Best Made - Denim Shirt

Long time readers of the blog may recall my epic search for the best denim shirt on the market. As the site winds down, it is only fitting that I tie up this loose end with the (aptly named) "Denim shirt" from "Best Made". Hmmm.. is it really the best made denim shirt on the market? Yes. Made with 8 oz denim and multi-needled stitching - this one is in it for the long haul. Purchase here. 

Previous denim shirts featured: 

S-Double x Gitman Bros

J.Crew

Tellason

Williamsburg

Supreme

Penfield

Compton Surf Club

When I first saw the Matix Compton Surf Club t's on a display outside of Tyler's Surfshop in El Segundo - I didn't pay them much mind, other than to think "oh, a shameless attempt at an ironic shirt...". But oh, on the contraire.

Turns out, surf/skate brand Matix actually moved their headquarters to Compton Blvd, and were looking for a way to connect with the community. How else to do that than hook up with the Boys and Girls clubs of  Compton, Watts, and Willowbrook, bring out some of Matix' pro riders (Turkey Stopnik, Chase Stopnik, and JJ Wessels), get the folks from Camp Surf to donate boards for the day, and head to El Porto for a day of beach games and surf lessons.

Below is an excerpt from Matix:

“We wanted to share the stoke of surfing with kids that live so close, but never get a chance to enjoy the beach and a chance to surf,” explained Matix Marketing Manager Gabe Clement. “Every kid stood up on a wave. That feeling of conquering something new and foreign is something these kids will take with them into the new school year and is something that can’t be measured.”

When the day was complete, the newly formed Compton Surf Club, comprised of Boys & Girls Club members, Matix and Westlife employees, and Matix team riders went home with something more magical than good school grades and finished excel spreadsheets can provide. They went home with smiles for miles and a stoke only riding waves can create!

The Compton Surf Club is an ongoing youth community outreach program, built by Matix, that aims to interact with the local Compton community and share the creative values and California surf and skate lifestyle that founded Matix. Starting in Spring 2015, Matix will be releasing a Compton Surf Club capsule collection with partial proceeds going back into the Compton community.

I stand corrected - and you can't always judge a shirt by its logo. Check out the Matix store, and support the Compton Surf Club here. 

Closure

This isn't how it was supposed to end...a slow transition from daily posts, to every couple days, to complete silence on the western front. I don't know about you guys, but I need closure, so bear with me over the next month or two as we go out in style. 

CLSC - California Love

I haven't seen a well-done graphic t-shirt that I've yearned for in awhile...but this one here does it for me. Well played, CLSC.

Nike Air Max 94 Retro

Is it just me, or has Nike not retro'd the Air Max 94's for a long time?

(Reader: Is it just me, or have you not posted ANYTHING in a long time?)

Noted - and this isn't the way I planned for the site to fizzle out, but we'll address that later. In the mean time - focus on the kicks! More info here. 

ICNY Spring/Summer 2015

I love the technical aspect and functionality of ICNY's gear. The designs are slick as well. Purchase goods from their latest collection online now.

Materials + Process

Raw leather backpack? I think I (really) want this. Support the effort via crowdsourcing here.

Happy Air Max Day

3.26.15 - 28 years of "Air" technology. To celebrate, Nike released the "Air Max Zero" earlier this week (this was the earliest prototype from famed designer Tinker utlizing Air Max technology on a runner) - read about it here.

Nike Footscape Route

A lot of people snickered outloud when Kanye talked about making a more stylish "Ugg" boot for men. Um, looks like this is something Dylan Raasch (designer of the Nike Roshe as well) was cooking up behind the scenes as well. Mission accomplished. More here.

Moonstrucked Denim

Part of me feels like I need these in my life. It's a real small part of me...and is also the same part of me my wife would kill if I actually bought them, but c'mon! Tell me these wouldn't kill at a 90's party. Purchase the denim here (if you dare), or at least read up on a pretty good "Top 50" list of Beavis and Butthead's best quotes here.

Preview:
My list includes any girl with at least one boob” Butthead 
“My list is like your list, but it also includes your MOM” -Beavis

Nike Air Max 1 FB Wolf Grey

Wolf grey upper, Lime sole, with lava lining. I actually like these a lot! Basic enough for everyday wear, just enough pop to keep you interested.

Quiet Life - Color Block Hoody

I like it when I can show love to my squad without being branded out from head to toe in logo's. This Quiet Life hoody is a prime example of a wardrobe necessity that can be rocked in season or out. Bronco's Up.

Stampd - Black Calf Hair Print Short Sleeved Shirt

The name does not do this shirt justice (go ahead and read the post title again). I feel something like "dope shirt" or "compiliation notebook shirt" would suffice - but calf hair it is. Purchase here. 

Stussy Pint Glass

Why not. Everyone needs a drink or two, right?

LunarGrand Neoprene Wingtip

These are beautiful. No stranger to the Cole Haan Lunargrand franchise, I think I may need to add another pair to the collection.

Nike Flyknit Lunar 3 iD

Round 3 of the Flyknit Lunar is here, and available to customize at NikeiD now. I'm excited to see what new innovations this shoe has to offer, as I've been a heavy supporter of the Flyknit Lunar series (I've had 2 pairs of each of the previous versions). Impossibly light, incredibly strong. Video after the jump. 

Stussy x Hershel Supply Co

Stussy and Hershel have a rich history of collaborative projects in the past - and this one is no different. Purchase the Black on Black bag here.

Neil Young x Supreme

The Spring 2015 collection from Supreme is available to check out online. While you can take a 5 min look at the collection and see what will grab the most hype pretty quick (*Cough* picture above), and that some of the accessories are almost laughable (Supreme Fire Extinguisher?) - the strength of Supreme to me remains in most of the minimally branded clothing and classic 5-panels. Check out my favs from the collection after the jump.

Chubbies - The Carp Eh Diems

Speaking of Chubbies - they have a couple new pairs of shorts with some nice designs that are available online now.

The Nutters

It looks like the fella's over at Chubbie's are branching out (ha) in to the shirt market. A man can never have too many Hawaiian shirts. Purchase here.

Yeezy 750 Boost (Kanye x adidas)

Lowercase YEEZY's? Now these I mess with....(the high-tops? Not so much - but that's personal preference, and was the same for Yeezy's 1 and 2 Nike models as well).

Video of the New York Fashion Week debut after the jump.

Nike Huarache Run hits iD

...and the possibilities are endless. Available for order now at Nike's website.

Glow Headphones

Glow in the dark headphones for added visibility when running in the early morning / late night? The need is there - and so is the design. What I can't get from this campaign is a better understanding of the fit, or the sound quality - and that is what is going to prevent me from throwing down on the campaign. Decide for yourself here.

Yelawolf - Till It's Gone (Acoustic)

I've been feeling this "Till It's Gone" record from Yelawolf - and this Acoustic version posted after the jump seals the deal. Check it.

Lightening Bolt 2015

You ever raid your parents closet when you were younger? My buddy Mike did a few years back, and came up on a vintage pair of Lightening Bolt board shorts. The brand has made a resurgence of late - but similiar to some of the vintage Nike threads I've captured from my pops closet - the 80's originals are hard to match in terms of quality/design. Check the lookbook here. 

The Hundreds x Adidas

Because...well, why not? Entire collection over at THLA.

Wolf Hill Brand - Bifold

Nice bi-fold wallet, hand-made in Ohio, available here.

Clark Little

Clark Little makes me want to quit my job and become a professional ocean photographer (or at least grab the Bodyboard and fins out of the basement and take them out for a spin). I might need to stop following him on Instagram before I do something drastic.

Nike Air Max Tavas

These are beautiful - great mix of red's, maroon, and a touch of black to complete the look. Purchase here now.

Mozilla - Love is Endless

I absolutely love everything about this commercial - the song, the graphics, the message. Overall, fantastic execution here McDonalds.

Pharaoh Pink Panther

This pic is so ill to me. As you were, peasants. 

Yoga Joes

Contradictions and Setbacks. If you are looking for a novelty item, these are dope. I'm not entirely sure how many you get or how big these are - but a pack will run you $25. Purchase here.

The Forest Lab - Team Spirit 27

Oh - the infamous 27 club. Purchase here.

Wckdthghts - Tie Die

It's never too early to get in on the (Summer) holiday spirit. Purchase here.

Nike Roshe Run (Custom)

My wife put me up on Etsy as a good site for hand-made, custom leather and/or wood work products - but I was pretty surprised to see vendors out there creating custom Roshe's! Purchase the pair above here.

ICNY

There is actually a great story behind this brand - but I'll give you the elevator version: Young graphic designer doing work for Nike and other companies gets hit by car while riding his bike in NY at night - immediately recognizes need for quality fashionable clothing people will actually wear with 3M technology. ICNY was born. Originally known for their socks, the line has grown to feature some nice graphic t's and quality cut and sew pieces, like the jacket above. Purchase here. 

"Racing Age" by Angela Jimenez

United Photo Industries is showing a pretty dope exhibit by Angela Jimenez, showcasing her photo's from 2007-2009 tracking elderly track athletes. A competitive spirit never dies! Check out some of the pictures, and more info on the gallery/show times, over at New York Times.

Big Bad - Hello/Goodbye

Little kids need to rock dope designs too! Purchase here.

For All To Envy - Crack Kills

 Flipping the classic bootleg "Crack Kills" shirt and mashing up with the Winter Paper 2014 cover? Genius. Purchase direct from "For All To Envy" here.

Nanamica Cordura Briefcase

I'm loving this bag. Cordura offset with raw leather creates a beautiful look, especially on this nautical color way . Purchase here.

Nike ACG Returns!

All Conditions Gear, better known as ACG - has made a triumphant return to the Nike product line! Noticeably 'darker' than the first iteration (revisit after the jump) - this is still something to look forward to!

Kurupt x The Hundreds - Legend in the West

It's no secret - Kurupt is one of my favorite MC's. The Hundreds just did a great interview with him - check it out here.

Sidenote: Was it REALLY more than 5 years ago now that this shirt came out? Man time flies.