A little protection, or at least something to help ride out stormier times ahead, might just be the way forward when it comes to concepting our wardrobes this fall. Design collective Third Floor has always found sartorially satisfying ways to explore that tension between self-preservation and entrapment, designing padded cell pants and a straitjacket capes back for their debut collection featured last year in FADER 57. Since we talked to the collective, their work has been shot for magazines like French Vogue (the awesome patent leather helmet!), with the finishing touches on the newest collection, Dusk To Dawn, having recently been completely. For Fall '09 Third Floor is taking an alternative route on the way to suiting and booting, with menswear that takes cues from futuristic armor. With intricate leather pieces that encase the ribcage like the breastplate of a 21st century samurai warrior and high-collar woolen coats complete with safety straps, these clothes are designed to shelter us from recession woes, or any other crazy forces of nature. It's hardly surprising that Third Floor site Lost Boys and Elephant as the backdrop to their design process–as they tell it the Third Floor man is prepping for an important mission next season, and since that mission involves impeccably pin-tucked white button-downs and layered slouchy tailoring then we're definitely up for the challenge.