STYLE SAMPLE

Notes from recent outfits

A perk of doing this blog is being able to look back through the bits and pieces that work well for me. Sometimes I’ll spot an outfit and think, “I’d happily wear that again.” It’s a bit like having a digital mirror.

I recently picked up Popeye’s Style Sample issue, which looks back over the past few years and was printed in English for this edition. I’ve always enjoyed the Style Sample issues that explore what people are wearing in cities around the world, so I thought I’d combine that idea with my own digital mirror.

In this issue, I’ve pulled together a few snapshots of outfits I’ve enjoyed wearing recently, along with what I’m wearing, why I chose it, and where I wore it.

I’m wearing a J. Press Climber Rugby here, which is one of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe. It’s made in the USA, and the fit is spot on: roomy without feeling oversized and relaxed without looking slim.

I’ve paired it with some vintage Polo Ralph Lauren shorts I picked up on eBay before heading to Florida, a John Simons cap, and a pair of New Balance 991v2s.

This was one of those days where it wasn’t quite warm enough for a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, but I still wanted to make the most of the weather. I’ve always liked the combination of a long-sleeved rugby with shorts. There’s something about it that feels very trackside to me.

After a hectic week of writing and various other bits and bobs, one of my favourite things to do is grab a coffee and sit in the park. Usually I’ll take a few magazines with me, or put on a podcast and spend an hour or two doing very little at all.

I like getting dressed to do it, too, and I think I’ve found the perfect suit for the occasion. That might sound a little ridiculous, but I’m completely taken with it.

The suit is Hollywood Ranch Market’s Aradaki Canvas Suit. One of the things I love most about Japanese menswear is the way familiar garments are often approached from a completely different angle. At first glance, this is a suit, but the collarless jacket, relaxed silhouette and softly textured cotton-linen fabric give it a very different character from the tailoring most of us are used to.

The Aradaki Canvas fabric is dyed slowly in small vats, resulting in a softer handle and a naturally lived-in texture. It’s the sort of thing that looks better with a few creases rather than worse.

These next two looks feature a bucket hat, something that’s taken me ages to come around to. Now that I am wearing one, though, I keep finding different ways to work it into outfits and I’m having a lot of fun with it.

There’s something about the bucket hat that feels very East Coast dad by way of Japanese Ivy. In one outfit, I’m wearing it with a Kamakura Madras shirt and my Ralph Lauren shorts again. It was a blisteringly hot day, and that combination felt about right.

In the other, I’ve gone a bit more layered with my All Blues Co. 60/40 mountain parka. I think both approaches work equally well. A bucket hat can lean preppy, but it also lends itself naturally to more outdoors-oriented outfits, which is probably why I’ve found myself reaching for it so often recently.

I’m wearing the Harowe Marine Parka from Haku Clothing with Blue Refabric’s Wide Baker Pants here.

What drew me to this combination was the balance between the two pieces. The parka has a lot of character, while the wider cut of the trousers changes the overall shape of the outfit and keeps things feeling relaxed. Looking back through these photos, it’s a combination I’ve come back to quite a few times over the past few months.

This outfit features one of the rugby shirts from Ivy Ellis. I’ve done a little bit of work with the brand from time to time, helping out with some writing, so it was great to be involved with the launch of these.

I’ve been a fan of Ivy Ellis for years. The collegiate stripes on the socks always appealed to me, so seeing the brand produce a rugby shirt felt like a natural step.

I’ve paired it with a pair of faded Studio D’Artisan jeans here. The washed denim softens things up a little, and I like the way the red works with the fading in the jeans.

After the heatwave we’d had in the UK, I never thought I’d be quite so pleased to see the rain arrive. As soon as the weather turned, this H.E. Sports cagoule came straight out of the wardrobe.

What initially drew me to it was the British Millerain dry-wax cloth. It has all the character and history associated with traditional British outerwear, but without the glossy finish many people associate with wax jackets.

I’ve always had a soft spot for outdoor clothing, and this feels like a thoughtful take on a classic cagoule rather than a straight reproduction. The oversized map pockets are probably my favourite detail. Looking back through these photos, it’s easy to see why I was waiting for an excuse to wear it.

I’ve been wearing these Summerhouse trousers from Far Afield a lot recently. The lightweight fabric and relaxed cut make them an easy choice during the warmer months, and they seem to work with just about everything.

On this occasion, I paired them with a well-worn All Blues Co. jungle jacket, a UES sweatshirt, a J. Press cap and a pair of Sebago boat shoes. Looking back at the outfit now, it’s probably the mix of textures that I like most. Nothing feels overly polished, which suits the trousers perfectly.

The J. Press X Aaron Chang tote I picked up in Japan seems to find its way into plenty of these outfits too.

There’s a small snapshot of what I’ve been wearing recently.

As you can probably tell, the warm weather didn’t hang around for long. One minute I was wearing shorts, the next I was digging a cagoule out of the wardrobe. That’s British weather for you, but I think it makes getting dressed more interesting.

Until the next Style Sample.