Gear Patrol

It’s hard to believe how different a hot commute in hair-pulling traffic can be from a balmy mid-afternoon drive on an open road in the countryside — both in the same car. Nothing brings back the freedom of summer like a great drive, and unless you’re cursed with a 36-month lease of a kiddie-hauler that now smells like sour milk, it’s high time you planned just such a trip. Now it’s time to get you equipped.

Clandestine ops are about blending in; fashion is often about standing out. The Massif Collection ($145+) brings military-grade construction to fashion-forward designs, creating a wardrobe of jackets, pants and shirts that work in the Hindu Kush and the cushy lounge. While the names of the different “looks” are a bit silly, the pieces are all…

Your go-to denim is great, but as the wise man said, variety is the spice of life — plus it could use a wash at least once in a generation. The Woolrich Woolen Mills Hoover Pant is made in the U.S.A. from 100% wool and features an itch-thwarting polyester lining and two button-flap back pockets….

GEAR PATROL SPONSORED POST It’s the pants that make the man. Isn’t that how the saying goes? Regardless, when’s the last time someone complimented you on the pants you were wearing. Never, you say? It’s time to put a stop to that slack-jawed indifference and graduate to Bonobos. Take one part well-intended gentleman, one-part fashion…

New York menswear brand and retailer Odin has joined forces with Target — don’t let us catch you saying Tarjay — on an upcoming fall collection that will be sold at Target stores nationwide, Odin’s three stores in NYC, and online. The nearly 20 piece set features plenty of stylish but understated cool weather staples…

We’ve already detailed how the guys at 3×1 are the Grand Masters of anything denim. Now you can also care for your jeans just like the folks at the 15 Mercer Street’s atelier with their 3×1 Denim Solution ($20), used in the brand’s famous “Wet x 1″ process. The 8 oz bottle of solution enables…

Even if you spent all spring getting your physique Speedo-ready, it’s probably for the best that you wear something a bit more… local. But then again, the last thing your just-add-water outing needs is that pair of loud surfer shorts you’ve been modeling since college. Luckily, Paste Blue Navy Yellow Trunks ($94) strike a brilliant…

Workwear durability? Good. Summer heat? Bad. Enter the Wallace & Barnes collection for J.Crew, and particularly, the fishtail short. With its heavy cotton-linen blend and sawmill-meets-modern looks, the short dresses up handsomely without looking like you’ve walked right off the pages of Cliché Weekly. The fishtail detailing, originally designed for added comfort when wearing suspenders…

Bringing back memories of surfing’s explosion from fringe extreme sport to mainline hobby: Quiksilver for J. Crew has come ashore just in time for summer. Hit the surf in a dash of retro style harkening memories of time when long boards gave way to short fish and single fins evolved into twins, triples and quads….

It’s only fitting that the founder of Paper Denim & Cloth, Scott Morrison, is the mind behind 3×1. The jeans demigod created the SoHo-based store/workshop/gallery as a shrine to all things denim that includes over 130 bolts of selvage to choose from, and a glass-enclosed “atelier” where each hand-stitched individually numbered pair is made for…

GEAR PATROL SPONSORED POST The classic style of Levi’s products is undeniable. We’re even wearing a pair of 501′s as we type this. Since patenting the first jean for the Gold Rush miners over a hundred years ago, Levi’s denim has continued its reign as an American style icon with unmatched craftsmanship. Originally made for…

If you insist on keeping cargo pants in your wardrobe rotation, then at least buy a pair that doesn’t look like it was ripped straight off the set of Delta Force. The Arteo Perpuetual cargo pant from Theory packs slanted utility waist pockets, dual button flap pockets in the rear, and the additional thigh pockets…

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…

Fact: it’s always a pain to find a decent pair of trunks in the cold weather season, despite the fact that the beach is one of the places you’ve probably got on your list of desired destinations. Developed with a broader wearer (read: like us), the Onia Marko Trunk sticks to a more comfortable overall…

Epaulet’s new Rivet Chinos are made from soft 8oz canvas woven in the U.S.A. that captures the durability of the classic material, without the weight and coarse feel that usually comes with traditional work pants. Cut for an excellent slim-straight fit (not skinny), they’ll wear well right off the rack and look good in any…

Indochino has introduced six new pant designs made from premium Italian fabrics. Buyers can customize their made to measure pants with six exclusive cuff and pocketing lining options. $160 | Indochino.com

Made in San Francisco. 100% cotton blue line selvedge White Oak Cone denim. Slim fit, mid rise five pocket jeans with antiqued button fly and hardware, double-thick back pocket lining for durability. Leather label made by Tanner Goods from Portland, OR. $198 | tellason.com

Who says cargo pants need to have 10 pockets that make you look like you just shoplifted a Walmart? You can still be practical enough to carry some of your can’t-live-without gear while looking sleek and stylish. Here’s where the Nau S-Cargo Pant ($125) plays an essential role in your urban wardrobe. We donned a…

Why is finding a good pair of swim trunks so damn hard? Is it too much to ask for a balance of quality materials, simple design, and fit? After asking ourselves the same questions season after season, we decided to do something about it. So we partnered with the good men at Onia to create…

Combining a slimmer, more tailored cut with rugged construction, the Dockers Alpha Khaki ($68+) ups the chino ante. Offered in 12 colors, the heavier-weight pant is a closet essential for the Fall. And just like your favorite pair of jeans, these get better with age. The photos above (even more photos on the iPad), shot…

Denim goliath Levi answers the call of cycling commuters with their new 511 Commuter Jeans ($80). Designed for urban cyclists in need of denim both on and off the bike, these jeans arrive with a few new tricks up their sleeves pant legs. NanoSphere treated denim provides dirt and water resistance, reflective fabric, higher back…

$160 | maidennoir.com

This overwrought trend of dudes looking like a DEVGRU operator has long past its expiration date — especially considering their toughest mission for the day likely involves a trip to Costco for charcoal. That said, we still believe a touch of camo is completely acceptable in a man’s wardrobe, especially in controlled dosages and restrained…

Since 1999 (well before any “heritage” movement) Left Field has been domestically churning out tough-as-nails workwear. After wearing some of their goods in the past year, we can attest to the rough and tumble quality of their goods. Their newly released Nisshinbo Mills Slim-Straight Jeans ($210) build upon the impressive product line. Hand made in…

Thanks to capitalism, competing entities rarely team up. Coke and Pepsi won’t be making Copsi anytime soon, and Honda and Toyota will not be bringing us an Camcord. Luckily for our benefit though, two titans of American clothing have bucked the rule and teamed together (2010 Miami Heat style) to bring us something truly spectacular….

Liquid Flow is offering Gear Patrol readers 25% off any pair of shorts. Enter promo code: GPFlow2010 at checkout. Sweet. You know those shorts you’ve got at home? Yeah, the ones that dutifully await your arrival every day to replace your shirt and tie or serve as your de facto Saturday lounging uniform. Ask yourself…

Its always fun to stumble onto a new brand that seems as if it’s designing with you specifically in mind. You look at their line and say things like, “Wow, I always thought that would be cool!” or “Damn those look perfect.” That sums up how we felt when we were lucky enough to run…

When it comes to denim, raw is where it’s at. Those pre-faded, pre-whiskered, even pre-ripped jeans found in suburban malls should be left in the clearance bin. Premium raw denim has been discussed before (here and here), but not all men can shell out for three figure price tags. Levi’s to the rescue with a…

In addition to the Orlebar Brown Boxer, we also got to check out the Monocle Edition ($180) of the Bulldog shorts. The new Bulldogs have an updated cut, that’s a little more forgiving in the waist and seat, as well as a new fabric which is slightly less coarse. The best part of the Monocle…