ON & BEYOND

chino

J.CREW mini-gingham shirt

J.CREW‘s line up of Summer shirting options make it pointless to even look elsewhere. Whether needing to dressing up or dressing down, they will have what you are looking for. This mini-gingham shirt worn by my buddy is so perfectly paired with a dark chino trouser, that I felt obliged to take a photo. I like how neatly he pinrolled the bottom of his pant, showing a hint of his gray dress socks.

John Rich & Bros Chinos

Super lightweight worn-in chinos by Woolrich, with a small coin pocket, a few rolls in the bottom, a pair of new b’s and I’m ready to go. Definitely my best pick up in geared with the imminent arrival of spring..

“The collection revolves around garments that in their simplicity, have the entire American outerwear history in their structural details. It is from the Woolrich Mills that this product takes form from the same looms that produce the most authentic American outerwear fabrics.”

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A Thoughtful Pair of Chinos

To the naked eye, they may seem like a regular pair of chinos, but through investigative inspection, you may discover a few things that you won’t find elsewhere. Two aspects of this pair of pants were demanding my attention: the herringbone weave twill & the crotch rivet. “What the hell is a crotch rivet?” you may ask, well that’s exactly the intrigue; It is almost impossible to find a crotch rivet on any pant, let alone any pair of jeans made after the 40′s. This takes us back to a brief denimology lesson with 2 different but valid theories: 1. The crotch rivet was removed from production because cowboys, after being near campfire, saw the danger of the burning hot rivet once they got back on their saddles. 2. During the war, companies were forced to reduce use of metals in their production forcing Jean manufacturers to eliminate useless rivets. I think the first one sounds cooler, but choose the one you want to tell your friend….(Thanks SUFU)

The herringbone is a plus, giving abit of “dandy” to a casual item is always nice.

Note: Even though the quality of their garments don’t scream excellency, Ransom‘s pieces often possess a little extra in the details department.

Ransom-Chino-Pants

Wool Socks

The ascension of the high-water chino, the pin roll and the simple folds have brought attention to the ankle and to the socks. While, I wanna remain in tune with that fad, I found myself having to step up my sock game and wool socks seem to do the trick just fine; giving attention to where it is needed. Men have the essential 3 in accessories: the tie, the watch and the belt (you can go sans belt if you have a bespoke suit with a perfectly fitting pant), I’m gonna go ahead and add the socks as a fundamental.

Maura and I built a quick list of socks you can add to your set of winter accoutrements.

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Taken from aurawithanm:
1. Patagonia‘s Ultra Heavyweight Mountaineering socks are soft made with felted merino wool. Is know to last a lifetime.

2. Filson socks are made with a new dimensional knitting technology. The spandex in every stitch provides a memory fit.

3. J.Crew‘s Camp sock comes from the last remaining sock mill in Vermont. This all weather sock is traditional in design and spun from classic ragg marl yarns.

4. Orvis‘s Merino Wool Ultra-Ragg take ragg clothing to a higher level. Crafted in Vermont from Australian merino wool.

5. Scott-Nichol is a traditional British manufacturer of hand made socks. All socks from Scott-Nichol come replete with a hand-linked toe making them virtually seamless.

6. Duray, is a staple amongst woolen mills in Quebec. Their Light Original Work socks are two-ply twisted knit.