Today in Gear: 5 Products You Need to Know

Finding the middle ground between “practical use” and “honest-to-goodness, straight-up pizazz” is the secret to finding gear that’s worth a spot in your regular rotation. Whether it’s a luxury watch with more meters than you know what to do with, or a piece of workout gear that’s more technically advanced than the smartphone in your pocket, we think that gearing up is all about blending form and function. From the return of the simple-yet-satisfying Eastpak into North America, to Blackstock & Weber’s hyped-up new work with J.Crew, this is Today in Gear.

Goldwin’s Fast Shell Series is built for breathability in the most humid conditions.

Goldwin

Presented by Goldwin

Goldwin’s latest innovations incorporate PERTEX®SHIELDAIR: A uniquely breathable waterproof and windproof membrane backed by a nanofiber structure. The fabric ensures you stay dry in bad weather while preventing the sticky feeling that might build up inside the garment during activity. This new fabric technology into two key items: the Fast Shell Light Jacket, and the Fast Shell Pocketable Pants.

Calling your childhood: Eastpak is back, baby.

Eastpak

After spending time investing in the European and Asia-Pacific regions, Eastpak has returned stateside, relaunching with a renewed focus on North America (and, frankly, just in time for peak backpack season — fall). Eastpak’s reemergence is anchored by two of its most iconic styles, the Padded Pak’r and the Padded Zippl’r.

Urban EDC’s latest knife takes a few pointers from sailors.

Urban EDC Supply

Designed in collaboration with knifemaker Jesper Voxnaes, Urban EDC’s F5.5 is an evolution upon the popular custom Vox F5 knife. Inspired by nautical knives, the F5.5 boasts a 4 mm thick, 2.7-inch Elmax blade in the iconic Vox modified sheepsfoot shape. All that said, we can’t get over the stunning bronze handle (which promises a unique patina).

I didn’t know I needed a tachymeter, telemeter and pulsometer (until I saw Omega’s new Speedmaster).

Omega

Do you know how to work a tachymeter, telemeter or pulsometer? Me neither, but Omega’s newest Speedmaster boasts all three scales for peak performance in tracking speed, distance based on sound and heart rate (respectively). At any rate, we can get behind Omega’s attention detail on an aesthetic level, which, when it comes to watches, is sometimes the most important detail of all.

Blackstock & Weber’s loafer collab will have even your “stylish friend” doing double takes.

J.Crew

For Chris Echevarria, founder of Blackstock & Weber, his J.Crew collaboration is a “full circle” moment. Having worked at the brand during its Tribeca Liquor Store-era heyday, Echevarria is proud to see his loafer brand collaborate with J.Crew in the same way as labels like Alden and New Balance. The collab includes a single loafer — a small, but significant, step forward in the plan to make J.Crew cool again.

Ask the Editor

John Zientek

A Gear Patrol reader asks:“My family bought me a Stetson hat a few years ago. Unfortunately, they bought me a white one and being used outdoors it gets dirty. Can I dye/change the color?“

The Editor: Thanks for reaching out! While it may be best to contact Stetson directly for pro tips on how to change the color, it is possible to dye it. But, you’d be better off finding a hatter to do it for you — it’s a time-consuming process that involves boiling the hat and re-blocking afterwards. Generally, dying hats at home is labor-intensive and has mixed results.

“If the hat shows signs of sweat or dirt after time outside, it can be cleaned. We’ve seen a worker at the Stetson factory in Texas get barbecue sauce stains out of white hat and it looked brand new afterwards! But like a good pair of jeans, beaver-felt hats like Stetsons age with time and show the wear of the user. Jeans fade, hats develop use marks as well — it’s part of the natural character of the material and there’s something unique about that. Hope this helps.“ —John Zientek, Style Editor

Want your question to be featured in our weekly “Ask the Editor” section? Well, that requires asking a question first. Send your most pressing product questions to [email protected] for a chance to be featured.

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