Ardour Brand Withers tweed scarf...

We have just released our third tweed style the Withers.

A beautiful tweed with red, blue, green, lime and yellow running through a cream background.

We will only be releasing a handful and in scarf form only.

 

Warehouse Japan... by Shaun Dangerfield

I'm a sucker for a nice heavyweight knit and unpacking this was an absolute treat, the tight weave and heavy feel along with the vibrant colours, well I'm not going to lie to you folks it made me moist.... moist like a cake mixture.

Moist.
The greatest word in the dictionary. Add to an innocent sentence to make it sound dirty. Double the pleasure by combining with words like panties and genitals. Moist is the perfect word to make others uncomfortable.

Except in this circumstance, because moist is the perfect word to make me feel comfortable.... especially in this knit.
I feel like the Charmin bear in terms of warmth, not because I play with toilet roll or live in the woods, it's about the warm bearlike comfort. Grrrrr
Cage me.

Anyway, this fine import from American Hickorees is by Warehouse Company.
Made in Japan who obviously have a good eye for the bear lovers amongst us.

 

Manchester Goods...By Saul Wilks

This was the scene at Newport station at approximately 5.30am Saturday morning, as I eagerly awaiting the first train to Manchester. This used to be a regular occurrence, as I made Manchester a once a month pilgrimage to search out records and clothes once I'd received my months pay. Suffice to say I was usually skint on the train home.

I've been travelling to old Mancunia for a number of years now, never forgetting that initial buzz I had when I first visited Oi Polloi, all those new and exotic labels, so many ace record shops, vintage gems galore. I hold those days in fond memories, it was always an adventure and Manchester truly was a Mecca for unknown clothing and records. I'd be lying if I said I still rate Manc the same as it was back then but then I more than likely held it in the romantic light of youth, as we all do.

Saturday heralded some great buy's again, both on the record and clothing front. This post is designated purely for the threads and treads I picked up though - a nice mix of vintage and new.

How many pair's of suede shoe's from my rotation have fallen victim to a minging dance floor or a heavy downpour? Too many, that's about right. Mindful of this fact I've been looking for a moderately priced pair of shoes that will serve me well through winter, nothing too costly or extravagant and obviously something that will fit in with what I'm digging at present.

When I first looked at the Clarks Originals Seam Trek I wasn't feeling them at all. First looks are sometimes deceiving. Whether it was the fact that it was chucking it down in Manc at the time, or the fact I had a tasty night planned later that night in Bristol that was surely going to involve another pair of suede's going west, I scampered back to Oi Polloi after having previously already been in there and snapped up their last pair.

How happy I was that I did as well, because they've grown on me that much that I haven't had them off.

Along with the Clarks Og's I stumped up for the indigo dyed Beams Plus needle cord shirt, which after a heavy all night disco party and subsequent sweat inducing dance floor manoeuvres made me look as though I'd had my torso painted in blue dye like my Celtic warrior brothers of old.

To round off a decent day's purchases I also bagged this killer vintage USA made heavy cotton madras. It's well fruity, or a 'proper jazzy number' as the young lad in Bionic 7 pointed out... Yes sir, Jazzy indeed. Sure to brighten up a few cold days this A/W that's for sure and for 30 sheets who can complain?

Manchester may not hold quite the same aura as it once did, but it's still worthy of a 3 hour train journey any day of the week.

Boogie Cartel Live at Maceos Glastonbury 2013...

We have been sitting on this mix and decided it was time to put it up.
This is live from Maceos club in Glastonbury 2013 on Sunday night.
It went on for 5 hours so this is the shortened mix, eclectic and off the cuff.

We hope you enjoy

Boogie Cartel x

Home Comforts...By Saul Wilks

I've been after a set of Melamine Melmex crockery and cups for quite some time, ever since wandering past one of Notting Hill's many overpriced bric a brac shops and seeing a set in the window. At the time I didn't know what they were or that they were grossly over priced and I remarked to my then girlfriend when I got home that I really wanted a set.

I'm no expert when it comes to these sorts of things, but I'd like to think I have a good eye when it comes to design and things that are aesthetically pleasing to the eye. These are definitely something that I fall in love with every time I look at them.

Earlier today I ventured to Cardiff Antiques market, otherwise known as Jacobs antiques. It's a hive of weird and wonderful goods, ranging a number of different era's and taking in everything from records to furniture.

I've been meaning to pop down there for a while specifically to see if they had these in and a few others bits I've been after for a while. In a nice twist of fate I managed to pick up a full set for 30 sheets, which was a really nice touch. 

To go along with my latest home-ware buys I also took delivery of this special issue of Japanese zine' Free & Easy. I've never really been willing to folk out a purple for a magazine, but I had to get this especially seeing as the issue was dedicated to Ivy style and its modern guise.

It was a no brainer really and twenty quid was dispatched without much thought. As it happens the colours go pretty nice with the Melamine set and so photographing these was a real pleasure - to me anyway.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - no truer words spoken.

The Layout...By Saul Wilks

It's that time of the week again where I sit on my couch and take a photo of what I'M wearing like bit of an anorak.

I'm heading out today to an old favourite haunt of mine in near by Cardiff - Jacobs antique market. On the shopping list? Geoffrey Baxter Bricklayers vase and a coffee table. What I'll probably come back with? An armful of records... But I'm sure you know how it goes.

Schmutter aside, let us get down to business, today's wears consist of:

Brooklyn Circus X Ebbets Fields Flannels
Ardour Brand Japanese Corduroy Scarf
Vintage Levi's Denim Shirt
Owner Operator X The Hill Side Camo Smock
Edwin Selvedge 55's
Burlington Argyle
Thorogood Rigger Boots
Vintage Leather Gloves
Ardour Brand Cromwell Satchel

I'm off to get my bargain hunt game on, looking like a cross between a carp fisherman and an Inventory magazine subscriber, no doubt.

Disclaimer - I don't subscribe to Inventory magazine.

Have a ballin' weekend.

Ardour Brand 15% Discount for Sinister readers...

A big thank you to all who read the blog and have supported us so far, it doesn't go unnoticed and we really appreciate it.

A small thank you on future orders from myself and Saul.

Clothing Through The Years.... by Shaun Dangerfield

It takes a lot these days to make me literally gasp when I see something on Television or big screen.
Watching the likes of Boardwalk Empire and Peaky Blinders is a big reminder at just how much more manly it was back then, stylish, hard, rough, a different era I know but when I look at photos of the early 1900's it always pull's me in like a rabbit in the headlights.
The tailored suits, the tweeds, the fabrics, the 3 piece suits, the shirts, collar and cuff details right up to the lining's.
The headwear and the footwear are all quite simply breathtaking (from a style point of view) and it did make me realise how much I've personally changed over the years.
I'm not saying I dress in three piece suits now, far from it and I'll always have a certain element about the way I dress but I definitely see thing's through different eyes these days.

I grew up as a typical lad's lad, I cut my teeth on council estates and at football and I always loved the clothing I wore.
It was very football, very street but also clothing that at the time I shouldn't have had and if I wasn't such a lad I would have been living well above my means but I always had something going on and something to fund my vices.
But now I'm older, wiser and I appreciate more, my outlook hasn't changed and I still go to the same places and do (some) things that I used to do but I suppose I'm just getting older, and with that comes a change within my clothing outlook, appreciating the cut of a garment or the fabric has only continued my fascination, obsession and infatuation with clothing into my older years.

Touching back on the early 1900's style, and the differences with modern day, Men dressing like men. Some call it old fashioned but there was so much more substance style wise from these bygone eras.
There has been a slight re-surge over the past 5-7 years where heritage has come to the fore and suddenly young men realise it's ok to wear a tweed waistcoat and a fine cut shirt, and when I say men I mean "lads" and "boys".

And that's what got me thinking about the fact that no matter what period, boys will be boys, and clothing and all the other vices have always been in play and I find that fascinating.
No matter what period you think of there has always been a driving force of clothing, drink, drugs, sex, music and violence.
And I love that, I love the characters of today and looking back I love the characters of yesteryear.

I've got a few photos from Police mug shots between the years of 1910-1930.
A nice find for me at the time and I've been meaning to put them up for a while, some of them had explanations of why they were arrested but some were blank.
Amazing style, amazing hair, and not a single ounce of remorse for whatever they had done.


1925 - William Stanley Moore, an Opium dealer found with large quantities of Cocaine and Opium.

1928 - Thomas Craig, Raymond Neil (aka “Gaffney the Gunman”), William Thompson and FW Wilson, Thieves.

1920 - De Gracy and Ed Dalton.

1929 - Frank Murray alias Harry Williams, Breaking entering and stealing.

1923 - William Cahill.

1920 - Silent Tom Richards (centre unknown) and T Ross.

1924 - Guiseppe Fiori, Safebreaker.

1922 - Ernest Joseph Coffey.

1928 - Thomas Bede.

1924 - Patrick Riley, Counterfeiter of coins and money.

1920 - Herbert Ellis

Ardour Brand Tweed Scarves...

We have just launched our first two tweed scarves in the form of the 'Gaer' and the 'Otis'.

The Gaer is a beautiful rustic tweed with fine runs of colour throughout in blues, purple, orange, red and greens.

The Otis is a bit more bold and more of a classic check tweed in cream, brown and navy with red window panes throughout.

Available now at www.ardourbrand.com

"We've always loved a good honest tweed, it's one of those materials that looks timeless and beautiful, brimming with strong rustic overtones.
With this in mind we set out to source some tweeds that resonated and struck a chord with our inner gent, charming, beautiful and rich in colour.
We feel as though we have done a decent job of doing just that and so we're proud to introduce the first of a number of tweed products that will be gracing our inventory over the next few months.
I think it's fair to say that no dapper chap should be without some form of tweed in his wardrobe."

The Lay Out...By Saul Wilks

While sitting around scratching my bonce today, waiting to head out for the day I decided I'd start a new feature - the lay out. Yeah, original I know.

Heading out to search out vintage Danish furniture I decided I'd go for some good honest Danish rain wear with a staple yellow Elka, The Real McCoy's National Athletic Sweat, well loved and worn in Nudie Selevedge, some battered Native Craftworks and MHL gloves with a touch of Ardour scarfage to top things off.

That's your lot...