The Friday Read: The GQ for GAP Collection, Throne 2.0 and Levi’s Vintage Clothing

Editor’s note: Expect these posts once a week on Fridays — consider this a jumpstart on reading for your weekend downtime. Expect a mix of style and non-style content. For more entries, click here.  

It seems as if it was just last Friday evening and I was standing in the crowd jamming out to Lucius in Central Park — yet, here we are with a brand-new edition of the Friday Read. The past weekend — and the last few days — have been a nice introduction to fall; if you don’t have a Fall Style Wish List made yet, I’d advise you do so now.  It’s everyone’s favorite time of the year, right?It’s a time for chukka boots, chambray shirts, thick cardigans — you name it, it’s nearly fair game. If I were you, I’d stick around for Monday’s post on … well, we won’t give it all away just yet. If fall travel is in the works, don’t forget that durable weekender bag. And like most weekends, I hope you’ve got your outfit for a football tailgate — seriously, it makes a difference. I’ll be cheering on my Michigan State Spartans as they take on Indiana, and I’ll be exploring the city with my good friend Ian Kullgren, himself a proud Spartan. It was nice to visit with Ian in  Washington, D.C. in May, and I expect just as great of a time checking out the city.  Everything from Central Park to favorite spots off the beaten path, like the excellent Berg’n in Brooklyn, are on the agenda. Oh, and about that football game — Go Green! Before we get to kickoff though, let’s start the weekend with the best in menswear — and keep your eye on the blog tomorrow for a special post with my friends at US Authentic; if you want to talk fall, one of the brand’s leather jackets is the way to go. (Hint: It’s part of the Style Pick of the Week series).

  • While we’re talking all things fall style, the good folks at Esquire picked out the week’s best style upgrades — you might recognize a certain shirt from a certain #OOTD published this week on the blog…
  • A standout watch is the perfect finishing touch when it comes to your ensemble, and us lucky watch aficionados might have just stumbled onto the perfect one. Throne Watches just launched the Throne 2.0, a super-clean yet classic chronograph assembled from Swiss movements. The overall look is stellar — crisp enough for dress situations, versatile enough for casual wear. Truly, you should get your hands on the Throne 2.0 soon (oh, and the sub-$600 price tag isn’t bad, either!)
  • If — like me — you’ve been eagerly perusing GAP’s site for news of the GQ for GAP Collection, you’re in for a treat! If you haven’t seen it already, that is. The new GQ for GAP Collection is live — snap it up quick. A few of those pieces, including that excellent Michael Bastian blazer, look mighty tempting.
  • Lastly in the world of new collection launches as we enter the stellar fall season, Levi’s Vintage Clothing — the premium, workwear-inspired offshoot of Levi’s — just launched a truly great seasonal offering. It’s focused in part on NYC’s hallowed 9th Street Exhibition, a downtown location that served as a backdrop through the 50s for tons of artistic expression — I’m no art history buff, but the resulting menswear is pretty neat, including some excellent 1954 501 Jeans. Good stuff!

Last but not least — one more piece of menswear for y’all:

  • Remember taking summer vacations out West, anyone? Maybe to a national park? Eddie Bauer evokes that sense of nostalgia nicely with its latest launch — a revamp of the brand’s iconic 1936 Skyliner Jacket, this time done up in reversible Pendleton wool patterns that pay tribute to the national parks. It’s a pretty neat feature, to say the least.  You can read more about it via my latest post on The Manual, and you can look for more details on the jacket in the coming weeks on my Instagram (wink, wink).

Enjoy the weekend, and follow along with all things menswear over on Twitter — ’til the Style Pick of the Week post,

-Beau

Shop Now: The Hill-Side’s GQ for GAP Collection Hits Stores

A shirt-and-pant offering from The Hill-Side's collaboration with GAP, finished off with one of the brand's signature hats.

A shirt-and-pant offering from The Hill-Side’s collaboration with GAP, finished off with one of the brand’s signature hats.

After months of waiting, a building buzz and several tantalizing first looks at the collection, it’s here: the official release date of the GQ for GAP Best New Menswear Designers in America collections. And there’s one brand in particular that’s continually caught my eye, and apparently delivered on a stellar capsule collection effort — The Hill-Side. If you peruse the pages of this blog with regularity, you’ll recall that the brand produces product that runs the gamut as far as menswear essentials go, including standout ties (as featured here), slim blazersgarment-dyed T-shirts and nice denim. And it’s all made with stellar fabrics and an eye for design (as featured here in this brand profile).

An unexpected approach to a fall jacket from the brand, complete with a nice crewneck.

This reversible quilted bomber is but one piece that the brand’s updated for the collaboration.

So the brand’s capsule collection with GAP certainly doesn’t disappoint. Note that some items from David Hart as part of his own GAP collection certainly look stunning, but collaboration pieces from NSF and Stampd, while innovative, fall a little bit outside what we (or rather, I) cover at the ole’ TSG headquarters. A little background if you’re not familiar with the #BNMDA program first, though — menswear stalwart GQ selects and then works with the top up-and-coming brands in the industry, partnering with them to provide mentorship, advice, exposure and a platform for their work, culminating in a capsule collection run in partnership with GAP. Past selections have included now-iconic American brands like Saturdays Surf NYC and Todd Snyder, so The Hill-Side’s selection can only (hopefully) be a sign of good things to come.

A blazer that builds off The Hill-Side's blend of workwear style and classic Americana.

A blazer that builds off The Hill-Side’s blend of workwear style and classic Americana.

And if the brand continues to take pages out of its current playbook, as it looks to have done for this collaboration, things can only build from here. The collaboration features some beautiful-looking pieces, including a patch-pocket herringbone blazer that plays off the brand’s typical fusion of workwear style and modern silhouettes (note the throat tab on the left lapel). At $150, it’s more affordable than a regular blazer from the brand, too. That jacket is complemented by a pair of gray/black herringbone trousers that would look great with a pair of brown wingtip boots (or even navy sneakers and a crewneck sweater) this fall. The offering also includes a nice cotton plaid shirt in a rich indigo color that features a mini-plaid pocket. It would definitely pair well with the blazer from that same collaboration, along with some dark denim.

The Hill-Side's full collection, along with some standout complementary pieces.

The Hill-Side’s full collection, along with some standout complementary pieces.

Lest anyone forget that the brand does more than just excellent blazers & trousers, they’ve also produced some great small goods, including a special run of their navy herringbone card case, along with a blanket stripe wallet. At about $45, each is certainly pricey but definitely brings an added cool factor to your card case situation. That same blanket stripe pattern finds its way onto a pair of wool slip-on sneakers that would actually pair seamlessly with the collection’s herringbone trousers for a unique high-low combo. And in keeping with its use of excellent fabrics, an olive green cotton tote and camo zip pouch both offer pretty unexpected colors on the accessories front — although both pieces are somewhat spendy as far as smaller items go. Both patterns play off the quilted bomber seen above — which is reversible and features both a deep olive color and an eyecatching camo pattern on the other side.

An olive cotton tote bag breathes some life into your everyday carry.

An olive cotton tote bag breathes some life into your everyday carry.

In keeping with updated takes on items that it’s already nailed to a ‘T’, The Hill-Side has also done up one of its classic wool fedoras for the capsule collection. The same goes for its ties, which have drawn the brand critical acclaim — a selvedge chambray number looks pretty promising for pairing with white Oxfords, while an inky blue floral print tie is a somewhat unexpected pattern from a brand that specializes in plaids, stripes and solids.

A snapshot of each designer involved in this year's GQ for GAP capsule collection effort. Left to right: Folks from The Hill-Side, David Hart, NSF and Stampd.

A snapshot of each designer involved in this year’s GQ for GAP capsule collection effort. Left to right: Folks from The Hill-Side, David Hart, NSF and Stampd.

The brand has clearly broadened its vision for what a mass-market collaboration can be, using some unexpected patterns and styles (like that reversible quilted bomber), while keeping with traditional Hill-Side staples. The terrific thing about the GQ for GAP collaboration is that shoppers can find something to fit every taste. Maybe David Hart’s retro tailoring is more your style (and those windowpane wool pants do look great). Or perhaps you find yourself drawn to vintage, lived-in pieces from NSF or affordable takes on streetwear and athleisure looks, like those from Stampd. At any rate (and especially if you’re a fan of modern updates to classic styles), the 2015 #BNMDA lineup has something for everybody — doubly so if you dig The Hill-Side.

What’s your take on this year’s capsule collections? What do you think of The Hill-Side’s offering in particular?

Ernest Alexander

Ben Sherman US