From Squalor to Baller

Two Suede Jackets

March 28, 2023 No Comments

Menswear guys like myself will utilize a considerable amount of mental gymnastics to justify our purchases. Most of it revolves around using quality and versatility as a rationalization for dropping a bunch of cash – it will last forever! You can wear it with anything! Just think of how low the cost-per-wear will be! But at some point, when the closet is already fit to burst, this logic breaks down and you simply have to admit the obvious: I want to buy this because I like it. […]

Editorials, Packing & Travel

A Sartorial Guide to Santa Fe

March 15, 2023 No Comments

Santa Fe, New Mexico is a crossroads of cultures – an amalgamation of Native American, Spanish, Mexican and Old West history that spans thousands of years. It’s a town known for this rich background as well as the art and lifestyle that stem from it, but it’s also a destination for something else – shopping. Everything from tiny pop-up booths to international brands have opened up shop in Santa Fe to capitalize on the demand for products born of this cross-pollination of cultures. […]

What I Wore

What I Wore: Exploring Santa Fe

February 24, 2023 No Comments

I just got back from another great trip to Santa Fe with my good friend Gus as my tour guide. I’ll have more to share about some local collectors and makers in the coming weeks, but in the meantime wanted to show how my packing list from last week played out. […]

Packing & Travel

Snow in Santa Fe

February 15, 2023 No Comments

Tomorrow my girlfriend and I are heading east to spend a few days in Santa Fe with my good friend Gus. We’ll be hunting for vintage apparel and jewelry, meeting with local artisans and collectors, and will undoubtedly be enjoying some margaritas and hatch chilis along the way. This feels like the ideal time to pull out all my western-inspired gear and go “full yee-haw” for a long weekend. […]

Reviews

Product Review: Chanel “Paris – Édimbourg” Fragrance

February 2, 2023 No Comments

One of my aunts is the unofficial historian for our family. She keeps meticulous records of our genealogy and has boxes of artifacts that go way back, back to when my great-great-grandparents first landed in rural Vermont. One of the many heirlooms in her collection is a thick stack of letters that my long-deceased grandfather wrote for his wife while he was stationed in France during World War Two. […]

Editorials, Notifications

Todd Snyder Comes to California

January 25, 2023 No Comments

The middle of the market is a tough place to be in retail. There will always be an appetite for the cheapest product possible, and the luxury consumer will remain loyal to their favorites. But brands and retailers that attempt to offer something that’s both good and accessible often end up getting squeezed. We’ve seen this story many times – J. Crew’s chapter 11, Rugby Ralph Lauren being taken from us too soon, Brooks Brothers’ 200-year legacy ending in bankruptcy – the world of menswear has exploded in the past fifteen years, but with even with this growth many mid-market retailers have struggled to survive. However, there is one brand that seems to be flourishing in this challenging space – Todd Snyder. And as luck would have it, they just opened up two new stores on the West Coast. […]

Reviews

Playing the Long Game – Real McCoys x The Armoury Leather Jacket Review

January 19, 2023 No Comments

real mccoys the armoury horsehide leather jacket review

It’s no small secret that leather jackets are extremely cool. From the Ramones and James Dean to Indiana Jones and the Fonz, leather jackets have a track record of creating iconic looks both on screen and throughout history. But with all that coolness comes some risk, too – leather jackets are expensive, come in many styles weighted with cultural meaning, and are virtually guaranteed to make a statement, so if you don’t get it right it can become a costly mistake. […]

Editorials

The Joys of Wool Socks

January 10, 2023 No Comments

“Do you wear wool socks?” my doctor asked me skeptically. After briefly reflecting on the question I had to admit that I, a self-proclaimed expert in men’s attire, wore cheap cotton socks basically every day despite any variations in the weather. “Well, you need to start wearing them. They’ll keep you warmer and wick moisture better.” I already knew these properties of wool, of course, but hadn’t really applied them to my own feet. He began to list off some options for wool socks but I had already stopped listening, and was making a mental shopping list of how I was going to elevate my sock game – per my doctor’s orders. […]

Editorials, Reviews

A New Year Refresh – New and Old Garrett Leight Hamptons

January 3, 2023 No Comments

In the early days of the new year it feels right to take stock of one’s life and note which pursuits need attention. Most would apply this thinking to an altruistic activity such as learning a new language or reading more books, but I also think about which pieces of my wardrobe need to be refreshed. This line of thinking led me to realize that it was time for a new pair of glasses – happy new year to me! […]

Notifications

Restocked – Solid-Stick Umbrellas at Lost Monarch

December 14, 2022 No Comments

The Bay Area has been getting a good drenching of rain over the past two weeks; it’s an occurrence that has become so rare that it feels like a big event anytime the clouds move in. I am a staunch advocate of walking everywhere (whether it’s raining or not) so this was a good time to put some mileage on my Lost Monarch solid-stick umbrellas. And as luck would have it, I just did a small restock on the site so they’re available now. […]