TREND: Camo Jacket

Hop on the train of mixing prints, patterns, textures, colors and leathers. It'll probably stop soon, so let's make this trip quick, yeah?

If you've been to any vintage, thrift or resale shops lately, you can tell that camo and military jacket sare making their rounds. This was my favorite summer wear to toss over a tank or light tee. It also enabled me to haul keys, cards, cellphones, wallets, swag and the like around without cramping my shorty shorts.

Now with fall upon us, it's still a great layering piece. Think about subbing this guy in for a cardigan, or pile a down vest on over it. Comb through a thrift store to find one on the cheap, or dole out a few extra bucks at a curated resale shop to save you some time. 

• Pro Tip: If it's short or boxy or baggy, just roll the sleeves to make a hybrid, kimono-like sleeve of sorts and pretend you're chill about it because you're confident. That's what I do with most of my clothes. 'Cuz lanky arms.

On Jeff: Unstructured camo jacket ($3, thrift store) by Ranger; embroidered" University" chinos by Rugby; thrifted duo-tone "Nashua" loafers by Allen Edmonds; long-sleeve tee from Shades of Grey by Micah Cohen; railroad spike cuff by Giles & Brother; thrifted Navajo silver bracelet; "Weekender" watch by Timex; "Preston" glasses in Gimlet Tortoise by Warby Parker.

Photos by Rob Culpepper.

FAVORITES: Sweet Autumn

Summer came to a close and you're wishing you would have made that last trip to the lake. Alas, the time was cut short and the end of the season crept up on your sooner than you hoped. 

Fall is here. Well, for some of us. Some of you are heading back to campus and swapping around your schedule so you can have Tuesday and Thursday off. For others, that's just a fond memory in the rearview mirror. Get ready, man.

You've already started to remember your favorite sweaters and beloved boots from the last year. Some, you forgot about; others you purchased at the end of the season for a killer deal, and you're antsy to break them in. While only one of us is actually taking a semester this season, we're all still excited about the back to school season. Here's a quick recap of what's new:

• Seth is taking inventory of his gin stash and vowing not to repeat the mistake he made last year: not buying summer clothes on sale at the end of the season. Priorities, bro.
• Cam is conspiring to eBay snipe some luxe Ralph Lauren sweaters, rationing his beer and pizza stash on an espresso-slinger's budget, and juggling his senior year plans because, "What the hell am I supposed to do now that I'm graduating this year?" Good luck, man.
• I'm kicking myself right now for not selling more clothing, because my new closet is the size of a bookshelf in my new apartment...in a new city. Yeah, I hopped in a big, ugly Penske truck a month ago and trekked to the East Coast. Betrayal, indeed. More to come on that.

We rounded up a few things we either own that are new favorites or things that are sitting in our shopping. Take a peek and give us your thoughts.

Cam's picks:

1. Corter Bottlehook in copper: If you're like me you've been using a carabiner to carry your keys around ever since you can remember. Or ever since you've had keys. Whichever, the point is that it's officially the future. Step up your game with this little guy from Corter. Rustic, functional, and even more rustic. Plus, the most awkward thing on all of our key rings is a bottle opener, right? So why not just make the bottle opener the main apparatus. Do you follow? Be better than the carabiner.
2. Baldwin Camo Ryan Trousers: How do you blend in and stand out at the same time? Camouflage. The fit and details on these are perfect: a trim, straight leg, a perfectly scaled print, made in the States. Plus nobody will be able to see the degree of pastiness your legs progressed to this summer because you had an inside job and couldn't sit at the pool all day every day like you have the past, oh, 20 summers of you life. 
3. Filson Zip Tote: Get this tote, grab some Otter Wax, and set this thing up for all-weather badassery. It has a zipper so rain, snow, and your girlfriends hands can't get inside (to steal your money). Plus all the street style photographers will get that great bag handle/leather gloves/watch/wrist accessories shot that they all kill for. We all love those. 
4. Black Thorogood 6" Moc-Toe Boot: Real talk, this is the best bang for your buck in the boot department. Thorogoods are made in the USA, have a perfect silhouette and don't break the bank ($130–160 depending on your website of choice). These come in a few other color ways, but I'm most attracted to black.

Seth's picks:

1. Trident barspoon: I'm smitten with this combination. Use one end for stirring, the other for spearing olives and cherries out of the jar for your boozy concoctions.
2. Hoof-pick belt: The hoof-pick belt we've been going crazy for? (Cam's got one, and we featured Blake's last year.) Well here it is for $37.95 from an actual equine-outfitter store. Better than its more-than-reasonable price? Made in the U.S., baby.
3. Shorts: End of summer. In other words, the best time to get deals on cut-offs for next year's dog days. Like these linen boys for $40 at J.Crew.
4. Blazer: I need some Fair Isle in my life this year. Like this badass blazer from Lands' End Canvas.
5. Beer bike: I like bikes. I like beer. I like carrying beer on bikes without crashing and burning like last year.

Jeff's picks:

1. Stubbs & Wootten Earl Crest embroidered slippers: I'm not tired of thrifting loafers and slippers  in every shade of brown, black and burgundy with various tassels, weaves and fringe details from dead men in Kansas City. But I am tired of not finding brightly colored, velvet smoking slippers. Probably because if you had a pair, you were probably buried in them. Made in Italy, obnoxious and I'll just say it's my family crest on the top if you ask.
2. Alexander McQueen skull print silk scarf: I'm typically touch and go with scarves. Ain't so with this bad boy. It's gorgeous, McQueen and was given to me as a gift from a former coworker. I throw it on with a T-shirt, jean jacket, well-worn denim and sneakers. The color is a little off, yet it goes with blue denim rather nicely.
3. Moncler camouflage hooded down vest: I want to tell you not to even ask about this, beceause I thought I'd be wearing this nearly everyday this fall with a jean jacket or a blazer. Yet, it's sitting in my closet wit the tags still on it. I'm debating whether or not I'm keeping this. It's about as much as my rent, yet I paid a fraction of the cost because I snagged at the right time during a sale. Judgement is welcome. Please forward it to my spam address. 

MIDWESTYLE PRESENTS: Jack Spade + Barbour

We're excited to announce that we're hosting a little shindig for Jack Spade's Barbour capsule collection  at the Oak Street store in Chicago this Thursday.

It's no secret that we're big fans of both companies. We've featured them on The Midwestyle before (below, you'll see the Barbour Jeff was lucky enough to score at a shop in London, and we posted a roundup of Jack Spade totes we were hungry for last year.)

 On Jeff: Waxed "Bedale" jacket by Barbour, bought in London. Photo by Grant Heinlein.

The Jack Spade + Barbour collection.

The Jack Spade team visited Barbour's headquarters on the English coast of the North Sea and thumbed through the archives to inspire this new collaboration, which includes two incredible jackets, a tote, a duffle, a briefcase, and a pocket messenger. Word has it that the Hopper design is inspired by a British Marine Captain who sent in his beat-up Bedale jacket to have it reinforced with cordura nylon to put up with his hardy wearing. And being the anglophile that I am, I'm geeking out over these updated designs from the one of the select companies that outfits the Royal Family.

Jack Spade shares my obsession with goods that are just as sharp as they are usable. If a jacket is tricked out but doesn't keep you warm and dry, what's the point? On the other side of the coin, there's no reason that function shouldn't have beautiful form. This collection took forethought and creative thinking, and now that it's finally here, it makes all the sense in the world. (In this gear, I can imagine   hunting pheasants in dewy Missouri fields just as well as trudging across soggy British moors.)

So! Come by and have a drink with us. It'll be an informal affair—and opportunity to connect over  damn fine products from two damn fine companies.

The vitals:

6–8 p.m. // Thursday, Sept. 13

Jack Spade (47 E. Oak Street)

RSVP: oakstreet@jackspade.com

See you there!