Textures are often a lot more interesting in casualwear than they are in traditional, tailored clothing. Pictured above is a cream colored knit is from the relatively new label A Kind of Guise. It has a groovy pattern — both figuratively and literally — that I think has a nice sense of playfulness. The dark green A-1 blouson is from Valstar (which at the moment is on deep discount at Yoox). It’s constructed from a rough, basketweave wool that has a much more visible texture than the pictures let on. Next, the straight-legged jeans are from 3sixteen. They’ve been worn-in enough that the streaky grain on the denim has started to show. Finally, the suede Alden chukkas are unlined, giving them a floppy and more relaxed character.
You can get good, textured casualwear at any number of places. Carson Street Clothiers has a navy Eidos bomber made from Casentino wool (which, along with all outerwear and tailoring, is on sale today at 30% off with the checkout code OW30). Much like the teased out fibers on a brushed Shetland sweater, Casentino wool is beaten until it achieves a charming, pilled look. For knitwear, No Man Walks Alone has some modern looking pieces from Stephen Schneider, while S.N.S. Herning offers some really great designs rooted in traditional Nordic clothing (I really want this dark striped sweater). Even with more traditional fabrics and designs, when they’re paired in unexpected ways, you can achieve a much more unique looking garment.
As usual, if you don’t want to wear a bunch of crazy patterns or colors, you can always try textures. Casualwear often has the more interesting ones.
