Best of 2022 (Favorite Kops)

[WBaker]

Previous year:
Best of 2021

Figured since I started running this last year I'd do it again! Apologies for the delay, hopefully by now the newness of Christmas kops has faded and we won't be victim to recency bias.

Favorite Brand: Atha
Hands down going to be Atha, a brand which scratches my itch for volume while only rarely making me look a fool.

Rewinding 8 or so years I was into Margielas size 74 collection. Just basic garments made on a size 74 dress form. And their Dolls Wardrobe collection where they took Ken and Barbie clothes and enlarged them to human scale. I found an early Ken shawl knit at a thrift store in San Fran. Even though it looked a bit silly I was obsessed with how it wore and the general sense of how substantial it was. Especially on blustery days theres something delightful about sitting in a pool of warm fabric.

Since then I've tried Jan Jan Van Essche (what am I a farmer?) and some of the more oversized Geller from recent seasons. The house fire really let me do a reset on my color palate and silhouette, so I've been avoiding black, wearing fuller trousers, focusing on the earth tones I like, and avoiding slim everything. I was pretty sick of my usually Geller slim denim fits.

Atha first crossed my radar in the Oversized Thread. I always enjoyed the look books but finding their clothes early on was nearly impossible. Now that they've been around a few seasons stuff makes its way to yahoo Japan or Mercari.

I've actually done some deep dives and cannot find anything about the designer Hideki Saito. They're based out of Osaka and everything they do is unisex one size fits all. The nice thing is everything they make fits me perfectly so I don't have to think about sizing. The pants can be deceiving no way to make them work if you aren't around a 30" or less waist. All of the outerwear and tops would work for a wide range of sizes. The materials are the real standout, always substantial and generally super lux. The scratchier materials are always thoughtfully lined. I guess only downside is good luck selling any of it down the road there's no stateside demand for the brand.

Favorite Jacket: Atha AW21 Velvet Field Jacket
My first pickup from Atha was a love at first sight experience similar to my first Cloak purchase (White 06 Safari Jacket). This jacket is stupid good, it's got a beautiful hand, relaxed cut, and tons of big pockets to boot. It looks like suede from a distance and people ask to touch it. On the hunt for the matching pants.

Favorite Shirt: Dries Van Noten AW18 Viscose Western
I bought the turtleneck version of this material around the time the season came out. Since I've always been on the lookout for the western shirt. This popped up for a very reasonable price, seeing it in person I'm surprised it went so cheap. This shirt is delicately piped and perfectly frames the the pattern on the substantial viscose.

Favorite Optical: Jacques Marie Mage Evans
These are the Hickory colorway with 20% moss green tints that transition to graphite green. I pre-ordered these and waited nearly 10 months, made it even more worthwhile. Strongly considering getting a pair in black too but I don't want to be that JMM guy.

Boots: Margiela Replica Argentinian Military Side Zips
I'm in a tough place with shoes, I don't think I've really found the right footwear for my newer clothes. These boots I nabbed from @troika are the only exciting footwear experience I've had all year 🧡. I'm still on the hunt. Maybe Lemaire Chinese slippers?

Favorite Coat: Atha AW21 Mohair Noragi
Another of those 'holy ****' package opening moments. This thing is ultra lux, shaggy, and big enough to swim in.

Favorite Omissions
I am now in the post watch and leather jacket phase of my life. I was a bit of a watch nerd and I had a moment of clarity where I was honest that watches are not necessarily comfortable on my wrist and I get next to zero utility from them. Same with leather jackets, they make my shoulders sore and aren't great for cold weather but are quickly too hot for warm weather. I now have so much more money to spend on big pants.

 

[ghdvfddzgzdzg]

Best kop of 2022: Fujito jungle jacket in lightweight ripstop from NMWA. Calling it my baby battle jacket since we had a kid in feb and it became what I wore through six feedings a day, spitup after spitup. I sewed some patches on it too for battle jacket status.

second best: LEJ off-white jeans. As a jean guy, it’s really nice to have a pair of jeans that you are willing to wash whenever, and you’re not waiting for them to fade, nor concerned about them fading weird while you crawl around w a baby or spot wash baby formula out of them. The high waist and pocket design makes for something a little bit different than a normal jean cut, which has forced a welcome style rethink at times.

third best: I bought a pair of wide legged black sugar cane denim from self edge and they turned out to be pretty rad

 

[Clouseau]

Best of 2022 ? One item prevails over all others : Carvil side-zip suede Dylan boots. I wanted them for a long time, and found them at a very good price.

 

[jmiller123]

It's hard to pick favorites but my most worn pickups from this year are the following

Filson Mackinaw Cruiser
Really love this piece. I got deep into Filson this year and bought and sold several pieces but this would be the one I'd keep over the others. It's warm but not too warm as the wool is very breathable. The pockets are great for keeping keys, wallet, phone, etc. and that is why it's probably my most utilitarian piece of outerwear.

The Real Mccoys N-1 Deck Jacket
I've wanted one of these for the longest time and picked one up last year but found the sleeves too long so I returned it. Luckily it showed up again secondhand and the measurements looked better so I pulled the trigger. Very glad I did as it worked out much better this time. This thing is supremely warm. I wore it all throughout New Mexico in freezing temps with no problem. It's actually the jacket I proposed in, so now I have some sentimental attachment to it.

Lucchese & Tecovas Cowboy Boots
Was somewhat unsure of these at first as they are pretty directional and were a bit out of my comfort zone, but quickly grew to love them. I find myself drawn to pull-on boots more than any other piece of footwear, both due to comfort and ease of use (laziness) in the morning. I wear a bunch of workwear/americana and these slot in pretty seamlessly.

 

[LA Guy]

Standard and Strange carries Peanuts and Co, and so I love this that I got for Christmas:

Peanuts & Co Horse Wallet Chain (Short) - Silver

When we first encountered Peanuts & Co in Japan, we instantly in love with the collection. Founder Yoshiki Suzuki is good friends with Shin Takizawa of Neighborhood, and shares a similar humor-tinged dark aesthetic. The horse wallet chain features an intricately carved horse head clip for your...

standardandstrange.com

and then this Guidi coin case which is really a credit card wallet, and for which I use it:

GUIDI EN01 HORSE CULATTA FULL GRAIN COIN POCKET DARK RED

DOSHABURI Online Shop | GUIDI EN01 HORSE CULATTA FULL GRAIN COIN POCKET DARK RED | 100% Horse culatta full grain leather, Unisex coin pocket in dark red with a stud closure | Guidi Leather Wallet, Guidi Leather Coin Pocket, Guidi Leather Purse

www.doshaburi.com

 

[Superb0bo]

To be honest, it's probably this Uniqlo U cost. Wore it loads in summer and fall. Very easy to wear (although doesn't really breath), nice quality.

 

[fishlee]

I tried getting my dad's old military gear, with an M 65 being the target. Instead he came downstairs with my Grandpas N-1 Deck jacket from WW II! It is a 42 and I am a 40, but would be a 41 and the thing fits perfect!

I went a little nuts this year, adding all kinds of clothing after years of buying very little. Luckily I could fund all the fun by selling some fuzz pedals and shoes from my other collections.

A Kapital Ring coat and SEH Kelly corduroy trucker jacket are total winners as well.

 

[Nyarlathotep]

Haven't bought much stuff but the black 180s are my favorite new item, shame I haven't had much time to wear them yet 'cause I got them at the ass end of autumn. Eagerly waiting for spring.

 

[KamoteJoe]

Harley Davidson XR1200
In 2022, I got more involved in the LA motorcycling community. I helped put together monthly group rides for new and experienced riders to make friendships that transcend the hobby. That was something I so desperately wanted when I started in 2019. I also helped organize multiple campouts and saw the fruits of my effort result in more friendships. Thus, it was befitting that I “upgrade” to a second motorcycle that matched my experience. Something faster, aesthetically pleasing, and niche. I was drawn to the vintage Harley Davidson orange tank and the mean sounding pipes when I took this XR1200 out for a test ride. Additionally, it shares a similar street tracker make as my Yamaha. Funny enough, this motorcycle look marries utilitarianism and street riding capabilities which is a core tenet of my style. I put 15,000 miles on it since I purchased it in April between camping weekends, road trips to San Francisco, and weekend rides around Socal.

Made in GM Japan Engineer Boots
Though this brand is no longer around, I scored a great deal on a lightly used pair off of mercari. The boot hits all the right notes for me: bulbous toebox, taller heel, and firetruck red leather that matches most of my riding gear. This picture was taken on the day I received them and they’re now heavily scuffed and worn in from months of riding and wearing them to concerts.

Jacquemus La Chemise Rayon Shirt
This year, I thought alot about contentment and how my wardrobe has enough modularity that I can incorporate accent pieces without friction. I love the quality of Jacquemus’ rayon shirts and their more playful graphic motifs compared to Our Legacy (one of my personal favorites). This outfit was a core favorite during the warmer months and the shirt was a workhorse. I could swap out the pants + shoes and communicate a completely different vibe if I wanted to.

Whowhat “Tibetan” Puffer Blouson
In late 2021, I went to a Psychedelic Rock festival in Socal called Desert Daze. One particular festival goer was wearing a yellow puffer with flared pants when the temperature was dipping in the night. I couldn’t stop talking about the puffer with my friends - I was drawn to the sporty and cozy characteristics of that jacket, plus I did not own any yellow outerwear. Consequently, I found the perfect weight puffer for the milder Socal climates and it was my favorite jacket to wear all year.

Vintage Cherry Red Leather Set
This purchase was inspired by Akira - one of my favorite animated movies of all time. The seller is a clothing designer based in the Midwest who happened to also be into motorcycles. And that helped me land a great deal on the set based on our shared passion for motorcycles. I loved how pristine the leather looked despite its being in storage for years and they almost felt brand new when I took it out of packaging.

Old Spice Leather Racing Pants
Self-explanatory

 

[XWT]

Footwear

I got these Sagara Cordmaster boots to participate in the wear contest "Stitchdown Patina Thunderdome" and I've been absolutely loving them. The black-over-green color is evolving very nicely, they are imensely comfortable, and they're really working for the niche in style which I inhabit.

Shirt

Everything in that picture is a 2022 pickup, but the denim shirt (TCB Dude Rancher) is where it's at. The nicest sawtooth I can use as a shirt and overshirt. I've been wearing it 3-4 times a month and not holding back on washing, and it's been treating me very nicely.

Here is a different shot where its used as a shirt, before it had completely finished shrinking.

Denim

I picked up this Black Sign denim jeans and type 1 jacket set. It's glorious and I love it.

Alt
Alt 2

Outerwear

Bought a Schott shearling jacket for a song through Y!JP and I have not regreted it one second, despite the work I hat to put in to both rid it of the smell and hydrate it. I have started to practice visible mending in hope of making it even better.

Accessories

This sock haul was a highlight of my year. Most are Rototo, save for 2 pairs by Anynoymous Ism and the 3 over-the-calf boot socks pairs are from Black Sign.

 

[ter1413]

....

 

[FlyingHorker]

Jacques Marie Mage Dealan glasses, and a vintage raglan coat in a unique mottled charcoal texture.

 

[jmiller123]

Jacques Marie Mage Dealan glasses, and a vintage raglan coat in a unique mottled charcoal texture.

Looks great man. Who makes the scarf?

 

[FlyingHorker]

Looks great man. Who makes the scarf?

Thanks dude. Wal-Mart, my mom got it for me a decade ago.

I never did find a scarf like that again. It's acrylic, but the pattern and colour was perfect.

 

[jmiller123]

Thanks dude. Wal-Mart, my mom got it for me a decade ago.

I never did find a scarf like that again. It's acrylic, but the pattern and colour was perfect.

Yup, really nice! I have a drakes scarf but I'm looking to pick up a few more for some variety as I've started to really reach for it often.