Jason Mackenzie writes in with news on Tennessee’s Pointer Brand’s return to glory…

In the orthodoxy of workwear, Pointer Brand is the Old Testament. The LC King Manufacturing Company has produced high-grade, hand-sewn denim in small batches in Bristol, Tennessee since 1913. They are perhaps the last company making traditional denim styles, in the US, in a purely workwear context. They still make Indigo Dyed, Hickory Stripe, and White Drill Denim in chore coats, overalls, and work aprons at rock bottom prices the American working man can afford. That’s why it was so distressing when our in-house rep Melody told me how their stitchers had gone to a one-week-on, one-week-off schedule, and that they’d even cut the air conditioning in the sweltering heat to save money. She assured me that Jack King, fourth generation president of LC King, was hard at work to keep the company rolling, and that things would get better.

Then I got a letter from Mr. King in November, describing what steps he was taking to make improve Pointer Brand. He had sourced a new, heavy weight (15 and a quarter ounce) denim from Mount Vernon Mills in Trion, Georgia that was one and a half times thicker than the previous denim they were using. And he was embracing the hardest principle in the apparel industry; he was going to keep the price hike to an absolute minimum. The coat might cost a dollar more, he wrote. For American made workwear, Pointer Brand’s prices are cheap at twice the price. The chore coat still retails for under $50.

The new Pointer Brand Rigid Indigo dyed denim Chore Coat is now available at Hilton’s Tent City in Boston, and online from Pointer Brand.

More looks at the Pointer Brand Rigid Indigo dyed denim Chore Coat after the click.

Consider this a suggestion: your flat will be more appealing with a sweet scent. “Marking their third ITEM, AtelierMaisonMallon has developed ‘CRISTAL,’ a limited edition scented candle in a unique crystal glass, inspired by founder David Mallon’s personal passion for both products. Over the past year, Mallon collected 100 vintage crystal glasses, while engineering his own scented candle in collaboration with a traditional fragrance house in France.”

The candle is available in two fragrances: Samuel (Petitgrain, Geranium & Rose) and Noelle (Cardamom, Cinnamon, Orange & Bergamot). SOTO has them.

More looks after the click.

We have no choice but to go daily with the Selectism Giveaways. We simply have too many good prizes to deliver to you, the readers. Today, Outlier graciously offers us a nice kit of their riding gear. The gents from Outlier have been doing it right in 2010. More than ever their line of quality cycling gear has simply garnered accolades throughout the business for well priced quality gear that stays fashion focused.

In this pack you’ll receive: Outlier’s New Zealand merino wool pullover - an essential go to item this season, their dobleweave canvas Workwear I2 Pant in Tan, and Outlier’s Six Foot Scarf in Charcoal Blue which will protect your neck on and off the bike. No one will be disappointed by this Outlier riding pack. We can’t thank them enough for taking part!

How to Win!

Join the Selectism on Facebook and leave a message on our Outlier discussion page.

Ends on Dec 23, 2010.

Be sure and sign up for other  Selectism Holiday Giveaways below:

• Need Supply “Made in the U.S.A.” Pack (ends Dec 22, 2010)
• Baxter of California Shave and Skit Kits (ends Dec 20, 2010)
• HP Envy 100 Printer (ends Dec 17, 2010)
• Liberty London for Apple Ianthe Laptop Sleeve (ended Dec 15, 2010)
• TSOVET SVT-LX73 Watch (ended Dec 13, 2010)
• Rizzoli’s Bespoke Book (ended Dec 10, 2010)
• Seavees Shoes of your choice! (ended Dec 8, 2010)
• Rapha Gift Pack (ended Dec 6, 2010)

Ron Potvin and Normand Gauthier, head designers at Lazy Montain Moccasin, bring us their rendition of the moccasin boot. Potvin and Gauthier have been trained in the art of handsewing since the early 1980s and only till 2010 did they begin their quest to become the best moccasin manufacturers in the world. The “Quarter Boot Moccasin” has “four eyeties with brass or nickle eyelets that are made of durable waxhide full grain leather.” The chrome leather sole comes with a 5/16 inch foam rubber and an 1/8 inch foam rubber and leather sock lining. The boot comes lined or unlined as a feature so you can decide upon purchase. A great option to the many other United States moccasin companies. The boot is available at LazyMountainMoccasin.

More looks after the click.

Curated turns us onto this video:

For more about the exhibition, head over to Curated.

Here’s one for the Sonic Youth fans out there (which should be all of you, if you’ve got working ears). We’re not usually that into over expensive books – we can only afford to buy over expensive clothing – but this book sounds pretty amazing. It’s 784 pages long and has two 7 inch records filled with unreleased songs. Available at Opening Ceremony and Amazon.

Take a leap, see spreads from Sonic Youth: Sensational Fix Book.

We always like collaborations like this because they always sound so overblown. We’re not sure why three companies needed to form like voltron to make this, but we do like the end result. The leather sleeves are a great touch and you’re pretty much guaranteed to look particular steezy/make an appearance on fuckyeahmenswear with this on. (Norse store)

We featured this a while back but it’s worth a second look now it’s available without a proxy. Everything that’s been said about Cabourn has been already, so we’ll just say that this looks pretty gosh darn good. (End)

01 . Sustainable Christmas Trees

“Those who are needled by the wastefulness of Christmas trees can take comfort: the traditional tree is undergoing a redefinition. This change is in terms of production and marketing but also in the way trees are being bought and used. The shift is gaining momentum: a convergence of environmental consciousness, economics and emotion, now given an extra boost by a recession-inspired do-it-yourself sensibility. ” (Design Observer).

02. New York Underground

“For a long time I have been drawn to places that are underground. I often dream that I am in a basement, or descending the stairs to the subway, or walking in a cave, or swimming toward lights at the bottom of a river, or finding rooms below ground that no one else knows about and that aren’t there later when I try to go back to them. The world of symbols is impenetrable to me, but I am not so thick that I don’t see that the underground stands for the unconscious.” (Believer).

03. Blackburn owners confirm talks with Diego Maradona (above).

“No seriously. What appeared to be idle rumour in yesterday’s papers is actually, amazingly, true – Venky’s Group, the new owners of Blackburn Rovers, have had a sit down talk with Diego Maradona with a view to him taking a managerial role at the club.” (The Spoiler – who can argue Maradona as a left field style icon?).

04. Reopening a House That’s Still Divided

“The convulsive currents that roil the telling of American history have become so familiar that they now seem an inseparable part of the story itself. Here is a nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to a proposition of human equality, that, for much of its first century of life, countenanced slavery, institutionally supported it and economically profited from it. The years that followed have been marked by repair, reform and reversals; recompense, recrimination and reinterpretation. Extraordinary ideals and achievements have been countered by extraordinary failings and flaws, only to be countered yet again, each turn yielding another round of debates.” (NYT).

There’s a new outdoor/wilderness shop in Boston – not too far from the Bolyston Apple Store. The same Tannery which has inhabited Harvard Sq. for the last few decades, selling shoes and outdoor gear, expands on the latter with the Tannery Wilderness Workshop – a full sized outdoor shop in Back Bay that carries many brands also found in their Cambridge location.

It would seem they have been working on some special make-ups for the new market; starting off with this Golash with Tretorn. It’s a standard galosh finished the flat traditional look making them perfect for the guys. The pull tag on the back accents the overall look nicely. I think I need them – then again maybe Jason does.

More looks after the click.