The Sartorialist - Lunch for 25

25 of the most inspiring and influencial men in fashion in the same room, a pleasure to see and must have been a truly great afternoon. I could watch this again and again on mute just looking at the outfits, layering and details...

Missoni x Converse Auckland Racer AW12

Many of you might have noticed the original version of this sneaker gracing my Top 10 of 2011, but to my dismay as with many collaborations they never saw release. But having garnered serious amounts of interest over the last 6 months their second iteration debued down the catwalk in Milan and will release this October and I simply cannot wait. It does however seem their may be a slightly more romantic scenario for the release of this shoe in 2012 the London Olympic year. The last time the games came to London in 1948, Ottavio “Tai” Missoni, an international athlete and track suit maker qualified for the finals of the 400m hurdle race and went on to meet Rosita Jelmini at Wembley. They married in April 1953, and five years later showed their first Missoni collection together. The rest is history. I love the woven wool upper against the pure white sole, it is a great contrast and as always the pattern is perfectly busy, this is definitely on my to buy list for 2012...

Acne Short Sleeve Denim Shirt

Although the threat of snow seems to be the hot topic of conversation at the moment I am well and truly keeping it optimistic and looking forward to a warm spring and a scorching summer. With that in mind the new season from Acne has offered up this short sleeve denim shirt as part of their SS12 collection. I really like the dark denim as I think it will offer both night and day style and with a granddad colour and buttonless pockets the details are simple and effective. Available now via Oki-Ni. Having visited the new Acne store in Paris just before the New Year this is definitely not the last piece that will be gracing the blog this year, so watch this space...

Products and Philosophy Macbook Case

There is somewhat of a wry ironic smile on my face as I type this post. Having spent the run up the Christmas trying to a locate a slim leather Macbook case for my girlfriends present and failing you would surely allow me a rolling eyes moment when a week after new year I happened upon these. Eerily they are an identical match to the mental picture I imagined when first setting out on this search. What makes this worse is they are too good not to include them on the blog therefore ruining any chance of me being able to hold out till July for her birthday, so Happy Belated Christmas Nicola... Available now via the P.A.P. Webstore...

CLOT x Nike Tennis Classic

Off the back of their hugely popular Converse collaboration last year Hong Kong fashion brand CLOT bring a similar textural effort to the table for 2012. This time in the shape of a two-tone Nike Tennis Classic, with white suede making up the majority of the upper and premium red leather and red eyelet accenting the design is very simple but a great summer shoe and not sure if this is intentional but they do have a certain resemblance to the Marty McFly Bruins from Back to the Future which is never a bad thing...

Prada AW12 Mens Collection

Well enough has been said about the star studded Prada Mens AW12 Show in Milan but what about the collection itself. It was a masterclass in true Italian gentlemans style, long jackets cut to perfection, double breasted suits and polo necks peeping from collared shirts. I think it is testament to how fine the sartorial elements in this collection fit together that even in the absence of a tie every look is very sharp, smart and masculine. I loved the deep satin colours in the show, the quality of the materials really shone through, and the geometric patterns on the scarves, shirting and outerwear which has continued from last seasons line. Its great to see tailoring taking centre stage this season and being interpreted in so many different ways is really got me pondering a well overdue new suit...

Woolrich Woolen Mills AW12 Collection

With Mark McNairy in command its not hard to see why Woolrich Woolen Mills have been increasingly on my radar over the last 2 years. The lookbooks are always simple but meticulously styled as the behind the scenes video above testifies. What always strikes me as brilliant is the balance that the brand manages to strike between streetwear and formalwear sometimes bringing both into the same outfit. As you would expect the outerwear is the highlight with a great selection of duffles, parkas and jackets. Can't wait to get a look in more detail especially at the quilted wool vests which look like a great layering piece for the colder months...

Nixon Mellor Wrist Watch

I think this is a great summer watch, I like the vintage inspired style and thin oxidised metalwork along with the tan leather strap, and at £120 its not going to break the bank either, available now via Oki-Ni...

Burberry Prorsum Mens AW12 Collection

The Burberry Prorsum Mens Collection is always one of the highlights of the Milan fashion calendar and for AW12 it once again did not disappoint. Christopher Bailey seems to have the midas touch of late and the collection was a triumph from start to finish. The tailoring in this collection was stunning and showed the brand is intent on making their mark on the mens sartorial domain. The opening looks showcased a selection of beautiful grey suits which paired with tweed flat caps and english resin animal head umbrellas (which are a perfect winter accessory) completely immersed you in the english gentleman mood. Alongside the tailoring was a very nice selection of knitwear with varying necklines and unique patterning but very much kept the very clean cut, smart aesthetics of the rest of the show. I thought the collection flowed beautifully and as you would expect from Burberry ended with some strong outerwear and also some very interesting velvet suits in autumnal shades. Altogether it was another faultless outing for the brand, even when critiquing the small details in the brightly coloured suede gloves and leather shoulder strapped umbrellas there was no real weaknesses to be found. In the words of a gentleman bravo...

Martini - Luck Is An Attitude Ad

Smart advert and a great philosophy...

Gunny Handmade Watch Straps

Gunny Straps is a small company offering fully handmade/hand finished vintage leather watch straps. Every strap is unique and can be fully customised to any size watch and your own specifications. As you can see the results are quite stunning. I especially like the vintage look and thickness of the strap, after owning a U-Boat I know the aesthetic and practical benefits of a good well made leather strap and these are the real deal. And the bonus is although they only get better with age, get one know via the Gunny Straps blog...

Thom Yorke - Undercover AW11 'Walking In Hyde Park'

Japanese publication Huge Magazine give us a beautiful editorial featuring Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke. Shot in Londons Hyde Park the series really encompasses the feeling of a cold winter morning. With the Undercover AW11 collection providing the perfect accompaniment with a strong selection of simple but beautifully cut outerwear pieces, scarves and hats. Put on your favourite Radiohead track on and browse at your leisure...

Ryan Hopkinson for Green Soccer Journal

With The Green Soccer Journal successfully launching into its Third Issue, photographer Ryan Hopkinson has recreated some timeless goalkeeper poses with some of the most individual goalkeeper kits of the 1990's. This brought back some great memories of watching Peter Schmeichal diving across the net as a child. I'm sure we will be seeing some of the these colourful designs influencing the next generation of kit designers over the next decade, they don't make them like they used to...

Kurt Geiger - Priory Shoe

Picked these up on a recent trip to Liberty's in London. Although I am not usually a fan of Kurt Geiger these were something of a magpie purchase. The crepe sole is one of my favourite details which gives them and altogether better looking shape than a standard oxford. Also with a single monk strap they are differentiated from both the highly popular double straps and original laced shoes on the market and considering they come in at just over £100 you can add affordable to the bargain. I've been wearing these for a month now and the comfort and look is quality, definitely one of my best purchases to date...

Alexander Olch - Knot Yourself

The ultimate tutorial on how to tie a tie, tongue and cheek, great stuff...

APC Camo Parka

APC as usual continue there minimilist french stylings into 2012, this is my highlight of their newest SS12 offerings. A faded camo parka which has a slim cut, a hood for the spring showers and as usual great detailing, I especially like the cuff strap which will be great for getting the sleeves bunched up as the weather starts to turn. All round a perfect Spring piece, available with the rest of the collection online at End and other APC stockists...

Sit & Read - Blanket Chairs

I have been searching for a vintage Danish teak chair for sometime now but haven't managed to find one that ticked all the boxes. Sit & Read are a Brooklyn based store which restores and re-imagines vintage furniture. Their series of teak danish chairs with Hudson Bay Blanket cushions have blown away the competition and with their recent blog popularity also blown away any chance of picking up anything similar for a reasonable price. Massive respect where it is due they really have brought all the elements together beautifully, I'll keep trying and now have a blueprint for my own...