Essentials: Acne Studios Wallet

Wallets are everything in that they a.) hold your money / credit cards / etc, and b.) they actually reflect your personality.
So in the spirit of always putting your best foot forward (which, by-the-way, should always be the priority), you may or may not be in need of an upgrade - and by that I mean get an upgrade. It's time.

Personally it's always been about that perfectly compact wallet situation. Something that isn't fussy or bulky but still makes a statement. I did the Gucci Guccissima thing for a while and yes, it was spectacular if you're going for the whole chic euro-trash vibe, but I've moved on (even if I haven't entirely gotten over this song). Currently I use a crocodile card holder for everything. It's very minimal which has it's pros (no cash or that dreaded jingle of coins) and cons (no cash and no coins to jingle at all). Basically I got it because I loved touching the croc's spine - which, admittedly, is weird. 
The real point is that I recently discovered Acne's zipped leather wallet. The bright bolt of blue means you'll easily find it and it's got a zip, which actually is a big deal. Zips equate to you being able to have the option of coins (yay laundromats?). Aside from the aforementioned practicalities, in true Acne style it looks pretty damn good - which doesn't hurt one bit when settling-up. So that's always something.

Browse and shop Acne's zipped leather wallet here.

- Photos by Alexander Atkins

A Time to Reflect - A Time to Predict

I know, I know - it's definitely spring. But sometimes it's good to take a moment to think about what you just did, right?
You know, reflect on all the choices you made during the those cold and gloomy winter months (the good, the bad, even the ugly). Besides, reflecting helps us think about what we should do next. So let's reflect. 

We obviously enjoyed some serious downtime with beanies, as did the entire sartorial world it seems. It makes sense - they still are the quickest and easiest way to cover-up any hair-issues. I mean I see absolutely no reason why the dominance of the beanie can't continue through summer. Especially when paired with some great tailored short-shorts and a basic tee. We can still be all about the beanie. That being said, hair is for hairspiration. Without it, dear reader, we are lost. So allow your follicles some well-deserved Vitamin D, they will thank you later. Also camouflage was (and actually still is) everywhere. But looking forward (in a crystal-ball kind of way) I'm feeling a new, deconstructed camouflage. Camo hues and tones worn together, but as separates. 'Camouflage 2.0' - or something.

Let's move on.

I'm very much about shorts. And Blazers. So obviously a combination of both is going to be my go-to, especially this summer. The whole thing allows you to be formally casual in an unoffensive way. Essentially your entire shorts-plus-blazer-combo can be formalized with a great pair of slippers, or casualized (?) with some superb Lanvin sneakers. Office-to-out at it's very best! On a separate note I OD'd on graphic tees in 2008 (this song definitely was responsible). So while I 'get' what people are doing, I'm not going to do it. Instead I'm looking to great cuts, panelling and exciting prints. A love affair with Missoni may just be re-awakened, and it has a lot to do with this tee. So the point here basically is that I need to start dressing like Pharrell. 

Alexander Atkins, in a Prada coat & Missoni Beanie, photographed by Sabrina Reddy at Alexander McQueen in NYC.

Pharrell Williams, wearing Bee Line & BBC, at Frieze NYC 2013.

*Click the arrows below to shop the inspiration.