JKISSI : The combat boot has been stomping on the runway for years now, far away from the actual battlefield where soldiers risk their lives every day. Military boots have been embedded in history and linked to various groups from goth, to punk, to industrial . There are various types of military boots depending on the climate and terrain of the location. A great recommendation by a friend led me to purchase the jungle boot.  Based on the great price point alone I had no choice but to beat these boots to shreds during the colder season. With high fashion brands producing military boots at a premium price, our friends over at  GQ  featured the combat boot in their popular guide “GQ Guide for Dressing for Less”, discarding the notion that you have to purchase those brands that more than quadruple their price point for the boot.

J.Crew Fatigue Jacket – Lands End 5 pocket Colored jeans – Army Jungle Boot - BR Utility Shirt – (Alternative) - 3sixteen x Tanner goods double strap

Fit Details : I have been wearing this J.Crew fatigue jacket quite frequently since the weather refuses to burst into full-on spring. This item is a classic rendition on military inspired outerwear which everyone can appreciate with J.Crew’s distinctive wash on the piece.  My personal favorite detail on  the jacket has to be the drawstring and multiple pockets. -||-  Have you ever come across a pair of jeans and wished that they came in your desired fit ? Add a tailor and a few days and that’s exactly what I did here with these Lands End jeans – a great toasty shade of brown. Fair enough my family has been receiving the catalogue for countless years and I decided to take advantage of that to broaden my pant color options. Some people would definitely label this idea slightly out of the box,  or in better words just plain old crazy.

This ode to the boots speaks for itself: It was interesting to rip the tag off the boots that read “Check for snakes and insects” notifying me of the severity that could be at hand. These are great boots that can also be multi-purposed for this moderate spring weather we’re experiencing. I would seriously recommend wearing cushion socks and getting your hands on a nice insole if you don’t want any unkind foot blisters.

The first jungle boots were made of canvas and rubber and used in the South Pacific during World War II. The first model was standardized 31 Aug 1942 and went into production that year, to try to meet the unexpectedly large requirements for war in the Pacific Theater. It had a canvas duck top and an attached tongue that kept out mud and insects (top photo on this page). The corrugated rubber sole had good traction while a removable fabric insole kept the feet away from the rubber. Overall, the boot was lightweight and kept the feet and lower legs comfortable when worn with cushion sole socks. It was easily cleaned and dried. – Source – Olive Drab

Jungle boot production line via LIFE Archives

Trav : I’ve always been intrigued by the classic prep-and ivy-style when it is done effortlessly. RL Polo has always reigned supreme with their classic polo and their creativity with colors. One brand that frequently goes unrecognized, however, is Tommy Hilfiger. I might get in trouble for this, but the Tommy Hilfiger of the  90s had some of the best designs I’ve ever laid eyes upon. Their shirts and polo’s were spectacular. Tommy of today still makes good products but they are definitely a lot more toned down. I don’t quite know when it started, but myself and Josh have been working up quite the collection of classic Tommy Hilfiger pieces. T’is the season for a nicely fitted, tucked-in polo shirt, and this brand definitely delivers. Many of us are old enough to remember the extreme hip-hop sportswear trend of the 90′s that milked Tommy Hilfiger for all it’s worth. After the trend was over the Tommy brand was forced to do some extreme remodeling and ended up with a more toned down, contemporary, modern look. Stay tuned to see more classic Tommy pieces here on StreetEtiquette. I must add that this is not an attempt to turn this into a trend, its just us once again highlighting some well done pieces.

Fit Details : Tommy Hilfiger polo shirt – Uniqlo pants- Ralph Lauren Belt-   Florsheim X Duckie Brown wingtips

The Tommy polo came at a very, very reasonable price. Like I said before, these items from the 90′s go virtually unrecognized as everyone springs for the classic Polo items. I of course had it tailored. That shirt is actually a size large. I normally wear medium but after i got the body and the sleeves taken in, it fits great. I also have a couple of mediums that had to be taken in. For me, it’s really important to get a perfect fit on a polo shirt. Loose sleeves and a boxy fit throws off the entire look, no matter how dope the polo is. The secret to getting stuff tailored at a bargain is buy cheap, but that goes without saying.

These shoes are one of my most favorite to date. I got them a couple months ago on ebay. The Duckie Brown collabration with Florsheim always delivers. The colors are always interesting and on point. I find that the paint of the edges tend to chip which is very unfortunate.

JKISSI : As I perused through the LIFE archives I couldn’t help but notice the reoccurring appearance of saddle shoes during the previous mid-century.  Known as one of the few All-American classic shoes, the saddle shoes popularity began primarily around the 1940′s and 50′s. Identified by different names, such as saddle shoes or saddle oxfords, the shoe was intended for functional use for sports such as tennis and squash, but as you know, sneakers came into the picture and became the go-to “sport shoe”. The two-tone shoe was known simultaneously as classy and sporty and became a teen craze during its reign, forever solidifying the look between adults and teenagers across the country.  Although myself and Travis are wearing saddle shoes in brown tones, the traditional color way consists of a white upper accompanied by black saddle at the mid-section.

Rugby Madras Blazer – Uniqlo Oxford – TM Trousers - Bostonian Saddle shoe

Fit Details : As many of you may know from the previous summer the lightweight fabric madras is a favorite of mine. Last time around I dedicated an ode to madras where I wore a pair of J. Crew madras classic fit pants. Now 9 months later they have been tailored and I can’t wait to wear them this Spring/Summer.  A slightly misfitting blazer  purchased from a friend has been transformed into my own liking with a bit of tailoring.

Photography : This time around we chose a slightly different path by working with San Diego native photographer Chaz Cruz . In this day where many can grab the label of being a Photographer, this gentleman actually embodies the hard work , vision and clarity of one. We decided to change up the scenery from our familiar background to the world famous Central Park: 843 acres of green, asphalt and concrete for all to roam through.

Vintage Ralph Lauren ‘Vertical Stripe’ shirt – Uniqlo pants – J. Crew Saddle shoes

Left image – 1953 ||| Right image – 2010

Searching for saddle shoe images I stumbled across this image, apparently an Iowa resident by the name of Tom Alex back in 1953 on his first day of kindergarten and around the same age as my nephew Jeremiah. Intriguing to see 57 years later and 4 years late of their 100-year anniversary the saddles are still being worn. Simply a perfect example on how history repeats itself time and time again.