Boots for the wilderness

Looks from Tim Hamilton's Aw09 collection.

Fashion moves so fast and at this point in to a season I am always a little confused. As the nights come earlier and the days that bit cooler I never know quite what to write about because most of my inspiration is somewhere in the future. Everything around me is geared towards SS10 (look books, press days etc) but in the real world it feels as though we are only just entering Aw09. I feel like I am lost in the great unknown, the fashion wilderness, no man's land. What does one need in the wilderness? Boots of course.

These boots are made for walking...and looking like a modern day dandy. Lanvin Aw09

Lace up boots can be something of a sartorial testosterone shot. They were employed with great effect in a number of Autumn Winter shows, including Alexander Mcqueen, Calvin Klein, Rick Owens, Lanvin and of course, my particular favourite Tim Hamilton. The February shows demonstrated that they can be both smart and causal. This experimentation trickled through to a number of look books, most notably in Christophe Lemaire's offering which saw the French designer use them effectively throughout the relaxed volume and natural textures of his collection. They are a true staple of the season. A catalyst for the silhouette whilst accentuating both skinny and loose fitting trousers.

The waiting game. Lodger's Kudu Brogued Boot.

Regular readers will know that I fell head over heels for Lodger's September shoe of the month, the Kudu Brogued Boot and I am now (im)patiently waiting their delivery. The wait will undoubtedly be worth it. The boot is an eight eyelet brogued style, and has a skeleton lining of the same Kudu leather as the upper, and a full lining in a plush purple velvet from Scabal. As there is only a certain amount of kudu leather available Lodger can only make around twenty five pairs or so. With this in mind and to pass the time until I can shoe horn my feet in to my beloved Kudu's I have trawled through the best of the rest online. There are just so many beautiful boots available online. If you too are stumbling around the fashion wilderness then take a look at the offerings below...

The best of the rest list (clockwise from top left):

• Raf Simons for Dr Martens 8 hole boot: Raf Simons works his magic on a simple and classic 8 hole DM boot in a black leather. Available from oki-ni.

• Ann Demeulemeester buckle lace up worker boots: Black leather lace-up worker boots from Ann Demeulemeester featuring a buckled strap around the top of the boot. Fine if you have a spare £695. Available from farfetch.

• B Store suede lace up worker boot: Navy suede ankle boot from b Store with seam detailing and grey laces. Available from farfetch and bstore.

• Trickers Tan Leather boot: Something of a classic. Tan leather brogue style lace-up boots by Trickers. Available from farfetch.

• Alexander McQueen ‘Calamity Halfboot’: A sturdy leather lace up boot with a double side zip detail, heel pull and heavy treaded Vibram sole. Available from oki-ni.

• Mr. Hare Kerouac: The Kerouac is a man’s boot with a little romanticism and some healthy disrespect for the rules. It’s an adventure boot. It was oh so tempting when I first saw the collection and I was close to buying a pair. Must resist buying a pair now but they are so gooood...Available from oki-ni.

• Bed Stu Leather boot: An antiqued black leather boot with leather lining and sole. Five eyelet laceup. Available from Oak.

• Lanvin Leather lace up ankle boots: The "I wish I were rich" boots. These black leather lace-up ankle boots have wool detailing on both sides. Available at Browns.

• F-Troupe Black Sheepskin Hi Top: If all of the above are just too aspirational, how about this pair from f-troupe? The classic shape gets a winter upgrade with a shearling upper. Available from Oak.

Need for tweed

For such a burly and utilitarian fabric, Harris Tweed evokes a great deal of romantically nostalgic feelings and the recent BBC4 series, Tweed captured this feeling wonderfully. We caught up with the director of the series, Ian Denver in September and his love and enthusiasm for this iconic textile was contagious. I had a need for tweed. Denver declared that he had "always loved and worn tweed - when the rest of my generation were getting in to pins and bondage pants, I was in Oxfam buying old Harris." Regular readers will know that I rarely fair well at second hand stores so rather than go on a fruitless quest trawling through the usual vintage store rails, I decided to go further afield. Charlie Casely-Hayford previously recommended Hornets in Kensington. I've been meaning to venture south of the river for some time now and now my visit had a purpose, a mission.

The mark of Harris Tweed.

Casely-Hayford described Hornets as "a hidden gem" which "is great for any gentleman on the search for second-hand English gentry attire." I am undoubtedly such a gentleman today. Long-established in Kensington, the trio of shops are bursting with quality tweed, serge, worsted and cavalry twill. I am told that at any given time the Hornet's range offers over two hundred tweed jackets (from £59), ranging from one to forty years old. Where better to find my Harris Tweed than the tweediest shop in the capital?

Harris Tweed jacket from Hornets, red corduroy shirt from Uniqlo and mustard scarf from COS, Unconditional wool trousers.

I can confirm that the stores are packed full of second hand English gentry attire tucked away in the side streets of Kensington. These are the places to find nice little pieces which will add a bit of class, pomp and colour to your everyday outfit. A Harris Tweed jacket certainly ticks all of these boxes. After disturbing the wonderfully attired shop keep mid hoovering, I went about my business of finding the right tweed for me. The rails are well stocked and well organised and I soon found my jacket. Yes, a few alterations are needed but in my eyes it is perfection. The colours are deceptively beautiful. A Harris Tweed yarn will routinely contain seven or eight different coloured wools, which are all blended together and then spun to create an amazingly rich texture of colour. I am going to have a lot of fun picking up the colours of the tweed in my shirts and accessories.

A seal of quality. Camart made in England.

This a tweed still woven by pedal-powered looms in the homes of Scottish sheep herders out in the outermost fringe of the British Isles. It has been this way since 1846. I now understand the history and the provenance of the cloth. There is something quite special about the Isle of Harris, Lewis and that northern chain of Hebridean islands. The materials and the colours are redolent of the sea, and the grass, the rugged life, the farming. As I watched the first show from the Tweed series and became frustrated by the plight of this famous tweed, I soon fell for its charms. I'm so pleased that I own a piece of this craft.

Harris Tweed jacket from Hornets, red corduroy shirt from Uniqlo and mustard scarf from COS.

Style Stalking through time

The recent Good Old Days editorial from DV Man (posted last week) shook me from my state of fashion ennui and reminded me of the sartorial inspiration from old photography. I often forget that there are so many style gems to be found outside of the latest product releases, look books and magazines. I frequently whittle away the hours trawling through old sets of images on flickr soaking up inspiration but at the same time feeling a little odd...I am little more than voyeur on unfamiliar pasts. As wonderful as the found images are, I am unlikely to find out anything more about the captured moment and am frequently left with unanswered questions. When I discovered that our good friend Isobel had unearthed a number of stylish shots of her father I jumped at the chance to learn a little more about the images and thankfully she has allowed me to share them with you. Thank Is for sharing a number of images depicting her father Clive, from the sixties and early seventies. What better way to spend a grey and damp Sunday afternoon than flicking through old photos? Sit down and make yourself comfortable because you are about to go on a style journey...

The May Boat picture from 1964. Clive is top right.

The May Boat picture is from Clive's first year at Cambridge University and shows a fresh faced student trying to keep up with public school chaps (whilst working hard to mask his Northern accent). There is something quintessentially English about this shot of clean cut students and dandy school masters. The chap is the centre is wonderful. Back in February, ACL hoped that the summer would see a return of the boater hat and shared a number of wonderful flickr archive images but this gentleman wears it extremely well.

This image (also from 1964) shows the young student in reflective mood. His studying ensemble includes a brown corduroy jacket, dark striped shirt and narrow black knitted tie. He is every bit the studious young scholar here.

The chiffon neck scarf phase, 1968. "How embarrassing is that?" declares Clive.

What a difference a few years make! Here the fresh faced student student has grown in to his surroundings. Where there was almost over eager and nervous air in the previous shots, now there is an air of cool about him. Isobel feels that he looks a little Byronesque in this shot and I'd certainly agree with that notion. Clive might be a little embarrassed by his chiffon neck phase but he undoubtedly pulls it off with a degree of assured Romanticism.

In 1971 wearing a cape in blue serge!

Last but certainly not least, we have the above shot from 1971. Now, this might be from the early seventies but this look would not look out of place in London Fields today. I love everything about this shot. The length of the skinny jeans, the loafers, the unruly hair and of course the cape. The cape in blue serge is beautiful and I'd love to have something similar hanging in my wardrobe.

If you are at home and have a stack of seemingly forgotten family photo albums gathering dust on the sideboard why not make yourself a cup of tea and flick through them? Let us know how you get on...