Today, we are excited to announce that master leather craftsman Frank Clegg has launched a completely new website. With a clean new look that highlights his exceptional collection of handcrafted leather goods, Frank’s new site is a study in focus and clarity. Frank Clegg has been in the luxury goods business for more than 40…
Category: Made in America
James Prosek: The Audubon of Fish
James Prosek first gained notoriety back in 1996, when, as 19 year-old student at Yale University, he published Trout: An Illustrated History. Prosek’s ability to bring vibrancy and life to his watercolors, and his obsession with contextual and anatomical accuracy, won him quick comparisons to famed naturalist John James Audubon. These accolades were no lighthearted atta-boys;…
Holiday Gift? In the J. Panther Bag
J. Panther Luggage company makes one of our all time favorite brief bags, the Courier Ruc. With a design based on the classic zip-around form and a build made to handle New York commutes, the Courier Ruc is an elegantly durable hybrid. Now, the JPLC folks have added to the Ruc family, rending their flagship…
Read Wall’s Clean American Prep
Simple lines and details that are both functional and aesthetically relevant are the rule when it comes to Read Wall’s clothes. For example, his oxfords are trim but not skinny, and have a unique feature that speaks directly to his grown-up sense of American style; a flapped chest pocket. Some designer like shirt pockets, others…
BeltCraft: Belts Designed By You
Belts are one of the few ways the most men can strike a personal note in their wardrobe. A belt is both practical and decorative, traits which make it a genuinely important item in your sartorial arsenal. Sadly, belts are also an accessory to which too many men pay too little, if any, attention. From…
Socks We Love: Dapper Classics
You know all those great socks you always see guys wearing in menswear magazines or on fashion websites? The ones in pictures of impossibly cool and sharply dressed guys at Pitti Uomo or captured on the streets of New York, Paris, or Milan? Rich solids, whimsical dots, or check-me-out stripes. We love those socks. Socks…
Smart Style: Shoe Recrafting
One of the true hallmarks of that storied East Coast Ivy League lifestyle known as “preppy” is its practitioners’ predilection for thrift. The longevity of a shirt, sweater, favorite pair of khakis, or treasured sport coat is in many ways more prized than anything else. While those committed to mere preppy fashion may stuff their…
Tactical Style: TAD’s Stealth Hoodie LT
Triple Aught Design (TAD) is a really unique brand. It’s products are grounded in a tactical, purposeful world. Function first and form second; the mantra of a company that seeks to create products and garments that last and perform. As a brand that is quality- and detail-driven, we find their products to be very much…
Concord Button Downs: The New Old School Shirt
It should come as a surprise to no one that far too often form trumps function in the fashion world. Creating something in the “style” a timeless classic is more important than actually creating something that will last long enough to become a classic. “Inspired by” is often a phrase that makes our warning flag…
J. Panther: Evolution of the Tote Bag
Tote bags seem to be everywhere these days, and here at OTC, we see this as a good thing. This style of bag really is the perfect carry all – classic and timeless, functional, sturdy, and easy to use. With the rise in efforts to reduce the use of disposable plastic shopping bags, many municipalities…