tiny bubbles

I don’t know about about you but we have been freezing our collective butts off up here in northern california. in the east and midwest, people want big thick sweaters in this type of weather. but up here, people are less into bulky clothes and more into layering – maybe it’s because with lots of lighter layers, we can instantly adapt to whatever the weather brings and wear all our favorite duds all year round.

that’s why we love the hoodies so much. too cold? throw a hoodie on under your jacket, too warm? take your jacket off and you’re still wearing something to keep you warm in the windy afternoon. but to pull this off you have to have hoodies that look good on their own, as well as layered under something else. in a never ending quest for things both warm and stylin, here’s a few more hoodies for you to consider.

reebok and karmaloop mix it up with an all over print. this time a random pattern of white dots on a black hoodie might make you look like a monochrome clown if it wasn’t for huge thick panels of blue to set it off. double layered, this one sure to be warm on it own, but this will look bold as hell when wear it under something else too. it’s pretty expensive, but see the bonus below to make it more affordable, mmkay?

Buy from Karmaloop

looking for something a little more subtle? (and alot more affordable?) we are the superlative conspiracy aka WESC has a simple grey hoodie with their logo across the back. the solid color makes it a solid choice for layering. the simple logo adds just the right bit of style without making you into a label whore should you go out rocking the hoodie alone during warmer months.

Buy from Karmaloop

bonus. i’ve gotten the karmaloop hookup. if you haven’t bought anything there before, you should be able to get 20% off your first time ’round by entering “EN9853″ in the “rep code” box at check out. if it’s not your first purchase, you still get 10% off. disclosure: by doing this you may also would be supporting bold swaths.

ben brings us back

happy new year, men! thanks for keeping bold swaths in your bookmarks or rss even though i didn’t give you much to read these past few months. i’m not waiting for new years to officially arrive to keep my promise to myself and all of you and bring this baby back to life IN FULL FORCE. so here we go.

ben sherman helped jump start our return with an end of the year online sale that found its way into my mailbox yesterday. you can’t go wrong with a nice shirt from ben. and right now ben’s gonna let you change your stripes on the cheap.

if you’re feeling slim, the gouty (what a name, eh?) has got rockabilly cool written all over it. grey with imperfect dark red stripes that just says cuff your jeans high, put on a pair of black boots and get out the pomade. bonus points if you have a rockin motorcycle jacket or some tattoos on your arms. if you’re not feelin slim but are feeling mighty buff, you can get away with this one if you’re willing to leave the top few buttons open. maybe wear a wife beater underneath.

buy from ben sherman

if you’re not feeling skinny, that’s cool. the richman is light breezy tailored shirt that gives you a few months to get to the gym (new year’s resolution?) before pulling it out on spring vacation or come the warm months. the color will show off your new tan, and the cut, which is narrow at the waist but full around the chest, will show off your hard work.

buy from ben sherman

there’s more hotness on sale there too. if classic surf-era polos are your thing, the foxton is a winner. warning, this is cut really slim. still need a jacket to keep out the cold? herringbones and tweeds are gonna be hot for the next 12 months. pickup up this old military style jacket for a warm and fashion-forward late winter.

when it rains, it pours

winters in the northwest are not really winter so much as rainy season. in portland they don’t get rain so much as drizzle, but in seattle and san francisco, we get us some serious friggin wetness. some days the heavens will just open up… for hours. and you can’t always stay inside.

the jetstream is the most perfect rain jacket i could find. it has the same water proof rating and advanced technology as jackets that cost twice as much from burton or oakley. in fact, it’s even more high tech than those, it’s just not quite as hip in the style department – though in black it doesn’t look nerdy or outdoorsy. it has welded seams instead of sewn and taped ones. it has waterproof stretch panels under the shoulders and pit zips so you can wear it for more athletic pursuits. it and it has the most adjustable hood i’ve ever seen other than on montbel jackets.

warning. the jetstream is cut slim. very slim. if you pack on pounds in the winter and have to add layers, you might want to pay more for the burton continuum, which had a slightly more generous cut (seriously, not by much). or if you think you need to order up a size, check out the awesome deal on last year’s continuum, which fit much looser. if you are generally slim but have a big chest or shoulders, the jetstream’s stretchy panels have you covered.

really the only shortcoming about the jetstream the length. it’s only a jacket, so it comes about halfway down your butt. it is not a coat. i actually went looking for a coat length thing first, because nothing sucks more than wet thighs. i checked out the north face premeire line, which features a number of coat length models but the cheapest waterproof one is $750. YEOUCH! so my suggestion is get one these jackets since they’re so packable you can carry them all the time and put a little of the dough you saved into a good umbrella, like the nanonuno.

buy from patagonia

better button up

remember when you were a little kid and everyone had the same parka? it was was a blue or green nylon jacket with a zipper and button loops with a big fake-fur hood. they were usually so big they came down to your thighs. yah i remember playgrounds full of them.

now kids and adults alike are rocking the parka again. those in colder, snowier climes may go for the traditional long parka, but those of us who are a little bit rock’n'roll can now look good in a shorter jacket-length version. these things are seriously big pimpin. they’re toasty warm and stylish as hell. trust.

If you live in an seriously cold environment, your winter jacket has to be equally serious, and no one knows this better than burton. vermont gets friggin cold, my friends. the analog cyro2 (analog is a burton brand) is the perfect jacket for those of you who need some cold weather protection but still want to look good. it’s goose down stuffed inside a seriously waterproof. as a nice touch, you can zip out the faux fur hood lining if it’s too wet out or you just can’t rock the fur. but trust me when i say a fur hood keeps your head seriously toasty. the wood camo is as hip as hip can get, but you can always buy the white one if you need something a bit more conservative. just no black, ok?

buy from dogfunk

for urban dwellers who need to battle the cold, but not 550 fill power goose down cold, Alpha offers the N3-B military replica Parka. we’re not a fan of the black, but damn if this jacket isn’t perfect in every other way. it’s filled with polyester instead of goose down, and the shell isn’t quite as water proof, but it’s less than half the price and looks totally bad ass. i mean didn’t bill murray wear this jacket in stripes? what better reason do you need?

buy from karmaloop

spiewak makes a slightly more luxe version of the parka from your youth. it’s still long and nylon, but the cut is a bit narrower and the hood is lined with real fur. for those in wetter climes, this might actually be the best choice since the long cut will help keep your thighs dry.

buy from karmaloop

big john

fall is a great time for layers. you get to throw on 3 or 4 of your favorite shirts / sweaters / jackets at once! i realize fall is nearly over, but it looks like this winter is going to rock the layers too, especially with a few jackets that take me back to my hardcore youth.

i flew the flannel, and this winter, you better too. all the hipper designers are dressin up dudes in classic lumberjack / fargo style flannel. but we’re not suckers like that. go buy the real shit and it’ll cost less and be warmer too! you gotta go for the lined flannel in winter time and throw it over like 3 shirts and a hoodie. top it off with a down vest and you’ll be toasty warm and the envy of every hipster who thought he was so original when he bought that $120 flannel shirt some little shop the other day.

the moose creek edmonton is just about the perfect lined flannel. the pattern is huge, the pockets are diagonal, and it’s got a quilted lining. it’s the truckers’ special and the inspiration for this post’s title. big john’s was a trucker store where i used to buy these.

buy from cabela’s 

if you want more of a jacket and less of a shirt, look no further than the moose creek ponderosa. it has a flocked lining to keep you warm like those corduroy jackets everyone is wearing, only the plaid flannel says you know what’s rockin this year.

buy from overstock.com 

bonus! combine it all together, including the hoodie you’d throw on underneath with one jacket from dickies.

buy from overstock.com

The Modern Mister Rogers

cardigans aren’t just those old wool v neck sweaters mr. rogers and your granddad used to but up – they’re pretty much any old sweater that you don’t have to pull over your head. so you might say the track jacket is the modern cardigan. thus modern cardigans look and feel more like track jackets just with some design reference to the old styles.

patagonia does you up right with their quilt again jacket. it looks good in navy pinstripe, which is so hot for track jackets and cardigans you’ll start smokin when you put this on. and it feels good because even though it’s a wool sweater, it’s lined with soft, delicious fleece. which doesn’t just make it comfortable, it make the quilty doubly warm. this is sure to be a winter hit. if you’re feeling extra bold, you could ditch the blue and try the green.

buy from patagonia

burton offers an alternative for those who want a little more old school charm and don’t need two layers of weatherproof protection. the club cardigan has that cable knit look and elbow patches for when you need to pretend like you’re in the eiger sanction. it comes in blue too, but you’re best off with red or brown if you want to rock the old school off piste look.

buy from sierra trading post

illuminated

i’m sure you’re about as sick of these tshirt designs that look like illuminated manuscripts as i am. brands like quicksilver and other big name surf inspired folks are making this style de riguer. but i have found a way to make even the floweriest of trends more manly. thank legendary punk rock illustrator derek hess. he’s got a line of clothes that feature his signature scratchy figure drawing style that add an edge to the script text and flowery embellishments.

broken wings (which i hope to hell was not named for the mr. mister song) features hess’s sketch-style signature angel dude layered over illuminated text. it’s got all the elements of today’s most cutting edge designs – including the fact that it’s printed on the side and no the front – but it’s not overdone. and it’s grey. grey is a good color for tees.

buy broken wings from strhess

hemmorhage is a little less flowery and a lot more badass. it’s a track jacket in perfect hess style. a figure with is head in his hands bleeds down the front of the jacket while blood splatters across the shoulder on the back. so cruel. so beautiful. plus the grey one is only 20 bucks and looks about 10 times better than the olive green.

buy hemmorhage from strhess

thanks for the tip jocko.

little fluffy clouds

you can never have too many zip-up hoodies… or track jackets. they are the most useful bits of clothing known to man. if it’s cold you can put one on underneath a swanky jacket and if it’s warm you can just toss it on and leave it unzipped, but it always comes in handy and looks good.

the all-over print hoodie is about to go mainstream. started by b-boy brands like billionaire boys club, the all over print is exactly what it says – a print that’s all over the jacket instead of in just one place. orginially they were louis vuitton inspired patterns, and honestly they were a bit too busy or colorful for most guys. but now crafty folks are branching out in more creative directions, where the entire jacket is more like a canvas and the print is a really big painting.

one of the most striking directions people are heading are cloud inspired patterns. the imaginary foundation will make you a custom one for $250 and the limited edition kid robot hoodie wasn’t much less. but creating limitless heights has come up with the perfect all over cloud prints. the print isn’t overwhelming. the clouds have a great graphic play to them, and the rising sun patterns is sewn, not printed, on for an extra custom my sweatshirt is so much cooler than yours look. it comes in green (green clouds) and black for a night sky look, but white is the perfect year round color for a hoodie like this.

buy from karma loop kazbah

n.b. the title is for a friend who told me last night in a medication-induced haze he dreamt he was in the orb and they were playing a show on a cloud.

a litte bit sporty

unless you’re about to do something athetic or it’s above 80 degrees farenheit, there’s never a bad time to throw on a good looking jacket or blazer. it shows the world that you have class. now that it’s officially fall, a dark blazer can dress up those crisp days before the snow (or rain) falls.

ben sherman is one of the last bastions of fashion that hasn’t completely given in to the ultra skinny i-don’t-eat-or-go-to-the-gym cuts of clothes that have been gaining popularity. the sartorial jacket is a modern slim cut blazer with a tailored waist, but it’s not too slim. its got enough room in the shoulders and arms that guys who hit the gym (or hit the barbeque) can still fit well and the tailored waist gives it a nice tight shape even when it’s not buttoned up. which is a good thing, because if you aren’t slim and trendy, these coats tend to look pretty stupid if you button them up. plus it’s a nice blue stripe that’s not so bold that you look like a clown, but not so staid that you look like you’re wearing a suit jacket.

buy from ben sherman usa

bundle up

there is a distinct chill in the air. the last vestiges of summer have given way to fall and you know it won’t be long before the winter coats come out of the closet. once the rain turns to snow (or to just plain cold weather if you live between the pacific and the mountains), you’re going to need something that keeps you warm but damn if we aren’t sick of technical fleece and gore tex parkas.

thanks to some close-out magic you can stay warm with style, and a little flare too. check out the burton AK down jacket. they cancelled it for this year but a couple places have tons of stock from last year, including my favorite one the “war games” asteroid pattern. dude! asteroids! on your new winter jacket! plus it’s burton, so it’s actually well made and toasty warm.

here’s the thing though. burton jackets tend to run big. so i’m suggesting you actually order one size smaller. not just because their sizing is a little large but also because if you wear a down jacket or vest that doesn’t fit you well, like as close to your clothes as you can bare, you’re going to look like a big fat oompah loompah, even if you’re totally buff.

buy from dogfunk

buy from sierra trading post