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.