Fanzine.................

As you may be aware if you follow Casualcorp and Offhand you may have noticed a nice little adventure unfolding. Offhand is currently working on a nice little unique bespoke magazine which will be available for all at independent retailers and other sources, big plans are been drawn up and all the hard work is now paying off.
Our aim, as always is to assemble a great team of writers who will committ their life to something againest the grain and special, Think of a rather informative and regular insight into the world as we see fit. There will be gifts, offers and valuable info of all your respective needs, The Offhand team are beavering away on developing a forum to run alongside the fanzine and create a community to meet our obsessive behaviour. The appetite is wet, fuse paper lit, its now time to get together and make a difference and stand out. We have many other great ideas which i will keep close to me old chest for the time being. All I can say is things are looking bright, I would also like to thank those who have helped and would offer anybody the opportunity to join our team if you feel you can bring something dynamic to the fold. Whether it be design, publishing or just your point of view, we would love to hear from you, Our first draft is nearing completion and may well be in circulation come November barring hiccups ofcourse.

Nigel Cabourn

If your looking at purchasing a piece of clothing from the entity that is Mr Nigel Cabourn then prepared to be amazed at his genius and innovative approach from fabric development to sheer functional style. Long gone are the days when NC himself churned out the utilty range stocked in high st store Debenhams, Nigel Cabourn has worked in fashion for over 40 years, a man not influenced by trends but a desire for vintage functional clothing with simplicity, yet unique. He draws his inspiration from the early military era which forms part of the elements from previous collections. There is a lovely poetic story about Nigel and his workmanship, his team of style purveyors work at the bottom off his garden in a conveted garden house overlooking a cricket pitch, which is the envy of everybody that visits. what a glorious way to work especially in the sunshine.


Now known as an outerwear specialist Nigel Cabourn uses the best in functional materials, he collected vintage clothing for 30 years and amassed over 400 pieces. @ Casualcorp that is some dedication. He is inspired by workwear and the british military which delivers a story and a sense of history. He does not respond to any particular trend, A fine example of this is last seasons wonderful garment, The Rangoon jacket which used a Beeswax fabric, It is one jacket I am in awe of, and once you sample something from his collection you may never turn back. then to the delight of the people who follow Nigel Cabourn released a winter version cameraman jacket using heritage fabrics, a mixture of Harris Tweed and Mackintosh, does it get much better than that. there is something very special about Nigel Cabourn's work and products, He designs under 3 quises : heritage, mainline and authentic. His vintage collection rivals any designer and are on show on his website, A select item is the denim naval smock (below), You feel this essense follow through into todays collection.

Favourite pieces for casualcorp are the Tenzing Blazer and the cameraman jacket, both AW & SS version, the Antartic parka surpasses anything released this season, although holding a hefty price tag, you know if dare take the plunge you are buying not only a quality garment but a piece of history.

Nigel Cabourn has collaborated with some of the worlds finest clothing establishments including Yukuten, it was said that when they met, there was such an energy between the 2 designers, it was as if they had known each other as from a past life, Another great strategic move was the collab with ARN Mercantile, they shared the same passion for british workwear and used only british fabrics and stuck to british production, Cabourn has a flagship store in the far east and is known worldwide, Stockists have always seen the potential of such a well educated designer and now atlast for us all, many high end stores are bringing in his work for us all to spend our hard earned. Another great thing about his gear is that it is highly limited, Keep your ear to the ground for something special in the pipeline.

003 - Henri Beene...

Tucked away in a small fishing town is perhaps one of the most comprehensive list of brands on offer by retailer Henri Beene, Grimsby Town's offering for the smarter gentleman has a lovely simply effective website which hosts the latest season's clothing from likes of Stone Island, Belstaff, 6876, Universal Works, Boss and on and on, Bit surprised why they never bothered stocking Guy Cotten lol, so perfectly located for its function, I have not had the pleasure of dropping by the shop in person but have never had any problems ordering and always have one eye on their end of season sales. All in all HB offers everything from Adidas to Hugo Boss green label, Their healthy appetite for supporting brands with heritage and innovation comes across well, with Cp Company release of their Metro and Barbour Beacon Heritage Brand,
A standout piece from the Barbour range has to be their Heritage Sporting Quilted jacket in olive, a look which delivers panache and individuality.
Many dressers, casuals alike are aware of what Henri delivers, Its nice to see a stockist with such a diverse array of clothing offers brands synonymous, like New Balance and Loake shoes, I would expect a hefty spending spree if making the effort to visit Grimsby and enter the Beene realms, and would not be disapointed with whats on offer, failing that a walk on the pier, staring across the Humber at my hometown with fish and chips in hand might just make up for what change you have left.
Go seek our link on the right,

Time Marches On Neverending.....

For those that know the song then splendid, Soulful US house at its best, from the debauchary days of Mirfield Hard Times way back, we can almost certainly say the years and the days are passing us by at an alarming rate, no sooner is one project off the ground, others faulter, while more flourish, This year has been in a way novel to say the least, I could quite easily squeeze out a biography consisting of this years antics which would rival any Dan dont know his surname novelist (great start eh).
Anyway back to what matters, Clobber, my palms are sweating already, fresh from a week away @ Centerparcs, rubbing shoulders with fit healthy and damn right obsessed I scour what is on offer this AW10 season, Everybody seems to following their own styles again, nobody stepping out of the comfort zone, Universal Works have some natty gillet style warmers which are definately essential for the dressers. I have already snapped up Albam's latest offering, the Trail Parka in Burnt Orange, made from Filson's materials, tis a stunner, I cant go without a few bits from SPW so awaiting payment from my sources I thought I would treat myself to the Waxed Ice Bomber, and Im sure another 3/4 pieces of their stuff will pass through my revolving wardrobe this winter.
I am always sourcing new labels and come across a nice little french number, Ere's, seem to have a perfect blend of subtle colours with se ne quais styling. More about them later, As our once individual little boltholes of casual attire expand, (you know who you are) and join the masses it is becoming more and more difficult to stand out with all the cool kats using casual clothing as a fashion, Wow how strange that an era spanning more than 20 years has now become a period in fashion, Come off it, This is now why we are seeing the likes of most independent retailers stock almost identical gear, we are available to the masses, what I and most was brought up around and lived, others are able to replicate.
Its not all negative, Offhand is putting some new ideas forward and my cellar is restocked with plenty of vintage Adidas, Ma strum looks promising again and i have one of their 100 only collab jackets which comes complete with a genuine piece from Massimo Osti Archive and my name printed in jacket.
Winter may be upon us folk, dont go rushing to put the old vintage racer back just yet, there's plenty of miles left until dusk, Just remember to choose wisely if you want to stand shoulders above the rest, A little tip, dont try ;)