Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

Young Buyers Put a Spring in the Step of UK’s Heritage Shoemakers

“After the setbacks of Brexit and the pandemic, the industry’s Northampton heartland is tapping into growing global demand for expertly crafted smart-casual footwear.” [FT*]

and the San Antonio factory keeping the “lost art” of shoemaking alive

The Rise of the Tallboy Is a Sign of the Times

“America has entered its big-beer era.” [Atlantic*]

The ‘Fade Farms’ Where Vintage T-Shirts Grow

“On “fade farms,” savvy vintage sellers have found a quicker way to achieve a coveted worn-in look.” [NYT*]

Up in the Clouds With the Pope, It’s Still Commercial

“Unlike American presidents, Pope Leo XIV has no private jet, so he travels on commercial airlines, like the rest of us. Well, almost.” [NYT*]

Chipp Shape

“How the legendary Ivy League tailor dressed everyone from J.F.K. to Andy Warhol—and brought color, wit, and a little anarchy to the button-down look.” [Air Mail]

My 99-Year-Old Grandmother Built an Empire Around Outdoor Apparel’s Most Important Fabric

“After hearing tales of his family’s former textile business in postwar South Korea, writer Yoon Kim traced his grandmother’s pathway from a war refugee to an industrial innovator.” [Outside]

A shortlist of things we’ve got our eye on.

Drake's Brushed Cable Knit Shetland Crew Neck Jumper

Easymoc Cozymoc

Vetra Workwear Blazer in Otter Corduroy

EVERGOODS Civic Panel Loader in Waxed Canvas

Filson x Freeman Mackinaw Lined Raincoat

DRAGONtail TalonMINI 310 Pocket Tenkara Rod

Photo Books

The Endurance Photographs by the Royal Geographical Society

Written in the West by Wim Wenders

Cape Light by Joel Meyerowitz

American Sports, 1970 by Tod Papageorge

Mario Guajardo and Bronte Treat of Richter Goods

Richter Goods makes western shirts in San Antonio, cut and sewn by its own team. Mario Guajardo left a corporate job at Lacoste in 2011, bought a few sewing machines and set out to build a company that makes everything itself. We talked with Mario and co-owner Bronte Treat about how to tell a well-made shirt, why “designed in” isn’t “made in,” and where they actually eat in San Antonio.

For anyone new to Richter Goods, what do you make, and how did it all get started?

We make western shirts in San Antonio.

In 2011, Mario quit his corporate job at Lacoste and bought a few sewing machines. He’s been drawing and designing shirts since he was a little boy and after studying business in college knew he wanted to build a vertically integrated manufacturing company.

The first products we made were sad. But over the past 15 years, we’ve perfected our fit, fabric, point of view, and grown our production team. Today, we’re really proud of the product we make.

Mario, what did your father teach you about getting dressed? Bronte, who did you look to for style growing up?

My father taught me respect, attention to detail, and consistency. There are so many moments I love around the ritual of getting dressed. It frames my day. -Mario

I’ve always gravitated toward opinionated, singular women. Growing up, I listened to No Doubt, Alanis Morissette, Dolly Parton, the Chicks, Madonna, Shania Twain. What these women taught me is that dressing is a form of storytelling and that we can use clothing to bend our dreams into reality. -Bronte

When you pick up a shirt, how can you tell if it’s well made? What might fool the rest of us?

Fabric, fit, finishes, and quality control. It takes the desire to learn about fabrics to know which are quality, but most people can tell just from feeling a garment if it’s nice.

How does the garment fit you? This can be a bit more subjective as it comes down to styling. Some folks like a tailored garment while others prefer more oversized. But a good fit feels comfortable and confident off the rack.

Finishes refer to the construction of the garment or how it was made. For example, are the side seams of a shirt serged or finished with a french seam? These are different sewing techniques that show the amount of time, attention, and expertise that went into sewing your garment.

Quality control also shows how much care went into your garment. Are the trims damaged? Are there loose threads on the garment? High quality control reflects pride in craftsmanship, which is what it’s all about.

The biggest thing people are duped by is believing a brand is made domestically because the brand’s marketing is Americana. When a brand’s sew-in label says, for example, “designed in Austin” search for the care label which will 99.9% of the time say “made in China.” That doesn’t matter to a lot of consumers, but we think it should.

Is there anywhere you wouldn’t wear a western shirt?

No.

What would Richter Goods lose if you made the clothes somewhere other than San Antonio?

Making clothing is not only a core part of our brand identity, but also a core part of our belief system. We believe in keeping the human tradition of making alive and we live that truth every day.

If we didn’t make our clothing in San Antonio, we’d make it in whatever city we lived in. Once you get the manufacturing bug inside you, it never goes away.

What’s something you’ve bought or picked up lately that you’re really into?

Our New York Times subscription.

Where do you actually eat in San Antonio when you’re not taking visitors out, and what should we order?

In our neck of the woods, taco is a verb. We eat at Taco Palenque more than your doctor would recommend. We order their street tacos with all the fixings. Puffy tacos from Teka Molino. Burritos Frontera, a pop-up concept. Ro-Ho Pork and Bread, my favorite is la Gringa. Mario prefers the torta.

But we also frequent many of the places we’d take visitors too. Cullum’s Attaboy, Reese Bros BBQ, La Fonda on Main, The Newstand, Jue Let, Hotel Emma, and Max’s Sister to name a few.

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

The Most Famous Japanese Brand You Don’t Know About

“The Forgotten Blueprint of Shigehiko Taguchi.” [Contemporary Standard]

and the working-class Teds who came before the punks

Watch Repair Specialist Often Works on Pieces Worth Millions

“Daniele Del Vecchio regularly disassembles, inspects and repairs watches costing millions from his shop in Connecticut.” [NYT*]

Why Nora Ephron Considered Langer’s Pastrami Sandwich the Best in the World

“Langer’s, in Los Angeles’s MacArthur Park, has wowed locals of every stripe for 79 years.” [NYT*]

and Katz’s Deli, still in the family

and the Carnegie Deli is back, sandwich size intact

Have You Been to the Sixth-Worst McDonald’s in America?

“We have. It’s ruled by Stafford County teens.” [Washingtonian]

The Variety Bag Has Ruined Halloween

“Corporate consolidation and changing tastes have made kids’ holiday hauls boring.” [The Atlantic*]

and why nobody can read a label anymore

Why Headlights Seem More Blinding Than Ever

“Changes that help illuminate the road have become a serious annoyance for oncoming traffic.” [Washington Post*]

and GM’s Scenicruiser, the holy grail of buses

and how lotus leaves are making better rain jackets

A shortlist of things we’ve got our eye on.

Alden Piers Indy Shoe

AYR The Slacker

Buck Mason Navy Three-Season Graduate Suit

American Optical Original Pilot Hunter’s Moon

Noah Wool Overcoat

Cavalry Twill Trousers

Sid Mashburn Dress Trouser in Airforce Cavalry Twill

American Trench The Service Pant

Natalino Classic Pleated Trouser

J. Mueser Green Cavalry Twill Trouser

Todd Snyder Italian Cavalry Twill Gurkha Trouser

Nick Doman and Will Pearson of Ocean Bottle

Nick Doman and Will Pearson are the founders of Ocean Bottle, the London company whose bottles help pay collectors to pull plastic out of rivers and off shorelines before it reaches the sea. We talked about why water bottles got so big, the oldest things they still use and where to swim on a week off.

Of all the things you could make, why a water bottle?

WP: I was 21, working as a deckhand on a yacht going from the Maldives to Malta. The owners had brought a thousand single-use plastic bottles for the trip. Part of my job was crushing the empties and bagging them up. The bags went ashore on an island and got burned, and I watched the smoke drift out over the water. You’re in one of the most pristine places on earth, and the plastic is just drifting off into the ocean. Once you’ve seen that, you can’t stop seeing it.

So the bottle was the obvious place to start. Everyone drinks water. Part of what you pay goes to local collectors, who pick plastic out of rivers and off shorelines before it reaches the sea. We don’t really fight plastic. We fight indifference.

What’s the most common mistake people make with their water bottle?

ND: Retiring it too early. The whole point is that it lasts as long as it possibly can. Dents and scratches are proof of life, not a reason to replace it. So buy a good one once, and it’ll be with you for a very long time.

Have water bottles gotten too big? When can we all go back to carrying something that fits in a bag?

WP: I think a lot of them stopped being water bottles and became accessories. I understand why, because what you carry says something about you. But if you need two hands and a cup holder the size of a bucket, it’s quite hard to take it everywhere, and taking it everywhere is the whole point.

ND: We spent a full year with K8, a design studio in Norway, getting our original bottle right. The 500ml (17oz) is still the one I carry. It fits the bag, fits the car and gets you to the next tap. Anything bigger than 24oz and it’s part of my camping gear.

Is there a particular person you’ve met or experience you’ve had through Ocean Bottle that’s stuck with you?

ND: We spent a month in Bali the year we launched, surfing, running strategy workshops in cafés and riding around on mopeds. Waking up every day that close to the ocean, with that kind of freedom, is something we both miss.

What’s the oldest thing each of you still uses regularly?

WP: My grandfather’s windstopper. I think it’s 30 years old. It still keeps me warm and it still kills the breeze.

ND: I still have my Nalgene from Camp Nominague, the Canadian summer camp I went to from when I was 10 to 16 years old. It was perfect for canoe trekking and camping, and it’s stayed with me ever since. I only recently stopped using it because I realised it was before Nalgene stopped using BPA materials. Now at Ocean Bottle we have our Clear range which has replaced this vestige of my childhood – it’s bittersweet for sure.

What’s the best thing you’ve bought this year that you can’t stop recommending?

WP: Honestly, not much. I’m less and less interested in new gear. The thing I keep recommending is our Peak bottle, which I realise is a cheat answer.

If you had a week off, which place you’ve visited for work would you go back to? What should we do when we get there?

WP: There’s a secret little paradise in Sri Lanka I’d go straight back to. Get there for sunset, order a beer for less than a dollar and watch the last surfers come in.

ND: I’ve only been to a few of America’s National Parks, but every time I do I’m blown away. My wife and I are trying to get to all of them. Just another 50 or so to go…

When you get there, find some cold water and get in. Wild swimming is my favourite thing on the planet. Nothing sorts my head out faster. Ten minutes in a freezing lake and whatever was bothering me that morning just isn’t anymore. Not in a biohack way. I just really love it. Tenaya Lake in Yosemite was particularly special.

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

Wilkes Bashford: The Man Who Gave San Francisco Its Elegance

“This town was devoid of any attention to quality of fabric or style until Wilkes came along.” [SF Chronicle*]

and dress like Willie Brown: the former mayor’s annual clothes sale hits eBay

The Shopkeepers: Cable Car Clothiers

“Classic menswear for San Francisco since 1946.” [The Old Ghosts]

and Tailors’ Keep, made by hand in San Francisco

The Classic Brand That Beat San Francisco’s Weather

“The varsity and bomber jackets that make San Francisco – and have long since been made in San Francisco.” [Mr Porter]

Plenty Tough: The History, Philosophy, & Iconic Products of Ben Davis

“Workwear brand Ben Davis may not get the same love as Levi’s, Carhartt, or Dickies but their strict devotion to quality has earned them a cult following.” [Heddels]

and the Bay Area’s indie pants renaissance

The Hard Crowd

“Coming of age on the streets of San Francisco.” [New Yorker*]

and Joan Didion’s Slouching Towards Bethlehem, from the Haight in 1967

What My Dad Gave His Shop

“‘I’m more than just my store,’ my father told me. And yet, for nearly his entire adult life, all of his decisions had argued the opposite.” [The Atlantic*]

The Silent Season of a Hero

“It was not quite spring, the silent season before the search for salmon, and the old fishermen of San Francisco…” [Esquire]

and Roger Angell on the 1989 World Series

Sam Wo

You made your way through the sea of pink shopping bags and windows of hanging poultry that mark San Francisco’s Chinatown, and found the entrance on Washington Street. It was easy to miss. The front door opened straight into the kitchen, where cooks banged away at the flat top and woks fired on either side. You squeezed past them, climbed a narrow flight of stairs to an attic-like dining room, ordered from a waitress who was not at all happy to see you, and waited for the best duck and greens you’ll ever eat to arrive by dumbwaiter.

I knew the original Sam Wo as a boy, going there with my grandfather. We lived just across the Golden Gate Bridge, but going into the city was always an event. Lefty O’Doul’s on Geary was another favorite. My dad and I would work our way down the line while the guys behind the counter carved massive hunks of meat and loaded up our plates.

Lefty’s left Geary in 2017. Sam Wo lost its original building in 2012, reopened on Clay Street in 2015, complete with a dumbwaiter, and nearly closed for good again last year. But it’s not the same as walking through that kitchen for the first time.

People tend to talk about San Francisco in terms of what it’s lost, or what tech ruined. And there’s plenty to mourn. But Tadich has been at it since 1849, John’s Grill since 1908. Swan Oyster Depot still has a line out the door, and Tommy’s Joynt still serves what Eddie Kim called “gloriously okay” food. They’re what people mean when they talk about San Francisco, and what they remember long after they’ve left.

I don’t remember much about the fancy meals I’ve had over the years, but I can still see my grandfather sitting across from me at Sam Wo, working through a plate of chicken feet.

— TS

A shortlist of things we’ve got our eye on.

Jeffrey Sincich Black SF Baseball Cap

Golden Bear The Albany Varsity Jacket

Tellason Montana Jacket

Boudin Bakery San Francisco Sourdough Sampler

WaterField Designs Vista Magnetic Glasses Case

Season of the Witch by David Talbot

Dan Fibiger and Teague Moriarty of SLOAT

Dan Fibiger and Teague Moriarty are the San Francisco duo behind SLOAT, a new golf brand making clothes from natural fibers. We talked about SF weather, what’s wrong with modern golf apparel, and their favorite spots around the city.

Tell us about SLOAT and how it came together.

TM: SLOAT is a menswear brand rooted in golf. We make timeless, thoughtfully designed clothing using only natural fibers, with a focus on quality, craftsmanship, and making things the right way. All of our clothing is produced in Portugal, Japan, and the United States.

Dan and I met surfing about six or seven years ago and became good friends. Our wives were also friends through the same moms’ group.

At the time, I was a chef at Sons & Daughters, and sustainability was a big part of my work. We worked directly with farms and small producers, and I spent a lot of time figuring out how to improve wages, benefits, and working conditions in our restaurants while still keeping the business healthy. Easier said than done sometimes in restaurants.

I knew Dan had a background in fashion and sustainability, particularly on the labor side. So when he approached me with the idea for SLOAT, the underlying logic felt familiar and like something I could get behind.

I’ve always enjoyed starting businesses and building something new. From experience, I’ve learned that you need a strong point of view and a firm understanding of why you’re doing it, and I think we have that.

DF: As Teague said, we met surfing. A year or so after we became friends, I stopped seeing him in the water every day because he got bitten by the golf bug.

In 2025, he finally dragged me out to play. I’d played growing up, but literally hadn’t swung a club or set foot on a golf course since 1999, aside from one round in Vietnam in like 2005. When I came back last year, I was like a golfing Encino Man. What are these binoculars everyone looks through to get their distance? Why aren’t the sprinkler heads marked? Why does everyone ride instead of walk? And why is everyone wrapped in plastic clothing?

That last question stuck with us. We started looking around the golf apparel market and didn’t really see anyone with a hardcore focus on natural fibers and a menswear aesthetic. There are tons of brands that are cool if you’re 24, and plenty for guys in their 60s, but we didn’t see much of anything for us beyond some of the stuff you’ve done with ACL Golf or what the guys at Whim are doing. So we decided to go for it.

I think Teague’s background in fine dining and hospitality, paired with my experience seeing the good, the bad, and the ugly of the apparel business, gave us an interesting combination of expertise to build something from.

The name comes from Sloat Boulevard, which runs past some of San Francisco’s best courses before reaching Ocean Beach. What does a day out there, on or off the course, demand of your clothes? And what makes natural fibers better suited to those conditions?

DF: Depends on the day, but SF demands layers so you can actually feel your body temperature. Natural fibers do that. They help you understand if you’re warm or cold, and you decide what to do in response.

I remember playing a round at Presidio last year in a polyester polo, and it was a gnarly SF day — warm, cold, windy, wet, dry, all of it in 18 holes. I vividly remember walking down the 18th having no idea if I was freezing or boiling. I felt like I had a fever because my polyester shirt did whatever polyester does and had me totally dissociated from my body.

So yeah, SF demands layers, and it demands that you know whether you’re warm or cool. Natural fibers don’t lie. They tell you the truth.

TM: A defining feature of San Francisco is its microclimates. It can be in the high 70s in the Mission, while out in the Sunset or at Ocean Beach, it’s in the high 50s or low 60s, foggy and windy. So whenever you leave the house, you pretty much always need to bring layers.

Sloat Boulevard is where we surf and where we golf, and we wanted to make clothing that works for that lifestyle. Ideally, you can put on one outfit in the morning and have it work all day, wherever you end up in the city.

The Ventile outerwear is a good example. It’s a woven cotton fabric that provides wind and moisture protection without looking like technical hiking gear. You can wear it on the course in the morning, but it also works if you’re heading downtown for work or going out afterward.

That’s really what we’re after: clothes that are practical for the conditions here but don’t look out of place anywhere else.

Golf has great courses, great equipment, and a lot of history, but the clothes don’t always measure up. Why do you think golf clothing has become so disconnected from the rest of menswear?

DF: When I left the game in the late ’90s, my recollection is that most golf clothes were still made from cotton, cashmere, wool, and other natural fibers. Then, with the rise of Tiger, we saw Nike and Adidas going hard into the game, and they did what they do.

To their credit, the big sportswear brands helped grow the game in an awesome way. But they also approached golf through the same framework they applied to basketball, football, and other sports. And that just doesn’t make sense to me. Golf is not the same as other sports.

Function is necessary in golf apparel, but performance, at least as the big sportswear companies define it, really isn’t. I think certain brands have sold golfers on flawed logic, convincing them they need moisture-wicking, nine-way stretch, whatever, to be a good golfer. There are many reasons someone might not be a good golfer, but I guarantee you the moisture-wicking capabilities of their polo shirt are not one of them.

What I do know is that when I came back to golf after more than 25 years away, I expected to find brands like Ashworth and others that had built upon that great menswear aesthetic of the ’90s. I’d completely ignored the game during that time, so it was wild to see how far golf apparel had veered off course.

I mean, Fred Couples wearing Ashworth in 1996? F*cking incredible. Nothing better. And then I come back to the game, and everyone’s wearing spandex joggers. What happened?

TM: It’s interesting because golf clothing used to be much more closely connected to traditional menswear.

My grandfather was a big golfer, and when I was a teenager, I inherited a lot of his old clothes. Really nice V-neck cashmere sweaters, cardigans, and things like that. They were clothes he wore golfing, but I was wearing them as everyday clothing because they were just really nice, comfortable pieces.

Somewhere along the way, particularly over the last ten or twenty years, golf clothing moved toward tight polyester shirts, bright floral prints, and a performance-driven aesthetic. It became something you put on specifically to play golf rather than something you’d actually want to wear throughout the day.

One of our main goals with SLOAT is to make clothes you feel good wearing, without feeling like you’re putting on a costume to go golfing.

We want clothes that aren’t all that different from what you’d wear to a meeting, to work, on a date, or just going to get coffee. There’s no reason those things need to be so separate.

You mention the Ventile outerwear in the collection traces back to a golf jacket passed down from a grandfather. What else shaped the first collection?

TM: The grandfather story with the jacket is actually Dan’s, which is funny because I had a similar experience with my grandfather’s cashmere sweaters. He was a big golfer and had awesome style.

I think surf and skate culture have also been pretty big influences for us. Not necessarily the logos or visual identity of those cultures, but more the comfort and the silhouettes.

I grew up in Santa Cruz and skated a lot as a kid. Back then, you wore Dickies, Ben Davis, and workwear. Clothes were generally a little baggier, and you could move around in them. They weren’t made of stretchy technical fabrics; they were just cut in a way that let you move.

I think that’s something golf clothing has gotten away from. Everything has to have stretch now, and I don’t really think that’s necessary. If clothes are cut properly, you should be able to move comfortably without needing a bunch of elastic fibers in the fabric.

Another thing I really like about skate culture is the way people’s relationship with their clothes changes as they age.

When I was growing up, having a worn spot on your shoe from doing ollies and kickflips was almost a badge of honor. Someone could look at your shoes and immediately know you actually skated. The wear was part of the appeal.

We want our clothing, especially the outerwear, to have that same quality. We want pieces that age and wear well, where the marks that develop over time become part of the garment’s character.

Rather than something that needs to look new and shiny all the time, we’d like people to own these pieces for years and have them actually get better with age.

DF: I inherited my grandfather’s golfing jacket after he died. He must’ve bought it in like 1960, and it lasted forever. That simple thought of wanting to make stuff that you might just pass down to your kid or grandkid as an heirloom or artifact is so simple, but it’s also super powerful.

That aside, I’d say the inspiration for not just the first collection but the whole brand is the San Francisco coastline, the weather around it, and the color palette of the Outer Sunset. Those muted tones were an inspiration. The coast of SF is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and everything we make is meant to celebrate and represent that topography.

I also want to give a shout out to our friend Alex Castertano, our designer. Alex is a creative beast and knows fit, fabrics, and details as well as any designer I’ve ever met. He helped us realize our vision but also brought his own ideas to the first collection.

And the biggest inspiration for the first collection was that Teague and I just wanted to go golfing in clothes that our wives would approve of. I got tired of my wife laughing at me every time I put on my dumb little plastic golfing costume, so I started a brand.

Say we’re in San Francisco for one day. Where are we eating, drinking, and shopping, and if we have time for nine holes, where are we playing? (Sons & Daughters and Kiln don’t count.)

DF: Well, first of all, we’re doing 18, not 9. We’ll tee off early so the full day remains. I’ve gotta say Presidio. If you’re from out of town, it will give you a crash course in SF golf. If you play there during the summer months, you will be warm, cold, wet, dry, all of it within a single round. You won’t shoot a PR, and you will get some awesome vistas of the city. Also, the chicken tenders there are really good.

For shopping, I’d check out Presidio Post or Studio Ferris. And of course Evan Kinori. His store is literally right next door to my kids’ school. I park outside Evan Kinori every day when I pick up my kids, and his store looks like what a store should look like — a gallery of made and discovered objects. He should make golf stuff.

For lunch, I’d grab pho at Yummy Yummy in the Richmond or a fish burrito at Hook Fish Co. in the Sunset. For dinner, Mama Ji’s in the Castro. Unfortunately, that recommendation won’t be much help to anyone reading this after October 31st because she’s closing. But Mama Ji’s has been serving some of the best Sichuan food in San Francisco for the past 20 years, and we’re going to miss her so much.

Favorite bars in SF are the Royal Cuckoo and the Station in Glen Park.

TM: If we only have time for nine holes, I’d definitely say Gleneagles. It’s a municipal course in McLaren Park on the city’s south side. It’s not particularly well-known or heavily played, but it’s a really challenging little course, and I have a soft spot for it.

It also has one of the coolest and most unique clubhouses in San Francisco. There’s a little bar in there that probably hasn’t changed in sixty or seventy years. It’s a pretty special place.

For food, I’d head to Sandy’s in the Upper Haight. My friend Peterson started it during the pandemic. He’s from New Orleans, and it’s a muffuletta sandwich shop. They make one of my favorite sandwiches in San Francisco. Peterson is also just a really cool guy, and he’s almost always there.

For shopping, I’d go to Tailors’ Keep, right around where the Financial District, Chinatown, and North Beach meet.

It’s not really a place you go for casual shopping, since almost everything is made to measure, but it’s one of my favorite clothing stores in San Francisco.

You can go in and have a jacket or shirt made for you, and they have an incredible selection of European fabrics. But beyond that, it’s one of the best customer experiences I’ve had in the city. The guys who run it are incredibly nice and knowledgeable, and they have great style. It’s just a really cool shop to visit.

And for coffee, Coffee Movement in Chinatown is one of my favorite spots. I think they have the best espresso in San Francisco, hands down.

What is golf missing right now when it comes to apparel? How did that influence the brand and collection?

TM: I think this is really our reason for being.

Golf is missing natural fabrics and clothing with more of a menswear slant than a performance slant.

Golf as a whole has become so focused on performance and constantly selling you the next new thing. You see it with equipment companies releasing a new driver every year that promises better performance, AI technology, higher MOI, and all these other incremental improvements.

I’m sure Rory and the top players in the world can feel those differences, but for the majority of us who aren’t scratch golfers, I don’t think it makes much of a difference.

A lot of it feels like marketing designed to get people to keep buying more and more stuff. We want to do pretty much the opposite. We want to make really nice clothing that lasts a long time, with the whole point being that you don’t need to keep buying it.

You should be able to buy one or two really good polos and have them in your closet for the next decade. Same with a jacket. Buy something well-made, take care of it, and keep wearing it for years.

That’s a big part of what we’re trying to do with SLOAT. Rather than constantly chasing the next new thing, we want to make fewer, better pieces that people genuinely want to hold on to.

DF: I love golf but coming back to it after all these years I think it’s missing a lot right now, both on the apparel side and beyond it. I don’t want to sound like a traditionalist, but as Teague said, the game has gone too far into planned obsolescence and convenience culture — the clothes are disposable, apparently you need a new driver every year, and you need a $900 rangefinder that you know you’ll lose within six months. I think we want to be part of a broader movement toward bringing golf back to some of its roots.

Buy fewer, nicer clothes, keep them for a long time. Buy good clubs, pulverize them until they break. Finish your putts, there is no such thing as a three-foot gimmie. Walk, don’t ride. The traditions of this game are what make it so special, and we want to make clothes that celebrate that tradition, help take us back into a slightly more analog era, and make you look good.

Sorry for the speech. To be more specific about apparel, we obviously feel that natural fibers are missing from golf. And it’s been cool to see a resurgence of interest in cotton, wool, cashmere, et cetera, and more conversation about their place in the game.

What’s interesting, though, is that many brands that have been at this far longer than we have, and, to their credit, have built some great businesses, have sold assortments completely dominated by petroleum-based fabrics. Now they’re introducing merino, cashmere, cotton, and other natural materials. And that’s cool. I genuinely hope they stick with it. But I also think the sudden shift toward natural fibers speaks to a broader lack of point of view in the market. It’s almost like, “Oh, this is what people are into now, so I guess we’ll do that too.”

I also think golf is missing a genuine premium apparel category. There are a handful of brands trying to do it properly, but I’d argue that 90% of the brands calling themselves premium are just making sh*t up. Charging $150 or $200 for a polyester polo doesn’t make it premium – you are making your shirts in Vietnam and Bangladesh alongside mall brands that sell the same shirt with a different logo for $40. In my view, there’s no such thing as a premium polyester polo, it’s an oxymoron. You can have an expensive polyester polo, but that’s not the same as premium.

I don’t make the comment about Vietnam or Bangladesh derisively – there are some great factories in those places and that’s the world of apparel manufacturing I came from, but these “luxury” golf brands that are making polyester polos there are straight up misrepresenting stuff in my opinion.

And I don’t say that because I think everything needs to be made from cashmere or some ridiculously expensive fabric. Premium, to me, means quality materials, thoughtful design, great construction, and something that gets better rather than worse with age. That’s what I think golf has been missing, aside from a select, few small brands that are doing it right.

This sounds super corny, but for us it was never about following a trend. From day one, Teague and I decided that SLOAT would use only natural fibers and would use only fabrics that hold a credible sustainability certification, made in factories we have visited and that treat their employees well. Period. It’s a hard-and-fast rule that informs every product we develop.

The other thing golf is missing is a better aesthetic. I don’t think you should be able to identify someone in a grocery store or bar who has just been golfing. And yet right now you can almost certainly spot them. We want to help golfers camouflage themselves when they leave the course and re-enter the real world.

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Martin White, ‘Textile Consultant’ Who Enjoyed a 75-Year Career as a Cloth Merchant in Spitalfields

“He started working in the textile trade in 1946, and in his eighties rebuilt his business after a fire destroyed all his stock.” [Telegraph*]

and why George Smiley carries an umbrella

How the Japanese Listening Bar Conquered the World

“From Tokyo to the Barbican, audiophiles are being served.” [FT*]

The Beginning of the End

“Baseball is . . . over?” [The Bulwark]

and Milwaukee’s 1,000 bars get ready for the World Series

and the science behind the robo ump calling its first World Series

Read more

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

Inside Lucchese’s Texas Boot Empire

“At the maker’s factory in El Paso, a village’s worth of artisans carry on a long tradition of making cowboy boots by hand.” [Garden & Gun]

America Is Officially Back in the Selvedge Denim Business

“Less than a year after acquiring Cone White Oak’s famed denim looms, Mount Vernon Mills is shipping its first rolls of American-made selvedge, and brands are lining up to get their hands on it.” [GQ]

and the Welsh town making jeans again

What Should a Car Smell Like?

“Alex Bilmes travelled to BMW’s Odour Laboratory to find out.” [FT*]

and what’s your favorite dashboard?

Why Contemporary Painters Are Obsessed with Tennis

“Artists like Honor Titus, Jonas Wood, and Sheena Rose are reimagining tennis’s crisp geometry and country-club aesthetics for a more expansive era.” [Artsy]

Great Menswear Can Come From Cleveland, Too

“William Frederick founder William McNicol talks making gorgeous garments & his desire to escape menswear’s clichéd “natural fiber” orbit.” [Highsnobiety]

No Gas Here: Only Diesels Allowed at West Virginia’s Radio-Silent Green Bank Observatory

“Ever thought about the radio frequency interference emitted by a spark plug? Green Bank’s scientists have.” [Road & Track]

How To Not Be An Entitled, Snobbish Vacationer

“Some tips on interacting with slack jawed yokels like yours truly.” [In the Teeth of All Hope]

As Private Equity Scales Up Small Restaurants, Customers Push Back

“Deep-pocketed investment groups are giving mom-and-pop food businesses a shot at big success. But many of their regulars are speaking out against those deals.” [NYT*]

A shortlist of things we’ve got our eye on.

Garrett Wade Heavy Duty 2-Drawer Steel Tool Box

Taylor Stitch Down Vest in Khaki Waxed Ripstop

Rivay x ACL x Alden Ranger Moc in Snuff Suede

William Ellery Maple Brushtail Socks

De Bonne Facture Wool Jacket

Chamois Shirts

L.L.Bean Chamois Shirt

J.Crew Heavyweight Chamois Workshirt

Alex Mill Potter Shirt in Chamois

Todd Snyder Chamois Cape Shirt

Ralph Lauren Indigo Chamois Western Shirt

Tom Gilpatrick of Vernacular

Tom Gilpatrick is the man behind Oakland-based outdoor brand Vernacular. What started with bags has expanded into camping gear and, more recently, apparel. There’s an honesty and humor to the way Tom talks about what he makes that we find refreshing. The designs are simple, utilitarian and a little unconventional, made in-house or nearby in the Bay Area and intended to be worn just about anywhere. We featured the Vee Vest this summer and wanted to hear how the brand came together, what he’s working on now, and who else is making gear he likes.

How did you end up starting Vernacular?

When I was living in Montana I worked at a company that built pop top truck campers (GFC) we had a flexible work schedule where if we hit our production numbers we could split and go have fun. When I moved to California I couldn’t give up that freedom so starting my own thing was the only option. :)

You’ve made everything from bags to camping gear and now clothing. How do you know when something feels like Vernacular?

I definitely did the camper bags out of necessity to live and going out on my own allowed me to pursue some of the ideas I had while working at GFC. They felt a lot different than the clothing stuff does now. My hope with all the stuff has been that folks find it useful in some way and fun to wear/use.

When you started Vernacular, what did you hope it would become? Has that changed?

Redundantly, I was hoping it would be my way out of getting a 9-5... so far so good. :)

What’s keeping you busy these days? Anything new you’re looking forward to or excited about?

So I did end up getting a for real job on top of the Vernacular stuff. It’s very non-traditional and still allows me to do this stuff, take trips and pay my rent. Sometimes I feel like I am being pulled in lots of directions but I like to be busy.

I have been working on a pair of shorts over the past year that I’m pumped about... a short sleeve button up too.

It’s tricky to get clothing sewn where I live, most cut and sew places don’t have an online presence, won’t answer their phone/email and have zero signage. I have had a lot of fun knocking on doors and bugging people to get the stuff made. Looking forward to further understanding the cutty SF sew biz stuff. :)

Who’s making really great gear right now?

I love everything Type 2 gear does, Gnuhr’s stuff is awesome, really like the BXB bike bags.

What’s a place you’ve been that you find yourself recommending over and over again?

Baja :)

No Seasons revisits a project Massimo Osti introduced in 1989, which ran until 1994. Osti founded Stone Island in 1982 after pioneering garment dyeing with mixed fabrics at C.P. Company. He approached clothing as an engineering project, and built a loyal following for it — his original pieces still fetch serious money on the resale market. He left the brand in 1994, but after talking with the design team about No Seasons, it’s clear his thinking hasn’t gone anywhere.

Different textiles in the No Seasons collection are dyed differently in an effort to give them each a unique look and coloring. “We use different coloring methods suited to the specific characteristics of each fabric.” The brand told us. Different materials absorb the same dye differently, meaning every garment comes out slightly different. “We aim to preserve the specific properties of each textile.” Stone Island said. These variations give each garment its own personality and texture, a process that compounds when you see the different variations together.

The Crinkle Reps version of No Seasons takes one jacket silhouette and makes it in six fabrics, all dyed “piombo” grey. The range is wider than it sounds —coated woven, wool cloth, iridescent nylon— each one a different material expression in the same shape. While researching this project, we realized this original concept already contained much of what Stone Island would become. The construction and materials have been updated for the way garments are made today, but the premise hasn't changed. Strip away the branding and ask a simple question: what can the material do?

Nylon is easy to dismiss as generic or inexpensive, but Stone Island has spent decades treating it as something worth developing. Nylon Metal, introduced around 2005, became one of the brand's signature fabrics because of its iridescent surface that shifts in the light. Crinkle Reps NY takes a different approach. Stone Island calls this area of development Material Science, a fitting description of the company’s approach to developing new materials and components.

The base fabric is a lightweight recycled nylon woven in a tight ribbed construction. “Reps” refers to that weave, and “NY” is simply Stone Island shorthand for nylon. The coating is applied to the inside face of the fabric, not the outside. This adds wind resistance and light weather protection, but it also changes the way the outer face accepts dye. The resin creates uneven uptake across the surface, which is where the crinkle comes from, and why every jacket comes out slightly different. During the dye bath, an anti-drop agent is added to the fabric. This means the jacket gets some of its weather resistance from the same process that gives it its color.

In person, it looks muted from a distance. Get closer and the crinkle comes through, shifting as the light hits it in a way that photographs don’t quite capture. The chest pockets have a specifically shaped bib panel, easy to miss until you’re looking for it. The snap cuffs and hood aren’t concealed the way they tend to be on modern outerwear. The hood takes some getting used to if you’re not a hood person. Once you have it in your hands, the No Seasons premise makes more sense. It wears like a Starter jacket designed by Dieter Rams. It’s light and breathable, but there’s enough structure to make it feel substantial without leaving you feeling exposed. It’s not built for a specific scenario, which some people will count against it. But most people don’t need something that specialized. And there’s the arm patch, which you’re welcome to remove.

Keeping the same silhouette across six fabrics turned out to be far more complicated than we’d assumed — shrinkage calculations, dyeing process, trims and secondary materials all had to be worked out separately for each version. The Crinkle Reps is the lightest of the six, and the crinkle effect is enhanced by the garment dyeing.

We were curious whether the dyeing process still held any surprises for Stone Island. The brand was clear about what it knows and what they don't. “We now know how the material reacts to dyeing processes, but in order to achieve the specific colour across the different textile elements that make up the garment, it is still necessary to test the specific result through lab dips and colour trials." We were told. Every production run starts from scratch. Stone Island also explained why they chose piombo rather than black. Grey reveals what the material absorbed. It makes the dyeing process visible.

We also asked how the jacket would change over time. Unlike other materials that evolve through use and washing, Stone Island said Crinkle is expected to remain as unchanged as possible. Much of the irregularity we associate with age —the uneven tone, the variation in texture— is already there the moment it's dyed. That character doesn't build up over time. It's already there.

This attention to detail and obsession with materials is what makes Stone Island and No Seasons so interesting. We started this conversation thinking about the badge. We left thinking about the grey.

Available at Stone Island stores and on www.stoneisland.com beginning today, October 19th.

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

‘We’re Potty for Vintage Polo Ralph Lauren’

“The preppy imprint is getting its own festival. What makes it so popular?” [FT*]

How L.L. Bean Invented the Iconic Duck Boot

“John Berendt traces the origins of the enduring hunting shoe” [Garden & Gun]

One Balaclava After Another

“On the scariest accessory” [Articles of Interest]

Read more

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

First-Class Amenity Kits Have Become Holy Grail Collectibles

“For a rare breed of travel enthusiast, the free toiletry pouches are more than a throwaway convenience. They’re a trip down memory lane.” [WSJ*]

Knicks in Five, but Movados in ’99

[Worn & Wound]

The Clothes That Made Johnny Marr

“From the Smiths to his latest solo album, the legendary guitarist takes us through his wardrobe.” [Mr Porter]

Read more

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Through the Membrane

“How culture moved through Gore-Tex.” [Andrew Groves]

A SEAL’s Tudor, Lost in Vietnam the Night He Nearly Died

“A former SEAL Team ONE officer’s Tudor Submariner vanished the night he was nearly killed in Vietnam and resurfaced 49 years later.” [Watches of Espionage]

Read more

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Decoding Eton’s Hierarchy of “School Dress”

“School uniforms were widely introduced back in the 19th century, when schools like Eton and Harrow needed to rein in the rowdy sons of the elite. But as fundamental to British school life as the uniform itself is the tradition of resisting it.” [Vanity Fair]

Om Malik, last humanist

“Today would have been Om Malik’s 60th birthday.” [Lo Gran Mar]

The Last Zodiac Lunch at Downtown Neiman’s

“Scenes from a dying Dallas landmark.” [D Magazine]

Read more

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

The Athens Boutique Where the Dawgs’ Battered Jerseys Get a Second Life

“The seamstresses at Community leave a record of the football season in every stitch.” [Garden & Gun]

Stunner: Meet the Brannock Device’s Long-Lost Cousin!

“Did you know the Dr. Scholl’s folks once had their own mechanical shoe sizer? I didn’t! Let’s go down the rabbit hole of this unexpected curiosity.” [Inconspicuous Consumption]

Tomato Cure

“The quiet medicine of small jobs, finished before dark.” [Orion]

Read more

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

“If You Don’t Risk Your Neck, You Haven’t Made a Commitment.” Patagonia Founder Yvon Chouinard on Living with Intent.

“In an excerpt from his forthcoming book, filmmaker Jimmy Chin profiles Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, and takes a deep dive into Chouinard’s lifelong relationship with taking risks in the outdoors.” [Outside]

Shetland’s Most Wanted

“A series of encounters with an unlikely band of separatists.” [The Fence]

The Buyers Will See You Now

“How a small group of kingmakers became the most watched people in menswear.” [wimpy]

Read more

50 things we’ve got our eye on.

Sid Mashburn CPO Shirt

Rivay Series II Garment Dyed Utility Pant in Vintage Olive

Buck Mason Seafarer Traveler Cotton Crew

Rancourt & Co. Casco Derby

Soft Goods Double Front Sweatpants

Drake’s Cotton-Silk Work Shirt

Sunspel Cashmere Knitted Polo Shirt

Tom Beckbe Baldwin Jacket

Crockett & Jones Hickstead 4

Rose & Co A16

BARENA Straight-Leg Cotton-Blend Gabardine Trousers

Viberg x ACL Field Chukka

Finisterre Keel 45L Tote Bag

Imogene + Willie Carpenter Pant

J. Crew Midweight denim shirt in dobby stripe

Bleu de Chauffe Musette Business bag

Alex Mill Clifton Jacket

Todd Snyder Crepe Country Shirt

Gardenheir Japanese Typewriter Cotton Gardening Chemise

Madewell Work Shirt

Portugese Flannel Hillside Shirt

New Balance 1300

Polo Ralph Lauren Herringbone Tweed Polo Coat

Orslow 105XX Straight-Leg Jeans

J. MUESER Waverly Herringbone Wool Blazer

American Trench Ventile Down Parka

Flint and Tinder Fatigue Field Jacket

Merz B. Schwanen Ribbed Merino Wool-Cashmere-Silk Beanie

Anglo-Italian Grande Sport Shirt Garment Dye Sky Blue

Junior’s Brown Teardrop Tie

SKU Weekend Chino

Laurence J. Smith Super soft Seamless Crew Neck Pullover

Pinebury Merino Wool Active Short

Buck Mason Field-Spec Cotton Heavy Tee

Unimatic Modello Uno U1-GMT-AEG

Snow Peak Big Field Tote Bag

Inis Meáin Pub cardigan

Pilgrim Wool Ombre Check Shawl

Original Madras Trading Co. N°140 Mat Weave Jacket

Gramicci Hemp Canvas Double-Knee Pant

Morjas Belgian Nubuck Loafers

Manresa Bittner Coat

Carhartt WIP Chase Hoodie

Quiet Golf QG Flag 5-Panel

Yuketen 2.5cm Stirrup Leather Belt

Big Rock Candy Mountaineering Tuolumne Wool Pile Jacket

Crescent Down Works Down Italian Vest

Wythe Bedford Cord Flat Front Chino

RM Williams Gardener Leather Chelsea Boots

Johnstons of Elgin Set of Three Cashmere-Blend Socks

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

Grog almighty – the rise and rise of navy-strength gin

“High ABV spirits are coming to a Martini near you” [FT]

Bear Bryant’s Miracles

“the man behind the winning tradition at Alabama is a magnetic, scary John Wayne type named Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant.” [The Stacks Reader / Playboy]

Oi Polloi, One of the World’s Best Menswear Stores, Is Back

“And oh, how we’ve missed it.” [Esquire]

Read more

Everybody has a favorite and an opinion about what you should order. Here’s to the ones we miss and the ones still pouring coffee.

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

A Field Guide to the True American Diner

“Hello, I am an American from New Jersey and I care about diners.” [The Awl]

Old Hickory

“The Apple Pan is the matrix, the template, the straw that stirs the drink, and it is no coincidence that when nostalgia-mongering restaurateurs attempt to duplicate the Los Angeles hamburger experience, it is to the Apple Pan hamburger that they turn”

[Los Angeles Times]

As American as the Greek Salad

“How the combination of cucumbers and feta gained a few ingredients and became a coast-to-coast staple.” [TASTE]

Clean Plates, Empty Mugs: The Hidden Histories of Diner Ware

[The Henry Ford]

Also… How the Victor Coffee Mug Changed the Way We Drink Coffee

AND…Bunn sold this spring after nearly seventy years in the family.

Price’s-Always Open

[The New Yorker]

Last Night at the Diner

“A kitchen impresario and the town that needed him.” [The New Yorker]

A Corner Booth for Your Soul

Have you ever been a regular? Do you have a Saturday morning pancake ritual with your children? Is there one place you go every week and sit in the same seat at the counter? These are the quintessential diner experiences. Norm can have the bar — there’s no better place to have them know your name than a diner. I’m lucky to have one of these beloved institutions in every city I have ever lived.

On 44th Street, I frequent the Red Flame Diner. I’m there so often (despite living on the West Coast and not visiting until I moved away from New York) that the night counter man knows my name. Sometimes its a turkey burger deluxe, sometimes it’s bacon, eggs, avocado and one pancake. Either way, it’s fast, friendly, and comes with unlimited amounts of hot coffee.

In Los Angeles, I have two favorites. Snug Harbor, the 1940s time warp that is perfect in every way. Another obsession further south is Pann’s in Los Angeles. Straight out of a movie, it is one of the most incredible rooms in LA. Since I live in San Diego now, any time we fly out of LAX we make a point of allowing for time to make a stop at Pann’s. There I almost always go for the chicken and waffles — which feels correct.

I often think about the old Eisenbergs and the ping I felt in my teeth on the first sip of a Lime Rickey while I worked my first job in NYC in 2002. I also long to visit the Sugar Bowl Luncheonette in Darien one more time. I miss that place. Same goes for The Doodle up the road in New Haven. They are all still serving pancakes in the great big sky above.

All of these places have a simple offering with speed and familiarity, but they hit you deep in your soul. These are the venues for the mundane and everyday life where nostalgia takes root. Since they all feel so well known, the good feelings compound there, which is probably why we form such strong bonds with these places. We know them, and they know us. That and a good pancake —is there anything more powerful in this world? — MW

Jake Hook / Diner Theory

We’ve loved following Jake Hook’s visits to L.A.’s diners and coffee shops on Diner Theory, and putting together this issue felt like the perfect excuse to chat. Jake is a philosophy professor at Cal State Fullerton and runs the Diner Preservation Society, a social club for people who love these places as much as we do. We asked him what he looks for in a diner, which spots he’s worried about losing, and where he’d send us for a good meal.

How did you get so deep into diners? Was there one place that started it?

I’ve always sort of liked diners, my dad brought me to a lot of them as a kid. His favorite restaurant was Chili John’s, so an honest hole in the wall like that was ingrained in my mind from a young age. My dad passed away during COVID, so the fact that I can go somewhere like Chili John’s and have the exact same experience I had all those years ago means a lot.

As I got older though, I started studying philosophy, and as a grad student, I noticed that a lot of my best ideas came to me at diners. They’re very reflective sorts of places. And so I started to think, what is it about diners that encourage this kind of reflection and epiphany. I think that’s when I realized that diners had sort of a greater importance than most people can put into words.

How is the SoCal diner unique compared to other greasy spoons in the US?

Technically speaking, there aren’t a lot of “true” East Coast-style diners in SoCal. If you asked someone in LA in like, 1940, what a place like Nick’s Cafe was, they’d call it a coffee shop. “Diners” originally just referred to prefabricated diner cars like you see in New Jersey. In SoCal, it was the coffee shop that really bred a culture of its own. They’re a lot like diners, they share a lot of the same visual language and the same short order kitchen format. Where they really stand out is in the architectural style. The classic California coffee shop borrows from Art Deco, Googie, postmodern, lots of different styles and different eras, and some of them accumulate elements of a lot of different styles. I think some of the great coffee shops of SoCal have this really eclectic quality where you can really see these different chapters of a places history. In terms of menu, diners and coffee shops of all kinds tend to be pretty eclectic, but you’re more likely to see Mexican food, and a greater variety of it, in SoCal diners versus anywhere else. There are also a couple of regional California dishes that seem to live primarily on diner menus, like the chili-size or the Joe’s special.

When you walk into a diner for the first time, what tells you it’s going to be good before you’ve eaten anything?

As a rule, wood is good. If there’s a lot of wooden fixtures, exposed wooden beams, wood paneling, that’s a good sign. Same with linoleum, terrazzo, or old tile. If they’ve still got stuff like this in place, generally it means the owners don’t like to change anything, don’t care about keeping up with trends. And that usually extends to the menu, recipes remain generally unchanged. For example, they might still use lard or beef tallow in a recipe from way back in the day, and never changed during the anti-fat movement of the 80s when everyone else did.

Hand written menu items haphazardly taped on the wall somewhere, I like to see things like that. And of course, I love the signs that a good diner has been lived in. Scuffs on the counter, chips in the coffee mugs, cracks in the leather of the stools. That stuff tells me it has regulars, that it’s a place everyone keeps coming back to.

Where have you seen an immigrant-run diner’s cooking come through on the menu in a way you love?

There’s so many places I could name, but one that I’ve recently fallen in love with is Armon’s in Eagle Rock. It’s gone through a few different generations of ownership, and each one adds something to the menu that just sticks. You’ll find standard American breakfast alongside Mexican, Chinese, and Thai dishes. The current owners are a Thai family, and they recently launched a whole new menu of Thai specialties alongside the regular menu, and that stuff is really, really good. Noodles, curries, stir frys. I’d bet it’s the best Thai food in Eagle Rock. My favorite is the Doctor Special.

Tell us about the Diner Preservation Society. Who shows up, and what actually happens at those meet ups?

The Diner Preservation Society is a social club for anyone who loves diners and thinks they’re important to the culture and history of Los Angeles. Anyone can come to a meeting, we don’t take attendance or anything. I would say the majority of people who come are young-ish people, 25-35, but we get the whole range of people from retired folks to the occasional teenagers. There’s a vaguely alternative undercurrent to some of the group, while others just have good memories of these places that they’d like to relive and share with people. As for what we do, I try to remember to make a toast of some kind, maybe advise on the highlights of the menu, but it’s mostly just good conversation and good food.

Which diner are you most worried about right now, and which one do you think outlives all of us?

I’m most worried about Armon’s, since the landlord jacked up their rent by 180% a few months ago. I’m also pretty concerned about Du-Par’s, they’re not doing so hot, and it would be a shame to see them cut corners to make ends meet, or worse: close. As for a diner that outlives us, at one time I would have said the Pantry, but they’re currently closed! I know they’re planning to reopen, but any disruption of continuity can get dicey. I think people would probably riot if Canter’s closed, and the fact that the same family runs the business after almost a hundred years means there’s probably money in it enough to keep it running.

If you could send someone to three diners anywhere in the country, where are they going and what are they ordering?

S&P Luncheonette in New York. Get a tuna melt and an egg cream. Robert’s Grill in El Reno, Oklahoma, get a fried onion burger. Go to Chili John’s in Burbank, get the chili spaghetti, and don’t skimp on the grease—that’s where the flavor is.

A shortlist of things we’ve got our eye on.

Counter Culture: The American Coffee Shop Waitress

Fishs Eddy HL Greenband Set

Dexter-Russell Hamburger Turner

Durango Diner Green Chile Sauce

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

The Best Workout Gear Is a Cotton Tee

“Fancy synthetic workout gear might promise to wick away your sweat, but there’s a more comfortable and less stinky alternative sitting in your drawer: Your favorite old cotton T-shirt.” [GQ]

The Rise of the Unstoppable American Tourist

“A supercharged U.S. economy has helped transform a nation of homebodies into zealous international travelers; ‘Travel isn’t optional’” [WSJ]

25 of the Best Vintage Shops in America

“25 shops that offer major ROI.” [Huckberry]

Your Clothes Deserve a Maintenance Schedule

“And for waxed jackets, New England Reproofers can help.” [Wardrobe]

Jay Maisel, Photographer of Miles Davis and Much More, Dies at 95

“His moody portrait became the album cover for “Kind of Blue.” Mr. Maisel lived and worked in an old bank that he bought for $102,000 and sold for $55 million.” [NYT]

Why is my mustard spicier than normal? An investigation into a global Dijon mystery

“The search for an answer took us to a mustard dynasty in France, a Hamilton mustard mill and Palliser’s Triangle.” [Toronto Star]

A shortlist of things we’ve got our eye on.

Crockett & Jones Vail

Gitman Vintage Indigo Silk Denim

Engineered Garments Cruiser Jacket - Olive Cotton Moleskin

Late Nine 5-Pocket Cords Olive

American Trench Donegal Fleck Sport Coat

WHR 6-Panel Side Vent Hat (Moss)

Josh York

Josh York has been making clothes in his hometown of Detroit through his company Soft Goods for the past nine years. He clearly cares about the city, and we admire his commitment to building a business that employs people there and contributes to its comeback. After years spent mostly producing for other labels, he's been growing Soft Goods' own line, so we were excited to talk with him about the brand, how making clothes has changed the way he shops, and a few things he's been enjoying lately.

Why launch a clothing manufacturing business in Detroit? Does the city have a history of making apparel?

Detroit does have a surprisingly real history here — in the 1920s there was a knitting mill on the same block as our factory, and Carhartt started making workwear here even decades before that. Other parts of the country have a more defined history in textiles, but Detroit has a rich history in manufacturing, which is the bigger thread through time to what we’re doing.

I wanted to build Soft Goods in Detroit because I grew up here and my family is all still here. I was inspired by the city’s renaissance after the 2009 bankruptcy; seeing great people build businesses that were making a real impact on the comeback of this amazing city. I was already passionate about making t-shirts and figuring out how to sew garments, so moving back to my hometown to be part of that momentum and hiring Detroiters to make clothes with me felt like the right opportunity.

Is there a cut and sew garment you love that’s the basis for what you’re making at Soft Goods?

The t-shirt. I’ve been fascinated by them since elementary school when I saw my older cousin’s band play and they had a merch booth of tees they airbrushed in their garage. They had the band name, “Creepy Peter” in slime letters across and I wore that until it fell apart. Ever since, I’ve been drawn to how t-shirts transcend society — everybody wears them, no matter who they are or where they’re from, and each one carries a story. I still have t-shirts from different chapters of my life, band shirts, job shirts, family reunions, you name it. Many are hanging on to bare threads or don’t fit anymore, yet I can’t get rid of them because of the sentimental value they hold. That fascination is what led me to try to make the perfect one, not with a graphic, but with amazing fabric and fit that will last forever.

When I started Soft Goods, I made a t-shirt every single day until I perfected it months later. Nine years later, it’s still the same tee, and Soft Goods will now make almost 10,000 t-shirts this year, among the other styles we’ve added to the line.

What has making clothes changed about the way you think about buying things?

I was struck early on by how long it actually takes to make even a simple t-shirt — ten to fifteen minutes of labor per shirt. Way longer than the 30 seconds it was taking me to screen print one. Yet you can still buy some tees for $3. That gap taught me to appreciate craft and the time it takes to make something well and it’s changed how I shop in general. I didn’t pay myself for the first 3-4 years of being in business, so I didn’t have much money, but rather than just buying something cheap that would fulfill my needs right there and then, I started to recalculate the numbers in my head. I would rather invest in something well made that will give me utility and joy long into the future vs just going for instant gratification. I became proud of the things I owned, rather than just using them to look a part or fill a need temporarily. Especially knowing that every dollar I spent came from how hard I worked every day sewing t-shirts, each one was all the sudden worth a lot more!

What’s the best thing you’ve bought this year that you can’t stop recommending?

I technically didn’t buy them, but the Brushtail Socks from William Ellery. In January I was grabbing a beer in Paris with Trevor and he was saying “A good pair of socks can change your life” and I thought he was being dramatic. Well let me tell you: These things have changed my life. They are made with a blend of Possum and Merino wool and they feel so different than any other wools sock I have. They almost feel like cashmere, but they seem to wear in way better than cashmere, in that they last a lot longer. They don’t smell either. I can wear them a few days in a row and they are incredible for traveling light. They are so warm and breathable and are life changing socks. They are expensive for a sock, but so worth the cost based on the joy you experience wearing them over and over.

What’s happening at Soft Goods? What are some of the new things that are coming soon?

Soft Goods is in the middle of a big pivot. For the first 8 years the company operated as a private-label first manufacturer, and we only relaunched as a consumer-facing brand a year ago. Until last year, our website acted as a portfolio, you couldn’t really buy much from us directly. In the past year, Soft Goods went to our first-ever trade show in January, and this fall our branded products will be carried in fifteen stores across the globe, from Scotland to South Korea to Japan to the U.S. The brand is also pushing hard online, releasing our first full collection ever this year. On the product side: our bread and butter tees are being joined by cotton sweaters, beanies, fleece, and we are dipping our toes into Alpaca socks and a wool sherpa line, which has me very excited. A vest and zip-up jacket made with 100% American Grown wool, 100% cotton backing, made with cotton thread, cotton labels, and even cotton zipper tape. No synthetics anywhere. I don’t believe you can find a synthetic-free and American-made product like this on the market, and I’m super excited to be the brand bringing them with the world and to round our Soft Goods knitwear collection.

What’s a brand or company you think deserves a much bigger audience?

Leon Footwear. I wore New Balance 574’s almost exclusively for a number of years and was telling my wife last summer that I needed to find a slightly more stylish leather shoe to upgrade my overall style. Then I met Gavin and Casey last fall and they sent me their Maverick shoe and it quickly became my go-to. I wear them probably 5 days a week and will be adding more colors into my life soon.

These guys are operating at a high level; great product, content and on top of that they are genuinely good people building a business the right way. It’s only a matter of time before they pop off in a big way, and I’m excited to watch it happen and say I told you so.

What’s something you’ve become obsessed with recently that has nothing to do with clothing?

I’ve really gotten back into reading this year. My wife and I will occasionally watch a show before bed, but we welcomed a new baby this year, so the tv has been permanently off (until football and hockey seasons start back up this fall). In my spare time on weekends and before bed every night, I’ve been diving deep into books. It’s such a great way to take a break from screens and unwind by immersing myself into a story. I know reading is no new secret, but it’s kind of become a rekindled hobby of mine. I used to be really into WWII books, but lately have been enjoying reading memoirs from people my age. It’s so fascinating to learn about other people’s experiences in life from other parts of the world. I read about a guy my age who walked from El Salvador to America when he was 10. A woman my age in rural China that left her family to work 80 hours a week in a shoe factory. The perspective I’ve gained through these stories has made me a more grateful person and likely a better business owner and father.

Links

• Industry Standard Tools — Crowd-sourced list of industry standards.

• Check out the original 1851 reviews of Moby-Dick.

• W. David Marx: Fashion Is Bigger Than Ever — But Worse at Rewarding Invention

• Why some people mow a lawn better than others

• 50,000 Boat Names

• Past Catalog Archive

• How Japan Made American Denim Its Own—and Built a Cult Following

• Inside a Levi’s Factory — El Paso, TX. March, 1993.

Summer’s over and the students are back on campus. Here’s an issue about colleges, the towns around them, and some of the things that haven’t left.

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

On the Campus — John McPhee

“The campus gradually absorbs a campus rat.” [The New Yorker]

This Southern College’s Football Tailgate Is Unlike Any Other

“Alabama’s tailgating runs on victory, and LSU’s runs on Cajun culture—but at Ole Miss, it runs on nostalgia.” [Southern Living]

also…‘Cult’-like college football akin to ‘living on a different planet’ for some students

The Secret Oral History of Bennington: The 1980s’ Most Decadent College

“Fall, 1982. A new freshman class arrives at arty, louche, and expensive Bennington College.” [Esquire]

Read more

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

Vintage Fashion Is Changing the Economics of Desirability

“The $289 billion and growing resale market is upending the carefully cultivated world of luxury” [Bloomberg]

High Highs and Low Lows

“My biggest take away after a year building wood boats on the Maine coast.” [The Next Thing]

The Secret Design History of Peanuts

“As a buzzy NYC pop-up exhibition celebrates the strip’s cultural legacy, AD explores how Charles M. Schulz documented the evolution of the American home, from iconic Eames chairs to ’80s chintz” [AD]

The Backlash Against Polyester Has Gone Too Far

“Clothing made from natural fibers isn’t always better.” [The Atlantic*]

The Quest for a Hangover Cure

“Scientists still aren’t sure what makes us feel lousy after drinking—but that hasn’t stopped companies from touting new and purportedly scientific remedies.” [New Yorker]

A shortlist of things we’ve got our eye on.

LEJ 1 Pocket Officer’s Shirt

De Bonne Facture Forest Jacket

Gramicci Multi-Tool Card

Drake’s Indigo Cotton Wadded Vest

Madewell Utility Pant

Bijan Shahvali

Bijan is a longtime fixture in NYC menswear and the current Brand Director at Corridor. We’ve long been fans of his excellent vintage shop, Intramural, and were excited to speak with him about what he’s been up to at Corridor, his favorite pickup of the last year, and what defines his personal taste.

How do you explain Corridor to people who aren’t familiar with it?

Corridor is a Brooklyn based menswear brand that’s remained independent since being founded in 2013. Dan, the founder/designer of the brand, is inspired by traditional textiles, as well as the art and music of Folk Americana. You can see this woven into each garment and feel it when you step into one of our seven stores in New York and Los Angeles.

How does experience with buying vintage for Intramural still shape the way you approach your work at Corridor?

The vintage landscape is increasingly crowded, and so something that is always important to me with Intramural is making sure the perspective and messaging feels distinct and remains consistent. I always want to make sure the Intramural perspective is felt at every touchpoint, from the product curation to the way things are displayed/photographed to the brands I’ve partnered with. At Corridor, I approach my role as a steward of the direction the brand is heading and ensuring that it is felt wherever the brand is experienced.

Tell us about the new collection. What are you most excited for people to see?

The new collection is all about restraint. Throughout, you’ll notice a real focus on simplicity, with a quieter, more muted palette. The clothing feels lived-in with texture and color settling into a kind of natural harmony you can only get with time.

The pieces are easy to wear and I think everyone will be able to find something that will fit right in with their existing wardrobe. I’m really excited for people to see the outerwear and the alpaca-blend knits. There are pieces that I’m also excited about that just have the perfect wash and color like our zip hoodie in Blue and the Wide Twill pant in brown.

What makes a collection feel successful to you?

A successful collection is deliberate and cohesive. One in which you can mix any tops and any bottoms from the collection and it works great. From a more macro brand perspective, a testament to a successful collection is that it feels like a natural progression from the one before it. I think you want to see longtime customers mixing your current collection with past collections.

What’s the best thing you’ve bought this year?

The best thing I bought this year wasn’t vintage, it was a pair of black leather Clarks Wallabees. I find myself wearing them with everything. Instantly, the most versatile shoe in my rotation.

If someone wanted to understand your taste, what three things would you point them toward? A book, a record, a jacket, a building...anything.

• Isaac Hayes’ ‘Walk on By’

• The Godmother sandwich (hot with the works) from Bay Cities in Santa Monica

• The Barnes Foundation

verandamag

russellmoccasin

moristiko

nanamica

justinsliao

rockmountranchwear

heatframes

Lakes have been on our minds, for reasons both seasonal and otherwise. So before summer gets away from us, an issue devoted to life by the water.

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

Once More to the Lake by E.B White

Wisconsin Supper Clubs

“Childhood memories may be haunted but the relish tray abides” [County Highways]

“Lake Tahoe” from Roughing It by Mark Twain

The Lake Effect

“At Mountain Lake, where the Dirty Dancing lift was filmed, the lake drained into the earth in 2008 and never came back. The bartender still plays the movie above the liquor bottles and recites the lines five seconds ahead. Tourists ask why they don’t just fix it.” [Oxford American]

The Lake Monsters of America

“Fish Man-Goat Terrifies Couples Parked at Lake Worth” [Atlas Obscura]

How the Most Popular Sailboat Ever Was Invented

“The Sunfish taught millions of Americans to seize the breeze” [Smithsonian]

What to Bring

Everyday Mountaineering Hemp-Tech Shorts

Tom Bihn Monster Truck

Finisterre Portell Wool 1/4 Zip Fleece

Mephisto Hurrikan

Sentinel Basecamp Chair

Lapo’s Nigroni Water

Foris Outdoors Fishing pants

Viyella Long Sleeve Cotton & Linen Sport Shirt - Blue & Buff Plaid

What to Read

Ninety-two in the Shade by Thomas McGuane

A Good Day to Die by Jim Harrison

The Survival of the Bark Canoe by John McPhee

Memories

I grew up going to Pinecrest Lake in the Sierra Nevada every summer. I was seven or eight when I caught my first fish, a rainbow trout near the dam. The line zigzagged through the water as I reeled it in.

My grandfather showed me how to hold the fish so the spines wouldn’t stab me. Then he took it and smacked it against a rock. I can still hear the sound. He showed me how to gut it, and we ate it that night. I’ve eaten a lot of fish since, and none of it has tasted as good. — TS

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

Rick Kelly Will Build Your Guitar from a Church, a Brothel, or a Bar

“The legendary luthier of Carmine Street has spent 50 years repurposing old New York into instruments played by Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, and more.” [Totei]

A General Store Almost as Old as America

“Ben Shattuck, the proprietor of Davoll’s in coastal Massachusetts, yearns for a retail world before chain stores and online shopping.” [NYT]

The Rise of the Soccer Shirt Economy

“How many jerseys is too many? In the Premier League, a limit may not exist.” [Reuters]

Read more