#jamesnord

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... en route ...

spring suiting

ph: james nord

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Lindsey Wixson in Spring 2014 lace shot by @jamesnord

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Gold. Crinkle silk lamé gown from PreFall 2012. Photo by @jamesnord

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Swish. Aquamarine fringe from Spring 2012. Photo by @jamesnord

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Aquamarine dream. Found this tulle stunner in our Spring '13 archive. Photo by James Nord

[dylannord]

Too often, I feel completely overwhelmed by the amount of notifications, messages, products, and in general noise that I’m bombarded with day in and day out. Your phone is old and outdated before its first scratch, your clothes are out of style before you wear them in, and your car is slow before its first tune up. Keeping up is exhausting, and giving into this game too often takes our attention away from the things that truly matter, like investing in memorable experiences with people you care about.  I say all this as one of the principles of OLIVERS, a new apparel brand from San Francisco, because I believe we are doing things differently. Rather than design collections based on trends and fads, we are thoughtfully developing sportswear essentials. Our products are based on the iconic staples that every active man keeps in his closet, only our versions are elevated for modern performance using the best technical materials and components, tailored fits, and simple, clean designs that will last as long as the garment.  So far, we’ve brought the gym short into the 21-century with one of the most succcessful apparel Kickstarter campaigns in history. We’ve re-imagined the cotton boxer brief using a performance fabric originally developed for the Swiss military, and today, we’re releasing our third product, a new take on the old school hoodie.  The word hoodie comes with a load of connotation. For some, images of Zuckerburg and the tech elite come to mind, or the images of the gangsters that hollywood popularized in the 80′s and 90′s, or maybe you think of high school athletes standing on the sidelines. For everything the hoodie has become, it is a long way from where is started some 80 years ago. 

Back then, a new sweater mill needed a solution to keep men working in cold forests and refrigerated meat lockers warmer than their current sweatshirts could. The little sweater mill devised a simple solution. They added a thick hood that could be pulled over the head to keep workers warm, or taken down as things heated up. It’s a basic technical innovation that created an icon, the hooded sweatshirt. That sweater mill, Champion Products, remains today one of the first names in classic american sportswear. And since Champions’ first version, the classic has been made over and over again, in every style, color, and material, but for too long its design and construction have remained relatively unchanged. We’ve decided to approach the hoodie with the same spirit that Champion had 80 years ago, by asking, “how can we provide better solutions for the men that wear this product.”

The answer is by starting with a better material. Cotton can never compare to 100% merino wool, nature’s finest performance fabric. The temperature and moisture controlling capabiity of merino, not to mention the hand feel, durability, and anti-microbial properties are unmatched by anything man has made. From there, you re-contruct the piece taking cues from classic Italian cycling jerseys with features like a reverse raglan socket sleeve and drop tail for a full range of motion without compromising a clean look. Then, you cut the piece so that it looks tailored and refined when moving or standing still. And finally, you finish it off with an innovative neckline and internal collar inspired by timeless military flight jacket design for added warmth and subtle structure.  Check out The Merino Pullover from OLIVERS, this week we’re offering a special discount to those that pre-order. Photos from a run in the little town of Murrazzano in Piemonte, Italy with James Nord.