Some quality lots this weekend at Skinner for the American Furniture and Decorative Arts sale. The preview is open all week at 63 Park Plaza, Boston. A few items that caught the eye skimming through the catalog include an inlaid anglers box dating 1891 (above), a Boston Block Front slant-lid desk, and a Civil War era soldier decoy. For those into timepieces there is a healthy selection of wall and shelf clocks from New England makers up for grabs too.

Check out our other picks after the jump and go to Skinner to view the catalog in full.

If we traded in cliches, we’d say that short films are the new runway shows. But we don’t, so we won’t. What we will say is that we’ve noticed a jump in designers making short films to showcase their collections lately and it’s usually a more effective way of showing what your brands about and how your clothes will fit into everyday life.

Yohji Yamamoto’s diffusion line Coming Soon has always produced great videos for their collection and they’ve got Max Vadukul on the case again for their new one. The video hasn’t been released just yet, but we have some stills after the hop and skip.

Pen and Parchment is the first full examination of the achievements of medieval draftsmen. Looking at rarely exhibited and reproduced images from the 9th to the 14th century, Melanie Holcomb and others critique technique, use, and aesthetics of drawing during the period. The catalog is published in conjunction with an exhibition of same name on view until August at the MET.

There’s no shortage of good canvas trainers out there at the moment – everyone from Feiyue to Springcourt have their own version. But we don’t think we’ve seen any quite as clean as these Adidas ones. If the likes of Superga and Springcourt are too fancy for you, these should be right up your alley. Add in the fact that they’re only £45 and you’ve really got no excuse not to buy a pair. Get these from End.

Take a look at detailed pictures after the hop and skip.

We’ve noted our hatred for the rigid rules that menswear lives by before, but we do believe in some kind of order. And apparently, so does Richard Chai as we share the same fashion pet peeve – too skinny jeans. Just to clarify, we don’t hate skinny jeans but we do hate them on guys who have no business wearing them. Now we’ve got that off our chest, where were we? Oh, yes, Richard Chai. The Cut have a nice interview with him and here’s our favourite answer in the interview:

What’s something everyone should have in their closet?
Confidence.

Read the full interview here.

01. A Fifth Avenue Topshop May Be on the Horizon

“We’re still a little afraid of the Soho Topshop. The 14-year-olds. The bright colors. The bangle bracelets large enough to seriously injure a small child. Sometimes it feels more like an acid trip at a suburban daycare than, well, shopping. Yet Sir Philip Green has been scouting Manhattan for a second location for the store…” (nymag)

02. Pop Shop | Wood Wood Meets Vice in Vienna

“Throw together Wood Wood, Vice and Pool in a sentence and it sounds like a debauched time. And that just may be the idea behind the WWXV pop-up shop that opened in Vienna this past weekend.” (nyt)

03. Found Food | Wild Asparagus

“All great thinkers are ahead of their time. And Euell Gibbons is no exception. The Plato of the plate emerged in the 1960s as an advocate for foraged foods, pre-dating the latest crop of books and authors indicting the industrial food complex.” (wsj)

04. Luxembourg Government: Human trading (above)

“Advertising Agency: Mikado Publicis Luxembourg. March 2009″ (adsoftheworld)

The sailor/navla shorts from Paul Smith feature “sailor-style buttoned flaps on the front that form the side pockets. They have a buttoned fly and and two buttoned flap pockets on the back.” They come hemmed just above the knee for those into that fit. Proper attire from Paul Smith for the Summer. Rock em. (moclassics)

More views of the Paul Smith Sailor Shorts after the jump.

More deck shoes from Hudson. The multi-colored deckers feature some “regatta style fabric detailing” and are ready to rock in any environment. Just don’t complain with those boppers step on the beautiful white upper. Keep the tan nice. Fans. (q-a).

More views of the Hudson Deck Shoes after the jump.

Like other French lines, Blue de Paname has a certain love for the history of denim. Take their Bleu de Paname Ward Shirt which is based on a WWII infirmary garment. “During World War II doctors who were on the field had a lot to do but they needed a solid shirt and practice, easy to wear in a uniform way without being obstruct by. We also recognize the door pocket thermometer on the right side. Made of 7oz Denim.” Looks like a rock solid shirt. Note the stitching around the upper chest and arms. (kapok)

More views of the Bleu de Paname Ward Shirt after the jump.

For the 56th issue of their fashion and design forward publication, Visionaire has teamed with Calvin Klein to explore the world of “Solar.” What this leaves you with is a coffee table tome who’s black and white images turn to color when exposed to sunlight or UV rays, making this magazine much more interactive than your usual book. It is available now for $250. A must seen. (nymag)

View pages from Visionare 56 Solar with Calvin Klein after the jump.