Back to Autumn

Autumn is my favourite season. Whilst most have rejoiced in the heat wave we've recently enjoyed I've been impatiently waiting to fully embrace my wardrobe of wool, tweed and waxed cotton. I just love those mornings where I can layer, wrap and protect myself in an assortment of comfortable and practical fabrics. Of course there is the occasional grim autumnal day where we look outside and want to do nothing but watch old films and hide away from the world but after a hectic few months even these days are welcome. However, when the sun does shine I happily explore the changing landscape, rich in comforting tones that are ever evolving. 

Now, over the last few weeks I've been spoilt rotten on the gifting front, with gifts from French & English Confectioner's, Mr Porter and ASOS. With the arrival of these presents, I've never been so well prepared for the arrival of my favourite season. Receiving items on the back of posts always make me feel a tad uncomfortable. However, when the items received are as stunning as a knitted teddy jacket, a hand made backpack and a pair of made to measure shoes I have to confess that excitement takes over. This weekend offered the perfect chance to try on a few new items whilst delving in to the new season.

The getting back to Autumn outfit...Teddy Jacket by Monsieur Lacenaire, blue oxford shirt by Uniqlo, chinos by Ben Sherman and backpack by French & English Confectioner's.

With an accent on luxurious materials, Monsieur Lacenaire's accomplished debut reimagined the classic male wardrobe and played with age-old knit techniques. There was a welcome playfulness and a covetable depth of detail throughout but none more so than in the Teddy Jacket, a knitted Alpaca Varsity. Now, I've talked about this item at length in a post already so I won't gush all over it again but it was without question one of the highlight items of the entire season. Unsurprisingly, the item caught the collective eye of Mr Porter's buying team and thankfully for me, after I made their acquaintance last month they offered to make my dreams come true and gift me the item of my dreams. 

A closer look of an item packed full of detail.

The wonderfully named shoe and accessories label French & English Confectioner's (try her etsy store whilst the full site gets a makeover) first came to our attention after one one of its breathtakingly beautiful, hand made patent leather rucksacks was included as one of Fantastic Man's daily recommendations. We soon caught up the lady behind it, Lucie Gonnord, to learn as much as we could about her hopes for the label. After studying shoemaking at Cordwainers, Gonnord started to develop an idea for a design label that would enable me to hand-make my designs. The tradition of hand-making shoes and bags has all but died out in this country but Gonnord uses old equipment and vintage lasts to help keep the tradition alive. The patent leather rucksack was specifically designed for men, but works well as a unisex piece. It is based on the classic canvas rucksack that the designer recalls seeing everywhere in the 70s. The two-tone patent gives it a modern reworking and I love it so...

A closer look at the double stitching and leather drawstring closure

Having only posted about my made to measure ASOS Made in England chukkas yesterday, I will keep this brief. I love how the rust and snuff suede look against a pair of chinos and just cannot wait to blend in with the autumnal hues of Hampstead Heath.

Back to Autumn.

With this seasonal bounty, my only worry is keeping it out of the clutches of a certain Bubble. I will sleep with one eye open...