The Strap Ankle Boot

There’s an underlying elegance in leather strap footwear: monks for instance, be they single or double convey a characteristic poise enhanced by the belt-like fastening and metal buckles. As in so many other pieces, those small details make a whole lot of difference…

While looking for a more classic boot, reminiscent of the Chelsea and versatile enough to sport with jeans, chinos or slacks, I came across this version from Carlos Santos. Perfect height sitting at the ankle, beautiful shade of brown leather, Goodyear welted soles and featuring a strap fastening that instantly caught my eye. The sleek silhouette is balanced by the metal buckles and leather straps making them appropriate for dressing up or down according to your mood or preference. The perfect allrounder that was missing from my footwear collection, these will be on heavy rotation to achieve that perfect worn in effect.

Details: herringbone cotton jacket by Boglioli, MTO Thomas Mason Bespoke shirt, white jeans by Massimo Dutti, ankle boots by Carlos Santos, vintage silk pocket square and braided leather belt and watch by Daniel Wellington.

Model and Styling: Miguel Amaral Vieira

Source: beyondfabric

Whipping Post Vintage Leather Messenger
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Whipping Post Vintage Leather Messenger

Source: whippingpost.com

Linen on Linen

What I believe to be one of the most underrated and misunderstood fabrics, is undoubtedly one of my personal favourites. I won’t deny I have a passion for heavier textured winter fabrics as well, but there’s something unique to linen that makes me passionate about it. The ultimate Summer choice, this lightweight crinkled fabric is perfect to pull off intricate looks in the blistering heat, due to its breathability and unique fibers: and here is where opinions divide… Linen will always have a characteristic feel and crinkled look after wearing, which many consider rough and too relaxed or sloppy - for me, that’s just the beauty of it.

The unique charisma of a slightly wrinkled linen suit perfectly paired with horsebit loafers and unbuttoned shirt, it’s a hard one to match. Especially since nowadays ecru has given place to brighter shades and bolder patterns, allowing for endless possibilities of (un)polished elegance… As with all fabrics, quality linen comes at a price but there are a few affordable alternatives out there worth taking a look at, especially Zara: the Spanish giant produces not only some of the most original pieces but also with quite surprising quality. Both the vest and trousers feature a soft feel with just the right amount of roughness and stiffness to ensure a great fit (with some minor adjustments and tailoring of course). The intricately detailed vest pairs beautifully with the camo boat shoes while the rest of the look is toned down by a white dress shirt and navy pants.

Details: linen vest and pants by Zara, v-neck by Purificacion Garcia, dress shirt by Paul Smith, camo boat shoes by Asos, vintage floral pocket square, shades by Ray-Ban and watch by Daniel Wellington.

Model and Styling: Miguel Amaral Vieira

Source: beyondfabric

Introducing: Atelier de l’Armée

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Apart from mindblowing creations shown on fashion week runways, getting in touch with unique brands and concepts who deliver something out of the box you can actually wear (and purchase), is getting harder each passing day. Plus, with the amount of clothing and accessories production increasing on a daily basis there’s no getting around the waste from exceeding stocks or wardrobe purges; so, when I came across Atelier de L’Armée I couldn’t help to be absolutely blown away.

If there’s one thing I believe defines my style is eclectic: I’m as passionate by the craftsmanship and art of tailoring as I am for scouting one of a kind vintage pieces in thrift stores or flea markets. So suddenly, here I am before an atelier that merges craftsmanship, vintage materials and the exclusivity/uniqueness of bespoke…on top of that, they have one of the best curated selections of vintage garments I’ve seen.
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After going through their website and placing an order for a 1974 belgian paratrooper jacket and a pair of dutch airlines pants (more on that later), I lost track of time browsing through a neverending list of unique, numbered bags handcrafted with vintage army deadstock such as tents, jackets, pants, linings, denim and rifle handles. I got a chance to talk to Elza & Joost, the minds behind this amazing brand…

Q: Tell us a bit about yourselves and how you came up with this concept?
A: We are partners in life, Elza Wandler & Joost Doeswijk and we started Atelier de l’Armée 1,5 years ago. Having years of experience in the denim industry we wanted to create our own world. We both have a passion for heritage clothing and materials that can create or already have a history. This doesn’t mean that we aim to be environment friendly: it justs happens to be this way for now. We thought of a concept where we do what we love, which is to create an environment where beautiful items come together. Even if we use a lot of old materials, we always try to make products that fit modern society.  

Q: Although I’m constantly running into new brands, few have managed to create such an impact as yours. You are able to merge exclusivity, vintage, craftsmanship, aesthetic and recycling into unique items; was this empathy with customers something you were looking for?
A: Thank you for your compliment!! Of course we hope that our customers share the same passion for our products. All our products are created with great care for detailing and with a lot of love. It is a great compliment if other people like your products and wear them.

Q: Why did you decided to go for army stock, any particular reason? 
A: Military fabrics are great. For the reason that the quality of these materials is stunning, “they don’t make’m like that anymore”. They are durable, have aged beautifully over time, most of them have stains, repairs, stamps wear etc.. a look that can never be achieved by nowadays washings. But we also love to work with denims, or beautiful leathers. In general we can say we have an passion for durable and well made materials.  

Q: Are you sticking to army items or thinking about including others such as navy, special forces, etc?
A:We use any material we can get our hands on, as long as it is beautiful. We have used Airforce bags, US mailbags, Navy bags, Army tents, Sailing boat bags and a lot of deastock fabrics like; chambray, denims and leathers materials.

Q: Where do you get your stock from? 
A: Anywhere we can. From local flee markets, to ebay. We always have our eyes open for materials. Even when visiting family. The other day we found that my uncle had been in the royal dutch navy and he gave us his complete personal kit! Of course we have built up a network of connections and addresses which we visit from time to time to restock. There is a warehouse in the Netherlands with a stock of 4x4x4 metres(!) completely filled with duffel bags. Absolutely sick. 
For the future, we will probably be looking at other resources as well, like bigger quantity leftovers of durable materials. 

Q: Each of your bags and accessories are numbered; although the model itself maybe replicated, is every bag truly one of a kind due to the parts used?
A: We currently have 9 different bag models which will always be the same, it is the materials that make the bag one of a kind. 
To give you a few examples :
-  We currently stock over 500 military leather rifle sling handles which are all used and show different shades of brown. It is already hard to find two similar colors;
-  The military duffel bags used to be part of the soldiers unit kit. These bags are very personal with writings, stamps and all have different signs of wear, repairs and color shading;
-  We work with left over / deadstock leathers with scratches, burn marks and other irregularities. These skins are always one-off;
-  The new deadstock japanese selvage denims we use can be reproduced, but we always mix them with old materials.

Q: What are your future plans for Atelier de l’Armée?
A: Our concept can be amended on anything, from apparel to lifestyle. In general we want to expand our Atelier de l’Armée world. We have loads of plans. The problem is, as always, time and money.
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Source: beyondfabric

Olive and Brown

Judging by the gloomy last couple of weeks, it seems Spring is postponing its arrival. Apart from rain, I must say I’m not as fed up with the weather as most of my fellow countrymen who by now, can only picture themselves lying in the sun. I see it as a few more opportunities to play around with garments, layering and mixing them to create unique looks; let’s face it: cold weather attires allow for much more intricate and appealing combinations, in a way, than summery ones. 

Although I like to bend the rules of “what to wear when”, especially when it comes to the color palette, sometimes it’s nice to go with the flow and address seasonal shades. These twill CAMO trousers in a beautiful olive shade were one of the most surprising items of the season: high waisted, long crotch, slim fitting and featuring and array of details such as inner buttons for suspenders and button patch pockets, they provide an extremely flattering silhouette. The waxed denim trucker was one of those unexpected finds at Zara, a unique piece that fits perfectly as a layering element under a blazer. A classic white oxford button down to brighten the mood, houndstooth tie picking up on the brown and olive shades and waxed suede derby shoes embodying that usual Buttero roughness.  

Details: herringbone wool blazer by Gentleman, waxed denim trucker jacket by Zara, oxford button down by Our Legacy, twill pants by CAMO, waxed wool lined suede shoes by Buttero, cashmere houndstooth tie by Massimo Dutti, houndstooth pocket square by Tie Rack, vintage braided leather belt and wool socks by H&M.

Model and Styling: Miguel Amaral Vieira

Sunny Holidays 

So it’s true that Portugal’s been going through some rough times with the crisis and all, but I believe that one of the things that keeps people going is our climate. Even if you’re broke, being able to take a walk down the seaside during a beautiful sunny day right before Christmas, is something that gets your spirits up. It definitely felt nice to strip a few layers down and roll the sleeves up while making use of seasonal fabrics. This vintage flannel button down was an instant grab due to the soft touch and bright color, a perfect winter alternative that can be worn by itself or as an overshirt. I have a thing for mixing garments with different levels of formality, taking them out of context either by breaking them down or dressing them up. The casual flannel shirt was a blank canvas for a put together look featuring a fitted denim gilet, cashmere tie, classic pocket square and dub monks…

Details: denim gilet by CAMO, vintage flannel button down, jeans and cashmere tie by Massimo Dutti, grained leather double monks by Meermin, black tortoise shades by Linda Farrow Luxe, MTO pocket square, vintage braided leather belt and watch by Daniel Wellington.

Model and Styling: Miguel Amaral Vieira

Source: beyondfabric

Green and Burgundy

Most likely not the first color scheme that comes to mind when thinking about Fall attires, both green and burgundy (on their own) are two of the season’s staples. Although I love trying new combinations within my wardrobe, I have to give credit for this one to Fábrica dos Chapéus who recently sent me one of their outstanding fedoras: a custom version featuring a rich burgundy grosgrain stripe over dark green wool: in a word…perfection! Taking a new approach to the art of hatmaking (more on that on a future post), this model has an uneven brim which is shorter on the sides and longer at the front providing an edgier, yet elegant silhouette. The hat served as an inspiration and was the core piece, allowing the rest of the look to fluidly pull itself together making use of complementing shades and contrasting textures. 

Details: wool herringbone blazer by Gentleman Tailors, cotton/wool cardigan by H&M, candy striped oxford button down by Our Legacy, perfect shape cargo pants by Uniqlo, suede Wallabees by Clarks, custom wool fedora by Fábrica dos Chapéus, vintage checked wool tie, vintage pocket square and striped socks by H&M.

Model and Styling: Miguel Amaral Vieira

Source: beyondfabric

Weekend Attire

Browsing through vintage stores looking for that special item is something that’s been a part of my life ever since my brother lived in London, a few years back. While sometimes nothing special hits your eye, other times that unique garment is enough to compensate for lost time: this was just the case with this Harris Tweed’s 3 button blazer. A timeless classic in charcoal with green and brown checks, flap pockets and wooden buttons makes it the perfect cold weather alternative for a put together look. The sturdy fabric provides the right amount of texture and warmth perfectly adapting to more formal or relaxed looks. Taking the latter into account, there’s no need to get slouchy on the weekend…

Details: vintage 3 button checked Harris Tweed blazer, club collar shirt (altered for collar pin) by Rugby Ralph Lauren, Levi’s 511 slim fit jeans (tailored), suede penny loafers by Buttero, vintage collar pin, wool/silk tie by Purificacion Garcia, polka dot pocket square by The Tie Rack, vintage braided leather belt, vintage chronograph by Citizen and striped socks by H&M.

Model and Styling: Miguel Amaral Vieira

Source: beyondfabric

Vintage 18k Yellow Gold Linked Hexagon Cufflinks
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Vintage 18k Yellow Gold Linked Hexagon Cufflinks

Camo Shorts

The thing with camo is that pulling it off is not as easy as it seems: besides the wide array of pattern and color variations, you still need to incorporate it in an intelligent fashion to make it sophisticated. Apart from the obvious choice of garment or accessory, which bears a huge impact when it comes to scale, you should consider the types of camo available (woodland, digital, etc) and see which works best for you. 

These woodland camo shorts are a nice twist on traditional Summery alternatives and I love breaking the whole military theme by adding more classic items, such as a dress shirt, sports jacket and tasseled loafers. In the end, this eclectic mix is what makes the whole look visual appealing…

Details: dress shirt by Throttleman, camo canvas shorts by Asos, vintage braided leather belt, leather tasseled loafers by Lottusse, rope bracelet by Add On and leather bracelets by H&M

Model and Styling: Miguel Vieira

Source: beyondfabric