The search for contemporary technical outwear has lead to spending considerable time in fly fishing shops over the last few months. While LL Bean and Patagonia offer similar cuts and looks to Simms, the Bozeman-based fishing outfitter has the better details. Dedicated to fishing since its inception in 1980, Simms moved from Jackson, WY to Montana in 1993. That year they forged a bond with W.L. Gore, pioneering breathable waders.

The relationship with Gore is clear in the Simms jacket range. The G4 Pro uses Gore-Tex pro, making it super light, breathable, and clearly waterproof as well. Importantly, the G4 is the only jacket that Simms produces with pit zips. Of course, there is the question of pulling off a technical fly fishing jacket as casual wear. But since the jacket is simply awesome in its technical features it hardly matters.

Now that winter’s here and everyone is talking about boots, we thought we’d show a nice little trainer alternative to chunky boot. Now that boots are back in fashion, the question now is ‘to tuck or not to tuck?’ Personally, we don’t believe in tucking in your boots, just roll your trousers a little a higher than usual. That way we can see enough of your boots and you won’t look like a Star Wars character. (ASOS)

Despite all the noise we’re hearing about how music design isn’t what it used to be, there’s still plenty of gems around. In fact, the good design pool is so large that Art Vinyl has decided to run a competition for the best design of 2009. The nomination list is long and varied, everyone from The XX to Jay-Z are in there, so be sure to give it some consideration before voting. (via Eye magazine)

Take a leap to see a few of our favourites.

While for many men the boat shoe is a seasonal wear, for me it is a year long obsession. I run through them with such frequency that searching for the next pair consumes some significant time. Chasing the holy grail, a Helly Hansen model with padded tongue has proved fruitless, but I’ve become hopefully that the offering from Chatham Marine might fill the void.

Chatham Marine has “traded on the weekend sailor” for the past 20 years from their base in Exeter. There’s an emphasis on function, with their boat shoe manages through the magic of being machine washable. Like my loved Helly Hansen, the Chatham Marine boat shoe also has a padded tongue (essential when boat shoes are also favored biking shoes) and are hand stitched.

While they might not have the style appeal of the completely hand-made, they appear more than ably suited for a variety of uses. Take a walk to No. 6 if they strike your fancy. A few more color choices appear after the jump as well.

Magculture turns us onto ‘Popshot’, a new publication focusing on poetry and illustration. Popshot takes a simple idea and executes to maximum effect with some great design and excellent use of black space (a welcome change from white space).

Their founder Jacob Denno neatly described why he doesn’t think poetry is seen as outdated:

Why do you think that poetry has a stuffy image?
I think a massive amount of it is to do with design. A lot of poets have no interest in layout or aesthetics so it showcases the work in a pretty dry manner. Also, there’s an enormous amount of praise that circulates for poets from days gone by. People usually cite Keats and Auden and Frost as inspiration rather than the poets of today so to someone from the outside, poetry is still pretty much stuck in the 1940’s.

Take a look at spreads from the magazine after the leap.

01. Music Video | Pollyn “Still Love” (above)

“Directed by Samrod Shenassa & Adam Jay Weissman. From the album This Little Night.”

02. Panasonic Nose Hair Trimmer Ad

“Saatchi & Saatchi erected these electrically hazardous ads in Indonesian cities to indelibly sell the need for its nose hair trimmer safety cutting system. The ad claims that trimming nose hairs is as dangerous as cutting live wire…” (freshbump)

03. Oscar Tuazon: Bend It Till It Breaks

“Oscar Tuazon understands the aesthetic power of tension. The Seattle-born sculptor’s latest exhibition, using primarily industrial and found materials, Bend It Till It Breaks builds on this theme with an ambitious installation in France.” (coolhunting)

04. Light Graffiti Cars project leaves us slightly disappointed; original Art Cars still the best

“We were excited to hear about the Light Graffiti Cars project, Marc Cameron and Mark Brown’s images of Aston Martins, Audis, and Ferraris drawn in light streaks; unfortunately, the images don’t withstand scrutiny well, as they appear to be choppy Photoshop jobs rather than inspired lines air-carved with a glow stick.” (core77)

It’s no secret that fewer men attend group fitness classes than women – though Equinox hopes to change that. With new group fitness classes catering towards more intense strength building exercises, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find some of these classes as serious as your weightlifting routine – if not more serious.

Take Whipped! for example, one of Equinox’s newer group fitness programs. The tools are simple but the motions are extremely difficult. You’ll be using a heavy weight ungulating strength rope for 30 to 60 second intervals. Sounds easy enough? Not really.

As Mark Hendricks, from Equinox’s Group Fitness Department explains it, “Essentially what you do is lift it up and down as fast as you can for very short intervals. The intervals are only about 30 seconds to one minute… to watch someone do it, you think ‘I can do that,’ but once you take the class and lift that rope for 30 seconds, you’ll barely catch your breath.”

You’ll work harder than you can imagine taking the Whipped! classes. With a strength rope as thick as your wrist, it will make you appreciate the full body workout found in a group fitness class

You’ll have to give all you’ve got to give when attending Whipped!

Selectism readers, head over to your local Equinox health club and experience a group fitness class with a three-day guest pass. We’re certain you’ll be telling your friends about it.

Los Angeles’ Dean Store drops their take on the traditional duffle with the UB05 Bag. It is built “with distressed heavy-duty hardware and a detachable shoulder strap. The bag has a buckle on each side which can adjust the height of the handle.” They’re 330$US and look damn good. Available at Deans. (moclassics)

Some more outerwear goodness from the Heritage Research line. The Wax Millerain cotton Longline Parka features drawstring peaked hood and leather toggles. (Our favorite) Riri zip fastening with large button through stormflap and two large button-fastening pockets finish the exterior.  Note the extra sized buttons on the cuffs.

More detailed looks at the Heritage Research Longline Parka Jacket after the click.

When it comes to the umbrella market, the tech does the talking, unless the product is worked to provide something unique on the design side. These Swims self-opening umbrellas offer the latter with a collection of colored handles to complement your briefcase, bag, or shoes. The self -opening aspect is a technical one, but we prefer the look of the handles. (oki-ni)

More looks at the Swims Self-Opening Umbrellas after the click.