Christmas Closet Changes

Since my Christmas wish lists are generally clothing and fashion related items, I'm often able to upgrade my closet before the new year. This year i picked up some great pieces. Some were a pleasant surprise while others were clearly underlined, highlighted, bolded etc. on my wish list. Here's a collage of what I got along with a couple pictures of outfits that I put together with my new clothing. Special thanks to my good friend and aspiring photographer Jasmine for taking the shots!

Watch: Sherlock Holmes

Movie suggestions won't be a regular occurrence at Up North by any means.  However, a friend and I went to see Sherlock Holmes the other day and the film definitely deserves a write up. The movie itself was great, however the outfits were particularly eye catching. While Robert Downing Jr.'s ascott and vest caught my eye right from the get got, it wasn't long before his outfit was outdone by Jude Law's club collar button up shirt underneath a three piece tweed suit.  Wool, tweed, and corduroy are three fabrics that are ideal in the Edmonton winter and all three were worn perfectly in Sherlock Holmes.  Here are a few shots from the set.  

Christmas Sweaters

While there aren't very many positives to living in an extremely cold city, it is nice to be guaranteed a white christmas every year.  For me, the key to looking good and staying warm in Edmonton's long winter months is knitwear.  More specifically, in December it's always nice to get into the Christmas spirit and throw on a good looking Christmas sweater.  Here are a few pics of some Christmas sweaters that I'm liking.  You'll notice that I focused on fair isle.  I've also added a couple outfits of myself and Chris wearing our own Christmas knitwear.

Vintage Pickup: Osh Kosh Hickory Stripe Chore Coat

This vintage Osk Kosh hickory stripe chore coat arrived in the mail a few days ago. It's a little on the roomy side but I think that's the point of a jacket like this, as it allows for ease of movement while working. The buttons have little clovers on them which is a nice touch. I've already worn it over a sweater and a pair of jeans and it was very comfortable. I really like the hickory stripe fabric and the hunt is still on for a pair of pants in it. More pictures after the link.

Sneaker Follow-up #2

The search continues.

Football and Fashion

Along with fashion, football is one of my biggest passions.  While football, or soccer, definitely has a style aspect, very few kits can actually be worn on a day-to-day basis. I've dug deep and found a few that I'm liking this season.  And by liking, I mean I could probably wear them without looking like I'm going to the training ground.  I focused on searching for pieces that I felt were simple yet had a classic, timeless look.  Don't pay too much attention to the badges as I wouldn't be caught dead in all but one of these shirts.

Sneaker Follow-Up

I'm back from a rainy snowboard trip in Fernie and felt that this would be a good follow-up to Manav's post on sneakers. This outfit from the new Inventory online issue incorporates sneakers in a way that I could see myself trying to pull off. Unlike Manav, I don't have much of a sneaker background, but I've been thinking of picking up a pair of ADIDAS Sambas and more recently a pair of New Balances for playing soccer and for more casual outfits. All three of these sneakers aren't too bright which for me is key.

The Search is on: Sneakers

I'm what you'd call a sneaker lover. Sneakers are one of my once-a-year purchases, and its that time of year. Here's my search so far. I through some hiking boots in there as well.

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Off to Fernie

I'll be in Fernie for a snowboarding trip, for the next little while, so Manav will be solely running the show.

Layering and Levi's

I've been looking for a suitable denim jacket for about a month now. I wasn't interested in anything too dark and didn't want to give in to the features that just don't belong on a denim jacket: any zippers, the overly distressed denim, the obscure fading, the endless number of pockets. I just needed something classic. A nice light denim with brown stitching and a good fit. What better way to do classic than Levi's. My search came to an end today and here's what I picked up. I thought I'd put together an outfit with the jacket.

Also, I personally think that layering in the winter time can be the key to a great outfit. More specifically, Chris and I have really been liking the look of wearing multiple button ups this winter. If you get the right fabric and colour combination with multiple shirts, it can really look smart. The outfit below includes a combination that I personally like and I figured it would work well the denim jacket. The outfit includes Levi's denim jacket, Levi's 510 brown jeans, American Apparel black and white gingham button down underneath a thicker yellow O'hanlon Mills button up, black Cole Haan wingtips and GAP ribbed tuque.

Read: A Nice Cup of Tea

I'm a big fan of tea. Whether it be black, green, white, red, herbal, etc., I will drink it. The exception being fruit tea, which I can't stand. I stumbled across this article by George Orwell today while at work from 1946. Take a few minutes out of your day to read this and then go make yourself some tea.


Article - A Nice Cup of Tea

Towncraft Quilt Reversible Vest

While Manav was recently successful in tracking down a down vest, I'm still on the hunt. While there are lots of good options out there, most of the ones I have really liked have been fairly expensive. Down vests are great for this time of year as they provide lots of warmth and well as adding a layer to play with. Also I find that if down vests have a zipper and no snaps I'm usually not a fan. I spotted this quilted vest by Towncraft today while browsing the Silver and Gold webstore. Although this isn't really a down vest I think it would be a cool layer to add to your outfit. Also it's reversible,  comes in some great colours, and has a nice looking collar. You will probably need a proxy to pick this up though.