Go-to piece | Ben Sherman Harrington

For a time, I commuted quite far everyday. We’re talking a pre-6.00am alarm call here.

An organised person who had to get up so early would set-out their clothes for each and every morning the night before.

Not me.

Nope, I had the morning routine down to a cool 15 minutes, which meant I arrived at the train station with the three minutes necessary to bully the staff at Nero to deliver a lightning fast black coffee.

When it came to clothes, I adopted a uniform. Black shoes, black jeans, polo shirt, jumper, and Harrington.

Every day, those items would be within arms reach. No need to iron, no need to do up buttons, no need to tuck things in. Quick, easy, and shaved extra minutes of my prep that I could spend in bed.

My Harrington jacket from Ben Sherman became my staple and I continue to wear it today.

It’s so versatile. Open when warm, closed when cold (you know, that classic way in which a coat works), it can fend off a light shower, and be stuffed in a rucksack without harm. It also has a neatness that is perfect for post-work drinks and the 10.00pm train home, yet doesn’t look out of place in the office.

Perfect.

Our friends Harry Stedman

I don't know where Mat heard of Harry Stedman. To be honest, I don't know how he discovers most of the things he does. He just, does.

I met them first at Jacket Required, with Mat. A quick intro and an especially detailed snoop at their t-shirts.

Later, back at the Truman Brewery for Off The Rails, I finally met Rick - the owner/proprietor/main man. That's not to undersell the work the other guys do - designing, promoting, and selling the range - but Rick is a bit of a one man whirlwind, who you can't  fail to like (especially if he chucks a shirt at you to keep).

There range is stellar. Serious heavy denim on show, great staple t-shirts, top American-prep inspired shirts, with the button down collars and little hook on the back.

I just wish I could find the money for that peacoat. Fits like a dream.

Read more about them here, especially the inspiring story of the man behind that name.

Keep reading and check out these glow in the dark trainers from Le Coq Sportif.

Images: Harry Stedman.

Chapman | The Dunmail Collection

Chapman are well known for their rucksacks, shoulder bags, and luggage. Made in England, they're a product that suits a smart look, as demonstrated by their models who are usually pictured in chinos, trousers, and tweed.

Generally, smart is the quintessential look for something made in England. The skill in production, cost of labour, and quality of materials justifiably command a high price, positioning 'made in England' at the higher end of the market.

The Dunmail Collection is, perhaps, a little more casual, so a little more fun. Don't get me wrong: smart shows style, smart shows elegance, smart shows class. It's great when you see a brand experimenting slightly, though, and offering something that's a shade or two different from their usual range.

The colourful options of the Dunmail range - a 25 litre rucksack, padded satchel, and a shoulder pouch - definitely deliver something fun, moving away from being a very useful accessory to a smart outfit, to a much more all-round piece suiting home and travel, work and play.

You can learn more about The Dunmail Collection here, and if anyone gets chance to try one, let me know!

Where to find Chapman: Outside of London, try Severn Wolves in Norwich or Cambridge. In London, Aida on Shoreditch High Street. Other stockists are available.

Jack Spade | 'Buy more save more'

One of my favourite stores in London, Jack Spade, are running a four day pre-Christmas sale. The idea being, as with all sales, the more you spend, the more you save!

Mat is also a big fan and covered these guys with an excellent store shoot back in December 2013.

These guys do a good looking suit, but as I don't have call for suits too often, I'd go for the spencer crewneck sweater and their slim selvage jeans. What the hell, although it's a little bit 1990s, I'll take a messenger (record) bag too.

All of the links in this piece point to the US online store, but you can find the London store at 83 Brewer Street, Soho.

The sale runs from Thursday 11th to Sunday 14th December - a great excuse (as if you needed one) to avoid the Oxford Street crush. Off you go!

Edwin Denim Co. + Cookson & Clegg | Japanese denim, English manufacture

Heavy Denim is the name of this blog, but that doesn't mean we only cover denim - far from it. Instead, the title sprang from a joke between me and Mat (the Editor of Buckets and Spades) complaining about the weight of our jeans. Or something like that, I forget it's true origin. As you can tell from that anecdote, we're a funny pair when we meet for a beer!

That said, when a pair of good looking jeans come along, we're not going to sniff at them.

Japanese denim is highly regarded - like cars and electronics, anything America can do, Japan can equal, if not better - while a heavy weight of denim is high sought after. As Boris "the Blade" says, weight is a sign of reliability, although he doesn't mention how much you might sweat in the summer.

It follows, therefore, that a pair of 14oz Japanese Selvage jeans are something to pay attention to.

The history of Japanese denim is actually fairly short, by comparison to some of their US counterparts. Even so, Edwin still have a rich past and a collaboration with an English manufacturer who have been in business for over 150 years - Cookson & Clegg - makes these jeans even more eye-catching.

I can guarantee (although that is in no way binding), that bringing all of these factors together will delver a product of some quality; a product that you're not going to replace in a hurry, if ever. A high-rise cut and tapered fitting should also help these jeans stay 'in fashion' - whatever that really means. Based on a 1950s design, these are a descendant of real workwear, not a fifteen minute fad.

Where to find them: Liquor Store, Birmingham

(Thanks to Mat for the heads-up on that one)

Velour Nostalgi + Sperry Top-Sider | All weather trainer collaboration

As we're fast approaching Christmas and the weather is really starting to bite, it seems odd to be thinking about the summer. Brands always have to think one-step ahead though - they did Christmas about 6-months ago. I remember a bizarre press trip to Pizza Express in June, where waiters dressed as Father Christmas delivered cranberry sauce covered pizzas through a flurry of fake snow.

That said, the collaboration between Sperry Top-Sider and Velour by Nostalgi could easily suit an English Winter just as well as an English Summer. A robust, water resistant trainer, that looks wipe-clean. A pair of thick socks will see these work well on a Boxing Day walk and 6-months later on a Glastonbury hillside. Well, Velour are from Sweden, so what did you expect?

Broughton Boots | Relaunching a family tradition

There's definitely a growing interest in the provenance and heritage of clothes. While well-established brands are looking back through their archives to revise, update, reuse and rejuvenate styles from previous eras, many brands that are just starting out are taking inspiration from the past too.

Broughton Boots is one such brand. Established by the guys responsible for Cubitts glasses, Broughton takes a boot originally designed for coal miners by the founder’s great-great-grandfather and translates this into a product for the modern day.

Made to order in a Northampton factory and featuring a Goodyear storm-welt and an optional steel quarter-heel, the brand is looking for funding via Kickstarter to get the first pairs into production. They've already passed their original target, which means we should get to see the finished product some time soon. Exciting stuff!

American Apparel | Wardrobe staples made in the USA

Everyone has staples they turn to, especially when it comes to t-shirts. American Apparel is mine. Issues with the previous guy in charge now resolved, they offer good t-shirts at a decent price.

Their tri-blend short sleeve t-shirt is one with a nice slim shape to it, yet thankfully isn't as tight as the 'muscle hugging' varieties out there. It has a high neckline too: one that's high enough just to be seen when wearing a round-neck jumper and doesn't crease or ruffle.

Perhaps not a t-shirt you can wear for every occasion - it wouldn't pass the Sunspel test of looking good with shoes, but then again, few do - it's definitely one that can be worn with pretty much anything else.

American Apparel are always offering 10-15% discounts when you buy online; so go on, fill that cupboard!

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.