Apple launched the much-anticipated iPad mini last week, and with it their own smart cover—a familiar folding design only made a touch more magical by the reduction of materials and realignment of magnets so that the edges lock together when folded in to a stand. Of course, there were many…
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The world’s lightest NeoShell jacket from Canada’s tech-driven outerwear maker
Weighing about as much as a bottle of water, Westcomb‘s impressive 15oz Switch LT Hoodie is the latest to be named the world’s lightest NeoShell jacket. While outerwear companies spend every season trying to capture industry attention, Westcomb is one of the few to hit the high mark year after year with cleanly designed, solidly manufactured gear created from start to finish under one roof in Vancouver.
A performance-driven, waterproof shell designed for all conditions, the Switch is made of Polartec Neoshell fabric, a revolutionary lightweight material rated at the market’s highest level of breathability and waterproof capability. With a slightly slimmer fit and articulated joints for ease of motion, the jacket maintains function while tackling the divide between tech and style. Multiple zippered pockets give the jacket just the right amount of portage possibilities while keeping contents completely dry. Westcomb president and lead designer Alan Yiu explains that the design team “started with a core foundation of the best possible materials, and then built the design upward from there, adding only what’s truly necessary for users in the field.”
The Switch LT Hoodie is now available from Westcomb in colorways spanning basic neutrals to adventurous bold hues, for $430. An investment piece, the ripstop nylon jacket will likely last a lifetime, allowing you to easily traverse rainy city streets or off-road trails.
I happened to stumble upon some really awesome vintage design in the unexpected form of ammunition packaging. Here's a collection we gathered from around the web – we hope you'll find it as a source of inspiration.
What I liked most about some of the older boxes in this collection is the heavy wordiness evident in most vintage packaging, the classy and ornate fonts and almost feminine detailing. The way the whole design pulls together gives me a truckload of inspiration for my next packaging design project. This stuff would totally inspire me for a single malt or beer label for instance, or maybe a men's body care collection.
Continue reading to see the entire collection of printed vintage ammunition boxes and labels.
The above Winchester package in red/yellow seems to be not quite as old as some of the earlier Winchester packaging.
Above, Peters shotgun shell packaging features a pretty, full-color illustration of a flying mallard duck.
The first Peter's package in this image has an interesting design with an elongated 'P' encircling the shell illustration.
I get the feeling of 'high quality' from the Winchester label above. The little signed note adds to the effect. (Notice the spelling of 'staynless')
Nice branding touch – large 'W' on the side for Winchester, one of the most popular brands of cartridges it seems.
Defiance brand shot-shells – they mean business. Good name.
Gorgeous packaging for Peters Cartridge Co. in illustrated full color. This looks as if it were the cream-of-the-cartridge-crop at the time.
Remington's package above has incredibly sweet detail in the borders (check out those chains) plus the company name (six words long!) along with the full address on the front – lend prestige to the brand. (Unlike the way packaging today often features the company line on the back panel in small letters out of the way.)
Want more vintage ammunition packaging? Here are some resources of auctions and collectors:
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