Prey for the Hunted

In the interest of full disclosure I must say that this is a project that is beyond personal to me. elc Mens is a men’s fashion line out of Denver Colorado started by the proprietors of this blog. After producing 2 full collections sold through traditional fashion show rooms in NYC we decided to produce a small capsule collection available directly from our own website.

For the first 100 days collection we found our inspiration from our home state of Colorado and each style is limited to small numbered runs with custom packaging.

We call this new series of direct sales collections 100 Days and every 100 days we will be dropping new limited edition items.

Check it out here, sign up to learn more about future collections, or purchase some of these limited edition items before they are gone.

Every man who gives a damn about how he looks should have a few wardrobe items on a mental list that if he runs across them he can act without hesitation. For me one of those items is a Barbour International Jacket. The international is the same jacket Steve Mcqueen wore at the International 6 Day Trials in East Germany in 1964.

Barbour or J Barbour & Sons as it is properly know was established in 1894 when they were fashioning oilskin overcoats for all types of tradesmens in rainy coastal England. The Barbour product and reputation have only become more revered as the company has stayed family owned for over 4 generations.

I have owned a few Barbour jackets but I have never come across the right vintage International, until recently. I sit here in the worst economy in recent history unsure of how I will scrape together money for Christmas gifts for friends and family much less pay my insane car insurance bill that is sitting on my desk, but when you come across something so perfect you just gotta say : “Fuck it”

These new combat boots from Nice Collective are blowing my mind now that fall is here and winter is looming over the approaching horizon. They call these hand made leather combat boots the Nice Collective Scrap Metal Boots because this limited version is hand-buffed with used motor oil and infused with tiny scraps of engine metal.

The boots have a great look and tasteful distressing and I am turning over all my couch cushions to see if there is $695 in change under there so I can make them my own.

I hate Nom de Guerre, I hate that they have the coolest name in mens fashion and that season after season they continue to put together outstanding collections. Sure my hatred is born of envy and it has just turned up a level with these latest photos from their fall / winter 2009 look book.

Like most of their collections I am sure there is an overwrought pseudo-intellectual back story that serves as inspiration for the collection. Also like most of their collection there is some military or uniform influence in the collection. Certainly like all their other collections I like to pick on some of their themes but I love the clothes. I especially like the boots and the fur accents on the pieces in this collection. Like the WWII french resistance from where they derive their name Nom de Guerre continues to fight the good fight.

Belgian born designer Raf Simons has become one of the biggest names in fashion design. The most interesting part of Raf Simons’ career is the fact that he was formally trained as an industrial designer after which he moved on and began a self study in clothing design. After a move to Paris Raf began designing for Martin Margiela and Jean Paul Gaultier before becoming the head designer for Jil Sander.

Now Raf Simons is designing under his own brand name and has done this abortion of a collaboration with Doc Martins. I can get behind a lot of things but gold combat boots are over the line.  God help us Raf, what have you done?

While denim wear was born in America over  150 years ago  it is today’s premium denim craze that is as American as Apple Pie.  Levi Strauss & Co. was founded in 1853 when a young German moved from Bavaria to San Francisco. He started making rugged overalls for railroad workers made out of a cotton twill loomed in a special way creating a durable fabric identified by its unique diagonal ribbing.

While denim fabric continued to be used in many apparel items it wasn’t until the 1950s that jeans became fashionable in America. As the jeans phenomenon exploded in the 50s and 60s Levis updated there production facilities to keep up with demand.

Fast forward to 2003 and jeans are still a staple of American fashion. In keeping with the American sentiments of individuality and excess the notion of premium denim was born. Jeans which were accepted as a mass produced workwear items that cost $20-$30 were reborn as fashionable pants that defined personal style and cost between $200-$300. New brands were born with the mission of creating unique and exclusive denim using many of the storied original production methods.

Raw Denim and Selvage Denim

In the last few years military influence has been seen in all areas of fashion. Kill Spencer is a new line of mens’ bags that is serious enough to move beyond military cliche and uses battle tested materials that actually deliver on that military cache’. LA Based designer Spencer Nikosey uses clean modern lines and constructs them with repurposed treated canvas used in the Korean War. The hardware consists of black anodized steel buckles and snaps and looks like it will withstand just about anything that gets thrown at it.

See More Kill Spencer Bags