Duly Noted 015
Are sneakers cooked?, in praise of the 574, from Ralph with love, Madewell's Utility Pant, big (and British) in Japan.
A weekly edit of style observations, product obsessions, internet wanderings, and the latest happenings from the world of Mensweird.
Are Sneakers Cooked?
Bank of America thinks so, dropping a 61 page report that details, among other things, three consecutive years of declining growth for sportswear brands. They even negged Adidas with a double-downgrade, pointing to signs of slowing Samba sales as evidence that the mega-brand was set to “underperform.” Business of Fashion notes that this flies in the face of 20 years of unprecedented growth in the category and the fact that sneakers account for a whopping 60% of footwear sales. BoA even goes so far as to claim the death of “casualisation,” which of course drove sneakers’ epic run. But footwear gawd Matt Powell isn’t buying it, telling BoF, “I’m not seeing anything close to that.” Sneakers certainly seem like they’ve lost a lot of their cool, as things like loafers and Paraboot have captured menswear’s headspace, but you’ll need to pry my New Balance 574s from my cold, dead hands.
The New Balance GOAT
Speaking of 574s, Sprezza recently showed New Balance’s under-appreciated workhorse some much-deserved love.
Just like when you spot an abandoned Pizza Hut building but instantly know what once occupied the space, the same idea applies to the 574.
Even if the “N” logo weren’t visible, you’d still recognize the unmistakable silhouette of the 574.
Damn straight. They even got Josh Peskowitz and W. David Marx to co-sign, so skip stuff like the SSENSE-bait 9060 and stick with the classics.
“Love, Ralph”
Buffy Birrittella had quite the career at Ralph Lauren. According to Fashion United, she “helped launch Ralph Lauren’s first women’s collection in 1972, started the brand’s advertising division in 1978, launched the home collection in 1983, and helped restore the Rhinelander mansion on 72nd Street and Madison to become the company’s first flagship store.” So it’s no surprise that when she hit the quarter century mark she got more than just a pizza party. Ralph personally gifted her a Cartier Tank Americaine reference 1736 1, engraved with “Buffy Polo 25th Anniversary Love, Ralph April 10, 1996.” If you want the ultimate vintage watch/Polo flex, it can be yours for $29,000.
Madewell Canvas Utility Pant
I think I have Christopher Fenimore to thank for putting me on to these. I’d been after a pair of natural—ecru, if you’re fancy—colored pants and these more than fit the bill with a cotton canvas fabric that’s not heavy or stiff, a perfect 9” leg opening, and critically for me, no hammer loop. (I’ve got nothing against them, I just don’t always want the blue collar stolen valor look.) A friend inside Madewell told me to keep an eye out for the collection that’s hitting next week, as he promised there’d be lots more to love. Fingers crossed.
Big (and British) in Japan
Japan’s appreciation for Ivy Style and vintage Americana has been well-documented, but I wasn’t aware of the degree to which some British brands capture the Japanese imagination. According this Financial Times piece, Nigel Cabourn, Margaret Howell, and Paul Smith owe their success to their Japanese fans, part of the country’s $31.7 billion menswear business that arose during the high-flying ‘80s.
It was out of this zeitgeist that interest in many young British designers was first generated. What set Cabourn, Howell and Smith apart, however, was that they didn’t make themselves a novelty and weren’t designing for teens who would age out of their product. They sold Britishness in a sophisticated and romanticised way, telling stories of great explorers, Highland weavers and Savile Row.
Howell has 75 stores in Japan, while Cabourn has 10 (but curiously none in the UK), and the article claims Paul Smith has visited the country over 100 times. To round it out, there’s also some great street style pics of Japan’s British menswear fans, so check it out.
I’ve been sent a bunch of Madewell stuff over the past few years and I have to say, the pants really are a good value. Been beating those pants up all winter.