Who’d have thought we’d see the day when ASOS would be stocking Porter? Not us, otherwise we wouldn’t have said that last sentence. Having been fans of Porter for a while (and seen their bags used as shorthand for saying ‘I’ve been to Tokyo’) it’s a little surprising that they’re now available at a mass retail outlet. Our shock aside, it’s a nice tote and the tan colour with yellow trim is perfect for you folks who like being subtle with colour. (ASOS)

There was a great piece in yesterday’s Guardian about how everyone ‘getting the look’ leads to everyone looking the exact same. While the writer was talking about Mad Men mania, the same could be said of red cable knit hats. Yes, they look nice but when everyone wears one it kinda defeats the point of why you bought it in the first place (to look good and, more importantly, to look different). So buy this instead. Or don’t. We don’t want everyone looking alike.(Superdenim)

We’re just gonna come out and say it – we’re wearing this sweatshirt at this very second. And it’s pretty much what you’d expect from a good sweatshirt, qualifying for all the superlatives that usually pass around the menswear blogosphere. It’s not great when you’re eating BBQ ribs though, something we say from cold, hard experience. (C Store)

Here’s a nifty little invention (hat tip). Everyone who’s worked in a music loving office will know about having to listen to a bad song or album. Created by design company Breakfast New York, the office music democratizer aims to make it a little easier to show your displeasure (or pleasure if you work with some music loving colleagues). Let’s just hope that the person who always tries to put on some Leona Lewis doesn’t get too discouraged by the endless thumbs down.

01. Artist Profile: BUGS

“For the December/January issue of Inked magazine, I had the pleasure of interviewing tattoo artist, painter, and now sculptor BUGS, whose blend of cubism and art deco inspired tattoos have earned him international acclaim as an innovator in the industry.” (Needles & Sins).

02. Leslie Nielsen, comic actor and Airplane! star, dies

“Veteran comic actor Leslie Nielsen, star of Airplane! and The Naked Gun, has died at the age of 84.” (BBC).

03. Michael Light [Photographer] in conversation with Lawrence Weschler [Writer]

“Michael Light is a San Francisco–based artist and bookmaker whose work, by turns fiercely political and achingly rhapsodic, and not infrequently both at once, has come to focus, with gathering power and lucidity, on the rapture and the rupture that are man’s trace on the land.” (Believer).

04. The Ozzy Osbourne T-Shirt (Above)

“”In shop-class on the first day of junior high, the guy across the worktable lifted his head from his folded hands and declared to me, to himself or maybe to no one, “I am going to wear an Ozzy shirt every day until the end of school.” He was not a kid on whom you would exactly pin the term “goal-oriented,” but this guy was resolute in his mission.” (Off Beat).

Holiday time means gifts from Selectism and many of our friends. Like last year, we’ll be dropping a bundle of giveaways during the weeks leading up to the end of the year. That’s right. Christmas may be on the 25th but we’ll push through to December 31st. We’ll also work to make it as easy as possible to win the goods.

Today, we start is off with this excellent cycling gift pack from our friends at Rapha. Included in the package:

• Rapha Leather Town Gloves. Brand new and dropping soon. We have them for you.
• Rapha Knitted Cap. A all-time favorite of this writer.
• Rapha Silk Scarf. Hand stitched and ready for you.

How to win:

Join the Selectism on Facebook and leave a message on our Rapha discussion page. Easy right?

Good luck. Winner will be chosen on December 6th.

This coat in sand is part of the Common Project x Robert Geller collection for Autumn 2010. The Japanese made coat features zip front closure and some room to layer deep for the season. While not insulated, it is a great look in the sand. Fwdfwd has them.

More looks after the click.

MM points us at these clean looking wool gloves from CS Barena. They look to come in a variety of wool patterns. Choose one that works for you. D&D Japan has them.

La Boite Concept just made me smile with this Laptop Desk with built in audio controls and power chargers. This is about as perfect a compact setup as it gets. Available in a few colors. If you find this thing in North America, le us know! (fubiz)

More looks after the click.

Right up Nick’s alley comes this poster print outlining Hamlet and his connections in diagram form. “This is an interpretation of Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, into a diagram. It is a black and white print on photographic paper size 50×70 cm.  This item is a signed copy by the artist Helena Wahlman, number 16 from a total edition of 50.” I am not lost. Available at Etsy.

More looks after the click.