Objects of Desire #1
Five things I'm looking at right now. Aspirational or otherwise.
If you've ever wondered what ends up in my saved folders, I‘m starting a new regular feature: five pieces currently on the wishlist. Aspirational or otherwise.
01
Dries Van Noten
Pointelle socks
I spotted these on the runway last summer but something about them feels perfect for the rest of this hot, hot summer. Part schoolgirl, part European feyness, they’d look great with a “school-ish” smart shoe and shorts.
02
Maharishi
Asymmetric shorts with skirt overlay
I can’t remember when Maharishi were last on the radar, if ever if I’m honest, but something about this skort/short combination feels now, evoking new mid-range Japanese chic even if it’s coming straight out of East London.
03
Cmmn Swdn
Floral camp collar shirt
Considering the theme of black being the only appropriate colour for summer, this floral camp collar shirt has potential for great layering with a white vest and khaki shorts. The Cmmn Swdn team has always been great at wafty summeriness and this is a great example, avoiding the last couple of summers’ race to the bottom of lacy crochet short sleeves churned out by the high street.
04
Brooks Brothers
Tennis sweater
I know, this one might sound slightly off-key as part of the mix, but something about the deep V and traditional stripe detail feels oddly right for now. Prep is best when taken completely out of the hands of the traditionalist American menswear bores. Sadly not available on the Brooks Bros Euro site, presumably because they assume we’re all wafting about in taupe linen this side of the Atlantic, hopefully findable on ebay. As spotted on Woosh, the beleaguered Korean treatments advisor in series 2 of Beef.
05
Studio Nicholson
Sanko Short Sleeve Shirt
Not a new shape but looking sharp this summer given the croppedness and overall proportions thanks to the expertise of Nick Wakeman. An alternative might be the Auralee washed finx twill half sleeved shirt, a short-sleeved version of their beautifully considered oversized classic.
Elsewhere...
📖 Reading
Olivia Laing’s The Silver Book, which tells its story from inside 1970s Cinecittà Rome, with all the menace of The Talented Mr Ripley and the sense of being able to observe Pasolini at close range.
🎬 Watching
Series 2 of Beef. Alongside the wardrobe inspiration, it’s every bit as sharp and uncomfortable as the first.
🎧 Listening
Tim Blanks’ reflections on fashion journalism in the golden age of fashion on Loïc Prigent’s Au Cœur de la Mode podcast.