Our friends at London’s Ragtop Vintage alert us to this trailer for upcoming short ‘The Ragtop Boys’. Watch as the gang take to the sea, dressed in some of the finest USA vintage this side of the Atlantic. Dave White, Ragtop’s founder, took a new approach to the lookbook, showcasing classic American casual and military wear on a bunch of stylish n’er do wells with the help of director John Turner. Look out for more from Ragtop later this week.

One of the better bag makes we ran into at Pitti Uomo this week was Italy’s Silent People. The concept is a simple: take vintage jackets, preferably military, heritage outerwear, as well as leather bombers, and re-formulate them into satchels and bags. Designers and vintage collectors, Franco Armilla and Filippo Biancoli, enjoy the idea of the sharing history through the new forms.

The gallery (below) is filled with the details of their Silent People work. You’ll find a rucksack formed from an old Barbour jacket; a shearling lined farm coat converted into a satchel, as well as a U.S. pilot’s bomber jacket converted into an attache. We see vintage Woolrich in there as well. The designed are well considered and stay sustainable in all regards. At one point, Silent People was available in the U.S.A. We’re not clear on stocklists outside of Europe and Japan at this time.

Photography: Jeff Carvalho/Selectism.com

More look after the click.

(capsule) New York returns next week, January 16 and 17 with their first of many markets for 2012. One addition this year is their “Donut Shop,” which expands on the vintage offering of past shows to include vintage dealers Orange Crush, Heller’s Café, Wooden Sleepers, Kings County Salvage, and others. Terrapin will be on hand with a run of stationary as well.

(capsule) show will also take place in Berlin, January 19 and 20, and Paris, Januray 21 – 23.

Japanese label J.S Homestead, part of Journal Standard, have received delivery of these amazing repros of the classic Brown’s Beach Vest. Anyone who’s searched for an original and found it will the know the pain of turning the price tag; the vintage versions go for a premium.

These exact replicas won’t have that spirit/smell of a bygone era about them but they’re pretty spot on down to the last detail, branded snaps and all.

Jake Davis and his camera paid a visit to the desk of Donwan Harrell, founder PRPS. His office is a collection of vintage toys, Japanese mags, collectible denim and various other pieces of old Americana. More cool stuff than one guy could ever need, but I guess he can just right it off as ‘inspiration pieces’.

Click for images

We enjoy the thrill of the chase but if you’re the kind of person put off by all the rummaging vintage shopping requires then Blackbird offer up an easy alternative. The webstore have selected an impressive range of vintage sweatshirts from around the 50s-70s for your viewing and retail pleasure.

“Recently acquired from a vintage buy trip, this grip of vintage sweatshirts is a tribute to the practicality and functionality of classic Americana sport shirting. Whether for workouts or for elegant hoodlumism, an old beat up, faded, soft as hell sweatshirt is a perfect layering piece for colder weather”.

CR Blog introduces us to these stylish posters used to advertise the merits of London Transport. 20 designs from the 1930s and earlier will be on show at the ‘Painting by numbers – making sense of statistics’ exhibition at the London Transport Museum in January. Concerned with promoting the service as well as explaining the cost of providing it (as CR points out ‘no doubt passengers in 1938 were just as upset at fare increases as they are today’), they’re a incredible example of commuter communication at its best.

Click for more

This striped number from LVC is based on casual wear from the 50s/60s, the kind of tee you’d wear on the way to the beach for a quick surf or a bongo and beer party. 100% cotton with a patch pocket, a solid piece from their Autumn/Winter 2011 collection. oki-ni has it.

More looks after the click.

Oliver Peoples celebrates their heritage in eyewear with a special “Vintage” collection. Three frames from their first collection are re-released in a limited set as an appreciation for those that have supported Oliver Peoples from the start. They’re photographed inside of Dragon Books in a simple and beautiful manner.

More looks after the click.

Another interesting addition to J. Crew’s “good company” theme finds Larry McKaughan, founder of Seattle’s Heller’s Cafe, teaming with Warehouse to supply rare, one-of-a-kind treasures, to the J. Crew online shop. The pieces, only 20 in all, hit the web today. The range includes terrific collectibles like the US Mail bag above, along with vintage t-shirts and chambray work shirts from the 1930s. View the full offerings here. Fun stuff, even if you can’t get your hands on it.

Some favorites after the jump.