found this one, also by Our Legacy. Definitely the best option so far but, like the Ralph Lauren one, a bit too light for me.

Finally I stumbled on the perfect one, purely by coincident. While browsing A.P.C.'s web, I found it. Perfect width, the perfect chestnut-brown color and it comes in a number of sizes so it will probably fit even my abnormally skinny waist. Pictured below, on the left.