Pride & Dignity

At Bread & Butter Berlin…

Pride & Dignity is a new German brand making some damn fine looking outerwear in the heritage vein of things. Inspired by iconic pieces culled from military, aviation, and outdoor history, their jackets and vests mix traditional inspiration with modern updates. Something I always appreciate.

Amongst those modern updates: Amenities like cotton-lined handwarmer pockets on the A2, and a removable sheepskin collar on a G1 (so the jacket can get some use in the early Fall and late Spring). And Lampo zippers. Despite my affection for the likes of Talon, I’ve got to admit that I dig the smooth feel you get with the polished teeth on the more modern iterations.

Looks like they’ve slimmed down the fits, as well. Also quite welcome in my book.

The updated A2, made from vegetable tanned Italian horsehide. The pockets are slightly larger and higher than the mil-spec version, and then there’s those crucial handwarmers…

The family behind the label has been in the garment business for three generations, but the Pride & Dignity brand itself is a new thing. It debuted with a very limited run last Fall, but this Spring marks the big, 100%-for-real launch.

And a solid one it is. They’ve got a full run of outerwear options ranging from the already-discussed military leathers to parkas, pea coats, and even a puffer vest. They also partnered with Field Notes for the Spring collection–every garment comes with a notebook attached to a lanyard with a hook closure. It’s an interesting–and probably very useful–bonus.

Another shot of the A2. Lined in Italian moleskin with sateen sleeves. You can see the hook where the Field Notes notebook would attach…

The G1, with a removable sheepskin collar and done up in washed and wax ironed cow nappa…

Another look, from Bread & Butter Berlin…

Lampo zippers…

The label on the G1. Check out the button–real horn with a laser-etched anchor image…

From B&B…

Some more styles:

Pride & Dignity is currently sold in Germany, Switzerland, the UK, Italy, and France. I’m hoping they cross the pond sometime soon, and I’m excited to see what they come up with next.

—Jonathan

(Images courtesy of Pride & Dignity)

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Black and Tanned on Tour: Schott Factory Photos

I recently had the distinct pleasure of stopping by the Schott NYC factory for a tour. It was on a Saturday, so the factory itself wasn’t in action. Nevertheless, the place absolutely hummed with energy. Lots of things midway through production, massive amounts of equipment, and a general feeling of “this is where good things get done” pervaded the place. It was a rare, fantastic thing to get to experience, and my most sincere thanks go out to all the folks at Schott for it.

To give a little bit of context: the series starts with a couple shots of the factory from near the main entrance. From there, it’s through the storage area for all the hides and and a good portion of the raw materials, then on to the production floor. I was moving from back to front, which is (not coincidentally) pretty much how Schott’s wares themselves move through the production process. Hides are cut by hand in the far corner, and final steps like topstitching and affixing rivets happen at the very front. The result is some of the best American-made outerwear you can do yourself the favor of picking up.

I’ve got a few shots here, and a slideshow of nearly 100 shots below. For the full experience, just take a leap over to Flickr and watch in glorious full screen mode (where you can see, in detail, the limitations of my photography skills).

For measuring hides

This guy makes fringe

The shearling machine

And the shearling

For cutting hides

Since everything starts inside out, this spike is used to get hard to reach areas like corners right side out for the final touches

And how do they keep it all in order, you wonder? With this powerhouse machine right here

Again, thanks to all the fine people at Schott for letting me come out and grab some shots of the home of a great American brand.

—Jonathan

 

Schott Factory – Elizabeth, NJ, posted with vodpod

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Heads Up: Schott Factory Sale this Saturday

For all of you in the NY/NJ area (or further afield depending on your tolerance for early morning travel): the Schott annual factory sale is going down tomorrow morning (12/4), and it’s a great opportunity to get your hands on some of their US-made gear for a song.  In terms of the offerings, look out for Schott’s usual suspects: Sweaters, wool & down jackets, and of course a whole bunch of leathers.

Officially it runs from 8am to 12 noon, but people start lining up at 6 in the morning and the doors have been known to open up earlier than the official start time. So yeah: it all happens really damn early. But despite my knee-jerk opposition to getting up at the crack of dawn to catch a ride to Elizabeth on NJ Transit, I’m planning on being there.

Why? Well for one I’m loathe to give up the opportunity to spend time at the factory of a beloved and iconic American brand. And then there’s the deals. Big fat ones. Like a room with everything under $50, samples at discount, and some of the current collection at 10-50% off.

But perhaps more than anything, I want to bear personal witness to this once-a-year madness. It sounds like it’ll be–at the very least–really entertaining.

So, yeah: Tomorrow, at some ungodly hour, I will haul myself out of bed and trek down to the Schott factory. And, despite the fact that I’ll probably be nursing a hangover and desperately downing more coffee than any human being should, I’ll be happy to do it.

If you’re in the market for anything Schott, I suggest you drag your weary ass down there as well.

—Jonathan

Directions:

Take the 112 NJ Transit bus from Port Authority to North Avenue at Madison Avenue in Elizabeth. Walk 2 blocks North (passing the park), then 1 block West to 1000 Jefferson Avenue, Elizabeth, NJ (the factory address).

—Please don’t take these as gospel. Check around for the best route for you and be sure to confirm before you head out. The last thing I want is for someone to get lost because I made a mistake. Be safe!—

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Eye Candy: Set for Life

Schott 654 Casual Cowhide Racer, Lewis Leathers for Garbstore Flying Dominator

A black moto and a brown bomber. Pretty much set for life on the leather jacket front.

Look out for a more detailed treatment of each one in the near future. Seems only appropriate now that the autumn chill has really started to roll in…

—Jonathan

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Iconography: Bruce Springsteen

If you’re looking for a solid example of enduring and well-executed rock and roll style, look no further than Bruce Springsteen in the late 70′s.

The man was killing it left and right on the sartorial front. All the attitude to pull off a Perfecto without looking foolish (not the easiest feat), but he could also tone it down a bit and still look damn good in more understated jacket or just a dark shirt/jeans combo. He was just so effortlessly cool that it all worked perfectly.

I hear he put out a couple of decent records or something, too…

For the curious: It looks like the Boss is rocking a Schott in a lot of these looks. Seems that the 613 One Star Perfecto was one of his standby pieces.

Would that I were able to wear one so well. But then, I suppose I’m OK with just flat out admitting that Bruce Springsteen is much cooler than. It’s clearly 100% true.

—Jonathan

(Images courtesy of GQ)

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(capsule) NY: Billy Reid

Billy Reid’s “Moto Jacket.” Really more of a cropped leather pea coat, but awesome nonetheless…

While at (capsule) NY, I got a chance to stop by the Billy Reid booth for a bit and check out the SS 2011 preview.

To give a bit of background: Billy Reid’s aesthetic has a sort of Southern Gentile via downtown New York vibe to it. Certainly steeped in tradition, but with a modern and ever-so-slightly gritty feel. Not dirty, mind you. Just not overly prim and proper.

It’s actually the second time around for Billy Reid (the first iteration ran 1998-2002), but things are looking good for this run. Reid was named GQ’s menswear designer of the year for 2010, and the label is pretty well poised to go massive right now. Judging from the stuff I saw at (capsule) NY, the buzz is well-deserved.

I must admit that I was completely, embarrassingly sidetracked by one piece: the leather “Moto Jacket” (really a cropped pea coat but no worries). While I did eventually manage to break away from it and take a look around at the other stuff being shown, consider this the leather-jacket-obsessed take on Billy Reid SS 2011, rather than the full story.

Alright. Enough yammering:

The leather on this was genuinely incredible. Heavy and sturdy, but still remarkably supple. Buttery? I’m none too fond of that descriptor. But. Yeah, kinda…

From the back…

Dual zip & button closure, and a gray chambray lining…

Very cool interior labels…

Another look at the front with the collar up…

And down…

As I said, I did move on to a few other pieces eventually:

I have a real weakness for tweedy gray blazers…

Digging the neck and button detailing on this pullover…

A chambray workshirt with some intense chest pocket action happening…

And reinforced elbows…

A few more pieces from the line…

So yeah, it’s by no means whatsoever a full showing of Billy Reid’s SS 2011 line. Just one leather jacket that I got a wee bit obsessive over, and a few of the other things that caught my eye. The (highly) truncated version, if you will.

There were also a bunch of shoes and other sartorial goodies being shown. Take a look over at Alex Grant‘s post on the same subject for more.

—Jonathan

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(capsule) NY: Perfecto by Schott NYC

Updated One-Star Perfectos and a vintaged horsehide Cafe Racer. Mmmmmm….

Schott NYC absolutely nailed it with the new Perfecto by Schott line that showed this past Monday/Tuesday at (capsule) NY.

Designed by Greg Chapman (who, aside from being talented as hell, is a genuinely nice guy) the line draws on Schott NYC’s venerable heritage with updated takes on classic pieces. Lines are slimmed down, fabrics and leathers are played with a bit, and it all comes together into a collection that certainly vies for my personal “best in show” award for (capsule) NY as a whole.

Among the collection you’ll find takes on a number of leather jacket styles, including the double riders jacket (made famous by the original Perfecto), the A2 bomber, and the racer jacket in both cafe and spread-collar. In terms of materials, you’ve got a bunch of options: Horsehide, cowhide, a goddamn beautiful suede (it’s soft as hell, but heavy and sturdy at the same time), waxcloth, and heavy twill.

There’s also a good deal of variety when it comes to vintage effects on the leather. I’ve mentioned a few times that I’m generally weary of this practice, but if you take a look at that black/brown marbling effect on a couple of the jackets below, I think you’ll come to the same conclusion I did. In this instance, it works.

The waxcloth on this jacket is light and pliable, but still very clearly durable. A perfect jacket for spring weather… Perfecto in a lightweight cowhide. I could see this becoming a standby in my own collection…

The marbled black/brown vintaging I mentioned earlier. Clearly, I was fascinated with this…

Talon zips on some of the models. Old skool for the win…

There’s that fantastic suede…

I think the far right is actually a ladies’ model. Very cool…

There’s also a very strong portion of the collection that draws on the other end of Schott’s expertise, with mountain parkas, pea coats and toggle coats. These pieces are done in deadstock nylon/poplin from the company’s storerooms, selvage raw denim from Cone Mills White Oak, and some impressively sturdy cotton duck in a few different colors (eye-searing orange among them).

Also: I really dig the linings they used in this collection in general. Tartan, gingham, and plaid galore. Icing on the cake.

Actually not sure if this was just a fabric sample for linings or if they’re offering a scarf, and neglected to ask. If it’s just a sample, I humbly suggest they offer a scarf. If it’s a scarf, I want one…

Cone Mills White Oak. Quality, American-made fabrics…

Geeked out on the selvage detailing. I’m glad they had the good sense to keep it subtle…

I didn’t think I’d like this when I first saw preview shots last week. I was oh so wrong. I want one for myself. Like, yesterday…

Many of the components like the toggles here were actually sourced from deadstock within Schott’s factory in Elizabeth, NJ…

The line arrives for real in Spring 2011. Prices will land between $400 and $1,000. When you’re talking about the top end of that range representing the cost of an American-made horsehide jacket, it’s really damn reasonable bang for your buck.

Start saving them ducats, kids. If you’re anything like me, you’re gonna want more than one of these pieces.

—Jonathan

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Eye Candy: Band of Outsiders Fall 2010 Lookbook

OK first off: Yes. I realize that every blogger and his (or her) mother has posted or will post something on the new Band of Outsiders lookbook for Fall 2010. But in my defense:

1. The clothing looks great, and the styling is pretty on-point
2. Polaroids are awesome
3. The star of the show, Andrew Garfield, is gonna be motherfuckin’ Spiderman in an upcoming reboot of the movie franchise. And despite the fact that Spiderman 3 was an enormous ball of suck, I’m still excited that they’re giving it another go

So yeah, it’s ubiquitous. But I dig it just the same. So I’m reposting a series of my favorite shots of the soon-to-be Petey Parker rocking some very nice (if undoubtedly pricey) duds.

In terms of specific pieces, the shearling toggle coat is a damn fine offering:And like I said, I’m excited for the Spiderman reboot. So I couldn’t help pulling a couple shots of Andrew Garfield in Spidey mode. Dude is clearly made for web-slinging.

You can check out BoO’s blog for more shots.

That’s all for now, kids.

—Jonathan

(Images courtesy of Band of Outsiders)

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Eye Candy: Wrangler Blue Bell FW 2010 Lookbook

The Wrangler Blue Bell FW 2010 collection is a slightly darker (both in mood and color) take on mid-20th-century Americana of the non-preppy variety. Think rockabilly and motorcycles as opposed to cardigans and khakis (no hate!). Dark denim is paired with plaids, some wool pieces, and one very nice looking leather bomber for a package that’s pretty successful on the whole.

While there are a couple of missteps (namely in the overprocessed jeans department), I’m a fan of most of the offerings, and the collection shines when the Wrangler folks have the good sense to keep things simple.

And it kind of goes without saying, but: I want that jacket.

Some more shots:

Blue Bell is, sadly, a Europe-only endeavor. When will American denim giants like Lee and Wrangler realize that there’s a whole contingent of people in the US that love their overseas lines, despite the…ahem…issues with the local varietal?

Oh well. At least I can give you the heads up that Cultizm has stocked Blue Bell before, and may be a decent spot to look for the new stuff.

For now, go check out the website. It’s highly interactive, and honestly just a fucking blast to play around with. Also, more in-depth looks at the clothes. There’s that, too.

—Jonathan

(Images courtesy of Wrangler Europe, and thanks to Hypebeast for putting this on my radar)

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Eye Candy: Lewis Leathers x Garbstore Flying Dominator Preview

I’ve been excited about the Lewis Leathers x Garbstore Flying Dominator jacket for a while now, and these preview shots from Epaulet are just making it even harder to wait for September when it actually drops.

Take a look:

Price should come in around $850. Not cheap, but from the looks of it, well worth it.

—Jonathan

(Images courtesy of Epaulet)

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