The Bureau: looking sharp

The nicest chaps in UK retail have been busy lately as The Bureau in Belfast takes delivery of its new collections. These pictures, borrowed from their own blog, show new arrivals from the likes of Nanamica, Engineered Garments and Visvim.These could also be among the last pics of the store as it is, because they're undergoing something of a revamp.

Camo: now you see it

Buzz Ricksons

Have you got your bit of camo yet? In case you didn't already know, it's back again after a few seasons out in the woods, and everyone has incorporated a few pieces into their collections.

The temptation might well be to deck yourself out from head to toe but it doesn't take a genius to work out that you could end up looking like Johnny Kingdom. So keep it sparing and try to avoid the Navy Seal face paint.

For the record I went for the Supreme one, below.

Supreme

Beams Plus

Sophnet

Nigel Cabourn

Neighborhood

Beams Plus

Another Shirt Please SS12: a cut above

There has for quite some time been a move away from disposable garments towards those classic pieces that will become part of the fabric of your life.

Shirts, given their proximity to the skin, do have to be particularly special to last more than a few seasons, but longevity is exactly what the chaps at Another Shirt Please are trying to achieve.

They focus on classic, timeless designs and use only the finest materials, with the difference being in the detail.

Take a look at the new SS12 collection, and then do yourself a favour and order one.

www.anothershirtplease.com

Visvim Virgil: the penny drops

 

You've probably all worked out why Hiroki Nakamura named his boots Virgils but I can sometimes be a bit slow on the uptake and therefore I've only just worked it out.

They are named after USAAF Captain Virgil Hilts, Steve McQueen's character in The Great Escape and they are a reinterpretation of the boots he wore in the film. These were standard issue for the US military in the 1940s and were constructed from a 'reverse cowhide,' which meant that the shiny bit was on the inside.

Japanese doll maker and replica specialist Toys McCoy has created a pair which are most likely even more of a faithful reproduction than the originals they are based on. Obviously trying to find a pair is going to end up a mission in itself. Easier to source are the Buzz Ricksons version, which also look the part.

But we all know the only pair of Virgils to have are Visvim's.

Oh, and if you know of any other reason Virgils are thus named, I'd love to hear it.

Visvim

Visvim

Visvim

Buzz Ricksons

Toys McCoy

Visvim SS12: the way they wear it

Visvim's 2012 collection is being drip-fed to us once more, and when it's all released you could look like one of these chaps.

Take a good look, because unless you win the lottery this evening you're unlikely to ever see this many pieces of Visvim on one person ever, with the price of this stuff. Alternatively go down your high street and put yourself a similar outfit together at a fraction of the price seeing as everyone seems to be having a go at ripping it off.

I think this shoot could be from Sense magazine. I could be wrong.

Rapha SS12: the lookbook

It's hard to imagine it now but before long we'll be riding around in short sleeves, the warm summer breeze keeping us just the right side of cool, picking flies from our teeth. Of course with the new Rapha gear you'll not only feel cool, you'll look damn fine too.


This season the offering is pretty much tweaked versions of previous favourites. You have the country jerseys with additional placket detail and the addition of Ireland, as well as a freshly-fashioned line f club jerseys.


The stowaway jacket have been given a makeover and there are some other little extras that you don't need but you know within a few months you'll be carrying in your jersey pocket.


Allez! to that.