Wal-Mart and the Gap refused to sign a legally-binding agreement that will require them to help finance safety improvements in garment factories in Bangladesh. Related: fuck Wal-Mart and the Gap. Fashionista: Wal-Mart, Gap Fail to Sign Bangladesh Safety Agreement

This is a video of three 11 year olds playing doom metal on the street in NYC, and it is awesome. YouTube: BRUTAL BREAKDOWN – Unlocking the Truth

And finally, an excellent patterned shorts round-up from the good dudes at Kempt. Get Kempt: The 14 Best Patterned Shorts for Summer

Nick
The Engineered Garments FW13 lookbook was just released and it is HOT FIRE. It might be their most well-thought out collection yet. Love all the variations. They definitely did NOT play it safe on this one. Love love love. High Snobiety: Engineered Garments Fall/Winter 2013 Collection

Wooszoo, the artist behind the excellent “Who Wears It” series, has added some new prints to his Etsy shop. Well-known comic book and film characters + designer fashions = awesome. Etsy: wooszoo

Michael
This month marks the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzig Norway. I may not know anything about mountaineering, but I do know it makes for a pretty epic and niche literary category. Abe Books: Collecting Mountaineering Books: A Literary Everest

Travelling alone. It can be better than you think, especially if you approach it like this guy. T Magazine: Yes, Please | Party of One

Jake
From Ivory Tower Style comes this eloquent piece on grammar and menswear, which has made me question everything I’ve written and read over the past week. Ivory Tower Style: Stylish Punctuation

The Hill-Side’s Corsillo Brothers went hunting for vintage Japanese textiles, and took Cool Hunting with them. Cool Hunting: Sourcing Vintage Textiles with Hickoree’s

Yes, I do feel odd linking to Lucky Magazine, but John Jannuzzi put together this incredible series of famous designers during their younger years. Lucky Mag: Vintage Photos of Designers We Love

Christine
James Fox of 10engines put together a great post about Orvis in the 1980s. 10engines: 10E2169: Shopping From The Archives – Orvis 80s

Imogene + Willie posted some sweet stills of Robert Redford and Lauren Hutton from the movie Little Fauss and Big Halsy on their blog. Amazing style and bike inspiration. Imogene + Willie: Little Fauss and Big Halsy

I was honored this week to be included in A&H Magazine’s ongoing A Beauty Named series. A&H Magazine: A Beauty Named Christine Mitchell

If you like your denim unconventional, and your branding NSFW, then head on over to Tate + Tokyo to check out their massive Naked & Famous sale. There’s lots of the brand’s Canadian-made selvedge and non-selvedge jeans to choose from (and lots of sizes left too). Prices start at $87.00 per. Get some.

For price and purchase info, visit Tate + Tokyo.

On the first day of my new job (yeah, I have a real job too), I wore a double-breasted jacket and chinos, and I almost got laughed out of the building. Why? Because everyone there wears denim. Every. Single. Day. Which is why I’ll be adding these Spence Slim Jeans from Ruell and Ray to my collection as soon as that first paycheck clears. Made in the USA from 11oz. Cone Mills denim, they’re a perfect everyday pair. Get some for yourself on sale at Need Supply, even if your job isn’t as cool as mine.

For price and purchase info, visit Need Supply.

I’ve grown quite smitten with varsity jackets lately. All the different variations in color, materials and design – they just get me randy. So, you could have called me the Big Unit [ed. note: gross] when I first feasted my eyes on this Barneys-exclusive, melton wool blend Golden Bear Varsity Jacket. Snap button packets and contrast slant pockets? Bo-oi-oi-oing! And it’s on sale for $129? Whew, I need a cigarette.

For price and purchase info, visit Barneys Warehouse.

Rule number one of farmer’s markets: don’t stuff fresh produce in a plastic bag. Come prepared with a reusable tote, like the made-in-USA ones from custom bag maker Port Canvas. Start with any of their six styles, then pick the canvas color, webbing color, lining color, handle length, monogram it, add pockets or key lanyards – go buck wild or keep it simple, you decide. Then you’ll have just the thing to put that dinosaur kale in.

For price and purchase info, visit Port Canvas.

Deep in the hellish jungles of L.A., there lies the key to the urban sartorialite’s summer survival. The Rogue Territory Safari Shorts are handmade using 100% cotton herringbone and raindrop camo. Built to last, and great looking too, the shorts will keep you cool even when it feels like a rain forest outside. Grab yours for $92.

For price and purchase info, visit Rogue Territory.

There are few true cinematic legends. And I’m not talking about the self-proclaimed “legends” of today’s bland blockbusters, but rather, those mythical figures that changed cinema forever. One such luminary, is Sidney Poitier. In 1963, at the height of the civil rights movement, Poitier made history by becoming the first African-American actor to win an Oscar. From there he became one of the highest grossing actors in Hollywood, with such films as To Sir, With Love and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. During the prime of his career, Poitier was not merely a star on the screen, he was also one of the town’s best dressed leading-men. While his on-screen accolades often overshadowed his off-screen persona, Poitier was very much a sartorial icon. Like his mid-century peers, Poitier’s style leaned toward classic Ivy, which meant a wardrobe chock full of tweeds, OCBD’s, and repp ties. But what set Poitier apart was that he was a chameleon with his look. He could pull off white tie better than anyone I’ve seen to date, and then turn around and actually make a cowboy hat seem contemporary. He could even give Brando a run for his money, making a plain white tee seem put together. Poitier will always be known as one of Hollywood’s great leading men, but it’s high-time he also get his due for being one of its best dressed.

A classic Poitier outfit:

Brooks Brothers Fitzgerald Two-Button 1818 Suit
Brooks Brothers Extra-Slim Fit Oxford Dress Shirt
Brooks Brothers Argyle and Sutherland Repp Tie
Brooks Brothers Leather Wing Tips

Jake Gallagher is a writer and student currently living in Manhattan. He focuses on back stories and the historical side of menswear at his site Wax-Wane.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.

For price and purchase info, visit Nisolo.

Take a step back, menswear world. Back from the crazy tropical prints, the too-bright florals, and the non-camouflaging camos. All things in moderation guys, even trends. And with that said, I present to you the Pointer Woodland Camo Jacket – a perfect example of camo in moderation. It’s a limited edition, small-run of the brand’s classic chore coat. It’s made in the USA. It has a dope-yet-restained camo print. And it’s only $88.

For price and purchase info, visit Pointer.

For price and purchase info, visit Steven Alan.

For price and purchase info, visit Wellen.

Another week, another single-serving Tumblr to waste some time on. Horror Icons in Light-Hearted Movies

Selectism has a first look at the new ‘Original’ and ‘Reserve’ Collections from Chippewa Boots (I’m still drooling over slide 14). Selectism: Chippewa Fall Winter 2013 ‘Original’ & ‘Reserve’ Collections

And finally, here’s a collection of images of breakfasts from around the world. Spoiler alert: people like coffee and carbs. Imgur: Breakfasts Around the World

Nick
Still trying to figure this one out, but PROJECT picked me as one of the coolest menswear guys to follow on Instagram. I swear I didn’t pay anyone off. Project: ON TREND: The 10 Coolest Guys on Instagram

About a month late on this, but if you haven’t seen this hilarious used car ad on Craigslist yet, you’re in for a treat. Adweek: The Most Stunning Ad Ever Made for a Used Car With 128,000 Miles That’s Been Puked In Twice

Jake
Michael Williams pays a visit to the freshly minted Best Made Co. flagship store in downtown NYC. A Continuous Lean: Procrastinators Delight | Shopping Best Made Co.

William S. Burroughs’ daily routine was as absolutely insane as one might expect. Brain Pickings: Cats, Guns, and Books: William S. Burroughs’s Daily Routine

Mike Mill’s new website is clean, simple, and a great way to kill a few hours before the weekend. Mike Mills

Christine
Whole Larder Love’s Rohan Anderson is coming to the US for a book tour this summer. James Fox and the Somerville Public Library are hosting Rohan for a talk on June 17th, which will take place at Fringe and is supported by Barbour. You can purchase tickets by clicking the link. And while you’re getting your ticket, you can pay a little extra to snag one of the letterpress posters I illustrated for Rohan’s book. Indiegogo: Whole Larder Love

Fashionista did a nice post on the burgeoning fashion scene in Nashville. This city is one of the top five places I need to visit in the states this year. Fashionista: A Tour of Nashville’s Burgeoning Fashion Scene

Great article in Rolling Stone about how Crazy Horse jump-started Neil Young’s career. Rolling Stone: How Crazy Horse Jump-Started Neil Young’s Career

For price and purchase info, visit West Coast Shaving.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how pretty do you feel right this second? Okay, now picture yourself in one of these Madras Batik Shirts from Industry of All Nations, and choose again. The number’s higher, isn’t it? Coming in a great palette of summer colors, and featuring a quirky tree and flamingo block print, the Indian madras tops will have you feeling as pretty as they are. Get yours for $138.

For price and purchase info, visit Industry of All Nations.

The four-pocket field jacket was first introduced back in 1951. But, it was only recently that Califonia’s Civilianaire finally perfected it. 100% cotton herringbone, and unlined for spring? Perfect. Born and raised in the USA, where it belongs? Perfect. Oh, and the price tag? Only $190 for a wardrobe staple, every dude should own. Why, that’s just… I think you know where I’m going with this.

For price and purchase info, visit Civilianaire.

For price and purchase info, visit Venroy.

For price and purchase info, visit Aloha Sunday.

Co-founding brother and sister duo Jed & Marne Ackermann recently took some time out to discuss building a family business, the importance of keeping things simple, and why everything looks cuter when it’s smaller. Here’s what they had to say.

Well Spent: Give us the Jed & Marne origin story.
Marne Ackermann: It was our mother who introduced us to the weaving traditions of Guatemala. She is an artisan herself, specializing in beaded and embroidered accessories. Together, we taught a group of women in Guatemala her style of embroidery back in 2007. I was humbled by the quality of their work; the incredible complexity of their designs and the sophistication of their color sense. I became a student of their textile traditions and spent countless hours scouring markets with my mother, building a collection of weavings. I was particularly drawn to the class of lighter weight, foot-loomed fabrics that we now use, because they were this perfect combination of textile-design traditions and practicality.

One trip, I was looking for a gift for my brother and bought him some yards of this foot-loomed fabric. He had told me he wanted to work in the garment business so I thought this would be an inspirational gift. He was ecstatic. I remember pulling the fabrics out of my suitcase and his eyes lighting up and him saying, “Marn, lets do this.” And that is where it all began.

Jed Ackermann: The business really took shape in 2010. Marne had been to Guatemala a few times at that point, and my mom had been going down there since the ’70s. I finally, and reluctantly, succombed to their pressuring me to get down there in the late winter. Just kidding, I was pumped to go check it out. Marne tells it right. After having seen a few yards of the foot-loomed fabric they brought back, I decided it was time to see the country, and the weavers in action. Marne and I canvassed the top market places, and traveled to many a rural village on many a dilapidated bus. We met a few different groups of weavers and began working with them right away on a small collection of fabrics.

I jumped on the idea because it was really the first time in my life that I saw an opportunity to build something that leveraged some of my core passions. The desire to make something tangible that’s beautiful and exotic, but also simple and accessible. Something you can incorporate into your day to day. It really aroused the artist and the merchant in me. So that, coupled with partnering with my sister, really proved motivating. I liked the idea of building a family run business from the start. Especially with my sister, because I already knew we had some shared passions and some common interests, not to mention the fact that she is a hard worker and an intrepid traveler. Also, importantly, our strengths and weaknesses complement each other very well. It’s proven to be a great partnership thus far.

Tell us about your products.
J: Our actual finished garment lines are very simple/basic. For men, each collection has been composed of a line of everyday shorts in two different lengths. For kids, the collections have been composed of slip-on picnic dresses for girls, and shorts for boys and girls sizes 1-8. Each collection has been built on a grouping of 4-6 different weaves. We make an effort to marry the traditional with the contemporary with each grouping. The weaves are really the core of our product and the decision to keep our product line basic was many fold. It really allows us to hone the quality and the variety of our fabrics. Bringing the weaves to the market via a simple everyday garment has been fundamental to our strategy. It provides a basic, approachable way to showcase the fabric.

Everything is made in Guatemala; the fabric and the finished garments. Our trekking and schlepping around has paid off, because we’ve landed on a group of weavers that are really top notch. They’re reliable. They have a good business acumen. They are quality and standards driven. They are proud of their work and so are we, which makes for a solid foundation. That’s not to say that everything is smooth and easy going all the time. As with any business, we encounter our share of obstacles.

How did you wind up connecting with the Mayan artisans that make your fabrics?
M: While there are many people weaving with treadle looms, they are not all as equally devoted and talented as those that we work with. We spent several years developing our team. The weavers are artists too – it was crucial that we find people who share a similar artistic sensibility with us. Luckily, this feeling of creative kinship is mutual.

But, the relationship was not without its challenges. Because our weaver’s first language is often their mayan dialect, they too are speaking spanish as a second language. It really forced us to discover new ways to express color and concept that I never would have thought of on my own. I have had to learn that we must trust in the process, and to be as flexible as possible because this is when the best work results.

On the J&M site, you mention “health and nutrition initiatives” that are aided through the purchase of your products. Can you tell us more about those?
M: Guatemala has the fourth highest rate of malnutrition in the world. Over 70% of indigenous children are chronically malnourished, resulting in slowed childhood development, diabetes, and myriad other health problems. We witnessed this first hand amongst the families we were working with, and immediately began researching what initiatives were out there. Unsatisfied with existing efforts, we teamed up with JUSTA and Milagros in Action to found Comida Vida Tradicional. Comida Vida Tradicional promotes health education and nutrition for women, children, and families by offering workshops on physical, mental and emotional nourishment. The courses provides information on natural, sustainable, and accessible alternatives to unhealthy and processed foods that have replaced local and traditional foods in the daily diet of indigenous families in rural Guatemala.

Last year saw the launch of your children’s line Neen Yo. Were you always planning on making kids’ clothes?
M: We weren’t necessarily planning on it, but we found so many fabrics in our weaver’s repertoire that lent themselves so perfectly to children’s wear that it seemed undeniable. Guatemalan’s are fearless with color and we really wanted to be able to showcase that. We felt that it might be asking too much of our male customer to wear these super outrageous designs, so we decided to introduce them to the children’s market.

J: That was at the core of the decision. But there’s also the underlying fact: everything looks cuter when it’s smaller. At the end of the day, we really wanted to make a super tiny pair of shorts. And look how damn cute they are!

Are there any other new products / developments you can tell us about?
J&M : We are moving into the fabric wholesale space. Our goal is to develop strategic partnerships with other brands that we see as being aligned well with Jed & Marne and the weaves that we produce. For example, you’ll notice that Freemans Sporting Club has made some of their product line this season with our fabrics. We provided them with 4 of our weaves and they’ve done a beautiful job designing with them. This is the sort of partnership you’ll begin to see us do more and more of. We are always on the lookout to do business with talented design teams like that.

What would you say to someone that’s still on the fence about buying from Jed & Marne?
J: They are handwoven. They are ridiculously comfortable. Once you put them on you won’t want to take them off. (Not my words BTW, my friend Joe, who has owned pairs since day one, said this to me. Thanks Joe!) I wear them all week long, all year round. I wear them to bed. I wear them to the beach. I wear them back from the beach. I wear them to the bodega. In fact we almost started calling them the bodega short but then we thought people might associate them with dirty soda cans, malt liquor and old ice cream so we nixed it. When it comes down to it, they are your every day, neighborhood shorts and they’re under a hundred bucks. It’s a no brainer really. And did we mention that they’re stylish?

For price and purchase info, visit Jed & Marne.