Tell me if this has happened to you: you’re going about your day to day, it’s not necessarily rainy, not necessarily dry. You’re also (in)conveniently between seasons so your winter all-weather boots aren’t expected to make an appearance anytime soon and your summer sneaks just aren’t cuttin’ it. Story of our lives these past couple days out here in NYC. Let’s just say April showers came a little late this year and sometimes your Supergas, flip-flops or boat shoes just aren’t equipped to handle the mucky muddy streets. Anything lined would prove to be a sweaty inconvenience of equal or greater value as well so again, a dead end.
Enter SWIMS, the solution to your footwear faux pas and the ideal choice for those in-between-times when nothing seems to fit with the weather quite right. Inspired by city culture that often defies slushy streets and pouring rain (and which has resulted in many pairs of ruined shoes), SWIMS was developed as a solution that combines style with functional design. With SWIMS loafers, designer Johan R. reinvented a classic and created a unique loafer using high-tech materials and state-of-the-art technology. In his own words, “My objective was to design a loafer I could wear in the ocean so that I don’t scrape my feet on rocks or coral, a loafer to wear by the pool or on the deck of a boat and not slip, a comfy loafer I could wear to walk around a beach town in shorts instead of my flip-flops.” With anti-bacterial and odor resistant soles they’ll never seem as, err, tainted by big city rain as the pair of kicks I’ve got on right now. Further, having a driver shape makes them multi-functional so you can wear them casually or dressed up.
Stop fighting against the weather and, instead, grab a pair of SWIMS and work with it. However, we recognize we’re rapidly approaching Fall, and those snowy days will be here sooner than we care to admit. We’ve already posted a smattering of pics from last Winter and plan to equip you well through the end of the year with upcoming releases. As always, let us know if you have something specific you’d like to see and we’ll do our best to bring it to you, all backed by our Bonobos shipping, return and service guarantee.
Filed under: Live from HQ, Misc., New Releases, Stuff, Uncategorized |
Comments (5)
By now, it’s no secret that Bonobos is doing a little research into potentially launching its own denim line soon. We’ve had requests for denim since the company started and now we are in a position to experiment and try new things (denim being one of them) and create new products that are of the quality we want. As of now, everything is fair game…fit, styling, wash, fabric. We want to know what you think. In the mean time, here’s a little of our perspective on things:
The importance of a good wash–
The wash of your favorite pair of jeans determines its style and wearability, even its personality. Dark washed denim is easily one the most popular choices because of its versatility. It’s a great replacement for a pair of slacks at the office and they’re great for kickin’ around town too. Light washed denim is a little more casual but, done right, it’s a great look that can take you from a beer with the boys to an evening cocktail at a dimly lit piano bar.
This is an example (shout out to my good friend Lauren, owner of Bows+Arrows in Austin, TX) of light washed denim done in a stylish way. It’s not as light as its 80s hair band predecessors, but it’s also not dark enough to blend into the night sky. It’s a “right in between” shade that feels and looks just right. (NOTE: Bonobos neither condemns nor condones the above “pegging” and rolling up at the hem. Sometimes this looks cool, sometimes not. Don’t worry. We’re still a boot cut company in our roots, but we also love straight leg. Denim can be worn a lot of stylish ways…)
The importance of a good material–
Many of us have heard the adage “beauty is pain”. But do you really want to feel like you’re in sandpaper or cardboard every time you wear your jeans? Probably not. Not to mention, the stiffer the material, the less flattering it is to your frame. Getting something that’s prewashed (or forms to your frame relatively quickly) is going to provide you with a better overall look and feel for the first wears.
This is an example of a great dark wash but, as you can see, the fit isn’t as good as it could be…notice the bunching and twisting around the knee. This is raw denim, which is much stiffer than prewashed denim, so it’s less forgiving off the shelf…if you’re looking for a pair of jeans that’s comfortable the day you bring it home, this is not it. Raw denim will ease up the more you wear it but the first few times you put it on can be a little uncomfortable. In terms of durability, however, raw denim reigns supreme. It’s also a great material because each pair of raw jeans is truly customizable, giving you control over how light they become based on how frequently you wash them. The irregular folds in the denim also fade at different rates, so the pair you get develops its own, unique wear patterns based on how it fits your body.
-Pocket detailing and fly closure
Pocket detailing and fly closure are two additional features that get denim wearers really fired up. We’re taking input on these, as well. Here at Bonobos, we prefer a relatively minimalist approach on pocket detailing. We favor the styling of brands like Levi’s and Double RL, simple and classic, over something like this. Fly closure…the debate is raging in the office. Some of us love button fly, and others demand a zipper.
The floor is open, so to speak. Tell us what you think and be a part of our product development!
Filed under: Misc., New Pants, New Releases, News, Pants, Uncategorized |
Comments (65)
It’s sweltering here in NYC, but trying to find a wearable summer suit in a retail store this late in July is almost impossible. We’ve got a lot of fall transition styles we’re excited to debut in the coming weeks, but until then we’re going to embrace the heat with the upcoming launch of two killer seersucker suits. These blue and grey pant and jacket combos are ready to wear to any late Summer wedding or an early Fall event at the Botanical Garden.
These are going to hit the e-shelves next week, but we could use your help to name them. Post your ideas in the comments below. The winner takes one of these amazing suits home, so start your engines!
Filed under: Contests, Misc., New Pants, New Releases, Uncategorized |
Comments (61)
To those of you who haven’t noticed, our new Fall 2010 Look Book Sneak Preview is up on www.bonobos.com and we couldn’t be more thrilled! For a long time now, we’ve had guys asking us how to pair Bonobos items with the rest of their wardrobe and now we can really show them how by curating entire looks, head to toe. What’s better is that you can (or will soon be able to) purchase the entire look online from the Bonobos web site so forget about the malls and boutiques this Fall and shop from home.
Here are a couple of our favorites:
Regardless of if you’re going casual or dressing it up, layering (clichè but oh so true) is key in the Fall and Winter. For this casual look we paired a comfy oxford with a v-neck sweater and topped it off with a sturdy waxed cotton jacket from the Jack Spade Fall ‘10 collection (coming soon to www.bonobos.com). Waxed cotton is probably one of the best additions to outerwear since…well, I don’t know when. It’s ideal for protecting against rain, sleet and snow and as you wear it, it forms to your body for maximum comfort. As far as bags go, you don’t always have to stick to the standard messenger or tote. Change it up and give one of these duffles a try.
For effortless workwear, go tonal and keep in mind a full suit isn’t essential to make your look office appropriate…unless of course you’re in banking where Mad Men Chic is the day to day standard. Here we paired a slick grey pinstripe wool trouser with a dress shirt, tie and cardigan. We opted to ditch the suit jacket altogether and instead wrapped it all underneath a charcoal grey peacoat from Oliver Spencer’s Fall ‘10 Collection (also coming soon to www.bonobos.com). Think of it as a new age three-piece suit: pants, cardigan, coat. Which classic, iconic pieces or ensembles have you made your own?
Be sure to check out the rest of our Fall Look Book and stay tuned for new releases to round out your wardrobe this Fall and Winter.
Filed under: Misc., New Releases, News, Stuff, Style Guide, Uncategorized |
Comments (15)
With our recent foray into blazers and our suiting debut, the Ninjas wanted to learn a little bit more about Bonobos jackets and what makes them so special. So, we sat down with designer Helen Farnell to get a little more insight into this whole functioning buttonhole business.
Ninjas: Tell us a little bit about functioning button holes on a jacket cuff.
Helen Farnell: You usually see a functioning button hole on a tailored men’s jacket cuff and basically the button holes are cut so the buttons can function and actually unbutton. It’s a sign of a good quality men’s tailored item and isn’t typically available on casual styles.
N: Are you supposed to be able to roll them up?
HF: Usually you might choose to wear your blazer with one button undone and it helps showcase the quality of the garment. Historically, men have always had functioning button holes – menswear has always been functional. For cheaper blazers, they don’t make [button holes] functional, and it’s so sad to see that since it costs a little bit more to make them functional, this feature is often left out.
You can have fun with the button hole colors as well. The last button hole can be a different color, or perhaps the bottom button can be attached with a pop thread for fun. Paul Smith does a lot of that.
N: Have you heard any myths about the origin of the button hole? For example, we’ve heard that working button holes originated in the 16th century to accomodate men’s elaborate sleeves. Any truth in that?
HF: I haven’t heard that but it makes sense. Usually things function for a reason. It’s like the men’s fastening of a jacket, it’s left-over-right, and that’s done because men used to dress themselves but it’s the other way around for women because women used to be dressed by servants. There’s always a history that goes along with these things.
N: What other great details can we look forward to in the jackets and blazers?
HF: Cool, fun interior lining. We’re also going to be playing with grosgrain to be used as a support for a button underneath the functional cuff, grosgrain details and piping. We’re going to have pop colors under the collar so there’s a lot of fun and excitement going on with what could be seen as simply a serious piece of outerwear.
N: From a style standpoint, do you recommend leaving a button undone or rolling the cuff?
HF: I would recommend one button undone. Show off your beautiful, quality Bonobos jacket.
There you have it, folks. You learn something new every day!
Filed under: Interview with The Designer, Live from HQ, Misc., New Releases, Stuff |
Comments (10)
