While looking around Tokyo for a new pair of eyeglasses, the good people at Dry Bones pointed me to a shop in Aoyama called Cradle. Inside, their “original brand” Effector was on display. Jumping online I discovered they have done a ton of collaborative eyeglass frames, many of which were done with brands usually covered over on Highsnobiety. One standout was the Macknight frame. The shape pulls heavily from some famous sunglass cuts while utilizing Japanese production techniques.

SHIPS plays a bit with the naval jacket theme with this toggle zip-up sweater. The toggles, buttons, and color sure do make it look peacoat influenced but what it lacks is the weight. It’s a great fitting piece which again offers something unique to the wearer. Priced fairly well as well, as most things are at SHIPS Jet Blue.

Hare is one of those brands I’ve only explored via their online shop. Its a mid priced brand that offers a good selection of pieces for men, while getting it slightly wrong every once in a while (their Royster watch borrows a bit too much from the Rolex, me thinks). But when they do it correct, they keep their prices in non bank draining range. Their scarf works for me.

More looks at the Hare scarves after the jump.

Long title for a well done vest from Post O’Alls. This vest is well thought out and is all about the details. Check the button closure for stitch patterns that hark back to the good old days when making work wear meant making clothes that were utilitarian to the blue collars. NYC made. (context)

More looks at the Post O’Alls Royal Traveler Vest Navy Herringbone Tweed after the click.

Found these on the shelves at SHIPS Jet Blue. These knitted caps with pulls from England’s Bernstock Speirs look exclusive to the shop (as I could not find them referenced in BS’s online store). They’re colorful knits which bring a certain individualism to the wearer.

Weird things have been happening in fashion. The fashionable thing to do right now is bleat on about where your clothes are made – regardless of the actual quality of the piece itself. Garbstore have reacted to this, continuing their focus on the garment itself over the address of the factory. As their press release states, “we’re never fooled by brands or products crowing about being domestically made, clothing for us is about one thing, quality, this has to happen where it benefits the garment most.”

As for the clothes themselves, expect the usual repro-inspired selection of jackets, blazers, vests, shirts and shorts all done to usual high quality Garbstore standards.

Take a look at the collection after the leap.

Huh? While trolling the shops once again today, Daniel landed on these very “familiar” looking boots from a company called Cedar Crest from Tennessee. I did a bit of quick digging on the Intertubes and found a press release from a Japanese firm who looks to have brought this line to Japan for Autumn/Winter 2009. A couple of notes I’ll leave you with: Cedar Crest was founded in 1925 and offers boots at half the price of their Red Wings competitors (founded in 1905). Durability? Unclear. Daniel and I will remain with Red Wings for the time being.

More looks at the  Cedar Crest Boots in Japan after the click.

Lee, who’ve usually been the slowest to react to the heritage boom, have teamed up with Japanese company Journal Standard to create a workwear-influenced capsule collection. Consisting of four pieces in total (two jackets and two jeans), the collection has just dropped online.

As you’d expect, the availability won’t go beyond Japan. We do wonder why companies bother making pieces like this limited to a specific region, especially when you conisder the global village the world is now. That aside, this jacket is our favourite piece from the collection and could easily slot into any guy’s wardrobe – providing you can get hold of it in the first place. (Style Cruise)

Detailed images are after that leap.

Into its forth installment, Mountain Research continues to produce concise collections based on reproducing examples of fine outerwear with contemporary twists. In current incarnation, the line includes a field jacket (above) made of waterproof cotton, a hooded mackinaw jacket, and an M-65 (MOD). Complementing the jacket are a set of scarves and a picnic blanket. Available from The Garbstore.

View the full offerings after the jump.

Whilst velvet will forever remain the material for Hugh Hefner in some people’s minds, there’s been more a few designers willing to make clothing from the luxuriously trashy (luxitrash?) material. The latest one to step to the plate is Surface To Air, who’ve come up with this blazer. The one problem with blazers like this is that big lapels move it to the wrong side of 70’s kitsch. S2A avoid this by making the lapels big enough, but not so big that people start calling you Don Juan.(Farfetch)

Take the leap to see some close up looks.