http://www.burkmanbros.com

Available from Feb, these are just £40. We’d normally tell you to get saving your pennies but it’s only £40.

* don’t say heritage. Never say heritage.

Right now there seems to be something in the sartorial air that keeps reminding us of a wonderful time, when we would either be sitting around listening to the 808 state radio show (whilst collecting nuggets burns) or travelling the length and breadth of the North-West’s motorways in a transit van searching for THE BEST NIGHT OF YOUR LIFE EVER. Pivotal to both these practices was the fleece jacket. Where this jumped-up jumper-come-jacket evolved from being a geography teacher staple into the Raver’s best friend (alongside a bottle of Liquid Gold). Whether avoiding hypothermia at Sandbach services or propping up the bar in Dry, the fleece provided a comforting constant during those chaotic and (off your) heady times. Sadly I’ve been unable to track down the purple/navy/lime green 3/4 zip fleece that I wore to death back then.  Instead I have decided to fall back in love with the fleece by getting hooked up with the marvellous R2 jacket from Patagonia which not only looks really good but is ethically sound too. Now here comes the science-y bit, you may want to listen to ACR:MCR whilst you read it…

Details
* Exceptional warmth-to-weight ratio, compressible and breathable, with
improved stretch
* Directional knit wicks moisture and speeds dry time
* Collar and chin flap lined with Polartec® Power Stretch fabric (made of
recycled polyester) for next-to-skin comfort
* Polartec Power Stretch panels under the arms allow for a close fit,
improved motion and increased durability in high-wear areas
* Shoulder seams set forward for pack-wearing comfort
* Pockets: Two handwarmers and one chest secure with zippers

Material
Recycled Polyester
We recycle used soda bottles, unusable second quality fabrics and worn out
garments into polyester fibers to produce many of our clothes.

Regulator® System
Regulator is an integrated system (base, insulation, shell) that works in
unison to keep you dryer and more comfortable over a wider range of
conditions than a traditional waterproof layering system.

www.patagonia.com

More info at www.oneninezerosix.co.uk

Our top mates at top heritage style magazine Men’s File have opened a top pop-up shop in that there London (at the Cube on Lamb’s Conduit street near Folk and Olly Spencer). It’s only open for another week so make sure you get down there and buy something because just like the publication it looks its been made by a Japanese Fonz and is full of proper amazing gear. Also on show are  inspirational pieces such as a 2flex deck 1978 skateboard signed by Tony Alva himself, replicas of Lewis Leathers biker jackets worn by Steve McQueen (one of the only leather brands the actor ever wore) and unique screen prints which are available to purchase from £100.

www.mensfile.com

Anyway, having seen the usual suspects last time out, we’d be interested to check out the MAN show which begins tomorrow in Paris having already showed off in New York.

The goal of MAN is to showcase brands and collections who all have their own identities during men’s fashion week in Paris.

MAN is created by Antoine Floch (former Surface to Air / Rendez-Vous shows) andRomain Bernardie-James and Olivier Migda from the creative agency The Imaginers inParis.

If you’re lucky enough to be in Paris doing that self-conscious sauntering we mentioned, we recommend you check it out.

MAN Paris : January 21st-23rd 20125bis Rue Froissart – Paris 3

On another note, the branding and imagery of MAN is original photography brought to us by MAN organiser, Antoine Floch who shares with us his personal archive of photographs of family and friends climbing in the Alps. These and the rest of the images will be available to view at the show. Smart.

 
The Alan Paine Hailsham cardigan can be bought from www.alanpaine.co.uk  and selected stockist nationwide at a retail price of £180

I know it’s getting pretty icy out there at the mo but do we really need an excuse to show you some fantastic looking, beautifully put together, American hiking boots? I say hiking though they were originally created for big tough loggers back in depression era 1930s Wisconsin (before moving to Portland, Oregon). Where I guess anyone lucky enough to find a bit of work really needed to know that their footwear could go the distance and wouldn’t let them down when they were smack bang in the middle of the wilderness, especially when running away from hungry bears or toppling red-woods. Over the following decades Danner’s reputation for making quality hard-wearing boots gradually spread beyond its woodland home and into the rest of the world, as people realised these boots could stand up to some serious urban abuse as well as all things timber based. The SS12 Stumptown collection (a popular term for Portland being Stumptown i.e a town full of tree stumps) is comprised of classic Danner logger boot silhouettes, interpreted for a modern lifestyle featuring striking colour ways, contrast laces and a choice of technical sole units. We’ve been wearing Danners for a while now and they are without a doubt one of the best boots out there, managing to be both incredibly functional and really rather marvellous looking. TIM-BERRRRRR!!!!

http://stumptown.danner.com

OK, we’re half way into January, how’s your new year’s resolution going? To be honest this is the worst time to be giving up booze/fags/pasties/crack isn’t it? So instead of stoic abstinence we’ve vowed to look after our brains in 2012 by increasing the amount of culture in our lives. This month we’ve made a start by absorbing ourselves in the world of classic art by delving into these two fantastic volumes of Da Vinci’s drawings and paintings from Taschen. Though his paint work is without a doubt jaw-droppingly impressive, it’s his beautiful pencil skills that have kept us spellbound these on these long winter evenings huddled by the fire. Managing somehow to be both anatomically accurate and full of artistic flare, these early medical drawings also played a significant part in turning doctors away from superstitious nonsense and into the direction of modern medicine. Without Leo’s handiwork there’s a good chance that your local Boots could now be selling eye newt and wing of bat instead of Lemsips and Rennies. An essential piece of literature for budding art lovers, historians and scientists alike.

http://www.taschen.com/

Right then, lets forget we’re all skint and on tablets just for a bit whilst we listen to Proper Magazine’s favourite top ten Christmas tunes. Most of these festive bangers are either from the Seventies or Eighties, a magical time when Christmas day couldn’t be ruined by 24 hour rolling news and generic ‘Merry xmas everyone’ text messages. So put your iphone in the bin, switch off ITV4 and have yourself a little bop round the tree to our selection box of belters, we’ll start you off gently…

 Steeleye Span – Gaudete

Medieval monks make mead-infused merry music, then get covered 500 years later by one of the funkiest folk bands of all time. It makes it even better if you’ve seen the Alan Partridge episode where he plays it to Jill on the way back from a thrilling afternoon at an Owl Sanctuary

Elton John – Step Into Christmas

Can you imagine what Christmas Chez Reg must have been like back in the Seventies? When having snowballs involved neither advocaat or frosty weather.

Shakin Stevens – Merry Christmas Everyone

Look at this video! The kid’s coat! With his teeth looking like a row of bombed houses! The retro air-stewardesses! The snide as fuck elves! Then he appears like a snowball full of warm laver-bread Sir Steven of Shakinshire instantly melting our hearts with one of the finest Chrimbo tunes ever. Is that Roy Wood as Santa? No, no it’s not is it.

PSB – Always on my mind

 This may not have any mentions of Rudolph or peace on Earth but it does have a camp cowbell and in the season of drunken reflection, this is the unequivocal torch song for those of us who wish we’d been a bit more thoughtful during the past 12 months. This was on heavy rotation in December 1987 a special time for me as a fifteen year old. A time of getting Cinzano stains on Benetton jumpers, smelling of Rapport aftershave, narrowly avoiding a glassing by the rival gang down the pub, council flat parties that went on for three days and really not giving a shit about tomorrow. Can’t go back…

Julian Casablancas – I wish it was Christmas today

 Sometimes you want your Christmas song to sound like it’s been shooting up speed all week and just scored some ludes and a pint of jack to take the edge off the comedown *falls into Christmas tree and makes all the kids cry*

Kunt & The Gang – Jesus (Baby with a beard)

OK lets have a quick break for a fun-track. A few years back I suggest to K&TG that he record a track called ‘Kiss you under the camel toe’ and God bless him he went and did it. This year he’s come up with another absolute corker that includes the magical phrase ‘sausage wallet’. Give it a swerve if you’re easily offended or a little kid or just dead religious and that.

Housemartins – Caravan of Love

I met Paul Heaton recently (clang!) and he seemed like a pretty sound bloke, so for that reason I’m including this heart-warmingly ace acapella hit that inspired countless youths to go to school the Friday after this was on Top of The Pops with dodgy crosses shaved into the sides of their impulsive little heads.

David Essex – A Winter’s Tale



For some reason I thought the video to this involved a cartoon mouse, gutted, still, a proper nice song from Gypsy Joe. Ideal for soundtracking your enjoyment of a nice bowl of home-made soup or keeping you entertained whilst you pin some balloons to a serving hatch.

Greg Lake – I Believe in Father Christmas

Considering it’s somewhat cynical content, the vibes from this tune are more Christmassy than a cracker made out of turkey skin and filled with Chocolate oranges and Lego. My mum went into Rumbelows to buy this record when it came out and not knowing the name of the artist just blurted out the title to the bloke at the counter who quickly retorted ‘I’m very pleased for you love but can I help you with buying anything today?’ Hilarious times.

Chris Rea – Driving Home For Christmas

Right, this version (which won’t embed) is a fucking terrible video and everybody in it deserves to die but it is a great tune which reminds me of one of my favourite ever You’ve Been Framed clips. When I worked on the show somebody sent in a clip of a dog at the wheel of a car ‘driving’ along an estate with this music playing, it was brilliantly shit. Actually I shouldn’t have been so harsh about that video, it was in aid of Shelter. I’m going to donate some money to them now to make up for it, why don’t you too? www.shelter.org.uk/donate

OK you might be pushing it getting one of these in time for Christmas but we would definitely recommend you spending some of your Christmas money from Nanna/the DHSS on one of these ace wiffle ball & bat kits from new UK label & online shop Trickett. What’s a wiffle bat? Do you know nothing of America and it’s crazy ball games? Are you not down with the lyrics from seminal Beasties tune Paul Revere? And I quote…

Now, “I got the gun, you got the brew
You got two choices of what you can do
It’s not a tough decision as you can see
I can blow you away or you can ride with me” I said,
I’ll ride with you if you can get me to the border
The sheriff’s after me for what I did to his daughter
I did it like this, I did it like that
I did it with a wiffleball bat

So any way, go get yourself a Wiffle bat and ball to doss about with in the new year and maybe some other quality bits and pieces from the Tricketts site. Both the supporters hat and a bottle of Henderson’s Relish are essential items for the forth-coming January in our opinion.. http://trickett-england.co.uk/products-page/

If you’ve recently visited a Barbour store, you may have noticed that they’re displaying some rather ace festive images of Raymond Briggs’ realistically grumpy Father Christmas be-decked in some of South Shield’s finest outerwear. As well as filling us with a particularly nostalgic type of 80s Christmas cheer the drawings have also been commissioned to help promote the brand’s first Christmas app, the Barbour wish list which you can find more about here www.barbourwishlist.com. Blooming marvellous!

Enough of the history lesson though.

Check out these beauties. Channel your inner cowboy with this top denim.

For more info, get on this link.

http://www.wrangler-europe.com/

The perennial Christmas gift… the sock, the gift set… underpants. Ah yes, underpants. The oft-unseen and rarely regarded rig out item. No point showing off your extra special alpaca and cashmere winter knitwear, your handmade moccasins and your £1000 Cabourn jacket if you’ve not come correct underneath the layers.

That’s where Sunspel arrives to your aid. For the uncompromising gent who favours the finer things in life. The kind of bloke who never intends to show off about how ace his undies are – that’d be weird – but takes quiet pleasure from the fact he’s considerably smarter than you because his sartorial superiority stretches to the nth degree.

Basically if you’ve not got a pair or three of these you’re a bad scruff. Sort it out.

http://www.sunspel.com/

Our mates over at Clarks Originals have got a smart competition going on at the moment. You can win tickets to a special Joy Formidable gig early next year in one of three unexpected and unusual locations in either Bristol, London or Manchester which will only be revealed 48 hours before each of the concerts. Check out the link below to pick your nearest venue and enter this exciting and unique competition. Fans from the UK as well as a winner from Japan and Italy can also win the chance to join the band on the tour acting as behind the line reporters on the highs and the lows of being on the road. For budding journalists especially this will give them the chance to have their video and work published on the site as well as gain invaluable experience of what it’s like to work in the industry. Entrants can apply for this on the Clarks Originals site from next week.

 Competition: http://clarksoriginals.com/competitions/gig

Photos by Danny North: http://www.dannynorth.co.uk/

We’ve nothing against traditional presents but if you’re going to buy us socks again this year, can we insist that they be luxury ones. Preferably involving cashmere and ideally made by our favourite socksmiths Pantherella, the Rolls Royce of sockwear.

http://www.pantherella.co.uk/  

Buy one here.

http://oliverspencer.co.uk/shop/product/oliver-spencer-quay-jacket-nelson-green-osj169a/

On Christmas day it’s pretty much the law that there needs to be a cool new gadget that all the family can mess about with and which provides much more entertainment than the Queen’s speech and a Morecambe and Wise re-run combined. So forget about fiddly digital cameras and cheesy iPhone apps and embrace the analogue beauty that is the 360° leather clad spinner from Lomography. As well as providing you with beautiful old-school images, this bad boy spins around whilst taking your photo, meaning you can plonk it on top of the turkey and capture the whole family sat round the table in one brilliant panoramic shot. How smart is that? And if stunning panoramic pics aren’t enough for you there’s also rollercoaster, timescan, footloose and hipshot effects for you to master. On top of all that it’s also covered in Italian toledo leather with a sleek geometric network pattern in winter white, just in case this outstanding camera doesn’t stand out enough!

 http://microsites.lomography.com/spinner-360/