A few of our favourite new-season pieces from the likes of Camoshita, Wacko Maria and Chimala.

December is often somewhat merry and twinkly and suchlike, but it’s not traditionally particularly exciting, style-wise. At least this tends to be the case in the Western world, where by this point in the year, our favourite European brands will have likely delivered most of their winter collections, resulting in a relative dearth of newness. Thank goodness then for our friends from Japan, who, hardly distracted at all by the bright lights of Christmas, tend to be pleasingly forthcoming when it comes to new products. For anyone not currently inducted into the Japanese brand fan club, now is the time to dive in: on MR PORTER this month, as well as exclusive capsules from the likes of Ivy League mainstay Beams Plus and surf-inspired brand Remi Relief, we have new-season arrivals from Neighborhood, Chimala, Camoshita and Wacko Maria – the lattermost of which is new to us this season. Scroll down for some of our favourite picks from this week’s batch, and what to wear them with.

Neighborhood’s designer Mr Shinsuke Takizawa has something of a midas touch when it comes to clothing, which is nowhere more clear to see than in his latest collection’s fleece zip-up top. Here, a piece more commonly associated with rambling and hiking gets a sleek update that makes it a credible, lightweight and warm option for winter city wear. Thanks to its understated all-black design you can wear it with anything for extra insulation, but we suggest in particular this field jacket from Wacko Maria.

Since the publication of Mr Teruyoshi Hayushida’s influential 1965 photo book Take Ivy, Japanese designers (and shoppers) have been engaged in a love affair with Ivy League style. And one of the best contemporary expressions of this obsession is Camoshita, the United Arrows offshoot overseen by creative director Mr Yasuto Kamoshita. Now it seems the rest of the style world is beginning to see things Mr Kamoshita’s way – the camp-collar shirt, for example, has seldom been so popular since the 1950s. But he still does this kind of thing best, as evidenced by this example in light blue denim. It’s a versatile piece that you can dress up – with one of Mr Kamoshita’s beige blazers, perhaps – but it will look equally breezy worn over a simple striped T-shirt at the weekend.

These days, many brands from all over the world choose to source their denim from Japan, and for good reason – its suppliers’ expertise in fabric, dyeing and washing is unmatched across the world. Heritage-inspired brand Chimala makes the most of this fact in such artfully aged pieces as these selvedge denim jeans, which come in an appealingly unusual straight-legged, cropped cut. Thanks to their carefully distressed and whiskered finish, these feel and wear like the kind of favourite jeans you’ve had in your wardrobe for years. In short, no wearing-in necessary: just enjoy. And why not slip on some Visvim sneakers while you’re at it?