M.J. Bale

Lean into our Jude velvet jacket, gassed in a swanky petrol green colour. Pictured with the Stuart tuxedo shirt, black Saunders trousers and satin self-tied/untied bow tie.

Paint it Black: Part of our Seasonal Masterpieces collection, the Lonzo velvet shawl collar tuxedo, woven in Lombardy, Italy, is a black tie beast for wedding enthusiasts and hard-hitting hedonists.

Kanpai! Straight from the top shelf are our latest Made in Japan suits: (left) the Nozaki black wool suit and (right) Shibara grey wool suit, both hand-sewn in the Iwate Prefecture. Worn with the Nozaki is our Kobo white shirt, woven in Hiroshima.

Men At Work: For the creative guy and/or gent looking for a little more ‘crumpled elegance’, may we propose combining the Mason corduroy trousers with the Rydell jacket, Newman shirt and water-repellent Balfour coat.

Men At Work: This combo is definitely green, but is no style rookie move. Take the navy Godwin wool suit, and punch up the green accents with the Asher V-neck knit, Berry tie and water-repellent Earl car coat

Men At Work: Put a positive spin of workday blues with this artful, all-business combo, featuring the woven in Italy Babuino blue wool suit and light blue Oberon wool coat. The Pagano tie, hand-crafted in southern Italy, is a colour-pop power move.

“Calm and gentle wool,” is how Kaneko-san describes Kingston’s natural fibre, which is grown on a conservationist enterprise considered of crucial biological significance to Australia.

In May this year, M.J. Bale Founder, Matt Jensen (far left), travelled to Kingston farm in Tasmania to show our master tailor, Kaneko Kenihci (middle), the soul of M.J. Bale. It was a meeting of the masters, considering Kingston owner, Simon Cameron (far right) is Australia’s woolgrower version of Kaneko-san: a custodian with decades of experience considered internationally at the top of his game.

Meet the Makers: Ikuma-san, the CEO of our denim maker in Kojima, pictured with his mother, Atsuko-san, the head seamstress. Atsuko personally oversees the production of all our limited edition selvedge denim jeans, jackets and overshirts.
 
Ikuma says the company’s competitive advantage is artisanal craftsmanship. “We really care about every stitch,” he says. “For example, we really care about the corners of the pockets on the jeans. Every corner has to be very clean and sharp. This is the artisanal way. It is about attention to detail. Look at my mother, Atsuko. She is the master. She has been doing this for 40 years. But every day she challenges us all to be better. It is the love behind the making.”

Made in Okayama: Our limited edition ‘Kamakiri’ selvedge denim jeans, jackets and overshirt are made in a small, family-run atelier in Kojima, Okayama – the home of Japanese denim.
 
Constructed according to traditional denim workwear techniques, 25 different panels of indigo-dyed fabric are used in each pair of Kamakiri jeans, sewn together over 42 different stages. The jeans are twin needle stitched, using 10 stitches per 3cm, to make them stronger and more durable. They are also chain-stitched to make more elastic. Brushed felt is sewn on the inside of the jeans to make them a more comfortable wear.

Turtle Season: Update the classics, staying toasty warm in the process, pairing our navy Morrison Super 110s wool suit with the Bakeer single-source wool turtleneck knit

Winter is the time to get the pins out – specifically, our new Zeppelin three-piece wool flannel suit in timeless navy-white pinstripe.

Keen to savour a fine burgundy? Crafted from a rich, burgundy-coloured wool cloth, the Guthrie suit is a full-bodied winter fit.

Time to hang in our woven in Italy Kelman trousers in colours of burgundy, French green and winter white.

More big show than “business bro,” the vintage grey Davis gilet is a huge winter warrior. Constructed for toasty goodness, features include quilted padded body, front handwarmer pockets and ribbed collar and hem. Snug it out.

Cable knits and cardigans so comfy you could sleep in them, but ruggedly elegant enough to wear them both to work and hiking in the country (calling all Scandis).

Argyle guile? Knitted from soft lambswool, the Raker vee is our latest Argyle pattern knit to arrive fresh from the winter collection. Available in stores and online now.

Woven in Italy from a luxe, warm blend of 85% wool and 15% cashmere, the navy Boccaccio topcoat is a luxe but versatile wardrobe beast. Wear it over your suit and tie for toasty workday commutes, or for a contemporary riff, pair it with the Monty Argyle cardigan and Shotaro cargo pants, woven in Japan from premium cotton.

Designed with a 5cm higher waistband rise than our regular trousers, and with a more relaxed leg fit, the pleated cotton Kelman trousers are coming in fresh this winter.
 
The Kelman is styled here with the Appleby wool polo and its Seasonal Masterpieces sibling, the Sanders flight jacket in green brushed cotton twill.

In pursuit of nature, rugged living and big wave surfing “at the edge of the world,” adventurer and long-time Mate of the Bale, , journeyed to the remote south-west corner of Tasmania.
To help him brave the elements – outside of the water, at least – we stuffed Alex’s backpack full of M.J. Bale’s ‘wild-wear’ created especially for the winter Escapist.
Coming up, Libs hits the coast…

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Simon-san, Kaneko-san and Matt-san yesterday in Kingston’s shearing shed.

Kaneko-san runs his fingers over Kingston superfine Merino wool fleece. Long, strong, clean, bright and elastic, Kingston fleece is regularly awarded 1PP status by the Australian Wool Exchange for wool that exhibits “superlative quality, style and soundness and be prepared in the best possible manner.”

Welcome to Kingston, Kaneko-san!

After taking the Tokyo > Sydney red eye, followed by an early morning flight to Launceston, our Japanese master tailor, Kaneko, arrived at Kingston farm yesterday typically well dressed but in surprisingly fresh form.

Kaneko spent the day touring the conservationist farm with Kingston farmer, Simon Cameron, and our Founder, Matt Jensen, feeding the Merinos, getting his hands in the wool and checking out Simon’s latest revegetation projects.

“Are you happy, Kaneko-san?” we asked him right after this photo was taken. “Hai, happy,” he nodded, then paused. “No, happiest!”

From Japan, with love: Involving over 50 hours of craftsmanship, and featuring a full-canvas construction, our artisanal Made in Japan Collection suits are garments of integrity, combining a passion for craft and a Japanese eye for detail. 
Featured above the Shibara suit.

Plush Hour
Woven in Italy, the Lonzo and Jude velvet jackets, are your sartorial wingmen for supercharging the black tie and cocktail big-bash.

From Japan, with love: Involving over 50 hours of craftsmanship, and featuring a full-canvas construction, our artisanal Made in Japan Collection suits are garments of integrity, combining a passion for craft and a Japanese eye for detail. 
Featured above the Nozaki suit.

Seasonal Masterpieces: Constructed over 50 hours in Iwate, Japan, including hand-sewn arm holes, collars and cuffs for supple  comfort and movement, the Matsumoto is the pinnacle of Japanese tailoring craft.
 
Limited edition only. Available for pre-order now.

Seasonal Masterpieces: Designed in Italy along new lines and with updated silhouettes, our Seasonal Masterpieces are a capsule of progressive, expertly-crafted garments for the fashion-forward M.J. Bale guy.
 
A key garment in the capsule is our Sangro suit. With single pleat trousers that feature a higher waist rise, and constructed in a dark green wool flannel twill that has been woven in Italy, the Sangro suit is a relaxed yet elevated take on traditional tailoring.

Seasonal Masterpieces: Premium casual layering done right, featuring the woven in Italy corduroy Messner flight jacket, and Kamakiri selvedge denim jeans and jacket – both made by artisans in Okayama, Japan.