That Autumn Look | Out and About

The series “That Autumn Look” probably generates more reader email than anything I have ever done on this site. The looks are a lot of fun to put together, but the process can be tedious. I’m not one to be excited for spring and summer dressing, so I’m happy to keep my still life looks to the autumn variety. The first installment for 2009 is inspired by my adventures (read: meetings and appointments) in and around the city. Here’s to crisp days with soft jersey zip-ups, chambray, leather boots and a good helping of waxed canvas.

That_Autumn_Look_1_09

Unis waxed cotton peacoat

Persol tortoise shell eyeglasses

Apolis Activism x Filson canvas briefcase

Fruit of the Loom zip-up sweatshirt

Alden x Context “Roy” boots

Post Overalls khaki pants

Tops reporter’s notebook

Varsity disposable fountain pen

J. Crew chambray shirt

More That Autumn Look posts can be seen here.

Comments on “That Autumn Look | Out and About

    Memphis88 on September 16, 2009 1:25 AM:

    Those Varsity pens are like gold. I sold one for $5 to a guy in one of my classes last semester. They’re expensive for disposable pens, but they definitely don’t average out to $5 a piece.

    damien on September 16, 2009 2:34 AM:

    Great pics ACL. Love the J Crew Chambray for fall as well. I would sub that pen for a parker jotter though.

    Heavy Tweed Jacket on September 16, 2009 3:37 AM:

    ACL, A very inspired series, indeed. The first in this series from last fall remains my favorite combination, but this is running a very close second. I like those Post khakis. One can never have enough khaki.

    Darren Groucutt on September 16, 2009 7:31 AM:

    Loving the styles!! Autumn and Winter are my fave seasons but can you crack a good commuter cyclist look?

    A Treasury of on September 16, 2009 8:14 AM:

    Hold it!

    I think you forgot to include one of your many amazing thermoses.

    Sam on September 16, 2009 8:14 AM:

    Digging the boots and the blue Filson. Very sharp.

    One Mans Style on September 16, 2009 8:15 AM:

    The Unis waxed pea coat is killer!!!

    Michael Williams on September 16, 2009 8:24 AM:

    Damien — The Parker Jotter is my daily driver, but I like the Varsity as well.
    A Treasury of — Those thermoses work well with all fall looks, good call.

    ACL

    Chris on September 16, 2009 8:46 AM:

    Who’s selling Unis online? I can’t seem to find a source for that waxed peacoat. Will take suggestions for nice waxed coats that I can find as alternative to the Unis as well.

    Michael Williams on September 16, 2009 8:48 AM:

    Chris — call the Unis store on Elizabeth, they just got the peacoat in-stock.

    Matt on September 16, 2009 9:58 AM:

    The J Crew chambray is amazing! One of the nicest shirts I own and worth the price.

    JohnnyM on September 16, 2009 10:02 AM:

    Unis is launching an webstore by the week’s end. It’s gonna be awesome.

    jfox on September 16, 2009 10:18 AM:

    finally got that jcrew shirt a few months back (thx brother..). clutch

    anthony on September 16, 2009 10:25 AM:

    i’m digging the image development from the first post to this one. is that your photography/photoshop work? strong composition…

    larehpirep on September 16, 2009 10:31 AM:

    Good call on most of your stuff. Bit pricey, but you pay for what you get in most cases.

    But still, $75 for a Fruit of the Loom zip-up? C’mon, that’s nuts.
    I looked on the Japanese website for any vintage details (reverse weave, brass zipper…anything!) and came to the conclusion that yep, it’s a regular boy’s XL zip up.

    Sorry, but anyone who buys on that particular link has too much damn money and not enough sense.

    sam on September 16, 2009 10:36 AM:

    you buy your FotL in japan? jokes aside, it looks comfy!

    Michael Williams on September 16, 2009 10:36 AM:

    Anthony — the improvement in quality is due to two factors: 1. better image selection and 2. better photoshop skills. Thanks for noticing. —ACL

    dan on September 16, 2009 10:54 AM:

    Regarding the J. Crew chambray….has the quality improved over the years? I presume and hope so. My two previous attempts at JC’s chambray were less than impressive. Fit was almost irregular and the material was heavy and cheap. Full disclosure: this was in the early 90s. They’re asking a pretty penny these days so I hope it’s not a reissue of a giant warehouse of shirts.

    Having said that, I may pick one up along with JC’s heather poplin tailor fit shirt. Now those are worth every penny for my needs.

    Matt on September 16, 2009 11:42 AM:

    Great look! Especially love the briefcase…

    james/10engines on September 16, 2009 12:28 PM:

    i build these things in powerpoint myself… makes it super easy.

    Thom on September 16, 2009 12:31 PM:

    Why…would you use a disposal fountain pen, when refillable ones are so cheap?

    JW on September 16, 2009 1:27 PM:

    The coat from Unis looks really cool! Will have to check out their store.

    Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

    Jeremiah Simmons on September 16, 2009 1:50 PM:

    I own the J.Crew Chambray shirt… I get complemented every time I dawn it. A must own.

    Jack on September 16, 2009 2:18 PM:

    pretty good introductory gear. very basic, but very autumnal. Great choices in the Zip up.

    Keep in mind, there are other brands putting out the same thing. You don’t have to buy these exact items by these exact labels. (if you were worried about that sort of thing).

    dan on September 16, 2009 3:25 PM:

    Can that heathered fruit of the loom hoodie be obtained in the states? i know american apparel has a pretty similar one

    angelo on September 16, 2009 4:36 PM:

    What ever happened to suits…

    Michael Williams on September 16, 2009 4:37 PM:

    The suits are coming. I just don’t wear them very often these days, which is why this is so casual. — ACL

    PK on September 16, 2009 5:03 PM:

    Nice. Where can you get the Post khaki’s?

    Jon Gaffney on September 16, 2009 6:39 PM:

    Can you get that hoodie in the US? Or is it another reason to visit Japan?

    Tony B on September 16, 2009 7:10 PM:

    Love this collection!! The J. Crew Chambray is my favorite shirt and I wear it at least 3 times a week. The quality is VERY good. As close as you can get to a real vintage workwear shirting piece that I’ve seen in a very long time.

    Chenners on September 16, 2009 7:53 PM:

    MW, thanks for the tip on the Varsity pens. Was going to order on Amazon, but thought it much more fitting to bicycle downtown to the stationary store that’s been there for decades. They said they’d had a strange number of requests for the pens today, so maybe you have a big fan base in Sonoma County.

    Steve on September 16, 2009 8:15 PM:

    Any place where I can get the hoodie here in the US?

    N Bolton on September 16, 2009 9:22 PM:

    Ahh yes, those Varsity pens are great, I use a Lamy now, but through architecture school those Varsity pens were the best. You could draw anything with them and it would just look good.

    Michael Williams on September 16, 2009 11:42 PM:

    Not sure about the hoodie in the U.S., but I doubt it. —ACL

    Mack on September 17, 2009 12:32 AM:

    I really like the Filson bag in black, though for 200 bucks less, i’d just as well go with the khaki or otter green version from Filson. They actually just recently added a brown version, which looks pretty nice.

    Skip on September 17, 2009 8:20 AM:

    The Filson looks great, but what’s the point? It’s a limited edition of 200 which is sold out.

    Kevin on September 17, 2009 8:50 AM:

    I wish I could still get the old Champion sweat shirts and hoodies from back in the day. I’m suprised they haven’t hopped on the collaboration band wagon.

    Also, those boots are nice but I must say I am really please with the Wolverine 1000 mile boot I picked up thanks to this site. So comfortable too. I’ve been looking for a pair of pants like the Post ones you posted, may something readily available like Carhartt to pair with the boots. THANKS

    Michael Williams on September 17, 2009 9:07 AM:

    Champion in Japan is some of the best stuff ever. I wish the company still actually cared about their home market.

    re: The Wolverine 1000 Mile boots — I am loving mine too. They are breaking-in wonderfully. —ACL

    dan on September 17, 2009 10:40 AM:

    The Wolverine 1000 is my next set. The Red Wing Rugged (from J. Crew) has been excellent but I want a non-moc toe.

    Matt Weaver on September 17, 2009 10:42 AM:

    I am dying to know the model number or style name of the Persol glasses. I wonder if they are available online?

    dan on September 17, 2009 10:43 AM:

    I take that back: I’d like to get the Garrison: Burton.

    Dennis Cahlo on September 17, 2009 12:16 PM:

    I just went to Staples and bought a few packs of those VARSITY pens. They’re really cool. Thanks so much for the tip!!!

    Best,
    Dennis Cahlo

    Michael Williams on September 17, 2009 12:23 PM:

    Skip — that the Apolis x Filson WAS NOT sold out when I posted this look. So there was a point to it. —ACL

    Doublegun on September 17, 2009 12:43 PM:

    Matt,

    How about a great pair of heavy flannel or tweed pants? Seems most companies assume no one spends enough time out doors to get cold.

    Cheers!

    Brendan on September 17, 2009 3:01 PM:

    Freeman’s made a great pair of wool pants last year. I’m sure they’ll have another this fall.

    Kolby on September 17, 2009 7:17 PM:

    The varsity pen is alright kind of sloppy for me though. Maybe I just don’t write fast enough to prevent the massive ink blots.

    I wish I could comment on the other stuff but I am too poor for those things. Maybe I can substitute a Wal-Mart chambray shirt and some Docs and Old Navy khakis for the more fancy products shown?

    Oh ya they go those FOTL sweat shirts and pens at Wal-Mart too!

    Michael Williams on September 17, 2009 7:20 PM:

    All of this can be had on the cheap if you look for it. The quality might not be there, but the spirit will. It is also important to say that if you spend the money and buy high quality goods they will last you much longer, saving money in the long run. Just please, try to avoid Wal-Mart, at this point they only care about price which is in my mind un-patriotic. —ACL

    Skip on September 17, 2009 10:51 PM:

    Michael – point taken: I’ll need to pay devoted attention to your blog, so I don’t miss out. But when you posted your “fall look” the filson was already sold out, which just promotes a bit of navel gazing, eh? Great blog, I appreciate what you’re doing, now someone point me to a great stylish, reasonable, “briefcase” that isn’t a “man bag.”

    Steve on September 18, 2009 3:48 AM:

    Thanks Michael for responding to my question.

    Also, which color of the Wolverine 1000 boot do you recommend? The red or brown ones? I have a pair of red wings and looking to expand my boot collection.

    dan on September 18, 2009 11:00 AM:

    Steve, not that you asked me, but when it comes to boot colors I always get the “uh, no” when I want to go lighter. Seems my look is “the darker the jean and boot the better.”

    Michael Williams on September 18, 2009 11:03 AM:

    Steve — the 1000 Mile comes in three colors, brown, dark brown and black. I personally like the dark brown the best. — ACL

    Ben Wadler on September 18, 2009 1:28 PM:

    Kolby on September 20, 2009 7:31 PM:

    “All of this can be had on the cheap if you look for it. The quality might not be there, but the spirit will. It is also important to say that if you spend the money and buy high quality goods they will last you much longer, saving money in the long run. Just please, try to avoid Wal-Mart, at this point they only care about price which is in my mind un-patriotic. —ACL”

    Agreed. I find it hard to put my money where my mouth is. I have been looking for a chambray shirt for a while spending $60 or so at gap for one that is most likely made in a sweat shop seems lame when a good one costs $100 plus but is too expensive.

    spinlps on September 20, 2009 10:01 PM:

    For all the hoodie lovers… this one came up on google and looks awfully close: heather gray w/o the ugly white fleece lining.

    http://www.amazon.com/Fruit-Loom-Full-Zip-Hooded-Sweatshirt/dp/B001BK5PWQ/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1253498225&sr=1-16

    JohnnyM on September 21, 2009 10:46 AM:

    The UNIS Waxed Cotton Peacoat can be purchased at the online shop, which literally just went live:
    http://shop.unisnewyork.com/

    Andrew on September 22, 2009 12:02 PM:

    That UNIS wax pea coat is killing me, so nice. Such an amazing brand IMO.

    jhn on September 25, 2009 8:20 PM:

    The Varsity and the Parker Jotter are great for bag and desk pens. For a pocket and wallet pen, you can’t do better than the Fisher Space pen family.

    The bullet pen is great for your pocket, but I stick with the stowaway, which fits right in my wallet.

    From a design perspective, the bullet and the classic pens look pretty good.

    Also, they’re made in the USA.

    jhn on September 25, 2009 8:24 PM:

    Hey, Fisher’s already on the American List!

    (Columbia Knit needs to be on there…made in the USA, better quality than American Apparel, but their focus is on quality and not porno ads…..)

    doane on September 29, 2009 10:26 AM:

    Solid choice with the Varsity pen. Say no to the hoodie go back to the classic crew neck.

    brian b on October 8, 2009 3:22 PM:

    Ok. I know this thread is mostly dead, but that hoodie is great, but the site’s in japanese. This hoodie is perfect http://www.jamesperse.com/ShowProductImages.do?productId=prod180093&packCoupon=&showAlternateView=false&onlyOnRegularPrice=true&onlyOnSalePrice=false&urlTokensContext=/men/fleece/vintage-fleece-zip-up-hoodie&refreshOnClose=true
    but costs $200.
    The one linked above is pretty close, but just doesn’t have the same look or shape.
    Any other suggestions for cheap ($30-$60ish) hoodies that I can actually buy?
    Otherwise, I love the look. I’ve been looking at the J. Crew chambray for a year waiting for the price to drop- it’s good to see you all think it’s worth it, might go pick it up.

Comments are closed.