On A Mission For Spring Garments
On A Mission For Spring Garments
Shift to better weather with this eye-grabbing clothing research
Spring is around the corner, and that means the time to start reorganizing our wardrobes is near the horizon. Usually, I’m incredibly late when it comes to shifting my wardrobe from winter to spring. I wait way too long and by the time the weather is warm I go into the classic “I don’t have anything to wear” panic, but this time around I want to do things differently by beginning my wardrobe brainstorming session earlier than usual. Wearing what I already own is the ideal move, but when the season changes, so does my taste at that moment and that creates the craving for new clothes.
While a couple of recent announcements for upcoming releases have me ready to start my research early, many of my current “style acquiring tasks”—better known as just the clothes I want to buy—are actually garments from past collections that have me revisiting the archives.
In today’s newsletter, we are diving into some spring jacket options that are currently on my radar, ASICS’ new GEL-NYC—which includes the breakdown of the new colorways and their release dates, discovering some potential fire basics from a media company(?), and finally finding a shoe in my size that has been on my wish list for a minute.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
I’ve been on my fashion-nostalgia tip recently, and looking at old Supreme collaborations has me revisiting brands that I haven’t looked at in a long time—one of them being Visvim. Being able to afford a brand like Visvim is a pure flex, and honestly thinking about buying anything brand new from them is still not in the cards, but this doesn’t mean we can’t use it for style inspiration!
At the top of my list of “items I’d like to add to my rotation come spring” is an MA-1 jacket, and while conducting the necessary research necessary to acquire the perfect jacket, I had no choice but to stop by Visvim for some proper inspiration. A quick browse for new styles ultimately led me down a sad path of realization that spending $3000+ on a jacket is outright crazy—maybe in another life, but I feel like garments reach a price threshold at a certain point where more money doesn’t equal better quality.
The natural garment dying of the Thorson jacket was the initial characteristic that grabbed my attention. Price aside, this gave me some ideas on what to look for in other MA-1s. Spring is still about keeping warm, at least where I’m at, so having a slight down insulation is going to be a plus. Hoping for better luck on the secondary market, I was slapped back into reality after learning that a used Visvim MA-1 was barely cheaper than a brand new one—don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of second-hand Visvim items that are actually affordable, their jackets are just not unfortunately, and a part of me knew that before even going down that road.
After going down Visvim’s secondary market, I quickly forgot about MA-1s for a hot second as I became distracted by different styles that were priced in a way that felt a bit more affordable in contrast. Browsing the depths of the internet has helped me rediscover some older items that feel fresh and new today, and with today’s retail prices on new drops, it feels way more worth my money to spend the same amount on older garments that still have plenty of life left in today’s style obsessed world.
One item that I didn’t realize I needed until going through my closet was a hooded parka—I don’t really have anything that is in the same style. They are ideal during rainy days and it’s one of those things that you may not necessarily wear all the time, but when you do need one you’ll have something that you’re happy to wear—this goes back to the whole “spend a bit more, keep for way longer” motto.
Since I was already down the Visvim road I felt compelled to keep the research going, but I’ll keep it 100 with you, they are still not that cheap in comparison to other brands out there. But if you’re looking to purchase a parka that you plan on keeping for years to come then the Totem Parka will be a great contender. Visvim is for pure quality fanatics, and the price will always be worth it. After doing some more digging, I stumbled upon other options that are similar enough in style that gets the job done, and most importantly they aren’t going to break the bank the way Visvim might.
Looking around I realized that having a hood was pretty critical in my search for this particular item. These jackets are pretty light and having the ability to layer up and throw another item over it was always going to be an option I needed in the future. The first option was the Surfari jacket by Pilgrim Surf Supply. I tend to steer away from bright-colored outerwear pieces, but I’m kind of down to get something loud for spring, and Pilgrim’s variety was more than enough for me to get my excitement levels up. The recycled CORDURA fabric is a great addition that will repel all rain possible, paired with the shape and style of a classic parka this was a really solid option to choose from.
Second up is Battenwear’s Sweetbear jacket in collaboration with Post O’Alls. This one is all about the details—Double stitch on the inside will insure maximum durability, metal buttons that don’t run all the way down that end up leaving a relaxed opening near the waist of the fit is a detail I didn’t know I needed, pair that with a smaller hood and you have yourself an instant classic—I’m mostly about zippers on jackets right now, but having a button option isn’t out of the question.
So, after all of that research, I have yet to reach my final decision on what jacket to buy, but this is a great start that has me excited to continue my search for that perfect spring outerwear piece!
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to street night live to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.