We treat style rules like we treat any other ancient text. We listen, sure, but when push comes to shove we trust our own instinct over something that was initially said just to keep people in line. For instance, one rule is never mix checks and stripes – good enough rule, except when checks and stripes look good next to each other like they do on this shirt. (B Store)

01. Amanda Merten, Brooklyn NY

Backyard Bill has a new post. (Backyard Bill)

02. Weekend Afterthoughts On Amir Khan’s Place, The Tally Of Low Blow KOs And More

“Maybe Bernard Hopkins “will never lose to a white boy,” but he’ll pal around with one. At the Amir Khan-Zab Judah bout over the weekend, Hopkins shared a laugh twith his old rival Joe Calzaghe, the man at whom Hopkins famously directed that racially inflammatory rhetoric.” (Queensbury Rules)

03. Wayne Hemingway – The Bowie Gig That Changed My Life

“Fashion designer and Red Or Dead founder Wayne Hemingway recalls the turning point in his adolescence which switched him onto youth culture, the nightclubs of Blackburn, and style.” (The Quietus)

04. Miranda July

“As I waited in the hotel lobby, looking over my questions for Miranda July, I realized that the questions I had written down were not questions at all, but merely statements of how I liked her new film, The Future. The truth is it’s really hard to interview someone you’re a fan of, someone you look up to. With people like July, you want to ask a million questions that all revolve around the one basic question: how’d you do it? There are a lot people who talk about their struggle with finding success and staying true to themselves, but for someone like Miranda July that isn’t really the struggle because she’s found success by staying true to herself because that’s the only way she knows how. And those are the people you want to get advice from.” (Letter to Jane)

You’d think the most distinctive feature of a woven patterned loafer would be the upper, however Acne’s use of a blue leather sole provides a complimentary and unusual punch to their Slip Print loafer. Made in Italy, the loafers are available now from Oki-Ni.

Check the sole after the jump.

Mark McNairy and Engineered Garments have gotten together to produce two special slip-on model. For the conservative, there is a pair of elegant scotch grain slip-ons – available in black or brown. For the bolder, McNairy’s dreamed up a multi-leather longwing with both smooth and grain leather, mismatched on the left and right foot. Nepenthes Japan has them.

Our latest SL Sessions video takes a look at Sunspel. We spoke to Nicholas Brooke and Jonathan Anderson about what makes the brand special. We could go on, but the video does all the talking. Go here to see it.

More shoe news from J. Crew.

With Alden, they’ve created three exclusive longwing bluchers. There is a black alpine version, with pebbled leather, to go with a waxed brown model. The third is a chocolate suede.

Check them all after the jump.

With exclusive Holland & Sherry Harris Tweed, the Archer Adams Hampstead Weekend Travel Bag offers a burst of color in a typically conservative item. With burnt orange, bitter cherry, and storm purple tweeds, the bags are certainly not for the faint of heart. Fitted with the highest quality English bridle leather, long lasting toughness is privileged along with the strong colors – Archer Adams offers a 10 year guarantee – this weekender is a bold entry into the bag market for the brand.

More looks after the jump.

Former Jack Spade accessories designer Matt Singer has released a trio of new beaded keychains. Each keychain is handmade with either red, blue, or turquoise as the primary bead color.

J. Crew’s calling these Quoddy Chukka boots a collectors item. The mix of Horween Chromexel and deerskin leathers is certainly intoxicating. J. Crew has placed the boot on a rubber camp-style sole. Exclusive to the retailer’s catalog and online store.

We love lamp:

“The London Table Lamp is designer Charlie Bowles first solo lighting design. He graduated from Leeds University and joined Original BTC, the company founded by his father, Peter Bowles, immediately after. His first lamp proves an understanding of the family ethos “to design and produce lights that your are instantly at home with.” Charlie balances a polished chrome-plated steel arm and base with colorful aluminum shades – giving a clear sense of both fun and utility.”

See more over at Curated.