Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

Bring the barbershop home

Imperial Barber Products is a new grooming brand, inspired by the founding team’s collective 26 years of experience in the LA and NYC barbershop scene. The made in the U.S.A. line started off with the classic pomade, which the brand boasts is the strongest water-based pomade in the country, and should be good for those [...]

Smooth and Ready

Travel enough and you come to appreciate the advantages of hard-shell luggage. Their no-nonsense design, impact-resistance and durability go hand-in-hand with the frequent traveler routine. The problem is, hard-shell cases often weigh more than their soft-shelled counterparts. Tumi aims to change all that with their new line of Tegra-Lite ($595-$795) luggage. Made from an armor-like [...]

The fine gents at Put This On have put together what may be the coolest style subscription yet. It’s called The Gentlemen’s Association. The goal: dress you like a proper man, one square at a time. Traveling the world, editor Jesse Thorn hand picks fabrics — some vintage, some rare, all unique — which are [...]

Lighting the Way

When we think of fine watches, our minds automatically shift to thoughts of the quaint villages and alpine vistas of Switzerland, or, increasingly, to Germany’s Glashütte region, where brands like A. Lange & Söhne and Glashütte Original hail. But what of merry old England? Given that some of the most renowned figures in horology have [...]

Nice reds and blues, done in a classic check pattern, from a staple brand known for having their pulse on wardrobe needs of today’s upstanding male citizens. Too bad the 4th is still five months away. $185 | jackspade.com

Like their namesake city, Millinocket — population 5,200 — these moccasin boots expand on Eastland’s growing Made in Maine series. Horween leather handsewn by Maine shoemakers feature a hand-rubbed finish and a contrasting crepe-colored wedge. $365 | | barneys.com

An accessory for your accessories

One of the drawbacks to being a modern, on-the-go guy is carrying around all that gear and gadgets. Streamlining your accessories into one portable pack is the JanSport Pleasanton ($250), a waxed cotton twill and leather bag with dedicated compartments for all your stuff. Stow your laptop in the 15-inch quick-access sleeve and your iPad [...]

Originally conceived in 1978 as a multi-season coat, Eddie Bauer re-introduces the Mountain Parka today as the Heritage Mountain Parka. More casual than technical, many of the original parka’s details remain including cotton/nylon fabric, trim, hardware and colors (brilliant blue, ivy, olive, black) and a throwback price. $149 | eddiebauer.com

Blessed by the God of the Sea

In the 1960s, scuba diving’s popularity was booming, thanks almost entirely to one man: Jacques-Yves Cousteau. It was Cousteau who, along with Emile Gagnan invented the Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) known as the Aqua-Lung. It was also Cousteau, whose French-accented voiceovers and globetrotting adventures on his TV series fascinated households worldwide. And as if [...]

Need proof that the fashion world is cyclical? The fact that esteemed eyewear brand Persol reintroduced clip-ons last year is all the evidence you should need. While traditionally synonymous with bad taste, the PO 3007 V and 3002 V frames make a strikingly good case for the design’s revival, especially considering their price and convenience [...]

Bicicletta Italiano

Bringing their subtle Italian style from leather goods to two-wheel motion, Travelteq has collaborated with Milan based Cicli Maestro to create the Traveler Bike (~$1120). For the record, we haven’t decided whether or not to categorize it as a style accessory or simply a stylish bicycle, but we’re leaning toward the former. The single speed [...]

Travel sheets to the wind

We can deal with the TSA airport security shuffle but the frenzy to keep grooming items down to the correct but annoyingly small 3 ounces is all but intolerable. To cut back on some of that hassle, consider using the cool and amazingly convenient Travelon Toiletry Sheets ($5). Each small plastic travel pack holds 50 [...]

No Drafting

It’s quite satisfying when you find quality bike wear that not only offers up the right functionality, but also looks downright fashionable. We recently tested the Icebreaker Commute Jacket ($230) and fell in love with it — a trend these days with Icebreaker gear. The 84% Merino wool Ponte 355 fabric is both soft and [...]

As presidents go, JFK takes the prize as the greatest style icon (sorry Lincoln). These chinos serve as a tribute to that legacy and are modeled after Kennedy’s 1950′s bespoke slacks. Each pair is handmade in England from 100% Italian cotton twill and features a few modern tweaks to the original design, including a slight [...]

Part trade show, part soiree, all business

Every year, 18 of the major Swiss watch manufacturers pack up their suitcases, shut down their ateliers and head to Geneva to participate in one of their biggest events of the year, the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH). Part trade show, part intimate soiree and all business, SIHH has, for the past 20 [...]