Introducing OurCaste

Blogging, it's a funny thing. When you start, it's you doing the searching, trawling the internet to find things you (and others) might like. After a while, people start approaching you, asking if you (and others) might like their brand.

Don't get me wrong, there's still a fair amount of trawling to be done, as it still throws up the most interesting finds (see these beer growlers - what's a beer growler? I bet you're asking).

I'm glad people do approach us bloggers though. I can't count the number of brands, products, and adventures I'd have missed if people hadn't.

OurCaste are one such brand, all the way from sunny California. Would I have heard of them if they hadn't emailed me? No. Am I glad they did? Most definitely.

OurCaste are the sort of brand where I scroll through the online store and want everything. Their clothes are perfect for me. Not showy, not 'fashionista', not highly sartorial - just that perfect American workwear style, focusing on solid, straightforward design, with the odd quirk, colour, or feature to give each piece an edge.

I own a pair of their Paul - DWR trousers - a nice gift from the guys at OurCaste, I will admit; but people have sent me things before and I've not written so kindly about them (the most recent being that aloe vera drink - grim).

I like the look of their check shirts too, as well as the plain single pocket tees. I imagine if these are of a similar quality to the Paul trousers, they'd be a very good buy indeed.

Check them out here!

Images: OurCaste.

Cadence Collection | Hard wearing cycling denim

It can be difficult knowing what to wear as a cyclist. The perfect cycling gear doesn’t equate to the perfect office wear and even casual styles can become worn-out pretty fast by excessive cycling.

Yet cycling is growing in popularity, especially in town and cities where commuting by bus, train, or metro (in London, we call it the tube) can be slow, crowded, and very uncomfortable.

Not unsurprisingly, a lot of brands have made an effort to capitalise on this trend, adapting exist lines or creating new ones to meet the rigours of cycling - the Levi’s Commuter range, being a case in point.

The additional features of these clothes doesn’t limit them to cycling though. The hard wearing nature, combined with style, puts many of these products on par with workwear. As an example, I’m sat writing this in a pair of Levi’s 508 Commuter trousers and haven’t gone near a bike for a couple of months now.

Cadence Collection is a californian cycling brand with a (recent) history of producing denim created for riders. Their range has just reached the UK and their raw denim jeans should come in at under £100, being listed at $110. These jeans are built with features you won’t find in a standard pair, including a reinforced seat, double layer back pockets, and a reflective back patch. The founder of Cadence, Dustin Klein, explains more in this video:



We’re excited about Cadence Collection coming to the UK. It’ll be great to see a pair in ‘action’ and perhaps even put a pair through their paces. Granted, with my limited cycling, they’re unlikely to be tested too hard, but Mat of Buckets and Spades could give them a good go.