ROUND AND ROUND part2 - Omotesando~Aoyama

Was out patrolling for fashion @ Omotesando and Aoyama again. This time my good buddy who works at Ralph Lauren set up the route. We started off at Rugby - Cat Street. We were able to check out the entire holiday collection. I couldn't resist myself from buying a pair of gloves because the temperature dropped dramatically, incomparable from the day before! Next, headed off to United Arrows men's store and checked out the major designers wear. Then it went like this => Beauty and Youth => Ralph Lauren => Bottega Veneta => Black Fleece => Lunch => Comme des Garcon => Prada => 10 Corso Como => Timeworn Clothing => Moto => Fred Perry Laurel => Moncler 365 =>District => Starbucks.

パトロールしてきました。仲良しのショップスタッフの方とついに実現した表参道と青山エリアパトロールでございます。まず、は肩ならしとばかりにRUGBYへ。目新しい物をずーと物色しまし、欲しいの増えました。でも、あまりに寒かったので手袋だけ購入。次はUAメンズ館へ！とりあえず、お約束のメンズブランドをチェックしに行きました。The Stylisth Japanかっこ良かったっす。そこからはこんな流れで。Beauty and Youth => Ralph Lauren => Bottega Veneta => Black Fleece => Lunch => Comme des Garcon => Prada => 10 Corso Como => Timeworn Clothing => Moto => Fred Perry Laurel => Moncler 365 =>District => Starbucks.

Yes, a lot of places! Here's a couple of things that caught my eye.
結構回れました！そして、こんな出会いも。

New Balance 1400 by B&Y 

New Balance 576 made in UK

Bottega Veneta 

Drawer Parka @ District

Denim Slacks by At Last&Co @ Timeworn Clothing

Again, many pieces to throw into my wish list. All the pieces were great but what stood out the most was the Bottega Veneta shoe and denim slacks by At Last&Co. The shoes where a spring and summer version of the one that was presented in the 2010A/W collection. Thick platformed soles are becoming the trend for mens shoes, major brands like Bottega Veneta and Prada have a whole bunch lined up from this winter collection. What I like about the one above is its thick "white" soles, it resembles soles on sneakers. Love the hybrid of classy and casual.

欲しいもの増えました。とくに良かったのはボッテガベネタのシューズとAt Last&Co.のデニムスラックスですかね。ボッテガのシューズは今期出ている物の春夏バージョンの様な雰囲気で、分厚い白ソールがたまらない！なにか、スニーカーを彷彿とするデザイン、その中に気品が感じられる、最高です。分厚いプラットフォームシューズは今期から良くランウェーで見かけるアイテムですよね。春夏も多くのブランドから出る様です。

Above, picture of Sukezane Tomoki wearing a pair of denim slacks from At Last&Co. They were out of stock the last time I visited but this time I got to see the actual pair. My buddy tried them on and they were perfect, I mean the silhouette was superb. It's a classical type of trousers with thick thighs that drop straight to the cuffs. Feeling that thick baggy pair will fit perfect for my summer wardrobe. Want a pair starting from 28!

後はなんと言ってもAt Last&Co.のデニムスラックスですね。前回お店に立ち寄った時はなかったのですが、今回は実物を手に取る事が出来ました。実際に穿いた所を拝見出来たのですが、シルエット完璧過ぎ！太めのストレートで、春夏の気分にぴったりです。28が出たら即買います！笑　祐さんも愛用中

Ah! Though I don't have a picture, I found nice chambray shirts from Comme Des Garcon Homme Deux and District. I am craving for the perfect chambray shirt that fits well for a prep look rather than a rugged one. The one from Comme Des Garcon Homme Deux was a trim fitting type with a narrow pointed collar which gave a prep / trad feel. On the contrary the one a District was a button down type which is a must have with "safety" details.

最後に、写真はないのですが、Comme Des Garcon Homme DeuxとDistrictのシャンブレーが良かったです。最近シャンブレーを探していたのでやっと出会えたか！？って感じで。Homme Deuxのシャンブレーは細身のボディーにナローカラーのディテール、Districtはボタンダウンと両方とも捨てがたい。ちょっと、プレップな合わせにもってこいの二枚ですね。

This is totally unrelated to my ramble at Omotesando but, the new Thom Browne homepage is up and running. From the previous collections to the latest, the website enables you to flip through images and videos of his collection. Check it out.

余談ですが、Thom Browneのホームページがやっとリニューアル完成していますよ！過去のコレクションや春夏の写真と動画あわせて見れます。

Can't wait till Spring!
春夏待てない。てか、本格的な冬はこれからですよね。

Song of the Day: Yuksek & Amanda Bell - Extra Ball (Breakbot Remix)

THOM BROWNE. SS11

Visited the THOM BROWNE. 2011 Spring Summer preview. I don't need to mention but, the collection was superb. I had the chance to wear samples from the catwalk in paris. What was distinct about the collection was the newly designed patch pocket jackets and the majority of the pieces were of this design. I ended up adding a bunch of things in my spring summer wish list!

THOM BROWNE. SS11のプレに行ってきました。毎度になるのですが、よかったです。サンプルも沢山用意されていて世界観が掴めました。今回はなんと言っても新しくラインアップされたパッチポケットジャケットの豊富さが印象的でした。

photos taken from Men Style.com

My favorite pieces were the navy cable knit cardigan and argyle patterned polo shirt. Must have for the spring-summer season.
自分的にはネイビーのケーブルニットカーディガンとアーガイルのポロシャツが気に入ってます。春夏のワードローブに加えたい！

Song of the Day: David Rubato - Circuit, Lap2 Siriusmo Remix

fabricated ~winter favorites~

Living in Japan gives us many benefits and the most significant is the four seasons. (good seasons are getting short!!) We have the opportunity to dress in many different ways and enjoy the different fabrics. Seersucker in the summer, wool in the autumn, cashmere in the winter and tropical wool in the spring. Observing what kinds of fabrics the crowd wears is almost like a signal telling us that a new season has arrived.

日本に住む事で私たちは色々な恩恵を受けているのは間違えないですよね。その中でも四季は日本の象徴。四季のおかげで我々はいろいろな素材を楽しめる数少ない人種ではないでしょうか。街角で人が身に着けている素材を目の当たりして、新たな季節を知らされたり感じ取ったりできますし、自ら季節感が出る素材を選び演出する事だって出来ます。夏はシアサッカー、秋にはウール、冬はカシミアそして、春はトロピカルウールといった様に選べるのはファッション好きとしては最高の楽しみのひとつでもあります。

As for me, I love wearing those warm and "wooly" fabrics all over. I feel its a great way to portray the warmth and jolly-ness of the season. Of course, all rounders like denim, chinos and oxfords remain in my closet but, I try to keep things cozy.

個人的にはこの季節になると、起毛感がある素材を多く選びます。冬の季節にしか演出できない暖かさや温もりが表現できる素材を身に着けます。小物もそうですが、ジャケット類やアウターもすべて起毛感があるが好きです。もちろん、オールシーズン欠かせないデニム、チノやオックスフォードはちゃんとクローゼットでスタンバイさせています。

Wrapping these keeps me warm

wool socks by Falke - A must have for winter

wool tie

wool jackets and outerwear

Lately, I had the chance to explore new areas in Tokyo. The renewing bay area such as Odaiba, Shiyo-dome and Toyosu have been experiencing major construction rushes and reform. Previously, I was an area filled with factories and warehouses however, today it has restyled to a roomy area for families to live in. Of the many major spots, my friend and I chose Toyosu as our destination. Toyosu fairly close to the Odaiba and central area's like Ginza is a newly developed areas for young families. Numerous numbers of apartment buildings and business buildings were awaiting to satisfy the new comers. Toyosu became our main destination because I wanted to check out a cafe called Cafe Haus.

最近、東京の未開拓地に足を運ぶ事が出ました。再開発が著しい東京とベイエリアです。汐留を筆頭に豊洲、月島、お台場は空前の再開発ラッシュ。そんな中、はじめて豊洲に行ってきました。目的はとあるカフェです。そのカフェは豊洲の高層マンションやビル群の中にポツンとあるカフェで、一カ所だけノスタルジックな雰囲気が漂うCafe Haus.

As you can see from the picture, the cafe is constructed as if it were a house. It stood right in the center of sky scrapers and the contrast created an avant-garde feel. The interior was a hybrid of modern and traditional ideas. The food was great. I had my all time favorite, burger! The Haus Burger and a cup of black coffee that I ordered was a great combo.

一軒家の様な外観でちょっとした緑に囲まれているカワイイカフェです。中はモダンさと懐かしさが融合した、非常に居心地が良い空間でした。お子様連れが非常に多かったです、主婦の憩いの場でしょうか？お昼はここの一押しバーガーをブラックコーヒーと共に頼みました。うまかったです！おすすめです。

We wondered around the area for a bit and hit the shopping complex right besides the cafe. Lala-port Toyosu, was indeed one of those shopping malls designed especially for families. I didn't find something that appealed to me at the shopping mall except for this leather tote bag from LL Bean. It was that authentic Bean tote but in black leather and with a zipper on the top. It was perfect until I opened the top and found that the inner fabric was yellow monogrammed with different animals. Wasn't expecting that to pop up and my journey to find the perfect leather bag still continues.

お昼を済ませ、一息ついた後はカフェ後方に位置しているららぽーと豊洲へ。第一印象はファミリー向けだな〜！入っているお店もそうですが、家族は楽しめる施設が沢山ありました。キッザニアもあった！！特に欲しい物も見つからず、いろいろな店を見回りました。あ、でもLL Beanでビーントートのレザー版を発見して思わずゲットしそうになりました。裏地が気に入らず、迷った末却下。

After the stroll at Toyosu, we drove back to the central area of Tokyo to get dinner. Ethnic was our keyword for that night and so we hit my favorite Singaporean restaurant at Garden Hills in Ebisu. They serve the most splendid Singaporean food in Tokyo. All the dishes taste like the original in Singapore. Most noteworthy is the baku-te which is an oriental soup served with pork and rice. This is the only place that serves real baku-te in Tokyo. The Hainan chicken rice is also a speciality at the restaurant and tastes perfect.

豊洲をぶらぶらした後は晩飯を食べに恵比寿ガーデンヒルズへ。エスニック料理が無性に食べたくなり、お気に入りのシンガポール料理屋へ直行しました。ここ東京一うまいシンガポール飯が食べられるお店です。味は本場で本格的です。なんといっても、東京ではなかなか出会えないバクテイというスープがあるのです。マジで旨いので是非！あと、ハイナンチキンライスもあるので是非セットで。ここ最近で一番うまかった晩飯でした。

Song of the Day: Studio Apartment - Journey

break? rolled up? - denim talk

Recently, I bought a new pair of jeans. What always gets me is deciding on the length. I bet everyone has a specific length or personality in wearing a pair. Roll'em? No Break? No alterations? Personally, when I buy a new pair of jeans(I only buy raw denim), I wash them so that it shrinks. Then, I get them altered so that there is 5cm or 2inches of extra length when I roll them with no break. I don't really remember the true reasons for deciding on this length but, I feel that its the flexibility thats gotten me to this habit.

最近、新しいデニムを入手しました。でも、いつも長さで迷います。皆それぞれ好きな長さや折り返し方があると思いますが、個人的には新しく購入したデニムは一度水洗いをしてから長さを変えます。長さは折り返してノークッションの状態で５センチ余りが自己流です。なぜこのやり方にたどり着いたかは忘れましだが守備範囲が広いところが気に入ってます

My recent favorite is rolling up twice so the left over is a slim one. About 2.5cm. My other favorite is rolling it up once and leaving 5cm of extra. (looks great with baggy denim)

最近のブームは二回折り返して、余りの部分を細くするか、一度の折り返しで５センチあまり。（太めのデニムは５センチ折が好きです）

rolled twice

thick roll

No Roll

random roll

above 4 pictures taken from GQ.com/Style

There must be as many ways of wearing jeans as the number of people on this planet and I bet small details like this define personal style. Do you have your favorite ways? Its great trying out variations and finding the perfect one.

デニム履き方は百人十色と言えるぐらいヴァリエーションがあるでしょう。こうした事がパーソナルスタイルに貢献しているのは言うまでもありませんね。皆さんは好きな履き方やこだわりお持ちですが？

Song of the Day: Jazzanova - This is The Place! (overture)