Oneupmanship ~ The Journal.

Best Purchases - from a purely personal point of view, Albam's versatile fisherman's Cagoule, Garbstore's Huntsman jacket from AW 07 but found for a bargain a year later.
Stansfield's 202c Hunting jacket - a quirky Geography Teacher's jacket, Barbour's collab with Boxfresh for the Dryfly became an instant sought after classic, 6876 released their Sonora jacket in Yellow and Brown both slightly different with added technological qualities. Casual Connoisseur's Weir bobble hat for the colder months.Whilst everyone was hyping up and then slating the Adidas Cities range, I was happier with my Clarks Natures and Minsters or 'Nearlyveldts'...
Also, not forgetting the old school outdoor stuff you cannot buy in the shops.

Best Film - The Coen Brothers made a fine return to form with their slick Western flick
No Country for Old Men after a few misses, based on the book by Cormac McCarthy, it gave us classic scary bastard Anton Chigurh. Naples brutal underground criminalities were exposed in Gommorah, which at times made Tony and co seem very approachable, watchable but a little flatter than the way we're used to seeing organised crime on our screens, dare I say it, I like it more with an East Coast accent and a Rolling Stones soundtrack. Elite Squad brought us corrupt and violent Police Commandos in Rio.Shane Meadows returned with his short tale about unlikely friendships in London's armpit, Somers Town.

Reading Material - The Last Fighting Tommy - the remarkable story of one of Britains oldest men and last survivor of trench warfare, Harry Patch, seen last month at the Cenotaph, Harry Patch's life is a great story from growing up in the West Country to the horror of life in the trenches, all told with a great recollection.
The Trainer fans quickly snapped up limited edition coffee table book Collective Disorder.
And Little People in the City the street art of Slinkachu is an amazing collection of photographs featuring tiny people in startling detail, it has to be seen to be believed, unless you walked right past it.

20/01/09 Osti Lives on...
A sneak peak of what could be an exciting collaboration, MA.Strum's Fall/Winter 2009 collection features a heavily inspired influence from Massimo Osti's back catalogue in a collab featuring the Osti studio - managed by his offspring, respectively intent on carrying on the legacy set by their father, expect high end technical outerwear and pioneering fabrics

10/04/09 6876 Capandula
Recently took delivery of the new Cardinal Red Capandula from 6876
who I'm a long time admirer of, a very nice jacket with full high performance functional abilities mixed with their trademark detail and tailoring..

10/04/09 As seen in FHM... a bit of a claim to fame eh? oneupmanship designed Massimo Osti Tribute tee, by the 80s Casuals label, re-released this spring.

23/04/09 Blast from the recent past
Felix Blow was something I bought a fair bit of about around the turn of the millennium, it was never really a casual label and I don't know anyone else who wore it other than myself at that time, but it was always decent gear in my humble opinion. I believe it went bust a few years back.
I recently got hold of some old pieces including a few hats and a classic heavy sweatshirt, aswell as rooting through to see what else I had left originally.
Their website was ace and is still available to look at 8703

26/04/09 CP 1000 Mille, designed by Aitor Throup
Having recently being in the news for rejigging the England football strip for Umbro, designer Aitor Throup is hot property right now. This is evident with the forthcoming 20th Anniversary CP Company Mille Miglia, a classic piece but one they've exhausted a little over the years. This is a fantastic looking re-working of the coat though, and it's rumoured to have a fantastic price to boot, better start saving then. More info and detail >> Being Hunted

14/05/09 Garbstore
Recently took delivery of the Woodland Side Racer jacket from Garbstore
an old school 60/40 parka with a modern twist. I also managed to visit their cool Portobello shop last weekend, well worth a look if you are in that there London.

01/07/09 Engineered Garments Bal Coat.
Taking advantage of the Seasonal Sales, my latest acquisition is the Bal Coat in Navy cotton poplin, from New York based Engineered Garments Spring Summer range.
A lightweight easy to carry parka with multiple looks, can be worn dressed up or down with it's 'lapels' and storm collar and additional high collared peaked hood.

01/07/09 Garbstore A/W 010 Sneaky Peak
A bit of a do-it-yourself jobby with Garbstore's latest look book, pics probably not the greatest but it looks good anyway!

The Sartorialist

A Continuous Lean

Stansfield

The Casual Connoisseur

10/07/09 The Rig Out
Had this for a while but only just uploaded it, it's a glance at the Oi Polloi
spring-summer brochure.

25/07/09 Lest We forget
Just as I was attempting to do a belated tribute to the late Henry Allingham: Britain's, in fact the World's oldest man - and one of the last surviving members of the First World War, who passed away last week at the healthy old age of 113.
Then we get the awfully sad news of Harry Patch's passing today,
fondly known as 'the Last Fighting Tommy,' Harry was the last survivor of trench warfare on the Western Front, and after many years of silence he opened up about his time during the horrors of the Great war, which were just that, futile.
I've mentioned Harry on this blog a few times, and a while ago plugged his biography which tells his story. In November last year Harry, Henry and the late Bill Stone took part in the Armistice Day parade at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, it was a monumental day and one, which will now go down in history, it would be the last time these remarkable fellows would do this.
I have a great interst in the First World War,I find it staggering that in this day and age we had men who'd not only partaken in it, but were willingly and able to talk about it, and even confront it, it was the war to end all wars allegedly, yet here we are in 2009 seeing flag covered coffins coming home from the desert, these great men will tell you their opinions of the war, and I share that, it ought to be settled over a table, there's no glory in being sent to your death out in some foreign field.
The passing of these men is inevitable, they had a great innings so to speak, but it's still a very sad time, to lose the one living connection to the first world war, loses a great part of history, I hope now, that the new generations of Britian will learn more about these people, a different breed to you and I.
Rest in Peace, Harry and Henry. Sleep Well.