It’s a peculiarity of the fashion calendar that talking in November about a spring collection that won’t hit stores until March can be considered “looking back.” But by the time SS11 is available for retail, it will have been at least a full 6 months after we could have gotten our first glimpse, via trade shows, fashion week or, for most people, the internet.  The web’s instant gratification only seems to exacerbate the already-short attention span of the industry.  But if you buy into the argument of fashion as art — which, admittedly, is an argument with two pretty solid opposing viewpoints — then there’s something to be said for digesting a little bit, sitting back and giving everything you see some time to breathe before making a judgment, dismissing it and moving on to the next one.

So with that in mind, let’s talk about Loden Dager SS11.

At the time, I liked the collection for its simplicity and wearability — two things that I appreciate in the face of outlandish, over-designed menswear.  And I still do admire that and the subtle details, like pop-over shirts (shown in the photo at top).  I also thought the collection made good use of color (without the patterns and stripes LD presented last spring), and more light fabric, like the linens seen throughout.

Plus, I’m always a sucker for a good rolled pair of shorts.

Back in September, GQ.com called the collection “Lower East Side meets rural Peru,” which struck me as a bit odd, mostly because I always assumed “LES meets rural Peru” would really look like this.  To me Loden Dager in this incarnation looks more like when punky kids start to grow up.  Keep the zippers and the occasional leather piece, but tailor it a bit and throw in some pastels.  In other words, make it clean, but not too clean.

The more time has passed since I first saw it, the more I’ve grown to really like the collection for that reason.  Maybe it’s because I’m in my twenties and still somewhere in the middle of a transition from the sartorially carefree days of college to a (hopefully) more mature style, but this range speaks to me as something I could and would really wear.  It’s more about a feeling than it is about a statement piece.  In the midst of the Bands of Outsiders and Rags and Bones of Fashion Week, a well-edited, idiosyncratic and not terribly loud collection like this one could have easily been lost without taking the time to revisit it after the dust has settled.

Hey, if there’s one good thing to be taken from the Americana/heritage circle jerk dominating menswear today, maybe it’s the importance of looking back, instead of always looking forward — even if, in this case, looking back only means a few months.

See the rest of Loden Dager SS11 here and here.  Photos via GQ.com.

I’ll do a full post of some of my favorites from Milan and Paris sometime this weekend, but this striped Junya blazer is the first thing I’ve seen that I really wanted to own right away.  The whole show is basically like a nicer version of my current wardrobe and I love pretty much every look they sent down the runway today.  Nothing terribly groundbreaking here, just a nice collection of well-executed, wearable clothes.  Yes, please.

Both images via GQ.com.

Despite the fact that this marks my second post this week celebrating illegal activity, I’m kind of fascinated by the latest installment of Palladium Boot’s Explorer film series, examining the world of London Pirate Radio.  The first time I heard about this underground scene was back when the first traces of Dizzee Rascal made its way to the States, but the roots of the illegal broadcasts go back to the 50′s and 60′s when unlicensed frequencies would transmit from boats off the UK shore and rusted anti-aircraft towers at the mouth of the Thames in an act of rebellion against BBC radio restrictions.  Just like so many other things that the Internet has decimated (magazines, video rental, the recording industry, taking out a personal ad in the classified section of your local newspaper that, in a wacky twist, ends up leading you right back to your current partner), pirate radio has taken a hit from the web and isn’t what it used to be.  But, as the video Palladium filmed all over London shows, some pirate radio transmitters still thrive in the UK today, hidden in plain site.

See more photos from Palladium’s Explorer series after the jump, and watch the 16-minute movie now streaming on the Palladium site.

Complain all you want when a beautiful weekend in the high 70′s is followed by a week of rain — that’s spring in the Northeast.  So to be prepared for the ups and downs of the season, why not turn to an old standby: the crewneck sweatshirt.  Despite the best efforts of Justin Bieber, hoodies no longer reign supreme; everyone from American Apparel to Alexander Wang has their own take on the ultimate layering piece, meaning you can spend anywhere from $20 to triple digits.  Thankfully, if you do splurge, it can be a sound investment — keep the shirts around for cool summer nights, crisp fall days and under heavy coats in the winter.

From left to right: T by Alexander Wang ($115); Viktor & Rolf ($395); BDG ($39); American Apparel ($42); J. Crew ($98); Trainerspotter (£55); Acne ($149).

(Photo via GQ.com)

(Photo via www.rihannanow.com.  Yes, that’s right, her official website.)

My “disposable income” — which, for me and a lot of other twenty-somethings in New York, is loosely defined as “not rent” — is primarily funneled into the following three categories:

1.) Clothes

2.) Beer

3.) iTunes

And, you know, food.

But, if there were to be another category that could use some extra funding every now and again, it would probably be My Apartment.  Luckily for me, my old friend Olivia has arrived on the scene with her excellent new blog Lacquered Life, to show me and other booze-addled style bloggers that not only is it possible to create a great space for yourself on a budget, it’s also not very difficult.  Opting for timeless over trendy, with a great eye for detail, Olivia’s meticulous blog is updated almost daily with tips and tricks for making your home feel more like a home and less like the place where you sleep.  Extra attention to living in small spaces is a huge plus for apartment dwellers, and the “Cheap and Chic of the Week” feature let’s you keep up with the Stewarts on a decidedly Rachael Ray budget.  Plus, you’ve got to love any interior design blog that leads a post about retro wallpaper with a shot of Richard Nixon bowling.  I am not a crook or ashamed to bring people to my apartment anymore.  So move the laundry off of your futon and head on over to Lacquered Life.  And while you’re at it, eat something.

Dwell Magazine teaches its readership to be at home in the modern world, accompanied by beautifully-shot, if strangely emotionally detached, photos of grandiose homes, elaborate backyards, unconventional furniture and other stuff white people like.  Here to push it over the edge of self-parody: Unhappy Hipsters, a Tumblr with captions like the one above that will make you laugh out loud.  Who knows how long it will remain active before Dwell steps in to take it down, so enjoy it while it lasts.  If you’re so inclined, you can also follow the site on Twitter here for updates when new entries are posted.

Fred Perry is one of my favorite labels, a classic British brand that manages to stay fresh with top-notch and interesting collaborations with the likes of Raf Simons and Comme des Garcons.  This selvedge edge denim chambray shirt is a perfect example of the innovation that has reinvigorated the brand in recent years.  I especially like the small collar.  The sleeves are admittedly a bit awkward in length, so I recommend styling it like they do at oki-ni (on the weird unibrowed model they use for everything), by giving it a little cuff that still shows off the selvedge detailing also found on the back yoke and front pocket.  Speaking of oki-ni, this shirt is currently on sale there — so if you or someone you love is a size L or XL, jump on it.  A few more pics after the jump.

(top photos: Fred Perry; bottom two: oki-ni)

I recently decided that should I ever move out of Manhattan and find myself in need of a car, my top choice would be an iconic Mercedes Benz 560SL.  I’m far from being a car enthusiast, but there is something in the simple, retro-futuristic design that I find very appealing.  It’s boxy, and very, very 80′s  – a pair of Wayfarers on wheels, if you will.  Seeing as I have no plans to leave New York in the foreseeable future, this remains just a pipe dream, but a very stylish one at that.

See a few more pics after the break.

(Photos, top to bottom: 1, 2, 3, 4)