Cardigans Of Suspicious-perfection

It's been awhile, but I'm back to the blog. And with a double whammy, it's back with a bang. Amongst other things, I've been thinking what constitutes a Staple; it's always been very much about personal recommendations on places to go, things to see, clothes to buy, but from a clothes point of view (which has always been this blog's main focus) a wardrobe Staple is something a little more simple. For men, we're talking a suit (or 2), white shirts, smart dark trousers, smart black shoes, a good pair of selvedge denim, classic white (and black) tshirts, a quality bag and white Converse Chuck Taylors. I'd add a cashmere jumper, a Mackintosh, a Harrington and some killer ties to that, but anything extra is a matter of taste or necessity.
Until recently, if you were after perfect, classic versions of any of these, it entailed trips to practically all strata of retailers; however, the opening of Cos has created a place where all these Staples can be found - affordably - under one roof. When you go in, it can be difficult to get excited about rails of colour-coordinated knits and tees, seemingly fairly plain clothes with the odd splash of colour, but the little details and unusual but never showy cuts are what sets them apart as an excellent purveyor - and the first in my series of recommendations - of Staple Shops. I dropped in a week ago, after hearing through Twitter about a 20% off evening. I'd had my eye on a grey three-button wool jacket with narrow lapels and patch pockets, in a boxy but sleek cut, which seemed like the perfect Autumnal transition piece for some weeks, and decided that 20% off was a bargain too good to miss. However, on trying it on for the eighth time, I realised, rather unchacteristically, that I didn't actually NEED a jacket (damn you, credit crunch) and reluctantly left it on the hanger.
What I did need was a simple, grey, thin-knit cardigan (despite already owning 2 other grey cardis). As is so often the case, the simple the request, the more difficult the search. Even Uniqlo didn't seem to have the right combo of material/buttons and cut, and Reiss was outlandishly expensive. Cos, on the other hand, provided. The cardigan I picked up is 100% wool, slim-fitting and understated, but the unusual asymmetric detail on the hem marks it out as something a little different. As I explained to Mat from Buckets & Spades, Cos seems to have that Acne-esque Swedish simplicity down to a T, but at half the price. As a result, I've worn this cardigan more or less constantly since the purchase, proving inescapably its Staple-worthiness. And judging by the crowd at the 20% off evening, I'm not the only man with a vague interest in clothes who's discovered this. Anyway, a mini-selection of Staples that have been rocking my world since the last post:
Cos knitwear
DreamSequins postcard swap
Bestival & In the Woods festival
Johan Agebjörn's mix for FACT magazine
Countryside walking in Surrey
My gorgeous new red MBK racing bike
Lewis Crofts' 'The Pornographer of Vienna'

Low Cos(t)

After work yesterday, I made a quick trip to the shops to find something to wear for my birthday party(s). This meant Liberty, where I wasn't seriously expecting to find anything in the sale, as it was just the dregs remaining, but as it turned out, the insect-printed Liberty shirts were reduced from a (slightly overprice IMO) £110 to £27 each. Cheaper than Topman and much more interesting. There's still a few left, and despite a larg-ish collar size, they're very slimfit, making them perfect for smart occasions. I'm gonna wear them with my black velvet bow tie. Photos after the weekend, I guess. Anyway, a secondary focus of the expedition was to find some more scoopneck tshirts like last week's Acne. As much as I covet these, they really are quite expensive, and the rest of the colours are a little dull. However, next door at Cos, they had the pair pictured, which matched the cut of the Acne one pretty closely, and had the added advantage of being reduced to £4.40 each. £4.40?! Yes, I kid you not. It seems the end of sale bargains still exist, and there are still a few things left in a normal size (ie not XXXL). It's worth a browse if you get a minute, especially in somewhere like Cos, where the clothes are plain, simple, well-made and well-cut. And not expensive to begin with. At 70% off everything, I even contemplated a tuxedo jacket reduced from £150 to £45, but then realised I have a couple of smart black jackets already. Ah well. I definitely recommend a root around before the weekend, you might be surprised at what's left. The rest of this week's Staples, then:
End-of-sale bargains; and Cos' scooped tshirts especially
Ecco's in Pimlico
Elaste compilations CDs (I'm feeling very Italodisco at the mo)
Size Nine's brilliant gig at the Water Rats last weekend
Marjane Satrapi's Graphic Novel 'Persepolis'
The Southwark Tavern in London Bridge
Getting excited about Festivals; The Breeders' ATP!