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.

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Welcome to the 100 Days

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”

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The Real McQueen

As I am working away on my modern vintage Triumph Thruxton cafe bike I have become a bit obsessed with Triumph choppers. The example above and below belongs to Rob Howe in southern California, and I just about the prettiest damn thing I can imagine. It started life as a ‘65 Triumph Trophy and now it is a bad ass chopper so stripped down it almost looks like a bicycle.

I am officially obsessed and am trolling ebay for a pre-kit Triumph motor as we speak. Time to make a proper vintage bike for me.

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A Triumph Indeed

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.

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Wage War on Winter in Nice Collective Scrap Metal Combat Boots

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.

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Nom De Guerre Fall Winter 2009

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?

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Raf Simons x Doc Martins x WTF

The Maxim top 100 list is totally wack! The fact that they have Avirl Lavine ranked as hotter than Elisha Cuthbert makes me want to burn down their offices. As rediculous as the Maxim list is I have to honestly agree with their pick for the worlds hottest girl.

I hate that I have to praise Maxim for their good taste but it cannot be denied that Olivia Wilde is one of the hottest women on the planet. You may be able to argue that there are more beautiful women, but in terms of pure lust worthy good looks Olivia Wilde can duke it out with any one. If I were in a room with Olivia Wilde and Meagan Fox and magically able to bed either one, I would send Meagan out to pick up a sandwich and get to business with Olivia.

My crush on Olivia started when she played a lesbian bar tender on the OC. She has taken mostly eye candy roles in movies like the Girl Next Door, Alpha Dog, and Turista until finally landing a good gig on the Fox hit House.

Check out more pics of Olivia and the rest of Maxim’s rediculous hot list, and from here on out I promise to never mention Maxim again

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Olivia Wilde is Totally Hotter than Meagan Fox

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.

Most of today’s premium denim is loomed in Japan where they still use old style shuttle looms that were abandoned when American mills upgraded there looms in the 50’s. The older shuttle looms use a continuous thread as opposed individual cross threads in the weave. The result of using these looms is denim fabric created with what is called a selvage or self edge as opposed to the frayed edge of modern individual thread denim. These selvage denim jeans are considered to be more durable in addition to having the cache of fabric milled the old fashion way.

The other most fashionable term in modern denim is Raw or Dry Denim.  Raw or Dry Denim as opposed to washed denim, is a denim fabric that is not washed after being dyed during its production. Over time the denim will generally fade and crease in a way that is unique to its wearer.

Where most denim is washed or distressed to give a worn in look people who buy raw denim are tasked with breaking in their own jeans to achieve a unique fade. When buying a pair of raw denim you are instructed to not wash you jeans for 6 months to a year with almost daily wear to break them in and fade them properly

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Denimology- Raw Denim, Selvage Denim, & More

Just announced Puma is doing a collaboration with Yves Saint Laurent and the shoes look to be hot shit.  The YSL for Puma shoe is a moc toe high top in 2 colorways featuring a mix of full grain and perforated leather with a wave sole. Depending on how they price these bad boys they may find a home in my closet.

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YSL for Puma

Then I think this crazy broad is dating one of the super annoying Jonas Brothers who is busy saving his virginity for Jesus instead of gladly handing her his V-card. Then I see some pictures of her and think that maybe she is not hot at all. (see below)

I think maybe Joe Jonas is really a rocket scientist and has figured out the secret to celibacy. Every time he climbs on top of this hot young woman and stares lovingly into her eyes and her eyebrows instantly eradicate his boner. Praise Jesus! Joe gets to keep his virginity intact.

Camilla Belle continues to be one of life’s great mysteries blazing hot one minute, dowdy girl next door the next, and to boot she is dating a virgin pop star. At least we can all agree that Camilla looks great as a cave woman.

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Camilla Belle is good for Celibacy

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.

The bags don’t come cheap but if you are looking for something that will stand the test of time, from both design and material integrity perspective then a Kill Spencer bag might become your standard issue.

Kill Spencer Bags $300-$515

Kill Spencer offers 3 styles of bags. A Duffel, a Messenger, and a smaller back pack. All three bags have the same tough construction.

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Military Grade Man Bags

I have to be honest I kind of dismissed the whoel boat shoe phenomenon as a passing hipster trend, but I am getting the feeling that this trend is still pretty far from sinking as we enter spring 2009.  The original Sperry Top Sider (pictured above) was invented in 1935 by Paul Sperry. The shoes became popular as they were adopted by the US Navy because of the traditional non marking white out soles.

Here we are 70 years later and every hipster kid and shoe brand wants to jump on the boat shoe trend. Where the hell is this trend going? Well when you see niche brands and fashion brands a like jumping on the band wagon you think this trend is here to stay.

Band of Outsiders Sperry Collab

YMC Snakeskin Boat shoes

Lanvin Boat Shoes

So here we have some pretty sweet boat shoes from some no joke brands. The question is will all those Williamsburg Hipsters still be rep-ing this trend as it trickles down to the masses? Expect to see boat shoes coming to every kid in middle America by way of Nike, Vans, and J Crew this summer. I think that if you weren’t riding the boat shoe wave last year now is not the time to climb aboard.

J Crew by Sperry

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Will Boat Shoes Stay a Float in 2009

One look into Tim Hamilton’s humble beginnings and you might not guess that the man was on his way to being a major force in mens’ fashion. This same young man who grew up as the youngest of seven in children in Iowa has now received the coveted CFDA Swarovski Award for Menswear. While the label that bears the Tim Hamilton name is only 3 years old Tim is no stranger to the fashion word having come from a design internship with Ralph Lauren and a Parsons education.

Looking at the Tim Hamilton Spring 09 Collections that should be in stores soon there are a number of really sharp silhouettes. I think the bold primary colors and some of the styles definitely barrow from the 80’s but the tailored fits and use of layering is decidedly modern.

I have been digging around to find places online to see and buy the individual pieces with little to no luck. You can check out all the looks at Tim’s website , or go see things in person at Bergdorfs in NYC or at Jake in Chicago.

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Tim Hamilton, Spring 09 with Highs in the 80’s

Not that I can’t appreciate some Skittle colored Jordans but I am thankful that the company has been evolving rapidly coming up with some fresh and truly original designs. Gourmet’s founders also have stayed true to their mission of using premium materials in all there shoes ranging from patent leathers to EPI leather borrowed straight from the pages of the Louis Vuitton catalogue.  The photos below are some of the new styles coming for Spring Summer 2009.

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Gourmet Shoes

Lately you have been seeing a lot of mens fashion that has been influenced by American work-wear. Many European fashion heads will contest that work wear is in fact the only thing that America has contributed to the world of fashion at large.

You may agree or disagree with that notion but everyone should agree the the latest boots from the American footwear stalwart Timberland are an example of the perfect intersection of work wear and fashion.

Timberland was founded in 1951 by a premier New England cobbler named Nathan Swartz. After years of fixing other peoples shoes, Nathan constructed a rugged waterproof leather work boot in a distinct yellow-tan leather that is still at the heart of the Timberland brand. In the 80s and 90s Timberlands became associated with Hip Hop and urban culture but while the company was riding the success of that trend they were stayed true to their values building hard wearing, long lasting boots, with classic style.

In 2005 Timberland launched the a sub brand called the Timberland Boot Company, with a nod to the workers of those early years and an eye for fashionable timeless boots. These are boots from a company serious about its values and its history, made for people who admire quality, authenticity and classic design that evolves with the seasons. They have built robust footwear rooted in a post-industrial mindset that combines the best traditions of mass manufacture with the earlier ideals of craftsmanship.  Details like Vibram® soles, or the ergonomically fitting moulded leather midsole, encompass the art of the cobbler and are steeped in the collection.

I personally own a pair of these boots and have been surprised how quickly they have become my favorite footwear. They do what any article of fashion clothing should aspire to do, they make me feel something. They make me feel un-intimidated by the elements, they make me feel like kicking ass, and they make me feel like waving an American flag with a hint of fuck you to the European fashion snobs.

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American Kick-Ass-Ness