Written by Craig Landale in Essentials on the 26th March 2019

With the warmer weather and longer days, it’s time to start planning that spring/summer 2019 wardrobe. The Tweeds, cords, heavy duty boots and chunky knits can all get packed away until October. There’s been a few cool launches this month, and some are too good to not tell you about. We have a clothing collection by street style legend Nick Wooster, shoes made from plastic recovered from our oceans and a brand which claims to have the best fitting T-shirt ever made. So, following on from my February roundup, I’ve compiled a list of my favourite products and releases for the month of March 2019 – enjoy.

Fat Face x Folk 

Following the success of their first collaboration, FatFace and Folk return with a new summer collection featuring unique fabrics, details and touches in a collection that remains easy to wear whilst being crafted to the highest quality. The 18-piece collaboration was designed to align closely to Folk’s style and to become a great modern yet practical essential in any man’s wardrobe, ideal for the warmer weather to come. Since 2002, British Brand Folk has created quietly elegant clothes that are crafted to the highest quality without following trends. Folk offer timeless staple pieces for the contemporary man and boast designs that feature special touches. Folk founder, Cathal McAteer and the FatFace design team have combined their design experience again to produce a menswear collaboration perfect for the summer with splashes of colour across a minimal range.

Nick Wooster x Paul & Shark 

Paul & Shark presents a new collaboration with Nick Wooster - a capsule collection that tells the Italian brand's story through the eyes of the eclectic American designer. The collaboration between the two came from the desire to increase the brand's influence among a more fashion-conscious clientele. The concept was for him to work on the brand's iconic products and make them unmistakably his own. Paul & Shark's trademark blue woollen sweater, with buttons on the shoulder, has been resized and made from nylon with fluorescent details. Colours, prints and patchwork details are the key elements of the collection. In terms of who wears these clothes, the only client who inspired Nick Wooster was himself. It is a collection of pieces that he wants to wear.

Silhouette Sunglasses  

Functionality and personality; Silhouette presents a sunglasses collection that makes a statement as well as fits your lifestyle. There is something new under the sun and there’s also more than meets the eye when it comes to shades - inner substance is just as important as the desire for individuality, quality, aesthetics and bold style. Features like UV 400 protection against UV-A, UV-B and UV-C radiation, a blue light filter, anti reflective coating, water-resistant lenses, the perfect fit and unparalleled lightness – a feature with which Silhouette has revolutionised the entire eyewear market. Two new collections and one special edition of the iconic Titan Minimal Art boast Silhouette’s outstanding premium quality and comfort. The highest standards of design meet striking colours and innovative technologies to give the sunglasses a sense of everlasting style.

Sperry Launches Sustainable Initiative 

Drawing on a heritage of innovation and a love for the sea, Sperry, the iconic American footwear brand known for creating the original boat shoe, is launching an on-going sustainability platform, Look Good. Do Good. The brand is introducing a new collection of shoes for men, women and kids for Spring 2019, made with BIONIC material, spun from plastic recovered from marine and coastal environments. A selection of best-loved silhouettes – Sperry’s Authentic Original boat shoe; the Captain’s CVO, and the women’s Crest Vibe sneaker, draw on Sperry’s sailing roots, featuring materials and styling inspired by vibrant, multi-coloured sailboat sails with patchwork pieces and stitching details. 

Closca Loop Bicycle Helmet 

Closca launches a new product with their inspirational and revolutionary philosophy, aiming to inspire change in sustainable mobility, this time with a more casual and affordable proposal. This new product, the Closca Loop Helmet, joins the brand’s already iconic duo of products: the Closca Helmet and Closca Bottle, recipients of the most relevant international design awards such as the Red Dot Award. The Closca Loop Helmet sports a more aerodynamic and urban design, with a total of 15 different possible colour combinations. Adapted from the first Closca Helmet, it keeps several of the original features but in a more affordable and versatile format. 

Caran d’Ache Ecridor Racing 

The iconic Ecridor collection goes full-throttle, with the new Ecridor Racing. Mirroring the sleek lines of automotive design, this Matte Black ballpoint is the latest, performance-inspired fine writing instrument. In 1953, Ecridor became the first writing instrument in Caran d’Ache’s Haute Ecriture collection, with a soaring architectural design imbued with Art Deco aesthetics. Its hexagonal body is inspired by the Maison’s instantly recognisable coloured pencil design and pioneers a brand-new artistic field in the engraving of precious metals. Ecridor Racing is the first model to exhibit completely black bodywork and serves as testament to the boundless ingenuity and skill of the Maison’s artisans. The six engraved faces of the Ecridor Racing boast a midnight black matte finish in chrome, set off by streaks of red – a subtle nod to the sleek lines traditionally found in high-performance racing cars.

JAK’ Shoes  

JAK’ Shoes are perfectionists, testing and crafting their products to the ultimate detail. They like simplicity and believe that a minimalistic and monochromatic design highlights the high-quality materials they source and the craftsmanship of their shoes. JAK’ want to go beyond fashion and create an authentic lifestyle experience. It’s their way of building and influencing tomorrow. JAK' shoes and accessories are produced in the northern region of Portugal, famous for its multi-generation shoe production family owned factories. They source locally and responsibly, and follow a strict ethical code, making sure their products’ raw materials have less environmental impact, and that the people they work with are fairly and ethically treated. To ensure this, they have hand-picked all our suppliers, and visit their facilities on a regular basis. Due to its combination of flexibility and durability over time, JAK Shoes use full grain leather, which is the highest quality and most valued part of the hide. Full grain leathers carry natural markings, that add character and age beautifully over time, just like people.

Spoke Launch T-Shirts  

For five years, London-based menswear brand SPOKE, have worked tirelessly to solve men’s most irritating, impossible-to-solve clothing dilemmas. Having disrupted the chino market with a better-fitting trouser, finished to order in over 200 sizes, they’ve turned their attention to a new challenge: the best fitting T-shirt ever made. After testing on a bunch of real men and 25 prototypes later, they have a beautiful tee to unleash on the world. “We believe that fit isn’t about fashion, it’s a technical problem to be solved, we’re bringing sharper resolution to your wardrobe.”

Bòtann Welly Boot 

Bòtann is building on Scotland’s welly-making heritage by launching ‘the welly rebooted’ on Kickstarter. Its high-grade rubber boot promises to change the way we think about wellies - when we wear them, how we wear them and how we feel in them. The ultimate aim for the company’s three founders is to create employment in Scotland by revolutionising the welly market through innovation, progressive design and quality craftsmanship. Bòtann’s vegan-friendly rubber boot is designed in Scotland and handmade using the finest single-estate natural rubber from sustainable harvests. It is lined with high-quality neoprene for warmth and comfort, while its premium sole is grippy and cushioning, and the super supportive insole ensures you’ll feel less like you’re wearing a welly and more like you’re wearing a trainer. 

We feature Nick Wooster x Paul & Shark, Sperry Bionic, Closca Loop Bicycle Helmet, and the Bòtann Welly Boot in March 2019’s Coolest Stuff.