Just getting around to this, but it sort of is the perfect weekend for this type of thing. This past month the Japanese magazine Huge published an issue centered around all things American. The topic was approached in a uniquely Japanese way, which is to say it was comprehensive and something that seemed much closer in structure to a catalog than a magazine. Huge made in USA was very obviously based on the 1970s magazine Made in U.S.A. (pictured below), which was a watershed moment for many American brands in Japan. The copy below (Made in U.S.A-2) was a gift from a colleague in Tokyo who I work with on Red Wing. According to him, this magazine (which currently fetch about $250 per issue) is what really put the Red Wing Shoe Company on the map in Japan. Made in U.S.A.-2 is for me a prized possession and a constant source of inspiration.

Huge covers a lot of familiar ground by including folks like Wood&Faulk, Dehen, Stanley & Sons, Archival Clothing and a host of other American manufacturers. There are also some surprises and new finds along the way. If you live anywhere near a Kinokuniya you can still get your very own copy of Huge (June). If you are looking for a copy of Made in U.S.A.-2 best to search on Yahoo Japan auctions and hope the seller ships to the good old USA.

Related: Fuck Yeah Made in USA.

While filming in the Albini Group mill in Bergamo Italy, where Thomas Mason fabrics are made, Silvio Albini, fifth generation to run the mill was showing Mickey Drexler (and CNBC’s David Faber) how it all works.  During the tour, Drexler noticed a sign on the factory wall that reminds him of a customer email and he springs into action.

One last personal tidbit about Mr. Drexler. When The New York Times profiled me as part of the “New Breed of Bloggers,” one of the first emails I got was from Mickey —a person whom I’ve had a few meetings with over the years but is really someone I don’t know— wishing me congratulations. It was surprising to say the least. But just like in the clip above, the man is connected to the business in a remarkable way.

CNBC: J.Crew and the Man Who Dressed America airs tonight (5/24) at 10p.m. EDT.

The New York based company is the product of Devin O’Brien and Daniel Golden, two guys who previously worked in design and marketing and decided to set off on their own and create a brand that had a different approach to cycling. What started back in 2010, has emerged this spring as tight collection comprised of just the essentials: one jacket and one jersey in all black. It’s a simple start with more products coming throughout the year.

As mentioned above, everything is made in New York in small runs and is tested to ensure quality and comfort. I can attest to the fit, styling and materials, having purchased both pieces on my trip to Paragon a few weeks back. But I think Search and State’s Devin O’Brien lays the mission out perfectly when he says: “We started Search and State to celebrate cycling from a different point of view. This meant creating an aesthetic we love, a brand we believe in, and manufacturing in the heart of New York City. But most of all, we wanted to build something around our passion for cycling.”

To me, nothing is better than supporting the guys that are sticking their necks out and taking the chance on something they love. It makes you feel good, and it means the mission to find a new cycling jersey might just turn out to be better than you could have ever expected. [Search and State]

Raleigh hotel Miami, Florida | 8:54am Friday May 18th, 2012

Whoever the person is who dreamed up the idea to attach Nike’s Lunar outsole to a Cole Haan shoe needs a promotion. First came the LunarGrand brogues and more recently the chukka varietal was released, which I think could be the perfect shoes for summer.

The LunarGrand chukkas are an ingenious hybrid between being dressed up and comfortable at the same time. To test this theory I wore them to a dinner I had at the 21 Club, one of the few places in the city that still has a dress code, and all went off without a hitch.

Have to give Cole Haan props for the innovation with Nike on the LunarGrand footwear. The bar has definitely been raised. I’m intrigued to see what else is to come.

Available for $298 at the Cole Haan SoHo shop — 128 Prince Street.

A few years ago when Hermès renovated its NYC flagship it decided to exile its men’s shop across the street to its very own stand alone shop. This resulted in a first for the storied French luxury brand, the world’s only Hermès men’s shop. Not only is it exclusively menswear, the shop also boasts one of the most lust worthy bespoke programs ever imagined. It’s like a French Savile Row, except the work rooms aren’t downstairs, they’re in Paris.

The bottom two levels offer a normal selection of accessories and sportswear that have made Hermès the most well respected luxury brands in the world. But it’s when you land on the third floor that you discover the truly magical items — shirts, sweaters, suits, leather goods and, of course, ties — that comprise the Hermès bespoke program.

Bespoke options include optional linings made from Hermès scarves. Next level stuff here folks.

When making a bespoke suit, you can choose to line the jacket with the iconic Hermès silk scarves. This process requires going across the street to the Hermès women’s shop to select and purchase the four scarves that it will take to finish the jacket. These scarves are then shipping off to France where the suits are made. This obviously adds significantly to the price of the suit, but if you are getting a bespoke suit made at Hermès this is likely of little concern.

You can add a special message to a custom tie.

The custom shirt program is extensive all of the custom shirts are made in France. Hermès offers a massive selection of collars, cuffs and fabrics, all cut to your exact measurements. There is also an option for a especially design monogram or cipher should you want to take the personalization further. Hermès can make almost anything into a custom monograph: family crest, initials or whatever else you could desire. Apparently, there are some limits to this, profanity being one indulgence in which Hermès must abstain.

With the bespoke program, each shirt fit has its own pattern made specifically to your specifications. To achieve an exacting fit, after the measurements are sent to Paris a muslin mock up is sent from the workshop there to the store in NYC for a fitting. Any changes that need to be made are done with the muslin and will be reflected in the final shirt. It’s a process more focused on quality than speed or price. If a shirt is needed quickly, Hermès offers ready to wear options in various sizes, or the made to measure program is slightly faster. The bespoke (and this is certainly one of the few legitimate uses of that word) shirts are some of the finest, if not the best, men’s shirts available anywhere in the world.

The procedure for the suits is done in much of the same way. Measurements, fabric selections, style selections, lining decisions, muslins are made, the final suit is crafted and then more fittings. All of this is done between the store in New York and the work shops in Paris. It’s a long process, but one that yields fantastic results.

A bespoke shirt muslin.

Another option is the custom cashmere program, where you can basically design your own sweater. The whole idea at Hermès is to make people the product they want, within reason of course. The way I understand it, the custom program is highly flexible and accommodating — so long as money is not an issue and you have a healthy amount of patience. In this case, it is very apparent that good things do come to those who wait.

Below are sizing options for the MTM suits, which are based off several existing models and styles. A classic fit and a more modern slim fit, all of which are very nice in their own right.

Hermès Men’s | 690 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10065 | (212) 308-3585

And if you haven’t seen Audi’s stunning 2009 documentary Truth in 24, you need to get on that. Audi also just announced Truth in 24 II which centers on the German automaker’s 2011 victory. With subject matter like Le Mans, there’s no way that this new doc will be anything but great.

1954 Part I

1954 Part II

1955

1956 (on board)

1959

1965

1967 Part I

1967 Part II

1967 Part III

1967 Part IV

1967 Part V

badass |ˈbadˌas| informal |ORIGIN 1950s: from the adjective bad + ass. 

adjective: formidable; excellent: this is one badass memo pad.

Aaron Draplin.

Not only is Draplin an ACL Hero and American Icon, he’s also half of the wildly popular “pocket material” empire Field Notes. In a follow-up to Draplin’s other famous videos (what’s the status of that documentary?), the native Michigander spends some time “talkin corn” and showing off some of the farmers promotional memo books that served to spur the creation of Field Notes. The more video of Draplin I see, the more he continues to inspire and entertain. Respect must be paid to him for sticking to what he loves and for making great stuff.

Walking down Route 20 on a rainy day in Western Massachusetts, I spotted many a familiar face. Brimfield, the expansive outdoor antique show, has become it’s own little trade show for vintage lovers; a place to get your flea market fix and maybe even to buy something. The event is a bit of a phenomenon, some of the people at Brimfield are there for work (you’ll notice those people with their two-way radios), and others are there purely on a voyeuristic pursuit. I’m somewhere in between those two categorizations.

“We could all just meet in the city if we could coordinated better.” -Kings County Salvage

Brimfield for me is more about the journey than the destination. At this point I’m not looking for anything specific, I’m really just in-town on the ultimate browsing session. With that said, I was partially unimpressed with what was on offer yesterday, a feeling that also keep me away last year. Though, that’s the nature of flea markets — they are hit or miss. Often, the success lies in one’s quickness and persistence. You have to know good things (and prices) when you see them, and then you need to have the ability to get to stuff before someone else beats you to it. That’s just if you are crazy about it. I like to wander around and not worry about who gets what and if I buy anything. Lord knows I don’t need any more stuff.

The show goes on all week and through the weekend. So if you are into this sort of thing, head out for some vintage fun. At the very least, you’ll get to enjoy a Pilgrim sandwich and see all sorts of interesting people. You might even find a few treasures.

There was a very serious "girls in Barbours" situation going on.