FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

One of our best highlights of last year and a real pleasure and privilege was to be acquainted with our sister from Elista, an honoury member of Team CC. 
Danja, from Russia first came over to work with us and Peter O'Toole on a shoot and new collaborative projects last summer. 

The internet makes the world a small place, whilst that can have it's downside it's also brilliant too - we've met new friends from all over the globe via the world wide web, as well as dear old Blighty, from Stockholm, Berlin, Dublin, Porto, Hanover, Japan and now Russia to name a few. And what a joy to meet such a well turned out young lady. Danja who online will be well known from Instagram by her moniker mille_miglia from the famous CP jackets she's partial to, of course is rather 'famous' herself. 
Danja is now a bona-fide Connoisseur, cementing our friendship and indeed our working relationship we've met up again twice and done several shoots together. As well as working on some future projects and ideas. Danja continues to play an integral role in assisting us with our working relationship with Russia too, which includes some forthcoming authentic Russian t-shirt designs with independent designers Outskirts and Drei Striefen Madness. 
As well as being a cool girl she's also an avid collector of clothing and pretty savvy when it comes to all things casual. For those who say girls can't be 'dressers' we say what nonsense and she's the proof.  
Это было очень приятно встретить нашего нового друга, и вот к долгой дружбы вместе. Бог благословит Даня!

Here's a few words from Danja herself...

"First encounter with The Casual Connoisseur was in 2007. I remember myself an 18 year old girl  watching casualco.com, with open mouth staring at the pictures, clothes and website design. Being a student I did not have much money, I could not even buy a t-shirt! And then even more the weirs, which were sold out very quickly! What's more, I have always been delighted with the CC girl models. Shocking, bold but stunning pictures - if one had told me once I would be one in future - probably i'd have laughed to his face. But in a few years,  Peter O'Toole  met me over the internet and immediately offered to illustrate me in the 'Thing of Ours' style, later he showed the СС lads a picture and even suggested to make a t-shirt in collaboration with me . Until recently I did not believe in the reality of this idea, but as you can see, a t-shirt, created by CC and me is on sale in few days! 

The real pleasure was to visit Peter, Tom and Dan in the North and meet in real life. They proved to be very kind and caring cool guys and all my stay there was called  "Danja in Wonderland!" :).

I want to thank them and I hope our relationship will not end on this ! "

As always, we do what we like here at CC towers and that old adage we always say, 'that would look good on a t-shirt, that' rang true when we photographed her portrait. Our collaborative tee  fittingly snapped in her in her namesake coat taking a breather on an old Chesterfield armchair. Going online on Tuesday 22 April, 7pm (GMT) after the Easter weekend, it went to several stockists before our release and sold out quick, so they might not hang around. TC

PRODUCT UPDATE...

Now then, lot's of goings on here at CC HQ. As you might be able to tell on the shop we've been working tirelessly behind the scenes to bring a bunch of new product out. Over the coming weeks there'll be t-shirts a-plenty, as always each one as different to the next.  We've also got a selection of new prints being added soon too. PLUS as we continue to progress this little brand we've got some ACE new shorts on the way, made in Portugal with Newfangle just like our equally awesome Union II shirts, these will probably be gone as fast as they were! We've got our collaborative Black Project Capandula with 6876, another round of quality shirts with tuktuk, not to mention some cord, yes cord shoes with Veras and as well as Round Two of Curva Nord, we've also joined forces to bring back Rather Not Say for a limited edition collection. We're continuing to seek new ideas, designs and new products for the future including some more rather interesting collaborations. 
Sometimes you might forget about the blog with the social networks being that bit quicker and instant but it's always worth checking here for more detailed updates. As technology continues to evolve it's probably instagram for the first previews, so if you're not following us get involved and follow us on instagram.com/casualco. On instagram we do have quite a few comments asking when? How much? and where? 
As always it's shop.casualco.com product is either live and ready to go (unless it sells out quickly) or it's coming soon and where possible the date and details are on there. TC

KEYRING - THINGS, NICE.

Keyrings, why are they called keyrings? That's the metal ring that goes on keys and not the colourful interesting part, isn't it? They should be called keyring decal or keyring special or something. Anyway what ever they should be called, we had a bunch produced like last Christmas and we're finally getting them online now!
They're really ace made from a flexible raised PVC in vibrant colours and six choices no less. AND yes the metal ring thing comes with them too, for free. 
Online Thursday at 7pm (GMT) TC

THE UNION II SHIRT

 

Tomorrow evening sees the release of our 'Union II' shirt. Made in collaboration with NewFangle Clothing in Portugal, it's a reworking of our original Union shirt release from a few years ago. This time we've gone with a smoother, softer indigo chambray, details are : 
5.6 oz indigo Chambray, two button tab collar, box pleat and locker loop. Utility is key on this one; features five pockets : two pen inserts, jetted 'coin' pouch, secured button top pocket and one specifically designed to fit your iPhone/other. 
Twin stitched shoulder seams with contrast bar-tack detailing on pockets, reinforced elbow patches, darted cuffs and curved hem, contrast stitched button holes. Low key branding sees just a small woven Connoisseur label to hem and etched Mother of Pearl buttons with dual branding, with contrast black Mother of Pearl button to cuff placket.

Made at the same place as some of our favourite brands, we're very happy how this one came out and it's continued progression for the brand. The shirt is made from our own specific block which is the same measurements as all previous releases including those we've collaborated with tuktuk, so your normal size should apply. The shirt is online through both stores : Newfangle Clothing and ourselves from Monday 7th April at 7pm (GMT). TC

CONNOISSEUR + NEWFANGLE UNION II CHAMBRAY SHIRT. from CC-TV on Vimeo.

PIN SETS...

PINS! Our next in our continuing two-piece, two man pin sets "The Smart Bastards".
Go online tomorrow night at 7pm (GMT) TC

NEW TEES ONLINE

'The brand with two C's' tee, online tonight at 7pm.
Also a restock of two of our favourite tees from last year. Working Men's Club and Chicks in Kicks III from Saul.

TRAINSPOTTING HATS

Our last bobble hats of this winter are released tomorrow at 7pm (GMT). 
The trainspotting hat is a special edition release over two colours in blue and brown shades and in limited numbers of 50 hats per colour. This one pays tribute to a bygone era and a nod to the 80s jibbing on those football specials and Inter City trains as well of course as the geek chic unintentional cool of that of a retro-trainspotter. For more reading click here. TC

LUXURY HAND CRAFTED TITFERS

Tomorrow sees the release of our hand made luxury, premium headwear. Three styles: The Villain, The Noodles and the Sherlock, not to mention a lovely cashmere and wool mix scarf to compliment the Sherlock. Online Monday at 7pm TC

INTERVIEW WITH PROPER MAGAZINE

Proper Magazine interview with The Casual Connoisseur: 

"When we decided to up our interview game there was a natural place to start. We’ve known the lads behind The Casual Connoisseur for over a decade now. From daft days out watching a declining football club to late night emails comparing goretex scores on US eBay, we’ve a lot in common. That said, we’ve not seen each other enough lately, so to put that to bed and bag the first in our Talking Threads series, we led them to a Manchester rooftop and took pictures of them, before sitting down with a brew, all civilised." 

Click here for the interview.

ACE NEW PRODUCT ARRIVING ONLINE FROM MARCH

Now then, just a quick update that from March onwards there will be new products arriving online from the little niceties of mugs, keyrings and new pin badges, to lots of new tees and premium tweed headwear as well as a very limited, very special edition jacket with 6876 and Our Culture as part of 6876's Black Project, this is some serious outerwear; Ventile outer with taped seams, made with the Ministry of Defence in England. There'll be a lot more on that one soon, so stay tuned.

Please note whilst the shop remains open as normal, for the next twenty days there may be slight delays with sending orders as our local distribution centre (Post Office) is closed for a refurbishment. "Use another?" We will/are, but no where else is willing to do the system we have implemented and is vital our regular one does - hence time delays and a difficult decision had to be made of no new releases during this short period. Please also note any orders purchased from Thursday 27th Feb will be subject to a little delay with normal service resuming on Wednesday 5th March, (4 working days in total) we hope you can understand this brief disruption, they'll be plenty coming online in a week or so.TC 

TRAINSPOTTING - LOGO LOVE.

One of the greatest, coolest logos in British design history has to be the 'double arrows' British Rail logo, for me, anyway. Now pretty much defunct due to all the changes and privatisation over the years, however, the logo is still in use at most stations and visible on most tickets and signs throughout England, simply for that very very reason, it's unmistakable, it's classic, it's iconic. 
Designed in 1965 by 21 year old Gerry Barney, along with it's own accompanying Alphabet, designed by Jock Kinneir still in use today and adopted worldwide. The logo is so simple and timeless and as a corporate identity it's unforgettable. Seen on anything from the side of trains, the conductors and drivers great old uniforms, to it's own condiments, cutlery and even carpets, which we'll soon come to.
During the late 1970's to the 80's, the logo really came into it's own, with the train the choice of travel for football fans, with the now defunct, but infamous ramshackle Football Specials. The trains, which carried thousands of unsavory fans across the country during the days of yore for the football bovver boy. Coinciding with the boom of the casual era and those who wanted to go undetected, taking the better, posher trains like the Intercity 125, First Class of course, Bex Bissell style. The 80's saw a real peak for British Rail, old posters and television adverts featuring their tagline 'This is the Age of the Train'. Those adverts featuring the now 'orrible c*nt Jimmy Savile promoting the service in his Mountain Equipment Fitzroy coat. Once an iconic piece of footage - in an unlikely style icon kind of way. Now, the less said about it the better, especially as I've got that same coat! Persil also did those special deals with their product which allowed you to collect tokens for rail travel, these were easily tampered with and were taken advantage of once again, by football fans on their away jaunts.


To look at it today, the trains are a bit bland and boring. Conductors had ace uniforms, topped off with their own hats, it wouldn't happen today. Even Rail workers out in the field had their own outfits, Orange parkas, boiler suits, their own yellow trucks and vans. There was even British Rail ships on the seas.  Uniformed throughout, from head to toe, pencil to paper. Everything touched by that 'barb wire' logo, a real identity.
Anyway, getting massively carried away here, people might think I'm dead into trains, this takes us to our next idea, it's another carpet inspired pattern, back when British Rail started it's corporate takeover, everything was covered in that cool logo, even carpets. Our nod to that superb logo comes in the form of new hats.

Would that make a good hat? Yes it would. Available very soon. DC
Reference : Creative Review, Test Pressing, Bring Back British Rail.