November is a serious month: life gets colder, fall turns to winter, and yet the holidays, family and friends warm us up. Here are our top 10 November men’s essentials, all currently available for purchase, so you can get out and about through the holidays and look damn good along the way.

1. Barbour Dockman Cable Sweater There’s a reason dock workers used to live in sweaters like this one that has stood the test of time: they’re rugged, handsome and hold up against rain, wind and sleet. 100% lambswool.

2. Moore & Giles Weekend Duffel, $735. Packing smartly begins with you’re your choice of bag. This version from Moore & Giles is the ideal size, sling it over your shoulder and make your last minute escape. Available in black or brown leather.

3. J.Press Wool Knit Hat, $48. All American style, bold, graphic and colorful. Let your accessories bring your look together during the winter.

4. Gant Toggle Jacket, $698. City prep, sharp and functional. Worn by the boys in Dead Poets Society – the rebellious ones who escape and smoke out in the old cave at night.

5. Fingerless Gloves from Urban Outfitters, $12. Inexpensive but loaded with style. Red is the accent color of the season. Bring your otherwise subtle and dark look to life.

6. Urbanears Plattan Headphones, $60.00. A pair of headphones are mandatory for long trips. You can pick from over a dozen colors, but nothing beats black. Swedish style, booming sound.

7. Yuketen Dress Hunt Boots. Made in America by designer Yuki Matsuda. Inspired by the great outdoors, yet refined and modern in black leather. The 5” height will keep your feet warm well into the New Year. Made by hand – for the field or street.

8. Tom Ford 5718 Eyeglasses. Channel you inner movie start with these beautiful thick frame glasses from Tom Ford, the same style worn by Colin Firth in “A Single Man.” Thick glasses add angles and help define your face – always useful after eating and drinking your way through the holidays.

9. Dark Denim 7 For All Mankind, $189 Dark denim works on any occasion. This version is the right cut: slim straight, “Standard” – Tailored Denim denotes the wash in this case. Trust me, you’ll love these jeans. You can buy them online with confidence.

10. Breuninger Leather Travel Backgammon. £185 Chill by the fire and entertain family and friends with an old school favorite. Also makes a great gift. Leather roll up case with brown and beige wood chips.

For any questions on the items above, or for advice on men’s style, tweet them @Brett Fahlgren 

This Boutique Critique is about the amazing designer vintage store, 1 Of A Find.  Curator and self-professed shopaholic Honey Moon goes on buying trips all over the world seeking out beautiful, unique, impossible-to-get-your-hands-on Hermes, Chanel, Gucci, Lacroix, and Lanvin to satisfy her international clientele.  She used me as a Barbie doll and transported me into worlds I only dream of.  Best part? Her prices are as unique as her collection, so we definitely recommend scooting over to her Brooklyn location asap.  Check out all our amazing finds after the jump.

This gown was to DIE for.  It caught my eye immediately as a dress made for the 1950′s movies I play out in my head. When Anna Wintour extends me a VIP invitation to the Met Gala, I will surely be sporting something like this on the red carpet.

Vintage red bow evening dress- $250
Neiman Marcus rhinestone snake shoes- $135
Gold Heart Christian LaCroix earrings- $125
Little Black velvet purse with rhinestone clasp- $65

Oh-la-Lanvin!  This split front evening skirt with matching metallic sandals took my breath away.  I channeled Carrie Bradshaw and paired it with a Levi’s jean jacket and a fun net hat (something so Kate Middleton right now) to mix it up.

Lanvin gold brocade skirt- $850
Black velvet and net hat- $55
1950′s pink silk slip- $65
1960′s gold platform sandals- $68

The perfect summer maxi — the sheer chiffon made it cool in the heat while making a major fashion statement with its bold prints.  Paired with Dior booties, a Gucci bag, and a summer straw hat, I was loving this luxe warm weather look.

Sheer floral chiffon dress- $138
1950′s pink silk slip- $65
vintage coral necklace- $48
wooden beaded necklace- $25
1970s Pottery leaf & corded necklace $55
1970s Gucci “hobo” bag- $345
Chunky Amber Bracelet- $75
Wide brimmed straw hat- $55

You can’t do Brooklyn vintage without channeling a little inner hipster.  These Dior shoes (with the angelic sweet bows), vintage Levi’s and amazing seuqin blouse kept the look casual but party ready.  A python bag and flat brimmed hat made me look MUCH cooler than I am.

Silk and Sequin blouse- $85
Stetson hat fedora- $125
Vintage Levi’s 501s- $85
Dior Python and leather shoes- $65
Beige python and leather bag- $135

What screams glamour like a metallic jumpsuit?  Nothing.  What screams glamour-queen? Pairing it with these futuristic shades, a geometric statement necklace, and lace up leather booties. Retro chic and ultra fierce.

1980′s silver colored jumpsuit- $115
Etienne black and gold belt- $35
Maud Frizon brown leather booties- $138
Liz Claiborne 2 tone glasses- $45
Monet black and gold necklace- $65

The Mod Squad would have adopted me in a heartbeat in this Montaldo Op Art dress.  I fell in love with the digital print, it was so eye catching and well, trippy.  Bubbled sleeves and a high neck are hard to pull off without looking like Julie Andrews, but this psychedelic wonderland of a dress with slim cuts made it utterly chic.  I fell in love with the leather wedges and actually scooped them up for myself (sorry shoppers!).

Montaldo’s Op Art Dress- $115
Andrew Gellar white leather clutch with gold trim- $85
Chunky multi-colored beaded necklace- $65
Clegerie leather platform sandals- $88

I never thought I could pull off a Blair Waldorf headband until I found this gem of a velvet headband.  So sweet and a little schoolgirl, it matched perfectly with this lace dress from the 60′s. The chunky heeled shoes kept the look 100% vintage, and the hand painted wooden purse kept a touch of fantasy in the mix.

1960′s burgundy lace dress- $98
burgundy satin headband- $35
1960s hand painted wooden lock purse- $135
Chaos of London stacked black velvet shoes- $85

If you have any questions about the store and more vintage finds, tweet me @iamsamlim

Layer 5: The Throw. On top is a thin sarong aka giant scarf aka sheet. It should be about 5 feet in one direction, enough so you can wrap yourself in it. A soft traditional cotton feels great, but get experimental. A stretch jersey or linen or silk or wool (but not this time of year) each has its own benefits.

Layer 4: The Netted Sweater. Find a cropped sweater with a gaping crochet or knit. The holier the better for seeing through to the layers underneath. It will ad some insulation from the chill, but you won’t overheat. Cheap trick: find a sweater like this at Goodwill and crop it yourself.

Layer 3: The Thin Open Cardigan. An open layer that’s thin won’t weigh you down or heat you up. This one is by Rick Owens and sure to be luxuriously fabricated with the most breathable knit there is, but you can find a sweater akin to this anywhere.

Layer 2: The Sheer Button Up: This is the first line of defense on your arms. Barely there, it allows airflow and vision straight through to the dress beneath. Button to the top for an austere, yet surprisingly sexy effect.

Layer 1: The Maxi Dress. The smooth length of the floor length dress is an excellent canvas to paint layers upon. I like the stripes because it permits the eye to accept the choppy layers you’ll be applying atop it. This one is around $60 in the UK, but there are many great maxi dresses out in the American Market.

Now go forth and layer. Forgo the coat!

To enter the contest  LIKE  Hawke & Co on Facebook and  tell them what you’re listening to on your iPod right now to win the Cobre jacket. The jacket comes in Black, Grey and White and the winner can choose which color they prefer. Some features of the jacket are that it’s lightweight with a roll-up hood and profunctional – water resistant, blocks wind (has HK Wind Guard) and long lasting. It also retails for $150 and hits stores later this month which means the winner will be one of the first to own this jacket.

Good luck and make sure to LIKE Hawke & Co.

Taylor Momsen is 17. She had her big break starring on the tween hit Gossip Girl. And now she’s calling out Rihanna for wearing a leather jacket, saying that the pop star’s sartorial choice is unacceptable since Rihanna is not a rocker. What? From a recent interview with Spin:

“People think pop is rock, and the lines are getting blurred. Now Rihanna’s wearing fucking leather jackets, and it’s really annoying.”

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Press your luck with more of our Taste Tests. Shop our guides to the best leather jackets and the best blazers. Sign up for SheFindsMail for exclusive fashion updates.

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LINK LOVE:Can You Tell Which Utility Jacket Is Vince And Which Is Old Navy?

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SLU Editor Ramona Canino and The Seersucker Shorts

J.Crew Seersucker Shorts, Martin Margiela Jacket, Ann Demeulemeester Shirt, Subversive Necklace, Rick Owens Boots

LINK LOVE:Twisted Classic – The Seersucker Shorts

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LINK LOVE:Winter Kate ‘Eden’ Silk Jacket

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Is there anything more rad than a jean jacket? No other outerwear highlights the wearer’s femininity while hinting at her dangerous streak. Like a rattle in the desert, a jean jacket warns that only the adventurous need travel further. This chick is just as comfortable meeting the band as she is meeting the parents. She may order a can of Pabst or a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a taxi or a town car.

Current/Elliott’s Snap Jacket offers James Dean’s cool and Natalie Wood’s passion. Traditionally rebellious, this jacket is perfect for breaking curfew. True Religion’s Leah Vest is just as distressing (to uptight authority figures) as it is distressed. And the impossibly chic and incorrigible can graduate to an AG Jeans white denim jacket. This classically cool cut offers a clean and crisp option perfect for coupling with your favorite pair of jeans.

–Jason

LINK LOVE:Jean Jackets: Venom Dressed in Denim

Pauline
“I am a student in HighSchool
For me Fashion is a game where you can choose
your character. I have no idea about what my look is …
I love LaDurée’s Macaroons
I don’t like to talk about me
If I had 1 000€ to spend in Fashion,
I would buy Sartore SR1731 shoes
and a leather jacket”.

I wear a T-Shirt by NAF-NAF
Skirt by H&M
Shoes by ASH
Belt from my mother
Bag by ZARA
Glasses by YSL
Jewels from London
Watch by SWATCH
Perfume: “L’Oriental” by L’EAU JEUNE

LINK LOVE:Pauline – Montorgueil – Paris

One of my all-time favorite collections is the amazing Junya Watanabe Fall Winter 2006 where he dressed up models in reconstructed army wear, cropped boots with studs, patchwork mesh leggins and chained leather/pvc masks with mohair crochet. It just blew me away when I saw it for the first time. It still does… This collection truly represents what army surplus refashioning can be at its best – neo-punk with an edge. Honestly, if Globe Hope and other refashion brands made shit (especially the jackets are amaaazing..) like this they could triple their prices. I mean I´m sure it´s better to sell one jacket for 350 € than 3 for 100 €.. No?

The runway collection pictures and detail shots can finally be viewed from FirstView, for free. Go go go!!!

LINK LOVE:Junya Watanabe Fall Winter 2006

(netaporter.com)

LINK LOVE:"Leather for the Weather"

A perfect tunic…..I wish I could see more of the back!
How cool is this jacket……I love that kind of creativity!

This is another great jacket……the longer back, soft layers underneath and asymmetrical buttons adds a bold and unique look.

What can I say about this, that isn’t evident just looking at it! That’s some artistry!

I love that flowing, “billowy” effect!

Fab-u-lous…..I would have loved to see this constructed from start to finish.

Of course I was drawn by the bow.

This is not something that I would wear, but it caught my eye.

(apparelnews.net)

LINK LOVE:California College of Arts Senior Show