REI and Beams Revived Your Dad’s Built-Tough Parka From 1986

A cozy refresh on a hair-metal-era classic.Courtesy of BeamsBefore this year, Beams was primarily known on these shores for two things. First, its long-running string of covetable collabs with American brands like Levi’s, L.L.Bean, and Polo Ralph Lauren. And second: the regrettable fact that much of its best stuff was only available in Japan. Fortunately for menswear nerds across the land, one of those things is no longer true. Earlier this year, Beams opened its first US-facing webstore, and it continues to crank out top-shelf collabs with iconic American makers. The latest of these is the Beams x REI Co-op Expedition Parka, a cobalt blue and red down puffer drawn straight from the archives of the stalwart American outdoors brand.Courtesy of BeamsThe parka is the result of a collaboration between REI creative director Scott Mosher and Keita Kobayashi, the menswear buyer for Beams. “Japanese vintage culture is very big,” Kobayashi says, “and we grew up with vintage clothing from the US, so when we started the conversation with REI, we carefully thought about what was most iconic about REI.” During a visit to REI’s Seattle archives, which are home to nearly a century’s worth of mountaineering gear, Kobayashi and his team found their muse in a bright blue parka from 1986.Beams has largely been built on clothing inspired by classic American military, workwear, and sportswear designs with a subtle Japanese flavor. “‘Basic and exciting’ is the key ethos,” Kobayashi says. “We create something basic—never too much, but always with a little bit of excitement. The tweak to an idea always makes Beams something special.” As such, the Beams x REI Co-op Expedition Parka is remarkably similar to its 1980s forebear, with a few key exceptions—the most notable of which are the REI and Beams logos stitched in yellow across the chest and the hood, respectively. More subtle are the material improvements, like recycled ripstop nylon, a generous amount of 650-fill down, and a layer of Windstopper Gore-Tex.Courtesy of BeamsCourtesy of BeamsAs keen-eyed Beams fans will recall, this is the second outing between the two brands. The first, last year, was a three-way collab between Beams, REI Co-op, and Swiss sportswear brand On. The Beams-ified On Cloudultra 3 trail runners were the halo piece of the collection, but the BaseCamp 4 Tent decorated with illustrations of Mount Rainier, Mount Fuji, and the Matterhorn—one American, one Japanese, one Swiss—was no less inspired. Looking back, the On x Beams x REI collab was a taste of the creative magic that can happen when a legendary Japanese label links up with an 88-year-old American outdoor outfitter. Given Beams’ growing presence on these shores, it may also be a sign of more good things to come.Sign up for Show Notes to get news on the latest runway shows, parties, and insider events on the international fashion circuit.Jeremy Freed writes about style, culture, and watches for GQ. His work also appears in Puck, The Globe and Mail, and The Wall Street Journal, among other fine publications. His favorite sandwich is the #19 at Langer’s. Jeremy is the author of American Style: The Look and Legacy of John ... Read More