Is it any wonder some of the best menswear labels today have come from the Nordic lands? Our Legacy 1980-81 is one of the wonderful labels born in Stockholm who manages to revitalizes menswear and bring a sense of classic refinement to the modern gentleman. There is just some magic that Our Legacy works which finds the fine balance between fashion and understatement– their collections, drawing a subjective concept for each season, is surprisingly relevant and never strenuous. And of course, the label has never sacrificed fit or quality for the sake of creativity; if anything, those are the two rules of thumb the folks at Our Legacy live by.

British designer, Nigel Cabourn, started his own label more than 30 years ago in 1970 while he was in his final year of college. With a penchant for interesting fabric and detailing, Cabourn started collected a range of vintage pieces, starting from military outerwear, during this period of time. His passion for vintage clothing inspired a lot of Cabourn’s designs and collections. Cabourn has a meticulous method approach to clothes making but also has a sartorial ability to make vintage styles modern again with historically accurate details. Check Cabourn’s remake of Sir Edmund Hilary’s jacket on his ascend to Everest that has been the talk and purchase of town since it was released.

Last year, the Watanabe man is an exemplification of rugged masculinity. He is that quiet logger; that self-sufficient Thoreau man who can hunt and fish, and perhaps, fire a shot if need be. This year, Watanabe brings the man back from the wild, and then situates him in what may be considerably crazier—downtown. The Watanabe man this Fall/Winter, is a hipster. But mind you, this man is not the poseur, he knows what he is talking about, what he is wearing, and brings a sense of technicality and practicality into his insouciant couture. As GQ had commented, this is a guy who “knows it’s not about the swagger, it’s about the glide”. A little Mod with a vintage downtown jazzy vibe, the Watanabe man is clad in suits this season, albeit mixed in with casual pieces that adds just the right balance of bringing the look from uptown down.

New Parisian label, Commune de Paris, 1871, is incepted with the concept of revolution to bring back humanist values and react against oppression, inequality and exploitation of works back in 1871. The label reinterprets historical values from that year into a range of apparel and accessories, reworking French revolutionary symbols into modern and refined clothing.

American designer, Thom Browne, is known for his irreverence. Here is the man who has decided that a grown man can outgrow his suits, and still pull them off, and has surprisingly and successfully, introduced the shrunken suit which has not only challenged many’s perception about somber menswear, but also become a source of inspiration. For his Fall/Winter 2010 collection, Browne continues to thread the fine line between tailored (think he’s classically American preppy pieces at Brook Brothers) and playful. At the runway presentation, Browne sent out men clad in layers and layers of mixed apparel, pairing chunky ski-lodge knits with plaid suits and cummerbund, championing that the Browne men can be mature, but mature doesn’t mean taking oneself too seriously.

A marriage of two great American traditions, Filson has partnered up with Levi’s to celebrate the heritage of hardworking Americans– the longshoremen, the builders, the railroad workers, and miners, who have helped develop and build our nation. Set to hit stores for Fall/Winter 2010, Levi’s Workwear by Filson brings on board vintage and hardwearing detailing such as genuine bridle leather, brass rivets and Filson’s own oil-finish tin cloth to create one of the best workwear collections we have seen– and this is quite a hefty compliment considering how workwear has been a tried and sometimes abused trend in the past few seasons. The entire capsule collection including Filson’s take on the classic Levi’s Truck Jacket, Filson Cruiser Jacket constructed from Levi’s raw denim, and Filson’s Denim Shooting Shirt, are made in USA at Filson’s factory in Seattle, WA. The collection is currently available Filson’s online store and at your finer retailers such as Freemans Sporting Goods.