Kitsune's spring/summer 2010 collection

French record label/fashion house Kitsune has a few nice pieces in its spring/summer 2010 collection, which they have titled "Kitsune Golf Club."  Don't let the name deter you, there really are some nice shirts in the collection:

I like the pale color of the shirt, and that it's a collared shirt with buttons that only go down halfway, but it's not a polo shirt (see my ramblings on polo shirts in this post).  Man that dude's hair is distracting...

This western-style shirt is very nice.  It might look a tad nicer on someone with broader shoulders, or who wasn't standing in such a schlubby pose, but it's still a very nice shirt. 

Again, I like the pale color of the shirt, and the two-tone color adds to the effect. You don't usually see shirts with white collars and cuffs that also have a white pocket, but it's nice in that it breaks up the color of the midsection and adds a little more balance.

You can barely see the patterned shirt but it's quite nice; I especially like the bolder white strip down the middle.  It's not something I would wear with a navy or black blazer, but I understand Kitsune is going for the whole preppy vibe so, whatever.

I don't really have any intentions of discussing women's fashion on this site, but I have to point out that the woman's outfit in this picture is awesome.  And notice the same western-style shirt on someone who wears it a tad bit better.  Come to think of it, Kitsune threw in a lot of western shirts into this collection (see the entire lookbook here), and they're not something that I would normally associate with golf club style.  Interesting...

Incidentally, here's a neat interview with Kitsune's founders in 01 Magazine.

5BoroNYCs "Hazy Towers" t-shirt

This t-shirt, made by 5Boro, might be my favorite graphic tee out right now.  The "Hazy Towers" image shows the Empire State Building in the foreground, and the former Twin Towers in the background, melding into a faint blue-grey watercolor wash.  It's a striking image, a fitting memorial to 9/11.  The shirt is a stark contrast to the bold lines and in-your-face designs of most graphic tees made by street wear companies, which ironically makes it stand out all the more.  Really, really nice.

Unis spring/summer collection

Unis's clothing is great for the guy that likes to look good without being ostentatious.  There are a few really nice pieces in their spring/summer collection.  I don't know if I would put on an outfit of solely Unis clothing (a little flair can be good too), but Unis's shirts and jackets are easily paired with other clothing, and the styles are classic, meaning they can stay in your closet for a lifetime.

I'm generally not a fan of polo shirts.  I think it's because of all the wannabe I-banker dicks I knew in college named "Chase" or "Chance" or "Chet" who wore polo shirts relentlessly. (Word to the wise, if your polo shirt dangles far below your waist, so far that it covers your ass, you automatically look stupid.)  But Unis's "Tristan" polo makes me a believer.  A lot of polos have a hefty look, but Unis's are trim and unassuming.  Unis makes it possible to wear a polo and not look like a prepster.  Just please stay away from the tan Dockers.

One thing I like about Unis's shirts is that the collars are small.  Like I said, Unis is not about being ostentatious.  This shirt is their "Felix" style in white/green stripe.  The trench coat ("James," grey multicolor) is pretty nice too.  The pants I'm not so sure about.  They're the rust color of their "Gio" chinos, the product Unis is probably most well-known for.  Unis's chinos are great in other colors, but in this instance I'm not convinced.

That shirt ("Adam" in grey) is perfection.

New Jersey Nets vs. Brooklyn Nets t-shirts

At some point within the next few years, the New Jersey Nets basketball team will make its highly controversial move to Brooklyn.  The Atlantic Yards project (where the Nets' new stadium, the Barclays Center, will be located), has become one of the most hotly contested real estate developments in the annals of gentrification.  It's no wonder that the debate has had ramifications in street wear.

The "Keep the Nets in New Jersey" t-shirt, made by No Mas, has a simple, vintage look to it, perhaps appealing to feelings associated with the franchise's history.  Ironically, the italicized lettering of "Nets" and the red, white, and blue coloring of the basketball is similar to the team's logo when it was based in New York in the '70s (a similar logo was also used when the team moved back to New Jersey):

The black t-shirt, made by Entree, is decidedly more modern with the Helvetica typeface of "Nets."  I saw a kid wearing a white version of this t-shirt at the gym today, which I prefer to the black one shown here, and which seems to be more in tune with the team colors of red, white, and blue.  While No Mas's t-shirt bears a simple, declarative statement, Entree's t-shirt is making a statement in its own right.  The design covers the entire t-shirt and forces you to take notice.  Entree's design is also a riff on an older Nets logo (see below), except with a silhouette of the borough of Brooklyn above the team name instead of the state of New Jersey.

Sports Classic: New York Mets hat

Last week I wrote about the really nice Oakland A's cap in green with the yellow brim.  Just like some people think those colors don't mix, there are people that think the Mets team colors of orange and blue don't mix.  I might tend to agree in other cases, but on the Mets cap, it just works for me.  The colors supposedly come from the main colors of the two National League teams that left New York City in the middle of the last century: Dodger blue and Giants orange.  The Mets organization was trying to drum up support by adopting the colors of those two much-loved baseball teams that left many a New Yorker broken-hearted.

To me, the color scheme of this cap is just playful and fun.  It's a stark contrast to the dour and somber colors of the Yankees.  When I see a person wearing Mets gear I think, There's a person who knows how to have fun and likes to party.  When I see someone in Yankees gear, on the other hand, I think that person is probably an anal-retentive prick who takes himself too seriously.

The best of Nom de Guerre's spring/summer 2010 line

Nom de Guerre's spring/summer line is apparently based on France's occupation of Algeria and Algeria's war for independence.  It's really just another drop in the puddle of military inspiration that so many designers seem to be having currently.  That means that there's a lot of camouflage in the line.  The camouflage pieces are the least interesting pieces in the collection, not to mention the fact that I would feel like a total poser douche wearing combat clothing without actually being enlisted in the armed forces.  Happily, there are a few pieces that aren't as annoying as the pieces which more closely imitate military uniforms.

The bomber jacket is great.  I like that it doesn't have a true collar, I like the cut, I like the double row of buttons, I like the pattern.  I wouldn't mind if this came in a more military-esque olive green color either.

This shirt also doesn't have a true collar.  Instead, it is more similar in style to North African jalabiyyas.  The shirt is really great.

I really love the pattern of this shirt. (God, it looks horrible with those pants.)

The jeans are quite nice.  Grey cotton denim is not something I've seen much for jeans, but it's a great alternative to blue or black jeans.

The boots in this pic are amazing.  I don't think they are actually part of Nom de Guerre's line, but I would love to know where they come from.

See here for Nom de Guerre's spring/summer 2010 lookbook and a lot more pictures.

Sports Classic: Oakland A's cap

There are people who think these colors don't look good together.  To me, they look perfect together.  Forest green and yellow; it's classic.  The official A's cap (currently made by New Era) is one of my favorite team caps, if not my favorite.  If I lived on the west coast, and if I could bring myself to root for an American League team, I'd be an A's fan.  Those are two very big ifs, however...

Deadline & 13th Witness Marcy Ave t-shirt

I saw this Deadline t-shirt using a photograph taken by the awesome photographer 13th Witness (who happens to be the son of graffiti legend Futura) at the Ssur Plus store.  The picture is of a Marcy Ave (Brooklyn) street sign.  Marcy and what avenue?  I have no idea because the cross-street sign looks to be covered in snow.  I'm not crazy about the design on the back of the shirt.  The front is understated (which I like) and cool, and the back doesn't seem to fit with that.  But the photo on the front is so cool maybe I can get over it.

Vans herringbone slip-ons

 Speaking of herringbone, these Vans slip-ons are also quite nice.  The weave seems thinner than the ones in the previous post, and they have a certain sheen that can pop on the street.  Very nice.

Vans herringbone Era sneakers

I'm a big fan of herringbone.  Herringbone anything, I say.  I also like the light blue coloring of the Vans logo; it fits very nicely with the dark grey upper.  I saw these on the Classickicks website, who seem to have them on sale currently.

Analog Shapeshift Boardshorts

Irvine, CA based Analog makes some really nice boardshorts.  This one is from their Shapeshift line, which comes in a number of color and pattern schemes, all based on the square and quarter-circle shapes.  I really like the bright colors and the influences from abstraction.  They are available at Turntable Lab.

Grey kooky plimsolls from Topman

I really like these grey plimsoll shoes by Topman (see details here, they also come in black ).  They look more elegant than your typical plimsolls, and the light grey color is quite versatile.  I haven't tried a pair on yet, but they look really comfortable.

Sak For Converse

This might be the coolest pair of shoes I've seen in a while.  They are handmade leather riffs on Converse's Chuck Taylor All-Stars, designed by Japanese (but Florence-based) designer Ryusaku Hiruma.  Hiruma is collaborating with Converse to create high-end versions of their classic styles, with only 64 pairs made for each style.  The Chuck Taylors are made in black and off-white, and are retailing for $600 at Opening Ceremony.  I hope Converse introduces similar styles (at more affordable prices) for those of us who are ready to wear nicer shoes than sneakers but don't want to wear dress shoes casually (or those dopey sneaker/shoe things that I see guys wearing around Soho all the time).

See more at Opening Ceremony's blog.